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British Permian saccate and monosulcate miospores

Thirty-three species belonging to seventeen genera are recorded and described from the British Uppei Permian (Zechstein). Six species are considered to be new. Three variants are described for Lueckisporites virkkiae Potonie and Klaus 1954 and the diagnosis is emended. The sample localities, brief lithological descriptions, and some spore frequencies are given together with a comparison of the present assemblages with those previously described from other parts of the world.

A new fertile lycopod from the Lower Carboniferous of Scotland

The morphology and anatomy of the leafy stems and cone are described and attributed to Oxroadia gracilis gen. et sp. nov. The leaves were recurved and show no evidence of abscission. The plant was probably herbaceous. Comparison is made with other lycopods based on petrifactions and also with forms based on compressions. Megaspores closely associated with the cone are described under Triletes subpalaeocristatus sp. nov.

New Silurian graptolites from the Howgill Fells (northern England)

Recent work on the graptolite faunas of the Silurian strata of north-west Yorkshire and Westmorland has unearthed, from the Wenlock and Ludlow Series, species previously recorded from the Continent, and in addition several new species and subspecies. The following new forms are described: Monoclimacis griestonensis nicoli subsp. nov., M. shottoni sp. nov., M. flumendosae kingi subsp. nov., Pristiograptus watneyae sp. nov., P. welchae sp. nov., P. dubius pseudolatus subsp. nov., P. auctus sp. nov., Monograptus firmus sedberghensis subsp. nov., M. radotinensis inclinatus subsp. nov., M.

The Namurian goniatite Nuculoceras stellarum (Bisat)

The goniatite previously known as 'Cravenoceratoides stellarum is spirally ornamented and usually possesses a small umbilicus. The early Homoceratina are best classified at generic level in terms of ornament and stellarum should be included in the genus Nuculoceras. English material is described and comparison made with foreign descriptions of the species. A revision of zonal classification in the Arnsbergian Stage (E2) of the Namurian is proposed.

Systematics, affinities, and life habits of Babinka, a transitional Ordovician lucinoid bivalve

The rare bivalve genus Babinka from lowest Middle Ordovician rocks of the Bohemian Basin shows multiple muscle scars which have led several palaeontologists to suggest a relationship to some metameric mol-luscan ancestor. A systematic and morphologic revision reveals that Babinka is a typical bivalve in all features except the pedal and gill muscle-scar patterns. These scars are not like those of other bivalves, but are almost identical to the pattern found in the recent monoplacophoran Neopilina, and in some early Palaeozoic Mono-placophora.

The interrelationships of some Cretaceous Codiaceae (calcareous algae)

The anatomy and evolution of fossil codiacean calcareous algae referred to Arabicodium and Boueina (Jurassic-Cretaceous) and Halimeda (Upper Cretaceous-Recent) are discussed. It is considered that all are referable to one botanical genus Halimeda; differentiation of the earlier species-groups (Boueina and Arabicodium) was followed by hybridization and selection in the Upper Cretaceous, leading to Halimeda s.str., a group of species of more vigorous growth and showing a combination of characters from the older species-groups.

Corallum increase in Lithostrotion

Serial section examination of increase in ten species of Lithostrotion from Australia and Great Britain has shown that increase is a valuable specific character, and has confirmed earlier reports that in Lithostrotion it is mainly lateral; axial increase has already been reported in Lithostrotion from Russia and peripheral increase is herein described in a specimen from Australia.Four types of lateral increase in Lithostrotion are recognized: (1) increase in L.

Calcifolium (Codiaceae) from the Upper Viséan of Scotland

Two species of the algal genus Calcifolium Shvetzov and Birina occur in two Upper Visean limestones in Ayrshire and Lanarkshire. At the lower horizon, that of the Hurlet Limestone, the characteristic form is C. punctatum Maslov; in the overlying Blackball Limestone, the species is replaced by C. okense Shvetzov and Birina. Both species are easily recognized in thin sections, and the genus appears to be an accurate marker for the P2-E1 stratigraphical interval.

The mode of life of two Jurassic species of 'Posidonia' (Bivalvia)

On facies grounds Bositra buchi (Romer) was almost certainly not benthonic, but probably nekto-planktonic rather than pseudoplanktonic, since other possible pseudoplankton is rare in its typical facies, there is no sign of attachment at any stage of life, and there are morphological signs of swimming ability (anterior and posterior gapes, thin shell, and probable wide angle of opening in life). Experiment indicates that this mode of life is feasible. The hinge of B.
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