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Four genera of extinct ringtail possums have been reported from Australian Oligocene to Miocene sediments since 1987. The genus Marlu was described from two species, M. kutjamarpensis and M. praecursor (Woodburne, Tedford and Archer), from the Miocene Kutjamarpu Local Fauna (Leaf Locality) and late Oligocene Wadikali Local Fauna respectively, of northern South Australia. New fossil material referable to this genus has been collected from the Leaf Locality and the Oligocene to Miocene Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northwest Queensland. Three new species, Marlu karya sp. nov.

• Read more about New Australian Oligocene to Miocene ringtail possums (Pseudocheiridae) and revision of the genus Marlu

A recent collection of actinopterygian fossil fishes from a previously unreported locality in the Cenomanian or Turonian of southeastern Morocco includes a single specimen of a macrosemiid fish. Macrosemiids are more common in Jurassic and Early Cretaceous deposits, with the previously known range of the family being Late Triassic through Aptian or Albian. This discovery therefore extends the temporal range of the family into the Late Cretaceous.

• Read more about A new Late Cretaceous macrosemiid fish (Neopterygii, Halecostomi) from Morocco, with temporal and geographical range extensions for the family

Many species of fossil coralline algae have been separated on the basis of only a few characters with slight or doubtful taxonomic significance. Analysis of the type material of the fossil coralline algal species is, therefore, needed in order to assess the taxonomic status and circumscription of these taxa. Wataru Ishijima has been one of the most prolific Japanese palaeontologists who worked on fossil calcareous algae from the western Pacific region.

• Read more about Re-assessment of the type collections of fourteen corallinalean species (Corallinales, Rhodophyta) described by W. Ishijima (1942-1960)

Isolated material of 13 graptolite species from the Aeronian (middle Llandovery) Lituigraptus convolutus Biozone is described. A considerable amount of late astogenetic peridermal thickening is revealed in Normalograptus scalaris and Rivagraptus bellulus. As a result, in the former, thecal morphology is modified from climacograptid to pseudoglyptograptid; in both species, the virgella becomes robust. In Metaclimacograptus minimus and Me. sp., it is shown that the dorsal metathecal wall forms the genicular hood, whereas in N.

• Read more about Isolated graptolites from the Lituigraptus convolutus Biozone (Silurian, Llandovery) of Dalarna, Sweden

Three ampleximorphic taxa are revised and their most important characters are discussed in terms of possible or apparent relationships. Re-interpretation of its early ontogeny allows the assignment of Pentamplexus Schindewolf, 1940 to the family Polycoeliidae de Fromentel, 1861. Stereolasma variabilisVojnovsky-Krieger, 1934 is established as the type species of Vojnovskytes gen. nov. It resembles the family Polycoeliidae in some characters and the Antiphyllidae Ilina, 1970 or the Laccophyllidae Grabau, 1928 in others. Thus, its family status is not established.

• Read more about On Pentamplexus Schindewolf, 1940 (Anthozoa, Rugosa) and its possible relatives and analogues

Eucalyptolaurus depreii gen. et sp. nov. is proposed for angiosperm leaves newly collected from uppermost Albian – lowermost Cenomanian of Charente-Maritime (western France). They consist of simple, narrow, elongate laminas with entire margins and intramarginal veins.

• Read more about Intramarginal veined Lauraceae leaves from the Albian-Cenomanian of Charente-Maritime (western France)

Over the past three decades Ordovician pteraspidomorphs (armoured jawless fish) have been recorded from the fringes of the Gondwana palaeocontinent, in particular Australia and South America. These occurrences are dominated by arandaspid agnathans, the oldest known group of vertebrates with extensive biomineralisation of the dermoskeleton. Here we describe specimens of arandaspid agnathans, referable to the genus Sacabambaspis Gagnier, Blieck and Rodrigo, from the Ordovician of Oman, which represent the earliest record of pteraspidomorphs from the Arabian margin of Gondwana.

• Read more about Ordovician fish from the Arabian Peninsula

The terminology and grouping of spherical, calcareous microfossils of unknown biological affinity, usually referred to as calcispheres, are diffuse. The term calcispheres is inconsistently used, the morphological and taxonomical concepts are mostly ill-defined and a formal definition is lacking. To resolve this issue, we propose, in analogy with the erection of the Acritarcha for organic microfossils of unknown origin, a new group called Calcitarcha, including all calcareous microfossils with a central cavity for which the biological affinities remain unknown.

• Read more about A discussion and proposal concerning the use of the term calcispheres

Based on a well-preserved specimen from the Early Triassic Lower Qinglong Formation exposed at Qingshan Quarry, Jurong, Jiangsu Province of China, the new taxon Peia jurongensis gen. et sp. nov. is named and described with anatomical details of its dermal skull, neurocranium and postcranial skeleton.

• Read more about A new parasemionotid-like fish from the Lower Triassic of Jurong, Jiangsu Province, South China

Since the brachiopod Order Lingulida has been greatly revised in recent years, with particular emphasis on Cambrian and Ordovician genera, many well-established Silurian linguloid species from the British Isles have been left without an appropriate genus in which to place them. This is rectified here by allocating the various species, mostly erected in the nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, to a variety of genera which have been mainly erected within the last forty years.

• Read more about Generic homes for British Silurian linguloid brachiopods