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An isolated dentary bone from the Triassic of Toško ?elo, near Ljubljana (Slovenia) is referred to the genus Cyamodus. It is the first record of a placodont from Slovenia. The specimen is late Ladinian or early Carnian in age, and is thus among the latest known representatives of the genus Cyamodus.

• Read more about A cyamodontid placodont (Reptilia: Sauropterygia) from the Triassic of Slovenia

A partial pterosaur skull from the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian?) represents a new edentulous pterodactyloid, Lacusovagus magnificens gen. et sp. nov. The absence of teeth and a large nasoantorbital fenestra suggest assignment to Azhdarchoidea, and the combination of a particularly short, crestless and shallow rostrum and laterally flared jaw margins distinguish it from other azhdarchoid taxa.

• Read more about A new azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian?) of Brazil

Three family-level cladistic analyses of temnospondyl amphibians are used to evaluate the impact of taxonomic rank, tree topology, and sample size on diversity profiles, origination and extinction rates, and faunal turnover. Temnospondyls are used as a case study for investigating replacement of families across the Permo-Triassic boundary and modality of recovery in the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction. Both observed and inferred (i.e. tree topology-dependent) values of family diversity have a negligible effect on the shape of the diversity curve.

• Read more about Calibrated diversity, tree topology and the mother of mass extinctions: the lesson of temnospondyls

Egg clutches of non-avian maniraptoran theropods (Dinosauria) are rare, particularly in North America where those of Troodon formosus are the only maniraptoran clutches known. Here we describe a new partial maniraptoran clutch and nesting trace referred to Montanoolithus strongorum oogen. et oosp. nov. (Montanoolithidae oofam. nov.), from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana. Based on a cladistic analysis of reproductive traits, we infer that this clutch belonged either to a caenagnathid or to a dromaeosaurid, which makes it the first clutch known of either taxon.

• Read more about Unique maniraptoran egg clutch from the Upper Cretaceous Two Medicine Formation of Montana reveals theropod nesting behaviour

In 1860, Stephen Hislop published a data-rich document on the infra- and intertrappean strata of the Deccan Plateau of central India, along with numerous new taxa of continental and marine molluscs. His scholarship interestingly blended antiquated, contemporary, and ahead-of-his-time palaeontological methods. Although his work established a completely adequate foundation upon which to build future end-Cretaceous Deccan molluscan studies, effectively no substantive work ensued, with only incidental subsequent reference to his effort.

• Read more about Stephen Hislop and his 1860 Cretaceous continental molluscan new species descriptions in Latin from the Deccan Plateau, India

The quality of the Triassic–Jurassic bivalve fossil record in northwest Europe has been measured using the Simple Completeness Metric (SCM). The SCM has been applied to the fossil record of total bivalve diversity and to the records of different ecological guilds. The Westbury and Lilstock Formations record high SCM values for most ecological groups. The 'Pre-Planorbis Beds' of the lower Lias Group, however, witness a precipitous decline in the completeness of most guilds and emigration of taxa due to localized marine anoxia is a likely cause.

• Read more about Quality of the Triassic-Jurassic bivalve fossil record in northwest Europe

The oldest Cenozoic mammalian assemblages in South America have been recovered from levels of the Hansen Member of the Salamanca Formation, Punta Peligro locality in Argentina, and from the Santa Lucía Formation in Tiupampa, Bolivia. These faunas led to the recognition of the Peligran and Tiupampan South American Land Mammal Ages (SALMAs), each alternatively regarded as the oldest Paleocene SALMA. Due to the lack of radioisotopic dates for mammals bearing levels at these localities, no agreement has been reached yet about their relative ages.

• Read more about Biochronological relationships of the earliest South American Paleogene mammalian faunas

Remains of a peculiar traversodontid cynodont, Protuberum cabralensis gen. et sp. nov., are described herein. The material was collected from two outcrops representing the Therapsid Cenozone (Middle Triassic) of the Santa Maria Formation, and consists of a cranium with most of its dentition preserved and an associated postcranial skeleton. The upper postcanines have two sharp cusps that are connected by a medial crest on unworn postcanines.

• Read more about A new traversodontid cynodont (Therapsida, Eucynodontia) from the Middle Triassic Santa Maria Formation of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Early Permian terrestrial vertebrate faunal assemblages of Laurasia are dominated by large ophiacodontid, sphenacodontid, and edaphosaurid synapsids. This pattern contrasts with the fauna recovered from the Early Permian fissure fill deposits near Richards Spur, Oklahoma, where derived nontherapsid synapsids are rare. The fragmentary remains of Thrausmosaurus serratidens constitute the only published report of Sphenacodontidae from this locality. Here, we re-evaluate T. serratidens in light of new information on the faunal assemblage of this locality. We confirm that the type material of T.

• Read more about A re-evaluation of sphenacodontid synapsid material from the Lower Permian fissure fills near Richards Spur, Oklahoma

The status of thirty four species of the cytheroidean ostracod family Cytheruridae from the Neuquén Basin, west-central Argentina is reviewed.

• Read more about Taxonomy and zoogeography of the Mesozoic cytherurid Ostracoda from west-central Argentina