Archive

A new semionotiform (Actinopterygii, Neopterygii) from Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous deposits of north-east Thailand, with comments on the relationships of semionotiforms

A new semionotiform fish, Isanichthys palustris gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous Phu Kradung Formation, north-east Thailand. I. palustris is known from a single, nearly complete specimen found alongside abundant Lepidotes specimens at the Phu Nam Jun locality. I. palustris shows a mixture of semionotid-like characters, such as the pattern of cheek ossifications, and lepisosteid-like characters, such as the body shape and a dorsal fin opposed by an anal fin. I. palustris possesses only some of the characters currently used to define the Semionotidae.

A review of Triassic tetrapod track assemblages from Argentina

This paper contains the first comprehensive ichnotaxonomic review of the Triassic tetrapod track record in Argentina, including previous accounts and new material recently discovered, and an analysis of its composition and stratigraphic distribution. Triassic footprints have been recorded from three basins: the Ischigualasto-Villa Union and Cuyo basins in north-west Argentina, and the Los Menucos depocentre in northern Patagonia. Most are in successions of Middle Triassic age; a lower number are from the Late Triassic, and there are two records from Early Triassic rocks.

A new snake mackerel from the Miocene of Algeria

A new genus and species of gempylid is described from the Late Miocene (Messinian) diatomite deposits of the Chelif Basin, north-east Algeria. Although its skeleton is incomplete, Chelifichthys goujeti gen. et sp. nov. possesses a unique combination of features that justifies its recognition as a new genus. Chelifichthys goujeti is characterized by remarkably elongate and serrated dorsal-fin spines, the absence of external pelvic-fin elements, and sculptured frontals and opercular bones.

Variations in the morphology of emu (Dromaius novaehollandiae) tracks reflecting differences in walking pattern and substrate consistency: ichnotaxonomic implications

Fossil footprints appear in a variety of preservational states, each revealing a different morphology that can give rise to misidentification and misinterpretations. Comparative ichnological work was conducted using living emus (Dromaius novaehollandiae). It was clearly demonstrated that the morphological variation that occurred in footprints of the same animal, walking in the same manner, was caused by variation in substrate consistency.

A new species of Moeritherium (Proboscidea, Mammalia) from the Eocene of Algeria: new perspectives on the ancestral morphotype of the genus

A new species of Moeritherium (Proboscidea, Mammalia), M. chehbeurameuri sp. nov., is described from remains discovered in the early late Eocene locality of Bir El Ater, Algeria. Although mainly represented by isolated teeth, it shows distinct synapomorphies which justify its attribution to the genus Moeritherium, together with exclusive features that led to the creation of the new species. The main characteristic of this new taxon is the almost complete lophodonty shown by its molars, while Moeritherium is commonly regarded as a bunolophodont to bunodont taxon.

Lutetiacader, a puzzling new genus of cantacaderid lace bugs (Heteroptera: Tingidae) from the Middle Eocene Messel Maar, Germany

A new genus of cantacaderid lace bugs, Lutetiacader gen. et sp. nov., is described from the lower Middle Eocene of Messel Quarry, Germany. It clearly belongs to the cantacaderid lineage of Tingidae, and is the second known fossil genus of the tribe Cantacaderini (after Paleocader Froeschner). It appears to be most similar to extant species of the genera Nectocader Drake (Brazil) and Teratocader Drake (Malay Peninsula). Lutetiacader occupies a central position with respect to the geographical gap between the ranges of these two extant genera. Its biogeographical significance is discussed.

A new dercetid fish (Neoteleostei: Aulopiformes) from the Turonian of the Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil

Dercetid fishes are common in Tethyan marine deposits of Europe, Asia and Africa. In this paper, we describe a South American dercetid fish, Brazilodercetis longirostris gen. et sp. nov., based on juvenile and adult specimens found in core samples at c. 4000 m sediment depth in the Atlantida Formation (Pelotas Basin, southern Brazil).

A neoselachian shark from the non-marine Wessex Formation (Wealden Group: Early Cretaceous, Barremian) of the Isle of Wight, southern England

Bulk screening of Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation strata exposed on the south-east coast of the Isle of Wight, southern England, has resulted in the recovery of neoselachian shark teeth referred to the scyliorhinid Palaeoscyllium. These are the first neoselachian remains from the British Wealden Group and represent the geologically oldest neoselachian yet recovered from a freshwater deposit. This is also the only known example of a non-marine occurrence of a member of the Scyliorhinidae.

A new elasmosaurid plesiosaur from the Upper Cretaceous of Fukushima, Japan

A new genus and species of an elasmosaurid plesiosaur, Futabasaurus suzukii, is described based on a partial skeleton from the Inoceramus amakusensis Zone (Lower Santonian, Upper Cretaceous) of the Irimazawa Member of the Tamayama Formation, Futaba Group, in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. The new taxon is characterized by a number of characters such as the wide space between the orbit and external naris, posterior extension of the interclavicle, relatively long humerus and prominent femoral muscle scar.
Subscribe to Archive