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The ontogeny of Pseudopetigurus deprati Turvey et al., 2006 from the Ordovician Dawan Formation (Arenigian), Anhui Province, South China, is described. The presence of an anterior cranidial border in Pseudopetigurus is recognized for the first time. On account of the short (tr.), spindle-shaped anterior border, and the distinct, steeply inclined, wall-like pygidial margin, Pseudopetigurus is assigned to the family Dimeropygidae, the first genus of this family endemic to Gondwana. It has previously been regarded as a member of family Isocolidae.

• Read more about Ontogeny and relationships of the trilobitePseudopetigurus Prantl and Přibyl

An exceptionally preserved fauna within dolomites of the Friars Point Limestone Formation includes the most diverse brachiopod assemblage yet described from the Tournaisian of the British Isles, and the first from Wales. Each of the 16 brachiopod genera includes a single species, of which four are new (Schellwienella cheuma, Schuchertella subcrona, Composita ptygmation, Fusella extrata). Associated fossils are corals (one species), bryozoans (two species) and crinoids (one species).

• Read more about A Tournaisian brachiopod fauna from south-east Wales

The discovery of a new elasmobranch assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand allows expansion of the faunal list and refinement of our knowledge of the dental morphological features of some previously described taxa. The root morphology of Thaiodus is now known and a more complete description of the dentition of the genus Heteroptychodus, known formerly by a single tooth from Japan, is given. A new genus and species, Acrorhizodus khoratensis, characterized by teeth of very special morphology is described.

• Read more about A new elasmobranch assemblage from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand

Abundant and well-preserved Early Jurassic ammonite assemblages occur in the Taseko Lakes map area on the Cadwallader Terrane in the southern Coast Mountains of British Columbia. The ammonite assemblage described herein includes nine genera and 14 species, most of them already known from classical localities of northern and southern Europe. The presence in particular of Caenisites brooki (Sowerby) and C. turneri (Sowerby) permits high-resolution correlation with the Turneri Zone of the north-west European Sinemurian zonation.

• Read more about Late Early Sinemurian (Early Jurassic) ammonites from the Taseko Lakes map area, British Columbia

The spider family Oonopidae is described from Cretaceous ambers from Myanmar and Canada for the first time. Orchestina albertenis sp. nov. is the first spider to be described from Canadian Grassy Lake amber and only the second spider to be described from Canadian amber. The specimen in amber from Myanmar extends the known range of the extant genus Orchestina back another 10 million years from the previously oldest specimen in Turonian New Jersey amber.

• Read more about Fossil oonopid spiders in Cretaceous ambers from Canada and Myanmar

Three new genera including four new species of the bivalve family Mysidiellidae are described from late middle to early late Anisian (Middle Triassic) deposits of Qingyan, Guizhou Province, south-west China. The new taxa Leidapoconcha gigantea gen. et sp. nov., Waijiaoella elegans gen. et sp. nov., Waijiaoella speciosa gen. et sp. nov. and Qingyaniola mirabilis gen. et sp. nov. significantly increase the known taxonomic diversity within the Mysidiellidae.

• Read more about New Mysidiellidae (Bivalvia) from the Anisian (Middle Triassic) of Qingyan, south-west China

Analysis of anal plates of type species of most cladid crinoid genera (excluding codiacrinid and some gasterocomacids) recognizes four catagories of anal plating conditions designated: Parioplax, Menoplax, Mesoplax and Opioplax. These four plating conditions are subdivided into 23 anal subconditions. These various anal conditions reflect recognized general evolutionary trends within all orders of the cladids.

• Read more about Cladid crinoid (Echinodermata) anal conditions: a terminology problem and proposed solution

The reproductive biology of dinosaurs is of great interest, particularly in light of the many fossil eggs assigned to this group. The ultrastructural characteristics of dinosaur eggshells are examined in order to calculate water vapour conductance, which indicates the nesting environment. Data were mainly derived from the literature but new values are also presented. Allometric analyses were carried out on a variety of shell parameters against predicted egg mass, and comparison was made with allometric equations for bird eggs. Shell thickness was generally larger than seen for extant birds.

• Read more about Ultrastructural and functional morphology of eggshells supports the idea that dinosaur eggs were incubated buried in a substrate

The earliest known representative of the subfamily Encrinurinae, Encrinuroides regularis sp. nov., is described from the glauconitic sandstone of the Maekula Member, Billingen Stage (Arenig), from localities in the Baltic-Ladoga Clint area. Cybele (subfamily Cybelinae) has its earliest appearance at about the same level, but at different localities, probably indicating their facies dependence.

• Read more about The earliest encrinurid trilobites from the east Baltic and their taxonomic interest

A revision of thelodont scales from the Lower Devonian of the Iberian Chains enables their grouping into two taxa: Turinia pagei and T. nachoi sp. nov. These taxa are clearly distinguishable by morphological and histological features; they also have a different stratigraphic range (T. pagei is restricted to Lochkovian strata, whereas T. nachoi sp. nov. occurs within lower-middle Pragian rocks). The new species is represented by head, transitional (cephalopectoral) and trunk scales.

• Read more about A new Early Devonian thelodont from Celtiberia (Spain), with a revision of Spanish thelodonts