We report two partial skulls of fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) of uncertain age trawled from the sea floor of the sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean (58 to 60°S), representing the southernmost record of the family. The skulls possess diagnostic features of the genus Africanacetus, several specimens of which have been recovered from the sea floor off South Africa, but differ from the type and only known species Africanacetus ceratupsis in their larger size. This difference may either reflect intraspecific variation or indicate the existence of a hitherto unrecognised species. The two specimens are characterised by unusually developed mesorostral ossifications, combined with maxillary crests occurring in the facial region. Both of the latter are found in a range of extant and extinct ziphiids, and known to be sexually dimorphic in extant beaked whales. These structures may be the result of hypermorphosis driven by sexual selection, and could be involved in male-specific behaviour.

A near complete and articulated parvicursorine pes from the Campanian Wulansuhai Formation is described. This pes is referred to the genus Linhenykus and is one of the first foot skeletons to be described for a derived alvarezsaur, providing new information on the first digit of the pes. The evolution of a laterally directed flange of the anterior face of the distal third metatarsal in arctometatarsalian taxa is described and discussed. This flange may have increased stability of the foot during cursorial locomotion and may also provide useful taxonomic and systematic data.

An isolated posterior cervical vertebra of a sauropod discovered at Phu Dan Ma (Kalasin Province, northeastern Thailand) is the first informative postcranial specimen from the Phu Kradung Formation, a Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous continental unit. The vertebra is referred to the family Mamenchisauridae, otherwise mainly known from China. In addition, spatulate teeth from the same formation and a mid-dorsal vertebra from the Upper Jurassic Khlong Min Formation of southern Thailand are reassigned to this family. The occurrence of mamenchisaurids in the earliest Cretaceous of Thailand supports a hypothesis of geographical isolation of Central, Eastern, and Southeast Asia during the Late Jurassic. It also suggests that the main changes in their dinosaur assemblages occurred during the Early Cretaceous, rather than at the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary.

Complete plesiosaur skeletons are relatively abundant in the Lower Jurassic of England and Germany, but are exceptional in France. A new specimen from Normandy (northern France), including incomplete skull, palate and mandible with several associated vertebrae, is here described and its pliosauroid affinities are discussed. Comparison of this new specimen with other plesiosaurians indicates that it belongs to a new genus and species: Cryonectes neustriacus. This new plesiosaurian taxon represents one of the most complete pliosaurids reported from the Pliensbachian, a stage that has yielded very few diagnostic plesiosaurian remains. Our preliminary phylogenetic analysis places Cryonectes in a basal position among Pliosauridae, and suggests that the radiation of this clade occurred several millions of years earlier than previously thought. This new taxon contributes to our understanding of Early Jurassic plesiosaur diversity.

Sampling of latest Burdigalian (Miocene) silty clays from the Malé Karpaty Mountains in the Slovakia revealed a deep-water, low diversity shark fauna. The fauna is dominated by teeth of very small squaliform sharks, including two new species, Eosqualiolus skrovinai sp. nov. and Paraetmupterus hurvathi sp. nov. The generic composition of the squaliform fauna is more similar to that known from the Eocene than that of today, suggesting a post-early Miocene faunal turnover within this clade, at least locally. Nectobenthic, non squaliform sharks are rare, but include the new sawshark species Pristiuphurus striatus sp. nov., while minute teeth of an enigmatic taxon described here as Nanuceturhinus tuberculatus gen. et sp. nov. probably indicate the presence of a previously unrecorded planktivore. The unusual composition of the fauna, with the complete absence of taxa known to be of medium to large size, suggests an unusual, and probably very stressed, palaeoenvironment.

The Ypresian Cambay Shale Formation of Vastan Lignite Mine in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate fauna, including the earliest modern mammals of the Indian subcontinent. Here we describe its assemblage of four frogs, including two new genera and species, based on numerous, diverse and well-preserved ilia and vertebrae. An abundant frog, Eobarbourula delfinoi gen. and sp. nov., with a particular vertebral articulation similar to a zygosphene-zygantrum complex, represents the oldest record of the Bombinatoridae and might have been capable of displaying the Unken reflex. The large non-fossorial pelobatid Eopelobates, known from complete skeletons from the Eocene and Oligocene of Europe, is also identified at Vastan based on a single nearly complete ilium. An abundant “ranid” and a possible rhacophorid Indorana prasadi gen. and sp. nov. represent the earliest records of both families. The Vastan pelobatids and ranids confirm an early worldwide distribution of these families, and the bombinatorids and rhacophorids show possible origins of those clades on the Indian subcontinent.

Ophiurites crinitus is a fossil brittle-star species which passed largely unnoticed since its original description. In this paper, we redescribe the type material of O. crinitus with the aim to put it into the context of modern ophiuroid systematics, and propose the new genus name Ophiosternle to replace the invalid Ophiurites. The re-assessed species is shown to be a member of the extant deep-sea family Ophiacanthidae, articulated fossils of which are extremely rare. It presents greatest affinities with members of the Ophioplinthaca—Ophiocamax—Ophiomitra clade, of which it most probably represents the oldest known fossil species. The depositional environment of the strata, which yielded the described specimens is interpreted as shallow, storm-influenced marine setting in the immediate vicinity of coral reefs. This contrasts with the distribution pattern of extant species of the Ophioplinthaca—Ophiocamax—Ophiomitra clade, which almost exclusively occur at depths exceeding the shelf break.

Rich echinoderm fauna from the Middle Devonian of the Eifel (Rhenish Massif, Germany) has yielded specimens of the rare recumbent pleurocystitid rhombiferans. Regulaecystis testudineus sp. nov. extends the stratigraphic range of the pleurocystitids to the Eifelian (Middle Devonian). Specimens show a strongly inflated and ornamented theca, which is unusual for the European pleurocystitids. Phylogenetic analysis of all described pleurocystitid genera suggests a close relationship of Regulaecystis with the other Devonian genera. Results indicate that the degree of inflation and of ornamentation of the theca can be interpreted as convergences within the pleurocystitids due to environmental conditions (such as surface consistency, hydrodynamism). R. testudineus sp. nov. was living as a strict epibenthic vagile organism; lying on muddy soft to firm substrates in quiet to agitated shallow warm water environments.

A review of the Cambrian edrioasteroid echinoderm Cambraster cannati is made based on new collections from the Iberian Chains (NE Spain) and Montagne Noire (France). New morphological data include a completely articulated oral area and details of ambulacra. Specimens ranging from 4 to 26 mm in diameter provide detailed information concerning the full ontogeny. Important changes through ontogeny mainly affect the marginal ring and the plating pattern of the aboral surface. Comparison with other species of Cambraster indicates that the aboral surface of Cambraster tastudorum from Australia shows strong resemblance to juvenile specimens of C. cannati. Cambraster cannati was attached directly to the substrate and inhabited relatively high energy, offshore environments from the west margin of Gondwana. Abnormalities in the skeleton are described for the first time in a Cambrian edrioasteroid.

The Middle Triassic ammonoid genus Ceratites diversified spectacularly within the Germanic Muschelkalk Basin during the Anisian/Ladian (244–232 Mya). Previous studies have interpreted this diversification as a sequence of rapid, endemic radiations from a few immigrant taxa. Here we investigate the possibility that geological and sampling biases, rather than ecological and evolutionary processes, are responsible for this pattern. A new specimen-based dataset of Ceratites species-richness and abundance was assembled. This dataset was combined with 1:200 000 geological maps in a geodatabase to facilitate geospatial analyses. One set of analyses compared species richness per geological map with the number of occurrences and localities per map. Per-map change in the amount of rock available to sample for fossils was also included as a variable. Of these three variables, number of occurrences is the most strongly correlated with richness. Variation in the amount of rock is not a strong determinant of species-richness. However, rarefaction of basin-wide species/abundance data demonstrates that differences in species-richness through time are not attributable to sample size differences. The average percent similarity among sites remained close to 50% throughout the Upper Muschelkalk. The rank abundance distribution (RAD) of species from the first interval of the Upper Muschelkalk is consistent with colonization of a disturbed environment, while the other two intervals have RADs consistent with more stable ecosystems. These results indicate that genuine ecological and evolutionary events are partly responsible for the observed differences in richness and abundance. Although changes in the RADs through time support changes in the ammonoid assemblage structure, the processes underlying increasing richness and change in RADs cannot be explained by increasing geographic distinctiveness or isolation among the ammonoid assemblages present at different localities.

We erect a new genus, Elongatolucina, for distinctive large, elongate lucinid bivalve specimens from Miocene sediments from Venezuela. We interpret Elongatolucina to have had a chemosymbiotic mode of life and it may have been seep-restricted. Cryptolucina elassodyseides from Eocene hydrocarbon seep sites in Washington State, USA is incorporated in Elongatolucina.

A new gastropod fauna is reported from Chubut province of west-central Patagonia. Members of Trochoidea, Pseudomelanoidea, Campaniloidea, and Nerinoidea are recorded from the Early Jurassic (Late Pliensbachian—Early Toarcian) of Mulanguińeu Formation. The gastropod fauna consists of two new species: the pseudomelaniid Pseudumelania feruglioi sp. nov. and the protorculid Anulifera chubutensis sp. nov. Other members of the association are Pseudumelania sp.; the ampulloispirids Globularia cf. catanlilensis, Globularia sp., and Naricopsina? sp.; the nerineids Nerinea? sp. 1 and Nerinea? sp. 2; the trochids Lithotrochus humblodtii, Lithotruchus cf. rothi, and two indeterminable trochids species. An analysis of diversity was made considering all gastropod fauna recovered so far from five fossiliferous localities sampled in west-central Patagonia. The preliminary results of this study suggests that the Jurassic marine sequences of west central Chubut province are dominated by gastropods of Eucyclidae, Pseudomelaniidae, Procerithiidae, and Ampullinidae groups. However, the rarefaction curves of particular marine gastropod faunas in the Jurassic of Patagonia are still far from saturation requiring further collecting effort.

Sixteen bryozoan species have been identified in the Bayayla section, Mut Basin, southern Turkey. Five of these species are described here, including two new to science representing new genera: Basyaylella elsae gen. et sp. nov. and Ostruvskia trifuramina gen. et sp. nov. The other three described species (Exidmunea sp., Biflustra savartii, and Margaretta sp.) show unusual features that have not been reported previously. Based on bryozoan data, the Bayayla sequence represents a tropical to subtropical, normal marine environment, with seafloor composed of fine sedimentary particles in a low-energy setting.

The new fossil thrips Uzelothrips eocenicus P. Nel and A. Nel sp. nov. (Thysanoptera: Uzelothripidae) is described from two lowermost Eocene amber-preserved specimens (one macropterous and one apterous). The family Uzelothripidae is only known so far from a single extant species, Uzelothrips scabrosus. The fossils differ from the extant species only by the antennal segments III and IV, which appear distinctly separated instead of being fused as in the in the extant U. scabrosus. Dark-coloured hyphae and conidia of the Dothideomycetes (Ascomycota) which are likely to belong to the sooty moulds (Capnodiales) are attached to the apterous fossil specimen. We consider this arthropod-fungus association not to be accidental since these fungi are also found in extant specimens of these uzelothripids, suggesting very specific long-term interactions and strong habitat specificity.

The enigmatic marrellomorph arthropod Furca bohemica from the Upper Ordovician Letná Formation, is redescribed. Based on existing museum specimens and new material collected from the southern slope of Ostrý Hill (Beroun, Czech Republic), the morphology and taphonomy of F. bohemica is reappraised and expanded to produce a new anatomical interpretation. The previously distinct taxa F. pilosa and Furca sp., are synonymised with F. bohemica, the latter being represented by a tapho-series in which decay has obscured some of the diagnostic features. A cladistic analysis indicates close affinities between F. bohemica and the Hunsrück Slate marrellomorph Mimetaster hexagonalis, together forming the Family Mimetasteridae, contrary to previous models for marrellomorph internal relationships. As with other representatives of the group, the overall anatomy of F. bohemica is consistent with a benthic, or possibly nektobenthic, mode of life. The depositional setting of the Letná Formation indicates that F. bohemica inhabited a shallow marine environment, distinguishing it palaeoecologically from all other known marrellomorphs, which have been reported from the continental shelf.

An isolated exopod in uncompressed three-dimensional “Orsten”-type preservation from the Cambrian of Australia represents a new species of Marrellomorpha, Austromarrella klausmuelleri gen. et sp. nov. The exopod is composed of at least 17 annuli. Each of the proximal annuli carries a pair of lamellae: one lamella on the lateral side and one on the median side. The distal annuli bear stout spines in the corresponding position instead of lamellae, most likely representing early ontogenetic equivalents of the lamellae. The new find extends the geographical range of the taxon Marrellomorpha. Additionally, it offers a partial view into marrellomorph ontogeny. The occurrence of a marrellomorph fragment in “Orsten”-type preservation provides new palaeo-ecological insights into the possible connections between the “Orsten” biotas and other fossil Lagerstätten. Finding such connections is necessary for understanding the complex ecosystems of early Palaeozoic times.

Six specimens of a strongly curved, cylindrical hexactinellid sponge have been recovered from the TommotianAtdabanian Hetang Biota of South China, and are described as Decumbispongia yuani gen. et sp. nov. The robust, thick-walled sponge shows no evidence of an osculum or basal structures, and the body form is inconsistent with an upright, filter-feeding life position. Interpretations as a detritivore feeding by amoeboid extensions, or as a facultative chemosynthetic symbiosis of sponge and bacteria are considered. The latter interpretation is preferred due to the highly constrained body shape, and the body form is interpreted from this perspective. The species indicates that Cambrian sponges occupied at least some autecological niches that appear to have been vacant since that time.

The analysis of size changes (length of placoliths, their width, length of central opening and its width) in elliptical reticulofenestrids from the NP25-NN5 zonal interval of the Central Paratethys allowed to dicriminate two size categories of placoliths: (i) small Reticulofenestra minuta (< 3.5 µm); (ii) Reticulofenestra haqii-pseuduumbilicus group (4–10.0 µm). The latter group appeared for the first time (FO, first occurrence) in the upper Egerian (size 4–7 µm) with the size of placoliths in this plexus increasing gradually. The FO of R. pseuduumbilicus > 8.0 ìðéhas been established in the Zone NN2 while its FCO (first common occurrence) in the Zone NN5. This study shows that the FOs of sizedefined morphotypes of the R. haqii-pseuduumbilicus group differ in the Central Paratethys and oceanic realm. Blooms of R. minuta at the Oligocene-Miocene boundary and in the Early Middle Miocene may be correlated with the incoming of warm water into the higher latitude Central Paratethys basins during connection with the Mediterranean Sea. Transgression favored the expansion of near-shore areas associated probably by some short-time oscillations of salinity. The FO of R. haqii-pseuduumbilicus group and the FO of R. pseuduumbilicus > 8.0 µm can be correlated with the opening of new pathways between the Mediterranean and the Central Paratethys. Gradual size changes in the R. haqii-pseuduumbilicus group probably reflect climatic changes: the decrease of coccolith size in the late Egerian may reflect cooling (Mi1 event) while the increase in coccolith size in the interval from the FO of Helicusphaera ampliaperta to the FO of Sphenulithus heterumurphus occurred due to warming. Two size categories of placoliths in the R. haqii-pseuduumbilicus group (3.5–6 µm and 6–8 µm) recorded in the interval from Zone NNl to the lower part of the Zone NN2 may represent seasonal populations.