A new captorhinid reptile is described on the basis of materials originally assigned to Captorhinikos parvus Olson, 1954, as well as newly discovered and more complete materials from the same locality. All the specimens are from the lower Permian Hennessey Formation in central Oklahoma. Newly described specimens include a suite of nearly complete skulls allowing confident and thorough description and reconstruction of the skull. The new Oklahoman captorhinid is distinguished from all other members of the family by the unique combination of being the smallest known mature member of the family, the lack of the supratemporal, and possession of multiple maxillary and dentary tooth rows despite its very small size. A new genus, Rhodotheratus, is named to include Captorhinikos parvus, as the new combination, Rhodotheratus parvus (Olson, 1954).

A phylogenetic analysis places Rhodotheratus parvus within more basal members of the eureptilian family Captorhinidae. This placement suggests that multiple maxillary and dentary tooth rows must have developed independently at least three times within the family. The interpretation of Rhodotheratus as a small, but well-ossified and mature, adult member of the family demonstrates the first significant example of miniaturization in the family and demonstrates further that the family is a dramatic example of diversification within basal Amniota.

The Robert Traub collection of fleas is maintained in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History. During the height of collecting fleas from the 1960s onward, many specimens were collected from Australia, Malaysia, and New Guinea and provided to Robert Traub. A plethora of publications resulted; however, Dr. Traub died before he could finish much of that work. Following his death, specimens were available that had never been fully studied, and in many cases, inadequately curated (alcohol material, unidentified slides, vials of dried up specimens, etc.). Following the in-depth reviews of 14 genera (published in six parts by the author), additional specimens were obtained from the Carnegie Museum. These additional specimens represented 32 species in nine flea families and are reported here for the first time. Many of the specimens included in this study, are supplementary specimens associated (but not reported) by Hastriter () and in Hastriter's six-part series (Parts I–VI) published between 2013 and 2021. Among the material was a new species of Bibikovana , from Australia, Bibikovana acumena, that is closely related to Bibikovana colossus (). This new taxon is described and illustrated. The ranges of five flea species are extended: 1) Porribius caminae () to Tasmania, 2) Neopsylla dispar , to the island of Borneo (State of Sabah, Malaysia), 3) Bibikovana engilisi , to Papua New Guinea, 4) Pygiopsylla zethi () to Mole Creek and Bridport, Tasmania, and 5) Smitella thambetosa , to Papua New Guinea. Eight new host records include: 1) Sigmactenus toxopeusi , on Rattus giluwensis Hill, 1960, 2) Stephanocircus pectinipes Rothschild, 1915, on Pseudomys novaehollandiae (Waterhouse, 1843), 3) Stephanocircus simsoni Rothschild, 1905, on Pseudomys higginsi Trouessart, 1897, 4) Bibikovana engilisi Hastriter, 2021 on Microperoryctes papuensis (Laurie, 1952), 5) Parastivalius gressitti on Mi. papuensis, 6) Rectidigitus glomerospinosus Hastriter, 2016 on Cercartetus caudatus (Milne-Edwards, 1877), 7) Rectidigitus traubi , in a Mi. papuensis nest, and 8) Smitella thambetosa on Mammelomys rattoides (Thomas, 1922). Host data supporting the primary host of Choristopsylla ochi () was presented and determined to be Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr, 1792). Host associations are discussed for each species and a list of hosts and respective flea species are provided.

The Loyalhanna Limestone is one of the most recognizable rock units in the Appalachian Basin. Differential weathering of its large-scale cross-bedding and massive character make this unit a widely used dimension and quarry stone. Diverging thoughts on the origin of the iconic cross-bedding have led to a long-standing debate over whether the genesis of the Loyalhanna is eolian or marine. Diagnostic bedding characters exhibited by the Loyalhanna are equivocal with most features possible in environments of both subaerial or subaqueous dune formation. Other diagnostic subaerial textures such as exposure surfaces, translatent ripple laminates, tracks, and trails are unknown in the unit. However, the Loyalhanna does contain a number of features that can be attributed to subaqueous deposition. For example, endolithic algal borings and coatings are ubiquitous. The Loyalhanna Limestone also displays a north-to-south change in lithofacies characteristics. Along its northern and eastern boundaries, the typically massive Loyalhanna is interbedded with rippled sandstone and red to variegated shale. Near its southern geographic limits, the Loyalhanna is interbedded with nodular, argillaceous, fossiliferous limestone intervals. Between these two interbedded lithofacies, the unit consists of the typical massive, cross-bedded, sandy limestone. Petrographically, the Loyalhanna contains a common microfauna of endothyrid foraminifers, and fragmented brachiopods, bryozoans, and echinoderms. A macrofauna was noted at eight locations. This fauna consists of articulated brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves, and trilobites. At other locations, comminuted megafauna assemblages are widespread. These fragmental faunas are known even in north-central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The presence of marine micro- and megafossils from throughout the Loyalhanna depositional basin and the equivocal nature of the eolian features indicate that this unit is largely if not completely marine in origin.

Historical biodiversity datasets provide invaluable opportunities to examine changes in natural populations, especially with respect to land use and climate change. In 2020, we resurveyed the amphibian community at Powdermill Nature Reserve in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. using pitfall traps, replicating surveys that were conducted in 1982–1983. We compared species richness and abundance across the two time periods and examined the potential influence of temperature on capture rates. Species richness was relatively stable, but species composition varied across sampling periods. Most notably, the majority of captures (60.6%) in the 1980s were anurans, and the majority of captures (91.2%) in 2020 were salamanders. Anuran captures peaked earlier in 2020 compared to the 1980s, and salamander captures peaked later in the season, but capture rate was not significantly related to temperature for either group. Shifts in relative abundance should be examined further to determine if these represent temporary or permanent changes.