A dentary fragment containing a tiny left plagiaulacoid fourth lower premolar from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) of Victoria provides the first evidence of the Multituberculata from Australia. This unique specimen represents a new genus and species, Corriebaatar marywaltersae, and is placed in a new family, Corriebaataridae. The Australian fossil, together with meagre records of multituberculates from South America, Africa, and Madagascar, reinforces the view that Multituberculata had a cosmopolitan distribution during the Mesozoic, with dispersal into eastern Gondwana probably occurring prior to enforcement of climatic barriers (indicated by marked differentiation in regional floras) in the Early Cretaceous.

We report a new Miocene sirenian from District Kutch, State of Gujarat, India: Domingia sodhae gen. et sp. nov. The new species is a dugongine dugongid with flattened tusk-like upper incisors. Like some other Miocene dugongids, Domningia is large and has complex, bilophodont molars and three-rooted premolars, which are strongly worn. The rostrum is downturned significantly, similar to modern dugongs, and indicative of a specialized feeding mode. Phylogenetically, it is closely related to Dioplotherium, Rytiodus, Corystosiren, and Bharatisiren. Among these, Domningia is most similar to Bharatisiren indica and Dioplotherium manigaulti, in that all three taxa retain multi-rooted premolars. Similar to Bharatisiren, the nasal process of the premaxilla is long. Bharatisiren and Domningia are part of a late Oligocene and early Miocene radiation of dugongines in South Asia.

Representatives of the avian taxon Zygodactylidae are among the most abundant small arboreal birds in the early Palaeogene of the Northern Hemisphere. Still, however, the osteology of these birds, which have recently been shown to be the sister taxon of the Passeriformes, is only incompletely known. Here we describe a new species of Primozygodactylus from the middle Eocene of Messel in Germany. The holotype specimen of P. eunjooae sp. nov. for the first time allows a detailed examination of the distal tarsometatarsus in one of the Messel zygodactylids. It also exhibits exceptionally well-preserved tail feathers which, most notably, are formed by a long central pair of rectrices. We further report on a new specimen of Primozygodactylus major, which is the largest zygodactylid from Messel. Being one of the few dissociated skeletons of Primozygodactylus, the new specimen shows some previously unknown osteological features of this taxon and allows a more detailed comparison with other zygodactylids.

The holotype of Stenopelix valdensis is the most completely known dinosaur specimen from the “Wealden” (Lower Cretaceous) of northwestern Germany, but its phylogenetic position has remained highly controversial. Most recent authors have suggested affinities with the ornithischian clade Marginocephalia, and most commonly to the marginocephalian subclade Pachycephalosauria. A pachycephalosaurian identity would make Stenopelix the only confirmed pre-Late Cretaceous member of this clade, breaking up an extensive ghost lineage which extends to the inferred origin of Pachycephalosauria in the Middle—Late Jurassic. Based upon re-examination of the holotype we here review the characters that have previously been used to assign Stenopelix to either Pachycephalosauria or Ceratopsia. All of these characters are problematic, being based upon inaccurate anatomical interpretations, or having more widespread distributions within Ornithischia than previously realised. We conclude that although the overall anatomy of Stenopelix is consistent with marginocephalian affinities, there is insufficient evidence to support referral to either Pachycephalosauria or Ceratopsia; we consider Stenopelix ?Marginocephalia. A brief review indicates that there is no compelling fossil evidence for pachycephalosaurs prior to the Late Cretaceous.

The Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Liaoning Province, China, is justifiably famous for its exceptionally preserved fauna, which includes a remarkable diversity of non-avian dinosaurs. Here, we provide the first detailed description of the cranial skeleton of the iguanodontian ornithopod Jinzhousaurus yangi. Many previously unrecorded features have been recognised, permitting a new and more robust diagnosis for this taxon, which is based on a suite of autapomorphic features. Jinzhousaurus and an unnamed sauropod represent the largest, but some of the least abundant, animals in the Jehol Biota, a situation that contrasts with many other Lower Cretaceous faunas in which large dinosaurs are common faunal components. This rarity may be due to either palaeoenvironmental constraints or taphonomic bias, although it is not possible to choose between these alternatives on the basis of current data.

The costovertebral articulation is integral to constrain the thoracic kinematics and to infer the breathing mechanism in the respect with costal aspiration. However, the structure of the costovertebral articulation in non-avian theropods has not been studied in great detail before. This study highlights the Tyrannosauridae, which is represented by numerous complete specimens. Costovertebral articulations of ten tyrannosaurid specimens, including two nearly in-situ articulated fossils, were investigated and compared with those in extant Archosauria. For extant archosaurs, dissections were conducted to rationalize the soft tissue anatomy in tyrannosaurids. This study shows that the rib articulates ventrally or posteroventrally with the distal end of the corresponding vertebral transverse process in the tyrannosaurid ribcage. A ligament (ligamentum costotransversarium) can be reconstructed to connect the rib tuberculum to the transverse process in each articulation. The scar for lig. costotransversarium is recognizable in many theropod skeletons, and this rugosity can be used to identify the rotational axis for the rib. This result provides a cornerstone for exploring the evolution of the ribcage and breathing mechanisms across the theropod lineage leading to birds.

A newly discovered silicified brachiopod interval from the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation (Late Anisian, Middle Triassic) in Guizhou Province (South China) is described for the first time. The most remarkable feature of this brachiopod assemblage, besides the very good preservation, is the very low taxonomic evenness and diversity. This impoverished, low diversity/high density assemblage is represented by more than 700 recovered specimens belonging to three species within two spiriferinid genera (Pseudospiriferina multicostata, P. pinguis, and Punctospirella fragilis). It is characterized by the overwhelming abundance of an endemic spiriferinid species, P. multicostata, which contributes to more than 90% of the community. Silicified valves of P. multicostata and Punctospirella fragilis allow detailed descriptions of the internal morphology based on direct observation. Brachiopod paleoecology, assessed by considering host-rock lithology, shell disarticulation, and shell size suggests that this endemic brachiopod fauna represents a favourable niche for development of dense brachiopod-dominated communities, i.e., high energy, hard substrate, nutrient rich environment.

Calcite isocrinid ossicles from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) clays in Gnaszyn (central Poland) show perfectly preserved micro- and nanostructural details typical of diagenetically unaltered echinoderm skeleton. Stereom pores are filled with ferroan calcite cements that sealed off the skeleton from diagenetic fluids and prevented structural and geochemical alteration. In contrast with high-Mg calcite skeleton of modern, tropical echinoderms, the fossil crinoid ossicles from Gnaszyn contain only 5.0–5.3 mole% Of MgCO₃. This low Mg content can be a result of either a low temperature environment (ca. 10°C) and/or low Mg/Ca seawater ratio. Both conditions have been proposed for the Middle Jurassic marine environment. Occurrence of Mg-enriched central region of stereom bars of Jurassic columnal ossicle of Chariocrinus andreae is consistent with the concept of magnesium ions involvement in earliest growth phases of calcium carbonate biominerals.

Bulk sampling of a number of different marine and marginal marine lithofacies in the British Bathonian has allowed us to assess the palaeoenvironmental distribution of crinoids for the first time. Although remains are largely fragmentary, many species have been identified by comparison with articulated specimens from elsewhere, whilst the large and unbiased sample sizes allowed assessment of relative proportions of different taxa. Results indicate that distribution of crinoids well corresponds to particular facies. Ossicles of Chariocrinus and Balanocrinus dominate in deeper-water and lower-energy facies, with the former extending further into shallower-water facies than the latter. Isocrinus dominates in shallower water carbonate facies, accompanied by rarer comatulids, and was also present in the more marine parts of lagoons. Pentacrinites remains are abundant in very high-energy oolite shoal lithofacies. The presence of millericrinids within one, partly allochthonous lithofacies suggests the presence of an otherwise unknown hard substrate from which they have been transported. These results are compared to crinoid assemblages from other Mesozoic localities, and it is evident that the same morphological adaptations are present within crinoids from similar lithofacies throughout the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous.

Ordovician cephalopods from Western Gondwana are still poorly known and published data is in need of systematic and stratigraphical revision. In this work, the endocerid proterocameroceratid Protocyptendoceras from the Floian of the Eastern Cordillera of Argentina is revised using new material from La Ciénaga, 5 km upstream from Purmamarca. The species P. corvalani and P. teicherti are considered to be junior synonyms of P. fuenzalidae, which is redescribed in detail and reillustrated. Specimens preserve adapical parts of isolated siphuncles, related here to the presence of endocones in a posterior portion. Evidently P. fuenzalidae had a nektobenthic mode of life in a shallow water environment, oriented horizontally. Its palaeobiogeographical affinities are mainly with Floian proterocameroceratids from Eastern Gondwana, such as Anthoceras decorum and the related genera Lobendoceras, Ventroloboceras, and Notocycloceras.

Organic remains of tentaculitids have been recovered during palynological research on archival samples from the Dobrzyca 2 borehole (Western Pomerania). Until now tentaculitids are widely known from their abundant mineralised shells. As organic remains, on the other hand, they have only been known since 2004. The present discovery is currently the second one of this kind found in Upper Devonian strata. The shape and morphology of some recognized tentaculitid organic remains are similar to embryonic and juvenile forms of dacryoconarids belonging to orders Nowakiida and Stylionida. Based on palynomorphs, the age of the two samples investigated has been established as Frasnian, RB and RD local miospore zones.

Latest Emsian (Early Devonian) sediments at the famous mud-mound- and trilobite-locality Hamar Laghdad (Tafilalt, Morocco) yielded some red-coloured remains of phacopid trilobites. Closer examination revealed that the eyes of these phacopids are often greenish in colour. EDX-analyses showed that the lenses retained their original calcitic composition, possibly greenish due to Fe- and Mn-impurities, while most of the exoskeleton was silicified. The silicified parts contain elevated concentrations of iron which causes the red colour. This phenomenon is explained by the porosity of the exoskeleton in contrast to the homogeneous and massive construction of the lenses and their Mg-content. These incompletely silicified trilobites enabled a reconstruction of the silicification process in trilobites. Their diagenetic alteration probably occurred as a result of events associated with the Cretaceous transgression.

In the Derenjal Mountains of east Central Iran, the upper part of the Shirgesht Formation (uppermost Darriwilian) contains a distinct trilobite assemblage that includes Neseuretinus birmanicus and Ovalocephalus aff. obsoletus among others. Both genera were previously unknown in Iran. The occurrence of Ovalocephalus represents the earliest sign of westward taxon migration from China towards higher latitudes along the West Gondwanan margin, which may be related to global warming, after a short episode of cooler climate in the early to mid Darriwilian. Patterns of biogeographical distribution of Ovalocephalus and Neseuretinus suggest that Central Iran was part of an “overlap zone” where tropical and high latitude benthic taxa mingled.

Y-shaped trace fossil (U-shaped upper part with a basal shaft), Parmaichnus stironensis igen. nov. et isp. nov. penetrates from a discontinuity surface cut in Early Quaternary mudstones in the Stirone Valley, Northern Italy. It is attributed to upogebiid decapod crustaceans. Parmaichnus differs from Psilonichnus by the presence of turning chambers in the upper part of the burrow. The turning chambers are considered to be an important taxonomic feature of upogebiid burrows. P. stironensis occurs together with Thalassinoides cf. paradoxicus (produced probably by callianassid crustaceans) and wide U-shaped pyritised cylinders (supposedly produced by balanoglossid hemichordates).

Some solitary caryophylliid (Caryophyllia, Trochocyathus, and Ceratotrochus) and flabellid (Flabellum) scleractinian corals from Pliocene of Western Mediterranean exhibit long groove-shaped bioersional structures running along the surface of the thecae. They are epigenic structures produced by an episkeletozoan and therefore, they are described as Fixichnia. Here we propose Sulcichnus as a new ichnogenus, with three new ichnospecies (Sulcichnus maeandriformis, S. helicoidalis, and S. sigillum) to name this traces. Sulcichnus is attributed to the activity of polychaetes. Similar structures are recently produced by Lumbrineris flabellicola, a symbiotic eunicid which maintains a commensalistic relationship with solitary corals. In the fossil record, Sulcichnus occurs associated to shallow marine environments whereas their Recent counterparts are described on deep-marine corals. We interpret this as a consequence of a change in the environmental requirements of the coral/worm pair.

Limnoecus truyolsi was long considered an enigmatic shrew. Additional material from the Calatayud-Montalbán Basin (Spain) shows it to be referable to the genus Paenelimnoecus. The species represents an intermediate form between P. micromorphus and P. crouzeli. This lineage confirms the separate development of the “soricine” p4, and thus supports the Allosoricinae as a separate subfamily.

The Middle Permian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone in South Africa has produced a rich record of tetrapods dominated by dinocephalian therapsids and pareiasaurid parareptiles. In this study we reassess the affinities of a specimen from this horizon previously identified as a procolophonoid and provide evidence that it is instead referable to a nycteroleter parareptile, an identification that is more compatible with the age of this fossil. Accordingly, this specimen represents the first record of a nycteroleter in Gondwana.

We report cyrtocrinid (Crinoidea) ossicles from the Rhaetian (Late Triassic) of the Tatra Mountains (southern Poland). The columnals are high, the facets are covered with thick crenulae and the latera are concave. Such features of symplectial articulation and latera distinguish them from the columnals of other Triassic crinoids (i.e., millericrinids and encrinids) and therefore we consider they belong to Cyrtocrinida. The oldest representatives of cyrtocrinids were known from the Early Jurassic, therefore the presented material constitutes the oldest world record of these crinoids to date. We speculate that perturbations related to the global mid-Carnian extinction combined with predation intensity observed in the Middle—Late Triassic have been involved in early origin of Cyrtocrinida.

The Middle Cambrian Oesia disjuncta, a monospecific genus, is known only from the celebrated Burgess Shale of British Columbia. It has been re-interpreted by Szaniawski (Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50:1–8; 2005) as a chaetognath, a distinctive phylum whose exact position in the protostomes is still controversial. Unequivocal chaetognaths, that have no similarity to Oesia, are already known to occur in the Chengjiang Lagerstätte (Lower Cambrian, S.W. China), and here I describe the first example of a chaetognath from the Burgess Shale itself. Comparisons between Oesia and chaetognaths fail to find any significant homologies. Whilst the phyletic position of Oesia is very uncertain, a place in the hemichordates may be worth exploring.