Coevolution of Brachiopod Paleobiogeography and Tectonopaleogeography during the Early–Middle Permian

A comprehensive compilation and systematic analysis of known early and middle Permian brachiopod faunas shows that the early Permian brachiopod faunas comprise three realms, six regions, and eleven provinces, while those of the middle Permian comprise three realms, four regions, and eight provinces. A comparison and analysis of brachiopod faunal patterns reveal a coevolution between global brachiopod paleobiogeography and tectonopaleogeography during the early-middle Permian. Although temperature/latitude is the main factor controlling the formation of three realms, tectonopaleogeographic factors determine the temperature/latitude in which the continents were located. The ＇continental barrier＇ of Pangea, as a ＇central axis＇ continent, divided the three realms into six regions, which indicates that the formation of biogeographic regions was controlled mainly by the tectonopaleogeographic factors. The evolution of tectonopaleogeography was sometimes a long-term process, so that the biogeographic regions（or provinces） controlled by tectonopaleogeography displayed relative stability. Shifts in the nature of biogeographic provinces（e.g., from cool water to warm water, and vice versa）, extensions or narrowing of geographical ranges, and recombinations of some provinces were all related to regional tectonic evolution. The study of the coevolution between brachiopod paleobiogeography and tectonopaleogeography not only accounts for the formation mechanisms of brachiopod paleobiogeographic patterns during the early-middle Permian, but also provides evidences for the locations and configurations of oceans and plates（blocks） during this period.

Late Cretaceous non-avian dinosaurs from the James Ross Basin,Antarctica:description of new material,updated synthesis,biostratigraphy,and paleobiogeography

Although the fossil record of non-avian dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Antarctica is the poorest of any continent,fossils representing at least five major taxonomic groups(Ankylosauria,early-diverging Ornithopoda,Hadrosauridae,Titanosauria,and Theropoda)have been recovered.All come from Upper Cretaceous(Coniacian–Maastrichtian)marine and nearshore deposits belonging to the Gustav and Marambio groups of the James Ross Basin at the northern tip of the Antarctic Peninsula.The majority of these finds have come from the Campanian–Maastrichtian Snow Hill Island and López de Bertodano formations of James Ross and Vega islands.Given the rarity of Antarctic Cretaceous non-avian dinosaurs,discoveries of any fossils of these archosaurs,no matter how meager,are of significance.Here we describe fragmentary new ornithischian(ankylosaur and ornithopod)material from the upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation and the Maastrichtian Sandwich Bluff Member of the López de Bertodano Formation.One of these specimens is considered to probably pertain to the holotypic individual of the early-diverging ornithopod Morrosaurus antarcticus.We also provide an up-to-date synthesis of the Late Cretaceous non-avian dinosaur record of the James Ross Basin and analyze the biostratigraphic occurrences of the various finds,demonstrating that most(including all named taxa and all reasonably complete skeletons discovered to date)occur within a relatively condensed temporal interval of the late Campanian to early Maastrichtian.Most or all James Ross Basin dinosaurs share close affinities with penecontemporaneous taxa from Patagonia,indicating that at least some continental vertebrates could disperse between southern South America and Antarctica during the final stages of the Mesozoic.

Rudists(Bivalvia) from a Cretaceous Platform in Northern Egypt: Taxonomy and Paleobiogeography

New well-preserved rudist materials come from the Barremian–Turonian marine formations in the Yelleg, Minsherah, Maaza, and Raghawi sections in North Sinai, northern Egypt. There, 17 discovered rudist species belonging to 13 genera and seven taxonomic families are described in detail as follows: Eoradiolites plicatus(Conrad), Eoradiolites liratus(Conrad), Praeradiolites ponsianus(d'Archiac), Archaeoradiolites sp., Bournonia africana Douvillé, Bournonia fourtaui Douville, Biradiolites lombricalis(d'Orbigny), Biradiolites zumoffeni Douville, Radiolites lewyi lewyi Parnes, Radiolites sauvagesi(d'Hombres-Firmas), Durania arnaudi(Choffat), Toucasia carinata(Matheron), Toucasia sp., Neocaprina raghawiensis Steuber and Bachmann, Sellaea sp., Ichthyosarcolites sp. and Horoiopleura sp.. The Cenomanian deposits in the northern Eastern desert of Egypt only contain E. liratus. The domination of the Cenomanian rudist species in North Sinai, however, is attributed to changes in the platform, which passes mainly from carbonate in the north to siliciclastics in the south. The presence of Horiopleura sp. in the late Barremian-early Aptian deposits is documented for the first time, which suggests the expansion of taxa of the genus Horiopleura Douville to North Sinai during this interval. The age of the rudist species is documented from the late Barremian-Turonian formations, with their geographic distribution in the Mediterranean region considered..

Paleobiogeography of Ostracoda and Foraminifera in the China sea area

The distribution of ostracods and benthonic foraminifers in the China sea area is briefly reviewed from the paleobio-geographic viewpoint in this paper. Three regions can be distinguished in the area on the basis of modern distribution data: Region I (the Huanghai Sea and the Bohai Sea) with cool and temperate forms, Region I (the East China Sea and the northern part of the South China Sea) with subtropical warm-water forms and Region Ⅲ (central and southern parts of the South China Sea) with larger foraminifers and other tropical warm-water forms. The occurrence of Nummulites-Discocyclira fauna in the Eocene deposits of the East China Sea indicates a northward extension of tropical zoogeographical region at the time, whereas the distribution pattern of the Miocene Nephrolepidina-Miogypsiua-Austrotrillina fauna in the South China Sea resembles that of the present larger-foraminiferal fauna. In the South China Sea and Taiwan, a warm-water fauna with Asterorotalia and Pseudorotalia first appeared in late Miocene and then flourished in the Pliocene. Its northward invasion into the Bohai Sea area during late Pleistocene may be related to changes in current system. Many of the endemic foraminiferal and ostracod genera and species ( Sinocytheridea etc. ) in recent coastal faunas probably have originated from the South China Sea, and their occurrence in Japan or Australia may be indicative of ties between these areas during glacial times.

Early Jurassic Climate Warming in Eastern Siberia: First Macrofloristic Evidence from Irkutsk Basin, Russia

Numerous new records of Ferganiella, Podozamites, and Schidolepium, including a new species, Ferganiella ivantsovii sp. nov., are described from the Early Jurassic(Toarcian) Middle Subformation of the Prisayan Formation from the Euro-Sinian paleofloristic region in the Irkutsk Basin, Eastern Siberia, Russia. An analysis of the paleogeographic distribution of Ferganiella and Podozamites shows that both genera were the most diverse and numerous in the East Asian province of the Euro-Sinian region and in the Northern Chinese province of the Siberian region during the Early and Middle Jurassic. These phytochoria were located in the subtropical and temperate subtropical climate zones, which allows us to consider Ferganiella and Podozamites as thermophilic plants, which are important indicators of the Early Toarcian climatic optimum. Their abundance in the Irkutsk Basin thus may indicate Early Toarcian warming;further abundant Schidolepium cones, which produced Araucariacites pollen, typical for Euro-Sinian flora complement the scenario. Thus, the new finds are the first macrofloristic indicators of the Toarcian climatic optimum in the Irkutsk Basin.

Coryphoid palms from the K-Pg boundary of central India and their biogeographical implications:Evidence from megafossil remains

Ten palm leaf impressions are documented from the latest Maastrichtian(late Cretaceous) to early Danian(earliest Paleocene) sediments(K-Pg,c.66-64 Ma) of the Mandla Lobe of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds,Madhya Pradesh,central India.The palmate leaf shape along with a definite wellpreserved costa support their placement in the subfamily Coryphoideae of the family Arecaceae.We place all recovered palm leaf specimens in the fossil genus Sabalites,report seven species of coryphoid palms and describe two new species namely,Sabalities umariaensis sp.nov.and Sabalites ghughuaensis sp.nov.The fossils indicate that coryphoid palms were highly diverse in central India by the latest Cretaceous.These and earlier reported coryphoid palm fossils from the same locality indicate that they experienced a warm and humid tropical environment during the time of deposition.These discoveries confirm the presence of a diversity of Coryphoideae in Gondwana prior to the India-Eurasia collision and provide information about coryphoid biogeographical history over geological time.Based on megafossil remains,we trace coryphoid palm migration pathways from India to mainland Southeast(SE) Asia and other parts of Asia after the docking of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia early in the Paleogene.

Geology and Mineral Deposits of Saraikistan (South Punjab, Koh Sulaiman Range) of Pakistan: A Tabular Review of Recently Discovered Biotas from Pakistan and Paleobiogeographic Link: Phylogeny and Hypodigm of Poripuchian Titanosaurs from Indo-Pakistan

Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic are represented by marine strata with rare terrestrial deposits, while the Late Cenozoic is represented by continental fluvial deposits. This area hosts significant mineral deposits and their development can play a significant role in the development of Saraikistan region and ultimately for Pakistan. The data of recently discovered biotas from Cambrian to Miocene age are tabulated for quick view. Mesozoic biotas show a prominent paleobiogeographic link with Gondwana and Cenozoic show Eurasian. Phylogeny and hypodigm of Poripuchian titanosaurs from India and Pakistan are hinted at here.

Fossil biotas from Pakistan with focus on dinosaur distributions and discussion on paleobiogeographic evolution of Indo-Pak Peninsula

Recent geological and paleontological exploration in the Indus basin of Pakistan allowed the discoveries of numerous remains of non-marine reptiles( titanosaurian sauropod,abelisaurian and noasaurian theropod dinosaurs),and marine reptiles( crocodiles),flying reptiles( pterosaurs),marine and non-marine mammals,fishes,invertebrates,and plants,especially Pakistan is relatively rich in footprints / trackways in the Mesozoic.These vertebrates of Indo-Pakistan are very significant for paleobiogeographic study due to the present-day connection of this continent with Asia in Northern Hemisphere,whereas during past( Jurassic and pre-Jurassic) it was connected to the Gondwana. The Mesozoic vertebrates show close affinities with Gondwanan landmasses.The Cenozoic vertebrates show Eurasian affinity and migrated from Indo-Pak subcontinent to Eurasia or vice versa via Paleo Indus River systems along Western Indus Suture,after long journey of about 6 000 km the first collision of Indo-Pak subcontinent with Asia occurred at terminal Cretaceous.

First Record of Hoplictis(Carnivora,Mustelidae) in East Asia from the Miocene of the Ulungur River Area,Xinjiang,Northwest China

The first unequivocal remains of medium to large-sized mustelids from the middle Miocene Halamagai and Kekemaideng formations have been found in the Ulungur River area, Xinjiang, northwestern China. These new fossils are referred to the hypercarnivorous mustelid Hoplictis Ginsburg, 1961 and denote the first record of the genus in East Asia.We define Hoplictis baihu n. sp., for the mustelid from Tieersihabahe(Halamagai Fm.), which represents the smallest species of the genus. This primitive form is closer to H. florancei and H. noueli than to H. anatolicus and later, larger and more derived Hoplictis spp., from Europe and North America. A large toothless mandible from Duolebulejin(Kekemaiden Fm.) is assigned to Hoplictis cf. helbingi, and it presumably might represent the first record of H. helbingi outside Western Europe. The systematic position of Hoplicitis in relation to Ischyrictis with which it is similar is clarified. The occurrence in East Asia of two species of Hoplictis greatly expands the known distribution and diversity of the genus, and supports a Palaearctic Neogene dispersal event of carnivorans between Europe and Asia during the late Shanwangian–early Tunggurian equivalent to MN5–6 in Europe, and indication of another dispersal event from Europe to North America,through Northwest China during the late Tunggurian, equivalent to MN7–8 in Europe.

Paleogeographical Distribution and Stratigraphical Range of the Lower Triassic Claraia,Pseudoclaraia and Eumorphotis(Bivalvia)

On the basis of a worldwide review of Claraia , Pseudoclaraia and Eumorphotis , especially their important species , two range zones are recognized:the Pseudoclaraia wangi range zone —— Upper Griesbachian——and the Claraia stachei- C. aurita - Eumorphotis multiformis acme zone——Upper Griesbachian to Lower Smithian This result revises both the tradition-al Chinese concept regarding these fossils as limited in Lower Scythian and the viewpoint of some Eurasian researchers who hold Eumorphotis multiformis to be Upper Scythian .The paleogeographical distribution of the three genera is controlled primarily by temperature (latitude) and secondarily by physiographic separations .Distribution of these fossils is subdivided into four realms and five provinces . The Eastern Asia province of the Tethys realm is suggested as the source area of these fossils .The striking contrast between the composition of the species along the southern and northern margins of the Tethys , together with other distributional characters ,supports the plate tectonic theory .

白垩纪-古近纪古生物地理区的变化与印度和亚洲的碰撞(英文)

Geologic studies of the Late Cretaceous-Paleogene stratigraphic record of southern Tibet reveal distinct episodes of collision and post-collisional compression.The composition of sediments exposed along the Indus-Yarlung Zangbo suture,tectonic deformation,

Earliest megafossils of scandent calamoid palms from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Central India and their paleobiogeographic implications

Two well-preserved petrified palm stems from the latest Maastrichtian(Late Cretaceous) to earliest Danian(Early Paleocene) sediments of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Madhya Pradesh, Central India are described. Their significant anatomical characteristics include a Calamus-type general stem pattern,the presence of well-preserved fibrovascular bundles(fvbs) with two wide metaxylem vessel elements(230 μm-250 μm) and one phloem strand, uniform density of fvbs, lack of continuity between protoxylem and metaxylem vessel elements, and an absence of centrifugal differentiation of sclerenchymatous fibrous parts.These features reveal a close resemblance to those of extant genera of scandent Calamoideae. The permineralized stems are described as a new species namely, Palmoxylon calamoides Kumar, Roy et Khan sp. nov.The fossils represent the oldest reliable fossil records of this family, supporting their Gondwanan origin, their importance in tracing their migration pathways from India to Europe and other continents after the docking of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia during the Paleocene, and an “Out-of-India” dispersal hypothesis. Today the subfamily Calamoideae is disjunctly occurred in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America, but the poor deep-time fossil record of this subfamily with a small number of Cenozoic fossils makes hypotheses concerning its origin and dispersal difficult to evaluate. The present study has significant implications for the origin and migration of this subfamily and the paleoclimate.

A new Late Miocene Hystrix(Hystricidae,Rodentia)from Turkey

TheÇorakyerler fossil locality in Anatolia reveals unique faunal elements.This study introduces Hystrix kayae sp.nov.,a new Late Miocene porcupine initially classified as Hystrix sp.Yavuz et al.,2018.This finding expands our knowledge of Late Miocene Anatolian porcupines,bringing the total number of known species to three.H.kayae sp.nov.is larger than Hystrix aryanensis and exhibits greater upper cheek tooth crown height.Its cheek tooth morphology differs from Hystrix depereti,and it possesses distinctive U-shaped choanae unlike Hystrix primigenia.TheÇorakyerler locality may predate sites with H.aryanensis and H.primigenia but aligns temporally with Hystrix parvae localities.This study enhances our understanding of Late Miocene porcupine diversity in Anatolia,emphasizing the importance ofÇorakyerler in unraveling the evolutionary history of these fascinating mammals.

Conodont Biostratigraphy of Ordovician Deep-Water Turbiditic Sequences in Eastern Australia——A New Biozonal Scheme for the Open-Sea Realm

Ordovician conodonts representing 28 genera and 28 named and three unnamed species were identified from 740 chert and siliceous siltstone spot samples(>3000 thin sections)from deep-water turbiditic sequences of the Lachlan Orogen in central and southern New South Wales,Australia.Based on these faunas,a new conodont biozonal scheme has been established to divide the Ordovician turbiditic successions of the Lachlan Orogen into 12 superbiozones and biozones.They are(in ascending order)the Paracordylodus gracilis Superbiozone(including the Prioniodus oepiki Biozone),Periodon flabellum Superbiozone(including the Oepikodus evae Biozone in the lower part),Periodon hankensis Biozone,Periodon aculeatus Superbiozone(including the Histiodella labiosa,Histiodella holodentata,Histiodella kristinae,Pygodus serra and Pygodus anserinus biozones)and the Periodon grandis Biozone.The Pygodus anserinus Biozone is divided further into the lower and upper subbiozones.This new conodont biozonation scheme spanning the upper Tremadocian to middle Katian interval permits precise age-dating and correlation of deep-water siliciclastic rocks that characterize the Ordovician Deep-Sea Realm regionally and internationally.

Silurian ostracods from the Nyalam region,southern Tibet,China and their implications on palaeoenvironment and palaeobiogeography

The overall occurrence,stratigraphical distribution,palaeoenvironmental and palaeobiogeographical significances of the ostracod faunas from the Silurian Pulu Formation in the Yalai West Ⅱ section,Nyalam region,southern Tibet,China,are documented for the first time.Thirty-two species belonging to 19 genera are identified and figured herein.The ostracod fauna in the Pulu Formation indicates an age of the late Llandovery-Pridoli.The ostracods belong to a podocope-rich association,which suggests an offshore environment for the Yalai West II section.The ostracods of the Pulu Formation have strong affinities with the South China taxa and also share some similarities with those from Baltica.This implies that ostracods could probably benefit from sea-level changes to facilitate faunal exchanges between peri-Gondwana and Baltica.Geographical isolation and global sea-level changes are proposed as the primary factors controlling the palaeobiogeographical distribution of ostracods during the Silurian.

Dispersal events of Triassic-Jurassic boundary faunas, and paleoenvironment of Tibetan Himalaya

End-Triassic ammonoid and bivalve faunas of the Germig area, Tibetan Himalaya, lived in a tropical, shallow-water environment during the Triassic-Jurassic boundary interval. High stratigraphic resolution based on ammonite-biochrons allows to tracing the place of origin of several faunal elements. The bivalves Aguilerella and Ctenostreon occurred first in the Tibetan Himalaya and migrated from there to the eastern South Pacific, exhibiting a pantropic dispersal pattern. This dispersal route is supported by the distribution pattern of the ammonites Choristoceras, Discamphiceras, Pleuroacanthites, and Psiloceras calliphyllum. A few taxa, which went extinct everywhere else by the end of the Triassic, survived in the Tibetan Himalaya into early Early Jurassic times. They include the ammonites Choristoceras and Eopsiloceras, and the bivalves Newaagia, Terquemia, Persia, Ryderia guangdongensis, and Cultriopsis angusta. This suggests that the Tibetan Himalaya may have played a refugia role in the course of the end-Triassic mass extinction.

Late Miocene/Early Pliocene vertebrate fauna from Mallorca(Balearic Islands,Western Mediterranean):an update

The vertebrate fossil record from the Balearic Islands(western Mediterranean)has improved considerably over the past decade,especially in Mallorca and Menorca.In Menorca,the Pliocene terrestrial fauna was updated by the discovery and description of the large-sized leporid Nuralagus,several reptiles and an amphibian.In Mal-lorca,paleontological exploration yielded 2 deposits with a Late Miocene/Early Pliocene chronology,Calóden Rafelino(CdR)and Na Burguesa-1(NB-1).So far,4 new mammalian taxa and 2 new reptiles have been iden-tified for the CdR deposit,whereas the faunal assemblage from the recently discovered deposit(Apr 2012)of NB-1 is currently composed of,at least,6 terrestrial mammals,8 reptiles and an amphibian.Its faunal composi-tion and some primitive characteristics of the obtained taxa suggest that the chronology of this deposit is slight-ly earlier than the CdR.The terrestrial vertebrates recorded in these 2 Mallorcan deposits are changing the view of the paleofaunal assemblage previously known for the Plio-Pleistocene of the island.Morphological charac-teristics displayed by some of the taxa suggest that these faunas would be at the beginning of an isolated evo-lution.In this paper we present a preliminary report on the fossils recovered from the NB-1 deposit,as well as some unpublished data from CdR,and we analyze the whole fauna from both Mallorcan deposits,focusing on taxonomical and paleobiogeographical aspects.