Beschreibung: Structurally preserved fossil ferns are extremely significant for exploring the origin and evolution of this plant clade; however, they are quite scarce and limited in the Mesozoic. Here, we report some well-preserved fern rhizomes and rachides with anatomical details from the Upper Jurassic Manketouebo Formation in Inner Mongolia, NE China. Two taxa, including Ashicaulis liaoningensis (Zhang et Zheng) Tidwell referred to Osmundaceae and Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. referred to Gleicheniaceae, are recognized. Anatomically, Ashicaulis liaoningensis consists of a heterogeneous pith, an ectophloic dictyoxylic siphonostele, a two-layered cortex, C-shaped leaf traces, and a mantle of petiole bases. The petiole base is characterized by a heterogeneous sclerotic ring with an abaxial thick-walled fiber arc. Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. consists of a C-shaped vascular bundle with two incurved adaxial hooks, a distinct sclerenchyma sheath, an endodermis, and a heterogeneous cortex. In particular, the finding of Gleicheniorachis sinensis sp. nov. represents the first report of unequivocal Jurassic record of Gleicheniaceae in northern China, as well as the first record of a Jurassic permineralized gleicheniaceous fern in the Northern Hemisphere. This study provides new data and evidence for exploring the anatomical diversity and evolution of Mesozoic ferns, and contributes to further understanding the floral composition of Late Jurassic flora in Northeast China.

Beschreibung: Sea-level changes, palaeobathymetry, palaeo-productivity and depositional sequences (sequence stratigraphy) are evaluated using benthic foraminifers from two subsurface boreholes in the North Western Desert (Egypt) belonging to the Eocene Apollonia Formation. Five planktic foraminiferal biozones (E4–E5, E8–E10) have been identified. The absence of E6–E7 and upper Eocene zones are attributed to long-time unconformities (regional tectonics) during the Cretaceous/Palaeogene (K/Pg) and Eocene/Oligocene (E/O) boundaries with estimated time gaps of 16 and 13.9 Ma, respectively. Six benthic foraminiferal assemblages, spanning middle to outer neritic depths, are noted. They are represented by Bolivinoides decoratus , Eponides mariei , Bulimina quadrata , Anomalinoides zitteli , Uvigerina eocaena and Uvigerina pygmoides . Three depositional sequences based upon four sequence boundaries are also identified. Each depositional sequence can be classified into transgressive and highstand system tracts inferred from benthic foraminiferal palaeobathymetry, which are separated by maximum flooding surfaces (MFS), characterised by maximum abundance of buliminids and uvigerinids, and peak values of total foraminiferal numbers, planktic (P)% and diversity. Comparisons of our recorded sequences and their boundaries inside and outside Egypt reflect that the studied succession is affected by both tectonic activity that caused long time gaps and eustatic processes.

Beschreibung: We describe the skeleton of a pregnant mare of the European equoid Eurohippus messelensis from the early middle Eocene of Grube Messel, Germany, 47.4–47.9 my of age (mammalian chronologic unit MP 11). This is the first detailed description of an individual skeleton of this species since Haupt (Abhandlungen der Hessischen Geologischen Landesanstalt, 6;1–159 Haupt 1925 ). Measurements prove that the skeleton of a pregnant mare fits exactly into the known variation of Eurohippus messelensis . Differences from the North American Eocene equid Arenahippus grangeri are only marginal. The size is similar, but the limb proportions indicate that cursoriality in A. grangeri had already achieved a higher level than in E. messelensis , which is 6-6.5 million years younger. We confirm the presence of rudimentary mc-I and mt-V in E. messelensis. The preservation of soft tissue is remarkable. We identified the distal end of the colon. SEM analyses display that it still contains plant material.

Beschreibung: Arborescent and sub-arborescent lycopsids are important floristic elements of the Brazilian early Permian post-glacial environments. However, the taxonomy and systematic position as well as the biology and ecology of these plants are poorly understood. The present study describes a remarkable assemblage of Brasilodendron cf. pedroanum axes preserved in the plant bearing sub-level N8b of the Morro do Papaléo outcrop, Rio Bonito Formation, early Permian of the Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. These axes are massively concentrated, without any preferential depositional orientation, forming a monotypical assemblage. They are unbranched and preserved as impressions. Three morphological patterns, occurring on distinct axes, were described for leaf cushions. This mass-assemblage is probably a result of allochthonous deposition and hydraulic size-sorting. The massive concentration of B . cf. pedroanum suggests that this fossil taxon was an important floristic element somewhere in the upstream area of the braided river system studied here.

Beschreibung: Flood basalt volcanism has been implicated in several episodes of mass extinctions and environmental degradation in the geological past, including at the Triassic–Jurassic (Tr–J) transition, through global warming caused by massive outgassing of carbon dioxide. However, the patterns of biodiversity loss observed are complicated and sometimes difficult to reconcile with the effects of global warming alone. Recently, attention has turned to additional volcanic products as potential aggravating factors, in particular sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ). SO 2 acts both directly as a noxious environmental pollutant and indirectly through forming aerosols in the atmosphere, which may cause transient global dimming and cooling. Here, we present a range of morphological changes to fossil plant leaf cuticle surfaces of hundreds of Ginkgoales and Bennettitales specimens across the Tr–J boundary of East Greenland. Our results indicate that morphological structures of distorted cuticles near the Tr–J boundary are consistent with modern cuticle SO 2 -caused damage and supported by recent leaf-shape SO 2 proxy results, thus identifying cuticle surface morphology as a potentially powerful proxy for SO 2 . Recording the timing and duration of SO 2 emissions in the past may help distinguish between the driving agents responsible for mass extinction events and thus improve our understanding of the Earth System.

Beschreibung: A palynological and sedimentological study of an outcrop succession adjacent to the village of Kamyanka within the Kharkiv region of northeast Ukraine was carried out. The successions occur within the Dnieper–Donets Basin, which hosts vast successions (〉 20 km) of post mid-Devonian strata and is one of the main hydrocarbon-producing basins in Europe. Middle Jurassic sandstones, siltstones and claystones represent the sedimentary successions at the Kamyanska locality. Few palynological studies have been performed on the Jurassic of Ukraine and even fewer presented in the international literature. Thirty spore taxa and 21 pollen taxa were identified, together with taxa kept in open nomenclature (e.g. bisaccate pollen). Two palynological assemblages were identified within the Kamyanska succession (assemblages A and B) dated as Bathonian. Assemblage A is dominated by the fern spores ( Cyathidites and Osmundacidites ) and gymnosperm pollen produced by Cupressaceae ( Perinopollenites elatoides ), ginkgophytes/Cycadales/Bennettitales (monosulcates) and Cheirolepidiaceae ( Classopollis ). Assemblage B differs in also comprising high abundances of Gleicheniidites  and higher percentages of Pinuspollenites and Araucariacites  compared to assemblage A. Another difference between the two units is the high relative abundance of seed fern pollen ( Alisporites ) in the upper part of assemblage B. The thermal alteration index (TAI) of the palynomorphs is estimated to range from 3 to 3.5, indicating a burial depth corresponding to the mature main phase of liquid petroleum and, to some extent, gas generation. Comparisons between the miospore and macrofloral assemblages show that the palynoflora and macroflora are strongly similar at broad taxonomic levels. Importantly, the miospore assemblages described here compare well with European Middle Jurassic assemblages indicating limited provincialism, with similar vegetation extending from eastern Ukraine and across most of Western Europe.

Beschreibung: A new carnivoran fauna composed of rare dental and long bone remains of basal arctoid carnivores from upper Oligocene lagoon deposits of Hungary are described. Despite the small sample size, four separate taxa could be identified including the semi-aquatic basal mustelid Potamotherium valletoni , the small-sized, terrestrial basal mustelidan Amphictis sp. or Franconictis sp., another indeterminate basal mustelidan, and the medium-sized, terrestrial basal ursoid Pachycynodon boriei . These or related taxa are typically known from the Oligocene–early Miocene of Western Europe and for a much lesser extent from Eastern Asia or North America. The new Hungarian occurrence provides the first record of Oligocene carnivorans from geographically intermediate coeval localities in Eastern Europe. These remains will aid biostratigraphic correlation of the terrestrial Oligo-Miocene of Western Europe with the marine Paratethys region.

Beschreibung: Isolated teeth of Melissiodontinae from two Eocene and four Oligocene localities in southeastern Serbia are described. One new genus and two new species are named. The study of the derived morphology of the cheek teeth and of the contrastingly primordial microstructure of the tooth enamel of this diverse material provides a glimpse into the early history of the subfamily. The supposedly Asian murid ancestor of the Melissiodontinae seems to have reached the Serbian-Macedonian land area during the early or middle Eocene, which is shortly after the split up of the Muridae and Dipodidae and before the ‘Grande Coupure’ of central and Western Europe. We interpret the rapid consequent specialisation of the morphology of the chewing apparatus of the Melissiodontinae as an adaptation to feeding on small invertebrates on the floor of the Eocene forest.

Beschreibung: There are four symbiotic associations involving corals known from the Late Devonian. Corals formed at least six symbiotic associations in the Mississippian, most of which involved crinoids. There was an escalation in the abundance and complexity of coral symbiosis from the Ordovician into the Devonian, and no decline in the Carboniferous. Coral symbiosis after the Kellwasser biotic crises was impoverished and presumably did not recover to Middle Devonian levels in the early Carboniferous. Recovery of symbiotic associations after the Hangenberg Event was due to the re-establishment of associations known from earlier Palaeozoic times and appearance of new symbiotic associations. The lack of various worm bioclaustrations and endobiotic tentaculitoid tubeworms in Carboniferous corals is the main difference from the Ordovician, Silurian, and Devonian coral symbiosis. Late Devonian symbiotic associations involving corals are different from early Carboniferous associations.

Beschreibung: The Tournaisian interval of the Mobarak Formation in the Alborz Basin (Iran) preserves a specific bed with Earlandiidae and three foraminiferal zones that are restricted to specific intervals within the late Tournaisian and correlate with northern Eurasian biostratigraphic units. The bed with Earlandiidae dates to the early Tournaisian and corresponds with the lower Tournaisian and lower part of the upper Tournaisian of the Russian Stratigraphic Scale. The Granuliferella latispiralis–Latiendothyranopsis zone dates back to the earliest Ivorian (MFZ4?–MFZ5) and correlates with the G. latispiralis and Spinoendothyra costifera zones of the Urals. The Eotextularia diversa zone is of earliest late Ivorian age (MFZ6) and corresponds to the lower part of the E. diversa zone of the Russian Stratigraphic Scale. The Endospiroplectammina venusta–Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda zone is of latest Ivorian (MFZ7–MFZ8) age and correlates with the upper part of the E. diversa zone and the E. rotunda zone of the Russian Stratigraphic Scale. The entire early Tournaisian (Hastarian) portion is devoid of recognisable foraminiferal material, which is likely linked to a faunal shift of subtropical and temperate taxa to tropical latitudes in response to the glaciations at the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary. The establishment of the G. latispiralis–Latiendothyranopsis zone coincides with the first mondial Tournaisian foraminiferal radiation. The second and third episodes of foraminiferal diversification ( E. diversa and E. venusta–Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda ) are congruent with major foraminiferal shifts from Tethyan realms to higher latitudes in response to thermal periods. The occurrence of specific foraminiferal taxa in Alborz is strongly linked to transgressions and migrations of North Palaeotethyan biotic elements. The described Tournaisian cyclic patterns in the Alborz Basin share significant similarities with those in the North American, western European and Siberian realms, indicating a link with large-scale palaeoclimatic patterns. This cyclic system correlates directly with the pacing of global eustatic sea-level fluctuations caused by climate oscillations and follows the fourth-order ocean-level fluctuations as described from other, independent proxies.