Fossil floras have been recovered from a unique deposit of early Permian age in North-Central Texas. The site, Kola Switch, preserves three distinct floras in different lithofacies, in a succession from a single outcrop. The sedimentary environment appears to be a floodplain channel fill of primarily siltstones and claystones. The lowermost flora, preserved in a kaolinitic siltstone, indicates active water flow. It is dominated by plants typical of well-drained substrates, dominated by , and contains no wetland elements. The middle flora is from a finely laminated carbonaceous claystone and is dominated by marattialean tree ferns, with no elements from habitats typical of seasonal moisture availability. It contains no roots and appears to have formed as a floating peat mat. The upper flora is a mixed assemblage of wetland taxa and those typical of well-drained soil environments or a seasonal rainfall regime. Unlike the two lower floras, it has a relatively even distribution of dominance and is the most diverse of the three assemblages. Palynofloras also were recovered from each of these beds. The palynofloras, although varying between and even within the beds, indicate a common background species pool during the time interval sampled, suggesting that these distinct floras reflect local changes in microhabitat conditions under a constant climatic background. The palynoflora from each bed has characteristics in common with the macroflora of that bed, but also distinct differences. Together, the macroflora and microflora provide an unusually broad picture of this site through time. Kola Switch compares favorably with the recently described flora from the nearby Sanzenbacher Ranch site of approximately the same age and also with floras of Rotliegend age from Central Europe.

Discovery of parasitengone mites (Acari) in the Gulf of Gdańsk deposits of Baltic amber ("Blue Earth" sediment) resulted in the first description of a fossil representative of Microtrombidiidae. The new species, based on larvae, displays affinity to recent members of Saboori and Pešić, 2006, Sedghi, Saboori and Hakimitabar (in Sedghi et al. 2010) and Haitlinger, 2000, known from the southwestern Palaearctic. A comparison with related genera and species places the newly described taxon in (as sp. nov.). is regarded as a junior synonym of .

The freshwater sponge species cf. Weltner, 1895 (Spongillida, Spongillidae) is reported for the first time as a fossil from middle Eocene lake sediments of the Giraffe kimberlite maar in northern Canada. The sponge is represented by birotule gemmuloscleres as well as oxea megascleres. Today, inhabits warm-water bodies, so its presence in the Giraffe locality provides evidence of a warm climate at high latitudes during the middle Eocene. The morphological similarity of the birotules to modern conspecific forms suggests protracted morphological stasis, comparable to that reported for other siliceous microfossils from the same locality.

Terrestrial and aquatic gastropods from the upper Eocene (Priabonian) Zalumah Formation in the Salalah region of the Sultanate of Oman are described. The assemblages reflect the composition of the continental mollusc fauna of the Palaeogene of Arabia, which, at that time, formed parts of the southeastern Tethys coast. Several similarities with European faunas are observed at the family level, but are rarer at the genus level. These similarities point to an Eocene (Priabonian) rather than to a Rupelian age, although the latter correlation cannot be entirely excluded. At the species level, the Omani assemblages lack any relations to coeval faunas. This suggests the possible presence of a distinct biogeographic province during the Palaeogene or may simply reflect the extremely sparse non-marine fossil record of the Eocene in the Tethys region. The occurrence of the genera and along with some pomatiids, probably related to extant genera, suggests that the modern African-Arabian continental faunas can be partly traced back to Eocene times and reflect very old autochthonous developments. In contrast, the diverse Vidaliellidae went extinct, and the morphologically comparable Neogene Achatinidae may have occupied the equivalent niches in extant environments. Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. gen., Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. gen., H. Nordsieck nov. gen. and H. Nordsieck nov. gen. are introduced as new genera. Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser, Kadolsky and Neubauer nov. sp., Kadolsky, Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., Harzhauser and Neubauer nov. sp., H. Nordsieck nov. sp., H. Nordsieck nov. sp., and H. Nordsieck nov. sp. are described as new species.

A new conodont species, , is described from pelagic limestone beds of the Carnic Alps (Austria). Specimens are obtained from the upper part of the Valentin Formation (Central Carnic Alps) and range from the latest Eifelian to middle Givetian. Significantly differing from other icriodontid conodonts is that the icriodontan element of the new species develops only three denticles on either lateral denticle row, which are constricted to the central part of the element. The anterior part of the element is free of lateral row denticles and consists of two to four denticles, which have a fan-shaped outline in lateral view. The anterior part as well as the posterior part (consisting of cusp and two to three pre-cusp denticles) is higher than the denticles of the central part of the element. Shape analysis confirms that the parameters chosen for landmarks (element size relation and denticle setting) show little variation between different specimens.

Ordovician and Silurian glacial erratics of the Laerheide area (Lower Saxony, north-western Germany) bear well-preserved graptolites. The faunas provide important information on the origin and transport direction of the sediments preserved in a kame, representing the Drenthe stadial of the Saalian glaciation. The faunas even include species not commonly encountered in the successions of mainland Sweden, from where the erratics presumably originated. The most common graptolites are from Upper Ordovician (Sandbian to Katian) limestones and from Katian black shales. More common, however, are greenish limestones, sand- and siltstones, often combined in the term 'Grünlich-Graues Graptolithengestein', in which upper Wenlock to Ludlow (upper Silurian) graptolites are common.

Two recently found dentaries from the Lower Muschelkalk of Winterswijk (The Netherlands) and from the Upper Muschelkalk of an outcrop in the vicinity of Hünfeld (Hesse, Germany) are studied and compared to lower jaws of placodonts. As a result, the here described specimens can be assigned to cf. . However, this assignment should be regarded as preliminary due to the isolated nature of the material. More diagnostic material is necessary to validate this affiliation. A certain morphological variability in dentaries that had been pointed out before is also obvious among the new material. has a wide paleogeography and stratigraphic range and a revision of the material assigned to with new methods is overdue but beyond the scope of the current paper. The dentary from Hünfeld is with about 4 cm preserved length the smallest so far known dentary of a . It provides interesting insights in morphological changes during ontogeny and reveals differences in trajectories when compared to dentaries of different ontogenetic stages of

The trace fossil (Mantell 1822) provides an exceptional taphonomic window to diversity of fishes as shown for the Upper Cretaceous of Poland, in the Middle Turonian-Lower Maastrichtian deposits of the Opole Trough, Miechów Trough, Mazury-Podlasie Homocline, and SE part of the Border Synclinorium. is an unbranched burrow lined with small fish scales and bones, without a constructed wall. It contains scales, vertebrae, and bones of the head belonging to ten taxa of teleostean fishes: two undetermined teleosteans, six undetermined Clupeocephala, one Dercetidae, and one undetermined euteleostean. The preservation of fish remains suggests that fishes were pulled down into the burrow by an animal, probably by eunicid polychaetes.

Here, we review and discuss the records and taxonomy of the Ypresian (Eocene) chondrichthyans from the famous Bolca Konservat-Lagerstätte in northeastern Italy. Despite the outstanding diversity and the numerous studies focusing on the actinopterygian faunas from Pesciara and Monte Postale, the current knowledge about the systematics, taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of the cartilaginous fishes from these Eocene sites remains elusive and largely inadequate. The celebrated Eocene Bolca Lagerstätte has yielded several exquisitely preserved articulated remains of chondrichthyan fishes in which delicate structures and soft tissues are preserved, as well as isolated teeth. The cartilaginous fish assemblage of Bolca comprises at least 17 species-level taxa belonging to 10 families in 6 orders, including selachians (Carcharhiniformes, Lamniformes), batoids (Torpediniformes, Myliobatiformes, Rajiformes) and holocephalans (Chimaeriformes). The occurrence of holocephalans represented by an isolated fin-spine of the chimeroid in the Bolca assemblage is reported here for the first time and represents the first record of chimeroids in the Eocene of Italy and also southern Europe. The Bolca chondrichthyan assemblage is remarkably different from those of other contemporaneous Boreal or Tethyan deposits, suggesting that its taxonomic composition is largely influenced by the palaeoenvironmental context. However, this synoptic review also highlights the importance of detailed revisions of all chondrichthyan remains from the Bolca Konservat-Lagerstätten.

'Exceptional fossils' of dinosaurs preserving feathers have radically changed the way we view their paleobiology and the evolution of birds. Understanding how such soft tissues preserve is imperative to accurately interpreting the morphology of fossil feathers. Experimental taphonomy has been integral to such investigations. One such experiment used a printing press to mimic compaction, done subaerially and without sediment burial, and concluded that the leaking of bodily fluid could lead to the clumping of feathers by causing barbs to stick together such that they superficially resemble simpler, less derived, filamentous structures. Here we use a novel, custom-built experimental setup to more accurately mimic subaqueous burial and compaction under low-energy, fine-grain depositional environments applicable to the taphonomic settings most plumage-preserving 'exceptional fossils' are found in. We find that when submerged and subsequently buried and compacted, feathers do not clump together and they maintain their original arrangement. Submersion in fluid in and of itself does not lead to clumping of barbs; this would only occur upon pulling feathers out from water into air. Furthermore, sediment encases the feathers, fixing them in place during compaction. Thus, feather clumping that leads to erroneously plesiomorphic morphological interpretations may not be a taphonomic factor of concern when examining fossil feathers. Our current methodology is amenable to further improvements that will continue to more accurately mimic subaqueous burial and compaction, allowing for various hypothesis testing.

Elasmobranch remains are quite common in Miocene deposits and were the subject of numerous studies since the middle of the nineteenth century. Nevertheless, the taxonomic diversity of the Marine Molasse sharks, rays and skates is still largely unknown. Here, we describe 37 taxa from the lower Miocene of the Molasse Basin: 21 taxa could be identified at species level, whereas 15 taxa could only be assigned to genus and one taxon is left as order incertae sedis. The material was collected from deposits of the Auwiesholz Member of the Achen Formation (middle Burdigalian, middle Ottnangian age, ca. 17.8 Ma) exposed near Simssee, Upper Bavaria. This faunal assemblage is a mixture of shallow marine, near-coastal, pelagic and deep-water taxa. The fauna from Simssee displays different biogeographic dynamics at local and regional scales, possibly related to the intense climatic, oceanographic and tectonic events that occurred during the Eggenburgian-Ottnangian stages. The faunal relationships of the early Miocene chondrichthyan faunas from the Mediterranean Sea and Paratethys with others regions are established on the basis of qualitative (presence/absence) data. The beta diversity (Sørensen-Dice coefficient) of the Miocene Molasse elasmobranchs was used to characterize the taxonomic differentiation between localities and regions. According to our results, the fauna from Simssee shows close similarities with those from Switzerland, Austria, France and northern Germany. Faunal similarities and differences are mainly related to tectonic events and oceanographic variables (i.e. migration through seaway passages) or might represent collecting biases.

Banded Iron Formations (BIFs) are marine chemical sediments consisting of alternating iron (Fe)rich and silica (Si)-rich bands which were deposited throughout much of the Precambrian era. BIFs represent important proxies for the geochemical composition of Precambrian seawater and provide evidence for early microbial life. Iron present in BIFs was likely precipitated in the form of Fe (Fe(III)) minerals, such as ferrihydrite (Fe(OH)), either through the metabolic activity of anoxygenic photoautotrophic Fe (Fe(II))-oxidizing bacteria (photoferrotrophs), by microaerophilic bacteria, or by the oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) by O produced by early cyanobacteria. However, in addition to oxidized Fe-bearing minerals such as hematite (Fe O), (partially) reduced minerals such as magnetite (FeFe O) and siderite (FeCO) are found in BIFs as well. The presence of reduced Fe in BIFs has been suggested to reflect the reduction of primary Fe(III) minerals by dissimilatory Fe(III)-reducing bacteria, or by metamorphic (high pressure and temperature) reactions occurring in presence of buried organic matter. Here, we present the current understanding of the role of Fe-metabolizing bacteria in the deposition of BIFs, as well as competing hypotheses that favor an abiotic model for BIF deposition. We also discuss the potential abiotic and microbial reduction of Fe(III) in BIFs after deposition. Further, we review the availability of essential nutrients (e.g. P and Ni) and their implications on early Earth biogeochemistry. Overall, the combined results of various ancient seawater analogue experiments aimed at assessing microbial iron cycling pathways, coupled with the analysis of the BIF rock record, point towards a strong biotic influence during BIF genesis.

A computed tomography scan of a travertine slab from the Karacalar Silver Travertine Quarry (Afyonkarahisar Province, Turkey) revealed the presence of an encased partial cranium, partial mandible and three vertebrae. 3D reconstruction of the fossil helped identifying it as As the travertine caps a section correlated to MN7/8, the specimen represents the youngest record of , the known range previously being limited to MN4 - MN6. This young age is in line with the more advanced morphology of the lower molars.

A systematic account of crinoids from the Upper Coniacian-Lower Campanian of the southwestern margin of the Holy Cross Mountains in southern Poland is presented. Seven crinoid taxa [ (von Schlotheim), (Miller), sp., .? Valette, ? sp., Roemer and (von Hagenow)] are described and illustrated. The new material from Poland extends down the stratigraphic range of to the Lower Campanian. Morphometric data support that and .? are conspecific. Taphonomy and paleoecology of recorded crinoid assemblages are discussed. Phylogeny of Cretaceous bourgueticrinids is also revisited.

Fishes of the family Clupeidae are extremely abundant in the Eocene fossiliferous limestone of Monte Bolca representing the most common group from this celebrated locality. A new clupeid from the Pesciara site, gen. et sp. nov., is described. The new taxon exhibits a unique combination of characters supporting its recognition as a new genus and species of clupeid fish that is tentatively placed in the subfamily Alosinae. The description of this new taxon improves our knowledge of the diversity of clupeoid fishes in the Eocene of Monte Bolca.

We describe here the first fossil otoliths from the Middle Miocene (Badenian and Sarmatian) of Belgrade, Serbia. They were obtained from Lower Badenian outcrops at Slanci and from upper Badenian and Sarmatian sediments recovered from four shallow wells near the village of Barajevo. The otoliths from the Lower Badenian of Slanci represent fishes typical for an open marine environment, characterized primarily by the mesopelagic families Myctophidae and Bregmacerotidae, a faunal composition that is also well known from other time equivalent locations in the Central Paratethys. The upper Badenian and Sarmatian composition of the fish fauna, in contrast, is dominated by otoliths of the family Gobiidae, indicating a sharp environmental shift from open marine to shallow water, probably slightly brackish environments, which is also confirmed by the faunal composition of mollusks, foraminifera, and ostracods. Most of the gobiid genera identified in the samples from Barajevo represent small fishes of the so-called sand gobies with Ponto-Caspian affinities, such as , or , or are entirely endemic to the Ponto-Caspian Basin, such as . Another group of endemic Ponto-Caspian gobies is the first fossil record interpreted to represent the genus These and other finds currently being investigated indicate that the origin of the extant, rich, endemic gobiid fauna of the Ponto-Caspian Basin dates back to a crucial time in the development of Paratethys during the Middle Miocene when it segregated from the Mediterranean with the onset of phases of low salinity in the basin. In addition, we briefly discuss the distribution of certain gobiid species during Late Badenian and Sarmatian as it begins to emerge. The following new taxa are described based on fossil otoliths: n.sp. and n.sp.

A new gastropod fauna of Burdigalian (early Miocene) age is described from the Iranian part of Makran. The fauna comprises 19 species and represents three distinct assemblages from turbid water coral reef, shallow subtidal soft-bottom and mangrove-fringed mudflat environments in the northern Indian Ocean. Especially the reef-associated assemblage comprises largely new species. This is explained by the rare occurrence of reefs along the northern margin of the Miocene Indian Ocean and the low number of scientific studies dealing with the region. In terms of paleobiogeography, the fauna corresponds well to coeval faunas from the Pakistani Balochistan and Sindh provinces and the Indian Kathiawar, Kutch and Kerala provinces. During the early Miocene, these constituted a discrete biogeographic unit, the Western Indian Province, which documents the near complete biogeographic isolation from the Proto-Mediterranean Sea. Some mudflat taxa might represent examples of vicariance following the Tethys closure. The fauna also displays little connection with coeval faunas from Indonesia, documenting a strong provincialism within the Indo-West Pacific Region during early Miocene times. sp. nov., sp. nov., sp. nov. and sp. nov. are described as new species.

Six brachiopod species, i.e., sp., sp., sp. cf. (Blumenbach, 1803), (Leymerie, 1846), (Bosquet, 1862), and (von Koenen, 1894), have been identified in the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene Silberberg Formation of Atzendorf, Central Germany. The species and dominate the studied assemblage. is here transferred from the family Cancellothyrididae to Chlidonophoridae because it has a loop without united crural processes. has a brachial skeleton of chlidonophorid type, but its transverse band is incomplete. In species composition, the assemblage from Atzendorf differs from other Paleogene and Neogene European assemblages by the absence of megathyridids and dominance of chlidonophorids, indicating a relatively deep environment.

Abundant shark and rare actinopterygian teeth are reported from a locality within the early Eocene (Ypresian) lower part of the Crescent Formation exposed in the Hamma Hamma River valley on the eastern Olympic Peninsula, Washington State, USA. This part of the Crescent Formation is predominantly submarine volcanic basalt with some sedimentary interbeds deposited in deep water. The teeth are derived from sediments that appear to directly overlay and in places interfinger with the margins of an anomalous lenticular barite deposit; one tooth was found in the barite. Genera represented include deep-water taxa (aff. , , , ) and open marine, epipelagic sharks (, , , , , ). The only other fossils found were two fragmentary shark vertebrae, numerous shark dermal ossicles, a single teleost tooth () and abundant, minute valves of a discinid brachiopod. This is the first report of macrofossils from the lower part of the Crescent Formation and the only early Eocene shark assemblage described from the North Pacific Basin. The shark assemblage also corroborates paleodepositional interpretations of the lower Crescent Formation as being in part ancient volcanic seamounts during early Eocene time.