Previously undescribed Emsian vertebrates from southern Algeria (southern Ahaggar) include a new chondrichthyan Tassiliodus lessardi n. gen., n. sp. with multicuspidate teeth and scales with a distinctive histology. This is the first Emsian chondrichthyan taxon reported from the north-western margin of Gondwana. Rare acanthodian scales are assigned to Milesacanthus cf. ancestralis Burrow, Lelièvre & Janjou, 2006, an Emsian species also known from Saudi Arabia, reinforcing the Gondwanan faunal affinity.

The description of a new large caseid, Ruthenosaurus russelbrum n. gen., n. sp. from the Early Permian (upper Cisuralian to lower Lopingian) of the Rodez Basin, France, is based on a partial postcranial skeleton that was initially collected at the same time as the holotype of “Cásea” rutena Sigogneau-Russell & Russell, 1974. Despite its distinctly larger size than “C.” rutena, the holotype of Ruthenosaurus n. gen. clearly represents an immature individual, as shown most clearly by the lack of fusion of the neural arches to their respective vertebral centra and incomplete ossification of the ends of the limb elements, including the absence of an ossified olecranon on the ulna. Nonetheless, Ruthenosaurus n. gen. is diagnosed by several autapomorphic characters, including dorsal vertebrae with anteriorly tilting neural spines and a diamond-shaped outline in transverse section, a first sacral rib with a dorsoventrally expanded distal head, and a low iliac blade with a poorly developed anterior process. The new taxon is further distinguishable from the only other known French caseid, “Casea” rutena, by the shape of the distal part of the humerus, including an ectepicondylar notch rather than a fully enclosed foramen, the specific shape of the ulna, and the overall robustness of the specimen. The taxonomic status of “Cased” rutena is discussed and it is concluded that this species should be moved into a new genus named Euromycter n. gen. The occurrence of the large-sized Ruthenosaurus n. gen. in France increases our knowledge about the early diversity of this clade in Europe.

46 samples were processed for a taxonomic ostracod study from the Lower-Middle Triassic (Smithian to Anisian) of South Tibet. Forty four species belonging to 15 genera are recognized. One genus and seven species are described as new: Bairdia jeancharlesi Forel n. sp., Bairdia letangae Forel n. sp., Bairdiacypris combeae Forel n. sp., Petasobairdia collini Forel n. sp., Hungarella tulongensis Crasquin n. sp., Triassicindivisia tibetinella Crasquin n. gen., n. sp., Liuzhinia larmae Forel n. sp. The goal of this paper is to describe the new taxa as a preliminary step to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction.

A sectorial toothed cynodont from the Triassic Santa Cruz do Sul fauna, Santa Maria Formation, Parana Basin, southern Brazil, is described. The taxon is represented by a tiny portion of a right lower jaw which preserves partially the last postcanine. A comparative analysis of the postcanine morphology of the Santa Cruz do Sul specimen with South American Triassic cynodonts is made. The crown morphology of the Santa Cruz do Sul cynodont is closer to that of the juvenile single specimen of cf. Probainognathus from the Carnian Ischigualasto Formation and of juveniles of Probainognathus jenseni Romer, 1970 from the Ladinian Chañares Formation in Argentina. There are, however, some important differences between the tooth of the new specimen and those of P. jenseni juveniles, and therefore we provisionally assign the new Santa Cruz do Sul material to cf. Probainognathus. The fauna of Santa Cruz do Sul, dominated by traversodontid cynodonts, is now composed of a proterochampsid archosauriform, three traversodontids and two sectorial toothed cynodonts and we refer to it as Santacruzodon Assemblage Zone. We also propose the name of Riograndia Assemblage Zone for the faunas from the Upper Triassic Caturrita Formation, on the basis of the abundance yet restricted record of this taxon in these faunas. A brief summary of the Brazilian Middle and Upper Triassic biostratigraphy is presented within the framework of two different time scales.

Two new species of decapod crustaceans from the Albian of the Paris Basin.

Two new species of decapod crustaceans, Glyphea franzini n. sp. (Glypheidae), and Callianassa agae n. sp. (Callianassidae), from the Albian Gault facies of the Paris Basin, are described herein. These two species were previously described and figured by Breton (2010) in the CD-Rom of a popularization collective book entitled Stratotype Albien. Nevertheless, in respect to the article 8.6 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature concerning the works produced after 1999 by a method that does not employ printing on paper, these two names are not available. Indeed, the CD-Rom does not contain a statement that copies have been deposited at least in five major publicly accessible libraries which should be identified by name in the work itself.

We describe a new actinopterygian fauna from the uppermost Cretaceous of Quintanilla la Ojada (Burgos, Spain), in the Villarcayo Sinclynorium of the Basque-Cantabrian Region. It consists mostly of isolated teeth of pycnodontiforms (cf. Anomoeodus sp., Pycnodontoidea indet.), amiiforms (cf. Amiidae indet.) and teleosteans (elopiforms: Phyllodontinae indet., Paralbulinae indet.; aulopiforms: Enchodontidae indet., plus fragmentary fin spines of Acanthomorpha indet.). Paralbulinae teeth are the most abundant elements in the fossil assemblage. All the remains are disarticulated and show intense post-mortem abrasion. The fossil association has been found in dolomite sandstones that are laterally correlated with the Valdenoceda Formation (Lower to basal Upper Maastrichtian) of the Castilian Ramp. The observed taphonomic features are coherent with the sedimentological interpretation of the fossiliferous beds as coastal deltaic deposits.

islamoğğlu Y., Dominici S. & Kowalke T. 2011. — Early Eocene Caenogastropods (Mollusca, Gastropoda) from Haymana-Polatlıı Basin, Central Anatolia (Turkey): taxonomy and palaeoecology. Geodiversitas 33 (2): 303–330.

This study describes 21 species of Caenogastropoda collected in the Macunköy section from the upper part of the Kıırkkavak Formation (Haymana-Polatlıı Basin, SW of Ankara). The known stratigraphical range of the studied species is consistent with an early Ypresian (early Eocene) age of the deposits, indicated by Cerithium puigcercosensis (Cossmann, 1897) n. comb, and Tympanotonos turris (Deshayes, 1833). This result supports previous biostratigraphic studies based on benthic foraminifers. Among the caenogastropods from the Macunköy section, two new species are described: Bellatara ankaraensis n. sp. and Vicinocerithium sent n. sp. Furthermore, Cerithium puigcercosensis n. comb. is described as a new combination. The gastropod assemblage of the Macunköy section indicates a mangrove-fringed, wet coastal ecosystem with euryhaline conditions, connected to coastal swamps and a delta system.

Five mandibular and dental specimens referred to the extinct South American ungulate clade Astrapotheria are described. They originate from late middle Miocene deposits of the Ipururo Formation in the Río Inuya-Río Mapuya area, Peruvian Amazonia. The first Peruvian astrapothere remains unearthed in a controlled stratigraphical context reveal the co-occurrence of the uruguaytheriine astrapotheriids Xenastrapotherium sp. and Granastrapotherium cf. snorki. Bispecific uruguaytheriine assemblages were so far restricted to the early Miocene of Venezuela and the late middle Miocene of Colombia. The Fitzcarrald local fauna, including the uruguaytheriines described here, recalls unequivocally the Xenastrapotherium kraglievichi Cabrera, 1929-Granastrapotherium snorki assemblage, which characterizes the 13.6–12.76 Ma interval in the Honda Group of La Venta area, Colombia. The spatio-temporal distribution of low-latitude astrapotheriids (< 30°S) is then reviewed, illustrated, and further detailed in both stratigraphical and taxonomic points of view. The group appears in the fossil record during the Oligocene or the earliest Miocene (Uruguaytherium Kraglievich, 1928 and Xenastrapotherium Kraglievich, 1928 in Uruguay and Venezuela, respectively). Uruguaytheriinae are conspicuous elements of middle Miocene mammal assemblages of northern South America (Colombia, Brazil, Bolivia, and now Peru). Astrapotheria probably become extinct during the late Miocene (Huayquerian South American Land Mammal Age), but the youngest specimens are of uncertain taxonomic affinities and/or might be reworked (Astrapotheriidae indet. in Urumaco Formation of Venezuela; ?Astrapotheria in Rio Acre local fauna of Brazil).

Les Uruguaytheriinae (Mammalia, Astrapotheria) du Miocène moyen d'Amazonie péruvienne et une revue du registre fossile des Astrapotheriidae dans le nord de l'Amérique du Sud.

Cinq restes mandibulaires et dentaires attribués à des astrapothères, clade éteint de grands ongulés sud-américains, sont décrits. Ils proviennent du Miocène moyen tardif de la Formation Ipururo dans la région du Río Inuya et du Río Mapuya, en Amazonie péruvienne. Les premiers restes d'astrapothères découverts au Pérou dans un contexte stratigraphique contrôlé révèlent la co-existence des Astrapotheriidae Uruguaytheriinae Xenastrapotherium sp. et Granastrapotherium cf. snorki. De tels assemblages bispécifiques d'Uruguaytheriinae étaient jusqu'alors restreints au Miocène inférieur du Venezuela et au Miocène moyen de Colombie. La faune locale de Fitzcarrald, qui inclut les Uruguaytheriinae ici décrits, rappelle sans équivoque l'association Xenastrapotherium kraglievichi Cabrera, 1929-Granastrapotherium snorki, qui caractérise l'intervalle 13.6–12.76 Ma dans le Groupe Honda de La Venta, en Colombie. La distribution spatiotemporelle des Astrapotheriidae de basse latitude (< 30°S) est ensuite révisée, illustrée et détaillée à la fois des points de vue stratigraphique et taxinomique. Le groupe apparaît dans le registre fossile pendant l'Oligocène ou au Miocène basal (avec Uruguaytherium Kraglievich, 1928 et Xenastrapotherium Kraglievich, 1928, respectivement en Uruguay et au Venezuela). Les Uruguaytheriinae apparaissent comme des éléments habituels des faunes de mammifères du Miocène moyen d'Amérique du Sud septentrionale (Colombie, Brésil, Bolivie et doré navant Pérou), avant de se raréfier ensuite. Les Astrapotheria ont probablement disparu au cours du Miocène supérieur (étage mammalien Huayquérien), mais les spécimens les plus récents sont d'affinités

Gaudant J. 2011. — Aphanius persicus (Priem, 1908) (Pisces, Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae): une nouvelle combinaison pour Brachylebias persicus Priem, 1908, du Miocène supérieur des environs de Tabriz (Iran). Geodiversitas 33 (2): 347–356.

Aphanius persicus (Priem, 1908) (Pisces, Teleostei, Cyprinodontidae): a new combination for Brachylebias persicus Priem, 1908, from the Upper Miocene fiom Tabriz (Iran).

The revision of the type material of Brachylebias persicus Priem, 1908, from the Late Miocene of Iran, leads one to demonstrate that it really belongs to the Recent genus Aphanius Nardo, 1827. Consequently, Brachylebias Priera, 1908 is a junior synonym of Aphanius, whereas the Miocene cyprinodontids from Iran described by Priem (1908) should be renamed Aphanius persicus (Priem, 1908). For this reason, a new name will have to be assigned to the Recent species Aphanius persicus (Jenkins, 1910).

The Late Pliocene Capo Mannu D1 Local Fauna (Mandriola, W Sardinia, Italy) produced remains of five amphibians and at least nine reptiles: Salamandrina sp., cf. Ichthyosaura sp., Discoglossus sp., cf. Bufo gr. B. viridis Laurenti, 1768, Hyla gr. H. arborea (Linnaeus, 1758), Gekkonidae indet., Dopasia sp., Lacerta gr. L. viridis (Laurenti, 1768), Lacertidae indet. (small size), Amphisbaenia indet., Eryx cf. E. jaculus (Linnaeus, 1758), Colubrinae indet., Natrix sp., and Vipera sp. The Capo Mannu D1 assemblage partly fills a chronological gap in the knowledge of the Sardinian herpetofauna because well-diversified herpetofaunas have been retrieved only in the Early Miocene of Oschiri and in the Pleistocene of Monte Tuttavista. It has an intermediate taxonomic composition and still shows a high rate of taxa which are now extinct on the island (Salamandrina sp., cf. Ichthyosaura sp., Dopasia sp., Lacerta gr. L. viridis, Amphisbaenia indet., Eryx cf. E. jaculus, and Vipera sp.). Some taxa (both extinct and extant) are present in the three localities but none is exclusively shared by Oschiri and Monte Tuttavista. The remains of Salamandrina from the Capo Mannu D1 Local Fauna testify for a prolonged permanence in Sardinia of this taxon (already known from Oschiri). The absence of remains unambiguously referable to the previously reported ranids could suggest that these anurans never reached the island by natural dispersal (without human intervention). The taxonomic composition of the Capo Mannu D1 Local Fauna is overall similar to that of other west Mediterranean Pliocene herpetofaunas, and it confirms the previously reported pattern of evolution of European herpetofaunas.