A new species, Yuomys robustus of the ctenodactyloid rodent Yuomys, is described in the paper. It is from the Western margin of the Ordos Basin District in eastern Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, China. Yuomys robustus is characterized by a combination of features: large size, high tooth crown, having a postparacrista on M2 and lacking hypocone on P4. We also emended the diagnosis of type species of Yuomys, Y. cavioides. It is characterized by the absence of hypocone on P4, having a distinct ridge connecting the metaconule to the protocone on M1–M3, a postparacrista on M1, a mesostyle on M2, and a small ridge or spur on the mesial side of the protoloph on P4 and M1; the hypoconid smaller than the protoconid and is elongated, the paraconid absent and the mesostylid faintly visible on p4, but well developed on m1–m3; the talonid basin, sinusid, and posteroflexid are large and open on lower cheek teeth. The occurrence of Lophiomeryx angarae in the same stratigraphic layer as Y. robustus indicates that the horizon is possibly late Eocene in age, not early Oligocene as suggested by previous workers. Body mass estimations of Y. cavioides, Y. eleganes, and Y. robustus show that their weights are roughly in the range of 485–880 g, which is in between those of extant Myospalax and Ratufa. From the middle Eocene to the late Eocene, Yuomys exhibited a trend of gradually enlarging the cheek teeth, and increasing the tooth crown height and body mass.

A new hard-shelled sea turtle (Pan-Cheloniidae) with vestigial soft tissues from the lower Eocene (Ypresian) Fur Formation of Denmark is described and illustrated. The fossil (DK 807) comprises a partial, yet fully articulated carapace (estimated original length ∼50 cm) where the individual bones mostly are preserved in three dimensions, together with an intact sacrum, a consecutive series of articulated caudal vertebrae, a complete pelvic girdle, and both hind limbs. Primitive characters in the pelvis and limbs, along with free ribs that contact the posterior peripherals suggest affinity with the extinct pan-cheloniid Eochelone; however, because of the incomplete nature of the fossil, DK 807 is kept in open nomenclature. Associated with the skeletal elements are soft-tissue residues that include remnant epidermal scutes and a nearly complete outline of a rear paddle. The flipper-shaped halo likely represents traces of skin preserved as a dark bedding-parallel film. Its wrinkled and striated surface texture attests to an originally scaleless configuration comparable to the soft integument of living adult dermochelyid (leatherback) turtles, and unlike that of extant cheloniids. Scratches, scars and indentations on the bony carapace likely represent incompletely healed bite marks inflicted by a crocodylian or another large-sized seagoing tetrapod.

Pterosaur fossils from Australia are exceptionally rare. Since the discovery of the continent's first pterosaur some 40 years ago, fewer than 20 specimens have been described. The Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) Toolebuc Formation of North West Queensland is the most productive horizon for Australian pterosaurs. Herein, we describe a new species of pterosaur, Thapunngaka shawi gen. et sp. nov., from the Toolebuc Formation, near Richmond, North West Queensland. The specimen (KKF494) comprises the rostral portion of a crested mandible and represents the largest pterosaur yet described from Australia. The new species presents features that indicate an affinity with Anhangueridae, which is consistent with their reported cosmopolitan distribution during this period. Thapunngaka shawi can be distinguished from other anhanguerids through the possession of a mandible with a smooth dorsal surface medially and uniquely sized alveoli that are positioned laterally along the jaw. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a close relationship among all Australian anhanguerids and points to an endemic Australian radiation within Anhangueridae. Thapunngaka shawi has the largest mandibular crest of any anhanguerian worldwide, and provides further evidence for the existence of an increasingly diverse range of large crested pterosaurs in the Australian part of eastern Gondwana during the Cretaceous.

Ornithopod dinosaurs are relatively common in the Cretaceous of Australia, particularly in the state of Victoria, which has yielded five taxa to date: two from the upper Strzelecki Group (upper Barremian–lower Aptian), and three from the Eumeralla Formation (upper Aptian–upper Albian). Whereas four of these are based solely on cranial material, Diluvicursor pickeringi is represented by a partial postcranium and is the only ornithopod specimen heretofore reported from the Eric the Red West (ETRW) site. Herein, we describe nine ornithopod dentulous elements from the Eumeralla Formation: seven from ETRW, and two from nearby sites. The four ETRW maxillae are divided into three morphotypes that are morphologically compatible with Leaellynasaura amicagraphica, Atlascopcosaurus loadsi, and cf. Galleonosaurus dorisae, respectively. Although this implies that Diluvicursor might not represent a distinct taxon, this is circumstantial. The new Leaellynasaura maxillae are evidently adult exemplars, contrasting with the juvenile holotype, whereas the sole Atlascopcosaurus maxilla is more complete than all previously referred specimens; consequently, revised diagnoses of both taxa are presented. Finally, the presence in the Eumeralla Formation of cf. Galleonosaurus—otherwise known only from the upper Strzelecki Group—implies that this taxon persisted from the Barremian to the Albian, and potentially indicates remarkable environmental stability in southeast Australia during the late Early Cretaceous.

This study presents a new species of a large-sized lutrine from the upper Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede, Vishnuonyx neptuni sp. nov., reporting the first occurrence of the genus in Europe and its most northern and western record. The new species differs from the already known members of the genus in size (intermediate between the African Vishnuonyx? angololensis and the Asiatic Vishnuonyx chinjiensis) and morphology, in particular in the larger P4 hypocone, the primitive morphology of M1 (paraconule present, enlarged protoconule and metaconule, labial expansion at the paracone area), the shorter and more robust lower premolars and the wider m1 trigonid. We hypothesized that the dispersal event that led to the expansion of the genus in Europe seems to be correlated with the water connection between Paratethys and the Mesopotamian Basin during the Konkian, between 13.4 and 12.65 Ma. In terms of paleoecology, it is here suggested that this form was feeding mainly on fish and less on bivalves or plant material, resembling the extant giant otter, Pteronura brasiliensis.

Penguins (Sphenisciformes) have arguably the most complete and continuous fossil record of any avian clade, offering an ever-improving understanding of penguin phylogeny, biogeography, and the evolution of wing-propelled diving. Yet, our knowledge of the precise body proportions of stem-group penguins remains poor due to a dearth of articulated specimens. Here, we describe Kairuku waewaeroa sp. nov., a new giant penguin species from the Glen Massey Formation (Whaingaroan stage, 34.6–27.3 Ma). The holotype skeleton, discovered in Kawhia Harbour, North Island, New Zealand, is one of the most complete skeletons of a giant penguin yet uncovered. Our phylogenetic analysis recovers a clade uniting the New Zealand endemics Kairuku waewaeroa, Kairuku waitaki, and Kairuku grebneffi, which is supported by synapomorphies including a stout femoral shaft and tibiotarsi with a distinctly convex medial condyle. Kairuku waewaeroa is unique among stem penguins in having elongate tibiotarsi, revealing a new long-legged stem penguin body plan. The discovery of Kairuku waewaeroa contributes yet another penguin species to an Oligocene avifauna for Zealandia that is replete with giant birds.

The diversity of fishes represented in upper Paleocene microfossil localities in the Ravenscrag Formation near Roche Percée, Saskatchewan, is documented. Thirteen kinds of fishes are recognized. Two chondrosteans are present, a sturgeon and a paddlefish, both represented by small, irregularly shaped, ornamented bony plates. Four kinds of basal neopterygians are identified. Two of these, Atractosteus and Cyclurus, are widely distributed in both Paleocene and Upper Cretaceous localities. The remaining two are unnamed taxa designated Holostean A and Holostean B that were known previously from Upper Cretaceous localities but have not been reported from the Paleocene prior to this report. The presence of these taxa in the late Paleocene further supports the conclusion that basal neopterygians were little affected by the K/Pg mass extinction event. Seven teleosts are present in the assemblage. This assemblage of teleosts is similar to assemblages of upper Paleocene fishes from the Paskapoo Formation of Alberta in the presence of osteoglossomorphs, a gonorhynchiform, the esocid Esox, a percopsiform, and at least one other acanthomorph. It differs in the presence of a generically indeterminate protacanthopterygian designated here as morphotype ES-1 and a teleost of uncertain relationships designated morphotype PT-1. Neither of these taxa is present in the Late Cretaceous, suggesting that they first appeared in the area during the early or middle Paleocene. Comparison of the fish assemblages of the late Paleocene and early Eocene suggests that a major faunal transition occurred at the Paleocene/Eocene boundary, and that this involved a decrease in diversity of basal neopterygians.

Duerosuchus piscator is a middle Eocene eusuchian known only from Corrales del Vino (Zamora, Spain). The species was defined based on an incomplete skull, partial lower jaws and two vertebrae from a single individual, and several osteoderms referred to other specimens. A detailed study of these remains allows us to question the attribution of all these remains to the same form. Just the cranial remains are considered as indisputably attributable to it; the validity of this species being supported. The present study provides a detailed description and an amended diagnosis for Duerosuchus piscator, which is included for the first time in a phylogenetic analysis in order to establish its systematic position within Crocodylia. As a result of this study, the Eocene crocodyliform paleobiodiversity in the Duero Basin is recognized as comprising a notosuchian (Iberosuchus macrodon), as well as three crocodylians, each belonging to a clade: the alligatoroid Diplocynodon tormis, a crocodyloid traditionally attributed to the genus Asiatosuchus, and Duerosuchus piscator, which is here identified as a planocraniid, up to now unrecognized in the Iberian fossil record.

Doswellia kaltenbachi is a long-snouted non-archosaur archosauriform known from the Late Triassic of the United States (Virginia and Texas). New material from the Chinle Formation of Arizona represents the first occurrence of D. cf. D. kaltenbachi from that formation and state. This occurrence is from the type section for the Adamanian estimated holochronozone (Late Triassic: middle Norian) in Petrified Forest National Park and firmly establishes the presence of this taxon in the Adamanian. This occurrence adds to the diverse vertebrate assemblage of the upper part of the Blue Mesa Member of the Chinle Formation (Adamanian). More broadly, the new occurrence strengthens biogeographic links to the older (latest Carnian or earliest Norian) Otischalkian from Texas and the possibly older Sanfordian/Conewagian assemblages of Virginia. The spatiotemporal distribution of Doswellia underscores the similarity of North American continental vertebrate assemblages across the Carnian–Norian boundary prior to the Adamanian–Revueltian boundary.

A new species of Eusthenodon from the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Catskill Formation was collected from talus blocks at the base of a road cut along the Cogan House Exit Ramp on U.S. 15/Interstate 99 in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. The new species is represented by a nearly complete, articulated skull (ANSP 23748) and additional cranial bones, body scales, and pectoral girdle elements. The breadth of anatomy represented by the new fossils, and the quality of their preservation and preparation, enable a detailed anatomical description of a new species. The original diagnosis of Eusthenodon distinguished the taxon from Tristichopterus and Eusthenopteron, the only other described tristichopterids at the time. The descriptive qualities of the Eusthenodon wangsjoi type material do not diagnose Eusthenodon from among the highly nested tristichopterid taxa that have been discovered since the original publication. In an effort to strengthen the taxonomic status and phylogenetic utility of Eusthenodon, we propose a revised diagnosis that uses only discrete, commonly preserved features that are unlikely to be altered by deformation. The new species is the third described Catskill Formation tristichopterid along with Hyneria lindae and Langlieria radiatus. All three are large-bodied and in a highly nested phylogenetic position within the group. The presence of a single tristichopterid species at each site highlights temporal and spatial regionalization of the Catskill fauna and may, along with a suite of anatomical features, support the hypothesis that tristichopterids occupied the role of top predator in the freshwater ecosystems of the Catskill Delta complex.

A new crocodyliform, Sebecus ayrampu, sp. nov., is described based on the rostral region of the skull, mandibular rami, and a distal portion of the femur collected in Paleocene rocks of northwestern Argentina. The new taxon is diagnosed (among other characters) by the presence of a sharp sagittal torus on the palatal surface of the premaxilla and maxilla, the surface of the alveolar region of the premaxilla descending vertically with respect to the palatal surface of the maxilla and the rest of the premaxilla, deep premaxillary fossa for the hypertrophied mandibular tooth with a ridge along its anterior margin, a differential pattern of ornamentation of the rostrum external surface, and a V-shaped anterior margin of the choana (with the vertex pointing anteriorly). This specimen is recovered as a new member of Sebecidae in a phylogenetic analysis, increasing the taxonomic diversity of the group in the Paleogene of northwestern Argentina. A sensitivity parsimony analysis using equal and implied weights (with different K values) retrieves two distinct lineages within Sebecidae: the Ayllusuchus + Bretesuchus clade and the Sebecus clade (in which the new taxon is included). Sebecidae is also recovered as a sister group to Baurusuchidae, forming together the monophyletic Sebecosuchia within Notosuchia.

We here describe a fossil catfish from freshwater deposits of the Jbel Qatrani Formation of the Fayum Depression, Egypt, as a new species of an extant genus, †Clarotes eocenicus, sp. nov., in the family Claroteidae. We base this placement on several cranial osteological features, including robust, laterally oriented anterior cornua of the mesethmoid, cranial fontanelle formed in mesethmoid and frontals but not extending into the parieto-supraoccipital, dermal ornamentation of small bumps concentrated on the posterior part of the skull, and supraoccipital crest short and broadly triangular. The material comes from the upper Eocene L-41 locality, which represents deposition in an oxbow lake environment. The new taxon, along with a previously described catfish from Tanzania, indicate that claroteid catfishes were established in both North and East Africa in the Eocene, and, unlike North America, Europe and Asia in which modern genera of catfishes were not present in the Eocene, at least two extant catfish genera had already evolved in the fresh waters of Africa by 45–35 million years ago.

The sivatherine clade includes some of the largest giraffids and emerged during the late Miocene. Sivatherium hendeyi, the earliest known species of the Sivatherium genus, was first described from the lower Pliocene of Langebaanweg (5.15 ± 0.1 Ma, Cape Province, South Africa). Here we describe the first possible occurrence of Sivatherium from western Europe from the lower Pliocene (MN14) of Puerto de la Cadena (4.9 Ma, Murcia, Spain). The new material consists of dental and postcranial remains. The Puerto de la Cadena Sivatherium, together with the presence of Macaca sp. and Debruijnimys sp., indicates a connection between African and European faunas during the early Pliocene and a possible relationship between Sivatherium and the stem Iberian sivatherines Decennatherium and Birgerbohlinia.

In the 19th century, natural mummies of amphibians were discovered in the Quercy Phosphorites. The specific collection site was never formally reported, which hampers precise dating of these specimens. Still, the name Bufo servatus was erected based on the external morphology of one of the mummified specimens. A tomography of a similarly preserved specimen revealed a preserved skeleton, soft tissues and gut contents. We analyze here the holotype of Bufo servatus using CT-scanning in order to investigate its potentially preserved internal features. Like the previous specimen, a subcomplete articulated skeleton was identified in the B. servatus holotype. Surprisingly, this skeleton is almost identical to that of Thaumastosaurus gezei, an Eocene anuran from Western Europe to which other specimens from this mummy series were previously assigned. The few differences between the specimen skeletons highlight ontogenetic and intraspecific variations, making T. gezei a junior synonym of B. servatus and creating the new combination Thaumastosaurus servatus. Given its association with previously described Quercy specimens, this redescribed anuran is probably from the same time interval as T. gezei. Previous phylogenetic analyses assigned T. servatus to Ranoides, with natatanuran affinities. Using data from this newly described specimen, we tested here further its taxonomic affinities. Our analyses confirm this position, and formally identify T. servatus as a Natatanuran member of Pyxicephalidae (currently endemic of equatorial Africa) and more precisely, a stem-Pyxicephalinae. This result confirms the origin of Thaumastosaurus, a member of the African herpetofauna occupying Western Europe before the Grande Coupure at the Eocene/Oligocene transition.