摘要:

Ediacara metazoan assemblage, Ediacara Range, South Australia. The size and morphological complexity of this species are apparently of the scyphozoan grade. The characteristic three major zones and deeply cleft marginal lappets of this fossil form are similar to those of the living Coronatae but pedalia are not developed. This new species sheds significant light on the previously enigmaticMawsonitesGlaessner & Wade, and provides the basis for the erection of the Family Mawsonitidae under ?Order Coronatae. The present study confirms the fairly advanced evolutionary grade reached by medusae during Late Precambrian time (the Ediacaran or Ediacarian Period).

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619152

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

A probable tetrapod trackway has been discovered in the Grampians Group of western Victoria which has been recently dated as Early Devonian or Silurian. This makes the trackway the earliest known evidence of terrestrial vertebrates.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619153

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

A left mandibular toothplate of a chimaeroid fish collected from the Toolebuc Formation (Early Cretaceous, Albian), central Queensland is described. Comparisons with other chimaeroid genera show the toothplate to be sufficiently distinct to warrant the erection of a new genus.Ptyktoptychion tayyogen. et sp. nov. is distinguished by the size and shape of its three tritors, the form of the symphysial facet and the overall shape of the toothplate.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619154

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

An unusually well preserved assemblage of siliceous microfossils of Mindyallan (early Late Cambrian) age is described from western Queensland. It is dominated by hexactinellid spicules. Among the forms identified as hexactinellid sponges are a new species ofKonyriumNazarov & Popov 1976, previously known only as enigmatic fossils from the Ordovician, and the new genusSilicunculus, characterized by hook-shaped spicules. Spiculated globules about 250 μm in diameter are interpreted as the skeletons of hexactinellid propagules and referred to the new genusEchidnina. Perforated globular tests 280–520 μm in diameter are referred to the genusBlastulospongiaPickett & Jell 1983,a presumed sphinctozoan sponge.Blastulospongiamay alternatively be interpreted as a radiolarian similar to the spumellarian collosphaerids. The possibility of radiolarian affinities ofEchidninaalso is discussed, but considered less likely. Associated spicules, not referred to named taxa, are also described and figured. These include typical hexactinellid spicules as well as siliceous sclerites of unknown nature. Among the former are spicule types that indicate the presence of taxa related to the generaMultivasculatusHowell & Van Houten 1940,RigbyellaMostler & Mosleh-Yazdi 1976 (? =AzyrtaliaNazarov 1973), andNabaviellaMostler & Mosleh-Yazdi 1976. These genera were based on Late Cambrian species but their record probably ranges from the Early Cambrian

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619155

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Upon re-examinationProexenocrinus inyoensisStrimple & McGinnis, the oldest camerate crinoid known, is interpreted as a diplobathrid camerate assigned to the family Rhodocrinitidae rather than a monobathrid assigned to the Tanaocrinidae, as suggested by previous workers. The slab containing the holotype of P.inyoensisalso has two undescribed crinoid specimens. These new Early Ordovician crinoids are described and assigned toInyocrinus strimpleigen. et sp. nov. These specimens are from the Al Rose Formation of west-central California, U.S.A. (upper Ibexian; Arenigian).

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619156

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Permineralized (silicified) wood is of fairly common occurrence in Victoria, Australia, but, until now, there have been no studies of any kind concerning these fossils. This report represents the first detailed study of silicified wood from Victoria. The wood was part of a large trunk collected at the Jungle Creek location, approximately 30 km NNW of Buchan in eastern Gippsland, and is probably of late Eocene-Early Oligocene age (39 million years). The wood is diffuse porous and consists of vessels, fibres, xylem and ray parenchyma and oil cells. The vessels have simple, elongate pits on walls in contact with parenchyma and fibre walls and bordered pits on walls in contact with adjacent vessels. Oil cells are the most distinctive feature of the wood and are filled with oil droplets. The fossil wood has many similarities to the genusCryptocaryain the family Lauraceae, but it seems appropriate to assign it to a new genus and species,Cryptocaryoxylon gippslandicum. C. gippslandicumthus adds a new dimension to our knowledge of Australian Tertiary floras.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619157

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

The Shackleton Limestone is a thick unit of bedded and allochthonous limestone, with minor dolostone, quartzite, sandstone and siltstone, spanning the central portion of the Transantarctic Mountains. It is a record of Early Cambrian shelf and peri-platform carbonate deposition on the margin of the East Antarctic craton. Slope, shallow marine and intertidal-supratidal conditions prevailed during deposition. Thirty-one species of archaeocyaths described from measured sections in the northern Holyoake Range (Nimrod Glacier area) and at Crackling Cwm (Byrd Glacier area) confirm earlier correlations of Shackleton Limestone faunas with the Botomian stage of Siberia. Archaeocyaths from a section at Mt Egerton (Byrd Glacier area) are of either Botomian or Toyonian age. Ten further archaeocyath species are added to the six species already known to be common to both Antarctica and Australia, confirming the existence of a Gondwana supercontinent in the Early Palaeozoic. New taxa described are the generaKymbecyathus(Dokidocyathidae),Kiwicyathus(Irinaecyathidae),Sanarkophyllum(Erbocyathoidea, Gumbycyathidae fam. nov.),Clathrithalamus(Botomocyathidae) andMawsonicoscinus(Coscinocyathina, Mawsonicoscinoidea superfam. nov., Mawsonicoscinidae fam. nov.), and the speciesLadaecyathus jagoi, Tegerocyathella burgessi, Anaptyctocyathus manserghi, ?Veronicacyathus gravestockiand?Pycnoidocyathus ecdemus.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619158

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

A silicified trilobite fauna is described from an un-named Early Devonian (late Zlichovian-early Dalejan) limestone at Mudgee, N.S.W. The fauna includes eleven taxa as follows:Proetussp.,Cornuproetus? sp.,Astycoryphesp.,Cyphaspissp., Harpidae gen. et sp. indet.,Phacops (Phacops)sp.,Crotalocephalus struszisp.nov.,Acanthopyge (Lobopyge) campbellisp.nov.,Terranovia? sp.nov.,Dudleyaspissp. cf.D. campbelli(Chatterton 1971) andRadiaspis bispinosa? (Chatterton 1971).Terranoviahas not been previously described from Australia.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619159

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

A modified version of the Simpson index is used to assess similarities between the Early Triassic tetrapod faunas of Australia, Antarctica, India and South Africa. This index takes into account the relative abundances of taxa, and not merely their presence or absence. Antarctic, Indian and African faunas are all found to be very similar — one to another and each to a hypothetical ‘average’ fauna. The Australian fauna is distinctly different: it resembles other faunas in terms of the presence or absence of taxa, but it differs greatly in the relative abundances of those taxa. Most significant of those differences is the abundance of labyrinthodont amphibians and the commensurate rarity of reptiles. The unusual composition of the Australian fauna might be explained to a large extent by geographic isolation.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619160

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Thelodont scales have been discovered with conodonts in the Malutang and Heyuanzhai sections in Shidian County, west Yunnan. The scales belong to the widespread Devonian genusTuriniaTraquair 1896; Middle Devonian examples, however, are rare. One new species,Turinia pagoda, from the Givetian Heyuanzhai Formation, is described; this species is characterized by the possession of body scales with a high neck bearing a series of outwards-and upwards-projecting spurs. Two further morphological scale forms, called hereTuriniasp. nov.? A andTuriniasp. nov.? B, from the Eifelian Malutang Formation might also represent new species. The relationship of the west Yunnan thelodonts to those from the Devonian of east Yunnan and from elsewhere in the world is discussed.

ISSN:0311-5518    

DOI:10.1080/03115518608619161

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1986

数据来源: Taylor