Jurassic Of Germany Research Articles

An extraordinarily preserved new genus and species of Trachypachidae (Coleoptera, Adephaga) from the Early Jurassic of Germany and a review of fossil trachypachid genera

ABSTRACT Liassodites obsti gen. et sp. nov., an Early Jurassic member of Trachypachidae, is described from Western Pomerania (Germany). An epoxy resin transfer method is applied for the preparation of three-dimensionally preserved fossil. An annotated list of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic trachypachid genera was elaborated. For each trachypachid fossil member and erroneously placed genus, a short diagnosis or available arguments on systematic position are proposed. The relations of the subfamilies Eodromeinae and Coptoclaviscinae (Coptoclavidae) are discussed. The description of Liassodites obsti gen. et sp. nov. makes it possible to suppose that the currently recognised hiatus between families Carabidae and Trachypachidae is not great enough to regard them as two separate families. The genus Coptoclavisca should be regarded as a member of Trachypachidae or Carabidae (including Trachypachinae). The new genus Apermunda gen. nov. is proposed for Petrodromeus minor. Novunda nom. nov. is proposed for Unda and the following binominal names are changed: Novunda angulata comb. nov., N. cursoria comb. nov., N. microplata comb. nov., N. pachycephala comb. nov. and N. chifengensis comb. nov. A synonymy of Evertus and Fortiseode is established, with change of species name: Evertus pervalimand comb. nov. The taxa Beipiaocarabus, Leptopodocoleus (including Leptopodocoleidae), Praedodromeus, Procalosoma, Xinbinia, ‘Eodromeus’ viriosus, ‘Unda’ chonggezhuangensis and ‘Unda’ pandurata, ‘Karadromeus’ xiangfanggouensis are regarded as incertae sedis.

Pseudodrobna natator n. comb., a new link between crustacean faunas from the Jurassic of Germany and Cretaceous of Lebanon

Dendrobranchiate shrimps are abundant in Fossil-Lagerstätten (where fossils are exceptionally preserved). Despite their preservation, classifying them can be challenging as most diagnostic characters are based upon extant species. Penaeus natatorGlaessner, 1945 (Late Cretaceous, Lebanon, Sahel Alma), is one of those cases in which the systematic assignment of the species can be difficult. It was assigned by “default” to Penaeus Fabricius, 1798, before being moved to Metapenaeopsis Bouvier, 1905. The recent description of Pseudodrobna kenngottiWinkler, 2017 (Late Jurassic, Germany, Schernfeld, a Solnhofen-type Fossil-Lagerstätte) shows that Penaeus natator should be assigned to PseudodrobnaWinkler, 2017. This attests once again the similarity in composition of crustacean faunas between Late Jurassic Solnhofen-type Fossil-Lagerstätten and the Late Cretaceous Fossil-Lagerstätten of Lebanon. We also discuss the palaeoecological significance of bilobed eyes, which occur in three species from the Late Cretaceous of Sahel Alma: Pseudodrobna natator n. comb., Palaeobenthonectes arambourgi (Roger, 1946) and Palaeobenthesicymus libanensis (Brocchi, 1875). These eyes seem to have evolved convergently due to the deep-water and dim-light palaeoenvironment of these three shrimp species.

Taphonomic patterns mimic biologic structures: diagenetic Liesegang rings in Mesozoic coleoids and coprolites.

Because of physiology of coleoids, their fossils preserve soft-tissue-remains more often than other cephalopods. Sometimes, the phosphatized soft-tissues, particularly parts of the muscular mantle, display dark circular patterns. Here, we showcase that these patterns, here documented for fossil coleoids from the Jurassic of Germany and the Cretaceous of Lebanon, superficially resemble chromatophores (which enable living coleoids to alter their coloration). We examined and chemically analyzed the circular structures in these specimens, describe them, and discuss their genesis. Based on their structure and color, we visually differentiate between three types of circles. By comparison with similar structures, we suggest that these structures are not biogenic but Liesegang rings, which formed due to reaction-diffusion processes very soon after death.

Rhizocorallites Müller, 1955 from the Triassic and Jurassic of Germany: burrow, coprolite, or cololite?

Rhizocorallites articularis Muller, 1955 are string-shaped sediment aggregates with a homogeneous fill and transverse segmentation, known from marginal-marine deposits of the Middle Triassic (Anisian) of the Germanic Basin. They preferably occur as winding and bent strings at the base of thin storm layers (tempestites). Originally interpreted as the dwellings of a tubiculous annelid or a backfilled burrow similar to Taenidium, a reinvestigation of the type and supplementary material reveals characteristics more conformable with an interpretation as the faecal string (i.e., coprolite) or intestine content (i.e., cololite) left by an epibenthic organism. Comparison with modern analogues suggests holothurians as potential producers of R. articularis. This is confirmed by one of the paratype specimens that, in addition to the segmented string-shaped aggregate, preserved other connecting organs interpreted as stomach, intestine, rectum, and cloaca of a decaying holothurian. Different taphonomic pathways of decaying sea cucumbers result in varying styles of preservation, reaching from conservation (obrution) by burial with sediment to reworking by currents and incorporation into event deposits. Comparable specimens from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) lithographic limestone of southern Germany are assigned to Rhizocorallites inaequalis isp. nov. and, due to their exceptional preservation partly within the carcasses of holothurians, confirm an origin as cololites. Several records of Rhizocorallites from different parts of the world indicate its wide distribution from the Upper Ordovician to the Upper Cretaceous.

Stomach contents of the Early Jurassic fish †Lepidotes Agassiz, 1832 (Actinopterygii, Lepisosteiformes) and their palaeoecological implications

ABSTRACT Ginglymodian fishes formed one of the most dominant actinopterygian lineages during the Mesozoic, occurring in fully marine to freshwater depositional environments. However, although commonly preserved in Mesozoic strata around the world, there is little information on the feeding ecology of these fishes, which is mainly due to the scarcity of direct evidence of diet. Here we report two specimens of the ginglymodian fish †Lepidotes (Lepisosteiformes) from the Lower Jurassic of Germany that exhibit gastric contents consisting of small crustacean cuticle fragments indicative of shrimp-like taxa. The dentition of †Lepidotes, which is well adapted to such a diet, combined with its robust body shape and the position and shape of its fins, suggests that other potential food of the Early Jurassic †Lepidotes may have included moderately elusive, relatively soft-shelled or unprotected, free-living invertebrates. urn:lsid:zoobank.org

Strobilus organization in the enigmatic gymnosperm Bernettia inopinata from the Jurassic of Germany

The enigmatic fossil Bernettia inopinata from Lower Jurassic strata of Upper Franconia, Germany, has been described as a leaf-like structure a leaf-like structure bearing a proximal cluster of densely spaced, pillow-like objects believed to represent ovules or ovule-containing units. The systematic affinities of B. inopinata have remained unresolved. This paper describes five strobili from Pechgraben near Bayreuth that show fertile units composed of B. inopinata and the delicate leaf-like structure Chlamydolepis lautneri in helical arrangement along a central axis. These fossils provide the first insights into the organization of the B. inopinata reproductive structure and demonstrate that B. inopinata and C. lautneri were produced by the same plant. Moreover, Desmiophyllum gothanii leaves closely associated with the strobili, together with specimens showing C. lautneri and the enigmatic microsporophyll Piroconites kuespertii in organic connection, support the hypothesis that these four taxa represent parts of the same plant. The genus Piroconites with its type-species P. kuespertii is validated. Although certain structural details of the B. inopinata plant are reminiscent of features seen in other gymnosperms, including Bennettitales (i.e. ovule structure, megasporophyll organization, microsporophyll organization), Gnetales (i.e. three-locular synangia, pollen, leaves), Glossopteridales (megasporophylls), and conifers (microsporophyll organization and arrangement), it does not fit well into any of the known groups of gymnosperms.

New Species of Cimbrophlebiidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

AbstractFour new species of three genera in the family Cimbrophlebiidae, Telobittacus decorus sp. nov., Bellicimbrophlebia heteroneura sp. nov., Cimbrophlebia amoena sp. nov., and Cimbrophlebia gracilenta sp. nov., are described and illustrated based on eleven well‐preserved fossil specimens. These specimens were collected from the latest Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. This is the first record of the genus Cimbrophlebia in the Jurassic extending its age from the Lower Cretaceous to the Middle Jurassic. Due to same venational characters, we propose that an undescribed fossil specimen of Cimbrophlebiidae from the Jurassic of Germany is attributed to C. gracilenta sp. nov. Our new findings demonstrate an evolutionary trend of venational change from 185 to 50 Ma that the level of the bifurcation of Rs is gradually moving toward the base of wing in reference to the bifurcation of M.

Diverse new Middle Jurassic Osmylopsychopidae (Neuroptera) from China shed light on the classification of psychopsoids

A well-preserved diverse fauna of fossil neuropterans of the family Osmylopsychopidae has been discovered at the Middle Jurassic locality of Daohugou, China. Daopsychops dissectus gen. et sp. nov., D. clausus gen. et sp. nov., D. inanis gen. et sp. nov., D. bifasciatus gen. et sp. nov., D. cubitalis gen. et sp. nov., Eupypsychops ferox gen. et sp. nov., E. confinis gen. et sp. nov., Nematopsychops unicus gen. et sp. nov., Ochropsychops multus gen. et sp. nov. and Stenopteropsychops trifasciatus gen. et sp. nov. are described. These new taxa allow a better understanding of the relationships between the psychopsoid families Osmylopsychopidae, Psychopsidae and Brongniartiellidae. The type of the latter (Brongniartiella gigas from the Late Jurassic of Germany) is redescribed. The venation of the new genera of Osmylopsychopidae shows that Brongniartiellidae is a synonym of this family. Of the genera ascribed to Brongniartiellidae, only Pseudopsychopsis belongs to Osmylopsychopidae with certainty. Gigantopsychops reticulatus gen. et sp. nov. from Daohugou (Psychopsidae) is an important taxon providing a new insight into the definition of the family. Wings of Psychopsidae may be distinguished from those of Osmylopsychopidae by a combination of the following character states: in both wings, the costal space is very broad distally; Rs1 is not deeply forked; the distal nygma is lost; the distal R1 is straight, not curved posteriad; in the hind wing, 1r-m is short and straight. It is clear now that the family Osmylopsychopidae was a dominant psychopsoid group during the Mesozoic, and Psychopsidae was relatively rare.http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E3E3F401-747F-427B-A46C-51B4148A5D0D

Cow sharks (Hexanchiformes) from the Cretaceous deposits of the Crimea

This paper presents descriptions of five species of sharks of the families Hexanchidae and Crassodontidanidae from the Cretaceous deposits of South-West Crimea: Crassodontidanus aff. wiedenrothi (Thies, 1983) (Bolshoy Kermen Mountain, lower Hauterivian), Pachyhexanchus pockrandti (Ward et Thies, 1987) (Bolshoy Kermen Mountain, lower Hauterivian), Notidanodon aff. lanceolatus (Woodward, 1886) (Belaya Mountain, lower – middle Cenomanian), N. cf. lanceolatus (near Maryino Village, middle Aptian), and N. dentatus (Woodward, 1886) (Kremennaya Mountain, lower Cenomanian). The tooth of Crassodontidanus aff. wiedenrothi is close in morphology to those of C. wiedenrothi from the Jurassic of Germany. Pachyhexanchus pockrandti is the second record of this species in the Tethys region. Representatives of Notidanodon aff. lanceolatus are sharply different from other species of this genus in tooth morphology; this taxon is, likely, an ancestral form for the family Heptranchidae.

A new Jurassic cow shark (Chondrichthyes, Hexanchiformes) with comments on Jurassic hexanchiform systematics

A new taxon, †Crassodontidanus gen. nov. of Hexanchiformes (cow sharks) from the Jurassic of Germany is described. It is characterized by peculiar teeth combining apomorphic (serrated mesial cutting edge of the main cusp) and plesiomorphic features (deep root with convex mesial and distal margins in labial and lingual views; protruding lingual root bulge). This character combination readily distinguishes members of the new taxon from all other known extant (Heptranchias, Hexanchus, Notorynchus) and extinct (†Gladioserratus, †Notidanodon, †Notidanoides, †Pachyhexanchus, †Paraheptranchias, †Weltonia) hexanchiforms. Currently, two species, †C. serratus (type species; Late Jurassic, Late Kimmeridgian of Nusplingen, South Germany) and †C. wiedenrothi (Early Jurassic, Early Pliensbachian of Gretenberg (Hanover), North Germany) are assigned to this taxon. †Crassodontidanus gen. nov. is member of †Crassonotidae fam. nov. and sister to †Notidanoides Maisey, 1986 and †Pachyhexanchus Cappetta, 1990. We consider †Notidanus amalthei Oppel, 1854 from the Pliensbachian of South Germany, †Notidanus insignis Seguenza, 1887 from the Oxfordian of Sicily (Italy) and †Notidanus wagneri Agassiz, 1843 from the Early Tithonian of Solnhofen (South Germany) nomina dubia and nomina nuda, respectively. The family †Crassonotidae comprises plesiomorphic hexanchiforms ranging from the Sinemurian (Early Jurassic) to the Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous).

Decapods (Crustacea: Brachyura) from the Jurassic of Germany and Lithuania, with descriptions of new species of Planoprosopon and Tanidromites

A Callovian erratic boulder from Pleistocene glacial drift deposits of NE Germany yielded a ‘prosopid’ crab, which is described here as a new species of the genus Planoprosopon SCHWEITZER FELDMANN & LAZAR, Planoprosopon quadratum. It represents the first unequivocal record of Planoprosopon from the Middle Jurassic and thus one of the stratigraphically oldest records of the genus. Another new species, Planoprosopon thiedeae, is described from the Kimmeridgian of SW Germany. Tanidromites lithuanicus n. sp., a member of Tanidromitidae, is recorded from the Callovian of Lithuania. It is compared with new well-preserved material of other representatives of this genus. Tanidromites richardsoni (WOODWARD) is recorded for the first time from the Bajocian of SW Germany. Tanidromites insignis (V. MEYER), Tanidromites sculpta (QUENSTEDT), and Tanidromites scheffnerae n. sp., all coming from the Kimmeridgian of SW Germany, are briefly described. Prosopon aequilatum V. MEYER is excluded from Tanidromites and now assigned to Eodromites PATRULIUS, and a neotype is designated for this species. Possibly, the early diversification of crabs took place during the Middle Jurassic in more temperate, Subboreal shallow water areas lacking reefal habitats and accelerated when reefs occupied these areas in the Late Jurassic.

Sinahemeroscopus magnificus, new genus and species of ‘libelluloid’ dragonfly from the Chinese Mesozoic (Odonata, Anisoptera: Nannogomphidae?)

Sinahemeroscopus magnificus gen. and sp. nov. is described from the Early Cretaceous of China. We tentatively attribute it to the Nannogomphidae. This family was currently known from the Late Jurassic of Germany.

New Cimbrophlebiidae (Insecta: Mecoptera) from the Early Eocene at McAbee, British Columbia, Canada and Republic, Washington, USA

Four new scorpionfly species of the family Cimbrophlebiidae (Mecoptera) are described in the genus Cimbrophlebia Willmann from two localities of the far-western North American Early Eocene Okanagan Highlands: C. flabelliformis sp. n. and C. leahyi sp. n. from McAbee, British Columbia, Canada; and C. brooksi sp. n. and C. westae, sp. n. from Republic, Washington, U.S.A. A further, partially preserved specimen of a large cimbrophlebiid from McAbee is treated as Cimbrophlebia sp. A. This is the first record of the extinct family in the Western Hemisphere, which was previously known with confidence from the Early Eocene of Denmark (C. bittaciformis Willmann) and the Jurassic of Germany (Malmocimbrophlebia buergeri Bechly & Schweigert and an undescribed genus and species); Telobittacus fragosus Zhang from Early Cretaceous of China may also belong to the family. These Okanagan Highlands occurrences further reflect Early Eocene cross-North Atlantic distributions that have been well documented in plants and mammals, and are increasingly seen in insects.

New evidence for laurasian corystosperms: Umkomasia from the Upper Triassic of Northern China

Recent finds of remarkable fossil plants from the Upper Triassic Yangcaogou Formation in Liaoning Province, PR China include branched, cupule-bearing structures referable to the corystosperm ovulate organ Umkomasia. This material is described and assigned to the proposed new species Umkomasia asiatica. The collection includes numerous isolated cupules and fragments of ultimate cupule-bearing axes. Two specimens consisting of portions of the main axis with attached, cupulate lateral axes have also been found. The main axis was at least 6.5 cm long, with each lateral axis bearing one to at least three pairs of stalked, ovoid cupules. The new Umkomasia is similar to U. franconica from the Jurassic of Germany, which is the only other known laurasian species, but the cupules are smaller and more elongated. It is also similar to many gondwanan forms, including the type species U. macleanii. Leaves associated with the Chinese Umkomasia species are tentatively referred to Thinnfeldia, and may have been produced by the same plant. Associated ovoid seeds with elongated, curved micropyles are similar to those of gondwanan species of Umkomasia. The fossils described here are, therefore, significant in representing the first report of corystosperm reproductive structures from Asia, and only the second report of Umkomasia from the entire northern hemisphere. The new Chinese fossils also support leaf-based evidence that the Corystospermales were present in Laurasia as early as the Late Triassic.

The first complete skeleton of Solnhofia parsonsi (Cryptodira, Eurysternidae) from the Upper Jurassic of Germany and its taxonomic implications

A complete skeleton of Solnhofia parsonsi (Cryptodira, Eurysternidae) from the Kimmeridgian/Tithonian boundary of Schamhaupten, Germany provides the first complete understanding of the postcranial morphology of this genus. The here newly described postcranial characters are important in distinguishing Solnhofia from shell-based genera and thus help in resolving part of the parataxonomic conflict between shell-based and cranium-based turtle genera. This disparity originated during the last 150 years due to the history of fossil finds, preparation, and changing interests of researchers. Synonymies of Solnhofia with such turtle genera as Eurysternum, Idiochelys, Plesiochelys, Thalassemys, and Euryaspis can now be refuted. Similarities with Hydropelta are apparent, but not considered sufficient to support a synonymy. Newly observed or confirmed characters include the relatively large head (40 percent of the carapace length), the pentagonal carapace, the unique arrangement of bones and fontanelles in the pygal region, and the absence of mesoplastra, epiplastra, and an entoplastron.The carcass of the new specimen was embedded in finely laminated limestones and shows little sign of disintegration or scavenging, suggesting hostile bottom conditions with very low water energy during deposition. This taphonomy agrees with recent published models for the origin of the lithographic limestones of southern Germany. Tooth marks along the posterior margin of the carapace are evidence of predation by a broad-nosed crocodilian. This is the first clear example for this type of predatorial interaction from the Upper Jurassic of Germany.

Zygopleuroidea (Gastropoda) aus dem Lias und Dogger Deutschlands und Nordwestpolens

16 taxa of gastropods are described from the Lower and Middle Jurassic of Germany and northwestern Poland. They belong to seven genera. Two species (Pommerozygia aspera, Costazygia bilzi) and two genera (Brevizygia, Costazygia) are new. The family Pommerozygiidae is new as well. Compared to the Zygopleuridae, the Pommerozygiidae have a rather short and broad shell with only few teleoconch whorls. The protoconch is broad conical with a rounded apex (because the first whorls are nearly planispiral).

Unusual extensions of the neural spines in two ichthyosaurs from the Lower Jurassic of Holzmaden

Some unusual extensions of the neural spines are reported for two ichthyosaurs from the Lower Jurassic of Germany. These processes are similar to those recently reported for the enigmatic marine reptile Hupehsuchus, from the Middle Triassic of China. There are insufficient data to determine whether the ichthyosaurian processes are homologous with those of Hupehsuchus, nor whether they represent ancestral features that were normally suppressed during ontogeny. The possibility that the processes are artificial rather than natural cannot be discounted.