Marine Macroinvertebrates Research Articles

Modeling Habitat Suitability for Cerithidea rhizophorarum and Telescopium telescopium in Indo-West Pacific Mangroves.

Mangroves provide habitat for a diverse array of marine species, especially snails. We used a MaxEnt model to predict potential global suitable habitat for Cerithidea rhizophorarum and Telescopium telescopium in the family Potamididae. A total of 667 occurrence data were obtained from the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) with the following sub-data set contribution, "iNaturalist Research Grade Observations" (85%), "International Barcode of Life project (iBOL)" (7%), "FBIP: SeaKeys_SANBI: Marine images iSpot_2013" (1%), "A dataset of marine macroinvertebrate diversity from Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe" (1%), occurrence data of some marine invertebrates and freshwater crabs housed in the natural history collection at the National Museums of Kenya (1%), and Natural History Museum Rotterdam-Specimens (1%). Our results showed that temperature with a contribution of above 80% in the present and future model is the most important driver of the distribution of mangrove snails. In the present and future models, the most potentially suitable habitats for C. rhizophorarum and T. telescopium were observed along coastal areas with a temperature between 20°C-21°C and 30°C, respectively. Our model predicts that by 2100, high-suitability areas will shrink as a result of global warming. The vulnerability of mangrove snails under future climate conditions is evident in our results. Our findings contribute significant insights into the intricate relationship between mangrove habitats and mangrove snails, offering a valuable foundation for conservation initiatives aimed at safeguarding the biodiversity and ecological functions of these crucial coastal ecosystems in the face of changing global environmental conditions.

Linking ecosystem pressures and marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in mangroves and seagrasses

African coastal ecosystems encompass high biodiversity that provides crucial ecosystem services (ES). However, the supply of these ES is threatened due to ecosystem degradation, which threatens human well-being and livelihoods. This study investigated the link between pressures and the ES provided by marine macroinvertebrates (MMIs) in mangroves and seagrasses. We assessed ecosystem condition (marine protected areas, MPAs), pressures, namely climate change (sea surface temperature and sea level), land-use and land-cover changes, overexploitation (mangrove deforestation and overfishing), and core MMI ES (provisioning, regulation, cultural). Our results revealed a low ratio of MPAs compared to the Aichi Target 11, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive conservation strategy. Sea temperature and level showed an increasing trend, indicating the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems to climate change. The decline in mangrove forest cover highlights the need to mitigate adverse effects of land-use change. The increasing number of artisanal fishery licences suggests increased pressure on MMIs, which can have severe consequences for local communities. MMI food production, particularly shrimp, and recreational fishing increased in the last 2 decades. Regulation services and cultural services related to research and education varied through time due to the limited availability of data. This information was used to develop an exploratory conceptual model illustrating the complex relationships among pressures, condition, MMI ES, and management goals for the sustainable use of marine resources and their connection with food security. Our findings underscore the importance of preserving MMI populations and habitats while addressing knowledge gaps to enhance the resilience of coastal ecosystems.

Marine macroinvertebrate fauna of the shallow coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage at Hokkaido, Japan

Marine macroinvertebrate fauna of the shallow coastal waters of the Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage at Hokkaido, Japan

Temperature and nutrients alter the relative importance of stochastic and deterministic processes in the coastal macroinvertebrates biodiversity assembly on long-time scales.

Macroinvertebrates play a vital role in coastal ecosystems and are an important indicator of ecosystem quality. Both anthropogenic activity and environmental changes may lead to significant changes in the marine macroinvertebrate community. However, the assembly process of benthic biodiversity and its mechanism driven by environmental factors at large scales remains unclear. Here, using the benthic field survey data of 15 years at large spatial and temporal scales from the Yellow Sea Large Marine Ecosystem, we investigated the relative importance of environmental selection, dispersal processes, random-deterministic processes of macroinvertebrates community diversity assembly, and the responses of this relative importance driven by temperature and nutrients. Results showed that the macroinvertebrates community diversity is mainly affected by dispersal. Nitrogen and phosphorus are the most important negative factors among environmental variables, while geographical distance is the main limiting factor of β diversity. Within the range of 0.35-0.70 mg/L of nutrients, increasing nutrient concentration can significantly facilitate the contribution of the decay effect to β diversity. Within the temperature range studied (15.0-18.0°C), both warming and cooling can lead to a greater tendency for species diversity assembly processes to be dominated by deterministic processes. The analysis contributes to a better understanding of the assembly process of the diversity of coastal marine macroinvertebrates communities and how they adapt to global biogeochemical processes.

Functional biogeography of coastal marine invertebrates along the south‐eastern Pacific coast reveals latitudinally divergent drivers of taxonomic versus functional diversity

Characterizing the spatial structure of taxonomic and functional diversity (FD) of marine organisms across regional and latitudinal scales is essential for improving our understanding of the processes driving species richness and those that may constrain or enhance the set of species traits that define the functional structure of communities. Here, we present the functional diversity of coastal invertebrate macrofaunal species along the south‐eastern Pacific from 7°N to 56°S, describe spatial variation of species traits, and examine the relationship with environmental variables. For that, we defined the functional traits and distribution ranges of 2350 marine macroinvertebrates calculated eight metrics of FD. Random forest regression was applied to identify significant relationships between FD and six environmental variables. Finally, functional β‐turnover was estimated to detect alongshore shifts in functional structure and their coincidence with biogeographical domains. Our results show, in contrast with taxonomic richness that measures of trait differences, functional space and functional specialisation increase with latitude, while functional evenness exhibits a non‐linear shape, peaking at mid latitudes. Functional redundancy decreased significantly poleward, while indicators of vulnerability increase. In contrast to taxonomic richness, FD was tightly connected to variables indicative of stress and productivity, such as dissolved oxygen and nutrients. Sea surface temperature and coastal area best explained the increased FD redundancy and richness towards the tropics. The high spatial correlation between taxonomic and functional turnover suggests environmental filters play an important role in the functional structure of the seascape. Our findings suggest that processes favouring taxonomic richness are latitudinally divergent from those favouring functional diversity. Correlations with environmental variables suggest that increased sea surface temperature and measures of stability increase redundancy, while variations in dissolved oxygen and nutrients positively affect functional diversification. Moreover, the functional diversity patterns suggest low resilience of high latitude coastal ecosystems, which are heavily exploited and threatened by climate change, hence highlighting the urgent need for effective conservation policies.

Shift in symbiotic lifestyle as the major process shaping the evolution of pea crabs (Decapoda: Brachyura: Pinnotheroidea)

The pea crabs, superfamily Pinnotheroidea, are exceptional among brachyuran crabs in their diverse symbiotic associations involving both inquilinism and protective symbiosis. While this group presents a rare opportunity for evolutionary comparative study of host switching and morphological evolution in marine macroinvertebrates, previous phylogenetic studies have been focused on systematics. Here, we reconstructed the most extensive phylogeny of Pinnotheroidea based on two mitochondrial and six nuclear markers, with the aim of elucidating the host switching pathways and the correlation between symbiotic lifestyles and selected morphological adaptations. Ancestral state reconstruction of host association revealed a monophyletic origin of symbiosis in the form of inquilinism. Subsequent shifts in microhabitat preference for burrows or worm tubes, and the move to protective symbiosis, primarily in the switch to mollusc endosymbiosis, contributed to radiation in Pinnotheridae. Further parallel colonisations of echinoderms and tunicates occurred but did not lead to extensive diversification, except in the Clypeasterophilus + Dissodactylus lineage, which experienced a unique switch to echinoderm ectosymbiosis. The evolution of the third maxillipeds, carapace shape and ambulatory pereiopods suggests a rather strong coupling with the symbiotic lifestyle (whether inquilinism or protective symbiosis). Phenotypic diversity of these characters was higher among species engaged in protective symbiosis, with convergence in form (or function) among those sharing the same host affiliation. Species having different host affiliations or symbiotic lifestyles might also exhibit convergence in the form of the three morphological traits, suggesting a common adaptive value of the specialisations. Pinnotherid crabs overall exhibited a lower trait diversity than the also symbiotic palaemonid shrimps with comparable species diversity. This may plausibly be attributed to differences in potential for morphological modification to serve additional functions among the traits analysed in the two groups, the less frequent host switching and the less diverse host affiliations, and thus a less complicated evolutionary history in pinnotherids.

The heterobranch subgenusTrochactaeon(Trochactaeon) in the Campanian (Late Cretaceous) of the northern Arabian Platform and its paleoenvironmental and paleobiogeographic implications

AbstractActeonellids were one of the most significant groups of marine macro-invertebrates in the Late Cretaceous biota of the Tethyan Realm. They were common faunal elements associated with Cretaceous carbonate platform communities most notable for their abundance of rudist frameworks and thrived in coeval lagoons. The Upper Cretaceous fossil-bearing Karababa Formation, cropping out in southeastern Turkey, yields a remarkable assemblage of acteonellid gastropods and rudists. Cretaceous gastropods from sedimentary successions in Turkey barely have been studied over the past 80 years. The subgenusTrochactaeon, a very successful and widespread taxon of heterobranch gastropods within the family Acteonellidae, dominated acteonellid assemblages throughout the Late Cretaceous. In the present work, we present the first record ofTrochactaeon(Trochactaeon)giganteus subglobosusfrom Turkey. It is from a single lower Campanian bed in the upper part of the Karababa Formation of the Gölbaşı region (south of Adıyaman), corresponding to the northwestern part of the Arabian Platform. This record complements information on the temporal and spatial distribution ofTrochactaeonat the southern margin of the Tethyan Ocean during the last part of the Cretaceous Period. This discovery increases the documented diversity of the paleofauna from the Upper Cretaceous succession in southeastern Turkey and provides new insights into the paleoenvironment of the carbonate ramp of the northern Arabian plate, and the paleobiogeography of Campanian gastropods in general.

Marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services under changing conditions of seagrasses and mangroves

This study aimed to investigate the impact of changing environmental conditions on MMI ES in seagrasses and mangroves. We used data from satellite and biodiversity platforms combined with field data to explore the links between ecosystem pressures (habitat conversion, overexploitation, climate change), conditions (environmental quality, ecosystem attributes), and MMI ES (provisioning, regulation, cultural). Both seagrass and mangrove extents increased significantly since 2016. While sea surface temperature showed no significant annual variation, sea surface partial pressure CO2, height above sea level and pH presented significant changes. Among the environmental quality variables only silicate, PO4 and phytoplankton showed significant annual varying trends. The MMI food provisioning increased significantly, indicating overexploitation that needs urgent attention. MMI regulation and cultural ES did not show significant trends overtime. Our results show that MMI ES are affected by multiple factors and their interactions can be complex and non-linear. We identified key research gaps and suggested future directions for research. We also provided relevant data that can support future ES assessments.

A Dataset of Marine Macroinvertebrate Diversity from Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe

Marine macroinvertebrate communities play a key role in ecosystem functioning by regulating flows of energy and materials and providing numerous ecosystem services. In Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe marine macroinvertebrates are important for the livelihood and food security of local populations. We compiled a dataset on marine invertebrates from Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe through an extensive data search of digital platforms, scientific literature, and natural history collections (NHC). This dataset encompasses data from 1816 to 2023 and comprises 20,122 records, representing 617 families, 1552 genera, 2137 species, providing species occurrence in mangrove forests, seagrass beds, coral reefs, and other coastal and offshore habitats. The dataset has a Darwin Core standard format and has been fully released in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). It is accessible through the GBIF portal under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. The data are standardized and validated with tools such as WoRMS, GEOLocate, and Google Maps. Therefore, they can be readily used for further studies on species richness, distribution, and functional traits. Overall, this dataset contributes baseline information on marine biodiversity for future research.

Catching the Drift of Marine Invertebrate Diversity through Digital Repositories—A Case Study of the Mangroves and Seagrasses of Maputo Bay, Mozambique

Mangroves and seagrasses present with high marine macroinvertebrate biodiversity that contributes to their structure and functioning. Macroinvertebrates possess a broad range of functional traits, making them excellent models for biodiversity and available-trait-based studies. This study aimed to characterize the biodiversity of marine macroinvertebrates as two different ecosystems situated along the coastline of Maputo Bay by compiling dispersed data from online databases. Specifically, this study addressed species richness, taxonomic and functional diversity based on two traits (habitat occupation and trophic guild), and the community structure of these traits. Mangroves presented with a higher species richness and taxonomic diversity than seagrasses. The functional diversity of mangroves was mostly explained by the trophic guild trait. In the case of seagrasses, functional diversity was mostly due to differences in habitat occupation in the 20th century, but the trophic guild accounted for this functional diversity from 2000 onwards. The comparison of community compositions between the two ecosystems showed low or no similarity. The use of digital databases revealed some limitations, mostly regarding the sampling methods and individual counts. The trends and data gaps presented in this study can be further used to inform subsequent systematic data acquisition and support the development of future research. A further step that may be taken to improve the use of digital data in future biodiversity studies is to fully incorporate functional traits, abundance and sampling methods into online databases.

Patterns and drivers of benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages in the kelp forests of southern Patagonia.

The kelp forests of southern Patagonia have a large diversity of habitats, with remote islands, archipelagos, peninsulas, gulfs, channels, and fjords, which are comprised of a mixture of species with temperate and sub-Antarctic distributions, creating a unique ecosystem that is among the least impacted on Earth. We investigated the distribution, diversity, and abundance of marine macroinvertebrate assemblages from the kelp forests of southern Patagonia over a large spatial scale and examined the environmental drivers contributing to the observed patterns in assemblage composition. We analyzed data from 120 quantitative underwater transects (25 x 2 m) conducted within kelp forests in the southern Patagonian fjords in the Kawésqar National Reserve (KNR), the remote Cape Horn (CH) and Diego Ramírez (DR) archipelagos of southern Chile, and the Mitre Peninsula (MP) and Isla de los Estados (IE) in the southern tip of Argentina. We observed rich assemblages of macroinvertebrates among these kelp forests, with a total of 185 unique taxa from 10 phyla and 23 classes/infraorders across the five regions. The number of taxa per transect was highest at IE, followed by MP, CH, and KNR, with the lowest number recorded at DR. The trophic structure of the macroinvertebrate assemblages was explained mostly by wave exposure (28% of the variation), followed by salinity (12%) and the KNR region (11%). KNR was most distinct from the other regions with a greater abundance of deposit feeders, likely driven by low salinity along with high turbidity and nutrients from terrigenous sources and glacial melt. Our study provides the first broad-scale description of the benthic assemblages associated with kelp forests in this vast and little-studied region and helps to establish baselines for an area that is currently lightly influenced by local anthropogenic factors and less impacted by climate change compared with other kelp forests globally.

Understanding ecosystem pressures, condition and marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in seagrasses and mangroves in a digital age: Case of Inhambane Bay, Mozambique

Understanding ecosystem pressures, condition and marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in seagrasses and mangroves in a digital age: Case of Inhambane Bay, Mozambique

Are we there yet? Management baselines and biodiversity indicators for the protection and restoration of subtidal bivalve shellfish habitats

Biodiversity loss and degradation of natural habitats is increasing at an unprecedented rate. Of all marine habitats, biogenic reefs created by once-widespread shellfish, are now one of the most imperilled, and globally scarce. Conservation managers seek to protect and restore these habitats, but suitable baselines and indicators are required, and detailed scientific accounts are rare and inconsistent.In the present study the biodiversity of a model subtidal habitat, formed by the keystone horse mussel Modiolus modiolus (L.), was analysed across its Northeast Atlantic biogeographical range. Consistent samples of ‘clumped’ mussels were collected at 16 locations, covering a wide range of environmental conditions. Analysis of the associated macroscopic biota showed high biodiversity across all sites, cumulatively hosting 924 marine macroinvertebrate and algal taxa.There was a rapid increase in macroinvertebrate biodiversity (H′) and community evenness (J) between 2 and 10 mussels per clump, reaching an asymptote at mussel densities of 10 per clump. Diversity declined at more northern latitudes, with depth and in coarser substrata with the fastest tidal flows. Diversity metrics corrected for species abundance were generally high across the habitats sampled, with significant latitudinal variability caused by current, depth and substrate type. Faunal community composition varied significantly between most sites and was difficult to assign to a ‘typical’ M. modiolus assemblage, being significantly influenced by regional environmental conditions, including the presence of algal turfs.Within the context of the rapid global increase in protection and restoration of bivalve shellfish habitats, site and density-specific values of diversity are probably the best targets for conservation management and upon which to base monitoring programmes.

Framing ecosystem pressures and condition in the scope of marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in seagrasses and mangroves in a digital age

Framing ecosystem pressures and condition in the scope of marine macroinvertebrate ecosystem services in seagrasses and mangroves in a digital age

Late Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian) Heterobranchia (Gastropoda) of the coral-facies of Saal near Kelheim and the viciniy of Nattheim (Germany)

Forty gastropod species of the subclass Heterobranchia are described from the Upper Jurassic (Upper Kimmeridgian) reefal limestones of South Germany, including ten species in open nomenclature and further ten species of uncertain identity. Six species are new to science: Ceritella convexasp. nov., Nerinea donosasp. nov., Endoplocus acutussp. nov., Endoplocus inflatussp. nov., Pseudonerinea ? pseudomelaniformissp. nov., and Itieroptygmatis cylindratasp. nov. A lectotype is designated for Ptygmatis ? tornata (Quenstedt, 1852). With this final part of the study of the Late Jurassic gastropods from Saal and the Nattheim area, a total of 156 species have been reported. Of these species, 125 have been reported from Saal and 54 from the Nattheim area. Only 23 species occur in both Saal and the Nattheim area. The sample sizes (number of specimens) from Saal and the Nattheim area differ considerably and few species are shared. Diversity metrics suggest the same high diversity at both sites. The gastropod fauna from the Saal quarry has yielded particularly much new information – all new species are based on specimens from Saal. With 125 gastropod species from a single outcrop, the diversity at the Saal quarry is the highest from the Kimmeridgian worldwide. In total, up to 300 species of marine macro-invertebrates have been reported from this quarry, which is a very high point diversity. Gastropods are by far the most diverse group from Saal, which is a modern aspect of this fauna.

Marine macroinvertebrates fouled in marine anthropogenic litter in the Moroccan Mediterranean.

The existence of floating marine litter in marine environments enhances the potential for the transport of fouling organisms using these substrates as vectors. In this study, we examined the fouling organisms on different types of litter stranded on two beaches of the Moroccan Mediterranean. The study revealed 13 fouling species belonging to 8 phyla (Arthropoda, Bryozoa, Annelida, Mollusca, Cnidaria, Echinodermata, Chlorophyta, and Ochrophyta) on marine litter. Rafting vectors were almost exclusively made up of plastics and could mainly be attributed to land-based sources. The most common fouling species were the crustacean Lepas pectinata, Lepas anatifera, Perforatus perforatus, and bryozoan species. More taxa were found on large litter than on small litter. Relative substratum coverage was highest for bryozoan sp. (31.0%), green algae (29.0%), Lepas anatifera (21.42%), Lepas pectinata (17.8%), and Perforatus perforatus (17.46%). Our results suggest that the growing generation of plastic litter may enhance the probability of the introduction of non-native species into the Moroccan Mediterranean. Therefore, monitoring efforts are needed to identify vectors and the arrival of novel invasive species in this area.

Low genetic diversity and lack of genetic structure among populations of the sandfish Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra on the Tanzanian coast

ABSTRACT The tropical sandfish Holothuria (Metriatyla) scabra Jaeger, 1833 has been severely depleted in the Western Indian Ocean because it is easy to catch and in high demand. In response, Mainland Tanzania closed the fishery; however, the fishery remains open in the semi-autonomous islands of Zanzibar. Yet, it is unknown whether the aforementioned contrasting management measures are consistent with the genetic stock structure of the fishery. Therefore, this study analysed partial sequences (706 base pairs) of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I gene (COI) from four sandfish populations from Tanzania to assess the extent of genetic diversity and population structure. The populations showed low haplotype (0.17–0.44) and nucleotide diversities (0.025–0.084%), as well as small mutation-scaled effective size (9 × 10−4−17 × 10−4) compared to other marine macroinvertebrates from Tanzania, suggesting that the fishery has not recovered despite the ban that was imposed 16 years ago. Furthermore, Analysis of Molecular Variance (AMOVA) revealed a low and non-significant genetic differentiation index (F ST = 0.0047, p > 0.05), indicating a lack of population structure. The lack of population structure was further supported by phylogenetic analysis, which grouped together all COI haplotypes of sandfishes from both Zanzibar and Mainland Tanzania. This suggests that populations in Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar are genetically homogeneous and that Zanzibari fishers may be targeting the same stock that is protected in Mainland Tanzania. Therefore, the fishery should be managed as a single unit and management measures between Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar should be harmonized.

Marine macro-invertebrate fossils from the Lower Hanifa Formation (Hawtah Member), central Saudi Arabia

Marine macro-invertebrate fossils from the Lower Hanifa Formation (Hawtah Member), central Saudi Arabia

Molecular phylogeny of Thoracotremata crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura): Toward adopting monophyletic superfamilies, invasion history into terrestrial habitats and multiple origins of symbiosis

The Thoracotremata is a large and successful group of “true” crabs (Decapoda, Brachyura, Eubrachyura) with a great diversity of lifestyles and well-known intertidal representatives. The group represents the largest brachyuran radiation into terrestrial and semi-terrestrial environments and comprises multiple lineages of obligate symbiotic species. In consequence, they exhibit very diverse physiological and morphological adaptations. Our understanding of their evolution is, however, largely obscured by their confused classification. Here, we resolve interfamilial relationships of Thoracotremata, using 10 molecular markers and exemplars from all nominal families in order to reconstruct the pathways of lifestyle transition and to prepare a new taxonomy corresponding to phylogenetic relationships. The results confirm the polyphyly of three superfamilies as currently defined (Grapsoidea, Ocypodoidea and Pinnotheroidea). At the family level, Dotillidae, Macrophthalmidae, and Varunidae are not monophyletic. Ancestral state reconstruction analyses and divergent time estimations indicate that the common ancestor of thoracotremes already thrived in intertidal environments in the Late Cretaceous and terrestrialization became a major driver of thoracotreme diversification. Multiple semi-terrestrial and terrestrial lineages originated and radiated in the Early Eocene, coinciding with the global warming event at the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). Secondary invasions into subtidal regions and colonizations of freshwater habitats occurred independently through multiple semi-terrestrial and terrestrial lineages. Obligate symbiosis between thoracotremes and other marine macro-invertebrates evolved at least twice. On the basis of the current molecular phylogenetic hypothesis, it will be necessary in the future to revise and recognize seven monophyletic superfamilies and revisit the morphological character states which define them.

Marine invertebrate fossils from the Permian–Triassic boundary beds of two core sections in the northern Perth Basin, Western Australia

Marine macroinvertebrate fossils from two petroleum exploration cores, Apium-1 and Redback-2, are described, and found to contain two separate assemblages. The assemblage from the Apium-1 core was recovered from an ca 5-m-thick interval (2756.35–2751.28 m) in the basal Hovea Member (‘inertinitic interval’) of the Kockatea Shale and includes the following forms: ?Spinomarginifera sp., Cimmeriella sp., ?Etherilosia sp., Elivina sp., Cleiothyridina sp., and Paeckelmanelloidea gen. et. sp. indet. (all brachiopods). The age of this assemblage is interpreted as Changhsingian, as constrained by its association with the palynofloral Dulhuntyispora parvithola Zone. The assemblage from the Redback-2 core was recovered from the ‘sapropelic interval’ of the Hovea Member of the Kockatea Shale between 3806 m and 3786 m and comprises the following forms: Lingulidae gen. et sp. indet. (brachiopod), Claraia perthensis Dickins & McTavish, Crittendenia cf. australasiatica (Krumbeck), ?Paralledon sp. (bivalves), ?Otoceras sp. (ammonoid), Microconchus utahensis Zatoń, Taylor & Vinn (microconchid) and Magniestheria mangaliensis (Jones) (spinicaudatan). Among these, the first local appearances of the lingulid species, ?Otoceras sp. and M. mangaliensis are associated with the palynofloral Protohaploxypinus microcorpus Zone and are interpreted as latest Changhsingian in age. Other occurrences of the Redback-2 fossil assemblage overlap with the palynofloral Kraeuselisporites saeptatus Zone and are considered to be of earliest Triassic (Griesbachian) age. G.R. Shi [guang@uow.edu.au] and Sangmin Lee [sangminlee76@gmail.com], School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences, University of Wollongong, Northfields Ave, Wollongong, NSW 2522, Australia; Ian Metcalfe [imetcal2@une.edu.au], Earth Sciences, Earth Studies Building C02, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia; Daoliang Chu [chudl@cug.edu.cn], State Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, School of Earth Sciences, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, PR China; Huiting Wu [ht_wu415@163.com], College of Geoscience and Surveying Engineering, China University of Mining & Technology, Beijing, PR China; Tinglu Yang [yang@geology.hk], Faculty of Geosciences, East China University of Technology, Nanchang 330013, PR China; Yuri D. Zakharov [yurizakh@mail.ru], Far East Geological Institute, Far East Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladivostok, 690022 Russia.