Paleontological Data Research Articles

Provenance of Ediacaran-Ordovician sediments of the Medio Armorican Domain, Brittany, West France: Constraints from U/Pb detrital zircon and Sm–Nd isotope data

The temporal evolution of the sedimentary source areas of the Armorican Massif, involving Ediacaran to Upper Ordovician strata, is investigated to gain insight into the palaeogeographic affinities and changes that occurred as a result of Cadomian orogenesis. Until now, palaeogeographic reconstructions based on geodynamic, stratigraphic and paleontological data have shown geological continuity between the Armorican Massif and the Iberian and Bohemian massifs and have allowed researchers to locate the Armorican Massif near the West African Craton and the Trans-Saharan Belt. This study goes beyond the interpretations based on lithostratigraphic correlation, which may be influenced by allocyclic factors (e.g., sea-level change) or fauna assemblages that have a wide provincial distribution, to provide a correct assessment of sediment flux. To determine the palaeogeographic location more accurately, the provenance of the siliciclastic sediments was examined in this study using U–Pb LA-MC-ICP–MS geochronology on detrital zircons coupled with whole-rock Sm–Nd and zircon Lu–Hf isotope analysis. This work was carried out on the sedimentary succession of the Medio Armorican Domain. The oldest studied sedimentary rocks were shown to belong to the Brioverian succession, which contains mainly 519–781 Ma old zircons, likely derived from sources that are still present in the Armorican basement. Successively, the lower Paleozoic succession was deposited in the rift stages of the Rheic Ocean, with contributions from a new source of 827–1120 Ma old zircons.A comparison of the zircon populations showed an increase in negative εNd(t) and εHf(t) values of the sedimentary supply in the post-Cadomian samples. Moreover, it revealed that the Medio and North Armorican domains had different locations during the Lower Ordovician, and that some areas of the Iberian Massif and the Medio Armorican Domain close to the Sahara Metacraton and Arabian-Nubian Shield were contiguous.

Middle Triassic arc magmatism in the southern Lhasa terrane: Geochronology, petrogenesis and tectonic setting

The voluminous Triassic magmatism within the Lhasa Terrane, Tibetan Plateau, has been studied for decades yet the petrogenesis of the magmas involved and the tectonic setting of this magmatism and associated events remain uncertain. This study presents new zircon U–Pb geochronological, Lu–Hf isotopic, and whole-rock geochemical data for the Middle Triassic volcanic rocks within the southern region of the Lhasa terrane. Zircon U–Pb dating of three samples from this area yield consistent ages of 233.9 ± 1.3, 232.5 ± 1.6, and 231.5 ± 1.6 Ma, representing the Middle Triassic magmatism in the southern Lhasa terrane. The whole-rock geochemistry of these volcanic rocks indicate they are enriched in the large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and the light rare earth elements (LREE). They have high εNd(t) (from +4.3 to +5.4) and zircon εHf(t) (from +16.6 to +21.8) values as well as low initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.7035–0.7037) values. These characteristics indicate that the Middle Triassic igneous rocks in this region formed from magmas generated by the partial melting of arc-type mantle wedge material. These magmas underwent fractional crystallization but did not assimilate significant amounts of ancient crustal material prior to emplacement and eruption. Combining our new data with the results of previous petrological, stratigraphic, paleomagnetic, and paleontological data from this region indicates that the Triassic magmatic rocks of the southern Lhasa terranes formed as a result of tectonism associated with the opening of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. The driving force of the extension was most likely driven by correlated with the southward-subduction of the Banggonghu–Nujiang Oceanic plate.

Sequence stratigraphy study of the Dariyan Formation in the Gadvan and Zana sections in the northeast and northwest of Shiraz, Zagros Basin, SW Iran

In the present paper, sequence stratigraphy and microfacies of the Dariyan Formation in the two sections of the Gadvan and Zana Mountains located were studied in NE and NW of Shiraz (Fars province, SW Iran). An area of 429.5 m of the Dariyan Formation sediments was studied through 187 thin sections. Also, the index microfacies were closely identified. Generally, index microfacies of the studied thin section were mudstone, wackestone, packstone, and grainstone microfacies. Received paleontological data confirm Aptian–lower Albian age of the Dariyan Formation. According to the lithostratigraphic aspect, the lower contact of Dariyan Formation with the Gadvan Formation in the Gadvan Mountain was described as a gradual type and in Zana Mountain; disconformity was found due to the sign of water withdrawal. Given the upper contact of the Dariyan Formation concerning the formation percentage, contact disconformity was observed due to the changes in the Allochem element and the situation of the entity from water and also according to the high percentage of iron nodules and Gluconate. According to the sequence, stratigraphic studies in the section of Gadvan Mountain, the lower border of the Dariyan Formation with Gadvan Formation was in the gradual form [type 2 Sequence Boundary (SB2)] and there was a disconformity in the upper border of this formation with Kazhdumi Formation [type 1 Sequence Boundary (SB1)]. Dariyan Formation included the system tracts (transgressive system tract, early highstand system tract, and late highstand system tract). There was a disconformity in its lower of the Gadvan Formation and disconformity in its upper boundary with the lower of the part Kazhdumi Formation (SB1) and it included the system tracts (highstand system tract, transgressive system tract, and lowstand system tract). Overall, lap sequence grade3 was seen in the two sections.

Evolution of the Western Interior Seaway in west-central Alberta (late Campanian, Canada): Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

This study presents the first integrated, high-resolution stratigraphic analysis of a large area of the Cretaceous Western Interior Basin in Alberta (western Canada), providing new tools to discriminate sedimentary processes and stratigraphic patterns of transgressive-regressive (T-R) cycles in correlative marine and non-marine domains. We integrate gamma ray well-log analysis, measured sections, and paleontological data to determine sediment accumulation and distribution during the second-order T-R cycle of the late Campanian Western Interior Seaway over a previously unstudied area encompassing approximately 97,000 km2 of the Alberta foreland basin. The Bearpaw Formation, historically regarded as the product of a single transgression, is shown to include two T-R cycles, whose timing is constrained by new chronostratigraphic data that provides an unprecedented resolution (~200 kyr) for the Cretaceous of western North America. Seven reference stratigraphic markers were mapped across the study area from the marine deposits into the fluvial domains. 3D-modelled stratigraphic surfaces and stratigraphic intervals resulted in isopach maps for consecutive systems tracts, allowing detailed interpretations of their architecture and patterns of sediment accumulation. Our analysis provides paleogeographic maps for the Western Interior Seaway, focusing primarily on the evidence of the paleo-coastlines during the documented cycles. The distribution of fine-grained, primarily marine, sediments resulted in an effective seal for hydrocarbon accumulation in the Belly River Group. Further oil migration upsection, within the Edmonton group, was prevented by the occurrence of these sealing units. Data support the interpretation that eustasy provided the main control on the evolution of the Western Interior Seaway during the late Campanian.

Nuevos datos sobre las faunas marinas del Eoceno medio-superior de Navarra (área surpirenaica occidental). Revisión de los fósiles de la colección Ruiz de Gaona

Durante el Eoceno el área pirenaica pudo desempeñar un papel importante como encrucijada paleobiogeográfica entre los dominios del Tetis occidental y el Atlántico norte. Sin embargo, sus faunas marinas están todavía poco documentadas. En este trabajo se presentan los resultados de un primer estudio sobre los macrofósiles marinos del Eoceno medio–superior (Luteciense–Bartoniense–Priaboniense) de Navarra de la colección paleontológica de Máximo Ruiz de Gaona, investigador cuyos estudios sobre la geología y paleontología de este territorio constituyen una referencia histórica obligada. Los fósiles descritos provienen de las formaciones margosas del Eoceno de la cuenca de Pamplona y de la Formación Calizas de Urbasa-Andia y niveles suprayacentes, en el área de Estella-Urbasa, al oeste de la falla de Pamplona. Algunos de los especímenes estudiados provienen de afloramientos ya desaparecidos, circunstancia que aumenta el interés de la conservación y estudio de esta colección. Además, los datos paleontológicos del área de Estella–Urbasa son casi del todo novedosos. Este estudio ha permitido describir 24 taxones de macrofauna marina. Siete de ellos ─Cyclolitopsis patera, Funginellastraea barcelonensis, Pycnodonte rarilamella, Metacrinus sp., Triplacidia sp., además de un briozoo Cyclostomatida y un anélido Serpulidae indeterminados─ son nuevos para el registro fósil de Navarra. Las asociaciones macropaleontológicas descritas aquí y en otros trabajos precedentes son poco diversas si se las compara con las coetáneas de otras regiones geológicas europeas. Además de posibles condicionamientos ecológicos, se plantea la existencia de sesgos de muestreo y, sobre todo de sesgos tafonómicos, en concreto, la pérdida de las especies de invertebrados con esqueletos aragoníticos, como principal explicación de este hecho.

Evolution of Subduction Dynamics beneath West Avalonia in Middle to Late Ordovician Times

Abstract Middle to Upper Ordovician volcanic rocks in the Arisaig area of Nova Scotia, Canada, constitute the only known record of volcanism in West Avalonia during that interval. Hence, they have been extensively studied to test paleocontinental reconstructions that consistently show Avalonia as a drifting microcontinent during that period. Identification of volcanic rocks with an intermediate composition (the new Seaspray Cove Formation) between upper Darriwilian bimodal volcanic rocks of the Dunn Point Formation and Sandbian felsic pyroclastic rocks of the McGillivray Brook Formation has led to a reevaluation of magmatic relationships in the Ordovician volcanic suite at Arisaig. Although part of the same volcanic construction, the three formations are separated by significant time-gaps and are shown to belong to three distinct magmatic subsystems. The tectonostratigraphic context and trace element contents of the Dunn Point Formation basalts suggest that they were produced by the high-degree partial melting of an E-MORB type source in a back-arc extensional setting, whereas trace element contents in intermediate rocks of the Seaspray Cove Formation suggest that they were produced by the low-degree partial melting of a subduction-enriched source in an arc setting. The two formations are separated by a long interval of volcanic quiescence and deep weathering, during which time the back-arc region evolved from extension to shortening and was eventually onlapped by arc volcanic rocks. Based on limited field constraints, paleomagnetic and paleontological data, this progradation of arc onto back-arc volcanic rocks occurred from the north, where an increasingly young Iapetan oceanic plate was being subducted at an increasingly shallow angle. Partial subduction of the Iapetan oceanic ridge is thought to have subsequently generated slab window magmatism, thus marking the last pulse of subduction-related volcanism in both East and West Avalonia.

Biostratigraphic re-evaluation of the lower to middle Miocene succession in the Eastern Carpathians: a case study related to the oil fields of the Diapir Fold Zone, Romania

Romania has a long history of hydrocarbon production and tens of thousands of boreholes have penetrated Miocene strata. Many well cores or cuttings have been either lost or damaged, but lab reports containing valuable petrographic, paleontological and structural data are still available. Most of the knowledge of the subsurface relies on old descriptions and interpretations used by the oil industry. These data have not been recently updated, while research results from the last decade suggest potential changes in stratigraphy, especially for the lower to middle Miocene succession. In order to update, calibrate, and reduce uncertainties regarding the subsurface stratigraphic record, we have reviewed the lab reports and used equivalent field samples for an updated interpretation of the lower to middle Miocene succession. Core and cutting descriptions from boreholes covering an area of ~10,000 km2 in the Diapir Fold Zone of the Eastern Carpathians have been selected and biostratigraphically re-evaluated based on microfossils and calcareous nannofossils. In many cases, highly uncertain ages were previously interpreted as Oligocene and early Miocene. Our recent data suggest that most of the lower Miocene is either difficult to determine or has been reinterpreted as middle Miocene (e.g., Cornu and Doftana formations). This significant change in ages requires an updated model for the timing of regional structural evolution and may open new exploration opportunities in this highly mature hydrocarbon area. This study demonstrates the need for a new complete and reliable stratigraphic framework for the whole Miocene stratigraphic record of the Eastern Carpathians.

A Total-Evidence Dated Phylogeny of Echinoidea Combining Phylogenomic and Paleontological Data.

Phylogenomic and paleontological data constitute complementary resources for unraveling the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of lineages, yet few studies have attempted to fully integrate them. Several unique properties of echinoids (sea urchins) make them especially useful for such synthesizing approaches, including a remarkable fossil record that can be incorporated into explicit phylogenetic hypotheses. We revisit the phylogeny of crown group Echinoidea using a total-evidence dating approach that combines the largest phylogenomic data set for the clade, a large-scale morphological matrix with a dense fossil sampling, and a novel compendium of tip and node age constraints. To this end, we develop a novel method for subsampling phylogenomic data sets that selects loci with high phylogenetic signal, low systematic biases, and enhanced clock-like behavior. Our results demonstrate that combining different data sources increases topological accuracy and helps resolve conflicts between molecular and morphological data. Notably, we present a new hypothesis for the origin of sand dollars, and restructure the relationships between stem and crown echinoids in a way that implies a long stretch of undiscovered evolutionary history of the crown group in the late Paleozoic. Our efforts help bridge the gap between phylogenomics and phylogenetic paleontology, providing a model example of the benefits of combining the two. [Echinoidea; fossils; paleontology; phylogenomics; time calibration; total evidence.].

The Neanderthal mandible BD 1 from La Chaise-de-Vouthon Abri Bourgeois-Delaunay (Charente, Southwestern France, OIS 5e). Dental tissue proportions, cortical bone distribution and endostructural asymmetry

The 23 fossil human remains found at La Chaise-de-Vouthon Abri Bourgeois-Delaunay (Charente, Southwestern France) are all attributed to Neanderthals. The BD 1 mandible represents one of the best preserved specimens recovered in this assemblage, still bearing the entire set of 16 teeth, and attributed to an adult - likely 20-35 years old –individual. The geochronological and paleontological data indicate that the Neanderthals from Abri Bourgeois-Delaunay lived in a temperate environment between 127 and 116 ka (i.e., during the OIS 5e). In this study, we integrate and expand the morphometric record of BD 1 by quantifying the tissue proportions of its entire permanent dentition, including radicular thickness repartition of four front teeth, and comparing its degree of endostructural asymmetry in tooth tissue organization and postcanine cortical bone topography with the patterns shown by Regourdou 1. Our results show that crown and radicular dental internal signature is typically Neanderthal, comparable with the available data for Regourdou 1, and is unambiguously distinct from the fossil and extant modern human patterns. Asymmetry in tooth tissue proportions in BD 1 and Regourdou 1 is clearly non-directional, as side dominance is nearly equally distributed between the left and the right antimeres. Similarly, both Neanderthal mandibles show no marked cortical bone asymmetry at the molar level, even if a slight right dominance is found in BD 1. Even if these results are globally consistent for the two Neanderthal mandible, extensive methodological research on the patterns of age- and sex-related endostructural variation displayed by human population samples from diverse chrono-geographic, socio-economic and biocultural contexts is still needed to more confidently evaluate the evolutionary and adaptive significance of the signals from the fossil record.

The Upper Ordovician reef Bol’shaya Kos’yu, Ilych River, the Northern Urals (structure, paleobiocenosis, microfacies, model of formation)

Subject. The Upper Ordovician reef Bol’shaya Kos’yu, located on the western slope of the Northern Urals in the basin of the Ilych River is a unique object among coeval reefs due to the weak dolomitization of rocks and the ability to trace the phases of its development. Materials and methods. The article presents the results of paleontological, paleoecological and microfacial analyses of reef limestones selected by the author from 12 natural outcrops with a total capacity of about 150 m located along both banks of the Bol’shaya Kos’yu River. Results. The structure of the reef, morphology and taxonomic composition of the frame-forming biota were established, and the important role of sphinctozoal sponges was first identified. Among the reef limestones in the main genetic characteristics that reflect specific depositional environments, was identified three types of microfacies. Type 1 – reef microfacies – framestones and buflestones. Type 2 – microfacies of interbiohermic space and inter-carcass cavities exposed to wave and tidal action – bioclastic and peloid pakstones, biolithoclastic grainstones and lithoclastic rudstones. Type 3 – microfacies of the hidden microcosmic cavities, protected from the active wave impact – wackstone. Сonclusion. The composition of the microfacies and frame-forming biota characterize difficult differentiated, both on a section, and structure the reef, which was formed in the conditions of the carbonate platform-shelf margin with active hydrodynamics. Its growth occurred during transgression, which ended by the end of the middle katian a major regression that stopped its development. The revealed paleontological, paleoecological and microfacial data indicate that starting from the middle katian the first identified sphinctozoal sponges could settle in sublittoral environments with active hydrodynamics at depths up to 20 m.

Tectonic Evolution of Southeast Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Evidence from Geochronological Data and Paleontology of the Early Paleozoic Deposits in Inner Mongolia

In this study, we present detrital zircon U-Pb dating and paleontological data for the newly identified Ayadeng Formation in the northern margin of the North China Block (NCB) and Xibiehe Formation (molasse) in the Bainaimiao arc belt (BAB), which could provide strong evidence indicating the affinity of the BAB and the evolution of the southeast Central Asian orogenic belt (CAOB). Zircon U-Pb data of siltstone samples and paleontological data indicate the Ayadeng Formation dates back to the Early Ordovician. Although its location is near the NCB, its zircon age spectra and paleontology share a closer affinity with those of Tarim and NE Gondwana, as the U-Pb data suggest an age range of 490–2 192 Ma (peak age=629, 788, 965 and 1 935 Ma), and similar gastropod fossils are found in Tarim and NE Gondwana. The U-Pb ages of meta-sandstone samples in the Xuniwusu Formation indicate a shared inheritance with the Ayadeng Formation (before 440 Ma), and the U-Pb ages of sandstone samples in the Xibiehe Formation are concentrated, with age peaks centered at ca. 420 Ma. Fossil corals occur in these two formations, and their age components also indicate a collisional setting. Therefore, it is speculated that the BAB drifted away from Tarim or NE Gondwana during the Ordovician and became attached to northern NCB between 440–420 Ma as an exotic terrane. During the Early Paleozoic, there may have occurred a collision between an arc and a continental block.

Short-lived “Bakevelliid-Sea” in the Aptian Romualdo Formation, Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil

New Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) bakevelliid bivalves are described for the Romualdo Formation, Santana Group, Araripe Basin, northeastern Brazil. Together with the other known member of the family Bakevelliidae, already recorded from the unit (i.e., Aguileria dissita), the new bivalves (Araripevellia musculosa gen. et sp. nov., Aguileria romualdoensis sp. nov., and Gen. et sp. indet.) indicate that the Romualdo bakevelliid fauna was more diverse than previously realized. Bakevelliid-rich carbonates, some with specimens preserved in situ, are restricted to the upper third of this unit, a stratigraphic interval yielding also echinoderm-, gastropod- and stromatolite-bearing limestones. These pteriomorphian bivalves were widely distributed in the Romualdo Formation and are a testimony of the short-lived Bakevelliid-Sea that flooded the whole Araripe Basin during the Aptian. Notably, Aguileria romualdoensis sp. nov. closely resembles Aguileriarenauxiana from the Cenomanian Woodbine Formation, Texas, US. In addition, Aguileria dissita is also recorded in the upper Aptian–Albian Riachuelo Formation of the Sergipe-Alagoas Basin. Together with other macroinvertebrates (i.e., gastropods, echinoderms, bivalves) the bakevelliid fauna of the Romualdo Formation can be tightly correlated with that of the Riachuelo Formation, supporting a paleogeographic scenario with a marine ingression flooding the Araripe Basin from the southeast, probably via the seaway developed in the Recôncavo-Tucano basin area. Finally, sedimentologic, stratigraphic and paleontological data indicates that the fate of the bakevelliids in the Romualdo Formation was linked to the onset of continentalization of the Araripe Basin.

Inner morphological and metric characterization of the molar remains from the Montmaurin-La Niche mandible: The Neanderthal signal

Here, we present a metric and morphological study of the molar remains from the Montmaurin-La Niche mandible by means of microcomputed tomography. According to the last analysis, based on the combination of geomorphological and paleontological data, the level bearing this human mandible probably corresponds to the marine isotope stages (MIS) 7. These data place the Montmaurin-La Niche in a chronologically intermediate position between the Neanderthals and the Middle Pleistocene fossils (e.g., Sima de los Huesos, la Caune de l’Arago). A recent study has revealed that while the mandible is more closely related to the Early and Middle Pleistocene African and Eurasian populations, the morphology of the outer enamel surfaces of its molars is typical of the Neanderthal linage. The data presented here are in line with this finding because the morphology of the enamel-dentine junction of the molars is similar to that of Neanderthals, whereas the absolute and relative enamel thickness values (2D and 3D) are closer to those exhibited by some Early Pleistocene hominins. Moreover, the pulp cavity morphology and proportions are in concordance with the Neanderthal populations. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that the settlement of Europe could be the result of several migrations, at different times, originated from a common source population. Thus, the variability in the European Middle Pleistocene populations (e.g., Montmaurin, Sima de los Huesos, Arago, Mala Balanica) could indicate different migrations at different times and/or population fragmentation, without excluding the possible hybridization between residents and new settlers.

Answer to reply to C. Acosta Hospitaleche and M. Reguero (2020) additional Pelagornithidae remains from Seymour Island, Antarctica

This Special Issue entitled Paleontological studies developed in the Sociedad Mexicana de Paleontología, is an initiative of the “Sociedad Mexicana de Paleontología” (SOMEXPAL) in collaboration with the Journal of South American Earth Sciences (Elsevier), in order to highlight recent trends in the field carried out by members of this society. All diverse contributions cover all major research topics in Mexican paleontology such as: paleobotany, invertebrate paleontology, vertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology and geochemical analysis applied to paleontology. The recent paleontological studies here reported combine classical taxonomic descriptions coupled to software and digital innovations that produce a more complete paleobiological interpretation of fossils. This volume lists 24 original contributions from approximately 20 Mexican localities that roughly represents 15–20% of the most studied localities distributed in 10 states of Mexico. While this volume presents emblematic outcrops that continue to produce fresh fossil discoveries, some contributions incorporate new sedimentary settings from early Paleozoic through Quaternary environments waiting to be studied by young specialists. Although contributions concentrated in this volume are just a sample of the great variety of paleontological studies across Mexico, most articles critically address the use of fossils for paleoenvironmental reconstructions in several localities of Mexico. Finally, this special issue acknowledges the earlier work by pioneer paleontologists, and highlights at the same time, areas where paleontological data is rather scarce being great opportunities to carry out future research.

Strontium Isotope Composition in Limestones of the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group in the Patom Basin: Vendian Reference Section of Siberia

New data on the 87Sr/86Sr ratio variations in carbonate rocks of the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group in the Vendian reference section (Ura Uplift, Central Siberia) are presented. The 87Sr/86Sr variations correlate with the sequence-stratigraphic scheme reflecting evolution of the paleobasin, δ13C variations, and paleontological data. Limestones with a high (>1050 µg/g) Sr concentration, which do not show any signs of alteration of the Sr isotope system, were used for reconstructing the secular 87Sr/86Sr variations. Increase in the 87Sr/86Sr ratio from 0.70755 to 0.70823 complicated by subordinate fluctuations was established in seawater during the accumulation of the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group carbonate rocks. Duration of the postglacial deposition of the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group is estimated at no less than 14–15 Ma. Secular variations of the 87Sr/86Sr ratio measured in the Dal’nyaya Taiga Group limestones are similar to changes of this ratio after the Marinoan glacial period. The Sr and C isotope correlations suggest a prolonged hiatus between the Dal’nyaya Taiga and Zhuya groups.

SULL'ETÀ TERZIARIA DEI CALCARI Dl UBAGA, SUCCESSIONE Dl BORGHETTO D'ARROSCIA-ALASSIO (ALPI MARITTIME)

The Borghetto d' Arroscia sequence is constituted by three turbiditic formations; the age of the different units is difficult to determine both because of scarsness of paleontological data and of their uncertain interpretation. Particularly the presence of lower cenozoic foraminifera in the Ubaga Limestones is debated. The discovery, in the studied section, of paleocenic—lower eocenic Morozovella allows now to state the Iower cenozoic age of the whole calcareous formation.

Climatic periodicities and astrochronological dating of the Enciso Group in the eastern Cameros Basin (N of Spain)

This study presents the cyclostratigraphic analysis of a detailed, 1,371 m-thick stratigraphic section logged in the Lower Cretaceous syn-rift lacustrine and alluvial deposits of the Enciso Group, in the eastern Cameros Basin. The spectral analysis of a time series based on lithology reveals periodic sedimentary cycles attributable to variations in the eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit around the Sun (131.8 and 39.9 m-thick sedimentary cycles for the long and short orbital eccentricity cycle) and to changes in the obliquity (12.6 m-thick cycle) and the two precession modes (7.7-5.5 m-thick cycles) of the Earth’s rotation axis. We have constructed a floating astrochronological time scale based on the spectral analysis allowing us to propose that the time interval registered in the studied series is ca. 5.4-5.7 Ma, and to estimate an average sedimentation rate of ~255-239 m/Ma. The presence of cycles representing a similar time span but having different thickness, reveals a higher influence of tectonic activity in the central and upper parts of the succession, and discriminate tectonic from climatic signal, the latter being significant throughout the succession. The sedimentary facies and paleontological content of the studied profile, deposited very close to the coastline, have allowed us to interpret a deepening-shallowing cycle that it is proposed to be eustasy-related (transgressive-regressive cycle). The anchoring of this cycle with the sea level curve in combination with the scarce paleontological dates permit the Enciso Group to be located in the Hauterivian-Barremian, that was approximately deposited between 132.5-126.8 or 132.3-126.9 Ma, depending on whether the short or long eccentricity cycle is considered, respectively.

Death is on Our Side: Paleontological Data Drastically Modify Phylogenetic Hypotheses.

Fossils are the only remaining evidence of the majority of species that have ever existed, providing a direct window into events in evolutionary history that shaped the diversification of life on Earth. Phylogenies underpin our ability to make sense of evolution but are routinely inferred using only data available from living organisms. Although extinct taxa have been shown to add crucial information for inferring macroevolutionary patterns and processes (such as ancestral states, paleobiogeography and diversification dynamics), the role fossils play in reconstructing phylogeny is controversial. Since the early years of phylogenetic systematics, different studies have dismissed the impact of fossils due to their incompleteness, championed their ability to overturn phylogenetic hypotheses or concluded that their behavior is indistinguishable from that of extant taxa. Based on taxon addition experiments on empirical data matrices, we show that the inclusion of paleontological data has a remarkable effect in phylogenetic inference. Incorporating fossils often (yet not always) induces stronger topological changes than increasing sampling of extant taxa. Fossils also produce unique topological rearrangements, allowing the exploration of regions of treespace that are never visited by analyses of only extant taxa. Previous studies have proposed a suite of explanations for the topological behavior of fossils, such as their retention of unique morphologies or their ability to break long branches. We develop predictive models that demonstrate that the possession of distinctive character state combinations is the primary predictor of the degree of induced topological change, and that the relative impact of taxa (fossil and extant) can be predicted to some extent before any phylogenetic analysis. Our results bolster the consensus of recent empirical studies by showing the unique role of paleontological data in phylogenetic inference, and provide the first quantitative assessment of its determinants, with broad consequences for the design of taxon sampling in both morphological and total-evidence analyses. [phylogeny, morphology, fossils, parsimony, Bayesian inference.].

Source and origin of Late Paleozoic dropstones from Peninsular Malaysia: First record of Mississippian glaciogenic deposits of Gondwana in Southeast Asia

This study reports several Late Paleozoic dropstone‐bearing formations in Peninsular Malaysia which were not previously investigated. Additionally, the source, formation mechanisms, and correlation to the global Late Paleozoic Ice Age (LPIA) of these dropstones are discussed. Dropstones occur as subrounded to rounded single clasts ranging in size from 0.5 to 20 cm, scattered in red mudstone, black shales, sandstones and shales, and are composed of granite, quartzite, and sandstone. Occurrence of dropstones as rounded, single clasts, and soft‐sediment deformation of the host rock with striations in the dropstones suggest a glaciomarine origin. Precambrian basement rocks and Cambrian–Ordovician quartzite and sandstones are the main sources of the dropstones. Dropstones hosted by shallow‐marine sediments are formed by dropping of clasts from icebergs, while, dropstones present in deep‐marine sediments are formed by dropping of clasts from an ice sheet. The oldest glaciomarine rocks of the Rebak and Chepor members (Singa Formation) can be correlated to the Early Carboniferous global glaciation of the LPIA episode of Gondwana. These sediments are considered as the first record of Lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) glaciomarine rocks in Southeast Asia. However, the glaciomarine deposits of the Kentut and Bukit Raja members (Singa and Kubang Pasu formations, respectively) are correlated with the global Middle Carboniferous glaciation. In addition, the glaciomarine deposits of the “undifferentiated” member (Kubang Pasu Formation), Ulang and Selang members (Singa Formation), as well as the Kenny Hill Formation, are correlative to the Late Carboniferous‐Early Permian glaciation episode known as the apex of the LPIA. These results confirm the paleomagnetic and paleontological data which suggest that the Sibumasu Terrane initially was attached to the Late Paleozoic Gondwana.

Phylogenetic perspective on the relationships and evolutionary history of the Acipenseriformes

The Acipenseriformes, as one of the earliest extant vertebrates, plays an important role in the evolution of fishes and even the whole vertebrates. Here we collected and analyzed all complete mitochondrial genomes of Acipenseriformes species. Phylogenetic analyses demonstrated that the polytomous branch included Acipenseridae and Polyodontidae formed five clades. The Polyodontidae clade and the Scaphirhynchus clade both were monophyletic group, whereas the Acipenser species and the Huso species both were polyphyletic group. The Bayesian divergence times showed that the origin time for Acipenseriformes was at 318.0 Mya, which was similar to the some previous results of 312.1 Mya, 346.9 Mya and 389.7 Mya. The result was in good consistent with the paleontological data available and the split time of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans from the Jurassic to the Cretaceous (Laurasia splits in North America and Eurasia). The dN/dS ratios showed the evolutionary rates gradually slow down in five major Acipenseriformes clades from the Clade A (the Pacific sturgeons species) to Clade C (the genus Scaphirhynchus), which was related to the process of geographical formation.