Permian Locality Research Articles

Biostratigraphy of fusulinids from the lower Permian of central Sonora, Mexico. Paleoenvironmental implications

The central region of Sonora state, Mexico, is recognized by its different upper Paleozoic outcrops, highlighting the La Cueva Limestone and Mina México Formation. The rocks of Cerro Las Rastras and Sierra Martínez are considered among the most important Permian localities in central Sonora. This work studies the fusulinid faunas in two different sections, focusing on their biostratigraphical and paleoenvironmental relevance. Both sections comprise strata from the La Cueva Limestone and Mina México Formation. The fusulinids identified are Parafusulina sp., Paraskinnerella cf. skinneri, Praeskinnerella crassitectoria, Skinnerella cobachiensis, Skinnerella imlayi, and Eoparafusulina cf. linearis. The presence of Pa. cf. skinneri, Pr. crassitectoria, S. cobachiensis and S. imlayi indicates a lower–middle Leonardian (=upper Artinskian–lower Kungurian) age for the Las Rastras Section. The occurrence of E. cf. linearis in the base of the Sierra Martínez 2 Section suggests a youngest age of upper Wolfcampian for the bearing rocks. The microfacies analysis allowed the identification of six facies associations in the Las Rastras Section related to deep shelf, slope, and ramp-margin sand shoals. While three associations were identified in the Sierra Martínez 2 Section, indicating the deposition of open marine and slope environments. Fusulinids from both sections are classified as allochthonous elements in most facies associations (except those of open waters) since they are found in environments that are known to not been inhabited by these foraminifera. The fusulinids identified have a paleobiogeographic affinity with coeval assemblages from the North American Province.

A winged relative of ice-crawlers in amber bridges the cryptic extant Xenonomia and a rich fossil record.

Until the advent of phylogenomics, the atypical morphology of extant representatives of the insect orders Grylloblattodea (ice-crawlers) and Mantophasmatodea (gladiators) had confounding effects on efforts to resolve their placement within Polyneoptera. This recent research has unequivocally shown that these species-poor groups are closely related and form the clade Xenonomia. Nonetheless, divergence dates of these groups remain poorly constrained, and their evolutionary history debated, as the few well-identified fossils, characterized by a suite of morphological features similar to that of extant forms, are comparatively young. Notably, the extant forms of both groups are wingless, whereas most of the pre-Cretaceous insect fossil record is composed of winged insects, which represents a major shortcoming of the taxonomy. Here, we present new specimens embedded in mid-Cretaceous amber from Myanmar and belonging to the recently described species Aristovia daniili. The abundant material and pristine preservation allowed a detailed documentation of the morphology of the species, including critical head features. Combined with a morphological data set encompassing all Polyneoptera, these new data unequivocally demonstrate that A.daniili is a winged stem Grylloblattodea. This discovery demonstrates that winglessness was acquired independently in Grylloblattodea and Mantophasmatodea. Concurrently, wing apomorphic traits shared by the new fossil and earlier fossils demonstrate that a large subset of the former "Protorthoptera" assemblage, representing a third of all known insect species in some Permian localities, are genuine representatives of Xenonomia. Data from the fossil record depict a distinctive evolutionary trajectory, with the group being both highly diverse and abundant during the Permian but experiencing a severe decline from the Triassic onwards.

A new trematopid from the lower Permian of Oklahoma and new insights into the genus Acheloma.

Modern-day terrestrial amphibians pale in comparison to their monstrous ancient relatives, the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian trematopid temnospondyls. With a skeleton that clearly indicated a terrestrial mode of life and armed with an impressive set of large, recurved marginal dentition and palatal fangs for holding their prey-this group of terrestrial temnospondyls roamed North America and Central Europe as a top predator. Lack of substantial informative fossil material has previously limited our understanding of trematopid diversity and ontogeny. Fortunately, this has improved in the last few decades with the help of exceptional localities like the Early Permian locality Richards Spur. While multiple species of dissorophid temnospondyl have been described from Richards Spur, only one trematopid species has been confidently recognized -Acheloma dunni. Here, we report on the presence of a new large, relatively mature trematopid skull from this famous locality, found encased within a limestone rich block composed mostly of skeletal remains from several other taxa. With the help of neutron computed tomography (nCT), a non-invasive method of analyzing internal and external morphologies, this specimen has revealed several features consistent with the genus, Acheloma, but distinct from Acheloma cumminsi and Acehloma dunni. The identification of these new features, in addition to the characters it shares with other Acheloma species, not only constitute it as a new species of this genus, but also challenges the notion of having synonymized Acheloma dunni with Acheloma cumminsi. In this study, we also unveil new anatomical characters that are potentially independent of ontogeny and could therefore help clarify some of the phylogenetic relationships of this fascinating group of Paleozoic terrestrial predators.

A new eryopid temnospondyl from the Carboniferous–Permian boundary of Germany

AbstractA new eryopid temnospondyl, Stenokranio boldi n. gen. n. sp. is described based on well-preserved cranial and postcranial material from fluvio-lacustrine deposits of the Permo-Carboniferous (Gzhelian/Asselian) Remigiusberg Formation at the Remigiusberg quarry near Kusel, Saar–Nahe Basin, southwest Germany. The new taxon is characterized by three autapomorphies within the Eryopidae: (1) the relatively narrow posterior skull table, therefore nearly parallel lateral margins of the skull; (2) the short postparietals and tabulars; and (3) the wide ectopterygoid. Phylogenetic analysis reveals a monophyletic Eryopidae with the basal taxa Osteophorus, Glaukerpeton, and Onchiodon labyrinthicus forming a polytomy. Actinodon may be either a basal eryopid or a stereospondylomorph, and the genus Onchiodon is not monophyletic. Stenokranio n. gen. is found as a more derived eryopid forming the sister taxon to Eryops. Stenokranio n. gen. was among the largest predators of the Saar–Nahe Basin. Its semiaquatic lifestyle enabled Stenokranio n. gen. to browse riverbanks and lake shorelines for prey, but most likely it fed on aquatic vertebrates. Stenokranio n. gen. was part of a faunal assemblage of aquatic, semiaquatic, and fully terrestrial vertebrates, such as sarcopterygian and actinopterygian fishes, xenacanthid sharks, a dvinosaurian temnospondyl, different “lepospondyls”, diadectomorphs, and synapsids. This is in general accordance with the vertebrate community from the Permo-Carboniferous of North America and from the early Permian localities of Manebach (Thuringian Forest Basin) and Niederhäslich (Döhlen Basin). It is notable that the occurrence of Stenokranio n. gen. and other eryopids in these localities excluded the presence of other large temnospondyls such as Sclerocephalus. However, a previously described isolated eryopid mandible from the Remigiusberg locality differs from that of Stenokranio n. gen. in several characters, implying that probably two different eryopid taxa lived at the same locality.UUID: www.zoobank.org/88a52547-d6fc-40af-965c-a6786c252ed5

Paleoenvironmental implications of Permo-Triassic geographic shift in oxygen stable isotope (δ18Op) from tetrapod bone in the South African Karoo Basin

The Beaufort Group of the Main Karoo Basin of South Africa provides an uninterrupted record of fluvio-lacustrine sedimentation from the Middle Permian to the Middle Triassic and covers an area of approximately 200,000 km2, about 20% of the country's surface area. A diverse range of vertebrate taxa including fish, therapsids, amphibians, archosauromorphs and parareptiles, has been recovered from this rock succession and provides an ideal sampleset to investigate temporal and geographical variations of local hydrology using stable isotopes. Questions relating to temporal and biological variations in oxygen stable isotope ratios of apatite phosphate (δ18Op) in Beaufort tetrapod taxa have previously been addressed, but geographic variation of bioapatite-recorded δ18Op across the Permo-Triassic of South Africa has not yet been studied. Here we highlight variations in δ18Op recorded over a large geographic spread in the Karoo basin for four Permo-Triassic vertebrate assemblage zones (AZ). Tetrapods, mainly therapsids, were sampled from two Permian (Cistecephalus AZ and Daptocephalus AZ) and two Triassic biozones (Lystrosaurus declivis AZ and Cynognathus AZ). For each of these biozones, fossils were sampled from several localities and their δ18Op values compared. Results from the Permian data showed no isotopic difference in apatite from localities divided by longitude 24°. Isotopic differences seem to appear further east in the Basin. Most of the Permian localities (restricted to the south-western part of the Basin) were under the influence of a water system originating from the southern mountainous source terrain. Oxygen isotope compositions of vertebrates from the Lystrosaurus declivis AZ show a significant latitudinal gradient interpreted as an evaporation effect from a southern source in the mountains running toward the north. The Basin during the Cynognathus AZ was under a similar pattern with an evaporation effect highlighted with lower δ18O values in the south and higher in the north.

Nové paleontologické sběry v Podkrkonoší

Three palaeontological localities (Ploužnice, Bradlecká Lhota and Bítouchov) were visited during the year 2022 in order to verify their condition and acquire a new palaeontological material. Ploužnice locality is a long-known Stephanian locality within the Ploužnice Horizon, where an interesting Cordaites-Calamites assemblage has been found. Bradlecká Lhota is a locality of the same age belonging to the Ploužnice Horizon, too. Besides Cordaites and Calamites, also Cyathocarpus cyatheus (Schlotheim) Mosbrugger and Odontopteris schlotheimii Brongniart have been found here. A thin layer containing small bones and fish scales, so-called „bone bed“, has been discovered on both localities. The last locality is Bítouchov, which is a Permian locality belonging to the Kalná Horizon. This locality is also frequently visited by collectors. Autunia conferta (Sternberg) Kerp has been found here.

Systematics, ontogeny and palaeobiogeography of the genus Orthacanthus (Diplodoselachidae, Xenacanthiformes) from the lower Permian of France

AbstractThe erection of Orthacanthus buxieri Heyler & Poplin from the lower Permian locality of Buxières‐les‐Mines (Allier, France) was based on a poorly prepared specimen with only a few parts of its anatomy visible. The supposedly related teeth have been regarded as possibly belonging to O. kounoviensis, a species already known from the Carboniferous–Permian of Germany and Czech Republic. The holotype of O. buxieri requires extensive preparation before it can be revised, but the description of Orthacanthus isolated teeth and dorsal spines from Buxières‐les‐Mines nevertheless provides useful information, especially given that no precise description of this material has been provided so far. The aim of this description is to better understand the evolutionary history of the French Orthacanthus and its relationships with the other European species. The studied material is assigned to O. kounoviensis. This is the latest occurrence of this genus in Europe and the presence of both juvenile and adult teeth indicate that Buxières‐les‐Mines was probably one of the last suitable environments for its reproduction. We also identify Orthacanthus cf. kounoviensis from the Muse oil‐shale bed, the first record of this genus in the Autun Basin. This brings into question the relationships between the different Carboniferous–Permian basins of the Northern Massif Central and suggests that they could still have been in connection during the lower Permian, in contrast to the central European basins, which seem to be more isolated from each other.

Новые данные о позднепермской лучеперой рыбе Toyemia Minich – зональном роде биостратиграфической схемы перми по ихтиофауне Восточной Европы

The structure of the actinopterygian fish genus and species Toyemia tverdochlebovi Minich has been completed for the first time using a previously unknown complete skeleton and skeletal fragments from Late Permian localities of Eastern Europe. The structure of a head which so far remained unknown in the genus is described. The dorsal fin location far from the head near the caudal region was confirmed as expressed earlier by the taxon’s author.

The first ‘Grylloblattida’ of the family Liomopteridae from the Middle Permian in the Onder Karoo, South Africa (Insecta: Polyneoptera)

Here we describe a new genus and four new species of the extinct ‘Grylloblattida’: Liomopteridae Sellards, 1909: Liomopterum connexus Cawood & Nel, n. sp., Liomopterum daenerys Cawood & Nel, n. sp., Colubrosopterum karooensis Cawood & Nel, n. gen., n. sp., and Paraliomopterum sp. The fossil wings were collected from a new Middle Permian locality near Sutherland, Northern Cape, South Africa, with the horizon close to the Ecca-Beaufort Group contact in the southern Karoo Basin.

Multiple Tooth-Rowed Parareptile From the Early Permian of Oklahoma

The Dolese Limestone Quarry near Richards Spur, Oklahoma includes an elaborate system of caves which have been infilled with early Permian fossil rich sediments. In operation for more than a century, the quarry yielded vast numbers of disarticulated skeletal elements of the most diverse assemblage of fully terrestrial tetrapods from the Paleozoic. Excavations carried out in this century are distinct in producing large numbers of articulated and semiarticulated skeletons, including numerous new taxa. Dolese is therefore unique among early Permian localities in being home to a diverse assemblage of small parareptiles, including two species ofDelorhynchus. Here we describe a new species of acleistorhinid, characterized by the presence of multiple tooth rows on the dentary, that can be identified with confidence as a third new species ofDelorhynchus. The multiple tooth rowed condition is deemed not to be a pathological condition, and appears to have formed in the same manner as in the captorhinid eureptileCaptorhinus agutithrough uneven growth of the tooth-bearing element.

A tale of two Tweefonteins: What physical correlation, geochronology, magnetic polarity stratigraphy, and palynology reveal about the end-Permian terrestrial extinction paradigm in South Africa

Abstract The contact between the Daptocephalus to Lystrosaurus declivis (previously Lystrosaurus) Assemblage Zones (AZs) described from continental deposits of the Karoo Basin was commonly interpreted to represent an extinction crisis associated with the end-Permian mass-extinction event at ca. 251.901 ± 0.024 Ma. This terrestrial extinction model is based on several sections in the Eastern Cape and Free State Provinces of South Africa. Here, new stratigraphic and paleontologic data are presented for the Eastern Cape Province, in geochronologic and magnetostratigraphic context, wherein lithologic and biologic changes are assessed over a physically correlated stratigraphy exceeding 4.5 km in distance. Spatial variation in lithofacies demonstrates the gradational nature of lithostratigraphic boundaries and depositional trends. This pattern is mimicked by the distribution of vertebrates assigned to the Daptocephalus and L. declivis AZs where diagnostic taxa of each co-occur as lateral equivalents in landscapes dominated by a Glossopteris flora. High-precision U-Pb zircon (chemical abrasion-isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry) age results indicate maximum Changhsingian depositional dates that can be used as approximate tie points in our stratigraphic framework, which is supported by a magnetic polarity stratigraphy. The coeval nature of diagnostic pre- and post-extinction vertebrate taxa demonstrates that the L. declivis AZ did not replace the Daptocephalus AZ stratigraphically, that a biotic crisis and turnover likely is absent, and a reevaluation is required for the utilization of these biozones here and globally. Based on our data set, we propose a multidisciplinary approach to correlate the classic Upper Permian localities of the Eastern Cape Province with the Free State Province localities, which demonstrates their time-transgressive nature.

New Damselflies of the Family Kennedyidae (Odonata) from the Permian of European Russia

One new damselfly genus and species, Progophlebia tarasenkovae gen. et sp. nov., and two new species from known genera: Progoneura kityakensis sp. nov. and Kennedya tyulkinensis sp. nov. of the family Kennedyidae (Odonata: Protozygoptera) from several Permian localities (Vyazovka, Kityak, and Tyulkino) of European Russia are described. All known representatives of the family are briefly reviewed. The distinctive features of the localities are characterized.

Histology of Dvinosaurus campbelli (Temnospondyli, Dvinosauria) from the Late Permian Locality Gorokhovets, Vladimir Region

This study describes the microanatomical and histological structure of the femur and hypocentra of the neotenic temnospondyl amphibian Dvinosaurus campbelli from the Late Permian locality Gorokhovets, Vladimir Region (Upper Vyatkian Substage, subzone Chroniosuchus paradoxus of the Scutosaurus karpinskii zone). The femur of D. campbelli is characterized by a “pachyosteous” structure (dense thick periosteal cortex in the diaphysis) and a large number of growth marks (about 57); the hypocentrum has an “osteoporotic” structure. The neotenic nature of D. campbelli is confirmed by the presence of unresorbed cartilage in the skeletal elements of large-sized forms. Microanatomical and morphological features indicate that D. campbelli was an ambush feeder (using concealment during hunting).

A New Permian Therocephalian (Therocephalia, Theromorpha) from the Sundyr Assemblage of Eastern Europe

Lycosuchid therocephalian Gorynychus sundyrensis sp. nov. is described based on material from the middle Permian locality of Sundyr-1, Mari El Republic, Russia. Within the Sundyr tetrapod community, G. sundyrensis occupied the niche of a large scavenger.

A New Primitive Therocephalian (Theromorpha) from the Middle Permian of Eastern Europe

The largest East European scylacosaurid therocephalian Julognathus crudelis gen. et sp. nov. is described based on materials from the middle Permian locality of Sundyr-1, Mari El Republic, Russia. Julognathus occupied the niche of the largest predator within the Sundyr tetrapod community, forming a trophic match with the herbivorous tapinocephalian.

Dimetrodon (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the cave system at Richards Spur, OK, USA, and a comparison of Early Permian-aged vertebrate paleoassemblages.

The Early Permian Richards Spur locality is unique in preserving a highly diverse faunal assemblage in a cave system, composed of synapsids, reptiles, and anamniotes. However, the presence of Dimetrodon, the most common synapsid of Early Permian localities of the southwestern USA, has never been recorded from the site. Here, we describe for the first time the morphology and histology of a small neural spine with the distinctive figure-8 shape attributable to Dimetrodon. Additionally, histological analysis of previously described sphenacodontid teeth suggests the presence of a derived species of Dimetrodon at the Richards Spur locality. The presence of this derived synapsid, typical of the later occurring Kungurian localities of Texas and Oklahoma, is unexpected at the stratigraphically older Richards Spur locality. The cave system at Richards Spur preserves mainly basal synapsid taxa, including small caseid, varanopid, and sphenacodontid skeletal remains. The presence of a derived species of Dimetrodon suggests not only that this animal was more widespread than previously thought, but that there are different patterns of Early Permian synapsid evolution in different ecological settings.

New data on synecology of Vyazniki terrestrial community (Terminal Permian, Central Russia)

New materials from terminal Permian localities of the Vyazniki Faunal Assemblage from the eastern Vladimir Region, including a tooth of the proterosuchid Archosaurus rossicus Tatarinov, 1960, which is recorded for the first time in a coprolite, are described. New data on tetrapod coprolites allow a more reliable reconstruction of trophic relationships and reorganization of the trophic structure of this terrestrial community. Interactions of the higher-rank consumers therocephals and early proterosuchid archosaurs were not restricted to competition for food resources, but also included preying of adult representatives of one taxon on juveniles of the other.

Permian (Leonardian) brachiopods from Paso Hondo Formation, Chiapas, southern Mexico. Paleobiogeographical implications

One of the most important marine sequences of calcareous rocks from the Paleozoic of Mexico outcrops in southern Chiapas. It is composed by different units from Early Permian, being the Paso Hondo Formation the youngest with a Leonardian age. Different groups of marine invertebrates as corals, bivalves, gastropods, bryozoans, brachiopods and crinoids have been previously reported of this unit. Five brachiopod species of the orders Productida, Athyridida, Spiriferida and Spiriferinida from the Barrio Allende section of this unit are herein described. The new species Dyoros (Lissosia) maya and Hustedia shumardi are proposed. Sedimentology and paleoecology of the Paso Hondo Formation, suggest a well-lighted shallow lagoon environment with continuous terrigenous input. The subgenus Dyoros (Lissosia), the genus Paucispinifera and the species Hustedia shumardi, Spiriferella propria and Spiriferellina tricosa are typical taxa from Permian localities of Texas, New Mexico and Coahuila. Their presence in the studied area suggests that during Early Permian there was a geographic connection between the different localities of the biotic Grandian Province (southern USA, northern Mexico and Venezuela) and southeastern Chiapas.

Lenhos in situ de coníferas do Triássico Superior, em depósitos de canais fluviais da Formação Caturrita, Faxinal do Soturno, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brasil

Three new fossil gymnosperm woods are described from a new outcrop exposed on the margins of the Soturno River, State of Rio Grande do Sul, eastward located in relation to other well-known petrified forests from Sao Pedro do Sul and Mata, in South Brazil. The interest of their study lays on the in situ condition of the woods and its inclusion in the fluvial deposits of the Caturrita Formation, at Faxinal do Soturno County, from where such kind of fossil material were known only recently. The analysis allows to assign it to the conifers Agathoxylon africanum (Bamford) Kurzawe and Merlotti, Megaporoxylon kaokense Krausel and Chapmanoxylon sp. cf. C. jamuriense Pant and Singh. Previously known mainly from Permian localities of Gondwana (Namibia, India and South America), and with few Triassic representatives, the field relations and stratigraphic context suggest a Late Triassic age and a life around low sinuosity river systems under the influence of climatic seasonal dry conditions. Keywords: fossil woods, Agathoxylon, Megaporoxylon, Chapmanoxylon , Late Triassic, Brazil.

A new fish species of the genus Isadia (Actinopterygii, Eurynotoidiformes) from the new locality on the Malaya Northern Dvina river (terminal Permian, Vologda Region)

A new rich Upper Permian locality of plants, ostracodes, bivalves, fishes, and tetrapods was founded in the middle part of the Komaritsa Member of the Salarevo Formation on the Malaya Northern Dvina River. The new locality is confined to the lower part of the terminal Permian Gnathorhiza otschevi–Mutovinia sennikovi Fish Zone. Based on new materials of the actinopterygian fishes from this locality, the genus Isadia is revised, diagnoses of the species included in it are improved, and a new species, Isadia arefievi sp. nov. is described.