Early Cretaceous fossilized leaves assignable to the extinct seed plant order Bennettitales occur within an exceptionally diverse Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) flora of anatomically preserved plant fossils at Apple Bay on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. One of the bennettitalean leaf types has an entire margin, with laminae that are attached near the adaxial surface of the midvein. Leaves are 10–15 mm wide with an adaxial surface that shows distinct corrugations, and a midrib that is exposed adaxially. The vascular system of the midrib consists of a crescent-shaped ring of collateral bundles. Lateral veins diverge from midrib at ∼90°, are typically simple but occasionally branch at base of the lamina. Vein density is 12–15 per cm. Leaves are hypostomatic with syndetocheilic stomata that are randomly oriented between veins. Internal anatomy consists of an adaxial hypodermis of closely-spaced isodiametric cells, mesophyll that is differentiated into adaxial palisade and abaxial spongy zones, and collateral bundles that show a distinct bundle sheath with bundle sheath extensions. This novel combination of characters represents the diverse bennettitalean genus Nilssoniopteris. Nilssoniopteris corrugata new species is only the second species of the genus for which internal anatomy is preserved. This species increases the known variation of bennettitalean leaf anatomy, and reinforces our appreciation for the global distribution of bennettitalean seed plants during the Mesozoic.

Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Holes 980 B and C, Feni Drift at the eastern slope of the Rockall Plateau, eastern North Atlantic, were examined for late Quaternary deep-sea ostracode taxonomy. Nineteen genera and 32 species were examined and (re-)illustrated with high-resolution scanning electron microscopy images. One new species Cytheropteron paramassoni n. sp. is described and one new name Eucytherura zehali is proposed for Eucytherura hazeli Yasuhara et al., 2009. This study provides updated taxonomic information for deep-sea ostracode genera and species from the eastern North Atlantic, which is an important baseline for application of deep-sea ostracodes to paleoceanographical reconstructions and paleoecological studies in this region.

An uppermost Gzhelian bioherm discovered in the central highlands of Timor Leste contains abundant foraminifera belonging to 17 genera. Representatives of the families Biseriamminidae, Biwaellidae, Bradyinidae, Cornuspiridae, Lasiodiscidae, Palaeotextulariidae, Pseudotaxidae, Ozawainellidae, Schubertellidae, Schwagerinidae, Staffellidae and Textrataxidae are present, including 21 species referred to known types and 12 species left in open nomenclature. Two new Schwagerina species are described: Schwagerina timorensis new species, and Schwagerina maubissensis new species. The assemblage belongs to the uppermost Gzhelian Schwagerina robusta–Ultradaixina bosbytauensis Zone although a possible lowest Asselian correlation cannot be excluded (the name Ultradaixina is controversial and sometimes synonymized as Bosbytauella. The case to resolve this issue has been submitted to the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature). The bioherm is the oldest carbonate unit so far recorded from the Maubisse Formation and the oldest sedimentary unit biostratigraphically dated in Timor. This discovery has implications for the latest Carboniferous–earliest Permian climate history of Timor that lay in the northern part of the north-south East Gondwana rift system along which the western margin of Australia later developed. The highest peak in fusulinid diversity within the Pennsylvanian–Cisuralian interval and a major marine transgression documented in many regions in Northern Pangaea took place during the latest Gzhelian to earliest Asselian and evidence for this is now extended to southern Pangaea. Cluster analysis, using the Jaccard similarity index at species level, of late Gzhelian fusulinids from 16 regions has been performed. This shows that the Timor fauna is most closely related to faunas from South China and the Changning-Menlian region of Yunnan (China). The assemblages here are distinct from those of three biogeographic regions (Arctic, Uralo-Asian and Irano-Taurids) recognized within the Tropical belt.

The early Cambrian calcareous skeletal fossil Apistoconcha Conway Morris is characterized by its two valves having posterior teeth and internal umbonal cavities. It has been reported from lower Cambrian Botomian-equivalent carbonate rocks in Australia, Mongolia, and Greenland. Here we report a new occurrence of Apistoconcha in the lower Cambrian Xinji Formation of Luonan, southeast Shaanxi Province, North China Platform. Based on material (five ventral and four dorsal valves) from the Xinji Formation, Apistoconcha cf. apheles is systematically described and the taxonomic affinity of Apistoconcha is discussed. The shell of Apistoconcha possesses an ‘antero-posterior’ plane of bilateral symmetry, and its two valves apparently articulated in life, although the tooth-like structures and pits show little resemblance to the teeth and sockets, respectively, of bivalved shells of rhynchonelliform brachiopods or pelecypods. Apistoconcha cannot be assigned to the crown groups of either brachiopods or mollusks, even though functional morphological analysis indicates that Apistoconcha may be a ‘stem-group brachiopod’. Unlike Apistoconcha, the morphologically similar Tianzhushanella Liu is known only from a single type of valve lacking posterior teeth and pits. Tianzhushanella may represent either a univalved animal or a bivalved animal, the other valve of which has not yet been identified. Even though both Apistoconcha and Tianzhushanella may represent stem-group brachiopods, they probably correspond to different stages of brachiopod evolution. Thus assignment of Apistoconcha and Tianzhushanella to the same family (Tianzhushanellidae) may obscure their phylogenic implications.

Feldman, Radulović, Hegab, and Radulović (2012) established the genus Cooperithyris for an upper Bathonian terebratulid brachiopod from Gebel Engabashi, northern Sinai, based on the type species C. circularis Feldman, Radulović, Hegab, and Radulović, 2012. Recently, Professor Fernando Alvarez, (Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain) informed us of the existence of the homonym Cooperithyris Tchorszevsky, 1988, from the Pliensbachian–Toarcian of the Transcaucasus. In accordance with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN 1999, articles 53 and 60), we herein propose the replacement name, Sinaithyris, for the junior homonym. The new name is in reference to the Sinai Peninsula on which Gebel Engabashi is located and from which the specimens were collected.

A new arthropod, Haifengella corona new genus new species is described from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte (Series 2, Stage 3), Yunnan Province, southwest China. It is readily assignable to helmetiida based on gross morphology of the tergum. The new helmetiid is unique in having the marginal spines extending over one-third of the total body width. The weakly sclerotized tergum consists of six thoracic tergites with edge-to-edge tergite articulations. The sub-trapezoidal cephalic shield has a pair of long spines projecting from each posterolateral corner. A prehypostomal sclerite (anterior sclerite) recesses in the anterior margin of the cephalic shield, and a pair of bulges that are close to the prehypostomal sclerite in the cephalic shield are presumed to be the position of ventral eyes. Each of the thoracic tergites exhibits a pair of long spines projecting from the posterolateral corners. The semicircular pygidium carries one terminal spine and two pairs of lateral spines.

The first Mesozoic thylacocephalans from the western hemisphere are documented from the Muhi Quarry plattenkalk in the La Negra facies of the El Doctor Formation (Albian–Cenomanian), Zimapán Area, northwestern Hidalgo, central Mexico. They all are found in a single horizon at the base of the type section. These specimens represent two new genera and species, and a third undetermined species which likely also represents a new genus and species. Victoriacaris muhiensis is a shorted-bodied thylacocephalan with concave anterior and posterior notches as well as a beveled anterior spine. Polzia eldoctorensis is trapezoidal in outline with a rounded posteroventral corner. The third undetermined species is known only from one broken specimen, but has distinctive marginal spines that are not possessed by any other post-Cambrian thylacocephalan. The occurrence of such a diverse fauna of thylacocephalans markedly increases the diversity and geographic range of Cretaceous thylacocephalans, but does not offer any insights into the tempo of thylacocephalan extinction at the end of the Cretaceous.

Cretaceous non-marine deposits are widespread in China and have been studied comprehensively. The Songliao Basin in northeast China is thought to be well suited for investigation of Cretaceous biostratigraphy. However, despite much research having been conducted in the basin, little is known about its Late Cretaceous biostratigraphy and paleoenvironment. Here, we establish a high-resolution biostratigraphy of the Late Cretaceous based on ostracods from borehole SK1(n) in the Songliao Basin, northeast China. As part of the present study, 45 species assigned to 20 genera have been recovered, with one new species (Ilyocypris bisulcata n. sp.) and five ostracod assemblages: the Cypridea gunsulinensis–Mongolocypris magna assemblage, which is marked by the first occurrence (F.O.) of Ilyocyprimorpha with nodes and spines; the Ilyocyprimorpha–Limnocypridea sunliaonensis–Periacanthella assemblage, which ranges from the F.O. of Ilyocyprimorpha with nodes and spines to the F.O. of Strumosia sp.; the Strumosia inandita assemblage from the F.O. of Strumosia sp. to the lower occurrence (L.O.) of Strumosia inandita; the Talicypridea amoena–Metacypris kaitunensis–Ziziphocypris simakovi assemblage from the F.O. of Mongolocypris apiculata (Cea) and Talicypridea amoena to the F.O. of Ilyocypris sp.; and the Ilyocypris assemblage from the F.O. of Ilyocypris sp. to the L.O. of Ilyocypris bisulcata n. sp.

Moreover, the zonal fossil Ilyocypris bisulcata n. sp. of Zone 5 is here described for the first time from the upper Mingshui Formation, and Paleocene charophyte genera including Neochara and Grovesicahra have been found to coexist with the Zone 5 fauna. The age of the Ilyocypris Assemblage is assigned to the latest Maastrichtian to the earliest Danian.

The non-marine Lower Cretaceous ostracod genus Kegelina new genus (Cypridoidea, Cyprideidae) is known from South America (Bahia state, eastern Brazil), West Africa (Gabon and ‘Congo'), and North America (Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, U.S.A.). It comprises five species: Kegelina anomala (Peck, 1941) new combination, Kegelina armata (Krömmelbein, 1962) new combination, Kegelina bisculpturata (Wicher, 1959) new combination, Kegelina depressa (Moura, 1972) new combination, and Kegelina kegeli (Wicher, 1959) new combination, all of which having formerly been described as representatives of Cypridea Bosquet, 1852. The closer relationships of Kegelina new genus among the Cyprideidae Martin, 1940 are discussed. Other potential species of Kegelina n. gen. are presumed to occur in northeastern China and Europe but remain to be examined.

A fossil priapulid, Eximipriapulus globocaudatus new genus new species, is described from the Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerstätte of Yunnan, China. The exceptional preservation of the animal reveals morphological details that allow direct comparison with extant priapulids. The body is divisible into a partially eversible pharynx, a smooth collar, a scalid-bearing introvert, a neck with triangular scalids, an unsegmented trunk with annulations, and a distinctly expanded terminal region. Several specialized regions of the alimentary canal are recognized: a pharynx (lined by cuticle and bearing teeth), esophagus, midgut, hindgut, and a terminal anus. The sample includes a putative juvenile. The animal is inferred to have been an active burrower using a double-anchor strategy, practicing both deposit feeding and carnivory. Inclusion of Eximipriapulus in the most recent character matrix for cladistic analysis of fossil and Recent priapulids resolves the new genus within the priapulid crown group.

A new species in the extant genus, Hydrotrupes Sharp, H. prometheus n. sp., (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae) is described from Baltic amber (Eocene) based on examination of a single female specimen. This description represents one of a limited number of diving beetle taxa described from fossiliferous amber and is currently the oldest known fossil assigned to Agabinae. Based on this specimen Hydrotrupes is at least 40 million years old. The occurrence of Hydrotrupes during the Eocene suggests that the current disjunct distribution of living Hydrotrupes species occurring in western North America and eastern China is a relict of former widespread distribution in the northern continents. Considering the age of this fossil and its similarity to living members of the genus Hydrotrupes, the conservation of morphology in this lineage of diving beetles is notable. Key morphological characters of the new species are illustrated, and the significance of this discovery for understanding Agabinae evolution and the biogeography of this previously hypothesized trans-Beringian lineage is discussed.