New Homoiopteridae (Insecta: Paleodictyoptera) with wing articulation from Upper Carboniferous strata of Mazon Creek, Illinois

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (7) ◽  
pp. 1670-1687 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarmila Kukalová-Peck ◽  
Eugene S. Richardson Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
The Family ◽  
Mazon Creek

New adults, a subadult, and a nymph of primitive, giant, Late Paleozoic Paleodictyoptera (Homoiopteridae) are described from Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian C–D) strata of Illinois: Mazothairos enormis gen. et sp. nov., Mazonopterum wolfforum gen. et sp. nov., Adolarryia bairdi gen. et sp. nov., Larryia osterbergi gen. et sp. nov., and Turneropterum turneri gen. et sp. nov. Some of these fossils show dorsal wing articulation, the most primitive known in the Pterygota. The biology of Paleodictyopteroidea is discussed. The family Homoiopteridae is reviewed for plesiomorphic features in venation that have been either reduced or transformed in modern insects, including paired costa, subcosta, and anal, and doubled radial stems.

scholarly journals Review of the Extinct Family Syntonopteridae (Order Uncertain)

1987 ◽  
Vol 94 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 373-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank M. Carpenter
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
The Family ◽  
Mazon Creek

The family Syntonopteridae was named by Handlirsch in 1911 for a new genus and species, Syntonoptera schucherti, from the Upper Carboniferous of Mazon Creek, Illinois. Although the unique specimen on which the species was based consisted of only a wing fragment, the presence of several intercalary, triad veins was of unusual interest. During the 75 years that have passed since then, only six additional specimens of the family have been found (Carpenter, 1938, 1944; Richardson, 1956), all of them in the Mazon Creek beds. The latest of these specimens was sent to me for study by Dr. E. S. Richardson, Jr., a few months before his death, and I have only recently had the opportunity to study it and prepare illustrations. While working on this fossil, I decided to reexamine at the same time the other five specimens in the family known to me. A review of these specimens is included here, followed by revised diagnoses of the family and of the two known genera.

Two primitive trematopid amphibians (Temnospondyli, Dissorophoidea) from the Upper Carboniferous of the Czech Republic

2018 ◽  
Vol 109 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 201-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew R. MILNER
Keyword(s):  
Czech Republic ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
Incertae Sedis ◽  
Terminal Form ◽  
The Family ◽  
Nasal Region ◽  
The Many

ABSTRACTSpecimens of trematopid amphibians from the Asturian (Upper Carboniferous) of Nýřany, Czech Republic, are redescribed as two taxa, namely Mordex calliprepes Steen and Mattauschia (gen. nov) laticeps Fritsch. Mordex calliprepes is represented by a single post-metamorphic specimen and has the diagnostic trematopid characters of the nasal region. Mattauschia laticeps is represented by one adult partial skull and mandible plus some fragments and two small post-metamorphic specimens including the species name-bearer. It has the trematopid-type modified lacrimal and a large but oval naris and appears to be the most primitive trematopid yet described. The stratigraphically sequential large trematopids Mattauschia, Fedexia, Ecolsonia and Acheloma show progressive acquisition of the derived features that characterise the terminal form Acheloma.Mordex has a combination of primitive and derived characters and its position within the family is less clear. The many ‘branchiosaurs' in the Nýřany assemblage include specimens that could be larvae of both Mordex and Mattauschia but certain attribution is not possible and they are assigned to Olsoniformes incertae sedis. Mordex and Mattauschia appear to be terrestrial exotic elements in the Nýřany tetrapod assemblage, but with possible larvae in the lake assemblage. Representatives of at least four Palaeozoic dissorophoid families were present in late Middle Pennsylvanian/Asturian strata implying diversification of the Dissorophoidea prior to this time.

The second species of the cnemidolestid genus Piesbergopterum from the Upper Carboniferous of Avion, Northern France (Archaeorthoptera: Cnemidolestidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
ANDRÉ NEL ◽  
PATRICK ROQUES
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
Northern France ◽  
The Family ◽  
Triangular Area

The Palaeozoic archaeorthopteran order Cnemidolestodea Handlirsch, 1937 (sensu Béthoux, 2005; not sensu Aristov, 2014) currently comprises only the family Cnemidolestidae Handlirsch, 1906. They are easily characterized by the presence of a more or less triangular area delimited by the vein MA and the first anterior fork of MP+CuA+CuPa, this last vein having several parallel posterior branches. Dvořák et al. (2021) listed the included genera, and described the new genus and species Piesbergopterum punctatum from the Moscovian of Piesberg (Germany), characterized by the presence of a pattern of rounded spots in numerous cells all over the forewings. Nel & Poschmann (in press) noticed that the Cnemidolestidae show an important diversity of patterns of coloration on their forewings, possibly related to cryptic behaviors in the vegetation.

Generic concepts in the Platycrinitidae Austin and Austin, 1842 (class Crinoidea)

2009 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
pp. 694-717 ◽  
Author(s):  
William I. Ausich ◽  
Thomas W. Kammer
Keyword(s):  
Type Species ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Sensu Stricto ◽  
Species Level ◽  
Junior Synonym ◽  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
New Genera ◽  
The Family ◽  
Nomina Dubia ◽  
Stratigraphic Ranges

Platycrinitesis traditionally one of the more recognizable crinoids, a camerate crinoid with very few if any fixed brachials or interradials and a helically twisted column. Accordingly, many taxa have been assigned to this genus. With a better understanding of the Platycrinitidae, these characters actually unite the family Platycrinitidae rather than the genus. Further, use of different genus-diagnostic characters in Western Europe versus North America has resulted in a confused systematics for this important late Paleozoic family. Here, we objectively define genera within the Platycrinitidae and assign all species to either newly defined or newly named genera. A phylogenetic hypothesis, incorporating both parsimony-based character analysis and stratigraphic ranges, of the genera within the Platycrinitidae is presented.With consideration of the type species,Platycrinites laevisMiller, 1821,Platycrinitessensu stricto is distinguished fromPlatycrinitessensu lato, which is used for species that cannot be assigned with confidence to any objectively defined genus. New genera areArtaocrinusn. gen.,Collicrinusn. gen.,Elegantocrinusn. gen., andLaticrinusn. gen.; andExsulacrinusBowsher and Strimple, 1986 is designated a junior synonym ofPlatycrinitess.s.Collicrinus shumardin. gen. and sp.,Laticrinus owenin. gen. and sp., andLaticrinus wachsmuthin. gen. and sp. are described; andPlatycrinites formosus approximatus(Miller and Gurley, 1896a) is designated a junior synonym ofPlatycrinites formosus(Miller and Gurley, 1895a), which is reassigned here toCollicrinusn. gen.Platycrinitess.s. now includes 14 species and species-level taxa, and 76 species are assigned toPlatycrinitess.l. Ten species are designated nomina dubia, as are taxa based solely on columnals or pluricolumnals. Two species are designated nomina nuda, and two are transferred to genera outside of the Platycrinitidae. In addition, twenty-seven species and four open-nomenclature taxa are each reassigned to a different genus.

A new late Paleozoic chondrophorine (Hydrozoa, Velellidae) by-the-wind sailor from Malaysia

1986 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 76-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
George D. Stanley ◽  
Thomas E. Yancey
Keyword(s):  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
Malay Peninsula ◽  
Great Abundance ◽  
Extant Species ◽  
The Family ◽  
The World

A new medusoid hydrozoan,Plectodiscus malayitesn. sp., belonging to the Family Velellidae is described from Carboniferous rocks of the Malay Peninsula. They are preserved as flattened internal float structures or pneumatophores and are the first examples from this part of the world. In contrast to other occurrences, the great abundance of these sailed organisms suggests that, like extant species ofVelella, these organisms were an important component of the pelagic fauna and were at least locally abundant in open seas of the late Paleozoic.

Evolution of shell morphology and suture complexity in Paleozoic prolecanitids, the rootstock of Mesozoic ammonoids

Paleobiology ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-325 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Bruce Saunders ◽  
David M. Work
Keyword(s):  
Fold Increase ◽  
Shell Morphology ◽  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
Lower Carboniferous ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
Septal Thickness ◽  
Shell Geometry ◽  
Short Body ◽  
Buoyancy Control

The ammonoid order Prolecanitida constitutes a relatively small (43 genera, ~250 species) but long-ranging lineage (Lower Carboniferous—Triassic, ~108 m.y.), which narrowly survived the P/Tr extinctions and provided the stock from which were derived all later Mesozoic ammonoids. Prolecanitids were a minority among Late Paleozoic ammonoids, which were dominated by the Goniatitida, and showed many features that set them far apart from their contemporaries, including (1) long-term, gradual changes in shell geometry (W-D-S); (2) the most strongly constrained morphospace of any Paleozoic ammonids examined to date; (3) an eight-fold increase in mean suture complexity (three times that of Pennsylvanian goniatitids); (4) high correlations between shell geometry, shell and septal thickness, and suture complexity; (5) short body chambers and, as a consequence, high aperture orientations; (6) indications that cameral liquid may have been used for buoyancy control; and (7) a genus longevity that averaged 14.7 m.y. compared with 5.7 m.y. in Upper Carboniferous goniatitids, and that appears to have been unrelated to suture complexity. Prolecanitids showed a pervasive tendency to increase suture complexity (in the clade as a whole as well as within subclades and in more than 90 percent of ancestor-descendant genera), thus arguing a case for a driven complexity trend. The uniqueness of the prolecanitids calls into question whether they and their Mesozoic descendants, ceratites and ammonites, were strictly analogous to Paleozoic goniatites.

Revision of the aïstopod genus Phlegethontia (Tetrapoda: Lepospondyli)

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 1029-1046 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason S. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Jugular Foramen ◽  
Foramen Magnum ◽  
Pectoral Girdle ◽  
Parietal Foramen ◽  
The Family ◽  
Mazon Creek ◽  
Related Feature ◽  
Cranial Kinesis ◽  
Potential Mobility ◽  
Sagittal Crest

The aïstopod family Phlegethontiidae is restudied based on new specimens from Pit 11 of Mazon Creek, Illinois, and the coal shales of Nýřany, Czech Republic, as well as most available specimens from North America. Phlegethontiids have highly fenestrate skulls, with orbits placed just anterior their skull's mid point. Dermal skull bones are greatly reduced in number and limited in extent, whereas the endochondral braincase is hyperossified. The frontals are fused medially and enclose the parietal foramen and anterior sagittal crest. As in most other aïstopods, the quadrate, pterygoid, and epipterygoid are fused into a composite bone, the palatoquadrate complex. Details of cranial anatomy contradict a previous model of cranial kinesis by severely limiting the skull's potential mobility. Remnants of the pectoral girdle are present, perhaps due to the presence of an operculum–opercularis-like connection to the stapes. No remnants of the pelvis are present.Three species are recognised within the family. Phlegethontia linearis has short anterior vertebrae, high neural spines on at least the anterior four vertebrae, and vertebrae number between 230–250 in total. Phlegethontia longissima has low neural spines throughout the column, anterior vertebrae that are twice as long as P. linearis, and only 200–210 total vertebrae. Sillerpeton permianum, known from a single braincase and an unassociated string of vertebrae, is distinguished from Phlegethontia by the retention of a separate foramen for the passage of the occulomotor nerve. Phlegethontia “phanerhalpa” is a tiny braincase fragment that differs from the other species of Phlegethontia only in the placement of the jugular foramen relative to the centre of the foramen magnum. This is probably a size-related feature, and P. “phanerhalpa” is considered a nomen dubium.

scholarly journals First North American species of the European genus Archaemegaptilus from the Upper Carboniferous Pottsville Formation of northern Alabama (Palaeodictyoptera: Archaemegaptilidae)

2018 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Roy J. Beckemeyer ◽  
Michael S. Engel
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
North American ◽  
Hind Wing ◽  
North American Species ◽  
Valid Species ◽  
Upper Carboniferous ◽  
The Third ◽  
The Family

A new palaeodictyopteran (Palaeodictyopterida: Palaeodictyoptera) taxon is described based on a nearly complete hind wing found in the Pottsville Formation (Upper Carboniferous) of Bibb County, Alabama.  Archaemegaptilus blakelyi Beckemeyer & Engel, new species, is the sixth insect genus and species described from the Pottsville of Alabama and the second palaeodictyopteran from those deposits.  It is the third valid species assigned to the family Archaemegaptilidae.  Previously known species are A. kiefferi Meunier, from the Commentry of France and A. schloesseri Brauckmann et al., from the Hagen-Vorhalle of Germany.

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