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A new insect fossil from the Late Carboniferous lacustrine deposits of Montceau-les-Mines is attributed to a new genus and species, Montceaupterum baillyi of Euryptilonidae (Grylloblattodea). It is based on forewing venation but it shows also membranous lateral extensions on the pronotum, maybe corresponding to prothoracic winglets. It represents the oldest record of the family, previously known only from the Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of the archaeorthopteran order Caloneurodea are described and illustrated from the Salagou Formation (France) as Lodevogramma pumilia gen. et sp. nov. The particular wing venation of this species precludes its placement within one of the already described families of Caloneurodea. Consequently, the family Lodevogrammatidae fam. nov. is created to accommodate this specimen. A detailed comparison of the new species with other Caloneurodea is provided. This new species differs from all other Caloneurodea because it has: petiolate wings; the area between C and R/RA is very narrow; vein RA ends near the wing apex; vein RP has two branches; the fork of CuP basad the base of M; and two very short anal veins are present. This new species increases the diversity of Caloneurodea in the Salagou Formation and provides additional information on the diversity of the order around the late Capitanian extinction. We compared the diversity of Caloneurodea with that of Megasecoptera, another order with a similar history between the Carboniferous and the Permian, and hypothesized that the decrease in the size of both groups could be an indicator of their declines, possibly related to floral changes, following a pattern similar to that of Permian tetrapods. The decline of Caloneurodea could also be related to the diversification of the Orthoptera during the middle–late Permian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new bethylid wasps from Cenomanian Burmese amber, one tentatively placed in †Protopristocerinae: Cretapristocera longiscapa gen. & sp. nov. and one in †Holopsenellinae: Megalopsenella pouilloni gen. & sp. nov. are described and illustrated here. They provide new data on the Cretaceous diversity of the family and extend the Cenomanian Burmese amber records to six species. We discuss their systematic placements and provide identification keys to species of †Holopsenellinae and †Protopristocerinae to assist future taxonomic studies. We phylogenetically analyse Bethylidae, adding several fossil taxa to a recent study, suggesting a new hypothesis for the relationships between the different subfamilies. We also address the distribution and underestimated diversity of the family during the Cretaceous and the evolution of the venation of their wings. Finally, we discuss the possible misplacement of the families Plumariidae and †Falsiformicidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The limoniid fly Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pouilloni n. sp. Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, is the first fossil insect to be described from Sumatra. On the basis of its wing morphology and venation, it is very similar to the extant Sumatran species Trentepohlia (Mongoma) pennipes (Osten Sacken, 1888), supporting a Miocene rather than older age for the amber. By comparison with the few available data on the biology of the extant species of the subgenus Mongoma, it probably lived in a warm and humid forest where it was trapped in dipterocarpacean resin. The wide Cenozoic distribution of the subgenus Mongoma in Europe and South-East Asia is in accordance with its extant circumtropical distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new damselfly genus and speciesValerea multicellulatais described from the Paleocene of Menat (France), a Lagerstatte with many fossil insects, plants and vertebrates with high paleontological value. Aquatic insects are very scarce in this outcrop, this damselfly being the fourth described Odonata. Its closest modern relatives belong to the Amphipterygidae or the Devadattidae, families with very narrow tropical extant distributions. This new fossil allows us to confirm the tropical affinities of the odonatan fauna of the Menat paleolake communities. It also shows that the amphipterygids were clearly more widespread during the Paleogene than today, probably in relation to the worldwide warm and equable climate in the Paleocene. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3F631097-DE0B-40FA8227-9C12F55DBAB4 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New material of the dipnoan genus Sagenodus is described from the Carboniferous Lagerstätte of Montceau-les-Mines, Massif Central, France. This is the first occurrence of this lungfish in France, thus enlarging its worldwide distribution; and the first occurrence of a lungfish in Montceau-les-Mines, thus increasing the vertebrate taxa list of this Lagerstätte. This material is Stephanian B in age, the previously established geological range of this Euramerican genus. Remains consist of skull, lower jaw, operculum, and shoulder girdle elements closely set together with several ribs. This material, here considered as belonging to a single disarticulated specimen, shows strong affinities with the material of Sagenodus sp. from Germany and appears significantly different from all other known species of Sagenodus by the shape and ridge pattern of the upper tooth plate. However, this new material can only be attributed to Sagenodus sp. due to its incompleteness. In the literature, Montceau-les-Mines is either interpreted as a freshwater environment or as a coastal marine to marine-influenced environment. As Sagenodus is a euryhaline genus; its presence in this locality does not bring arguments to one or the other assumption. The strong affinities, existing between the material from France and Germany, indicate that there were solid hydrographic links between both basins during the Stephanian B–Upper Rotliegend period. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A new dictyoneurid insect, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. from the Latest Ghzelian – Asselian basin of Graissessac (Hérault, France) is described in details. It is represented by a well-preserved specimen with wings of 32–35 mm long and 13–14 mm wide and other peculiar diagnostic characters such an MP with four branches and a CuP with three branches. As all the other Dictyoneura species are known from the Namurian and/or the Wesphalian, Dictyoneura goujonorum n. sp. is the youngest representative of the genus. It is also the first record of the order Palaeodictyoptera from the Graissessac basin. The Carboniferous-Permian palaeodictyopterans are well-known to have lived in rather humid swamp forests. The global warming and drying of the climate during the Permian and/or the rise of potential predators may be responsible of their extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four complete isolated neurocrania excavated during the nineteenth century in the Autun Basin (Saône-et-Loire, France) were used by Heyler & Poplin (1982) to erect two species: the symmoriiform Bibractopiscis niger and the xenacanthiform Orthacanthus commailli. However, the specimens have not been mechanically prepared and only a portion of their anatomy is available, complicating their systematic attribution. We revise their systematic status by using X-ray computed microtomography and new comparative material from the Bourbon l'Archambault Basin (Allier, France). This method allows access to the hidden anatomy of the specimens and new systematic revision: we propose O. commailli to be left in open nomenclature as ?Xenacanthimorpha. The specimens attributed to B. niger encompass two distinct morphologies: the holotype, one paratype and a neurocranium from the Bourbon l'Archambault Basin are identified as cf. Triodus sp. The last paratype is left in open nomenclature as 'Ctenacanthiformes' indet. We included these neurocrania in geometric morphometric and cladistic analyses of a large sample of Palaeozoic chondrichthyans. Based on the results we propose an evolutionary scenario for the neurocranial transition between the orders 'Ctenacanthiformes' and Xenacanthiformes. This transition mostly affects the ethmo-orbital region. The revision of the diversity of these chondrichthyan faunas calls into question potential differences in trophic structures between the different European Carboniferous–Permian basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Full body impressions and resting traces of Hexapoda can be of extreme importance because they bring crucial information on behavior and locomotion of the trace makers, and help to better define trophic relationships with other organisms (predators or preys). However, these ichnofossils are much rarer than trackways, especially for winged insects. Here we describe a new full-body impression of a winged insect from the Middle Permian of Gonfaron (Var, France) whose preservation is exceptional. The elongate body with short prothorax and legs and long wings overlapping the body might suggests a plant mimicry as for some extant stick insects. These innovations are probably in relation with an increasing predation pressure by terrestrial vertebrates, whose trackways are abundant in the same layers. This discovery would possibly support the recent age estimates for the appearance of phasmatodean-like stick insects, nearly 30 million years older than the previous putative records. The new exquisite specimen is fossilized on a slab with weak ripple-marks, suggesting the action of microbial mats favoring the preservation of its delicate structures. Further prospections in sites with this type of preservation could enrich our understanding of early evolutionary history of insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ponerine ant Anochetus miosumatrensis Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, n. sp. is described from a fossil alate female preserved in amber of Sumatra which is reputedly of Miocene age. On the basis of the general morphology, the fossil could be attributed to the extant Sumatran species group risii Brown, 1978. By comparing with the living environment of the extant species, this ant probably lived in a warm humid forest where it was trapped in dipterocarpacean resin during nuptial flight. Until now, the known Cenozoic distribution of the genus Anochetus was restricted to the Neotropical region. Thus A. miosumatrensis Ngô-Muller, Garrouste & Nel, n. sp. brings the first record of the genus from Indomalaya biogeographic region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palaeoecology of the Xenacanthiformes (Chondrichthyes) is still a matter of discussion. Historically considered as freshwater organisms, hypotheses of euryhaline ecology including migratory behaviour were recently proposed based on the histology of their dorsal spines. However, recent studies still argued for a full freshwater ecology based on the geochemical compositions of their teeth. Their ecology is particularly interesting to investigate for those coming from the environmentally ambiguous Early Permian intra-mountainous localities of Buxières-les-Mines (Bourbon-l'Archambault Basin, Allier) and the Muse oil-shale bed (OSB) (Autun Basin, Saône-et-Loire) from the French Massif central. These two localities were interpreted as freshwater settings but doubts on marine influences exist. To assess their palaeoenvironment and the palaeoecology settings based on xenacanthiforms occurrences, we have analysed the stable isotope compositions (δ18O, δ13C and δ34S) of the bioapatite of their vertebrate faunas. From these stable isotope compositions, we interpret that Buxières-les-Mines was a large and deep freshwater lake, equivalent to the modern Indonesian Lake Matano, whereas the Muse OSB is interpreted as a shallow tropical lake with drying events, equivalent to the Lake Punta Laguna in Amazonia or the Lake Tanganyika in Africa. The oxygen isotope compositions of the xenacanth dorsal spines of Buxières-les-Mines are relatively constant from the apex to the base. Such uniform isotopic compositions recorded during the life of xenacanths support either their sedentary lifestyle or stenohalinity. The apparent ability of small xenacanthiforms to endure drying up, as shown by the variations in isotope composition of the Muse OSB specimens, could explain their resilience during the Early Permian whereas Carboniferous xenacanthiforms occurring in large lake and river systems almost disappeared. • The palaeoecology of Early Permian xenacanths of two French localities is studied. • The oxygen, carbon and sulfur contents of apatite reconstruct their environment. • Xenacanths could be sedentary in freshwater environments without marine influence. • The distribution of large and small xenacanths is linked to ecological differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guadalupian was a key epoch for the evolution of tetrapod faunas. It includes the earliest unambiguous occurrences of therapsids and stereospondyls (groups that later became dominant in terrestrial and freshwater environments, respectively) and the late Capitanian mass extinction event. The low-latitude faunas from this time interval, where sufficiently dated, comprise rare tetrapod body fossils whereas the most complete records are provided by ichnoassociations, especially coming from the Provence basins of France. In this paper, we revise the tetrapod ichnoassociation from the Pélitique Formation of the Le Luc Basin of Provence, identifying the following tetrapod ichnotaxa: Batrachichnus salamandroides (temnospondyls/lepospondyls), Capitosauroides talus comb. nov. (therocephalian therapsids), Dicynodontipus isp. (cynodont therapsids), Varanopus isp. (bolosaurian parareptiles), Hyloidichnus bifurcatus (captorhinomorph eureptiles) and Rhynchosauroides isp. (neodiapsid eureptiles). According to our revised ichnotaxonomy and stratigraphic correlations, we date the Pélitique Formation as late Capitanian and assign its tetrapod ichnoassociation to the newly defined Association V (Dicynodontipus sub-biochron of the Erpetopus biochron). The Pélitique Formation ichnoassociation shows a typical composition for a post-dinocephalian extinction ichnofauna, as shown by preliminary multivariate statistics on Guadalupian–Lopingian tetrapod ichnoassociations. It is similar to the contemporaneous skeletal faunas described from the mid- to high-latitude sites of Russia and South Africa and is arguably the earliest evidence of post-dinocephalian extinction recovery at low-latitudes. Our results confirm the global and abrupt impact of the late Capitanian terrestrial mass extinction and the subsequent recovery in the low-latitude realm. This extinction was probably time-equivalent with a global benthic marine mass extinction, and both events may have been linked to climatic perturbation caused by the Emeishian volcanic activity in China, which reached its peak around 260 Ma. • Revision of tetrapod tracks and stratigraphy of the Pélitique Formation of France • Introduction of Assemblage V and Dicynodontipus sub-biochron • Earliest post Capitanian-extinction faunal assemblage of low-latitudes • The late Capitanian dinocephalian extinction is a global synchronous event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]