Search

We describe the thecideid brachiopod Praelacazella wetherelli (Morris, 1851) from the lower Maastrichtian Korojon Formation in the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. This is the first documented record of Praelacazella wetherelli from the Southern Hemisphere, suggesting that the species was cosmopolitan in distribution during the Late Cretaceous. Three possible long-distance migration routes are discussed.

We describe the thecideid brachiopod Praelacazella wetherelli (Morris, 1851) from the lower Maastrichtian Korojon Formation in the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. This is the first documented record of Praelacazella wetherelli from the Southern Hemisphere, suggesting that the species was cosmopolitan in distribution during the Late Cretaceous. Three possible long-distance migration routes are discussed.

A new genus and species of stromateiform fish, Butyrumichthys henricii gen. et sp. nov., from the Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark is described. The description is based on six well-preserved, almost complete articulated skeletons plus a well-preserved head. All the specimens originate from the carbonate concretion horizons of the Fur Formation. The fossils were investigated also through element-mapping of strontium and phosphorus using a micro-XRF spectrometer in order to expose and enhance the skeletal anatomy. Butyrumichthys gen. nov. exhibits a unique combination of characters that support its recognition as a new stromateoiform genus, including jaws with uniserially arranged, small conical teeth, preopercle with at least 15 prominent spines, 37–38 (17–18 + 20) vertebrae, dorsal fin with 5–6 weak spines and 27–28 soft rays, and anal fin with two spines and 19–20 soft rays. The new fossil stromateoid described herein shows several morphological similarities to certain species of the genus Schedophilus Cocco, 1839, especially S. pemarco (Poll, 1959) and S. medusophagus (Cocco, 1839), and is tentatively referred to the family Centrolophidae. The exceptionally preserved fossil fishes of the Fur Formation increase our knowledge of the diversity of Paleogene marine teleosts, also providing some of the earliest occurrences of modern lineages based on articulated skeletal remains, including that of the stromateiforms.

The earliest Eocene (Ypresian) Fur Formation (Denmark) is globally renowned for its exceptionally well-preserved fossils, including birds, sea turtles, insects, plants, and fishes. Fishes, albeit abundant and diverse, however, are only superficially known and very few detailed, taxonomic studies have been realized to date. A new polymixiiform fish, Polyspinatus fluere gen. et sp. nov., from the Fur Formation is described based on seven well-preserved, nearly complete specimens. All the specimens were studied by traditional stereomicroscopy, and by micro-X-ray fluorescence-element mapping. Digital 2D-element images of strontium-, phosphorus-, and calcium distributions of each specimen were directly applied for the taxonomic descriptions presented herein. Polyspinatus fluere gen. et sp. nov. is the first known Eocene record of the family Polymixiidae based on articulated skeletal remains. Polyspinatus gen. nov. exhibits a unique combination of characters that support its recognition as a new genus of the Polymixiidae. Its specialized hyoid apparatus with the first and second branchiostegal rays being sinuous and parallel to each other, and the third being wide and plate-like, followed by four saber-like elements, is strikingly similar to that of Polymixia, supporting a possible sister-group relationship with extant beardfishes.

A conger eel (Anguilliformes, Congridae) is described from the lower Lutetianconcretionary nodules of the Lillebælt Clay Formation exposed at Trelde Næs,eastern Jutland, based on two partially complete articulated cranial skeletons. Oneof the cranial specimens exhibits an otolith void from which a cast was taken, usedby Schwarzhans (2007) to describe the extinct Pseudoxenomystax treldeensis, whichis placed herein within the new genus Smithconger gen. nov. Smithconger treldeensis(Schwarzhans, 2007) is characterized by well-developed lateral processes on the fron-tals, supraoccipital crest absent, sphenotic spine rather large, anteriorly pointed andexposed on the flattened surface of the skull roof, otic bullae considerably reduced,maxilla almost straight and distally pointed, maxillary and dentary teeth numerousand arranged in multiple rows, dentary with slightly convex ventral profile, operclewith smooth posterior margin and subopercle short. The otoliths of Smithconger trel-deensis show high dorsal rim, broad and deep dorsal depression, no ventral furrow,sulcus straight, shallow, centrally positioned with anteriorly reduced colliculum, andostial channel at anterior tip of colliculum short, not reaching the predorsal rim. Theotolith-based species Bathycongrus waihaoensis Schwarzhans, 2019 from the Kaiatan(Bartonian/Priabonian) of New Zealand is also assigned to the genus Smithconger.Smithconger is tentatively referred to the congrid subfamily Congrinae due to the lackof hypohyals in the hyoid bar. This new Eocene genus of conger eel shows a certaindegree of similarity with the extant Bassanago. The diversity and relationships ofother Eocene congrids is also briefly discussed

A conger eel (Anguilliformes, Congridae) is described from the lower Lutetianconcretionary nodules of the Lillebælt Clay Formation exposed at Trelde Næs,eastern Jutland, based on two partially complete articulated cranial skeletons. Oneof the cranial specimens exhibits an otolith void from which a cast was taken, usedby Schwarzhans (2007) to describe the extinct Pseudoxenomystax treldeensis, whichis placed herein within the new genus Smithconger gen. nov. Smithconger treldeensis(Schwarzhans, 2007) is characterized by well-developed lateral processes on the fron-tals, supraoccipital crest absent, sphenotic spine rather large, anteriorly pointed andexposed on the flattened surface of the skull roof, otic bullae considerably reduced,maxilla almost straight and distally pointed, maxillary and dentary teeth numerousand arranged in multiple rows, dentary with slightly convex ventral profile, operclewith smooth posterior margin and subopercle short. The otoliths of Smithconger trel-deensis show high dorsal rim, broad and deep dorsal depression, no ventral furrow,sulcus straight, shallow, centrally positioned with anteriorly reduced colliculum, andostial channel at anterior tip of colliculum short, not reaching the predorsal rim. Theotolith-based species Bathycongrus waihaoensis Schwarzhans, 2019 from the Kaiatan(Bartonian/Priabonian) of New Zealand is also assigned to the genus Smithconger.Smithconger is tentatively referred to the congrid subfamily Congrinae due to the lackof hypohyals in the hyoid bar. This new Eocene genus of conger eel shows a certaindegree of similarity with the extant Bassanago. The diversity and relationships ofother Eocene congrids is also briefly discussed

Simple Summary: Injured European hedgehogs are frequently admitted to hedgehog rehabilitation centres with different types of cuts and injuries. Although not rigorously quantified, a growing concern is that an increasing number of cases may have been caused by robotic lawn mowers. Research indicates that European hedgehogs are in decline. It is therefore important to identify and investigate the factors responsible for this decline to improve the conservation initiatives directed at this species. Because hedgehogs are increasingly associated with human habitation, it seems likely that numerous individuals will encounter several robotic lawn mowers during their lifetimes. Consequently, this study aimed to describe and quantify the effects of robotic lawn mowers on hedgehogs, and we tested 18 robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead hedgehogs. Some models caused extensive damage to the dead hedgehogs, but there were noteworthy differences in the degree of harm inflicted, with some consistently causing no damage. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dead, dependent juvenile hedgehogs, and no models could detect the hedgehog cadavers without physical interaction. We therefore encourage future collaboration with the manufacturers of robotic lawn mowers to improve the safety for hedgehogs and other garden wildlife species.We tested the effects of 18 models of robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead European hedgehogs and quantified the results into six damage categories. All models were tested on four weight classes of hedgehogs, each placed in three different positions. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dependent juvenile hedgehogs (

Simple Summary: Injured European hedgehogs are frequently admitted to hedgehog rehabilitation centres with different types of cuts and injuries. Although not rigorously quantified, a growing concern is that an increasing number of cases may have been caused by robotic lawn mowers. Research indicates that European hedgehogs are in decline. It is therefore important to identify and investigate the factors responsible for this decline to improve the conservation initiatives directed at this species. Because hedgehogs are increasingly associated with human habitation, it seems likely that numerous individuals will encounter several robotic lawn mowers during their lifetimes. Consequently, this study aimed to describe and quantify the effects of robotic lawn mowers on hedgehogs, and we tested 18 robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead hedgehogs. Some models caused extensive damage to the dead hedgehogs, but there were noteworthy differences in the degree of harm inflicted, with some consistently causing no damage. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dead, dependent juvenile hedgehogs, and no models could detect the hedgehog cadavers without physical interaction. We therefore encourage future collaboration with the manufacturers of robotic lawn mowers to improve the safety for hedgehogs and other garden wildlife species.We tested the effects of 18 models of robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead European hedgehogs and quantified the results into six damage categories. All models were tested on four weight classes of hedgehogs, each placed in three different positions. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dependent juvenile hedgehogs (

Only few of the brachiopod species that lived in the Late Cretaceous Chalk Sea of northern Europe survived the mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary. However, a rich brachiopod fauna rapidly evolved from the survivors and most of the vacant niches were filled in by the middle Danian when a large cool-water, subphotic coral-bryozoan mound complex was developed at Faxe in the eastern part of the Danish Basin. The brachiopod fauna of the complex comprises 17 species dominated by micromorphic species of similar types as those known from the Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian chalk from the same region. All species are found in the coral mound facies and six of the species are restricted to this facies. Large-sized species are rare both in terms of species numbers and abundance. One species is adapted to a life between the branches of the cool-water hexacorals Dendrophyllia candelabrum and Oculina becki. Secondarily free-living species are close to absent. This is in contrast to the Maastrichtian chalk fauna where this group includes 10 species (~24% of the total brachiopod fauna). The otherwise great similarity in morphological adaptations in the brachiopods from the Maastrichtian chalk and the Danian coral mounds is remarkable and somewhat surprising as the latter almost lacks soft substrates. The Danian brachiopod fauna essentially represents a continuation of the Maastrichtian fauna, but in a very different habitat. The similarity between the two faunas is explained by the abundance of small, hard substrates, notably bryozoans in both environments. The brachiopods from Faxe are one of the very few ancient examples of a rich brachiopod fauna from a coral mound environment.

Only few of the brachiopod species that lived in the Late Cretaceous Chalk Sea of northern Europe survived the mass extinction at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary. However, a rich brachiopod fauna rapidly evolved from the survivors and most of the vacant niches were filled in by the middle Danian when a large cool-water, subphotic coral-bryozoan mound complex was developed at Faxe in the eastern part of the Danish Basin. The brachiopod fauna of the complex comprises 17 species dominated by micromorphic species of similar types as those known from the Upper Cretaceous, Maastrichtian chalk from the same region. All species are found in the coral mound facies and six of the species are restricted to this facies. Large-sized species are rare both in terms of species numbers and abundance. One species is adapted to a life between the branches of the cool-water hexacorals Dendrophyllia candelabrum and Oculina becki. Secondarily free-living species are close to absent. This is in contrast to the Maastrichtian chalk fauna where this group includes 10 species (~24% of the total brachiopod fauna). The otherwise great similarity in morphological adaptations in the brachiopods from the Maastrichtian chalk and the Danian coral mounds is remarkable and somewhat surprising as the latter almost lacks soft substrates. The Danian brachiopod fauna essentially represents a continuation of the Maastrichtian fauna, but in a very different habitat. The similarity between the two faunas is explained by the abundance of small, hard substrates, notably bryozoans in both environments. The brachiopods from Faxe are one of the very few ancient examples of a rich brachiopod fauna from a coral mound environment.