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Late Jurassic marine vertebrates are extraordinarily well preserved in several Plattenkalk Lagerstätten in central Europe. Among them, the Solnhofen Archipelago has yielded the very rare fish Coccolepis bucklandi, which was the first fossil chondrostean to be found in sediments younger than the Triassic. The type specimen of this species was lost, but it was rediscovered recently, prompting the alpha taxonomic revision of this iconic fish. A new species Coccolepis solnhofensis has been identified among the specimens referred to C. bucklandi. The two species differ in the distinctive distribution of scutes and fringing fulcra. Based on the available evidence, C. bucklandi is restricted to the Eichstätt Basin and the Lithacoceras eigeltingense ß Horizon of the Lithacoceras riedense Subzone (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone), and C. solnhofensis sp. nov. is limited to the Solnhofen Basin and the slightly younger Subplanites rueppellianus Subzone (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone). Therefore, the two species are geographically and stratigraphically separated. The diagnosis of Coccolepis is improved with the addition of new characters, and the genus is here restricted to the two early Tithonian species from the Solnhofen Archipelago. Among the four species previously described or referred to Coccolepis, the generic assignment of “Coccolepis” australis and “Coccolepis” liassica, remains unclear. Sunolepis yumenensis is here returned to its original genus, and the new combination Condorlepis woodwardi is proposed for this Early Cretaceous coccolepidid from Australia.

Late Jurassic marine vertebrates are extraordinarily well preserved in several Plattenkalk Lagerstätten in central Europe. Among them, the Solnhofen Archipelago has yielded the very rare fish Coccolepis bucklandi, which was the first fossil chondrostean to be found in sediments younger than the Triassic. The type specimen of this species was lost, but it was rediscovered recently, prompting the alpha taxonomic revision of this iconic fish. A new species Coccolepis solnhofensis has been identified among the specimens referred to C. bucklandi. The two species differ in the distinctive distribution of scutes and fringing fulcra. Based on the available evidence, C. bucklandi is restricted to the Eichstätt Basin and the Lithacoceras eigeltingense ß Horizon of the Lithacoceras riedense Subzone (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone), and C. solnhofensis sp. nov. is limited to the Solnhofen Basin and the slightly younger Subplanites rueppellianus Subzone (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone). Therefore, the two species are geographically and stratigraphically separated. The diagnosis of Coccolepis is improved with the addition of new characters, and the genus is here restricted to the two early Tithonian species from the Solnhofen Archipelago. Among the four species previously described or referred to Coccolepis, the generic assignment of "Coccolepis" australis and "Coccolepis" liassica, remains unclear. Sunolepis yumenensis is here returned to its original genus, and the new combination Condorlepis woodwardi is proposed for this Early Cretaceous coccolepidid from Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to complete the study of the very rich early Tithonian (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone) radiolarian fauna from the Mühlheim Member of the Mörnsheim Formation outcropping in the Solnhofen area, the taxa of the family Saturnalidae are described. Although rather rare, the Saturnalidae of this member contain 14 species, ten of which are new. These species belong to four genera, one of which is new (Moebicircus n. gen.), and two subfamilies (Hexasaturnalinae and Saturnalinae). The taxonomy at generic level of these late Jurassic radiolarians is founded on the basis of the position of the blades along the ring and number and morphology of the spines. Type of spines (simple or forked) has either species level value or none, depending on species. Special attention was given to anomalies, which sometimes are rather frequent, since they can give Information of paleobiological and paleoecological Orders. Among them frequent cases of open ring and additional spines withDicerosaturnalis and Siamese twins skeletons withSpongosaturninus andDicerosaturnalis are to be noted. The authors hope that this new taxonomy will give a better image of the evolution and radiation of the Saturnalidae during the Tithonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]