2019 in paleontology

Flora Plants

Fungi Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesChaetosphaeria elsikiiSp. novValidPound et al.MioceneBrassington FormationA fungus, a species of Chaetosphaeria.Meliolinites neogenicusSp. novValidKhan, Bera & BeraLate Pliocene to early PleistoceneKimin FormationA fungus belonging to the family Meliolaceae.Meliolinites pliocenicusSp. novValidBera, Khan & BeraPlioceneSubansiri FormationA fungus belonging to the family Meliolaceae.Ophiocordyceps dominicanusSp. novValidPoinar & VegaBurdigalianDominican amberA fungus, a species of Ophiocordyceps. Announced in 2019; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2020.OurasphairaGen. et sp. novValidLoron et al.Mesoproterozoic – Neoproterozoic transitionGrassy Bay FormationA process-bearing multicellular eukaryotic microorganism. Argued to be an early fungus by Loron et al. (2019). Genus includes new species O. giraldae.Palaeoglomus strotheriSp. novValidRetallackOrdovician (Darriwilian)Lenoir Formation()Phomites neogenicusSp. novValidVishnu, Khan & Bera in Vishnu et al.NeogeneA fungus similar to members of the genus Phoma.Phomites siwalicusSp. novValidVishnu, Khan & Bera in Vishnu et al.NeogeneA fungus similar to members of the genus Phoma.Polycephalomyces balticaSp. novValidPoinar & VegaPriabonianBaltic amber()A fungus belonging to the family Ophiocordycipitaceae. Announced in 2019; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2020.PriscadvenaGen. et sp. novValidPoinar & VegaLate Cretaceous (Cenomanian)Burmese amberA kickxellomycotine trichomycete in the new order Priscadvenales. Type species P. corymbosa.Prototaxites honeggeriSp. novValidRetallackOrdovician (Darriwilian)Lenoir Formation()Rhexoampullifera stogieanaSp. novValidPound et al.MioceneBrassington FormationA fungus belonging to the group Ascomycota.Rhexoampullifera sufflataSp. novValidPound et al.MioceneBrassington FormationA fungus belonging to the group Ascomycota.

Paleomycological research Fossil sporocarps indistinguishable from sporocarps of members of the extant genus Stemonitis are described from the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar by Rikkinen, Grimaldi & Schmidt (2019). A study on the impact of major historical events such as the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event on the evolution of two major subclasses of lichen-forming fungi (Lecanoromycetidae and Ostropomycetidae) is published by Huang et al. (2019). Description of crustose lichens from European Paleogene amber is published by Kaasalainen et al. (2019). Fungi belonging to the genera Periconia, Penicillium and Scopulariopsis, representing the first and the oldest known fossil record of these taxa, are described from the Eocene Baltic amber by Tischer et al. (2019).

Sponges

Research Sponge spicules and spicule-like structures that probably represent sponge fossils are described from four sections of the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary interval in the Yangtze Gorges (China) by Chang et al. (2019). A study evaluating how distribution patterns of non-lithistid spiculate sponges changed during the Cambrian explosion and the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event is published by Botting & Muir (2019).

New taxa {| class="wikitable sortable" align="center" width="100%" |- ! Name ! Novelty ! Status ! Authors ! Age ! Type locality ! Country ! Notes ! Images

Acanthochaetetes huauclillensis | Sp. nov | Valid | Sánchez-Beristain, García-Barrera & Moreno-Bedmar | Early Cretaceous (late Hauterivian to early Barremian)

A chaetetid sponge.

A member of Protomonaxonida belonging to the family Piraniidae. The type species is "Pirania" auraeum Botting (2007); genus also includes new species A. pinwyddeni, A. pykitia and A. sciurucauda.

A member of Protomonaxonida belonging to the family Piraniidae. The type species is C. canna; genus also includes new species C. vermiformis''', as well as "Pirania" llanfawrensis Botting (2004).

A sponge, possibly a calcareous sponge. The type species is C. pedicula.

A hexactinellid sponge belonging to the family Callodictyonidae.

A hexactinellid sponge belonging to the family Rossellidae.

A member of Stromatoporoidea.

A hexactinellid sponge. Genus includes new species E. carlinslowpensis. Announced in 2019; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2020.

A sponge.

A leptomitid sponge. Genus includes new species J. obconica.

A calcareous sponge belonging to the family Minchinellidae.

A demosponge belonging to the family Pachastrellidae.

A rossellid hexactinellid sponge. Genus includes new species P. sinensis.

A member of Protomonaxonida belonging to the family Piraniidae. The type species is P. gloria.

A member of Protomonaxonida belonging to the family Piraniidae.

A member of Protomonaxonida belonging to the family Piraniidae.

A sponge belonging to the group Protomonaxonida and to the family Leptomitidae. Genus includes new species P. advenus.

A sponge; a new genus for "Stellispongia" subsphaerica Dieci, Antonacci & Zardini (1970).

A sponge of uncertain phylogenetic placement. The type species is V. sinensis.

A vauxiid sponge.

Cnidarians

Research A study on the growth characteristics of three species of Ordovician corals belonging to the genus Agetolites from the Xiazhen Formation (China), and on their implications for inferring phylogenetic relationships of this genus, is published by Sun, Elias & Lee (2019). A study on a large colonial rugose coral from the Ordovician Kope Formation (Kentucky, United States) is published by Harris et al. (2019). A study on the morphology, growth characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of the Silurian tabulate coral Halysites catenularius is published by Liang, Elias & Lee (2019). Fossils of tabulate corals without septa, representing the first evidence that unmetamorphosed, slightly indurated Paleozoic sandstones crop out amidst the deposits of the Atlantic Coastal Plain Province of the United States, are reported from South Carolina by Landmeyer et al. (2019). This finding is strongly disputed because all other rocks of Paleozoic age in the study area are greatly metamorphosed, the rocks where the fossils were found are traditionally mapped as the Cretaceous Middendorf Formation, and it is suggested that the fossils in question are the bark of Cretaceous conifers in Cretaceous sandstone, instead of Paleozoic corals in Paleozoic sandstone. A study aiming to determine whether ecological selection based on physiology, behavior, habitat, etc. played a role in the long-term survival of corals during the late Paleocene and early Eocene is published by Weiss & Martindale (2019). Fossils of Acropora prolifera dating back to the Pleistocene are reported by Precht et al. (2019). A study on the distribution of reef corals during the last interglacial is published by Jones et al. (2019), who also evaluate the utility of fossil reef coral data for predictions of impact of future climate changes on reef corals. A study on a problematic fossil specimen from the Devonian Ponta Grossa Formation (Brazil), assigned by different authors to the species Serpulites sica or Euzebiola clarkei, is published by Van Iten et al. (2019), who interpret this fossil as a medusozoan capable of clonal budding, and transfer it to the genus Sphenothallus. The oldest mesophotic coral ecosystems, dating back to middle Silurian, from the Lower Visby Beds on Gotland have been described by Zapalski & Berkowski. These communities, dominated by platy corals give also clues about the onset of coral-algal symbiosis. Mihaljević (2019) describes new fossil coral collections from the Oligocene and Miocene of Sarawak (Malaysia), Negros Island and Cebu (the Philippines). A study on the anatomy, ontogeny and taxonomy of the Norian hydrozoan Heterastridium, based on data from fossil specimens from central Iran and south Turkey, is published by Senowbari-Daryan & Link (2019).

New taxa Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesAmygdalophylloides omaraiSp. novValidKora, Herbig & El DesoukyCarboniferous (Moscovian)Rod El Hamal FormationA rugose coral.Antillia coatesiSp. novValidBudd & Klaus in Budd et al.Late Miocene–late PlioceneBowden Formation Gurabo Formation Mao Formation Old Bank FormationA coral belonging to the subfamily Mussinae.Aulopora chiharaiSp. novValidNiko, Ibaraki & TazawaDevonianBothrophyllum cylindricumSp. novValidKora, Herbig & El DesoukyCarboniferous (Moscovian)Rod El Hamal FormationA rugose coral.Bothrophyllum suezensisSp. novValidKora, Herbig & El DesoukyCarboniferous (Moscovian)Rod El Hamal FormationA rugose coral.Ceratophyllum simplexSp. novValidLiao & LiangDevonian (Givetian)Wenglai FormationA rugose coral.Conopora alloporoidesSp. novValidCairnsMiocene (Messinian)A member of the family Stylasteridae.Conopora forticulaSp. novValidCairnsMiocene (Messinian)A member of the family Stylasteridae.Crypthelia ingensSp. novValidCairnsMiocene (Messinian)A member of the family Stylasteridae.Crypthelia zibrowiiSp. novValidCairnsMiocene (Messinian)A member of the family Stylasteridae.Cyathophyllum wenglaienseSp. novValidLiao & LiangDevonian (Givetian)Wenglai FormationA rugose coral.Cystiphylloides marennenseSp. novValidCoen-AubertDevonian (Givetian)Mont d'Haurs FormationA rugose coral belonging to the family Cystiphyllidae. Originally described as a species of Cystiphylloides, but subsequently made the type species of the separate genus Marennophyllum.DevonodiscusGen. et 2 sp. et comb. novValidPedderDevonian? ? ?

2019 in paleontology

Bron en licentie