Flora Plants
Fungi Newly named fungi NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesMeliolinites bhutanensisSp. novIn pressBera et al.Miocene-PlioceneA member of the family Meliolaceae.Zygosporium miochinensisSp. novBera et al.PlioceneA member of Xylariales belonging to the family Zygosporiaceae.Zygosporium oligocenicumSp. novWorobiec in Worobiec & ErdeiOligoceneA member of Xylariales belonging to the family Zygosporiaceae.Zygosporium palaeotuberculatumSp. novBera et al.Miocene-PlioceneA member of Xylariales belonging to the family Zygosporiaceae.
Mycological research A study on the anatomy of specimens of Prototaxites from the Heider quarry in Germany and the Bordeaux quarry in Canada is published by Vajda et al. (2022), who interpret specimens of Prototaxites as fungi and as rhizomorphs. Yang et al. (2022) describe new fossil material of Daohugouthallus ciliiferus from the Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation (China), providing evidence that this macrolichen inhabited a gymnosperm branch, and name a new family Daohugouthallaceae placed within the class Lecanoromycetes.
"Algae" NameNoveltyStatusAuthorsAgeType localityLocationNotesImagesAmsassia talimuensisSp. novValidShen, Liu & WuOrdovicianLianglitage FormationA calcareous organism, probably a green alga with affinities to Cladophora.CalathophycusGen. et sp. novValidTang in Tang et al.Cambrian (Fortunian)Kuanchuanpu FormationProbably a eukaryotic multicellular alga of uncertain affinities. Genus includes new species C. irregulatus.Jiuqunaoella sergeeviiSp. novSingh & SharmaMesoproterozoicSinghora GroupA multicellular eukaryote, probably an alga.PalaeoscytosiphonGen. et sp. novSingh & SharmaMesoproterozoicSinghora GroupA multicellular eukaryote, probably a brown alga. Genus includes new species P. shuklaii.QingjiangthallusGen. et sp. novLi & Zhang in Li et al.Cambrian Stage 3Shuijingtuo FormationA red alga, possibly a member of the family Florideophyceae. Genus includes new species Q. cystocarpium.ReptamsassiaGen. et 2 sp. novValidLee, Elias & PrattOrdovician (Floian)Boat Harbour Formation()A calcareous alga (possibly green alga) related to Amsassia. Genus includes new species R. divergens and R. minuta.
Floral research Sforna et al. (2022) report the discovery of bound nickel-tetrapyrrole moieties preserved within cells of a ~1-billion-years-old eukaryote Arctacellularia tetragonala from the BII Group of the Mbuji-Mayi Supergroup (Democratic Republic of the Congo), identify the tetrapyrrole moieties as chlorophyll derivatives, and interpret A. tetragonala as one of the earliest known multicellular algae. A study on the mode of preservation of macroalgae and associated filamentous microfossils from the Tonian Dolores Creek Formation (Yukon, Canada) is published by Maloney et al. (2022). Li et al. (2022) study the morphology and growth features of Gesinella, and interpret this organism as a likely eukaryotic macroalga and a benthic metaphyte. Retallack (2022) argues that Late Silurian and Early Devonian nematophytes would have towered over land plants from the same fossil plant assemblages, including vascular plant trees, that nematophytes were branched and formed closed canopies, that there were extensive networks of nutrient-gathering glomeromycotan mycorrhizae in Ordovician to Devonian paleosols, and that the environment with nematophytes as the tallest elements of terrestrial vegetation and soils riddled with mycorrhizae may have nurtured, sheltered and facilitated the evolution of early land plants.
Cnidarians Newly named cnidarians Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes ImagesAcropora suwanneensisSp. novValidWallace & PortellEarly OligoceneSuwannee Limestone()A species of Acropora.Acropora upchurchiSp. novValidWallace & PortellEarly OligoceneSuwannee Limestone()A species of Acropora.Arctophyllum shuangjingzienseSp. novYang et al.Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian)A rugose coral.AuroraluminaGen. et sp. novValidDunn et al.EdiacaranBradgate FormationA stem-medusozoan. The type species is A. attenboroughii.Corwenia tirhelensisSp. novIn pressRodríguez et al.Carboniferous (Bashkirian)Tirhela FormationA rugose coral belonging to the family Aulophyllidae.Glyptoconularia antiatlasicaSp. novValidVan Iten, Gutiérrez-Marco & CournoyerOrdovician (Darriwilian)Taddrist FormationA conulariid.Gracilopora delicataSp. novValidNikoDevonian (Givetian)Naidaijin FormationA coral belonging to the group Favositida and the family Pachyporidae.Grypophyllum schroederiSp. novValidCoen-AubertDevonian (Givetian)Dreimühlen FormationA rugose coral belonging to the family Ptenophyllidae.Heterocyathus filkorniSp. novIn pressVideira-Santos, Tobin & SchefflerLate Cretaceous (Santonian to Campanian)Santa Marta FormationAntarcticaA species of Heterocyathus.?Holoconularia rossicaSp. novVan Iten, Mironenko & VinnCarboniferous (Serpukhovian)Gurovo FormationA conulariid.IlankirusGen. et sp. novValidSarsembaev & MarusinCambrian Stage 2A conulariid. Genus includes new species I. kessyusensis.Klaamannipora densitabulataSp. novValidNikoDevonian (Givetian)Naidaijin FormationA coral belonging to the group Favositida and the family Favositidae.LafustalcyonGen. et sp. novIn pressDenayer et al.Carboniferous (Serpukhovian)An alcyonacean octocoral. Genus includes new species L. vachardi.Macgeea mistiaeniSp. novValidCoen-AubertDevonian (Givetian)Dreimühlen FormationA rugose coral belonging to the family Phillipsastreidae.MarennophyllumGen. et comb. et sp. novValidCoen-AubertDevonian (Givetian)Mont d'Haurs FormationA rugose coral belonging to the family Cystiphyllidae. The type species is "Cystiphylloides" marennense Coen-Aubert (2019); genus also includes "Paralytophyllum" praecipuum Wedekind & Vollbrecht (1931), as well as new species M. wenningi.Octapyrgites denticulusSp. novValidYong et al.CambrianKuanchuanpu FormationA microscopic, sedentary medusozoan.Paraconularia ediacaraSp. novLeme, Van Iten & SimõesLatest EdiacaranTamengo FormationThe earliest so far confirmed conulariid cnidarian.Pinacopora balticaSp. novValidPlusquellec, Eyzenga & van KeulenOrdovician (Katian)A tabulate coral belonging to the group Heliolitida and the family Proporidae.Pseudofavosites asoensisSp. novValidNikoDevonian (Givetian)Naidaijin FormationA coral belonging to the group Favositida and the family Pseudofavositidae.RayaphylliaGen. et sp. et comb. novValidLöserCretaceousSan Juan Raya Formation? A stony coral belonging to the superfamily Misistelloidea and the family Rayasmiliidae. The type species is R. atheca; genus also includes "Thecosmilia" distefanoi Prever (1909) and possibly also "Montlivaltoides" ngariensis He & Xiao (1990).RayasmiliaGen. et sp. et comb. novValidLöserLate Jurassic to Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)San Juan Raya FormationCrimeaA stony coral belonging to the superfamily Misistelloidea, the type genus of the new family Rayasmiliidae. The type species is R. salvata; genus also includes multiple species formerly assigned to the genera Aulophyllia, Axosmilia, Coelosmilia, Lophosmilia, Peplosmilia, Pleurosmilia, Rhipidosmilia, Saltocyathus, Sphenotrochus and Thecosmilia.SemenomalophylliaGen. novIn pressDenayer et al.Carboniferous (Serpukhovian)A colonial heterocoral. Genus includes S. herbigi, S. perretae, S. weyeri and S. webbi.Septuconularia crassiformisSp. novValidSong et al.Cambrian Stage 2Yanjiahe FormationA member of the family Hexangulaconulariidae.SonoraphylliaGen. et sp. et comb. novValidLöserLate Jurassic (Tithonian) to Cretaceous (Albian, possibly also Cenomanian)Cerro de Oro Formation?A stony coral belonging to the superfamily Misistelloidea and the family Rayasmiliidae. The type species is S. aurea; genus also includes "Aplophyllia" marini Bataller (1947), "Aplosmilia" tolmachoffana Wells (1932), "Placophyllia" baingoinensis Wang, Sun, Wang, Zheng, Yue & Liao (2020), "Placophyllia" bandeli Baron-Szabo (1998), "Placophyllia" florosa Eliášová (1976), and "Thecosmilia" hideshimaensis Eguchi (1951).Stephanocyathus (Stephanocyathus) taguchiiSp. novValidNiko & SuzukiMioceneTakakura FormationA caryophylloid coral.Stylomaeandra neuquensisSp. novIn pressGarberoglio, Löser & LazoEarly Cretaceous (Valanginian–Hauterivian)Agrio FormationA stony coral belonging to the family Latomeandridae.Syringopora paraconfertaSp. novValidOharCarboniferous (Mississippian)A tabulate coral.Thamnopora miyamotoiSp. novValidNikoDevonian (Givetian)Naidaijin FormationA coral belonging to the group Favositida and the family Pachyporidae.Thamnoptychia tanimotoiSp. novValidNikoDevonian (Givetian)Naidaijin FormationA coral belonging to the group Favositida and the family Pachyporidae.
Cnidarian research A study on the taphonomy and systematics of conulariid specimens from the Silurian (Telychian) Waukesha Lagerstätte (Wisconsin, United States) is published by Miller et al. (2022). Wang et al. (2022) describe phosphatized muscle fibers preserved in three dimensions in post-embryonic stages of olivooids from the Cambrian (Fortunian) Kuanchuanpu Formation (China) – representing the oldest occurrence of muscle tissue in cnidarians, and in animals in general, reported to date – and evaluate the implications of this finding and fossil evidence from ecdysozoans for the knowledge of the evolution of the muscle systems of early animals. Zhang et al. (2022) describe the first known soft tissues of Gangtoucunia aspera, and interpret this taxon as a total group medusozoan. A study on changes in the functional diversity of tabulate coral assemblages across the Devonian and early Carboniferous, and on their implications for the knowledge of the impact of extinction events from this time period on tabulate corals, is published by Bridge et al. (2022). A study on the interactions between conulariid specimens, and attached epibionts from the Silurian (Telychian) Waukesha Lagerstätte (Wisconsin, United States) is published by April et al. (2022).
Arthropods
Bryozoans New named bryozoans