Vol 51, No 7 (2017)

The Early Triassic is a critical interval for the study of recovery from the terminal Permian mass extinction, as there are small-scale extinction events, which may have contributed to the delayed recovery. The systematic measuring and sampling of a 12-m-thick section at the Mokrice locality in eastern Slovenia has resulted in the recovery of a conodont fauna from the Olenekian beds. Four conodont zones have been recognized. These zones are in ascending order as follows: the Hadrodontina aequabilis Zone, Platyvillosus corniger Zone, Platyvillosus regularis Zone, and Triassospathodus hungaricus Zone. These conodont zones confirm the proposed conodont biozonation sequence in western Slovenia and have correlation value especially for the western marginal Tethys. Multielement conodont apparatuses of Triassospathodus hungaricus and Platyvillosus regularis have been reconstructed based on conodont elements that were recently obtained from the Slovenian sections. Although the S₂element was not found, the apparatus indicates that the conodont species “Spathognathodus” hungaricus should be assigned to the genus Triassospathodus.

New Late Viséan and Early Serpukhovian ammonoids are described from the Verkhnyaya Kardailovka section (South Urals, Bashkortostan). The ammonoid assemblages allow the recognition of the Hypergoniatites−Ferganoceras Genozone and a correlation with the synchronous zonations of North Africa, Spain, and China. The new species Ferganoceras constrictum sp. nov., Dombarites clemens sp. nov., and Hypergoniatites kardailovkensis sp. nov. are described.

The brachiopods (e.g., Heterelasma sp. nov., Uniplicatorhynchia sp. nov., Quadratirhynchia sp., and Sphriganaria sp.) discovered from the Olenekian deposits of the Kamenushka River basin and Russky Island, South Primorye, allow refining the information on the stratigraphic range of the relevant families and recovery of the biota after the Late Permian mass extinction. A new terebratulid genus, Bittnerithyris gen. nov., and a new rhynchonellid species, Piarorhynchella tazawai sp. nov., are established.

The Lampertice Member in the Žacléř coalfield represents the long-term coal-bearing deposition of nearly all Upper Bashkitian (Namurian to Ducmantian). Nearly the whole thickness, more than 600 m was revealed during the construction of the Jan pit of the Jan Šverma coal mine during 1958–1962. Z. Rieger collected stratigraphically determined plant remains for later evaluation and he also sampled individual coal seams. The plant material was evaluated again and four coal samples were macerated for cuticles to expand our knowledge of Žacléř flora. The following local biozones are valid for the Lampertice Member. The Namutian (Yeadonian) Mariopteris glabra Zone lasts from the basal coal-barren rocks till lower coal seam 17 (there are 24 lower coal seams). The Langsettian is crowed by the LAD of Neuralethopteris schlehanii (Stur) Laveine at upper coal seam 20 (there are 32 upper coal seams). The Langsettian can be divided into the upper and lower parts by FAD of Lonchopteris Brongniart at about lower coal seam 8. The Upper Duckmantian is defined by the FAD of Linopteris neuropteroides Gutbier forma major Potonié from about upper coal seam 11 upwards. The results of cuticular analysis are as follows: Undeterminable cuticles with polygonal or tetragonal, randomly or parallel oriented cells dominate. Such cuticles predominantly belong to seeds. Cordaitalean cuticles are common in three of four samples. They are assigned to the genera Cordaites Unger, Cordaadaxicutis Šimůnek et Florjan, and Cordaabaxicutis Šimůnek et Florjan. Pteridosperm cuticles are very rare—Silesiacutis prosenchymatica Roselt et Schneider and undetermined cuticles with probably neuropterid cyclopterid affinity.

The history of the study and review of generic and species diversity of Mesozoic rissoid gastropods are provided. The generic composition of Jurassic rissoid gastropods is revised, so that it is proposed to regard them as the family Rissoidae, comprising the genera Bralitzia, Buvignieria, Palaeoceratia, and Palaeorissoina. It is tentatively proposed to assign the genus Hudlestoniella to Rissoidae; this is caused by insufficient morphological knowledge of this genus. The family Palaeorissoidae is regarded as a synonym of Rissoidae. Stratigraphical and geographical distribution of Rissoidae genera is reviewed. From the Jurassic of European Russia, the following species of the genus Buvignieria are described: B. calloviana Gründel, B. imminuera Gründel, B. paucicostata Gründel, B. eichwaldiana (Rouillier), B. choroshovensis Gerasimov, and B. gruendeli sp. nov. The morphological characteristics and stratigraphical distribution of these species are provided. Based on extensive material, the taxonomic significance of particular conchological characters for the establishment of species is discussed.