Vol 52, No 5 (2018)

Three new species of Crassatellidae: Crassatella ballista sp. nov., C. calva sp. nov., and Eucrassatella depulsoris sp. nov. from the Middle Eocene deposits of the western slope of the a quarry of the Ingulets Ore Mining and Processing Enterprise (Ingulets, Ukraine), which are correlated with the Lutetian Stage, are described. The study of valves of Crassatella parisiensis Orbigny, 1852 from the Middle Eocene deposits of the Parisian Basin has shown that it differs from the species C. illustris Berezovsky, 2004, which was previously described as a subspecies of C. parisiensis. The study of variation of Crassatellidae provided substantiation of the species rank of C. artacosta Berezovsky, 2004, which was previously described as a subspecies of C. densicostata Berezovsky, 1998.

The brachiopod–brachiopod relationships are analyzed for the first time based on the original material and literary data. The oppression of brachiopods by each other in the dense settlement is considered as amensalism. The only type of brachiopod relationships that may be considered as parasitism are brachiopod settlements within each other’s shells. The through growing of spines and pedicle rhizoids into the brachiopod–host shell, immurement and weighting of shells in druses is considered as pseudoparasitism. New terms “endopseudoparasitism” and “ectopseudoparasitism” are suggested.

The core of the Gaindinskaya-3 reference borehole disclosing a complete section of Ordovician deposits in the basin of the middle reaches of the Podkamennaya Tunguska River has yielded a diverse ostracod assemblage, which supplements the paleontological characteristics of the Upper Ordovician of the Siberian Platform. Three new genera and 14 new species are described; the previously known taxa are provided with photographs. The characteristics of stratigraphic distribution of ostracod assemblages in the section of the core are considered and boundaries between some regional stages and ostracod biozones are revised.

Two bristletail species of the order Zygentoma, Allacrotelsa dubia (Lucas, 1842) (Lepismatidae) and Lepidotrix pilifera (Menge, 1854) (Lepidotrichidae), are recorded in Late Eocene Rovno amber for the first time. One new species of the order Microcoryphia, Lepismachilis eocaenica sp. nov., most similar to L. (B.) targionii (Grassi, 1887), is described.

Remains of neosuchian crocodyliforms (isolated teeth, fragment mandibular bone) from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) Peski locality in the Moscow Region are described for the first time. The neosuchian from Peski is characterized by well-pronounced ornamentation on the dermal skull bones, and also bicarinate teeth oval in cross section without serration and with triangular conical crowns and fine striation of the enamel. The similarity of Bathonian vertebrate faunas of the Moscow Region, Great Britain, Western Siberia, and Kyrgyzstan is evidence of homogeneity of the vertebrate fauna throughout Laurasia.

The study of conifer twigs from the Middle Jurassic deposits of the Irkutsk Coal Basin, previously described as Sequoia and Taxocladus, shows their morphology and epidermal characters to be similar to those of Marskea leaves. A new species Marskea heeriana N. Nosova et Kiritch. is described. A new combination, Marskea latifolia (Kiritch.) N. Nosova, comb. nov., is proposed for leafy twigs from the Early Cretaceous of the Lena Basin, originally described as Florinia latifolia Kiritch.