No 1 (2023)

Analysis of the morphology of radiolarian skeletons from the Lower Permian of the South Urals made it possible to revise the taxonomic assignment of Helioentactinia uralica Kozur et Mostler, 1989 and two different morphotypes of Helioentactinia sp. and assign them to three species within the new genus Alexialeks gen. nov.: A. uralicus (Kozur et Mostler, 1989), A. alius sp. nov. and A. distinctus sp. nov. Three pathways are recognized in the evolution of Alexialeks gen. nov. in the Asselian, Sakmarian, Artinskian, and Kungurian (Early Permian). The diagnoses of the genus Multisphaera Nazarov et Afanasieva in Afanasieva, 2000, emend. nov. and subfamily Multisphaerinae Nazarov et Afanasieva in Afanasieva, 2000, emend. nov. are emended. The validity of the subfamily Multisphaerinae Nazarov et Afanasieva in Afanasieva, 2000, emend. nov. is confirmed. A hypothesis is proposed that a primary inner sphere with a rudimentary four-ray spicule and numerous rod-like spines may represent a transitional form of the internal framework of the skeleton from an n-ray spicule to a true microsphere.

All available data on the history of study and morphology of the exotic subfamily Atsabitinae Furnish, 1966, which includes only two genera of very rare paragastrioceratids from the Kungurian of the Tethyan Realm (Timor Island and South-eastern Pamirs) and the Wordian of Texas, are summarized and reviewed. The first find of a representative of the Kungurian genus Atsabites Haniel in the South-eastern Pamirs (Bolorian Stage, Kochusu Formation, Lower Subformation) is described. Previously, this genus was known only from the Bitauni Beds of Timor Island. The finding of representatives of the endemic Timorese genus Atsabites in the Boztere assemblage of the South-eastern Pamirs confirms the very close links that existed between these basins in the Early Permian.

A new tribe Electrocoryssopini trib. nov., with a new genus Electrocoryssopus gen. nov. and a new species E. andrushchenkoi sp. nov., is described from Eocene Baltic amber. The new tribe is similar to the Recent tribes Coryssopodini and Sphadasmini, but differs in the prosternum not having a rostral channel, slightly convex coarsely faceted eyes, femora without teeth, and tibiae lacking uncus.

The data on new finds of the remains of Mammoth fauna mammals in the basin of Middle Lena River (Yakutia, the area of natural park “Lenskiye Stolby (Lena Pillars)” and adjacent territories) is represented in the article. Based on these data, the species composition of the mammoth fauna list of large mammalian species from this region was specified. 11 species of large mammals were identified, among which, for the first time for this region, the presence of a cave lion was established. A series of new radiocarbon datings allowing to note that mass burials of the Pleistocene mammalian remains were mainly formed in this region during the Karginian interstadial (60 (55)–24 thousand years ago, MIS-3). The obtained radiocarbon dates and species composition are consistent with the data that the Karginian interstadial was the most favorable for the distribution of the mammoth fauna in the territory of Yakutia. The results of the studies show that in the Late Pleistocene, the ecological preferences of Ovis nivicola differed from the modern ones. For the first time, the distribution of Panthera spelaea is revealed in the region of the middle reaches of the Lena River.

A study of new materials on bats from layer VII of the Late Pleistocene karst El Abrón locality (Pinar del Río Province, Cuba) has identified remains of Macrotus waterhousii Gray, Artibeus anthonyi (Wołoszyn et Silva Taboada), Brachyphylla nana Miller, Phyllonycteris poeyi Gundlach, Monophyllus redmani Leach (Phyllostomidae), Antrozous koopmani Orr et Silva Taboada (Vespertilionidae), Pteronotus parnellii (Gray) (Mormoopidae), and Rhizomops brasiliensis (Geoffroy) (Molossidae). The presence of the historically extinct species Artibeus anthonyi and Antrozous koopmani, endemic to Cuba, is typical for the Late Pleistocene taphocenoses of the island.

A new species of fossil pines, P. bukatkinii sp. nov., was found in the Middle Jurassic of Stoilensk open mine (the vicinity of Stary Oskol town, Belgorod Region). Seed cones of the new species possess four key diagnostic characters of representatives of the genus Pinus L.: thickened scale apices with apophyses and umbo; trace to the seed scale and bract represents a single unit; resin canals enter the seed scale base abaxially; adaxially concave vascular bundles in the seed scale. The distinctive feature of the new species is a strong sclerification of the seed scale ground tissue. Galleries, made by herbivores, were found in seed cones of P. bukatkinii sp. nov., that represents the oldest documented evidence of parasitism on pinaceous seed cones.