Latest Articles from Zitteliana Latest 3 Articles from Zitteliana https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/ Thu, 28 Mar 2024 10:50:44 +0200 Pensoft FeedCreator https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/i/logo.jpg Latest Articles from Zitteliana https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/ Lanternfish otoliths (Myctophidae, Teleostei) from the Miocene of Japan https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/article/83571/ Zitteliana 96: 103-134

DOI: 10.3897/zitteliana.96.83571

Authors: Werner Schwarzhans, Fumio Ohe, Yuki Tsuchiya, Atsushi Ujihara

Abstract: Lanternfishes (Myctophidae) are one of the most common groups of fishes in the mesopelagic zone of the world ocean, and their otoliths have been dominant in pelagic sediments since at least Miocene times. Many species have a wide geographic distribution, with several being circumglobal. This wide distribution makes myctophid otoliths potentially useful for supraregional stratigraphic purposes. The Sea of Japan and the Northwest Pacific is an important region for investigations into the diversity and evolution of the Myctophidae. Here, we describe a large collection of myctophid otoliths from the late early to early middle Miocene (late Burdigalian to early Langhian) from six localities on western and central Honshu, which were under warm water influence during that time. A total of 22 species are recognized, of which eight are new. In the order in which they are described, the new species are Bolinichthys higashibesshoensis sp. nov., Ceratoscopelus brevis sp. nov., Lampadena exima sp. nov., Lampanyctus lenticularis sp. nov., Lampanyctus tsuyamaensis sp. nov., Stenobrachius ohashii sp. nov., Diaphus epipedus sp. nov., and Diaphus watatsumi sp. nov. At least nine species are also known from coeval sediments outside of Japan, most notably New Zealand and Europe. This distribution reflects the extraordinary geographic spread of myctophid species already in the early Miocene and indicates the potential for their future use for biostratigraphic purposes. The paleoecological and paleobiogeographical implications of the studied myctophid otolith assemblages are discussed. Furthermore, the stratigraphic ranges of the observed species are discussed and compared with data from other regions of the world in an attempt to outline the potential future application of myctophid otoliths for supraregional biostratigraphic purposes.

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Research Article Fri, 10 Jun 2022 08:02:33 +0300
Early teleost otolith morphogenesis observed in the Jurassic of Franconia, Bavaria, southern Germany https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/article/81737/ Zitteliana 96: 51-67

DOI: 10.3897/zitteliana.96.81737

Authors: Werner Schwarzhans, Helmut Keupp

Abstract: The otoliths described in this study are from the late Pliensbachian of the Buttenheim clay pit near Bamberg, Franconia, northern Bavaria, and represent one of the earliest teleost otolith assemblages known so far. A total of 351 otoliths have been recovered, many of which are well-preserved and of sizes that indicate they originated from adult specimens and can be considered morphologically mature. The assemblage contains seven species, four of them stem teleosts of the genus Leptolepis and three from the enigmatic otolith-based genus Archaeotolithus, which cannot be attributed to a firm systematic position. We describe three species as new: Leptolepis buttenheimensis sp. nov., Leptolepis steberae sp. nov. and Archaeotolithus doppelsteini sp. nov. In addition, we review 49 otoliths from the original material of Schröder’s (1956) publication that were uncovered at the University of Erlangen. This material stems from the late Toarcian/early Aalenian and early Callovian of Franconia. In this review, we accept only a few of the species described by Schröder as valid. The otolith associations from the Early and Middle Jurassic of Franconia, in combination with previously published material, allow for an assessment of the morphogenesis of early teleost otoliths. Early Jurassic teleost otoliths are represented by a few common and long-ranging species. A sudden burst in otolith diversity seems to have occurred during the Middle Jurassic and is first evident in the Bathonian.

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Research Article Tue, 12 Apr 2022 18:33:06 +0300
Paleontological inventory of Paleozoic, Late Mesozoic, and Cenozoic plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate fossil species from Big Bend National Park, Texas, USA - over a century of paleontological discovery https://zitteliana.pensoft.net/article/73026/ Zitteliana 95: 95-134

DOI: 10.3897/zitteliana.95.73026

Authors: Steven L. Wick

Abstract: The extraordinary paleontological record from Big Bend National Park (BIBE), Texas chronicles nearly 120 million years of largely uninterrupted deposition through Late Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene time. Therefore, the park records one of the most complete and continuous fossil records of its kind in North America, if not the world. Paleontologists have collected and studied fossils from BIBE for over a century and nearly 1400 fossil species have been reported thus far. The BIBE paleontological record includes type specimens representing 44 scientifically valid species (five plants, nine invertebrates, and 30 vertebrates). Numerous other reported specimens are very likely new to science but have yet to be formally named. The present catalog presents the currently known assemblage of fossil plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate species from BIBE within a single, comprehensive record with significant references for each. This work is designed and written to be a research and resource management tool for scientists and non-scientists alike.

HTML

XML

PDF

]]>
Research Article Fri, 19 Nov 2021 07:42:06 +0200