Changes to the Fossil Record of Insects through Fifteen Years of Discovery

The first and last occurrences of hexapod families in the fossil record are compiled from publications up to end-2009. The major features of these data are compared with those of previous datasets (1993 and 1994). About a third of families (>400) are new to the fossil record since 1994, over half of the earlier, existing families have experienced changes in their known stratigraphic range and only about ten percent have unchanged ranges. Despite these significant additions to knowledge, the broad pattern of described richness through time remains similar, with described richness increasing steadily through geological history and a shift in dominant taxa, from Palaeoptera and Polyneoptera to Paraneoptera and Holometabola, after the Palaeozoic. However, after detrending, described richness is not well correlated with the earlier datasets, indicating significant changes in shorter-term patterns. There is reduced Palaeozoic richness, peaking at a different time, and a less pronounced Permian decline. A pronounced Triassic peak and decline is shown, and the plateau from the mid Early Cretaceous to the end of the period remains, albeit at substantially higher richness compared to earlier datasets. Origination and extinction rates are broadly similar to before, with a broad decline in both through time but episodic peaks, including end-Permian turnover. Origination more consistently exceeds extinction compared to previous datasets and exceptions are mainly in the Palaeozoic. These changes suggest that some inferences about causal mechanisms in insect macroevolution are likely to differ as well

Cuticular studies in angiosperms of the Bohemian Cenomanian

Epidermal patterns so far encountered in Cenomanian plants of the Bohemian Massif suggest the presence of the following more or less natural independent lineages: Platanus-Credneria group (stomata laterocytic, associated fructifications Platanus-like), “Aralia”-Debey a group (stomata laterocytic to anomocytic), Myrtophyllum group (stomata paracytic with the sunken guard cells, fructifications aggregate), Cocculophyllum group (stomata paracytic, partly with subdivided subsidiary cells, mesophyllous secretory bodies) and “Diospyros” group (stomata cyclocytic). Except Platanus-Credneria lineage no modern counterparts have been found for the studied early angiosperms

The cycadalean foliage 'Encephalartos' gorceixianus Saporta (Zamiaceae) from the Lower Miocene of Greece (Kymi, Island of Evia) revisited

The holotype and additional specimens of cycadalean foliage known as Encephalartos gorceixianus Saporta from the Lower Miocene of Greece show strong gross morphological similarities to the extant genus Dioon Lindl. (Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua) as well as the fossil Dioonopsis Horiuchi and Kimura (Palaeogene of Japan, and Alaska), rather than to the African genus Encephalartos Lehm. Because of the lack of the epidermis structure, its generic assignment must remain open. The occurrence of this relict in the Lower Miocene of southern Europe suggests palaeofloristic connections with other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, rather than with Africa

Late Cretaceous mega-, meso-, and microfloras from Lower Silesia

Late Cretaceous plants from the North Sudetic Basin (Lower Silesia, south-western Poland) are reviewed on the basis of megaflora from 17 localities (270 identifiable specimens), mesoflora from two localities, and microflora from four localities. Major sites are Rakowice Małe and Bolesławiec. Eight megafloral assemblages are distinguished (Assemblage 1, Turonian; Assemblages 2, 3, lower–middle Coniacian; Assemblages 4, 5, upper Coniacian?–lower Santonian?; Assemblages 6–8, lower–middle Santonian); the bulk of the palaeoflora is from Assemblages 4–6 and 8. Megaflora consists of 29 taxa (6 ferns, 4 conifers, and 19 angiosperms). Geinitzia reichenbachii is the most common species. Dryophyllum westerhausianum (Richter, 1904) Halamski and Kvaček comb. nov. is a trifoliolate leaf re-interpreted as a representative of Fagales. Three species of Dewalquea are distinguished: Dewalquea haldemiana, Dewalquea insignis, and Dewalquea aff. gelindenensis. Platanites willigeri Halamski and Kvaček sp. nov. is characterised by trifoliolate leaves, the median leaflet of which is ovate, unlobed, with a serrate margin, and cuneate base. Palaeocommunities inferred from the megafossil record include: a back swamp forest dominated by Geinitzia, with abundant ferns; a Dryophyllum-dominated riparian forest; a forest with Dewalquea and Platanites willigeri possibly located in the marginal part of the alluvial plain; dunes with D. haldemiana and Konijnenburgia; a fern savanna with patches of Pinus woodlands. Palynoassemblage A from the Nowogrodziec Member, studied mostly at Rakowice Małe and Żeliszów, consists of 126 taxa, including 105 terrestrial palynomorphs (54 bryophyte, lycophyte, and pteridophyte spores, 16 gymnosperms, 35 angiosperms). The mega- and mesofossil records are dominated by angiosperms; the palynoassemblages are dominated by ferns. Palaeocommunities represented solely by the microfossil record are halophytic (with Frenelopsis and unconfirmed presence of Nypa) and pioneer vegetation. Palaeocommunities are intermediate in general character between those pre-dating the Cretaceous Terrestrial Revolution and modern, angiosperm- dominated vegetation. In comparison to older plant assemblages from contiguous areas laurophylls are much rarer; this might correspond to a real phenomenon of exclusion of lauroids from Santonian riparian forests. The studied assemblage is more similar to younger palaeofloras than to older ones; this might be interpreted as stabilisation of communities after a period of pronounced change related to the rise to dominance of the angiosperms. In contrast to widespread endemism among vertebrates of the European Archipelago, the plant cover consists mostly of species that are widely distributed