Periproctal plating in the echinoid <i>Coenholectypus larteti</i> (Cenomanian, Sultanate of Oman)

A specimen of the holectypid echinoid Coenholectypus larteti (COTTEAU, 1869), from the 'Echinoid Marker Bed' of Member C (Natih Formation, uppermost Middle Cenomanian, Cretaceous) at Jebel Madamar (central Oman Mountains, Sultanate of Oman), preserves periproctal plating. This is only the second example of such plating in the genus Coenholectypus. Previous records of periproctal and/or peristomial plating in holectypoids and other irregular echinoids are listed and briefly discussed

Campanian-Maastrichtian pelagic crinoids from NE Belgium and SE Netherlands: preliminary observations

During recent years unexpectedly rich and diverse faunules of diminutive, pelagic crinoids of the order Roveacrinida SIEVERTS-DORECK in MOORE, LALICKER & FISCHER, 1952 have been collected from early and late Campanian and late Maastrichtian strata in the Maastrichtian type area (southern Limburg, The Netherlands, and contiguous areas). Most, if not all, of these forms appear to be still undescribed. Occurrences known to date are briefly discussed; a taxonomic study with detailed descriptions of the various species is under way

A new ophiuroid from the Maastrichtian type area (Late Cretaceous, SE Netherlands, NE Belgium)

From the Kunrade limestone facies and from the Emael, Nekum and Meerssen Members of the Maastricht Formation (late Maastrichtian) in the type area of the Maastrichtian Stage, a new genus and species of ophiuroid, Felderophiura vanderhami n. gen., n. sp., is described and illustrated. In addition to numerous disarticulated ossicles of disc and arms some twenty more or less complete specimens and several dozens of arm fragments are available for study; occurrences like these have recently proved to be comparatively common in the Maastrichtian type area. A brief discussion of ophiuroid remains collected from Campanian and Maastrichtian strata in this area is added

The ichnofossil genera <i>Radulichnus</i> and <i>Renichnus</i> in the Maastrichtian of The Netherlands and Belgium

The tuffaceous chalk facies (biocalcarenites) of the Maastricht Formation (Late Maastrichtian) in its type area (SE Netherlands, NE Belgium) has yielded numerous ichnofossil taxa; however, the genera Radulichnus and Renichnus were not yet recorded. Here, examples of these two taxa are described and illustrated. Radulichnus traces are left on a lithified substrate by the radula of certain gastropod and/or polyplacophoran (chitonid) molluscs, while Renichnus are etched traces of shells of vermetid gastropods. Vermetids from the Maastricht Formation are briefly discussed; an example of Vermetus clathratus BINKHORST, 1861 is illustrated. In addition, the ichnofossil Centrichnus eccentricus BROMLEY & MARTINELL, 1991, the byssal etching trace of anomiid bivalves which bears a superficial resemblance to Renichnus, is also documented

Ophiurites eocaenus Leriche, 1931 (Ophiuroidea, Eocene, NW Belgium) revisited

The ophiuroid species Ophiurites eocaenus LERICHE, 1931 from Eocene ("Paniselian") strata in northwestern Belgium is redescribed on the basis of the four specimens that constitute the type lot from Zeebrugge and two additional specimens on a slab recently collected from the beach near Cadzand (province of Zeeland, The Netherlands), some 15 km north of Zeebrugge. Details of disc and arm plating are better preserved in the Cadzand specimens than in the type lot. The species cannot be assigned to Stegophiura MATSUMOTO, 1915; it is here tentatively referred to Ophiozona LYMAN, 1865 and compared with other Tertiary species from NW Europe and elsewhere. Some remarks on the stratigraphic provenance of this species are added

A note on an early Jurassic ophiuroid from Rachecourt (Lorraine, Belgium)

A fairly well-preserved ophiuroid, collected from micaceous sandy argillites of the Messaney Formation (Domerian, late Pliensbachian) as exposed at Rachecourt (Gaume, Belgian Lorraine) is described and tentatively identified as Sinosura wolburgi (Hess, 1960). The rarity of complete ophiuroid fossils in Belgian Jurassic deposits and the poor fossil content of the Messaney Formation (bioelastic beds, crinoid columnals) warrant description of the present specimen

The taxonomic value of rostral nodes of extinct sharks, with comments on previous records of the genus <i>Lamna</i> (Lamniformes, Lamnidae) from the Pliocene of Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina (USA)

Shark rostral nodes from the Yorktown Formation (Zanclean, early Pliocene) of Lee Creek Mine, North Carolina (USA), previously assigned to the genus Lamna Cuvier, 1816, have been reinterpreted using a preliminary identification key for extant Lamniformes based on rostral morphology. In addition, the fossil rostral nodes have been compared in detail with Recent material of both the porbeagle, Lamna nasus (Bonnaterre, 1788) and the salmon shark, Lamna ditropis Hubbs and Follet, 1947. Despite the fact that the rostra compared relatively well with those of Recent Lamna, the Lee Creek Mine specimens proved to differ significantly in having near-parallel lateral rostral cartilages that join the rostral node individually, instead of abutting ones. Based on this observation, we here propose to strike the genus Lamna from the Lee Creek Mine faunal list, so long as no other diagnostic material is forthcoming. These partially preserved rostra are likely to have belonged to extinct taxa within the families Lamnidae or Otodontidae, both of which have been documented from the Yorktown Formation on the basis of isolated teeth of at least three species, Cosmopolitodus hastalis (Agassiz, 1838), Megaselachus megalodon (Agassiz, 1835) and Parotodus benedenii (Le Hon, 1871)

Late campanian belemnite faunas from Liège - Limburg (Ne Belgium, se Netherlands)

Late Campanian belemnite faunas from the Zeven Wegen and Beutenaken members of the Gulpen Formation in Liège-Limburg (NE Belgium, SE Netherlands) include five (sub)species of the genus Belemnitella d'Orbigny, 1840, viz. B. mucronata (von Schlottheim, 1813), B. woodi Christensen, 1995, B. minor I Jeletzky, 1951, B. minor II Christensen, 1995 and B. najdini Kongiel, 1962, which are described herein. CHRISTENSEN’S (1995, 1996) concept of B. minor is followed, with respect to the holotype. On the basis of these belemnite data more detailed zonal subdivisions of the Zeven Wegen and Beutenaken members are proposed. These allow correlations to be made with Late Campanian strata in Norfolk (SE England) and at Lägerdorf-Kronsmoor (NW Germany). Key taxa amongst echinoids, crinoids, asteroids and ammonites from the Zeven Wegen and Beutenaken members corroborate zonations and correlations based on belemnites

Upper Cretaceous Liopistha species in north western Europe

Liopistha aequivalvis (Poromyidae, Anomalodesmata, Bivalvia) from Upper Cretaceous European strata is redescribed. Hinge elements, not previously described, are illustrated. The presence of a second Liopistha species from Maastrichtian white chalks at Hallembaye (Liège, Belgium) is shown

Giant scaphitid ammonites from the Maastrichtian of Europe

Giant scaphitid ammonites from the Maastrichtian of Europe have generally been assigned to Acanthoscaphites NOWAK, 1911. Prior to the present study, this genus comprised five species: A. tridens (KNER, 1848), A. varians (LOPUSKI, 1911), A. verneuilianus (D'ORBIGNY, 1841), A. sp. of KENNEDY (1987) and A. sp. of KENNEDY & CHRISTENSEN (1997). Of the first-named taxon, material from Aachen-Schneeberg of Early Maastrichtian age, including the specimen illustrated by HOLZAPFEL (1887-89) long thought to have been lost, is described. Recently collected topotype material from Kazimierz Dolny, and from Rejowiec (Poland), of latest Maastrichtian age (Belemnella kazimiroviensis Zone), allows A. varians to be revised. Specimens from the late Early and early Late Maastrichtian of NW Europe, assigned to A. varians, differ consistently in details of ornament, and are assigned to a new subspecies, A. v. blaszkiewiczi n. subsp. Style of ribbing and tuberculation of the varians stock differs from that of A. tridens to such an extent that a new subgenus, Euroscaphites n. subgen., is erected, with varians as type species. The Late Maastrichtian "Acanthoscaphites" verneuilianus, only known from phragmocones, is provisionally assigned to the new subgenus. The other two species previously referred to Acanthoscaphiles, viz. A. sp. of KENNEDY (1987) and A. sp. of KENNEDY & CHRISTENSEN (1997), both of Late Maastrichtian age, cannot be assigned confidently to either subgenus