[Paleontology • 2026] Wyoteuthis linsterorum • ‘The big chunky belemnite’: A New relict megateuthidid from the Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) of Wyoming, USA, and its place in the evolutionary history of the group

 

Wyoteuthis linsterorum 

Ippolitov, Lippincott, Wahl & Lomax, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70123

Abstract

We describe and discuss two finds of large and untypical belemnite rostra originating from the upper part of the Sundance Formation (Oxfordian) of Wyoming, USA. With a diameter reaching c. 60 mm at the anterior end, these rostra are the thickest known for belemnites so far. Herein they are ascribed to a new genus Wyoteuthis, comprising a single new species, W. linsterorum. Both primary and secondary morphological features (rostrum shape, alveolus position, alveolar angle, details of apical grooves and striation) allow us to justify the placement of our new taxon in the family Megateuthididae, which flourished in Toarcian to middle Jurassic time but mostly disappeared during the Bathonian, and is represented by few extremely rare and stratigraphically isolated records from younger strata. In turn, externally similar rostra previously reported in the literature from the same basin belong to Cylindroteuthididae, a common and previously only known family-level group for the Oxfordian of northwestern USA. The new genus represents a relict offshoot of the family Megateuthididae, most likely deriving from the Bajocian members of the genus Brevibelus, formerly described from North America. It demonstrates the presence of a previously unrecognized megateuthidid refugium in the north-eastern Pacific. We also discuss evolutionary macro-trends in belemnites and the possible correlations between rostrum size and soft-body size.

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

Subclass COLEOIDEA Bather 1888

Order BELEMNITIDA Zittel 1895

Family MEGATEUTHIDIDAE Sachs & Nalnjaeva 1967

‘BREVIBELUS-GROUP’ sensu Ippolitov & Desai 2019

Genus Wyoteuthis nov. 

Type species: Wyoteuthis linsterorum sp. nov.

Derivation of name: A combination of ‘WYO’ (the abbreviation of the State name) and Greek τευθίς (‘squid’); together meaning ‘a squid from Wyoming’.

Differential diagnosis: It differs from Lotharingibelus Weis et al. 2025 by the much larger and more shortened rostrum, and absence of epirostrum; from Brevibelus Doyle 1992 by the same features and clear ventral displacement of the apex; from Arcobelus Sachs in Sachs & Nalnjaeva (1967) by the pronounced ventral, not dorsal displacement of the apex and less compressed cross-section, and smaller alveolar angle (29° in Wyoteuthis vs >35° in Arcobelus); from Pseudosimobelus Dzyuba & C.D. Schraer in Dzyuba et al. (2018) and from Dactyloteuthis Bayle 1878, by the absence of a single ventral groove and extremely short postalveolar part of the rostrum; from the latter additionally with a markedly less compressed rostrum. Other known members of the family Megateuthididae do not have blunt posterior ends comparable with Wyoteuthis.

Occurrence: Upper part of the Sundance Formation (Redwater Shale Member) of Wyoming, USA; late early to early middle Oxfordian (Late Jurassic).

Remarks

Systematic position: Wyoteuthis is a rare taxon with only two specimens known to date. It is stratigraphically isolated from other Megateuthididae, which are mainly restricted to the Toarcian–Bathonian interval. Explanation of its placement in that family and affinity with the genus Brevibelus is provided... 

Wyoteuthis linsterorum gen. et sp. nov., holotype, WYDICE INV-001;
upper lower to lower middle Oxfordian; upper part of Redwater Shale Member, Sundance Formation; 6 km south of Hyattville, Wyoming, USA. Collected by C. Linster.
A, dorsal view. B, right side view. C, alveolar view. D, cross-section 45 mm anterior to the presumed protoconch position. E, apical view. F, frontal CT section, view from ventral side. G, sagittal CT section, right side view. Scale bar represents: 10 mm (A–E; natural size); 30 mm (F, G).

Wyoteuthis linsterorum sp. nov.

 

Derivation of name: After the Linster Family, who discovered the holotype and donated it to the WDC, making it available for science and for the present study.

Diagnosis: Rostrum of large diameter (up to 30–32 mm at protoconch and 65–70 mm anteriorly), conical to subconical with a very short postalveolar part (Pa/DV = 0.37–0.43), posteriorly blunt with ventrally displaced mucronate apex bearing striae, grouped in unclear bunches modified as pit-like depressions. Alveolus extends into most of the length of the rostrum.

Alexey P. Ippolitov, Jessica L. Lippincott, William R. Wahl, Dean R. Lomax. 2026. ‘The big chunky belemnite’: A New relict megateuthidid from the Oxfordian (Late Jurassic) of Wyoming, USA, and its place in the evolutionary history of the group. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(5); e70123. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70123 [09 September 2026]

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Yipetalichthys maxiongensis • A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China

 

 Yipetalichthys maxiongensis

 Pan, Dupret, Ahlberg, Zhao, Wang, Wang & Zhu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124  

 www.IVPP.ac.cn 

Abstract

We describe Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov., a quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Eifelian Shangshuanghe Formation (Qujing, Yunnan, China). High-resolution micro-CT reveals an endocranium bearing cranial nerve grooves and inner ear structures. The dermal neck joint permits a quantitative character, the angle between the ventral laminar ridge (v.l.r) and the skull-roof midline. Current specimens yield two non-overlapping bins (state 0: ≤15°; state 1: ≥28°), separating Macropetalichthyidae and Quasipetalichthyidae; the 15–28° interval is unsampled and the threshold remains testable with new material. Expanded parsimony analysis, adding Yipetalichthys and six additional ptyctodont taxa, recovers Petalichthyida as sister to Ptyctodontida and places Yipetalichthys within Quasipetalichthyidae. The diagnosis includes large unenclosed elliptical orbits, slender unbifid postorbital processes, an elongate occipital region, and a shallow posterolateral vagus canal. Yipetalichthys shows a high v.l.r angle, supporting its quasipetalichthyid placement and providing a reproducible metric for future comparisons across articulated specimens. Our analysis of the neck joint helps to clarify petalichthyid phylogeny and identifies distinct, recurring architectures among major placoderm groups: in Antiarcha, a reverse sliding joint; in Petalichthyida, an elaborate sliding joint guided by the ventral laminar ridge with laminar cranial articular facets forming a longitudinal sliding track opposing the articular flanges of the anterior dorsolateral plate (ADL); in Ptyctodontida, a sliding joint with spoon-shaped cranial articular facets opposing ADL articular flanges; in Actinolepidoidei, a simple sliding condition; in Brachythoraci, a ginglymoid joint. These distinct neck joint architectures demonstrate the high evolutionary plasticity of this structure and its multiple, independent pathways toward cranial mobility in placoderms.

Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov.

 

Zhaohui Pan, Vincent Dupret, Per E. Ahlberg, Wenjin Zhao, Jianhua Wang, Mengjun Wang and Min Zhu. 2026. A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124 [24 September 2026] 

DeepBone团队发现瓣甲鱼新属种，揭示颈胸关节演化新线索

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn/xwdt/kyjz/202609/t20260928_8287312.html

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Parastylephorus anatoides • A New fossil from the Eocene of Iran provides new insights regarding the evolution of the morphologically bizarre tube-eye fish

 

Parastylephorus anatoides 

Ridolfi, Schrøder, Bahrami, Yazdi, Roa-Varón, Marramà & Carnevale, 2026

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70114

Artwork by Lucrezia Bonardo

Abstract

Stylephoriformes are a morphologically bizarre lineage of deep-sea fishes, currently represented by a single extant species, Stylephorus chordatus, the so-called tube-eye fish. The phylogenetic relationships of the Stylephoriformes were extensively debated until recent genomic studies proposed a sister-group relationship with the Gadiformes. The tube-eye fish exhibits a suite of highly derived features, including extreme cranial kinesis, a pipette-like oral apparatus specialized for suction feeding, and an elongate, naked ribbon-like body lacking scales. The evolutionary origin of these unique traits is largely unknown, in part due to the complete absence of a fossil record. Here, we describe the first-known fossil of the order Stylephoriformes, from Bartonian (c. 40 Ma) sediments of the Pabdeh Formation, Iran. On the basis of several unique morphological features (edentulous premaxillae and dentary, moderately enlarged pterygoid elements, reduced opercle, elongate ribbon-like body comprising more than 63 vertebrae, eight pectoral-fin rays, absence of basipterygia, and the presence of a complete series of well-developed lateral-line scales) the specimen is assigned to a new genus and species: Parastylephorus anatoides. The fossil exhibits a body physiognomy, oral apparatus and cranial architecture remarkably similar to those of the extant tube-eye, with the most derived features already present and closely comparable in morphology. This suggests that the new fossil represents a good example of long-term morphological stasis among marine teleosts, documenting the persistence of a highly specialized body plan for more than 40 myr.

Keywords: Parastylephorus anatoides, Bartonian, Iran, Pabdeh Formation, Paracanthopterygii

Parastylephorus anatoides gen. et sp. nov., holotype, IUGM 100897, from the Eocene of Babaheydar (Iran). Scale bar represents 10 mm.

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

Order STYLEPHORIFORMES sensu Miya et al. 2007

Family STYLEPHORIDAE Swainson 1839

Genus Parastylephorus nov.

 

Derivation of name: The genus name is derived from the Greek prefix para- (παρά), meaning ‘near’, combined with Stylephorus, the name of the only currently recognized stylephoriform genus. The name reflects the shared morphological characteristics with Stylephorus.

 

Remarks: As discussed above, the Stylephoriformes are a lineage currently represented by a single extant species, Stylephorus chordatus, which possesses a number of highly derived anatomical features, including a strongly modified buccal apparatus, extremely reduced first two vertebral centra, and a continuous dorsal fin along the entire dorsal margin of the body. The body plan of Parastylephorus gen. nov. closely resembles that of Stylephorus, although it has a set of distinctive traits. These include the maxilla with a well-developed posterior process, the expanded metapterygoid and ectopterygoid, and the reduced size of the opercular bones. In addition, Parastylephorus gen. nov. possesses body squamation, consisting of thin and delicate lateral-line scales, which are completely absent in Stylephorus.

Parastylephorus anatoides sp. nov.

 

Derivation of name: The name is derived from the Latin word Anas, meaning ‘duck’, and the Greek suffix -oides (-οειδής) meaning ‘resembling’ or ‘having the form of’.

Holotype: IUGM 100897 a partially preserved specimen on a single plate 

 

Artistic reconstruction of Parastylephorus anatoides gen. et sp. nov. 

Note that the tubular eyes are based on the condition characteristic of the extant Stylephorus chordatus. 

Artwork by Lucrezia Bonardo.

Lorenzo Ridolfi, Ane Elise Schrøder, Ali Bahrami, Mehdi Yazdi, Adela Roa-Varón, Giuseppe Marramà and Giorgio Carnevale. 2026. A New fossil from the Eocene of Iran provides new insights regarding the evolution of the morphologically bizarre tube-eye fish. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70114 [11 August 2026]

[PaleoEntomology • 2026] Paleoanomala decapitata • A New lace bug from Lower Cretaceous Spanish Amber informs the Evolution of Forewing Venation in Tingidae (Hemiptera: Miroidea)

Paleoanomala decapitata 

 Davranoglou, Fabrikant, Peñalver, Pérez-de la Fuente, Álvarez-Parra & Delclòs, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70107 

 x.com/ThePalAss 

Abstract

A new lace bug, Paleoanomala decapitata sp. nov. (Tingidae, Tingiometrinae), is described from Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) amber of Peñacerrada I (Burgos, Spain). The genus Paleoanomala was previously known only from Cenomanian Kachin amber of Myanmar, and the discovery of this new species significantly expands its palaeogeographical range as well as the known diversity of lace bugs from Spanish amber deposits. Furthermore, the description of the new species urged us to undertake a reinterpretation of forewing venation in early lace bugs, finding nearly identical venation patterns in the extinct genera Paleoanomala and Tingiometra (Tingiometrinae), and Hispanocader (Hispanocaderidae). Based on this revised interpretation and other shared morphological characters, the extinct tingid subfamily Tingiometrinae and the family Hispanocaderidae are synonymized with Ebboidae, which is here treated as the subfamily Ebboinae stat. nov. within Tingidae. Additionally, Paleoanomala aptenus Poinar & Vega is recognized as a junior synonym of Tingiometra yuripopovi Golub & Heiss, and the latter species is transferred to Paleoanomala as Paleoanomala yuripopovi comb. nov. The affinities of the male paratype previously assigned to this species remain uncertain and it is tentatively treated as Ebboinae indet. Finally, a synthesis of the palaeobiogeographical affinities of arthropods from Cretaceous Spanish amber suggests extensive faunal connections between Iberia, Myanmar and the Middle East during the Early Cretaceous, reflecting the widespread distribution of resiniferous forest ecosystems across Laurasia.

Keywords: Heteroptera, Tingidae, lace bug, fossil, Cretaceous amber, Iberia

Paleoanomala decapitata sp. nov. 

 Leonidas-Romanos Davranoglou, Dolev Fabrikant, Enrique Peñalver, Ricardo Pérez-de la Fuente, Sergio Álvarez-Parra and Xavier Delclòs. 2026. A New lace bug from Lower Cretaceous Spanish Amber informs the Evolution of Forewing Venation in Tingidae (Hemiptera, Miroidea). 

Papers in Palaeontology.  DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70107 [29 June 2026] 

x.com/ThePalAss/status/2071649975742681465 

[Paleontology • 2026] Eschatornis aterradora • A New terror bird (Cariamiformes: Phorusrhacidae) from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil: insights into the last representatives of the family

Eschatornis aterradora 

Machado, Vasconcelos, Santos, Dutra, Cartelle, Câmara, Dantas & Degrange, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70080  

 x.com/ThePalAss

Abstract

Terror birds comprise an iconic group of apex predator birds from America, with a rich fossil record that is one of the longest among birds for a Neoaves family, ranging from the middle Eocene to the latest Pleistocene. Here, we report the discovery of a new genus and species of Phorusrhacidae, based on an incomplete tibiotarsus recovered from an Upper Pleistocene (25 326–25 733 cal yr BP) cave deposit in Bahia, northeastern Brazil, and previously interpreted as a New World vulture. The preserved morphology exhibits unique diagnostic features that support the recognition of a new species belonging to the small-size phorusrhacids, the Psilopterinae, a clade that probably had poor flying abilities. In addition to the systematic assignment, we discuss aspects of its palaeoecology (isotopic habitat and body mass estimate), providing new insights into the diversity and evolutionary history of the last known terror birds.

Keywords: Aves, Cariamiformes, Psilopterinae, Quaternary, Toca dos Ossos, Brazil

Eschatornis aterradora 

Victor Hugo M. Machado, Marcelo F. de Vasconcelos, Luciano Vilaboim Santos, Rodrigo Parisi Dutra, Cástor Cartelle, Bruno G. O. Câmara, Mário A. T. Dantas and Federico J. Degrange. 2026. A New terror bird (Cariamiformes, Phorusrhacidae) from the Late Pleistocene of Brazil: insights into the last representatives of the family. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(2); e70080. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70080 [26 March 2026] 

 x.com/ThePalAss/status/2037584625766117793

 instagram.com/zeinner.paula 

[Paleontology • 2026] Gondwananectes osvaldoi • A new Middle Jurassic marine reptile from Gondwana clarifies the origin of Cryptoclidia, the most successful group of plesiosaurs

Gondwananectes osvaldoi

Otero, Acuña, Vargas, Rojas, Ortiz & Aguirrezabala, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70068 

 x.com/ThePalAss

Abstract 

Cryptoclidia (Plesiosauria, Plesiosauroidea) was a major clade of marine reptiles that originated during the Jurassic. The early evolution of Cryptoclidia is documented by records of Cryptoclididae from the Middle Jurassic (174.7–165.1 Ma) and onwards in Europe, the Caribbean and South America. However, the origin of Cryptoclidia itself has remained obscure. Only some traits shared with Cryptoclidia are found in the Toarcian (184.2–174.7 Ma) taxa Plesiopterys wildi and Franconiasaurus brevispinus, from southern Europe. Here we describe a small-bodied sub-adult skeleton belonging to a new plesiosaurian taxon from the Middle Jurassic (c. 170 Ma) of the Atacama Desert (former southwestern Gondwana). The new taxon has single-headed ribs in its axial skeleton, and its combination of novel and ancestral features place it as the sister taxon of Cryptoclidia. The lower Bajocian stage, the phylogenetic position of the new taxon, as well as its palaeogeographic occurrence, point to an older origin and dispersal of Cryptoclidia ancestors, reinforcing the notion that an early Caribbean corridor between the Pacific and Tethyan realms was already functional during the Middle Jurassic.

Keywords: marine reptile, plesiosaurian, phylogeny, Middle Jurassic, Gondwana, palaeogeography

Gondwananectes osvaldoi

 

Rodrigo A. Otero, Sergio Soto Acuña, Alexander O. Vargas, Jennyfer Rojas, Héctor Ortiz, Guillermo Aguirrezabala. 2026. A new Middle Jurassic marine reptile from Gondwana clarifies the origin of Cryptoclidia, the most successful group of plesiosaurs. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70068 [08 March 2026] 

x.com/ThePalAss/status/2031413080001823092

[Paleontology • 2026] Ptychotherates bucculentus • A New Taxon of saurischian Dinosaur (Saurischia: Morphoraptor) from the Coelophysis Quarry of New Mexico, USA (Triassic: latest Norian or Rhaetian) highlights herrerasaurian diversity in the latest Triassic

 

Ptychotherates bucculentus 

Srivastava & Nesbitt, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70069 

Abstract

The most complete record of the earliest dinosaur lineages is from the Carnian from the higher latitudes of Pangea (e.g. present-day Brazil, Argentina), but dinosaurian assemblages from the upper stages of the Upper Triassic are better known from the low latitudes of Pangea (present day southwestern USA). How early carnivorous dinosaurian diversity matches or mismatches at various latitudes remains to be documented because of uncertainty around the spatio-temporal ranges and phylogenetic relationships of early dinosaur lineages. We examine low-latitude diversity patterns through the lens of the saurischian dinosaur Tawa hallae and close relatives, including a new species, Ptychotherates bucculentus gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon is known from an incomplete but well-preserved skull (CM 31368) from the uppermost Triassic Coelophysis Quarry in northern New Mexico. The new taxon clearly shares synapomorphies with Tawa hallae, such as distinctive fossae on the quadrate and otoccipital and a dorsoventrally tall and laterally flat jugal. However, the new taxon is distinguishable from all other coeval ornithodirans by a combination of many character states, including the proportionally dorsoventrally deepest jugal known for any Triassic-aged dinosaur. Higher-palaeolatitude ecosystems across Pangea show a complete turnover of carnivorous dinosaurs by neotheropods in the Norian and Rhaetian, but the ‘Chindesaurus–Tawa’ clade (Morphoraptora clade nov.) coexisted with neotheropods possibly until the End-Triassic Extinction Event. This suggests a low-latitude ‘museum’ where early-diverging lineages survived much longer than at higher latitudes, and that the End-Triassic Extinction Event affected dinosaur diversity more than previously hypothesized.

Keywords: biogeography, Saurischia, extinction, skull, phylogenetics, clade longevity

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

DINOSAURIA Owen 1842 sensu Langer et al. 2020

SAURISCHIA Seeley 1888 sensu Gauthier et al. 2020

Clade MORPHORAPTORA nov.

Derivation of name: Morphe from the Greek for ‘form, shape’ and raptor from the Latin for ‘robber’, describing the morphological convergence between members of this clade and Theropoda, as if this clade is ‘stealing’ morphology. ‘Morphoraptor’ loosely translates to ‘bodysnatcher’, in honour of the 2007 song by Radiohead in the album In Rainbows, which author S. Srivastava listened to hundreds of times while preparing this manuscript.

The posterior portion of the skull Ptychotherates bucculentus (CM 31368) in posterior view.

Abbreviations: ar, articular bo, basioccipital; bt, basituber; f, frontal; fm, foramen magnum; fno, fenestra ovalis; pa, parietal; par, paroccipital process of the otoccipital; mf, metotic foramen; n, nasal; pbs, parabasisphenoid; pf, prefrontal; po, postorbital; ptf, posttemporal fenestra; qj, quadratojugal; qu, quadrate; rap, retroarticular process; so, supraoccipital; sq, squamosal; st, stapes. Crossed circle indicates posterior direction out of page. Scale bar represents 1 cm.

Digital reconstruction of the skull of Ptychotherates bucculentus (CM 31368) in left lateral view. Dashed lines indicate extrapolation and the coloured infill indicates known bone presence.

Abbreviations: eaf, external antorbital fenestra; en, external naris; emf, external mandibular fenestra; itf, infratemporal fenestra; orb, orbit. Arrow indicates anterior direction. Scale bar represents 2 cm.

 

Genus Ptychotherates nov.

 

Derivation of name: Ptycho from the Greek for ‘fold’ because of the numerous and challenging axes of reorientation on elements of the holotype. Therates from the Greek for ‘hunter’, for the carnivorous habits inferred from its teeth.

 Ptychotherates bucculentus sp. nov.  

Derivation of name: The species epithet is Latin for ‘with full cheeks’ in reference to the exceptionally tall jugal.

 

Diagnosis: Ptychotherates bucculentus bears the following combination of character states (local autapomorphies indicated with *): supratemporal fossa present on posterior portion of the frontal and dorsal surface of the parietal; tapering dorsal process of the maxilla; maxilla lacking antorbital fossa on its posterior portion ventral to the antorbital fenestra; prefrontal symmetrical in lateral view*; jugal body proportionally dorsoventrally deep* (i.e. more than three times as deep as the jugal posterior process, deeper than the length of postorbital ventral process, and more than half the height of the quadrate main body; Table 1); laterally extensive ventral process (= crista interfenestralis) of the otoccipital; ventral process of squamosal anteroposteriorly wide with a lateral fossa on the posterior part; retroarticular process upturned immediately posterior to glenoid; anterolateral portion of postorbital dorsally overhanging orbit; postorbital dorsolaterally overlapping the squamosal; posttemporal fenestra as wide as foramen magnum; nasal and frontals flat dorsally; serrated and recurved teeth with fine serrations (4–5 per 1 mm in the maxilla, 5–6 per 1 mm in the dentary) with pointed apices of the serrations.

Artistic rendition of Ptychotherates bucculentus.

Artwork by Megan Sodano 

 

Simba Srivastava and Sterling J. Nesbitt. 2026. A New Taxon of saurischian Dinosaur from the Coelophysis Quarry of New Mexico, USA (Triassic: latest Norian or Rhaetian) highlights herrerasaurian diversity in the latest Triassic. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(2); e70069. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70069 [14 April 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Foskeia pelendonum • A New rhabdodontomorph from the Lower Cretaceous of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos Province, Spain), and a new phylogeny of ornithischian dinosaurs

Foskeia pelendonum

Dieudonné, Becerra, Zanesco, Tortosa, Cruzado-Caballero, Stein & Fernández-Baldor, 2026 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70057 

 facebook.com/novataxa

reconstruction by Martina Charnell

 

Abstract

The Vegagete ornithopod is a diminutive bipedal iguanodont from the upper Barremian to lower Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Castrillo de la Reina Formation of the Burgos Province (Spain). This dinosaur is principally known from disarticulated and fragmentary postcranial remains and was established as the earliest rhabdodontomorph. However, the nature of this material did not allow formal diagnosis of what still appeared to be a new taxon due to its particularly small body size. Recently, new cranial elements have been identified. These elements underwent micro-computed tomography scanning, segmentation and three-dimensional assembly. We herein name the Vegagete ornithopod Foskeia pelendonum gen. et sp. nov. It is diagnosed by a high number of unique features such as the possession of fused premaxillae, procumbent premaxillary teeth, one filiform first dentary tooth, and an elevated craniomandibular joint. Simultaneously, we observe a unique ventrolateral extension of the insertion of the muscle adductor mandibulae externus superficialis on the coronoid process of the dentary. Answering a number of phylogenetic controversies, we provide an updated, taxonomically augmented ornithischian phylogeny toward poorly sampled regions of the ornithischian tree. Rhabdodontia nov. is defined as a restricted clade of European rhabdodontomorphs, including F. pelendonum and rhabdodontids. Rhabdodontomorpha is nested to the base of Ankylopollexia. Thescelosauridae includes Tenontosaurus, and Dryosauridae includes Elasmaria. Agilisaurus louderbacki and Minimocursor phunoiensis are basal ornithopods. Heterodontosauridae remains at the base of Pachycephalosauria. Silesauridae and Sauropodomorpha are resolved in a position closer to Ornithischia than to Theropoda. This provisional result is pending the inclusion of more saurischian characters and taxa.

Keywords: Rhabdodontia, Rhabdodontomorpha, Ornithopoda, Ornithischia, phylogeny

Reconstruction of the skull of Foskeia pelendonum based on different elements.

Foskeia pelendonum.

PaleoArt reconstruction by Martina Charnell

Growth trajectory of Foskeia pelendonum, compared to an adult chicken.
This trajectory is based on differently sized bony elements and their histology.
Note the proportionally smaller forelimbs in the more mature individuals.  

 

Paul-Emile Dieudonné, Marcos Gabriel Becerra, Tábata Zanesco, Thierry Tortosa, Penélope Cruzado-Caballero, Koen Stein, Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor. 2026. Foskeia pelendonum, A New rhabdodontomorph from the Lower Cretaceous of Salas de los Infantes (Burgos Province, Spain), and a new phylogeny of ornithischian dinosaurs. Papers in Palaeontology. 12(1); e70057. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70057 [01 February 2026]

 facebook.com/novataxa/posts/1354565633369027

[Paleontology • 2024] Sphenoecium marjumensis & Tarnagraptus cupidus • Benthic pterobranchs from the Cambrian (Drumian) Marjum Konservat-Lagerstätte of Utah, USA

Sphenoecium marjumensis  &
 Tarnagraptus cupidus 

Lerosey-Aubril, Maletz, Coleman, Mouro, Gaines, Skabelund & Ortega-Hernández, 2024

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1555 

 ortega-hernandezlab.oeb.harvard.edu

 x.com/PlLife2

Abstract

Pterobranchs are rare in Cambrian strata of North America despite discoveries of more than 30 exceptionally preserved fossil biotas. Miaolingian pterobranchs from this continent typically form low-diversity and low-abundance assemblages. Here we describe an abundant pterobranch material from the Drumian Marjum Formation recently collected at the Gray Marjum Quarry in the House Range of Utah, USA. The faunule is composed of two new species: Sphenoecium marjumensis, an encrusting representative forming compact bushy colonies of more than 80 tubes with poorly developed rhizomes, and Tarnagraptus cupidus, an erect growing taxon characterized by intertwining stems and a monopodial colonial growth. Known in extant rhabdopleurids, this mode of colonial growth had hitherto never been observed in fossil pterobranchs. Its documentation in a c. 500-myr-old taxon attests to its deep origin in the evolutionary history of the group. Although the new species almost exclusively occur in the Marjum strata, this pterobranch faunule is broadly similar to those recovered from other Miaolingian Burgess Shale-type deposits of North America in terms of genus-level composition, species richness, and ecological structure. This may indicate that pterobranchs were poorly diverse components of animal communities at that time, or that they mostly thrived in more proximal shelf environments where conditions conducive to their preservation rarely developed. The common co-occurrence of taxa with fundamentally different ecomorphotypes in the Miaolingian Series of North America strongly suggests an earlier phase of morphological diversification of benthic pterobranchs during the early Cambrian, which remains insufficiently documented by fossils.

Keywords: Pterobranchia, Graptolithina, Marjum Formation, Konservat-Lagerstätten, Miaolingian, Drumian

 

Rudy Lerosey-Aubril, Jörg Maletz, Robert Coleman, Lucas Del Mouro, Robert R. Gaines, Jacob Skabelund and Javier Ortega-Hernández. 2024. Benthic pterobranchs from the Cambrian (Drumian) Marjum Konservat-Lagerstätte of Utah. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.1555  ortega-hernandezlab.oeb.harvard.edu/news/back-back-publications-cambrian-ordovician-lagerstätte

  x.com/InvertebratePal/status/1806687327194087599

  x.com/PlLife2/status/1790758316098117943

  x.com/ThePalAss/status/1791479826722766987

[Paleontology • 2025] Yunnanocyclus fortis • A new Induan (Early Triassic, Dienerian) cyclidan crustacean from the Guiyang Biota

Yunnanocyclus fortis 

 Sun, Schweitzer, Dai, Yuan, Bai, Tian, Chu, Guo, Chen, X. Liu, Jiang, Y. Liu, Li & Song, 2025 

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70052  

 Researchgate.net/publication/397482018 

x.com/ThePalAss

Abstract 

The order Cyclida is a distinct group of crustaceans. However, our knowledge of cyclidan crustaceans is very limited due to their rarity in the fossil record. Usually, only the hard carapaces are preserved, while their antennules and appendages are extremely rare. Here, we describe a new cyclidan species, Yunnanocyclus fortis sp. nov., on the basis of three well-preserved specimens from the Early Triassic Guiyang biota, which is known as the oldest Mesozoic lagerstätte. The new species has an ovoid carapace, narrow and smooth marginal rim, a pair of antennules, antennae and seven pairs of thoracomeres. Using μ-XRF analysis, we found that the new species has a pair of strongly ovoid mandibles. The discovery of a new species from South China expands the palaeogeographic distribution of Early Triassic cyclidans. Combining the new species and other reported Cyclida morphological data, we constructed the morphospace of Cyclida using NMDS analysis. The morphospace of Cyclida shows no significant morphological innovations from the Carboniferous to the Triassic, and the high degree of morphological divergence in the Carboniferous supports the early burst model.

 Yunnanocyclus fortis sp. nov.

Xiaoyuan Sun, Carrie E. Schweitzer, Xu Dai, Zhiwei Yuan, Ruoyu Bai, Li Tian, Daoliang Chu, Wei Guo, Jing Chen, Xiaokang Liu, Shouyi Jiang, Yuting Liu, Zhe Li and Haijun Song. 2025. A new Induan (Early Triassic, Dienerian) cyclidan crustacean from the Guiyang Biota. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70052 [10 November 2025]  

 Researchgate.net/publication/397482018_A_new_Induan_Early_Triassic_Dienerian_cyclidan_crustacean_from_the_Guiyang_biota

 x.com/ThePalAss/status/1988256523210969537

[PaleoIchthyology • 2025] Sooinichthys varii • A New otophysan from the Tlayúa Quarry, Mexico: A North American clue to the early Diversification of this group of Freshwater Fishes

 

Sooinichthys varii

Alvarado-Ortega, Otero & Mayrinck, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70056   

 Researchgate.net/publication/398619176

Abstract

We describe a new genus and species, Sooinichthys varii, based on well-preserved specimens from the Albian marine limestones of Tlayúa Quarry, Mexico. This fish possesses a Weberian apparatus, supporting its inclusion in the clade Otophysi, and a unique combination of skeletal features not found in any living or extinct known otophysan group. This new species represents the first known Early Cretaceous otophysan discovered in North America and one of the oldest found worldwide. Our findings enhance our understanding of the early diversity within the Otophysan group. The new species is significant for ongoing discussions about the history of Otophysi because it highlights a geographical region where the otophysan fossil record is scarce; therefore, it may help answer questions about the relationships between fossils and living species, their geographic distribution, the transition from shallow marine waters to inland environments, and the ecological factors that contributed to their diversity as the most varied group of freshwater fish on Earth.

Keywords: Albian, Tlayúa, Otophysi, Sooinichthys varii, Mexico

Sooinichthys varii

  

Genus Sooinichthys nov. 

Derivation of name. The genus name originates from the Mixtec words So’o (meaning ‘ear’) and ini (meaning ‘internal’), combined with the Greek ichthys (meaning ‘fish’), which togetherform ‘fish with an inner ear’. The name is pronounced /sɒˈ.ɒ.ɪn.ɪk.hi.ə.s/. 

Jesús Alvarado-Ortega, Olga Otero and Diogo Mayrinck. 2025. A New otophysan from the Tlayúa Quarry, Mexico: A North American clue to the early Diversification of this group of Freshwater Fishes. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70056  [11 December 2025]

 Researchgate.net/publication/398619176_A_new_otophysan_from_the_Tlayua_Quarry_Mexico

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