Fourteen taxa of stromatoporoids are described from allochthonous blocks of reefal limestone embedded in siltstones of late Gedinnian to Siegenian age. The fauna is a mixture of genera that characterize Ludlovian–Gedinnian rocks (Actinodictyon, Parallelostroma, Syringostromella) and those that characterize Emsian–Eifelian rocks (Atopostroma, Anostylostroma, Habrostroma, Syringostroma). The following new species are described: Gerronostroma franklinense, Gerronostroma nivale, Actinodictyon venustum, and Syringostromella praecox. The new genus Belemnostroma with type species B. hastatum n. sp. is established for stromatoporoids with the basic structure of Anostylostroma but penetrated by large, rodlike megapillars. Species with long coenosteles are excluded from Stromatopora on the basis that they are not congeneric with the type species and many species assigned to Ferestromatopora should be reassigned to Stromatopora. Previously described species of Atopostroma, Stromatopora, and Parallelostroma are recognized and redescribed.

A single specimen of the new sponge, Raphidonema indica n. sp., is the first Eocene sponge to be reported from India. It was collected from the Fulra Limestone Formation at Lakhpat, Kutch, India. The undulating, cup-like sponge is most similar to R. farringdonense (Sharpe, 1854), but the Indian species has a clustered, mounded excurrent system and numerous tangential canals on the upper, exhalant surface. Skeletal tracts in Raphidonema indica are 0.4–0.5 mm in diameter, in walls that are generally 12–14 mm, but range up to 18 mm thick.

The level of colony integration in tabulate corals is the degree of colony unity with respect to behavior, physiology, and development of individual organs or organ complexes within colonies. These are difficult to assess in fossils, but the level of colony integration can be tested by analyzing ontogenies and astogenies of two common Paleozoic tabulate coral groups, favositids and heliolitids. Favositids have been previously interpreted as highly integrated colonies, but results of the present examination suggest that the level of colony integration in favositids was rather lower than hitherto assumed. The ontogenies and astogenies in favositid colonies are not correlatable; thus, the significance of ontogenetic and astogenetic variations for systematic and phylogenetic resolution in favositids is difficult to assess at present. In contrast, astogenetic developmental sequences are recognized in heliolitids. Ontogenies in heliolitids were subordinated to the astogeny of the colony. This is closely related to the high degree of colony integration with respect to behavior and physiology of individual organs or organ complexes within colonies. Individual corallites were well linked and coordinated so that the whole colony could have functioned as a single individual. As a result, evolution in heliolitids operated at the colony level and by heterochronic (and other) modifications of astogenies rather than of ontogenies.

More than five thousand specimens of nine species of articulate brachiopods from the Waynesville-Liberty Formation (Late Ordovician) of southeastern Indiana were analyzed for the percentage of specimens disarticulated and the ratio of pedicle to brachial valves. Among biconvex species, the rhynchonellid Hiscobeccus capax displayed the highest ratio (2.66) of articulated to disarticulated specimens, an observation attributed to its cyrtomatodont hinge. The six orthid species from the same assemblages have much higher frequencies of disarticulated valves and deltidiodont hinges, which did not necessitate breakage of the teeth or sockets in order to disassociate the valves. Platystrophia clarksvillensis has the highest percentage of articulated specimens among the orthids, a fact attributed to the hydrodynamic stability of this species and the interlocking of the valves by the plicae around the commissure. The largest of the three concavo-convex taxa, Rafinesquina ponderosa, has the highest ratio of articulated to disarticulated specimens (3.03) and requires the fastest current velocities to transport the shells based on flume experiments.

Additionally, the deltidiodont hinge of R. ponderosa is more complex than those of Strophomena planumbona and Leptaena richmondensis, which might have increased the amount of jostling necessary to disarticulate the valves. The infrequency of brachial valves of H. capax, Hebertella occidentalis, Plaesiomys subquadrata, S. planumbona, and R. ponderosa and the pedicle valves of L. richmondensis probably reflects the comparative mechanical weaknesses of these valves given the high frequency of fragments in the biosparites, which resemble tempestites. Pedicle valves of orthids and rhynchonellids are up to 10 times thicker posteriorly relative to corresponding points on the opposite valve. Brachial valves of L. richmondensis are more than four times thicker anteriorly relative to the pedicle valve. The occurrence of posterior remnants of the fragmented brachial valve still hinged to the unfractured pedicle valve support the idea that the thinner valve is mechanically much weaker.

Marginovatia is proposed as a new genus of small North American linoproductid brachiopods that developed a narrow shelf around the anterior and anterolateral margin of the visceral disc in the brachial valve and a corresponding small flange in the pedicle valve interior. When the valves closed, these structures fit together and helped seal off the visceral cavity. This genus first appeared in the Late Mississippian (late Meramecian), continued through the Early and earliest Middle Pennsylvanian (Morrowan), and may have continued into the early Middle Pennsylvanian (Atokan). In addition to the type species, Productus inflatus var. minor Snider, seven species are assigned to this genus: Marginovatia aureocollis n. sp., M. catinulus n. sp., Linoproductus duodenarius Easton, M. eurekensis n. sp., M. manardensis n. sp., Productus (Linoproductus) semicubiculus Bell, and L. pumilus Sutherland and Harlow. An eighth species, identified as Marginovatia aff. M. pumila (Sutherland and Harlow), occurs in rocks of probable middle to late Morrowan or Atokan age in southeastern Alaska.

The marine bivalve Fimbria susanensis n. sp. is reported from the uppermost Paleocene part of the “Meganos Stage” in the upper Santa Susana Formaton, Simi Hills, southern California.

Fimbria pacifica n. sp. is reported from the middle lower Eocene “Capay Stage” strata of the Pacific coast of southwestern North America. The new species is present in the lower Bateque Formation, Baja California Sur, Mexico, and in the lower Juncal Formation, Whitaker Peak area and Santa Ynez Mountains, southern California.

Fimbria susanensis n. sp. and F. pacifica n. sp. are the only fimbriids known from the Pacific coast of North America. Previously reported Pacific coast species, which gave a range of Late Cretaceous to late Eocene for this genus in this particular area, do not belong to Fimbria.

Specimens of the gastropod genus Donaldina are numerous throughout marine units of the Pottsville, Allegheny, and Conemaugh Groups in the Appalachian Basin. Six species of Donaldina from thirteen marine units are described. New species proposed are Donaldina quadroliratus, from Pottsville and Allegheny units, and Donaldina superclivis, from Conemaugh units.

The basal part of the Upper Cretaceous, mid-Campanian to Maastrichtian Izumi Group of the Izumi Mountains and Awaji Island, Southwest Japan, contains the most diverse gastropod fauna of this age in Japan. This paper discriminates 19 species and describes two new genera: Atira tricarinata n. sp., Ataphrus (s.s.) sp. A, Ataphrus (s.s.) sp. B, Globularia (s.s.) izumiensis n. sp., Lysis izumiensis n. sp., Trichotropis? sp., Deussenia takinoikensis n. sp., Volutilithes antiqua n. sp., Pseudoperissitys bicarinata Nagao and Otatume, Nekewis sp., Nipponitys inouei n. gen. and sp., Nipponitys acutangularis n. gen. and sp., Nipponitys sp. cf. N. magna (Kalishevitsch), Calorebama cretacea n. sp., Taniella japonica n. gen. and sp., Amuletum (s.s.) sp., Biplica osakensis n. sp., Biplica sphaerica n. sp., and Cylichna sp. The family Ampullospiridae is assigned to the suborder Architaenioglossa from the superfamily Naticacea. The enigmatic genus Lysis is tentatively assigned to the Calyptraeidae. Taniella japonica n. sp. is the oldest member of the family Olividae, and Calorebama cretacea n. sp. is the oldest member of the subfamily Pseudolivinae. Occurrence of Atira, Ataphrus, Biplica, and five perissityids further supports close communication of the northwestern Pacific Late Cretaceous gastropod faunas with those of the North American Pacific coastal areas.

Collections from the basal part of the marine Eocene Tejon Formation, Tehachapi Mountains, southern California, reveal new stratigraphic occurrences of patellogastropod limpets. Reports of these gastropods from California Paleogene strata are uncommon. The Tejon limpets are all members of the tropical genus Patelloida. Four taxa are represented in 33 specimens from five localities. These taxa include: mature specimens of P. tejonensis (Gabb, 1869), the first occurrence of the Eocene P. vokesi (Hickman, 1980) outside of Oregon, and P. triquetrus n. sp., described herein. Our study shows that a hypotype referred to P. tejonensis by Anderson and Hanna in 1925 is actually a fissurelloidean species, and we tentatively reallocate it to the genus Megathura Pilsbry, 1890. Analysis of depositional settings indicates that nearshore, shallow-subtidal depositional environments have higher patellogastropod abundance and diversity than intertidal or offshore-subtidal depositional environments. Morphological convergence between Tejon and Recent patellogastropod taxa is documented. Resemblance of the Eocene P. triquetrus n. sp. and an indeterminate Patelloidea sp. to the Quaternary “Collisella” scabra (Gould, 1846) and Lottia digitalis (Rathke, 1833), respectively, is remarkable.

The hyolith orders Camerothecida Syssoiev and Diplothecida Syssoiev are here incorporated into the order Hyolithida Matthew. Morphologic features used to distinguish Camerothecida and Diplothecida are interpretive reconstructions of features presumed to have been present but not actually preserved on any existing specimens. The few morphologic features retained by those fossils are consistent with assignment to the Hyolithida. Poor preservation of the types of Hyolithes (Camerotheca) gracilis Matthew and Diplotheca hyattiana Matthew, which formed the basis for those two orders, as well as those of Hyolithes (Camerotheca) micmac Matthew in Walcott, Hyolithes acadica Hartt in Walcott, and Hyolithes matthewi Sinclair, renders generic assignment of these species uncertain. Hyolithes matthewi Sinclair is assigned to Tulenicornus Val'kov with question, and Hyolithes danianum Matthew in Walcott is here transferred to Nitoricornus Syssoiev.

Previously poorly known Devonian actinocerids are described from Gedinnian (Early Devonian) strata of the Fukuji Formation, Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. They include two new species, Ormoceras japonicum and Metarmenoceras kameii. Two specimens of a probable new species of the family Ormoceratidae are also recorded and illustrated. This is the first detailed systematic report of actinocerids from Japan.

Odontopleura (Odontopleura) arctica, a new species of odontopleurine trilobite, is described from the Canadian Arctic. A method of cladistic analysis is detailed. Parsimony analysis should be performed treating all characters as unordered. The universe of directed trees implied by the resulting rootless network(s) can then be examined and a preferred tree selected by a criterion of congruency. Namely, the most parsimonious directed tree that accommodates the most congruent arrangement of character-states should be taken as the preferred cladogram. Since this is essentially a general congruency method operating within the constraints of parsimony, it is termed “constrained congruency.” The method is applied to the genus Odontopleura, resulting in the recognition of two major species groups, the nominate subgenus and Sinespinaspis n. subgen. Odontopleura (Ivanopleura) dufrenoyi Barrande is tentatively included in the genus, but considered too poorly known for cladistic analysis. Species assigned to Odontopleura (Odontopleura) include Odontopleura ovata Emmrich, Odontopleura brevigena Chatterton and Perry, Odontopleura (Odontopleura) arctica n. sp., and Diacanthaspis serotina Apollonov. Species assigned to Sinespinaspis n. subgen. include Taemasaspis llandoveryana Šnajdr, Odontopleura greenwoodi Chatterton and Perry, Odontopleura maccallai Chatterton and Perry, and Odontopleura nehedensis Chatterton and Perry. Odontopleura bombini Chatterton and Perry is tentatively placed in synonymy with Odontopleura nehedensis. The genus had a wide distribution throughout the Early and Middle Silurian, due to preferences for deep-water, distal shelf or shelf-slope transition zone habitats.

The Upper Devonian (Frasnian) conodont fauna of the Lime Creek Formation of north-central Iowa is dominated by species of Polygnathus. Patterns of species composition and abundance are consistent with the Polygnathus biofacies described from the Frasnian of the Northwest Territories of western Canada. Consequently, the standard Frasnian conodont zones, defined on sequences developed in the Palmatolepis biofacies, are not applicable to the Lime Creek sequence. The Lime Creek conodont sequence correlates with Zones 4, 5 and Faunal Interval 7 of the Frasnian conodont sequence in the Alberta Rockies and with similar sequences in the southwestern United States. The Pb elements of Palmatolepis semichatovae Ovnatanova and Ancyrognathus? deformis (Anderson) are described and illustrated for the first time.

In the Lime Creek Formation of north-central Iowa, brachiopods of the lowermost part of the Nervostrophia thomasi Zone of Day (1989a) occur in Zone 4, brachiopods of most of the N. thomasi, Douvillina arcuata, and Cyrtospirifer whitneyi Zones span conodont Zone 5, and the Elita inconsueta and Iowatrypa owenensis Zones occur in Faunal Interval 7. Species of the ammonoid Manticoceras and of the gastropods Floyda, Turbonopsis, and Westerna are restricted to Faunal Interval 7. Species of the calcareous foraminifer Nanicella first occur in Zone 5, and are joined by species of Multiseptida high in Zone 5.

Remains derived from owl pellets are a major source of small-animal remains in paleontological and archaeological sites. Pellet remains are examined here to further develop workable strategies for extracting taphonomic information from microvertebrate assemblages. Study of the remains of three wild owl species yielded characteristic patterns of bone fragmentation and skeletal element representation. At the assemblage level, owl-derived assemblages are shown to differ quantitatively from other assemblages. The possible variability to be expected in owl-derived assemblages is examined and the patterns are contrasted with those produced by other depositional agents. The patterns can be useful in the identification of owl-deposited remains in some assemblages; however, overlap with patterns produced by other mechanisms may complicate analysis.

Fossils of a new primitive plesiadapid primate, Pronothodectes gaoi n. sp., from the middle Tiffanian (late Paleocene) Paskapoo Formation of Alberta, Canada, are described. Pronothodectes gaoi, the youngest known species of the genus, has P3–4 and lower molars that are intermediate between those of the early to middle Tiffanian successional species Plesiadapis anceps Simpson and Plesiadapis rex (Gidley) both in size and qualitative characters. Pronothodectes gaoi retains I2 and the lower canine, as do all species of Pronothodectes Gidley but not Plesiadapis Gervais. A possible second species of Pronothodectes, from the earliest Tiffanian Cochrane 2 locality, Alberta, more closely resembles the ancestral Plesiadapis, Plesiadapis praecursor Gingerich, in size and configuration of P4, M1–3, but not in dental formula since the lower canine and perhaps I2 are retained. The stratigraphic occurrences of the fossils described here show that ancestral plesiadapids having I2 and the lower canine did not evolve anagenetically into Plesiadapis at the Torrejonian–Tiffanian boundary, as had been previously believed and that knowledge of the infrequently known anterior lower dentition may be necessary for recognition of some, otherwise indistinguishable, plesiadapid species. These discoveries make both interpretation of early plesiadapid phylogeny and correlation based on the stratigraphic succession of early plesiadapid species uncertain.

Taphofacies have been based on the likelihood that considerable variability exists in taphonomic processes between different environments and that this variability produces predictable variations in taphonomic signature between assemblages. Three stations above storm wave base that differed little in sediment texture and depth were sampled on the inner continental shelf of central Texas. Taphonomic analysis revealed subtle gradients in sediment grain size and water depth that would not be revealed by most other analyses. These gradients may exist over very small spatial scales, equivalent to those within a single extensive outcrop. Not all taphonomic attributes are equally likely to be preserved in the fossil record. Those varying with depth in our study area, such as fragmentation and articulation, are more likely to be preserved than those documenting changes in sediment texture, such as variation in the frequency of dissolution features on the shells. Nevertheless, siting and sampling protocols are important when characterizing a taphofacies because within-habitat variation is potentially as large as between-habitat variation. Description of the average taphofacies for an environment must include documentation of the variation in taphonomic attributes within the sampled area because few conservative taphonomic attributes exist. Fragments, even those that are unidentifiable, retain significant taphonomic information and should not be ignored. Careful sampling should permit the simultaneous description of general taphofacies as well as the detection of important but unsuspected gradients in the environment.

The Clypeastroid echinoid Fibularia texana (Twitchell) has been reported in the literature from only two localities. Twitchell (Clark and Twitchell, 1915) reported that the holotype was collected by T. H. Aldrich from an unspecified locality in Lee County, Texas, from the “Lower Claiborne,” Middle Eocene. Cooke (1942, 1959) reported F. texana from the Weches Formation, lower Claiborne, in San Augustine County, Texas (see Eargle, 1968, for stratigraphic nomenclature). He intimated that the type occurrence in Lee County was also from the Weches Formation. I have recently collected F. texana from the fossiliferous Cook Mountain (upper Claiborne) deposits exposed along Elm Creek in Lee County. Evidence is presented to show that Aldrich's original collection was from Cook Mountain exposures along Elm Creek, and this is designated as the type locality.

Pre-pleistocene fossil vertebrates are rare fossils in the Antillean region. The majority of vertebrate deposits found in the West Indies are of Late Pleistocene age, usually, but not always (MacPhee et al., 1989), dating from after the last interglacial. These faunas are cave and fissure accumulations of disarticulated bones of small terrestrial vertebrates, particularly rodents, birds, and lizards. In contrast, pre-Quaternary vertebrates of the Caribbean islands are particularly poorly known. For example, Jamaica, which has one of the most extensively studied fossil records in the region, has hitherto produced only three Tertiary vertebrates, all aquatic and hitherto known only from unique specimens. These include: the late Early Eocene sirenian Prorastomus sirenoides Owen, 1855, originally described on the basis of the skull, mandible, and atlas vertebra (for a recent discussion of this species, see Savage, 1977); the lower jaw of the early Middle Eocene crocodilian Charactosuchus kugleri Berg, 1969; and a fragment of needlefish jaw from the Pliocene (Caldwell, 1966). It is therefore significant to report the discovery of an early Middle Eocene sequence in which bones are not uncommon, including a bone bed that has produced a moderate diversity of aquatic (marine?) taxa.

As first State Paleontologist of New York, T. A. Conrad is widely recognized as an important pioneer of American paleontology. Highlights of his career and tragic personal life, as well as his portrait, are given by Merrill (1906, p. 344, 354–357).