The production of anthraquinones is a major characteristic of most species in the Teloschistaceae. Other secondary metabolites are quite rare in this family, but some species are known to produce depsides, depsidones, xanthones and usnic acid. A new monotypic genus, Neoplaca, with a new species N. mirabilis, is described from the subfamily Caloplacoideae of the family Teloschistaceae, lacking anthraquinones but containing the naphthopyrans simonyellin and consimonyellin. This is the first time this class of organic compounds has been found in the family Teloschistaceae and the second in the order Teloschistales, where simonyellin has been detected in Brigantiaeaceae. Simonyellin and consimonyellin have also previously been reported in the family Roccellaceae. Neoplaca mirabilis is currently known from the two nearby localities in Yakutia, Russia, where it is common and grows on base-rich soil on exposed south-facing siliceous outcrops. The thallus consists of scattered whitish to greyish, or rarely with pale yellow tinge, squamules 1–4.5 mm diam. and 0.3–1 mm thick with citrine to orange-yellow blastidia produced from their margin; apothecia and pycnidia are unknown. In addition to naphthopyrans, N. mirabilis contains an unidentified brown pigment similar in some features to melanin. The new species is also interesting in that the pigments are apparently located inside the cells of the cortex, not on their surface, where anthraquinones are found in Teloschistaceae.

Paleontological remains retrieved from permafrost represent the most informative records of Pleistocene ecosystems. Different levels of past microbial activity affecting fossil material preservation are presented for two selected bone samples—an almost intact Bison sp. metacarpus (45.0 ± 5.0 14C ka BP) and a weathered Equus sp. metacarpus (37.8 ± 1.7 14C ka BP) from the recently exposed cryogenic geo-contexts in the Yana River basin, NE Yakutia. Diagenetic changes in bone porosity and chemical composition as a result of the past microbial activity were investigated by multiple analytical methods. In the bison bone, which was permafrost-sealed shortly after death of the animal and conserved for ca. 45 ka in a frozen state in a cryolithic formation, only superficial microbial degradation processes were detected. Progressive microbial attacks characterize the horse bone, which was exposed to MIS 3 sub-aerial biogenic decay and modern surficial weathering. This is evidenced by extensive bacterial micro-boring with the typical focal destructions, an increase in microbial porosity, and de-mineralized osseous zones due to waterlogged and poorly oxygenated past depositional conditions. New information contributes to better understanding of the diagenesis particularities and the associated chemical and biological agents of the fossil osteological assemblages with respect to their taphonomic and paleoenvironmental implications.

Three species of the family Teloschistaceae (lichenized Ascomycota) are described as new to science from Southern and Eastern Siberia and the Far East. Corticolous Caloplaca saviczii belongs to the genus Caloplaca s. str.; it has C. cerina-like apothecia and green to grey-green, crateriform soralia with a white rim. Lendemeriella aureopruinosa is a saxicolous taxon with a thin grey thallus and small apothecia 0.3–0.6 mm in diameter, with a dark orange disc usually bearing epipsamma and often with a grey true exciple containing the pigment Cinereorufa-green. Orientophila infirma is a corticolous species with an endophloeodal thallus and small orange apothecia, 0.2–0.3 mm in diameter, usually with an inconspicuous thalline exciple. All new taxa presumably have a boreal north-eastern distribution in Asia.

This article proposes an analytical framework to address why implemented autonomy outcomes may differ across ethnic republics in the Russian Federation. Composed of a long-range factor, inter-ethnic boundary making, and a short-term factor, titular elites’ representation in the ethno-regional state, the framework is applied to a synchronic comparison of three republics of Russia with differing autonomy outcomes for the 2010s, Tatarstan, Bashkortostan, and Yakutia, reliant upon state-generated data and fieldwork. Titular elites’ representation in the ethnoregional state is used as a proxy for titular elites’ bargaining capacity with the central state. It is argued that an “integration–distinction balance,” or rather, higher inter-ethnic integration combined with robust consciousness of inter-ethnic distinction, can contribute to titular elites’ bargaining capacity with the center, which can lead to greater autonomy outcome for the ethnic republic.

Arctoparmelia collatolica is described as a species new to science based on morphological, chemical and molecular data. The species is similar to the usnic acid-deficient chemotype of A. centrifuga but differs in the grey-brown to brown upper surface in the central part of the thallus and ivory white to pale brown rhizines. The species contains collatolic acid and its derivatives. Seven secondary lichen substances are reported as new for the genus Arctoparmelia. A key to Arctoparmelia taxa is provided.

Some samples of hollandite-type titanates from the Murun alkaline complex (Yakutia, Russia) contain appreciable amounts of Pb (up to 12.5 wt.% PbO). These titanates occur in a pegmatitic K-feldsparaegirine rock containing subordinate K-rich batisite, titanite, wadeite and other minerals. The Pb-bearing crystals coexist with hollandite-type phases devoid of detectable Pb and zoned from a Kdominant (priderite) core to a Ba-dominant (henrymeyerite) rim. Recalculation of the microprobe analyses on the stoichiometric basis indicates that most of the Fe occurs in this mineral in trivalent form, suggesting the existence of a solid solution between the Ba(Ti6Fe)O16, K2(Ti6Fe)O16 and Pb(Ti6Fe)O16 end-members. The maximum proportion of the latter end-member in the Murun titanates is ∽45 mol.%. The Ba-free compositions [Pb1.0–1.3(Ti,Fe)8O16] and intermediate members of the (Ba1–xPbx)(Ti6Fe)O16 series were synthesized at 1050 –1100ºC. The synthesis products comprise tetragonal hollandites of various stoichiometry intermixed with rutile, a pseudobrookite-type phase and (for the Ba-free compositions) minor macedonite. Electron microprobe analyses of the hollandites indicate that there is a continuous series of compositions between the two hexatitanate end-members, Ba(Ti6Fe)O16 and Pb(Ti6Fe)O16. The crystal structure of one intermediate member was refined by the Rietveld method in space group I4/m, and found to differ from the hollandite archetype (i.e. Pb-bearing Ba manganate) in that Pb is preferentially partitioned into the 2b tunnel site at (0,0,½), whereas Ba is partitioned into the larger 4e site at (0,0,∽0.8).

Frankamenite, K3Na3Ca5[Si12O30]F3(OH)1H2O, from the Yakutian charoitic rocks, has a triclinic unit cell with the dimensions: a = 10.094(3), b = 12.691(3), c = 7.240(1) Å, α = 90.00(2)°, β = 111.02(2)°, γ = 110.20(2)°, sp.gr. = P1, Z = 1. Its crystal structure has been refined to Raniso= 0.059 (Rw = 0.060) using the intensities of 2563 reflections.

The bases of the structure are zig-zag walls of Ca, Na octahedra joined by infinite octagonal cross-sectioned tubes of SiO4 of the composition (Si12O30). Unlike canasite from the Khibini Mountains, the triclinic cell of frankamenite contains only one silicate tube. The atomic coordinates, interatomic distances and angles are topologically similar to those of canasite. Major differences are observed in the distribution of octahedral cations, which reflect the different anion compositions. Frankamenite exhibits six mixed Ca-Na positions, whereas canasite has only one such position. The H2O molecule is located in the centre of the silicate tube between K+ cations.

Pyroxene and mica found in plutonic rocks of the Little Murun ultrapotassic pluton exhibit trends of compositional evolution that permit evaluation of the differentiation sequence of the complex. Pyroxene evolves from diopside in kalsilite and phlogopite pyroxenites through aegirine-diopside in shonkinite to aegirine in late stage charoitite and evolved hypabyssal rocks. The compositional trend is unusual in that the hedenbergite content of the pyroxenes never exceeds 15 mol.% and is thus unlike pyroxene compositional trends found in sodic alkaline complexes. Mica is Al- and Ti-poor and ranges in composition from Fe-rich phlogopite through biotite towards tetraferriannite. Compositional trends of mica found in ‘lamproite-like’ hypabyssal rocks are identical to those observed in the micaceous plutonic rocks; hence the former are considered to be representatives of the lamprophyric facies of the magmas which formed the plutonic series.

Tausonites occurring in aegirine potassium feldspar syenite from the Little Murun potassic alkaline complex are characterised by complex growth and resorption features. These are attributed to nonequilibrium crystallisation in a dynamic environment characterised by magma mixing and/or volatile degassing. The crystals represent a transported assemblage which has no simple relationship to the magma from which their host rock crystallised. Tausonites exhibit significant normal, reverse and oscillatory compositional zoning with respect to strontium and the rare earth elements. The compositions are unique, ranging from tausonite to strontian cerian loparite, and are unlike those found in strontian perovskites from lamproites and fenites associated with carbonatites.

Compositional data are presented for Ba-rich titanates belonging to the hollandite group, Ba(Ti,Fe)5O11 and K2Ti13O27. The titanates, on the basis of textural evidence, are interpreted to have formed by the reaction of K-Ba-rich residual liquids with pre-existing Ti-magnetite, ilmenite and tausonite. The compositions of the titanates are similar to those of primary titanates found in kimberlites and carbonatites.

The micro-inclusions located in the genetic centre of Yakutian diamond monocrystals have been studied using optical (anomalous birefringence, photoluminescence, cathodoluminescence) and microanalytical (electron-microprobe, proton-microprobe, scanning electron microscope) methods. Most diamonds nucleated heterogeneously on mineral seeds, that lowered the energy barrier to nucleation. Nucleation of peridotitic diamonds occurred on a matrix of graphite+iron+wüstite, in an environment dominated by forsteritic olivine and Fe-Ni sulfide. Nucleation of eclogitic diamonds occurred on a matrix of sulfide ± iron in an environment dominated by Fe-sulfide and omphacite (±-K-Na-Al-Si-melt). The mineral assemblages recorded in the central inclusions of Yakutian diamonds indicate that they grew in a reduced environment, with oxygen fugacity controlled by the iron-wüstite equilibrium. Nucleation of diamond occurred in the presence of a fluid, possibly a volatile-rich silicate melt, highly enriched in LIL (K, Ba, Rb, Sr) and HFSE (Nb, Ti, Zr) elements. This fluid also carried immiscible Fe-Ni-sulfide melts, and possibly a carbonatitic component; the introduction of this fluid into a reduced refractory environment may have been accompanied by a thermal pulse, and may have created the conditions necessary for the nucleation and growth of diamond.

Flaked-tool technology can provide insights into social and cultural changes and interregional connections. This study of changing tool production covers the Upper Palaeolithic to the Late Neolithic in the Yakutia region of eastern Siberia. This region is home to the Palaeolithic Dyuktai complex, the Mesolithic Sumnagin complex and Neolithic traditions; it thus enables a better understanding of the material culture of these societies in Siberia and improves our knowledge of the complex migration processes towards the New World.