Cambrian Hyolitha of Siberian,Baltican and Avalonian aspect in east Laurentian North America: taxonomy and palaeobiogeography

Malinky, J.M. & Geyer, G., 6 March 2019. Cambrian Hyolitha of Siberian, Baltican and Avalonian aspect in east Laurentian North America: taxonomy and palaeobiogeography. Alcheringa 43, 171–203. ISSN 0311-5518.

Newly identified hyoliths from early Cambrian ‘Small Shelly Fossil’ assemblages in New York State and Quebec extend the geographical ranges of hyolith taxa, otherwise known only from Baltica and Siberia, into eastern Laurentian North America, and in some cases, are accompanied by significant stratigraphical range extensions. The newly recognized taxa from this region include the hyolithids Hexitheca washingtonensis sp. nov., Aimitus sp., A. sp. cf. A. communis, Anabaricornus sp., Similotheca americana, Grantitheca glenisteri, and the orthothecids Decoritheca sp., Contitheca sp., two species of Holmitheca, and two hyolith species that can not be confidently assigned to an order at this time. Early Cambrian limestone clasts within the Lower Ordovician of Quebec have produced the hyolithids Similotheca americana and Nevadotheca princeps. The occurrences of Aimitus, Anabaricornus, and Holmitheca provide a palaeobiogeographical link with hyolith assemblages in Siberia, and Hexitheca to Baltica. Contitheca not only is known from these areas, but also has been found in west Laurentia, Morocco, Korea and Antarctica. A review of previously named species demonstrates that none of their type materials can be confidently referred to genus or species level because of poor preservation.

John M. Malinky [jmalinky@sbcglobal.net], Department of Physical Science, San Diego City College, 1313 Park Boulevard, San Diego, CA 92101, USA; Gerd Geyer* [gerd.geyer@uni-wuerzburg.de], Institut für Geographie und Geologie, Bayerische Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany.     

Biostratigraphic potential of Middle Cambrian hyoliths from the eastern Georgina Basin

Fourteen hyolith taxa are documented from the Middle Cambrian (Templetonian to Floran) of the eastern (Queensland) portion of the Georgina Basin, Australia, as a contribution toward a prospective Australian Cambrian hyolith biozonation. The described fauna is from the Beetle Creek Formation (including Monastery Creek Phosphorite Member) and Gowers Formation. Additionally, the enigmatic Cupittheca and some indeterminate hyoliths are figured to illustrate aspects of hyolith morphology. Guduguwan hardmani, widespread in Ordian-early Templetonian strata of northern Australia, is here recorded from the early Templetonian of the eastern Georgina Basin. A new family Gakidae is established for sulcavitide hyolithomorphs with a conch of pentagonally tabernacular transverse section, to include Gaka, Kalkatungu gen. nov. and possibly Dorsolinevitus. New genera are the hyolithid Yalarrnga mara gen. et sp. nov., sulcavitid Kulangarra kutjurru gen. et sp. nov., gakid Kalkatungu murlu gen. et sp. nov. and angusticornid Yuku tjurtu gen. et sp. nov.; new species are Loculitheca kunka sp. nov., Carinolithes tjikilirri sp. nov., ?Sololites kankari sp. nov., ?Shandongolithes thakal sp. nov., ?Gerkella thuka sp. nov. and ?Yacutolituus rakatju sp. nov. Taxa in open nomenclature are Foersteotheca cf. dubecensis, ?Holmitheca sp. and ?Dorsojugatus sp. On present knowledge, the potential for an Australian Cambrian hyolith biozonation is limited in the Early Cambrian, but for the Middle Cambrian, G. hardmani is a widespread Ordian-early Templetonian indicator, while hyolith distribution in the Monastery Creek Phosphorite Member suggests a faunal turnover at or about the incoming of Acidusus atavus which may provide a basis for biozonation in the Floran stage.     

The study of collector variability in the transition to sedentary food producers in northern Colombia

Human adaptation to the tropics by populations of collectors has been a longtanding issue of debate, especially with regard to the role that collectors may have played in pathways toward sedentism and food production. In this essay, I examine significant differences in strategies developed for estuarine environments versus the inland environments of the transitional savannas of northern Colombia to analyze how these two adaptations articulate with the processes which led toward sedentism and food production in neotropical northern Colombia. Contrary to the received wisdom, I argue that the exploitation of rich estuarine environments is not necessarily a prelude to food production; seed exploitation early in the sixth millennium B.P. in the northern Colombian transitional savanna zone provides a second and arguably more probable model.     

The earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the Crimea at Chalcolithic Ardych-Burun

Abstract

This paper reports the discovery of the earliest evidence of domesticated wheat in the Crimean peninsula from the Ardych-Burun shell midden site, Ukraine. The Ardych-Burun site dates to middle of the 4th millennium cal b.c. For the first time, the chronology of a Ukrainian Chalcolithic period site has been established through direct radiocarbon dating of cereal grains retrieved from it. This discovery allows for a wider discussion of the chronology and geographical origins of domesticated plant species in Ukraine and the role the Caucasian corridor may have played in the spread of agriculture into eastern Europe. The presence of cereal crops in the southern Crimea enriches our understanding of the subsistence strategies of the coastal population, which was previously linked only with pastoralism, hunting, and the exploitation of marine resources.     

Editorial

Similarities in late Middle Cambrian trilobite, inarticulate brachiopod and molluscan faunas are apparent between Bornholm (Denmark) and New Zealand. Tuarangia gravgaerdensis sp. nov. is described from the late Middle Cambrian Andrarum Limestone of Bornholm, Denmark. The Andrarum Limestone is stratigraphically correlated with the Tasman Formation, New Zealand, from where the genus Tuarangia was first described. A single specimen, referred to Tuarangia, has been found in an erratic boulder from NW Poland. The boulder is estimated to be of early Late Cambrian age. The initial taxonomic assignment of Tuarangia to the Bivalvia, Subclass Pteriomorphia, is upheld. The distance between Bornholm and New Zealand, the position at opposite hemispheres, and the palaeogeography in general clearly indicate isocommunities with restricted possibility of exchange of the gene pool at species level.     

Claiming ‘creativity’: discourse, ‘doctrine’ or participatory practice?

Drawing on empirical work with a third sector community organisation in the UK and the young NEET adults (16–20 years old, ‘not in employment or education or training’) they ‘creatively’ work with, this paper explores the practices and meanings of creativity as they emerged through a project funded through public and third sector organisations. The paper argues that there is an increasing disjuncture between creativity as a process or method, evidenced in the approaches, practices and ethos of the community organisation I worked with, and the notion of creativity as productive outcome seen in wider policy. This is having an impact on the practices and values of community organisations, particularly as they are pushed to rationalise processes as a result of austerity measures. Indeed, in the era of wider public and third sector cuts, creativity as a process or method is becoming harder to sustain on a day-to-day basis.     

Raising the question: articulating the Dutch identity crisis through public debate

In place of a ‘tolerant no more’ narrative, this article proposes a different conception of nationalism's re‐articulation in the Dutch context. The salience of nationhood in public and political life, particularly concerning issues of immigration, religion and diversity, is not reconstructed as a backlash against a purported multiculturalism. Instead, attention is given to a re‐articulation of the very notion of nationhood. A long‐term historical move away from characterology is assessed and applied in understanding the emergence of a national‐identity discourse. This discourse not merely embellishes talk of Dutchness with new terms, but indicates – so the articles aim to demonstrate – a different conception of nationhood all together. Apart from what the nation is – about which very little disagreement took place – discussions formed about how Dutchness was imagined and to what extent people themselves were able to form a national image. The emergence of national‐identity discourse is empirically reconstructed. Not only is it made clear how a logic of popularity begins to be reiterated across a variety of positionings, but public debate and dissensus acquire a new significance and performativity in the process.     

Systematics and palaeobiology of some Cambrian hyoliths from Guizhou,China, and Nevada,USA

Sun, H., Babcock, L.E., Peng, J. &; Kastigar, J.M., July 2016. Systematics and palaeobiology of some Cambrian hyoliths from Guizhou, China, and Nevada, USA. Alcheringa 41, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518.

Hyoliths constitute one of the most important groups of early biomineralized metazoans. Abundant hyolith specimens, comprising both hyolithides and orthothecides, from the Balang Formation (Cambrian Stage 4), Guizhou, China, and the Poleta Formation (Cambrian Stages 3–4), Pioche Formation (Stages 4–5) and Emigrant Formation (Stages 4–5) Nevada, USA, add to the early Palaeozoic record of hyoliths from South China and Laurentia, and provide new taxonomic, taphonomic and palaeoecologic information about this group. Hyoliths from the Balang Formation include the hyolithides ‘Ambrolinevitus’ maximus Jiang, 1982, Galicornus seeneus? Val’kov, 1975 Val’kov, A.K., 1975. Biostratigrafiya i khiolity kembriya severovostoka Sibirskoe platformy [Cambrian biostratigraphy and hyoliths of the northeastern Siberian Platform]. Akademiya Nauka SSSR, Moscow, 139 pp. (in Russian) [Google Scholar], Haplophrentis reesei Babcock &; Robison, 1988 Babcock, L.E. &; Robison, R.A., 1988. Taxonomy and paleobiology of some Middle Cambrian Scenella (Cnidaria) and hyolithids (Mollusca) from western North America. University of Kansas Paleontological Contributions, Paper 121, 1–22. [Google Scholar], ‘Linevitus’ guizhouensis sp. nov., Meitanovitus guanyindongensis Qian, 1978 Qian, Y., 1978. The Early Cambrian hyolithids in central and southwest China and their stratigraphical significance. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Academia Sinica Memoir 11, 1–38. (in Chinese with English abstract) [Google Scholar], undetermined forms, and undetermined orthothecides. Hyoliths from Nevada include the hyolithides Haplophrentis carinatus (Matthew, 1899 Matthew, G.F., 1899. Studies on Cambrian faunas, No. 3—Upper Cambrian fauna of Mount Stephen, British Columbia—the trilobites and worms. Transactions of the Royal Society of Canada, Series 2, 5, 39–66. [Google Scholar]), Nevadotheca whitei (Resser, 1938 Resser, C.E., 1938. Fourth contribution to the study of Cambrian fossils. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 97(10), 1–43. [Google Scholar]), an undetermined form, and undetermined orthothecides. In the Balang Formation, eocrinoids have been found attached to hyolithide conchs, which supports the view that hyolithides were benthic animals.

Haijing Sun* [hjsun1987@163.com], Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China; Loren E. Babcock? corresponding author [babcockloren@gmail.com], School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA; Jin Peng corresponding author [gzpengjin@126.com], Resources and Environmental Engineering College, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, PR China; Jessica M. Kastigar [kastigar.2@osu.edu], School of Earth Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA. *Also affiliated with Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China. ?Also affiliated with Department of Geology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 12, SE-223 62 Lund, Sweden.     

中国史前龟文化研究综论

本文主要从史前龟甲器的用途、龟灵崇拜的内涵、龟卜文化三个方面对目前中国龟文化的研究现状进行梳理,在此基础上对中国龟文化今后的研究提出了一些看法.     

Nothofagus macrofossils from the Tertiary of Tasmania

Leaves assignable to Nothofagus from two fossil deposits in Tasmania represent the first macrofossils of this genus from the Tertiary in southeastern Australia. One fossil species, N. johnstonii, is closely related to the extant Australian species N. cunninghamii while the other fossil species, N. tasmanica, has very close affinites with the extant Australian species N. moorei. All four of these species are closely interrelated. The pollen type produced by the fossil species is unknown, since all three types are present in the microfloras. However, both N. cunninghamii and N. moorei produce N. menziesii-type pollen. The macrofossils confirm the conclusion from pollen studies that evolution in Nothofagus has occurred very slowly.     

泉州蝇埔村“蚵壳厝”牡蛎壳来源初考

为考证泉州“蚵壳厝”牡蛎壳的来源,本文利用了动物学、动物地理学知识对“蚵壳厝”所用的牡蛎壳进行了种类鉴定和分布的分析。结果显示：“蚵壳厝”的牡蛎壳由大量近江牡蛎（CraSS0Strear1Vu一]ar1S）和少量的长牡蛎（C．g1gaS）组成,这两种牡蛎都属巨牡蛎属（CraSS0strea）。动物地理学特点显示,它们都是分布在太平洋一印度洋交汇海域,东非沿海的印度洋西部并没有这些种类的分布。结合前人对海上丝绸之路的研究结果,我们认为泉州“蚵壳厝”牡蛎壳应该是来自于东南亚或南海北部沿海。     

关于胶东半岛贝丘遗址环境考古学研究的几点思考

中国社会科学院考古研究所胶东半岛贝丘遗址研究课题组自１９９４年到１９９７年在胶东半岛进行环境考古学研究［１］。我们的研究目的是通过环境考古学的调查和发掘,用考古学、地学和生物学的资料阐述这个地区的自然环境演变是如何制约古代人类生存的,而古代人类又是如...