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.     

Gracilitheca and Nephrotheca (Hyolitha,Orthothecida) in the Cambrian of the Barrandian area,Czech Republic

VALENT, M., FATKA, O. & MAREK, L., iFirst article. Gracilitheca and Nephrotheca (Hyolitha, Orthothecida) in the Cambrian of the Barrandian area, Czech Republic. Alcheringa, 1–10. ISSN 0311-5518.

Five orthothecid hyoliths, Gracilitheca mirabilis sp. nov., Gracilitheca triangularis sp. nov., Gracilitheca sp., Nephrotheca betula sp. nov. and Nephrotheca sp. are described from the ‘middle’ Cambrian Buchava Formation of the Skryje–Tý?ovice Basin in the Czech Republic. The new forms are based on about forty well-preserved external and internal moulds of conchs; opercula of all species remain unknown. Stratigraphic ranges and geographic distributions within the Skryje Tý?ovice Basin are established for all taxa.     

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.     

Archaeocyaths from Yorke Peninsula,South Australia and archaeocyathan Early Cambrian zonation

Zhuravlev, A. Yu., & Gravestock, D. I., 1994:03:28. Archaeayaths from Yorke Peninsula, South Australia and archaeocyathan Early Cambrian zonation. Alcheringa 18, 1–54. ISSN 0311-5518.

Two assemblages of archaeocyaths are documented from Lower Cambrian outcrops and drillholes on Yorke Peninsula. South Australia. The older assemblage (11 species) occurs in the uppermost Kulpara Formation and conformably overlying basal Parara Limestone, and is equivalent to Lower Faunal Assemblage II in the Flinders Ranges. The younger assemblage (28 species plus Acanthhcyathus and Rodiocyathus) occurs in the Koolywurtie Member near the top of the Parara Limestone. Equivalent taxa are widespread in the Flinders Ranges, western New South Wales and Antarctica. Archaeocyathan distribution is now sufficiently well known to propose three assemblage zones and two informal assemblages for regional correlation. No new taxa have been added, but Erugatocyathus scutatus (Hill) and Pycnoidocyathus latiloculatus (Hill), hitherto known only from Antarctica, are found in the upper assemblage on Yorke Peninsula. Irregular archaeocyathan systematics are discussed, the ontogeny of Archaeopharetra irregularis (Tylor) clarified, and Kruseicnema Debrenne. Gravestock & Zhuravlev, represented by K. gracilis (Gordon), is fully described.     

Organic-walled microfossils from the Early Cambrian of South Australia

Microfossils which are hollow, possess a two-layered vesicle wall, and occur as single elements or, more rarely, as compound forms, have been recovered from the Early Cambrian Heatherdale Shale, on the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia. The microfossils, which range in size from 4 to 14.5 μm, are informally and tentatively assigned to the genus Sphaerocongregus Moorman 1974. Superficially they resemble forms assigned to Pyritosphaera Love 1958 and its probable junior synonym, Bavlinella Shepeleva 1962. Topotypes of these genera, however, have yet to be studied using SEM techniques, and their morphologic details remain uncertain. The organic composition of the present microfossils is supported by energy-dispersive X-ray analyses. Samples of the Heatherdale Shale were also analysed using pyrolysis techniques; the organic matter is, however, over-mature with respect to petroleum generation, and no geochemical assessment of original kerogen type is possible.     

Healed injuries in Early Cambrian trilobites from South Australia

Examples of an undescribed species of the trilobite Redlichia from the Emu Bay Shale (Early Cambrian), Kangaroo Island, South Australia, show damage to the exoskeleton attributed to the action of predators. Injury was probably not lethal. The identity of the predators is unresolved, notwithstanding soft-part preservation within the fossil assemblage. Possible culprits include either a rare and presumably large animal such as an arthropod or conceivably cannibalism by Redlichia itself. This report provides new data on the occurrence of Cambrian predators, and casts further doubt on earlier suggestions that macrophagous predation was insignificant at this time. Aspects of trilobite predation during the Palaeozoic are reviewed, with emphasis placed on their ability to withstand substantial injuries and the possible repair mechanisms that promoted wound healing and survival.     

Svalbardia (Chonetidina,Brachiopoda) from the Kungurian (Permian) of Western Australia

The rugosochonetid genus Svalbardia is recorded for the first time from the Western Australian Permian. The new species Svalbardia thomasi is described from the Nalbia Greywacke and the Baker Formation of the Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia. The relationship of Svalbardia to allied genera of the Rugosochonetidae Muir-Wood is discussed. The disjunct distribution of the genus in the Permian is documented.     

Terminal Cambrian and Early Ordovician (Tremadocian) conodonts from Eastern Alborz,north-central Iran

Hadi Jahangir, Mansoureh Ghobadi Pour, Alireza Ashuri & Arash Amini, December 2015. Terminal Cambrian and Early Ordovician (Tremadocian) conodonts from Eastern Alborz, north-central Iran. Alcheringa ##, ###-###. ISSN 0311-5518.

Uppermost Cambrian (Furongian) and Lower Ordovician (Tremadocian) deposits of eastern Alborz in northern Iran contain several successive low- to moderate-diversity conodont associations including 13 genera and 19 species of euconodonts, paraconodonts and protoconodonts, which define six biozones: 1, the Proconodontus muelleri; 2, Eoconodontus notchpeakensis; 3, Cordylodus andresi; 4, Cordylodus proavus; 5, Paltodus deltifer; and 6, Paroistodus proteus zones. With the exception of Cordylodus andresi, which is otherwise known from Baltoscandia and from the Oaxaquia terrane (Mexico), all index-taxa are geographically widespread, allowing long-range correlation within the Cold Domain or the North Atlantic Province, and in particular with Baltica. Invasion of euconodonts in the Alborz region, defined by the first occurrence of Proconodontus muelleri, coincides closely with a steady rise in sea level and termination of carbonate sedimentation, whereas the transition from the Proconodontus muelleri to Eoconodontus notchpeakensis zones occurs during a highstand interval unlike in Laurentian sequences. The interval corresponding to the Cordylodus andresi and Cordylodus proavus zones, and the transition from the Paltodus deltifer to Paroistodus proteus zones coincided with unstable sea levels and the formation of shoal complexes. The lower boundary of the Floian Stage can be provisionally placed slightly below the first documented occurrence of Acodus sp. cf. A. kechikaensis, somewhat below the second unit of andesitic lava flows in the Simeh-Kuh section.

Hadi Jahangir [jahangir.hadi@gmail.com] and Alireza Ashuri [ashouri2001@yahoo.com] Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University, Azadi Square, Mashhad 91775-1436, Iran; Mansoureh Ghobadi Pour* [mghobadipour@yahoo.co.uk; m.ghobadipour@gu.ac.ir] and Arash Amini [a.amini@gu.ac.ir], Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University, Gorgan 49138-15739, Iran. *Also affiliated with Department of Geology, National Museum of Wales, Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, UK.     

Campanile (Mollusca: Gastropoda): a new record from the early Miocene of Victoria,Australia

Campanile rupicolum sp. nov. is described from the early Miocene Upper Maude Limestone Member of Maude, Victoria. The genus has not hitherto been recorded from Victoria, a part of the Southeast Australian biogeographic Province, and was thought to be characteristic of the Austral-Indopacific Province. This is the oldest occurrence of the genus so far recorded from Australia.     

Costulatotheca schleigeri (Hyolitha: Orthothecida) from the Walhalla Group (Early Devonian) at Mount Pleasant,central Victoria,Australia

Earp, C., 29 January 2019. Costulatotheca schleigeri (Hyolitha: Orthothecida) from the Walhalla Group (Early Devonian) at Mount Pleasant, central Victoria, Australia. Alcheringa. Alcheringa 43, 220–227. ISSN 0311-5518

A number of hyolith fragments (including one operculum), found in Early Devonian marine turbidites at Mt Pleasant, near Alexandra, central Victoria, are described as Costulatotheca schleigeri gen. et sp. nov., the first confirmed record of the order Orthothecida in the Devonian of Australia. Index fossils found at this locality (Uncinatograptus sp. cf. U. thomasi and Nowakia sp. ex gr. N. acuaria) indicate an age of Pragian or earliest Emsian. The taphonomy of rare rafted shelly fossils indicates that flysch deposition occurred in a very-low-energy environment into which there were occasional bursts of high-energy turbidites carrying allochthonous fossils from shallower water.

Clement Earp [omaiosys@yahoo.com.au], 1 De Havilland Place, Onerahi, Whangarei 0110, New Zealand.     

Late Cambrian (Iverian,Jiangshanian) fossils from the Professor Range area,Western Tasmania

Abstract

Late Cambrian (Iverian, Jiangshanian) agnostoids and trilobites are described from two localities in the Professor Range area of western Tasmania. The fossils occur within a thick folded flysch succession of siltstone, mudstone, quartzwacke sandstone and siliceous conglomerate that forms the lower part of the Owen Group correlatives in this area. The flysch succession has a conformable and probable gradational contact with the underlying Mt Read Volcanics and is abruptly overlain by the siliceous pebble-cobble conglomerate correlated with the Middle Owen Conglomerate of the West Coast Range. The stratigraphically lower southern locality contains the agnostoids Pseudagnostus sp. and Agnostinae gen. et sp. indet. plus the polymerid trilobites Parabolina sp., Hedinaspis sp. cf. H. regalis and Eugonocare sp. The northern locality contains the agnostoids Rhaptagnostus sp. and Pseudagnostus sp. plus the polymerid trilobites Hedinaspis sp. cf. H. regalis, Ketyna? sp. 1, Ketyna? sp. 2, and Cermatops sp. It is possible that most specimens of the cosmopolitan genus Hedinaspis belong in the type species, H. regalis.

Christopher J. Bentley [bigfossil@bigpond.com], 30 Albert Street, Clare SA 5453; James B. Jago [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au], University of South Australia, School of Natural and Built Environment, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095; Keith D. Corbett [keith.corbett@bigpond.com], 35 Pillinger Drive, Fern Tree Tas 7054, Australia.     

First records from Laurentia of some middle Cambrian (Series 3) sponge spicules

Peel, J.S., February 2017. First records from Laurentia of some middle Cambrian (Series 3) sponge spicules. Alcheringa 41, 000–000. ISSN 0311-5518.

Spicules of the sponges Silicunculus Bengtson, Australispongia Dong & Knoll and Thoracospongia Mehl are described from the middle Cambrian (Cambrian Series 3) of North Greenland. The occurrences document the first records from the Cambrian of Laurentia of spicules initially reported from Australia. Obese spicules of Thoracospongia are now known to occur in strata of Cambrian Series 2 (Stage 4, Botoman) to Cambrian Series 3 (Stage 5 and Drumian) age in Australia, northern and southeastern Siberia and in the uppermost Henson Gletscher Formation (Cambrian Series 3, Stage 5) of western Peary Land. Morphologically similar obese spicules from the USA, Jordan, Iran and Sweden suggest an evolutionary trend towards armouring of the outer sponge surface during the middle and late Cambrian. New species described are Silicunculus saaqqutit sp. nov., Thoracospongia lacrimiformis sp. nov.

John S. Peel [john.peel@pal.uu.se], Department of Earth Sciences (Palaeobiology), Uppsala University, Villavägen 16, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden. Received 3.7.2016; revised 13.9.2016; accepted 15.9.2016.     

Skeletal microstructures of hyoliths from the Early Cambrian of Siberia

Phosphatised conchs and opercula of various hyoliths, 1–2 mm in size, retaining original skeletal microstructures have been extracted with dilute acetic acid from Lower Cambrian carbonates of northern Siberia. The conchs grew by deposition of new lamellae on the inner side of the aperture. Two microstructural types are recognised among the conchs assigned to the Allathecidae, namely with a simple or composite inner layers. The conchs are built of inner and outer layers of mineralised fibre bundles. In the outer layer the bundles are longitudinally oriented. Their external ends are inclined toward the apex of conch. Each bundle contains a channel. Transverse bundles of the inner layer commonly run around the conch but may branch toward the aperture and produce an orthogonal network. The inner layer in this case is composite and consists of two sublayers. In the outer sublayer the bundles are situated transversely around the conch, and in the inner sublayer the bundles are directed longitudinally. Channels between the bundles of the inner layer were possibly connected to those of the outer layer and reflect a system of tubules. The latter possibly participated in biomineralisation and provided a framework, which reinforced the skeleton. The tubules do not penetrate the outermost portion of the outer layer. Septa display radially arranged fibrous microfabric with the evidence of a centripetal growth from the inner surface of conch. The opercula consisted of series of growth lamellae each containing fibres, oriented radially, and tubules. The tubules were almost normal to the growth surfaces and concentrated in the opercular limb. The hyolith skeleton probably contained organic fibres mineralised by aragonite and commonly fused into bundles. The affinity of the Hyolitha to a separate phylum may be supported by this microstructural investigation.     

The coral Cothonion from the lower Cambrian of North Greenland

Originally described from the Coonigan Formation of New South Wales, Australia, a second occurrence of the operculate coral Cothonion sympomatum is here described from the Paralledal Formation of North Greenland. Both finds are of late early Cambrian age, Series 2, Stage 4 in the emerging fourfold classification of the Cambrian. The new find supports widespread distribution patterns seen in early Cambrian Small Shelly Fossils, although associated trilobites belong to traditional redlichiid (Australia) and olenellid (Greenland) realms, respectively.     

Revision of the type species of Phoidagnostus Whitehouse, 1936 (Middle Cambrian,Agnostida)

The type species of Phoidagnostus, P. limbatus Whitehouse, 1936, is redescribed on the basis of further excavation of the holotype which has revealed an associated pygidium. This also demonstrates that the species Hypagnostus varicosus Öpik, 1961 is a junior subjective synonym of P. limbatus. Phoidagnostus is closely related to Toragnostus and Cotalagnostus.     

Microdictyon plates from the lower Cambrian Ajax Limestone of South Australia: Implications for species taxonomy and diversity

A small assemblage of isolated Microdictyon plates is described from the lower Cambrian Ajax Limestone, Mt Scott Range (Flinders Ranges), South Australia. Microdictyon plates are primarily known from single, isolated, perforated phosphatic sclerites; only one species (M. sinicum) from the Chengjiang Lagerstätte is known from soft-bodied preservation of the complete organism. The isolated plates from South Australia display a wide range of morphologies potentially reflecting: 1, considerable diversification within the group at this time; 2, extensive intraspecific morphological variation; 3, different plate morphotypes along the trunk of the animal; or 4, significant ontogenetic variation in successive growth stages. The South Australian specimens are similar to several individual sclerites described from other Cambrian palaeocontinents, but appear closest to faunas described from South China. Problems associated with the taxonomy of isolated Microdictyon plates are discussed, including the lack of knowledge associated with intraspecific and/or ontogenetic variability and how individual plate morphology may relate to size or relative position along the length of the complete organism.     

A phosphatic stromatolite (Ilicta cf. composita Sidorov) from the Middle Cambrian,northern Australia

Phosphatic stromatolites from the early Middle Cambrian (Ordian) of the Georgina Basin are described and identified as Ilicta cf. composita Sidorov. Based on Öpik's interpretation of the early Middle Cambrian, the age of the Georgina Basin specimens is similar to that of the type specimens described from the late Early Cambrian of Eastern Siberia. Phosphatic stromatolites occur at the base of dolomitized and partially silicified bioherms up to 4 m thick. The phosphatic forms overlie impermeable, cemented pavement surfaces which were covered by stratiform stromatolites from which rose columnar forms up to 5 cm in height. The stromatolites were phosphatized by penecontemporaneous diagenetic reactions that took place just below the sediment water interface and above the impermeable substrates.     

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.     

Some middle and late Cambrian trilobites and brachiopods from the Adamsfield Trough,Tasmania

Jago, J.B., Bentley, C.J., Laurie, J.R. &; Corbett, K.B., 26 June 2018. Some middle and late Cambrian trilobites and brachiopods from the Adamsfield Trough, Tasmania. Alcheringa 43, 1-17. ISSN 0311-5518.

Cambrian Series 3 and Furongian trilobites and brachiopods are described from the Adamsfield Trough in southwestern Tasmania. The oldest fossils are very poorly preserved trilobites, assigned to Asaphiscidae gen. et sp. indet. from within the Island Road Formation a short distance above the unconformity with the underlying Proterozoic Wedge River Beds. A trilobite species from within the isolated Boyd River Formation is referred to Lioparia sp. The Island Road Formation and the Boyd River Formation are stratigraphically equivalent to the Trial Ridge Beds which have previously been dated as belonging to the Lejopyge laevigata Zone. The Trial Ridge Beds are overlain unconformably by the Singing Creek Formation. In the Adamsfield, Clear Hill and Stepped Hills areas, stratigraphic equivalents of the Singing Creek Formation collectively contain the trilobites Pseudaphelaspis sp., Pseudaphelaspis? sp., Prochuangia sp., Mindycrusta sp., Nepeidae gen. et sp. indet., and Olenidae gen. et sp. indet. plus the brachiopods described herein as Billingsella sp. aff. costata, Billingsella sp. A, Billingsella sp. B and a possible member of the Billingselloidea. The Singing Creek Formation has been previously correlated with the Stigmatoa diloma Zone. The genus Lotosoides Shergold 1975 is placed in synonymy with Prochuangia Kobayashi 1935.

James B. Jago* [jim.jago@unisa.edu.au] University of South Australia, School of Natural and Built Environment, Mawson Lakes, SA 5095, Australia; Christopher J. Bentley [bigfossil@bigpond.com] 30 Albert Street, Clare, SA 5453, Australia; John R. Laurie [john.r.laurie@gmail.com] Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia; Keith D. Corbett [keith.corbett@bigpond.com] 35 Pillinger Drive, Fern Tree, Tas 7054, Australia.