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The enigmatic occurrence, size distribution, and significance of a new macrourid species, Nezumia armentrouti , based on otoliths from the Lincoln Creek Formation (upper Oligocene Section), Washington State, USA
Historical Biology
... In the natural environment, otoliths are frequently discovered in the stomachs of fish-eating predators (Yamazaki et al., 2008;Mitsui et al., 2014;McCluskey et al., 2021;McCosker et al., 2023), as well as in fossils uncovered during geological excavations (Schwarzhans and Nielsen, 2023;Tsuchiya et al., 2024). They are also commonly found embedded in sea floor sediments (Schwarzhans 2013;Lin et al., 2023;Stringer and Welton, 2024). The morphometry of sagittal otoliths has been extensively used for stock identification, classification, and ecological studies of fishes (Avigliano et al., 2015;D'Iglio et al., 2021;Castro-Gutiérrez et al., 2023;Houeto et al., 2024). ...
This study evaluates the discriminating power of sagittal otolith shape among three species of the genus Clupeonella endemic
to the Caspian Sea (Clupeonella grimmi, Clupeonella caspia, and Clupeonella engrauliformis) and one species from the Sea of Marmara (Clupeonella Cultriventris). Identification of these species is challenging due to their morphological similarities, and the taxonomic validity of C. caspia and C. cultriventris remains ambiguous because of their resemblance. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) images were utilized to examine the morphological characteristics of otoliths. Stereomicroscope images were used to calculate six shape indices: rectangularity, roundness, ellipticity, circularity, aspect ratio, and form factor. The outline shape was analyzed using elliptic Fourier descriptors (EFDs). SEM images showed that the otoliths of all four species had an elliptical shape with a prominent and distinct rostrum. The sulcus acusticus was centrally positioned, and the anterior part of the groove (ostium) exhibited a funnel-shaped structure
across all species. Distinctive morphological characteristics such as the angle between the rostrum and antirostrum (excisura ostii),
antirostrum shape, and margin were noted. Although none of the otolith shape indices showed significant differences among all four
species, the otoliths of C. grimmi were significantly distinct from the other three species in terms of aspect ratio and ellipticity indices. Based on the EFD analysis, the four species were strongly differentiated (85.5% accuracy), highlighting the value of sagittal otoliths in the taxonomy of the studied species. The results underscore the efficacy of otolith morphological characteristics in identifying taxonomically challenging groups—such as the genus Clupeonella—in the Caspian Sea and Sea of Marmara. This study highlights the significance of sagittal otolith shape in distinguishing closely related Clupeonella species, demonstrating its potential for resolving taxonomic uncertainties within this genus.
Understanding the diversity of deep-sea fish fauna based on otoliths in the tropical and subtropical West Pacific has been limited, creating a significant knowledge gap regarding regional and temporal variations in deep-sea fish fauna. To address this gap, we collected a total of 122 bulk sediment samples from the Lower Pliocene Gutingkeng Formation in southwestern Taiwan to reconstruct the otolith-based fish fauna. Using planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy, we determined the age of the samples to be 5.6 to 3.1 Ma. A total of 8314 otoliths were assigned to 64 different taxa from 33 families, including the discovery of one new genus, Gutingichthys gen. nov., and three new species: Benthosema duanformis sp. nov., Benthosema parafibulatum sp. nov., and Gutingichthys changi sp. nov. Comparisons with other regional otolith-based assemblages highlighted the exceptional diversity of our collection, making it the most diverse fossil fish fauna reported from Taiwan to date. Otolith diversity analysis revealed very few taxa were dominant in the assemblage, particularly the mesopelagic Myctophidae, with a wide variety of minor taxa. The co-occurrence of shallow-water elements suggests episodic storm events as a potential source. The predominance of deep-sea and oceanic fishes indicated an outer-shelf to upper slope environment, resembling the modern outer-shelf and upper slope fish fauna in the region. Our findings suggest an early establishment and persistent presence of the mesopelagic fish community since the Early Pliocene. Further investigations of the Upper Miocene and Pleistocene sections of the Gutingkeng Formation would provide valuable insights into the evolution of deep-sea fish fauna in the area.
ZooBank LSID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:7A336FC7-0D9A-4D17-B212-0B51427945DD.
The fortuitous discovery of Cretaceous (late Maastrichtian) teleostean otoliths in boring samples (17–31 m below ground level) from the Arkadelphia Formation near Cabot, Arkansas, USA, has consequential and overarching ramifications. The otolith assemblage, which is relatively large with 2,109 specimens, represents the first Mesozoic otolith assemblage described from Arkansas and one of the largest Cretaceous assemblages from a single USA site. The diversity of the assemblage is fairly large with a richness of 19 species with three additional taxa in open nomenclature and one unknown lapillus, which more than doubles the known actinopterygians from the Arkadelphia Formation. The otolith assemblage is extremely uneven in its diversity with one species, a putative siluriform Vorhisia vulpes Frizzell (1965b), accounting for approximately 73% of the total. The most unique feature of the otolith assemblage is the presence of cool-water gadiforms, which represent approximately 7.6% of the total assemblage. The presence of the gadiforms is related to the effects of the Western Interior Seaway and paleogeography during the Late Cretaceous in the western Gulf Coastal Plain. The gadiforms may represent relicts of a greater population and distribution in the early Maastrichtian. Percentage similarity measurements of the otolith assemblage indicate that the Arkadelphia Formation is more closely related to the Severn Formation in eastern Maryland (57.86%) and the Kemp Clay Formation in northeast Texas (35.77%) than to the Ripley Formation in northeastern Mississippi (5.34%). The similarity measurements and other factors indicate that the Arkadelphia Formation otolith assemblage belongs to the Western Interior Seaway community (bioprovince). The Arkadelphia Formation otolith assemblage also contains several taxa that become extinct, such as the ubiquitous V. vulpes, at the K-Pg extinction event. The otoliths point to a very shallow marine environment (possibly inner shelf; less than 20 m in depth) with estuarine and freshwater input nearby and may be utilized for refinement of paleoshorelines for the southern reaches of the Western Interior Seaway during the Late Cretaceous.
The coquina on the banks of the Oued Beth in the Rharb Basin in northwestern Morocco has long been known to be exceptionally rich in fossils. The stratigraphic position ranging from the Late Miocene to the Pliocene has been controversial, however. In the course of my master’s degree field work in 1975/76, I mapped the right bank of the Oued Beth from Dar bel Hamri to El Kansera. Following multiple recent studies in the general region, I here review my results and present an updated comprehensive stratigraphic and geologic frame for the first time. The coquina near
Dar bel Hamri is interpreted to be of Early Pliocene age, possibly containing some reworking of Late Miocene fossils. The coquina and other locations along the Oued Beth have yielded a rich otolith assemblage, which is described in this article. It represents the first fossil otolith-based fish fauna described from Northwest Africa and contains 96 species, 16 of which are new. The new species in the order of their description are Diaphus maghrebensis n. sp., Ophidion tuseti n. sp., Centroberyx vonderhochti n. sp., Myripristis ouarredi n. sp., Deltentosteus planus n. sp., Caranx rharbensis n. sp., Trachurus insectus n. sp., Parapristipoma bethensis n. sp., Pomadasys zemmourensis n. sp., Cepola lombartei n. sp., Trachinus maroccanus n. sp., Trachinus wernlii n. sp., Uranoscopus hoedemakersi n. sp., Uranoscopus vanhinsberghi n. sp., Spondyliosoma tingitana n. sp., and Opsodentex mordax n. sp. In addition, a new species is described from the Tortonian and Zanclean of Italy: Rhynchoconger carnevalei n. sp. Some additional otoliths are described from another Northwest Moroccan location of Early Pliocene age near Asilah, 50 km south of the Strait of Gibraltar. The Early Pliocene fish fauna from Dar bel Hamri in the Rharb Basin is also of interest, because it constitutes the nearest Atlantic
fauna of the time of the reconnection of the Mediterranean with the Atlantic and may have acted as a hosting area for the remigration of fishes into the Mediterranean. Indeed, the correlation is high between the Northwest Moroccan
and the well-known time-equivalent Mediterranean fish fauna, but the Moroccan fauna also contains a good proportion of putative endemic taxa and taxa with tropical West African affinities that apparently did not migrate into the Mediterranean. Thus, the Early Pliocene fish fauna from the Rharb Basin represents a unique assemblage for which I propose the biogeographic term “Maghrebian bioprovince.”
The specimens for this investigation were recovered from the only Pliocene locality in the Gulf Coastal Plain known to contain otoliths. A previous study of otoliths from this site was based on a meager 250 specimens and 22 bony fish taxa were identified. The present investigation, which was based on an additional 3,840 otoliths, revealed 12 more taxa and allowed two previously documented taxa to be definitively assigned to species. The additional taxa resulted in an otolith assemblage of 34 taxa and provided further, more detailed information on the paleoenvironmental setting. Within species diversity, the number of otolith-based taxa (34) indicates a moderately high richness. However, the relative abundance of each species present (evenness) is very low with one species (Micropogonias undulatus) representing 82.98% of the total number of specimens. Sciaenidae represent an astounding 96.45% of the total number of specimens. The abundance of the sciaenid M. undulatus (3,394 specimens) was especially significant for paleoecological determinations and indicated that 99.18% of the otoliths represented fish less than one-year-old (i.e., juveniles). This preponderance of M. undulatus sagittae pointed to shallow, soft-bottom estuarine creeks and bays and possibly upstream oligohaline creeks and strongly suggests a primary nursery area for the species. The analysis of the other taxa indicates a more open estuary near a shallow marine environment also existed.
The fossil otoliths of the southern USA have been known for more than 130 years and are
among the richest assemblages worldwide. However, previous studies are often scattered and employed outdated systematic scheme. A collection of over 25000 otoliths ranging in age from the Lutetian to the Priabonian from 47 sites in five states in the eastern and southern USA is analysed here. Combined with the earlier described material, at least 101 otolith-based taxa are documented, of which 83 are identified at species level. Fourteen of these are introduced as new species: Elopothrissus bernardlemorti sp. nov., “Muraenesox” barrytownensis sp. nov., Pseudophichthys texanus sp. nov., Paraconger wechesensis sp. nov., Neoopisthopterus weltoni sp. nov., “aff. Glyptophidium” stringeri sp. nov., Symmetrosulcus dockeryi sp. nov., Mene garviei sp. nov., “Citharus” varians sp. nov., Waitakia beelzebub sp. nov., Astroscopus compactus sp. nov., Parascombrops yanceyi sp. nov., Anisotremus rambo sp. nov., and Pagellus pamunkeyensis sp. nov. The assemblages are distinct from contemporary European faunas by the complete lack of mesopelagic fish otoliths, and by the presence of sciaenids. Dominant taxa in the American Eocene are the Ophidiidae, Sciaenidae, Lactariidae, and Congridae. They indicate shallow water environments for all the sampled sites. The notable abundance of those taxa suggests that they could have had a higher turnover rate, and provided fundamental nutrition in the local Paleogene marine ecosystem. Further analyses of the species in the stratigraphic succession revealed that a faunal turnover between the Claiborne and Jackson seas was evident in teleosts, and it might be more widespread in other marine organisms in the region.
Few fossil fish otolith associations have been described from the Pacific side of the Americas and, except for a single species ( Steindachneria svennielseni ), none have been described from Pacific South America south of the Central American tropical region. Here, we describe a rich otolith assemblage obtained from fifteen early Miocene outcrop locations along the Chilean coast from about 33°S to about 45°S. More than 2,000 specimens were studied resulting in the recognition of 67 species, with 27 being new to science. This assemblage represents an important new data point distant from any previously known otolith-based fish fauna, with the nearest coeval associations being from the Caribbean Province in Venezuela, which lies about 5000 km to the north, and New Zealand, which is about 9000 km to the west. The fauna represents a mixture of offshore and shallow water fishes and is rich in myctophids, paralichthyids ( Citharichthys ), ophidiids ( Lepophidium ), steindachneriids, and macrourids. Typical tropical American fishes are nearly completely absent, with the exception of Steindachneria and certain anguilliforms. The mesopelagic faunal component, chiefly Myctophidae, shows a striking resemblance to the well-known coeval fish fauna from New Zealand, and both are interpreted as representing an early South Pacific mesopelagic bioprovince. The strong correlation with the mesopelagic otolith-based fish fauna from New Zealand constricts the time interval of the sampled sediments to the middle Burdigalian (approximately 17.5 to 18.5 Ma). All otoliths obtained from the early Miocene of Chile relate to extant fish groups of the area and few exotic components not currently present in the East Pacific. The sole exception is a morpho-type described as Navidadichthys which has an unresolved relationship, possibly with the Prototroctidae, a family that is today endemic to the freshwater and nearshore marine environments of Australia and New Zealand. The new taxa are in the sequence of taxonomic description: Pterothrissus transpacificus n. sp., Pythonichthys panulus n. sp., Chiloconger chilensis n. sp., Gnathophis quinzoi n.sp., Rhynchoconger chiloensis n. sp., Navidadichthys mirus n. gen. et n. sp., Maurolicus brevirostris n. sp., Polyipnus bandeli n. sp., Lampanyctus ipunensis n. sp., Physiculus pichi n. sp., Coelorinchus fidelis n. sp., Coelorinchus rapelanus n. sp., Nezumia epuge n. sp., Paracarapus chilensis n. gen. et n. sp., Lepophidium chonorum n. sp., Lepophidium mapucheorum n. sp., Sirembola supersa n. sp., Spectrunculus sparsus n. sp., Pseudonus humilis n. sp., Capromimus undulatus n. sp., Agonopsis cume n. sp., Cottunculus primaevus n. sp., Kuhlia orientalis n. sp., Citharichthys parvisulcus n. sp., Citharichthys vergens n. sp., Achirus australis n. sp., Achirus chungkuz n. sp.
Nineteen species of the deep‐water fish family Macrouridae inhabit the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge (MAR) of the North Atlantic. Size and age structure, longevity and length at age were explored for seven of the more abundant species: Coryphaenoides armatus, Coryphaenoides brevibarbis, Coryphaenoides carapinus, Coryphaenoides guentheri, Coryphaenoides mediterraneus, Coryphaenoides rupestris and Macrourus berglax. The otoliths from these species had growth increments resembling those accepted as annuli in other deep‐water species for which validation experiments have been conducted. Based on the counts of these growth increments, age estimates were derived as the basis for studies of age structure, growth and longevity. All the species appeared to have relatively low growth rates, but the interspecific variation in longevity illustrates that there is a considerable variation within the family and among species inhabiting the same deep‐sea environment. Most of the species likely complete full life cycles on the MAR, but it is probable that both the youngest and the largest‐oldest individuals of some of the species were not sampled adequately.
Lanternfishes currently represent one of the dominant groups of mesopelagic fishes in terms of abundance, biomass, and diversity. Their otolith record dominates pelagic sediments below 200 m in dredges, especially during the entire Neogene. Here we provide an analysis of their diversity and rise to dominance primarily based on their otolith record. The earliest unambiguous fossil myctophids are known based on otoliths from the late Paleocene and early Eocene. During their early evolutionary history, myctophids were likely not adapted to a high oceanic lifestyle but occurred over shelf and upper-slope regions, where they were locally abundant during the middle Eocene. A distinct upscaling in otolith size is observed in the early Oligocene, which also marks their earliest occurrence in bathyal sediments. We interpret this transition to be related to the change from a halothermal deep-ocean circulation to a thermohaline regime and the associated cooling of the deep ocean and rearrangement of nutrient and sil-ica supply. The early Oligocene myctophid size acme shows a remarkable congruence with diatom abundance , the main food resource for the zooplankton and thus for myctophids and whales. The warmer late Oligocene to early middle Miocene period was characterized by an increase in disparity of myctophids but with a reduction in their otolith sizes. A second and persisting secular pulse in myctophid diversity (particularly within the genus Diaphus) and increase in size begins with the "biogenic bloom" in the late Miocene, paralleled with diatom abundance and mysticete gigantism.
The Oligocene (Rupelian) Byram Formation (Vicksburg Group) in Alabama, USA, is divided into three members, including (in ascending order) the Glendon Limestone, unnamed marl, and the Bucatunna Clay. The Oligocene marine units in Alabama have been historically under-investigated, but bulk samples re-cently obtained from Glendon Limestone Member exposures at site AWa-9 in Washington County yielded 20 unequivocal elasmobranch and teleost taxa. This surprisingly diverse paleofauna, based on isolated teeth, bones and otoliths, includes the new taxon, Gobiosoma? axsmithi sp. nov., as well as “Aetomylaeus” sp., Albula sp., Aplodinotus gemma Koken, 1888, Ariosoma nonsector Nolf and Stringer, 2003, Balistidae indet., Citharichthys sp., Myliobatoidei indet., Diretmus? sp., Hemipristis sp., Negaprion aff. N. gilmorei (Leriche, 1942), Pachyscyllium sp., Paralbula sp., Physogaleus sp., Preophidion meyeri (Koken, 1888), Sciaena pseu-doradians (Dante and Frizzell in Frizzell and Dante, 1965), Sciaenops? sp., Sparus? elegantulus Koken, 1888, Sphyraena sp., and Syacium sp. Additional remains were recovered but could not be identified beyond unde-termined Elasmobranchii or Teleostei. All these taxa represent first occurrences within the Glendon Limestone Member in Alabama, and the “Aetomylaeus” sp., Pachyscyllium sp., Paralbula sp., and Sciaenops? sp. spec-imens represent the first occurrences of each in the Oligocene of the Gulf Coastal Plain of the USA. Wealso report the first record of Oligocene Paralbula Blake, 1940 teeth, and the first occurrence of an Oligocene member of the Balistidae in the Western Hemisphere. This marine vertebrate assemblage indicates that the Glendon Limestone Member at site AWa-9 represented a subtropical to temperate, middle shelf paleoenviron-ment with a paleowater depth interpreted as 30–100 m.
The ichnofossil Lepidenteron provides a unique taphonomic window into the life
habits of a tube-dwelling predator, probably an eunicid polychaete, and its fish prey.
Here we describe a new tube-like ichnofossil Lepidenteron mortenseni n. isp. from the
Kerteminde Marl (100–150 m palaeo-water depth) from the Gundstrup gravel pit
near Odense, Fyn, Denmark. 110 individual tubes were examined which contain fish
remains, including a variety of disarticulated bones and otoliths, by far dominated
by a single gadiform taxon referred herein to as Bobbitichthys n. gen. The isolated
otoliths here associated with disarticulated gadiform bones have previously been
described, from the time equivalent Lellinge Greensand exposed in the Copenhagen area, as Hymenocephalus rosenkrantzi, a grenadier fish (family Macrouridae).
The abundance of associated bones and otoliths in the examined tubes allowed us
to reconstruct part of the cranial configuration of Bobbitichthys rosenkrantzi and to
tentatively interpret it as a stem macrourid. Bobbitichthys rosenkrantzi represents the
earliest grenadier known in the fossil record. Additional, although considerably less
abundant, skeletal remains and otoliths have been tentatively referred to a long-fin
bonefish (family Pterothrissidae, Pterothrissus? conchaeformis), a viviparous brotula
(family Bythitidae, Bidenichthys? lapierrei), a conger eel (family Congridae, possibly
belonging to Rhynchoconger angulosus), and another unidentified gadiform.
Investigation of teleostean otoliths (n = 418) recovered from the late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) Jones Girls Site, Chatham County, Georgia, represents just the second study of Pleistocene otoliths in Georgia and only the fifth study of Pleistocene otoliths for the Atlantic and Gulf coastal plains. Geochronologic analysis suggests an age from 80 Ka to 130 Ka for the site. Otoliths indicate 18 extant taxa (10 families) with sciaenids
dominant. Otoliths provide seven additional fish taxa (six families) for the Georgia late Pleistocene. Otoliths point to a neritic coastal environment (< 20 m) with strong evidence for soft bottom, estuarine creeks, and bays with no large freshwater input. The fish represented by otoliths indicate temperatures and conditions similar to present-day coastal Georgia.
The Tallahatta Formation, Lisbon Formation, and Gosport Sand are the three lithostratigraphic units that make up the lower-to-middle Eocene Claiborne Group. In Alabama, these marine units are among the most fossiliferous in the state and a long history of scattered reports have attempted to document their fossil diversity. In this study, we examined 20 931 elasmobranch and bony fish elements, including otoliths, derived from Claiborne Group units in Alabama and identified 115 unequivocal taxa. Among the taxa identified, one new species is described, Carcharhinus mancinae sp. nov., and Pseudabdounia gen. nov. is a new genus erected to include two species formerly placed within Abdounia Capatta, 1980. New taxonomic combinations proposed include Pseudabdounia claibornensis (White, 1956) gen. et comb. nov., Pseudabdounia recticona (Winkler, 1874) gen. et comb. nov., Physogaleus alabamensis (Leriche, 1942) comb. nov., and Eutrichiurides plicidens (Arambourg, 1952) comb. nov. We also report the first North American paleobiogeographic occurrences of Aturobatis aff. A. aquensis Adnet, 2006, Brachycarcharias atlasi (Arambourg, 1952), Eutrichiurides plicidens comb. nov., Galeorhinus louisi Adnet & Cappetta, 2008, Ginglymostoma maroccanum Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997, Gymnosarda sp., Mennerotodus sp., Rhizoprionodon ganntourensis (Arambourg, 1952), Stenoscyllium aff. S. priemi Noubhani & Cappetta, 1997, Trichiurus oshosunensis White, 1926, and the first North American occurrence for a fossil member of the Balistidae Risso, 1810. Our sample also included 26 taxa that represented first paleobiogeographic occurrences for Alabama, including Abdounia beaugei (Arambourg, 1935), Albula eppsi White, 1931, Ariosoma nonsector Nolf & Stringer, 2003, Anisotremus sp., Anomotodon sp., Brachycarcharias twiggsensis (Case, 1981), Burnhamia daviesi (Woodward, 1889), Eoplinthicus yazooensis Capetta & Stringer, 2002, Galeorhinus ypresiensis (Casier, 1946), Gnathophis meridies (Frizzell & Lamber, 1962), Haemulon? obliquus (Müller, 1999), Hypolophodon sylvestris (White, 1931), Malacanthus? sulcatus (Koken, 1888), Meridiania cf. M. convexa Case, 1994, Palaeocybium proosti (Storms, 1897), Paraconger sector (Koken, 1888), Paralbula aff. P. marylandica Blake, 1940, Phyllodus toliapicus Agassiz, 1844, Propristis schweinfurthi Dames, 1883, Pycnodus sp., Pythonichthys colei (Müller, 1999), Scomberomorus stormsi (Leriche, 1905), Signata stenzeli Frizzell & Dante, 1965, and Signata nicoli Frizzell & Dante, 1965, and the first Paleogene occurrences in Alabama of a member of the Gobiidae Cuvier, 1816. A biostratigraphic analysis of our sample showed stratigraphic range extensions for several taxa, including the first Bartonian occurrences of Eoplinthicus yazooensis, Jacquhermania duponti (Winkler, 1876), Meridiania cf. M. convexa, Phyllodus toliapicus, and “Rhinobatos” bruxelliensis (Jaekel, 1894), range extensions into the late Ypresian and Bartonian for Tethylamna dunni Cappetta & Case, 2016 and Scoliodon conecuhensis Cappetta & Case, 2016, the first late Ypresian records of Galeorhinus louisi, the first Lutetian occurrence of Gymnosarda Gill, 1862, and a range extension for Fisherichthys aff. F. folmeri Weems, 1999 into the middle Bartonian. Larger biostratigraphic and evolutionary trends are also documented, such as the acquisition of serrations in Otodus spp., possible population increases for the Rhinopterinae Jordan & Evermann, 1896 and Carcharhiniformes Compagno, 1973 in the Bartonian, and the apparent diversification of the Tetraodontiformes Berg, 1940 during the same stage. This study helps better our understanding of early-to-middle Eocene elasmobranch and bony fish diversity, paleobiogeography, and biostratigraphy in the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America.
Abstract - The otolith assemblage of the Cenozoic of New Zealand ranks as one of the largest known on a worldwide scale to date
and is the richest from the southern hemisphere. A total of 426 otolith-based species have been identified from the Cenozoic marine
strata of New Zealand based on about 25,000 individual specimens studied. The collections span a time interval from the Early Eocene
to the Pleistocene, and a single otolith from the Paleocene. Of those, 150 species are new to science, 53 represent extant species also
known from the fossil record and 74 species remain in open nomenclature. One of the main purposes of this monograph is to present
a fully updated and comprehensive handbook for the fossil marine Cenozoic otoliths of New Zealand documented in instructive and
clear photographs of all species recognized.
Another focus is the reconstruction of past fish faunas of New Zealand. During Eocene, the fish fauna of Zealandia represented the
southeasterly extension of a large former Tethyan bioprovince. Endemic elements, however, already played an important role but most
of the lineages are now extinct. The first immigration from the west occurred in Late Eocene when the Tasman Gateway commenced
to leak. After a gap of records over a period of 7 myr from the Early Oligocene, the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene fish fauna
is the richest observed. In this period, New Zealandian endemism flourished in the southern Canterbury Basin while the Northland
Basins came under the influence from the tropical Indo-West Pacific. The full opening of the Tasman and Drake Gateways facilitated
an increased dispersal of temperate faunas along the proto-circum-Antarctic current, which is clearly marked in New Zealand by the
arrival of new immigrants, partly originated from the northern hemisphere. The rise of a Southern Ocean temperate mesopelagic faunal
component (Myctophidae) is witnessed during this time. A gradual shift to more temperate Southern Ocean-dominated fish assemblages
is observed during the Late Miocene, Pliocene and Pleistocene. New Zealandian endemisms remained strong, and all lineages
of that time persist until today. The Pliocene saw an increased immigration of exotic temperate water fishes from the North Atlantic,
South Atlantic and South Africa along the circum-Antarctic faunal conveyor belt, probably triggered by changes of the intermediate
and deep-water ocean circulation as a result of the shoaling of the Central American and Indonesian Gateways.
A group of particular interest is the mesopelagic family Myctophidae which is considered useful for establishing a superregional
biostratigraphic scheme based on otoliths because of their abundance and wide distribution. They dominate practically all otolith
associations below 100-200 m in the Neogene where they have shown phases of rapid speciation, particularly during the times of the
biogenic bloom in the world oceans in late Miocene and Pliocene. Their fossil record is rich in the Neogene of New Zealand and the
data now retrieved are used to a formulate a first otolith biozonation for the southern temperate and subtropical faunal belts.
Memorie della Società Italiana di Scienze Naturali e del Museo di Storia Naturale di Milano
Living baleen whales, or Mysticeti, lack teeth and instead feed using keratinous baleen plates to sieve prey-laden water. This feeding strategy is profoundly different from that of their toothed ancestors, which processed prey using the differentiated dentition characteristic of mammals. The fossil record of mysticetes reveals stem members that include extinct taxa with dentition, illuminating the morphological states that preceded the loss of teeth and the subsequent origin of baleen. The relationships among stem mysticetes, including putative clades such as Mammalodontidae and Aetiocetidae, remain debatable. Aetiocetids are among the more species-rich clade of stem mysticetes, and known only from fossil localities along the North Pacific coastline. Here, we report a new aetiocetid, Salishicetus meadi gen. et sp. nov, from the late Oligocene of Washington State, USA. Salishicetus preserves a near-complete lower dentition with extensive occlusal wear, indicating that it processed prey using shearing cheek teeth in the same way as its stem cetacean ancestors. Using a matrix with all known species of aetiocetids, we recover a monophyletic Aetiocetidae, crownward of a basal clade of Mammalodontidae. The description of Salishicetus resolves phylogenetic relationships among aetiocetids, which provides a basis for reconstructing ancestral feeding morphology along the stem leading to crown Mysticeti.
The Tortonian fish otoliths of northern Italy have been studied for more than a century and represent one of the best known otolith-based teleost faunas in the Miocene of the Mediterranean Basin. Yet with the growing knowledge on Recent otoliths, an updated taxonomic overview of this fauna is needed. Moreover, new material from hemipelagic Tortonian marls sampled at nine localities is described herein, revealing 109 taxa of which 88 are recognised at species level. Four of these are new: Coryphaenoides biobtusus sp. nov., “Merluccius” rattazzii sp. nov., Neobythites auriculatus sp. nov. and Lesueurigobius stironensis sp. nov. The compilation of previously studied and newly acquired material revealed a total of 118 nominal Tortonian species. At generic level, the fauna is characterised by many modern forms; more than 90% can be assigned to present day genera. At species level, however, more than half of the represented taxa are extinct. Based on the fossil otolith record, the Tortonian fauna of the Mediterranean is most similar to that of the Langhian (Badenian) of the Central Paratethys by sharing many extinct Miocene species, but it is also very close to that of the Pliocene Mediterranean, by sharing many modern Atlantic-Mediterranean forms. The Tortonian fauna is further characterised by many species that are apparently confined to the upper Miocene, resulting in a unique combination of its taxonomic composition.
A matched pair of otoliths (right and left saccular otoliths) and associated skeletal remains (n = 107) of Apogon townsendi (belted cardinalfish) were obtained in unconsolidated sediment from inside the valves of an articulated scallop Carolinapecten eboreus. The scallop specimen was collected in Hendry County, Florida, from the lower Pleistocene Caloosahatchee Formation, approximately 1.7 to 2.1 Ma. The recovery of this vertebrate material is highly significant because no skeletal remains of bony fish with in situ or associated otoliths are known from the Gulf or Atlantic coasts of the United States. Furthermore, the specimen represents the first fossil record of the family Apogonidae and the genus Apogon from Florida and the first report of the species Apogon townsendi in the fossil record. The length of the fossil Apogon townsendi was determined to be 4.7 cm based on the linear relationship between fish length and otolith length and utilizing modern specimens of the species for comparison and analysis. The length of the fossil Apogon townsendi indicated that it was an adult fish upon death (> 2.1 cm). Although several taphonomic scenarios are considered, including commensalism, it is believed that the apogonid died in close proximity to the empty scallop shell, which was followed by fairly rapid washing in of sediment with the fish into the valves of the scallop (i.e., sediment trapping). This determination is based on several factors including the biology, distribution, and behavior of extant Apogon townsendi. The presence and preservation of the two matched saccular otoliths and the large number of associated, fragile skeletal remains in the scallop shell suggest that the apogonid was not ingested and excreted by a piscivorous predator.
Fish otoliths are described from the Middle Paleocene from Nuussuaq in central
West Greenland. A total of 24 species is described, 7 as newly established and 4
in open nomenclature. All specimens were obtained from the Sonja lens of the
Agatdal Formation (Selandian) in the central part of the Nuussuaq peninsula.
This is the first record of fossil otoliths from Greenland. The faunal association
is interpreted as shallow shelf, near shore neritic but nevertheless shows a high
degree of similarity with time equivalent otolith based teleost faunas from
deeper environments from the U.S. Gulf coast and Europe (Denmark), the latter
having been recently reviewed and described by Schwarzhans, 2003.
7 new species are introduced and described. The new taxa are: Neoscopelus nuussuaqensis,
genus ?Percopsiformorum resonus, Palaeomorrhua thulei, genus Veliferidarum
groenlandicus, Hoplostethus durus, genus Berycidarum tener, genus Acropomatidarum
rosenkrantzi.
Please visit the authors' website for this book: https://sites.google.com/view/fishes-of-the-world-5/welcome.
Fishes of the World, Fifth Edition is the only modern, phylogenetically based classification of the world’s fishes. The updated text offers new phylogenetic diagrams that clarify the relationships among fish groups, as well as cutting-edge global knowledge that brings this classic reference up to date. With this resource, you can classify orders, families, and genera of fishes, understand the connections among fish groups, organize fishes in their evolutionary context, and imagine new areas of research. To further assist your work, this text provides representative drawings, many of them new, for most families of fishes, allowing you to make visual connections to the information as you read. It also contains many references to the classical as well as the most up-to-date literature on fish relationships, based on both morphology and molecular biology.
The study of fishes is one that certainly requires dedication—and access to reliable, accurate information. With more than 30,000 known species of sharks, rays, and bony fishes, both lobe-finned and ray-finned, you will need to master your area of study with the assistance of the best reference materials available. This text will help you bring your knowledge of fishes to the next level.
- Explore the anatomical characteristics, distribution, common and scientific names, and phylogenetic relationships of fishes
- Access biological and anatomical information on more than 515 families of living fishes
- Better appreciate the complexities and controversies behind the modern view of fish relationships
- Refer to an extensive bibliography, which points you in the direction of additional, valuable, and up-to-date information, much of it published within the last few years.
711 pages, Index, Bibliography
The first record of fossil teleostean otoliths from Antarctica is reported. The fossils were obtained from late Early Eocene shell beds of the La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island that represent the last temperate marine climate phase in Antarctica prior to the onset of cooling and subsequent glaciation during the late Eocene. A total of 17 otolith-based teleost taxa are recognized, with 10 being identifiable to species level containing nine new species and one new genus: Argentina antarctica sp. nov., Diaphus? marambionis sp. nov., Macruronus eastmani sp. nov., Coelorinchus balushkini sp. nov., Coelorinchus nordenskjoeldi sp. nov., Palimphemus seymourensis sp. nov., Hoplobrotula? antipoda sp. nov., Notoberyx cionei gen. et sp. nov. and Cepola anderssoni sp. nov. Macruronus eastmani sp. nov. is also known from the late Eocene of Southern Australia, and Tripterophycis immutatus Schwarzhans, widespread in the southern oceans during the Eocene, has been recorded from New Zealand, southern Australia, and now Antarctica. The otolith assemblage shows a typical composition of temperate fishes dominated by gadiforms, very similar at genus and family levels to associations known from middle Eocene strata of New Zealand and the late Eocene of southern Australia, but also to the temperate Northern Hemisphere associations from the Paleocene of Denmark. The Seymour Island fauna bridges a gap in the record of global temperate marine teleost faunas during the early Eocene climate maximum. The dominant gadiforms are interpreted as the main temperate faunal component, as in the Paleocene of Denmark. Here they are represented by the families Moridae, Merlucciidae (Macruroninae), Macrouridae and Gadidae. Nowadays Gadidae are a chiefly Northern Hemisphere temperate family. Moridae, Macruroninae and Macrouridae live today on the lower shelf to deep-water or mesopelagically with Macruroninae being restricted to the Southern Ocean. The extant endemic Antarctic gadiform family Muraenolepididae is missing, as are the dominant modern Antarctic fishes of the perciform suborder Notothenioidei. Recently, there has been much debate on isolated jaw bones of teleost fishes found in the La Meseta Formation and whether they would represent gadiforms (Merlucciidae in this case) or some early, primitive notothenioid. Otoliths are known to often complement rather than duplicate skeletal finds. With this in mind, we conclude that our otolith data support the presence of gadiforms in the early Eocene of Antarctica while it does not rule out the presence of notothenioids at the same time.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A30E5364-0003-4467-B902-43A41AD456CC
Extensive bulk sampling at seven Plio-Pleistocene sites spanning approximately 4.5 Ma to 120,000 years ago in age near Brunswick, Glynn County, Georgia, produced 1,803 teleostean otoliths. The otolith assemblage was relatively diverse with 50 taxa (representing 18 families) of Plio-Pleistocene teleosts. The otoliths represented mainly shallow-marine fishes, which were all extant except for four species. The assemblage was dominated by 16 sciaenid taxa that represented 65.8% of the total number of otoliths. The Plio-Pleistocene otoliths indicated fishes that are almost identical to the marine fishes from present-day coastal Georgia. The teleostean otoliths are considered especially important for several reasons. This study represents the first description of fish otoliths from the Plio-Pleistocene of coastal Georgia and describes the bony fishes present from approximately 4.5 Ma (Raysor Marl equivalent) to 120,000 years ago (late Pleistocene). This time interval includes the late Neogene climatic changes as well as the glacial-interglacial climatic cycles in North America. Also, the preservation of aragonitic otoliths is rare in coastal Georgia given the very high water table and the intense and rapid weathering. Furthermore, there is a paucity of Plio-Pleistocene fossils, especially bony fishes, in coastal Georgia related to various geological constraints such as highly erosive transgressive sequences. The Plio-Pleistocene otolith assemblage from coastal Georgia contains 13 families representing 28 taxa not recognized by skeletal fossils in Georgia. Although the Ariidae and Sciaenidae were previously recognized based on skeletal fossil material in Georgia, there are 14 newly reported taxa based on otoliths in these families (1 and 13 respectively) including Protosciaena kirbyorum n. sp., the first fossil species of this genus in the U.S. Otolith data also verified fishes previously indicated by skeletal remains and provided greater specificity in several cases.
Pliocene fossiliferous exposures at the Lee Creek Mine, Yorktown Formation, deposits yielded 8808 teleost otoliths. These represented at least 45 taxa distributed among 17 teleostean families including the following numbers of species by genus: Agonidae? (1), Ammodytidae (1), Bothidae (2, possibly 3), Branchiostegidae (1), Congridae (5), Cynoglossidae (1), Gadidae (5), Merlucciidae (3), Myctophidae (1), Ophidiidae (7), Pleuronectidae (1), Pomadasyidae (1), Pterothrissidae (1), Sciaenidae (7), Serranidae (4), Triglidae (2, possibly 3), Uranoscopidae (2). Generic names were assigned to 27 kinds of otoliths: Ammodytes, Anisotremus, Astroscopus, Brotula, Centropristis, Ceratoscopelus, Citharichthys, Cynoscion, Diplectrum, Equetus , Gadus, Kathetostoma, Leiostomus, Lepophidium, Lopholatilus, Melanogrammus, Merlangiogadus, Merluccius, Microgadus , Micropogonias, Ophidion, Pogonias, Prionotus , Pterothrissus, Sciaenops , Symphurus, Urophycis . Twenty-two of these represent the first North American Pliocene record for the genus ( Anisotremus , Astroscopus, Brotula, Centropristis, Cynoscion, Diplectrum, Equetus, Gadus, Kathetostoma, Leiostomus, Lepophidium, Lopholatilus, Melanogrammus, Merlangiogadus, Microgadus, Micropogonias, Ophidion, Pogonias, Prionotus, Pterothrissus, Symphurus, Urophycis ). Of these, six represent the initial fossil record anywhere ( Astroscopus, Diplectrum, Equetus, Kathetostoma, Leiostomus, Lopholatilus ). Lopholatilus represents the first fossil record for the family Branchiostegidae. Otoliths from at least two kinds of fish are from extinct genera ( Merlangiogadus and sciaenid species A), and those of the 13 unnamed taxa may represent extinct species. Individuals of all of the listed taxa routinely inhabit waters shallower than 200 meters, except Ceratoscopelus and Merluccius albidus . Based upon the three most abundant kinds of fish otoliths ( Lepophidium, Merluccius , and sciaenid species A), comprising 88 percent of the recovered otoliths, it is suggested that the Lee Creek Mine fauna may have been deposited in depths of 60 to 100 meters.
The first Pliocene teleostean otoliths from the Gulf Coastal Plain are described from Dauphin Island, Mobile County, Alabama, USA. The 250 otolith specimens, mainly sagittae, were obtained from shell hash dredged from an offshore Pliocene unit deposited onshore as part of recent beach nourishment. Analysis of the otoliths revealed 22 species from 11 teleostean families. Sciaenid fishes dominate the assemblage and account for 79.6% of the total specimens, while the other 10 families (including indeterminates) comprise approximately 20% of the total. Comparison to modern biological and ecological requirements for the fishes represented by the otoliths suggest a shallow (0–20 m) neritic environment with some brackish and rare deep-water influence. Several of the most abundant taxa indicate shallow, soft bottom estuarine habitat with upstream oligohaline creeks (0.5 to 5.0 ppt salinity) serving as primary nursery area. However, the percentage of marine-only species may indicate more interaction with open estuary and shallow coastal areas and subtropical waters. The lack of invertebrate settlement on the otoliths likely indicates limited surface residence-time. All 22 taxa recovered from the Dauphin Island site are highly significant since they represent the first Pliocene occurrences of these taxa within the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America.
Fish otoliths are described from the Lower Paleocene (Danian) and Middle Paleocene (Selandian) from Sjælland in Denmark. A total of 44 species are described, 23 as newly established and nine in open nomenclature. Twelve species (including seven new species) have been obtained from the Danian poorly consolidated coral limestone at Fakse and 39 species (including 19 new species) from the Selandian at localities near Copenhagen. Both stages have previously been poorly known for otoliths in the North Sea Basin, and are described from only two previous publications, i.e. Koken in 1885 from the Selandian of Copenhagen and Roedel in 1930 who described otoliths from erratic ice age boulders in north-east Germany. The original material of both workers has been revised in this bulletin. Otoliths are well known elsewhere in the North Sea Basin since Upper Paleocene (Thanetian) times and are described from the London Basin and from Belgium. Palaeographic, palaeoecological and biostratigraphic implications of the otolith findings in the Paleocene of the North Sea Basin are discussed. Two new genera and 23 new species are introduced and described. The new taxa are: Genartina hauniensis n. sp., genus Anguillidarum semisphaeroides n. sp., Conger illaesus n. sp., Rhechias angulosus n. sp., genus Clupeidarum rectiventralis n. sp., genus Salmonidarum n. sp., Protargentinolithus procerus n. sp., Argentina longistrostris n. sp., Aulopus tortus n. sp., genus Myctophidarum schnetleri n. sp., genus ?Percopsiformorum enigmaticus n. sp., Palaeogadus sinangulatus n. sp., Molvia palaeomorpha n. sp., Protocolliolus amorphus n. sp., Coryphaenoides amager n. sp., Hymenocephalus rosenkrantzi n. sp., genus Bythitidarm rasmussenae n. sp., genus Veliferidarum harderi n. sp., genus Zeiformorum janni n. sp., Centroberyx fragilis n. sp., Scorpaena corallophilus n. sp., genus Gempylidarum merus n. sp. and Ostracion pergravis n. sp.
Available online under
http://researcharchive.calacademy.org/research/ichthyology/catalog/fishcatmain.asp
Bulk sampling of Pliocene (2.5–3.1 Ma, Piacenzian) beds at the Elizabethtown locality (Bladen County, North Carolina) produced 745 teleostean otoliths (17 taxa, representing extant fish off the U.S. Atlantic coast). Sciaenids dominate the assemblage (8 taxa; 44.4% of the total) and account for an extremely large percentage of total specimens (93.2%). The number of species (richness) at Elizabethtown is relatively small, and percentage abundance indicates a very large unevenness with Micropogonias undulatus and Leiostomus aff. L. xanthurus (91.4% of the specimens). Otolith assemblages from Elizabethtown and Lee Creek Mine, one of the most extensively studied North Carolina Pliocene sites, were compared. Assemblages were extremely dissimilar (percentage similarity measurement of 3.3%). Modern distributions of M.undulatus and L. aff. L.xanthurus are very strong indicators of shallow, soft bottom estuarine creeks and bays. The preponderance of juvenile M.undulatus (99.5% represent 1-year-old or less) is a strong indicator for a primary nursery area. This specialised habitat explains the dominance of juvenile Atlantic croakers and spots, the high percentage of fishes distributed in freshwater, brackish, and marine environments, and the paucity of marine-only species. The specialised habitat indicated at Elizabethtown would also account for the pronounced difference between the Elizabethtown and Lee Creek otolith assemblages.
Marine bioinvasions affect ecosystems in irreversible ways, creating socio-economic problems worldwide. In particular, eastern Mediterranean marine fish faunas today are significantly disturbed due to overfishing, habitat deterioration, the Lessepsian invasion, and climate change. Isolating the impact of each parameter is difficult, because pre-anthropogenic activity data are lacking. In this study, we use the paleontological record to infer the causes and mechanisms behind marine fish invasions, focusing on the Mediterranean basin, which is a restricted basin and a biological hotspot, where the effects of climatic and oceanographic changes are amplified. Therefore, the Mediterranean Sea is an ideal area to study marine biological invasions in relation to abrupt climate changes. Furthermore, we focus on the Pleistocene, which was a period of intense glacial–interglacial changes. Thus, we investigate the effect of climate changes on the fish fauna of an eastern Mediterranean shelf, by identifying the fish otoliths in the Early–Middle Pleistocene marine sediments of Rhodes (Greece). We offer a synthesis of the Mediterranean marine fish from the Tortonian until today and hypothesize on the conditions that drove marine fish distribution range shifts during the Pleistocene. We reconstruct the paleobathymetric evolution of the study areas based on fish otoliths, and we consider taphonomy in our interpretations. The Pleistocene climatic variability induced periodic and gradual replacements of fish taxa. Episodic invasions of cold-water North Atlantic mesopelagic species are correlated with intervals of climatic deterioration, specifically during marine isotope stages 50, 44, 36, 20, and 18.
Fish otoliths are essential tools for reconstructing fossil teleost faunas. Here, we describe otoliths from estuarine to deep-water Late Oligocene localities in southern Zealandia. Thirty-one species are recognised including 14 new species and two new genera. New species are: Moringua waimumuensis n.sp., Heteroconger? mataura n.sp., Tonganago coplandi n.sp., Sardinops robinsoni n.sp., Lotella latidorsalis n.sp., Trachyrincus tewaewae n.sp., Eurypleuron debilis n.sp., Neobythites lindqvisti n.sp., Aotearichthys vestalis n.sp., Centroberyx worthyi n.sp., Krebsiella chattonensis n.sp., Lesueurina transoceana n.sp. and Micropercops pomahaka n.sp., a representative of a basal gobioid family (Odontobutidae) now restricted to fresh- and brackish waters of eastern Asia. The new otolith-based genera are: Aotearichthys n.gen. (Dinematichthyidae) and Tonganago n.gen. (Congridae). The diverse faunal association reflects the range of paleoenvironments from estuarine to deep marine allowing an unusually complete reconstruction of the fish ecosystems. We compare the fauna with the extant marine fauna of Zealandia and discuss its phylogenetic and biogeographic significance.
The studies presented in this special issue describe and evaluate otoliths in situ in 18 species of extinct Paratethyan fishes, 17 from Sarmatian, and one from Karaganian deposits. Together with previously described fishes from the area with otoliths in situ and additional works which we are aware of being in progress, this time interval has now yielded 34 fish species with otoliths in situ, approximately equivalent to one-third of the entire Sarmatian fish fauna of the Paratethys known to date. Therefore, it represents by far the most diverse fossil fish fauna with otoliths in situ. The implications of the linking of skeletal and otolith data are briefly discussed as well as the prospects for future research. The anecdotal history of the formation of the work group which became engaged in these studies is presented.
The fossil otolith assemblages of the Aquitaine Basin (SW France) have been extensively studied for more than 30 years and are among the best documented worldwide. However, Lutetian otoliths are less well known than those from the lower and upper Eocene. A new collection of >11,000 otoliths from the Lutetian Miretrain Marl Formation from five different localities in Peyrehorade and the Donzacq Marl Formation at Saint-Geours-d'Auribat is analysed here. The oldest site at Saint-Geours-d'Auribat is dated at 47.40 Ma, and the youngest at the ‘la Téoulère’ escarpment at 44.05 Ma. At least 89 otolith-based taxa are recorded, of which 69 are identified at species level. Twenty of these are introduced here by Lin, Nolf and Girone as new species: ‘Elops’ miiformis sp. nov., ‘Ophichthus’ mignolo sp. nov., Saurida trompensis sp. nov., ‘Scopelarchus’ gnocco sp. nov., ‘Evermannella’ razza sp. nov., Neoscopelus navicularis sp. nov., ‘Trachyrincus’ iocosus sp. nov., Nezumia teoulerensis sp. nov., ‘Neobythites’ auribatianus sp. nov., ‘Neobythites’ bozzolo sp. nov., ‘Neobythites’ leonardi sp. nov., Melamphaes acanthifer sp. nov., Zenion mattaccino sp. nov., Zenion vetustus sp. nov., ‘Perca’ lactarioides sp. nov., ‘Perca’ meiformis sp. nov., ‘Liopropoma’ sculpta sp. nov., ‘Branchiostegus’ brevis sp. nov., ‘Haemulon’ strascinate sp. nov. and Cepola rostislavi sp. nov. The occurrence of N. teoulerensis sp. nov. is particularly important because it documents the earliest macrourid fossil record from the Northern Hemisphere. The assemblages all indicate a deep neritic environment, similar to that of several of the Ypresian and Priabonian deposits of the Aquitaine Basin. The difference in taxonomic composition between the Lutetian assemblages of Aquitaine and those of the neighbouring Anglo-Belgo-Parisian basin and Osteroden (Germany) is mainly environmentally based. The new material contains many nominal upper and/or lower Eocene species whose stratigraphical distribution is thus extended to the Lutetian, suggesting that the important faunal renewal in the Eocene of the Aquitaine Basin is more gradual than previously believed.
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C37149C7-FC3B-4267-9CD0-03E0E0059459
We report the discovery of an extremely rich, previously undescribed Caribbean late Miocene to early Pliocene ichthyofauna represented by one hundred forty species of elasmobranchs and teleosteans from the Cubagua Formation, northeastern Venezuela. The fauna exhibits significant ecological differences compared with common neritic Caribbean Neogene assemblages. The bathymetric distributions of taxa, based on living counterparts, ranges from 0 to 100 m depth. The exceptional co-occurrence of deep water (epipelagic, mesopelagic and benthopelagic), and shallow water (neritic) taxa is best interpreted as the consequence of ocean upwelling in the proximity to the deep-water Cariaco Trench. Patterns of predator and prey are established and corroborate upwelling. Special remarks are made regarding previously unknown late Miocene to early Pliocene Caribbean ichthyofaunas, the absence or rarity of reported fossil taxa in the Recent Caribbean fauna, and a paleo- upwelling indicator ( Lampadena jacksoni new species).
Cohort analysis provides an effective method of analysing taxonomic survivorship in the fossil record where large data sets are available. An analysis of the Stratigraphic ranges of about 8,500 fossil genera and subgenera shows that survivorship patterns are substantially the same throughout the Phanerozoic. These patterns are used to calculate an average value for mean species duration among fossil invertebrates (11.1 Myr.). Also, the extra extinctions near the Permo-Triassic boundary are shown to be equivalent to about 85 Myr of normal, background extinction.
The mean taxon duration, D, and the 50 percent point of the Lyellian curve, T50, are directly proportional to one another: D = CT50. However, there is a disagreement in the literature over the correct value of the proportionality constant, C. Various authors have claimed that C ≈ 1.44, C = 2.00 and C ≈ 2.89. I critically examine the assumptions underlying these three choices of C and argue that C ≈ 1.44, which is based on an exponential model of survivorship, is more widely applicable than the other values of C.
For some higher taxa, species can be identified in the fossil record with a high degree of reliability. The great geological durations of species indicate that phyletic evolution is normally so slow that little change occurs within a lineage during 10 ⁵ –10 ⁷ generations. Failure to recognize sibling species in the fossil record has no bearing on this conclusion because they embody virtually no morphological change. Although slowness is the rule, we have no more precise assessment of morphological rates of phyletic evolution for any major taxon. Morphological data that have been assembled to assess rates of phyletic evolution have been meager, unrepresentative, and predominantly reflective of nothing more than body size. Net selection pressures within long segments of phylogeny—even ones that embrace large amounts of evolution—are infinitesimal and seemingly unsustainable against random fluctuations. This suggests that natural selection operates in a highly episodic fashion.
Rates of adaptive radiation and extinction at the species level can be estimated for many taxa and, from them, rates of speciation in adaptive radiation. Species selection should universally tend to increase rate of speciation and decrease rate of extinction, yet these rates are positively correlated in the animal world, apparently because they are linked by common controls: both rate of speciation and rate of extinction seem to increase with level of stereotypical behavior and to decrease with dispersal ability. Only a few “supertaxa” have been able to combine high rates of speciation with moderate rates of extinction.
Otoliths collected from the Late Oligocene of the Eger area revealed the presence of 52 teleost taxa from subtropical to warm temperate waters. Two successive faunas, which have only three species in common, are identified: the Kiscell Clay fauna, comprising 30 taxa, and the Eger Formation fauna, comprising 25 taxa. Although both belong to distinct stratigraphic horizons, the differences are entirely due to ecological factors. The Kiscell Clay provided an association of deepwater fishes, quantitatively very rich in otoliths of mesopelagic fishes, while the Eger association reflects a continental shelf fauna, in which three distinct assemblages corresponding to the progressive shallowing of the environment can be distinguished. The Late Oligocene teleost fauna from the Eger area shows a striking resemblance with the one from the Late Oligocene (Zone NP25) Saint-Etienne-d'Orthe Clay in the Aquitaine Basin, SW France. -from Authors
New paleontologic and radiometric data and a synthesis of redefined provincial biostratigraphic frameworks provide the basis for a new geologic time scale for the Cenozoic strata of Oregon and Washington.
The new geologic time scale integrates provincial molluscan, foraminiferal, land-mammal, and megafloral biochronologies of the Pacific Northwest. The integrated biostratigraphic framework incorporates new data on planktonic microfossils from western Oregon and Washington and is correlated with the Cenozoic worldwide geologic time scale. The biostratigraphic correlations are augmented by integration of radiometric age data.
The new provincial geologic time scale revises the 1944 chart on “Correlation of the Marine Cenozoic Formations of Western North America” and provides a basis for time-stratigraphic correlations within the context of the current worldwide geologic time scale.