Moderately well preserved Permian (late Wolfcampian, Leonardian, Guadalupian, and Djulfian) and Early(?) Triassic radiolarian faunas from sedimentary mélange cherts of the Grindstone terrane in central Oregon are nearly identical to coeval chert faunas in Japan. These Permian faunas are similar to those used in constructing the radiolarian zonations for Japan and the Tethyan regions. Although several Oregon taxa have been reported from limestone sequences in the central United States, most of the Oregon forms have only been found in cherty rocks and nearly half have not previously been reported from North America. Forty-two taxa belonging to 19 genera (Albaillella Deflandre, Deflandrella De Wever and Caridroit, Entactinia Foreman, Entactinosphaera Foreman, Follicucullus Ormiston and Babcock, Haplentactinia Foreman, Hegleria Nazarov and Ormiston, Ishigaum De Wever and Caridroit, Kashiwara Sashida and Tonishi, Latentibifistula Nazarov and Ormiston, Latentifistula Nazarov and Ormiston, Nazarovella De Wever and Caridroit, Neoalbaillella Takemura and Nakaseko, Parentactinia Dumitrica, Praedeflandrella Kozur and Mostler, Pseudoalbaillella Holdsworth and Jones, Pseudotormentus De Wever and Caridroit, Quinqueremis Nazarov and Ormiston, and Triplanospongos Sashida and Tonishi) are systematically treated. Co-occurrences of some species in Oregon indicate that their ranges in North America may differ from those in Japan. This paper also contains the first illustrated record of Early(?) Triassic radiolarians from North America.

Carinachitiids, hexangulaconulariids, and Punctatus are distinctive and abundant components of early skeletal faunas from the Lower Cambrian of South China. Carinachitiids are redescribed on the basis of Carinachites spinatus from Kuanchuanpu, Shaanxi, and C. tetrasulcatus and C. curvatornatus from Emei, Sichuan. Tubes of all species are characterized by pronounced quadriradial symmetry, but whereas C. spinatus and C. curvatornatus generally have prominent ornamentation consisting of transverse ribbing, that of C. tetrasulcatus is much more subdued. Neither apex nor well-defined aperture is evident in any of the carinachitiids. Hexangulaconulariids are redescribed on the basis of Arthrochites emeishanensis from Emei and Hexaconularia sichuanensis from Kuanchuanpu. In common with the carinachitiids, the former species shows wide morphological variability. The tubes expand rapidly from a blunt apex, bear prominent ribbing, and possess variably developed lateral grooves that impose a quasi-hexaradial symmetry. Hexaconularia sichuanensis is described from fragmentary material with prominent ribbing and well-defined lateral grooves. Punctatus emeiensis has a tapering ribbed cone, with a stellate ornamentation adapically that is replaced by longitudinal ribbing towards the aperture. Carinachitiids and hexangulaconulariids are widely regarded as related to conularids, and this proposal receives additional support here. An external abortive ?borehole in a specimen of Carinachites also supports the tubicolous interpretation of these fossils. An alternative suggestion that carinachitiids and hexangulaconulariids represent the internal rachis of a sea-pen is also considered. The affinities of Punctatus are more speculative, but the genus may be related to the other two groups. The ecology of Punctatus, however, remains problematic.

Siliceous sterraster microscleres of the choristid demosponge, Geodia Lamarck, 1815, occur in outcrops of the lower Porters Creek Formation (Paleocene) near Moscow Landing on the Tombigbee River in southeastern Sumter County, Alabama. This is the first report of that sponge from the Cretaceous–Tertiary of the Gulf Coastal Plain. The initially opaline spicules have been converted to clinoptilolite, a Na-K-Ca zeolite.

The fissurellid, haliotid, and scissurellid gastropods described herein are representatives of a diverse, but poorly documented, molluscan assemblage from the Upper Cretaceous carbonate-platform deposits of the Caribbean Faunal Province. Among the Fissurellidae, the Emarginulinae are represented by Emarginula pojetai n. sp., E. marchmontensis n. sp., E. sp., Puncturella (Alatrix) leesi n. sp., and P. (A.) sp.; the Diodorinae by Diodora decussata n. sp., Diodora hazeli n. sp., Diodora? pedinostoma n. sp., and D. sp.; the Fissurellinae by Fissurella kollmanni n. sp. Haliotis antillesensis n. sp. is only the second verifiable member of the family Haliotidae to be described from the Cretaceous and Scissurella marchmontensis n. sp. represents the first record of the Scissurellidae in that period.

Two specimens of the Cretaceous genus Pictetia Uhlig, 1883, have been found in the Cottonwood District, northern California, the first record of this genus in North America. The larger specimen is a septate whorl fragment from the Brewericeras hulenense zone that is associated with Douvilleiceras mammillatum. It is identified as Pictetia sp. The smaller specimen is a septate fragment of one and a half whorls from the Oxytropidoceras packardi zone associated with Cleoniceras. It is identified with the type species, Pictetia astieriana Orbigny, 1842, previously recorded from Europe. A review of the genus Pictetia suggests that species assigned to the genus have an open coil with a rounded dorsum. The occurrences of these Tethyan elements in the Albian fauna of the Cottonwood District suggest easy communication for many Cretaceous taxa between northern California and the Tethyan realm of Europe, the Caucasus, and Madagascar.

The Roxton Limestone Member at the top of the Gober Chalk in northeast Texas yields a rich fauna, dominated by Baculites haresi Reeside, 1927, and Inoceramus balticus Boehm, 1909, with sparse occurrences of Pachydiscus cf. P. paulsoni (Young, 1963), Anapachydiscus sp. juv., Placenticeras placenta (DeKay, 1828), Hoplitoplacenticeras aff. H. plasticum (Paulcke, 1907), Menabites (Delawarella) delawarensis (Morton, 1830), M. (D.) danei (Young, 1963), M. (D.) aff. M. (D.) vanuxemi (Morton, 1830), Submortoniceras vandalinaense Young, 1963, Submortoniceras sp., Eubostrychoceras sp., and Scaphites hippocrepis (DeKay, 1828) III. The presence of S. hippocrepis III suggests a late early Campanian age assignment for the fauna. The assemblage includes species known from the Western Interior, Gulf Coast, Atlantic seaboard, and western Europe.

A proposed new genus of scalpellomorph cirriped, Tetrinis n. gen., based on T. serenuportus n. sp., is known from three Kansas localities in the middle part of the Fairport Member of the Carlile Shale where it is epizoic on the bivalve Inoceramus cuvieri. The stalked cirriped Stramentum elegans coexisted with T. serenuportus and the bryozoan Proboscina sp. was epizoic on S. elegans but not on T. serenuportus. The genus is readily distinguished from all other scalpellomorph cirripeds in the character of the capitulum, which comprises 28 slightly overlapping plates arranged in four whorls. Tetrinis serenuportus displays a large rostrum and an upper latus that is situated low in the capitulum between the scutum and tergum, allowing the two latter plates to touch. All umbos are apical except for that of the scutum, which is subapical and closer to the apex than to the base. The new form apparently has a narrow stratigraphic range and has potential as a biostratigraphic marker.

Species of the late Osagean and early Meramecian advanced cladid crinoid genera (suborder Poteriocrinina) Armenocrinus, Bollandocrinus, Corythocrinus, Cosmetocrinus, Culmicrinus, Cydrocrinus, Histocrinus, Hypselocrinus, Lebetocrinus, Ophiurocrinus, Poteriocrinites, Scytalocrinus, Springericrinus, and Ulrichicrinus from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, and Missouri are redescribed and redefined from study of type material. Nomenclatural and systematic acts include the following: 1) Poteriocrinus tenuidactylus Worthen, 1882, is a senior synonym of Scaphiocrinus obscurus Wachsmuth and Springer, 1886, and is assigned to Armenocrinus; 2) P. verus Miller and Gurley, 1890, is assigned to Culmicrinus; 3) P. mammaeformis Worthen in Miller, 1889, is questionably assigned to Culmicrinus; 4) Cydrocrinus coxanus (Worthen, 1882) is a junior synonym of C. concinnus (Meek and Worthen, 1870); 5) Decadocrinus stellatus Lane and Howell, 1986, is questionably assigned to Histocrinus; 6) P. crawfordsvillensis Miller and Gurley, 1890, is a junior synonym of Hypselocrinus hoveyi (Worthen in Worthen and Meek, 1875); 7) Hypselocrinus boonvillensis (Miller, 1891) and H. neglectus (Miller and Gurley, 1896) are junior synonyms of H. arcanus (Miller and Gurley, 1890); 8) Hypselocrinus vansanti n. sp. is described; 9) Hypselocrinus indianensis (Meek and Worthen, 1865) is a nomem dubium; 10) Poteriocrinus arachnaeformis Worthen, 1882, is a valid species of Poteriocrinites; 11) P. cantonensis Miller and Gurley, 1890, is assigned to Scytalocrinus; 12) Ulrichicrinus coryphaeus (Miller, 1891), P. amoenus Miller, 1891, and P. brittsi Miller, 1891, are junior synonyms of U. agnatus (Miller, 1891); and 13) P. illinoisensis Worthen, 1882, is questionably assigned to Ulrichicrinus.

Bollandocrinus? sp. from the Keokuk Limestone might represent the first report of the genus from North America, being previously known only from the lower Carboniferous of Great Britain. Ophiurocrinus sp. from the Keokuk Limestone is the first report of this genus from the Osagean, being previously known only from the Chesterian of North America and the upper Carboniferous of Europe.

New materials from the Permo-Pennsylvanian of north-central New Mexico permit a new description of the temporal and occipital regions of the diadectomorph Diadectes. The important issue of the fate of the intertemporal bone is resolved by demonstrating its absence and apparent incorporation into the parietal as a lateral lappet. Four cranial autapomorphies of Diadectes are recognized: 1) loss of contact between postparietal and tabular; 2) supratemporal greatly enlarged with well-developed occipital process; 3) tabular no longer exposed on skull roof, but greatly reduced and incorporated into occipital plate, with a coarse, posteromedially facing surface; and 4) skull roofing bones thick and porous, with a consistent network of U-shaped grooves. The temporal–occipital region of Diadectes is compared with those of holotypic and recently collected specimens of Limnoscelis and Tseajaia, the type genera of the other two recognized diadectomorph families, Limnoscelidae and Tseajaiidae. On the basis of the literature the comparisons are extended to include certain late Paleozoic amniotes: synapsid Pelycosauria, Captorhinomorpha, and the primitive diapsid Petrolacosaurus. The results are subjected to a cladistic analysis, which supports the following hypotheses of relationships: 1) Diadectidae, Tseajaiidae, and Limnoscelidae form a natural group, the Diadectomorpha; 2) Diadectes and Tseajaia share a more recent common ancestor than either does with Limnoscelis; 3) Diadectomorpha, Pelycosauria, and their descendants form an unnamed, primitive sister clade to that consisting of Captorhinomorpha, Petrolacosaurus, and their descendants; and 4) the taxon Cotylosauria (sensu Heaton, 1980), consisting of Diadectomorpha and Seymouriamorpha, is paraphyletic and invalid. The third hypothesis dictates the assignment of Diadectomorpha to Amniota.

Alcidedorbignya inopinata Muizon and Marshall is a primitive pantodont from the Early Paleocene of Tiupampa, Department of Cochabamba, in the “Cordillera Oriental” of south-central Bolivia. It is known by almost complete upper and lower dentitions, which are described in detail. The occurrence of abundant juvenile specimens allows a study of tooth replacement. The molars of Alcidedorbignya inopinata are primitive for a pantodont but they show the characteristic synapomorphy of the group, which is the presence of a V-shaped ectoloph of P3-4. However, the paracone and the metacone of A. inopinata are separated at their bases, a feature absent in the Bemalambdidae and Harpyodus, which have connate to semi-connate paracone and metacone. Because of this character, A. inopinata, although the oldest, is not the most primitive pantodont. However, A. inopinata, as in bemalambdids and Harpyodus, does not have a mesostyle on M1-2/ or a strongly V-shaped centrocrista, which are found in all other pantodonts. For this reason, Alcidedorbignya inopinata is removed from the Pantolambdidae (which are too specialized) and referred to the new monotypic family Alcidedorbignyidae. The family Wangliidae Van Valen, 1988, is not accepted here and the genus Wanglia is regarded as a junior synonym of Harpyodus; the latter includes the two species H. euros and H. decorus. Analysis of pantodont origins leads to the conclusion that didelphodontines constitute the best potential sister-group; however, no synapomorphy could be found to substantiate this hypothesis. Alcidedorbignya inopinata is the first pantodont known from a southern continent and, being the oldest, it raises a discussion on the paleobiogeographic history of the group.

The discovery of a specimen of Rhaeboceras coloradoense Cobban, 1987, in the Baculites eliasi zone in east-central Montana is significant for three reasons: 1) it is the most geologically recent occurrence of Rhaeboceras; 2) it connects more closely than previous specimens the lineage between the genus Rhaeboceras Meek and Ponteixites Warren, its apparent smaller descendant; and 3) it significantly extends the geographical range of the species.

“Phylloid algae” (Pray and Wray, 1963, p. 209) are problematical fossils that occur profusely in Pennsylvanian carbonate microfacies in the United States (Wray, 1968) and many other parts of the world (Mamet, 1991). Taxonomic affinities of most phylloid alga are uncertain. The questionable affinities of phylloid algae and related paleoecologic problems have been summarized by Riding (1977), Wray (1979), and James et al. (1988) and will not, therefore, be repeated here. Our ability to establish probable taxonomic affinities of fossil calcareous algae is dependent largely upon the recognition of their internal microstructures. Because phylloid algae are very susceptible to dissolution and neomorphism, their original internal microstructures are rarely well preserved.

Plant fossils from the Tertiary strata of the Great Plains are relatively common and have been reported for over 100 years (Stansbury, 1852; Elias, 1942; Thomasson, 1979, 1985, 1991; Gabel, 1987). However, fossils of the family Cyperaceae are uncommon at most sites in Tertiary strata of central North America.

The generic name Petrostroma proposed by Stearn (1991) for a Paleozoic stromatoporoid with type species Petrostroma simplex (Nestor, 1966) is preoccupied by a calcareous sponge described in 1892 by Döderlein.

The genus Plicoplasia Boucot, 1959 (type species P. cooperi Boucot, 1959), embraces certain Lower Devonian brachiopods of the subfamily Ambocoeliinae, family Ambocoeliidae. The geographic range of Plicoplasia includes North America (Eastern Americas Realm) and South America and South Africa (Malvinokaffric Realm).