Permian millipedes are rare, especially so considering the relative abundance of millipedes in Carboniferous rocks. We report an early Permian millipede fauna containing three new genera and species of millipedes (Oklahomasoma richardsspurense new genus new species, Karstiulus fortsillensis new genus new species, and Dolesea subtila new genus new species) found in fossil-producing pockets of the Fort Sill fissures exposed in the Dolese Quarry near Richards Spur, southwest Oklahoma, USA. These are the first new genera of invertebrates to be described from this site, one of the most prolific fossil-vertebrate sites in the world. We also comment on taxa with morphological similarities and note previously described occurrences of Permian millipedes as well as occurrences of fossil myriapods (millipedes and centipedes) in karst deposits (caves and fissure fills) in Europe, Africa, Asia, North America, and the Caribbean. In contrast with the forms found at Richards Spur, most of these previous accounts of millipedes found in caves and fissure fills are of Pleistocene forms that are closely allied to modern taxa. The taxa from Richards Spur bear some similarities to Pennsylvanian forms. Karst (cave and fissure) faunas should be ranked with concretion faunas, cannel coals, and amber faunas as a major source of fossil myriapods.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/5d58e1fb-4e5b-4597-9cd9-5cc9e2096b4d

A new helminthomorph millipede, Sinosoma luopingense new genus new species, from the Triassic Luoping biota of China, has 39 body segments, metazonites with lateral swellings that bear a pair of posterolateral pits (?insertion pits for spine bases), and sternites that are unfused to the pleurotergites. This millipede shares a number of characters with nematophoran diplopods, but lacks the prominent dorsal suture characteristic of that order. Other “millipede” material from the biota is more problematic. Millipedes are a rare part of the Luoping biota, which is composed mainly of marine and near-shore organisms. Occurrences of fossil millipedes are exceedingly rare in Triassic rocks worldwide, comprising specimens from Europe, Asia, and Africa, and consisting of juliform millipedes and millipedes that are either nematophorans or forms very similar to nematophorans.

Spinous oniscomorph millipedes are rare faunal components of the upper Palaeozoic (Shear, 1997). Amynilyspes (type species A. wortheni Scudder, 1882; OD) is an Upper Carboniferous spinous oniscomorph (pill millipede) which was first described from the Middle Pennsylvanian (Westphalian D equivalent) Fossil-Lagerstätte of Mazon Creek. Later Fritsch (1899) described two species (A. typicus and A. crescens) from the Wesphalian D Gaskohle of Nýřany in Bohemia. More recently A. typicus was recorded from the Stephanian B of the Saarland (Förster, 1973), then from the Stephanian B of the Blanzy-Montceau-les-Mines Basin (Langiaux and Sotty, 1977; Poplin, 1994). Although myriapods were already known to occur in the Montceau-les-Mines Lagerstätte (Langiaux and Sotty, 1976; Rolfe et al., 1982; Poplin and Heyler, 1994) the presence of Amynilyspes at Montceau-les-Mines was first published in a regional publication (“La Physiophile” Langiaux and Sotty, 1976, 1977), and it has passed almost unnoticed.

The purpose of this note is to point out the similarities between Protosalvinia (Foerstia) and Sidetes (Spathiocaris) and to discuss characters that can be used to distinguish the two taxa. Protosalvinia Clarke, 1885 (Figure 1.1-1.4), also commonly referred to by the junior subjective synonym Foerstia, is a plant fossil that is frequently noted as occurring in Upper Devonian black shale sequences of North America. This taxon has been of great interest to stratigraphers, paleoecologists, plant taxonomists, and plant morphologists over the years (see, for example, Winslow, 1962, p. 7, p. 22, fig. 3; Barron and Ettensohn, 1981, p. 30-31; Matthews, 1983; and Romankiw et al., 1988). Most workers in recent years have considered Protosalvinia to be a marine alga, but there is also evidence for a land plant affinity (Romankiw et al., 1988).

Six specimens belonging to several euphoberiid diplopod species have a pair of modified legs located along the midbody. These appendages are robust, much stouter than normal walking legs, and are attached to a sternite that is longer than those preceding and following. Euphoberiid modified legs differ in position from those of modern diplopods, being located neither near the anterior end as are gonopods nor at the anterior or posterior ends, as are clasping appendages of various modern forms. The presence of such appendages supports ordinal status for the euphoberiids.

The prominent spines of euphoberiids would have precluded intertwining types of mating behavior observed in many types of elongate modern diplopods. Judged by their robust nature and location, the modified legs may have been clasping appendages used during the mating process. “Intromittent organs” described on various taxa of fossil Diplopoda by the early paleomyriapodologists Scudder and Fritsch are suspect.

Pleurojulid millipedes, known since the turn of the last century to be relatively abundant in the Westphalian D (Carboniferous: Pennsylvanian) Gaskohl of Nýřany, Czech Republic, are here also identified as an important component of the Pennsylvanian (Westphalian D) Mazon Creek millipede fauna preserved in ironstone nodules. Pleurojulids reach lengths approaching 10 cm, have as many as 69 body segments, medium-sized heads, and large ocellaria with upwards of 40 ocelli. Pleurojulids have previously been interpreted as having either a juliform-like or a colobognathan-like trunk-ring architecture. In order to distinguish between these two hypotheses, almost all pleurojulid specimens in museum collections were surveyed to document the deformation pattern of exoskeletal elements to aid in reconstruction of the trunk-ring architecture. The Nýřany specimens are completely flattened while the Mazon Creek specimens retain a degree of three-dimensionality. In order to assess how trunk-ring architecture controls patterns of deformation, a variety of extant millipedes were experimentally compressed. The distribution of exoskeletal elements in pleurojulid fossils was most similar to that seen in compressed extant polyzoniid millipedes. Based on the available evidence, pleurojulid trunk-ring architecture is reconstructed as semicircular in cross section, consisting of arched diplotergites, free pleurites firmly articulated to the lateral margins of the tergites and held in a near horizontal position, and free sternites. Pleurojulida are hypothesized to be basal helminthomorph, the sister group to Colobognatha, though inclusion in Helminthomorpha is equivocal. The taxonomy of previously described pleurojulid millipedes from Nýřany is revised and newly recognized specimens from Mazon Creek specimens are described. Two genera are recognized within the new order Pleurojulida: Pleurojulus and Isojulus. Two species of Pleurojulus are recognized: P. biornatus and P. levis. Pleurojulus aculeatus and P. pinguis are synonymized with P. levis. Only one species of Isojulus, I. constans, is recognized with I. setipes, I. marginatus synonymized with it along with Pleurojulus longipes and P. falcifer.

Fragmentary fossils from Late Devonian rocks, previously identified as phyllocarid arthropods, are referable to “Vermes.” Specimens identified as Dithyrocaris (=Mesothyra) sp. from the Chagrin Shale in northeastern Ohio are assigned to Sphenothallus cf. S. carbonarius (M'Coy). Thus, there are no records of rhinocaridid arthropods from the Chagrin. Fossils identified as “cercopods” of the echinocaridid, Echinocaris asiaticus Reed, from the Wetwin shales in Burma, are not arthropod remains, but are tubes produced by a gregarious worm. Echinocaris asiaticus is now represented only by a single partial carapace.

In the past few years the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has received several inquiries as to our source of dolomite for use with S.S. White® industrial airbrasive units. We have been using inexpensive, “agricultural” dolomite with these units for several years. This source was “discovered” by testing of a wide variety of dolomite sources by Peter Kotulak, a former preparator at the Museum, under the direction of M.E.W. We are currently using OHSO® Pulverized Limestone, a kiln-dried dolomitic limestone recommended for agricultural, and lawn and garden, use. It is produced by the Ohio® Lime Co., of Woodville, Ohio. A 22.7 kg (50 pound) bag costs $2.25, and is available at building supply companies. The dolomite must be sieved and dried to prevent clogging of the unit's line and nozzle. We use a Ro-Tap® Testing Sieve Shaker to sieve the material, with #30 (595 micron), #60 (250 micron), and #100 (150 micron) U.S.A. standard testing sieves. An incandescent desk lamp can be placed over an open container of the sieved dolomite to keep it dry. Used powder may be re-sieved for reuse if desired.

Sphenothallus and fossils similar to Sphenothallus are found in Ordovician, Devonian, and Mississippian rock units in Ohio and adjacent states and provinces. Although the Ordovician of Québec, Ontario, and Indiana has yielded parts of tubes, Ordovician specimens from southwest Ohio and nearby areas consist almost entirely of holdfasts on hardgrounds and shelly fossils. Sphenothallus is abundant in the Chagrin Shale (Famennian) of northeast Ohio where it is found in about four percent of concretions that contain identifiable fossils. The Chagrin specimens, usually parts of tubes, are occasionally preserved three-dimensionally. The rate of distal expansion of Chagrin Sphenothallus tubes varies intraspecifically; thus, this rate cannot be used to distinguish species. Some Chagrin specimens are attached to larger, conspecific specimens and to articulate brachiopods. Brachiopods have also been found attached to Chagrin Sphenothallus. Bedford-Berea sequence (Famennian) specimens from northern Kentucky and Meadville Member (Kinderhookian or Osagian) specimens from the Cuyahoga Formation of northeast Ohio are usually preserved as flattened tubes. In both occurrences tubes are similar in width, indicating that individuals in each assemblage are probably the same age. Meadville tubes possess characteristics diagnostic of Sphenothallus, but Bedford-Berea specimens, which lack longitudinal thickenings and exhibit little tube tapering, cannot be assigned to Sphenothallus sensu strictu.

Sphenothallus was a gregarious, opportunistic species, tolerant of dysaerobic conditions and able to colonize environments ranging from hardgrounds to soft, muddy sea bottoms. No distinct branching was observed among the Chagrin, Bedford-Berea, or Meadville specimens, suggesting that larval dispersal was the primary mode of reproduction for the genus.

AIR-ABRASIVE, also called Airbrasive (a trademark of the Pennwalt S.S. White Co.), units are in effect miniature sandblasting machines. The units propel an abrasive, by means of a gas, through a flexible hose attached to a handpiece. Originally designed for dental and industrial uses, these units are now widely used for preparing fossils. The air abrasive can be used by itself or in combination with other techniques to excavate fossils from matrix, to remove matrix from areas of specimens for detailed study, and to elevate specimens above the surface of the matrix for display and photography. The technique of preparing fossils using the air abrasive has been previously described and discussed by a number of authors, notably by Stucker (1961), Stucker et al. (1965), Rixon (1976, p. 75–77), and Converse (1984, p. 42–49).

This bibliography contains works, published from 1964 through late 1988, on paleontological techniques. It is intended to supplement, in part, the earlier bibliography by Kummel in Kummel and Raup (1965). The techniques are those used for vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, including techniques for some protistan groups, but publications specifically on palynological or paleobotanical techniques are not included. The works included generally, but not entirely, reflect the areas covered in the other chapters of this book. Citations were obtained from many sources, notably the Bibliography and Index of Geology. Most publications cited were examined.