Otolithes de poissons aptiens du Maestrazgo (province de Castellon, Espagne orientale)

A sampling of otoliths in the Lower Aptian sediments of the Maestrazgo provided otoliths of 18 teleost taxa of which 11 could be described as new species: Elops bultyncki, «genus Elopidarum» casanovae. «genus Albulidarum» atavus, Pterothrissus todolellanus, «genus Euteleosteorum» geometricus, «genus Protacanthopterygiorum» scalpellum, «genus Argentinidarum» bergantinus, «genus Aulopiformorum» pseudocentrolophus, «genus Synodontoideorum» pseudosphyraena, «genus Chlorophthalmidarum» manei, «genus Neoscopelidarum» maestrazgonis and «genus? Acanthomorphorum» forcallensis. This is the oldest fauna for which comparative studies of Recent and fossil otoliths still provide results which are worthy of interest. The more one goes back in time, the more morphological resemblance with Recent otoliths becomes obscure. For Aptian material, only identifications at family level or at an even higher taxonomic level are possible, except for some rare cases such as the genera Elops and Pterothrissus, which can be considered as «living fossils». For this reason, the interest of palaeoecological interpretations based on comparisons with the habitat of Recent fishes becomes very restricted if applied to Aptian faunas. The possible palaeoecological interest of analogous morphologies which are probably conditioned by function are mentioned. Finally an overview table is presented, summarising the fossil record of all Lower Cretaceous teleost families, based on data obtained from both otoliths and osteological material

Sur les otolithes des sables de Grimmertingen (Oligocène inférieur de Belgique)

Twenty-one species of teleost otoliths from the Sables de Grimmertingen are described. Six of them are new : Raniceps altus, « genus aff. Brosmopbycis » brevis, Otophidium caudatum, « genus Ophidiidarum » ornatissimus, Monomitopus grimmertingensis, « genus aff. Neobythites » spina. Although three species common to the Belgian Eocene are still present, the appearance of four typically Oligocène species together with numerous new species unknown in the Eocene suggest that these sands are of lower Oligocene age. They suggest a neritic fauna which lived in calm, somewhat deep water on a soft, muddy bottom. The abundance of gadids suggests a colder climate than that of the Eocene epoch

Une remarquable association d’otolithes de poissons dans le Miocène moyen de Sos, Matilon (France, Lot-et-Garonne).A remarkable assemblage of fish otoliths from the Middle Miocene of Sos, Matilon (France, Lot-et-Garonne)

The Serravallian site of Sos (Matilon, base of the section) is located near to the shore of the gulf of eastern Aquitaine. The studied sediment is a near shore coquina facies with a well-preserved and diversified marine fauna, reflecting a bay environment, with some brackish influences. Otoliths of 22 teleost taxa were identified, two of them representing new species: Afroscion rezeaui and “genus aff. Afroscion” carinatus. The association is characterised by a strong dominance of sciaenids (83% of the total number of otoliths). Among the remaining taxa, Pomadasys aff. incisus and a Gobius (elongate form) account for respectively 3% and 12%; all remaining taxa are rare. Except for the Serravallian coquinas of Orthez and Sallespisse, sciaenid otoliths are very rare in all Oligo-Miocene sampling sites of Aquitaine. Sciaenids from Sos, where Afroscion rezeaui and Sciaena irregularis dominate, are different from those of Orthez and Sallespisse, dominated by Umbrina pyrenaica. Only Argyrosomus regius is common to both associations. In total, only seven species are common to the two localities, and the sparid Dentex aff. maroccanus is lacking at Sos. The two faunas seem to correspond to quite different environments. Sciaenids are quite tolerant for fresh water, and the Sos area could be near to a stream mouth at the end of the gulf. Some sciaenids are even partly freshwater fishes. At Orthez – Sallespisse, the represented sciaenids are very near shore forms, but of normal salinity: this is attested by the frequence of Dentex aff. maroccanus and several haemulids. At Mios, another rich otolith site located more to the north, otoliths essentially belong to typical marine near shore fishes, among which there are even some gadids, a family of more northern fishes; sciaenids are very rare there. Here also, environmental differences are apparently responsible for the differences among the associations

Marine Middle Eocene Otoliths from India and Java

Otoliths collected from the Harudi Formation (Lutetian) of Kachchh, Western India and from the Nanggulan Formation (Early Bartonian) of Nanggulan, Java, revealed the presence of respectively 15 and 24 teleost taxa. Seven new species are introduced: "genus Brotulinarum" siremboides, Apogon townsendoides, "genus Apogonidarum" altissimus, Lactarius nonfungus, "genus Menidarum" occultus, "genus Percoideorum" pseudatherina and "genus Percoideorum" sciaenoides. Both associations reveal very shallow neritic environments. They are compared with a previously described neritic Middle Eocene otolith association from central Western Pakistan, and a combined list of all (43) taxa represented in the three associations is provided. Considering the restricted sampling, the number (8) of taxa occuring at more than one locality is remarkable, and one can probably conclude that we sampled several of the most common and widespread teleosts inhabiting the neritic environments of the Indo-West-Pacific region during the Middle Eocene. Biogeographic evaluation of the available data leads to the conclusion that in the Eocene, the Indo-West-Pacific region was already inhabited by many fish taxa not represented elsewhere, and that probably it contained the most diverse fish community of the world, as it does today

Les Priacanthidae (Teleostei, Perciformes) des Sables de Lede (Éocène moyen, Belgique): ostéologie et otolithes

The osteology of the fossil priacanthid Pristigenys rutoti (= P. caduca) (Teleostei, Percoidei) from the Sands of Lede (marine Middle Eocene, Belgium) is described in details thanks to a nearly complete specimen with a skull preserved in volume and to other samples with isolated bones. A new species, Pristigenys hermani, also from the Sands of Lede, is erected on the basis of isolated bones and otoliths. The two species are compared together. It is shown that the skeletal elements and the otoliths of Pristigenys dentifer from the Eocene of England are identical to the homologous pieces of P. rutoti. The English species is put into synonymy of the Belgian species which has the priority. The evolution of the sagitta within Priacanthidae is discussed

Révision de quelques Odontaspididae (Neoselachii: Lamniformes) du Paléocène et de l'Eocène du Bassin de la mer du Nord

The revision of some Odontaspididae species from the Paleocene and the Eocene of the North sea Basin has clarified the generic status of some of them and to precise their dental morphologies. A species from the Lutetian of Belgium, Carcharias sp., can be considered as the first representative of the lineage leading to the Recent species C. taurus. Three new genera are described: Brachycarcharias nov. gen. (Lutetian of Belgium), Orpodon nov. gen. (Selandian of Belgium) and Sylvestrilamia nov. gen. (Ypresian of England). The validity of the genus Hypotodus is confirmed and it is recommended that the poorly defined species hopei is abandoned in favour of the species verticalis in order to avoid confusion

The Mosasaur Prognathodon (Reptilia, Mosasauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of Belgium

The osteology of the mosasaurs Prognathodon solvayi and P. giganteus is extensively described for the first time. P. solvayi is known from the holotype IRSNB R33, a complete skull and partially preserved postcranial remains as well as from fragmentary material from specimens IRSNB R107 and IRSNB R108. P. giganteus is based wholly on the fragmentary cranial and postcranial remains of the type specimen IRSNB R106. Both species are compared with the North American taxa P. overtoni (KU 950, the holotype), P.? overloni (SDSM 3393), P. rapax (AMNH 1490),? Prognathodon (FMNH PR 165) and "Prognathodon" crassartus (AMNH 1562). P. sotvayi and P. giganteus are less similar to each other than are P. giganteus and SDSM 3393, referred to P. overtoni by RUSSELL (1967), especially with regard to overall shape and size. Because of the very fragmentary holotype material of P. overtoni comparisons with it are restricted. Characters critical in the classification of Prognathodon (such as dentition, zygosphenes, zygantra and haemal arches) are re-assessed. Re-evaluation of these characters induces changes in the generic assignments of the taxa within the Plioplatecarpinae. "Prognathodon" crassartus is reassigned to Plioplatecarpus. The status of FMNH PR 165, referred to Prognathodon by RUSSELL (1970) is questioned on the basis of conflicting diagnostic characters; it is a large plioptatecarpine mosasaur probably more closely related to Selmasaurus or Plioplatecarpus. Dollosaurus IAKOVLEV, 1901 is synonymised wiih Prognathodon. The ecology of Prognathodon and certain other mosasaurs of Belgium is discussed and comparisons are made with other aquatic vertebrates

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) fish otoliths from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds, India: a revision

The study of the Maastrichtian Deccan Intertrappean otolith association allows for the reconstruction of a fish fauna of 22 taxa, of which 16 are identified at species level. Three species are new: “genus Heterotidinarum” heterotoides, “genus Percoideorum” citreum and Dapalis erici. The represented taxa include typical freshwater ones, essentially freshwater ones with some marine intruders, near shore marine groups including a significant portion of freshwater intruders and predominantly marine fishes, including however some scarce freshwater residents. The most probable interpretation of such an association is that the Deccan Intertrappean Beds correspond to freshwater environments of a coastal area, where intrusion by marine elements or temporary connections with the marine realm existed. The Indian Maastrichtian and Ypresian faunas are compared with the European fossil record. The fossil record of osteoglossids, ambassids, and channids points to ancient Eurasiatic affinities of European freshwater and brackish Paleogene and Early Miocene fish faunas