CASE, Gerard R. & Paul D. BORODIN:
Late Eocene selachians from the Irwinton Sand Member of the Barnwell Formation (Jacksonian), WKA mines, Gordon, Wilkinson County, Georgia

Recent recovery of the teeth of fossil sharks and rays, as well as the rostral spines of sawfishes in the Irwinton Sand Member of the Barnwell Formation at a Kaolin operation in northeast-central Georgia, allows us to compare the faunal assemblage of the present study with that of the Twiggs Clay Member of the Barnwell Formation of Late Eocene age (Jacksonian) (Case, 1981).

At the present time there are no new species to be considered, and we regret that only two species of microteeth (Heterodontus cf. H. pineti and Urolophis cruciatus) have so far been collected. No doubt – with furter collecting, more specimens of the microfauna will come to light.

The fauna of this study consists of the following taxa: Heterodontus cf. H. pineti Case; Carcharocles sp.; Isurus praecursor (Leriche); Cretolamna twiggsensis (Case); Carcharias cuspidata (Agassiz); Nebrius thielensis (Winkler); Hemipristis curvatus Dames; Abdounia enniskilleni (White); Galeocerdo latidens (Agassiz); Negaprion eurybathrodon (Blake); Pristis cf. P. lathami Galeotti; Propristis schweinfurthi Dames; Urolophis cruciatus (Lacépède) and Hyliobatis sp. The following teleosts are also pre-sent in the fauna: Cylindracanthus cf. C. rectus (Dixon); Sphyraena sp., and Trichiurides sagittidens Winkler.

CASE, Gerard R. & Paul D. BORODIN:
A Middle Eocene Selachian Fauna from the Castle Hayne Limestone Formation of Duplin County, North Carolina

A new selachian fauna is described from the Middle Eocene Castle Hayne Limestone Formation at Rosehill, Duplin County, North Carolina. This fauna contains four (4) new species: Heterodontus elongatus n. sp., Odontaspis carolinensis n. sp., Paragaleus duplinensis n. sp., and Physogaleus rosehillensis n. sp.

Additional taxa recovered along with the four new species are: Xiphodolamia sp.; Striatolamia macrota (Agassiz); Carcharias sp.; Otodus obliquus (Agassiz); Isurus praecursor (Leriche); Cretolamna lerichei (Casier); Nebrius thielensis (Winkler); Galeocerdo eaglesomei White; Galeocerdo latidens (Agassiz); Abdounia enniskilleni (White); Abdounia recticona (Winkler); Negaprion kraussei (Probst); Physogaleus sp.; Galeorhinus galeus (Linnaeus); Pristis cf. P. lathami Galeotti; Aetobatis sp.; and Myliobatis sp.

WIERER, Johann F.:
Megasporen aus dem Unteren Muschelkalk von Haunritz bei Kemnath (Oberpfalz)

Megaspores from the Middle Lower Muschelkalk (mu2) are described here for the first time. They are obtained from a temporary outcrop at Haunritz near Kemnath (Oberpfalz, NE-Bavaria). In this area the Muschelkalk is developed in a predominantly sandy-clayey facies of the basin margin.

The following species, known from the Röt of Poland (Trileites validus-zone, Fuglewicz, 1980), were found: Trileites flexuosus Fuglewicz 1977, Trileites cf. levis Fuglewicz 1973, Trileites grandis Fuglewicz 1973, Maexisporites parvus Fuglewicz 1973, Maexisporites spongiosus Fuglewicz 1977, Bacutriletes insolitus Fuglewicz 1973, Narkisporites brevispinosus Fuglewicz 1973 and Narkisporites insignis Fuglewicz 1973. The zonal index fossil Trileites validus Fuglewicz 1973 itself is absent in the mu2 of Haunritz.

Furtheron megaspores related to Trileites vulgaris (Dettmann 1961) Fuglewicz 1973 (Middle Buntsandstein, Poland; Middle Anisian, Languedoc, France) and a questionable specimen of Bothriotriletes grandis Fuglewicz 1977 (Upper Muschelkalk and Lettenkeuper) were found.

Two new species, Horstisporites veiglensis n.sp. and Singhisporites alciformis n.sp., are described, the following diagnoses are given:

Horstisporites veiglensis n.sp.
Holotype: pl. 2, fig. 8, sample VH 3, DW 17/21
Diagnosis: Trilete, subtriangular megaspores, diameter 250-400 µm, trilete rays straight to slightly bent, 30-45 µm high, 15-23 µm wide, rounded, reaching 0.6-0.7 of spore radius, vertex smooth, area sunken, smooth or covered with low verrrucae 5-10 µm in diameter, spore surface outside the area with imperfect reticulum, muri rounded, 5-10 µm high, 5-7 µm wide, lumina irregulary polygonal in shape, diameter 15-25 µm, curvaturae marked by change in ornamentation.

Singhisporites alciformis n.sp.
Holotype: pl. 2, fig. 4,5, sample VH 3, DW 16/19
Diagnosis: Trilete megaspores, rounded in outline, diameter 220-360 µm, trilete rays straight with jagged crests, 10-15 µm high, 610 µm wide, length 0.8 of spore radius, ± obscured by ornamentation, spore surface and flanks of trilete rays densely covered with capilli, oval to broad ribbon-shaped in sectional view, 3-10 µm wide, 2-3 µm thick, length up to 20 µm, multipely split, forming 2-5 pointed ends, thus giving the appendages the appearance of elk antlers, less frequent also unbranched spinae occur.

Horstisporites veiglensis n.sp. and Singhisporites alciformis n.sp. are regarded, together with the absence of Trileites validus Fuglewicz 1973, as stratigraphically significant for Lower Muschelkalk.

KUHN, Winfried:
Gyroidina – Gyroidinoides – Hansenisca: Validitätsprobleme der Foraminiferengruppe

Lower-Oligocene (Rupelian) samples from the "classic" quarry "Neumühle" near Alzey-Weinheim in the Mainz Basin contain well preserved microfaunas above all foraminifera. Upper Rupelton is overlying a sequence of Lower Meeressand. The group of Gyroidina-Gyroidinoides-Hansenisca is represented in high densisty and low diversity. The slitlike apertures of some complete tests extend continuously from near the periphery into the umbilicus ("long" aperture, type Gyroidinoides).

On the other hand other specimen and mostly broken tests show apertures which do not reach the umbilicus. After a short distance from the periphery they end at the middle of the apertural face ("short aperture", type Gyroidina); "secondary" apertures in the umbilical regions partially are overlied by flaps.

The perspective through the long aperture of the ultimate chamber of well preserved tests shows, in detailed investigations, that the penultimate chamber has a short aperture. On other complete tests it is apparent that the "long" aperture from the mid-portion of the apertural face to the umbilical sholder secundary is closed by a transparent lamella and therefore divided into two apertures.

These observations demonstrate, that the kind of aperture in this case is not useful as a criterion of genera, because two shapes of aperture can be found at one single test. For this reason only the eldest name should be used: Gyroidina.

Further investigation in recent tests of this group may explain the meaning of the secondary lamella.

KOUFOS, George D.:
Revision of the late Miocene carnivores from the Axios valley, Macedonia, Greece

The well known late Miocene mammalian localities of Axios valley includes a good collection of carnivores. The new collection of carnivores together to that stored in the Museum national d' Histoire naturelle of Paris is revised in this article. The studied collection of carnivores comes from different stratigraphic levels covering the time span from Vallesian to the end of Turolian. The determined carnivores include the following species.

Late Vallesian (MN 10): Protictitheriun aff. gaillardi, Protictitheriun cf. intermedium, Protictitherium crassum, Protictitherium cf. crassum, Hyaenotherium wongii, Adcrocuta eximia leptoryncha, Adcrocuta eximia eximia, Dinocrocuta gigantea, Dinocrocuta salonicae.

Early Turolian–middle Turolian (MN 11-12): Plesiogulo crassa, Plioviverrops orbignyi, Plioviverrops cf. guerini, Ictitherium viverrinum, Hyaenotherium wongii, Adcrocuta eximia eximia, Chasmaporthetes bonisi, Machairodus giganteus, Felis sp.

Late Turolian (MN 13): Protictitherium crassum, Chasmaporthetes bonisi.

KOSTOPOULOS, Dimitris S.:
Functional Morphology and Palaeoecological adaptations of Nisidorcas planicornis (Bovidae, Mammalia) from the late Miocene

The paper deals with the functional morphology of one late Miocene bovid from N. Greece. Comparative – qualitative and quantitative – analysis with recent and other similar late Miocene forms, as well as, general paleogeographical information allow to recognize the behavioral characters of Nisidorcas and its paleoecological environment.