Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie

We present a genome assembly from a specimen of Phakellia ventilabrum (Porifera; Demospongiae; Bubarida; Bubaridae). The genome sequence has a total length of 211.92 megabases. Most of the assembly (99.97%) is scaffolded into 25 chromosomal pseudomolecules. The mitochondrial genome has also been assembled and is 24.36 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly by Ensembl identified 21622 protein-coding genes. Thirty-three binned genomes were generated from the metagenome assembly, of which eight were classified as high-quality metagenome assembled genomes (MAGs) and of which four of the MAGs are fully circular. The MAGs were taxonomically assigned to Pseudomonadota (i.e. Candidatus Poriferihabitaceae), Nitrospirota, Nitrospinota, and the archaeal Nitrosopumilus clade.

Abstract Colombellinidae is an extinct family of marine gastropods occurring in carbonate facies from the Middle Jurassic to the lowermost Upper Cretaceous, primarily in Europe and rarely in Asia. Members of the family are characterized by thick, oval shells with a narrow aperture bearing anterior and posterior canals, a thickened peristome and a denticulate outer lip. Colombellinids share several shell characters with representatives of Cypraeoidea, including a narrow, elongated aperture, but unlike cypraeids, their shells are not convolute. Based on a comprehensive revision of all described species, the taxonomy of Colombellinidae is clarified, and the family is restricted to only two genera: Colombellina d’Orbigny, 1842, and Zittelia Gemmellaro, 1869. One new species, Colombellina crassigranulata sp. nov., from the Upper Jurassic of Bulgaria, and one new genus, Wadeina gen. nov., from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of Tennessee, USA – with a type species previously included in Colombellinidae but here assigned to the family Personidae (Tonnoidea) – are described. The distribution of the family and associated facies indicates a preference for shallow marine carbonate environments, while their low abundance may indicate a carnivorous mode of life. A comparison of Colombellinidae with Tonnoidea, Cypraeoidea and Purpurinidae sheds a new light on the phylogenetic relationships of these groups and supports the interpretation of Colombellinidae as a stem or sister group of Cypraeoidea. This study contributes to a refined systematics of Jurassic–Cretaceous gastropods and provides new evidence for the early diversification of higher caenogastropods.

Abstract The so-called “Solnhofen limestones” of southern Germany are widely recognized for their abundance of Late Jurassic fossil vertebrates, with pterosaurs being no exception. Within the recognized plenitude of the pterosaurs within this assemblage, although ctenochasmatid remains are relatively abundant, gnathosaurines are scarce, with only one known Solnhofen representative of the group known thus far. The Late Kimmeridgian locality of Brunn (near Regensburg, Germany) represents the oldest locality of the Solnhofen complex (“Solnhofen Archipelago” in recent literature), with only one pterosaur having been described from this locality to date. Here, a second pterosaur taxon from within this locality and a new gnathosaur is introduced, Spathagnathus roeperi gen. et sp. nov., whose novel tooth and dental enamel features add to the known dental diversity for the group. The new taxon represents the oldest occurrence of a gnathosaurine and contributes to the paleoenvironmental stratigraphic range for the Gnathosaurinae within the overall fossil assemblage of the Solnhofen Archipelago. Furthermore, the new taxon adds to the known diversity of ctenochasmatids in the Late Jurassic and underlines the importance of this early radiation of pterodactyloid pterosaurs during this time.

Abstract The rapid emergence of mineralized structures in diverse animal groups during the late Ediacaran and early Cambrian periods likely resulted from modifications of pre-adapted biomineralization genes inherited from a common ancestor. As the oldest extant phylum with mineralized structures, sponges are key to understanding animal biomineralization. Yet, the biomineralization process in sponges, particularly in forming spicules, is not well-understood. To address this, we conducted transcriptomic, genomic, and proteomic analyses on the calcareous sponge Sycon ciliatum, supplemented by in situ hybridization. We identified 829 genes overexpressed in regions of increased calcite spicule formation, including 17 calcarins—proteins analogous to corals’ galaxins localized in the spicule matrix and expressed in sclerocytes. Their expression varied temporally and spatially, specific to certain spicule types, indicating that fine-tuned gene regulation is crucial for biomineralization control. Similar subtle expression changes are also relevant in stony coral biomineralization. Tandem gene arrangements and expression changes suggest that gene duplication and neofunctionalization have significantly shaped Sycon ciliatum’s biomineralization, similar to that in corals. These findings suggest a parallel evolution of carbonate biomineralization in the calcitic Sycon ciliatum and aragonitic corals, exemplifying the evolution of mechanisms crucial for animals to act as ecosystem engineers and form reef structures.

Understanding paint structures at the nanoscopic level can address key questions related to artistic techniques, paint formulation, and long-term preservation of artworks. This involves examining spatial chemical complexity, the formation of molecular networks, and interactions between organic and inorganic constituents. Depending on the paint preparation methods, proteins and drying oils, the most common binders in traditional artistic practices, can be integrated to produce paints with diverse structures and nanoscale chemical intricacies. In this study, we utilize atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) to investigate the spatial chemical complexity and reaction pathways of organic species in artists' paints, including oil, tempera, and mixed-media tempera grassa. By analyzing these paints at the nanoscale, we established connections between their structural organization, chemistry, and formulation.

The first partial skeleton of a carcharodontosaurid theropod was described from the Egyptian Bahariya Oasis by Ernst Stromer in 1931. Stromer referred the specimen to the species Megalosaurus saharicus, originally described on the basis of isolated teeth from slightly older rocks in Algeria, under the new genus name Carcharodontosaurus saharicus. Unfortunately, almost all of the material from the Bahariya Oasis, including the specimen of Carcharodontosaurus was destroyed during World War II. In 1996, a relatively complete carcharodontosaurid cranium was described from similar aged rocks in Morocco and designated the neotype of the species Carcharodontosaurus saharicus in 2007. However, due to the destruction of the original material, comparisons of the neotype to the Egyptian fossils have so far only been done cursorily. A detailed reexamination of the available information on the Egyptian carcharodontosaurid, including a previously undescribed photograph of the exhibited specimen, reveals that it differs from the Moroccan neotype in numerous characters, such as the development of the emargination of the antorbital fossa on the nasals, the presence of a horn-like rugosity on the nasal, the lack of a dorsoventral expansion of the lacrimal contact on the frontals, and the relative enlargement of the cerebrum. The referability of the Egyptian specimen to the Algerian M. saharicus is found to be questionable, and the neotype designation of the Moroccan material for C. saharicus is accepted here under consideration of ICZN Atricle 75, as it both compares more favorably to M. saharicus and originates from a locality closer to the type locality. A new genus and species, Tameryraptor markgrafi gen. et sp. nov, is proposed for the Egyptian taxon. The theropods of the Bahariya Oasis and the Moroccan Kem Kem Group are thus not as closely related as previously thought, and the proposed faunal similarities between these two strata need further examination.

Abstract. In order to design an exhibition on earth and environmental science research, we conducted an online survey on the thematic interests of potential future visitors. The 775 valid responses we received were used to analyse the level of interest in predefined subject areas. In addition, further topics were extracted from open questions that were mentioned by the survey participants as being particularly interesting. The analysis of these interest levels in relation to the socio-demographic distribution of the participants provides an indication of which topics should be discussed in a future exhibition. The data also allows conclusions to be drawn about the development of strategic communication concepts. These will be able to support the processes from initial contact through to a participatory dialog. It is also of particular interest that the data obtained in this survey allows the hypothesis that topics for which the participants indicated a low level of interest may not actually be uninteresting, but rather result from a lack of prior knowledge. The study presented here therefore leads to the conclusion that such topics should be addressed in communication with visitors to an exhibition in order to build up prior knowledge and increase interest in these topics.

Evolutionary relationships of fossil gastropods have largely been inferred using taxonomic systematics. Phylogenetic relationships between extinct gastropod groups and their relationship to extant groups are largely unresolved. Here we reconstruct the phylogeny of Pleurotomariida, which has the longest fossil record among extant gastropod clades and represents one of the most diverse Palaeozoic gastropod groups. Bayesian (fossilized birth–death [FBD] model) and parsimony analyses were performed using 93 morphological shell characters comprising 109 pleurotomariidan species representing 80 genera/subgenera ranging from the Ordovician to Recent. Parsimony analysis failed to reconstruct stratigraphically congruent trees and many nodes have poor support. The FBD model incorporates the stratigraphical ages of taxa for tree reconstruction and therefore better fits the stratigraphical record. According to the FBD phylogeny, Pleurotomariida was represented by three distinct lineages during the Palaeozoic: Eotomariini, Wortheniellini and Pleurotomariini. Pleurotomariini and Wortheniellini survived the end-Permian mass extinction. Although Wortheniellini showed a higher diversification during the Triassic recovery period, only Pleurotomariini survived until the present day, suggesting that resilience to extinction was not dependent on diversification dynamics in this clade. The FBD analysis indicates that groups that have an exclusively Triassic fossil record originated during the Permian and that the origination and extinction rates increased from the Ordovician to the Jurassic and dropped subsequently. Sampling standardized diversity analysis of Pleurotomariida corroborates that they were one of the most diverse gastropod groups in the late Palaeozoic and that their diversity significantly dropped after the end-Permian mass extinction. Early ontogenetic shell characters are more conservative (phylogenetically more informative) compared to late ontogenetic shell characters. In contrast to previous assumptions, axial characters are not more homoplastic than spiral shell characters, as indicated by higher consistency index values. The data further revealed that adult gastropod shell size depends significantly on the protoconch size and the initial whorl size.

Two stratigraphically well constrained (by ammonites and conodonts) coleoid remains have been recorded from the Triassic (Anisian) dark-grey organodetritic limestones (Ráztoka Limestone) of Western Carpathians (Hronic Nappe). The limestones deposited at the periphery of a former carbonate platform. It yields a highly diverse cephalopod fauna including nautiloids (2 taxa), ammonoids (7 taxa) and indetermined aulacoceratids. Two unusual coleoid specimens are referred to genus Mojsisovicsteuthis (M. boeckhi) and probably to a new taxon (described as Breviconoteuthis aff. breviconus herein) possessing similar morphological features of genus Breviconoteuthis (Phragmoteuthida) and/or Zugmontites. Based on index ammonites and conodonts, both records are of the uppermost Trinodosus through the lowermost Reitzi zones (Anisian—lower Illyrian). While the genus Mojsisovicsteuthis has been widely dispersed (however its records are rare), the occurrence of Breviconoteuthis and Zugmontites is strictly limited to the Alpine-Carpathian region. Comparing with the holotype and additional specimens stored in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, the overal shell of Mojsisovicsteuthis and its size has been reconstructed. Its relationship to aulacoceratids and phragmoteuthids is briefly discussed. Geochemical record (n-alkanes from the bulk rock) provided a relevant signal of the existence of algal meadows.