2023 in paleontology

List of years in paleontology (table)
In paleobotany
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In arthropod paleontology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In paleoentomology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In paleomalacology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In reptile paleontology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In archosaur paleontology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In mammal paleontology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
In paleoichthyology
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026

Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 2023.

Flora

"Algae"

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes Images

Glossophyton ovalis

Sp. nov

Qin et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic to Tonian

Liulaobei Formation

 China

Glossophyton shouxianensis

Sp. nov

Qin et al.

Tonian

Liulaobei Formation

 China

Tawuia robusta

Sp. nov

Qin et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic to Tonian

Liulaobei Formation

 China

Phycological research

  • Liu et al. (2023) report the discovery of approximately 1.64-billion-years-old multicellular fossils from the Chuanlinggou Formation (China), providing evidence that the multicellular algae had already originated by the late Paleoproterozoic.
  • A study on deep-sea organic-rich deposits from the Waiheke Island (New Zealand) is published by Grasby et al. (2023), who interpret the studied deposits as lamalginites formed from phytoplankton, providing evidence of an open-ocean algal bloom during the Permian-Triassic transition.
  • A study on the fossil material of rhodolith-forming coralline red algae from the Miocene Long Formation from the Little Andaman (India), interpreted as indicative of high carbonate production in the northeastern Indian Ocean during the Serravallian, is published by Dey et al. (2023).

Plants

Fungi

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Meliolinites miopanici

Sp. nov

Valid

Kundu & Khan

Miocene

 India

A member of the family Meliolaceae. Announced in 2023; the final version of the article naming it was published in 2024.

Porterra

Gen. et sp. nov

Retallack

Tonian

Chuar Group

 United States
( Arizona)

A lichen-like thalli.
The type species is P. dehlerae.

Potteromyces

Gen. et sp. nov

Strullu-Derrien & Hawksworth in Strullu-Derrien et al.

Devonian

Rhynie chert

 United Kingdom

A member of Ascomycota of uncertain affinities.
The type species is P. asteroxylicola.

Rhyniomycelium

Gen. et sp. nov

Krings & Harper

Devonian

Rhynie chert

 United Kingdom

A fungal mycelium of uncertain affinities. Genus includes new species R. endoconidiarum.

Szaferomyces

Gen. et sp. nov

Worobiec & Piątek in Worobiec, Piątek & Worobiec

Pliocene

 Poland

A member of Ascomycota of uncertain affinities, with resemblances to modern powdery mildews. The type species is S. pliocenicus.

Mycological research

  • New information on the anatomy of Sporocarpon asteroides, inferred from new specimens from the Lower Coal Measures (United Kingdom), is presented by Krings et al. (2023), who interpret S. asteroides as a unisporic sporocarp with a parenchyma-like peridium, probably with affinities to the Glomeromycota.
  • The first finding of a mycelium of a putative nematophagous fungus belonging to the group Basidiomycota from the Cretaceous of North Asia is reported from the Santonian Yantardakh Lagerstätte (Taymyr, Russia) by Sukhomlyn & Perkovsky (2023).
  • Kutchiathyrites eccentricus is transferred to the modern genus Mycoenterolobium by Worobiec, Worobiec & Liu (2023) on the basis of study of the fossil material from the Neogene deposits of the Gray Fossil Site (Tennessee, United States) and the Bełchatów Lignite Mine (Poland).

General floral research

Cnidarians

New cnidarian taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Country Notes Images

Actinophrentis crassithecata

Sp. nov

El-Desouky, Herbig & Kora

Carboniferous (Kasimovian)

Aheimer Formation

 Egypt

A rugose coral belonging to the group Stauriida and the family Antiphyllidae.

Apoplacophyllia polygonata

Sp. nov

Valid

Samaniego-Pesqueira, Löser & Moreno-Bedmar

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Espinazo del Diablo Formation

 Mexico

A coral belonging to the superfamily Stylinoidea and the family Aulastraeoporidae.

Aulastraeopora aguedae

Sp. nov

Valid

Samaniego-Pesqueira, Löser & Moreno-Bedmar

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Espinazo del Diablo Formation

 Mexico

A coral belonging to the superfamily Stylinoidea and the family Aulastraeoporidae.

Bertratis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Larson & Briggs

Silurian (Přídolí)

Bertie Group

 Canada
( Ontario)
 United States
( New York)

A hydrozoan belonging to the group Capitata and the superfamily Porpitoidea. The type species is B. ciurcae.

Burgessomedusa

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Moon, Caron & Moysiuk

Cambrian

Burgess Shale

 Canada
( British Columbia)

A medusozoan, possibly a member of the stem group to Cubozoa or Acraspeda; described on the basis of fossil material representing a free-swimming medusa. The type species is B. phasmiformis.

Catenipora seiyoensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Niko

Silurian

Okanaro Group

 Japan

A tabulate coral belonging to the group Halysitida and the family Halysitidae.

Decimoconularia anisfacialis

Sp. nov

Song et al.

Cambrian (Fortunian)

Kuanchuanpu Formation

 China

A medusozoan, possibly a member of Conulata.

Enallhelia octasepta

Sp. nov

Valid

Löser, Werner & Darga

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Branderfleck Formation

 Germany

A coral belonging to the superfamily Stylinoidea and the family Stylinidae.

Kumamotolites

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Niko

Devonian

Naidaijin Formation

 Japan

A coral belonging to the group Auloporida and the family Bajgoliidae. The type species is K. patulus.

Lytvolasma aheimerensis

Sp. nov

El-Desouky, Herbig & Kora

Carboniferous (Kasimovian)

Aheimer Formation

 Egypt

A rugose coral belonging to the group Stauriida and the family Antiphyllidae.

Lytvolasma paraaucta

Sp. nov

El-Desouky, Herbig & Kora

Carboniferous (Kasimovian)

Aheimer Formation

 Egypt

A rugose coral belonging to the group Stauriida and the family Antiphyllidae.

Monophyllum galalaensis

Sp. nov

El-Desouky, Herbig & Kora

Carboniferous (Kasimovian)

Aheimer Formation

 Egypt

A rugose coral belonging to the group Stauriida and the family Antiphyllidae.

Notocyathus suzukii

Sp. nov

Valid

Niko

Miocene

Katsuta Group

 Japan

A stony coral.

Palaeoconotuba

Gen. et comb. nov

Qu, Li & Ou

Cambrian

 China

A stem-medusozoan; a new genus for "Burithes" yunnanensis Hou et al. (1999).

Parabyronia

Gen et sp. nov

Mergl & Kraft

Devonian (Emsian)

Zlíchov Formation

 Czech Republic

A member of Scyphozoa belonging to the group Byroniida and the family Byroniidae. The type species is P. elegans.

Pentacoeniopsis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Samaniego-Pesqueira, Löser & Moreno-Bedmar

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Espinazo del Diablo Formation

 Mexico

A coral belonging to the superfamily Eugyroidea and the family Solenocoeniidae. The type species is P. sonorensis.

Pidiconularia

Gen. et sp. nov

Mergl & Kraft

Devonian (Emsian)

Zlíchov Formation

 Czech Republic

A member of Conulariida. The type species is P. tubulata.

Prestephanoscyphus branzovensis

Sp. nov

Mergl & Kraft

Devonian (Lochkovian)

Lochkov Formation

 Czech Republic

A member of Scyphozoa belonging to the group Byroniida and the family Byroniidae.

Prestephanoscyphus robustus

Sp. nov

Mergl & Kraft

Devonian (Eifelian)

Srbsko Formation

 Czech Republic

A member of Scyphozoa belonging to the group Byroniida and the family Byroniidae.

Proaplophyllia slovakensis

Sp. nov

Lathuilière et al.

Middle Jurassic (Bajocian)

 Slovakia

A coral.

Reticulaconularia caetensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Guedes, Siviero & Scheffler

Devonian (Pragian–early Emsian)

Ponta Grossa Formation

 Brazil

A member of Conulariida.

Rugoconites reguibatensis

Sp. nov

Hachour et al.

Neoproterozoic

Cheikhia-Bir Amrane Group

 Algeria

A scyphozoan of uncertain affinities.

Streptelasma rutkae

Sp. nov

Valid

Elias & Hewitt

Ordovician (Hirnantian)

Whirlpool Formation

 Canada
( Ontario)

A rugose coral.

Stylina eguchii

Sp. nov

Valid

Niko

Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Miyako Group

 Japan

A stony coral, a species of Stylina.

Sueciatractos

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Reich & Kutscher

Silurian

Hemse Group

 Sweden

An octocoral belonging to the group Malacalcyonacea. The type species is S. leipnitzae.

Cnidarian research

  • Pywackia baileyi, originally classified as a bryozoan, is reinterpreted as a cnidarian by Hageman & Vinn (2023).
  • Conulariid specimens preserved with muscle bundles and a possible gastric cavity are described from the Carboniferous Wewoka and Graham formations (Oklahoma and Texas, United States) by Sendino et al. (2023).
  • Van Iten et al. (2023) describe soft parts of two specimens of Metaconularia manni from the Silurian (Sheinwoodian) Scotch Grove Formation (Iowa, United States), and interpret their anatomy as indicating that at least one species of conulariid might have lacked a free-living, medusoid life phase, and might have produced eggs and sperm within the body of the sessile polyp.
  • Redescription of Conicula striata is published by Zhao et al. (2023), who report that C. striata had features of both anthozoans and medusozoan polyps, and recover it as a stem-medusozoan, potentially indicating that medusozoans had an anemone-like ancestor.
  • Zhang et al. (2023) describe new fossil material of Qinscyphus necopinus from the Cambrian (Fortunian) Kuanchuanpu Formation (China), including the whole apical part and providing complete information on the morphology of Qinscyphus.
  • Plotnick, Young & Hagadorn (2023) classify Essexella asherae as a sea anemone, and reinterpret Reticulomedusa greenei as the pedal or oral disc of E. asherae.

Arthropods

Bryozoans

New bryozoan taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Boardmanella spinigera

Sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Emsian)

 Spain

A trepostome bryozoan belonging to the family Anisotrypidae.

Cordobella

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Pragian)

 Spain

A trepostome bryozoan of uncertain affinities. The type species is C. tenuis.

Diploclemella

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Pragian–Emsian)

 Spain

A cyclostome bryozoan belonging to the family Diploclemidae. The type species is D. serenensis.

Elea parva

Sp. nov

Valid

Koromyslova

Early Cretaceous (probably Hauterivian)

 Russia
( Dagestan)

A cyclostome bryozoan belonging to the family Eleidae.

Iodictyum akaishiensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Arakawa

Miocene (Langhian)

Moniwa Formation

 Japan

A member of the family Phidoloporidae. Published online in 2022, but the issue date is listed as January 2023.

Leptotrypa modesta

Sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Pragian)

 Spain

A trepostome bryozoan belonging to the family Atactotoechidae.

Leptotrypa parva

Sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Emsian)

 Spain

A trepostome bryozoan belonging to the family Atactotoechidae.

Melicerita imperforata

Sp. nov

Valid

López-Gappa & Pérez

Miocene

Monte León Formation

 Argentina

A member of the family Cellariidae.

Microporina minuta

Sp. nov

In press

Arakawa

Pleistocene

Setana Formation

 Japan

A species of Microporina.

Microporina quadristoma

Sp. nov

In press

Arakawa

Pleistocene

Setana Formation

 Japan

A species of Microporina.

Microporina sakakurai

Sp. nov

In press

Arakawa

Pleistocene

Setana Formation

 Japan

A species of Microporina.

Microporina soebetsuensis

Sp. nov

In press

Arakawa

Pleistocene

Setana Formation

 Japan

A species of Microporina.

Prophyllodictya khrevitsa

Sp. nov

Valid

Tolokonnikova & Fedorov

Ordovician (Sandbian)

 Russia
( Leningrad Oblast)

A cryptostome bryozoan.

Rorypora gunibensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Koromyslova

Early Cretaceous (probably Hauterivian)

 Russia
( Dagestan)

A cyclostome bryozoan.

Serenella

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ernst & Rodríguez

Devonian (Pragian–Emsian)

 Spain

A cryptostome bryozoan belonging to the group Rhabdomesina. The type species is S. dubia.

Spiropora flaviae

Nom. nov

Valid

Pacaud

Miocene

 France

A member of Cyclostomata belonging to the family Spiroporidae; a replacement name for Spiropora elegans Millet de la Turtaudière (1865).

Suecipora

Gen. et sp. nov

Ernst & Tolokonnikova

Ordovician

 Sweden

A possible cystoporate bryozoan. The type species is S. ebbestadi.

Toomipora

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Ernst

Ordovician (Sandbian)

Viivikonna Formation

 Estonia

A trepostome bryozoan belonging to the family Monticuliporidae. The type species is T. kohtlaensis.

Brachiopods

New brachiopod taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Acculina zhongliangziensis

Sp. nov

In press

Wang et al.

Ordovician

Huadan Formation

 China

Acrosaccus robustus

Sp. nov

Valid

Mergl & Šmídtová

Devonian (Pragian)

Vinařice Limestone

 Czech Republic

A member of the family Discinidae.

Angustisulcispirifer

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Serobyan et al.

Devonian (Frasnian, possibly also Famennian)

 Armenia
 Azerbaijan
 Kazakhstan?

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Cyrtospiriferidae. The type species is A. arakelyani; genus might also include "Cyrtospirifer" kursaensis Sidjachenko (1962) and "Cyrtospirifer" limatus Solkina in Sidjachenko (1962) .

Argyrotheca ramshehensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Bitner et al.

Oligocene (Rupelian)

Lower Red Formation

 Iran

A species of Argyrotheca.

Bulgariarhynchia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Radulović et al.

Jurassic

 Bulgaria

Genus includes new species B. ponorensis.

Capillirhynchia brezenensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Radulović et al.

Jurassic

 Bulgaria

Celdobolus skrikus

Sp. nov

Valid

Lavié & Benedetto

Ordovician (Tremadocian)

Pupusa Formation

 Argentina

A member of Siphonotretida belonging to the family Siphonotretidae.

Cisnerospira antipoda

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Early Jurassic

 New Zealand

A member of Spiriferinida belonging to the group Paralaballidae.

Crinisarina merriami

Sp. nov

Valid

Baranov et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Khoshyeilagh Formation

 Iran

A member of Athyridida.

Cyclothyris bitririca

Sp. nov

Baeza-Carratalá, Berrocal-Casero & García Joral

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Represa Formation

 Spain

Cyclothyris ementitum

Sp. nov

Valid

Berrocal-Casero, Baeza-Carratalá & García Joral

Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian)

Represa Formation

 Spain

Discinisca messii

Sp. nov

Valid

Pérez et al.

Miocene

Gaiman Formation

 Argentina

A species of Discinisca.

Discinisca porvenir

Sp. nov

Valid

Pérez et al.

Miocene

Gaiman Formation

 Argentina

A species of Discinisca.

Eoobolus acutulus

Sp. nov

Zhang, Zhang & Holmer in Zhang et al.

Cambrian Series 2

Shuijingtuo Formation

 China

A member of Linguloidea belonging to the family Eoobolidae.

Ffynnonia costata hibernica

Ssp. nov

In press

Harper & Bates

Ordovician (Dapingian)

Tagoat Group

 Ireland

A plectorthid brachiopod.

Hirsutella sulcata

Sp. nov

Wu et al.

Early Triassic (Olenekian)

Nanpanjiang Basin

 China

A member of Spiriferinida belonging to the family Bittnerulidae.

Jigunsania

Gen. et 2 sp. nov

Valid

Oh et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Jigunsan Formation

 South Korea

A member of Strophomenoidea belonging to the family Rafinesquinidae. The type species is J. guraeriensis; genus also includes J. hambaeksanensis.

Kassinella (Trimurellina) minuta

Sp. nov

In press

Wang et al.

Ordovician

Huadan Formation

 China

Latusobolus

Gen. et sp. nov

Zhang, Zhang & Holmer in Zhang et al.

Cambrian Series 2

Shuijingtuo Formation

 China

A member of Linguloidea belonging to the family Eoobolidae. The type species is L. xiaoyangbaensis.

Leiocyrtia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Baliński in Baliński & Halamski

Devonian (Givetian)

Skały Formation

 Poland

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Cyrtiidae. The type species is L. rara.

Lobothyris richardsi

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Late Triassic (Rhaetian)

 New Zealand

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Lobothyrididae.

Martinothyris pseudolineatus

Sp. nov

Valid

Baranov et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Khoshyeilagh Formation

 Iran

A member of Spiriferida.

Moravilla andreae

Sp. nov

Valid

Baliński & Halamski

Devonian (Givetian)

Skały Formation

 Poland

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Ambocoeliidae.

Ningnanmena

Gen. et sp. nov

In press

Wang et al.

Ordovician

Huadan Formation

 China

Genus includes new species N. longisepta.

Palaeotagoatia

Gen. et comb. nov

In press

Harper & Bates

Ordovician

 Ireland

An alimbellid brachiopod. The type species is "Orthis" bailyana Davidson.

Paradoxothyris flatus

Sp. nov

Wu et al.

Early Triassic (Olenekian)

Nanpanjiang Basin

 China

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Angustothyrididae.

Plicapustula (Paraplicapustula) eleganta

Sp. nov

Valid

Ma & Wang in Wang et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Senzeille Formation

 Belgium

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Cyrtospiriferidae.

Plicapustula (Paraplicapustula) magna

Sp. nov

Valid

Ma & Wang in Wang et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Senzeille Formation

 Belgium

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Cyrtospiriferidae.

Plicogypa kayseri alaskensis

Ssp. nov

Baranov & Blodgett

Devonian (Pragian)

Soda Creek Limestone

 United States
( Alaska)

Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023.

Protathyris amsdeni

Sp. nov

Baranov & Blodgett

Devonian (Pragian)

Soda Creek Limestone

 United States
( Alaska)

Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023.

Rhaetina rainei

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Late Triassic (Rhaetian)

 France
( New Caledonia)
 New Zealand

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Angustothyrididae.

Rzhonsnitskayaella

Gen. et sp. nov

Baranov & Blodgett

Devonian (Pragian)

Soda Creek Limestone

 United States
( Alaska)

Genus includes new species R. lata. Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023.

Schizambon tongziensis

Sp. nov

Jahangir et al.

Ordovician

Tungtzu Formation

 China

A member of Siphonotretida.

Sellithyris binalubensis

Sp. nov

Baeza-Carratalá, Berrocal-Casero & García Joral

Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian transition)

Represa Formation

 Spain

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Sellithyrididae.

Sinospirifer transversus

Sp. nov

Valid

Ma & Wang in Wang et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Senzeille Formation

 Belgium

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Cyrtospiriferidae.

Somalithyris roseperae

Sp. nov

Valid

Feldman et al.

Middle Jurassic (Callovian)

 Israel

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Postepithyrididae.

Spiriferina arakiwa

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Early Jurassic

 New Zealand

A member of Spiriferinida belonging to the family Spiriferinidae.

Spiriferina sophiaealbae

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Early Jurassic

 New Zealand

A member of Spiriferinida belonging to the family Spiriferinidae.

Sulcatinella elongata

Sp. nov

Wu et al.

Early Triassic (Olenekian)

Nanpanjiang Basin

 China

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Dielasmatidae.

Tasmanospirifer jervisbayensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Waterhouse & Lee in Lee et al.

Permian (Kungurian)

Snapper Point Formation

 Australia

Thecidellina persica

Sp. nov

Valid

Bitner et al.

Oligocene (Rupelian)

Lower Red Formation

 Iran

A species of Thecidellina.

Tibetothyris hamishi

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Late Triassic (Rhaetian)

 France
( New Caledonia)
 New Zealand

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Dielasmatidae.

Tibetothyris johnstoni

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Late Triassic (Rhaetian)

 France
( New Caledonia)
 New Zealand

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Dielasmatidae.

Undispirifer sidoniae

Sp. nov

Valid

Halamski & Baliński

Devonian (Givetian)

Skały Formation

 Poland

A member of Spiriferida belonging to the family Reticulariidae.

Xahetomus deltoides

Sp. nov

Valid

Wenndorf

Devonian (Emsian)

 Germany

A member of Rhynchonellida belonging to the superfamily Rhynchotrematoidea and the family Sapphicorhynchidae.

Zeilleria minima

Sp. nov

Valid

MacFarlan

Late Triassic (Rhaetian)

 France
( New Caledonia)
 New Zealand

A member of Terebratulida belonging to the family Zeilleriidae.

Brachiopod research

  • Body and trace fossils indicative of early colonization of deep-marine turbidite settings by lingulid brachiopods are reported from the Ordovician Agüeira Formation (Spain) by Paz et al. (2023).
  • A study on the diversification dynamics of brachiopods and bivalves throughout their evolutionary histories is published by Guo et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicating that the switch from brachiopods to bivalves as major seabed organisms was unlikely to be caused by competitive exclusion of brachiopods by bivalves, but rather was likely caused by loss of brachiopod diversity in the Permian–Triassic extinction event and by bivalve diversification in the Cretaceous and Cenozoic that wasn't matched by brachiopods.
  • A study on the morphological diversity of lingulid brachiopods throughout the Phanerozoic is published by Liang et al. (2023), who find that Phanerozoic mass extinctions disproportionally wiped out lingulids that were not infaunal, and interpret the limited morphological and ecological diversity of modern lingulids as mainly resulting from differential effects of mass extinctions rather than from deterministic processes such as natural selection.

Molluscs

Echinoderms

New echinoderm taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Agaricocrinus murphyi

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich & Wilson

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

Cuyahoga Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida and the family Coelocrinidae.

Arbacia ballenensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Courville et al.

Late Pliocene—Early Pleistocene

 Mexico

A species of Arbacia.

Arbacia larraini

Sp. nov

Valid

Courville et al.

Pliocene

 Chile

A species of Arbacia.

Arbacia quyllur

Sp. nov

Valid

Courville et al.

Miocene

 Chile

A species of Arbacia.

Arbacia terraeignotae

Sp. nov

Valid

Courville et al.

Pliocene

 Chile

A species of Arbacia.

Arenorbis santameraensis

Sp. nov

Thuy, Piñuela & García-Ramos

Early Jurassic (Sinemurian)

Rodiles Formation

 Spain

A brittle star belonging to the order Ophiacanthida and the suborder Ophiodermatina.

Bohemiacinctus

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Zamora, Wright & Nohejlová

Cambrian (Wuliuan)

 Czech Republic

A member of the group Cincta belonging to the family Sucocystidae. The type species is "Asturicystis" havliceki Fatka & Kordule (2001).

Cactocrinus woosterensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich & Wilson

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

Cuyahoga Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida and the family Actinocrinitidae.

Calliocrinus hadros

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich et al.

Silurian (Homerian)

Laurel Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida and the family Eucalyptocrinitidae.

Calliocrinus poepplemani

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich et al.

Silurian (Homerian)

Laurel Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida and the family Eucalyptocrinitidae.

Cosmocyphus cantaber

Sp. nov

Schlüter et al.

Late Cretaceous (Santonian)

 Spain

A sea urchin belonging to the family Phymosomatidae.

Coulonia hokahira

Sp. nov

Gale et al.

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Enokuchi Formation

 Japan

An astropectinid starfish.

Cusacrinus brushi

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich & Wilson

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

Cuyahoga Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Monobathrida and the family Actinocrinitidae.

Dadocrinus montellonis

Sp. nov

Valid

Saucède et al.

Early Triassic (Olenekian)

Thaynes Group

 United States
( Nevada)

A crinoid belonging to the group Articulata and the family Dadocrinidae.

Decadocrinus inordinatus

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich & Wilson

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

Cuyahoga Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A crinoid belonging to the group Cladida and the family Decadocrinidae.

Decadocrinus laevis

Sp. nov

Valid

Ausich & Wilson

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

Cuyahoga Formation

 United States
( Ohio)

A crinoid belonging to the group Cladida and the family Decadocrinidae.

Dehmicystis ariasi

Sp. nov

Valid

Zamora & Gutiérrez-Marco

Silurian (Ludlow)

Llagarinos Formation

 Spain

A member of Soluta belonging to the group Dendrocystitida and the family Dendrocystitidae.

Dentatocrinus serratus

Sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Chalk Group
(Grey Chalk Subgroup,
Zig Zag Formation)

 United Kingdom

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae.

Devonaster daadenensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Müller & Hahn

Devonian (Emsian)

 Germany

A starfish belonging to the group Hadrosida and the family Xenasteridae.

Devonaster wenndorfi

Sp. nov

Valid

Müller & Hahn

Devonian (Emsian)

 Germany

A starfish belonging to the group Hadrosida and the family Xenasteridae.

Dubrisicrinus

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Chalk Group
(Grey Chalk Subgroup,
Zig Zag Formation)

 United Kingdom

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae. The type species is D. minutus.

Edrioblastocystis

Nom. nov

Ceccolini & Cianferoni

Ordovician

 Russia

A replacement name for Blastocystis Jaekel (1918). Sałamatin & Kaczmarek (2022) coined a replacement name Astroblastocystis for the same genus.

Euzonohymenosoma

Nom. nov

In press

Ceccolini & Cianferoni

Devonian

 Germany

A replacement name for Hymenosoma Lehmann (1957).

Goryeocrinus

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Park & Lee

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Jigunsan Formation

 South Korea

A camerate crinoid belonging to the group Diplobathrida and the family Rhodocrinitidae. Genus includes new species G. pentagrammos.

Holocrinus hagdorni

Sp. nov

Stiller

Middle Triassic (Anisian)

 China

A holocrinid crinoid.

Krommaster

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Reddy et al.

Devonian (Pragian to Emsian)

Baviaanskloof Formation

 South Africa

A brittle star belonging to the group Oegophiurida and the family Encrinasteridae. The type species is K. spinosus.

Micraster quebrada

Sp. nov

Schlüter et al.

Late Cretaceous (Santonian)

 Spain

A sea urchin belonging to the family Micrasteridae.

Nimchacystis

Gen. et sp. nov

Dupichaud et al.

Ordovician (Tremadocian)

Fezouata Formation

 Morocco

A member of Soluta belonging to the group Syringocrinida and the family Minervaecystidae. The type species is N. agterbosi.

Nucleolites solovjevi

Sp. nov

Valid

Kalyakin & Barsukov

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

 Russia
( Vladimir Oblast)

A sea urchin belonging to the group Cassiduloida and the family Nucleolitidae.

Ophiocoma avatar

Sp. nov

Valid

Thuy & Numberger-Thuy

Late Cretaceous (Campanian)

 Sweden

A brittle star, a species of Ophiocoma.

Ophiozonella tumidasquama

Sp. nov

Gale et al.

Early Cretaceous (Albian)

Enokuchi Formation

 Japan

A hemieuryalid brittle star.

Pennsylvanicycloscapus

Nom. nov

In press

Ceccolini & Cianferoni

Carboniferous

 United States
( Texas)

A replacement name for Cycloscapus Moore & Jeffords (1968).

Pleurocystites? scylla

Sp. nov

Valid

Sweeney & Sumrall

Ordovician (Sandbian)

Benbolt Formation

 United States
( Tennessee)

A rhombiferan belonging to the group Glyptocystitida and the family Pleurocystitidae.

Pteraster lyddenensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Grey Chalk Subgroup of the Chalk Group

 United Kingdom

A starfish, a species of Pteraster. Published online in 2022, but the issue date is listed as February 2023.

Pulchercrinus

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Müller & Ausich

Devonian

Seifen Formation

 Germany

A periechocrinid camerate crinoid. The type species is P. hardyi.

Roveacrinus aboudensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Aït Lamine Formation

 Morocco
 United Kingdom

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae.

Roveacrinus precarinatus

Sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Chalk Group
(Grey Chalk Subgroup,
Zig Zag Formation)

 United Kingdom

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae.

Sergipecrinus

Gen. et sp. nov

Poatskievick Pierezan, Gale & Fauth

Early Cretaceous (Aptian–Albian)

Sergipe-Alagoas Basin

 Brazil

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae. Genus includes new species S. reticulatus.

Stegophiura takaisoensis

Sp. nov

In press

Ishida et al.

Pliocene

Hatsuzaki Formation

 Japan

A brittle star.

Styracocrinus shakespearensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Gale

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

Chalk Group
(Grey Chalk Subgroup,
Zig Zag Formation)

 United Kingdom

A crinoid belonging to the family Roveacrinidae.

Ticinocrinus moroccoensis

Sp. nov

Salamon et al.

Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian)

 Morocco

A cyrtocrinid.

Triadoleucella

Gen. et sp. nov

Ishida et al.

Late Triassic (Carnian)

 Vietnam

A brittle star belonging to the group Ophioleucida. Genus includes new species T. meensis. Published online in 2022, but the issue date is listed as April 2023.

Viridisaster

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Fau & Villier

Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)

 France

A stem zoroasterid. The type species is V. guerangeri.

Echinoderm research

  • Cole, Wright & Thompson (2023) experimentally confirm that ratios of seawater magnesium and calcium have a profound effect on short-term regeneration rates in extant brittle star Ophioderma cinereum, but find no evidence of a significant relationship between changes of seawater magnesium and calcium ratios and long-term changes of echinoderm biodiversity over the past 500 million years.
  • Evidence from a soft robotic representation and computer simulation, interpreted as indicating that pleurocystitids were likely able to move on the sea bottom by using their muscular stem that pushed the animal forward, is presented by Desatnik et al. (2023).
  • Álvarez-Armada et al. (2023) describe a specimen of Hyperoblastus reimanni preserved with structures interpreted as three larvae and a gonad, and interpret this finding as indicative of the presence of sexual dimorphism in blastoids, as well as of early evolution of internal brooding of larvae in this group.
  • A study on the evolution of plate systems in the calyx of crinoids, based on data from early crinoids from Tremadocian, is published by Guensburg, Mooi & Mongiardino Koch (2023).
  • A study on the ontogeny of Erisocrinus typus, based on data from fossil material representing a growth series from the Carboniferous Barnsdall Formation (Oklahoma, United States), is published by Hernandez Gomez et al. (2023).
  • Gorzelak et al. (2023) report the presence of microstructure similar to the diamond-type triply periodic minimal surfaces in the skeleton of a specimen of Haplocrinites from Devonian, similar to microstructure reported in extant Protoreaster nodosus, and representing the oldest record of such microstructure in echinoderms reported to date.
  • The oldest fossil material of members of the genus Percevalicrinus reported to date is described from the Lower Jurassic deposits in the western Saharan Atlas (Algeria) by Salamon et al. (2023).
  • Kolata et al. (2023) report the discovery of new specimens of Cyclocystoides scammaphoris from the Ordovician Platteville Formation (Illinois), Plattin and Decorah groups (Missouri) and Lebanon Limestone (Tennessee), providing new information on the anatomy of this cyclocystoid.
  • Evidence from deep-sea sediment samples interpreted as indicative of continuous record of deep-sea Atelostomata dating back to the Early Cretaceous is presented by Wiese et al. (2023).
  • The youngest stenuroid asterozoan specimen reported to date is described from the Permian (Wordian-Capitanian) Las Delicias Formation (Mexico) by Sour-Tovar, Quiroz-Barroso & Martín-Medrano (2023).
  • Thuy et al. (2023) report the discovery of an assemblage of brittle star microfossils from Carboniferous deep-water sediments of Oklahoma (United States), including fossils of basal representatives of Amphilepidida and Ophioscolecida, and interpret this finding as indicating that a significant part of the early diversification of the brittle star crown group might have taken place in deep-water settings.

Hemichordates

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Baltograptus floianus

Sp. nov

Valid

Maletz

Ordovician

 Sweden

A graptolite belonging to the family Didymograptidae.

Baltograptus novus

Sp. nov

Valid

Maletz

Ordovician

 Sweden

A graptolite belonging to the family Didymograptidae.

Cymatograptus kristinae

Sp. nov

Valid

Maletz

Ordovician

 Sweden

A graptolite belonging to the family Didymograptidae.

Gothograptus berolinensis

Sp. nov

In press

Maletz

Silurian

 Germany

A graptolite belonging to the family Retiolitidae.

Gothograptus osgaleae

Sp. nov

In press

Maletz

Silurian

 Germany

A graptolite belonging to the family Retiolitidae.

Jishougraptus hunnebergensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Maletz

Ordovician

 Sweden

A graptolite belonging to the family Kinnegraptidae/Sigmagraptidae.

Paraplectograptus hermanni

Sp. nov

In press

Maletz

Silurian

 Germany

A graptolite belonging to the family Retiolitidae.

Rotaciurca

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Briggs & Mongiardino Koch

Silurian

Bertie Formation

 Canada
( Ontario)

A pterobranch placed in its own new family Rotaciurcidae within Cephalodiscida. The type species is R. superbus.

Tetragraptus gerhardi

Sp. nov

Valid

Maletz

Ordovician

 Sweden

A graptolite belonging to the family Phyllograptidae.

Webbyites felix

Sp. nov

Muir & Gutiérrez-Marco

Ordovician (Tremadocian)

Fezouata Formation

 Morocco

Probably a benthic graptolite of uncertain affinity.

Hemichordate research

  • Nanglu et al. (2023) report the discovery of an orthocone cephalopod phragmocone from the Ordovician Fezouata Formation (Morocco) which was extensively populated by rhabdopleurid-like epibionts after the death of the cephalopod, providing evidence of the use of mollusc shells as hard substrates by hemichordates dating back nearly 480 million years ago.
  • Lopez et al. (2023) describe graptolite fossil material from the Silurian Rinconada Formation (Argentina), representing the first Pridolian graptolite assemblage from South America reported to date, and possibly providing evidence of faunal recovery interval after the Kozlowskii-Lau Event.

Conodonts

New conodont taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Anellodontus

Gen. et sp. nov

Rueda & Albanesi

Cambrian (Furongian)

Lampazar Formation

 Argentina

Genus includes A. anellus.

Eognathodus grandis

Sp. nov

Lu

Devonian

Nahkaoling Formation

 China

A member of the family Spathognathodontidae.

Erismodus saltaensis

Sp. nov

Albanesi et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Santa Gertrudis Formation

 Argentina

Erraticodon aldridgei

Sp. nov

Albanesi et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Santa Gertrudis Formation

 Argentina

Gallinatodus

Gen. et sp. nov

Albanesi et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Santa Gertrudis Formation

 Argentina

Genus includes new species G. elegantissimus.

Gladigondolella luodianensis

Sp. nov

Chen et al.

 China

Icriodus alchedatensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Izokh

Devonian (Givetian)

 Russia

Icriodus edentatus

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

Icriodus kuzbassiensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Izokh

Devonian (Givetian)

 Russia

Icriodus lebedyankensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Izokh

Devonian (Givetian)

 Russia

Pandorinellina exigua lingliensis

Ssp. nov

Valid

Lu in Lu et al.

Devonian (Lochkovian)

Nahkaoling Formation

 China

Paraserratognathus hupinaoensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Pei & Ba

 China

Pelekysgnathus arcuatus

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

A member of Prioniodontida belonging to the family Icriodontidae.

Pelekysgnathus ziqiuensis

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

A member of Prioniodontida belonging to the family Icriodontidae.

Pohlerodus

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Zhen

Ordovician

 Canada
 United States

Genus erected to substitute Texania Pohler (1994), which is a junior homonym of Texania Casey (1909). Includes species previously assigned to the genus Texania, as well as species previously assigned to the genus Fahraeusodus other than F. adentatus.

Polygnathus communis tomurtogooi

Ssp. nov

In press

Suttner et al.

Devonian

Indert Formation

 Mongolia

Polygnathus dispersus

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

Polygnathus peltatus

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

Polygnathus sagittiformis

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

Polygnathus wuqingnaensis

Sp. nov

Huang et al.

Devonian (Famennian)

Wuqingna Formation

 China

Polylophodonta curvata

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

A member of the family Polygnathidae.

Polylophodonta nodulosa

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

A member of the family Polygnathidae.

Polynodosus changyangensis

Sp. nov

In press

Yuan & Sun

Devonian (Famennian)

Xiejingsi Formation

 China

A member of the family Polygnathidae.

Prioniodus antiquus

Sp. nov

Zhen et al.

Ordovician

Yinchufu Formation

 China

Pyramidens

Gen. et 2 sp. nov

Albanesi et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Santa Gertrudis Formation

 Argentina

Genus includes new species P. cactus and P. spinatus.

Siphonodella thompfelli

Sp. nov

Plotitsyn & Zhuravlev

Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

 Russia

Zentagnathus gertrudisae

Sp. nov

Albanesi et al.

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Santa Gertrudis Formation

 Argentina

Zieglerodina? tuojiangensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Lu in Lu et al.

Devonian (Lochkovian)

Nahkaoling Formation

 China

Conodont research

  • A study on the size-frequency distribution of the P1 elements of members of the genera Palmatolepis, Ancyrodella and Polygnathus during the late Frasnian and the Famennian is published by Girard et al. (2023), who don't confirm the temperature-size rule as a general rule explaining size variation in the studied fossils.
  • Wu et al. (2023) report the discovery of an abundant conodont community in the Lower Triassic strata in the Zhangjiawan stratigraphic succession (Yuan'an County, Hubei, China), and interpret this finding as suggesting that the studied area might have been a refuge area for the Early Triassic conodont communities and marine ecosystem in general, as other Lower Triassic strata nearby yield only rare conodonts.
  • Evidence indicating that co-occurring Late Triassic conodonts Metapolygnathus communisti and Epigondolella rigoi differed in their diets is presented by Kelz et al. (2023).
  • A study on the diversity and biostratigraphy of late Norian conodont faunas from the Dashuitang and Nanshuba formations in the Baoshan area (Yunnan, China) is published by Zeng et al. (2023), who report evidence of a decline of conodont diversity during the late Norian, interpreted by the authors as the first crisis of the protracted suite of end-Triassic conodont extinctions.
  • Evidence from the Kastuyama section in the Inuyama area in Honshu (Japan), argued to be indicative of the survival of the conodont species Misikella posthernsteini into the Early Jurassic, is presented by Du et al. (2023).

Fish

Amphibians

New amphibian taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Arenaerpeton

Gen. et sp. nov

Hart et al.

Triassic

Terrigal Formation

 Australia

A chigutisaurid temnospondyl. The type species is A. supinatus.

Compsocerops tikiensis Sp. nov. Chakravorti & Sengupta Late Triassic Tiki Formation  India A member of Chigutisauridae.
Funcusvermis Gen. et sp. nov. Valid Kligman et al. Late Triassic (Norian) Chinle Formation  United States ( Arizona) A stem-caecilian. The type species is F. gilmorei.

Gansubatrachus

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Zhang et al.

Early Cretaceous

Zhonggou Formation

 China

A frog, possibly a basal member of Lalagobatrachia. The type species is G. qilianensis.

Inbecetenanura

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Lemierre et al.

Late Cretaceous (Coniacian–Santonian)

In Beceten Formation

 Niger

A frog belonging to the family Pipidae. The type species is I. ragei.

Kuzbassia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Skutschas et al.

Early Cretaceous (Aptian)

Ilek Formation

 Russia
( Kemerovo Oblast)

A member of the family Karauridae. The type species is K. sola.

Lepidobatrachus dibumartinez

Sp. nov

Valid

Turazzini & Gómez

Late Miocene-Early Pliocene

Tunuyán Formation

 Argentina

A ceratophryid frog, a species of Lepidobatrachus.

Mariliabatrachus

Gen. et sp. nov

Santos, Carvalho & Zaher

Late Cretaceous (Campanian)

 Brazil

A neobatrachian frog, probably with affinities with hyloids. The type species is M. navai.

Piasimotriton

Gen. et sp. nov

Werneburg et al.

Permian

Boskovice Basin

 Czech Republic

A branchiosaurid temnospondyl. The type species is P. kochovi.

Rhigerpeton

Gen. et sp. nov

Gee, Beightol & Sidor

Triassic

Fremouw Formation

Antarctica

A lapillopsid temnospondyl. The type species is R. isbelli.

Xerodromeus

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Schoch & Werneburg

Permian (possibly Sakmarian)

Niederhäslich–Schweinsdorf Formation

 Germany

A branchiosaurid temnospondyl. The type species is "Branchiosaurus" gracilis Credner (1881).

Amphibian research

  • New reconstruction of the skull of Crassigyrinus scoticus is presented by Porro, Rayfield & Clack (2023).
  • Pardo (2023) redescribes the anatomy of the neurocranium of Archeria crassidisca, based on data from a previously unreported partial braincase, and interprets embolomeres as more likely to be stem-tetrapods than stem-amniotes.
  • A study on the morphology and ossification sequences of carpus and tarsus in basal stereospondylomorphs, providing evidence of variability in the development of the mesopodium, is published by Witzmann & Fröbisch (2023).
  • Werneburg et al. (2023) describe twelve larvae of Sclerocephalus from the Permian (Asselian) Meisenheim Formation (Germany), providing new information on the earliest stages of the ontogeny of this temnospondyl.
  • Groenewald et al. (2023) describe body impressions and associated swim trails of rhinesuchid temnospondyls from the Permian Karoo Basin (South Africa), providing evidence that rhinesuchids used their tails for propulsion and held their legs tucked in next to the body while swimming.
  • A study comparing the probable maximum sizes that could be reached by specimens belonging to the Early Triassic temnospondyl taxa from Eastern Europe is published by Morkovin (2023), who reports the discovery of an unusually large lower jaw of Vladlenosaurus alexeyevi from the Skoba locality (Komi Republic, Russia), and argues that the size differences characteristic of the standard adult states of the studied temnospondyl taxa were likely reduced in individuals belonging to very late age categories.
  • New information on the anatomy of Mastodonsaurus cappelensis is presented by Schoch et al. (2023), who report the presence of anatomical differences between M. cappelensis and the stratigraphically younger M. giganteus, indicating that the latter species adapted to feed on a wider range of prey.
  • A study on the histology of large temnospondyl humeri from the Late Triassic Krasiejów site (Poland) is published by Teschner et al. (2023), who report that the humeri of Cyclotosaurus intermedius and Metoposaurus krasiejowensis might show only minor differences in morphology, making histology a valuable tool for taxonomic assignment.
  • A study on the skull morphology of Koskinonodon perfectum, Dutuitosaurus ouazzoui, Metoposaurus diagnosticus and Eocyclotosaurus appetolatus, providing evidence which might be indicative of the presence of sexual dimorphism in the studied taxa, is published by Rinehart & Lucas (2023).
  • Review of the fossil record of the genus Mioproteus in Southeastern Europe is published by Syromyatnikova (2023).
  • Skutschas et al. (2023) describe salamander dentaries from the Lower Cretaceous Teete locality (Batylykh Formation; Sakha, Russia) representing the northernmost record of non-karaurid salamanders in the Mesozoic reported to date.
  • Bourque, Stanley & Hulbert (2023) describe two partial vertebrae of a member of the genus Batrachosauroides from the Clarendonian Love Bone Bed (Florida, United States), representing the latest record of a member of this genus reported to date.
  • A study on the origin of the unique body plan of frogs, based on data from extant and fossil taxa, is published by Pérez-Ben, Lires & Gómez (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of early diversification (resulting in diversity of locomotor modes in Jurassic stem frogs) followed by period of reduced morphological diversity and repeated convergent evolution of limb proportions and locomotor capabilities, and do not consider the interpretation of the body plan of frogs as resulting from an adaptation the ancestral frogs to jumping to be strongly supported by the fossil record.
  • Description of the anatomy of the metamorphosing larvae, juveniles and fully grown adults of Genibatrachus is published by Roček, Dong & Wang (2023).
  • The easternmost and the youngest frog remains from the Late Cretaceous of Asia reported to date are described from the Maastrichtian dinosaur locality in the city of Blagoveshchensk (Amur Oblast, Russia) by Skutschas et al. (2023).
  • Báez & Turazzini (2023) redescribe the holotype of Avitabatrachus uliana, reinterpreting the urostyle as not fully fused to the sacral vertebra, and identify additional fossil material preserved in the slab including the holotype, interpreted as likely remains of a metamorphosing tadpole of A. uliana.
  • Vallejo-Pareja et al. (2023) describe the first pre-Quaternary fossils referred to Eleutherodactylus from Florida, and interpret this finding as indicating that by the Late Oligocene Eleutherodactylus was already established in North America before colonizing Central America.
  • Georgalis, Prendini & Roček (2023) describe new fossil material of Thaumastosaurus from the Eocene Quercy Phosphorites Formation (France), and report evidence of diversity of morphotypes in the fossil material of Thaumastosaurus which might be indicative of the presence of cryptic taxa.
  • Lemierre et al. (2023) describe a skeleton of a member of the genus Pelophylax from the lowest Oligocene of Chartres-de-Bretagne (western France), representing one of the oldest occurrences of the genus reported to date.
  • Jansen et al. (2023) describe the first frog fossils from the Paleogene and early Neogene sites in Peruvian Amazonia, including fossil material of pipids, as well representatives of different lineages of Brachycephaloidea and probably also of the family Leptodactylidae.
  • Klembara et al. (2023) describe a specimen of Discosauriscus pulcherrimus from the Asselian Vrchlabí Formation, representing the oldest record of this species from the Czech Republic, and a specimen of Discosauriscus cf. pulcherrimus from the Upper Carboniferous Ilmenau Formation (Germany), representing the oldest record of the genus Discosauriscus and possibly the oldest seymouriamorph reported to date.
  • Bazzana-Adams et al. (2023) reconstruct the first virtual cranial endocast of Seymouria.
  • Barták & Ivanov (2023) describe an exceptionally well-preserved specimen of Sauropleura scalaris (including near-complete skull) from the upper Carboniferous deposits of Nýřany (Czech Republic), providing new information on the anatomy and ontogeny of this taxon.
  • Bulanov (2023) reinterprets putative bolosaurid "Bolosaurus" traati as a diadectomorph, transfers it to the genus Stephanospondylus, and considers Ambedus to be a non-diadectomorph tetrapod of uncertain affinities.
  • Calábková et al. (2023) describe tracks assigned to the ichnogenus Ichniotherium from the Permian (Asselian) Boskovice Basin (Czech Republic), including tracks with morphologies similar to footprints produced by Diadectes-like diadectomorphs, but with distances between the successive imprints similar to those seen in earlier-diverging diadectomorphs.

Reptiles

Synapsids

Non-mammalian synapsids

New synapsid taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Argodicynodon

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Mueller et al.

Late Triassic

Tecovas Formation

 United States
( Texas)

A placeriine kannemeyeriiform dicynodont. The type species is A. boreni.

Bondoceras

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Sidor

Permian (Guadalupian)

Madumabisa Mudstone Formation

 Zambia

A burnetiid burnetiamorph. The type species is B. bulborhynchus.

Eutheriodon

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Kammerer

Permian (Guadalupian)

Abrahamskraal Formation

 South Africa

A scylacosaurid therocephalian. The type species is E. vandenheeveri.

Inostrancevia africana Sp. nov Valid Kammerer et al. Permian Balfour Formation  South Africa A gorgonopsid.

Jimusaria monanensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Shi & Liu

Permian

Naobaogou Formation

 China

A dicynodont.

Koksharovia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Suchkova, Golubev & Shumov

Permian

 Russia
( Kirov Oblast)

A therocephalian. The type species is K. grechovi. Published online in 2023, but the issue date is listed as December 2022.

Melanedaphodon

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Mann et al.

Carboniferous (Moscovian)

Allegheny Group

 United States
( Ohio)

A member of the family Edaphosauridae. The type species is M. hovaneci.

Moschowhaitsia lidaqingi

Sp. nov

Valid

Jun & Abdala

Permian (Lopingian)

Sunan Formation

 China

A whaitsiid therocephalian.

Nierkoppia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Day & Kammerer

Permian (Guadalupian)

Abrahamskraal Formation

 South Africa

A proburnetiine burnetiamorph. The type species is N. brucei.

Pembecephalus

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Sidor

Permian (Lopingian)

Usili Formation

 Tanzania

A burnetiid burnetiamorph. The type species is P. litumbaensis.

Santagnathus Gen. et sp. nov Schmitt et al. Late Triassic (Carnian) Santa Maria Formation (Hyperodapedon Assemblage Zone)  Brazil A cynodont in the family Traversodontidae. The type species is S. mariensis
Woznikella Gen. et sp. nov Valid Szczygielski & Sulej Late Triassic
(Carnian–?Norian)
Grabowa Formation  Poland
 Germany
A dicynodont closely related to the family Stahleckeriidae. The type species is W. triradiata.

Synapsid research

  • A study on the evolution of the dentary size in non-mammalian synapsids is published by Harano & Asahara (2023), who find evidence indicative of an evolutionary trend for enlargement of dentary relative to the overall lower jaw size across all non-mammalian synapsids, regardless of their relation to mammals, but find no evidence for an evolutionary trend in dentary enlargement at the expense of the postdentary bones.
  • Studies on the evolution of the forelimb and hindlimb musculature of synapsids are published by Bishop & Pierce (2023).
  • A study on the ecomorphology of synapsids throughout their evolutionary history is published by Hellert et al. (2023), who find carnivory to be the ancestral dietary regime of major synapsid radiations, but also find that small body size was established as the common ancestral state of radiations as late as in the Late Triassic, near the origin of Mammaliaformes, and report the presence of derived traits in the ancestors of major synapsid radiations.
  • Calábková et al. (2023) describe tracks assignable to the ichnogenus Dimetropus and produced by "pelycosaur"-grade synapsids from the Permian (Asselian) Padochov and Letovice formations (Boskovice Basin, Czech Republic), including a specimen with preserved skin impressions, and providing new information on the diversity of the earliest Permian equatorial tetrapod faunas.
  • Maho, Bevitt & Reisz (2023) describe fossil material of Varanops brevirostris from the Dolese Brother Limestone Quarry (Oklahoma, United States), confirming the presence of this taxon at Richards Spur, and interpret this finding as indicating that, although less abundant than Cacops and Acheloma, V. brevirostris was not as rare taxon as previously thought.
  • Gônet et al. (2023) present a model which can be used to determine posture from humeral parameters in extant mammals, and use it to infer a sprawling posture for Dimetrodon natalis.
  • Bazzana-Adams, Evans & Reisz (2023) describe the brain and inner ear of Dimetrodon loomisi, and interpret their findings as indicating that Dimetrodon was sensitive to a greater range of frequencies beyond the ultra-low-frequency ground-borne sounds anticipated in previous estimates.
  • Partial humerus of a synapsid of uncertain affinities, with anatomical traits blurring the distinction between the "pelycosaur"-grade synapsids and therapsids, is described from the Permian (Capitanian) Main Karoo Basin (South Africa) by Bishop et al. (2023).
  • An almost complete skull of Pampaphoneus biccai, providing new information on the anatomy of this species, is described from the Permian Rio do Rasto Formation (Brazil) by Santos et al. (2023).
  • Benoit, Norton & Jirah (2023) describe the maxillary canal of Jonkeria truculenta, reporting that is structure shares more similarities with the maxillary canal of the tapinocephalid Moschognathus than with that of Anteosaurus.
  • Rubidge, Day & Benoit (2023) report the first discovery of the fossil material of Colobodectes cluveri from the Grootfontein Member of the Abrahamskraal Formation (South Africa), providing correlation between strata of the Abrahamskraal Formation from the northwestern, western and southwestern part of the Karoo Basin.
  • Laaß & Kaestner (2023) report the presence of a system of turbinal ridges for attachment of respiratory and olfactory turbinates (strongly resembling the mammalian condition) in the skull of Kawingasaurus fossilis, and interpret this finding as supporting a convergent origin of endothermy in dicynodonts, possibly influenced by their fossorial habitat.
  • New information on the anatomy of Cistecephalus microrhinus is presented by Macungo et al. (2023), who interpret cistecephalids as probable ectotherms, and argue that purported turbinals such as those reported in Kawingasaurus fossilis by Laaß & Kaestner (2023) are probably lines left by sediment infilling of the skull cavity.
  • Sidor, Mann & Angielczyk (2023) report the discovery of the fossil material of the gorgonopsian Gorgonops sp. and the dicynodont Endothiodon sp. from the Permian Madumabisa Mudstone Formation, indicating that the stratigraphic range of vertebrate-bearing horizons in southern Zambia includes not only Guadalupian Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone-equivalent strata, but also Lopingian Endothiodon Assemblage Zone-age strata.
  • Bendel et al. (2023) describe a nearly complete skeleton of Gorgonops torvus from the Permian Endothiodon Assemblage Zone of the Karoo Basin (South Africa), and interpret the anatomy of the studied specimen as indicating that G. torvus was likely ambush predator, able to chase its prey over short distances.
  • The first Permian tetrapod fossils from the Omingonde Formation, Namibia are described and identified as a dicynodont and a gorgonopsian therapsids by Mocke et al. (2023), comparable to Tropidostoma and Lycaenops, respectively.
  • The holotypes of Dicynodon ingens and Scymnosaurus warreni are re-located and redescribed by Groenewald & Kammerer (2023), who re-identify them as specimens of Daptocephalus leoniceps and Moschorhinus kitchingi, respectively.
  • The craniomandibular anatomy of the therocephalian Olivierosuchus is re-described by Gigliotti et al. (2023), including for the first time the braincase and inner ear, revealing similar neuroanatomy to other non-mammalian therapsids.
  • A historical and taxonomic review of the Karoo and global record of non-mammalian cynodonts is published by Abdala et al. (2023).
  • Redescription of the holotype of Nythosaurus larvatus is published by Pusch et al. (2023), who interpret N. larvatus as a taxon distinct from Thrinaxodon liorhinus.
  • Kulik (2023) compares femoral histology of two specimens of Scalenodon angustifrons of the same size, report evidence of skeletal maturity in one of the studied specimens, and interprets her findings as indicative of a flexible growth strategy in S. angustifrons.
  • A study on the dentition of Charruodon tetracuspidatus is published by Hoffmann, Ribeiro & de Andrade (2023), who interpret the holotype specimen as representing an early ontogenetic stage, and consider C. tetracuspidatus to be a nomen dubium.
  • Hoffmann, de Andrade & Martinelli (2023) redescribe the skeletal anatomy of "Probelesodon" kitchingi, and transfer this species to the genus Chiniquodon.
  • Description of new lower jaw remains of Agudotherium gassenae from the Late Triassic of Brazil, providing new information on the anatomy of this taxon, and a study on its phylogenetic affinities is published by Kerber, Pretto & Müller (2023), who recover A. gassenae as the sister taxon of Prozostrodontia.
  • Stefanello et al. (2023) describe a new, complete and exceptionally well-preserved skull of Prozostrodon brasiliensis from the Upper Triassic strata in Brazil, and name a new endemic clade of South American cynodonts – Prozostrodontidae, including Prozostrodon and Pseudotherium.
  • A study on the endocranial anatomy of Prozostrodon brasiliensis and Therioherpeton cargnini is published by Kerber et al. (2023).
  • Lund, Norton & Benoit (2023) describe the postcranial, basicranial and palatal morphology of Diarthrognathus broomi.
  • A study on the evolution of cynodont skulls is published by Lautenschlager et al. (2023), who find no evindence for an increase in cranial strength and biomechanical performance during the cynodont–mammalian transition.
  • A study on tooth replacement pattern and deciduous teeth in Haldanodon exspectatus is published by Martin & Schultz (2023), who interpret the fossil material of Peraiocynodon inexpectatus, P. major and Cyrtlatherium canei as likely to be docodont milk teeth.
  • Averianov, Lopatin & Leshchinskiy (2023) reinterpret one of the supposed lower premolars of Sibirotherium rossicum as the first molariform, and consider S. rossicum to have five rather than six lower premolars.

Mammals

Other animals

Other new animal taxa

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Acanthochaetetes reitneri

Sp. nov

Valid

Sánchez-Beristain, Rodrigo & Schlagintweit

Early Cretaceous (Aptian-Albian)

Tuburan Limestone

 Philippines

A chaetetid demosponge.

Aetholicopalla grandipora

Sp. nov

Valid

Luzhnaya et al.

Cambrian

 Mongolia

A sponge of uncertain affinities.

Akrophyllas

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Grimes et al.

Ediacaran

Ediacara Member of the Rawnsley Quartzite

 Australia

An arboreomorph. The type species is "Rangea" longa Glaessner & Wade (1966).

Archiasterella anchoriformis

Sp. nov

Valid

Peng et al.

Cambrian (Wuliuan)

Kaili Formation

 China

A chancelloriid.

Calliospongia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Chen et al.

Cambrian Stage 3

Chiungchussu Formation

 China

A sponge, possibly a member of Silicea. The type species is C. chunchengia.

Chancelloria zhaoi

Sp. nov

Valid

Peng et al.

Cambrian (Wuliuan)

Kaili Formation

 China

A chancelloriid.

Cretacimermis

Gen. et 9 sp. nov

Valid

Poinar in Luo et al.

Cretaceous

Burmese amber
Lebanese amber

 Lebanon
 Myanmar

A collective genus erected for fossil nematodes belonging to the family Mermithidae. The name was used in earlier publications, but the taxon was formally named in 2023. Genus includes new species C. incredibilis Luo & Poinar, C. calypta Luo & Poinar, C. adelphe Luo & Poinar, C. directa Luo & Poinar, C. longa Luo & Poinar, C. perforissi Luo & Poinar, C. manicapsoci Luo & Poinar, C psoci Luo & Poinar and C. cecidomyiae Luo & Poinar, as well as "Heleidomermis" libani Poinar et al. (1994), C. chironomae Poinar (2011), C. aphidophilus Poinar (2017) and C. protus Poinar & Buckley (2006).

Cyathophycus balori

Sp. nov

Botting, Muir & Doyle

Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian)

 Ireland

A reticulosan sponge.

Ercaivermis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Wang et al.

Cambrian Stage 3

Yu'anshan Formation

 China

A member of Priapulida. The type species is E. sparios.

Floraconformis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Goñi et al.

Cambrian Stage 3

Erkhelnuur Formation

 Mongolia

A palaeoscolecid. The type species is F. egiinensis.

Gaoloufangchaeta

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Zhao, Li & Selden

Cambrian Stage 4

Wulongqing Formation

 China

A polychaete. The type species is G. bifurcus.

Gzhelistella

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Davydov et al.

Carboniferous (Gzhelian)

Kosherovo Formation

 Russia
( Moscow Oblast)

A calcareous sponge. The type species is G. cornigera. Published online in 2024, but the issue date is listed as December 2023.

Iotuba

Gen. et sp. nov

Zhang & Smith in Zhang, Smith & Ren

Cambrian Stage 3

Yu'anshan Formation

 China

Probably an annelid belonging to the group Sedentaria, related to the families Flabelligeridae and Acrocirridae. The type species is I. chengjiangensis. The name was used in earlier publications, but the taxon wasn't formally described before 2023.

Kalpinella fragilis

Sp. nov

Valid

Świerczewska-Gładysz & Jurkowska

Late Cretaceous (Campanian)

 Poland

A demosponge belonging to the family Phymatellidae.

Liexiscolex

Gen. et sp. nov

Liu & Huang in Liu et al.

Ordovician

Madaoyu Formation

 China

A palaeoscolecid. Genus includes new species L. hunanensis.

Llwygarua

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Botting & Muir

Ordovician (Darriwilian)

Gilwern Volcanic Formation

 United Kingdom

A spoon worm belonging to the family Thalassematidae. The type species is L. suzannae.

Longibirotula

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Pronzato & Manconi in Samant et al.

Late Cretaceous–Paleocene

Naskal intertrappean beds

 India

A demosponge belonging to the family Palaeospongillidae. The type species is L. antiqua Manconi & Samant.

Megasiphon

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Nanglu et al.

Cambrian (Drumian)

Marjum Formation

 United States
( Utah)

A tunicate. The type species is M. thylakos.

Mobulavermis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

McCall

Cambrian

Pioche Shale

 United States
( Nevada)

A lobopodian belonging to the family Kerygmachelidae. The type species is M. adustus.

Monoshanites

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Demidenko

Cambrian

Bayangol Formation

 Mongolia

Sclerites of an animal of uncertain affinities, belonging to the family Siphogonuchitidae. The type species is M. dentatus.

Neovermilia gundstrupensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Kočí, Milàn & Jäger

Paleocene (Selandian)

Kerteminde Marl Formation

 Denmark

An annelid belonging to the family Serpulidae.

Palaeosmenospongia

Gen. et sp. nov

Wu & Reitner in Wu et al.

Early Triassic

 China

A keratose sponge. The type species is P. kejiaoensis.

Petriterastroma

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Jeon & Kershaw in Jeon et al.

Ordovician (Katian)

Beiguoshan Formation

 China

A clathrodictyid stromatoporoid. The type species is P. exililamellatum.

Phakeloides

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Wierzbowski & Błażejowski

Devionian (Famennian)

 Poland

A member of Chaetognatha of uncertain affinities. The type species is P. polonicus.

Pickettispongia

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Pisera, Bitner & Fromont

Eocene

Pallinup Formation

 Australia

A demosponge belonging to the family Phymaraphiniidae. The type species is "Discodermia" tabelliformis Chapman & Crespin (1934).

Plexodictyon xibeiense

Sp. nov

Valid

Jeon in Jeon et al.

Ordovician (Katian)

Beiguoshan Formation

 China

A clathrodictyid stromatoporoid.

Ptilospongia

Gen. et sp. nov

Li & Reitner

Ordovician

Kaochiapien Formation

 China

A demosponge belonging to the family Bubaridae. The type species is P. hemisphaeroidalis.

Rotulispira apiaria

Sp. nov

Valid

McNamara

Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Campanian)

Toolonga Calcilutite

 Australia

A polychaete belonging to the family Serpulidae.

Rotulispira glauerti

Sp. nov

Valid

McNamara

Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Campanian)

Gingin Chalk

 Australia

A polychaete belonging to the family Serpulidae.

Rotulispira protea

Sp. nov

Valid

McNamara

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian)

Miria Formation

 Australia

A polychaete belonging to the family Serpulidae.

Shaihuludia

Gen. et sp. nov

Kimmig et al.

Cambrian (Wuliuan)

Langston Formation

 United States
( Utah)

A polychaete. The type species is S. shurikeni.

Simplexodictyon conspicus

Sp. nov

Valid

Jeon & Kershaw in Jeon et al.

Ordovician (Katian)

Beiguoshan Formation

 China

A stromatoporellid stromatoporoid.

Styliolina giga

Sp. nov

Vinn et al.

Silurian

 Estonia

A member of Tentaculita.

Teganium avalonensis

Sp. nov

Valid

Botting, Muir & Ma

Ordovician

Gilwern Volcanic Formation

 United Kingdom

A hexactinellid sponge belonging to the family Teganiidae.

Twertupia

Gen. et comb. nov

Valid

Pisera, Bitner & Fromont

Eocene

Pallinup Formation

 Australia

A demosponge belonging to the family Phymaraphiniidae. The type species is "Thamnospongia" subglabra Chapman & Crespin (1934).

Ursactis

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Osawa, Caron & Gaines

Cambrian (Wuliuan)

Burgess Shale

 Canada
( British Columbia)

A polychaete. The type species is U. comosa.

Other animal research

  • A study on the paleobiology of Eoandromeda octobrachiata is published by Botha et al. (2023), who interpret E. octobrachiata as a benthic, sessile, radially symmetrical organism, and consider it unlikely that E. octobrachiata was a stem-ctenophore.
  • A study aiming to test the hypothesized feeding modes of Pectinifrons abyssalis is published by Darroch et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as supporting neither a suspension feeding or osmotrophic feeding habit, and indicating that rangeomorph fronds were organs adapted for oxygen uptake and gas exchange, rather than feeding.
  • New information on the paleobiology of Culmofrons plumosa, based on data from specimens from the Trepassey Formation (Canada), is presented by Pasinetti & McIlroy (2023), who interpret rangeomorph impressions observed in Culmofrons as likely bundles of branches in the process of separating from the organism, potentially indicating that rangeomorphs had true modularity and the ability to separate modules as an asexual reproductive strategy.
  • Purported fossil material of Dickinsonia reported from the Bhimbetka rock shelters in rocks of the Maihar Sandstone (India) is reinterpreted as an impression resulting from decay of a modern beehive by Meert et al. (2023).
  • A study aiming to assess the validity of species distinctions in the genus Dickinsonia is published by Evans et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of the presence of two distinct species from South Australia, D. costata and D. tenuis.
  • New information on the body plan of Dickinsonia, based on data from the fossil material from the southeastern White Sea area (Russia), is presented by Ivantsov & Zakrevskaya (2023), who interpret the anatomy of Dickinsonia as indicative of its affinity to the urbilaterian.
  • Evidence indicative of the impact of oxygen expansion driven by sea-level oscillations on the speciation of early Cambrian reef-building archaeocyaths from the Siberian Craton is presented by Zhuravlev, Wood & Bowyer (2023).
  • Evidence from computational fluid dynamics simulations of digital models of Archaeolynthus porosus and Favilynthus mellifer, interpreted as indicating that the studied archaeocyaths could not have functioned effectively as predominantly passive suspension feeders but rather had to use active suspension feeding methods, is presented by Gibson et al. (2023).
  • Yun et al. (2023) describe new fossil material of Hyalosinica archaica from the Cambrian Niutitang Formation (China), indicating that H. archaica developed a long stalk used to lift the main body above the sediment surface and reach more oxic water, and interpret H. archaica as a member of the stem group of Hexactinellida.
  • Łukowiak et al. (2023) report the discovery of a diverse assemblage of Miocene sponge spicules from the Guadalquivir Basin (Spain), including sponges with affinities to extant taxa from the Indo-Pacific and Japanese waters, and interpret changes of distribution of the studied sponge taxa as likely resulting from the isolation of the Mediterranean and the Messinian salinity crisis.
  • Fossil material of Nenoxites from the Ediacaran Khatyspyt Formation (Russia), originally interpreted as trace fossils providing evidence of early bioturbation, is argued to more likely represent body fossil coquina of Shaanxilithes-like tubular organisms by Psarras et al. (2023), who interpret Shaanxilithes-type body fossils as possible total group eumetazoans.
  • Yun, Reitner & Zhang (2023) describe new, well-preserved fossil material of the chancelloriid Dimidia simplex from the Cambrian Yu'anshan Formation (China), and consider Dimidia to be a taxon distinct from Allonnia.
  • Yang et al. (2023) reinterpret putative Cambrian bryozoan Protomelission as an early dasycladalean green alga, and conclude that there are no unequivocal bryozoans of Cambrian age; however, in a subsequent study Xiang et al. (2023) present new information on the morphology of Protomelission, and consider it to be a scleritome of Cambroclavus, which in turn is considered by the authors to be a probable epitheliozoan-grade eumetazoan like the contemporaneous chancelloriids, unrelated to bryozoans or to dasycladalean algae.
  • A study on the body architecture of Xianguangia sinica is published by Zhao, Hou & Cong (2023), who interpret the putative "column" part of its body as formed by 18 tentacle-sheath complexes, and interpret X. sinica as a possible stem-ctenophore related to Dinomischus and Daihua.
  • A specimen of the Ordovian hyolith Elegantilites custos with an operculum showing regeneration after non-lethal predatory attack is described by Fatka, Valent & Budil (2023).
  • Parry et al. (2023) describe fossil material of Plumulites tafennaensis from the Ordovician (Katian) Upper Tiouririne Formation (Morocco), including aberrant shell plates interpreted as resulting from healed injuries, and consider the soft tissue that secreted the shell plate to be similar in morphology and size relative to the body to that seen in scaleworm elytra.
  • Putative anostracan crustacean Gilsonicaris rhenanus is reinterpreted as a polychaete by Gueriau, Parry & Rabet (2023).
  • New cycloneuralian microfossils, preserving a musculature system interpreted as indicative of a phylogenetic relationships with scalidophorans and possibly priapulans, are described from the Cambrian Kuanchuanpu Formation (China) by Zhang et al. (2023).
  • Putative early leech from the Silurian Brandon Bridge Formation (Waukesha Biota; Wisconsin, United States) is considered to be a member of Cycloneuralia of uncertain affinities by Braddy, Gass & Tessler (2023).
  • Wu, Pisani & Donoghue (2023) study the interrelationship between main groups of Panarthropoda, attempting to determine whether morphological datasets from the studies of extant and fossil panarthropod relationships published by Legg, Sutton & Edgecombe (2013), Yang et al. (2016) and Aria, Zhao & Zhu (2021) can discriminate statistically between competing Tactopoda, Lobopodia and Protarthopoda hypotheses, and question the accuracy of morphology-based phylogenies of Panarthropoda that include fossil species.
  • Kihm et al. (2023) compare the morphology of tardigrades and Cambrian lobopodians, and argue that ancestral tardigrades likely had a Cambrian lobopodian–like morphology and shared most recent ancestry with the luolishaniids.
  • New fossil material of Rotadiscus grandis is reported from the Cambrian Chengjiang biota from Yunnan (China) by Li et al. (2023), who recover Rotadiscus as a stem-ambulacrarian, and argue that such deuterostome traits as post-anal region, gill bars and a U-shaped gut evolved through convergence rather than shared ancestry.
  • Yang et al. (2023) report the discovery a previously unrecognized structure between the third and fourth segments of the posterior section of the body of weakly sclerotized vetulicolians, and interpret this structure as an internal organ, possibly used for reproduction, excretion or digestion.
  • Yang et al. (2023) report the discovery of the fossil material of Herpetogaster collinsi from the Cambrian Balang Formation (China), representing the first record of this species from Gondwana, and interpret the distribution of H. collinsi in both Laurentia and Gondwana, coupled with its phylogenetic placement at the base of the ambulacrarian tree, as suggesting that the last common ancestor of the ambulacrarians might have already had a planktonic larval stage (or that such larvae developed multiple times within the Ambulacraria), which would have permitted dispersal over long distances.
  • Claims of the presence of cellular cartilages, fibrillin and subchordal rod in yunnanozoan fossils made by Tian et al. (2022) are contested by He et al. (2023) and Zhang & Pratt (2023).
  • Redescription of the holotype of Chamasaurus dolichognathus is published by Jenkins, Meyer & Bhullar (2023).
  • A study on the anatomy and affinities of Tullimonstrum gregarium is published by Mikami et al. (2023), who interpret T. gregarium as more likely to be a non-vertebrate chordate or a protostome than a vertebrate.

Other organisms

Other new organisms

Name Novelty Status Authors Age Type locality Location Notes Images

Baltisphaeridium razii

Sp. nov

Ghavidel-Syooki & Piri-Kangarshahi

Ordovician

Lashkarak Formation

 Iran

An acritarch.

Birrindudutuba

Gen. et sp. nov

Riedman et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic

Blue Hole Formation

 Australia

A eukaryotic microfossil. The type species is B. brigandinia.

Cambrocoryne

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Peel

Cambrian (Wulian)

Henson Gletscher Formation

 Greenland

An organism of uncertain affinities, with similarities to wiwaxiid and annelid sclerites, thelodont scales and the foraminiferan Lagena. The type is species C. lagenamorpha.

Cangwuella

Gen. et sp. nov

Wang et al.

Devonian (?Pragian-Emsian)

Cangwu Formation

 China

A member of Arcellinida of uncertain affinities. The type species is C. ampulliformis.

Concavaesphaera

Gen. et sp. nov

Liu et al.

Cambrian

 China

An acritarch, possibly a representative of an extinct group of early multicellular eukaryotes. The type species C. ornata.

Cyathochitina gerdkuhensis

Sp. nov

Ghavidel-Syooki & Piri-Kangarshahi

Ordovician

Lashkarak Formation

 Iran

A chitinozoan.

Dahisphaera

Gen. et sp. nov

Xian, Eriksson & Zhang

Cambrian

 Canada
 China

An organism of uncertain affinities, possibly an alga. The type species is D. plana.

Filinexum

Gen. et sp. nov

Riedman et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic

Blue Hole Formation

 Australia

A eukaryotic microfossil. The type species is F. torsivum.

Grandilingulata

Gen. et sp. nov

Chen et al.

Early Mesoproterozoic

Gaoyuzhuang Formation

 China

A multicellular eukaryote of uncertain affinities. The type species is G. qianxiensis.

Hocosphaeridium crispum

Sp. nov

Valid

Vorob'eva & Petrov

Ediacaran and early Cambrian

Ura Formation

 Russia

An acritarch.

Kamolineata

Gen. et comb. nov

Riedman et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic

Dzhelindukon Formation

 Australia
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
 Russia

A eukaryotic microfossil. The type species is "Valeria" elongata Nagovitsin (2009).

Kuqaia scanicus

Sp. nov

Peng et al.

Early Jurassic (Pliensbachian)

Rya Formation

 Sweden

A palynomorph. Argued to be a possible ephippium of a cladoceran by Peng et al. (2023), but this interpretation was rejected by Van Damme (2023).

Limbunyasphaera

Gen. et sp. nov

Riedman et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic

Blue Hole Formation

 Australia

A eukaryotic microfossil. The type species is L. operculata.

Navifusa alborzensis

Sp. nov

Ghavidel-Syooki & Piri-Kangarshahi

Ordovician

Lashkarak Formation

 Iran

An acritarch.

Orthosphaeridium iranense

Sp. nov

Ghavidel-Syooki & Piri-Kangarshahi

Ordovician

Lashkarak Formation

 Iran

An acritarch.

Parmoligocena

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Kaczmarska & Ehrman

Oligocene (Rupelian)

Menilite Formation

 Poland

A member of Parmales. The type species is P. janusii.

Pentalaminamorpha

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Kaczmarska & Ehrman

Oligocene (Rupelian)

Menilite Formation

 Poland

A parmalean-like eukaryote of uncertain affinities. The type species is P. radiata.

Podoliagraptus

Gen. et sp. nov

Disputed

Skompski et al.

Silurian

 Ukraine

A graptolite-like form of uncertain affinities. The type species is P. algaeoides. Argued by LoDuca (2024) to actually represent the uppermost siphons of mature thalli of the alga Voronocladus dryganti.

Qinlingisphaera

Gen. et sp. nov

Xian, Eriksson & Zhang

Cambrian

 Canada
 China

An organism of uncertain affinities, possibly an alga. The type species is Q. conica.

Shaanisphaera

Gen. et sp. nov

Xian, Eriksson & Zhang

Cambrian

 China
 Russia

An organism of uncertain affinities, possibly an alga. The type species is S. spinosa.

Siphonoseptum

Gen. et sp. nov

Riedman et al.

Late Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic

 Australia
 China
 Canada?

A eukaryotic microfossil. The type species is S. bombycinum.

Tuanshanzia linearis

Sp. nov

Chen et al.

Early Mesoproterozoic

Gaoyuzhuang Formation

 China

A multicellular eukaryote of uncertain affinities.

Tuanshanzia parva

Sp. nov

Chen et al.

Early Mesoproterozoic

Gaoyuzhuang Formation

 China

A multicellular eukaryote of uncertain affinities.

Tymkivia

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Martyshyn

Ediacaran

Studenitsa Formation

 Ukraine

An organism of uncertain affinities, possibly a benthic plant with similarities to green algae or a fossil of the polyp stage of a medusozoan. The type species is T. primitiva.

Xiamalingella

Gen. et sp. nov

Valid

Tang et al.

Mesoproterozoic

Xiamaling Formation

 China

An organism with similarities to cyanobacteria. The type species is X. sideria.

Other organism research

A specimen of the Volyn Biota
  • Franz et al. (2023) describe the morphology and the internal structure of at least 1.5-billion-years-old organisms from the Volyn pegmatite field associated with the Korosten Pluton (Ukraine), reporting the presence of a large variation of different types of filaments in the studied organisms, and providing evidence of the presence of fungi-like organisms and continental deep biosphere by 1.5 billion years ago.
  • Hoshino et al. (2023) study the distribution of hopanoid C-2 methyltransferase in the bacterial domain, and interpret their findings as indicating that Alphaproteobacteria evolved hopanoid C-2 methyltransferase around 750 million years ago, thus re-establishing 2-methylhopanes as cyanobacterial biomarkers before 750 Ma.
  • Strullu-Derrien et al. (2023) describe new fossil material of nostocalean cyanobacteria from the Devonian Rhynie chert, interpret both new fossils and similar specimens that were already known (including fossils of Kidstoniella fritschii and Rhyniella vermiformis) as fossil material of a single species Langiella scourfieldii that belonged to the family Hapalosiphonaceae and thrived in soils, freshwater and hot springs like its extant relatives.
  • Li et al. (2023) describe new fossil material of Horodyskia from the Tonian Shiwangzhuang and Jiuliqiao formations (China), and reconstruct Horodyskia as a colonial organism composed of a chain of organic-walled vesicles that likely represent multinucleated cells of early eukaryotes.
  • Li et al. (2023) interpret discoidal fossils from the Tonian Jiuliqiao Formation (Anhui, China) as detached holdfasts of the worm-like annulated tubular fossils from the same formation.
  • Evidence of widespread presence of pyritized spherical microorganisms (likely coccoid bacterial body fossils) on the surface of invertebrate fossils from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation (Brazil) is presented by Barling, Saleh & Ma (2023).
  • Bryłka et al. (2023) reevaluate purported earliest fossils of diatoms from the Early and Middle Jurassic, and interpret them as unlikely to be fossil material of diatoms.
  • Evidence of the impact of nutrient availability gradient on changes in the calcareous dinocyst assemblages is reported from the Turonian Dubivtsi Formation (Ukraine) by Ciurej, Dubicka & Poberezhskyy (2023).
  • A study on the Cretaceous benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Western Interior Seaway is published by Bryant, Meehan & Belanger (2023), who find no genera, guilds or morphotypes unique to cold seeps, and find assemblages from cold seeps to be overall more similar to offshore assemblages than nearshore ones, but also report that the composition of the studied assemblages did reflect the environmental differences present at seeps.
  • A study on the fossil record of the planktonic foraminifera, interpreted as indicating that a modern-style latitudinal diversity gradient for these foraminifera arose only 15 million years ago, is published by Fenton et al. (2023).
  • A study on the geographical distribution of the ecological and morphological groups of fossil planktonic foraminifera, interpreted as indicative of a global shift towards the Equator over the past 8 million years in response to the late Cenozoic temperature changes related to the polar ice sheet formation, is published by Woodhouse et al. (2023).
  • Fonseca et al. (2023) describe possible fossil material of choanoflagellates from the Upper Cretaceous (Cenomanian–Turonian) Capas Blancas Formation (Spain), representing the first putative occurrence of choanoflagellates in the fossil record reported to date.

History of life in general

  • Brocks et al. (2023) report the discovery of abundant protosteroids in sedimentary rocks of mid-Proterozoic age, and interpret this finding as evidence of the existence of a widespread and abundant biota of protosterol-producing bacteria and stem-group eukaryotes, living in aquatic environments from at least 1,640 to around 800 million years ago.
  • Choudhuri et al. (2023) describe exceptionally-preserved bedding plane structures from the 1.6-billion-years-old Chorhat Sandstone (India), and argue that some of the studied structures were more likely to be created by movement through a microbiota-rich surficial sediment than by passive migration of any inorganic or organic masses under influence of an external force.
  • Possible body and trace fossils, representing the oldest potential macrofossils from the Nama Group, are described from the lower Mara Member of the lower Dabis Formation (Tsaus Mountains, Namibia) by Wood et al. (2023), who interpret the studied fossils as remains of holdover soft-bodied taxa that appeared prior to the appearance of tubular and biomineralized animals.
  • A study on the timing and environmental context of the earliest biotic assemblage from the Nama Group, based on data from the Dabis Formation (Tsaus Mountains, Namibia), is published by Bowyer et al. (2023), who interpret their findings as indicating that the evolution of skeletonization and the first appearance of Cloudina happened in open marine carbonate settings and might have been driven by major sea level lowstands.
  • Kolesnikov et al. (2023) report the discovery of the fossil material of Ediacara-type soft-bodied organisms, including palaeopascichnids, arboreomorphs, chuariomorphids, microbial colonies, from the Dzhezhim Formation of the Timan Range (Komi Republic, Russia).
  • Revision of the Ediacaran fossils and pseudofossils from the Ura Formation (Patom Basin; Russia) is published by Petrov & Vorob'eva (2023).
  • Mussini & Dunn (2023) interpret the gradual but escalatory upping of ecological pressure resulting from evolutionary innovations such as bioturbation, predation and reef building as likely to be the most significant cause of the replacement of the Ediacaran biota by Phanerozoic biotas dominated by crown eumetazoans, and argue that changes to the originally homogenous distribution of resources in the benthos initiated by the Ediacaran biota itself might have driven the origins of bilaterians, their evolutionary innovations and ultimately their takeover.
  • Servais et al. (2023) review estimates of taxonomic richness of marine organisms during the early Paleozoic based on different published datasets, and question the existence of a distinct Cambrian explosion and global Ordovician biodiversification event instead of a single, long-term radiation of life during the early Paleozoic.
  • Evidence indicating that continental configuration and climate state specific to the early Paleozoic resulted in higher susceptibility of marine animals to extinction than during the rest of the Phanerozoic is presented by Pohl et al. (2023).
  • A study on the extinction selectivity of benthic brachiopods belonging to the groups Rhynchonellata and Strophomenata, gastropods, bivalves and trilobites throughout the Phanerozoic is published by Monarrez, Heim & Payne (2023), who report evidence of stronger extinction selectivity with respect to geographical range than body size, particularly during background intervals, but also evidence indicating that Phanerozoic mass extinctions may have been overall less selective than extinctions during background intervals, as well as indicative of more variable strength and direction of extinction selectivity by clade during Phanerozoic mass extinctions relative to background intervals.
  • Høyberget et al. (2023) report the discovery of a new, diverse early Cambrian biota (the Skyberg Biota) from the Skyberg Member of the Ringstranda Formation (Norway).
  • Li et al. (2023) compare the lamello-fibrillar nacre and similar fibrous microstructures in Early Cambrian molluscs and hyoliths from the Zavkhan Basin (Mongolia) and in extant coleoid cuttlebones and serpulid tubes, report differences in shell microstructures of the studied lophotrochozoan groups, and interpret their findings as indicative of prevalence of calcitic shells in the Terreneuvian.
  • A study aiming to identify the biases affecting the knowledge of the biodiversity during the Cambrian and Ordovician is published by Du et al. (2023), who interpret the significant decline in known biodiversity during Furongian interval as influenced by temporal, geographic, taxonomic and lithological biases, hindering the understanding of the real biodiversity changes in this interval.
  • Eliahou Ontiveros et al. (2023) study possible causes of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, and interpret global cooling as the most likely primary driver.
  • A diverse Ordovician fauna (the Castle Bank fauna), comparable with the Burgess Shale and Chengjiang biotas in paleoenvironment and preservational style, is described from Wales (United Kingdom) by Botting et al. (2023).
  • A study on the structure of the Givetian shallow-water reef ecosystem from the Madène el Mrakib site (Morocco) is published by Majchrzyk et al. (2023), who report that the studied community from most known Devonian reefs, as it was dominated by large branching tabulate corals while stromatoporoids were of minor importance, and note similarities between the studied community and extant shallow-water reefs.
  • A study on the paleosols from the Devonian Zhongning Formation (China) is published by Guo, Retallack & Liu (2023), who find the paleosols and palaeobotany of the fossil bed where the fossil material of Sinostega was found to be similar to those of Devonian tetrapod localities in Pennsylvania, and interpret their findings as indicating that early tetrapods lived in meandering streams in semiarid to subhumid woodlands.
  • A study on the fossil record of tetrapods living from the Bashkirian to the Kungurian is published by Dunne et al. (2023), who argue that apparent changes in diversity of the studied tetrapods can be explained by variation in sampling intensity through time.
  • Francischini et al. (2023) describe straight, curved and quasi-helical burrows from the Permo-Triassic Buena Vista Formation (Brazil), similar to burrows reported from the Karoo Basin of South Africa, and interpret the studied burrows as likely produced by synapsids and/or procolophonians living in a desert environment, representing the oldest unambiguous record of tetrapod dwelling structures in such an environment.
  • A study on the impact of the Permian–Triassic extinction event on the marine ecosystems is published by Huang et al. (2023), who find that the first extinction phase resulted in the loss of more than half of taxonomic diversity but only a slight decrease of community stability, which subsequently decreased significantly in the second extinction phase.
  • Evidence indicating that reef recovery in the aftermath of the Permian–Triassic extinction was gradual and delayed compared to nonreef ecosystems is presented by Kelley et al. (2023).
  • Dai et al. (2023) report the discovery of an exceptionally preserved Early Triassic (approximately 250.8 million years ago) fossil assemblage (the Guiyang biota) from the Daye Formation near Guiyang (China), providing evidence of the existence of a complex marine ecosystem shortly after the Permian–Triassic extinction event.
  • Czepiński et al. (2023) report the discovery of a new, diverse vertebrate assemblage from the Ladinian Miedary site (Poland), including abundant fossil material of Tanystropheus, making the studied site the richest source of three-dimensionally preserved Tanystropheus material in the world reported to date.
  • New information on the composition of the Late Triassic paleocommunity from the Polzberg Lagerstätte (Austria), based on data from thousands of new fossils, is published by Lukeneder & Lukeneder (2023).
  • A study comparing changes in the marine and terrestrial biospheres across the Triassic-Jurassic transition is published by Cribb et al. (2023), who find evidence interpreted as suggestive of greater ecological severity of the Triassic–Jurassic extinction event for terrestrial ecosystems than marine ones.
  • El Atfy, Abeed & Uhl (2023) describe a diverse assemblage of non-pollen palynomorphs from the Lower Cretaceous (Berriasian-Valanginian) Yamama Formation (Iraq), and interpret the studied assemblage as deposited in anoxic, neritic conditions relatively near to the land.
  • Del Mouro et al. (2023) provide evidence of the preservation of organic walled microfossils (including pollen grains, spores and acritarchs) from wet peperites from the Lower Cretaceous Paraná-Etendeka intertrappean deposits of the Paraná Basin (Brazil), and interpret the studied microfossils as indicative of changes from desertic to more humid conditions in south-central Gondwana during the Valanginian.
  • Cortés & Larsson (2023) reconstruct the ecological network of the marine Mesozoic fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Paja Formation (Colombia), who report that the largest marine reptile predators from the studied fauna occupied higher trophic levels than any extant marine apex predator.
  • A study on the fossil record of Late Cretaceous invertebrates from the Western Interior Seaway and the adjacent Gulf Coastal Plain is published by Purcell, Scuderi & Myers (2023), who interpret their findings as indicating that the Western Interior Seaway did not contain biotic subprovinces in the Late Cretaceous, but faunal associations were affected by sea-level changes.
  • Description of a diverse Santonian-?early Campanian marine vertebrate assemblage from the Akkermanovka locality (Orenburg Oblast, Russia), including fossil material of a mosasaur, plesiosaurs, bony and cartilaginous fishes (with lamniform sharks being the most diverse and abundant group in the assemblage), is published by Jambura et al. (2023).
  • Bobe et al. (2023) describe fossil material of marine and terrestrial animals (including a new hyrax taxon) and woods from new sites from the Miocene Mazamba Formation (Mozambique), and interpret the studied sites as formed in coastal settings.
  • Hayward et al. (2023) report the discovery of a diverse Pliocene (Waipipian) fauna from sediment excavated from two shafts at Māngere Wastewater Treatment Plant (New Zealand), dominated by molluscs and including new species records for New Zealand, as well as extending known time ranges of taxa already known from New Zealand.
  • Harrison et al. (2023) provide the systematic account of the Pliocene fauna from the Lower Laetolil Beds (Laetoli, Tanzania).
  • A study on the timing of Pleistocene megafaunal extinction in the high plains of Peru is published by Rozas-Davila, Rodbell & Bush (2023), who find that the collapse of megafaunal populations in high grasslands coincided with upticks in fire activity, which were likely associated with human activity.
  • Martinez et al. (2023) find no evidence of a significant relation between the relative surface area of the maxilloturbinal and physiological traits such as metabolism and body temperature in extant mammals, and interpret their findings as challenging the hypothesis positing that respiratory turbinals reflect the thermal and metabolic physiology in extant and extinct tetrapods (especially in mammals).

Other research

  • A study on changes to the regional and global geochemical environment in the aftermath of the Sturtian glaciation is published by Bowyer et al. (2023), who find that the shift to dominant green algal primary production and the first appearance of putative sponges and problematic macrofossils might be related to global stabilization of geochemical environments following the deglaciation, to the expansion of less reducing (and likely more oligotrophic) marine environments, and to the shift from postglacial super-greenhouse conditions to a cooler climate.
  • Evidence from the Cryogenian Nantuo Formation (China), interpreted as indicating that habitable open ocean conditions providing refugia for eukaryotic organisms during the Marinoan glaciation extended into mid-latitude coastal oceans, is presented by Song et al. (2023).
  • Evidence of the impact of tectonic and ecological factors on redox changes in upper ocean, deep shelf and restricted basin settings throughout the Phanerozoic, which in turn were correlated with background extinction rates of marine animals, is presented by Wang et al. (2023).
  • A study on the stratigraphy of the Siberian Platform (Russia), and on its implications for the knowledge of the age of the fossils and timing of first appearances of late Ediacaran and early Cambrian organisms from the Siberian Platform (including anabaritids and cloudinids), is published by Bowyer et al. (2023).
  • A study on the evolution of the Earth's landscape throughouth the Phanerozoic, providing evidence of impact of landscape dynamics on the diversification of both marine life and terrestrial life, is published by Salles et al. (2023).
  • Nelson et al. (2023) present high-precision age constraints for the lower Wood Canyon Formation (Nevada, United States), and interpret their findings as indicating that the base of the Cambrian Period was younger than 533 million years ago, making the early Cambrian animal radiation faster than previously recognized.
  • Nolan et al. (2023) interpret Brooksella alternata as a likely pseudofossil, and the bulk of its characteristics as consistent with concretions.
  • Wellman et al. (2023) present data supporting a Silurian (late Wenlock) age of the "Lower Old Red Sandstone" deposits of the Midland Valley (Scotland, United Kingdom) preserving the fossil material of Pneumodesmus newmani, supporting the interpretation of this myriapod as the oldest known air-breathing land animal.
  • A study on the preservation of chemical information in the fossils from the Devonian Rhynie chert (United Kingdom) is published by Loron et al. (2023), who report that differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes and between eukaryotic tissue types from the Rhynie chert assemblage can be identified based on the fossilization products of lipids, sugar and protein.
  • A study on the geochemistry of the Bakken Formation, interpreted as indicative of stepwise transgressions of toxic euxinic waters into the shallow oceans that drove a series of Late Devonian extinction events, is published by Sahoo et al. (2023).
  • Evidence from mercury concentrations and isotopes from terrestrial sections from the Sydney Basin (Australia) and Karoo Basin (South Africa), interpreted as indicative of global volcanic effects of the Siberian Traps during the Permian-Triassic transition, is presented by Shen et al. (2023).
  • Evidence from concentrations of UV-B–absorbing compounds in the exine of fossil pollen from the Qubu section in southern Tibet (China), interpreted as consistent with increased UV-B radiation during the Permian–Triassic extinction event, is presented by Liu et al. (2023); their conclusions are subsequently contested by Seddon & Zimmermann (2023).
  • Lovelace et al. (2023) present data supporting a Carnian age for the majority of the Popo Agie Formation.
  • Evidence from molybdenum records from cores in Germany and Northern Ireland corresponding to the Tethyan shelf, interpreted as indicative of pulses of localized marine de-oxygenation which were limited largely to marginal marine environments and likely related to shallow-marine extinctions at the end of the Triassic, is presented by Bond et al. (2023).
  • Sedimentologic evidence of glaciers developing in continental Iberia during the Hauterivian is reported from the Enciso Group in the eastern Cameros Basin (Spain) by Rodríguez-López et al. (2023).
  • A study on the Cenomanian–Turonian benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the Western Interior Seaway is published by Bryant & Belanger (2023), who report that the interval of increased density and diversity of benthic foraminifera known as the Benthonic Zone is not a reliable biostratigraphic marker for the onset of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 in the Western Interior Seaway, and that different samples of the Benthonic Zone don't reflect basin-wide changes in oxygenation.
  • Evidence from two sites offshore of southwest Australia, interpreted as indicative of ocean acidification at the onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 which was linked to the onset of volcanic activity, and which persisted for approximately 600,000 years due to biogeochemical feedbacks, is presented by Jones et al. (2023).
  • Evidence from concentrations of sulfur and fluorine in Deccan Traps lavas, interpreted as indicative of recurring eruptive pulses of Deccan Traps volcanism before the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event which might have caused short-lived global drops in temperature, is presented by Callegaro et al. (2023).
  • A study on the history of the Eocene waterbody within the Giraffe Pipe crater (Northwest Territories, Canada), inferred from changes in the fossil record of microorganisms, is published by Siver & Lott (2023), who interpret their findings as indicative of the presence of a series of successive shallow environments, each correlated with changes in lakewater chemistry.
  • Evidence from tooth enamel of specimens of Hippopotamus antiquus from Early Pleistocene sites in Southern and Central Europe (primarily from Upper Valdarno and Vallparadís Section in Italy and Spain, respectively), interpreted as indicative of a progressive increase of environmental seasonality around the Mediterranean Basin during the Early Pleistocene, is presented by Fidalgo et al. (2023).
  • Abbas et al. (2023) report the presence of Late Quaternary wetland sediments at the Wadi Hasa, Gregra and Wadi Gharandal areas in the Jordan desert, and interpret their findings as indicating that during the Marine Isotope Stage 5 the Levant was a well-watered route for human dispersal out of Africa.
  • Essel et al. (2023) report the development of a new method for the gradual release of DNA trapped in ancient bone and tooth artefacts, and use this method to recover ancient human and deer mitochondrial genomes from the Upper Paleolithic deer tooth pendant from Denisova Cave (Russia).
  • Reeves & Sansom (2023) present a new method which can be used to determine the impact of multiple factors (decay, ontogeny and phylogeny) on morphological variation between fossils, and apply this method to fossils of Tethymyxine, Mayomyzon, Priscomyzon, "euphaneropoids" and Palaeospondylus.
  • Wang, Shu & Wang (2023) present a new method for element mapping of the fossils' 3D surface using nondestructive X-ray fluorescence, providing information on degraded material from the soft body parts in the sediments surrounding the studied fossil specimens, and apply this method to a specimen of Keichousaurus hui.
  • Slater et al. (2023) study the impact of thermal maturation on eumelanin and phaeomelanin, develop a predictive model for authentic signals for eumelanin and phaeomelanin in fossil tissues, and use this model to provide molecular evidence of preservation of eumelanin in fossil feathers of Confuciusornis, as well as molecular evidence of preservation of phaeomelanin in the fossil material of the Miocene frog Pelophylax pueyoi.
  • Peters et al. (2023) study collagen survival in bones from Quaternary sites across Australia, providing evidence of preservation of bone collagen dating back more than 50,000 years in the material from Tripot Cave in the subtropical Broken River limestone karst area.
  • Brooke et al. (2023) demonstrate the utility of agent-based modelling for study of the ecologies of past ecosystems, using such a model to determine the drivers of distribution of large ungulates from the Palaeo-Agulhas Plain during the peak of the Last Glacial Maximum.

Paleoclimate

  • A study on the evolution of the monsoon system over the past 250 million years, providing evidence of the impact of continental area, latitudinal location and fragmentation, is published by Hu et al. (2023).
  • Evidence indicating that injection of the silicate dust from the Chicxulub impact into the atmosphere contributed to the global cooling and disruption of photosynthesis that followed is presented by Senel et al. (2023).
  • The Cenozoic CO2 Proxy Integration Project (CenCO2PIP) Consortium reconstructs the Cenozoic history of atmospheric CO2 on the basis of reevaluation of all available proxies.
  • Evidence from seawater osmium isotope data from Pacific Ocean sediments, interpreted as indicating that enhanced magmatism could have played a dominant role in causing the Miocene Climatic Optimum, is presented by Goto et al. (2023).
  • Wen et al. (2023) present a new land surface temperature record from the Chinese Loess Plateau in East Asia, interpreting it as indicative of late Miocene cooling and aridification that occurred synchronously with ocean cooling, highlighting a global climate forcing mechanism.
  • Evidence of periodic deposition of sapropelic mud in Eastern Mediterranean during the Plio-Pleistocene and records of precipitation and vegetation from leaf wax biomarkers from the studied sapropel layers, interpreted as indicative of the impact of orbital cycles on monsoon variability in northeast Africa and on greening of the Sahara which created routes of dispersal out of Africa for hominins, is presented by Lupien et al. (2023).
  • Margari et al. (2023) provide evidence of pronounced climate variability in Europe during a glacial period ~1.154 to ~1.123 million years ago, culminating in extreme glacial cooling, and argue that these conditions led to the depopulation of Europe.

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