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1. Revision of F. R. C. Reed’s Ordovician trilobite types from Myanmar (Burma) and western Yunnan Province, China

   https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5162.4.1  

   FORTEY, RICHARD A.; WERNETTE, SHELLY J.; HUGHES, NIGEL C. (July 2022, Zootaxa)

   The field collections made from Burma (Myanmar) by the Geological Survey of India, and described by F.R.C. Reed more than a century ago, still provide the only ‘ground truthing’ for an important region of the Ordovician marginal terranes fringing Gondwana. A revision of these faunas is overdue, particularly as it is likely that further collections cannot be made in the northern Shan State in the near future. The specimens, stored in the Geological Survey of India collections in Kolkata, cannot be loaned. Sixteen species are fully revised herein; another twelve species are left under open nomenclature because of inadequacies in the material. Several of Reed’s species subsequently became type species of genera that have proved to be widespread: Birmanites Sheng, 1934, Encrinurella Reed, 1915, Neseuretinus Dean, 1967, and Pliomerina Chugaeva, 1956. Reed’s Ordovician trilobite collections came from two main areas: northern Shan State (Myanmar), and westernmost Yunnan (China). The Burmese (Myanmar) collections are from the Upper Ordovician (Katian) while Yunnan specimens are from the Middle Ordovician (Darriwilian), though Upper Ordovician trilobites also occur in the area. Both collections are predominantly from clastic strata. Based on a small new Katian collection from Pupiao, we report Neseuretinus birmanicus (Reed, 1906) in common between the northern part of the Shan State and western Yunnan. A few genera (Dionide Barrande, 1847, Phorocephala Lu, 1957, Lonchodomas Angelin, 1854, Nileus Dalman, 1827) are distributed worldwide, and include pelagic (Phorocephala) or deeper benthic (Dionide) taxa. The palaeogeographic comparisons offered by the other taxa are mostly peri-Gondwanan and extend from southwest China westwards (present geography) as far as the Iberian Pennsula. Birmanites is the type genus of a subfamily (Birmanitinae Kobayashi, 1960, revived herein) widely distributed over Ordovician Gondwana, and absent from Laurentia, Baltica and North China/Siberia. Mioptychopyge Zhou, Dean, Yuan & Zhou, 1998, probably belongs with the same group and is otherwise known from South China. Parillaenus Jaanusson, 1954, is also peripheral Gondwanan, as is Prionocheilus Rouault, 1847. The Reedocalymeninae Kobayashi, 1951 (Neseuretinus, Reedocalymene Kobayashi, 1951) are similarly diagnostic of peri–Gondwanan sites. However, some genera (Pliomerina, Encrinurella, Ovalocephalus Koroleva, 1959) have been associated with other oriental and Australian occurrences in particular, with ‘outliers’ in certain terranes in Kazakhstan, i.e. palaeotropical Gondwana. 

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2. A molecular phylogeny of the circum-Antarctic Opiliones family Neopilionidae

   https://doi.org/10.1071/IS21012  

   Giribet, Gonzalo; Sheridan, Kate; Baker, Caitlin M.; Painting, Christina J.; Holwell, Gregory I.; Sirvid, Phil J.; Hormiga, Gustavo (October 2021, Invertebrate systematics)

   The Opiliones family Neopilionidae is restricted to the terranes of the former temperate Gondwana: South America, Africa, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand. Despite decades of morphological study of this unique fauna, it has been difficult reconciling the classic species of the group (some described over a century ago) with recent cladistic morphological work and previous molecular work. Here we attempted to investigate the pattern and timing of diversification of Neopilionidae by sampling across the distribution range of the family and sequencing three markers commonly used in Sanger-based approaches (18S rRNA, 28S rRNA and cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I). We recovered a well-supported and stable clade including Ballarra (an Australian ballarrine) and the Enantiobuninae from South America, Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand, but excluding Vibone (a ballarrine from South Africa). We further found a division between West and East Gondwana, with the South American Thrasychirus/Thrasychiroides always being sister group to an Australian–Zealandian (i.e. Australia + New Zealand + New Caledonia) clade. Resolution of the Australian–Zealandian taxa was analysis-dependent, but some analyses found Martensopsalis, from New Caledonia, as the sister group to an Australian–New Zealand clade. Likewise, the species from New Zealand formed a clade in some analyses, but Mangatangi often came out as a separate lineage from the remaining species. However, the Australian taxa never constituted a monophyletic group, with Ballarra always segregating from the remaining Australian species, which in turn constituted 1–3 clades, depending on the analysis. Our results identify several generic inconsistencies, including the possibility of Thrasychiroides nested within Thrasychirus, Forsteropsalis being paraphyletic with respect to Pantopsalis, and multiple lineages of Megalopsalis in Australia. In addition, the New Zealand Megalopsalis need generic reassignment: Megalopsalis triascuta will require its own genus and M. turneri is here transferred to Forsteropsalis, as Forsteropsalis turneri (Marples, 1944), comb. nov. 

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3. New Australian deep-sea Goniasteridae (Asteroidea; Valvatacea)

   https://doi.org/10.24199/j.mmv.2025.84.02  

   Mah, Christopher L (February 2025, Memoirs of Museum Victoria)

   The deep-sea benthic fauna of Australia, especially asteroids found in depths greater than 1000 m, are poorly understood. Recent surveys have uncovered additional specimens that further illustrate the biodiversity of this largely understudied area. Two new genera and seven new species of Goniasteridae from deep-sea settings in Australian waters, including the South Pacific and Indian Ocean waters are described. A new genus, Alloceramaster was developed to accommodate not only the newly described species, but also other deep-sea species present in similar habitats from the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans. It addresses taxonomic shortcomings of Ceramaster, which has increasingly been used to accommodate other dissimilar species. Further occurrences of widespread deep-sea species, including Bathyceramaster teres, Litonotaster intermedius, Nymphaster moebi, and Sibogaster nieseni are also reported. 

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4. Satunarcus , a new late Cambrian trilobite genus from southernmost Thailand and a reevaluation of the subfamily Mansuyiinae Hupé, 1955

   https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2020.23  

   Wernette, Shelly J.; Hughes, Nigel C.; Myrow, Paul M.; Sardsud, Apsorn (September 2020, Journal of Paleontology)

   null (Ed.)

   Abstract The Ao Mo Lae Formation of the Tarutao Group crops out on Thailand's Tarutao Island and contains a diverse assemblage of late Furongian trilobite taxa, including several endemic forms. This study presents a new genus and species, Satunarcus molaensis , discovered at two locations on the island. A cladistic analysis of the kaolishaniid subfamily Mansuyiinae in light of Satunarcus and similar genera known from across upper Cambrian equatorial Gondwanan rocks suggests that the subfamily is polyphyletic in its current definition, and thus is not a natural group. Separating Mansuyia Sun, 1924 from the other taxa conventionally placed in Mansuyiinae permits recognition of a previously unrecognized monophyletic subfamily Ceronocarinae new subfamily. As established herein, this kaolishaniid subfamily contains Satunarcus n. gen. and all genera previously recognized as Mansuyiinae. with the exception of Mansuyia itself. Ceronocarinae n. subfam. occur in middle Jiangshanian to middle Cambrian Stage 10 sedimentary rocks from Australia, South China, North China, and Sibumasu, with most genera endemic to Australia. UUID: http://zoobank.org/618c5136-73f0-4912-a7d3-e56559d2a76c 

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5. A new genus and two new species of miniature clingfishes from temperate southern Australia (Teleostei, Gobiesocidae)

   https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.864.34521  

   Conway, Kevin W.; Moore, Glenn I.; Summers, Adam P. (July 2019, ZooKeys)

   A new genus and two new species of miniature clingfishes are described based on specimens collected from dense stands of macroalgae in intertidal and shallow subtidal areas along the coast of southern Australia. The new genus, Barryichthys , is distinguished from other genera of the Gobiesocidae by unique features of the adhesive disc, including elongate papillae in adhesive disc regions A and B, the reduction and/or loss of several elements of the cephalic lateral line canals, the lower gill arch skeleton, and the neurocranium, and by having two distinct types of pectoral-fin rays. Barryichthyshutchinsi is described based on 19 specimens (12.4–18.7 mm SL) from Western Australia and South Australia. Barryichthysalgicola is described based on 22 specimens (9.0–21.0 mm SL) from Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania. The new species are distinguished from each other by characters of body and head shape, vertebral counts, and aspects of live colour pattern. The new genus shares several characters in common with Parvicrepis , another genus of miniature gobiesocids from southern Australia that also inhabits macroalgae habitats. The many reductions and novel characters of Barryichthys are discussed within the context of miniaturisation. 

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