Recent  

Ingensala xiai gen. et sp. nov. is described based on a specimen from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. The new genus can be definitely attributed to Inoderbidae mainly based on its head structure, pronotum, and mesonotum without median and lateral carinae, but it differs from the type genus to a large extent and two new subfamilies are established for these two genera respectively. The similarities between Ingensala, Qiyangiricaniidae, Weiwoboidae, and Tropiduchidae are discussed.

We described the first xiphydriid wood wasp fossil, which extends the occurrence of Xiphydriidae into the mid-Cretaceous and adds to the known diversity of features in the family. In addition, the simplification of the wing venation and hypothesized host-plant affiliations of early xiphydriids are discussed based on the pollen of Cycadales preserved with the wasp.

The agglutinated foraminiferal fauna in carbonate rocks from the mid-Cretaceous of Lower Saxony is documented and applied to reconstruct former paleoenvironmental conditions. Especially, sea level fluctuations are possible to reconstruct from changes in the foraminiferal record. Differences of the foraminiferal assemblages in different locations, closer or further away from the former coast, are discussed. Described bio-events of the time interval are linked to foraminiferal bio-events.

Here we describe two new genera of fossil sawfly belonging to the Xyelidae. The fossil record of the family during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic is analyzed, supporting the hypothesis that the Eocene biomes shape the current distribution of the Xyelidae. These discoveries were made possible thanks to the study of old specimens housed in institutional collections or donated by an American citizen.

Several British specimens corresponding to shells of small pleurosternid turtles (Lower Cretaceous) are analysed in detail here. Due to the scarce knowledge available to date about these specimens, their taxonomic status was doubtful. A detailed study through qualitative and quantitative approaches is performed. The results provide evidence of a significant range of shape variability because of the ontogeny. Thus, their attribution to juvenile individuals of Pleurosternon bullockii is justified.

Although the Mesozoic Era played an important role in the evolution and diversification of Elateridae, the Cretaceous click-beetle fauna remains very poorly known. Here we describe Cretopachyderes burmitinus gen. et sp. nov. based on a single specimen from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. This species is remarkable for its extremely long posterior angles of pronotum, which is a unique character among fossil Elateridae.