A nesw Ophiceratid genus and species Durvilleoceras woodmani is described from the late Middle Permian Greville Formation of New Zealand, with Episageceras aff noetlingi Haniel. The horizon is close in age to the Kathwai dolomite of the Salt Range, which also has a mid-Permian Ophiceratid species, Ophiceras connectens Schindewolf. The occurrence of these two species shows that the Ophiceratidae cannot serve as an index of early Triassic rocks. The so-called basal Triassic Griesbachian Stage may prove to be closely linked to the Permian period. The key Griesbachian ammonoid genus Otoceras is related to Permian genera, with no later survivors. Moreover the widespread occurrence of Permian-type Productacea and other brachiopods in beds of the Griesbachian Stage in North America and Himalayas also suggests that the Griesbachian is Permian rather than Triassic. To judge from faunas, the start of the Triassic could be based on the incoming of numerous ammonoid families and Triassic brachiopods in the Smithian Stage. The intervening Dienerian Stage between the Griesbachian and Smithian stages is relatively barren of faunas, reflecting some sort of catastrophe at the end of the Paleozoic Era, but has mainly Permian survivors. Such a picture of the Paleozoic–Mesozoic boundary conforms with the intention if not the practice of early paleontologists.

Potassium–argon age studies on the central intrusion complexes of Ardnamurchan, Western Scotland, indicate that they were emplaced at a time between 59 and 61 Ma ago. The time period associated with the cooling was probably less than of the order of a million years. The temporal setting of the Ardnamurchan complexes in the context of the other British Tertiary igneous centres is examined in the light of the new data.

The Beinn an Dubhaich granite has previously been interpreted as a boss, and as a sheet intrusion. The present paper suggests that the structure of the granite is more complex than either of these interpretations implies, and the form is probably that of a shallow funnel intrusion.

Field relations of Carboniferous lavas in Limerick indicate that flow took place in shallow water in many cases. A possible flow mechanism is proposed for these lavas. Brecciation of the flows took place after emplacement due to steam release from underlying limestones, which frequently became thixotropic and injected upwards into the denser lava.

The northern part of the Guiana Shield consists of large tracts of basic and intermediate volcanic rocks and sediments which are thought to have formed under geosynclinal conditions. During the 2000 m.y. Trans-Amazonian Orogeny these rocks were subjected to tectonism and metamorphism resulting in a broad belt of green schist facies with local and isolated patches of high grade metamorphic rocks and gneiss complexes. In the early stages of orogeny during which folding and probable block faulting of the sediments and volcanics took place, these rocks were intruded by basic and ultra-basic rocks giving rise to metagabbro-amphibolite-peridotite associations, commonly in the areas of subsequent high-grade metamorphism. In an attempt to account for the frequent supply of basic magma during and after the orogeny it is postulated that mantle peridotites rose diapir-like below the sinking geosyncline, and by partial melting not only provided basic magmas but also thermal energy which spread upwards to metamorphose the already tectonized crustal rocks; recent gravity measurements indicate an upwarped ‘sima’ under the Bartica Assemblage gneiss complex.