Danielopolina kornickeri sp n. (Ostracoda, Thaumatocypridoidea) from a western Australian anchialine cave: morphology and evolution

Danielopolina kornickeri sp. n. is described from an anchialine cave in Wes tern Australia. This is the first Danielopolina species occurring outside o f the Western Hemisphere (Atlantic and Eastern Pacific Oceans and Islands). A cladistic analysis indicates that this species is a primitive taxon of t he anchialine cavernicolous clade; the deep-sea dwelling species Danielopol ina carolynae appears more primitive and does not cluster with the other Da nielopolina species. The ecological environment of D. kornickeri is describ ed. Detailed discussions consider: (1) the shell ornamentation and its rele vance to the phylogeny of the Thaumatocyprididae; (2) the antero-dorsal nod e of the Permian Thaumatomma (hypothesized here to be an ocular lens which regressed in the post-Palaeozoic thaumatocypridids); (3) the distal chaetot axy of the antennae (hypothesized to perform the chemosensorial function kn own in the aesthetascs of other myodocopids or podocopids); (4) palaeobioge ographical arguments for a shallow marine origin of cavernicolous species D anielopolina.