Abstract The Middle–Late Pennsylvanian Subperiod was marked by recurrent glacial–interglacial cycles superimposed on a longer-term trend of increasing aridity. Wetland and drought-tolerant floras responded with repeated migrations in the tropics, and a major plant turnover occurred in swamp ecosystems in parts of Euramerica near the Middle–Late Pennsylvanian boundary. However, the corresponding ecological and evolutionary responses of insects and other terrestrial arthropods are poorly understood. Here, we review the record of plant–arthropod interactions and analyse origination and extinction rates of insects during the Middle–Late Pennsylvanian. Although preliminary, plant–arthropod associations broadly persist through the Middle–Late Pennsylvanian boundary, and new damage types and host-plant associations first appear in the Late Pennsylvanian, possibly related to increased availability of accessible vascular and foliar tissues associated with the shift from arborescent lycopsid to tree and seed fern dominance in Euramerican wetlands. Likewise, our analysis of the insect body fossil record does not suggest especially high rates of origination or extinction during this interval. Together, these results suggest that insects did not suffer major extinctions during the Middle–Late Pennsylvanian, despite short- and long-term changes in climate and environmental conditions.

Abstract Spores from coprophilous fungi are some of the most widely used non-pollen palynomorphs. Over the last decades, these spores have become increasingly important as a proxy to study the Pleistocene and Holocene megafauna. Although the number of types used in palaeoecology is relatively small, there is a wide range of coprophilous fungal taxa whose utility in palaeoenvironmental reconstruction remains under-researched. However, environmental and taphonomic factors influencing preservation and recovery of these spores are still poorly understood. Furthermore, our understanding of whether and how spores are transported across the landscape is limited. Dung fungal spore presence appears to correlate well with megaherbivore presence. However, depending on the site, some limitations can remain to quantitative reconstructions of megaherbivore abundance from dung fungal spore records. The presence of dung fungal spores is often more significant than their absence and variation in abundance with time should be interpreted with caution. Correlation with other proxies may provide a promising way forward. The majority of studies using dung fungal spores as an indicator for large herbivore abundance are of records of Late Pleistocene and Holocene age, with a focus on Late Quaternary megafaunal extinction. However, more research could potentially extend records further back in time.