The first occurrence of the fossil-genus Phyllotheca (Equisetales) from the Carboniferous of Portugal is documented and its palaeobiogeographical, systematic and evolutionary significance is assessed. In this paper, we described this new equisetalean fossil as new species, Phyllotheca douroensis sp. nov., found in the Douro Carboniferous Basin (lower Stephanian C/lower Gzhelian, Upper Pennsylvanian), in northwestern Portugal. P. douroensis sp. nov. represents a convergent form of Phyllothecaceae sensu lato (comprises the Angaran Tchernoviaceae and the Gondwanan Gondwanostachyaceae) with closer affinities to Euramerican floral province.

An isolated but moderately well-preserved theropod track from the coal-bearing strata of the Zhangjiakou City region of Hebei Province was reported to have originated from the Xiahuayuan Formation, which is considered Middle Jurassic in age. Although the track has a wide divarication angle and length-width ratio reminiscent of Cretaceous tracks like Magnoavipes, it would be speculative to apply this Identification based on a single track. Therefore, it is considered most likely to be a preservational variant of Kayentapus, in which the heel trace is lacking. Kayentapus is widely known from the Lower Jurassic of China. This is the first report of a track or any vertebrate fossil from the Middle Jurassic of this region of Hebei Province, China.

The author learned first-hand about the surface stratigraphy and geology of Qatar by dedicating most of his weekends at conducting field works and public guided field tours from 2007 to 2020 while employed by Qatar Petroleum (now QatarEnergy). Here, he summarizes his knowledge of the surface geology of Qatar in a 3-Day field trip designed to provide the participants a hands-on overview of the stratigraphy of the country. The field trip is based on his publication (LeBlanc, 2021) which is an integral part of this geological tour (the participants are referred to it on several occasions) and his other geological publications on Qatar referenced herein (LeBlanc, 2008, 2009, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2019). During this 3-day field trip, outcrops of the Lower Eocene Rus Formation, Middle Eocene Dammam Formation, Lower Miocene Dam Formation, Mio-Pliocene Hofuf Formation, as well as Pleistocene and Holocene deposits will be visited. The fieldtrip’s aim is to help the participants at recognizing the various formations and their members, as well as the most obvious features (faults, folds, dissolution, mineralization, fossils, etc..) that characterize them.