A brief review of the stony coral (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Scleractinia) papers published by Zootaxa in its first 20 years.

In the 20 year history of Zootaxa, thirty-two papers have been published having Scleractinia as its primary focus. Twenty-four of the 32 scleractinian papers deal with Recent taxa, most of which belonging to shallow-water, reef corals. The 8 publications dealing with fossil Scleractinia include 3 monographic works, three papers discussing nomenclatural issues of individual taxa, and 2 papers deal with various aspects of select genera.

Upper Barremian-lower Aptian scleractinian corals of central Europe (Schrattenkalk Fm., Helvetic Zone, Austria, Germany, Switzerland).

From the Schrattenkalk Formation (upper Barremian-lower Aptian) of southern Germany, western Austria, and Switzerland, new coral material is taxonomically described, belonging to 56 species from 35 genera of 21 families: Actinastrea pseudominima (Koby); A. subornata (d'Orbigny); Paretallonia bendukidzeae Sikharulidze; Eugyra (Felixigyra) crassa (de Fromentel) (new combination); E. (F.

Scleractinian corals from the upper Berriasian of central Europe and comparison with contemporaneous coral assemblages.

Scleractinian coral faunas from the upper Berriasian part of the Oehrli Formation of western Austria (Vorarlberg) and eastern Switzerland (Canton of Appenzell) are taxonomically described for the first time. Furthermore, scleractinian corals of the upper Berriasian part of the Oehrli Formation of the Swiss Cantons of Nidwalden and Uri are revised based on the study of type material. Lectotypes are designated for the species Dimorphocoeniopsis alpina (Koby, 1896) and Pleurophyllia tobleri (Koby, 1896).

New taxonomic, stratigraphic, and geographic information on the genus Faksephyllia Floris, 1972 (Scleractinia; Caryophylliidae); first records from the Oligocene of Austria, Germany, and Italy.

The scleractinian genus Faksephyllia Floris, 1972, is revised based on the study of original and topotypic material as well as original descriptions. Representatives of this genus have been reported from only a small number of lower Paleogene localities, including the Danian of Azerbaijan, Denmark (Greenland), Kazakhstan, and Sweden, as well as the Paleocene of Austria and Denmark (Fakse). New material belonging to the type species of Faksephyllia (F.

Paraclausastrea vorarlbergensis sp. nov.; a new coral from the Lower Cretaceous of western Austria (Scleractinia; upper Barremian-lower Aptian; Schrattenkalk Fm.; Vorarlberg).

The new taxon Paraclausastrea vorarlbergensis sp. nov. is described from the upper Barremian-lower Aptian (Schrattenkalk Fm.

Evolutionary diversification of reef corals: a comparison of the molecular and fossil records.

Understanding historical patterns of diversity dynamics is of paramount importance for many evolutionary questions. The fossil record has long been the only source of information on patterns of diversification, but the molecular record, derived from time-calibrated phylogenies, is becoming an important additional resource. Both fossil and molecular approaches have shortcomings and biases.