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[Paleontology • 2011] Delapparentia turolensis • A New Iguanodontoid Dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Galve, Spain

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Delapparentia turolensis  Ruiz-Omeñaca, 2011


ABSTRACT
An ornithopod dinosaur postcranial skeleton from the Early Cretaceous of Galve (Teruel province, Spain), assigned to Iguanodon bernissartensis by the French paleontologist Albert de Lapparent in 1960, is redescribed. It comes from La Maca 3 locality, early Barremian in age (Camarillas Formation) and it is made of several cervical vertebrae, fragmentary remains of the dorsal and sacral series, several caudal vertebrae, fragments of cervical, dorsal and sternal ribs, fragments of chevrons and ossified tendons, and an incomplete left hip. It has been identified as an «iguanodontid» (i.e., a non-hadrosaurid iguanodontoid) by the presence of a deep prepubic blade and the absence of antitrochanter on ilium. The skeleton represents a new iguanodontoid taxon,Delapparentia turolensis nov. gen et sp., characterized by the following autapomorphies: 1) posterior dorsal ribs with long, parallel and unfused capitulum and tuberculum, 2) ossified sternal ribs, and 3) straight and lateromedially expanded preacetabular process of ilium (convergent in Zalmoxes). It also presents a combination of anterior dorsal ribs with a pneumatic foramen, and a ischium of big size in relation to ilium.

Key words: Dinosauria, Iguanodontoidea, postcranial skeleton, lower Barremian, Teruel province, Lapparent



J.I. Ruiz-Omeñaca. 2011. Delapparentia turolensis nov. gen et sp., un nuevo dinosaurio iguanodontoideo (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) en el Cretácico Inferior de Galve. Delapparentia turolensis nov. gen et sp., A New Iguanodontoid Dinosaur (Ornithischia: Ornithopoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Galve (Spain). Estudios Geológicos. 67(1); 83-110. doi: 10.3989/egeol.40276.124

[Crustacea • 2015] Taxonomy of The Semiterrestrial Crab Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) (Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), with Descriptions of Five New Species from Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo

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Fig. 13. Live colours of three Lepidothelphusa species from Kuching Division, southwestern Sarawak.
A, B, Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903), male (12.0 × 10.2 mm) (SBC.C.00382–90), Batu Panggah Trail, Gunung Penrissen, Sarawak; C, D, Lepidothelphusa flavochela, new species, paratype male (8.5 × 7.5 mm) (SBC.C.00392–401), Pagar Besi, Kampung Gumbang, Bau, Sarawak; E, F, Lepidothelphusa limau, new species, paratype male (10.5 × 9.7 mm) (SBC.C.00402–05), Kampung Peros, Bau, Sarawak.
J. Grinang and P. K. L. Ng. 2015. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 63

Abstract
 The taxonomy of the semiterrestrial gecarcinucid crab Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) from Borneo is revised. The identity of Lepidothelphusa cognettii s. str. is clarified and five new speciesLepidothelphusa flavochelaLlimauLloiLpadawan and Lsangon, are described from southwestern Sarawak, Malaysia. The species are characterised by their diagnostic live colours, structures of their carapaces, chelae, male abdomens and male first gonopods. They also occupy geographically discrete ranges, sometimes with different habitats.

Key words: Decapoda, Gecarcinucidae, Lepidothelphusa, taxonomy, revision, mudstone, sandstone, Sarawak


TAXONOMY
Family Gecarcinucidae Rathbun, 1904

Lepidothelphusa Colosi, 1920
Parathelpusa (Lepidothelphusa) Colosi, 1920: 24.
Para-Lepidothelphusa cognetii – Balss, 1937: 174.
Lepidothelphusa – Bott, 1970: 55.

Type species. Potamon (Geotelphusacognettii Nobili, 1903; by original designation; gender of genus feminine.

Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) 
Potamon (Geotelphusacognettii Nobili, 1903: 15.
Potamon (Geotelphusacognettii – Rathbun, 1905: 214.
Parathelpusa (Lepidothelphusacognettii – Colosi, 1920: 24 (part).
Para-Lepidothelphusa cognetii (sic) – Balss, 1937: 174 (list).
Lepidothelphusa cognettii – Bott, 1970: 55 (part); Ng & Grinang, 2004: 309 (part).
Lepidothelphusa cognetti (sic) – Ng, 2004: 319 (part); Ng & Yeo, 2007: 108 (part); Ng et al., 2008: 67; Cumberlidge et al., 2009: appendix 1 (part).

Habitat. The habitat of the species is moist rock crevices and leaf litter in shaded springs. The habitat is a primary dipterocarp forest with sandstone substrate and the elevation ranges from 200 m to 1200 m above sea level. The habitat appears to be highly localised. Of the known Lepidothelphusa species, L. cognettii s. str., is the only one known from such high altitudes.


Lepidothelphusa flavochela, new species

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin “flavo” combined with chela, alluding to the entire yellowish chela. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Habitat. The habitat is similar to that of L. cognettii s. str. except that it is less than 200 m above sea level.


Lepidothelphusa limau, new species 
Parathelpusa (Lepidothelphusa) cognettii – Colosi, 1920: 24 (part). (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903)
Lepidothelphusa cognettii – Bott, 1970: 55 (part), pl. 7 figs. 69–72, pl. 27 fig. 31; Ng & Grinang, 2004: 309 (part); Ng et al., 2008: 67 (part), 68, fig. 55; Klaus et al., 2009: 513, 521. (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903)
Lepidothelphusa cognetti – Ng, 2004: 319 (part); Ng & Yeo, 2007: 108 (part); Ng et al., 2008: 67; Cumberlidge et al., 2009: appendix 1 (part). (not Potamon (Geotelphusa) cognettii Nobili, 1903)

Etymology. The name is derived from the Iban word “limau” for a plant species popularly called calamansi, Citrofortunella microcarpa (Bunge, 1833), alluding to the yellowish carapace that similar to a ripe fruit of the plant species. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Habitat. The habitat is relatively flat primary dipterocarp forest and is less than 200 m above sea level. The substrate is moist and consists of sandstone, moist sand with leaf litter.

Fig. 14. Live colours of three Lepidothelphusa species from Kuching Division, southwestern Sarawak.
A, B, Lepidothelphusa loi, holotype male (10.3 × 9.6 mm) (ZRC 2015.0607), Gunung Ampungan, Sadong River Basin, Serian, Sarawak; C, D, Lepidothelphusa padawan, new species, paratype male (15.8 × 13.2 mm) (SBC.C.00440–4), Bung Brungu, Padawan, Sarawak; E, F, Lepidothelphusa sangon, new species, paratype male (8.0 × 7.0 mm) (SBC.C.00476), Nawang Waterfall, Bung Bratak, Bau, Sarawak.
J. Grinang and P. K. L. Ng. 2015. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 63

 Lepidothelphusa loi, new species

Etymology. The name is after Michael Lo in recognition of his kind help in helping us search for these interesting animals.

Habitat. The habitat is a gentle slope, with the substrate composed of moist mud and sand, with leaf litter. The site is shaded, has a spring, and is part of a disturbed dipterocarp forest. The base substrate is sandstone, and the site is more than 500 m above sea level.


Lepidothelphusa padawan, new species

Etymology. The species is named after Padawan, the area where it was collected. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Habitat. The habitat is moist rocks and leaf litter, in partially open or shaded forest springs. The area is old primary dipterocarp forest with a mudstone substrate, and elevation is between 100 to 300 m above sea level.


Lepidothelphusa sangon, new species

Etymology. The name is derived from the Bidayuh word “sangon” for beautiful, alluding to the striking colour of the crab. The name is used as a noun in apposition.

Habitat. The habitat is moist rocks and leaf litter, in partially exposed or shaded, small streams in old primary dipterocarp forests. The substrate is mudstone and the site is less than 200 m above sea level.


Fig. 15. Live colours ofLepidothelphusa padawan, new species, paratypes (ZRC 2015.0609), showing variation.
A, male (ca. 11.0 mm carapace width); B, male (ca. 11.0 mm carapace width); C, male (ca. 12.0 mm carapace width); D, male (ca. 12.0 mm carapace width); E, male (ca. 12.0 mm carapace width); F, female (ca. 9.0 mm carapace width). Kampung Sentah, Padawan, Sarawak

Jongkar Grinang and Peter K. L. Ng. 2015. Taxonomy of The Semiterrestrial Crab Lepidothelphusa cognettii (Nobili, 1903) (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura: Gecarcinucidae), with Descriptions of Five New Species from Sarawak, Malaysia, Borneo. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 63: 564–582.



[Herpetology • 2015] Oligodon arenarius • A New Species of the Genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae) from Coastal Southern Vietnam

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Oligodon arenarius  Vassilieva, 2015  

Abstract
A new species of the genus Oligodon from the coastal area of Binh Chau–Phuoc Buu Nature Reserve, Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province, southern Vietnam, is described. Oligodon arenarius sp. nov. is distinguishable from all other species by the unique combination of the following characters: medium size; 17 dorsal scale rows; 6–8 maxillary teeth, the posterior three being enlarged; head scalation lacking a loreal but usually including a presubocular; divided nasal; two postoculars; 131–144 ventrals; 36–60 subcaudals; unforked hemipenis, without spines or obvious papillae; sexual dimorphism displayed in the number of subcaudals (36–40 in females, 58–60 in males) and a relative tail length, tails being quite long in males (TaL/TL = 0.26–0.28) and moderate in females (TaL/TL = 0.13–0.17); head coloration pattern including ocular band, temporal bands and chevron-shaped mark on nape; dorsal coloration without distinct pattern, uniform or with dark speckling; ventrals pinkish in life, immaculate. To date, this species appear to be endemic to Vietnam.

Keywords: Reptilia, Oligodon arenarius sp. nov., Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province, southern Indochina, taxonomy, sexual dimorphism, natural history




Etymology. The new species name is an adjective in the nominative case, masculine gender, derived from the Latin word "arena" meaning "sand", "sandy land". The name is intended to reflect the evident preference by the new species for sandy coastal habitats and the snake's remarkable ability to plunge into the sand and move under it. 


Vassilieva, Anna B. 2015. A New Species of the Genus Oligodon Fitzinger, 1826 (Squamata: Colubridae) from Coastal Southern Vietnam. Zootaxa. 4058(2): 211–226.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4058.2.4

[Herpetology • 2015] Cyrtodactylus soudthichaki • A New Species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Limestone Forest of Khammouane Province, central Laos

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Cyrtodactylus soudthichaki 
Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Bonkowski & Ziegler, 2015

Abstract

We describe a new species of the genus Cyrtodactylus on the basis of three specimens from Khammouane Province, Laos. Cyrtodactylus soudthichaki sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining congeners by the combination of the following characters: adult SVL 69.2–70.0 mm; dorsal head and neck with dark blotches; nuchal loop present; dorsum with five brown bands between limb insertions; 19 or 20 irregular rows of dorsal tubercles; 32 or 33 ventral scale rows; ventrolateral folds present, with distinct tubercles; dorsal surface of hind limbs with tubercles; 29 precloacal and femoral pores in a continuous row in males, precloacal pores absent in the female; enlarged femoral and precloacal scales present; 4 or 5 postcloacal tubercles; and subcaudals transversely enlarged. The new species most closely resembles Cyrtodactylus jaegeri and Cyrtodactylus roesleri in overall coloration and pattern. However, they can be clearly distinguished from each other in the number of dorsal tubercle rows, ventral scales, and femoral and precloacal pores. Cyrtodactylus soudthichaki is the 16th species of Cyrtodactylus known from Laos.

Keywords: Cyrtodactylus soudthichaki sp. nov., central Laos, morphology, taxonomy, Reptilia




Luu, Vinh Q., Thomas Calame, Truong Q. Nguyen, Michael Bonkowski & Thomas Ziegler. 2015. A new species of Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the limestone forest of Khammouane Province, central Laos.
 Zootaxa. 4058(3): 388–402.  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4058.3.6


[Herpetology • 2015] Description and Phylogeny of Three New Species of Synophis (Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from the tropical Andes in Ecuador and Peru; Synophis bogerti, S. zamora & S. insulomontanus

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Figure 5. Four species of Synophis from Ecuador and Peru:
  
 Synophis calamitus (QCAZ 11931, upper left); Sbogerti sp. n. (QCAZ 13586, upper right); Szamora sp. n. (QCAZ 13854, lower left); Sinsulomontanus sp. n. (CORBIDI 13940, lower right). 
Photographs by Diego Quirola, Omar Torres-Carvajal and Germán Chávez. 
  
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.546.6533 
Abstract

The discovery of three new species of Synophis snakes from the eastern slopes of the tropical Andes in Ecuador and Peru is reported. All previous records of S. bicolor from eastern Ecuador correspond to S. bogerti sp. n., which occurs between 1000–1750 m along a large part of the Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes. In contrast, Synophis zamora sp. n. is restricted to southeastern Ecuador, including Cordillera del Cóndor, between 1543–1843 m. Synophis insulomontanus sp. n. is from the eastern slopes of the Andes in central and northern Peru, between 1122–1798 m, and represents the first record of Synophis from this country. All three new species share in common a large lateral spine at the base of the hemipenial body. A molecular phylogenetic tree based on three mitochondrial genes is presented, including samples of Diaphorolepis wagneri. Our tree strongly supports Synophis and Diaphorolepis as sister taxa, as well as monophyly of the three new species described here and S. calamitus. Inclusion of Synophis and Diaphorolepis within Dipsadinae as sister to a clade containing Imantodes, Dipsas, Ninia, Hypsiglena and Pseudoleptodeira is also supported.

Keywords: Andes, Dipsadinae, Ecuador, new species, Peru, snakes, Synophis, systematics


Figure 5. Four species of Synophis from Ecuador and Peru:   Synophis calamitus (QCAZ 11931, upper left); Sbogerti sp. n. (QCAZ 13586, upper right); Szamora sp. n. (QCAZ 13854, lower left); Sinsulomontanus sp. n. (CORBIDI 13940, lower right). 
Photographs by Diego Quirola, Omar Torres-Carvajal and Germán Chávez.    DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.546.6533


Omar Torres-Carvajal, Lourdes Echevarría, Pablo Javier Venegas, Germán Chávez and Jeffrey Camper. 2015. Description and Phylogeny of Three New Species of Synophis (Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from the tropical Andes in Ecuador and Peru.
ZooKeys. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.546.6533


Resumen
Se reporta el descubrimiento de tres especies nuevas de serpientes Synophis de las estribaciones orientales de los Andes tropicales en Ecuador y Perú. Todos los registros previos de S. bogerti del oriente ecuatoriano corresponden a S. bogerti sp. n., la cual ocurre entre 1000–1750 m a lo largo de gran parte de las estribaciones amazónicas de los Andes ecuatorianos. En contraste, Synophis zamora sp. n. se restringe al suroriente de Ecuador, incluyendo la Cordillera del Cóndor, entre 1543–1843 m. Synophis insulomontanus sp. n. es de las estribaciones orientales de los Andes del centro y norte del Perú, entre 1122–1798 m, y representa el primer registro de Synophis para este país. Todas las tres especies nuevas comparten en común una espina lateral larga en la base del cuerpo del hemipene. Un árbol molecular filogenético, basado en tres genes mitocondriales es presentado, incluyendo muestras de Diaphorolepis wagneri. Nuestro árbol apoya fuertemente a Synophis y Diaphorolepis como taxa hermanos, así como la monofilia de las tres especies descritas y de S. calamitus. La inclusión de Synophis y Diaphorolepis dentro de Dipsadinae, como hermanas a un clado que contiene a Imantodes, Dipsas, Ninia, Hypsiglena y Pseudoleptodeira también es apoyada.

Three new fishing snake species fished out of the Andean slopes in South...
http://bit.ly/1TNh0DB via @Pensoft @EurekAlertAAAS

[Herpetology • 2015] Clinotarsus penelope | กบเขาสูง • When Young are More Conspicuous than Adults: A New Ranid Species (Anura: Ranidae) from Thailand revealed by its Tadpole

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กบเขาสูง | Hill Frog | Clinotarsus penelope
Grosjean, Bordoloi, Chuaynkern, Chakravarty & Ohler, 2015
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4058.4.2
photo: C. Deekrachang | siamensis.org

Abstract

Tadpoles of Clinotarsusalticola collected nearby the type locality in Assam, India are barcoded and described. A detailed morphological and morphometrical description of the specimens, along with a study of the anatomy of the buccal cavity are provided. A comparison of these tadpoles with “Clinotarsus alticola” tadpoles from peninsular Thailand and of the genetic variation of a fragment of their mtDNA 16S gene led us to assign the population of peninsular Thailand to a new species, Clinotarsus penelope sp. n. The holotype of the new species is chosen among the tadpole series as no adult could be found in the type locality. Presumed conspecific adults of nearby localities are morphologically described and compared to barcoded adults of Clinotarsus alticola, waiting for further molecular confirmation. The tadpole of the new species differs from that of C. alticola by a much greater size at comparative stages (e.g., 77.7 mm vs. 53.3 mm in stage 36, respectively), a black coloration (vs. a yellow-olive tinge), several ocelli on the tail muscle (vs. only one), a rounded snout (vs. a more pointed snout) and a different Keratodont Row Formula (KRF; nine keratodonts rows maximum on both labia in C. penelope vs. eight maximum in C. alticola). A discussion about the choice of the holotype, the assignment of adult specimens and the future confirmation of this assignment are provided, as well as a comparison with older descriptions of “Clinotarsusalticola” sensu lato tadpoles and with Clinotarsus curtipes tadpoles from Karnataka, India. The lectotype of Clinotarsus alticola is redescribed.

Keywords: Clinotarsus alticola, Ranidae, tadpole, holotype, India, Thailand, Amphibia


Distribution limited to the tadpole data (Fig. 10). Thailand: Namtok Raman Forest Park, Phang Nga Province (type locality). Localities of referred specimens: Kaeng Krachon National Park, Phetchaburi Province; Khao Sok National Park, Surat Thani Province; Khlong Palian at junction of streams arising from Nam Tok Ton Tok and Nam Tok Ton Te,Trang Province, Khlong Rang Waterfall, Ngao National  Park,  Pha  To,  Chumphon  Province. Smith (1930) mentioned the  presence  of  “Rana  alticola”  in  the  province of Nakhon Si Thammarat which fills a gap between the provinces of Surat Thani and of Trang.

Etymology. This species is dedicated to the daughter of the first author, Pénélope. The nomen is used as a noun in apposition to generic substantive.


Grosjean, Stéphane, Sabitry Bordoloi, Yodchaiy Chuaynkern, Paramita Chakravarty and Annemarie Ohler. 2015. When Young are More Conspicuous than Adults: A New Ranid Species (Anura: Ranidae) revealed by its Tadpole. Zootaxa. 4058(4): 471–498. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4058.4.2

[PaleoOrnithology • 2015] Fumicollis hoffmani • Identification of A New Hesperornithiform from the Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk and Implications for Ecologic Diversity among Early Diving Birds

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Fumicollis hoffmani
 Bell & Chiappe. 2015
DOI: 
10.1371/journal.pone.0141690

Abstract

The Smoky Hill Member of the Niobrara Chalk in Kansas (USA) has yielded the remains of numerous members of the Hesperornithiformes, toothed diving birds from the late Early to Late Cretaceous. This study presents a new taxon of hesperornithiform from the Smoky Hill Member, Fumicollis hoffmani, the holotype of which is among the more complete hesperornithiform skeletons. Fumicollis has a unique combination of primitive (e.g. proximal and distal ends of femur not expanded, elongate pre-acetabular ilium, small and pyramidal patella) and derived (e.g. dorsal ridge on metatarsal IV, plantarly-projected curve in the distal shaft of phalanx III:1) hesperornithiform characters, suggesting it was more specialized than small hesperornithiforms like Baptornis advenus but not as highly derived as the larger Hesperornis regalis. The identification of Fumicollis highlights once again the significant diversity of hesperornithiforms that existed in the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. This diversity points to the existence of a complex ecosystem, perhaps with a high degree of niche partitioning, as indicated by the varying degrees of diving specializations among these birds.

Systematic Paleontology

Aves Linnaeus 1758
Ornithuromorpha Chiappe 2002
Ornithurae Haeckel 1866

Hesperornithiformes Fürbringer 1888

Fumicollis hoffmani gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:81992545-5F0F-4ED4-BEE4-9825ACCDE769
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:D8E670C5-1E02-4308-B34B-B3E1F43AABF3

Etymology: The genus name Fumicollis is from the Latin fumi (smoke) and collis (hill), in reference to the Smoky Hill Member of the Niobrara Chalk in which the specimen was discovered. The species name hoffmani is in recognition of Karen and Jim Hoffman, whose generous support has greatly enhanced the programs of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, including research at the Dinosaur Institute.





Conclusions

UNSM 20030 provides us with a novel hesperornithiform, Fumicollis hoffmani, that is morphologically transitional between the smaller, more primitive Baptornis advenus and the larger, more derived Hesperornis regalis and Parahesperornis alexi. Phylogenetic analysis of F. hoffmani and other hesperornithiforms has supported an intermediate placement of F. hoffmani between B. advenus and H. regalis and P. alexi, highlighting the significance of this well-preserved specimen in furthering our understanding of the evolution of diving specializations in a group of Late Cretaceous birds. The identification of Fumicollis hoffmani, a new taxon displaying a complex mosaic of anatomical traits present in other hesperornithiforms, further illustrates the taxonomic diversity reached by these Late Cretaceous birds. Given the overlap in geologic time and space among some hesperornithiforms, including Fumicollis hoffmani, physical distinctions may have played a role in niche partitioning within the Late Cretaceous diving birds of the Western Interior Seaway of Kansas.


Alyssa Bell and Luis M. Chiappe. 2015. Identification of A New Hesperornithiform from the Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk and Implications for Ecologic Diversity among Early Diving Birds.  PLoS ONE.  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0141690


[Herpetology • 2015] Genetics, Morphology, Advertisement Calls, and Historical Records Distinguish Six New Polyploid Species of African Clawed Frog (Xenopus, Pipidae) from West and Central Africa

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Fig 7. Pictures of resurrected and new species in life; Xenopus calcaratusXparafraseriXmellotropicalisX. eysooleX. allofraseriX. kobeli and  X. fischbergi

Abstract

African clawed frogs, genus Xenopus, are extraordinary among vertebrates in the diversity of their polyploid species and the high number of independent polyploidization events that occurred during their diversification. Here we update current understanding of the evolutionary history of this group and describe six new species from west and central sub-Saharan Africa, including four tetraploids and two dodecaploids. We provide information on molecular variation, morphology, karyotypes, vocalizations, and estimated geographic ranges, which support the distinctiveness of these new species. We resurrect Xenopus calcaratus from synonymy of Xenopus tropicalis and refer populations from Bioko Island and coastal Cameroon (near Mt. Cameroon) to this species. To facilitate comparisons to the new species, we also provide comments on the type specimens, morphology, and distributions of X. epitropicalis, X. tropicalis, and X. fraseri. This includes significantly restricted application of the names X. fraseri and X. epitropicalis, the first of which we argue is known definitively only from type specimens and possibly one other specimen. Inferring the evolutionary histories of these new species allows refinement of species groups within Xenopus and leads to our recognition of two subgenera (Xenopus and Silurana) and three species groups within the subgenus Xenopus (amieti, laevis, and muelleri species groups).


Fig 7. Pictures of resurrected and new species in life; 
Xenopus calcaratusX. parafraseriX. mellotropicalisX. eysooleX. allofraseriX. kobeli and  X. fischbergi


Host-Parasite co-evolution: Influences of allopolyploid evolution

The parasite fauna of Xenopus is characterized by its extraordinary richness. Within metazoan parasites, for instance, there are over 25 genera from 7 major invertebrate groups; a richer assemblage than in most other anurans. This diversity reflects a dual origin of the parasites: some (such as Protopolystoma, Dollfuschella, Oligolecithus and Progonimodiscus) are typical of anurans; others (including Gyrdicotylus, Cephalochlamys and the camallanid nematodes) are typical of fish, representing transfers associated with ecological overlaps in habitat and diet. For both subsets of parasites, the representatives infecting Xenopus have exceptional specializations such as the brood pouch and velum of the leech Marsupiobdella, the attachment organ and excretory system of the monogenean Gyrdicotylus, and the ereynetal organ of the mite, Xenopacarus.

In addition to parallel evolution of host and parasite, patterns of parasite infection are influenced by allopolyploid evolution of Xenopus. For example, species of Cephalochlamys occur in all tetraploid species of subgenus Xenopus so far examined, but not in octoploids, even when the octoploids co-occur with infected X. victorianus [a tetraploid]. This is consistent with the possibility that increased gene dosage or inheritance of resistance genes with complementary functions in octoploids confers parasite resistance. Parasites from the genus Protopolystoma provide a counter-example of increased susceptibility of higher ploidy levels. Most species in this parasite genus infect only one anuran host species. However, the tetraploid species X. victorianus and X. parafraseri and the octoploid species X. wittei each are infected by two Protopolystoma species (X. victorianus: P. xenopodis and P. microsclera; X. parafraseri: P. fissilis and P. ramulosus; X. wittei: P. fissilis andP. simplicis). That P. fissilis occurs in X. parafraseri and in X. wittei could represent shared inheritance of an ancestral susceptibility derived from a diploid ancestor. Interestingly, in X. victorianus and X. wittei, although two parasite species occur side-by-side in the same host populations, they never co-occur as adults within the same host individuals.

The effects of host interspecies hybridization (not involving genome duplication) on susceptibility to parasite infection have been investigated in X. laevis and X. muelleri. These host species each have species-specific Protopolystoma parasites and laboratory-generated F1 hybrids are also largely resistant. This study illustrates a selective advantage of host hybridization for enhanced immune function to helminth parasites that extends to other important pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. This advantage could have facilitated the establishment of newly emerged polyploid species alongside their parental species in the same habitats.

Central Africa: A species diversity hotspot for African clawed frogs

Over half of Xenopus species occur in Central Africa, including the six new species described here, the resurrected species X. calcaratus, and nine other previously known species: X. amieti, X. andrei, X. boumbaensis, X. epitropicalis, X. fraseri, X. longipes, X. poweri, X. pygmaeus, X. tropicalis. This list includes representatives of both subgenera, and each species group as newly defined (but not the Ethiopian endemic X. largeni). Three of these species (X. epitropicalis, X. poweri, and X. pygmaeus) have distributions centered in the Congo Basin, X. fischbergi has a large range over much of the northern Congo Basin, but the rest are probably endemic to the portion of Central Africa northwest of the Congo River.

What could explain this high species diversity in Central Africa? Persistent forest habitat could have played a role in maintaining or augmenting species diversity of African clawed frog. Indeed, the Albertine Rift region also hosts a high species diversity of African clawed frogs, including several octoploids (four species) and a dodecaploid, and this region probably harbored forest habitat for an extended period. Another feature of the Central African Xenopus diversity is a large number of species with high ploidy levels; specifically three of the seven octoploid species and three of the four described dodecaploid species occur in Central Africa. These species are a result of multiple independent allopolyploidization events that combined a few ancestral genomes in several unique ways. The diversity of octoploid and dodecaploid species raises the question of whether allopolyploidization conferred a selective advantage for species in Central Africa, such as those related to immune function discussed above.




Ben J. Evans, Timothy F. Carter, Eli Greenbaum, Václav Gvoždík, Darcy B. Kelley, Patrick J. McLaughlin, Olivier S. G. Pauwels, Daniel M. Portik, Edward L. Stanley, Richard C. Tinsley, Martha L. Tobias and David C. Blackburn. 2015. Genetics, Morphology, Advertisement Calls, and Historical Records Distinguish Six New Polyploid Species of African Clawed Frog (Xenopus, Pipidae) from West and Central Africa. PLoS ONE. 10(12): e0142823  DOI:  10.1371/journal.pone.0142823
http://www.plosone.org/article/fetchObject.action?uri=info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0142823&representation=PDF



African clawed frogs with multiple sets of DNA deepen mystery of 'lost ancestors'http://www.cbc.ca/1.3368301

[Herpetology • 2015] Sorting Out Moss Frogs: mtDNA Data on Taxonomic Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Indochinese Species of the Genus Theloderma (Anura, Rhacophoridae)

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Fig. 1.Theloderma species of Indochina and Thailand.
a, Th. horridum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo N. A. Poyarkov); b, Th. stellatum (Thailand, Uthai Thani Province, Hauy Kha Khaeng W. S.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); c, Th. cf. stellatum [described below asTheloderma vietnamense sp. nov.] (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong); d, Th. pictum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha LeBan N. P.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); e, Th. licin (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo P. Pawangkhanant); f, Th. cf. asperum, northern population (Vietnam, Vinh Phuc Province, Tam Dao; photo N. L. Orlov); g, Th. cf. asperum, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); h, Th. asperum (Thailand, Kamphaeng Phet Province, photo P. Pawangkhanant); i, Th. ryabovi, male (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); j, Th. ryabovi, female (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); k, Th. bicolor (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Fan Si Pan Mt.; photo N. L. Orlov); l, Th. corticale (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); m, Th. gordoni, northern population (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Sa Pa; photo N. L. Orlov); n, Th. gordoni, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); o, Th. lateriticum (Vietnam, Bac Giang; photo Nguyen Thien Tao); p, Th. rhododiscum (China, Yunnan; photo N. L. Orlov); q, Th. palliatum (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Bi Doup; photo E. A. Galoyan); r, Th. chuyangsinense (Vietnam, Dak Lak Province, Chu Yang Sin; photo N. A. Poyarkov); s, Th. truongsonense (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); t, Th. bambusicola (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Cat Loc; photo N. A. Poyarkov); u, Th. cf. nebulosum (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province; photo N. L. Orlov); v, Th. cf. truongsonense (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); w, (Vietnam, Khanh Hoa Province, Hon Ba; photo A. B. Vassilieva); x, Th. petilum (Vietnam, Dien Bien Province, Muong Nhe; photo Le Trung Dung).


Abstract

We discuss phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic diversity of the rhacophorid frogs of the genus Theloderma in sight of the novel phylogenetic data obtained from the Bayesian analysis of the up to 1987 bp length fragment of mtDNA (12S rRNA, tRNAval, and 16S rRNA) from the 90 specimens of 21 nominal species of Theloderma and 3 species of Nyctixalus. Our data suggest monophyly of the tribe Nyctixalini, including Th. moloch, and indicate deep divergence between the three major clades: Th. horridum + Th. stellatum group, Nyctixalus and the rest of the Theloderma species (Theloderma sensu stricto). We establish new subgenus Stelladerma subgen. nov. for Th. horridum + Th. stellatum group and discuss provisional taxonomy of Nyctixalini. We also indicate that the taxonomic status of the certain Indochinese Theloderma requires reassessment. In particular, our data suggest deep divergence between Malayan and Indochinese taxa of Th. asperum group and indicate non-monophyly of Th. asperum sensu lato; we resurrect the name Th. albopunctatum (Liu et Hu, 1962) for the Indochinese species. We provide molecular evidence for synonimization of Th. chuyangsinense Orlov et al., 2012 with Th. palliatum Rowley et al., 2011; as well as morphological and genetic evidence for syninomization of Th. bambusicola Orlov et al., 2012 with Th. laeve (Smith, 1924). We indicate a deep morphological and genetic differentiation within the Th. truongsonense (Orlov et Ho, 2005) complex. Finally, we report on the deep divergence within Th. stellatum Taylor, 1962 from eastern Thailand, southern Cambodia, and Vietnam, and describe a new species, Theloderma vietnamense sp. nov., based on morphological, acoustic and genetic lines of evidence.

Keywords: mitochondrial DNA; molecular phylogeny; sequence divergence; morphology; morphometrics; advertisement call; cryptic species; Vietnam


Fig. 1.Theloderma species of Indochina and Thailand.
a, Th. horridum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo N. A. Poyarkov); b, Th. stellatum (Thailand, Uthai Thani Province, Hauy Kha Khaeng W. S.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); c, Th. cf. stellatum [described below asTheloderma vietnamense sp. nov.] (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong); d, Th. pictum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha LeBan N. P.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); e, Th. licin (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo P. Pawangkhanant); f, Th. cf. asperum, northern population (Vietnam, Vinh Phuc Province, Tam Dao; photo N. L. Orlov); g, Th. cf. asperum, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); h, Th. asperum (Thailand, Kamphaeng Phet Province, photo P. Pawangkhanant); i, Th. ryabovi, male (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); j, Th. ryabovi, female (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); k, Th. bicolor (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Fan Si Pan Mt.; photo N. L. Orlov); l, Th. corticale (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); m, Th. gordoni, northern population (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Sa Pa; photo N. L. Orlov); n, Th. gordoni, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); o, Th. lateriticum (Vietnam, Bac Giang; photo Nguyen Thien Tao); p, Th. rhododiscum (China, Yunnan; photo N. L. Orlov); q, Th. palliatum (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Bi Doup; photo E. A. Galoyan); r, Th. chuyangsinense (Vietnam, Dak Lak Province, Chu Yang Sin; photo N. A. Poyarkov); s, Th. truongsonense (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); t, Th. bambusicola (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Cat Loc; photo N. A. Poyarkov); u, Th. cf. nebulosum (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province; photo N. L. Orlov); v, Th. cf. truongsonense (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); w, (Vietnam, Khanh Hoa Province, Hon Ba; photo A. B. Vassilieva); x, Th. petilum (Vietnam, Dien Bien Province, Muong Nhe; photo Le Trung Dung).


Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Jr., Nikolai L. Orlov, Anna V. Moiseeva, Parinya Pawangkhanant, Thiti Ruangsuwan, Anna B. Vassilieva, Eduard A. Galoyan, Tao Thien Nguyen and Svetlana S. Gogoleva. 2015. Sorting Out Moss Frogs: mtDNA Data on Taxonomic Diversity and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Indochinese Species of the Genus Theloderma (Anura, Rhacophoridae). Russian Journal of Herpetology.  22(4): 241–280 


Fig. 1.Theloderma species of Indochina and Thailand.
  a, Th. horridum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo N. A. Poyarkov); b, Th. stellatum (Thailand, Uthai Thani Province, Hauy Kha Khaeng W. S.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); c, Th. cf. stellatum [described below asTheloderma vietnamense sp. nov.] (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong); d, Th. pictum (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha LeBan N. P.; photo P. Pawangkhanant); e, Th. licin (Thailand, Satun Province, Tha Le Ban N. P., photo P. Pawangkhanant); f, Th. cf. asperum, northern population (Vietnam, Vinh Phuc Province, Tam Dao; photo N. L. Orlov); g, Th. cf. asperum, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); h, Th. asperum (Thailand, Kamphaeng Phet Province, photo P. Pawangkhanant); i, Th. ryabovi, male (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); j, Th. ryabovi, female (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); k, Th. bicolor (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Fan Si Pan Mt.; photo N. L. Orlov); l, Th. corticale (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); m, Th. gordoni, northern population (Vietnam, Lao Cai, Sa Pa; photo N. L. Orlov); n, Th. gordoni, southern population (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); o, Th. lateriticum (Vietnam, Bac Giang; photo Nguyen Thien Tao); p, Th. rhododiscum (China, Yunnan; photo N. L. Orlov); q, Th. palliatum (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Bi Doup; photo E. A. Galoyan); r, Th. chuyangsinense (Vietnam, Dak Lak Province, Chu Yang Sin; photo N. A. Poyarkov); s, Th. truongsonense (Vietnam, Quang Tri Province, Ban Cup; photo N. L. Orlov); t, Th. bambusicola (Vietnam, Lam Dong Province, Cat Loc; photo N. A. Poyarkov); u, Th. cf. nebulosum (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province; photo N. L. Orlov); v, Th. cf. truongsonense (Vietnam, Kon Tum Province, Kon Plong; photo N. L. Orlov); w, (Vietnam, Khanh Hoa Province, Hon Ba; photo A. B. Vassilieva); x, Th. petilum (Vietnam, Dien Bien Province, Muong Nhe; photo Le Trung Dung).

[Cephalopoda • 2010] The Argonaut Shell: Gas-mediated Buoyancy Control in A Pelagic Octopus

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Figure 2. Behavioural stages (a–d) by which a female argonaut (Argonauta argo) attains neutral buoyancy, Okidomari Harbour, Sea of Japan.
 Illustrations: Julian Finn/Kate Nolan. Photos: Julian Finn.  DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0155

Abstract

Argonauts (Cephalopoda: Argonautidae) are a group of rarely encountered open-ocean pelagic octopuses with benthic ancestry. Female argonauts inhabit a brittle ‘paper nautilus’ shell, the role of which has puzzled naturalists for millennia. The primary role attributed to the shell has been as a receptacle for egg deposition and brooding. Our observations of wild argonauts have revealed that the thin calcareous shell also functions as a hydrostatic structure, employed by the female argonaut to precisely control buoyancy at varying depths. Female argonauts use the shell to ‘gulp’ a measured volume of air at the sea surface, seal off the captured gas using flanged arms and forcefully dive to a depth where the compressed gas buoyancy counteracts body weight. This process allows the female argonaut to attain neutral buoyancy at depth and potentially adjust buoyancy to counter the increased (and significant) weight of eggs during reproductive periods. Evolution of this air-capture strategy enables this negatively buoyant octopus to survive free of the sea floor. This major shift in life mode from benthic to pelagic shows strong evolutionary parallels with the origins of all cephalopods, which attained gas-mediated buoyancy via the closed-chambered shells of the true nautiluses and their relatives.

Julian K. Finn and Mark D. Norman. 2015. The Argonaut Shell: Gas-mediated Buoyancy Control in A Pelagic Octopus. Proc. R. Soc. B. 277(1696); 2967–2971. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0155

[Herpetology • 2015] Cyrtodactylus petani • The fourth Bent-toed Gecko of the Genus Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Java, Indonesia

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Farmer’s Bent-toed Gecko  | Cyrtodactylus petani 
Riyanto, Grismer & Wood, 2015

FIGURE 2. Living specimens ofCyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. from Jeladri, Pasuruan, Java.
(A) Adult male paratype MZB.Lace 11712 (SVL=56.6 mm). (B) Gravid female paratype MZB.Lace 11711. (SVL=53.8 mm).
FIGURE 6. Microhabitats where specimens of Cyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. were collected.
 (A) paddy field embankment with vegetation. (B) Rocks in the riverbank.

Abstract
Cyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. is a new species of Bent-toed Gecko from Java, Indonesia that had been masquerading under the name C. fumosus (Müller, 1895). The new species is differentiated from C. fumosus and all its Sundaland congeners by having the following combination of morphological characters: a maximum SVL of 57.2 mm; nine or ten supralabials; seven or eight infralabials; strongly tuberculate body and limbs; 20–25 paravertebral tubercles; 30–35 ventral scales; enlarged precloacal scales; enlarged femoral scales; 17–18 subdigital lamellae on the fourth toe; 31–35 continuous precloacal and femoral pores in males, pores absent in females; no precloacal groove; no enlarged median subcaudals; tubercles on anterior portion of tail; no reticulated pattern on top of head; a blotched dorsal pattern; and no paired, dark, semi-lunar shaped blotches on the nape.


Keywords: Reptilia, Cyrtodactylus, new species, Java, taxonomy, Gekkonidae



Systematics 
Cyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. 
(Cicak Jari Lengkung Petani: Farmer’s Bent-toed Gecko)


Etymology. The specific epithet petani refers to the fact that the type series was collected on a farm. Petani means a farmer in the Indonesian Language and is here treated as a noun in apposition.


FIGURE 5. Distribution map of Javan Cyrtodactylus.
Red circle is holotype of Cyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. Green circles are paratype localities of C. petani.Yellow circles are known localities of C. semiadii. The distribution of the widespread species, C. marmoratus and C. fumosus are not shown.

Discussion: 
Cyrtodactylus petani sp. nov. is the fourth species of Cyrtodactylus from Java that was not reported in previous herpetofaunal surveys of East Java. As suggested by Riyanto et al. (2014), C. fumosus from Java includes multiple undescribed species. Together, with other recent findings, including the discovery of a new Cyrtodactylus (Riyanto et al. 2014), a new Chiromanthis (Riyanto & Kurniati, 2014), a new Eutropis (Mausfeld & Böhme 2002), a suspected new species of Ptychozoon (Brown et al. 2012), a new record for Polypedates otilophus (Riyanto et al. 2009), and a relatively new Dendrelaphis (Rooijen & Vogel 2008), this discovery suggests much is yet to be learned concerning the herpetofaunal composition of Java. This discovery also indicates that the diversity of Cyrtodactylus continues to rise even in highly disturbed areas. 


Riyanto, Awal, L. L. Grismer & Wood, P. L., Jr. 2015. The fourth Bent-toed Gecko of the Genus Cyrtodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Java, Indonesia.
Zootaxa. 
4059(2): 351–363.  DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4059.2.6

[Herpetology • 2014] New Data on the Morphology and Distribution of the Enigmatic Schouteden’s Sun Snake, Helophis schoutedeni (de Witte, 1922) from the Congo Basin

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FIGURE 2. Photos of a living specimen of Helophis schoutedenifound in 2012 in Kinshasa.
 
From top left, clockwise: dorsal view of the specimen; ventral view of the specimen; dorsolateral view of the forepart of the animal; ventral view of the head. 

Abstract

The Schouteden’s sun snake is the sole representative of its genus, and was originally described by the Belgian herpetologist Gaston-François de Witte as a colubrid, Pelophis schoutedeni (de Witte 1922). Twenty years later, the new generic name Helophis was established by de Witte & Laurent (1942) because the generic name Pelophis was preoccupied by Pelophis Fitzinger, 1843 [type species: Brachyorrhos (now Enhydris) alternans Reuss, 1834]. De Witte (1922) and de Witte & Laurent (1942) gave data on two syntypes (Fig. 1), which are preserved in the herpetological collection of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren, Belgium. One, RMCA R.2468, was found in Tondu (at Lac Tumba, Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo = DRC), while the other, RMCA R.2469, was collected in Kwamouth (“Moyen-Congo”, now Bandundu Province, DRC). Both were collected by Henri Schouteden in 1921. In the original description, no information was given about the sex of the syntypes. De Witte & Laurent (1942) reported a third specimen (RMCA R.11551) from Léopoldville (today Kinshasa), which was collected in 1937 by Henrard. Since then, this snake species was almost forgotten, and the genus has remained monotypic. To our knowledge, no photographs of living specimens of this species have been published so far. In general, very little is known about the distribution, biology, conservation status or even the phylogenetic relationships of this vividly colored snake species. Although several works listed Helophis schoutedeni as being part of the Congo Basin (DRC) snake fauna (e.g. Kusamba 1990; Meirte 1992; Trape & Roux-Estève 1995; Broadley 1998) sometimes including a basic identification key, no new information was given. Moreover, no recent field guides of the Central African region (e.g., Chippaux 2006) include this snake species. Regarding its classification, Broadley (1998) considered it as a natricine species (Natricinae) while in The Reptile Database (Uetz & Hošek 2013) it is listed as Colubridae incertae sedis, similarly like in Pyron et al. (2013), where Helophis was missing from their phylogenetic meta-analysis.

Keywords: Congo Basin, sun snake, Helophis schoutedeni, new data


FIGURE 2. Photos of a living specimen of Helophis schoutedeni, found in 2012 in Kinshasa.
From top left, clockwise: dorsal view of the specimen; ventral view of the specimen; dorsolateral view of the forepart of the animal; ventral view of the head.

Discussion:
 Since the majority of distribution records are coming from the Eastern Congolian swamp forests upriver the Congo River and its tributaries, it opens a question about the origin of the specimens collected in Léopoldville/Kinshasa. The strong current of the Congo River often carries floating vegetation islands, which occasionally introduce fauna and flora from the upriver into the Lower Congo region (MC, pers. observ.). This phenomenon might also explain the findings of the Schouteden’s sun snake outside the swamp forests. Ecologically, Helophis schoutedeni is obviously a semi-aquatic snake as indicated by its dorsally-oriented nostrils, narrow triangular internasals, small eyes with round pupil and stout body. Furthermore, during a short period in captivity, the observed Schouteden’s sun snake preferred to stay in water. Helophis shows an extreme similarity to the genus Hydraethiops, as de Witte (1922) indicated in the original description. He, however, also mentioned that two differences between them, i.e., the double internasals and the lower number of teeth in Helophis, justified the erection of a new genus. Boulenger (1904), in his description of Hydraethiops laevis, indicated, based on the observations that he made on the two syntypes, that the internasals could be divided or semi-divided. The third known individual of Hydraethiops laevis, from the Chaillu Massif in Gabon, shows a single internasal (Pauwels et al. 2002). The condition of the internasals is variable in Hydraethiops melanogaster as well; for example, the individual illustrated by de Witte (1962) shows a partly divided internasal. Helophis shows 16 or 17 maxillary teeth (de Witte 1922; Meirte 1992), while Hydraethiops shows 20 to 22 (Chippaux 2006). The internasals’ condition in Helophis is thus not a character  separating  it  from  Hydraethiops.  The  slightly  lower  number  in  maxillary  teeth  does  not  justify  alone  the  placement in a distinct genus. Pending a genetic analysis, the genus Helophis could be regarded as valid while doubtful with  regard  to
,  but  at  least  its  placement  within  Natricinae  along  with  Hydraethiops  as  proposed  by  Broadley (1998) seems justified on a morphological basis


Zoltán T. Nagy, Vaclav Gvozdik, Danny Meirte, Marcel Collet and Olivier S. G. Pauwels. 2014. New Data on the Morphology and Distribution of the Enigmatic Schouteden’s Sun Snake, Helophis schoutedeni (de Witte, 1922) from the Congo Basin. 
 ZOOTAXA. 3755(1):96-100. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3755.1.5

[Paleontology • 2015] Leyvachelys cipadi • The First South American Sandownid Turtle from the Lower Cretaceous of Colombia

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Leyvachelys cipadi  Cadena, 2015

Abstract

Sandownids are a group of Early Cretaceous-Paleocene turtles that for several decades have been only known by cranial and very fragmentary postcranial elements. Here I report and describe the most complete sandownid turtle known so far, including articulated skull, lower jaw and postcranial elements, from the Early Cretaceous (upper Barremian-lower Aptian, >120 Ma), Paja Formation, Villa de Leyva town, Colombia. The new Colombian sandownid is defined here asLeyvachelys cipadi new genus, new species and because of its almost identical skull morphology with a previously reported turtle from the Glen Rose Formation, Texas, USA, both are grouped in a single and officially (ICNZ rules) defined taxon. Phylogenetic analysis including L. cipadi supports once again the monophyly of Sandownidae, as belonging to the large and recently redefined Pan-Chelonioidea clade. The morphology of L. cipadi indicates that sandownids were not open marine turtles, but instead littoral to shallow marine durophagous dwellers. Leyvachelys cipadi not only constitutes the first record of sandowinds in South America, but also the earliest global record for the group.


Systematic Paleontology

TESTUDINES Batsch, 1788
PAN-CRYPTODIRA Cope, 1868

SANDOWNIDAE sensu Tong & Meylan, 2013

Leyvachelys gen. nov.

Etymology. Combining ‘Leyva’ (from Villa de Leyva, town of where the discovery took place) and ‘chelys’ (Greek, turtle).

Leyvachelys cipadi sp. nov.

Etymology. cipadi’ (dedicated to the CIP, Centro de Investigaciones Paleontológicas)

Holotype. FCG-CBP-71 (housed at the CIP, Villa de Leyva, Colombia, Fig. 1C), articulated skull and lower jaw, nearly complete carapace, three cervical vertebrae, right humerus and coracoid, both femora, tibiae, and pelvic girdle, and two caudal vertebrae.


Paleoecology and paleobiogeography of sandownids

The morphology of the shell of Leyvachelys cipadi (FCG-CBP-71 specimen), allows the support of previously hypothesized habitat adaptations for sandownids; in particular, that they inhabited littoral to near-shore shallow marine environments Tong & Meylan (2013), and that their general body-plan was not designed for leading an open marine lifestyle. They nevertheless potentially shared niches with open marine turtles, as evidenced by the occurrence of protostegids from the same stratigraphical horizons (Cadena & Parham, 2015). The abundant occurrence of mollusks, principally ammonites, some of them preserved associated with the carapace of L. cipadi, suppose a potential source of food for its durophagous diet adaptation which could have also included artropods, as for example crabs.

Leyvachelys cipadi not only expands back to the upper Barremian-lower Aptian (>120 Ma) the fossil record of sandownids, but also expands their paleogeographical distribution, being the first record of sandownids in South America. Paleotectonic reconstructions for the Barremian-Aptian of the Gulf of Mexico and the porto-caribbean (Pindell & Kennan, 2009; Blakey, 2011) (Figs. 1E and 10), suggest the existence of an almost continuous littoral areas between the Gulf of Mexico and northern South America, which could have served as a corridors for the dispersion or migrations of marine-littoral vertebrates including Leyvachelys cipadi giving explanation to its occurrence in Glen Rose Formation of Texas and Paja Formation of Colombia. As mentioned by Tong & Meylan (2013), the evolutionary history and dispersion of sandownids (now with a Barremian to Paleocene stratigraphic range and a geographical distribution including South America, North America, Europe, and Africa) was influenced by the opening of the Atlantic Ocean. This seems to be also the case for other groups of littoral to costal turtles, as for example the bothermydid pleurodires (Gaffney, Tong & Meylan, 2006; Cadena, Bloch & Jaramillo, 2012).


Cadena E. 2015. The First South American Sandownid Turtle from the Lower Cretaceous of Colombia. PeerJ. 3:e1431 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1431

[Botany • 2011] Newmania N.S. Lý &Škorničk.: A New Ginger Genus (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

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Abstract
A new genus of Zingiberaceae from Vietnam, Newmania N.S. Lý & Škorničk., with two species Newmania serpens N.S. Lý & Škorničk. and Newmania orthostachys N.S. Lý & Škorničk., is described and illustrated. Its relationship with Haniffia Holttum and phylogenetic position in the tribe Zingibereae is investigated using nrITS and trnK and matK plastid sequence data. The phylogenetic position of Kedhalia C.K. Lim, another recently described ginger genus from the same tribe, is also discussed briefly.

Keywords: Haniffia; ITS; Kedhalia; matK; trnK; Zingibereae 





Leong-Škorničková, J., Lý, Ngoc-Sâm, Poulsen, Axel Dalberg, Tosh, James and Forrest, Alan. 2011. Newmania: A New Ginger Genus from central Vietnam. Taxon. 60(5): 1386–1396.

http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/41317542.pdf?acceptTC=true


  

  
  

[Botany • 2015] Newmania sessilanthera • A New Species (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam

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Newmania sessilanthera  Lưu & Škorničk 
Fig. 1. Newmania sessilanthera Lưu & Škorničk. A. Habit. B. Flowers. C. Leaves (abaxially). D. Flower enclosed in bract. E. Base of leafy shoot with inflorescences.
From type Lưu Hồng Trường, Trần Giỏi, Đỗ Cao Trí PY29 (Photos: Lưu Hồng Trường)
H.T. Lưu, J. Leong-Škorničková, L.X.B. Nguyễn, et al. 2015.Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore. 67(2) 

ABSTRACT

Newmania sessilanthera Lưu & Škorničk., a new species from Phú Yên province
in central Vietnam, is described and illustrated here. Notes on this species, the third described
to date, and a new key to the species of Newmania N.S.Lý & Škorničk. are provided.

Keywords. Conservation, Phú Yên province, species key


Distribution. So far the species has been collected from three localities in Sông Hinh and Tây Hòa districts, all in Phú Yên province in central Vietnam.

Habitat and phenology. Understorey of lowland evergreen tropical forests, growing on moist soils on granite and along streams. Flowering occurs from June to August, followed by fruiting which likely extends to September or early October. 

Etymology. The specific epithet reflects the lack of the filament in this species.

Provisional IUCN conservation assessment. Endangered (EN B1ab(iii)). So far three localities, each with fewer than 100 scattered individuals, have been observed. The known EOO is currently slightly less than 100 sq.km. but there is enough suitable habitat in the vicinity that it is likely the real EOO is more than 100 sq.km.  but certainly less than 5000 sq.km.
The type locality is adjacent to agricultural land, recently established from cleared forest. Further deforestation may occur posing a threat to the population. The other two populations are within large forested areas with no obvious threats. 

Notes. Newmania, now with three species, remains endemic to central Vietnam, although preliminary studies from various researchers suggest further species extending throughout the Annamite mountain range to southern Vietnam. Newmaniaspecies seem to be steno-endemic and, therefore, susceptible to any rapid habitat changes. This has implications for any conservation effort. The lack of a filament in Newmania sessilanthera differentiates it readily from the other two currently known species. Additional differences from Newmania orthostachys are outlined above in the diagnosis. It is somewhat similar to Newmania serpens by the presence of a striking red patch on the purple and white labellum, but differs by its erect inflorescences composed of compact spikes (vs. inflorescence
prostrate on the ground with more or less lax spikes). 


H.T. Lưu, J. Leong-Škorničková, L.X.B. Nguyễn, C.T. Đỗ and T.T. Hoàng. 2015. Newmania sessilanthera (Zingiberaceae): A New Species from Vietnam. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore. 67(2): 351–355. DOI:  10.3850/S2382581215000289

[Crustacea • 2015] Macrobrachium xmas • A New Stygobitic Prawn of the Genus Macrobrachium Spence Bate, 1864, from Anchialine Caves in Christmas Island, Indian Ocean; with A Rediagnosis of M. miyakoense Komai & Fujita, 2005 (Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae)

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Macrobrachium xmas  Fujita, Davie & Ng.,2015
Y. Fujita, P. J. F. Davie and P. K. L. Ng. 2015. RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 63

Abstract
 A new species of stygobitic palaemonid prawn of the genus Macrobrachium Spence Bate, 1864, is described from Christmas Island, Indian Ocean Territory, Australia. The new anchialine species resembles M. miyakoense Komai & Fujita, 2005, from Japan, but can be distinguished by its relatively longer and more slender rostrum, the proportionately smaller eye cornea with a more swollen eye stalk, and more teeth on the post-rostral margin of the carapace. The taxonomy of M. miyakoense is also discussed based on additional material recently obtained from Japan, and the species rediagnosed. Macrobrachium miyakoense was originally described from two young males collected from Miyako Island, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

Key words. Palaemonidae, Macrobrachium, new species, anchialine cave, Christmas Island, Indian Ocean, taxonomy

TAXONOMY

Family Palaemonidae


Macrobrachium miyakoense Komai & Fujita, 2005 (Figs. 1–3)
Macrobrachium miyakoense – Komai & Fujita, 2005: 14; De Grave & Fransen, 2011: 327.

Remarks.Macrobrachium miyakoense was originally described from two young males (pocl 14.70 mm and 12.60 mm). The present full-grown specimens are similar in morphology to the type specimens, but some adult characters differ markedly. We have therefore amended the original description of Komai & Fujita (2005) accordingly and provided new figures.


Macrobrachium xmas n. sp.
Macrobrachium microps– Short & Meek, 2000: 83–85, fig. 2
[not Macrobrachium microps Holthuis, 1978].



Color in life. Whole body (carapace, abdomens, and appendages) generally whitish to pale yellow (Figs. 13, 14).

Habitat and Biology. Macrobrachium xmas n. sp. was collected from three anchialine caves (Freshwater Cave, Runaway Cave and Whip Cave). Specific habitat information for these localities has been given by Humphreys & Eberhard (2001). Co-inhabiting decapod crustaceans reported from Christmas Island caves include: a procaridid Procaris noelensis Bruce & Davie, 2006, an alpheid Metabetaeus minutus (Whitelegge, 1897), a barbouriid Parhippolyte cf. uveae Borradaile, 1899, an atyid Antecaridina lauensis (Edmondson, 1935), and three crabs, Karstarma jacksoni (Balss, 1934) [Sesarmidae], Orcovita hicksi Davie & Ng, 2012, and Orcovita orchardorum Davie & Ng, 2012 [both Varunidae] (Anker, 2010; Bruce & Davie, 2006; Davie & Ng, 2012). In this study, two ovigerous females of M. xmas were collected, and the pre-eyed eggs are small, 0.56–0.70 mm (on female pocl 21.66 mm, ZRC 2015.281, average 0.64 mm, n = 10) in size, suggesting an amphidromous life cycle.

Distribution. Only known from Christmas Island thus far. 

Etymology. The new species name is a common arbitrary abbreviation of “Christmas” and is derived from the type locality, Christmas Island. The name is used as a noun in apposition.


Yoshihisa Fujita, Peter J. F. Davie and Peter K. L. Ng. 2015. A New Stygobitic Prawn of the Genus Macrobrachium Spence Bate, 1864, from Anchialine Caves in Christmas Island, Indian Ocean; with A Rediagnosis of M. miyakoenseKomai & Fujita, 2005 (Crustacea: Decapoda: Caridea: Palaemonidae). RAFFLES BULLETIN OF ZOOLOGY. 63: 610–625. 


[Paleontology • 2015] Ischioceratops zhuchengensis • A New Leptoceratopsid (Ornithischia, Ceratopsia) with a Unique Ischium from the Upper Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China

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Ischioceratops zhuchengensis
He, Makovicky, Wang, Chen, Sullivan, Han & Xu, 2015

Fig 1.
Holotype of Ischioceratops zhuchengensis (ZCDM V0016) in right lateral view.
Photograph (A), drawing (B) and reconstruction of holotype individual (C).
Abbreviations: cv, caudal vertebrae; lil, left ilium; ot, ossified tendons; rfem, right femur; rfib, right fibula; ril, right ilium; ris, right ischium; rtib, right tibia.


Abstract
The partial skeleton of a leptoceratopsid dinosaur, Ischioceratops zhuchengensis gen. et sp. nov., was excavated from the bone-beds of the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group of Zhucheng, Shandong Province, China. This fossil represents the second leptoceratopsid dinosaur specimen recovered from the Kugou locality, a highly productive site in Zhucheng. The ischium of the new taxon is morphologically unique among known Dinosauria, flaring gradually to form an obturator process in its middle portion and resembling the shaft of a recurve bow. An elliptical fenestra perforates the obturator process, and the distal end of the shaft forms an axehead-shaped expansion. The discovery of Ischioceratops increases the known taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity of the Leptoceratopsidae.


Introduction

The leptoceratopsids are a group of small, quadrupedal horned dinosaurs that have so far been found exclusively in the Upper Cretaceous (upper Santonian—upper Maastrichtian) of Asia and western North America. With a typical body length of about two meters, they are much smaller than the contemporary ceratopsids. The leptoceratopsids are characterized by robust jaws equipped with highly specialized large teeth and, unlike ceratopsids, lack horns and have extremely short frills. Nevertheless, leptoceratopsids share some of the advanced features seen in ceratopsids and are closely related to the latter group.

Leptoceratopsidae was originally named by Nopcsa in 1923 as a subfamily, with Leptoceratops gracilis as the type species. In 2001, Makovicky redefined Leptoceratopsidae as a stem-based taxon consisting of all species closer to Leptoceratops gracilis than to Triceratops horridus. Leptoceratopsids were once known only from the Upper Cretaceous of North America, but three taxa have been described from the Upper Cretaceous of Asia: Asiaceratops salsopaludalis from Uzbekistan, Udanoceratops tschizhovi from Udan-Sayr, Mongolia, and Zhuchengceratops inexpectus from the Kugou locality, Zhucheng, China. Leptoceratopsids are a relatively basal clade within Neoceratopsia, whose success as a parallel radiation to Ceratopsidae has been demonstrated by several important discoveries over the past few decades, including that of Prenoceratops pieganensis, and Cerasinops hodgskissi.

Here we report a new leptoceratopsid dinosaur that was also excavated from the bonebeds of the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group of Zhucheng. The new specimen, like Zhuchengceratops, comes from the Kugou locality. This locality, together with Longgujian (just 600 m north of Kugou) and Zangjiazhuang (5 km away from Kugou), has yielded numerous hadrosaurid bones. The Zangjiazhuang locality has also produced several tyrannosaurid elements and some material atrributable to Sinoceratops zhuchengensis, the only undisputed ceratopsid from outside of North America [16]. Though lacking cranial elements, the newly collected specimen possesses some morphological features that identify it as a non-ceratopsid neoceratopsian. In particular, the morphology of the ischium is unique among known Dinosauria. Discovery of this new taxon increases the taxonomic diversity and morphological disparity of the Leptoceratopsidae and has significant implications for interpretations of neoceratopsian biogeography.


Fig 1. Holotype of Ischioceratops zhuchengensis (ZCDM V0016) in right lateral view. 
Photograph (A), drawing (B) and reconstruction of holotype individual (C). 
Abbreviations: cv, caudal vertebrae; lil, left ilium; ot, ossified tendons; rfem, right femur; rfib, right fibula; ril, right ilium; ris, right ischium; rtib, right tibia.

Systematic palaeontology

Ornithischia Seeley, 1888
Ceratopsia Marsh, 1890

Leptoceratopsidae Nopcsa, 1923

Ischioceratops zhuchengensis gen. et sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:71CD0FAE-070C-4CC4-96CC-B37D5B1071CE

Etymology: Genus name from ischium and ceratops (horn-face, Latinized Greek), in reference to the unique morphology of the ischium. The species name is in honor of Zhucheng, where the holotype specimen was discovered.

Holotype: Zhucheng Dinosaur Museum (ZCDM) V0016, an incomplete, partially articulated specimen (Figs 1–8) comprising the entire sacrum, a few ossified tendons, both halves of the pelvis, the anteriormost 15 caudal vertebrae in an articulated series, and the right femur, tibia and fibula.

Type locality and horizon: Kugou, Zhucheng, Shandong Province, China; Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group.

Diagnosis: The specimen can be referred as a basal ceratopsian and distinguished from other known Dinosauria based on the following combination of characters: ossified tendons confirme that the specimen belongs to an ornithischian dinosaur, nine sacral vertebare exclude it from basal Ornithopoda or Anklysauridae, the lateral outline of ilium without lateral everted shelf on the dorsal edge exclude it from Iguanodontidae, Hadrosauridae, and Ceratopsidae. The neural spines of proximal caudals increase in length towards middle part of tail as in several basal ceratopsian dinosaurs such as Koreaceratops, Protoceratops, Cerasinops and Montanoceratops.

The specimen can be referred to Leptoceratopsidae and distinguished from other known leptoceratopsids based on the following combination of characters: nine sacral vertebrae, more than in any other known basal (non-ceratopsid) ceratopsian but fewer than in ceratopsids; The ischium is unique and presumably autapomorphic, with a robust shaft that resembles that of a recurved bow and flares gradually to form a subrectangular-shaped obturator process in its middle portion. An elliptical fenestra perforates the obturator process.


Discussion

Well-established synapomorphies of Ceratopsia are mainly craniomandibular, and include the presence of a rostral bone, prominent jugal horns, a vaulted premaxillary palate, and a predentary with a broad base that supports the dentary symphysis. Unfortunately, few postcranial synapomorphies have been identified. However, the preserved postcranial skeletal elements that are available for Ischioceratops display features that preclude referral to any major ornithischian clade outside Ceratopsia, or identification of Ischioceratops as a ceratopsid. The nine sacral vertebrae exclude Ischioceratops from identification as a basal ornithopod or ankylosaurid and the lateral outline of ilium without a lateral everted shelf on the dorsal edge excludes Ischioceratops from iguanodontians, hadrosaurids, and ceratopsids. The increasing elongation of more posteriorly situated neural spines in the proximal half of the tail is similar to the condition in several basal ceratopsian dinosaurs, and a pendant, parallelogram-shaped fourth trochanter on the femur is similar to that in Montanoceratops.

The principal diagnostic feature of Ischioceratops is the fenestrated midshaft expansion of the ischial shaft. This highly unusual feature renders the ischium unlike that of any other dinosaur. While this unusual morphology prompts the question of whether it could be the result of pathology, several factors argue against this interpretation. Firstly, the expansion and opening occur symmetrically on both ischia, and both ischia bear a medial groove extending distally from the midshaft expansion. Furthermore the openings in the midshaft expansion appear to be true fenestrae with finished edges rather than the blind recesses sometimes observed in connection with tendon avulsions [86] or pus canals. We therefore assume that the ischial morphology observed in this specimen represents the normal condition in Ischioceratops, rather than a pathological anomaly.

Although it is tempting to homologize the ischial expansions of Ischioceratops with the obturator processes of more basal ornithopods/cerapodans, this is problematic for both topological and phylogenetic reasons. In basal ornithischians that have an obturator process, such as Hypsilophodon (Fig 8A3, and Tenontosaurus (FMNH PR 2173), this structure is restricted to the ventral border of the ischial shaft and is located well proximal to the midpoint of the shaft. By contrast, the expansion in Ischioceratops arises from the ventrolateral edge of the shaft and located distal to the midlength of the ischium. Furthermore, no other marginocephalian taxa exhibit obturator processes, and both of our phylogenetic analyses support a relatively derived position for Ischioceratops within Neoceratopsia. Thus, the ischial shaft expansion and fenestra are best viewed as a neomorphic character that is currently only known in Ischioceratops and unexpectedly increases the known morphological disparity of the otherwise rather conservative leptoceratopsid pelvis.

Another unique aspect of the Ischioceratops ischium is the knob-like distal expansion. This feature absent in other ornithischians, although a differently-shaped terminal expansion of the ischium is present in several non-hadrosauroid iguanodontians (Fig 8B3–8B5), some basal hadrosaurines (Fig 8C2–8C4) and some basal neoceratopsians (e.g. Auroraceratops, Fig 8E4, Protoceratops, Fig 8E5). In these species, the foot-like structure expands ventrally at a 90° angle from the main shaft, whereas in Ischioceratops the distal end of the ischium is expanded both dorsally and ventrally. The ischial shaft is unexpanded in most other neoceratopsian taxa in which it is known (Fig 8E2–8F4), although in Yinlong the middle portion of the ischium is ventrally expanded in lateral view. As with the midshaft expansion, the knob-like distal swelling appears to be an autapomorphy of Ischioceratops rather than a retained primitive feature.

In 2008, Zhuchengceratops inexpectus and Sinoceratops zhuchengensis were excavated from the bone-beds of the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group of Zhucheng, Shandong Province, at the Kugou and Zangjiazhuang localities respectively. Numerical phylogenetic analyses positioned Zhuchengceratops as a derived leptoceratopsid within a clade also containing Montanoceratops, Udanoceratops, and Leptoceratops.

The holotype of Ischioceratops was found at approximately the same stratigraphic level within the Kugou quarry as the holotype specimen of Zhuchengceratops, raising the question of whether the two specimens may be conspecific. Unfortunately, there are no overlapping skeletal elements between the two specimens. It depends on the recovery of overlapping material and future discoveries. Zhuchengceratops was recovered by our phylogenetic analysis has a close relationship with Ichioceratops in Leptoceratopsidae. Therefore, we provisionally consider Ischioceratops and Zhuchengceratops to be distinct taxa, although we acknowledge that future discoveries might reveal them to be synonymous.


Yiming He, Peter J. Makovicky, Kebai Wang, Shuqing Chen, Corwin Sullivan, Fenglu Han and Xing Xu. 2015. A New Leptoceratopsid (Ornithischia, Ceratopsia) with a Unique Ischium from the Upper Cretaceous of Shandong Province, China.
PLoS ONE.
10(12): e0144148. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144148



[Paleontology • 2015] Sirindhorna khoratensis | สิรินธรน่า โคราชเอนซิส • A New Basal Hadrosauroid Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeastern Thailand

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สิรินธรน่า โคราชเอนซิส |  Sirindhorna khoratensis  Shibata, Jintasakul, Azuma & You, 2015

Fig 16. Skull of Sirindhorna khoratensis. (A) A composite skull reconstruction of Sirindhorna. Several elements are reversed. (B) Life restoration of the head of Sirindhorna by Yoko Ohnish.
Scale bar equals 10 cm. Dashed line indicates missing elements.

Abstract

A new basal hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand, Sirindhorna khoratensis gen. et sp. nov is described. The new taxon is based on composite skull and mandible including premaxilla, maxilla, jugal, quadrate, braincases, predentary, dentaries, surangular, and maxillary and dentary teeth. It is diagnostic by such characters as, sagittal crest extending along entire dorsal surface of the parietal and reaching the frontoparietal suture (autapomorphy), transversely straight frontoparietal suture, caudodorsally faced supraoccipital, no participation of the supraoccipital in the foramen magnum, mesiodistally wide leaf-shaped dentary tooth with primary and secondary ridges on the lingual surface of the crown, perpendicularly-erected and large coronoid process of dentary, and nonvisible antorbital fossa of the maxilla in lateral view. Phylogenetic analysis revealed S. khoratensis as among the most basal hadrosauroids. Sirindhorna khoratensis is the best-preserved iguanodontian ornithopod in Southeast Asia and sheds new light to resolve the evolution of basal hadrosauriforms.




Introduction

Fossil records of non-hadrosaurid hadrosauriform dinosaurs in Asia have been accumulated in this century. Although these discoveries mainly came from China and Mongolia, new findings have been known from Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Japan and Thailand. However, well-preserved iguanodontian specimens were restricted in China and Mongolia; for instance, Jinzhousaurus yangi was known as the almost complete articulated skeleton found from Liaoning Province, Xuwulong yueluni was represented by an articulated skeleton without appendages from Gansu Province of China, and Probactrosaurus gobiensis from Inner Mongolia was described including several individuals of cranium and post cranial portions. In contrast, although two iguanodontians known from the Lower Cretaceous of Thailand, Siamodon(maxilla and referred braincase) and Ratchasimasaurus(dentary), none of them provides enough characters to discuss their phylogenies in detail. The new taxon in this study is known from extensive remains including a disarticulated skull and mandibles, and is much more complete than material of the aforementioned Thailand iguanodontians. This new material was collected from one locality of the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation during the first term of Japan-Thailand Dinosaur Project (abbreviated as JTDP), including the preliminary excavation by NRRU in 2005. We describe this material and discuss its phylogenetic position based on a cladistic analysis.


Fig 1. Locality map and stratigraphic column for Sirindhorna.
(A) Map of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand, (B) localities of Sirindhorna (star mark), Ratchasimasuarus (R) and Siamodon (S), (C) stratigraphic column for the Khorat Group.

Fig 3. Photo (A) and line drawing (B) of the left lateral side of the skull (NRRU3001-166).

Systematic Paleontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842
Ornithischia Seeley, 1887

Iguanodontia Dollo, 1888 sensu Sereno, 2005 
Ankylopollexia Sereno, 1986 sensu Sereno, 2005 
Styracosterna Sereno, 1986 sensu Sereno, 2005 

Hadrosauriformes Sereno, 1997 sensu Sereno, 1998
Hadrosauroidea Sereno, 1986 sensu Sereno, 2005

Sirindhorna gen. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:40C4FBA5-455F-45AE-AD5A-33B6A6FB8723

Sirindhorna khoratensis, sp. nov.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:54C342F2-EB92-4047-8F78-714025579CB5

Etymology: Dedication to the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Thailand, for her contribution to the support and encouragement of paleontology in Thailand. The specific name comes from the name of the locality, Khorat, which is the informal name of Nakhon Ratchasima Province, northeastern Thailand.

Diagnosis: Basal hadrosauroid distinguished by an autapomorphy: sagittal crest extending along entire dorsal surface of the parietal and reaching the frontoparietal suture, and the following unique combination of characters: relatively straight frontoparietal suture, caudodorsally faced supraoccipital, no participation of the supraoccipital in the foramen magnum, antorbital fossa of the maxilla not visible, slightly rostrally deepening dentary ramus, simple troughs for dentary alveoli with vertical walls and tooth crown-shaped base, vertical coronoid process expanded along rostral and caudal margins, and dentary teeth with primary and secondary ridges but no accessory ridges.

Holotype: An articulated braincase comprising the supraoccipital, exoccipitals, opisthotics, prootics, parietals, frontals, basioccipital, basisphenoid orbitosphenoids, parasphenoid and laterosphenoids, with postorbitals and squamosals (NRRU3001-166)

Referred materials: Disarticulated elements of skull and mandibles: a braincase articulating with a left postorbital (NRRU-A2035), dorsal half of a braincase (NRRU3001-65), caudal portion of a braincase (NRRU3001-179), a right premaxilla (NRRU-A3623), a left maxilla (NRRU-A2048), a right maxilla (NRRU-A2047), a right jugal (NRRU3001-7), a right quadrate (NRRU3001-175), a predentary (NRRU3001-169), a left dentary (NRRU3001-14), a right dentary (NRRU3001-167), a right surangular (NRRU3001-137), isolated maxillary teeth (NRRU-A1956, A3630, A3649, NRRU3001-157, 163), an isolated dentary tooth (NRRU3001-28).

Locality and horizon: In Ban (meaning “village”) Saphan Hin, Suranaree Subdistrict, Muaeng Nakhon Ratchasima District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Thailand. Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Khok Kruat Formation.

Fig 15. Comparisons with other Thailand iguanodontians.
(A) Holotypic left maxilla of Siamodon, (B) holotypic right dentary of Ratchasimasaurus, (C) left maxilla of Sirindhorna (NRRU-A2048), (D) left dentary of Sirindhorna (NRRU3001-167).
Scale bars equal 10 cm.    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145904

Conclusions
The Early Cretaceous hadrosauroid dinosaur, Sirindhorna khoratensis, is described based upon cranial elements. This is the first report of well-preserved ornithopod skull in Southeast Asia (See reconstruction, in Fig 16). Sirindhorna shows general morphological features of hadrosauriforms, such as the low-triangle shaped maxilla, a broad leaf-shaped dentary tooth crown with one prominent primary and one secondary ridges, exclusion of the supraoccipital from the foramen magnum, and the closure of the antorbital fenestra. Uniquely, the craniocaudally-elongated parietals form a long saggital crest extending to the frontoparietal suture in Sirindhorna. Moreover, upper and lower jaws of Sirindhorna show evident differences from the other two Thailand hadrosauriforms,Siamodon nimingamiand Ratchasimasaurus suranareae. Phylogenetic analysis recovers Sirindhorna as the most basal hadrosauroid.


Masateru Shibata, Pratueng Jintasakul, Yoichi Azuma and Hai-Lu You. 2015. A New Basal Hadrosauroid Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation in Nakhon Ratchasima Province, Northeastern Thailand. PLoS ONE. 10 (12): e0145904.  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145904

 


โดยความร่วมมือของคณะสำรวจไทยจากมหาวิทยาลัยราชภัฏนครราชสีมา [Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University: NRRU] และพิพิธภัณฑ์ไดโนเสาร์จังหวัดฟุกุอิ [Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum] ประเทศญี่ปุ่น ได้ศึกษาและขุดค้นภาคสนามที่ตำบลสุรนารี อำเภอเมืองนครราชสีมา จังหวัดนครราชสีมา ในชั้นตะกอนหินกรวดสีแดง ในหมวดชั้นหินโคกกรวด ซึ่งเป็นชั้นตะกอนหินที่ก่อตัวในช่วงต้นยุคครีเตเชียสเมื่อประมาณ 110 ล้านปีก่อน

การขุดค้นพบครั้งนี้ได้พบชิ้นส่วนฟอสซิลกระโหลกของไดโนเสาร์กินพืชกลุ่มออร์นิโธพอด ชิ้นกระดูกส่วนท้ายทอย ปลายจะงอยปากบน และกรามล่าง ซึ่งจากการศึกษาลักษณะเอกลักษณ์นั้น ฟอสซิลของไดโนเสาร์ตัวใหม่นี้มีลักษณะบางประการที่ดูคล้ายคลึงกับไดโนเสาร์ในกลุ่มอิกัวโนดอน แต่มีลักษณะของปลายจะงอยปากทรงสามเหลี่ยมแบนที่เป็นลักษณะของกลุ่มฮาโดรซอร์ที่พัฒนาขึ้น

. . . การค้นพบนี้คณะวิจัยได้ขอพระราชทานชื่อสายพันธุ์ไดโนเสาร์ชนิดใหม่นี้จากสมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดาฯ สยามบรมราชกุมารี เพื่อเฉลิมพระเกียรติ โดยไดโนเสาร์สายพันธุ์นี้มีชื่อวิทยาศาสตร์ว่า สิรินธรน่า โคราชเอนซิส (Sirindhorna khoratensis) ซึ่งชื่อสายพันธุ์นั้นได้ใช้คำว่า โคราช ชื่อเดิมของจังหวัดนครราชสีมา 

สิรินธรน่า เป็นไดโนเสาร์กินพืชในกลุ่มฮาโดรซอร์ที่มีลักษณะโบราณมาก ซึ่งอาศัยอยู่ในช่วงเวลาและหมวดหินที่ใกล้เคียงกันอย่างไดโนเสาร์สายพันธุ์สยามโมดอน (Siamodon nimingami) และราชสีมาซอรัส (Ratchasimasaurus suranareae) แม้ว่าการศึกษาจะระบุว่าสองสายพันธุ์ที่กล่าวมาจะอยู่ในกลุ่มอิกัวโนดอนมากกว่า

ฮาโดรซอร์ หรือไดโนเสาร์ปากเป็ดเป็นกลุ่มไดโนเสาร์กินพืชที่พัฒนาขนาดให้ใหญ่ขึ้นมากในช่วงปลายยุคครีเตเชียส ซึ่งเป็นหนึ่งในกลุ่มไดโนเสาร์กินพืชที่อาศัยอยู่ในภูมิภาคซีกโลกเหนืออย่างเอเชีย-ยุโรป และอเมริกาเหนือ และสูญพันธุ์ในช่วงปลายยุคครีเตเชียส

[Herpetology • 2015] Taxonomy and Biogeography of Bunopus spatalurus (Reptilia; Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula | Taxonomic Resurrection of the Genus Trachydactylus

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Trachydactylus spatalurus (Anderson, 1901) & Trachydactylus hajarensis (Arnold, 1980)
Fig. 6.
Pictures of (a) Trachydactylus spatalurus(NMP 75147, male) and (b) Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407).
Close up detail of the dorsal scales of (c) T. spatalurus (NMP 75147) and (d) T. hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.408). Details of the dorsal side of head (e), lateral side of head (f) and dorsal side of the right hind limb (g) of Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75147); of the dorsal side of head (h), lateral side of head (i) and of the dorsal side of the right hind limb (j) of T. hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407). Underside of head (gular region showing the arrangement of mental and postmental scales and chin shields) of (k) T. spatalurus (NMP 75146, male), (l) T. spatalurus (NMP 75147), (m) T. hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407) and (n) T. hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.409).
Data for Trachydactylus spatalurus specimens NMP 75147 and NMP 75146 are presented in Table 1. Trachydactylus hajarensis TMHC 2013.10.407, male, 3 km S. of Al-Hamra, Nizwa, Oman (23.057 57.288, 671 m a.s.l.); TMHC 2013.10.408, male, same data as TMHC 2013.10.407; TMHC 2013.10.409, male, surrounding of Jebel Shams Resort, Oman (23.208 57.200, 1983 m a.s.l.). TMHC: Tomas Mazuch Herpetological Collection, Czech Republic  
  DOI:  10.1111/jzs.12107 

Abstract
In the last decade, taxonomic studies have drastically increased the number of species known to inhabit the Arabian deserts. While ongoing phylogenetic studies continue to identify new species and high levels of intraspecific genetic diversity, few studies have yet explored the biogeographic patterns in this arid region using an integrative approach. In the present work, we apply different phylogenetic methods to infer relationships within the Palearctic naked-toed geckos. We specifically address for the first time the taxonomy and biogeography of Bunopus spatalurus Anderson, 1901, from Arabia using multilocus concatenated and species tree phylogenies, haplotype networks and morphology. We also use species distribution modelling and phylogeographic interpolation to explore the phylogeographic structure of Bunopus spatalurus hajarensis in the Hajar Mountains and the roles of climatic stability and possible biogeographic barriers on lineage occurrence and contact zones in this arid mountain endemism hot spot. According to the inferred topology recovered using concatenated and species tree methods, the genus ‘Bunopus’ is polyphyletic. Bunopus tuberculatus and B. blanfordii form a highly supported clade closely related to Crossobamon orientalis, while the two subspecies of ‘Bunopusspatalurus branch together as an independent highly supported clade that diverged during the Miocene according to our estimations. Within B. s. hajarensis, three geographically structured clades can be recognized that according to our estimations diverged during the Late Miocene to Pliocene. The paleodistribution models indicate climatic stability during the Late Pleistocene and the lineage occurrence, and predicted contact zones obtained from phylogeographic interpolation therefore probably result from the older splits of the groups when these lineages originated in allopatry. As demonstrated by the results of the multilocus molecular phylogenetic analyses and the topological test carried out in this study, the genus ‘Bunopus’ is not monophyletic. To resolve this, we resurrect the genus TrachydactylusHaas and Battersby, 1959; for the species formerly referred to as Bunopus spatalurus. Considering the morphological differences, the high level of genetic differentiation in the 12S mitochondrial gene and the results of the phylogenetic and the cmos haplotype network analysis, we elevate Trachydactylus spatalurus hajarensis to the species level Trachydactylus hajarensis(Arnold, 1980).


Keywords: Paleodistribution modelling; phylogeography; multilocus phylogeny; spatial interpolation; contact zone; Palearctic naked-toed gecko





Fig. 6. Pictures of (a) Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75147, male) and (b) Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407).
Close up detail of the dorsal scales of (c) Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75147) and (d) Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.408). Details of the dorsal side of head (e), lateral side of head (f) and dorsal side of the right hind limb (g) of Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75147); of the dorsal side of head (h), lateral side of head (i) and of the dorsal side of the right hind limb (j) of Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407). Underside of head (gular region showing the arrangement of mental and postmental scales and chin shields) of (k) Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75146, male), (l) Trachydactylus spatalurus (NMP 75147), (m) Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.407) and (n) Trachydactylus hajarensis (TMHC 2013.10.409).
Data for Trachydactylus spatalurus specimens NMP 75147 and NMP 75146 are presented in Table 1. Trachydactylus hajarensis TMHC 2013.10.407, male, 3 km S. of Al-Hamra, Nizwa, Oman (23.057 57.288, 671 m a.s.l.); TMHC 2013.10.408, male, same data as TMHC 2013.10.407; TMHC 2013.10.409, male, surrounding of Jebel Shams Resort, Oman (23.208 57.200, 1983 m a.s.l.). TMHC: Tomas Mazuch Herpetological Collection, Czech Republic  DOI:  10.1111/jzs.12107

Philip de Pous, Luis Machado, Margarita Metallinou, Jan Červenka, Lukáš Kratochvíl, Nefeli Paschou, Tomáš Mazuch, Jiří Šmíd, Marc Simó-Riudalbas, Delfi Sanuy and Salvador Carranza. 2015. Taxonomy and Biogeography of Bunopus spatalurus (Reptilia; Gekkonidae) from the Arabian Peninsula. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research.   DOI:  10.1111/jzs.12107


DNA analysis reveals new identity for UAE geckos http://www.thenational.ae/uae/science/dna-analysis-reveals-new-identity-for-uae-geckos via @TheNationalUAE

[Herpetology • 2016] Hyloscirtus diabolus • A New Red-eyed of Stream Treefrog of Hyloscirtus (Anura: Hylidae) from Peru, with comments on the Taxonomy of the Genus

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Hyloscirtus diabolus Rivera-Correa, García-Burneo & Grant, 2016

Abstract

We describe a remarkable new species of monophyletic genus Hyloscirtus from northeastern Peru. The presence of an enlarged, curved, and protruding prepollical spine; hypertrophied forelimbs; large, thick supracloacal flap and supratympanic fold; large size; nuptial pad absent and iris dark red diagnose this species. We hypothesize that the new species is closely related to H. condorand H. tapichalacaof southern Ecuador due to the apparently synapomorphic occurrence in these species of an enlarged, curved prepollical spine, and small, conical vomerine odontophore processes with 3–6 prominent teeth each without contact between these. Additional research explicitly incorporating H. diabolus new species in a phylogenetic analysis is required to further test our hypothesis and provide a better understanding of the evolution of morphological attributes described herein. Finally we discuss some aspects concerning the taxonomy of the genus Hyloscirtus.

Keywords: Amphibia, Andes Mountains, Hylidae, Hyloscirtus larinopygion species group, morphology, systematics, taxonomy


Mauricio Rivera-Correa, Karla García-Burneo and Taran Grant. 2016. A New Red-eyed of Stream Treefrog of Hyloscirtus (Anura: Hylidae) from Peru, with comments on the Taxonomy of the Genus. Zootaxa. 4061(1);  DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4061.1.3 

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