[Botany • 2014] Trachycarpus ravenii • A New Species (Arecaceae, Corypheae) from Vientiane province of central Laos

November 14, 2014, 11:39 pm

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Trachycarpus ravenii Aver. & K. S. Nguyen

[left] Natural habitats of Trachycarpus ravenii sp. nov. in central Laos (Vientiane province, Kasi district). (a) primary intact semideciduous forest on steep slopes of Phachao Mountain at elevation 1650–1700 m a.s.l. (Namken village area) || photo by N. S. Khang  [upper right] Male specimen, [lower right] Female specimen || photos by L. Averyanov  DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2013.00304.x | rufford.org

A new species Trachycarpus ravenii discovered in Kasi district, Vientiane province of central Laos is described and illustrated. Morphologically, it is closest to T. oreophilus and T. princeps, but differs by having a shorter stem of mature plants; glabrous, dull green petiole; almost circular leaf blade, waxy bluish–white abaxially; narrow leaf segments with narrow free lobes densely adpressed to each other, as well as in oblique-round apices of median leaf segments.

Figure 1.Trachycarpus ravenii sp. nov. Male specimen, d-exsiccates of Vietnamese flora 200/LA-VN 725. All photos and design by L. Averyanov

Figure 2. Trachycarpus ravenii sp. nov. Female specimen, d-exsiccates of Vietnamese flora 201/LA-VN 726. All photos and design by L. Averyanov.

Figure 3. Natural habitats of Trachycarpus ravenii sp. nov. in central Laos (Vientiane province, Kasi district).  (a) primary intact semideciduous forest on steep slopes of Phachao Mountain at elevation 1650–1700 m a.s.l. (Namken village area), (b) forestless mountain slopes with rocky limestone outcrops among secondary grasslands and open secondary scrub at elevation about 1700 m a.s.l. (Thong Mout village area). All photos by N. S. Khang | DOI: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2013.00304.x

Averyanov, L. V., Nguyen, K. S., Nguyen, T. H., Pham, T. V. and Lorphengsy, S. 2014. Trachycarpus ravenii sp. nov. (Arecaceae, Corypheae) from central Laos. Nordic Journal of Botany. 32(5); 563–568. doi: 10.1111/j.1756-1051.2013.00304.x

http://www.rufford.org/files/Nordic%20Journal%20of%20Botany%20000%20001%E2%80%93006,%202013.pdf

http://biodivn.blogspot.com/2014/06/phat-hien-loai-cay-moi-co-nui-lao-trachycarpus-ravenii.html

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[Ichthyology • 2014] Limatulichthys nasarcus • A New Species of Limatulichthys Isbrücker & Nijssen (Loricariidae, Loricariinae) from the western Guiana Shield

November 17, 2014, 5:03 pm

≫ Next: [Mammalogy • 2014] How Many Species of Paradoxurus Civets are there? New Insights from India and Sri Lanka

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Limatulichthys nasarcus Londoño-Burbano, Lefebvre & Lujan, 2014

Abstract

Limatulichthys nasarcus n. sp. is described as a new species based on 15 specimens from the Ventuari and Caura Rivers in Southern Venezuela. The new species can be distinguished from its only congener, L. griseus, by the presence of anterior abdominal plates half the size of those at center of abdomen (vs. plates similar in size); distinct spots less than half of diameter of naris across entire dorsum, including snout and head (vs. indistinct dorsal spots larger or equal than diameter of naris); lateral portions of head and opercle with dark well-defined spots larger than those on dorsum (vs. spots on lateral portions of head and opercle equal in size to those on remainder of body); snout profile in dorsal view broadly rounded (vs. acutely triangular); head longer (21.4–24.2 SL vs. 17.7–21.0%); and anal fin longer (15.7–18.0 SL vs. 13.7–15.6%). Distinctiveness of the two species is further supported by their non-overlapping distribution in multivariate morphospace. The disjunct distribution of L. nasarcus across both the Caura and Ventuari rivers exclusive of the main Orinoco River channel contributes to a growing body of evidence supporting the historical connection between headwaters of these drainages. The hypothesized existence of a ‘proto-Berbice’ paleodrainage provides one explanation for such a connection.

Keywords: Limatulichthys, Neotropics, taxonomy, Ventuari, Caura

Londoño-Burbano, A., Lefebvre, S.L. & Lujan, N.K. 2014. A New Species of Limatulichthys Isbrücker & Nijssen (Loricariidae, Loricariinae) from the western Guiana Shield. Zootaxa. 3884(4): 360–370.

http://biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.3884.4.5

facebook.com/294682373885900/photos/907796622574469

[Mammalogy • 2014] How Many Species of Paradoxurus Civets are there? New Insights from India and Sri Lanka

November 17, 2014, 8:46 pm

≫ Next: [PaleoMammalogy • 2014] Tohoraata raekohao • A New Eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and a re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ waitakiensis

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Paradoxurus m. musangus Male relaxing on a thick liana at Sungei Relau, Taman Negara, Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia | photo: EcologyAsia.com

Abstract

Using molecular data and morphological features, we investigated the species limits and genetic diversity among populations of the Asian palm civets of the genus Paradoxurus. Our main objectives were to determine the number of species within Paradoxurus hermaphroditus and to test the validity of the newly proposed species within Paradoxurus zeylonensis. Fragments of two mitochondrial (Cytochrome b, Control Region) and one nuclear (intron 7 of the beta fibrinogen) markers were sequenced from 128 individuals of P. hermaphroditus, P. zeylonensis and Paradoxurus jerdoni. DNA sequences were analysed using phylogenetic and haplotype network methods. 

Our analyses confirmed that P. hermaphroditus comprises three major clades, which should be recognized as separate species: Paradoxurus hermaphroditus (Indian and Indochinese regions),Paradoxurusmusangus (mainland Southeast Asia, Sumatra, Java and other small Indonesian islands) and Paradoxurus philippinensis(Mentawai Islands, Borneo and the Philippines). Furthermore, we have proposed that there are two subspecies within both P. musangus and P. philippinensis, and there might be at least two or three subspecies within P. hermaphroditus. We found a very low genetic diversity and no geographical structure within P. zeylonensis and did not find any support for splitting P. zeylonensis into several species nor subspecies. Finally, we confirmed that P. jerdoni and P. zeylonensis are sister species.

Keywords: Asia; taxonomy; palm civets; Paradoxurus; Viverridae; Molecular systematics

Paradoxurus m. musangus 'Toddy Cat' from MacRitchie forest, Singapore photo: Francis Yap | BESGroup.org

Paradoxurus m. musangus from  Singapore Botanic Garden photo: Chung Yi Fei KampungLife.wordpress.com

Géraldine Veron, Marie-Lilith Patou, Mária Tóth, Manori Goonatilake and Andrew P. Jennings. 2014. How Many Species of Paradoxurus Civets are there? New Insights from India and Sri Lanka. Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 1-14. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1111/jzs.12085.

 The common palm civet, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, has been split into three species by a recent study (Veron et al., 2014). The name Paradoxurus hermaphroditus is restricted to the populations in India, southern China and Indo-china (henceforth as Indian palm civet). The form in Singapore, peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Java is Paradoxurus musangus (Sumatran palm civet), named by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1821 as Viverra musanga based on animals from Sumatra. Those in Borneo and the Philippines are Paradoxurus philippinensis (Philippine palm civet)

Marcus A. H. Chua & Fung Tze Kwan. 2014. Sumatran palm civet at Grange Road. Singapore Biodiversity Records. 2014. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/images/pdfs/sbr/2014/sbr2014-295.pdf

[PaleoMammalogy • 2014] Tohoraata raekohao • A New Eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and a re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ waitakiensis

November 22, 2014, 7:52 pm

≫ Next: [Ornithology • 2014] Muscicapa sodhii | Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher • A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia

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Tohoraata raekohao Boessenecker & Fordyce, 2014

Abstract

The published Oligocene record of mysticetes (baleen whales) is dominated by toothed mysticetes in addition to the Eomysticetidae, the earliest known chaeomysticetes known only from the Oligocene. Formally recognized eomysticetids include examples from the Oligocene of South Carolina, USA (Eomysticetus), and Japan (Yamatocetus). A new fossil from the upper Oligocene Otekaike Limestone including a partial skull, periotic, tympanic bulla, mandible and some postcrania is here described as Tohoraata raekohao gen. et sp. nov. Tohoraata confirms the presence of an eomysticetid in New Zealand. Tohoraata raekohao is characterized by delicate frontal with numerous supraorbital foramina and sulci, relatively long exposure of the frontal and parietal along a transversely narrow intertemporal region, greatly enlarged temporal fossa, massive and anteriorly directed zygomatic process lacking a supramastoid crest, and a periotic with superior process reduced to a low ridge with anterior and posterior apices. Cranial and postcranial fusion of elements, development of muscle attachments and osteohistology demonstrate that the T. raekohao holotype is an adult or possible subadult. Features of the tympanic bulla including a relatively wide bulla with a medial lobe that is transversely much wider than the lateral lobe, and a slightly posterolaterally facing exoccipital, permit referral of the fragmentary ‘Mauicetus’ waitakiensis of Marples into the genus Tohoraata, resulting in Tohoraata waitakiensis comb. nov. Description of T. raekohao and resolution of the relationships of the hitherto problematic Tohoraata waitakiensis indicates that several eomysticetids were present in the Southern Ocean during the Late Oligocene.

Keywords: Eomysticetidae; Mysticeti; Cetacea; Oligocene; New Zealand

Robert W. Boessenecker and R. Ewan Fordyce. 2014. A New Eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and a re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ waitakiensis. Papers in Palaeontology. in press. doi: 10.1002/spp2.1005

The scientists, from the University of Otago, have named the new genus Tohoraata, which translates as ‘Dawn Whale’ in Maori.

http://www.sciencemediacentre.co.nz/2014/11/20/newly-discovered-ancient-nz-whale-named-tohoraata/

http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/323932/otago-researchers-find-new-whale-genus

[Ornithology • 2014] Muscicapa sodhii | Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher • A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia

November 25, 2014, 9:43 pm

≫ Next: [Mammalogy • 2014] Hypsugo dolichodon • Canines make the Difference: A New Species of Hypsugo (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Laos and Vietnam

≪ Previous: [PaleoMammalogy • 2014] Tohoraata raekohao • A New Eomysticetid (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand and a re-evaluation of ‘Mauicetus’ waitakiensis

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Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa sodhii, whose discovery has just been confirmed 15 years after the first sighting in Indonesia, is distinguished by its mottled throat and short wings. Photo by Martin Lindop | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112657.g001

Abstract

The Indonesian island of Sulawesi, a globally important hotspot of avian endemism, has been relatively poorly studied ornithologically, to the extent that several new bird species from the region have been described to science only recently, and others have been observed and photographed, but never before collected or named to science. One of these is a new species of Muscicapa flycatcher that has been observed on several occasions since 1997. We collected two specimens in Central Sulawesi in 2012, and based on a combination of morphological, vocal and genetic characters, we describe the new species herein, more than 15 years after the first observations. The new species is superficially similar to the highly migratory, boreal-breeding Gray-streaked Flycatcher Muscicapa griseisticta, which winters in Sulawesi; however, the new species differs strongly from M.griseisticta in several morphological characters, song, and mtDNA. Based on mtDNA, the new species is only distantly related to M. griseisticta, instead being a member of the M. dauurica clade. The new species is evidently widely distributed in lowland and submontane forest throughout Sulawesi. This wide distribution coupled with the species' apparent tolerance of disturbed habitats suggests it is not currently threatened with extinction.

Figure 1. Muscicapa sodhii (sp. nov.; Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher; upper left and center) in comparison to M. dauurica williamsoni (Asian Brown [Brown-streaked] Flycatcher; upper right), M. s. sibirica (Dark-sided Flycatcher; lower right), and M. griseisticta (Gray-streaked Flycatcher; lower left). Original painting by Teo Nam Siang. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112657.g001

Etymology: The new species is named in honor of the late Professor Navjot S. Sodhi (1962–2011) for his monumental contributions to conservation biology and ornithology in Southeast Asia. Dr. Sodhi played a leading role in elucidating the effects of habitat disturbance on biodiversity, especially birds, across Southeast Asia. This research provided a fundamental understanding of the ecology of Southeast Asian forests and critical information required for conservation planning. In addition, Dr. Sodhi was an outstanding mentor for many students including D.L.Y. and J.B.C.H. for whom he was an honours and doctorate supervisor, respectively. The English name recognizes the endemic distribution of the species, with the descriptive term “Streaked” to avoid possible confusion with other endemic Sulawesi flycatchers.

J. Berton C. Harris, Pamela C. Rasmussen, Ding Li Yong, Dewi M. Prawiradilaga, Dadang Dwi Putra, Philip D. Round and Frank E. Rheindt. A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia. PLoS ONE. 9(11): e112657. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112657.g001

http://www.princeton.edu/main/news/archive/S41/65/98I15/index.xml?section=topstories

[Mammalogy • 2014] Hypsugo dolichodon • Canines make the Difference: A New Species of Hypsugo (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Laos and Vietnam

November 27, 2014, 7:19 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology • 2014] Hirtella carinata • A Remarkable Sexually Dimorphic New Genus and Species of Neoplecostomine Catfish (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from a Coastal Drainage of Eastern Brazil

≪ Previous: [Ornithology • 2014] Muscicapa sodhii | Sulawesi Streaked Flycatcher • A New Species of Muscicapa Flycatcher from Sulawesi, Indonesia

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Hypsugo dolichodon Görföl, Csorba, Eger, Son & Francis, 2014

Abstract

Hypsugo was regarded as a subgenus of Pipistrellus by many authors, but its generic distinctiveness is now widely accepted. According to recent taxonomic arrangements, nine species are known to occur in Southeast Asia. During the investigation of material recently collected from Lao PDR and Vietnam we identified an additional species and hence describe it here as Hypsugo dolichodon n. sp. It resembles H. pulveratus, but is larger with conspicuously long canines and differs considerably in the DNA barcode gene sequence.

Keywords: biodiversity, Indomalayan Region, pipistrelloid bats, taxonomy

Görföl, Tamás, Gábor Csorba, Judith L. Eger, Nguyen T. Son & C. M. Francis. 2014. Canines make the Difference: A New Species of Hypsugo (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) from Laos and Vietnam. Zootaxa. 3887(2): 239–250. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3887.2.6

facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=997026143646637&id=193357067346886

[Ichthyology • 2014] Hirtella carinata • A Remarkable Sexually Dimorphic New Genus and Species of Neoplecostomine Catfish (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from a Coastal Drainage of Eastern Brazil

November 17, 2014, 10:28 am

≫ Next: [Ornithology • 2014] A Comprehensive Multilocus Phylogeny of the Neotropical cotingas (Cotingidae, Aves) with A Comparative Evolutionary Analysis of Breeding System and Plumage Dimorphism and A revised Phylogenetic Classification

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Hirtella carinata  Pereira, Zanata, Cetra & Reis, 2014

A new neoplecostomine genus and species is described from headwater tributaries of the lower Rio Pardo basin, a coastal drainage in Bahia, eastern Brazil. Hirtella carinata is a small loricariid with a maximum standard length barely reaching 50 mm. The new genus and species are diagnosed among all other loricariids by a unique, remarkable pattern of sexual dimorphism in which adult males have five conspicuous longitudinal rows of bristle-like hypertrophied odontodes on the head and along the lateral dermal plates of the body. Hirtella is further distinguished from most loricariids by the anterior position of the pelvic fin, which originates in a vertical anterior to the nuchal plate, and by the possession of an elongate keel formed by 15–17 azygous plates along the mid-dorsal line between the dorsal and the caudal fins. Hirtella is additionally distinguished from other members of the Neoplecostominae by having a medium sized palatine splint, never reaching the anterior border of the nasal fossa. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Hirtella is the sister taxon of Pareiorhina. The description of this new genus raises to six the number of currently recognized genera in the Neoplecostominae.

Um novo gênero e espécie de neoplecostomíneo é descrito das cabeceiras de tributários do baixo Rio Pardo, drenagem costeira da Bahia, leste do Brasil. Hirtella carinata é um pequeno loricarídeo que atinge quase 50 mm de comprimento padrão. O novo gênero e espécie são diagnosticados de todos os demais loricarídeos por um único e notável padrão de dimorfismo sexual, em que os machos adultos possuem um conjunto de odontódeos hipertrofiados na cabeça e ao longo das placas laterais do corpo que formam cinco linhas longitudinais evidentes. Hirtella é também distinguido da maioria dos loricarídeos pela posição anterior das nadadeiras pélvicas, que se originam em uma vertical anterior a placa nucal e pela presença de uma longa quilha formada por 15–17 placas ázigas na linha média dorsal, entre as nadadeiras dorsal e caudal. Hirtella é ainda distinguido dos outros membros de Neoplecostominae por ter o palatine splint de tamanho médio, nunca alcançando a borda anterior da abertura nasal. A análise filogenética atual indica que Hirtella é o táxon irmão de Pareiorhina. A descrição desse novo gênero eleva para seis o número de gêneros atualmente reconhecidos em Neoplecostominae.

Edson H. L. Pereira, Angela Zanata, Maurício Cetra, and Roberto E. Reis. 2014. A Remarkable Sexually Dimorphic New Genus and Species of Neoplecostomine Catfish (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from a Coastal Drainage of Eastern Brazil. Copeia. 2014(4):673-681. DOI: 10.1643/CI-14-075

[Ornithology • 2014] A Comprehensive Multilocus Phylogeny of the Neotropical cotingas (Cotingidae, Aves) with A Comparative Evolutionary Analysis of Breeding System and Plumage Dimorphism and A revised Phylogenetic Classification

November 23, 2014, 10:10 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology • 2014] Porophryne erythrodactylus • A New Genus and Species of the Frogfish Family Antennariidae (Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a Diagnosis and Key to the Genera of the Histiophryninae

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the “tree of life” shows nearly all the sizes, colors, and adaptations for the continga family of birds radiating outward from the center and its common ancestor. Both males and females are shown except where plumage for both is the same.  from the Handbook of the Birds of the World. Vol. 9. Cotingas to Pipits and Wagtails, Lynx Editions 2004 | blog.allaboutbirds.org

Highlights

• We present the first multilocus species tree of the Neotropical cotingas.

• We confirm the monophyly of the cotingas.

• We present the first phylogenetic evidence for the placement of Phibalura flavirostris.

• We present the first hypotheses of phylogenetic relationships within the Cotinga, Lipaugus, Pipreola, and Procnias genera.

• We find that plumage color dimorphism and breeding system may be uncorrelated in the cotingas.

Abstract

The Neotropical cotingas (Cotingidae: Aves) are a group of passerine birds that are characterized by extreme diversity in morphology, ecology, breeding system, and behavior. Here, we present a comprehensive phylogeny of the Neotropical cotingas based on six nuclear and mitochondrial loci (∼7500 bp) for a sample of 61 cotinga species in all 25 genera, and 22 species of suboscine outgroups. Our taxon sample more than doubles the number of cotinga species studied in previous analyses, and allows us to test the monophyly of the cotingas as well as their intrageneric relationships with high resolution. We analyze our genetic data using a Bayesian species tree method, and concatenated Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods, and present a highly supported phylogenetic hypothesis. We confirm the monophyly of the cotingas, and present the first phylogenetic evidence for the relationships of Phibalura flavirostris as the sister group to Ampelion and Doliornis, and the paraphyly of Lipaugus with respect to Tijuca. In addition, we resolve the diverse radiations within the Cotinga, Lipaugus, Pipreola, and Procnias genera. We find no support for Darwin’s (1871) hypothesis that the increase in sexual selection associated with polygynous breeding systems drives the evolution of color dimorphism in the cotingas, at least when analyzed at a broad categorical scale. Finally, we present a new comprehensive phylogenetic classification of all cotinga species.

Keywords: Phylogenetics; Bayesian inference; Species-tree; Sexual selection; Polygyny; Monogamy

Jacob S. Berv, Richard O. Prum. 2014. A Comprehensive Multilocus Phylogeny of the Neotropical cotingas (Cotingidae, Aves) with A Comparative Evolutionary Analysis of Breeding System and Plumage Dimorphism and A revised Phylogenetic Classification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. (81) 120–136. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2014.09.001

New Cotinga Tree of Life Sheds Light on Evolution of Brilliant Colors

http://blog.allaboutbirds.org/2014/10/14/new-cotinga-tree-of-life-suggests-wacky-colors-arent-for-attracting-multiple-mates/

 "New 'tree of life' traces evolution of a mysterious cotinga birds." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 14 October 2014. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/10/141014152637.htm

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[Ichthyology • 2014] Porophryne erythrodactylus • A New Genus and Species of the Frogfish Family Antennariidae (Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a Diagnosis and Key to the Genera of the Histiophryninae

November 28, 2014, 8:13 pm

≫ Next: [Ornithology • 2014] Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti | Cryptic Treehunter • A New Species of Cichlocolaptes Reichenbach 1853 (Furnariidae), the ‘gritador-do-nordeste’, an undescribed trace of the fading bird life of northeastern Brazil

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A Red-fingered Anglerfish, Porophryne erythrodactylus, at La Perouse, Botany Bay, New South Wales. photo: Klaus Stiefel | FishesofAustralia.net.au

A new genus and species of the frogfish family Antennariidae, subfamily Histiophryninae, is described on the basis of three specimens collected near Kurnell and Bare Island in Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. It differs from all other antennariid genera in having a combination of features that includes a unique morphology of the first and second dorsal-fin spines, some or all fins fringed with red, and a unique combination of fin-ray and vertebral counts. The new genus is diagnosed, described, and compared to its sister genus, Kuiterichthys, using both molecular and morphological data. Notes on habitat and sponge mimicry, locomotion and defense, and reproduction and parental care are also provided as well as a diagnosis and a revised key to the known genera of the Histiophryninae.

Arnold, R.J., Harcourt, R. & Pietsch, T.W. 2014. A New Genus and Species of the Frogfish Family Antennariidae (Teleostei: Lophiiformes: Antennarioidei) from New South Wales, Australia, with a Diagnosis and Key to the Genera of the Histiophryninae. Copeia. 2014(3): 534-539. DOI: 10.1643/CI-13-155

twitter.com/LSU_FISH/status/531876744543080448

[Ornithology • 2014] Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti | Cryptic Treehunter • A New Species of Cichlocolaptes Reichenbach 1853 (Furnariidae), the ‘gritador-do-nordeste’, an undescribed trace of the fading bird life of northeastern Brazil

December 1, 2014, 4:28 pm

≫ Next: [Invertebrate • 2014] Ctenostomatous Bryozoa from São Paulo, Brazil, with descriptions of twelve new species

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Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti Barnett & Buzzetti, 2014 Cryptic Treehunter | gritador-do-nordeste

ABSTRACT

 A new species of treehunter,Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti sp. nov., is described from a specimen that for many years had been confused with Philydor novaesi. The morphology of this specimen, collected in 1986 at Pedra Branca, Murici, Alagoas, at 550 m elevation (currently the Murici Ecological Station), suggests its allocation in the genus Cichlocolaptes. The new species differs from P. novaesi by its considerably larger size, heavier body-mass, darker and more uniform forehead and crown, absence of buffy periocular-feathers, and a pale orange-rufous tail that contrasts with the rump and the rest of the dorsal plumage. It also has a flat-crowned appearance and a larger, deeper-based, and generally stouter bill. Behavioral specialization on bromeliads and vocal repertoire also suggest that the new species belongs in the genus Cichlocolaptes. The song of this species is markedly different from that of P. novaesi, and it closely matches that of Cichlocolaptes leucophrus. The new species is endemic to the ‘Pernambuco Center’ of endemism, where it inhabits dense, humid forests in hilly terrain. It is known from only two localities in northeastern Brazil, one each in the states of Alagoas and Pernambuco. Taken together, these areas contain less than 3,000 ha of suitable habitat for the species, where we estimate the population during our studies to have numbered no more than 10 individuals. We propose that this species should be categorized as Critically Endangered at a national and global level, and we consider the situation of its conservation to be critical in that it will require urgent action to avoid its global extinction.

Key Words: Atlantic Forest, Conservation, Ovenbirds, Philydor, Taxonomy, Treehunter.

Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti sp. nov.

Cryptic Treehunter | gritador-do-nordeste

Etymology: The second author dedicates the name of the new species to the first author, a good friend and colleague who suddenly passed away before this manuscript was finished, in recognition of his important contributions to the conservation of the Atlantic Forest in northeastern Brazil and its declining avifauna. For the English name we propose Cryptic Treehunter because it is difficult to find and, particularly, to separate from Philydor novaesi in the field. We propose naming this species gritador-do-nordeste in Portuguese. ‘Gritador’ (meaning ‘screamer’) is an apt name given the loudness of its vocalizations, but it also represents a figure in Brazilian folklore. The story of the ‘Gritador’ is that of two brothers who went hunting and one accidentally shot the other. In desperation, he shot himself, and now his soul sometimes can be heard as it wanders through the forest in the top of the hills, screaming in pain while searching for his brother. A parallel can be drawn with the story of the ‘Gritador’, as C. mazarbarnetti can be heard ‘screaming’ while wandering through the hilltop forest searching in vain for his ‘brothers’, in this case due to the scarcity of the species.

Juan Mazar Barnett & Dante Renato Corrêa Buzzetti. 2014. A New Species of Cichlocolaptes Reichenbach 1853 (Furnariidae), the ‘gritador-do-nordeste’, an undescribed trace of the fading bird life of northeastern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Ornitologia. 22 (2), 75-94

http://www4.museu-goeldi.br/revistabrornito/revista/index.php/BJO/article/view/5702

Glauco Alves Pereira; Sidnei de Melo Dantas; Luís Fábio Silveira; Sônia Aline Roda; Ciro Albano; Frederico Acaz Sonntag; Sergio Leal; Mauricio Cabral Periquito; Gustavo Bernardino Malacco and Alexander Charles Lees. 2014. Status of the globally threatened forest birds of northeast Brazil. Pap. Avulsos Zool. (São Paulo). 54(14)
DOI: 10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.14

[Invertebrate • 2014] Ctenostomatous Bryozoa from São Paulo, Brazil, with descriptions of twelve new species

December 2, 2014, 8:44 pm

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2014] Paragehyra felicitae & P. austini • Morphology and Molecules reveal Two New Species of the poorly studied Gecko Genus Paragehyra (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar

≪ Previous: [Ornithology • 2014] Cichlocolaptes mazarbarnetti | Cryptic Treehunter • A New Species of Cichlocolaptes Reichenbach 1853 (Furnariidae), the ‘gritador-do-nordeste’, an undescribed trace of the fading bird life of northeastern Brazil

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FIGURES 75–83.Jebramella angustan. gen. et n. sp., MZUSP 857, holotype, from Araçá, São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil. 75–78, fertile colony; note the yellow egg placed distally in the zooid; the eggs are elevated with expansion of tentacle crown (sequence of figures 75, 76, 77, 78 is about 2 seconds apart); 79, two expanded tentacle crowns; 80, fertile zooid with expanded campylonemidan tentacle crown and egg. Scale bars: 75–78, 0.2 mm; 79, 0.5 mm; 80, 0.25 mm; 81, 0.2 mm; 82, 83, 0.05 mm. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3889.4.2 | Fullext

Abstract

This paper describes 21 ctenostomatous bryozoans from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, based on specimens observed in vivo. A new family, Jebramellidae n. fam., is erected for a newly described genus and species, Jebramella angusta n. gen. et sp. Eleven other species are described as new: Alcyonidium exiguum n. sp., Alcyonidium pulvinatum n. sp.,  Alcyonidium torquatum n. sp., Alcyonidium vitreum n. sp., Bowerbankia ernsti n. sp., Bowerbankia evelinae n. sp., Bowerbankia mobilis n. sp., Nolella elizae n. sp., Panolicella brasiliensis n. sp.,Sundanella rosea n. sp., Victorella araceae n. sp. Taxonomic and ecological notes are also included for nine previously described species: Aeverrillia setigera (Hincks, 1887), Alcyonidium hauffi Marcus, 1939, Alcyonidium polypylum Marcus, 1941, Anguinella palmata van Beneden, 1845, Arachnoidella evelinae (Marcus, 1937), Bantariella firmata (Marcus, 1938) n. comb., Nolella sawayai Marcus, 1938, Nolella stipata Gosse, 1855 and Zoobotryon verticillatum (delle Chiaje, 1822).

Keywords:Alcyonidium, bryozoans, Bowerbankia, Ctenostomata, Jebramella, Jebramellidae, new combination, new family, new species, Nolella, Panolicella, Sundanella, taxonomy, Victorella

Vieira, Leandro M., Alvaro E. Migotto & Judith E. Winston. 2014. Ctenostomatous Bryozoa from São Paulo, Brazil, with descriptions of twelve new species. Zootaxa. 3889(4): 485–524. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3889.4.2

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2014/f/zt03889p524.pdf

[Herpetology • 2014] Paragehyra felicitae & P. austini • Morphology and Molecules reveal Two New Species of the poorly studied Gecko Genus Paragehyra (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar

December 3, 2014, 4:43 pm

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2014] Pholidobolus hillisi • A New Species of Pholidobolus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador

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Paragehyra felicitae Crottini, Harris, Miralles, Glaw, Jenkins, Randrianantoandro, Bauer & Vences, 2014 photos: Franco Andreone DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0191-5

Abstract

We provide new morphological and genetic data on a poorly studied genus of geckos from Madagascar (Paragehyra) previously thought to be distributed only in the south-east and south-west of the island and discuss the biogeography and evolution of this genus. Two species (Paragehyra petiti and Paragehyra gabriellae) were formerly included in this genus, whose phylogenetic and biogeographical relationships remain unresolved. This morphological and molecular study enables the recognition of two new rock-dwelling species that are here formally described. Paragehyra felicitae sp. nov. has only been observed in the private Anja reserve and nearby areas (close to Ambalavao) on the southern central high plateau of Madagascar, whereas Paragehyra austini sp. nov. is known from only one locality on the western slopes of the Andohahela massif, around 60 km northwest of Tolagnaro. The four species differ from one another by a combination of several morphological characters, genetic divergence >5.2 % in a mitochondrial 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene fragment and nucleotide differences in analysed nuclear genes, as highlighted in the resulting phylogenetic reconstruction and haplotype network analysis. A further, hitherto unstudied Paragehyra population is known from the Tsingy de Bemaraha in central-western Madagascar. Preliminary information of its morphological differentiation are here provided and suggest that this undescribed species is closely related to P. petiti and P.felicitae sp. nov.

Keywords: Paragehyra felicitae sp. nov., Paragehyra austini sp. nov., Systematics, Phylogenetics. Taxonomy, Rock-dwelling geckos

Angelica Crottini, D. James Harris, Aurélien Miralles, Frank Glaw, Richard K. B. Jenkins, J. Christian Randrianantoandro, Aaron M. Bauer and Miguel Vences. 2014. Morphology and Molecules reveal Two New Species of the poorly studied Gecko Genus Paragehyra (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. DOI: 10.1007/s13127-014-0191-5

facebook.com/FrancoAndreone/posts/10204978102759868

[Herpetology • 2014] Pholidobolus hillisi • A New Species of Pholidobolus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador

November 30, 2014, 10:01 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology • 2014] Cynopoecilus notalebis • Description of A New Species and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Subtribe Cynopoecilina, including Continuous Characters without Discretization (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2014] Paragehyra felicitae & P. austini • Morphology and Molecules reveal Two New Species of the poorly studied Gecko Genus Paragehyra (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Madagascar

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Fig. 4. Five species of Pholidobolus from Ecuador. (A) P. affinis (white circles); (B) P. macbrydei (blue circles); (C) P. montium (green circles); (D) P. prefrontalis (orange circles); (E) Pholidobolus hillisi sp. nov. (red circles) Photographs by OTC (A, B, C, D) and S. R. Ron (E)

Abstract

We describe a new species of Pholidobolus lizard from the Amazonian slopes of the Andes of southern Ecuador. Among other characters, the new species differs from other species of Pholidobolus in having a distinct diagonal white stripe extending from the fourth genial scale to the fore limb. We present a phylogeny based on mitochondrial DNA sequence data as additional evidence supporting delimitation of the new species, which is sister to all other species of Pholidobolus. Our phylogeny further supports the south-to-north speciation hypothesis proposed for other lizard clades from the northern Andes.

Key words. Clade Pholidobolus, DNA, lizard, phylogeny, South America, systematics

Omar Torres-Carvajal, Pablo J. Venegas, Simón E. Lobos, Paola Mafla-Endara and Pedro M. Sales Nunes. 2014. A New Species of Pholidobolus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation. 8(1) [Special Section]: 76–88 (e84). 

http://amphibian-reptile-conservation.org/pdfs/Volume/Vol_8_no_1/ARC_8_1_[Special_Section]_76-88_e84_low_res.pdf

researchgate.net/publication/268215466_A_new_species_of_Pholidobolus_(Squamata_Gymnophthalmidae)_from_the_Andes_of_southern_Ecuador

[Ichthyology • 2014] Cynopoecilus notalebis • Description of A New Species and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Subtribe Cynopoecilina, including Continuous Characters without Discretization (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae)

December 5, 2014, 10:55 pm

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2014] New Specimen of Archaeopteryx provides Insights into The Evolution of Pennaceous Feathers | The Flight for First Bird

≪ Previous: [Herpetology • 2014] Pholidobolus hillisi • A New Species of Pholidobolus (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the Andes of southern Ecuador

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Cynopoecilus notalebis  Ferrer, , Wingert  & Malabarba, 2014

A new species of the subtribe Cynopoecilina is described from the rio Gravataí basin, laguna dos Patos system, southern Brazil. The relationships of the new species among taxa of the subtribe Cynopoecilina is discussed based on two analyses: one using 71 discrete characters and other with the addition of six continuous characters analyzed without discretization. The addition of the continuous characters resulted in the first fully resolved phylogenies for Cynopoecilus and Leptolebias species, not obtained in the analysis including only discrete characters. The new species is assigned to Cynopoecilus as sister group to the remaining species of the genus. A new diagnosis is proposed for Cynopoecilus to accommodate the new species. The resulting phylogeny indicates that the occupation of the grasslands of the Pampa biome by the species of Cynopoecilus occurred along the evolution of the genus and that this event was significant for the diversification of the genus.

Keywords: Aplocheiloidei; Campellolebias; conservation; Cynopoecilus; killifishes; Leptolebias; neotropical; Notholebias

 Ferrer, J., Wingert, J.M. & Malabarba, L.R. 2014. Description of A New Species and Phylogenetic Analysis of the Subtribe Cynopoecilina, including Continuous Characters without Discretization (Cyprinodontiformes: Rivulidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 172(4); 846–866. DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12190

facebook.com/KilliClubArgentino/photos/771045039610242

[Paleontology • 2014] New Specimen of Archaeopteryx provides Insights into The Evolution of Pennaceous Feathers | The Flight for First Bird

December 6, 2014, 3:52 am

≫ Next: [Ichthyology / Genome • 2014] Mudskipper Genomes provide insights into the Terrestrial Adaptation of Amphibious Fishes

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Archaeopteryx’s status is changing, but the animal is still key to the dinosaur–bird transition. Illustration by Emily Willoughby; Graphics: Jasiek Krzysztofiak/Nature; doi: 10.1038/nature13467 | 10.1038/516018a

The iconic status of Archaeopteryx, the first animal discovered with both bird and dinosaur features, is under attack. More-recently discovered rival species show a similar mix of traits. But Archaeopteryx still hogged the opening symposium at the 2014 Society of Vertebrate Paleontology meeting in Berlin last month, and even festooned the official conference beer glasses.

As the simplistic idea of a ‘first’ bird gives way to a messy evolutionary transition, newly discovered fossils and improved analysis techniques put Archaeopteryx in prime position to unravel the details. “Research on Archaeopteryx is really catching a new breath,” says palaeobiologist Martin Kundrat of Uppsala University in Sweden, who co-organized the symposium at the November meeting.

The first Archaeopteryx fossil specimens turned up in limestone quarries in Bavaria, southern Germany, in the early 1860s. Until recently, they were the only fossil specimens found to mix bird- and dinosaur-like features. On the one hand, they are small — the fossils show juvenile creatures about the size of a magpie, which as adults may have been raven-sized — and have broad feathered wings that look good for gliding; on the other, they have a jaw with sharp teeth, dinosaur-like claws and a bony tail. These features led to the idea of the first bird, and generations of scientists have treated the 145-million-year-old animal as a ‘transitional species’ — the key piece of evidence linking birds and dinosaurs (Archaeopteryx is Greek for ‘ancient feather’, whereas its German name, ‘Urvogel’, means ‘first bird’).

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doi: 10.1038/516018a

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Discoveries of bird-like theropod dinosaurs and basal avialans in recent decades have helped to put the iconic ‘Urvogel’ Archaeopteryx into context and have yielded important new data on the origin and early evolution of feathers. However, the biological context under which pennaceous feathers evolved is still debated. Here we describe a new specimen of Archaeopteryx with extensive feather preservation, not only on the wings and tail, but also on the body and legs. The new specimen shows that the entire body was covered in pennaceous feathers, and that the hindlimbs had long, symmetrical feathers along the tibiotarsus but short feathers on the tarsometatarsus. Furthermore, the wing plumage demonstrates that several recent interpretations are problematic. An analysis of the phylogenetic distribution of pennaceous feathers on the tail, hindlimb and arms of advanced maniraptorans and basal avialans strongly indicates that these structures evolved in a functional context other than flight, most probably in relation to display, as suggested by some previous studies. Pennaceous feathers thus represented an exaptation and were later, in several lineages and following different patterns, recruited for aerodynamic functions. This indicates that the origin of flight in avialans was more complex than previously thought and might have involved several convergent achievements of aerial abilities.

Christian Foth, Helmut Tischlinger and Oliver W. M. Rauhut. 2014. New Specimen of Archaeopteryx provides Insights into The Evolution of Pennaceous Feathers. Nature. 511, 79–82. doi: 10.1038/nature13467

Amy M. Balanoff, Gabe S. Bever, Timothy B. Rowe and Mark A. Norell. 2013. Evolutionary origins of the avian brain. Nature. 501, 93–96 doi: dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12424

Ryan M. Carney, Jakob Vinther, Matthew D. Shawkey, Liliana D'Alba and Jörg Ackermann. 2012. New evidence on the colour and nature of the isolated Archaeopteryx feather. Nature Communications. 3, Article number: 637 doi: 10.1038/ncomms1642

Ewen Callaway. 2014. Rival Species recast significance of ‘First Bird’. Nature. 516, 18–19 (04 December 2014) doi: 10.1038/516018a

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[Ichthyology / Genome • 2014] Mudskipper Genomes provide insights into the Terrestrial Adaptation of Amphibious Fishes

December 8, 2014, 9:50 am

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2014] Titanochelon • New Generic proposal for the European Neogene Large Testudinids (Cryptodira) and the First Phylogenetic Hypothesis for the medium and large representatives of the European Cenozoic record

≪ Previous: [Paleontology • 2014] New Specimen of Archaeopteryx provides Insights into The Evolution of Pennaceous Feathers | The Flight for First Bird

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Figure 1: Habitats of the four sequenced mudskippers.  Scartelaos histophorus (SH or blue mudskipper), Boleophthalmus pectinirostris (BP or blue-spotted mudskipper), Periophthalmodon schlosseri (PS or giant mudskipper) and Periophthalmus magnuspinnatus (PM or giant-fin mudskipper) doi: 10.1038/ncomms6594

Mudskippers are amphibious fishes that have developed morphological and physiological adaptations to match their unique lifestyles. Here we perform whole-genome sequencing of four representative mudskippers to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying these adaptations. We discover an expansion of innate immune system genes in the mudskippers that may provide defence against terrestrial pathogens. Several genes of the ammonia excretion pathway in the gills have experienced positive selection, suggesting their important roles in mudskippers’ tolerance to environmental ammonia. Some vision-related genes are differentially lost or mutated, illustrating genomic changes associated with aerial vision. Transcriptomic analyses of mudskippers exposed to air highlight regulatory pathways that are up- or down-regulated in response to hypoxia. The present study provides a valuable resource for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying water-to-land transition of vertebrates.

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Xinxin You, Chao Bian, Qijie Zan, Xun Xu, Xin Liu, Jieming Chen, Jintu Wang, Ying Qiu, Wujiao Li, Xinhui Zhang, Ying Sun, Shixi Chen, Wanshu Hong, Yuxiang Li, Shifeng Cheng, Guangyi Fan, Chengcheng Shi, Jie Liang, Y. Tom Tang, Chengye Yang, Zhiqiang Ruan, Jie Bai, Chao Peng, Qian Mu, Jun Lu, Mingjun Fan, Shuang Yang, Zhiyong Huang, Xuanting Jiang, Xiaodong Fang, Guojie Zhang, Yong Zhang, Gianluca Polgar, Hui Yu, Jia Li, Zhongjian Liu, Guoqiang Zhang, Vydianathan Ravi, Steven L. Coon, Jian Wang, Huanming Yang, Byrappa Venkatesh, Jun Wang & Qiong Shi. 2014. Mudskipper Genomes provide insights into the Terrestrial Adaptation of Amphibious Fishes. Nature Communications 5, Article number: 5594 doi: 10.1038/ncomms6594

[Paleontology • 2014] Titanochelon • New Generic proposal for the European Neogene Large Testudinids (Cryptodira) and the First Phylogenetic Hypothesis for the medium and large representatives of the European Cenozoic record

December 10, 2014, 5:40 am

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2014] Lineage Delimitation and Description of Nine New Species of Bush Frogs (Anura: Raorchestes, Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats Escarpment

≪ Previous: [Ichthyology / Genome • 2014] Mudskipper Genomes provide insights into the Terrestrial Adaptation of Amphibious Fishes

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Titanochelon bolivari  (Hernández-Pacheco, 1917) Titanochelon, a new genus of giant tortoise that lived in Europe and western Asia between 20m and 2m years ago.  Illustration: Mauricio Antón | DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12183

Fossil testudinids are known in Europe since the Eocene, with several taxa of medium size (from more than 0.3 m to less than 0.7 m) recognized in the Palaeogene record, most of them being poorly known. The size of several European Neogene taxa was larger (between 1 and 2 m). These large testudinids were relatively abundant and diverse, ranging from the early Miocene to the Pleistocene. However, there is a nomenclatural gap at the generic level for the Neogene forms, as their generally used assignment to the more primitive Eocene Cheirogaster cannot be sustained. This is because relatively little material has been assigned to the described species, and also because of the absence of a detailed study comparing all of the European taxa. Here, the European Cenozoic taxa are incorporated for the first time in a data matrix, so that a hypothesis on their phylogenetic relationships is justified. This study identified the large testudinids from the Neogene of Europe as belonging to a monophyletic clade, assigned to the new genus Titanochelon. The hitherto poorly understood ‘Testudo’ bolivari, proposed nearly a century ago but lacking diagnosis, is analysed in detail. It is recognized as the best-represented large testudinid from the European record, and is identified as the type species of Titanochelon gen. nov. Its comparison with the other Neogene species allowed a detailed study of the new genus and an analysis of its phylogenetic relationships with the other European taxa.

Keywords: Cheirogaster; Europe; Palaeogene; phylogenetic relationships; Testudinidae; ‘Testudo’ bolivari; Titanochelon gen. nov.

giant tortoise Titanochelon bolivari 1) reconstruction by paleoartist Mauricio Antón; 2) - 7) fossil of Titanochelon | Source: MNCN et culturacientifica

Figure 2. Historical photographs of the shell of the lectotype of Titanochelon bolivari (‘Alcalá 2’), from the MN6 zone (late Aragonian, middle Miocene) of Cerro del Viso, in Alcalá de Henares (Madrid, Spain). Specimen collected in 1917. A, right lateral view. Modified version of ACN 6553, photograph corresponding to plate XXXIV in Royo y Gómez (1928b). B, left lateral view. Modified version of the unpublished photograph ACN 6554. C, anteroventral view. Modified version of the unpublished photograph ACN 6555. D, dorsoposterior view. Modified version of ACN 6556, photograph corresponding to plate XXXV in Royo y Gómez (1928b). Original photographs taken by Eduardo Hernández-Pacheco. DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12183

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

CHELONII LATREILLE, 1800

CRYPTODIRA COPE, 1868

TESTUDINOIDEA BATSCH, 1788

TESTUDINIDAE BATSCH, 1788

TESTUDININAE BATSCH, 1788

TITANOCHELON GEN. NOV.

Type species: Titanochelon bolivari (Hernández-Pacheco, 1917a)

Included species:Titanochelon bolivari comb. nov., Titanochelon eurysternum (Gervais, 1848–1852) comb. nov., Titanochelon ginsburgi (de Broin, 1977) comb. nov., Titanochelon vitodurana (Biedermann, 1862) comb. nov., Titanochelon steinbacheri (Karl, 1996) comb. nov., Titanochelon leberonensis (Depéret, 1890) comb. nov., Titanochelon schafferi (Szalai, 1931) comb. nov., Titanochelon perpiniana (Depéret, 1885) comb. nov., Titanochelon bacharidisi (Vlachos et al., 2014) comb. nov. 

Probably included species: cf. Titanochelon gymnesicus (Bate, 1914) comb. nov

Adán Pérez-García and Evangelos Vlachos. 2014. New Generic proposal for the European Neogene Large Testudinids (Cryptodira) and the First Phylogenetic Hypothesis for the medium and large representatives of the European Cenozoic record. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 172, 653–719. DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12183

theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/06/researchers-discover-new-genus-giant-tortoise

http://godzillin.blogspot.com/2014/11/el-titan-de-las-tortugas-europeas.html

[Herpetology • 2014] Lineage Delimitation and Description of Nine New Species of Bush Frogs (Anura: Raorchestes, Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats Escarpment

December 10, 2014, 7:18 am

≫ Next: [Paleontology • 2014] Aquilops americanus • A Ceratopsian Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Western North America, and the Biogeography of Neoceratopsia

≪ Previous: [Paleontology • 2014] Titanochelon • New Generic proposal for the European Neogene Large Testudinids (Cryptodira) and the First Phylogenetic Hypothesis for the medium and large representatives of the European Cenozoic record

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Raorchestes emeraldi, R. flaviocularis & R. leucolatus  photos: S. P. Vijayakumar | BBC.com DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3893.4.1

Abstract

Bush frogs of the genus Raorchestes are distributed mainly in the Western Ghats Escarpment of Peninsular India. The inventory of species in this genus is incomplete and there is ambiguity in the systematic status of species recognized by morphological criteria. To address the dual problem of taxon sampling and systematic uncertainty in bush frogs, we used a large-scale spatial sampling design, explicitly incorporating the geographic and ecological heterogeneity of the Western Ghats. We then used a hierarchical multi-criteria approach by combining mitochondrial phylogeny, genetic distance, geographic range, morphology and advertisement call to delimit bush frog lineages. Our analyses revealed the existence of a large number of new lineages with varying levels of genetic divergence. Here, we provide diagnoses and descriptions for nine lineages that exhibit divergence across multiple axes. The discovery of new lineages that exhibit high divergence across wide ranges of elevation and across the major massifs highlights the large gaps in historical sampling. These discoveries underscore the significance of addressing inadequate knowledge of species distribution, namely the “Wallacean shortfall”, in addressing the problem of taxon sampling and unknown diversity in tropical hotspots. A biogeographically informed sampling and analytical approach was critical in detecting and delineating lineages in a consistent manner across the genus. Through increased taxon sampling, we were also able to discern a number of well-supported sub-clades that were either unresolved or absent in earlier phylogenetic reconstructions and identify a number of shallow divergent lineages which require further examination for assessment of their taxonomic status.

Keywords: Species delimitation, Raorchestes, Multi-criteria, Wallacean shortfall, Taxon sampling, Western Ghats

Species accounts: Raorchestes archeos sp. nov., Raorchestes aureus sp. nov., Raorchestes blandus sp. nov., Raorchestes echinatus sp. nov., Raorchestes emeraldi sp. nov., Raorchestes flaviocularis sp. nov., Raorchestes indigo sp. nov., Raorchestes leucolatus sp. nov. and Raorchestes primarrumpfi sp. nov. 

Raorchestes archeos,   Raorchestes blandus, Raorchestes aureus,   Raorchestes echinatus photos: S. P. Vijayakumar | DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3893.4.1

Raorchestes flaviocularis,   Raorchestes indigo Raorchestes primarrumpfi   | DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3893.4.1

Vijayakumar, S. P., K. P. Dinesh, Mrugank V. Prabhu & Kartik Shanker. 2014. Lineage Delimitation and Description of Nine New Species of Bush Frogs (Anura: Raorchestes, Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats Escarpment. Zootaxa. 3893(4): 451–488. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3893.4.1

http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20141210-gorgeous-new-frogs-found-in-india

[Paleontology • 2014] Aquilops americanus • A Ceratopsian Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Western North America, and the Biogeography of Neoceratopsia

December 10, 2014, 4:44 pm

≫ Next: [Herpetology • 2014] Gekko thakhekensis • A New Species of the Gekko japonicus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Laos

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Aquilops americanus Farke, Maxwell, Cifelli & Wedel, 2014 doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112055.g006 Life restoration by Brian Engh | DontmesswithDinosaurs.com

Abstract

The fossil record for neoceratopsian (horned) dinosaurs in the Lower Cretaceous of North America primarily comprises isolated teeth and postcrania of limited taxonomic resolution, hampering previous efforts to reconstruct the early evolution of this group in North America. An associated cranium and lower jaw from the Cloverly Formation (?middle–late Albian, between 104 and 109 million years old) of southern Montana is designated as the holotype for Aquilops americanus gen. et sp. nov.  Aquilops americanus is distinguished by several autapomorphies, including a strongly hooked rostral bone with a midline boss and an elongate and sharply pointed antorbital fossa. The skull in the only known specimen is comparatively small, measuring 84 mm between the tips of the rostral and jugal. The taxon is interpreted as a basal neoceratopsian closely related to Early Cretaceous Asian taxa, such as Liaoceratops and Auroraceratops. Biogeographically, A. americanus probably originated via a dispersal from Asia into North America; the exact route of this dispersal is ambiguous, although a Beringian rather than European route seems more likely in light of the absence of ceratopsians in the Early Cretaceous of Europe. Other amniote clades show similar biogeographic patterns, supporting an intercontinental migratory event between Asia and North America during the late Early Cretaceous. The temporal and geographic distribution of Upper Cretaceous neoceratopsians (leptoceratopsids and ceratopsoids) suggests at least intermittent connections between North America and Asia through the early Late Cretaceous, likely followed by an interval of isolation and finally reconnection during the latest Cretaceous.

Skull and lower jaw of Aquilops The only known fossil skull of Aquilops puts the dinosaur's small size in perspective; it was about the size of a rabbit. photo: Andrew A. Farke | blogs.plos.org

Life restoration of Aquilops americanus in right lateral view. The rendering is based on OMNH 34557 (holotype), with missing details patterned after Liaoceratops yanzigouensis and Archaeoceratops oshimai. Life restoration by Brian Engh. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112055.g006

Systematic Paleontology

Dinosauria Owen 1842  | Ornithischia Seeley 1887

Ceratopsia Marsh 1890  | Neoceratopsia Sereno 1986

Aquilops gen. nov.

Aquilops americanus sp. nov.

Holotype: OMNH 34557, a partial skull, with associated predentary, partial left dentary, and additional associated but unidentifiable fragments (Figs. 3–9; three-dimensional digital scans are contained in Files S7–S12).

Etymology: The genus name is derived from the Latin aquila, meaning “eagle,” and the Greek ops, meaning “face,” referring to the hooked beak on the skull of the animal. The species name, meaning “American” (Latin), reflects the species' status as the earliest unequivocal neoceratopsian in North America.

Locality and horizon: OMNH locality V1057, 45°N 109°W, Carbon County, Montana, United States of America (Figure 2); basal (?middle–late Albian) part of Unit VII (as defined by [20]), Cloverly Formation. Precise locality data are on file at OMNH and are available to qualified investigators upon request.

Figure 10. Hypothesis of phylogeny and biogeography for Neoceratopsia. Some terminal taxa have been combined for space considerations, and the range bars for each taxon indicate uncertainty rather than known geological ranges. Continent icons indicate the ancestral areas reconstructed by DEC modeling. Silhouettes depict representative members of major clades and grades (Psittacosaurus by J. Headden, Zuniceratops by N. Tamura and modified by T. M. Keesey; Triceratops by R. Amos; all others by A. Farke; all images are CC-BY and provided via www.phylopic.org). Full results are presented in File S1. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112055.g006

 

Life restoration by Brian Engh | DontmesswithDinosaurs.com

Andrew A. Farke, W. Desmond Maxwell, Richard L. Cifelli and Mathew J. Wedel. 2014. A Ceratopsian Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Western North America, and the Biogeography of Neoceratopsia. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112055

Aquilops, the little dinosaur that could http://blogs.plos.org/paleo/2014/12/10/aquilops-hello/

Introducing Aquilops americanus http://dontmesswithdinosaurs.com/?p=1220

Bunny-Sized Dinosaur Was First of Its Kind in America http://on.natgeo.com/1x3oyuG via @NatGeo

[Herpetology • 2014] Gekko thakhekensis • A New Species of the Gekko japonicus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Laos

December 12, 2014, 8:42 pm

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Gekko thakhekensis Luu, Calame, Nguyen, Le, Bonkowski & Ziegler, 2014 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.1.4

Abstract

A new species of the Gekkojaponicus group is described from Khammouane Province, central Laos, based on distinct morphological and molecular features. Gekkothakhekensis sp. nov. is distinguished from the remaining congeners by a combination of the following characters: size moderate (SVL 67.6–79.2 mm); nares in contact with rostral; internasals absent; postmentals enlarged; interorbital scales between anterior corners of the eyes 22–26; dorsal tubercles absent; ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit 165–174; midbody scale rows 110–116; ventral scale rows 32–40; subdigital lamellae on first toe 11–13, on fourth toe 14–15; finger and toe webbing present at base, about one fifth of length of digits; tubercles on upper surface of fore and hind limbs absent; precloacal pores 1–5 in males; postcloacal tubercles two; tubercles absent on dorsal surface of tail base; subcaudals enlarged; dorsal surface of body with greyish brown blotches. In molecular analyses, the new species is recovered as a sister taxon to G. scientiadventura, but the two species are separated by approximately 12% divergence as shown by the partial mitochondrial ND2 gene.

Keywords: Gekko thakhekensis sp. nov., Khammouane Province, karst forest, morphology, molecular phylogeny

Vinh Quang Luu, Thomas Calame, Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh D. Le, Michael Bonkowski and Thomas Ziegler. 2014. A New Species of the Gekkojaponicus group (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from central Laos. Zootaxa. 3895(1):73-88. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3895.1.4

ResearchGate.net/publication/269408236_A_new_species_of_the_Gekko_japonicus_group_(Squamata_Gekkonidae)_from_central_Laos