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Li YD, Liu ZH, Huang DY, Cai CY. An enigmatic Cretaceous beetle with possible affinity to Erotylidae (Coleoptera: Cucujiformia). Curr Res Insect Sci 2024; 5:100075. [PMID: 38374887 PMCID: PMC10875113 DOI: 10.1016/j.cris.2024.100075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
The morphology of beetles of the recently defined superfamilies Erotyloidea, Nitiduloidea and Cucujoidea is varied. Determining the systematic positions of Mesozoic fossils within these groups can often be challenging. Here we describe and illustrate a puzzling cucujiform beetle, Isocryptophilus exilipunctus Li & Cai gen. & sp. nov., based on an individual from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. While we cannot definitively pinpoint the exact phylogenetic position of Isocryptophilus, its possible affinity to Erotylidae is discussed in light of our phylogenetic analyses. A broader-sampled morphological matrix, coupled with a robust molecular phylogeny of these groups, will be promising for clarifying the systematic placement of the fossil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Da Li
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, United Kingdom
| | - Zhen-Hua Liu
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Institute of Zoology, Guangdong Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510260, China
| | - Di-Ying Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
| | - Chen-Yang Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
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2
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Mazurek D, Antczak M. Late Cretaceous coprolite from the Opole area (southern Poland) as evidence for a variable diet in shell-crushing shark Ptychodus (Elasmobranchii: Ptychodontidae). PeerJ 2023; 11:e16598. [PMID: 38111662 PMCID: PMC10726922 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16598] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Coprolites, i.e., fossilized faeces, are an important source of knowledge on the diet and food processing mechanisms in the fossil record. Direct and indirect evidences for the dietary preferences of extinct sharks are rare in the fossil record. The first coprolite attributable to Ptychodus containing prey remains from the European Cretaceous is documented here. Methods A coprolite from the Late Cretaceous of Opole (southern Poland) was scanned using micro-computed tomography to show the arrangement of the inclusions. In addition, the cross-section was examined under the SEM/EDS to analyse the microstructure and chemical composition of the inclusions. Results Brachiopod shell fragments and foraminiferan shells are recognized and identified among the variously shaped inclusions detected through the performed analysis. Conclusions The extinct shell-crushing shark Ptychodus has been identified as the likely producer of the examined coprolite. The presence of brachiopod shell fragments indicates that at least some species of this durophagous predatory shark may have preyed on small benthic elements on the sea bottom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dawid Mazurek
- Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Opole, Polska
- European Centre of Palaeontology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
| | - Mateusz Antczak
- Institute of Biology, University of Opole, Opole, Polska
- European Centre of Palaeontology, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
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3
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Lourenço WR. Scorpions trapped in amber: a remarkable window on their evolution over time from the Mesozoic period to present days. J Venom Anim Toxins Incl Trop Dis 2023; 29:e20230040. [PMID: 37593207 PMCID: PMC10430024 DOI: 10.1590/1678-9199-jvatitd-2023-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
This synoptic review aims to bring some general information on fossil scorpions, namely those trapped in amber - fossilized resin - ranging from Lower Cretaceous through the Palaeocene and up to the Miocene. The question to be addressed is how the study of these fossils can be connected with possible present scorpionism problems. A precise knowledge of these ancient lineages provides information about the evolution of extant lineages, including the buthoids, which contain most known noxious species. Among the Arthropods found trapped in amber, scorpions are considered rare. A limited number of elements have been described from the Late Tertiary Dominican and Mexican amber, while the most ancient Tertiary amber from the Baltic region produced more consistent results in the last 30 years, primarily focusing on a single limited lineage. Contrarily, the Cretaceous amber from Myanmar, also called Burmite, has yielded and continues to yield a significant number of results represented by several distinct lineages, which attest to the considerable degree of diversity that existed in the Burmese amber-producing forests. As in my previous similar contributions to this journal, the content of this note is primarily addressed to non-specialists whose research embraces scorpions in various fields such as venom toxins and public health. An overview knowledge of at least some fossil lineages can eventually help to clarify why some extant elements associated with the buthoids represent dangerous species while others are not noxious.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wilson R. Lourenço
- Sorbonne Universités, Institut de Systématique, Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Paris, France
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4
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Kilmury AA, Anderson A, Wijesinghe DS, Verstraete AF, Ezeana W, Anderson AE, Brink KS. Microvertebrate faunal assemblages of the Favel Formation (late Cenomanian-middle Turonian) of Manitoba, Canada. PeerJ 2023; 11:e15493. [PMID: 37551349 PMCID: PMC10404398 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Microvertebrate assemblages of the Upper Cretaceous (late Cenomanian to mid-Turonian) Favel Formation of Manitoba are formally described for the first time. New vertebrate occurrences from the Favel Formation include the actinopterygians Caturidae indet., cf. Albulidae incertae sedis, Micropycnodon kansasensis, Pachyrhizodus minimus, Protosphyraena sp., Thryptodus loomisi, chondrichthyans Ischyrhiza cf. mira, I. texana, Ptychodus marginalis, P. occidentalis, and P. rhombodus, the avian cf. Ichthyornis sp., the reptile Testudines indet., and an unknown taxon referred to as Vertebrate A. Changes in faunal occurrences throughout the formation suggest an offshore open marine environment for the lower and middle horizons and nearshore marine for the upper horizon, represent ing mid- and late stages of the Greenhorn third-order marine cycle. This newly described diversity increases biogeographic affinities of the late Cenomanian to mid-Turonian vertebrate assemblages of Manitoba with central WIS localities in South Dakota and Kansas, providing additional support for a central vertebrate biogeographic subprovince during late Cenomanian to early Turonian times, as well as WIS localities further south in Texas decreasing the gradient of the north-south or central-south community boundary during early and mid-Turonian times.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A. Kilmury
- Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | - Aaron Anderson
- Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | | | - William Ezeana
- Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
| | | | - Kirstin S. Brink
- Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
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5
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Ivkić A, Puff F, Kroh A, Mansour A, Osman M, Hassan M, Ahmed AEH, Zuschin M. Three common sampling techniques in Pleistocene coral reefs of the Red Sea: a comparison. Geol Soc Spec Publ 2023; 529:223-242. [PMID: 37873493 PMCID: PMC7615226 DOI: 10.1144/sp529-2022-227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2023]
Abstract
Line Intercept Transects (LIT), Point Intercept Transects (PIT), and Photoquadrats (PQ) are the most common quantitative sampling techniques in modern and fossil coral reefs. Data from coral reefs obtained by the different methods are generally compared between various reef ages and localities. Quaternary reefs from warmer interglacial periods, which represent climate scenarios projected for the future, are particularly interesting for comparisons with modern reefs. Importantly, fossil reefs differ from modern reefs because they are diagenetically altered and time averaged. While several studies have compared different quantitative methods in modern reefs, very few have dealt with the comparability among fossil and between fossil and modern reefs. Here, we compare LIT, PIT at 10, 20 and 50 cm intervals, and PQ in two Pleistocene reef localities in Egypt. We find that alpha diversity, reef cover and community composition are dependent on the method. Results gained with plotless methods (LIT, PIT) differ strongly from results gained with plot methods (PQ). However, coral cover results are similar between LIT and PIT, and community composition is indistinguishable between the two, but alpha diversity depends on the interval used for PIT. We discuss the implications of our findings for comparing coral reefs of various ages and localities. We recommend surveying Pleistocene reefs with PIT at 20 cm intervals. This is because A) alpha diversity is well captured, B) the amount of time averaging recorded by PIT is reduced compared to PQ, C) the PIT results can be directly compared to reefs analyzed by LIT, and D) the method is less time consuming than LIT and PQ.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angelina Ivkić
- University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Felix Puff
- University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Andreas Kroh
- Natural History Museum Vienna, Geological-Paleontological Department, Vienna, Austria
| | - Abbas Mansour
- South Valley University, Department of Geology, Qena, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Osman
- South Valley University, Department of Geology, Qena, Egypt
| | - Mohamed Hassan
- South Valley University, Department of Geology, Qena, Egypt
| | | | - Martin Zuschin
- University of Vienna, Department of Palaeontology, Josef-Holaubek-Platz 2, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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Marín-Ortega S, Àngels Calvo i Torras M, Iglesias-Campos MÁ. Microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation in fossil consolidation treatments: Preliminary results inducing exogenous Myxococcus xanthus bacteria in a miocene Cheirogaster richardi specimen. Heliyon 2023; 9:e17597. [PMID: 37449105 PMCID: PMC10336521 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e17597] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2022] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
This research paper proposes Microbially Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) as an innovative approach for palaeontological heritage conservation, specifically on deteriorated carbonate fossils. Due to its efficiency in bioconsolidation of carbonate ornamental rocks, Myxococcus xanthus inoculation on carbonate fossils was studied in this research. Treatment was tested on nine fossil samples from decontextualized fragments of Cheirogaster richardi specimens (Can Mata site, Hostalets de Pierola, Catalonia, Spain). The main objective was to evaluate whether treatment with Myxococcus xanthus improved fossil surface cohesion and hardness and mechanical strength without significant physicochemical and aesthetic changes to the surface. Chemical compatibility of the treatment, penetration capacity and absence of noticeable changes in substrate porosity were considered as important issues to be evaluated. Samples were analysed, before and after treatment, by scanning electron microscopy, weight control, spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction analysis, water absorption analysis, pH and conductivity control, Vickers microindentation and tape test. Results show that hardness increases by a factor of almost two. Cohesion also increases and surface disaggregated particles are bonded together by a calcium carbonate micrometric layer with no noticeable changes in surface roughness. Colour and gloss variations are negligible, and pH, conductivity and weight hardly change. Slight changes in porosity were observed but without total pore clogging. To sum up, results indicate that Myxococcus xanthus biomineralisation is an effective consolidation treatment for carbonate fossils and highly compatible with carbonate substrates. Furthermore, bacterial precipitation of calcium carbonate is a safe and eco-friendly consolidation treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Marín-Ortega
- Conservation-Restoration Department, Escola Superior de Conservació i Restauració de Béns Culturals de Catalunya, Carrer d’Aiguablava, 109-113, 08033, Barcelona, Spain
- Heritage Conservation-Restoration Research Group. Arts and Conservation-Restoration Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer de Pau Gargallo, 4, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
| | - M. Àngels Calvo i Torras
- Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group. Department of Animal Health and Anatomy, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Travessera dels Turons, Edifici V. 08193, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Manuel Ángel Iglesias-Campos
- Heritage Conservation-Restoration Research Group. Arts and Conservation-Restoration Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Universitat de Barcelona, Carrer de Pau Gargallo, 4, 08028, Barcelona, Spain
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Li YD, Yamamoto S, Newton AF, Cai CY. Kekveus brevisulcatus sp. nov., a new featherwing beetle from mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Ptiliidae). PeerJ 2023; 11:e15306. [PMID: 37193020 PMCID: PMC10183168 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.15306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ptiliidae (featherwing beetles) is a group of minute staphylinoid beetles with a scarce fossil record. Here a second member of the Mesozoic genus Kekveus Yamamoto et al. is reported from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, with detailed morphology obtained through confocal microscopy. Kekveus brevisulcatus Li, Yamamoto, Newton & Cai sp. nov. shares with K. jason Yamamoto et al. the unpaired medial pronotal fovea and narrowly separated transverse metacoxae, but can be separated from the latter based on its less elongate body, shorter pronotal foveae, and much weaker transverse depression on the head. Our phylogenetic analyses support the discheramocephalin affinity of Kekveus, although its relationship with other members of Discheramocephalini cannot be confidently resolved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Da Li
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
| | - Shûhei Yamamoto
- The Hokkaido University Museum, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Alfred F. Newton
- Negaunee Integrative Research Center, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, IL, United States of America
| | - Chen-Yang Cai
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
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8
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Wang Q, Horne DJ, Fan J, Wen R, Smith RJ, Wang M, Zhai D. Ilyocyprisleptolinea Wang & Zhai, sp. nov., an ostracod (Ostracoda, Crustacea) from the late Quaternary of Inner Mongolia, northern China. Zookeys 2022; 1137:109-132. [PMID: 36760484 PMCID: PMC9836629 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.1137.94224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Accepted: 11/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Ilyocyprisleptolinea Wang & Zhai, sp. nov. is described from late Quaternary sediments in central-eastern Inner Mongolia, northern China. The new species, which has a carapace shape and pitted surface typical of the genus, is characterised by double rows of fine, densely arranged marginal ripplets, separated by an inner list, along both anterior and posterior calcified inner lamellae in the left valve. Outline analysis and Principal Component Analysis indicate that its morpho-space overlaps with I.bradyi Sars, 1890, I.japonica Okubo, 1990, and I.mongolica Martens, 1991, which have living or fossil representatives in Inner Mongolia, but it is clearly discriminated from I.innermongolica Zhai & Xiao, 2013. Judging from the relatively coarse lithology dominated by silt and sand, and the lack of accompanying brackish-water ostracods, I.leptolinea Wang & Zhai, sp. nov. may have lived in a relatively shallow freshwater lake. It perhaps can be added to the list of species that went extinct during the Quaternary, but the timing and process of extinction await further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianwei Wang
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - David J. Horne
- MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
| | - Jiawei Fan
- School of Geography, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Ruilin Wen
- Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration, Beijing 100029, China,Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Beitucheng West Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Robin J. Smith
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Min Wang
- Lake Biwa Museum, 1091 Oroshimo, Kusatsu, Shiga 525-0001, Japan
| | - Dayou Zhai
- Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
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9
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Zhuang Y, Xu W, Zhang G, Mai H, Li X, He H, Ran H, Liu Y. Unparalleled details of soft tissues in a Cretaceous ant. BMC Ecol Evol 2022; 22:146. [PMID: 36526958 PMCID: PMC9756460 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-022-02099-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 12/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
For social insects such as ants, the internal organs are likely important in understanding their eusocial behavior and evolution. Such organs, however, are rarely preserved on fossils. In each of the few cases reporting exceptionally fossilized soft tissues in arthropods, the nervous, muscular and cardiovascular systems have been described individually, but never in combination. Here, we report a female specimen (gyne) of the extinct ant group-†Zigrasimecia-included in a Cretaceous amber piece from Kachin, Myanmar, with an almost complete system formed by various internal organs. These include the brain, the main exocrine system, part of the digestive tract, and several muscle clusters. This research expands our knowledge of internal anatomy in stem group ants. As the gyne bears a morphologically unique labrum, our specimen's internal and external features support the notion that the early ant may have special ecological habits during the Cretaceous period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhui Zhuang
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Wenjing Xu
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Guojie Zhang
- grid.13402.340000 0004 1759 700XEvolutionary & Organismal Biology Research Center, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310058 China ,grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,grid.5254.60000 0001 0674 042XVillum Center for Biodiversity Genomics, Section for Ecology and Evolution, Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Huijuan Mai
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Xiaoqin Li
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
| | - Hong He
- grid.144022.10000 0004 1760 4150Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration On Management of Forest Bio-Disaster, College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi China
| | - Hao Ran
- grid.9227.e0000000119573309State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650223 China ,Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guilin, 541004 China ,Biological Education and Research Laboratory, Mancheng High School of Hebei Province, Baoding, 072150 China
| | - Yu Liu
- grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan University, South Waihuan Road, Chenggong District, Kunming, 650500 China ,grid.440773.30000 0000 9342 2456MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500 China
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10
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He S, Ding L, Xiong Z, Spicer RA, Farnsworth A, Valdes PJ, Wang C, Cai F, Wang H, Sun Y, Zeng D, Xie J, Yue Y, Zhao C, Song P, Wu C. A distinctive Eocene Asian monsoon and modern biodiversity resulted from the rise of eastern Tibet. Sci Bull (Beijing) 2022; 67:2245-2258. [PMID: 36546000 DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2022.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Revised: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The uplift of eastern Tibet, Asian monsoon development and the evolution of globally significant Asian biodiversity are all linked, but in obscure ways. Sedimentology, geochronology, clumped isotope thermometry, and fossil leaf-derived numerical climate data from the Relu Basin, eastern Tibet, show at ∼50-45 Ma the basin was a hot (mean annual air temperature, MAAT, ∼27 °C) dry desert at a low-elevation of 0.6 ± 0.6 km. Rapid basin rise to 2.0 ± 0.9 km at 45-42 Ma and to 2.9 ± 0.9 km at 42-40 Ma, with MAATs of ∼20 and ∼16 °C, respectively, accompanied seasonally varying increased annual precipitation to > 1500 mm. From ∼39 to 34 Ma, the basin attained 3.5 ± 1.0 km, near its present-day elevation (∼3.7 km), and MAAT cooled to ∼6 °C. Numerically-modelled Asian monsoon strength increased significantly when this Eocene uplift of eastern Tibet was incorporated. The simulation/proxy congruence points to a distinctive Eocene Asian monsoon, quite unlike that seen today, in that it featured bimodal precipitation and a winter-wet regime, and this enhanced biodiversity modernisation across eastern Asia. The Paleogene biodiversity of Asia evolved under a continually modifying monsoon influence, with the modern Asian monsoon system being unique to the present and a product of a long gradual development in the context of an ever-changing Earth system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Songlin He
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lin Ding
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Zhongyu Xiong
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Robert A Spicer
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla 666303, China; School of Environment, Earth and Ecosystem Sciences, the Open University, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK
| | - Alex Farnsworth
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Paul J Valdes
- School of Geographical Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1SS, UK
| | - Chao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fulong Cai
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Houqi Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yong Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Deng Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jing Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yahui Yue
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chenyuan Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Peiping Song
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Chen Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
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11
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Ji X, Harrison T, Zhang Y, Wu Y, Zhang C, Hu J, Wu D, Hou Y, Li S, Wang G, Wang Z. The earliest hylobatid from the Late Miocene of China. J Hum Evol 2022; 171:103251. [PMID: 36113226 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2022.103251] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Revised: 08/07/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Yuanmoupithecus xiaoyuan, a small catarrhine from the Late Miocene of Yunnan in southern China, was initially suggested to be related to Miocene proconsuloids or dendropithecoids from East Africa, but subsequent reports indicated that it might be more closely related to hylobatids. Here, detailed comparisons of the material, including seven newly discovered teeth and a partial lower face of a juvenile individual, provide crucial evidence to help establish its phylogenetic relationships. Yuanmoupithecus exhibits a suite of synapomorphies that support a close phylogenetic relationship with extant hylobatids. Furthermore, based on the retention of several primitive features of the dentition, Yuanmoupithecus can be shown to be the sister taxon of crown hylobatids. The contention that Kapi ramnagarensis from the Middle Miocene of India might represent an earlier species of hylobatid is not supported here. Instead, Kapi is inferred to be a specialized pliopithecoid more closely related to Krishnapithecus krishnaii from the Late Miocene of India. Currently then, Yuanmoupithecus represents the earliest known definitively identified hylobatid and the only member of the clade predating the Pleistocene. It extends the fossil record of hylobatids back to 7-8 Ma and fills a critical gap in the evolutionary history of hominoids that has up until now remained elusive. Even so, molecular estimates of a divergence date of hylobatids from other hominoids at about 17-22 Ma signifies that there is still a substantial gap in the fossil record of more than 10 million years that needs to be filled in order to document the biogeographic origins and early evolution of hylobatids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xueping Ji
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China; Department of Paleoanthropology, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, 650118, China
| | - Terry Harrison
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, 10003, USA.
| | - Yingqi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Yun Wu
- Department of Paleoanthropology, Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Kunming, 650118, China; School of History, Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430072, China
| | - Chunxia Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cenozoic Geology and Environment, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100029, China; College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China
| | - Jinming Hu
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Dongdong Wu
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Yemao Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100044, China
| | - Song Li
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201, China
| | - Guofu Wang
- Chuxiong Prefectural Museum, Chuxiong, 657000, China
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12
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Giovannetti G, Guerrini A, Minozzi S, Panetta D, Salvadori PA. Computer tomography and magnetic resonance for multimodal imaging of fossils and mummies. Magn Reson Imaging 2022; 94:7-17. [PMID: 36084902 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2022.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The study of fossils and mummies has largely benefited from the use of modern noninvasive and nondestructive imaging technologies and represents a fast developing area. In this review, we describe the emerging role of imaging based on Magnetic Resonance (MR) and Computer Tomography (CT) employed for the study of ancient remains and mummies. For each methodology, the state of the art in paleoradiology applications is described, by emphasizing new technologies developed in the field of both CT, such as micro- and nano-CT, dual-energy and multi-energy CT, and MR, with the description of novel dedicated sequences, radiofrequency coils and gradients. The complementarity of CT and MR in paleoradiology is also discussed, by pointing out what MR provides in addition to CT, with an overview on the state of the art of emerging strategies in the use of CT/MR combination for the study of a sample following a multimodal integrated approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulio Giovannetti
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Andrea Guerrini
- Gruppo Archeologico e Paleontologico Livornese, Museo di Storia Naturale del Mediterraneo, via Roma, 234, 57127 Leghorn, Italy
| | - Simona Minozzi
- Division of Paleopathology, Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Roma 57, 56100 Pisa, Italy
| | - Daniele Panetta
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - Piero A Salvadori
- Institute of Clinical Physiology, National Council of Research, via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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13
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Song A, Liu J, Liang SQ, Van Do T, Nguyen HB, Deng WYD, Jia LB, Del Rio C, Srivastava G, Feng Z, Zhou ZK, Huang J, Su T. Leaf fossils of Sabalites (Arecaceae) from the Oligocene of northern Vietnam and their paleoclimatic implications. Plant Divers 2022; 44:406-416. [PMID: 35967257 PMCID: PMC9363516 DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2021.08.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 08/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent paleobotanical investigations in Vietnam provide a good opportunity to improve our understanding of the biodiversity and paleoclimatic conditions in the geological past of Southeast Asia. Palms (Arecaceae) are a diverse family of typical thermophilous plants with a relatively low tolerance for freezing. In this study, we describe well-preserved fossil palm leaves from the Oligocene Dong Ho Formation of Hoanh Bo Basin, northern Vietnam. Characters of the fossil leaves, such as a fan-shaped costapalmate lamina, an unarmed petiole, a costa slightly enlarged at the base that then tapers distally into the blade, and well-preserved amphistomatic leaves with cuticles, suggest that they represent a new fossil species, which we herein designate Sabalites colaniae A. Song, T. Su, T. V. Do et Z.K. Zhou sp. nov. Together with other paleontological and palaeoclimatic evidence, we conclude that a warm climate prevailed in northern Vietnam and nearby areas during the Oligocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ai Song
- Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Jia Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Shui-Qing Liang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Truong Van Do
- Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
- Graduate Academy of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Hung Ba Nguyen
- Vietnam National Museum of Nature, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, 18 Hoang Quoc Viet, Hanoi, Viet Nam
| | - Wei-Yu-Dong Deng
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Lin-Bo Jia
- CAS Key Laboratory of Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650204, China
| | - Cédric Del Rio
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | | | - Zhuo Feng
- Institute of Palaeontology, Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, MEC International Joint Laboratory for Palaeobiology and Palaeoenvironment, Yunnan Key Laboratory of Earth System Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, 650500, China
| | - Zhe-Kun Zhou
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Jian Huang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
| | - Tao Su
- CAS Key Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mengla, 666303, China
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14
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Agiadi K, Nawrot R, Albano PG, Koskeridou E, Zuschin M. Potential and limitations of applying the mean temperature approach to fossil otolith assemblages. Environ Biol Fishes 2022; 105:1269-1286. [PMID: 36313612 PMCID: PMC9592634 DOI: 10.1007/s10641-022-01252-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Evaluation of the impact of climatic changes on the composition of fish assemblages requires quantitative measures that can be compared across space and time. In this respect, the mean temperature of the catch (MTC) approach has been proven to be a very useful tool for monitoring the effect of climate change on fisheries catch. Lack of baseline data and deep-time analogues, however, prevent a more comprehensive evaluation. In this study, we explore the applicability of the mean temperature approach to fossil fish faunas by using otolith assemblage data from the eastern Mediterranean and the northern Adriatic coastal environments corresponding to the last 8000 years (Holocene) and the interval 2.58-1.80 Ma B. P. (Early Pleistocene). The calculated mean temperatures of the otolith assemblage (MTO) range from 13.5 to 17.3 °C. This case study shows that the MTO can successfully capture compositional shifts in marine fish faunas based on variations in their climatic affinity driven by regional climate differences. However, the index is sensitive to methodological choices and thus requires standardized sampling. Even though theoretical and methodological issues prevent direct comparisons between MTO and MTC values, the MTO offers a useful quantitative proxy for reconstructing spatial and temporal trends in the biogeographic affinity of fossil otolith assemblages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Konstantina Agiadi
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, UZA II, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rafał Nawrot
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, UZA II, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Paolo G. Albano
- Department of Animal Conservation and Public Engagement, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Naples, Italy
| | - Efterpi Koskeridou
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimioupolis, 15784 Athens, Greece
| | - Martin Zuschin
- Department of Palaeontology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, UZA II, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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15
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Tomescu AMF, Rothwell GW. Fossils and plant evolution: structural fingerprints and modularity in the evo-devo paradigm. EvoDevo 2022; 13:8. [PMID: 35236418 DOI: 10.1186/s13227-022-00192-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 01/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Fossils constitute the principal repository of data that allow for independent tests of hypotheses of biological evolution derived from observations of the extant biota. Traditionally, transformational series of structure, consisting of sequences of fossils of the same lineage through time, have been employed to reconstruct and interpret morphological evolution. More recently, a move toward an updated paradigm was fueled by the deliberate integration of developmental thinking in the inclusion of fossils in reconstruction of morphological evolution. The vehicle for this is provided by structural fingerprints—recognizable morphological and anatomical structures generated by (and reflective of) the deployment of specific genes and regulatory pathways during development. Furthermore, because the regulation of plant development is both modular and hierarchical in nature, combining structural fingerprints recognized in the fossil record with our understanding of the developmental regulation of those structures produces a powerful tool for understanding plant evolution. This is particularly true when the systematic distribution of specific developmental regulatory mechanisms and modules is viewed within an evolutionary (paleo-evo-devo) framework. Here, we discuss several advances in understanding the processes and patterns of evolution, achieved by tracking structural fingerprints with their underlying regulatory modules across lineages, living and fossil: the role of polar auxin regulation in the cellular patterning of secondary xylem and the parallel evolution of arborescence in lycophytes and seed plants; the morphology and life history of early polysporangiophytes and tracheophytes; the role of modularity in the parallel evolution of leaves in euphyllophytes; leaf meristematic activity and the parallel evolution of venation patterns among euphyllophytes; mosaic deployment of regulatory modules and the diverse modes of secondary growth of euphyllophytes; modularity and hierarchy in developmental regulation and the evolution of equisetalean reproductive morphology. More generally, inclusion of plant fossils in the evo-devo paradigm has informed discussions on the evolution of growth patterns and growth responses, sporophyte body plans and their homology, sequences of character evolution, and the evolution of reproductive systems.
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16
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Bisconti M, Daniello R, Damarco P, Tartarelli G, Pavia M, Carnevale G. High Encephalization in a Fossil Rorqual Illuminates Baleen Whale Brain Evolution. Brain Behav Evol 2021; 96:78-90. [PMID: 34758463 DOI: 10.1159/000519852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Baleen whales are considered underencephalized mammals due to their reduced brain size with respect to their body size (encephalization quotient [EQ] << 1). Despite their low EQ, mysticetes exhibit complex behavioral patterns in terms of motor abilities, vocal repertoire, and cultural learning. Very scarce information is available about the morphological evolution of the brain in this group; this makes it difficult to investigate the historical changes in brain shape and size in order to relate the origin of the complex mysticete behavioral repertoire to the evolution of specific neural substrates. Here, the first description of the virtual endocast of a fossil balaenopterid species, Marzanoptera tersillae from the Italian Pliocene, reveals an EQ of around 3, which is exceptional for baleen whales. The endocast showed a morphologically different organization of the brain in this fossil whale as the cerebral hemispheres are anteroposteriorly shortened, the cerebellum lacks the posteromedial expansion of the cerebellar hemispheres, and the cerebellar vermis is unusually reduced. The comparative reductions of the cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres suggest that the motor behavior of M. tersillae probably was less sophisticated than that exhibited by the extant rorqual and humpback species. The presence of an EQ value in this fossil species that is around 10 times higher than that of extant mysticetes opens new questions about brain evolution and provides new, invaluable information about the evolutionary path of morphological and size change in the brain of baleen whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelangelo Bisconti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy.,Paleontology Department, Natural History Museum of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Riccardo Daniello
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Piero Damarco
- Museo Paleontologico Territoriale dell'Astigiano, Ente di Gestione del Parco Paleontologico Astigiano, Asti, Italy
| | | | - Marco Pavia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carnevale
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
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17
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Abstract
Background The evolutionary processes that shape patterns of species richness in marine ecosystems are complex and may differ between organismal groups. There has been considerable interest in understanding the evolutionary processes that led to marine species richness being concentrated in specific geographical locations. In this study we focus on the evolutionary history of a group of small-to-medium sized sharks known as carpet sharks. While a few carpet shark species are widespread, the majority of carpet shark species richness is contained within a biodiversity hotspot at the boundary of the Indian and Pacific oceans. We address the significance of this biodiversity hotspot in carpet shark evolution and speciation by leveraging a rich fossil record and molecular phylogenetics to examine the prehistoric distribution of carpet sharks. Results We find that carpet sharks species richness was greatest in shallow seas connected to the Atlantic Ocean during the Late Cretaceous, but that there was a subsequent loss of biodiversity in Atlantic waters. Fossil evidence from sites in close geographic proximity to the current center of carpet shark diversity are generally restricted to younger geologic strata. Conclusions From this data we conclude that (1) center of carpet shark biodiversity has shifted during the last 100 million years, (2) carpet sharks have repeatedly dispersed to nascent habitat (including to their current center of diversity), and (3) the current center of carpet shark biodiversity conserves lineages that have been extirpated from this prehistoric range and is a source of new carpet shark species. Our findings provide insights into the roles of marine biodiversity hotspots for higher-tropic level predators and the methods applied here can be used for additional studies of shark evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bret M Boyd
- Center for Biological Data Science, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, 23284, USA.
| | - Jason C Seitz
- ANAMAR Environmental Consulting, Inc, 2106 NW 67th Place, Suite 5, Gainesville, FL, 32653, USA
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18
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Hocknull SA, Wilkinson M, Lawrence RA, Konstantinov V, Mackenzie S, Mackenzie R. A new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov., from the mid-Cretaceous of Australia. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11317. [PMID: 34164230 PMCID: PMC8191491 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A new giant sauropod, Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov., represents the first record of dinosaurs from the southern-central Winton Formation of the Eromanga Basin, Australia. We estimate the type locality to be 270–300 m from the base of the Winton Formation and compare this to the semi-contemporaneous sauropod taxa, Diamantinasaurus matildaeHocknull et al., 2009, Wintonotitan wattsiHocknull et al., 2009 and Savannasaurus elliottorumPoropat et al., 2016. The new titanosaurian is the largest dinosaur from Australia as represented by osteological remains and based on limb-size comparisons it reached a size similar to that of the giant titanosaurians from South America. Using 3-D surface scan models we compare features of the appendicular skeleton that differentiate Australotitan cooperensis gen. et sp. nov. as a new taxon. A key limitation to the study of sauropods is the inability to easily and directly compare specimens. Therefore, 3-D cybertypes have become a more standard way to undertake direct comparative assessments. Uncoloured, low resolution, and uncharacterized 3-D surface models can lead to misinterpretations, in particular identification of pre-, syn- and post-depositional distortion. We propose a method for identifying, documenting and illustrating these distortions directly onto the 3-D geometric surface of the models using a colour reference scheme. This new method is repeatable for researchers when observing and documenting specimens including taphonomic alterations and geometric differences. A detailed comparative and preliminary computational phylogenetic assessment supports a shared ancestry for all four Winton Formation taxa, albeit with limited statistical support. Palaeobiogeographical interpretations from these resultant phylogenetic hypotheses remain equivocal due to contrary Asian and South American relationships with the Australian taxa. Temporal and palaeoenvironmental differences between the northern and southern-central sauropod locations are considered to explain the taxonomic and morphological diversity of sauropods from the Winton Formation. Interpretations for this diversity are explored, including an eco-morphocline and/or chronocline across newly developed terrestrial environments as the basin fills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott A Hocknull
- Geosciences, Queensland Museum, Hendra, Brisbane City, Australia.,Biosciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | | | | | | | - Stuart Mackenzie
- Eromanga Natural History Museum, Eromanga, Queensland, Australia
| | - Robyn Mackenzie
- Eromanga Natural History Museum, Eromanga, Queensland, Australia
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19
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Gallagher T, Poole J, Schein JP. Evidence of integumentary scale diversity in the late Jurassic Sauropod Diplodocus sp. from the Mother's Day Quarry, Montana. PeerJ 2021; 9:e11202. [PMID: 33986987 PMCID: PMC8098675 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.11202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2020] [Accepted: 03/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The life appearance of dinosaurs is a hotly debated topic in the world of paleontology, especially when it comes to dinosaur integument. In the case of sauropods, however, the topic is harder to properly discuss due to the limited amount of fossilized skin impressions that have been discovered. Thus far, the fossil record of sauropod integument fossils include titanosaur embryos from Patagonia, possible keratinous diplodocid dorsal spines, track ways with foot impressions, and other isolated skin impressions found in association with sauropod body fossils. Several prominent integument fossils have been found at the Mother’s Day Quarry, located in the Bighorn Basin, Montana. These discoveries may bring new important information about diplodocids, specifically Diplodocus sp. Here we describe newly uncovered fossilized skin that gives evidence of scale diversity in the genus Diplodocus. The scales themselves represent tubercles, and exhibit various shapes including rectangular, ovoid, polygonal, and globular scales. The tubercles are small in size, the biggest of which only reach about 10mm in length. Considering how diverse the scale shapes are in such a small area of skin, it is possible that these distinct scale shapes may represent a transition on the body from one region to another: perhaps from the abdomen to dorsal side, or abdomen to shoulder. Based on analysis of extant integument and scale orientation of crocodilians, it is possible to hypothesize on the location of the integument relative to the body as well as the size and relative maturational status of the individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tess Gallagher
- Biology Department, Union College, Schenectady, New York, United States
| | - Jason Poole
- Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute, Red Lodge, Montana, United States
| | - Jason P Schein
- Bighorn Basin Paleontological Institute, Red Lodge, Montana, United States
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20
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Moroz M, Jackson ISC, Ramirez D, Kemp ME. Divergent morphological responses to millennia of climate change in two species of bats from Hall's Cave, Texas, USA. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10856. [PMID: 33777514 PMCID: PMC7971077 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10856] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
How species will respond to ongoing and future climate change is one of the most important questions facing biodiversity scientists today. The fossil record provides unparalleled insight into past ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change, but the resource remains virtually untapped for many organisms. We use geometric morphometrics and a 25,000 year fossil record to quantify changes in body size and mandible shape through time and across climate regimes for two bat species present in Quaternary paleontological deposits of central Texas: Myotis velifer, a bat distributed throughout the Southwestern US and Mexico that is still found in central Texas today, and Eptesicus fuscus, a bat widely distributed throughout North America that has been extirpated in central Texas. Because of ecogeographic rules like Bergmann's rule, which posits that endotherms are larger in colder environments, we hypothesized that both species were larger during cooler time intervals. Additionally, we hypothesized that both species would show variation in dental morphology across the studied sequence as a response to climate change. While we found a decrease in centroid size-a proxy for --body size-through time for both species, we could not establish a clear relationship between centroid size and temperature alone. However, we did find that specimens from drier environments were significantly larger than those from wetter ones. Furthermore, we found significant dental shape variation between environments reflecting different temperature levels for both species. Yet only M. velifer exhibited significant variation between environments of varying precipitation levels. This result was surprising because present-day populations of E. fuscus are highly variable across both temperature and precipitation gradients. We determined that the morphological change experienced by M. velifer through time, and between warmer and cooler temperatures, was associated with the coronoid process, condylar process, and the mandibular symphysis. These parts play a pivotal role in bite force, so changes in these features might relate to changes in diet. We show that long-term datasets derived from fossil material provide invaluable insight not only into the validity of ecogeographic rules, but also into the adaptive capacities of extant taxa when faced with environmental changes. Our results highlight diverging responses to a variety of climate factors that are relevant to consider in biodiversity research given ongoing global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly Moroz
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Illiam S C Jackson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Daniel Ramirez
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
| | - Melissa E Kemp
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of America
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21
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Torres-Tamayo N, Schlager S, García-Martínez D, Sanchis-Gimeno JA, Nalla S, Ogihara N, Oishi M, Martelli S, Bastir M. Three-dimensional geometric morphometrics of thorax-pelvis covariation and its potential for predicting the thorax morphology: A case study on Kebara 2 Neandertal. J Hum Evol 2020; 147:102854. [PMID: 32805525 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2020.102854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2019] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The skeletal torso is a complex structure of outstanding importance in understanding human body shape evolution, but reconstruction usually entails an element of subjectivity as researchers apply their own anatomical expertise to the process. Among different fossil reconstruction methods, 3D geometric morphometric techniques have been increasingly used in the last decades. Two-block partial least squares analysis has shown great potential for predicting missing elements by exploiting the covariation between two structures (blocks) in a reference sample: one block can be predicted from the other one based on the strength of covariation between blocks. The first aim of this study is to test whether this predictive approach can be used for predicting thorax morphologies from pelvis morphologies within adult Homo sapiens reference samples with known covariation between the thorax and the pelvis. The second aim is to apply this method to Kebara 2 Neandertal (Israel, ∼60 ka) to predict its thorax morphology using two different pelvis reconstructions as predictors. We measured 134 true landmarks, 720 curve semilandmarks, and 160 surface semilandmarks on 60 3D virtual torso models segmented from CT scans. We conducted three two-block partial least squares analyses between the thorax (block 1) and the pelvis (block 2) based on the H. sapiens reference samples after performing generalized Procrustes superimposition on each block separately. Comparisons of these predictions in full shape space by means of Procrustes distances show that the male-only predictive model yields the most reliable predictions within modern humans. In addition, Kebara 2 thorax predictions based on this model concur with the thorax morphology proposed for Neandertals. The method presented here does not aim to replace other techniques, but to rather complement them through quantitative prediction of a virtual 'scaffold' to articulate the thoracic fossil elements, thus extending the potential of missing data estimation beyond the methods proposed in previous works.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Torres-Tamayo
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibanez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.
| | - Stefan Schlager
- Biological Anthropology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Freiburg, Hebelstr 29, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Daniel García-Martínez
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain; Centro Nacional de Investigación Sobre La Evolución Humana (CENIEH), Avenida de La Sierra de Atapuerca 3, 09002, Burgos, Spain
| | - Juan Alberto Sanchis-Gimeno
- GIAVAL Research Group, Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, University of Valencia, Av. Blasco Ibanez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Shahed Nalla
- Department of Human Anatomy and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Johannesburg, P.O. Box 524, Auckland Park, Johannesburg, 2006, Gauteng, South Africa
| | - Naomichi Ogihara
- Department of Biological Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033, Japan
| | - Motoharu Oishi
- Laboratory of Anatomy 1, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University, Kanagawa, 252-5201, Japan
| | - Sandra Martelli
- UCL Centre for Integrative Anatomy (CIA), Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Gower Street, WC1E 6BT, London, UK
| | - Markus Bastir
- Paleoanthropology Group, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J.G. Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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22
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M Janis C, Figueirido B, DeSantis L, Lautenschlager S. An eye for a tooth: Thylacosmilus was not a marsupial "saber-tooth predator". PeerJ 2020; 8:e9346. [PMID: 32617190 PMCID: PMC7323715 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Saber-toothed mammals, now all extinct, were cats or “cat-like” forms with enlarged, blade-like upper canines, proposed as specialists in taking large prey. During the last 66 Ma, the saber-tooth ecomorph has evolved convergently at least in five different mammalian lineages across both marsupials and placentals. Indeed, Thylacosmilus atrox, the so-called “marsupial saber-tooth,” is often considered as a classic example of convergence with placental saber-tooth cats such as Smilodon fatalis. However, despite its superficial similarity to saber-toothed placentals, T. atrox lacks many of the critical anatomical features related to their inferred predatory behavior—that of employing their enlarged canines in a killing head strike. Methods Here we follow a multi-proxy approach using canonical correspondence analysis of discrete traits, biomechanical models of skull function using Finite Element Analysis, and 3D dental microwear texture analysis of upper and lower postcanine teeth, to investigate the degree of evolutionary convergence between T. atrox and placental saber-tooths, including S. fatalis. Results Correspondence analysis shows that the craniodental features of T. atrox are divergent from those of placental saber-tooths. Biomechanical analyses indicate a superior ability of T. atrox to placental saber-tooths in pulling back with the canines, with the unique lateral ridge of the canines adding strength to this function. The dental microwear of T. atrox indicates a soft diet, resembling that of the meat-specializing cheetah, but its blunted gross dental wear is not indicative of shearing meat. Conclusions Our results indicate that despite its impressive canines, the “marsupial saber-tooth” was not the ecological analogue of placental saber-tooths, and likely did not use its canines to dispatch its prey. This oft-cited example of convergence requires reconsideration, and T. atrox may have had a unique type of ecology among mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Janis
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States of America
| | - Borja Figueirido
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
| | - Larisa DeSantis
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America.,Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, United States of America
| | - Stephan Lautenschlager
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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23
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Akhoundi M, Sereno D, Durand R, Mirzaei A, Bruel C, Delaunay P, Marty P, Izri A. Bed Bugs (Hemiptera, Cimicidae): Overview of Classification, Evolution and Dispersion. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020; 17:E4576. [PMID: 32630433 PMCID: PMC7345932 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17124576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The bed bugs (Cimex lectularius and C. hemipterus) have undergone a significant resurgence worldwide since the 1990s. A compilation of findings from a database, including 2650 scientific publications from seven major medical databases, allowed us to document main evolutionary events, from fossil evidence, dating from 11,000 years ago, until the present that has led to the current worldwide expansion of Cimicid species. We present the hypotheses on the possible dispersion pathways of bed bugs in light of the major historical and evolutionary events. A detailed classification of the Cimicidae family and finally, an illustrative map displaying the current distribution of known Cimex species in each geographical ecozone of Asia, Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Australia are presented.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Akhoundi
- Parasitology-Mycology Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, 93000 Bobigny, France; (R.D.); (A.I.)
| | - Denis Sereno
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier University, MIVEGEC, 34032 Montpellier, France; (D.S.); (P.D.)
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier University, InterTryp, 34032 Montpellier, France
| | - Remy Durand
- Parasitology-Mycology Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, 93000 Bobigny, France; (R.D.); (A.I.)
| | - Asad Mirzaei
- Parasitology Department, Paramedical School, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, 6931851147 Ilam, Iran;
- Zoonotic Diseases Research Center, Ilam University of Medical Sciences, 6931851147 Ilam, Iran
| | - Christiane Bruel
- Agence Régionale de Santé (ARS) Île-de-France, 75935 Paris 19, France;
| | - Pascal Delaunay
- Institut de Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier University, MIVEGEC, 34032 Montpellier, France; (D.S.); (P.D.)
- Service Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU Nice), 06202 Nice, France;
| | - Pierre Marty
- Service Parasitologie-Mycologie, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice (CHU Nice), 06202 Nice, France;
- Inserm U1065, Centre Méditerranéen de Médecine Moléculaire, C3 M, Université Côte d’Azur, 06204 Nice, France
| | - Arezki Izri
- Parasitology-Mycology Department, Avicenne Hospital, AP-HP, Sorbonne Paris Nord University, 93000 Bobigny, France; (R.D.); (A.I.)
- Unité des Virus Emergents (UVE: Aix Marseille Univ, IRD 190, INSERM 1207, IHU Méditerranée Infection), 13005 Marseille, France
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24
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Polyplacophora, or chitons, have long fascinated malacologists for their distinct and rather conserved morphology and lifestyle compared to other mollusk classes. However, key aspects of their phylogeny and evolution remain unclear due to the few morphological, molecular, or combined phylogenetic analyses, particularly those addressing the relationships among the major chiton lineages. RESULTS Here, we present a mitogenomic phylogeny of chitons based on 13 newly sequenced mitochondrial genomes along with eight available ones and RNAseq-derived mitochondrial sequences from four additional species. Reconstructed phylogenies largely agreed with the latest advances in chiton systematics and integrative taxonomy but we identified some conflicts that call for taxonomic revisions. Despite an overall conserved gene order in chiton mitogenomes, we described three new rearrangements that might have taxonomic utility and reconstructed the most likely scenario of gene order change in this group. Our phylogeny was time-calibrated using various fossils and relaxed molecular clocks, and the robustness of these analyses was assessed with several sensitivity analyses. The inferred ages largely agreed with previous molecular clock estimates and the fossil record, but we also noted that the ambiguities inherent to the chiton fossil record might confound molecular clock analyses. CONCLUSIONS In light of the reconstructed time-calibrated framework, we discuss the evolution of key morphological features and call for a continued effort towards clarifying the phylogeny and evolution of chitons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iker Irisarri
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain.
- Department of Organismal Biology (Systematic Biology Program), Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyv. 18C, 75236, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Juan E Uribe
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, 10th St. & Constitutional Ave. NW, Washington, DC, 20560, USA
| | - Douglas J Eernisse
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 N. State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA, 92831-3599, USA
| | - Rafael Zardoya
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), c/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain
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25
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Goedert J, Amiot R, Berthet D, Fourel F, Simon L, Lécuyer C. Combined oxygen and sulphur isotope analysis-a new tool to unravel vertebrate (paleo)-ecology. Naturwissenschaften 2020; 107:10. [PMID: 32020295 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1664-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Reconstructing the living environment of extinct vertebrates is often challenging due to the lack of proxies. We propose a new proxy to the living environment based on the combined oxygen and sulphur stable isotope analysis of vertebrate hydroxyapatite. We tested this isotopic proxy to 64 biogenic apatite (bones) samples that represent a wide spectrum of the extant vertebrate phylogenetic diversity including crocodiles, snakes, turtles, mammals, birds, lizards, fish and amphibians. We show that the combination of these two isotopic systems allows the living environment of all these vertebrates to be unambiguously distinguished between freshwater (aquatic vs semi-aquatic), seawater (aquatic vs semi-aquatic) and terrestrial. The main goal of this study is to provide a present-day isotopic reference frame and to discuss methodological issues that will serve to interpret future oxygen and sulphur isotope results obtained either from fossil or modern skeletal material. This new isotopic approach of combined oxygen and sulphur isotope analysis will be particularly useful to document major aquatic-terrestrial transitions in the fossil record but also to better constrain the living environment of some present-day species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean Goedert
- CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Romain Amiot
- CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | | | - François Fourel
- UMR 5023 LEHNA, ENTPE, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Laurent Simon
- UMR 5023 LEHNA, ENTPE, Université de Lyon, CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Christophe Lécuyer
- CNRS, UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, Univ Lyon, Université Lyon 1, Ens de Lyon, 69622, Villeurbanne, France. .,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France.
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26
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Abstract
Current patterns of biological distribution result from the deep past. Of particular interest, some closely related species appear at high latitudes of both hemispheres, but not in between, a pattern known as antitropical distribution. However, the timing, pathway, and drivers of antitropical distributions remain mostly unknown. Here we describe a new fossil, a left tympanic bulla (part of the ear bones), from the Middle/Late Pleistocene (0.78-0.01 mya, but not excluding the possibility of Holocene in age, as the specimen was dredged from the sea bottom and the geological horizon remains uncertain) of Taiwan. The tympanic bulla is diagnostic in baleen whales, and this specimen shows morphological features that are identical to extant Eubalaena, including: relatively large size (the anteroposterior length is 117 mm); rectangular outline in medial view; short anterior lobe, judging from the remaining of the lateral furrow; squared anterior margin; prominent transverse crease on the involucrum; transversely compressed in anterior view; well-developed and rounded outer lip; and parallel involucral and main ridges. Although incomplete, the morphological characters and overall similarity to extant Eubalaena allow a reliable taxonomic assignment to Eubalaena sp. The occurrence of a Pleistocene Eubalaena on the southern margin of the western North Pacific is the first balaenid fossil evidence indicative of the biotic interchange between two hemispheres leading to the origin of antitropical distribution in the Pleistocene; alternatively, this specimen might merely represent an extra-limital record of the North Pacific Eubalaena. Furthermore, this find suggests that the Eubalaena interchange, being one of the largest species displaying antitropical distribution pairs in the history of life, likely took place along the western Pacific. Notably, this does not preclude the Eubalaena interchange from other routes, such as the eastern Pacific or the Atlantic Ocean, and future finds should test the scenario for the biotic interchange between Northern and Southern Hemispheres of Eubalaena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheng-Hsiu Tsai
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
- Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 10617 Taiwan
| | - Chun-Hsiang Chang
- Department of Geology, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, 40453 Taiwan
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27
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Bippus AC, Escapa IH, Wilf P, Tomescu AMF. Fossil fern rhizomes as a model system for exploring epiphyte community structure across geologic time: evidence from Patagonia. PeerJ 2019; 7:e8244. [PMID: 31844594 PMCID: PMC6911690 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2017] [Accepted: 11/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In extant ecosystems, complex networks of ecological interactions between organisms can be readily studied. In contrast, understanding of such interactions in ecosystems of the geologic past is incomplete. Specifically, in past terrestrial ecosystems we know comparatively little about plant biotic interactions besides saprotrophy, herbivory, mycorrhizal associations, and oviposition. Due to taphonomic biases, epiphyte communities are particularly rare in the plant-fossil record, despite their prominence in modern ecosystems. Accordingly, little is known about how terrestrial epiphyte communities have changed across geologic time. Here, we describe a tiny in situ fossil epiphyte community that sheds light on plant-animal and plant-plant interactions more than 50 million years ago. Methods A single silicified Todea (Osmundaceae) rhizome from a new locality of the early Eocene (ca. 52 Ma) Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco (Patagonia, Argentina) was studied in serial thin sections using light microscopy. The community of organisms colonizing the tissues of the rhizome was characterized by identifying the organisms and mapping and quantifying their distribution. A 200 × 200 µm grid was superimposed onto the rhizome cross section, and the colonizers present at each node of the grid were tallied. Results Preserved in situ, this community offers a rare window onto aspects of ancient ecosystems usually lost to time and taphonomic processes. The community is surprisingly diverse and includes the first fossilized leafy liverworts in South America, also marking the only fossil record of leafy bryophyte epiphytes outside of amber deposits; as well as several types of fungal hyphae and spores; microsclerotia with possible affinities in several ascomycete families; and evidence for oribatid mites. Discussion The community associated with the Patagonian rhizome enriches our understanding of terrestrial epiphyte communities in the distant past and adds to a growing body of literature on osmundaceous rhizomes as important hosts for component communities in ancient ecosystems, just as they are today. Because osmundaceous rhizomes represent an ecological niche that has remained virtually unchanged over time and space and are abundant in the fossil record, they provide a paleoecological model system that could be used to explore epiphyte community structure through time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander C Bippus
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States of America
| | - Ignacio H Escapa
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas (CONICET), Museo Paleontológico Egidio Feruglio, Trelew, Argentina
| | - Peter Wilf
- Department of Geosciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, United States of America
| | - Alexandru M F Tomescu
- Department of Biological Sciences, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA, United States of America
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28
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Barbi M, Bell PR, Fanti F, Dynes JJ, Kolaceke A, Buttigieg J, Coulson IM, Currie PJ. Integumentary structure and composition in an exceptionally well-preserved hadrosaur (Dinosauria: Ornithischia). PeerJ 2019; 7:e7875. [PMID: 31637130 PMCID: PMC6800526 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Preserved labile tissues (e.g., skin, muscle) in the fossil record of terrestrial vertebrates are increasingly becoming recognized as an important source of biological and taphonomic information. Here, we combine a variety of synchrotron radiation techniques with scanning electron and optical microscopy to elucidate the structure of 72 million-year-old squamous (scaly) skin from a hadrosaurid dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of Alberta, Canada. Scanning electron and optical microscopy independently reveal that the three-dimensionally preserved scales are associated with a band of carbon-rich layers up to a total thickness of ∼75 microns, which is topographically and morphologically congruent with the stratum corneum in modern reptiles. Compositionally, this band deviates from that of the surrounding sedimentary matrix; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and soft X-ray spectromicroscopy analyses indicate that carbon appears predominantly as carbonyl in the skin. The regions corresponding to the integumentary layers are distinctively enriched in iron compared to the sedimentary matrix and appear with kaolinite-rich laminae. These hosting carbonyl-rich layers are apparently composed of subcircular bodies resembling preserved cell structures. Each of these structures is encapsulated by calcite/vaterite, with iron predominantly concentrated at its center. The presence of iron, calcite/vaterite and kaolinite may, independently or collectively, have played important roles in the preservation of the layered structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mauricio Barbi
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Phil R Bell
- School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Federico Fanti
- Dipartimento di Scienze Biologiche, Geologiche e Ambientali, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.,Museo Geologico Giovanni Capellini, Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - James J Dynes
- Canadian Light Source Inc., University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Anezka Kolaceke
- Department of Physics, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Josef Buttigieg
- Department of Biology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Ian M Coulson
- Department of Geology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Philip J Currie
- Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
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29
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Abstract
Bayesian methods for molecular clock dating of species divergences have been greatly developed during the past decade. Advantages of the methods include the use of relaxed-clock models to describe evolutionary rate variation in the branches of a phylogenetic tree and the use of flexible fossil calibration densities to describe the uncertainty in node ages. The advent of next-generation sequencing technologies has led to a flood of genome-scale datasets for organisms belonging to all domains in the tree of life. Thus, a new era has begun where dating the tree of life using genome-scale data is now within reach. In this protocol, we explain how to use the computer program MCMCTree to perform Bayesian inference of divergence times using genome-scale datasets. We use a ten-species primate phylogeny, with a molecular alignment of over three million base pairs, as an exemplar on how to carry out the analysis. We pay particular attention to how to set up the analysis and the priors and how to diagnose the MCMC algorithm used to obtain the posterior estimates of divergence times and evolutionary rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Dos Reis
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
| | - Ziheng Yang
- Department of Genetics, Evolution and Environment, University College London, London, UK.
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30
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Xu GH, Ma XY, Ren Y. Fuyuanichthys wangi gen. et sp. nov. from the Middle Triassic (Ladinian) of China highlights the early diversification of ginglymodian fishes. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6054. [PMID: 30595977 PMCID: PMC6304272 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 11/01/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A series of well-preserved fossil assemblages from the Middle Triassic marine rock succession in Southwest China provide unique evidences for studying the early evolution of holostean fishes, including Halecomorphi (e.g., bownfin) and Ginglymodi (e.g., gars). Ginglymodi have the earliest record in the early Middle Triassic (Anisian, ∼244 Ma) of China, represented by Kyphosichthys and Sangiorgioichthys sui from Yunnan and S. yangjuanensis from Guizhou. Here, we report the discovery of a new ginglymodian, Fuyuanichthys wangi gen. et sp. nov., based on 22 well-preserved specimens from the lower part of the Zhuganpo member of the Falang Formation in eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou, which documents the first discovery of convincing ginglymodians from the late Middle Triassic (Ladinian, ∼240 Ma) Xingyi biota in China. Fuyuanichthys possesses a unique combination of features that easily distinguishes it from other ginglymodians, such as presence of a median gular and short and edentulous maxillae, and absence of a supramaxilla and supraorbitals. As one of the smallest known ginglymodians with a maximum standard length of ∼75 mm, the new finding further supports that the Middle Triassic Ginglymodi have a relatively small range of body sizes compared with the Halecomorphi from the same ecosystems in China. Results of a phylogenetic analysis recover Fuyuanichthys as a sister taxon to Kyphosichthys at the ginglymodian stem, and provide new insights into the early evolution of this clade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guang-Hui Xu
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
| | - Xin-Ying Ma
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China.,Univesity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Ren
- Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China.,Univesity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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31
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Rossie JB, Hill A. A new species of Simiolus from the middle Miocene of the Tugen Hills, Kenya. J Hum Evol 2018; 125:50-58. [PMID: 30502897 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2018.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 09/06/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
A new species of the "small-bodied ape" Simiolus is described here that extends the temporal range of the genus to the end of the Middle Miocene. As such, it is one of the few species of fossil primates known from East Africa during a time of significant change in which Old World monkeys and crown hominoids replaced the primitive ape-like primates that had dominated the early Miocene. The dynamics of this important event in our evolutionary history are obscured by the small number of fossil primates known from Africa between 14 and 6 million years ago, as well as persistent ambiguity regarding the phylogenetic status of the ape-like Miocene primates. The new species described here helps to fill this temporal gap, and our analysis of its phylogenetic position suggests that Simiolus and many other Miocene primates were not only ape-like, they were, indeed, stem hominoids. Judging from the available material, the new species may be the smallest known ape.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Rossie
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA.
| | - Andrew Hill
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
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Buckeridge JS, Chan BKK, Lee SW. Accumulations of Fossils of the Whale Barnacle Coronula bifida Bronn, 1831 (Thoracica: Coronulidae) Provides Evidence of a Late Pliocene Cetacean Migration Route through the Straits of Taiwan. Zool Stud 2018; 57:e54. [PMID: 31966294 DOI: 10.6620/ZS.2018.57-54] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
John Stewart Buckeridge, Benny K.K. Chan, and Shih-Wei Lee (2018) This paper describes a remarkably prolific accumulation of the whale barnacle Coronula bifida Bronn, 1831 in sediments of late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene age from central Taiwan. Extant Coronula is host-specific to baleen whales; as such, this accumulation of Coronula fossils represents a site where cetaceans congregated during the Plio-Pleistocene - perhaps for breeding. Although whale bones are found at the site, they are rare and fragmentary; the relatively robust shells of Coronula are thus a useful proxy for establishing ancient cetacean migration routes.
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Gentry AD. Prionochelys matutina Zangerl, 1953 (Testudines: Pan-Cheloniidae) from the Late Cretaceous of the United States and the evolution of epithecal ossifications in marine turtles. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5876. [PMID: 30402356 PMCID: PMC6215699 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many neritic to nearshore species of marine adapted turtle from the Late Cretaceous of North America are thought to represent the stem lineage of Cheloniidae but due to fragmentary holotypes, low total specimen counts, and resultantly incomplete morphological character suites, are routinely placed either within or outside of crown group Chelonioidea leaving their precise cladistic affinities uncertain. Despite this systematic ambiguity, the referral of these species to either the stem of Cheloniidae or Chelonioidea belies the critical importance of these taxa in any investigation into the origins of extant marine turtles. The adequate incorporation of these species into phylogenetic studies requires the formal description of relatively complete specimens, particularly those possessing associated cranial and post-cranial material. Methods Remarkably complete fossil specimens of several adult and juvenile marine turtles from the Mooreville Chalk and Eutaw Formations (Alabama, USA) are formally described and assigned to Prionochelys matutina. This material provides new information into the anatomy, ontogeny, and cladistic affinities of the species. A phylogenetic hypothesis for Late Cretaceous marine turtles is then generated through the consilience of stratigraphic, morphological, and molecular data. Results Phylogenetic analysis places Prionochelys matutina on the stem of Cheloniidae as a member of a monophyletic clade with other putative pan-cheloniids, including Ctenochelys stenoporus, Ctenochelys acris, Peritresius martini, and Peritresius ornatus. The members of this clade possess incipient secondary palates, pronounced carapacial and plastral fontanelles at all stages of development, and are characterized by the presence of superficial ossifications at the apices of the neural keel elevations along the dorsal midline of the carapace. Discussion The epithecal osteoderms dorsal to the neural series (epineurals) found in Ctenochelyidae are unique among turtles. The presence of epineurals in ctenochelyid turtles shows that epithecal ossifications arose independently in both leatherback (Dermochelyidae) and hard-shelled (Cheloniidae) marine turtles. Whether or not the epineurals of Ctenochelyidae are homologous with the dermal ossicles comprising the carapace of Dermochelys coriacea remains untested however, histological thin sectioning of dermochelyid and ctenochelyd epithecal elements may reveal meaningful information in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Gentry
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America.,McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
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Sokoloff DD, Ignatov MS, Remizowa MV, Nuraliev MS, Blagoderov V, Garbout A, Perkovsky EE. Staminate flower of Prunus s. l. (Rosaceae) from Eocene Rovno amber (Ukraine). J Plant Res 2018; 131:925-943. [PMID: 30032395 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-018-1057-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The late Eocene ambers provide plethora of animal and plant fossils including well-preserved angiosperm flowers from the Baltic amber. The Rovno amber from NW Ukraine resembles in many aspects the Baltic amber; however, only fossilized animals and some bryophytes have yet been studied from the Rovno amber. We provide the first detailed description of an angiosperm flower from Rovno amber. The flower is staminate with conspicuous hypanthium, double pentamerous perianth and whorled androecium of 24 stamens much longer than the petals. Sepals are sparsely pubescent and petals are densely hirsute outside. The fossil shares important features with extant members of Prunus subgen. Padus s. l. (incl. Laurocerasus, Pygeum and Maddenia), especially with its evergreen paleotropical species. It is described here as a new species Prunus hirsutipetala D.D.Sokoloff, Remizowa et Nuraliev. Our study provides the first convincing record of fossil flowers of Rosaceae from Eocene of Europe and the earliest fossil flower of Prunus outside North America. Our record of a plant resembling extant tropical species supports palaeoentomological evidences for warm winters in northwestern Ukraine during the late Eocene, as well as suggesting a more significant role of tropical insects in Rovno amber than inferred from Baltic amber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitry D Sokoloff
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, 12, Leninskie Gory, 119234, Moscow, Russia.
| | - Michael S Ignatov
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, 12, Leninskie Gory, 119234, Moscow, Russia
- Tsitsin Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Botanicheskaya 4, 127276, Moscow, Russia
| | - Margarita V Remizowa
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, 12, Leninskie Gory, 119234, Moscow, Russia
| | - Maxim S Nuraliev
- Faculty of Biology, M.V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, 1, 12, Leninskie Gory, 119234, Moscow, Russia
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Scientific and Technological Center, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | | | - Amin Garbout
- Core Research Labs, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, UK
| | - Evgeny E Perkovsky
- Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, vul.B. Khmelnitskogo, 15, Kiev, 01030, Ukraine
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Abstract
We surveyed the taxa, ecosystems, and localities of the Devonian fishes of Michigan to provide a framework for renewed study, to learn about the diversity and number of these fishes, and to investigate their connection to other North American faunas. Nineteen genera of fishes have been found in the Middle and Late Devonian deposits of Michigan, of which thirteen are ‘placoderms’ represented by material ranging from articulated head shields to ichthyoliths. As expected from the marine nature of these deposits, ‘placoderms’ are overwhelmingly arthrodire in nature, but two genera of ptyctodonts have been reported along with less common petalichthyid material. The remaining fish fauna consists of fin-spines attributed to ‘acanthodians’, two genera of potential crown chondrichthyans, an isolated dipnoan, and onychodont teeth/jaw material. There was an apparent drop in fish diversity and fossil abundance between Middle and Late Devonian sediments. This pattern may be attributed to a paucity of Late Devonian sites, along with a relative lack of recent collection efforts at existing outcrops. It may also be due to a shift towards open water pelagic environments at Late Devonian localities, as opposed to the nearshore reef fauna preserved in the more numerous Middle Devonian localities. The Middle Devonian vertebrate fauna in Michigan shows strong connections with same-age assemblages from Ohio and New York. Finally, we document the presence of partially articulated vertebrate remains associated with benthic invertebrates, an uncommon occurrence in Devonian strata outside of North America. We anticipate this new survey will guide future field work efforts in an undersampled yet highly accessible region that preserves an abundance of fishes from a critical interval in marine vertebrate evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Stack
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Lauren Sallan
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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Antczak M, Bodzioch A. Ornamentation of dermal bones of Metoposaurus krasiejowensis and its ecological implications. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5267. [PMID: 30083441 PMCID: PMC6074752 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Amphibians are animals strongly dependent on environmental conditions, like temperature, water accessibility, and the trophic state of the reservoirs. Thus, they can be used in modern palaeoenvironmental analysis, reflecting ecological condition of the biotope. Methods To analyse the observed diversity in the temnospondyl Metoposaurus krasiejowensis from Late Triassic deposits in Krasiejów (Opole Voivodeship, Poland), the characteristics of the ornamentation (such as grooves, ridges, tubercules) of 25 clavicles and 13 skulls were observed on macro- and microscales, including the use of a scanning electron microscope for high magnification. The different ornamentation patterns found in these bones have been used for taxonomical and ecological studies of inter- vs. intraspecific variation. Results Two distinct types of ornamentation (fine, regular and sparse, or coarse, irregular and dense) were found, indicating either taxonomical, ecological, individual, or ontogenetic variation, or sexual dimorphism in M. krasiejowensis. Discussion Analogies with modern Anura and Urodela, along to previous studies on temnospondyls amphibians and the geology of the Krasiejów site suggest that the differences found are rather intraspecific and may suggest ecological adaptations. Sexual dimorphism and ontogeny cannot be undoubtedly excluded, but ecological variation between populations of different environments or facultative neoteny (paedomorphism) in part of the population (with types of ornamentations being adaptations to a more aquatic or a more terrestrial lifestyle) are the most plausible explanations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mateusz Antczak
- Institute of Geology, Adam Mickiewicz University of Poznan, Poznan, Poland
| | - Adam Bodzioch
- Department of Biosystematics, University of Opole, Opole, Poland
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Tanaka Y, Ando T, Sawamura H. A new species of Middle Miocene baleen whale from the Nupinai Group, Hikatagawa Formation of Hokkaido, Japan. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4934. [PMID: 29967715 PMCID: PMC6025157 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
A fossil whale from the Hikatagawa Formation (Middle Miocene, 15.2-11.5 Ma) of Hokkaido, Japan is described as a new genus and species Taikicetus inouei and its phylogenetic position is examined. Consistent with the result of Marx, Lambert & de Muizon (2017), the Cetotheriidae form a clade with the Balaenopteroidea, and "a clade comprising Isanacetus, Parietobalaena and related taxa" is located basal to the Balaenopteroidea + Cetotheriidae clade. Taikicetus inouei is placed in the clade with most of members of "Cetotheres" sensu lato comprising Isanacetus, Parietobalaena and related taxa. Taikicetus inouei can be distinguished from the other members of "Cetotheres" sensu lato in having an anteriorly swollen short zygomatic process, high triangular coronoid process, and angular process, which does not reach as far posterior as the mandibular condyle. Taikicetus inouei is only record of "Cetotheres" sensu lato from Hokkaido, Japan and the northern-most records of "Cetotheres" sensu lato in Japan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yoshihiro Tanaka
- Osaka Museum of Natural History, Osaka, Japan
- Hokkaido University Museum, Sapporo, Japan
- Numata Fossil Museum, Hokkaido, Japan
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Abstract
Neobalaenines are an enigmatic group of baleen whales represented today by a single living species: the pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata, found only in the Southern Hemisphere. Molecular divergence estimates date the origin of pygmy right whales to 22–26 Ma, yet so far there are only three confirmed fossil occurrences. Here, we describe an isolated periotic from the latest Miocene of Victoria (Australia). The new fossil shows all the hallmarks of Caperea, making it the second-oldest described neobalaenine, and the oldest record of the genus. Overall, the new specimen resembles C. marginata in its external morphology and details of the cochlea, but is more archaic in it having a hypertrophied suprameatal area and a greater number of cochlear turns. The presence of Caperea in Australian waters during the Late Miocene matches the distribution of the living species, and supports a southern origin for pygmy right whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felix G Marx
- Directorate of Earth and History of Life, Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.,School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Palaeontology, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Travis Park
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Erich M G Fitzgerald
- Palaeontology, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom.,National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., United States of America
| | - Alistair R Evans
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Palaeontology, Museums Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Saitta ET, Clapham C, Vinther J. Experimental subaqueous burial of a bird carcass and compaction of plumage. Palaontol Z 2018; 92:727-732. [PMID: 30524148 PMCID: PMC6244563 DOI: 10.1007/s12542-018-0411-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2017] [Accepted: 05/04/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
'Exceptional fossils' of dinosaurs preserving feathers have radically changed the way we view their paleobiology and the evolution of birds. Understanding how such soft tissues preserve is imperative to accurately interpreting the morphology of fossil feathers. Experimental taphonomy has been integral to such investigations. One such experiment used a printing press to mimic compaction, done subaerially and without sediment burial, and concluded that the leaking of bodily fluid could lead to the clumping of feathers by causing barbs to stick together such that they superficially resemble simpler, less derived, filamentous structures. Here we use a novel, custom-built experimental setup to more accurately mimic subaqueous burial and compaction under low-energy, fine-grain depositional environments applicable to the taphonomic settings most plumage-preserving 'exceptional fossils' are found in. We find that when submerged and subsequently buried and compacted, feathers do not clump together and they maintain their original arrangement. Submersion in fluid in and of itself does not lead to clumping of barbs; this would only occur upon pulling feathers out from water into air. Furthermore, sediment encases the feathers, fixing them in place during compaction. Thus, feather clumping that leads to erroneously plesiomorphic morphological interpretations may not be a taphonomic factor of concern when examining fossil feathers. Our current methodology is amenable to further improvements that will continue to more accurately mimic subaqueous burial and compaction, allowing for various hypothesis testing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan T. Saitta
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1RJ UK
- Integrative Research Center, Section of Earth Sciences, Field Museum of Natural History, 1400 S. Lake Shore Dr., Chicago, IL 60605 USA
| | - Charles Clapham
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1RJ UK
| | - Jakob Vinther
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Rd, Bristol, BS8 1RJ UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Life Sciences Building, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
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40
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Abstract
The fossil record of ticks has been classically used to discern the probable vicariance events of these arthropods, and to date the split moments of the different lineages. Although new techniques based on molecular clock methods are already available, tick fossil record still stands as a valuable source of information if correctly interpreted. Here we report about a male specimen of Ornithodoros (Alectorobius) sp. found in Dominican amber of about 25 millions years, illustrating its main morphological features. We also discuss the findings in a recent paper, which may contain unreliable interpretations on some fossil ticks. We support previous data on the presence of Argasidae in Miocene Dominican amber, and provide comments on the presence of ticks in Burmese amber. We further elaborate on the spread of ticks in the light of the record and description of a new family found in Cretaceous amber.
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Affiliation(s)
- Agustín Estrada-Peña
- Department of Animal Pathology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Zaragoza, Miguel Servet 177, 50013, Saragossa, Spain.
| | - José de la Fuente
- SaBio. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos IREC (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM), 13005, Ciudad Real, Spain
- Department of Veterinary Pathobiology, Center for Veterinary Health Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74078, USA
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41
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Matsunaga KKS, Smith SY, Manchester SR, Kapgate D, Ramteke D, Garbout A, Villarraga-Gómez H. Reinvestigating an enigmatic Late Cretaceous monocot: morphology, taxonomy, and biogeography of Viracarpon. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4580. [PMID: 29637023 PMCID: PMC5890723 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Angiosperm-dominated floras of the Late Cretaceous are essential for understanding the evolutionary, ecological, and geographic radiation of flowering plants. The Late Cretaceous–early Paleogene Deccan Intertrappean Beds of India contain angiosperm-dominated plant fossil assemblages known from multiple localities in central India. Numerous monocots have been documented from these assemblages, providing a window into an important but poorly understood time in their diversification. One component of the Deccan monocot diversity is the genus Viracarpon, known from anatomically preserved infructescences. Viracarpon was first collected over a century ago and has been the subject of numerous studies. However, resolution of its three-dimensional (3D) morphology and anatomy, as well as its taxonomic affinities, has remained elusive. In this study we investigated the morphology and taxonomy of genus Viracarpon, combining traditional paleobotanical techniques and X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). Re-examination of type and figured specimens, 3D reconstructions of fruits, and characterization of structures in multiple planes of section using μCT data allowed us to resolve conflicting interpretations of fruit morphology and identify additional characters useful in refining potential taxonomic affinities. Among the four Viracarpon species previously recognized, we consider two to be valid (Viracarponhexaspermum and Viracarponelongatum), and the other two to be synonyms of these. Furthermore, we found that permineralized infructescences of Coahuilocarpon phytolaccoides from the late Campanian of Mexico correspond closely in morphology to V. hexaspermum. We argue that Viracarpon and Coahuilocarpon are congeneric and provide the new combination, Viracarpon phytolaccoides (Cevallos-Ferriz, Estrada-Ruiz & Perez-Hernandez) Matsunaga, S.Y. Smith, & Manchester comb. nov. The significant geographic disjunction between these two occurrences indicates that the genus Viracarpon was widespread and may be present in other Late Cretaceous assemblages. Viracarpon exhibits character combinations not present in any extant taxa and its affinities remain unresolved, possibly representing an extinct member of Alismatales. The character mosaic observed in Viracarpon and the broad distribution of the genus provide new data relevant to understanding early monocot evolution and suggest that the (thus far) largely invisible Late Cretaceous monocot diversification was characterized by enigmatic and/or stem taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly K S Matsunaga
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Selena Y Smith
- Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Steven R Manchester
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Dashrath Kapgate
- Department of Botany, Jashbhai Maganbhai Patel College, Bhandara, Maharashtra, India
| | - Deepak Ramteke
- Department of Botany, Jashbhai Maganbhai Patel College, Bhandara, Maharashtra, India
| | - Amin Garbout
- Imaging and Analysis Centre, Natural History Museum London, London, UK
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Abstract
Paleontological research increasingly uses high-resolution micro-computed tomography (μCT) to study the inner architecture of modern and fossil bone material to answer important questions regarding vertebrate evolution. This non-destructive method allows for the measurement of otherwise inaccessible morphology. Digital measurement is predicated on the accurate segmentation of modern or fossilized bone from other structures imaged in μCT scans, as errors in segmentation can result in inaccurate calculations of structural parameters. Several approaches to image segmentation have been proposed with varying degrees of automation, ranging from completely manual segmentation, to the selection of input parameters required for computational algorithms. Many of these segmentation algorithms provide speed and reproducibility at the cost of flexibility that manual segmentation provides. In particular, the segmentation of modern and fossil bone in the presence of materials such as desiccated soft tissue, soil matrix or precipitated crystalline material can be difficult. Here we present a free open-source segmentation algorithm application capable of segmenting modern and fossil bone, which also reduces subjective user decisions to a minimum. We compare the effectiveness of this algorithm with another leading method by using both to measure the parameters of a known dimension reference object, as well as to segment an example problematic fossil scan. The results demonstrate that the medical image analysis-clustering method produces accurate segmentations and offers more flexibility than those of equivalent precision. Its free availability, flexibility to deal with non-bone inclusions and limited need for user input give it broad applicability in anthropological, anatomical, and paleontological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gert Wollny
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK
| | - Matthew M Skinner
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, Kent, UK.,Department of Human Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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43
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Rodrigues MIC, da Silva JH, Santos FEP, Dentzien-Dias P, Cisneros JC, de Menezes AS, Freire PTC, Viana BC. Physicochemical analysis of Permian coprolites from Brazil. Spectrochim Acta A Mol Biomol Spectrosc 2018; 189:93-99. [PMID: 28802161 DOI: 10.1016/j.saa.2017.08.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2017] [Revised: 08/03/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In this paper we performed the study of two coprolites (fossilized feces) collected from the exposed levels of the Pedra de Fogo Formation, Parnaiba Sedimentary Basin, and Rio do Rasto Formation, Paraná Sedimentary Basin, both of the Palaeozoic era (Permian age). They were characterized using X-ray diffractometry, infrared, Raman and energy dispersive spectroscopy techniques in order to aid our understanding of the processes of fossilization and to discuss issues related to the feeding habits of the animals which generated those coprolites, probably cartilaginous fishes. The results obtained using a multitechnique approach showed that although these coprolites are from different geological formations, 3000km away from each other, they show the same major crystalline phases and elemental composition. The main phases found were hydroxyapatite, silica, calcite and hematite, which lead to infer that those coprolites were formed under similar conditions and produced by a similar group of carnivore or omnivore fishes.
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Affiliation(s)
- M I C Rodrigues
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil
| | - J H da Silva
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil; Campus de Juazeiro do Norte - Universidade Federal do Cariri, 63048-080, Juazeiro do Norte, CE, Brazil
| | - F Eroni P Santos
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil
| | - P Dentzien-Dias
- Laboratório Oceanografia Geológica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande, 96201-900, Rio Grande, RS, Brazil
| | - J C Cisneros
- Centro de Ciências da Natureza - Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550, Teresina, PI, Brazil
| | - A S de Menezes
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Maranhão, 65080-805, São Luis, MA, Brazil
| | - P T C Freire
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Ceará, 60455-970, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil
| | - B C Viana
- Departamento de Física, Universidade Federal do Piauí, 64049-550 Teresina, PI, Brazil.
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Gentry AD. Prionochelys matutina Zangerl, 1953 (Testudines: Pan-Cheloniidae) from the Late Cretaceous of the United States and the evolution of epithecal ossifications in marine turtles. PeerJ 2018. [PMID: 30402356 DOI: 10.7717/peerj5876] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Many neritic to nearshore species of marine adapted turtle from the Late Cretaceous of North America are thought to represent the stem lineage of Cheloniidae but due to fragmentary holotypes, low total specimen counts, and resultantly incomplete morphological character suites, are routinely placed either within or outside of crown group Chelonioidea leaving their precise cladistic affinities uncertain. Despite this systematic ambiguity, the referral of these species to either the stem of Cheloniidae or Chelonioidea belies the critical importance of these taxa in any investigation into the origins of extant marine turtles. The adequate incorporation of these species into phylogenetic studies requires the formal description of relatively complete specimens, particularly those possessing associated cranial and post-cranial material. METHODS Remarkably complete fossil specimens of several adult and juvenile marine turtles from the Mooreville Chalk and Eutaw Formations (Alabama, USA) are formally described and assigned to Prionochelys matutina. This material provides new information into the anatomy, ontogeny, and cladistic affinities of the species. A phylogenetic hypothesis for Late Cretaceous marine turtles is then generated through the consilience of stratigraphic, morphological, and molecular data. RESULTS Phylogenetic analysis places Prionochelys matutina on the stem of Cheloniidae as a member of a monophyletic clade with other putative pan-cheloniids, including Ctenochelys stenoporus, Ctenochelys acris, Peritresius martini, and Peritresius ornatus. The members of this clade possess incipient secondary palates, pronounced carapacial and plastral fontanelles at all stages of development, and are characterized by the presence of superficial ossifications at the apices of the neural keel elevations along the dorsal midline of the carapace. DISCUSSION The epithecal osteoderms dorsal to the neural series (epineurals) found in Ctenochelyidae are unique among turtles. The presence of epineurals in ctenochelyid turtles shows that epithecal ossifications arose independently in both leatherback (Dermochelyidae) and hard-shelled (Cheloniidae) marine turtles. Whether or not the epineurals of Ctenochelyidae are homologous with the dermal ossicles comprising the carapace of Dermochelys coriacea remains untested however, histological thin sectioning of dermochelyid and ctenochelyd epithecal elements may reveal meaningful information in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D Gentry
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
- McWane Science Center, Birmingham, AL, United States of America
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Brannoch SK, Svenson GJ. Response to "An exceptionally preserved 110 million years old praying mantis provides new insights into the predatory behaviour of early mantodeans". PeerJ 2017; 5:e4046. [PMID: 29158979 PMCID: PMC5694651 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2017] [Accepted: 10/25/2017] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Hörnig, Haug & Haug (2017) published a description of a new specimen of Santanmantis axelrodi MB.I.2068, an extinct species of praying mantis from the Crato Formation of Brazil. According to Hörnig, Haug & Haug (2017), the discovery of this new specimen brought with it implications for praying mantis character evolution and predatory behavior; it is with these lines of reasoning that we find fault. More specifically, we point to four flawed assumptions in their study that led to their unsubstantiated conclusion that S. axelrodi employed their mesothoracic legs in prey capture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sydney K. Brannoch
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, United States of America,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
| | - Gavin J. Svenson
- Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland, OH, United States of America,Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States of America
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Spencer ART, Garwood RJ, Rees AR, Raine RJ, Rothwell GW, Hollingworth NTJ, Hilton J. New insights into Mesozoic cycad evolution: an exploration of anatomically preserved Cycadaceae seeds from the Jurassic Oxford Clay biota. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3723. [PMID: 28875075 PMCID: PMC5578371 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/31/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Most knowledge concerning Mesozoic Era floras has come from compression fossils. This has been augmented in the last 20 years by rarer permineralized material showing cellular preservation. Here, we describe a new genus of anatomically preserved gymnosperm seed from the Callovian-Oxfordian (Jurassic) Oxford Clay Formation (UK), using a combination of traditional sectioning and synchrotron radiation X-ray micro-tomography (SRXMT). Oxfordiana motturii gen. et sp. nov. is large and bilaterally symmetrical. It has prominent external ribs, and has a three-layered integument comprising: a narrow outer layer of thick walled cells; a thick middle parenchymatous layer; and innermost a thin fleshy layer. The integument has a longitudinal interior groove and micropyle, enveloping a nucellus with a small pollen chamber. The large size, bilateral symmetry and integumentary groove demonstrate an affinity for the new species within the cycads. Moreover, the internal groove in extant taxa is an autapomorphy of the genus Cycas, where it facilitates seed germination. Based upon the unique seed germination mechanism shared with living species of the Cycadaceae, we conclude that O. motturii is a member of the stem-group lineage leading to Cycas after the Jurassic divergence of the Cycadaceae from other extant cycads. SRXMT-for the first time successfully applied to fossils already prepared as slides-reveals the distribution of different mineral phases within the fossil, and allows us to evaluate the taphonomy of Oxfordiana. An early pyrite phase replicates the external surfaces of individual cells, a later carbonate component infilling void spaces. The resulting taphonomic model suggests that the relatively small size of the fossils was key to their exceptional preservation, concentrating sulfate-reducing bacteria in a locally closed microenvironment and thus facilitating soft-tissue permineralization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan R T Spencer
- Department of Earth Science and Engineering, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Russell J Garwood
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum London, London, UK
| | - Andrew R Rees
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
| | | | - Gar W Rothwell
- Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA.,Department of Environmental and Plant Biology, Ohio University, Athens, OH, USA
| | - Neville T J Hollingworth
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Science and Technology Facilities Council, Swindon, UK
| | - Jason Hilton
- School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.,Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK
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Main RP. Osteocytes and the bone lacunar-canalicular system: Insights into bone biology and skeletal function using bone tissue microstructure. Int J Paleopathol 2017; 18:44-46. [PMID: 28888391 PMCID: PMC9645457 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpp.2017.05.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 04/09/2017] [Accepted: 05/01/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Russell P Main
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences & Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, United States.
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Czaplewski NJ. First report of bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) from the Gray Fossil Site (late Miocene or early Pliocene), Tennessee, USA. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3263. [PMID: 28462055 PMCID: PMC5410148 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Thousands of vertebrate fossils have been recovered from the Gray Fossil Site, Tennessee, dating to the Miocene-Pliocene boundary. Among these are but eight specimens of bats representing two different taxa referable to the family Vespertilionidae. Comparison of the fossils with Neogene and Quaternary bats reveals that seven of the eight specimens pertain to a species of Eptesicus that cannot be distinguished from recent North American Eptesicus fuscus. The remaining specimen, a horizontal ramus with m3, is from a smaller vespertilionid bat that cannot confidently be assigned to a genus. Although many vespertilionid genera can be excluded through comparisons, and many extinct named taxa cannot be compared due to nonequivalence of preserved skeletal elements, the second taxon shows morphological similarities to small-bodied taxa with three lower premolar alveoli, three distinct m3 talonid cusps, and m3 postcristid showing the myotodont condition. It resembles especially Nycticeius humeralis and small species of Eptesicus. Eptesicus cf. E. fuscus potentially inhabited eastern North America continuously since the late Hemphillian land mammal age, when other evidence from the Gray Fossil Site indicates the presence in the southern Appalachian Mountains of a warm, subtropical, oak-hickory-conifer forest having autochthonous North American as well as allochthonous biogeographical ties to eastern Asia and tropical-subtropical Middle America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J Czaplewski
- Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Oklahoma Museum of Natural History, Norman, OK, United States of America
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Abstract
BACKGROUND Arachnids are a highly successful group of land-dwelling arthropods. They are major contributors to modern terrestrial ecosystems, and have a deep evolutionary history. Whip spiders (Arachnida, Amblypygi), are one of the smaller arachnid orders with ca. 190 living species. Here we restudy one of the oldest fossil representatives of the group, Graeophonus anglicus Pocock, 1911 from the Late Carboniferous (Duckmantian, ca. 315 Ma) British Middle Coal Measures of the West Midlands, UK. Using X-ray microtomography, our principal aim was to resolve details of the limbs and mouthparts which would allow us to test whether this fossil belongs in the extant, relict family Paracharontidae; represented today by a single, blind species Paracharon caecus Hansen, 1921. RESULTS Tomography reveals several novel and significant character states for G. anglicus; most notably in the chelicerae, pedipalps and walking legs. These allowed it to be scored into a phylogenetic analysis together with the recently described Paracharonopsis cambayensis Engel & Grimaldi, 2014 from the Eocene (ca. 52 Ma) Cambay amber, and Kronocharon prendinii Engel & Grimaldi, 2014 from Cretaceous (ca. 99 Ma) Burmese amber. We recovered relationships of the form ((Graeophonus (Paracharonopsis + Paracharon)) + (Charinus (Stygophrynus (Kronocharon (Charon (Musicodamon + Paraphrynus)))))). This tree largely reflects Peter Weygoldt's 1996 classification with its basic split into Paleoamblypygi and Euamblypygi lineages; we were able to score several of his characters for the first time in fossils. Our analysis draws into question the monophyly of the family Charontidae. CONCLUSIONS Our data suggest that Graeophonus is a crown group amblypygid, and falls within a monophyletic Paleoamblypgi clade, but outside the family Paracharontidae (= Paracharonopsis + Paracharon). Our results also suggest a new placement for the Burmese amber genus Kronocharon, a node further down from its original position. Overall, we offer a broad phylogenetic framework for both the fossil and Recent whip spiders against which future discoveries can be tested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell J Garwood
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK.
- Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD, UK.
| | - Jason A Dunlop
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity, Invalidenstraße 43, D-10115, Berlin, Germany
| | - Brian J Knecht
- Department of Geology, Western Illinois University, Tillman Hall 113, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL, 61455, USA
| | - Thomas A Hegna
- Department of Geology, Western Illinois University, Tillman Hall 113, 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL, 61455, USA
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Abstract
Australasia has a unique fauna of living vertebrates, which include the oldest known species on the planet (the lungfish Neoceratodus) as well as many diverse, highly endemic families of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. The origin of most of the Australian vertebrate fauna has developed from two phases. Firstly, when Australia was subsumed within the greater Gondwana landmass, migration of animals from one region to another was possible by a land connection. Many of our most primitive forms of reptiles and mammals probably entered the country at this time, such as varanids, madtsooid snakes, monotremes and basal marsupials. Secondly, following the breakup of Gondwana, the isolation of Australia for its last 40 million years and subsequent changing climatic conditions drove the radiation of marsupial, reptile and amphibian families within the continent. The gradual aridification of central Australia further divided the landmass into discrete regional areas characterised by rainfall, vegetation, and climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- John A Long
- School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, South Australia 5001, Australia.
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