[Botany • 2025] Amomum zamboangense (Zingiberaceae) • The Phylogenetic Placement of A New Species of Amomum from the Philippines

 

Amomum zamboangense

 in Docot, Santiago, Mazo, Rule, Haevermans et Poulsen, 2025.   

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/njb.04768 

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Abstract

During recent fieldwork in Pasonanca Natural Park, Zamboanga City, Philippines, we collected a ginger species belonging to Amomum sensu stricto that resembled the Bornean endemic Amomum stenosiphon. In phylogenetic analyses based on ITS trnK/matK sequences, the Philippine collections formed a monophyletic group but did not group with A. stenosiphon in the ITS tree whereas they are sister to each other in the trnK/matK tree. Also, one autapomorphic site in the ITS region was found for the Philippine collections. Nevertheless, the Philippine collections are morphologically distinct and differ from A. stenosiphon by their longer petioles, more narrow and ovate laminae, and fewer flowers per flowering shoot, and we describe here a new species, Amomum zamboangense, named after the type locality. We provide a colour plate and a preliminary assessment of its conservation status. Since Amomum dealbatum has previously been reported from the Philippines, two species of Amomum s.s. are now known to occur in the country.

Keywords: Amomum dealbatum, Amomum stenosiphon, Elettariopsis,endangered, ITS, trnK/matK

 Amomum zamboangense

Rudolph Valentino A. Docot, Lyle Christian P. Santiago, Kean Roe F. Mazo, Mark Gregory Q. Rule, Thomas Haevermans and Axel Dalberg Poulsen. 2025. The Phylogenetic Placement of A New Species of Amomum (Zingiberaceae) from the Philippines. Nordic Journal of Botany. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/njb.04768 [14 May 2025]

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[Mollusca • 2025] Calybium plicatus • The Second Calybium Morlet, 1892 (Neritimorpha: Helicinoidea: Helicinidae), and the first record of the Genus for Vietnam’s Terrestrial Gastropod Fauna

Calybium plicatus

Hoang, Vu, Tran, Nguyen & Do, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.35885/ruthenica.2025.35(1).4 

Abstract

This paper described the second species of the genus Calybium Morlet, 1892, Calybium plicatus sp. nov. was collected in Son Doong Cave, Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, Quang Binh Province, Central Vietnam. Calybium plicatus sp. nov. has a similar shell shape to Calybium massiei Morlet, 1892 but differs in having a smaller shell size, the parietal wall with six evenly spaced parietal lamellae. This discovery represents the first report of the genus Calybium in Vietnam.

Calybium plicatus sp. nov. Holotype VNMN-IZ 000.002.347.
A–D. Shell morphology (apertural view, dorsal view, ventral view, and side view).
E–F. Details of the apertural dentition.

Photos: Nguyen T.S. and Do D.S.

Class Gastropoda Cuvier, 1795

Subclass Neritimorpha Cox, 1960

Order Cycloneritida Frýda, 1998

Superfamily Helicinoidea Férussac, 1822

Family Helicinidae Férussac, 1822

Subfamily Vianinae Baker, 1922

Calybium Morlet, 1892

Calybium plicatus sp. nov.

 

Diagnosis. Shell medium-sized, depressed coni-cal, and sharply keeled body whorl; the calcareous layer on the dorsal side is coarse, strongly undulated and forms evenly spaced domes protruding from the shell surface; parietal wall with six lamellae, of which the sixth very long, curved, and close to the suture; palatal wall with a barrier-shaped lamella that ...

Etymology. The species’ name is derived from its characteristic apertural dentition, from the Latin word ‘plicatus’, meaning ‘lamellae’ that are present at the parietal wall.

 

Calybium plicatus sp. nov. 
A, B. Habitat picture, from the type locality at Doline 1 of Son Doong Cave, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province. C. Photo of the new species in habitat.

Photos: Vu V.L. (A, B), Hoang N.K. (C).

Ngoc Khac Hoang, Van Lien Vu, Thi Thanh Binh Tran, Thanh Son Nguyen and Duc Sang Do. 2025. Description of the second Calybium Morlet, 1892, and the first record of the Genus for Vietnam’s Terrestrial Gastropod Fauna (Neritimorpha: Helicinoidea: Helicinidae). Ruthenica, Russian Malacological Journal. 35(1); 39–45. DOI: doi.org/10.35885/ruthenica.2025.35(1).4 

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[Ichthyology • 2025] Pseudobarbus outeniqua • A New redfin Species (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the Cape Fold Ecoregion of South Africa

Pseudobarbus outeniqua

Zarei, Bragança, Skelton & Chakona, 2025 

Forest redfin | Wildernis rooivlerkie  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1239.131064 

Abstract  

Previous DNA-based studies identified four genetic lineages within Pseudobarbus afer: (i) the Mandela lineage confined to the Sundays, Swartkops, and Baakens river systems, (ii) the Krom lineage endemic to the Krom River system, (iii) the St Francis lineage occurring in the Gamtoos and adjacent river systems, and (iv) the Forest lineage occurring in several southern coastal river systems from the Tsitsikamma to the Klein Brak river system. Subsequent detailed morphological evaluation provided a redescription of P. afer s.s. (Mandela lineage), supported revalidation of P. senticeps (Krom lineage) and description of a new species, P. swartzi (St Francis lineage). The present study builds on these earlier findings and provides a formal description of the Forest lineage as a new species for science, Pseudobarbus outeniqua sp. nov. The new species differs from the aforementioned congeners by the conspicuous pigmentation on the centre of the scales which gives it a distinctive speckled hen pattern. The new species thus closely resembles the small-scale redfin, P. asper, in colour pattern, but it is readily separated from this species by genetic characters and fewer number of scales in predorsal region (16–17, mode 16 vs 18–26, mode 20–23) and around the caudal peduncle (14–15, mode 15 vs 16–22, mode 18–20). A revised key for the single-barbeled redfins is presented.

Key words: Conservation, endemic hotspot, Forest lineage, minnows, systematics, threatened freshwater fish

 

Live specimens of Pseudobarbus outeniqua sp. nov. from the Klein Brak River system
A SAIAB 237307 (tag number FZ03), male, holotype, 67.6 mm SL
B SAIAB 246084 (tag number FZ04), paratype, 80.6 mm SL
C SAIAB 246084 (tag number FZ06), paratype, 77.9 mm SL.

  Pseudobarbus outeniqua sp. nov. 

Proposed common names. Forest redfin (English), 

Wildernis rooivlerkie (Afrikaans).

Diagnosis. Pseudobarbus outeniqua sp. nov. is diagnosed among all currently recognised congeners by the following combination of character states: mouth with one pair of barbels; barbel length 1.0–1.9 times orbit diameter, reaching vertical through posterior edge of eye; pigmentation distinct, with scale centres darkly pigmented, giving the fish an overall speckled appearance, speckling less conspicuous or absent ventrally; presence of a distinct dark mid-lateral band, with a broader anterior half and a narrower posterior half which ends in form of a large triangular mark at the base of the caudal fin; lack of dark spots, dashes, stripes or wavy lines on back and mid-dorsal; scales moderate sized, 35–37 in lateral line series, 14–15 (mode 15) around caudal peduncle, and 16–17 (mode 16) on predorsal region. Detailed comparison of the new species with the other congeners is presented below.

Etymology. The specific epithet outeniqua refers to the Outeniqua mountain range and highlights the species’ occurrence in streams draining its southern slopes within the southern Cape Fold Ecoregion.

 Fatah Zarei, Pedro H. N. Bragança, Paul H. Skelton and Albert Chakona. 2025. Pseudobarbus outeniqua sp. nov., A New redfin Species (Teleostei, Cyprinidae) from the Cape Fold Ecoregion of South Africa. ZooKeys 1239: 231-255. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1239.131064 

[Herpetology • 2024] Bufo rubroventromaculatus • A New Record of Bufo gargarizans Complex (Anura: Bufonidae) from Truong Son Mounts, Ha Tinh and Ha Giang Provinces, Vietnam based on Molecular Evidence with A Description of A New Species

Bufo rubroventromaculatus 

Orlov, Ananjeva, Ermakov, Lukonina, Ninh &  Nguyen, 2024 

DOI: doi.org/10.3390/d16070361 

Abstract

Based on a combination of molecular and morphological data, we herein report a new species within the bufonid Bufo gargarizans species complex. This is a widespread species complex with distribution from eastern Russia and the Korean Peninsula to China and the Ryukyu Islands of Japan. Records of this species have been documented in the Guangxi and Yunnan Provinces near the border with Vietnam and, for the first time from Vietnam, in Ha Giang Province. The new record of Bufo cf. gargarizans from Vietnam is from Ha Tinh Province. This species has never been reported from Vietnam so far south, about 550 km south from the previously known locality in Ha Giang Province. The female specimen was found in the Ha Tinh Province, Vu Quang National Park of central Vietnam and two specimens (male and female) were found Ha Giang Province. They are clearly distinguished from B. gargarizans and all the mentioned species by a specific color pattern on the belly and creamy-yellowish throat with large, bright red speckles. Genetic divergences of three Vietnam specimens from Ha Giang and Ha Tinh Provinces in the ND2 gene sequences between the B. sp. nov. and all other congeners ranged from 4.3% (with B. andrewsi) to 7.0% (with B. stejnegeri). We give a description of the morphological characters and coloration of the new record and provide an expanded diagnosis.

Keywords: Bufo sp. nov.; Vietnam; morphology; molecular evidence; DNA analysis

Holotype of Bufo rubroventromaculatus sp. nov. IGR 10497, female:
 (A) in the wild; (B) dorsal view; (C) ventral view; (D) palmar surface of the right forelimb.

 Paratype of Bufo rubroventromaculatus sp. nov. ZISP 15118.
 (A) lateral view; (B) lateral view a part of belly with bright red large blotches.

Bufo rubroventromaculatus sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: Three specimens of toads were assigned to the genus Bufo based on molecular phylogenetic analyses. Bufo rubroventromaculatus sp. nov. is distinguished from other species in the genus Bufo by specific coloration with red speckles on the belly (Figure 4 and Figure 5). Maximal size known for this species (SVL 125.45 mm) (Table 3); head longer than width (maximal HW 60.32 mm, HL 65.42 mm), snout obtuse, protruding in profile; canthus rostralis distinct; pupil horizontally oval; loreal region flat and oblique; snout length greater than eye horizontal diameter (HL 13.7 mm, ED 10.6 mm, ED/SNL 0.77); parotoid gland well developed, elongated; tympanum distinct, small and round; vomerine teeth present; tongue not notched posteriorly.

Etymology: The specific name rubroventromaculatus originates from the type of characteristic coloring of the belly with numerous large red spots of irregular shape.

 

Nikolai L. Orlov, Natalia B. Ananjeva, Oleg A. Ermakov, Svetlana A. Lukonina, Hoa Thi Ninh and Tao Thien Nguyen. 2024. A New Record of Bufo gargarizans Complex (Bufonidae, Anura) from Truong Son Mounts, Ha Tinh and Ha Giang Provinces, Vietnam based on Molecular Evidence with A Description of A New Species. Diversity. 16(7), 361. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/d16070361  [24 June 2024]

[Invertebrate • 2025] Rediscovery and Phylogenetic Position of A Long-lost Typhloperipatus williamsoni Kemp, 1913 (Onychophora: Peripatidae) after 111 Years from Arunachal Pradesh, India

Typhloperipatus williamsoni Kemp, 1913 

in Narayanan, Priyadarsanan, Ranjith, Sahanashree et Ananthram, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2483434 

ABSTRACT

Typhloperipatus williamsoni, a long-lost species of the phylum Onychophora (velvet worms), is rediscovered after over a century in the Siang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India. The rediscovery is based on two individuals, one collected near the type locality (Kalek, Arunachal Pradesh, India) and the other from a previously unknown location (Yingku, Arunachal Pradesh, India). We provide additional natural history and distribution information about this poorly known species, and the first live images. Molecular data for T. williamsoni is generated for the first time to understand its phylogenetic position within Peripatidae. The phylogenetic analyses based on three mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S and COI) recovered T. williamsoni as a sister to Southeast Asian Eoperipatus. Further, the biogeographic scenario of Asian peripatids is briefly discussed based on the molecular dating analysis.

KEYWORDS: Velvet worms, Siang expedition, natural history, molecular analysis, biogeography

 

 Typhloperipatus williamsoni Kemp, 1913 

Surya Narayanan, D.R. Priyadarsanan, A.P. Ranjith, R. Sahanashree and Aravind Neelavar Ananthram. 2025. Rediscovery and Phylogenetic Position of A Long-lost Typhloperipatus williamsoni Kemp, 1913 (Onychophora: Peripatidae) after 111 Years from Arunachal Pradesh, India. Journal of Natural History. 59(17-20); 1167-1180. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2025.2483434 [11 Apr 2025]

[PaleoOrnithology • 2025] Arctic Bird Nesting traces back to the Cretaceous

 

Newly hatched birds explore a 73-million-year-old Arctic environment.

in Wilson, Ksepka, Wilson, Gardner, Erickson, ... et Druckenmiller,. 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1126/science.adt5189

Illustration: Gabriel Ugueto  facebook.com/serpenillus

Abstract

Polar ecosystems are structured and enriched by birds, which nest there seasonally and serve as keystone ecosystem members. Despite the ecological importance of polar birds, the origins of high-latitude nesting strategies remain obscured by a sparse fossil record. We report an extreme-latitude Arctic avialan assemblage from the Prince Creek Formation of Alaska—the northernmost Late Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem. Numerous three-dimensionally preserved fossils constitute one of the most taxonomically rich Late Cretaceous avialan assemblages, including members of Hesperornithes, Ichthyornithes, and near-crown or crown birds (Neornithes), recording a previously undocumented interval in avialan evolution. Abundant perinatal fossils represent the oldest evidence of birds nesting at polar latitudes, which demonstrates that birds began using seasonal polar environments for breeding during the Cretaceous, long before their modern descendants.

Newly hatched birds explore a 73-million-year-old Arctic environment.
Modern birds breed in the Arctic to take advantage of abundant seasonal resources, but the evolutionary origins of this behavior remain elusive. Exceptional new fossils from northern Alaska reveal birds lived and nested alongside non-avian dinosaurs in Arctic Alaska long before the radiation of modern birds after the end-Cretaceous extinction.

Illustration: Gabriel Ugueto

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Lauren N. Wilson, Daniel T. Ksepka, John P. Wilson, Jacob D. Gardner, Gregory M. Erickson, Donald Brinkman, Caleb M. Brown, Jaelyn J. Eberle, Chris L. Organ and Patrick S. Druckenmiller. 2025. Arctic Bird Nesting traces back to the Cretaceous. Science. 388(6750); 974-978. DOI: doi.org/10.1126/science.adt5189 [29 May 2025]

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Editor’s summary: In the modern world, birds represent key components of polar ecosystems. This is true even in the face of the extreme seasonal changes that occur in these regions. Although the Cretaceous world was considerably warmer than ours, the polar regions still experienced months of near total darkness, suggesting that this was a challenging environment to colonize even when it didn’t experience extreme cold. Wilson et al. report on a fossil assemblage of birds from the late Cretaceous Arctic. This assemblage includes both chicks and adults of multiple species, suggesting that birds began breeding in Arctic regions early on in their evolution. —Sacha Vignieri

[Invertebrate • 2024] Synallactes mcdanieli • A New Species of Sea Cucumber (Holothuroidea: Synallactida) from British Columbia, Canada and the Gulf of Alaska, USA

Synallactes mcdanieli 

Marín, Ochoa & Conejeros-Vargas, 2024

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e124603

Abstract

Background: The family Synallactidae comprises mostly deep-sea forms and is the least-studied large taxon amongst deep-sea cucumbers. They are part of the abyssal megafauna and play an important role in modifying the sediment landscape and structuring the communities that live within it. The family embraces the genus Synallactes, which contains approximately twenty-five species from the Pacific, Atlantic (six species), Indian (seven species) and Antarctic Oceans (one species).

New information: Synallactes mcdanieli sp. nov. is described from the Northeast Pacific, Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada to Kodiak Island, Gulf of Alaska, USA, at depths from 21 to 438 m. This new species is unique amongst the species of the genus Synallactes because of the number and arrangement of dorsal papillae, number of Polian vesicles, together with the entire ossicle arrangement. In addition, this species has the shallowest bathymetric distribution ever recorded for this genus.

Keywords: Synallactidae, taxonomy, Northeast Pacific

Synallactes mcdanieli sp. nov. In situ specimens at Battery Point, near Haines Alaska, USA, photo by Neil McDaniel. Approximately TL of specimens ~ 250-300 mm.

 

 Francisco A Solís Marín, Andrea A Caballero Ochoa and Carlos A Conejeros-Vargas. 2024. Synallactes mcdanieli sp. nov., A New Species of Sea Cucumber from British Columbia, Canada and the Gulf of Alaska, USA (Holothuroidea, Synallactida). Biodiversity Data Journal. 12: e124603. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e124603

[Paleontology • 2025] Tail of Defence: An Almost complete Tail Skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible Defence Strategies

 

Plateosaurus trossingensis 

in Filek, Kranner, Pabst et Göhlich, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.250325 

Abstract

In 2015, a partial skeleton of the Late Triassic dinosaur Plateosaurus trossingensis was excavated from Frick, Switzerland, and subsequently mounted at the Natural History Museum of Vienna in 2021. This specimen includes an almost complete series of tail vertebrae, with a well-preserved, articulated whip-like distal end. The preserved tail structure provides valuable insights into the morphological implications of tail function and its potential role in the behaviour of Plateosaurus. Using the caudal vertebrae, we reconstructed and analysed the potential tail-lashing capabilities of Plateosaurus, comparing its biomechanics with those of other fossil and extant long-tailed reptilian taxa, including the extinct sauropod Diplodocus, the extant Asian water monitor (Varanus salvator), and the green iguana (Iguana iguana). Our results indicate that the tail of P. trossingensis was highly flexible, with an estimated kinetic energy output ranging between 0.537 and 1.616 kJ during rapid strikes, comparable to the defensive tail use observed in modern reptiles. These findings suggest that tail-whipping may have played a role in predator deterrence and intraspecific interactions in Plateosaurus.

Keywords: Plateosaurus, behaviour, defence strategy, Triassic, Frick, Switzerland

 Reconstruction of a Plateosaurus herd featuring three juveniles and an adult, which is hypothetically depicted in the act of lashing its tail in defence against a predator

(Copyright: Daria Filek and Thomas Filek).

 

Thomas Filek, Matthias Kranner, Ben Pabst and Ursula B. Göhlich. 2025. Tail of Defence: An Almost complete Tail Skeleton of Plateosaurus (Sauropodomorpha, Late Triassic) reveals possible Defence Strategies. Royal Society Open Science. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rsos.250325 [21 May 2025]

 

[Entomology • 2018] Thecobathra minuta, T. taiwanensis, ... • Taxonomic Review of the Genus Thecobathra (Lepidoptera: Yponomeutidae) from Taiwan

 

1. Thecobathra minuta n. sp.; 2. T. pauciguttata n. sp;
3. T. taiwanensis n. sp.; 4. T. heppneri n. sp.

 Sohn, 2018

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2018.01.020

Highlights

• The Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are reviewed.

• Four new species of Thecobathra: heppneri n. sp., minuta n. sp., pauciguttata n. sp., and taiwanensis n. sp. are described.

• The female genitalia of T. basilobata are described for the first time.

• Keys to all the Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are provided.

Abstract

The Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are reviewed. Four new species of Thecobathra: T. heppneri n. sp., T. minuta n. sp., T. pauciguttata n. sp., and T. taiwanensis n. sp. are described. The female genitalia of T. basilobata are described for the first time. Keys to all the Taiwanese species of Thecobathra are provided.

 

Keywords: Lepidoptera, New species, Taiwan, Taxonomy, Thecobathra, Yponomeutidae

 Adults of Thecobathra.
1. Thecobathra minuta n. sp., holotype; 2. T. pauciguttata n. sp., holotype;
3. T. taiwanensis n. sp., holotype; 4. T. heppneri n. sp., holotype.

Scale bars = 3 mm.

Jae-Cheon Sohn. 2018. Taxonomic Review of the Genus Thecobathra (Lepidoptera, Yponomeutidae) from Taiwan. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 21(1); 374-379. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2018.01.020

[Paleontology • 2025] The neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi (Diapsida: Tangasauridae) from the upper Permian of Madagascar

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian),
life reconstruction in riparian environment rich in Glossopteris

in Buffa, Jalil, Falconnet et Vincent, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70008  

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Reconstruction by S. Fernandez (MNHN)

Abstract

The enigmatic neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi (Lower Sakamena Formation, southwestern Madagascar), sole species of the genus Thadeosaurus, is revised here. The attribution of 12 of the 21 referred specimens is confirmed, spanning all ontogenetic stages, and the anatomy of Thadeosaurus is redescribed in detail with comments on ontogenetical differences. This new anatomical information is included in an expanded phylogenetical dataset tailored to examine the relationships of Permo-Triassic diapsids. A stem-saurian neodiapsid position is confirmed here for all ‘younginiforms’, which are here recovered paraphyletic, with Youngina representing an earlier-diverging taxon. However, this topology is extremely labile, and the monophyly or paraphyly of ‘younginiforms’ could not be unequivocally supported. In contrast, our analyses provide good support for a monophyletic Tangasauridae including all other ‘younginiforms’. Thadeosaurus is here recovered as a member of the Tangasauridae and as the sister-group to the putative semi-aquatic Tangasaurinae with a moderate degree of support, despite the large amounts of missing data in lesser-known tangasaurids partially obscuring our understanding of tangasaurid interrelationships. Last, Thadeosaurus is considered to have inhabited a nearshore, probably riparian, environment, although it remains unclear whether it was semi-aquatic or fully terrestrial. Further examinations of lesser-known tangasaurids, as well as a novel morphotype identified here in the Lower Sakamena Formation of Madagascar, could provide new evidence to deepen our understanding of the evolution and palaeoecology of the Tangasauridae.

Keywords: Tangasauridae, Thadeosaurus, phylogeny, Neodiapsida, late Permian, Madagascar

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), holotype MNHN.F.MAP360a, b.
A, MNHN.F.MAP360a, dorsal surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. B, silicone cast of A.
C, MNHN.F.MAP360b, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. D, silicone cast of C.

Scale bars represent 5 cm.

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), late subadult (MNHN.F.MAP349a) and adult (MNHN.F.MAP318a, MNHN.F.MAP341) specimens.
A, MNHN.F.MAP349a, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. B, silicone cast of A.
 C, MNHN.F.MAP318a, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould; note the presence of a Glossopteris leaf overlying the left hindlimb of the individual. D, silicone cast of C.
E, MNHN.F.MAP341, ventral surface of individual preserved as a natural mould. F, silicone cast of E.

Scale bars represent 5 cm.

SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY

REPTILIA Laurenti 1768 sensu Modesto & Anderson 2004

DIAPSIDA Osborn 1903

NEOREPTILIA Ford & Benson 2020

NEODIAPSIDA Benton 1985 sensu Reisz et al. (2011a)

Family TANGASAURIDAE Piveteau 1926

Genus Thadeosaurus Carroll 1981

 

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981

Diagnosis: 

Differs from other tangasaurids in the following combination of characters (states indicated in brackets, and ‘*’ indicating unambiguous apomorphies recovered in Analysis U2): transverse flange of pterygoid edentulous (138:0)*; basipterygoid processes oriented laterally (166:1)*; ribs fused to costal facets in posterior dorsal vertebrae (273:1); ectepicondylar foramen fully enclosed by well-developed supinator process (319:2; shared with Hovasaurus boulei); proximal margin of entepicondyle roughly perpendicular to main axis of bone, resulting in angular entepicondyle (323:1; shared with Tangasaurinae); bulbous rugosity on supra-acetabular crest immediately dorsal to acetabulum (352:2)*; internal trochanter convergent with proximal femoral head (360:0)*; epipophyses above postzygapophyses of dorsal vertebrae (406:1)*; caudal pleurapophyses laterally expanded (409:1; shared with Tangasaurinae); pisiform notched distally (419:1)*.

...

Thadeosaurus colcanapi Carroll 1981 (Madagascar, upper Permian), life reconstruction in riparian environment rich in Glossopteris (a leaf of which is present on MNHN.F.MAP318a)

Reconstruction by S. Fernandez (MNHN)

Valentin Buffa, Nour-Eddine Jalil, Jocelyn Falconnet and Peggy Vincent. 2025. The neodiapsid Thadeosaurus colcanapi from the upper Permian of Madagascar. Papers in Palaeontology.  11(2); e70008. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70008 [23 March 2025]

 bsky.app/profile/thepalass.bsky.social/post/3ll55bn6wrk2m

  x.com/ThePalAss/status/1904203598285672569

[Entomology • 2025] Protosticta jirapornae • A New Species of Protosticta (Odonata: Platystictidae) from northern Thailand

Protosticta jirapornae Makbun, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5642.1.6  

 facebook.com/groups/DragonfliesOfThailand

 

Abstract

Protosticta jirapornae sp. nov. is described and illustrated based on specimens of both sexes collected from Chiang Mai Province, Thailand. This taxon was previously recognised as the northern population of P. khaosoidaoensis Asahina, 1984, which is geographically isolated from its type locality in Chanthaburi Province, eastern Thailand. The new species can be distinguished from P. khaosoidaoensis and other closely related congeners by the distinctive markings on the prothorax and synthorax in both sexes, as well as the structure of the male anal appendages and the morphology of the genital ligula.

Odonata, dragonfly, Zygoptera, Protosticta , new species, Protosticta khaosoidaoensis 

Noppadon MAKBUN. 2025. Description of Protosticta jirapornae sp. nov. from northern Thailand (Odonata: Platystictidae).   Zootaxa. 5642(1); 59-67. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5642.1.6 [2025-05-27] 

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[Phycology • 2025] Rhodogorgon truncata (Rhodophyta: Rhodogorgonales) • A New Red Alga from the west coast of Thailand

Rhodogorgon truncata Muangmai & Draisma,

in Muangmai, Draisma, Gabriel, Schils, Kato et Yoon, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2491144 

ABSTRACT

The recognition of new species is fundamental to understanding biodiversity and biogeography. Through an integrative taxonomic approach, combining morphological and multilocus molecular data, a new red algal species, Rhodogorgon truncata sp. nov. is described from the west coast of Thailand. The new species differs from the two previously described species in the genus, i.e. R. ramosissima and R. flagellifera, by unique morphological features including compressed and stocky thalli with determinate short branchlets along the upper portion, giving it a truncated and verrucose appearance. Our morphological observations revealed the smaller size, compressed shape, and truncated apices of R. truncata in contrast to the cylindrical, irregularly branched thalli of R. ramosissima and R. flagellifera. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that R. truncata is more closely related to undescribed Rhodogorgon specimens from the Indo-Pacific than to the Caribbean R. ramosissima. The discovery of this new species expands the known diversity within the genus Rhodogorgon and suggests greater, as yet undiscovered, species diversity among poorly studied red algae in the Indo-Pacific Ocean.

KEYWORDS: Andaman Sea, New species, Reef algae, Seaweed, Taxonomy

Rhodogorgon truncata sp. nov. Muangmai & Draisma

 

Narongrit Muangmai, Stefano G. A. Draisma, Daniela Gabriel, Tom Schils,Aki Kato and Hwan Su Yoon. 2025. Rhodogorgon truncata sp. nov. (Rhodogorgonales, Rhodophyta), A New red alga from the west coast of Thailand. Phycologia. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/00318884.2025.2491144  [28 Apr 2025]

ค้นพบสาหร่ายหินปูนสีแดงชนิดใหม่ของโลกจากชายฝั่งทะเลอันดามัน 

จังหวัดภูเก็ตและพังงา ประเทศไทย 

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รองศาสตราจารย์ ดร.ณรงค์ฤทธิ์ เมืองใหม่ อาจารย์ประจำภาควิชาชีววิทยาประมง ร่วมกับ Dr. Stefano Draisma สถานีวิจัยความเป็นเลิศความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพแห่งคาบสมุทรไทย มหาวิทยาลัยสงขลานครินทร์ Dr. Daniela Gabriel, University of the Azores สาธารณรัฐโปรตุเกส Prof. Tom Schils, University of Guam สหรัฐอเมริกา Prof. Aki Kato, Hiroshima University, ประเทศญี่ปุ่น และ Prof. Hwan Su Yoon, Sungkyunkwan University, สาธารณรัฐเกาหลี

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ค้นพบและตั้งชื่อสาหร่ายหินปูนสีแดงชนิดใหม่ของโลก Rhodogorgon truncata sp. nov. Muangmai & Draisma จากชายฝั่งทะเลอันดามัน จังหวัดภูเก็ตและจังหวัดพังงา 

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สาหร่ายสีแดงหินปูนชนิดใหม่นี้มีลักษณะคล้ายกัลปังหา (gorgonians) และพบแพร่กระจายบริเวณแนวปะการังทางชายฝั่งทะเลอันดามัน พบได้ที่ระดับความลึกตั้งแต่ 1 เมตร จนถึง 6 เมตร งานวิจัยนี้เป็นส่วนหนึ่งของการสำรวจความหลากหลายทางชีวภาพของสาหร่ายทะเลบริเวณชายฝั่งทะเลของประเทศไทย 

 

[Herpetology • 2025] Breviceps batrachophiliorum • A New Rain Frog (Anura: Brevicipitidae; Breviceps) from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa

  

Breviceps batrachophiliorum

Du Preez, Netherlands & Minter, 2025

 DOI: doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2025.2478896 

ABSTRACT

Breviceps, an African genus of fossorial frogs, comprises 20 species most of which occur in South Africa. In this study we describe a new species that differs morphologically from its closest congener Breviceps verrucosus, in the position of the mouth and relative size of the inner and outer metatarsal tubercles. Its taxonomic status as a separate species is placed beyond doubt by very significant differences in the structure of the advertisement call and substantial genetic divergence (7.5% uncorrected p-distance) in the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. This study demonstrates the value of an integrative approach in taxonomy and that, when assessing the reliability of distribution data, it is better to err on the side of caution.

KEYWORDS: Bioacoustics, Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov., conservation, phylogenetics, morphology, citizen science

Holotype male Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov. (SAIAB 141902) from Boston, KwaZulu-Natal Province:
a – dorsolateral view; b – anterior view; c – ventral view; d – posterior view, showing heel to heel and vertebral lines; e – right hand; f – left foot.

Breviceps batrachophiliorum sp. nov. Du Preez, Netherlands and Minter

 

 L.H. du Preez, E.C. Netherlands and L.R. Minter. 2025. A New Rain Frog (Anura: Brevicipitidae; Breviceps) from the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, South Africa. African Journal of Herpetology. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2025.2478896   [19 May 2025]

[Ichthyology • 2025] Rineloricaria buckupi • A New Species of Whiptail Catfish Rineloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Macaé and São João River Basins, southeastern Brazil

 

 Rineloricaria buckupi

Mejia, Ferraro & Souto-Santos, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-2024-0087 

Abstract

A new species of Rineloricaria from the São João and Macaé river basins in Rio de Janeiro State, southeastern Brazil is described. The new species is distinguished from most of its congeners by possessing of five series of lateral plates below the dorsal fin; mid-dorsal series consisting of four or five keeled plates extending posteriorly beyond the origin of the dorsal fin; pectoral girdle covered by plates; snout tip with naked area not reaching most anterior pore of infraorbital ramus of sensory canal; dorsal-fin spinelet present. The new species differs from R. zawadzkii, the most similar and geographically closest species, by having mid-ventral and lateral abdominal plates in contact (vs. separated by skin), the dorsal fin with a dark brown terminal band not reaching the edge, with inconspicuous dark dots along the lower edge (vs. band reaching the edge), and the caudal fin with a diffuse distal band with variegated white spots (vs. a well-defined distal band). The genetic distance based on cytochrome c oxidase I between the new species and the closest congeners supports its validity. The current distribution of the new species in the São João and Macaé basins is consistent with paleo-drainage connections influenced by sea-level fluctuations.

Keywords: DNA barcode; Freshwater fishes; Loricariinae; Sea-level variations; Suckermouth armored catfishes

 Rineloricaria buckupi, holotype, MNRJ 51116, 111.2 mm SL, Brazil, Macaé, Macaé River;
lateral, dorsal, and ventral views.

 Rineloricaria buckupi, paratypes. Note the remarkable dark brown transverse bars on dorsal surface.
A. MNRJ 54658, 77.9 mm SL; five bars on dorsal surface.
B. MNRJ 54658, 101.8 mm SL; notice third and fourth bars fused. 

Rineloricaria buckupi, new species

Diagnosis. Rineloricaria buckupi can be distinguished from most congeners except for R. aequalicuspis Reis & Cardoso, 2001, R. altipinnis, R. anhaguapitan Ghazzi, 2008, R. anitae Ghazzi, 2008, R. baliola Rodriguez & Reis, 2008, R. cacerensis (Miranda Ribeiro, 1912), R. cachivera, ..., R. zaina Ghazzi, 2008 and R. zawadzkii by having five lateral series of plates below the dorsal fin (vs. four lateral series of plates below the dorsal fin), and mid-dorsal series extending below and posterior to dorsal fin (vs. mid-dorsal series not extending beyond the origin of dorsal fin). Rineloricaria buckupi differs from R. aequalicuspis, R. anhaguapitan, R. baliola, R. capitonia, R. latirostris, R. maacki, R. malabarbai, R. maquinensis, R. microlepidogaster, R. nudipectoris, R. reisi, and R. tropeira by the extensive ventral covering of the pectoral girdle by plates (vs. absence of plates on most of the ventral surface of the pectoral girdle). It differs from R. cacerensis, R. fallax,  ...

Etymology. The specific name buckupi (noun, masculine, singular genitive), is a patronym for Paulo A. Buckup, in recognition of his valuable teachings as an advisor to numerous students, including the authors of this paper. Paulo has done outstanding work and made numerous contributions to Neotropical ichthyology, including advances in the systematics of Rineloricaria over the past 25 years.

 

Mejia, Eduardo; Ferraro, Gustavo A. and Souto-Santos, Igor C. A. 2025. A New Species of Whiptail Catfish Rineloricaria (Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from Macaé and São João River Basins, southeastern Brazil. Neotrop. ichthyol. 23 (02); DOI: doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-2024-0087