[Paleontology • 2024] Lobodiscus tribrachialis • A putative triradial macrofossil from the Ediacaran Jiangchuan Biota

 Lobodiscus tribrachialis 

 Zhao, Mussini, Y. Li, Tang, Vickers-Rich, M. Li & Chen, 2024

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.108823

 Researchgate.net/publication/377291665

Highlights: 

• The Jiangchuan biota of Yunnan preserves a late-Ediacaran eukaryotic assemblage

• We describe the first potential animal fossil from the Jiangchuan biota

• This new triradial fossil might represent the youngest known trilobozoan

• Our finding may strengthen taxonomic overlap among late-Ediacaran faunas

Summary

The late Ediacaran Jiangchuan biota, from the Dengying Formation in eastern Yunnan, is well-known for its diverse macroalgal fossils, opening a window onto eukaryotic-dominated ecosystems from the late Neoproterozoic of South China. Although multiple lines of evidence suggest that metazoans had already evolved by the late Ediacaran, animal fossils have not yet been formally described from this locality. Here, we report a putative disc-shaped macrofossil from the Jiangchuan biota, Lobodiscus tribrachialis gen. et sp. nov. This specimen shows the triradial symmetry characteristic of trilobozoans, a group of Ediacaran macrofossils previously documented in Australia and Russia. Lobodiscus could record the youngest known occurrence of trilobozoans, strengthening taxonomic and ecological continuities between the Ediacaran “White Sea” and “Nama” assemblages. Our findings may expand the known paleogeographical distribution of trilobozoans and provide data for Ediacaran biostratigraphic correlations across the Yangtze block and globally, helping to track the diversification of early metazoan-grade organisms.

Fossil geochemistry, Ecology, Evolutionary biology

 Artistic reconstruction of Lobodiscus tribrachialis as a benthic metazoan-grade organism

Systematic palaeontology

Genus Lobodiscus gen. nov.

Lobodiscus tribrachialis gen. et sp. nov.  

 

Etymology: Lobo- from the Latin lobus, meaning lobe, -discus from the Latin discus, meaning disk, denoting the disc-like main body with radiating lobes; the species name combines the prefix tri- (from the Latin tres, three) and brachium, the Latin for “arm”, with reference to its 3-fold symmetry.

 

Mingsheng Zhao, Giovanni Mussini, Yulan Li, Feng Tang, Patricia Vickers-Rich, Ming Li and Ailin Chen. 2024. A putative triradial macrofossil from the Ediacaran Jiangchuan Biota. iScience. 27(2); 108823. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.108823 [16 February 2024]

 Researchgate.net/publication/377291665_A_putative_triradial_macrofossil_from_the_Ediacaran_Jiangchuan_Biota

[Botany • 2025] Gastrochilus wenchuanensis (Orchidaceae: Aeridinae) • A New Species from China based on molecular and morphological data

Gastrochilus wenchuanensis P.Y.Wu & C.Y.Zhou, 

in Wu, Guo, Zhou, Wang, Shan, Yong et Zhang, 2025. 

汶川盆 距兰  || https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract/2135

Abstract

The newly discovered orchid, Gastrochilus wenchuanensis (Aeridinae, Orchidaceae), found in Wenchuan, Sichuan of China, is described here based on the data of its morphology, phenology, ecology and distribution. This entity bears resemblance to G. formosanus, G. wolongensis, G. nanchuanensis, G. sinensis, G. minjiangensis and G. armeniacus, but can be distinguished by a distinctive vein on both the petals and sepals, as well as an epichile and hypochile that are devoid of spots or stripes. The molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (nrITS) and four plastid regions (atpI, matK, psbA, and trnL-F), supports the conclusion that Gastrochilus wenchuanensis is a new species and is sister to G. formosanus.

Keyword: Gastrochilus, molecular phylogenetics, morphology, new species, sect. Caespitosi

Gastrochilus wenchuanensis
  A. Flowering plant. B. Inflorescence. C. Flower (front view). D. Leaves (view from above and from below). E. Labellum (view from below). F. Anatomy of flowers (F1: dorsal sepals; F2 and F3: lateral sepals; F4 and F5: petals; F6: labellum). G. Flowers (view from rear). H. Capsule. I. Labellum (longitudinal dissection). J. Pollinia. K. Stigma.

Gastrochilus wenchuanensis 
A. Flowering plant. B. Flower (front view). C. Flowers (view from rear). D. Leaves (view from above and from below). E. Sepal and petal. F. Pollinia. G. Labellum (view from above and from below). H. Labellum (longitudinal dissection). I. Inflorescence. J. Capsule.

Plant and inflorescence with flowers for Gastrochilus wenchuanensis 
A. Habitat. B. Plant with flowers in wild. C. Plant with flowers in cultivation. D. Plant with fruit.

Gastrochilus sect. Caespitosi Z. H. Tsi 

Gastrochilus wenchuanensis P.Y.Wu & C.Y.Zhou, sp. nov 

Diagnosis: The new species resembles G. formosanus, but differs in the morphology of the epichile and the markings on both the petals and sepals. It also deviates from G. wolongensis due to its shorter inflorescences, an undimpled and spotless epichile, and a stripeless hypochile. The distinguishing characteristics of the new species compared to G. armeniacus include leaf morphology, flower pigmentation, sepal length, epichile trichome density, and the absence of hypochile surface ridges. The distinctive stripe on the petals and sepals, along with the morphology of the hypochile and epichile, serves to distinguish this species from G. minjiangensis. It differs from G. nanchuanensis by its reniform epichile, green and fully open flowers. The shape of the epichile and a distinct purple stripe on the petals and sepals distinguish it from G. sinensis.

  

Peng-Yu Wu, Jiaxu Guo, Cheng-Yuan Zhou, Zi-Yang Wang, Qian-Tong Shan, Heng Yong, Yu-Tian Zhang. 2025. Gastrochilus wenchuanensis (Aeridinae; Orchidaceae): A New Species from China based on molecular and morphological data. Taiwania. 70(4): 757‒765.  DOI: 10.6165/tai.2025.70.757

   https://taiwania.ntu.edu.tw/abstract/2135 [2025 November 14]

[PaleoEntomology • 2025] Electrocera gen. nov., E. prima, Macrocera pawli, ... • Long Story of Long Antennae: Mesozoic Origins of the Subfamily Macrocerinae (Diptera: Keroplatidae)

 

Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska,

in Pełczyńska, Blagoderov,  Krzemiński et Soszyńska, 2025. 

 DOI: doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15345

Abstract

The early evolutionary history of the Macrocerinae subfamily (Diptera: Keroplatidae) is poorly understood. However, new material from the Cretaceous, particularly in amber, provides a better understanding of this subject. We reassign the oldest known species of Macrocerinae, Hegalari minor Blagoderov & Arillo, 2002, from the amber of Álava (~105 Mya), to the genus Macrocera (M. minor comb. nov.). Furthermore, we reassess the systematic position of the problematic genus Burmacrocera Cockerell, 1917 from Cenomanian Burmese amber (~99 Mya), providing evidence that it should be classified within this subfamily. Most significantly, we describe five new species from Burmese amber, including a new genus, Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. nov., with two new species (E. prima Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et sp. nov. and E. payini Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et. sp. nov.) and three new Macrocera species (M. vonneguti Pełczyńska & Blagoderov, sp. nov., M. sevciki Pełczyńska & Krzemiński, sp. nov. and M. pawli Pełczyńska, sp. nov.).

Keywords: new species, palaeoentomology, Álava amber, Burmese amber, Cretaceous, Sciaroidea

 Electrocera Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. nov.

E. prima Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et sp. nov. 

E. payini Pełczyńska & Soszyńska, gen. et. sp. nov.

 Macrocera 

M. vonneguti Pełczyńska & Blagoderov, sp. nov.,

 M. sevciki Pełczyńska & Krzemiński, sp. nov. 

M. pawli Pełczyńska, sp. nov. 

 

Alicja PEŁCZYŃSKA, Vladimir BLAGODEROV, Wiesław KRZEMIŃSKI and Agnieszka SOSZYŃSKA. 2025. Long Story of Long Antennae: Mesozoic Origins of the Subfamily Macrocerinae (Diptera: Keroplatidae). Acta Geologica Sinica - English Edition. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/1755-6724.15345 [08 November 2025]

[Arachnida • 2025] Siskiyu armilla & Cybaeozyga furtiva • Phylogenomics of North American cybaeid Spiders (Araneae: Cybaeidae), including the Description of New Taxa from the Klamath Mountains Geomorphic Province

[ C-D] Siskiyu armilla sp. nov. immature ♀, Siskiyou County CA; 
[A] Neocryphoeca beattyi ♀, Pinal County, AZ; [F] Cybaeus somesbar ♀ Bennett, 2009, Shasta County,

Hedin, Ramírez & Monjaraz-Ruedas, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1226.140204 

All images taken by M Hedin. 

Abstract

The systematics of humble-in-appearance brown spiders (“marronoids”), within a larger group of spiders with a modified retrolateral tibial apophysis (the RTA Clade), has long vexed arachnologists. Although not yet fully settled, recent phylogenomics has allowed the delimitation and phylogenetic relationships of families within marronoids to come into focus. Understanding relationships within these families still awaits more comprehensive generic-level sampling, as the majority of described marronoid genera remain unsampled for phylogenomic data. Here we conduct such an analysis in the family Cybaeidae Banks, 1892. We greatly increase generic-level sampling, assembling ultraconserved element (UCE) data for 18 of 22 described cybaeid genera, including all North American genera, and rigorously test family monophyly using a comprehensive outgroup taxon sample. We also conduct analyses of traditional Sanger loci, allowing curation of some previously published data. Our UCE phylogenomic results support the monophyly of recognized cybaeids, with strongly supported internal relationships, and evidence for five primary molecular subclades. We hypothesize potential morphological synapomorphies for most of these subclades, bringing a robust phylogenomic underpinning to cybaeid classification. A new cybaeid genus Siskiyu gen. nov. and species Siskiyu armilla sp. nov. is discovered and described from far northern California and adjacent southern Oregon and a new species in the elusive genus Cybaeozyga, C. furtiva sp. nov., is described from far northern California.

Key words: California, mountains, short-range endemics, taxonomy, ultraconserved elements

Images of live cybaeid spiders.
A Neocryphoeca beattyi ♀, Pinal County, AZ, RWM 22_011 B Blabomma sp ♀, San Diego County, CA, MCH 22_020
C Siskiyu armilla sp. nov. immature ♀, Siskiyou County CA, MCH 24_057; patellar fracture line labeled D Siskiyu armilla sp. nov. immature ♂, Siskiyou County CA, MCH 24_057; with silk webbing presumed to belong to the spider
E Cybaeota shastae ♀ Chamberlin & Ivie, 1937, East Rosebud Creek, MT F Cybaeus somesbar ♀ Bennett, 2009, Shasta County, CA, MCH 24_012.

All images taken by M Hedin, except for Neocryphoeca (RW Mendez).

 Marshal Hedin, Martín J. Ramírez and Rodrigo Monjaraz-Ruedas. 2025. Phylogenomics of North American cybaeid Spiders (Araneae, Cybaeidae), including the Description of New Taxa from the Klamath Mountains Geomorphic Province. ZooKeys. 1226: 47-75. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1226.140204 

[Ichthyology • 2025] Genome-wide Pphylogeny reshapes our Understanding of the Evolution of Deep-sea Dragonfishes, bristlemouths, viperfishes, and allies (Stomiiformes)

Stomiiformes phylogeny

in Chang, Heiple, Hays, Melendez-Vazquez, Lee, Frable, Pogonoski, Martinez, Betancur-R et Arcila, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02453-0 

Abstract

Background: 

The evolutionary relationships within Stomiiformes, a diverse order of deep-sea fishes dominating the mesopelagic and bathypelagic zones, remain contentious due to conflicting morphological and molecular evidence. These fishes, comprising 464 species across four traditionally recognized families (Gonostomatidae, Sternoptychidae, Phosichthyidae, and Stomiidae), exhibit remarkable adaptations such as bioluminescence, ultra-black pigmentation, and extreme jaw morphologies. Their global abundance and ecological significance, including contributions to the biological carbon pump, underscores the need to resolve their phylogeny amid escalating threats from climate change and human activities.

Results: 

We conducted the most comprehensive phylogenomic analysis of Stomiiformes to date, integrating 936 nuclear loci from 60 species and an expanded dataset of 135 species with mitochondrial sequences from publicly available repositories such as the Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) database. We used maximum likelihood and coalescent-based approaches to assess family monophyly and relationships, including extensive quality control to address contamination in public databases. Our analyses reveal unstable tree topologies and complex evolutionary histories that challenge traditional classifications, while our quality control analyses identified 29% of BOLD sequences as misidentified or contaminated, emphasizing rigorous curation for deep-sea taxa. Congruent with a recent taxonomic treatment of Stomiiformes, the families Phosichthyidae and Gonostomatidae exhibit polyphyly and paraphyly, respectively, while subfamilies within Stomiidae are extensively non-monophyletic, leading us to recommend their abandonment. We propose the recognition of eight monophyletic families: Vinciguerriidae, Diplophidae, Gonostomatidae, Yarrellidae, Ichthyococcidae, Phosichthyidae, Sternoptychidae, and Stomiidae, supported by robust molecular and morphological evidence.

Conclusions: 

This revised classification reflects the morphological and ecological diversity of Stomiiformes, aligning with their evolutionary diversification in the deep sea. Our phylogenomic framework resolves longstanding systematic uncertainties and highlights the power of genome-wide data in tackling taxonomically challenging clades. These findings provide a foundation for understanding deep-sea fish diversification and assessing the potential ecBMC Ecology and Evolution  Article

Genome-wide phylogeny reshapes our understanding of the evolution of deep-sea dragonfishes, bristlemouths, viperfishes, and allies (Stomiiformes)

Keywords: Mesopelagic Fishes, Taxonomic Classification, Morphological Diversity

 

Solomon Chang, Zach Heiple, Delson Hays, Fernando Melendez-Vazquez, Casey Lee, Benjamin W. Frable, John Pogonoski, Christopher M. Martinez, Ricardo Betancur-R  and Dahiana Arcila. 2025. Genome-wide Pphylogeny reshapes our Understanding of the Evolution of Deep-sea Dragonfishes, bristlemouths, viperfishes, and allies (Stomiiformes). BMC Ecol Evo. 25, 111. DOI: doi.org/10.1186/s12862-025-02453-0 [21 October 2025] 

[Arachnida • 2025] Phenasurya daeng • A New Genus and Species of plexippine Jumping Spider (Salticidae: Plexippini) from Thailand

Phenasurya Marathe & Maddison,
Phenasurya daeng Marathe, Maddison & Trębicki,

in Marathe, Trębicki, Janik-Superson, Samoh, Zhang et Maddison, 2025. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1259.169914 

Abstract

We describe a new plexippine genus and new species, Phenasurya daeng gen. et sp. nov., with a striking red face, from Thailand. Its placement within Plexippina is supported by ultraconserved element (UCE)-based phylogenomic analyses, supplemented with a broader four-gene analysis. Morphological evidence further justifies its generic status. Phenasurya daeng is recovered near cf. Colopsus and Pancorius but is morphologically distinct from both. These findings reveal a new red-faced lineage and settle the identity of a perplexing jumping spider.

Key words: Araneae, biodiversity, Indochina, phylogenomics, systematics, taxonomy, UCE

Family Salticidae Blackwall, 1841

Subfamily Salticinae Blackwall, 1841

Tribe Plexippini Simon, 1901

Subtribe Plexippina Simon, 1901

Phenasurya daeng, male (9–17) and female (18–20).

 Phenasurya Marathe & Maddison, gen. nov.

 

Etymology. The genus name Phenasurya is derived from the Greek “phen-”, referring to appearance, and the Thai “Surya”, referring to the sun. This alludes to the face of this elegant spider, red like the setting sun.

 Phenasurya daeng Marathe, Maddison & Trębicki, sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet daeng means “red” in Thai, alluding to the species’ distinctive red face.

 Kiran Marathe, Łukasz Trębicki, Katarzyna Janik-Superson, Abdulloh Samoh, Junxia Zhang, Wayne P. Maddison. 2025. Phenasurya daeng, A New Genus and Species of plexippine Jumping Spider (Salticidae, Plexippini, Plexippina) from Thailand. ZooKeys. 1259: 335-348. DOI:  doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1259.169914 

[Paleontology • 2025] Rugososporomyces lavoisierae (Glomeromycotina: Glomeromycetes) • An arbuscular mycorrhiza from the 407-million-year-old Windyfield Chert identified through advanced fluorescence and Raman imaging:

Rugososporomyces lavoisierae Strullu-Derrien & Schornack, 

in Strullu-Derrien, Wightman, McDonnell, Evans, Fercoq, Kenrick, Ferrari et Schornack, 2025.

DOI: doi.org/10.1111/nph.70655  

 x.com/CStrulluDerrien 

Mycorrhizal associations between fungi and plants are a fundamental aspect of terrestrial ecosystems. Mycorrhizas occur in c. 85% of extant plants, yet their geological record remains sparse. Rare fossil evidence from early terrestrial environments offers crucial insights into these ancient symbioses, but visualizing fossil fungi at the microscale within plant tissues is challenging.

Here, we combine confocal laser scanning microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to investigate a newly identified fungus and cellular structures of a 407-Myr-old plant from the Windyfield Chert, a stratigraphically distinct fossiliferous unit from Rhynie (Scotland). We also applied Raman spectroscopy to investigate the carbon framework of both fungal and plant tissues.

This integrative approach revealed fungal structures in unprecedented detail. The fungus, Rugososporomyces lavoisierae gen. nov., sp. nov., exhibits features resembling extant Glomeromycotina arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. This is the first record of mycorrhizas from the Windyfield Chert. FLIM further distinguished features at the subcellular level, while Raman spectroscopy showed that fungal arbuscules and vesicles of the plant water-conducting cells underwent geological alterations, resulting in a similar chemical composition.

These findings expand our understanding of ancient and extremely rare plant–fungal symbioses and highlight the potential of confocal-FLIM for advancing palaeobotanical research.

Keywords: AM mycorrhizas, confocal scanning laser microscopy, Devonian, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, fossil record, plant symbioic fingus, Raman Spectroscopy, 3D imaging

A morphologically distinct endomycorrhizal fungus colonizing the plant Aglaophyton majus

Systematics

Kingdom – Fungi R.T. Moore.

Phylum – Mucoromycota Doweld, emend. Spatafora & Stajich.

Subphylum – Glomeromycotina (C. Walker and A. Schüßler) Spatafora & Stajich, subphylum and stat. nov.

Class – Glomeromycetes Caval.-Sm.

Order – Incertae sedis – Strullu-Derrien & Schornack.

Genus – Rugososporomyces Strullu-Derrien & Schornack gen. nov.

Etymology – Rugoso refers to the nature of the spore wall; sporo is from the Greek spora meaning spore; myces is the Latin word for fungus.

Genus diagnosis – Fungus with aseptate intercellular hyphae with H branching, spores, vesicles and intracellular arbuscules. Differs from other fungi in the Rhynie Chert in the following ways: spore wall possibly bilayered, with a relatively thick, rugose wall; smaller diameter of the branching hyphae; hyphae terminating in a spore are either smaller or larger than other hyphae; the ratio of spore diameter to hyphal width is smaller; the spores are comparatively either smaller or larger.

Species – Rugososporomyces lavoisierae Strullu-Derrien & Schornack sp. nov.

Etymology – In honor of Marie-Anne Paulze de Lavoisier (1758–1836), who was a collaborator of her husband, Antoine Laurent de Lavoisier and was his laboratory assistant. The scientific collaboration of this husband-wife team is perhaps unique among the giants of respiratory physiology (West, 2013). Together, they pioneered Physiology and established the basis of modern Chemistry, two areas relevant to our study.

Species diagnosis – Branched hyphae 3.5–6.5 μm in diameter; unbranched hyphae 7 μm in diameter when terminating in a spore and 4 μm in diameter when terminating in a vesicle; basal stalk of the arbuscules 3.5 μm in diameter. Spores globose, up to 74 μm in diameter, with a 3.1 μm thick rugose and possibly bilayered wall. Subtending hypha closed by a septum. Vesicles range from globose (up to 39 μm in diameter) to elongate (41 μm wide, 50 μm long).

Holotype – specimens in slide no. NMS G.2022.11.48.1 at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh. Fig. 1.

Locality – Rhynie, North-West of Aberdeen (Scotland): Windyfield Cherts Unit (Rice & Ashcroft, 2004).

Age – Lower Devonian (407.1 ± 2.2 Ma) (Mark et al., 2011).

  

Christine Strullu-Derrien, Raymond Wightman, Liam Patrick McDonnell, Gareth Evans, Frédéric A. Fercoq, Paul Kenrick, Andrea C. Ferrari and Sebastian Schornack. 2025. An arbuscular mycorrhiza from the 407-million-year-old Windyfield Chert identified through advanced fluorescence and Raman imaging. New Phytologist. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/nph.70655 [12 November 2025]

  x.com/CStrulluDerrien/status/1988628967931236440

[Herpetology • 2025] Leptobrachella kungfu • A New Species of the Genus Leptobrachella (Anura: Megophryidae) from central Guangdong Province, China

 

Leptobrachella kungfu

 Q.-Q. Zhang, Lin, Li, Su, Chen, X.-Y. Zhang, Zeng & Wang, 2025

 

佛山掌突蟾  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1259.164646 

Abstract

In this study, a new species, Leptobrachella kungfu sp. nov., from Foshan City, central Guangdong Province, China, is described based on a combination of molecular and morphological data. Phylogenetically, the new species is closely related to L. yunkaiensis from western Guangdong Province and can be distinguished from all congeners by a combination of discrete morphological characters. A key to the species of this genus from Guangdong and a distribution map are provided to support further regional research and conservation.

Key words: Leptobrachella kungfu sp. nov., Leptobrachella yunkaiensis, molecular phylogeny, morphology, regional conservation, taxonomy

Morphological features of the holotype of Leptobrachella kungfu sp. nov., GEP a419 in life:
 A. Lateral view; B. Dorsal view; C. Ventral view; D. Ventral view of hand; E. Ventral view of foot.

Leptobrachella kungfu sp. nov.

  Foshan Leaf Litter Toad (in English)

 Fo Shan Zhang Tu Chan (佛山掌突蟾 in Chinese)

Diagnosis. (1) Small body size [SVL 25.7–28.2 mm in six adult males]; (2) iris bicolored, upper half coppery orange and lower half grayish brown; (3) tympanum distinct; (4) distinct black supratympanic line; (5) fingers without lateral fringes; (6) toes with rudimentary webbing and wide lateral fringes; (7) longitudinal ridges under toes continuous; (8) heels just meeting when adpressed, tibial-tarsal articulation reaching loreal region; (9) dorsal surface shagreened with dense tubercles and raised warts, lacking skin ridges; (10) ventral surface smooth; (11) dorsum grayish brown to dark brown with indistinct dark brown scattered markings; (12) flank with several dark spots; (13) surface of throat, chest and abdomen creamy white.

Etymology. The type locality of the new species, Foshan, is known as the City of Chinese Kungfu. Many renowned Kungfu masters, such as Fei-Hong Huang (黄飞鸿), Zan Liang (梁赞), Yip Man (= Wen Ye / 叶问), and Bruce Lee (= Xiao-Long Li / 李小龙), had ancestral homes in Foshan and received their training there. The specific name kungfu is chosen to commemorate an important cultural aspect of Foshan City.

 Qi-Qi Zhang, Shi-Shi Lin, Yuan-Hang Li, Hong-Lin Su, Hong-Hui Chen, Xiu-Yu Zhang, Zhao-Chi Zeng and Jian Wang. 2025. A New Species of the Genus Leptobrachella (Anura, Megophryidae) from central Guangdong Province, China. ZooKeys. 1259: 185-204. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1259.164646 

[Paleontology • 2025] Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis • Earliest Long-necked sauropterygian (Sauropterygia: Nothosauria) and Plasticity of Vertebral Evolution in Sauropterygian marine reptiles

 

Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis

W. Wang, Shang, J. Wang, Zi & Li, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1

Artwork by Kelai LI

Abstract

A long neck is a morphological innovation in vertebrates, particularly iconic in many plesiosaurs, while the function of these long necks in plesiosaurs remains controversial. Here, we report Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis gen. et sp. nov. from a previously unknown early Middle Triassic locality in southwestern China. This taxon represents the earliest known sauropterygian evolving an exceptionally long neck with 42 cervical vertebrae, and is identified as a nothosaur rather than the immediate ancestors of plesiosaurs. Our discovery demonstrates that extreme cervical elongation developing more than 30 cervical vertebrae emerged in sauropterygians prior to the rise of plesiosaurs and their pistosaur ancestors. Furthermore, Lijiangosaurus possesses a unique type of accessory intervertebral articulation compared with other reptiles, and we attribute this structure to reducing body undulation. This discovery increases the known diversity of accessory intervertebral articulations in reptiles, and underscores the high plasticity of the vertebral column in the early evolution of sauropterygians.

Type specimen (YSBB208) of Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis nov. gen. et sp. 
 Image of the skeleton on a large block of limestone (a); interpreted illustration of the skeleton with different osteological parts labeled and marked in multiple colors (b); cv is the abbreviation of cervical vertebra; reconstruction of the complete skeleton in strict accordance with the preserved morphology in corresponding colors (c); scale bars equal 10 cm.

Systematic paleontology

Reptilia Linnaeus, 1758

Diapsida Osborn, 1903

Sauropterygia Owen, 1860

Nothosauria Baur, 1889

Emended definition: Referred to the phylogenetic hypotheses recovered in this paper, the maximum clade definition of Nothosauria is reformulated as follows: all taxa more closely related to Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis, Germanosaurus schafferi, and Nothosaurus species than Keichousaurus hui, Simosaurus gaillardoti, or Corosaurus alcovensis.

Composition: Based on the phylogenetic hypotheses in this study, Nothosauria includes Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis, Germanosaurus schafferi, Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis, Wangosaurus brevirostris, and all the species of Nothosaurus and Lariosaurus.

Diagnosis: Nothosauria is a clade distinguished from other eosauropterygians by a combination of the following characters: dorsal exposure of prefrontal reduced, pineal foramen displaced posteriorly, mandibular articulation approximately at the level of the occipital condyle, diastema between premaxillary and maxillary teeth present, and four or more sacral ribs.

Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis gen. et sp. nov

 

Etymology: Both the generic and species names refer to the fossil site of Yongsheng County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, China. This currently only known specimen of this genus and species is the first Mesozoic reptile collected from this area.

Diagnosis: A medium-to-large-sized nothosaurian distinguished from other nothosaurians by a proportionally small skull with body length over 2.5 m (smaller than a few species of Nothosaurus like N. giganteus and N. mirabilis, but larger than most nothosaurian taxa), a remarkably high count of 42 cervical vertebrae, a dorsal neural spine comparable to the corresponding centrum in height (distinctly shorter than N. mirabilis, but longer than all other nothosaurians), entepicondylar foramina lost, accessory intervertebral articulation of infraprezygapophysis and infrapostzygapophysis present in dorsal and anterior caudal vertebrae. It can be further distinguished from non-nothosaurian eosauropterygians (especially pistosauroids) by the absence of interpterygoid vacuity, a ventral flange along the ventromedial edge of the quadrate ramus of the pterygoid, well-developed and extending further posteriorly up to the quadrate, an obturator foramen opening in the adult, and other synapomorphies of nothosaurians.

Phylogenetic relationship of Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis nov. gen. et sp. with other sauropterygians.
The topology is based on a strict consensus tree from the 16 most parsimonious trees using an updated morphological character dataset from [Wang, et al. 2022]. Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis is the sister group of Wangosaurus brevirostris, both belonging to Nothosauria but not Plesiosauria.

Reconstruction of nothosaurs about 240 million years ago revealing a hidden diversity from southwestern China.
Taxa include Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis (central), Nothosaurus yangjuanensis (upper left), Nothosaurus luopingensis (upper right), Brevicaudosaurus jiyangshanensis (lower left), and Lariosaurus hongguoensis (lower right). All these nothosaurian taxa lived in the Middle Triassic in Yunnan and Guizhou provinces (Artwork by Kelai Li).

 Wei Wang, Qinghua Shang, Jiansheng Wang, Hongke Zi and Chun Li. 2025. Earliest Long-necked sauropterygian Lijiangosaurus yongshengensis and Plasticity of Vertebral Evolution in Sauropterygian marine reptiles. Communications Biology. 8, 1551. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s42003-025-08911-1 [1 November 2025]

  

[Herpetology • 2025] Arthroleptis mamiwakisaraensis • An Update on the Amphibian Assemblage of the Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania, with the Description of A New giant Arthroleptis species (Amphibia: Anura)

Arthroleptis mamiwakisaraensis 

Lyakurwa, Liedtke, Mollel, Bittencourt-Silva, Jehle, Loader & Ngalason, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2025.2561124 

 x.com/Pius_Mollel

 

Abstract

Effective conservation measures require accurate and complete species inventories, which are however often missing for particularly biodiverse regions of concern. The montane forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM) in East Africa represent fragmented relics of unique habitats that harbour remarkable levels of plant and animal diversity, including many endemic and threatened species most of which are poorly known. The present study focuses on the Ukaguru Mountains, an important mountain block in the central EAM, and expands on a recent study that summarized data from 30 years of amphibian surveys. Using systematic sampling (2022–2024) in localities that are less heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities than previously surveyed sites, we increase the number of documented amphibian species from 17 to 19, adding Xenopus cf. victorianus and a newly described species (see below). Among the three Ukaguru-endemic toads which have not been recorded since more than two decades, we re-discovered Nectophrynoides laticeps and N. paulae but failed to record the enigmatic Churamiti maridadi, which according to a dedicated extinction model has an updated probability of only 47.6% of still being extant. Based on genetic, morphological and bioacoustic evidence, we also describe a new large-bodied species of Arthroleptis (Arthroleptis mamiwakisaraensis sp. nov.), shedding further light into the evolution of ‘giant’ congeners which inhabit other mountain blocks in the EAM. Given the rapid deforestation of the EAM for which the Ukagurus are no exception, our findings give rise to concerns regarding current and future extinction risks within unique mountain amphibian assemblages, also affecting species which potentially still await description. 

Key words: Afromontane, biogeography, Churamiti, Eastern Arc Mountains, Nectophrynoides

 Arthroleptis mamiwakisaraensis sp. nov.

 

John Lyakurwa, H. Christoph Liedtke, Pius Mollel, Gabriela B. Bittencourt-Silva, Robert Jehle, Simon P. Loader and Wilirk Ngalason. 2025. An Update on the Amphibian Assemblage of the Ukaguru Mountains, Tanzania, with the Description of A New giant Arthroleptis species (Amphibia: Anura). Systematics and Biodiversity.  23(1); 2561124. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2025.2561124 [03 Nov 2025]

  x.com/Pius_Mollel/status/1988558790933754073

[Botany • 2025] Calea aggregata, Wedelia cangae & W. santosiae • Small Collections, Great Findings: Three New Species and Two New State Records for Asteraceae from Brazil

 

(C–D) Calea aggregata V. R. Bueno & M. L. Campos
(A–B) Wedelia santosiae V. R. Bueno, Prata-Silveira & Bentes 

in Bueno, Almeida, Fernandes, Ferreira, Prata-Silveira et Bentes, 2025.   

 DOI: doi.org/10.1002/njb.04846 

Photos (A)–(B) by J. O. Rego; (C)–(D) by C. A. Ferreira Jr.

 

Abstract

The BHZB herbarium was founded in 1993 with about 16 787 registers – a number that has to be considered as small when compared to larger herbaria in Brazil. In the BHZB, 97.5% of the vouchers are from the Minas Gerais state (ca 16 372 specimens), with Asteraceae being the best represented family. Studying this collection, we found three new species from Minas Gerais: Calea aggregata, Wedelia cangae, and Wedelia santosiae which are here described and illustrated, and their conservation status and taxonomic affinities are discussed. In addition, we provide a map with the information about the new species. We also found some new records that was misidentified. The occurrence of Praxelis sanctopaulensis (B.L.Rob.) R.M.King and H.Rob. in Minas Gerais and of Mikania stipulacea Willd. in the Espírito Santo state are documented and mapped.

Keywords: Atlantic forest, Campo rupestre, Cerrado, Compositae

Photos in habitat of Calea aggregata sp. nov. (C–D) and Wedelia santosiae sp. nov. (A–B).
Photos (A)–(B) by J. O. Rego; (C)–(D) by C. A. Ferreira Jr.

Calea aggregata V. R. Bueno and M. L. Campos sp. nov.  

Diagnosis: A species that resembles C. diamantinensis, but can be differentiated by having alternate and decussate leaves on the same branch (versus opposite, rarely whorled), corolla lobes 2.1–2.4 mm long (versus 1.5–1.7 mm), and corolla glabrous (versus glandular-punctate).

Etymology: The epithet ‘aggregata' is referring to the arrangement of aggregated leaves at the apex of the branches and the disposition of the heads in the short congested capitulescence.

Wedelia santosiae V. R. Bueno, Prata-Silveira and Bentes sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: A species that resembles W. frioana B. L. Turner, but has petiolate leaves (versus sessile), 4-seriate involucrum (versus 3-seriate), and cypselae 4.9–5.0 mm long (versus 5–6 mm).

 

Etymology: The epithet ‘santosiae' is in honor of Professor Dr João Ubiratan Moreira dos Santos who is a researcher who devoted his life to studying taxonomy, mainly of Heliantheae (Asteraceae). Dr Santos has a long and fruitful career with several articles published especially focused on the taxonomy of Aspilia Thouars and Wedelia and a book about Aspilia in Brazil that made him the greatest taxonomist reference on these species (Santos 1982, 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1982). Throughout his career, he contributed to the training of 28 undergraduates, 42 masters, 7 doctors with direct supervision, in addition to many other contributions. In total, Dr Santos published 42 new names for science and Wedelia santosiae is the first name in his honor.

Wedelia cangae V. R. Bueno, Prata-Silveira and Bentes sp. nov.  

Diagnosis: A species distinguishable from W. goyazensis Gardner by having petiole 0.8–4.2 mm long (versus 6–15 mm), leaf blade 2.10–4.25 cm long (versus 6.4–11.0 cm), 4-seriate involucrum (versus 3-seriate), and cypselae 5.5–6.0 mm long (versus ca 4.5 mm).

Etymology: The epithet ‘cangae' refers to a canga vegetation, which is the species habitat.

 

Vinícius Resende Bueno, Maria Luiza Campos Almeida, Maria Guadalupe Carvalho Fernandes, Carlos Alberto Ferreira Júnior, Ananda Prata-Silveira and Marina Soares Bentes. 2025. Small Collections, Great Findings: Three New Species and Two New State Records for Asteraceae from Brazil. Nordic Journal of Botany. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/njb.04846 [28 August 2025]

[Paleontology • 2025] Tainrakuasuchus bellator • Osteology, Taxonomy and Phylogenetic Affinities of A New pseudosuchian Archosaur from the Middle Triassic of southern Brazil

  

Tainrakuasuchus bellator 

 Müller, Garcia, Damke, Prestes de Bem, Fonseca, Doering, Schiefelbein & Laste, 2025

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2573750

Artwork by Caio Fantini. 

 

Abstract

Following the end-Permian mass extinction, archosaurs underwent rapid taxonomic and morphological diversification. While the avian lineage expanded into a broader range of ecological niches during the Late Triassic, the crocodilian lineage dominated ecosystems as early as the Middle Triassic, achieving an impressive range of morphological variation. Among the several pseudosuchian radiations that characterized the Middle Triassic, Poposauroidea stands out as one of the most enigmatic groups. From the Early to the Late Triassic, poposauroids evolved diverse body plans: some species developed dorsal ‘sails’, others became entirely edentulous, some adopted bipedal postures, and others occupied apex predator roles. In South America, the fossil record of Poposauroidea during the Middle Triassic is relatively scarce, being limited to Schultzsuchus loricatus, a relatively large-bodied predator known from fragmentary remains collected at a site within the Pinheiros–Chiniquá Sequence. In the present study, we describe Tainrakuasuchus bellator gen. et sp. nov., a new poposauroid from Brazil. The holotype was discovered at a locality known as the Posto Site, in the municipality of Dona Francisca (Pinheiros–Chiniquá Sequence; Middle Triassic). The specimen preserves a partial lower jaw, cervical and dorsal vertebrae, and an ilium. Tainrakuasuchus bellator gen. et sp. nov. is characterized by a slender mandible, ziphodont dentition and relatively elongated cervical vertebrae, representing a new medium-sized predatory archosaur. Phylogenetic analyses suggest affinities with Mandasuchus tanyauchen, a putative poposauroid from the Tanzanian Manda beds. The close relationship between these taxa, along with the strong faunal similarities between the respective geological units, reinforces the correlation between units and supports a Ladinian age. Finally, the discovery of Tainrakuasuchus bellator gen. et sp. nov. expands the known taxonomic diversity of the Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone and provides new insights into the key role played by pseudosuchians in the complex ecosystems of the Middle Triassic of south-western Gondwana.

 

Keywords: cladistics, Gondwana, Ladinian, Paracrocodilomorpha, Poposauroidea

Systematic palaeontology

Archosauria Cope, Citation1869

Pseudosuchia Zittel, Citation1887–1890

Paracrocodylomorpha Parrish, Citation1993

Tainrakuasuchus bellator gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. The combination of Guarani tain, tooth, and rakua, pointed, with Greek suchus, crocodile; referring to the pointed teeth of the lower jaw. The specific epithet bellator is derived from Latin, meaning ‘warrior’ or ‘fighter’. It serves as a tribute to the people of Rio Grande do Sul, honouring their historical resilience and enduring spirit, particularly in light of the recent severe flooding that has impacted the state.

 Artistic representation of a Middle Triassic landscape of southern Brazil depicting Tainrakuasuchus bellator gen. et sp. nov.

Artwork by Caio Fantini.

 

Rodrigo Temp Müller, Mauricio Silva Garcia, Lísie Vitória Soares Damke, Fabiula Prestes de Bem, André de Oliveira Fonseca, Mariana Doering, Jeung Hee Schiefelbein and Vitória Zanchett Dalle Laste. 2025. Osteology, Taxonomy and Phylogenetic Affinities of A New pseudosuchian Archosaur from the Middle Triassic of southern Brazil. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 23(1); 2573750. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2025.2573750 [12 Nov 2025]