[Mammalogy • 2025] Euroscaptor darwini • A New Species of Mole (Mammalia: Eulipotyphla: Talpidae) from the north-central mountains in Vietnam

Euroscaptor darwini 

 Nguyen, Bui, Dau, Le & Vu, 2025

Darwin’s mole | Chuột chũi Darwin  ||  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1255.161942 

Abstract

A new species of fossorial mole (Eulipotyphla, Talpidae, Euroscaptor) is described from Pu Luong Nature Reserve, north-central Vietnam, based on distinct genetic and morphological characteristics. The species inhabits a geographically small and isolated upland patch (900–1100 m a.s.l.), sharply bounded by a nearly vertical escarpment. The new taxon is diagnosed by an extremely reduced tail both externally and osteologically, comprising only six or seven caudal vertebrae, the lowest number documented in the genus to date. The species differs further from known congeners in Southeast Asia by its slender cranium, narrow rostrum, elongated inner zygomatic arches, and significantly smaller anterior dentition. Phylogenetic analyses of the mitochondrial Cyt b gene indicate genetic distances of 5.41–6.35% from its closest relative, E. subanura, and clarify the evolutionary placement of the species within the genus. Multivariate analyses of 36 craniodental measurements identified key variables contributing to interspecific differentiation among Vietnamese moles, including breadth between infraorbital foramina, length of zygomatic arch, upper incisor–canine length, premolars length, and lower incisor–canine length. Specimens from the type locality show that females are larger than males. The discovery of this new Euroscaptor species currently raises the total number of recognized species in the genus to eleven worldwide and brings the number of fossorial mole species recorded in Vietnam to six. It highlights both the underestimated mammalian diversity of Vietnam and the importance of continued integrative surveys in montane landscapes, where micro-endemic and evolutionarily distinct taxa remain insufficiently documented and vulnerable to environmental change.

Key words: Annamite Range, Darwin, mitochondrial gene, PCA, small mammal, taxonomy

Cranium, mandible, and pelvic bone of Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov.:
 (I) ♂ holotype, NTS.2024.PL.01, and (II) ♀ paratype, NTS.2025.PL.02.
From top to bottom: a. Dorsal; b. Ventral; c, d. Lateral views of cranium and mandible, respectively; e, f. Lingual view (right side) of upper toothrow and lower toothrow, respectively; g. Four aspects of pelvis bone and caudal vertebrae.

External morphology of Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov.
 a. Lateral–ventral view of partial body in laboratory; b. Dorsal view; c. Ventral view; d. Lateral view; e. Truncated–tailed of paratype specimen (NTS.2025.PL.02, ♀).

Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758

Eulipotyphla Waddell et al., 1999

Talpidae G. Fischer, 1814

Euroscaptor Miller, 1940

 Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov.

Diagnosis. Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov. is clearly distinguished from congeners by its extremely short, vestigial tail, which protrudes slightly less than 2 mm beyond the skin surface. It is entirely covered by short, sparse bristle hairs that progressively lengthen toward the distal end, reaching approximately twice the length of the underlying tail. The tail is composed of only six or seven caudal vertebrae, significantly fewer than in other Euroscaptor species. The interorbital region is moderately narrow, with the inter-foraminal distance between the infraorbital foramina being conspicuously constricted. The zygomatic arches are weakly developed but exhibit an atypically elongated form. The osseous junction between the infraorbital foramina and the palate is slender and lacks lateral expansion. In lingual view of mandible, the fourth lower premolar and all three lower molars have crowns that are broader than height, with overall small tooth dimensions. The mandible is delicate, characterized by a narrow ascending ramus and fragile angular process. The pelvic girdle is delicate, markedly reduced in both size and structural robustness.

Etymology. The specific epithet darwini honors the eminent naturalist Charles Darwin, whose foundational contributions to evolutionary biology have profoundly influenced modern systematics and the understanding of speciation. Darwin’s insights have had a particularly strong impact on the authors of this study. We propose “Darwin’s mole” as the English common name, and “Chuột chũi Darwin” as the Vietnamese common name, reflecting the most prominent morphological trait and honoring the individual commemorated.

Distribution. Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov. is currently known only from its type locality within Pu Luong NR, Thanh Hoa Province, north-central Vietnam. All known specimens were collected along a forested elevational transect on the southwestern ridge of Pu Luong Mountain, at altitudes ranging from 900 to 1100 meters a.s.l.

 Son Truong Nguyen, Hai Tuan Bui, Vinh Quang Dau, Phuong Dinh Le and Yen Huong Vu. 2025. Euroscaptor darwini sp. nov., A New Species of mole (Mammalia, Eulipotyphla, Talpidae) from the north-central mountains in Vietnam. ZooKeys. 1255: 239-274.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1255.161942 

[PaleoOrnithology • 2024] Avisaurus darwini & Magnusavis ekalakaenis • New Enantiornithine Diversity in the Hell Creek Formation and the Functional Morphology of the avisaurid tarsometatarsus

Reconstruction of an avisaurid (e.g., Avisaurus  darwini). Morphology of the tarsometatarsus suggests that these large birds engaged in raptorial behavior and could carry proportionally large prey. 

 Clark, Atterholt, Scannella, Carroll & O’Connor, 2024

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0310686

Illustration by Ville Sinkkonen.

Abstract

Enantiornithines were the most diverse group of birds during the Cretaceous, comprising over half of all known species from this period. The fossil record and subsequently our knowledge of this clade is heavily skewed by the wealth of material from Lower Cretaceous deposits in China. In contrast, specimens from Upper Cretaceous deposits are rare and typically fragmentary, yet critical for understanding the extinction of this clade across the K-Pg boundary. The most complete North American Late Cretaceous enantiornithine is Mirarce eatoni, a member of the diverse clade Avisauridae. Except for Mirarce, avisaurids are known only from isolated hindlimb elements from North and South America. Here we describe three new enantiornithines from the Maastrichtian Hell Creek Formation, two of which represent new avisaurid taxa. These materials represent a substantial increase in the known diversity of Enantiornithes in the latest Cretaceous. Re-examination of material referred to Avisauridae through phylogenetic analysis provides strong support for a more exclusive Avisauridae consisting of six taxa. Exploration of the functional morphology of the avisaurid tarsometatarsus indicates potential strong constriction and raptorial attributes. The lower aspect ratio of the tarsometatarsus facilitates a more biomechanically efficient lever system which in extant birds of prey equates to lifting proportionally heavier prey items. In addition, the proportional size and distal position of the m. tibialis cranialis tubercle of the tarsometatarsus is similar to the morphology seen in extant birds of prey. Together with the deeply-grooved metatarsal trochlea facilitating robust and likely powerful pedal digits, morphologies of the hindlimb suggest avisaurids as Late Cretaceous birds of prey.

Systematic paleontology

Aves Linnaeus, 1758

Pygostylia Chiappe, 2002

Ornithothoraces Chiappe, 1995

Enantiornithes Walker, 1981

The three fossil specimens (from left to right), Avisaurus  darwini, Avisaurus sp., and Magnusavis ekalakaensis, all of which are represented by a tarsometatarsus. They are all shown to scale with one another.  

Avisauridae Brett-Surman and Paul, 1985

Avisaurus Brett-Surman and Paul, 1985

Avisaurus darwini sp. nov.  

Etymology: The specific name “darwini” is in honor of Charles Darwin, whose momentous research and publications helped define the field of evolutionary biology. Avisaurus darwini, Darwin’s bird lizard.

Reconstruction of an avisaurid (e.g., Avisaurus  darwini). Morphology of the tarsometatarsus suggests that these large birds engaged in raptorial behavior and could carry proportionally large prey.

Illustration done by Ville Sinkkonen.

Magnusavis ekalakaenis gen. et sp. nov. 

Etymology: In Latin, “Magnus” meaning big, and “avis” meaning bird, and “ekalakaensis” in honor of the town of Ekalaka, Montana, close to where this specimen was discovered. Ekalaka is Lakota for “one who wanders”. Magnusavis ekalakaenis, Ekalaka’s big bird.

Phylogenetic placement of new Hell Creek enantiornithines based on cladistic analysis.
A) A subset of the strict consensus tree focusing on taxa around the Avisauridae, and B) the full 50% majority tree. In the majority tree, the newly diagnosed Avisauridae family is comprised of six taxa, two of which are described in this publication. C) A 1.8 m tall human to scale with A. darwini (maroon), the largest known Early Cretaceous enantiornithine Pengornis (black), a medium-sized early enantiornithine, Imparavis (white), and finally, a minuscule enantiornithine, Elektorornis (smaller inset black). The extant Buteo jamaicensis (Red-tailed Hawk) is shown in grey.

Alexander D. Clark, Jessie Atterholt, John B. Scannella, Nathan Carroll and Jingmai K. O’Connor. 2024. New Enantiornithine Diversity in the Hell Creek Formation and the Functional Morphology of the avisaurid tarsometatarsus. PLoS ONE. 19(10): e0310686. DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0310686

[Herpetology • 2022] Minervarya charlesdarwini • The Curious Case of Charles Darwin’s Frog, Rana charlesdarwini Das, 1998: Phylogenetic Position and Generic Placement, with Taxonomic insights on Other Minervaryan Frogs (Dicroglossidae: Minervarya) in the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago

Minervarya charlesdarwini (Das, 1998),   

in Garg, Chandrakasan, Gokulakrishnan, ... et Biju, 2022. 

 Charles Darwin’s minervaryan frog  ||  DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e79496 

 facebook.com/BijuSDas

Abstract

Since the description of Charles Darwin’s frog as Rana charlesdarwini in 1998, its generic placement has been a taxonomic enigma. Subsequent studies first transferred this species to the dicroglossid genus Limnonectes, and then considered it as a ceratobatrachid of the genus Ingerana, which has since been moved to the family Dicroglossidae. However, recent works have doubted this generic placement and also suggested the possibility of its sister relationship with the genus Liurana, within Ceratobatrachidae. Nonetheless, there have been no detailed investigations to ascertain the generic placement of this taxon by confirming its phylogenetic position or using integrative taxonomic approaches. Here, we provide the first molecular assessment of Ingerana charlesdarwini based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA and reveal that it is nested in the dicroglossid genus Minervarya. A member of the Minervarya andamanensis species group, Minervarya charlesdarwini comb. nov. is sister taxon to M. andamanensis and shows relatively shallow genetic distances (2.8–3.6%) in the 16S gene. Both species are widely distributed, occur sympatrically, and exhibit high morphological variations, leading to long-standing confusions with other dicroglossid frogs reported from the region. Our combined morphological and molecular studies on dicroglossid frogs sampled across the known ranges of these species suggest that reports of Limnonectes doriae (Boulenger, 1887) and L. hascheanus (Stoliczka, 1870) from the Andamans are misidentifications of the former two, pointing to the absence of genus Limnonectes from the Andaman Islands. Our study also reveals the novel record of Minervarya agricola from the Andamans, a species that appears to have been confused with Fejervarya limnocharis and Minervarya keralensis in the literature and misidentified museum specimens, and is found to be widely distributed across these islands. We further find another congener from the Nicobar group of Islands, M. nicobariensis, to be closely related to M. charlesdarwini. Similar to the case of Andaman dicroglossids, our work emphasises on the need for further studies to ascertain the taxonomic identities and generic placement of Minervarya and Limnonectes species reported from the Nicobars.

Key words: Amphibia, Ingerana, integrative taxonomy, island biogeography, Limnonectes, sympatric species

Morphological variation in skin colouration and markings observed among individuals of Minervarya charlesdarwini in the Andaman Islands.
A–N Dorsolateral views. A SDBDU 2021.4212 (♂). B–C SDBDU 2019.4059 (♀). D Not preserved. E SDBDU 2019.4006 (♂). F SDBDU 2019.3975 (♂). G SDBDU 2021.4212 (♂). H SDBDU 2019.4005 (♀). I SDBDU 2019.3968 (♀). J SDBDU 2019.4004 (♂). K SDBDU 2021.4213 (♀). L SDBDU 2020.4165 (♀). M SDBDU 2019.3946 (♀). N SDBDU 2021.4214 (♀).

Photographs: S. D. Biju, G. Gokulakrishnan & Sonali Garg.

Minervarya charlesdarwini (Das, 1998), comb. nov.

Charles Darwin’s minervaryan frog

 

Distribution: Minervarya charlesdarwini is endemic to the Andaman Archipelago of India, where we find it to be widely distributed in all the major groups of islands: North and Middle Andamans (North Andaman Is., Interview Is., Middle Andaman Is., Baratang Is., and Long Is.), South Andamans (South Andaman Is., Neil Is., Havelock Is., Boat Is., Red Skin Is., Alexandra Is., Rutland Is., and Tarmugli Is.), up to the Little Andaman Island. This species has been observed between elevations of nearly sea level up to 600 m asl (Fig. 2; Table 2).

Morphological variation in skin colouration and markings observed among individuals of Minervarya andamanensis.  A–J Dorsolateral views.
A SDBDU 2021.4206 (♀). B SDBDU 2021.4207 (♀).
C–D Not preserved (♂). E SDBDU 2020.4179 (♀). F SDBDU 2010.4178a (♀). G SDBDU 2019.4011 (♂). H SDBDU 2020.4155 (♂). I Not preserved (♂). J SDBDU 2019.3956 (♂).

Photographs: S. D. Biju, G. Gokulakrishnan & Sonali Garg.

 Minervarya andamanensis (Stoliczka, 1870)

 Andamanese minervaryan frog

Distribution: Minervarya andamanensis is endemic to the Andaman Archipelago of India, where we find it to be widely distributed in all the major groups of islands: North and Middle Andamans (North Andaman Is., Landfall Is., East Is., Paget Is., Interview Is., Smith Is., Long Is., North Passage Is., North Reef Is., Baratang Is., and Middle Andaman Is.), South Andamans (South Andaman Is., Boat Is., Alexandra Is., Tarmugli Is., Rutland Is., Neil Is., and Havelock Is.), down to the Little Andaman Island. This species has been observed between elevations of sea level up to nearly 400 m asl (Fig. 2; Table 2).

Morphological variation observed among individuals of Minervarya nicobariensis in Nicobar Islands (all males).
 A SDBDU 2021.4250. B SDBDU 2021.4249.

Morphological variation observed among individuals of Minervarya agricola.
 A Not preserved (♂). B SDBDU 2020.4151 (♂).

 Photographs: S. D. Biju, G. Gokulakrishnan and Sonali Garg.

Minervarya agricola (Jerdon, 1853) from Andaman Islands

Distribution. Minervarya agricola is a widely distributed species of South and Southeast Asia, being found in India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, and southern China (Garg and Biju 2021). In the Andaman Archipelago of India, we provide new reports of this species from all the major groups of islands: North and Middle Andamans (North Andaman Is., Baratang Is., and Middle Andaman Is.), South Andamans (South Andaman Is., Neil Is., and Havelock Is.), up to the Little Andaman Island. This species has been observed between elevations of sea level up to elevations of nearly 130 m asl (Fig. 2; Table 2).

  

 

 Sonali Garg, Sivaperuman Chandrakasan, G. Gokulakrishnan, C. Gopika, Indraneil Das and S. D. Biju. 2022. The Curious Case of Charles Darwin’s Frog, Rana charlesdarwini Das, 1998: Phylogenetic Position and Generic Placement, with Taxonomic insights on Other Minervaryan Frogs (Dicroglossidae: Minervarya) in the Andaman and Nicobar Archipelago. Vertebrate Zoology. 72: 169-199.  DOI: 10.3897/vz.72.e79496

  facebook.com/BijuSDas/posts/7278739182200486

[Entomology • 2020] Revision of the Psilota Meigen, 1822 Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Australia

 Psilota alexanderi Young, 

Psilota purpurea Thompson & Young 

& Psilota xanthostoma Young

in Young, Skevington & van Steenis, 2020.

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4737.1.1 

 twitter.com/ADipteraYoung

Abstract

The 34 species of Australian Psilota are revised, with 26 new species described (Psilota aislinnae Young sp. nov., Psilota alexanderi Young sp. nov., Psilota apiformis Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota auripila Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota azurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota bicolor Young and Ferguson sp. nov., Psilota brunnipennis Young sp. nov., Psilota calva Young sp. nov., Psilota darwini Young sp. nov., Psilota flavoorta Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota fuscifrons Young sp. nov., Psilota livida Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota longipila Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota mcqueeni Young sp. nov., Psilota metallica Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota nigripila Young sp. nov., Psilota occidua Young sp. nov., Psilota pollinosa Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota purpurea Thompson and Young sp. nov., Psilota smaragdina Young sp. nov., Psilota solata Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spathistyla Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota spinifemur Young sp. nov., Psilota viridescens Young and van Steenis sp. nov., Psilota xanthostoma Young sp. nov., Psilota zophos Young sp. nov.) and one new record for Australia (Psilota basalis Walker, 1858). Previously described Australian species are redescribed, with the males of Psilota auricauda Curran, 1925 and P. basalis (Walker, 1858) described for the first time. Six previously described species (Psilota erythrogaster Curran, 1926, Psilota hirta Klocker, 1924, Psilota queenslandica Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubra Klocker, 1924, Psilota rubriventris Bigot, 1885, and Psilota shannoni Goot, 1964) are morphologically indistinguishable from related species. P. erythrogaster, P. rubra, and P. rubriventris are therefore treated under the Psilota cuprea (Macquart, 1850) species complex while P. hirta, P. queenslandica, and P. shannoni treated under the Psilota tristis Klocker, 1924 species complex. Lectotypes for the following species are designated: Coiloprosopa nitida Macquart, 1850, Merodon muscaeformis Walker, 1852, Orthonevra basalis Walker, 1858, Psilota coerulea Macquart, 1846, and Psilota viridis Macquart, 1847.

Keywords: Diptera, Taxonomy, Hover Flies, Hoverflies, Haireye, Oceania, male genitalia, true fly, flower visitor, Eristalinae

 Psilota alexanderi Young sp. nov.

Psilota purpurea Thompson & Young sp. nov.

Psilota xanthostoma Young sp. nov.

 Andrew D. Young, Jeffrey H. Skevington and Wouter van Steenis. 2020. Revision of the Psilota Meigen, 1822 Flower Flies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of Australia. Zootaxa. 4737(1); 1-126. DOI:  10.11646/zootaxa.4737.1.1 

 twitter.com/ADipteraYoung/status/1229556687217950725

[Ichthyology • 2019] Gymnotus darwini • A New Species of the Electric Knifefish Gymnotus Linnaeus (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) from Northeastern Brazil

Gymnotus darwini 

Campos-da-Paz & de Santana, 2019

 DOI:  10.1643/CI-18-141

twitter.com/ASIHCopeia

Abstract

A new species of Gymnotus is described from coastal river systems in the Pernambuco State, Brazil. It is phylogenetically referred to the “Gymnotus carapo group clade” for presenting a clear patch posteriorly at anal fin, two independent pores at dorsoposterior corner of preopercle, a single row of well-developed teeth (most arrowhead-shaped) anteriorly on premaxilla, cleithrum with anterior notch, and by the relative anus to anal-fin distance, pectoral-fin length, and maxilla length. The new species is distinguished from all congeners in the “Gymnotus carapo group clade” by a unique set of characters of uncertain polarity, including the number of dark bands along the body, dark bands along body three to four times wider than pale interbands, with nearly straight margins (never broken anteriorly into irregular dark spots), and bands nearly uniform in color, number of scales above lateral line, number of lateral-line perforated scales to first ventral ramus, number of total pored lateral-line scales, head length, snout length, body depth, number of anal-fin rays, number of pectoral-fin rays, number of precaudal vertebrae, number of teeth on anterior row of premaxilla, and number of teeth along outer row of dentary. The new taxon represents the first species of Gymnotus described from localities in northeastern Brazil, north of the mouth of the rio São Francisco.

Fig. 1. Gymnotus darwini, MNRJ 51333, holotype, 157.0 mm TL,
Brazil, Pernambuco, Igarassu municipality, Refugio Ecológicos Charles Darwin, Igarapé Jacoca (or Tabatinga), rio Botafogo drainage. 

Gymnotus darwini, new species 

Etymology.— The specific epithet, darwini, is a patronym honoring Charles Robert Darwin (1809–1882), English naturalist, well known from his extensive and genial contribution to the study of evolution through natural selection, and because the holotype and a number of paratypes were collected at the Refúgio Ecológico Charles Darwin (RECD; rio Botafogo drainage, Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brazil). Darwin himself visited Pernambuco (Recife, Olinda, and vicinities) between the 12th and 19th of August 1836, while aboard of the H.M.S. Beagle (see Darwin, 1839).

Ricardo Campos-da-Paz and Carlos David de Santana. 2019. A New Species of the Electric Knifefish Gymnotus Linnaeus (Gymnotiformes: Gymnotidae) from Northeastern Brazil. Copeia. 107(1),; 144–151. DOI:  10.1643/CI-18-141  

twitter.com/ASIHCopeia/status/1106276418147762178

[Herpetology • 2018] Origin and Hidden Diversity within the Poorly Known Pseudalsophis Galápagos Snake Radiation (Serpentes: Dipsadidae)

 live specimens of the Galápagos snakes: 
(5) Pseudalsophis thomasi sp. nov. yellow morph from Santiago Island, (6) Pseudalsophis thomasi sp. nov. brown morph from Santiago Island, (7) Pseudalsophis hephaestus sp. nov. from Santiago Island, (8) Pseudalsophis steindachneri from Santa Cruz Island, (9) Pseudalsophis slevini from Pinzón Island, (10) Pseudalsophis darwini sp. nov. from Tortuga Island. 

Zaher, Yánez-Muñoz, Rodrigues, Graboski, Machado, et al., 2018

   DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2018.1478910 

 twitter.com/JorgeBritoM

Abstract

Galápagos snakes are among the least studied terrestrial vertebrates of the Archipelago. Here, we provide a phylogenetic analysis and a time calibrated tree for the group, based on a sampling of the major populations known to occur in the Archipelago. Our study revealed the presence of two previously unknown species from Santiago and Rábida Islands, and one from Tortuga, Isabela, and Fernandina. We also recognize six additional species of Pseudalsophis in the Galápagos Archipelago (Pseudalsophis biserialis from San Cristobal, Floreana and adjacent islets; Pseudalsophis hoodensis from Española and adjacent islets; Pseudalsophis dorsalis from Santa Cruz, Baltra, Santa Fé, and adjacent islets; Pseudalsophis occidentalis from Fernandina, Isabela, and Tortuga; Pseudalsophis slevini from Pinzon, and Pseudalsophis steindachneri from Baltra, Santa Cruz and adjacent islets). Our time calibrated tree suggests that the genus Pseudalsophis colonized the Galápagos Archipelago through a single event of oceanic dispersion from the coast of South America that occurred at approximately between 6.9 Ma and 4.4 Ma, near the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. 

Key words: Dipsadidae, divergence time estimation, island speciation, molecular phylogeny, Pseudalsophis, Serpentes

   

Figure 4. Photographs of live specimens of the Galápagos snakes:
Pseudalsophis hoodensis from Española Island (4.1), Pseudalsophis biserialis from San Cristóbal Island (4.2), Pseudalsophis occidentalis from Fernandina Island (4.3), Pseudalsophis dorsalis from Santa Fé Island (4.4), Pseudalsophis thomasi sp. nov. yellow morph from Santiago Island (4.5), Pseudalsophis thomasi sp. nov. brown morph from Santiago Island (4.6), Pseudalsophis hephaestus sp. nov. from Santiago Island (4.7), Pseudalsophis steindachneri from Santa Cruz Island (4.8), Pseudalsophis slevini from Pinzón Island (4.9), Pseudalsophis darwini sp. nov. from Tortuga Island (4.10). 

Pseudalsophis thomasi sp. nov.

ETYMOLOGY: A patronym honouring Robert A. Thomas for expanding our knowledge of the systematics and taxonomy of New World snakes.

Pseudalsophis hephaestus sp. nov.

ETYMOLOGY: From the Greek Ἥφαιστος (Hephaestus), name of the son of Zeus and Hera, God of fire and volcanoes (but also of blacksmiths, carpenters, and artisans), in allusion to the volcanic environment in which this species lives.

Pseudalsophis darwini sp. nov. 

ETYMOLOGY: The specific name, a noun in the genitive case, honours Charles Darwin for his invaluable contribution to our knowledge of the Galápagos Archipelago and to Science.

Figure 9. Phylogenetic and morphological diversification of Pseudalsophis in the Galápagos Archipelago.
 (9.1) depicts the phylogeny mapped onto the Archipelago’s map. Silhouettes represent the continental (green); large insular (blue), and small insular (red) morphotypes recognized in this study, and their occurrences in the islands. Question marks indicate populations that are known to occur in a specific island but were not sampled for genetic material.  

Hussam Zaher, Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz, Miguel T. Rodrigues, Roberta Graboski, Fabio A. Machado, Marco Altamirano-Benavides, Sandro L. Bonatto and Felipe G. Grazziotin. 2018.  Origin and Hidden Diversity within the Poorly Known Galápagos Snake Radiation (Serpentes: Dipsadidae). Systematics and Biodiversity.  DOI: 10.1080/14772000.2018.1478910   

twitter.com/JorgeBritoM/status/1032385664686247936

[Ornithology • 2017] On Temminck’s Tailless Ceylon Junglefowl, Gallus ecaudatus, and How Darwin denied their Existence

 Lithograph of Gallus ecaudatus, based on specimen RMNH. AVES.224888, by Jean-Gabriel Prêtre prepared c.1806 for an illustrated work in three volumes that Temminck intended to publish on pigeons and Galliformes.

in van Grouw, Dekkers & Rookmaaker, 2017.

Bull. B.O.C. 137(4) 

  Summary

Ceylon Junglefowl was described in 1807 by the Dutch ornithologist Coenraad Jacob Temminck. The specimens he examined were tailless (‘rumpless’) and therefore he named them Gallus ecaudatus. In 1831 the French naturalist René Primevère Lesson described a Ceylon Junglefowl with a tail as Gallus lafayetii (= lafayetii), apparently unaware of Temminck’s ecaudatus. Subsequently, ecaudatus and lafayetii were realised to be the same species, of which G. stanleyi and G. lineatus are junior synonyms. However, Charles Darwin tried to disprove the existence of wild tailless junglefowl on Ceylon in favour of his theory on the origin of the domestic chicken. 

‘The tailless cock inhabits the immense forests of the island of Ceylon’ (Temminck 1813: 268). 

 ‘… but this statement [tailless fowls are wild in Ceylon] … is uterly false’ (Darwin 1868: 259).

Figure 2. Lithograph of Gallus ecaudatus, based on specimen RMNH. AVES.224888, by Jean-Gabriel Prêtre prepared c.1806 for an illustrated work in three volumes that Temminck intended to publish on pigeons and Galliformes. Only the volume on pigeons was published, in 1808, and the two volumes on Galliformes never appeared due to a confict between Temminck and the French illustrator of the frst volume, Pauline Knip (Dickinson et al. 2010). Instead, Temminck later published Histoire naturelle générale des pigeons et des gallinacés in three volumes (1813–15) without any colour illustrations. The reference ‘Gall. v. 1. pl. Enl.’ in Temminck’s published catalogue (1807) refers to the frst of the two unpublished volumes on Galliformes, which would have been vol. 2 of the complete work (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden)

Hein van Grouw, Wim Dekkers and Kees Rookmaaker. 2017. On Temminck’s Tailless Ceylon Junglefowl, and How Darwin denied their Existence. Bull. B.O.C. 137(4); 261-271

 boc-online.org/bulletins/downloads/BBOC1374-02vanGrouw.pdf

[PaleoMammalogy • 2015] Ancient Proteins resolve the Evolutionary History of Darwin’s South American Ungulates

The South American native ungulate Macrauchenia patachonica may have had a mobile proboscis, as pictured here.

Illustration: Peter Schouten

No large group of recently extinct placental mammals remains as evolutionarily cryptic as the approximately 280 genera grouped as ‘South American native ungulates’. To Charles Darwin, who first collected their remains, they included perhaps the ‘strangest animal[s] ever discovered’. Today, much like 180 years ago, it is no clearer whether they had one origin or several, arose before or after the Cretaceous/Palaeogene transition 66.2 million years ago, or are more likely to belong with the elephants and sirenians of superorder Afrotheria than with the euungulates (cattle, horses, and allies) of superorder Laurasiatheria. Morphology-based analyses have proved unconvincing because convergences are pervasive among unrelated ungulate-like placentals. Approaches using ancient DNA have also been unsuccessful, probably because of rapid DNA degradation in semitropical and temperate deposits. Here we apply proteomic analysis to screen bone samples of the Late Quaternary South American native ungulate taxa Toxodon (Notoungulata) and Macrauchenia (Litopterna) for phylogenetically informative protein sequences. For each ungulate, we obtain approximately 90% direct sequence coverage of type I collagen α1- and α2-chains, representing approximately 900 of 1,140 amino-acid residues for each subunit. A phylogeny is estimated from an alignment of these fossil sequences with collagen (I) gene transcripts from available mammalian genomes or mass spectrometrically derived sequence data obtained for this study. The resulting consensus tree agrees well with recent higher-level mammalian phylogenies. Toxodon and Macrauchenia form a monophyletic group whose sister taxon is not Afrotheria or any of its constituent clades as recently claimed, but instead crown Perissodactyla (horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses). These results are consistent with the origin of at least some South American native ungulates from ‘condylarths’, a paraphyletic assembly of archaic placentals. With ongoing improvements in instrumentation and analytical procedures, proteomics may produce a revolution in systematics such as that achieved by genomics, but with the possibility of reaching much further back in time.

....................

DOI: 10.1038/nature14249

Figure 2: Relationship of Toxodon (Notoungulata) and Macrauchenia (Litopterna) to other placental mammals.

DOI: 10.1038/nature14249

Fauna and flora of a South American dry forest during the Pleistocene.

Illustration: Peter Schouten (from "Biggest, Fiercest, Strangest", W. Norton Publishers, in production)

Frido Welker, Matthew J. Collins, Jessica A. Thomas, Marc Wadsley, Selina Brace, Enrico Cappellini, Samuel T. Turvey, Marcelo Reguero, Javier N. Gelfo, Alejandro Kramarz, Joachim Burger, Jane Thomas-Oates, David A. Ashford, Peter D. Ashton, Keri Rowsell, Duncan M. Porter, Benedikt Kessler, Roman Fischer, Carsten Baessmann, Stephanie Kaspar, Jesper V. Olsen, Patrick Kiley, James A. Elliott, Christian D. Kelstrup, Victoria Mullin, Michael Hofreiter, Eske Willerslev, Jean-Jacques Hublin, Ludovic Orlando, Ian Barnes and Ross D. E. MacPhee. 2015. Ancient Proteins resolve the Evolutionary History of Darwin’s South American Ungulates. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/nature14249

Protein is the clue to solving a Darwinian mystery

Bone collagen sequences prove that South American native ungulates are closely related to horses, rhinos and tapirs but not to elephants

http://www.mpg.de/9040884/toxodon-macrauchenia-protein-evolution

New Study Sheds Light on Mammal Group that Puzzled Darwin http://www.amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/new-study-sheds-light-on-mammal-group-that-puzzled-darwin

​Paleontologists Solve the Mystery of Darwin’s 'Strangest Animals Ever'

http://motherboard.vice.com/read/paleontologists-solve-the-mystery-of-darwins-strangest-animals-ever

Darwin’s “Strangest” Beast Finds Place on Tree
http://on.natgeo.com/1LAcxEt  @ngphenomena

[Paleontology • 2011] Demandasaurus darwini • a new rebbachisaurid sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula

Demandasaurus darwini
Fernández-Baldor, Canudo, Huerta, Montero, Suberbiola and Salgado 2011

A new medium−sized rebbachisaurid sauropod from the Castrillo la Reina Formation (Upper Barremian–Lower Aptian) in Burgos Province, Demandasaurus darwini gen. et sp. nov., is described. It is known from an incomplete but associated

skeleton that includes cranial and post−cranial remains. Demandasaurus darwini gen. et sp. nov. presents 9 autapomorphies in the teeth and vertebrae. Demandasaurus is the first diplodocoid sauropod described from the Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula. Its inclusion in the Rebbachisauridae is well supported by our phylogenetic hypothesis, which situates it as a sister group of Nigersaurus from the Aptian of Niger, with which it shares various synapomorphies. The discovery of Demandasaurus provides further evidence of the sporadic use of the Apulian Route by dinosaurs during the Early Cretaceous for moving between the south of Europe (Laurasia) and the north of Africa (Gondwana).

Key words: Sauropoda, Rebbachisauridae, systematic, palaeobiogeography, Early Cretaceous, Spain.

Demandasaurus darwini

by ~Olorotitan | olorotitan.deviantart.com

Fidel Torcida Fernández-Baldor, José Ignacio Canudo, Pedro Huerta, Diego Montero, Xabier Pereda Suberbiola and Leonardo Salgado. 2011. Demandasaurus darwini, a new rebbachisaurid sauropod from the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 56 (3): 535–552. doi: dx.doi.org/10.4202/app.2010.0003/.

[Ichthyology • 2013] Citharichthys darwini | Darwin’s Sanddab • a new endemic flatfish (Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae) from the Galápagos Archipelago

Darwin’s Sanddab | Citharichthys darwini Victor & Wellington, 2013 

Abstract

A new flatfish, Citharichthys darwini n. sp., is described from the shores of Isla Isabela on the western side of the Galápagos Archipelago. Our recent collection from Tagus Cove in 1998 is the first record of the species on Isla Isabela since a series of specimens were collected at Tagus Cove and nearby by the Allan Hancock Expedition in 1934. C. darwini is a dwarf species with adults maturing at around 30 mm SL and the largest collected less than 60 mm SL. The new species is distinguished from other eastern Pacific members of the Citharichthys/Etropus group by a narrow body (maximum body width 39–45% SL), medium-sized mouth (upper jaw 31–35% HL), low dorsal and anal fin-ray counts (D 70–75, A 51–58), relatively few slender gill rakers (4–7 upper, 8–10 lower), and non-deciduous scales. The barcode mtDNA COI sequence (used by the Barcode of Life project) for the new species falls within the broad Citharichthys/Etropus clade, but is more than 16% divergent from other Citharichthys in the BOLD barcode database (including most of the known species). The nearest-neighbor sequence in the phenetic tree for paralichthyid flatfishes is an Atlantic species, Citharichthys sp., from the U.S. Virgin Islands. The species list of flounders and sanddabs (Paralichthyidae) for the Galápagos Islands is revised and expanded to six, including Syacium maculiferum, previously considered a Cocos Island endemic. C. darwini is apparently the only endemic flatfish (Paralichthyidae or Bothidae) in the Galápagos Archipelago. The new species is associated with the cooler water and coarse black volcanic sands of the recently emerged western islands in the chain. 

Key words: Galápagos, fishes, flatfish, sanddab, endemic, new species, Citharichthys darwini, Paralichthyidae, barcode, DNA sequence, biogeography, species list, biodiversity.

Etymology. The new species is named for Charles Darwin, who spent an “overpoweringly hot” October 1, 1835 exploring Tagus Cove and hiking into the Beagle Crater just south of the bay (quote from The Voyage of the Beagle). Furthermore, the description serves as a somewhat belated recognition of the 150th anniversary of the publication of The Origin of Species in London in October 1860, mitigated to some small degree by the knowledge that the dilatory nature of the endeavor would not be particularly foreign to Darwin’s sensibilities. The common name of Darwin’s Sanddab is proposed.

Victor, B.C. & Wellington, G.M. 2013. Citharichthys darwini n. sp., a new endemic flatfish from the Galápagos Archipelago (Teleostei: Pleuronectiformes: Paralichthyidae). Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. 6: 19-32.

http://www.oceansciencefoundation.org/josf/josf6b.pdf