[Ethology • 2023] Non-lunge Feeding Behaviour of Humpback Whales associated with Fishing Boats in Norway

“pick-up feeding”

 in Iwata, Aoki, Miller, Biuw, Williamson & Sato, 2023.

DOI: 10.1111/eth.13419

  www.kobe-u.ac.jp

  twitter.com/chimomonga

Abstract

Top marine predators, such as odontocetes, pinnipeds, and seabirds, are known to forage around fishing boats as fishermen aggregate and/or discard their prey. Recently, incidents of humpback whales interacting with fishing boats have been reported. However, whether humpback whales utilise discard fish as a food source and how they forage around fishing boats is unknown. This study reports, for the first time, the foraging behaviour of a humpback whale around fishing boats. Three whales were tagged using a suction-cup tag containing a video camera, and a behavioural data logger in the coastal area of Tromsø, Norway. Video data from one tagged whale showed that the whale remained in close vicinity of fishing boats for 43 min, and revealed the presence of large numbers of dead fish, fish-eating killer whales, fishing boats, and fishing gear. In waters with large numbers of dead fish, the whale raised its upper jaw, a motion associated with engulfing discard fish from fishing boats, and this feeding behaviour differed markedly from lunge-feeding observed in two other whales in the same area. This behaviour was defined as “pick-up feeding”. No lunge feeding was seen on the data logger when the whale foraged around fishing boats. This study highlights a novel humpback whale foraging strategy: low energy gain from scattered prey but also low energy costs as high-energy lunge feeding is not required.

Keywords: biologging, energy cost, feeding behaviour, fisheries interaction, humpback whales

Underwater video footage from a whale mn17_026LLa. Images of (a), (b), (c), and (d) were recorded by animal-borne video camera and an image of (e) was taken by an underwater camera of documentary program industry staff (taken by Andreas B. Heide from the sailing vessel Barba).
(a) killer whales and fishing ropes. (b) dead cod. (c) dead herring. (d) a tagged whale raised its upper jaw, presumably a motion associated with engulfing the fish. (e) a humpback whale and killer whales feed fish together around fishing boats (photo by Andreas B. Heide).

Takashi Iwata, Kagari Aoki, Patrick J. O. Miller, Martin Biuw, Michael J. Williamson and Katsufumi Sato. 2023. Non-lunge Feeding Behaviour of Humpback Whales associated with Fishing Boats in Norway. Ethology. DOI: 10.1111/eth.13419

  twitter.com/chimomonga/status/1732541029927285030

ザトウクジラが漁船周りで拾い食い⁉ －少エネな餌取り方法に潜むクジラと漁船双方へのリスクに警鐘

  www.kobe-u.ac.jp/research_at_kobe/NEWS/news/2023_12_01_01.html

[Mollusca • 2021] Jorunna artsdatabankia • The Genus Jorunna (Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) in Europe: A New Species and A possible Case of Incipient Speciation

Jorunna artsdatabankia 

 Neuhaus, Rauch, Bakken, Picton, Pola & Malaquias, 2021

DOI: 10.1093/mollus/eyab028 

 twitter.com/RauchCessa 

 invertebrate.w.UIB.no

ABSTRACT

To investigate the conspecificity of different morphotypes of Jorunna tomentosa (Cuvier, 1804) (type species of genus Jorunna Bergh, 1876), we studied specimens sampled from across part of the geographical distribution of the species, using a combination of morphoanatomical characters and molecular phylogenetics. Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylograms were inferred based on the mitochondrial genes cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 16S ribosomal RNA, and the nuclear gene histone H3. We used the automatic barcode gap discovery method to aid in species delimitation. COI genetic uncorrected p-distances were estimated between and within species. Animals were dissected and the reproductive system, radulae and labial cuticles were examined; scanning electron microscopy was employed to study ultrastructural elements of anatomical characters. The results revealed the presence of a new species (Jorunna artsdatabankia n. sp.) and a possible case of incipient speciation in J. tomentosa with our COI data indicating the presence of two morphoanatomically indistinct lineages that are separated from each other by distances of 3.2–5.0%. The genetic distance between J. artsdatabankia n. sp. and its sister species J. tomentosa was 9.0–12.3%; the former species is characterized by a plain white to yellow background colour with irregularly placed small brown spots, smooth radular teeth and a longer vas deferens, wider vagina and a longer copulatory spine (up to 600 μm longer) than the latter. A diagnostic comparison of all species of European Jorunna is included, as well as a discussion of the assignment of J. lemchei to the genus Gargamella.

Jorunna artsdatabankia n. sp.

 

Jenny Neuhaus, Cessa Rauch, Torkild Bakken, Bernard Picton, Marta Pola and Manuel António E Malaquias. 2021. The Genus Jorunna (Nudibranchia: Discodorididae) in Europe: A New Species and A possible Case of Incipient Speciation. Journal of Molluscan Studies. 87(4); eyab028. DOI: 10.1093/mollus/eyab028 

 twitter.com/RauchCessa/status/1447470016249671683 

Hello Jorunna artsdatabankia; new sea slug for Norway and to the World!

 invertebrate.w.UIB.no/2021/10/12/hello-jorunna-artsdatabankia-new-sea-slug-for-norway-and-to-the-world

[Fungi • 2020] Inocybe woglindeana (Agaricales: Inocybaceae) • A New Species of the Genus Inocybe, thriving in Exposed Habitats with Calcareous Sandy Soil

Inocybe woglindeana Bandini, Vauras & Weholt

in Bandini, Vauras, Weholt, Oertel & Eberhardt, 2020. 

DOI: 10.29203/ka.2020.488  

   twitter.com/Karstenia_news 

  Researchgate.net/publication/343872748 

Abstract

 We describe a smooth-spored species of Inocybe, the basidiomes of which have been encountered growing with Salix in exposed habitats, often with calcareous sandy soils in Germany and Fennoscandia. The species is presented with a detailed description, photographs and microdrawings. Its relationship to similar taxa growing in the same environments is illustrated with ITS and LSU data. Morphologically the species would be keyed out as a member of I. sect. Tardae. For comparison, the types of somewhat similar species occurring in similar habitats as I. woglindeana, i.e. I. subpelargonium, I. rufuloides, I. inodora, I. neorufula and I. variispora, were examined morphologically; from the latter ITS and mtSSU V6 data were obtained. Molecular data supported a very close relationship between I. woglindeana and I. variispora. The two species are also morphologically similar, but differ in colour of pileus, in shape and details of hymenial cystidia, and also in their host and habitat. None of the other species, represented by our own collections or sequences from the public domain, are phylogenetically closely related to I. woglindeana.

Key words: Agaricales, Inocybaceae, Inocybe, Taxonomy, Type studies, Europe, Molecular systematics, ITS, LSU

Inocybe woglindeana Bandini, Vauras & Weholt
a: coll. DB12-5-13-2, Holotype, scale bar: 1 cm. b: coll. DB25-5- 13-1, scale bar: 1 cm. c: Cheilocystidia (coll. DB25-5-13-1), scale bar: 10 µm. d: Microscopic characters (coll. DB12-5-13-2), Ca = Caulocystidia, Cpa = Cauloparacystidia, Ch = Cheilocystidia, Pa = Paracystidia, Pl = Pleurocystidia, Sp = Spores;

scale bar spores: 10 µm, scale bar cystidia: 50 µm. e: Spores (coll. DB25-5-13-1), scale bar: 10 µm; photographs and drawing D. Bandini.

Inocybe woglindeana Bandini, Vauras & Weholt sp. nov.

DIAGNOSIS: Most basidiomes fairly small with ochraceous to ochraceous brownish felty-lanose pileus, when young usually with ample whitish velipellis and cortina, a stipe that is sparsely pruinose only at the extreme apex, spores that on average are longer than 10 µm, hymenial cystidia that are mostly ventricose with rather thin walls and often with a truncate or roundish base. It grows on exposed locations, mostly with Salix and also Populus nearby. The most similar species morphologically as well as molecularly is I. variispora. From this and other species it differs by the above-named combined characteristics and by ITS sequence data.

ETYMOLOGY: “woglindeana”, after Woglinde the Rhinemaiden in the “Ring der Nibelungen” of Richard Wagner, because the holotype of the species was collected on the border of a lake next to the river Rhine. 

Ditte Bandini, Jukka Vauras, Øyvind Weholt, Bernd Oertel and Ursula Eberhardt. 2020. Inocybe woglindeana, A New Species of the Genus Inocybe, thriving in Exposed Habitats with Calcareous Sandy Soil. Karstenia. 58 (1); 41-59. DOI: 10.29203/ka.2020.488  

   twitter.com/Karstenia_news/status/1298583297501659142

  Researchgate.net/publication/343872748_Inocybe_woglindeana_a_new_speciesthriving_in_exposed_habitats_with_calcareous_sandy_soil

[Mammalogy • 2021] Lemmus lemmus chernovi • A New Norwegian Lemming Subspecies (Rodentia: Cricetidae) from Novaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia

Lemmus lemmus chernovi Spitsyn, Bolotov & Kondakov 

in Spitsyn, Bolotov, Kondakov, ... et Gofarov, 2021.

DOI: 10.37828/em.2021.40.8 

 twitter.com/EMontenegrina 

Abstract

Norwegian Lemming Lemmus lemmus is a remarkable population cycling species having a number of aposematic traits in coloration and behavior. This species was thought to be the only mammal endemic to Fennoscandia. Here, we report on the discovery of a distinct lineage of this species from Novaya Zemlya. This lineage is described here as the new subspecies Lemmus lemmus chernovi ssp. nov. that morphologically differs from the nominate subspecies by having a cryptic coloration. Our time-calibrated phylogeny revealed that this insular subspecies was isolated there since the Eemian interglacial (mean age 93 Ka). Hence, bright coloration and antipredator behavior of the nominate subspecies are novel aposematic traits that evolved since its isolation in a European refugium. This new discovery indicates that Novaya Zemlya supported a cryptic polar refugium for cold-adapted terrestrial fauna during the Pleistocene. Finally, our findings highlight that allopatric ranges of the true lemmings (Lemmus) reflect stepwise range expansions in cold climatic episodes with subsequent isolation in refugia during interglacial events.

Key words: Arctic Ocean islands, cryptic polar refugium, Eemian interglacial, integrative taxonomy, Lemmus lemmus, Lemmini, phylogeography, Pleistocene glaciations

Dorsal view of lemming specimens:
(A) Novaya Zemlya Lemming (Lemmus lemmus chernovi ssp. nov.) [holotype RMBH Lem005], and
(B) Norwegian Lemming (L. lemmus lemmus) [RMBH Lem040, Kola Peninsula].

Scale bar = 10 mm. (Photos: Vitaly M. Spitsyn).

Lemmus lemmus chernovi Spitsyn, Bolotov & Kondakov ssp. nov. 

Common name: Novaya Zemlya Lemming

Differential diagnosis: The Novaya Zemlya Lemming differs from the nominate subspecies by having a cryptic coloration of dorsal surface that is dark gray with yellow and reddish hairs in adults (Fig. 6A) to reddish in juveniles, with an unclear longitudinal black stripe in anterior part from neck to nose (vs bright yellow coloration with black anterior part of the trunk and large black spots on head). The new subspecies is morphologically similar to Lemmus sibiricus but adult specimens from Novaya Zemlya could be distinguished from it by dorsal coloration with yellow and reddish hairs (vs brown and reddish hairs).

Etymology: This subspecies is named in memory of the late Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yury I. Chernov (1934-2012), a prominent Russian zoologist, biogeographer, and Arctic explorer. 

Distribution and habitat: This subspecies is endemic to the Southern Island of Novaya Zemlya, while its reliable records from the Northern Island of this archipelago are unknown (Fig. 1A). It inhabits a broad range of meadow-like (Fig. 1B) and tundra habitats

Figure 5. Ancestral coloration reconstruction (Bayesian Binary MCMC analysis) of Lemmus taxa based on our fossilcalibrated BEAST v. 1.10.4 phylogeny. Black numbers near nodes are BEAST’s BPP. The Lemmus trimucronatus + L. nigripes clade (cryptic coloration) is omitted. (Photos: Vitaly M. Spitsyn).

 

Vitaly M. Spitsyn, Ivan N. Bolotov, Alexander V. Kondakov, Anna L. Klass, Ivan A. Mizin, Alena A. Tomilova, Natalia A. Zubrii and Mikhail Y. Gofarov. 2021. A New Norwegian Lemming Subspecies from Novaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia. Ecologica Montenegrina. 40; In Progress. 93-117. DOI: 10.37828/em.2021.40.8

  twitter.com/EMontenegrina/status/1371916875446284292

[Mollusca • 2020] A Synoptic Review of the Family Dendronotidae (Nudibranchia): A Multilevel Organismal Diversity Approach

Dendronotus yrjargul 

Korshunova, Bakken, Grøtan, Johnson, Lundin & Martynov, 2020

 DOI: 10.1163/18759866-BJA10014

 twitter.com/TorkildBakken

 ntnu.no 

Abstract

A synoptic review of the family Dendronotidae is presented based on morphological and molecular data. Three genera are recognized: Dendronotus, Pseudobornella, and Cabangus gen. nov. Two new Dendronotus species are described, D. yrjargul sp. nov. and D. nordenskioeldi sp. nov., which reveal fine-scale differences. Dendronotus yrjargul sp. nov. from mid-Norway and the Arctic regions is a sister species to the North Pacific D. kalikal. These two species are showing clear morphological and ontogenetic differences but are close in genetic distance. In contrast, Dendronotus nordenskioeldi sp. nov. from the Laptev Sea is externally similar to the white morphs of D. lacteus or D. frondosus, but according to the molecular data and radular morphology it is distinct from any of its congenerics. Comparison of molecular and morphological data of D. niveus from the type locality (White Sea) and material from other localities with those from the American North Atlantic coast (type locality of D. elegans) reveals their substantial similarity. Therefore, D. niveus is considered a junior synonym of D. elegans. The present review of the family Dendronotidae contributes to a general discussion on the species concepts and on a recent proposal of multilevel organismal diversity.

Keywords: Cabangus; Dendronotus; Pseudobornella; molecular phylogeny; species problem; taxonomy

Dendronotus yrjargul sp. nov.

Etymology. From Norwegian yrjar (=  old name for the type locality in Ørland) and gul (= yellow) meaning “yellow/golden of Ørland” in reference to the remarkable habitus of this species.

Distribution. From Norwegian Sea to Kara Sea. 

Dendronotus nordenskioeldi sp. nov. 

Etymology. In honour of Baron Nils Adolf Erik Nordenskiöld, outstanding Arctic explorer, geologist, and mineralogist. The Laptev Sea had been originally named “Nordenskiöld Sea”, after this Arctic explorer.

Distribution. So far known only from the Laptev Sea.

Representaives of the genus Dendronotus (living specimens).

 photographs by T. Korshunova, A. Martynov, K. Fletcher, D. Miller, Y. Fujiwara, K. Hasegawa, K. Sanamyan, N. Sanamyan, and O. Zimina

Genus Dendronotus Alder & Hancock, 1845 

Type species. Dendronotus frondosus (Ascanius, 1774)

Dendronotus albopunctatus Robilliard, 1972

Dendronotus albus MacFarland, 1966 

Dendronotus arcticus Korshunova, Sanamyan, Zimina, Fletcher & Martynov, 2016

Dendronotus bathyvela Martynov, Fujiwara, Tsuchida, R. Nakano, N. Sanamyan, K. Sanamyan, Fletcher & Korshunova, 2020

Dendronotus claguei Valdés, Lundsten & Wilson, 2018

Dendronotus comteti Valdés & Bouchet, 1998

Dendronotus dalli Bergh, 1879 

Dendronotus elegans Verrill, 1880 

Dendronotus europaeus Korshunova, Martynov, Bakken & Picton, 2017

Dendronotus frondosus (Ascanius, 1774) 

Dendronotus gracilis Baba, 1949 

Dendronotus iris Cooper, 1863 

Dendronotus jamsteci Martynov, Fujiwara, Tsuchida, R. Nakano, N. Sanamyan, K. Sanamyan, Fletcher & Korshunova, 2020

Dendronotus kalikal Ekimova, Korshunova, Shepetov, Neretina, Sanamyan & Martynov, 2015

Dendronotus kamchaticus Ekimova, Korshunova, Shepetov, Neretina, Sanamyan & Martynov, 2015

Dendronotus lacteus (Thompson, 1840) 

Dendronotus nanus Marcus & Marcus, 1967 

Dendronotus patricki Stout, Wilson & Valdés, 2011

Dendronotus primorjensis Martynov, Sanamyan & Korshunova, 2015

Dendronotus purpureus Bergh, 1879 

Dendronotus robilliardi Korshunova, Sanamyan, Zimina, Fletcher & Martynov, 2016

Dendronotus robustus Verrill, 1870 

Dendronotus rufus O’Donoghue, 1921 

Dendronotus subramosus MacFarland, 1966 

Dendronotus velifer G.O. Sars, 1878 

Dendronotus venustus MacFarland, 1966 

Dendronotus zakuro Martynov, Fujiwara, Tsuchida, R. Nakano, N. Sanamyan, K. Sanamyan, Fletcher & Korshunova, 2020

Genus Cabangus gen. nov. 

Type species. Dendronotus regius Pola & Stout, 2008

Etymology. From the Indonesian word “cabang” meaning “branch” in reference to this genus as “dendronotids of the tropics” and to respect the great contribution of the Indonesian fauna to global marine biodiversity (e.g., Hoeksema, 2007).

Cabangus noahi (Pola & Stout, 2008) comb. nov. 

Dendronotus noahi Pola & Stout, 2008: 55–63, figs 6A, B. 

Distribution. Papua New Guinea, north coast, outer barrier reef, Bagabag Island, Bismarck Sea.

Cabangus regius (Pola & Stout, 2008) comb. nov. 

Dendronotus regius Pola & Stout, 2008: 46– 54, Figs 1–5.

Distribution. Tropical Indo-west Pacific.

Genus Pseudobornella Baba, 1932 

Type species. P. orientalis Baba, 1932 

...

 Tatiana Korshunova, Torkild Bakken, Viktor V. Grøtan, Kjetil B. Johnson, Kennet Lundin and Alexander Martynov. 2020. A Synoptic Review of the Family Dendronotidae (Mollusca: Nudibranchia): A Multilevel Organismal Diversity Approach.   Contributions to Zoology. DOI: 10.1163/18759866-BJA10014

 twitter.com/TorkildBakken/status/1306855882362359808

Den gyldne nakensneglen fra Ørland, en ny og ukjent art 

ntnu.no/blogger/nakensnegler/2020/09/02/den-gyldne-nakensneglen-fra-orland-en-ny-og-ukjent-art

[Paleontology • 2020] Ophthalmothule cryostea • A New Plesiosaurian from the Jurassic–Cretaceous Transitional Interval of the Slottsmøya Member (Volgian), with Insights Into the Cranial Anatomy of Cryptoclidids using Computed Tomography

Ophthalmothule cryostea

Roberts​, Druckenmiller, Cordonnier, Delsett & Hurum, 2020

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8652 

twitter.com/SeaMonsters2013

Illustration by Esther van Hulsen.

Abstract 

Cryptoclidids are a major clade of plesiosauromorph plesiosaurians best known from the Middle—Late Jurassic, but little is known regarding their turnover into the Early Cretaceous. Of the known cryptoclidid genera, most preserve only a limited amount of cranial material and of these Cryptoclidus eurymerus, displays the most complete, but compressed cranium. Thus, the lack of knowledge of the cranial anatomy of this group may hinder the understanding of phylogenetic interrelationships, which are currently predominantly based on postcranial data. Here we present a nearly complete adult cryptoclidid specimen (PMO 224.248) representing a new genus and species Ophthalmothule cryostea gen et sp. nov., from the latest Jurassic to earliest Cretaceous part of the Slottsmøya Member, of central Spitsbergen. The holotype material preserves a complete cranium, partial mandible, complete and articulated cervical, pectoral and anterior to middle dorsal series, along with the pectoral girdle and anterior humeri. High resolution microcomputed tomography reveals new data on the cranial anatomy of this cryptoclidid, including new internal features of the braincase and palate that are observed in other cryptoclidids. A phylogenetic analysis incorporating new characters reveals a novel tree topology for Cryptoclididae and particularly within the subfamily Colymbosaurinae. These results show that at least two cryptoclidid lineages were present in the Boreal Region during the latest Jurassic at middle to high latitudes.

Systematic Palaeontology

Sauropterygia Owen, 1860

Plesiosauria de Blainville, 1835

Plesiosauroidea Welles, 1934

Cryptoclididae Williston, 1925

Ophthalmothule gen. nov.

Ophthalmothule cryostea sp. nov.

Figure 2: Quarry map and reconstruction of Ophthalmothule cryostea, PMO 224.248.
(A) Drawing from a combination of field and laboratory drawings in ventral view (modified from Delsett et al. (2016)); (B) skeletal reconstruction of PMO 224.248, where red indicates preserved elements. Scale bar equals 50 cm. Drawn by Aubrey Jane Roberts.

Figure 3: The cranium of Ophthalmothule cryostea, PMO 224.248 in dorsal view.
 (A) Photo of PMO 224.248, (B) µCT reconstruction and (C) interpretation.

Abbreviations: bo, basioccipital; en, external naris; ex-op, exoccipital-opisthotic; f, frontal; ifv, interfrontal vacuity; mx, maxilla; p, parietal; pif, pineal foramen; pm, premaxilla; pop, paraoccipital process; q, quadrate; so, supraoccipital; sq, squamosal; tfen, temporal fenestra. Scale bar equals 5 cm. 

Photograph and reconstruction by Aubrey Jane Roberts.

Holotype: PMO 224.248

Occurrence: The holotype specimen PMO 224.248 was excavated from the north-facing slopes of Wimanfjellet (Mt. Wiman), from the upper part of the Slottsmøya Member, Agardhfjellet Formation, central Spitsbergen: GPS coordinates UTM 33X E523620 N8696396 (Fig. 1). The specimen was located 38.5 m above the yellow storm deposit marker bed (0 m in log), and is late Volgian (latest Tithonian/ early Berriasian) in age.

Etymology: Ophthalmothule. Ophthalmo, meaning eye. Thule is a term used for the northern-most region of the world. Together they make “North eye”. Species name, cryostea, meaning “frozen bones”.

Differential diagnosis: 

A moderately sized cryptoclidid plesiosaur (estimated body length of 5.0–5.5 m), possessing the following autapomorphies unique among Cryptoclididae (*) and unique character combinations: premaxilla bears 6 alveoli (5 in Tricleidus seeleyi and Muraenosaurus leedsii); medial process of premaxilla terminates anterior to the posterior margin of external naris (*); maxilla estimated to contain a similar number of alveoli (>16) as in in Cryptoclidus eurymerus (18) and Tricleidus seeleyi (15); frontal twice as anteroposteriorly long as parietal (subequal or shorter in Cryptoclidus eurymerus and M. leedsii); frontal participates in the medial and posterior margins of the external naris (participates posteriorly in M. leedsii); presence of an interfrontal vacuity (absent in M. leedsii); dorsoventrally low but mediolaterally narrow sagittal crest (flat and mediolaterally broad in Kimmerosaurus langhami); quadrate articulates anterolaterally to the pterygoid (posteromedially in Tricleidus seeleyi and M. leedsii); lateral cotyle of quadrate larger than medial cotyle (reversed in S. larseni); basioccipital tubera mediolaterally broad and dorsoventrally flattened (circular in K. langhami and Cryptoclidus eurymerus); 

....

A reconstruction of Ophthalmothule cryostea in its natural environment.

Illustration by Esther van Hulsen.

Conclusion: 

Ophthalmothule cryostea (PMO 224.248) represents the temporally youngest occurrence of a plesiosaurian from the Slottsmøya Member (Agardhfjellet Formation) of central Spitsbergen. Ophthalmothule cryostea represents the fourth genus described from the member, although several other cryptoclidid specimens remain to be described. Ophthalmothule cryostea is one of the few cryptoclidids with detailed cranial osteology available, providing much needed morphological information for understanding the interrelationships of cryptoclidids. In addition, this specimen uniquely preserves a complete cervical series found in articulation, offering future possibilties to test current hypotheses on plesiosaurian neck-flexibility and evolution. As the specimen was found in the section encompassing the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary, Ophthalmothule cryostea along with the Russian Abyssosaurus nataliae represent the youngest cryptoclidid genera in Boreal and sub-Boreal regions. The phylogenetic results of this study indicate that two separate clades of cryptoclidids were present in the latest Jurassic in the Boreal region of Spitsbergen and the sub-Boreal region of Russia.

Aubrey Jane Roberts​, Patrick S. Druckenmiller, Benoit Cordonnier, Lene L. Delsett and Jørn H. Hurum. 2020. A New Plesiosaurian from the Jurassic–Cretaceous Transitional Interval of the Slottsmøya Member (Volgian), with Insights Into the Cranial Anatomy of Cryptoclidids using Computed Tomography. PeerJ. 8:e8652. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8652  

twitter.com/SeaMonsters2013/status/1244955598820687875

Aubrey Jane Roberts gravde frem en sensasjon fra fjellet på Svalbard nrk.no/viten/xl/1.14921060

     

[Fungi • 2018] Lamprospora sylvatica (Pyronemataceae) • A New Bryophilous Ascomycete on Dicranum montanum

Lamprospora sylvatica Egertová & Eckstein

in Egertová,  Eckstein, Sochor & Vega, 2018.

DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.357.1.2 

Abstract

Lamprospora sylvatica is described as a new species based on finds from Ukraine, Slovakia, Germany and Norway. It is characterised by the combination of the following features: pinkish, orange to reddish-orange apothecia with a fimbriate margin, globose ascospores with more or less regular areolate ornamentation, infecting strong rhizoids of Dicranum montanum with an infectious structure consisting of a one-celled appressorium surrounded by a multi-layered cluster of thick-walled cells and haustorium within the rhizoids. The apothecia were always found on rotten wood, which is an unusual habitat for hosts of bryophilous Pezizales. The new species is compared to similar taxa morphologically and by means of DNA sequencing. In the phylogenetic analysis based on LSU and ITS regions, L. sylvatica forms a well-supported clade close to L. feurichiana (on Ceratodon purpureus), L. kristiansenii (also on C. purpureus) and L. campylopodis (on Campylopus spp.).

Keywords: Ascomycota, bryosymbiotic fungi, haustoria within rhizoids, Hainich National Park, Malá Fatra National Park, Fungi

FIGURE 1. Lamprospora sylvatica  (B Eckstein-43421). apothecia between shoots of Dicranum montanum.

Scale bar: b = 1 mm. Photo: J. Eckstein.

Lamprospora sylvatica Egertová & Eckstein, sp. nov.

Etymology:— The specific epithet reflects the occurrence in forests. 

Zuzana Egertová, Jan Eckstein,  Michal Sochor and Marcel Vega. 2018. Lamprospora sylvatica (Pyronemataceae), A New Bryophilous Ascomycete on Dicranum montanum. Phytotaxa.  357(1).1; 17–29. DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.357.1.2

[Paleontology • 2017] Keilhauia nui • A New Ophthalmosaurid (Ichthyosauria) from Svalbard, Norway, and Evolution of the Ichthyopterygian Pelvic Girdle

 Keilhauia nui 

Delsett, Roberts, Druckenmiller & Hurum, 2017

  

reconstruction: Esther van Hulsen

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169971 

Abstract

In spite of a fossil record spanning over 150 million years, pelvic girdle evolution in Ichthyopterygia is poorly known. Here, we examine pelvic girdle size relationships using quantitative methods and new ophthalmosaurid material from the Slottsmøya Member Lagerstätte of Svalbard, Norway. One of these new specimens, which preserves the most complete ichthyosaur pelvic girdle from the Cretaceous, is described herein as a new taxon, Keilhauia nui gen. et sp. nov. It represents the most complete Berriasian ichthyosaur known and the youngest yet described from the Slottsmøya Member. It is diagnosed on the basis of two autapomorphies from the pelvic girdle, including an ilium that is anteroposteriorly expanded at its dorsal end and an ischiopubis that is shorter or subequal in length to the femur, as well as a unique character combination. The Slottsmøya Member Lagerstätte ichthyosaurs are significant in that they represent a diverse assemblage of ophthalmosaurids that existed immediately preceding and across the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary. They also exhibit considerable variation in pelvic girdle morphology, and expand the known range in size variation of pelvic girdle elements in the clade.

Systematic Paleontology

Ichthyosauria de Blainville 1835

Neoichthyosauria Sander 2000

Thunnosauria Motani 1999

Ophthalmosauridae Baur 1887

Keilhauia gen. nov.

Keilhauia nui sp. nov.

Holotype and only specimen: PMO 222.655, an articulated, partial skeleton consisting of an incomplete rostrum, the dorsal and preflexural vertebrae, the right pectoral girdle and forefin, most of the pelvic girdle and both femora.

Etymology: Genus name in honor of Baltazar Mathias Keilhau (1797–1858), the first Norwegian geologist to do fieldwork in the Arctic. He was part of an expedition to Svalbard (Spitsbergen) in 1827. His collection is housed at the Natural History Museum in Oslo, Norway, where PMO 222.655 is also housed. Species name in honor of Natur og Ungdom (Young Friends of the Earth Norway) working to protect the Arctic environment, who celebrate their 50 year anniversary in 2017.

Holotype locality: Island of Spitsbergen, north side of Janusfjellet, approximately 13 km north of Longyearbyen, Svalbard, Norway. UTM WGS84 33X 0518847 8696044

Holotype horizon and stage: Slottsmøya Member, Agardhfjellet Formation, Janusfjellet Subgroup, early Berriasian, Early Cretaceous. 44.8 metres above the echinoderm marker bed.

[lower] Fig 3. Skeletal map of Keilhauia nui (PMO 222.655) viewed from the side stratigraphically down, i.e. the prepared side. Vertebrae numbers (“x#”) indicate position relative to the anterior end of the preserved skeleton and do not correspond to their actual position in the column. Dashed lines show three faults. Scale bar equals 50 cm. Modified from Delsett et al. 2016.

 Lene Liebe Delsett, Aubrey J. Roberts, Patrick S. Druckenmiller and Jørn H. Hurum. 2017. A New Ophthalmosaurid (Ichthyosauria) from Svalbard, Norway, and Evolution of the Ichthyopterygian Pelvic Girdle. PLoS ONE. 12 (1): e0169971. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0169971

Nyoppdaget fiskeøgle oppkalt etter Natur og Ungdom @NaturogUngdom

https://nu.no/nu-50-ar/2017/01/nyoppdaget-fiskeogle-oppkalt-etter-natur-og-ungdom/

[Mammalogy • 2015] White-beaked Dolphins Lagenorhynchus albirostris trapped in the Ice and eaten by Polar Bears Ursus maritimus

A polar bear Ursus maritimus eats a white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris in the Raudfjorden fjord, on the northwestern coast of the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard, Norway. Melting sea ice has led to more species venturing further north, they are the new preys for polar bears.

Photograph: Samuel Blanc || DOI: 10.3402/polar.v34.26612

Fig. 1 A male polar bear Ursus maritimus on the carcass of a white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris, 23 April 2014. The bear has started to cover the remains with snow. Just to the left of the dolphin is a hole in the ice, assumed to be a breathing hole that dolphins trapped in the ice have kept open.

DOI: 10.3402/polar.v34.26612

ABSTRACT

Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) depend on sea ice, where they hunt ice-associated seals. However, they are opportunistic predators and scavengers with a long list of known prey species. Here we report from a small fjord in Svalbard, Norwegian High Arctic, a sighting of an adult male polar bear preying on two white-beaked dolphins (Lagenorhynchus albirostris) on 23 April 2014. This is the first record of this species as polar bear prey. White-beaked dolphins are frequent visitors to Svalbard waters in summer, but have not previously been reported this far north in early spring. We suggest they were trapped in the ice after strong northerly winds the days before, and possibly killed when forced to surface for air at a small opening in the ice. The bear had consumed most parts of one dolphin. When observed he was in the process of covering the mostly intact second dolphin with snow. Such caching behaviour is generally considered untypical of polar bears. During the following ice-free summer and autumn, at least seven different white-beaked dolphin carcasses were observed in or near the same area. We suggest, based on the area and the degree to which these dolphins had decayed, that they were likely from the same pod and also suffered death due to entrapment in the ice in April. At least six different polar bears were seen scavenging on the carcasses.

Keywords: White-beaked dolphin; polar bear; caching; Arctic; Svalbard.

Fig. 3 An adult polar bear Ursus maritimus feeding on the remains of a white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris in Raudfjorden on 2 July 2014. The dolphin is presumed to be a member of the same pod as the dolphins eaten by a bear in April.

DOI: 10.3402/polar.v34.26612

Jon Aars, Magnus Andersen, Agnès Brenière and Samuel Blanc. 2015. White-beaked Dolphins trapped in the Ice and eaten by Polar Bears. Polar Research 2015, 34, 26612. DOI: 10.3402/polar.v34.26612

[Paleontology • 2012] Cryopterygius kristiansenae & Palvennia hoybergeti • Two new ophthalmosaurids (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Agardhfjellet Formation (Upper Jurassic: Volgian/Tithonian), Svalbard, Norway

Cryopterygius kristiansenae

painting by Esther van Hulsen 

Abstract

Ichthyosaur diversity near the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary, particularly from high paleolatitudes, is poorly known. Two recently collected specimens of medium- to large-bodied ichthyosaurs from the Slottsmoya Member of the Agardhfjellet, Svalbard, Norway represent two new taxa of ophthalmosaurids. The holotype specimen of Cryopterygius kristiansenae gen et sp. nov., PMO 214.578, is a nearly complete and largely articulated skeleton. The specimen consists of a nearly complete skull, the entire presacral and preflexural vertebral series, numerous dorsal ribs and gastralia, an articulated pectoral girdle and nearly complete forelimb, and an articulated left pelvic girdle and hindlimb, The new taxon is diagnosed on a unique suite of features, including a robust and moderately elongate rostrum, a reduced supranarial process, an elongate maxilla that bears a high number of teeth, the absence of a lacrimal-external naris contact, and an anteroposteriorly broad postorbital bar possessing an unidentified element (supratemporal?) that lies posterior to the quadratojugal. Cryopterygius has 52 presacral vertebrae, a distinctive forelimb, including a humerus that bears only two facets at its distal end, and an articulated left pelvic girdle and hindlimb, which facilitates the unequivocal orientation of the ophthalmosaurid femur. The holotype specimen of Palvennia hoybergeti gen et sp. nov., SVB 1451, includes a nearly complete skull and fragmented postcranial remains. It is diagnosed on its relatively short rostrum, greatly enlarged orbit, narrow postorbital bar, very large pineal foramen, basioccipital with broad extracondylar area laterally, and a gracile stapedial shaft. The Slottsmoya Lagerstatte is established as one of the most productive horizons for Upper Jurassic ichthyosaurs and considerably expands our knowledge of ophthalmosaurid diversity and distribution in the latest Jurassic.

Patrick S. Druckenmiller, Jørn H. Hurum, Espen M. Knutsen & Hans Arne Nakrem. 2012. Two new ophthalmosaurids (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) from the Agardhfjellet Formation (Upper Jurassic: Volgian/Tithonian), Svalbard, Norway. Norwegian Journal of Geology. 92 (2-3): 311–339.

http://www.nhm.uio.no/om/presse/foto/svalbard/

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2012/11/04/explorer-allows-public-access-to-results-of-sea-monster-search/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryopterygius

[Paleontology • 2012] Pliosaurus funkei | 'Predator X' • A new species of Pliosaurus (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) from the Middle Volgian of central Spitsbergen, Norway

Scene From Ancient Seas 

A pliosaur Pliosaurus funkei attacks a plesiosaur. 

Painting by Raul Martin (National Geographic Magazine Dec. 2008)

Sea Monsters of the North: Day 11-Skull Discovered at Last! http://on.natgeo.com/P3Es3l  

Enormous "Sea Monster"; Fossil Found in Norway

http://www.redorbit.com/

Predator X - Pliosaurus funkei 

http://theropoda.blogspot.com 

Eight seasons of fieldwork in the Upper Jurassic black shales of the Slottsmøya Member of the Agardhfjellet Formation (Upper Jurassic; Middle Volgian) in the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard have yielded numerous skeletal remains of plesiosaurs and ichthyosaurs. Among the new discoveries from the Slottsmøya Member are two very large specimens of short-necked plesiosaurians. Dental and postcranial morphology suggest that they represent a new species of the genus Pliosaurus, a taxon known from several specimens of Kimmeridgian and Tithonian-aged strata in England, France and Russia. Skeletal dimensions of this new taxon suggest that it was one of the largest members of the Pliosauridae and that it possessed comparatively longer front limbs than other known pliosaurids. A morphometric analysis of pliosaurids indicates they had a wide range of interspecific variability in relative paddle lengths compared to body size.

 Enormous "Sea Monster"; Fossil Found in Norway

http://www.redorbit.com/news/

 ''T. Rex of the Ocean'' Found in Arctic

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/

Knutsen, E.M., Druckenmiller, P.S. & Hurum, J.H. 2012. A new species of Pliosaurus (Sauropterygia: Plesiosauria) from the Middle Volgian of central Spitsbergen, Norway. Norwegian Journal of Geology. 92 (2-3): 235-258.

 http://www.geologi.no/data/f/0/21/02/6_2401_0/NJG_2_3_2012_13_Knutsen_etal_Scr.pdf

http://theropoda.blogspot.it/2012/10/predator-x-pliosaurus-funkei.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pliosaurus_funkei

Real sea monsters: The hunt for predator X

http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn18047-real-sea-monsters-the-hunt-for-predator-x.html

Sea Monsters of the North: Day 11-Skull Discovered at Last! http://on.natgeo.com/P3Es3l via @NatGeoNewsWatch

Enormous "Sea Monster"; Fossil Found in Norway http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1271275/enormous_sea_monster_fossil_found_in_norway/