[Herpetology • 2013] Treerunners, Cryptic Lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America

Abstract

The arboreal, Neotropical lizard Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) has been long considered a widespread species with a distribution east of the Andes. A preliminary examination of 101 specimens from about 28 locations mostly north of the Amazon suggests that Plica plica is a cryptic species complex with taxa that can be distinguished on the basis of the number of scale rows at mid-body; the arrangement, shape and ornamentation of scales on the snout; the number of lamellae on the fourth toe; the number of subocular plates; as well as other commonly used external morphological traits. The allopatric species discussed here are concordant with northern South American geography. Plica plica (Linnaeus, 1758) is associated with the Guiana Shield (Suriname, Guyana and Venezuela). A second species, P. caribeana sp. n. is associated with the Caribbean Coastal Range of Venezuela including Trinidad and Tobago. A third, distinctive species, P. rayi sp. n. is associated with the middle Orinoco at the eastern edge of the Guiana Shield. Two other species, P. kathleenae sp. n. and P. medemi sp. n., each based upon a single specimen, one from the Sierra Acarai Mountains of Guyana, and the other from southern Meta, Colombia are described. In addition to morphological analyses, we sequenced 12S and 16S rDNA gene fragments from one Plica plica from Trinidad to assess its relationship and taxonomy to other mainland Plica cf. plica. The results suggest Plica caribeana sp. n. likely diverged prior to the separation of Trinidad from northern Venezuela. Isolation in the Caribbean Coastal Range during its rapid uplift in the late Miocene, combined with a marine incursion into northern Venezuela may have contributed to their genetic divergence from other populations.

Keywords: Arboreal lizards, Iguania, Neotropics, new species, systematics

Plica caribeana sp. n. Caribbean Treerunner

Hypsibatus agamoides – Court 1858: 440.

Uraniscodon plica – Boulenger 1885, 2: 180 [in part].

Plica plica – Burt and Burt 1931: 282 [in part].

Tropidurus plica – Frost 1992: 1 [in part].

Etymology: Named for its Caribbean Coastal Range distribution.

Distribution: Eastern Coastal Range (Cordillera de la Costa Oriental) of Venezuela south into Bolivar; Trinidad, the Bocas Islands (Huevos, Monos, and Gaspar Grande); Tobago (Murphy and Downie 2012).

Plica kathleenae sp. n. 
Kathleen’s Treerunner

Etymology: Named in honor of Kathleen Kelly, Division of Amphibians and Reptiles, Field Museum of Natural History, for her interest and effort on behalf of herpetology.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality in the Acarai Mountains of Guyana.


Plica medemi sp. n. 
Medem’s Treerunner

Etymology: The lizard is named in honor of Colombian herpetologist Fredrico Medem.
Distribution: Known only from the type locality at Angostura No. 2, Cerro de las Pinturas, Lower Guayabero, and Meta, Colombia.

Plica rayi sp. n. Ray’s Treerunner

Plica plica – Etheridge 1970: 242 (in part).

Etymology: This lizard is namedin honor of Ray Pawley, former Curator of Reptiles at Brookfield Zoo, for his lifelong interests and work on amphibians and reptiles. Suggested common name: Ray’s Treerunner.

Distribution: Known from two localities along the Orinoco River:Puerto Ayacucho, Amazonas, Venezuela and Puerto Carreno, Vichada, Colombia. The distance between these two locations is about 65 km. They have also been observed at Tobogan de la Selva and Raudal de Danto at Autana.

Figure 6. Distributions of Plica plica Group species discussed in this paper.
Yellow – Plica plica; white Plica caribeana (because of scale not all Trinidad localities were plotted); red – Plica kathleenae; green – Plica medemi; light blue – Plica rayi; and the type localities of Plica pansticta and Plica lumaria are show in dark blue and orange respectively. A Google Earth map.

John C. Murphy and Michael J. Jowers. 2013. Treerunners, Cryptic Lizards of the Plica plica group (Squamata, Sauria, Tropiduridae) of northern South America. ZooKeys 355: 49–77. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.355.5868

[Ichthyology • 2013] Pempheris flavicycla • a new pempherid fish (Perciformes: Pempheridae) from the Indian Ocean, previously identified as P. vanicolensis Cuvier

Pempheris flavicycla Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013

Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013

Pempheris flavicycla marisrubri Randall, Bogorodsky, Alpermann, Satapoomin, Mooi & Mal 2013

Abstract

Pempheris flavicycla is described as a new species of sweeper (Perciformes: Pempheridae) from the Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea. It has a bright yellow ring around the pupil of the eye, a black outer border on the anal and caudal fins, a black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 38–44 anal soft rays, 54–61 lateral-line scales, and 29–33 gill rakers. It is found in clear-water, coral-reef areas not exposed to heavy seas, and usually in less than 15 m. 

Two subspecies are recognized: Pempheris flavicycla flavicycla from Oman, Tanzania (type locality Mafia Island), Kenya (Wasini Island), Seychelles, Republic of Maldives, Lakshadweep, Sri Lanka, and islands of the Andaman Sea; and Pempheris flavicycla marisrubri from the Red Sea and the Gulf of Tadjoura off Djibouti. The Red Sea subspecies differs in having a larger eye, longer pectoral fins, more ctenoid scales, the posterior nostril largest, and modally one fewer pectoral-fin rays. 

Both subspecies have usually been misidentified as Pempheris vanicolensis Cuvier in C. & V. (type locality, Vanikoro Island, Santa Cruz Islands), which differs in having a brownish green iris, no black spot at the base of the pectoral fins, 63–68 lateral-line scales, and 26–29 gill rakers. The range of P. vanicolensis is extended west to Papua New Guinea, Raja Ampat Islands, Bali, Sumatra, and the island of Phuket, Thailand in the Andaman Sea.

Key words: taxonomy, Pempheridae, Red Sea, sweeper, new species, subspecies, coral reef fishes, biogeography

Randall, J.E., Bogorodsky, S.V., Alpermann, T.J., Satapoomin, U., Mooi, R.D. & Mal, A.O. 2013. Pempheris flavicycla, a new pempherid fish from the Indian Ocean, previously identified as P. vanicolensis Cuvier. Journal of the Ocean Science Foundation. Vol. 9. 1-23. http://www.oceansciencefoundation.org/josf/josf9a.pdf

facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=703064823047651 

[Herpetology • 2014] Systematics of Treefrogs of the Hypsiboas calcaratus and Hypsiboas fasciatus species complex (Anura, Hylidae) with the Description of Four New Species; Hypsiboas almendarizae, H. maculateralis, H. alfaroi & H. tetete

Figure 8. Dorsolateral views of adult males of

A Hypsiboas fasciatus, QCAZ 48584, SVL = 33.77 mm 

B Hypsiboas almendarizae sp. n., QCAZ 39649, SVL = 36.54 mm 

C Hypsiboas calcaratus, QCAZ 43256, SVL = 40.07 mm 

D Hypsiboas maculateralis sp. n., QCAZ 40082, SVL = 36.16 mm 

E Hypsiboas alfaroi sp. n., QCAZ 43260, SVL = 30.35 mm 

F Hypsiboas tetete sp. n., QCAZ 40081, SVL = 31.15 mm.
DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.370.6291

Abstract

We review the systematics of the Hypsiboas calcaratus species complex, a group of widely distributed Amazonian hylid frogs. A comprehensive analysis of genetic, morphological, and bioacoustic datasets uncovered the existence of eleven candidate species, six of which are confirmed. Two of them correspond to Hypsiboas fasciatus and Hypsiboas calcaratus and the remaining four are new species that we describe here. Hypsiboas fasciatus sensu stricto has a geographic range restricted to the eastern Andean foothills of southern Ecuador while Hypsiboas calcaratus sensu stricto has a wide distribution in the Amazon basin. Hypsiboas almendarizae sp. n. occurs at elevations between 500 and 1950 m in central and northern Ecuador; the other new species (H. maculateralis sp. n., H. alfaroi sp. n., and H. tetete sp. n.) occur at elevations below 500 m in Amazonian Ecuador and Peru. The new species differ from H. calcaratus and H. fasciatus in morphology, advertisement calls, and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Five candidate species from the Guianan region, Peru, and Bolivia are left as unconfirmed. Examination of the type material of Hyla steinbachi, from Bolivia, shows that it is not conspecific with H. fasciatus and thus is removed from its synonymy. 

Keywords: Advertisement Call, cryptic diversity, conservation status, morphology, new species

Hypsiboas almendarizae | Almendariz's treefrog, inhabits cloud forests in the Amazon basin. Its habitat is threatened by deforestation and agriculture. photo: Santiago Ron

Hypsiboas almendarizae sp. n. 
Common name: English: Almendariz’s treefrog; Spanish: Rana arbórea de Almendáriz

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for Ana Almendáriz, Ecuadorian herpetologist who for more than three decades has contributed to the study of Ecuadorian amphibians and reptiles. Ana Almendáriz is curator of Herpetology in the Museo de Historia Natural Gustavo Orcés at Escuela Politécnica Nacional del Ecuador.

Distribution: Hypsiboas almendarizae occurs on the eastern Andean slopes of central and southern Ecuador (Morona Santiago, Napo, and Tungurahua provinces) (Fig. 15). Localities with known elevation range from 500 to 1950 m above sea level. The elevation at Río Hollín (1950 m) is the highest known locality for Hypsiboas almendarizae, while Méndez (500 m) is the lowest.

Conservation status: Its distribution polygon has 14, 983 sq.km. Within this area, 4, 864 sq.km. (32.4%) of its habitat has been degraded by human activities, especially agriculture and cattle raising (estimated from Ministerio de Ambiente del Ecuador 2013). Current habitat degradation within the range of Hypsiboas almendarizae is extensive and its increase may threaten its survival in the future. Therefore, we propose that Hypsiboas almendarizae is assigned to the Near Threatened category. Its distribution polygon overlaps with Parque Nacional Sangay, Parque Nacional Llanganates, and Parque Nacional Sumaco Napo-Galeras.


Hypsiboas maculateralis sp. n. 
Common name: English: Stained treefrog; Spanish: Rana arbórea manchada

Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin words macula = stain, and lateralis = lateral, in reference to the brown dark blotches on the flanks of these frogs.

Distribution and ecology: Hypsiboas maculateralis inhabits the Amazon basin of Ecuador (Napo, Orellana, Pastaza, and Sucumbíos provinces) and Peru (Región de Madre de Dios) (Fig. 17). Localities with known elevation range vary between 186 and 354 m of elevation. The elevation of Comunidad Santa Rosa (354 m) is the highest known and Santa Teresita (186 m) is the lowest.
Vegetation type of the Peruvian locality is Southwest Amazon Moist Forest.

Conservation status: The distribution polygon of Hypsiboas maculateralis has an area of 209, 304 sq.km. Because its distribution range is large and includes extensive areas of undisturbed forest, we propose that Hypsiboas maculateralis be assigned to the category Least Concern.

Hypsiboas alfaroi | Alfaro's Treefrog

photo: Santiago Ron

Hypsiboas alfaroi sp. n.
Common name: English: Alfaro’s treefrog; Spanish: Rana arbórea de Alfaro

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for Eloy Alfaro Delgado, former Ecuadorian president (1897–1901 and 1906–1911) and leader of the liberal revolution in Ecuador. His government promoted the separation between church and state and the modernization of Ecuador by supporting education and large-scale systems of transportation and communication.

Distribution: Hypsiboas alfaroi occurs in the Ecuadorian northern Amazon region (Napo, Orellana, and Sucumbíos provinces; Fig. 15). Localities with known elevation range from 176 m (Nuevo Rocafuerte) to 350 m (Nueva Loja). Nuevo Rocafuerte is on the border between Ecuador and Peru; the occurrence of Hypsiboas alfaroi in Peru is highly likely.

Conservation status: The distribution polygon of Hypsiboas alfaroi has 47, 524 sq.km. Within it, 4, 287 km2 (9.0%) have been degraded by human activities, especially agriculture and cattle raising (estimated from Ministerio de Ambiente del Ecuador 2013). Because its distribution range is relatively large and has a low proportion of degraded habitat, we propose that Hypsiboas alfaroi be assigned to the Least Concern category.


Hypsiboas tetete sp. n.
Common name: English: Tetete’s treefrog; Spanish: Rana arbórea de los Tetetes

Etymology: The specific name is a noun and refers to the Tetete, a Western Tucanoan indigenous group that inhabited the Colombian and Ecuadorian Amazon. It was decimated by the rubber exploitation and became extinct during the 1970s (Wasserstrom et al. 2011). Its recent disappearance parallels the destruction of increasingly large areas of forest in the Ecuadorian Amazon with the ensuing decline of biodiversity.

Distribution and ecology: Hypsiboas tetete is distributed in the Ecuadorian (Provincia Napo) and Peruvian Amazon basin (Región Loreto) (Fig. 15). Known localities range in elevation from 180 m (San Jacinto) to 420 m (Jatun Sacha). It is likely to have a larger distribution. Unfortunately, the lack of distinctive morphological characters relative to Hypsiboas alfaroi, preclude the unequivocal identification of museum specimens not associated with advertisement calls or genetic data. All specimens from Comunidad Santa Rosa and Jatun Sacha were found in flooded areas, in secondary forest, roosting on vegetation, 50 to 80 cm above ground.
Vegetation type for the Ecuadorian localities is Amazonian Lowland Evergreen Forest characterized by high plant alpha-diversity and a canopy of 30 m with emergent trees that reach 40 m.
Vegetation type at the Peruvian locality is Napo Moist Forest.

Conservation status: The distribution polygon has 2, 950 sq.km. of which 106 (3.5%) have been degraded by human activities (estimated from Ministerio de Ambiente del Ecuador 2013). Because its known distribution range is small with less than five localities and habitat degradation is increasing, Hypsiboas tetete is assigned to the Endangered category under criteria B1ab(iii).

Marcel A. Caminer and Santiago R. Ron. 2014. Systematics of Treefrogs of the Hypsiboas calcaratus and Hypsiboas fasciatus species complex (Anura, Hylidae) with the Description of Four New Species. ZooKeys. 370: 1.
DOI: dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.370.6291

: http://phys.org/news/2014-01-genes-reveal-five-fold-greater-diversity.html

[Ornithology • 2013] Strix omanensis | Omani Owl | Omaanse Uil • A New Species of Strix Owl from Oman

  Omani Owl Strix omanensis is probably most closely related to Hume’s Owl Strix butleri. Both species share a number of morphological features which differ from other Strix species, including relatively long legs and short tail, bands on wings and tail, orangey eyes and pale underparts. Both species also occupy rather similar rocky desert habitat although, so far, Omani has only been found on high cliffs, not in shallow wadis. In this context, it is worthwhile to mention that there are no records of Hume’s in northern Oman or the United Arab Emirates (Jennings 2010, Porter & Aspinall 2010).

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

Magnus Robb, Arnoud B van den Berg and Mark Constantine. 2013. A New Species of Strix Owl from Oman. Dutch Birding. 35 (5): 275–310. | dutchbirding.nl 

Holotype of Omani Owl [Omaanse Uil] Strix omanensis 
Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Al Hajar mountains, Al Batinah, Oman, 24 May 2013

photo: Arnoud B van den Berg / The Sound Approach

Holotype of Omani Owl [Omaanse Uil] Strix omanensis
photo: Arnoud B van den Berg / The Sound Approach

Magnus Robb, Arnoud B van den Berg and Mark Constantine. 2013. A New Species of Strix Owl from Oman. Dutch Birding. 35 (5): 275–310.

http://www.dutchbirding.nl/content/news/files/DB35(5)275-310_2013_OmaniOwl.pdf

Heads turn at new owl species discovered in Oman  

A new owl species has been discovered in the remote Jebel Akdhar mountains in Oman, ornithologists working in the Gulf state reported this week.

The Scottish wildlife sound-recordist, Magnus Robb, wrote Strix omanensis officially exists from Oct. 4 on the website of “The Sound Approach,” an international project aiming to record and understand bird sounds.

“Shaped like a strix owl, it [the new species] lacked ear-tufts and appeared slightly smaller-headed than a tawny owl,” Robb described the exotic owl on the project’s website.

Robb first recorded the bird’s unfamiliar hoot during an unexpected discovery in March this year.

cont. http://ara.tv/zykxx via @AlArabiya_Eng

Nieuws: Een nieuwe soort Strix-uil in Oman / A new species of Strix owl from Oman: http://www.dutchbirding.nl/news.php?id=866 via @DutchBirding

http://soundapproach.co.uk/omani-owl-diary-of-discovery

[Ornithology • 2009] Pnoepygidae fam. n. • Phylogeny of Babblers (Aves, Passeriformes): Major Lineages, Family Limits and Classification

Pygmy Cupwing [Wren Babbler] Pnoepyga pusilla นกจู๋เต้นจิ๋ว

by Apisit Wilaijit | http://flic.kr/p/d3oAFw 

Abstract

Babblers, family Timaliidae, have long been subject to debate on systematic position, family limits and internal taxonomy. In this study, we use five molecular regions to estimate the relationships among a large proportion of genera traditionally placed in Timaliidae. We find good support for five main clades within this radiation, and propose a new classification, dividing the babblers into the families Sylviidae and Timaliidae. Within the latter family, four subfamilies are recognized: Zosteropinae, Timaliinae, Pellorneinae and Leiothrichinae. Several taxa, previously not studied with molecular data, are phylogenetically placed within Sylviidae or Timaliidae. This is, however, not the case for the genus Pnoepyga, for which we propose the family name Pnoepygidae fam. n.

Pygmy Wren Babbler Pnoepyga pusilla นกจู๋เต้นจิ๋ว

by Apisit Wilaijit | http://flic.kr/p/d3oAFw 

Gelang, Magnus; Cibois, Alice; Pasquet, Eric; Olsson, Urban; Alström, Per; Ericson, Per G. P. 2009. Phylogeny of Babblers (Aves, Passeriformes): Major Lineages, Family Limits and Classification. Zoologica Scripta. 38 (3): 225–236. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1463-6409.2008.00374.x

[Ichthyology / Behaviour • 2014] First Observation of African Tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus Predating on Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica in flight

Figure 1. Avivorous behavioural strategies adopted by
Hydrocynus vittatus in the Schroda Dam man-made lake.
(a) Flight path of the prey Hirundo rustica, (b) surface pursuit strategy of H. vittatus to overcome surface image shift due to light refraction (angle θ) and (c) direct aerial strikes by adult H. vittatus that compensate for the image shift

(not drawn to scale).  DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12278

Abstract

A population of African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus from the Schroda Dam, actively prey on barn swallows Hirundo rustica in flight. This behaviour was discovered during a radio telemetry study and documented using a motion picture video camera. These results show that an avivorous diet is a part of the feeding biology of H. vittatus, and may occur in other populations.

Keywords: avivorous behaviour; feeding behaviour; freshwater fish; predation; South Africa

 An African tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus caught on the Lower Zambezi River.

photo: Les Gibbon | doi: dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature.2014.14496

G. C. O'Brien, F. Jacobs, S. W. Evans, N. J. Smit. 2014. First Observation of African Tigerfish Hydrocynus vittatus Predating on Barn Swallows Hirundo rustica in flight. Journal of Fish Biology. 84(1), 263–266. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1111/jfb.12278

Video: Fish leaps to catch birds on the wing 

http://www.nature.com/news/video-fish-leaps-to-catch-birds-on-the-wing-1.14496

Watch: First Video of Fish Leaping Into Air to Prey on Birds

http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2014/01/13/freshwater-fish-leap-into-air-prey-on-birds/

[Herpetology • 2013] Cryptic Speciation Patterns in Iranian Rock Lizards Darevskia Uncovered by Integrative Taxonomy

Figure 5. Studied species of Darevskia in life:
D. caspica sp. n. (A; photo by N. Moradi); D. chlorogaster (B; photo by M. Auer); D. kamii sp. n. (C; photo by O. Mozaffari); D. defilippii (D; photo by A. Shahrdari) D. kopetdaghica sp. n. (E; photo by O. Mozaffari); D. schaekeli sp. n. (F; photo by Barbod Safaei Mahroo); and D. steineri (G; photo by O. Mozaffari).

Abstract

While traditionally species recognition has been based solely on morphological differences either typological or quantitative, several newly developed methods can be used for a more objective and integrative approach on species delimitation. This may be especially relevant when dealing with cryptic species or species complexes, where high overall resemblance between species is coupled with comparatively high morphological variation within populations. Rock lizards, genus Darevskia, are such an example, as many of its members offer few diagnostic morphological features. Herein, we use a combination of genetic, morphological and ecological criteria to delimit cryptic species within two species complexes, D. chlorogaster and D. defilippii, both distributed in northern Iran. Our analyses are based on molecular information from two nuclear and two mitochondrial genes, morphological data (15 morphometric, 16 meristic and four categorical characters) and eleven newly calculated spatial environmental predictors. The phylogeny inferred for Darevskia confirmed monophyly of each species complex, with each of them comprising several highly divergent clades, especially when compared to other congeners. We identified seven candidate species within each complex, of which three and four species were supported by Bayesian species delimitation within D. chlorogaster and D. defilippii, respectively. Trained with genetically determined clades, Ecological Niche Modeling provided additional support for these cryptic species. Especially those within the D. defilippii-complex exhibit well-differentiated niches. Due to overall morphological resemblance, in a first approach PCA with mixed variables only showed the separation between the two complexes. However, MANCOVA and subsequent Discriminant Analysis performed separately for both complexes allowed for distinction of the species when sample size was large enough, namely within the D. chlorogaster-complex. In conclusion, the results support four new species, which are described herein.

Figure 5. Studied species of Darevskia in life:
D. caspica sp. n. (A; photo by N. Moradi); D. chlorogaster (B; photo by M. Auer); D. kamii sp. n. (C; photo by O. Mozaffari) 

Figure 5. Studied species of Darevskia in life: 
D. defilippii (D; photo by A. Shahrdari) D. kopetdaghica sp. n. (E; photo by O. Mozaffari); D. schaekeli sp. n. (F; photo by Barbod Safaei Mahroo); and D. steineri (G; photo by O. Mozaffari).

Faraham Ahmadzadeh, Morris Flecks, Miguel A. Carretero, Omid Mozaffari, Wolfgang Böhme, D. James Harris, Susana Freitas and Dennis Rödder. 2013. Cryptic Speciation Patterns in Iranian Rock Lizards Uncovered by Integrative Taxonomy. PLoS ONE. 8(12): e80563. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0080563

[Ichthyology • 2013] Aetobatus narutobiei | Naru Eagle Ray • A New Species of Eagle Ray from the Northwest Pacific: An Example of the Critical Role Taxonomy Plays in Fisheries and Ecological Sciences

Aetobatus narutobiei 

White, Yamaguchi & Furumitsu 2013

Abstract

Recent taxonomic and molecular work on the eagle rays (Family Myliobatidae) revealed a cryptic species in the northwest Pacific. This species is formally described as Aetobatus narutobiei sp. nov. and compared to its congeners. Aetobatus narutobiei is found in eastern Vietnam, Hong Kong, China, Korea and southern Japan. It was previously considered to be conspecific with Aetobatus flagellum, but these species differ in size, structure of the NADH2 and CO1 genes, some morphological and meristic characters and colouration. Aetobatus narutobiei is particularly abundant in Ariake Bay in southern Japan where it is considered a pest species that predates heavily on farmed bivalve stocks and is culled annually as part of a ‘predator control’ program. The discovery of A. narutobiei highlights the paucity of detailed taxonomic research on this group of rays. This discovery impacts on current conservation assessments of A. flagellum and these need to be revised based on the findings of this study.

Vernacular Names: Naru Eagle Ray  

Etymology: The specific name is in allusion to the common name of this species in Japanese waters ‘Naru tobi-ei’ (pronounced ‘Nar-oo tobee-ay’) where this species is particularly common and the focus of much research. ‘Naru’ is in reference to Naru Island, one of the five major islands in the Goto Islands which are part of Nagasaki Prefecture; where the species was first recorded in Japan. ‘Tobi-ei’ is the Japanese name used for eagle rays which translates to black kite (a bird). The name is treated as a noun in apposition.

Aetobatus narutobiei (FFNU-P-2001; holotype). Adult male (831 mm DW).

 Dorsal view and Ventral view

William T. White, Keisuke Furumitsu and Atsuko Yamaguchi. 2013. A New Species of Eagle Ray Aetobatus narutobiei from the Northwest Pacific: An Example of the Critical Role Taxonomy Plays in Fisheries and Ecological Sciences. PLoS ONE. 8(12): e83785. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0083785

White, William T. & Alec B. M. Moore. 2013. Redescription of Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), An Endangered Eagle Ray (Myliobatoidea: Myliobatidae) from the Indo–West Pacific. Zootaxa. 3752(1): 199–213.

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3752.1.12
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/zt03752p213.pdf

[Ichthyology • 2013] Redescription of Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), An Endangered Eagle Ray (Myliobatoidea: Myliobatidae) from the Indo–West Pacific

Abstract

The eagle ray Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) is redescribed based on new material from the Persian Gulf (Kuwait), Indonesia and Malaysia. A related but distinct species of Aetobatus from the western North Pacific, previously referred to as A. flagellum, is reported. Aetobatus flagellum is a medium-sized eagle ray which attains about 900 mm DW; males mature at approximately 500 mm DW. Aetobatus flagellum appears to be uncommon and restricted to estuary-influenced waters of the Indo–West Pacific. It is caught as gillnet bycatch where its habit of schooling, combined with probable small litter size, may make it particularly vulnerable to impacts from fisheries.

Keywords: Myliobatidae, Aetobatus flagellum, batoid, Indo–West Pacific, Aetobatus sp., estuarine

FIGURE 1. Aetobatus flagellum. A. original illustration from Bloch & Schneider (1801)

White, William T. & Alec B. M. Moore. 2013. Redescription of Aetobatus flagellum (Bloch & Schneider, 1801), An Endangered Eagle Ray (Myliobatoidea: Myliobatidae) from the Indo–West Pacific. Zootaxa. 3752(1): 199–213.

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3752.1.12
http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/zt03752p213.pdf

[Herpetology • 2013] Ctenophorus mirrityana | Barrier Range Dragon • Taxonomic Assessment of the Ctenophorus decresii complex (Reptilia: Agamidae) reveals A New Species of Dragon Lizard from western New South Wales

 male Barrier Range Dragon Ctenophorus mirrityana sp. nov.
from Silverton Wind Farm site, 35 km north west of Broken Hill, NSW

(photo S. Sass)

Abstract

 We describe a new species of agamid lizard, Ctenophorus mirrityana sp.nov. currently known from two disjunct populations in western New South Wales. The species is a member of the C. decresii species complex, and was formerly recognized as an outlying population of C. decresii due to similarities in dorsal colour pattern and adjacent distributions. Previous work documented deep molecular divergence, across multiple loci, with no genetic admixture between the new species and proximal C. decresii populations. We find that the new species differs in morphology from all other members of the species complex and is characterized by distinct male throat and lateral coloration, a small head size relative to snout-vent length, a large number of labial scales, and a lack of tubercular scales. We also identify two geographically structured lineages (northern and southern) within C. decresii as requiring further taxonomic investigation, based on notable genetic and morphological (including colour) divergence. We find that divergence in coloration is associated with genetic and body form differentiation within the C. decresii species complex.

Keywords: Agamidae; Barrier Range; colour variation; Ctenophorus mirrityana; reptilian morphology

Barrier Range Dragon Ctenophorus mirrityana

Etymology. The specific epithet mirrityana is a word meaning “out in the sunlight” in the local Aboriginal language (Paakantyi; Hercus, 1993), in reference to the conspicuousness of the species during hot weather. There are several rock engravings depicting lizards at Mutawintji National Park (McCarthy & Macintosh, 1962), some of which may represent this species given it’s prominence in the area. We propose Barrier Range Dragon as the species’ common name.

McLean, Claire A., Adnan Moussalli, Steve Sass, and Devi Stuart-Fox. 2013. Taxonomic Assessment of the Ctenophorus decresii complex (Reptilia: Agamidae) reveals A New Species of Dragon Lizard from western New South Wales. Records of the Australian Museum. 65(3): 51–63. 

http://australianmuseum.net.au/journal/McLean-2013-Rec-Aust-Mus-653-5163

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Uploads/Journals/29833/1600_complete.pdf

New species of lizard found with help of locals

http://www.merimbulanewsonline.com.au/story/2009510/new-species-of-lizard-found-with-help-of-locals/?cs=12

[Herpetology • 2007] Ctenophorus nguyarna | Lake Disappointment Dragon • A New Species of Ctenophorus (Lacertilia: Agamidae) from Lake Disappointment, Western Australia

Lake Disappointment Dragon
Ctenophorus nguyarna Doughty, Maryan, Melville & Austin 2007

photo: fotobytom.com

Abstract

Ctenophorus is the largest genus of Australian agamid lizards, with an extensive radiation in the arid zone. Here we describe a distinctive new dragon species — Ctenophorus nguyarna — from the isolated Lake Disappointment in Western Australia. The new species is characterised by heterogeneous dorsal scales tending to form vertical rows on the flanks, a reticulated orange and black background color, and black bars on the dorsum and black vertical bars on the tail. To provide a molecular context as to the distinctiveness and placement of the new species we analysed five sequences of Ctenophorus sp. nov., two new sequences of C. salinarum and 11 previously published sequences of Ctenophorus species, representing 1573 bases of the mitochondrial genome. Our phylogeny strongly supports at least two independent origins of salt lake specialization in both the western and eastern arid zone. Based on molecular data the sister taxon is C. salinarum, which is also associated with salt lakes in Western Australia. The other specialist is the Lake Eyre Dragon (C. maculosus) from South Australia that lives on and under the salt crust itself, and has a number of unique derived characters for Ctenophorus. There are likely to be other new species of agamid lizards in Australia's vast and little-explored arid zone.

Keywords: Agamidae; Arid zone; Ctenophorus; Molecular phylogeny; Salt lakes, Western Australia

 Doughty, P., Maryan, B., Melville, J. and Austin, J. J. 2007. A New Species of Ctenophorus (Lacertilia: Agamidae) from Lake Disappointment, Western Australia.  Herpetologica. 63 (1):72-86. 

http://digital.library.adelaide.edu.au/dspace/handle/2440/43087

[Paleontology / Invertebrate • 2013] Kachinophilus pereirai • Geophilomorph Centipedes from the Cretaceous Amber of Myanmar (Burma)

Figure 1. Kachinophilus pereirai gen. nov. sp. nov.
A–B, holotype AMNH Bu-Ba41a, male, complete body, dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views.
C, paratype AMNH Bu-Ba50a, sex unknown, complete body, dorsal view.
D, paratype AMNH Bu-Ba63a, sex unknown, incomplete body (only anterior part), ventral view.

All scales 1 mm. Abbreviations: an, antenna; fo, forcipule; le-1, leg of the first pair;
le-u, leg of the ultimate pair. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala.12051

ABSTRACT 
The only previously known Mesozoic fossils of the chilopod order Geophilomorpha are two species from the Late Jurassic and Late Cretaceous, both known from single specimens that cannot be assigned with precision to a family. Four specimens from the Late Cretaceous (earliest Cenomanian) amber of Burma include three that can be identified as conspecific, described here as Kachinophilus pereirai gen. nov. sp. nov. These specimens preserve greater morphological detail in comparison with other fossil geophilomorphs: the form and fine features of the head, the maxillary complex, the trunk sternites with associated glandular pores and the ultimate pair of legs defend the assignment of the species to the extant family Geophilidae, and most probably to a derived subgroup including well-known extant genera such as Ribautia Brölemann, 1909. Confocal laser scanning microscopy supplements examination under incident and transmitted light to document details of high taxonomic relevance in the head and the forcipular segment. The modern appearance of this species and its membership among deeply nested extant clades are consistent with molecular estimates that most of the diversity of crown-group Geophilomorpha originated before the Late Cretaceous.

Keywords: Geophilidae; Cenomanian; Kachinophilus; evolutionarily conserved morphology

Order GEOPHILOMORPHA Pocock, 1895
Family GEOPHILIDAE Leach, 1815

Genus KACHINOPHILUS gen. nov.
Type species: Kachinophilus pereirai sp. nov.

Derivation of name: Compounding the geographical source of the fossils (Kachin, Burma) and the frequent geophilomorph generic termination – philus.
; pereirai -- for our colleague Luis A. Pereira (Museo de La Plata, Argentina), in recognition of his exemplary systematic work on Geophilomorpha.


Lucio Bonato, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Alessandro Minelli. 2013. Geophilomorph Centipedes from the Cretaceous amber of Burma. Palaeontology. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala.12051

http://researchgate.net/publication/259554775_Geophilomorph_centipedes_from_the_Cretaceous_amber_of_Burma

[Paleontology / Invertebrate • 2009] Buziniphilus antiquus • A geophilomorph Centipede (Chilopoda) from La Buzinie amber (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian), SW France

Abstract

The first geophilomorph centipede to be documented from Mesozoic amber and the second Mesozoic member of the order is described as Buziniphilus antiquus n. gen., n. sp. It is represented by a single, probably immature specimen from Early Cenomanian amber at La Buzinie, Champniers, Charentes, France. Buziniphilus n. gen. is most probably a member of either Schendylidae or Geophilidae, though documentation of the labrum and mandibles is required to make a definitive familial assignment. Referral of Buziniphilus n. gen. to the crown-group Adesmata, together with a reinterpretation of the structure of the forcipulae in the Jurassic Eogeophilus Schweigert & Dietl, 1997, reinforces the modern aspect of Mesozoic chilopods that had been indicated by Cretaceous scutigeromorph and scolopendromorph fossils. 

 Keywords: Europe; Western Europe; Invertebrata; Arthropoda; Mandibulata; Cenomanian; Phanerozoic ; Mesozoic; Cretaceous; Charente France; France; Myriapoda; biostratigraphy; lower Cenomanian; new taxa; Upper Cretaceous; amber

ETYMOLOGY. — For the type locality, La Buzinie, compounded with the usual geophilomorph suffix -philus; Antiquus, with reference to the age of the species, one of two known Mesozoic geophilomorphs.

Edgecombe G. D., Minelli A. & Bonato L. 2009. A geophilomorph Centipede (Chilopoda) from La Buzinie amber (Late Cretaceous, Cenomanian), SW France. Geodiversitas. 31 (1) : 29-39. 

http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=21305644

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/resources-rx/files/edgecombe-et-al-2009-buziniphilus-94072.pdf

[PaleoMammalogy • 2014] Dormaalocyon latouri • Dental and Tarsal Anatomy of ‘Miacis’ latouri and a Phylogenetic Analysis of the Earliest carnivoraforms (Mammalia, Carnivoramorpha) from the Eocene of Dormaal, Belgium

Dormaalocyon latouri (Quinet, 1966)

Art by Charlène Letenneur (MNHN) and 

Pascale Golinvaux (RBINS)

ABSTRACT

One of the earliest basal carnivoraforms, Miacis latouri, previously known by only two teeth from the earliest Eocene of Dormaal, Belgium, is here described based on about 280 new specimens from Dormaal, allowing illustration of almost the entire deciduous and permanent dentition and thus giving information on the dentition of an early basal carnivoraform species and its variability. Based on the dental features, we refer the species to a new genus, Dormaalocyon. We identify possible sexual dimorphism in D. latouri that is less pronounced than in Uintacyon rudis. We also describe for the first time the tarsal bones (calcaneum and astragalus) of D. latouri; these indicate arboreal capabilities for this species. In order to ascertain the position of Dormaalocyon among basal carnivoraforms, we performed a phylogenetic analysis of the carnivoramorphans. Among basal carnivoraforms, three groups are recovered: the Uintacyon group, Oodectes group, and the Vulpavus group. Dormalocyon is one of the most primitive carnivoraforms and is closely related to North American Vulpavus and Miacis species. We propose that the two latter genera are North American with an ancestry that involves the European Dormaalocyon; this implies a dispersal of carnivoraforms from Europe to North America near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary. Finally, the topology of the phylogenetic tree supports a Paleocene radiation of the carnivoraforms, which is presently unknown.

CARNIVORAMORPHA Wyss and Flynn, 1993

CARNIVORAFORMES Flynn, Finarelli, and Spaulding, 2010

Dormaalocyon  gen. nov.

Type Species: Dormaalocyon latouri (Quinet, 1966), comb. nov.

Localities: Dormaal (Flemish Brabant), Belgium; earliest Eocene, MP7.

Etymology: From Dormaal, type locality of the species; from Greek Kyon, dog.

Dormaalocyon latouri (Quinet, 1966), comb. nov.

[Miacis latouri Quinet, 1966]

FIGURE 1 Dentaries of Dormaalocyon latouri (Quinet, 1966), comb. nov.

  

Floréal Solé, Richard Smith, Tiphaine Coillot, Eric de Bast & Thierry Smith. 2014. Dental and Tarsal Anatomy of ‘Miacis’ latouri and a Phylogenetic Analysis of the Earliest carnivoraforms (Mammalia, Carnivoramorpha). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34:1, 1-21. 

DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.793195

New Fossils Shed Light On the Origins of Lions, Tigers, and Bears

 — New fossils from Belgium have shed light on the origin of some of the most well-known, and well-loved, modern mammals. Cats and dogs, as well as other carnivorous mammals (like bears, seals, and weasels), taxonomically called 'carnivoraformes', trace their ancestry to primitive carnivorous mammals dating back to 55 million years ago (the beginning of the time period called the Eocene). A study, published in the most recent issue of the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, discusses the origins of this group and describes new specimens of one of the earliest of these primitive taxa.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/01/140106160029.htm

[PaleoMammalogy • 2014] Lagomeryx manai • Systematics and Phylogeny of middle Miocene Cervidae (Mammalia) from Mae Moh Basin (Thailand) and a Paleoenvironmental Estimate using Enamel Isotopy of Sympatric Herbivore Species

Lagomeryx manai

Suraprasit, Chaimanee,  Bocherens, Chavasseau & Jaeger 2014

illustration: Pattnapong Pansi

Abstract

The primitive deer (subfamily Lagomerycinae) Lagomeryx and Stephanocemas are characterized primarily by their palmate antlers. Two lagomerycines, Lagomeryx manai, sp. nov., and Stephanocemas rucha, are described for the first time from Q and K coal layers of the late middle Miocene (13.4–13.2 Ma) Mae Moh Basin in northern Thailand. A species-level phylogeny of the Ligeromeryx-Lagomeryx clade, based on cranial appendages, reconstructs Lagomeryx manai, n. sp., as a derived species of Lagomeryx, sister group of Lagomeryx complicidens. This study suggests that the large species of Lagomeryx are restricted geographically to Asia and dispersed to Southeast Asia at the latest during late middle Miocene, where they are represented by Lagomeryx manai, n. sp. The paleoenvironmental studies of five Mae Moh mammalian taxa, a cervid (Lagomeryx manai, n. sp.), an indeterminate bovid, a suid (Conohyus thailandicus), a rhinoceros (Gaindatherium sp.), and a proboscidean (Stegolophodon sp.), investigated with stable carbon and oxygen isotope analyses of tooth enamel, indicate that the Mae Moh mammals inhabited a wide range of habitats from woodlands to grasslands in a C3-plant-dominated environment. The new species of Lagomeryx seems to have been living in an open environment, contrary to its European relatives. The serial isotopic samples also support that Mae Moh herbivores probably lived in a low-seasonal climate during the late middle Miocene of northern Thailand.

Lagomeryx manaireconstruction by Namosaurus

Kantapon Suraprasit, Yaowalak Chaimanee, Herve Bocherens, Olivier Chavasseau & Jean-Jacques Jaeger. 2014. Systematics and Phylogeny of middle Miocene Cervidae (Mammalia) from Mae Moh Basin (Thailand) and a Paleoenvironmental Estimate using Enamel Isotopy of Sympatric Herbivore Species.
Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34:1, 179-194. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2013.789038

The Cervidae from the Middle Miocene of  Mae Moh (Thailand): Systematic, Phylogeny, and Paleoenvironments 

http://sfa.univ-poitiers.fr/master-paleontologie/images/sujets-stages-M2-2010/Kantapon%20Suraprasit.pdf

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