[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

facebook: Dom Paleoworld

[Mammalogy • 2008] Chronic Intake of Fermented Floral Nectar by Wild Tree-Shrews | Pen-tailed treeshrews Ptilocercus lowii consume fermented nectar of the bertam palm Eugeissona tristis

Abstract

For humans alcohol consumption often has devastating consequences. Wild mammals may also be behaviorally and physiologically challenged by alcohol in their food. Here, we provide a detailed account of chronic alcohol intake by mammals as part of a coevolved relationship with a plant. We discovered that seven mammalian species in a West Malaysian rainforest consume alcoholic nectar daily from flower buds of the bertam palm (Eugeissona tristis), which they pollinate. The 3.8% maximum alcohol concentration (mean: 0.6%; median: 0.5%) that we recorded is among the highest ever reported in a natural food. Nectar high in alcohol is facilitated by specialized flower buds that harbor a fermenting yeast community, including several species new to science. Pentailed treeshrews (Ptilocercus lowii) frequently consume alcohol doses from the inflorescences that would intoxicate humans. Yet, the flower-visiting mammals showed no signs of intoxication. Analysis of an alcohol metabolite (ethyl glucuronide) in their hair yielded concentrations higher than those in humans with similarly high alcohol intake. The pentailed treeshrew is considered a living model for extinct mammals representing the stock from which all extinct and living treeshrews and primates radiated. Therefore, we hypothesize that moderate to high alcohol intake was present early on in the evolution of these closely related lineages. It is yet unclear to what extent treeshrews benefit from ingested alcohol per se and how they mitigate the risk of continuous high blood alcohol concentrations.

Keywords: alcohol self-administration, bertam palm, nectar feeding, pollination

Fig. 1. Pollinating small mammal and floral display of the bertam palm.
(A) Anesthetized pentailed treeshrew Ptilocercus lowii with a radio-collar.
(B) A medium-sized inflorescence, cut from a palm Eugeissona tristis.
(C) A pencil-shaped, woody flower ≈5 cm in length with its three petals still closed and exuded nectar. Nectar is produced for periods averaging (± SE) 46.0 ± 5.8 days before flowers open to expose pollen-bearing stamens later followed by the exposure of receptive stigmas (female receptive phase of a flower).

doi: dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0801628105

Wiens, Frank; Zitzmann, A., Lachance, M.-A., Yegles, M., Pragst, F., Wurst, F. M., von Holst, D., Guan, S. L., Spanagel, R. 2008. Chronic Intake of Fermented Floral Nectar by Wild Tree-Shrews. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 105 (30): 10426–10431. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0801628105 

Pen-tailed treeshrews (Ptilocercus lowii) consume fermented nectar on a daily basis from the flower buds of the bertam palm (Eugeissona tristis). The alcohol content of the fermented nectar averages 0.6% but gets as high as 3.8%. A proportionate amount of alcohol consumed by a human would be intoxicating but the treeshrews show no signs of intoxication.

| http://monkeysuncle.stanford.edu/?p=107

[PaleoMammalogy • 2011] บีเวอร์สยาม | Steneofiber siamensis • First Castorid (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the middle Miocene of Southeast Asia

 “บีเวอร์สยาม” Steneofiber siamensis

reconstruction by Namosaurus

Abstract

Today and in the Tertiary, the geographical distribution of castorids is limited throughout all of the northern continents. Fossils of the Castoridae genus Steneofiber are abundant in many localities of Eurasia from the late Oligocene to Pliocene period. Recently, Steneofiber fossils were discovered in two localities of northern Thailand, Mae Moh and Chiang Muan coal mines, in layers of late middle Miocene age. These discoveries represent the first records of castorids from Southeast Asia and correspond to their southernmost known range. The focus of this study is to describe this new Thai species of Steneofiber and to define its wear stages from the molar occlusal surfaces by using micro-CT scan analysis. The CT scan technique permits the analysis of the virtual occlusal surface changes from wear, allowing easier comparison to related species of Steneofiber cheek teeth without destroying the teeth. The new species, Steneofiber siamensis n. sp., can be distinguished from the other species of Steneofiber by several distinct characters, longer mesostriid on p4, presence of premesostria and metastria on P4, which are smaller than most of the other known species. The occurrence of this new castorid also supports a subtropical to tropical paleoclimate for these two localities of northern Thailand.

Keywords: Steneofiber, Castoridae, Micro CT scan, Late middle Miocene, Thailand

Steneofiber siamensis fossils discovered from the late middle Miocene of Mae Moh and Chiang Muan coal mines, northern Thailand

http://geothai.net/gneiss/?p=3023 | DOI: 10.1007/s00114-011-0769-0 

Systematic Paleontology

Class MAMMALIA Linnaeus 1758

Order RODENTIA Bowdich 1821

Family CASTORIDAE Hemprich 1820

Subfamily CASTORINAE Hemprich 1820

Genus Steneofiber Geoffroy 1833

Steneofiber siamensis

Suraprasit, Chaimanee, Martin & Jaeger 2011

Type locality: “I”coal layer, Mae Moh coal mine, Lampang province, Thailand.

Etymology: In relation to its geographical origin, Siam being the former name of the Kingdom of Thailand

Suraprasit, K., Y. Chaimanee, T. Martin, and J. -J. Jaeger. 2011. First Castorid (Mammalia, Rodentia) from the middle Miocene of Southeast Asia. Naturwissenschaften. 98(4):315-28. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00114-011-0769-0 

http://researchgate.net/publication/50229172_First_castorid_(mammalia_rodentia)_from_the_middle_miocene_of_southeast_Asia

บีเวอร์สยาม หลักฐานการเปลี่ยนแปลงสภาพภูมิอากาศโลกในอดีต

by กันตภณ สุระประสิทธิ์ | http://geothai.net/gneiss/?p=3023

[PaleoMammalogy • 2002] Propalaeocastor irtyshensis • Propalaeocastor (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the early Oligocene of Burqin Basin, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Propalaeocastor irtyshensis

by sinammonite on @deviantART 

Abstract

A new species of castorids, Propalaeocastor irtyshensis, n.sp., from the Burqin Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China, is described. The new species, represented by a right maxilla with well-preserved P4–M3, is the earliest and northernmost occurrence of castorids in China. It is characterized mainly by the cheek tooth crown being higher than that of P. butselensis but lower than that of Steneofiber aff. dehmi (probably a new species of Propalaeocastor), and by lingual confluence of the mesoflexus to the lingual fossette of the premesoflexus. Comparison with known species previously assigned to Steneofiber from Europe and Kazakhstan leads to the conclusion that the early Oligocene forms previously assigned to the genus, such as “S. butselensis” and “S. kazachstanicus”, differ significantly from those represented by S. eseri from the Late Oligocene and Early Miocene of Europe. We consider Propalaeocastor a valid genus, provide an emended diagnosis for it, and discuss its evolutionary trend in relation to Steneofiber. Preliminary analysis of Burqin fauna suggests an age of early Early Oligocene. Faunal transformations across the Eocene–Oligocene boundary in the Burqin region are comparable to those of Europe and the Mongolian Plateau and suggest linkage of faunal turnovers and global climate changes.

Wu, W., Meng, J., Ye, J. and Ni, X. 2002. Propalaeocastor (Rodentia, Mammalia) from the early Oligocene of Burqin Basin, Xinjiang. American Museum Novitates. 3461: 1–16. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1206/0003-0082(2004)461<0001:PRMFTE>2.0.CO;2
http://digitallibrary.amnh.org/dspace/handle/2246/2771

http://researchgate.net/publication/232689988_Propalaeocastor_(Rodentia_Mammalia)_from_the_Early_Oligocene_of_Burqin_Basin_Xinjiang

[Crustacea • 2013] Halmyrapseudes gutui • Description of three species of Halmyrapseudes (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Parapseudidae), with a Discussion of Biogeography

Abstract

We describe Halmyrapseudes gutui sp. nov. from a mangrove area on Lidee Island, southern Thailand. This species closely resembles H. cooperi, H. killaiyensis, and H. thaumastocheles, but differs in having the lacinia mobilis with three teeth, and the pereopod 1 carpus with 0,1 or 1,1 ventral simple setae proximal to each spiniform seta. We redescribed and synonymized two species of questionable affiliation, Apseudes cooperi and A. digitalis, placing them in Halmyrapseudes, and partly redescribed Halmyrapseudes killaiyensis. Halmyrapseudes and Pseudohalmyrapseudes have disjunct distributions. Halmyrapseudes is similar in distribution to two freshwater fish taxa whose distributions are considered to reflect the breakup of Gondwana and subsequent continental drift. Pseudohalmyrapseudes occurs around Australia, and its distribution seems to be separated from that of Halmyrapseudes by Wallace’s Line or Huxley’s Line, which are distributional barriers for both terrestrial organisms and an amphidromous shrimp. The adjacent distributions and morphological similarities suggest that Halmyrapseudes and Pseudohalmyrapseudes are sister taxa.

Keywords: Tanaidacea, Halmyrapseudes, new species, mangrove, Thailand, Gondwana, Wallace’s Line, Huxley’s Line

Keiichi Kakui and Saowapa Angsupanich. 2013. Description of three species of Halmyrapseudes (Crustacea: Tanaidacea: Parapseudidae), with a Discussion of Biogeography. Zootaxa. 3736(4):345–367. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3736.4.3

ม.อ.ค้นพบ “สัตว์พื้นใต้น้ำ” ชนิดใหม่ คล้ายกุ้งขนาดเล็ก บริเวณเกาะลิดี

http://www.manager.co.th/Campus/ViewNews.aspx?NewsID=9570000000464

[Invertebrate • 2012] Hirudinaria bpling • Phylogenetic Placement of A New Species of Asian Buffalo Leech (Arhynchobdellida: Hirudinidae), and Confirmation of Human- Mediated Dispersal of A Congener to the Caribbean

ปลิงควาย Hirudinaria bpling Phillips 2012
from Phang-Nga, peninsular Thailand

ABSTRACT

A new species of the genus Hirudinaria from Thailand is distinguished from its congeners by the dorsal colour pattern and reproductive structures. Scanning electron microscopy provided novel information on the jaw morphology of Hirudinaria bpling, sp. nov. and also of the previously described Hirudinaria manillensis. During the study, the genus name Hirudinaria in reference to leeches was found to be a homonym and, in this case, precedence is reversed. Phylogenetic analyses based on the nuclear genes 18S rDNA and 28S rDNA as well as the mitochondrial genes 12S rDNA and cytochrome c oxidase I, supported the new species as nested within the monophyletic genus Hirudinaria. Two individuals from the Caribbean, nominally identified as H. manillensis, included in the phylogenetic analyses were strongly supported as members of that species.

Anna J Phillips. 2012. Phylogenetic Placement of A New Species of Asian Buffalo Leech (Arhynchobdellida: Hirudinidae), and Confirmation of Human- Mediated Dispersal of A Congener to the Caribbean. Invertebrate Systematics. 26:293-302. 

DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1071/IS12004 http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/IS12004.htm

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259366237_Phylogenetic_placement_of_a_new_species_of_Asian_buffalo_leech_%28Arhynchobdellida__Hirudinidae%29_and_confirmation_of_human-_mediated_dispersal_of_a_congener_to_the_Caribbean

[Invertebrate • 2012] ตะขาบม่วงจิ๋วสิมิลัน | Sterropristes violaceus • Revision of the Rare Centipede Genus Sterropristes Attems, 1934, with Description of A New Species from Thailand (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae)

A, B.: Sterropristes metallicus (Verhoeff, 1937) from Penang Hill, Penang, Malaysia
C. Sterropristes violaceus Muadsub & Panha 2012 | ตะขาบม่วงจิ๋วสิมิลัน

from islands in the Andaman Sea, south-western Thailand

ABSTRACT 

The genus Sterropristes Attems, 1934, currently classified in the scolopendrid subfamily Otostigminae and tribe Sterropristinae, is revised. The monotypic genus Malaccolabis Verhoeff, 1937, is synonymized with Sterropristes. S. sarasinorum Attems, 1934 from Tomohon, Celebes, Indonesia (type species of Sterropristes) and S. metallicus (Verhoeff, 1937) from Penang Hill, Penang, Malaysia (type species of Malaccolabis) are redescribed based on their type material, together with newly collected topotypes of S. metallicus. Sterropristes violaceus Muadsub and Panha n. sp., found under leaves on islands in the Andaman Sea, south-western Thailand, is described.

Keywords: Revision, Systematics, Taxonomy, Malaysia, Morphology, Myriapoda

Sawitree Muadsub, Chirasak Sutcharit, Piyatida Pimvichai, Henrik Enghoff, Gregory D. Edgecombe and Somsak Panha. 2012. Revision of the Rare Centipede Genus Sterropristes Attems, 1934, with Description of A New Species from Thailand (Chilopoda: Scolopendromorpha: Scolopendridae). Zootaxa. 3484:35-52.

http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/z03484p052f.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236009665_Revision_of_the_rare_centipede_genus_Sterropristes_Attems_1934_with_description_of_a_new_species_from_Thailand_(Chilopoda_Scolopendromorpha_Scolopendridae)

สาวิตรี หมวดทรัพย์: อนุกรมวิธานของตะขาบอันดับ Scolopendromorpha ในพื้นที่จังหวัดพังงา (TAXONOMY OF CENTIPEDES ORDER SCOLOPENDROMORPHA IN PHANG NGA PROVINCE AREAS) อ. ที่ปรึกษาวิทยานิพนธ์หลัก: ศ. ดร. สมศักดิ์ ปัญหา, อ. ที่ปรึกษาวิทยานิพนธ์ร่วม: Prof. Henrik Enghoff, Ph.D., 113 หน้า. 

รายงานฉบับสมบูรณ์ การสํารวจทรัพยากรกายภาพชีวภาพ คณะปฏิบัติงานวิทยาการ อพ.สธ.

[โครงการอนุรักษ์พันธุกรรมพืชอันเนื่องมาจากพระราชดําริ สมเด็จพระเทพรัตนราชสุดาฯ สยามบรมราชกุมารี]

  พื้นที่อุทยานแห่งชาติหมู่เกาะสิมิลัน ต. เกาะพระทอง อ. คุระบุรี จ. พังงา พ.ศ. 2553

http://www.dnp.go.th/otec/Research_permit/uploads/final_5310802.pdf