[Botany • 2019] Begonia austroyunnanensis (Begoniaceae) • A New Species of Begonia from Yunnan, China

Begonia austroyunnanensis W.G.Wang, H.C.Xi & J.Y.Shen

 滇南秋海棠  ||  in Wang, Xi, Ma, et al., 2019.

  Taiwania. 64(4).  tai2.ntu.edu.tw/taiwania

 facebook.com/TaiwaniaOffice

Abstract

Begonia austroyunnanensis, a new species from Yunnan (China) is described and illustrated. This new species is similar to B. subhowii in having short erect stems, obliquely ovate leaves and white flowers, but can be distinguished by its stem, petioles and peduncle having conspicuous, red, linear dots and the much longer abaxial wing of the capsule. A detailed description, data on distribution, ecology and an illustration are provided.

Keyword: Begonia, Begoniaceae, New taxon, Taxonomy, Western China, Yunan

Fig 1. Begonia austroyunnanensis W.G.Wang, H.C.Xi & J.Y.Shen
A. Habitat; B. Habit; C. Blooming mature individual; D. Red arrows showing red linelar dots on the rhizome, stem, petiole, peduncle and pedicel; E. Red arrows showing sparsely simple minute adpressed hairs on the stem; F, G. Both side of leaves; H. Inflorescence; I. Stipules; J, K. Bracts; L, M, N. Staminate flowers; O. Showing bracteoles of the pistillate flower; P, Q. Pistillate flower and dissection; R. Capsules; S. Cross-section of ovary.

(Photos: A, B. by J.Y.Shen; C–L, O, R, S. by W.G.Wang; M, N, P, Q. by H.B.Ding)

Begonia austroyunnanensis W.G.Wang, H.C.Xi & J.Y.Shen, sp. nov.

 滇南秋海棠

 The new species is similar to B. subhowii S. H. Huang in having short erect stems, obliquely ovate leaves, and white flowers, but can be distinguished by its its stem, petioles, and peduncle having conspicuous, red, linear dots and the much longer abaxial wing of the capsule.

Etymology: The specific epithet “austroyunnanensis” refers to the type locality in southern Yunnan. Chinese name is proposed here as“滇南秋海棠” (滇南- refer to the southern Yunnan province, 秋海棠- refer to Begonia).

Wen-Guang Wang, Hou-Cheng Xi, Xing-Da Ma, Li-Ju Jiang, Xiao-Jing Wang, Ji-Pu Shi and Jian-Yong Shen. 2019. Begonia austroyunnanensis, A New Species of Begonia (Begoniaceae) from Yunnan, China. Taiwania. 64(4); 363-366. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2019.64.363

 tai2.ntu.edu.tw/taiwania/abstract.php?type=abstract&id=1635

 facebook.com/TaiwaniaOffice/photos/2337465483141934

[Paleontology • 2019] Orientalosuchus naduongensis • A New Alligatoroid from the Eocene of Vietnam highlights An Extinct Asian Clade Independent from Extant Alligator sinensis

Orientalosuchus naduongensis

Massonne​, Vasilyan, Rabi & Böhme, 2019

 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7562

Abstract 

During systematic paleontological surveys in the Na Duong Basin in North Vietnam between 2009 and 2012, well-preserved fossilized cranial and postcranial remains belonging to at least 29 individuals of a middle to late Eocene (late Bartonian to Priabonian age (39–35 Ma)) alligatoroid were collected. Comparative anatomical study of the material warrants the diagnosis of a new taxon, Orientalosuchus naduongensis gen. et sp. nov. The combined presence of an enlarged fifth maxillary tooth, prominent preorbital ridges, a large supraoccipital exposure on the skull table, a palatine-pterygoid suture anterior to the posterior end of the suborbital fenestra, and a pterygoid forming a neck surrounding the choana is unique to this species. Unlike previous phylogenies, our parsimony analysis recovers a monophyletic Late Cretaceous to Paleogene East to Southeastern Asian alligatoroid group, here named Orientalosuchina. The group includes Orientalosuchus naduongensis, Krabisuchus siamogallicus, Eoalligator chunyii, Jiangxisuchus nankangensis and Protoalligator huiningensis, all of them sharing a medial shifted quadrate foramen aerum. The recognition of this clade indicates at least two separate dispersal events from North America to Asia: one during the Late Cretaceous by Orientalosuchina and one by the ancestor of Alligator sinensis during the Paleogene or Neogene, the timing of which is poorly constrained.

Figure 2: Skull of Orientalosuchus naduongensis (GPIT/RE/09761) (holotype), Na Duong Formation, upper Eocene, Vietnam.
Skull in dorsal (A and B) and ventral (C and D) view.

 Abbreviations: ai, atlas intercentrum; an, angular; ar, articular; bo, basioccipital; bs, basisphenoid; ch, choana; d, dentary; d4, dentary tooth 4; emf, external mandibular fenestra; eo, exoccipital; ect, ectopterygoid; f, frontal; fo, foramen; fae, foramen aerum; hu, humerus; if, incisive foramen; itf, infratemporal fenestra; j, jugal; l, lacrimal; mx, maxilla; mx5, maxilla tooth 5; n, nasal; oc, occipital condylus; p, parietal; pf, prefrontal; pal, palatine; pmx, premaxilla; po, postorbital; pt, pterygoid; q, quadratum; qj, quadratojugal; sa, surangular; so, supraoccipital; sp, splenial; sq, squamosal; stf, supratemporal fenestra. Scale = 5 cm.

Figure 3: Skull of Orientalosuchus naduongensis (GPIT/RE/09730), Na Duong Formation, upper Eocene, Vietnam.
Skull in dorsal (A and B) and ventral (C and D) view.

Abbreviations: ect, ectopterygoid; f, frontal; if, incisive foramen; j, jugal; l, lacrimal; mx, maxilla; mx5, maxilla tooth 5; n, nasal; pal, palatine; pf, prefrontal; pmx, premaxilla; pmx5, premaxilla tooth 5; po, postorbital; pob, postorbital bar; pt, pterygoid. Scale = 5 cm.

 Orientalosuchus naduongensis gen. et sp. nov.

Orientalosuchus

Etymology: The name Orientalosuchus refers to the Latin word “oriens” for “east” and “suchus” the old Greek word “soukhos” for “crocodile.”

Orientalosuchus naduongensis

Etymology: The species name “naduongensis” refers to the Na Duong coal mine type locality in northeastern Vietnam.

Diagnosis: Orientalosuchus naduongensis is diagnosed by the combination of the following characters: notch between the premaxilla and maxilla; dominant maxillary ridge alongside the nasal; the fifth maxillary tooth is the largest maxillary tooth; anterior tip of frontal is acute and projects between the nasal bones; small supratemporal fenestra; large supraoccipital exposure preventing the parietal from reaching the posterior skull table in adults; quadrate foramen aerum lies on the dorsomedial angle of the quadrate; large suborbital fenestrae reaching anteriorly the level of the seventh to eighth maxillary tooth; maxilla-palatine suture forms an obtuse angle and not reaching beyond the anterior end of the suborbital fenestra; palatine-pterygoid suture lies anterior to the posterior end of the suborbital fenestra; pterygoid forms a neck surrounding the choana; dentary tooth row with only 16 teeth; laterally compressed posterior teeth; very small external mandibular fenestra; foramen aerum at the lingual margin of the retroarticular process; axis with a hypapophysis that is located near the center of the centrum; coracoid with a very large glenoid; iliac blade with a rectangular posterior outline and a dorsal indentation; dorsal osteoderms with no or only modest ridge.

...

Conclusions: 

Parsimony analysis finds the new late Eocene taxon from Vietnam, Orientalosuchus naduongensis, as the sister taxon to Krabisuchus siamogallicus from the Eocene of Thailand. Together they form a monophyletic extinct basal East to Southeastern Asian alligatoroid clade of Late Cretaceous origin that also included Jiangxisuchus nankangensis, Eoalligator chunyii and Protoalligator huiningensis. The current phylogeny supports at least two different dispersals from North America to Eastern Asia: one during the Late Cretaceous (Orientalosuchina) and a second during the Cenozoic (Alligator sinensis lineage). Improved fossil calibrations and taxon sampling will be vital for further constraining the timing and resolving the climatic/paleogeographical context of these dispersals.

Tobias Massonne​, Davit Vasilyan, Márton Rabi and Madelaine Böhme. 2019. A New Alligatoroid from the Eocene of Vietnam highlights An Extinct Asian Clade Independent from Extant Alligator sinensis. PeerJ. 7:e7562. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7562

[Herpetology • 2019] Polypedates bengalensis • A New Species of Polypedates Tschudi, 1838 (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from West Bengal State, Eastern India

Polypedates bengalensis  

Purkayastha, Das, Mondal, Mitra, Chaudhuri & Das, 2019

‘Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog’ || DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.6 

 ‘Khoyeri Daag Gecho Bang’ ||  facebook.com/MailJayaditya

Abstract

A new species of frog belonging to the genus Polypedates Tschudi is described from the state of West Bengal, Eastern India. A mid-sized frog, SVL ranges from 47.9–53.6 mm in males and 72.0 mm in the single female. The species is diagnosable in showing the following suite of characters: digits lack webbing, inner and outer metacarpal tubercles present; no dermal fold on forearm; toes webbed, webbing formula I1–1 II0.5–2III1–2IV2–0.5V; an inner metatarsal tubercle present; tibio-tarsal articulation reaches between eye and nostril; and skin on forehead co-ossified to cranium. Additionally, males possess paired vocal sacs. The new species is compared with known species of the genus Polypedates.

Keywords: Amphibia, West Bengal, India, Polypedates, new species, 16s rRNA

FIGURE 2. Holotype of Polypedates bengalensis sp. nov. (V/A/NERC/1448) from 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India.

Polypedates bengalensis sp. nov.

Etymology. The specific epithet bengalensis is proposed, referring on to the type locality of the species located in the West Bengal State of India. 

Suggested vernacular name. The vernacular names suggested for the new species are ‘Khoyeri Daag Gecho Bang’ and ‘Brown Blotched Bengal Tree Frog’, in Bengali and English, respectively. 

Jayaditya Purkayastha, Madhurima Das, Kingshuk Mondal, Shibajee Mitra, Anirban Chaudhuri and Indraneil Das. 2019. A New Species of Polypedates Tschudi, 1838 (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from West Bengal State, Eastern India. Zootaxa. 4691(5); 525–540. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.6

facebook.com/MailJayaditya/posts/10217613931512631

Researchers discover new frog species in West Bengal | India News, The Indian Express indianexpress.com/article/india/researchers-discover-new-frog-species-in-bengal-6102971/ via @IndianExpress

[Paleontology • 2019] Palaemon aestuarius • The First Amber Caridean Shrimp from Mexico Reveals the Ancient Adaptation of the Palaemon to the Mangrove Estuary Environment

Palaemon aestuarius 

 Du, Chen, Li, et al., 2019.

 nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51218-5

Abstract

The aquatic and semiaquatic invertebrates in fossiliferous amber have been reported, including taxa in a wide range of the subphylum Crustacea of Arthropoda. However, no caridean shrimp has been discovered so far in the world. The shrimp Palaemon aestuarius sp. nov. (Palaemonidae) preserved in amber from Chiapas, Mexico during Early Miocene (ca. 22.8 Ma) represents the first and the oldest amber caridean species. This finding suggests that the genus Palaemon has occupied Mexico at least since Early Miocene. In addition, the coexistence of the shrimp, a beetle larva, and a piece of residual leaf in the same amber supports the previous explanations for the Mexican amber depositional environment, in the tide-influenced mangrove estuary region.

Figure 1: Morphological photographs of Palaemon aestuarius sp. nov. (a) Detail of cephalothorax in lateral view. (b) General view in ateral view.

Fl, flagellum; Ro, rostrum; Ey, eyestalk; Co, cornea; Bg, branchiostegal groove; Bs, branchiostegal spine; Sc, scaphocerite; Mp3, third maxillipede; P1, first pereiopod; P3, third pereiopod; P4, forth pereiopod; P5, fifth pereiopod; Pm1, first pleomere; Pm2, second pleomere; Pm3, third pleomere; Pm4, forth pleomere; Pm5, fifth pleomere; Pm6, sixth pleomere; Te, telson; Ur, uropod. Scale bar, 2 mm. 

Systematic palaeontology

Order Decapoda Latreille, 1802

Suborder Dendrobranchiata Bate, 1888

Infrorder Caridea Dana, 1852

Superfamily Palaemonoidea Rafinesque, 1815

Family Palaemonidae Rafinesque, 1815

Subfamily Palaemoninae Rafinesque, 1815

Genus Palaemon Weber, 1795

Palaemon aestuarius sp. nov. 

Holotype: STJ172. All length measurements are recorded in mm. Total length: 10.3, carapace length: 2.6, rostrum length: 2.2, abdomen length: 4.77, telson length: 1.28 (Figs 1a, b, 2 and S1). The materal deposited in the the Paleo-diary Museum of Natural History, Beijing, China.

Type locality/horizon: Campo La Granja mine, Simojovel de Allende town, Chiapas, southeastern Mexico (Early Miocene, c. 22.8 Ma)16,19.

Diagnosis: Rostrum without elevated basal crest, faintly convex in the middle, dorsal margin with nine teeth including one postorbital tooth, basal four teeth evenly distributed, the distance between them greater than the intervals of other teeth. Carapace smooth, branchiostegal groove extended longitudinally backward; branchiostegal spine sharp, situated on anterior margin of cephalon; hepatic spine absent. Length of non-chelate pereiopods increasing gradually from third to fifth; ischium slightly longer than the length of propodus, about 2–3 times as long as carpus, merus longest, dactylus the shortest, apices inwardly hooklike.

Etymology: The specific name comes from the Latinization “estuary” where the shrimp inhabited.

Remarks: P. aestuarius sp. nov. resembles Palaemon vesolensis Bravi, Coppa, Garassino & Patricelli, 1999, the difference between them in: P. aestuarius sp. nov. with nine teeth on the dorsal margin, carapace bearing prominent branchiostegal groove; but the P. vesolensis with seven dorsal teeth, carapace without traces of grooves.

Figure 2: Reconstruction of habitus of Palaemon aestuarius sp. nov. (lateral view). The abbreviations represent the same morphological characteristics as the Fig. 1. Scale bar, 2 mm.

Bao-Jie Du, Rui Chen, Xin-Zheng Li, Wen-Tao Tao, Wen-Jun Bu, Jin-Hua Xiao and Da-Wei Huang. 2019.  The First Amber Caridean Shrimp from Mexico Reveals the Ancient Adaptation of the Palaemon to the Mangrove Estuary Environment. Scientific Reports. 9; 14782. nature.com/articles/s41598-019-51218-5

[Arachnida • 2019] Description of Two New Species of Progonyleptoidellus (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), with A Cladistic Analysis of the Genus, An Overview of Relationships in the K92 Group, and Taxonomic Notes on Deltaspidium

Progonyleptoidellus striatus (Roewer, 1913)

in Benedetti & Pinto-da-Rocha, 2019. 

 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.3

Abstract

As part of an ongoing revision and cladistic analysis of the “K92 clade” (Gonyleptidae), the Brazilian genus Progonyleptoidellus Piza, 1940 is revised and two new species from São Paulo State are described: P. bocaina sp. nov. and P. picinguaba sp. nov. A cladistic analysis of the genus was performed using these two new species plus the three previously described species of the genus [P. fuscopictus (B. Soares, 1942); P. orguensis (Soares & Soares, 1954); and P. striatus (Roewer, 1913)], and 25 more additional gonyleptoid outgroup species, most being representatives of the K92 clade. The data matrix is composed of 109 characters: three from the ocularium, 24 from the dorsal scutum, six from the free tergites, nine from the pedipalp, 41 from the legs and 26 from male genitalia. The genus Progonyleptoidellus was recovered as monophyletic only with the exclusion of P. orguensis and was supported on the basis of only one exclusive synapomorphy: presence of dry-marks on sulci of dorsal scutum. Based on the cladistic analysis, P. orguensis was reallocated in Deltaspidium Roewer, 1927, herein considered a senior synonym of Adhynastes Roewer, 1930, and two new combinations are proposed: Deltaspidium orguense (Soares & Soares, 1954) and Deltaspidium tenue (Roewer, 1930). Diagnoses are given for Progonyleptoidellus, the previously described species, (P. fuscopictus and P. striatus) and the two new species.

Keywords: Opiliones, taxonomy, systematics, Neotropical fauna, Progonyleptoidellinae, Gonyleptinae, K92

 Alípio R. Benedetti and Ricardo Pinto-da-Rocha. 2019. Description of Two New Species of Progonyleptoidellus (Opiliones: Gonyleptidae), with A Cladistic Analysis of the Genus, An Overview of Relationships in the K92 Group, and Taxonomic Notes on Deltaspidium. Zootaxa. 4691(5); 461–490. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.3

[Ichthyology • 2019] Akheilos suwartanai • A New Genus and Species of Catshark (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from eastern Indonesia

 Akheilos suwartanai  

White, Fahmi & Weigmann, 2019 

Ambon Catshark  || DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.2

  twitter.com/WillWhitesharks 

Abstract

A new genus and species of catshark is described based on a single specimen collected off Ambon in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. Akheilos suwartanai belongs to the subfamily Schroederichthyinae which differs from the other catsharks in a combination of: similar sized dorsal fins, supraorbital crests present, pseudosiphon present on claspers, broad subocular ridges under eyes, posterior nasal flaps present, tips of rostral cartilage fused into a rostral node. It represents the first record of this subfamily outside of the Americas. Akheilos differs from the other genus in the subfamily, Schroederichthys in a combination of: clasper groove not fused dorsally, ventral lobe of caudal fin produced, more intestinal valve turns, anal fin slightly larger than second dorsal fin, and in colour pattern.

Keywords: Pisces, Schroederichthys, Schroederichthyinae, new genus, new species, catshark, Indonesia

Figure 1. Akheilos suwartanai n. sp., holotype, MZB 18227, adult male, 537 mm TL, in (A) lateral, (B) dorsal and (C) ventral views.

Family Scyliorhinidae Gill, 1862 

Subfamily Schroedericthyinae Compagno, 1988 

Genus Akheilos n. gen. White, Fahmi & Weigmann

Etymology. Name comes from the Greek mythological sea daemon Akheilos who was a handsome boy transformed into a shark by the goddess Aphrodite as punishment for his boasting that he was more beautiful than her.

Akheilos suwartanai White, Fahmi & Weigmann, n. sp. 

Ambon Catshark

Etymology. Named after the first director of the Research and Development Center of Oceanology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) in Ambon, Atjep Suwartana.

William T. White, Fahmi Fahmi and Simon Weigmann. 2019. A New Genus and Species of Catshark (Carcharhiniformes: Scyliorhinidae) from eastern Indonesia. Zootaxa. 4691(5); 444–460. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4691.5.2  

twitter.com/WillWhitesharks/status/1191166718892101632

[Herpetology • 2016] Geophis lorancai • A New Species of Earth Snake (Dipsadidae, Geophis) from Mexico

Geophis lorancai 

Canseco-Márquez, Pavón-Vázquez, Lòpez-Luna & Nieto-Montes de Oca, 2016

 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.610.8605 

Abstract

A new species of the Geophis dubius group is described from the mountains of the Sierra Zongolica in west-central Veracruz and the Sierra de Quimixtlán in central-east Puebla. The new species is most similar to G. duellmani and G. turbidus, which are endemic to the mountains of northern Oaxaca and the Sierra Madre Oriental of Puebla and Hidalgo, respectively. However, the new species differs from G. duellmani by the presence of postocular and supraocular scales and from G. turbidus by having a bicolor dorsum. With the description of the new species, the species number in the genus increases to 50 and to 12 in the G. dubius group. Additionally, a key to the species of the G. dubius group is provided.

Keywords: Dipsadidae, Geophis dubius group, Geophis duellmani, Geophis turbidus, Mexico, New species, Puebla, Veracruz

Figure 3. Coloration in Geophis lorancai: A adult male paratype (MZFC 28402), photo by Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca; and B type series.

Geophis lorancai sp. n.

   

Diagnosis: A member of the Geophis dubius group characterized by the following combination of traits: eye relatively small (see below); single supraocular and postocular present on each side; fifth supralabial and parietal in contact; mental scale and anterior chinshields in contact; smooth dorsal scales throughout the body arranged in 17 rows; ventrals 130, n = 1, in females, and 125–130, n = 7, in males; subcaudals in males 33–35, n = 5; dorsal body and tail pattern consisting of dark crossbands on a paler, red-orange background; reddish orange venter; maxillary teeth 7.

....

Etymology: The specific name is treated as a noun in the genitive case and honors Biologist Miguel Ángel de la Torre Loranca, who obtained most of the specimens of the new species from the Sierra de Zongolica.

Figure 1. Distribution of the species of the Geophis dubius group. Bold lines represent country limits and narrow lines limits of Mexican states.

 Luis Canseco-Márquez, Carlos J. Pavón-Vázquez, Marco Antonio Lòpez-Luna and Adrian Nieto-Montes de Oca. 2016. A New Species of Earth Snake (Dipsadidae, Geophis) from Mexico. ZooKeys.  610: 131-145. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.610.8605

[Botany • 2019] Agave garciaruizii (Asparagaceae) • A New Species from the Chorros del Varal State Reserve in western Mexico

Agave garciaruizii A. Vázquez, Hernández-Vera & Padilla-Lepe

in Hernández-Vera, Vázquez-García, Padilla-Lepe & Nieves-Hernández, 2019. 

DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.422.3.7 

 facebook.com/inicio1914

Abstract

A new species named Agave garciaruizii is described and illustrated here. A. garciaruizii is endemic to tropical dry forest in the Itzícuaro and Apupátaro river canyons in the Chorros del Varal State Reserve, at the southern border of the states of Jalisco and Michoacán, México. It belongs to the subgenus Littaea and to the Marginatae species group and is morphologically related to A. angustiarum and A. impressa, but differs from these species in some features of leaves, inflorescences and infructescences. Its conservation status was assessed as Endangered (EN). Additionally, morphological evidence was provided in support of A. arcedianoensis as a species distinct from A. angustiarum. A key to morphologically and geographically closely related species in the Marginatae group is presented.

Keywords: Agavoideae, Agavaceae, Nueva Galicia, Los Reyes de Salgado, Santa María del Oro, Monocots

FIGURE 2. Agave garciaruizii.
A. Habit. B. Flower buds. C. Developing flower. D. Fully grown flower. E. Withered flower. F. Developing gynoecium. G. Capsules. H. Portion of flowering stem. I. Nearly mature capsules. J. Dehisced capsules. K. Leaves. L. Leaf with marginal teeth. M. Basal peduncular bracts.

A–F, H, K and L–M from the type material. J from Vázquez-García 10140b. 

Drawing by Esau Vázquez Verdejo.

FIGURE 3. Agave garciaruizii in the Itzícuaro River canyon, Manuel M. Diéguez, near the southern border between Jalisco and Michoacán.
A–B, Rosette, C–D Leaves. E. Spine, F. Gerardo Hernández near a small rosette. G–H. Leaf margin and teeth variability.

A, C & H from Hernández-Vera 72 (field labeled: p29-3); B, D–E & G from Hernández-Vera 69 (field labeled; p28-1).

Photographs A–E and G–H by Gerardo Hernández-Vera, Sep. 2002; and F by M. Cházaro, September 2002.

FIGURE 4. Agave garciaruizii in the Río Apupátaro (also known as Palo Verde) canyon.
 A. Flowers. B. Flower buds. C. Flower bud, D. Opening flower. E. Flower fully extended. F. Habit in flower, hold by Ignacio García-Ruiz, with a waterfall of the Río Apupátaro in the background and Bursera in the front. G. Jesús Padilla-Lepe holding the flowering segment of the inflorescence.

All pictures from the type material. Photographs: A–E, G. by J. A. Vázquez-García, March 2017; F by J. Padilla-Lepe, March 2017.

FIGURE 5. Agave garciaruizii A. Developing fruits, B. Dehisced fruits, C. Flower after anthesis, D. Initial development of fruits, E. Opened capsules. F. Rosettes in their habitat. G. Past flowering, coexisting with Senecio sp.

B–E from Vázquez-García 10140b. C–D from the type material. Photograph A & G. by Ignacio García-Ruiz, March 2017; B–F by J. A. Vázquez-García, March 2017.

Agave garciaruizii A. Vázquez, Hernández-Vera & Padilla-Lepe sp. nov.

Eponymy:— The species is named after Ignacio García-Ruiz, distinguished botanist who advocated the study of the flora of Michoacán and senior author of the flora of the Chorros del Varal State Reserve, where this species was discovered. 

 Gerardo Hernández-Vera, J. Antonio Vázquez-García, Jesús Padilla-Lepe and Gregorio Nieves-Hernández. 2019. Agave garciaruizii (Asparagaceae) A New Species from the Chorros del Varal State Reserve in western Mexico. Phytotaxa. 422(3); 273–288. DOI:  10.11646/phytotaxa.422.3.7

 researchgate.net/publication/336891948_Agave_garciaruizii_a_new_species_from_western_Mexico

facebook.com/inicio1914/posts/10216779855183620 

Resumen: Se describe e ilustra una especie nueva llamada Agave garciaruizii. A. garciaruizii es endémica del bosque seco tropical en los cañones de los ríos Itzícuaro y Apupátaro en la Reserva Estatal Chorros del Varal, en el límite sur de los estados de Jalisco y Michoacán, México. Pertenece al subgénero Littaea y al grupo de especies Marginatae. La especie propuesta está relacionada morfológicamente con A. angustiarum y A. impressa, pero difiere de estas especies en algunas características de las hojas, inflorescencias e infructescencias. Su estado de conservación fue evaluado como En Peligro (EN). Además, se proporcionó evidencia morfológica en apoyo de A. arcedianoensis como una especie distinta de A. angustiarum. Se presenta una clave para las especies relacionadas morfológicamente y geográficamente en el grupo Marginatae.

 

[Paleontology • 2019] The First Tertiary Fossils of Mammals, Turtles, and Fish from Canada's Yukon

Tertiary Paleoenvironment in Yukon, Canada.

Rhinocerotidae, Chrysemys pond turtle, Hesperotestudo tortoise, and Esox pike

in Eberle, Hutchison, Kennedy, et al., 2019. 

DOI: 10.1206/3943.1

Illustration: Julius Csotonyi digitallibrary.amnh.org

Abstract

Despite over a century of prospecting and field research, fossil vertebrates are exceedingly rare in Paleogene and Neogene rocks in northern Canada's Yukon Territory. Here, we describe the first records of probable Neogene vertebrate fossils from the territory, including tooth fragments of a rhinocerotid, a partial calcaneum of an artiodactyl, shell fragments of the pond turtle Chrysemys s.l. and tortoise Hesperotestudo, and a fragment of a palatine of Esox (pike). Although the tooth fragments cannot be identified solely by traditional paleontological means, we use tooth enamel microstructure, and primarily the presence of vertical Hunter-Schreger bands, to refer them to the Rhinocerotidae. As the only known record of the Rhinocerotidae in North America's western Arctic, the tooth fragments from the Wolf Creek site support the hypothesis that the clade dispersed between Asia and North America across Beringia. The fossils are consistent with a Miocene age for the Wolf Creek site that is inferred from radiometric dates of the Miles Canyon basalt flows in the vicinity of the fossil locality. Further, the tortoise and pond turtle fossils indicate a mild climate in the Yukon at the time, consistent with the vegetation reconstructions of others that indicate a warmer, wetter world in the Miocene than today.

FIGURE 9. A–B. Tangential section of YG514.12 (uncoated) viewed under a light microscope showing the bifurcating vertical HSB. A. Light source from top. B. Light source from bottom. C. SEM image of tangential section. D. Magnified bifurcation in region encompassed by white square in C, showing the steeply angled prisms comprising the HSB; transitional zones are the light-colored edges of the bifurcation. E. Magnified SEM image showing narrow transitional zone of horizontal prisms flanked by the steeply angled prisms that make up the vertical HSB. F. Vertical section of outer enamel showing the radial enamel wherein the prisms rise at a shallow angle toward the OES. Abbreviation: OES, outer enamel surface.

an ancient relative of today's rhinoceroses splashing through a stream next to turtles and fish in the Yukon.

Illustration: Julius Csotonyi

Jaelyn Eberle, J. Howard Hutchison, Kristen Kennedy, Wighart Von Koenigswald, Ross D.E. MacPhee and Grant Zazula. 2019. The First Tertiary Fossils of Mammals, Turtles, and Fish from Canada's Yukon. American Museum Novitates. (3943); 1-28. DOI: 10.1206/3943.1 

digitallibrary.amnh.org/handle/2246/6967

Ancient rhinos roamed the Yukon phys.org/news/2019-10-ancient-rhinos-roamed-yukon.html via @physorg_com

[PaleoMammalogy • 2019] Petaurista tetyukhensis • The First Fossil Petaurista (Mammalia: Sciuridae) from the Russian Far East and Its Paleogeographic Significance

Petaurista tetyukhensis  Tiunov & Gimranov, 2019

Petaurista leucogenys Temminck, 1827

DOI: 10.1016/j.palwor.2019.05.007 

Abstract

For the first time in the south of the Russian Far East in the Late Pleistocene cave deposits, fragments of the giant flying squirrel of the genus Petaurista were discovered. Petaurista tetyukhensis n. sp. is described based on a fragment of the upper jaw with two teeth and five isolated teeth from two cave locations. The main differences between the new species and living forms as well as other fossil species of the genus Petaurista are the absence of vertical groove on the lingual wall between the protocone and hypocone on M2, the absence of the anterior cross loph on the upper P4-M3, and the absence of mesoconids on lower, as a result of which the hypoflexid is not w-shaped. It is suggested that the Sikhote-Alin refugium allowed individual species to survive there during long unfavourable period of time and was the centre of speciation.

Keywords: New species, Giant flying squirrels, Late Pleistocene, Refugium, Sikhote-Alin

Systematic palaeontology 

Class Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758 

Order Rodentia Bowdich, 1821 

Family Sciuridae Hemprich, 1820 

Subfamily Sciurinae Fischer de Waldheim, 1817 

Tribe Pteromyini Brandt, 1855 

Genus Petaurista Link, 1795 

Occlusal view of RPRV–TetC–01, the fragmentary maxillae of Petaurista tetyukhensis n. sp., holotype.

Upper and lower cheek teeth of Petaurista tetyukhensis n. sp. 

Petaurista tetyukhensis n. sp. 

 Etymology: The species is named after type locality. The old name of Dalnegorsk Town (Tetyukhe) is used.

   

 Mikhail P. Tiunov and Dmitryi O. Gimranov. 2019. The First Fossil Petaurista (Mammalia: Sciuridae) from the Russian Far East and Its Paleogeographic Significance. Palaeoworld. In Press.  DOI: 10.1016/j.palwor.2019.05.007

New species of a giant flying squirrel discovered in the Far East of Russia

 siberiantimes.com/science/others/news/new-species-of-a-giant-flying-squirrel-discovered-in-the-far-east-of-russia/

[Paleontology • 2019] Xunmenglong yinliangis • A New Compsognathid Theropod Dinosaur from the Oldest Assemblage of the Jehol Biota in the Lower Cretaceous Huajiying Formation, northeastern China

Xunmenglong yinliangis 

Xing, Miyashita, Wang, Niu & Currie, 2019

DOI:  10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104285 

 twitter.com/pantheo27705718

Abstract

Compsognathids — long regarded as an assemblage of ‘prototypical’ small theropods including the historically significant Compsognathus and Sinosauropteryx — have patchy distributions. The majority of definitive members of the clade come from the Upper Jurassic Solnhofen Archipelago and the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation. Chronologically falling between these two major compsognathid localities, a new compsognathid described in this paper, Xunmenglong yinliangis gen. et sp. nov., occurs in the Huajiyin Formation of northeastern China. Xunmenglong is distinguished from other compsognathids by one autapomorphy (pedal phalanx IV-4 longer than IV-3) and a unique combination of postcranial traits, including the disproportionately long lower legs. Nested among the Jehol and Solnhofen compsognathids in a phylogenetic analysis, Xunmenglong is an intriguing addition to the known range and diversity of the clade. The taxon is stratigraphically the lowest among Asian compsognathids, and its holotype specimen is the smallest among compsognathids (unless Scipionyx is treated as a compsognathid). Questions remain about habitat preferences and diversification patterns of compsognathids, but Xunmenglong offers two broader implications. (1) As previously proposed on the basis of the diverse enanthiornithine assemblage, the Huajiying Formation may preserve the oldest fauna of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, which is distinct from the Late Jurassic Daohugou Biota and includes the Yixian Formation from which other Asian compsognathids were discovered. (2) Xunmenglong provides a useful calibration point with which to reconstruct biogeographic/stratigraphic patterns and to estimate allometric trends in the clade.

Figure 2. The holotype (YLSNHM-00005) of Xunmenglong yinliangis, gen. et sp. nov.
 (A, B) Photograph (A) and interpretive drawing (B) of the partial skeleton preserved on the main slab, YLSNHM-00005. (C, D) Photograph (C) and interpretive drawing (D) of the left hindlimb of YLSNHM-00005.

Theropoda Marsh, 1881 

Coelurosauria Huene, 1914 

Compsognathidae Cope, 1871 

Xunmenglong, gen. nov.

Type and only known species. Xunmenglong yinliangis, sp. nov.

Etymology. ‘Xunmeng,’ a Chinese Pinyin for being swift; ‘long’, Chinese Pinyin for dragon.

Xunmenglong yinliangis, sp. nov.

Etymology. ‘Yinliang’ after Yinliang Group, China. The Yinliang Stone Natural History Museum is operated by the philanthropic program of the founder (Liang Li), and is currently housed in the Global Stone Museum, Shuitou, Fujiang, China. 

 Lida Xing, Tetsuto Miyashita, Donghao Wang, Kechung Niu and Philip J. Currie. 2019. A New Compsognathid Theropod Dinosaur from the Oldest Assemblage of the Jehol Biota in the Lower Cretaceous Huajiying Formation, northeastern China. Cretaceous Research. 104285, In Press.  DOI:  10.1016/j.cretres.2019.104285 

 twitter.com/pantheo27705718/status/1188271087420788737