[Ornithology / Behaviour • 2013] Fight Club: a Unique Weapon in the Wing of the Solitaire, Pezophaps solitaria (Aves: Columbidae), an extinct flightless bird from Rodrigues, Mascarene Islands

A pair of male solitaires Pezophaps solitaria fight over territory
in the valley of Saint François, Rodrigues.

An artistic reconstruction by Julian P. Hume. |  http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bij.12087

Abstract

The solitaire (Columbidae; Pezophaps solitaria) of Rodrigues was an extinct giant flightless pigeon and the sister taxon to the dodo (Columbidae; Raphus cucullatus) from neighbouring Mauritius. The appearance and behaviour of the solitaire was recorded in detail by two observers before it became extinct in the mid 1700s. They described a prominent wing structure termed the ‘musket ball’ (carpal knob), which was used as a weapon and to produce an audible signal by either sex in territorial combat. Our study of subfossil solitaire bones from cave localities shows that the carpal knob formed after skeletal maturity, and reached its greatest size in adult males. We describe the morphology of the carpal knob, including its histology in thin section. It is an outgrowth of the processus extensorius of the carpometacarpus, but differs morphologically from homologous structures in other bird taxa, and thus is unique in Aves. We also compare the pectoral and wing osteology of the solitaire with that of the dodo, which had a similar morphology, but lacked any bony outgrowths on the wing. Furthermore, we suggest some biological and environmental factors leading to the evolution of this remarkable and unique carpal weapon.

Keywords: bird behaviour; intraspecific combat; Pezophaps solitaria; Raphus cucullatus; sexual dimorphism; territory

  

Carpometacarpus of male Pezophaps solitaria with carpal knob

Figure 4. Comparison of adult male and female carpometacarpi of P. solitaria, showing specimens with and without carpal knob. Left side, ventral aspect:
A, male without carpal knob (NHMUK PVA9044); B, male with carpal knob (NHMUK PVA3505);
C, female without carpal knob (NHMUK PVA9046); D, female with carpal knob (NHMUK PVA9045).

Scale bar = 10 mm. | http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bij.12087

Julian P. Hume & Lorna Steel. 2013. Fight Club: a unique weapon in the wing of the solitaire, Pezophaps solitaria (Aves: Columbidae), an extinct flightless bird from Rodrigues, Mascarene Islands. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bij.12087

http://www.sci-news.com/biology/article01122-rodrigues-solitaire-dodo.html

http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2013/may/angry-birds-unique-wing-weapon-revealed121659.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pezophaps

[Paleontology • 2013] Barbaturex morrisoni • Giant Lizards occupied Herbivorous Mammalian Ecospace during the Paleogene Greenhouse in Southeast Asia | 'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past in middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar

Barbaturex morrisoni | ‘King bearded Lizard’ 

The cast of a fossil piece (right) is part of the jaw bone of Barbaturex morrisoni and is only about a quarter of the entire jawbone. At left is the tip of the jaw bone, with Head of sailfin lizard Hydrosaurus sp.

Artist's rendition of Barbaturex morrisoni.

illustration: Angie Fox, Nebraska State Museum of Natural History, 

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Abstract

Mammals dominate modern terrestrial herbivore ecosystems, whereas extant herbivorous reptiles are limited in diversity and body size. The evolution of reptile herbivory and its relationship to mammalian diversification is poorly understood with respect to climate and the roles of predation pressure and competition for food resources. Here, we describe a giant fossil acrodontan lizard recovered with a diverse mammal assemblage from the late middle Eocene Pondaung Formation of Myanmar, which provides a historical test of factors controlling body size in herbivorous squamates. We infer a predominately herbivorous feeding ecology for the new acrodontan based on dental anatomy, phylogenetic relationships and body size. Ranking body masses for Pondaung Formation vertebrates indicates that the lizard occupied a size niche among the larger herbivores and was larger than most carnivorous mammals. Paleotemperature estimates of Pondaung Formation environments based on the body size of the new lizard are approximately 2–5°C higher than modern. These results indicate that competitive exclusion and predation by mammals did not restrict body size evolution in these herbivorous squamates, and elevated temperatures relative to modern climates during the Paleogene greenhouse may have resulted in the evolution of gigantism through elevated poikilothermic metabolic rates and in response to increases in floral productivity.

Keywords: Squamata, gigantism, herbivory, paleoclimate, Eocene

The cast of a fossil piece (right) is part of the jaw bone of Barbaturex morrisoni and is only about a quarter of the entire jawbone. At left is the tip of the jaw bone, with Head of sailfin lizard Hydrosaurus sp.
The lizard was researched by a team led by Jason Head, assistant professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The lizard roamed the earth 40 million years ago, was six feet long and weighed upward of 60 pounds.

Photo by Craig Chandler / University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Systematic Paleontology

Squamata Oppel 1811

Iguania Cuvier 1817

Acrodonta Cope 1864 sensu Estes et al. 1988

Barbaturex morrisoni gen. et sp. nov.

 Etymology: Barbatus (L) ‘bearded’ & rex, ‘king’, referring to the presence of ventral ridges along the mandible and giant size of the taxon. Species nomen honors Jim Morrison, vocalist and lizard king

Jason Head, assistant professor of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, holds a fossil and fossil cast from the jawbone of Barbaturex morrisoni, a giant ancient lizard. The lizard roamed Southeast Asia some 40 million years ago. On either side of Head are a mounted sailfin lizard and a skeleton of the modern Iguana.

Photo by Craig Chandler / University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Head, J. J., Gunnell, G. F., Holroyd, P. A., Hutchinson, J. H. & Ciochon, R. L. 2013. Giant lizards occupied herbivorous mammalian ecospace during the paleogene greenhouse in South East Asia. Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 20130665. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2013.0665

'Lizard King' fossil shows giant reptiles coexisted with mammals during globally warm past

Some 40 million years before rock singer Jim Morrison's lyrics earned him the moniker "the Lizard King," an actual king lizard roamed the hot tropical forests of Southeast Asia, competing with mammals for food and other resources.

http://newsroom.unl.edu/

"And what makes Barbaturex doubly remarkable is that it lived alongside a diverse assemblage of herbivorous, omnivorous and carnivorous mammals where – get this – it was one of the largest members of the fauna."

The Squamozoic actually happened (kind of): giant herbivorous lizards in the Paleogene

 http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/tetrapod-zoology/

[PaleoMammalogy • 2013] Archicebus achilles • The Oldest known Primate Skeleton and early Haplorhine Evolution | Tiny, Insect-eating Animal from Eocene of China becomes Earliest known Primate

The earliest known fossil primate, Archicebus achilles (depicted in illustration above), was probably a tiny, arboreal insectivore that was active during the day.

illustration: X. Ni/
Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology/
Chinese Academy of Sciences

Abstract

Reconstructing the earliest phases of primate evolution has been impeded by gaps in the fossil record, so that disagreements persist regarding the palaeobiology and phylogenetic relationships of the earliest primates. Here we report the discovery of a nearly complete and partly articulated skeleton of a primitive haplorhine primate from the early Eocene of China, about 55 million years ago, the oldest fossil primate of this quality ever recovered. Coupled with detailed morphological examination using propagation phase contrast X-ray synchrotron microtomography, our phylogenetic analysis based on total available evidence indicates that this fossil is the most basal known member of the tarsiiform clade. In addition to providing further support for an early dichotomy between the strepsirrhine and haplorhine clades, this new primate further constrains the age of divergence between tarsiiforms and anthropoids. It also strengthens the hypothesis that the earliest primates were probably diurnal, arboreal and primarily insectivorous mammals the size of modern pygmy mouse lemurs.

The skeleton of Archicebus achilles, is among the best-preserved examples of early primates.

The new fossil takes its name from the Greek arche (meaning beginning or first; the same root as archaeology) and the Greek kebos (meaning long-tailed monkey). The species name achilles (derived from the mythological Greek warrior achilles) highlights the new fossil's unusual ankle anatomy.

Illustration of an evolutionary tree, showing how Archicebus fits with respect to primate phylogeny.

by Mark A. Klingler/Carnegie Museum

The Archicebus skeleton is roughly 7 million years older than the previously known oldest fossil primate skeletons, which include Darwinius from Messel, Germany, and Notharctus from the Bridger Basin, Wyoming.

Archicebus is not the oldest primate, "this new species will significantly impact our understanding of what is primitive for the common ancestor of living primates," Mary Wilcox said, anthropologist of the University of Toronto Scarborough, Canada.

Xijun Ni, Daniel L. Gebo, Marian Dagosto, Jin Meng, Paul Tafforeau, John J. Flynn & K.Christopher Beard. 2013. The Oldest known Primate Skeleton and early Haplorhine Evolution. Nature. 

http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12200

Tiny, Insect-eating Animal becomes Earliest known Primate

Archicebus achilles lived 55m years ago in what is now China and is the ancestor of all monkeys, apes and humans

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-06/cmon-rad060313.php

http://www.livescience.com/37185-oldest-preserved-primate-skeleton-found.html

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/articles/475152/20130605/world-s-oldest-primate-human-evolution-ancestor.htm

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2013/jun/05/earliest-known-primate-archicebus-achilles

[Herpetology • 2013] Gracixalus waza | WAZA Treefrog • A new species of Gracixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae) from northern Vietnam

Gracixalus waza

Abstract

We describe a new species of small tree frog from northern Vietnam based on morphological differences and molecular divergence. Gracixalus waza sp. nov. is distinguishable from its congeners and other small rhacophorid species on the basis of a combination of the following characters: (1) size small (snout-vent length of males 27.1–32.9 mm, of females 37.6 mm); (2) head as wide as or wider than long; (3) vomerine teeth absent; (4) snout rounded and long (16–18 % of the snout-vent length); (5) spines on upper eyelid absent; (6) tibiotarsal projection absent; (7) dorsal skin smooth; (8) dermal fringes on forearm and tarsus absent; (9) dorsal surface of head and body greyish-green to moss-green with dark brown pattern forming an inverse Y marking; and (10) throat and chest with dark marbling. Our molecular data showed that the new species is nested in the same group with Gracixalus jinxiuensis sensu lato.

Truong Quang Nguyen, Minh Duc Le, Cuong The Pham, Tao Thien Nguyen, Michael Bonkowski and Thomas Ziegler. 2013. A new species of Gracixalus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from northern Vietnam. Organisms Diversity & Evolution. 13 (2): 203-214.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13127-012-0116-0

http://en.mava-foundation.org/?page_id=341

[Herpetology • 2013] Systematics of the caecilian family Chikilidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) with the description of three new species of Chikila from northeast India ; Chikila alcocki, C. darlong & C. gaiduwani

by S.D. Biju
: http://facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=477428005665005

Abstract

A taxonomic review of the monogeneric northeast Indian caecilian family Chikilidae is presented based on 64 specimens. Chikila fulleri (Alcock, 1904), known previously only from a single specimen collected more than 100 years ago, is rediagnosed and characterised based on recent collections. We describe three additional species new to science, Chikila alcocki sp. nov., Chikila darlong sp. nov., and Chikila gaiduwani sp. nov. This species-level taxonomy is consistent with mitochondrial DNA sequence data. A key to the species of Chikila is presented. 

Key words: DNA, herpetology, identification key, morphology, taxonomy

Kamei, R.G., Gower, D.J., Wilkinson, M. and Biju, S. D. 2013. Systematics of the caecilian family Chikilidae (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) with the description of three new species of Chikila from northeast India. Zootaxa. 3666(4): 401–435. 

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/z03666p435f.pdf

Kamei, R.G., San Mauro, D., Gower, D.J., Van Bocxlaer, I., Sherratt, E., Thomas, A., Babu. S., Bossuyt, S., Wilkinson, M. and Biju, S. D. 2012. Discovery of a new family of amphibians from northeast India with ancient links to Africa. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: 1-6. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2012.0150.

http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2012/02/2012-chikilidae.html

[PaleoOrnithology • 2009] Rapid Somatic Expansion Causes the Brain to Lag Behind: The Case of the Brain and Behavior of New Zealand's Haast's Eagle Harpagornis moorei

Haast's eagle Harpagornis moorei

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com

New Zealand's late Pleistocene and Holocene Haast's eagle (Harpagornis moorei) was the sole predator of the moa (Aves: Dinornithiformes) and the largest eagle so far described. Recent molecular evidence has hypothesised that it evolved from a much smaller Asian/Australian eagle witthhin tht past 1.8 my. Osteometrof the igh-reaolution spirol computed tomography of skeletal remains of Haast's eagle were used to determine morphological and functionally significant characteristics of the central and peripheral nervous system and sensory apparatuses and to test these against hypotheses about behavior and evolution based on molecular and external morphology. Compared with other accipitrids, Haast's eagle had a proportionally low endocranial volume for its body weight. There was no anatomical evidence to support the significant use of olfaction by Haast's eagle, as the olfactory bulb size and cross-sectional area of the olfactory nerve foramen were no larger than would be expected for Accipitridae of this body weight. Both the size of the neural canal at the cervicothoracic junction and the brachial spinal quotient (ratio of neural canal area at cervicothoracic and caudal thoracic levels) were low, suggesting that the spinal cord at brachial levels was also small. These data are consistent with the hypothesis that Harpagornis had evolved to large size from a smaller ancestor and that the ancestors of Haast's eagle appear to have undergone rapid expansion of body size and elements of the hindlimb somatic nervous system at the expense of enlargement of the brain and visual, olfactory, and vestibular apparatuses.

2009. Rapid Somatic Expansion Causes the Brain to Lag Behind: The Case of the Brain and Behavior of New Zealand's Haast's Eagle (Harpagornis moorei). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29(3):637-649. 

http://www.bioone.org/doi/full/10.1671/039.029.0325

Maori legend of man-eating bird is true 

Creature that features in New Zealand folklore really existed, scientists say

 http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/maori-legend-of-maneating-bird-is-true-1786867.html via @Independent

_____________________________

Haast's Eagle

Legends of the Maori people of New Zealand describe a man-eating monster bird called Te Hokioi. That legend is thought to have been inspired by Haast's eagle, a giant raptor that survived until only about 500 years ago. Haast's eagles were huge, weighing 40 lbs with a nine-foot wingspan and three-inch long talons. They used their formidable size and strength to subdue and kill prey much larger than themselves, including the moa, a massive flightless bird that weighed as much as 300 lbs. 

Birds That Eat People

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-mizejewski/animal-oddities-birds-tha_b_797815.html

http://snafu-solomon.blogspot.com/2012/11/haast-eagle-badass-of-week.html

http://www.wildlifeartcompany.com/art/detail.php?image=WAC-EA-00014&category=REXT

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/smartnews/2013/06/legendary-human-eating-bird-was-real-probably-could-have-eaten-people/ 

http://blogs.nature.com/news/2009/09/kiwi_scientists_add_to_maori_m_1.html

[Paleontology • 2013] A Giant Pliosaurid Skull from the Late Jurassic of England; Pliosaurus kevani, P. carpenteri & P. westburyensis

Pliosaurus kevani

Abstract

Pliosaurids were a long-lived and cosmopolitan group of marine predators that spanned 110 million years and occupied the upper tiers of marine ecosystems from the Middle Jurassic until the early Late Cretaceous. A well-preserved giant pliosaurid skull from the Late Jurassic Kimmeridge Clay Formation of Dorset, United Kingdom, represents a new species, Pliosaurus kevani. This specimen is described in detail, and the taxonomy and systematics of Late Jurassic pliosaurids is revised. We name two additional new species, Pliosaurus carpenteri and Pliosaurus westburyensis, based on previously described relatively complete, well-preserved remains. Most or all Late Jurassic pliosaurids represent a globally distributed monophyletic group (the genus Pliosaurus, excluding ‘Pliosaurus’ andrewsi). Despite its high species diversity, and geographically widespread, temporally extensive occurrence, Pliosaurus shows relatively less morphological and ecological variation than is seen in earlier, multi-genus pliosaurid assemblages such as that of the Middle Jurassic Oxford Clay Formation. It also shows less ecological variation than the pliosaurid-like Cretaceous clade Polycotylidae. Species of Pliosaurus had robust skulls, large body sizes (with skull lengths of 1.7–2.1 metres), and trihedral or subtrihedral teeth suggesting macropredaceous habits. Our data support a trend of decreasing length of the mandibular symphysis through Late Jurassic time, as previously suggested. This may be correlated with increasing adaptation to feeding on large prey. Maximum body size of pliosaurids increased from their first appearance in the Early Jurassic until the Early Cretaceous (skull lengths up to 2360 mm). However, some reduction occurred before their final extinction in the early Late Cretaceous (skull lengths up to 1750 mm).

Benson RBJ, Evans M, Smith AS, Sassoon J, Moore-Faye S, et al. 2013. A Giant Pliosaurid Skull from the Late Jurassic of England. PLoS ONE. 8(5): e65989. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0065989

Pliosaurus kevani – the Weymouth Bay Pliosaur

http://www.plesiosauria.com/news/index.php/pliosaurus-kevani-the-weymouth-bay-pliosaur/

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

Cryopterygius kristiansenae

painting by Esther van Hulsen 

Abstract

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

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

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

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

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

[Botany • 2012] Twenty new species of Paraboea (Gesneriaceae) from Thailand

Abstract

Twenty new species of Paraboea are described from Thailand: Paraboea arachnoidea Triboun, Paraboea axillaris Triboun, Paraboea bhumiboliana Triboun & Chuchan, Paraboea doitungensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton, Paraboea eburnea Triboun, Paraboea insularis Triboun, Paraboea lavandulodora Triboun, Paraboea monticola Triboun & D.J.Middleton, Paraboea nana Triboun & Dongkumfu, Paraboea nobilis Triboun & D.J.Middleton, Paraboea peninsularis Triboun & D.J.Middleton, Paraboea phanomensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton, Paraboea quercifolia Triboun, Paraboea rosea Triboun, Paraboea sangwaniae Triboun, Paraboea siamensis Triboun, Paraboea takensis Triboun, Paraboea tenuicalyx Triboun, Paraboea vachareea Triboun & Sonsupab and Paraboea xylocaulis Triboun. Full descriptions and conservation assessments are provided for all taxa.

Keywords. Gesneriaceae, IUCN conservation assessments, Paraboea, Thailand

 sbg.org.sg

Paraboea sangwaniae Triboun | CR | นครินทรา | Chiang Rai, Doi Tung

Paraboea doitungensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | ชาฤาษีดอยตุง | Chiang Rai

Paraboea bhumiboliana Triboun & Chuchan | ภูมิพลินทร์ | Lamphun, Li
Paraboea nana Triboun & Dongkumfu | LC | ชาฤาษีน้อย | Lamphun, Li, Mae Ping NP

Paraboea lavandulodora Triboun | NT | ชาฤาษีใบหอม | Bung Kan, Phu Tok

Paraboea quercifolia Triboun | CR | ชาฤาษีใบก่อ | Lopburi 

Paraboea axillaris Triboun | CR | ข้าวตอกฤาษี | Tak, Umphang
Paraboea siamensis Triboun | CR | ศรีสยาม | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea takensis Triboun | CR | ข้าวตอกใหญ่ | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea vachareea Triboun & Sonsupab | CR | วัชรีพรรณ | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea tenuicalyx Triboun | VU | ข้าวตอกพระนเรศ | Kanchanaburi, Tung Yai Naresuan WS

Paraboea eburnea Triboun | CR | ชาฤาษีพระขยางค์ | Ranong, Kraburi

Paraboea arachnoidea Triboun | EN | ชาฤาษีใยแมงมุม | Krabi, Mu Koh Lanta
Paraboea rosea Triboun | VU | ดาวประดับผา | Krabi, Mu Koh Lanta

Paraboea insularis Triboun | VU | สุดสาคร | Phanggna-Krabi bay
Paraboea peninsularis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | สินสมุทร | Krabi: Muang Krabi
Paraboea xylocaulis Triboun | CR | ชาหนุมาน | Krabi-Phangnga bay
Paraboea monticola Triboun & D.J.Middleton | VU | ชาพ่อตาฤาษี | Phangnga and Surat Thani

Paraboea nobilis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | ศรีรัชประภา | Surat Thani, Ban Thakhun, Khao Sok NP

Paraboea phanomensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | LC | ศรีสุราษฎร์ | Surat Thani, Khlong Phanom NP

_______________________

Paraboea arachnoidea Triboun | EN | ชาฤาษีใยแมงมุม | Krabi, Mu Koh Lanta
Paraboea axillaris Triboun | CR | ข้าวตอกฤาษี | Tak, Umphang

Paraboea bhumiboliana Triboun & Chuchan | ภูมิพลินทร์ | Lamphun, Li

Paraboea doitungensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | ชาฤาษีดอยตุง | Chiang Rai
Paraboea eburnea Triboun | CR | ชาฤาษีพระขยางค์ | Ranong, Kraburi

Paraboea insularis Triboun | VU | สุดสาคร | Phang-gna-Krabi bay
Paraboea lavandulodora Triboun | NT | ชาฤาษีใบหอม | Bung Kan, Phu Tok

Paraboea monticola Triboun & D.J.Middleton | VU | ชาพ่อตาฤาษี | Phangnga and Surat Thani

Paraboea nana Triboun & Dongkumfu | LC | ชาฤาษีน้อย | Lamphun, Li, Mae Ping NP

Paraboea nobilis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | ศรีรัชประภา | Surat Thani, Ban Thakhun, Khao Sok NP

Paraboea peninsularis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | EN | สินสมุทร | Krabi: Muang Krabi

Paraboea phanomensis Triboun & D.J.Middleton | LC | ศรีสุราษฎร์ | Surat Thani, Khlong Phanom NP

Paraboea quercifolia Triboun | CR | ชาฤาษีใบก่อ | Lopburi 

Paraboea rosea Triboun | VU | ดาวประดับผา | Krabi, Mu Koh Lanta

Paraboea sangwaniae Triboun | CR | นครินทรา | Chiang Rai, Doi Tung

Paraboea siamensis Triboun | CR | ศรีสยาม | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea takensis Triboun | CR | ข้าวตอกใหญ่ | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea tenuicalyx Triboun | VU | ข้าวตอกพระนเรศ | Kanchanaburi, Tung Yai Naresuan WS

Paraboea vachareea Triboun & Sonsupab | CR | วัชรีพรรณ | Tak, Um Phang

Paraboea xylocaulis Triboun | CR | ชาหนุมาน | Krabi-Phangnga bay

Pramote Triboun and David J. Middleton. 2012. Twenty new species of Paraboea (Gesneriaceae) from Thailand. Gardens’ Bulletin Singapore. 64(2): 333–370.
https://www.sbg.org.sg/images/4_4_Research_Gardens_Bulletin/4_4_64_2_pdf_Vol_64_Part2_2012/4.4.64.2.05_y2012_V64P2_GBS_pg.333.pdf

http://www.forest.go.th/orip/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=449%3Aparaboea-bhumiboliana-triboun-a-chuchan&catid=68%3A2012-01-24-03-m-s&Itemid=484&lang=en

ภูมิพลินทร์   Paraboea bhumiboliana Triboun & Chuchan วงศ์ Gesneriaceae
Trisepalum bhumibolianum

http://novataxa.blogspot.com/2011/06/botany-2011-trisepalum-bhumibolianum-t.html

http://www.magnoliathailand.com/webboard/index.php?topic=9995.0

[Paleontology • 2013] Evolutionary Origin of the Turtle Shell

Highlights

- Turtles and Eunotosaurus construct their shells in a uniquely similar fashion

- Phylogenetic and ontogenetic acquisitions of shell features are closely mirrored

- Initial transformations of the turtle shell occurred by the Middle Permian

Summary

The origin of the turtle shell has perplexed biologists for more than two centuries. It was not until Odontochelys semitestacea was discovered, however, that the fossil and developmental data could be synthesized into a model of shell assembly that makes predictions for the as-yet unestablished history of the turtle stem group. We build on this model by integrating novel data for Eunotosaurus africanus—a Late Guadalupian (∼260 mya) Permian reptile inferred to be an early stem turtle. Eunotosaurus expresses a number of relevant characters, including a reduced number of elongate trunk vertebrae (nine), nine pairs of T-shaped ribs, inferred loss of intercostal muscles, reorganization of respiratory muscles to the ventral side of the ribs, (sub)dermal outgrowth of bone from the developing perichondral collar of the ribs, and paired gastralia that lack both lateral and median elements. These features conform to the predicted sequence of character acquisition and provide further support that E. africanus, O. semitestacea, and Proganochelys quenstedti represent successive divergences from the turtle stem lineage. The initial transformations of the model thus occurred by the Middle Permian, which is congruent with molecular-based divergence estimates for the lineage, and remain viable whether turtles originated inside or outside crown Diapsida.

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Evolutionary Developmental Model for the Origin of the Turtle Shell

“Results of a phylogenetic analysis of shelled reptiles and characters important in constructing a shell are plotted against the ontogeny of pleurodire turtles. Thin sections through turtle embryos show the initial outgrowth of (sub)dermal bone through the costals first (carapace length [CL] = 13.0mm in the pleurodire Emydura subglobosa) and then the neurals (CL = 18.0 mm in the pleurodire Pelomedusa subrufa). The timing of ontogenetic transformations of those features (in red) important in the construction of the shell (i.e., the number of dorsal vertebrae or ribs does not change through ontogeny) is congruent with the phylogenetic transformation of those same features based on our recovered tree topology. Our model makes explicit morphological and histological predictions for the lineage prior to the most recent common ancestor of Eunotosaurus africanus and turtles that are met by the morphology found in Milleretta rubidgei. Numbers above each node represent bootstrap frequencies obtained in the phylogenetic analysis.”

Lyson, Tyler R.; Bever, Gabe S.; Scheyer, Torsten M.; Hsiang, Allison Y.; Gauthier, Jacques A. 2013. Evolutionary Origin of the Turtle Shell. Current Biology. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.05.003

How the turtle got its unique hard shell

http://news.yale.edu/2013/05/30/how-turtle-got-its-shell

[Cnidaria • 2013] Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus • a new species of anthoathecate hydroid (Hydrozoa, Tubulariidae) from the coast of British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus, sp. nov., is described from inshore waters near the northern tip of Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Specimens were collected on rocky bottoms amongst barnacles, sponges, and compound ascidians at a depth of 18 m in Weynton Passage, Broughton Strait, during March, July, and October 2012. Polyps tend to grow in dense aggregations, often covering several square centimetres. Hydroids of Z. rubusidaeus most closely resemble those of Z. robustus Petersen, 1990 from Greenland, but differ in having aboral tentacles that are scattered in a narrow band around the base of the hydranth rather than occurring in a single whorl, thin and transparent instead of thick and stiff perisarc around hydrocaulus and tubers, and gonophores that arise from simple pedicels instead of short, stout branches. Possible embryos were present in female gonophores, although structures recognizable as actinula larvae have not been observed. The cnidome comprises small and large stenoteles, desmonemes, microbasic euryteles, basitrichs, and isorhizas. Polyps are a raspberry colour in life, a hue that has faded but little in our formalin-preserved material. Discovery of this hydroid brings the number of species currently recognized in genus Zyzzyzus Stechow, 1921 to seven.

Key words: Anthoathecata, Capitata, Hydroidolina, invertebrates, marine biology, natural history, taxonomy, zoology

2013. Zyzzyzus rubusidaeus (Cnidaria, Hydrozoa, Tubulariidae), a new species of anthoathecate hydroid from the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Zootaxa. 3666(3): 389–397.

http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2013/f/zt03666p397.pdf

http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3666.3.9

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:767E3CD7-615D-4C62-9F84-BBA7D39676C9

[Paleontology • 2013] Wesserpeton evansae | ‘Wessie’ • A new albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England

Wesserpeton evansae

illustration: Mark Witton
 markwitton-com.blogspot.com

A new albanerpetontid, Wesserpeton evansae gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England, is described. Wesserpeton is established on the basis of a unique combination of primitive and derived characters relating to the frontals and jaws which render it distinct from currently recognized albanerpetontid genera: Albanerpeton (Late Cretaceous to Pliocene of Europe, Early Cretaceous to Paleocene of North America and Late Cretaceous of Asia); Celtedens (Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous of Europe); and Anoualerpeton (Middle Jurassic of Europe and Early Cretaceous of North Africa). Although Wesserpeton exhibits considerable intraspecific variation in characters pertaining to the jaws and, to a lesser extent, frontals, the new taxon differs from Celtedens in the shape of the internasal process and gross morphology of the frontals in dorsal or ventral view. It differs from Anoualerpeton in the lack of pronounced heterodonty of dentary and maxillary teeth; and in the more medial location and direction of opening of the suprapalatal pit. The new taxon cannot be referred to Albanerpeton on the basis of the morphology of the frontals. Wesserpeton currently represents the youngest record of Albanerpetontidae in Britain.

Key words: Albanerpetontidae, Lissamphibia, microvertebrates, Cretaceous, Britain.

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A NEW species of amphibian that lived in the shadows of dinosaurs has been discovered on the Isle of Wight.

Experts said the discovery filled a gap in the evolutionary history of a now extinct group, the albanerpetontids.

Wesserpeton, nicknamed 'Wessie’, was tiny, about the size of a small, modern-day newt but, unlike most amphibians, albanerpetontids had a scaly skin and eyelids showing they spent most of their time on land.

The creature lived on the Isle of Wight about 130 million years ago, at the same time as dinosaurs such as Neovenator, Iguanodon and giant, long-necked sauropods.

The tiny animal could fit easily in the palm of a hand.

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/latest-discovery-on-dinosaur-island-49567.aspx

Sweetman, S. C., and Gardner, J. D. 2013. A new albanerpetontid amphibian from the Early Cretaceous (Barremian) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, southern England. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 58, 295–324. 

http://www.app.pan.pl/article/item/app20110109.html

[Paleontology • 2013] Judiceratops tigris • a New Horned Dinosaur from the Middle Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana

Abstract

North America hosted a diverse assemblage of horned dinosaurs from the late Campanian until the end of the Cretaceous, but comparatively little is known about earlier horned dinosaurs. This paper reports on previously undescribed ceratopsian remains from the middle Campanian beds of the Judith River Formation of Montana, which represent the oldest known chasmosaurine. The Judith River chasmosaur shows a combination of characters not seen in any previously described ceratopsid. The parietal has a broad median bar, a rounded caudal margin, and highly reduced epiparietals. Episquamosals are enlarged anteriorly but decrease in size posteriorly, and imbricate as in centrosaurines. The postorbital horns are moderately elongate, inclined anterolaterally, and have an unusual teardrop-shaped cross section. The unique combination of characters seen in the Judith River chasmosaurine precludes referral to any previously known genus, and it is therefore described as a new genus and species, Judiceratops tigris. The addition of Judiceratops to the dinosaurian fauna of North America underscores the diversity of horned dinosaurs in the Late Cretaceous, which results from a combination of high diversity within faunas, a high degree of endemism, and rapid faunal turnover.

Keywords: Dinosauria, Ceratopsia, Ceratopsidae, Chasmosaurinae, Cretaceous, Campanian, Judith River Formation

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Earliest Triceratops Cousin Found

A new kind of three-horned dinosaur with a huge bony frill around the back of its head has been discovered, researchers say. Known from fossil fragments found in Montana, the beast may be the oldest cousin of Triceratops yet.

The dinosaur, named Judiceratops tigris, lived during the late Cretaceous era, about 78 million years ago — 12 million years before the rise of its more famous younger relative. The discovery hints at the diversity of big-bodied plant-eating horned dinosaurs that once roamed the region, researchers say.

 http://www.livescience.com/34831-earliest-triceratops-cousin-found.html  via @LiveScience

Nicholas R. Longrich. 2013. Judiceratops tigris, a New Horned Dinosaur from the Middle Campanian Judith River Formation of Montana. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. 54(1):51-65.  

http://www.bioone.org/doi/abs/10.3374/014.054.0103
http://thedragonstales.blogspot.com/2013/04/judiceratops-tigris-basal-chasmosaurine.html

[Paleontology • 2013] Aurornis xui | “daybreak bird” • A Jurassic avialan dinosaur from China resolves the early phylogenetic history of birds

Reconstruction of Aurornis xui,
a new basal avialan from the Middle/Late Jurassic of China.

illustration: Masato Hattori

The recent discovery of small paravian theropod dinosaurs with well-preserved feathers in the Middle–Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning Province (northeastern China) has challenged the pivotal position of Archaeopteryx regarded from its discovery to be the most basal bird. Removing Archaeopteryx from the base of Avialae to nest within Deinonychosauria implies that typical bird flight, powered by the forelimbs only, either evolved at least twice, or was subsequently lost or modified in some deinonychosaurians. Here we describe the complete skeleton of a new paravian from the Tiaojishan Formation of Liaoning Province, China. Including this new taxon in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis for basal Paraves does the following: (1) it recovers it as the basal-most avialan; (2) it confirms the avialan status of Archaeopteryx; (3) it places Troodontidae as the sister-group to Avialae; (4) it supports a single origin of powered flight within Paraves; and (5) it implies that the early diversification of Paraves and Avialae took place in the Middle–Late Jurassic period.

Holotype: Aurornis xui 

 Thierry Hubin/IRSNB

Theropoda Marsh, 1881

Maniraptora Gauthier, 1986

Paraves Sereno, 1997

Avialae Gauthier, 1986

Aurornis xui gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. Aurora, Latin for daybreak, dawn; Ornis, Greek for bird; xui, in honour of Xu Xing, for his exceptional and continuing contribution to our understanding of the evolution and biology of feathered dinosaurs.

Holotype. Yizhou Fossil and Geology Park (YFGP)-T5198, a complete articulated skeleton with associated integumentary structures.

Locality and horizon. Yaolugou, Jianchang, western Liaoning Province, China; Middle–Late Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation (see Supplementary Information).

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New Bird-Like Dinosaur Settles Origins of Flight 

A new species found in China has shed light on the answer. The two-foot long Aurornis xui, the “daybreak bird,” fleshes out the relationships between bird-like dinosaurs and, along with its cousin species Archaeopteryx and Anchiornis, restores its lineage as the likely predecessors of birds.

...........

http://bit.ly/118FJ9F  via @DiscoverMag

http://news.discovery.com/animals/dinosaurs/aurornis-oldest-known-bird-pictures-130529.htm

Pascal Godefroit, Andrea Cau, Hu Dong-Yu, François Escuillié, Wu Wenhao & Gareth Dyke. 2013. A Jurassic avialan dinosaur from China resolves the early phylogenetic history of birds. Nature. doi: dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature12168