scholarly journals Atolchelys lepida , a new side-necked turtle from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and the age of crown Pleurodira

2014 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 20140290 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro S. R. Romano ◽  
Valéria Gallo ◽  
Renato R. C. Ramos ◽  
Luzia Antonioli

We report a new pleurodiran turtle from the Barremian Morro do Chaves Formation, Sergipe-Alagoas Basin, Brazil. We tested the phylogenetic position of Atolchelys lepida gen. et sp. nov. by including it in a comprehensive cladistic analysis of pleurodires. The new species is a basal member of Bothremydidae and simultaneously the oldest unambiguous crown Pleurodira. The biogeographic and chronostratigraphic significance of the finding has implications for the calibration of molecular clocks studies by pushing back the minimum age of crown Pleurodira by more than 12 Ma ( ca 125 Ma). The reanalysis of Pelomedusoides relationships provides evidence that the early evolution and relationships among the main lineages of side-necked turtles can be explained, at least partially, by a sequence of vicariance events.

Zootaxa ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2913 (1) ◽  
pp. 27 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARTINA E. POCCO ◽  
GONZALO D. RUBIO ◽  
M. MARTA CIGLIANO

A new species of the romaleid grasshopper genus Zoniopoda Stål (Romaleidae: Romaleini) is described and illustrated from the Sierras Chicas of Córdoba Province, central Argentina. A cladistic analysis based on morphological characters indicates that the genus Zoniopoda constitutes a monophyletic group and that Zoniopoda serrana n. sp. must be assigned to Iheringi species group based on synapomorphies of the pronotum and body color. The new species is similar to Z. similis Bruner from Paraguay, Bolivia and Brazil, from which it can be distinguished by the color pattern of the body, shape of the pronotal dorso-median carina and characters of the male terminalia and epiphallus. This paper has been formatted with embedded links to images of the type specimen, maps based on georeferenced specimen data for the genus and an updated key to the species of Zoniopoda available on the Orthoptera Species File (OSF) online (http://orthoptera.speciesfile.org).


2011 ◽  
Vol 182 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémy Anquetin

AbstractIn recent years, no less than five new species of early turtles have been described worldwide. Among them are three new turtles from Middle Jurassic deposits that partially fill a previous temporal and morphological gap in our knowledge of the early evolution of these shelled amniotes: Heckerochelys romani, Condorchelys antiqua and Eileanchelys waldmani. For the first time, the phylogenetic position of these three new species is tested in the context of the two presently competing cladistic models of turtle evolution. The addition of these taxa to each matrix does not favour or alter any of the two opposed hypotheses. However, it is demonstrated here that, by documenting yet unknown stages in the evolution of several morphological structures, these three species give stronger support to the model of an extended phylogenetic stem for turtles. These new lines of evidence include the structure of the vomer, the position of the aditus canalis stapedio-temporalis and of the posterior opening of the canalis cavernosus, and the morphology of the processus interfenestralis of the opisthotic.Recent discoveries also reinvigorate the debate about the palaeoecology of early turtles. Whereas simple morphological characters (e.g., shell fontanelle, ligamentous bridge, flattened carapace) can be misleading, forelimb proportions and shell bone histology have led to the conclusion that most stem turtles (i.e., Proganochelys quenstedti, Palaeochersis talampayensis, Proterochersis robusta, Kayentachelys aprix and meiolaniids) were terrestrial forms. At least two out of the five recently described early turtles have been convincingly interpreted as having aquatic habits: Odontochelys semitestacea and Eileanchelys waldmani. More investigation is needed, but this will undoubtedly trigger further debate on the primitive ecology of turtles and on the origin of aquatic habits in testudines (i.e., the crown-group), respectively.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3580 (1) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
MARIANO DONATO ◽  
AUGUSTO SIRI ◽  
MELINA MAUAD

The male, female and immature stages of the new species Onconeura analiae from Argentina are described and figured. A parsimony analysis including the seven known species of the genus plus the new species, using a combined data set of continuous and qualitative characters, was conducted in order to assess the phylogenetic position of the new species and to give for the first time a phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4205 (5) ◽  
pp. 431 ◽  
Author(s):  
SURESH P. BENJAMIN ◽  
NILANI KANESHARATNAM

Spiders of the tropical Asian jumping spider genus Onomastus Simon, 1900 are small to medium-sized, delicate, translucent, commonly found inhabitants of Asian evergreen forest foliage. In this paper, three new species of the genus, O. jamestaylori sp. nov. (♂♀), O. corbetensis sp. nov. (♂♀) and O. maskeliya sp. nov. (♂♀) are described from Sri Lanka. The three new species are added to the matrix of a previous study to assess their phylogenetic position. The resulting cladistic analysis, based on 35 morphological characters from 18 taxa (13 Onomastus species and 5 outgroups) supports the monophyly of the genus. Additionally, a monophyletic, well-supported South Asian clade (India, Sri Lanka), which is restricted to the Sri Lanka-Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot, is recovered in most analysis. The three newly described species might be endangered due to their small population size and restricted distribution in high altitude cloud forest. 


2020 ◽  
Vol 190 (3) ◽  
pp. 771-787
Author(s):  
Pablo Pessacq ◽  
Tácio Duarte ◽  
Luis B Epele

Abstract Gripopterygidae is a diverse family of stoneflies, Plecoptera, distributed in the Southern Hemisphere. It has been traditionally divided into five subfamilies, but the monophyly of most of these is not supported by molecular the more comprehensive molecular analysis of the order. To test the monophyly of Antarctoperlinae, and to establish the phylogenetic position of a new Gripopterygidae species, we performed a morphological cladistic analysis including 38 morphological characters and 27 terminal taxa, with representatives of the four subfamilies present in South America and three Austroperlidae. Based on published information, we rooted the tree with Penturoperla barbata, Austroperlidae. As a result, Antarctoperlinae was recovered as polyphyletic, with Vesicaperla kuscheli and Plegoperla punctata, two members of the subfamily, placed outside the clade that includes the nine remaining genera of Antarctoperlinae. Vesicaperla also falls outside the family in previous molecular analysis. Based on this evidence, it should not be placed in Antarctoperlinae. Plegoperla punctata, known only from the type series, possesses many missing entries in our data matrix. Based on this, it seems convenient to maintain its subfamilial placement. In the tree obtained, the potential new species nests together with Pehuenioperla llaima. We thus accept it as a member of Pehuenioperla and describe it as P. microptera sp. nov.


2020 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sinéad Lynch ◽  
Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra ◽  
Ana Balcarcel

AbstractWe describe a well-preserved South American Lamini partial skeleton (PIMUZ A/V 4165) from the Ensenadan (~ 1.95–1.77 to 0.4 Mya) of Argentina. The specimen is comprised of a nearly complete skull and mandible with full tooth rows, multiple elements of anterior and posterior limbs, and a scapula. We tested this specimen’s phylogenetic position and hypothesized it to be more closely related to Lama guanicoe and Vicugna vicugna than to Hemiauchenia paradoxa. We formulate a hypothesis for the placement of PIMUZ A/V 4165 within Camelinae in a cladistic analysis based on craniomandibular and dental characters and propose that future systematic studies consider this specimen as representing a new species. For the first time in a morphological phylogeny, we code terminal taxa at the species level for the following genera: Camelops, Aepycamelus, Pleiolama, Procamelus, and Alforjas. Our results indicate a divergence between Lamini and Camelini predating the Barstovian (16 Mya). Camelops appears as monophyletic within the Camelini. Alforjas taylori falls out as a basal member of Camelinae—neither as a Lamini nor Camelini. Pleiolama is polyphyletic, with Pleiolama vera as a basal Lamini and Pleiolama mckennai in a more nested position within the Lamini. Aepycamelus and Procamelus are respectively polyphyletic and paraphyletic. Together, they are part of a group of North American Lamini from the Miocene epoch.


ZooKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 796 ◽  
pp. 197-214
Author(s):  
Dimitri Forero ◽  
Juanita Rodríguez ◽  
Valentina Ocampo

Plant bugs, species of Miridae (Heteroptera), are not well known in the Neotropics, and Colombia is not an exception. Based on data from the available systematic catalog (Schuh 2002–2013) fewer than 150 species are recorded from the country, clearly an underestimation. Recent fieldwork has resulted in several new interesting taxa from Colombia. Carvalhomiris Maldonado & Ferreira, 1971, contains three described species from Colombia and Ecuador. From specimens collected in Jardín, Antioquia, Carvalhomirishenryisp. n. is described. Images of the dorsal habitus and the male and female genitalia are provided. Based on morphological examination of the new species and published information, morphological characters were coded to construct a phylogenetic matrix for a cladistic analysis in which the phylogenetic position of the new species is assessed. Carvalhomirishenryisp. n. is the northernmost species of the genus and noteworthy because it is the first record of any species of the genus in the Western Cordillera: all other species are known from the eastern flank of the Andes (Ecuador) or the Eastern Cordillera (Colombia). Natural history observations of the new species, including associations with composites (Asteraceae) are provided. It is speculated that the mirid might be predacious.


1994 ◽  
Vol 68 (5) ◽  
pp. 1100-1117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Holtz

Tyrannosaurids are a well-supported clade of very large predatory dinosaurs of Late Cretaceous Asiamerica. Traditional dinosaurian systematics place these animals within the infraorder Carnosauria with the other large theropods (allosaurids, megalosaurids). A new cladistic analysis indicates that the tyrannosaurs were in fact derived members of the Coelurosauria, a group of otherwise small theropods. Despite certain gross cranial similarities with the large predators of the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, the Late Cretaceous tyrannosaurids are shown to be the sister group to ornithomimids and troodontids, which share a derived condition of the metatarsus. This clade is found to be nested within Maniraptora, which is a more inclusive taxon than previously recognized. The atrophied carpal structure found in tyrannosaurids and ornithomimids is derived from a maniraptoran condition with a large semilunate carpal, rather than from the plesiomorphic theropod morphology.The taxa “Carnosauria” and “Deinonychosauria” (Dromaeosauridae plus Troodontidae) are shown to be polyphyletic, and the Late Jurassic African form Elaphrosaurus is found to be the sister taxon to Abelisauridae rather than a primitive ornithomimosaur. Purported allosaurid-tyrannosaurid synapomorphies are seen to be largely size-related, present in the larger members of both clades, but absent in smaller members of the Tyrannosauridae. The remaining giant tetanurine theropods (Megalosaurus and Torvosaurus) were found to be progressively distant outgroups to an allosaurid-coelurosaur clade. The inclusion of the Tyrannosauridae within Maniraptora suggests a major adaptive radiation of coelurosaurs within Cretaceous Asiamerica comparable to contemporaneous radiations in various herbivorous dinosaurian clades.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (7) ◽  
pp. 200633
Author(s):  
Jérémy Tissier ◽  
Pierre-Olivier Antoine ◽  
Damien Becker

Reduction of the anterior dentition (i.e. incisors and canines) is a major adaptative trait of the Rhinocerotidae among Perissodactyla. However, the corresponding evolutionary sequence was lacking a robust phylogenetic frame to support it thus far. Here, we describe a new Oligocene species of Rhinocerotinae, Mesaceratherium sp. nov. from the Swiss locality of Bumbach (MP25 reference level). In addition, we identify the only known complete mandible of Epiaceratherium magnum , an early-branching rhinocerotid, as well as one of the earliest European rhinoceroses. We also compute a parsimony analysis based on morpho-anatomical characters to assess their phylogenetic position and elucidate the early evolution of the Rhinocerotidae. Our results allow to propose a new scenario for the reduction of the anterior dentition in which upper and lower dentitions would have undergone distinct evolutionary trajectories.


2020 ◽  
Vol 45 (4) ◽  
pp. 794-801
Author(s):  
Caroline Oliveira Andrino ◽  
Marcelo Fragomeni Simon ◽  
Jair Eustáquio Quintino Faria ◽  
André Luiz da Costa Moreira ◽  
Paulo Takeo Sano

Abstract—We describe and illustrate Paepalanthus fabianeae, a new species of Eriocaulaceae from the central portion of the Espinhaço Range in Minas Gerais, Brazil. Previous phylogenetic evidence based on analyses of nuclear (ITS and ETS) and plastid (trnL-trnF and psba-trnH) sequences revealed P. fabianeae as belonging to a strongly supported and morphologically coherent clade containing five other species, all of them microendemic, restricted to the Espinhaço range. Due to the infrageneric classification of Paepalanthus being highly artificial, we preferred not assigning P. fabianeae to any infrageneric group. Paepalanthus fabianeae is known from two populations growing in campos rupestres (highland rocky fields) in the meridional Espinhaço Range. The species is characterized by pseudodichotomously branched stems, small, linear, recurved, and reflexed leaves, urceolate capitula, and bifid stigmas. Illustrations, photos, the phylogenetic position, and a detailed description, as well as comments on habitat, morphology, and affinities with similar species are provided. The restricted area of occurrence allied with threats to the quality of the habitat, mainly due to quartzite mining, justifies the preliminary classification of the new species in the Critically Endangered (CR) category using the guidelines and criteria of the IUCN Red List.


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