scholarly journals Oldest fossil remains of the enigmatic pig-footed bandicoot show rapid herbivorous evolution

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160089 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenny J. Travouillon
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
European Colonization ◽  
Drying Conditions ◽  
Chaeropus Ecaudatus

The pig-footed bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus, is one of the most enigmatic Australian marsupials, which went extinct in the late 1950s probably as a result of European colonization. It is unusual in being the only marsupial to have evolved reduction of digits on both fore and hind feet, with the forefeet being pig-like (two toes) and the hind feet being horse-like (one toe). According to molecular phylogenetic analyses, Chaeropus diverged from other bandicoots (Peramelidae), and the bilbies (Thylacomyidae) by the mid-Late Oligocene. This is considerably earlier than suggested by the fossil record, with the current oldest specimens being Late Pleistocene in age. Here, I report the oldest fossils of Chaeropus, representing a new species, Chaeropus baynesi from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene (2.47–2.92 Ma) Fisherman's Cliff Local Fauna, Moorna Formation, New South Wales, Australia, and extending the fossil record of the genus and family by at least 2 million years. Chaeropus baynesi is less high crowned than C. ecaudatus and lacks lateral blade development on lower molars, suggesting that it was unlikely to be grazing. This suggests that Chaeropus must have adapted rapidly to the drying conditions and changes in environments, and would have become a grazer in a very short period of time.

scholarly journals Oldest cingulate skulls provide congruence between morphological and molecular scenarios of armadillo evolution

2011 ◽  
Vol 278 (1719) ◽  
pp. 2791-2797 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guillaume Billet ◽  
Lionel Hautier ◽  
Christian de Muizon ◽  
Xavier Valentin
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Typical Case ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Late Oligocene ◽  
Phylogenetic Studies ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Early Neogene ◽  
Group A

The cingulates of the mammalian order Xenarthra present a typical case of disagreement between molecular and morphological phylogenetic studies. We report here the discovery of two new skulls from the Late Oligocene Salla Beds of Bolivia (approx. 26 Ma), which are the oldest known well-preserved cranial remains of the group. A new taxon is described: Kuntinaru boliviensis gen. et sp. nov. A phylogenetic analysis clusters K. boliviensis together with the armadillo subfamily Tolypeutinae. These skulls document an early spotty occurrence for the Tolypeutinae at 26 Ma, in agreement with the temporal predictions of previous molecular studies. The fossil record of tolypeutines is now characterized by a unique occurrence in the Late Oligocene, and a subsequent 12 Myr lack in the fossil record. It is noteworthy that the tolypeutines remain decidedly marginal in the Late Palaeogene and Early Neogene deposits, whereas other cingulate groups diversify. Also, the anatomical phylogenetic analysis herein, which includes K. boliviensis , is congruent with recent molecular phylogenetic analyses. Kuntinaru boliviensis is the oldest confident calibration point available for the whole Cingulata.

An early Pleistocene record of a giant koala (Phascolarctidae: Marsupialia) from western Victoria.

2005 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 221 ◽  
Author(s):  
KJ Piper
Keyword(s):  
Late Pleistocene ◽  
New South ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Early Pliocene ◽  
South Wales ◽  
Cast Doubt ◽  
Western Victoria

THE pre Holocene-Late Pleistocene record of Phascolarctos in Australia is extremely meagre. There are at least two, possibly three extinct species of Phascolarctos in addition to the extant Phascolarctos cinereus (Black 1999). P. yorkensis (syn. Cundokoala yorkensis; Black and Archer 1997) is known from the Early Pliocene Curramulka Local Fauna, South Australia (SA), and the Late Pleistocene Wellington Caves Local Fauna, New South Wales (Archer et al. 1997; Pledge 1992). P. stirtoni occurs in the Late Pleistocene Cement Mills Local Fauna, Queensland, and is known only from a partial maxilla containing P3-M2 (Bartholomai 1968, 1977). Phascolarctos material from the mid- Pleistocene Victoria Fossil Cave and Spring Cave, Naracoorte, SA, have also been referred to P. cf. stirtoni but remain undescribed (Reed and Bourne 2000; Moriarty et al. 2000). P. maris is known from a single lower molar from the Early Pliocene Sunlands Local Fauna, SA (Pledge 1987). Black (1999) cast doubt on its validity, suggesting its features may fall within the intraspecific variation of P. stirtoni. If P. maris is referable to P. stirtoni it is another South Australian instance of this species, and extends its range back to the Early Pliocene. The new phascolarctid material documented here is from the early Pleistocene Nelson Bay Local Fauna, Portland, Victoria (141o 35? E; 38o 36? S). It is therefore an important additional southern occurrence of a species larger than the living P. cinereus, and is the only pre- Late Pleistocene record of the Phascolarctidae in Victoria.

Cf. Wortmania from the early Paleocene of Montana and an evaluation of the fossil record of the initial diversification of the Taeniodonta (Mammalia)

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
pp. 341-354 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Clemens
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
San Juan ◽  
Local Fauna ◽  
San Juan Basin ◽  
The North ◽  
Early Paleocene ◽  
Land Mammal ◽  
Channel Deposits

The Garbani Channel deposits, part of the Tullock Formation exposed in northeastern Montana, have yielded a large sample of vertebrates that probably lived during the Puercan 3 North American Land Mammal Age (NALMA). Four fossils in this sample — three isolated teeth and a medial phalanx — document the presence of a stylinodontid taeniodont, cf. Wortmania. Discovery of cf. Wortmania in the Tullock Formation extends the documented range of taeniodonts during Puercan 3 approximately 500 miles (800 km) northward from the San Juan Basin, New Mexico. Evaluation of the oldest records of taeniodonts, from the Lancian, Puercan, and Torrejonian NALMAs, highlights biases warranting future research. Recent phylogenetic analyses that resulted in numerous ghost lineages indicate that the available fossil record is far from complete. They open the possibility that the origin and initial radiation of taeniodonts occurred in areas yet to be sampled and their first occurrences might reflect immigration of invasive species. The available fossil record of taeniodonts is biased with significantly more abundant and complete specimens discovered in the San Juan Basin than at localities to the north. This bias is also apparent in the available samples of two other lineages of large Puercan mammals, the multituberculate Taeniolabis and the “triisodontid” Eoconodon. Where they occur, taeniodonts are relatively rare members of any local fauna. Is their rarity a product of an ecological bias or a reflection of decreasing population size related to increasing body size?

Review: Freshwater and Soil Foraminifera – A Story of Long-Forgotten Relatives

2021 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 318-331
Author(s):  
Maria Holzmann ◽  
Andrew J. Gooday ◽  
Ferry Siemensma ◽  
Jan Pawlowski
Keyword(s):  
Fossil Record ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Complex Environments ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Genomic Studies ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data ◽  
Fresh Impetus ◽  
The 19Th Century

ABSTRACT Foraminifera are a primarily marine taxon widespread in all oceanic habitats, from shallow, brackish-water settings to deep-seafloor and pelagic realms. Their diversity is remarkable with several thousand species described and a fossil record tracing back to the Cambrian. While foraminifera represent one of the best-studied groups of marine meiofauna, much less is known about their non-marine relatives. The first freshwater foraminifera were described in the 19th century by European and North American protozoologists, but interest in them lapsed during much of the 20th century and was not rekindled until the advent of molecular systematics provided a fresh impetus to their study. Several new species, genera, and families have been described recently based on morphological and molecular data derived from cultured specimens. In parallel, environmental genomic studies revealed that foraminifera are highly diverse and ubiquitous in freshwater and soil environments. Molecular phylogenetic analyses places non-marine foraminifera in a few clades among the large array of single-chambered (monothalamous) lineages, suggesting that several independent colonization events of freshwater and terrestrial habitats occurred. Non-marine foraminifera are turning from obscure curiosities to being recognized as an important part of soil and freshwater microbial communities, a major component of these complex environments.

scholarly journals Ancient mitochondrial DNA reveals convergent evolution of giant short-faced bears (Tremarctinae) in North and South America

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 20160062 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kieren J. Mitchell ◽  
Sarah C. Bray ◽  
Pere Bover ◽  
Leopoldo Soibelzon ◽  
Blaine W. Schubert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South America ◽  
North American ◽  
Convergent Evolution ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Early Pleistocene ◽  
South American ◽  
The North ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
North And South America ◽  
North And South

The Tremarctinae are a subfamily of bears endemic to the New World, including two of the largest terrestrial mammalian carnivores that have ever lived: the giant, short-faced bears Arctodus simus from North America and Arctotherium angustidens from South America (greater than or equal to 1000 kg). Arctotherium angustidens became extinct during the Early Pleistocene, whereas Arctodus simus went extinct at the very end of the Pleistocene. The only living tremarctine is the spectacled bear ( Tremarctos ornatus ), a largely herbivorous bear that is today only found in South America. The relationships among the spectacled bears ( Tremarctos ), South American short-faced bears ( Arctotherium ) and North American short-faced bears ( Arctodus ) remain uncertain. In this study, we sequenced a mitochondrial genome from an Arctotherium femur preserved in a Chilean cave. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed that the South American short-faced bears were more closely related to the extant South American spectacled bear than to the North American short-faced bears. This result suggests striking convergent evolution of giant forms in the two groups of short-faced bears ( Arctodus and Arctotherium ), potentially as an adaptation to dominate competition for megafaunal carcasses.

scholarly journals Disentangling relationships among eastern Mediterranean Cymbalaria including description of a novel species from the southern Peloponnese (Greece)

2021 ◽  
Vol 307 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Pau Carnicero ◽  
Núria Garcia-Jacas ◽  
Llorenç Sáez ◽  
Theophanis Constantinidis ◽  
Mercè Galbany-Casals
Keyword(s):  
Eastern Mediterranean ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Taxonomic Revision ◽  
Distribution Patterns ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Aegean Islands ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic

AbstractThe eastern Mediterranean basin hosts a remarkably high plant diversity. Historical connections between currently isolated areas across the Aegean region and long-distance dispersal events have been invoked to explain current distribution patterns of species. According to most recent treatments, at least two Cymbalaria species occur in this area, Cymbalaria microcalyx and C. longipes. The former comprises several intraspecific taxa, treated at different ranks by different authors based on morphological data, evidencing the need of a taxonomic revision. Additionally, some populations of C. microcalyx show exclusive morphological characters that do not match any described taxon. Here, we aim to shed light on the systematics of eastern Mediterranean Cymbalaria and to propose a classification informed by various sources of evidence. We performed molecular phylogenetic analyses using ITS, 3’ETS, ndhF and rpl32-trnL sequences and estimated the ploidy level of some taxa performing relative genome size measures. Molecular data combined with morphology support the division of traditionally delimited C. microcalyx into C. acutiloba, C. microcalyx and C. minor, corresponding to well-delimited nrDNA lineages. Furthermore, we propose to combine C. microcalyx subsp. paradoxa at the species level. A group of specimens previously thought to belong to Cymbalaria microcalyx constitute a well-defined phylogenetic and morphological entity and are described here as a new species, Cymbalaria spetae. Cymbalaria longipes is non-monophyletic, but characterized by being glabrous and diploid, unlike other eastern species. The nrDNA data suggest at least two dispersals from the mainland to the Aegean Islands, potentially facilitated by marine regressions.

Infundibulicybe rufa sp. nov. (Tricholomataceae), a reddish brown species from southwestern China

Phytotaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 266 (2) ◽  
pp. 134 ◽  
Author(s):  
QI ZHAO ◽  
YAN-JIA HAO ◽  
JIAN-KUI LIU ◽  
KEVIN D. HYDE ◽  
YANG-YANG CUI ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Internal Transcribed Spacer ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Biosphere Reserve ◽  
Its Region ◽  
Southwestern China ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Line Drawings ◽  
Phylogenetic Placement ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Pileus Surface

Infundibulicybe rufa sp. nov., is described from Jiuzhaigou Biosphere Reserve, southwestern China. It is characterized by the combination of the following characters: umbilicate to slightly infundibuliform, reddish brown pileus; decurrent, cream lamellae; cylindrical stipe concolorous with the pileus surface. Molecular phylogenetic analyses using the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region indicates that I. rufa is closely related to I. mediterranea and I. bresadolana. A description, line drawings, phylogenetic placement and comparison with allied taxa for the new taxon are presented.

Asian Betylobraconinae (Hymenoptera, Braconidae), with description of a new genus and phylogenetic affinities of the tribe Facitorini

2008 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 133-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Sáez ◽  
Kaoru Maeto ◽  
Alejandro Zaldivar-Riverón ◽  
Sergey Belokobylskij
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Type Species ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
28S Rrna ◽  
Asian Region ◽  
Molecular Phylogenetic ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities ◽  
One New Species ◽  
Rrna Sequences

AbstractThe taxonomy of the Asian genera of the subfamily Betylobraconinae, a small and understudied group within the hymenopteran family Braconidae, is revised. A new genus exclusively from the Asian region, Asiabregma gen. nov., containing three species (A. ryukyuensis sp. nov. (type species, Japan and Malaya), A. makiharai sp. nov. (Japan) and A. sulaensis (van Achterberg), comb. nov. (Indonesia)) is described. One new species of Aulosaphobracon, A. striatus sp. nov. from Vietnam, and one of Facitorus, F. amamioshimus sp. nov. from Japan, are also described. Based on molecular phylogenetic analyses using COI mtDNA and 28S rRNA sequences, the three genera previously placed in the tribe Facitorini, Facitorus, Conobregma and Jannya, together with Asiabregma gen. nov., are transferred to the rogadine tribe Yeliconini.

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