scholarly journals First report of leopard fossils from a limestone cave in Kenting area, southern Taiwan

PeerJ ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. e12020
Author(s):  
Tzu-Chin Chi ◽  
Yi Gan ◽  
Tzu-Ruei Yang ◽  
Chun-Hsiang Chang
Keyword(s):  
Progressive Increase ◽  
Panthera Pardus ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Limestone Cave ◽  
Historical Literature ◽  
Southern Taiwan ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Size And Morphology ◽  
First Time

Longshia-dong Cave, a limestone cave located in the Kenting area within the Kenting National Park of southern Taiwan, yields numerous terrestrial mammalian fossils. Many of them were not reported in historical literature and are neither present in Taiwan. For instance, no historical literature mentioned leopards inhabited in Taiwan, and thus their existence remained unknown. This study describes three fossil leopard (Panthera pardus) teeth uncovered from Longshia-dong Cave. Two isolated lower premolars and one lower molar, respectively p3, p4 and m1, were discovered in a very small area (11 × 6 cm) and show a series of progressive increase in size. Thus, the three teeth should have been belonging to the same individual from the subfamily of Pantherinae. Traditional linear measurements and two-dimensional geometric morphometric analysis for the occlusal surface outlines were conducted on the fossil teeth and extant pantherines inhabited in Asia such as clouded leopards (Neofelis nebulosa), leopards (Panthera pardus), and tigers (Panthera tigiris). Results show that the fossil teeth are similar both in size and morphology to the teeth of extant leopards, suggesting the assignment of the fossil teeth to leopards. This study, for the first time, reported the presence of leopards in the Late Pleistocene of Taiwan. In addition, the smaller size of the fossil teeth in comparison with Chinese fossil leopards is putatively attributed to insular dwarfism or individual size variability, yet more studies are required.

scholarly journals ­Geometric morphometric analysis of snout shape in extant ruminants (Ungulata, Artiodactyla)

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan P. Tennant ◽  
Norman MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Under Sampling ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
First Time

Snout shape is a prominent aspect of herbivore feeding ecology, controlling both forage selectivity and intake rate. Many previous investigations have suggested that ruminant feeding classes can be discriminated via snout shape, with grazing and browsing species attributed ‘blunt’ and ‘pointed’ snouts respectively, with an intermediate sub-grouping. This aspect of functional ecology is analysed for the first time using a statistically rigorous geometry-based framework to compare the two-dimensional profiles of the premaxilla in ventral aspect for a large sample of ruminant species. Our results suggest that, when a sample of browsing and grazing ruminants are classified ecologically based on a range of independent indicators of their feeding strategy, they cannot be fully discriminated on the basis of their premaxilla profile shape. Instead, our sample forms a shape variation continuum with overlap between groupings, but with a 78 percent chance of successful categorisation. Moreover, previously used terminology such as ‘pointed’ and ‘blunt’ are largely inadequate for delimiting snout shape varieties, insofar as these terms lack the descriptive power to define the morphological disparity demonstrated. These results suggest that previous attempts to use snout shape as a proxy for feeding style in ruminants may have been biased due to under-sampling of this highly diverse group and to lack of geometric rigour in the assessment of shape data. Alternatively, conflicting or inadequate evidence in defining ‘browsers’ and ‘grazers’ could have caused incorrect assignment to ecological groups, distorting our analyses. The relation between snout shape and body mass are also documented.

scholarly journals On two species of Riocypris (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from northern Patagonia and their relation to Eucypris fontana: implications in paleoenvironmental reconstructions

2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (8) ◽  
pp. 801-817 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Coviaga ◽  
A.P. Pérez ◽  
L.Y. Ramos ◽  
P. Alvear ◽  
G.C. Cusminsky
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Dimorphism ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Indicator Species ◽  
Taxonomic Status ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Comparative Analyses ◽  
Northern Patagonia ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
The Individual ◽  
First Time

Two species of ostracods new to Patagonia, Argentina, are described. One of them, Riocypris whatleyi sp. nov., is described for the first time, and the second, Riocypris sarsi (Daday, 1902) comb. nov., is reallocated from genus Eucypris to genus Riocypris. Inter- and intra-specific variations in shape, size, and sexual dimorphism were evaluated based on geometric morphometric analysis. Moreover, morphological and morphometric comparative analyses were applied to re-examine living and quaternary specimens recovered from previous studies. Based on these results, a generic reassignment for the Patagonian Eucypris fontana (Jurine, 1820) into the genus Riocypris is proposed. Contributing to the knowledge on the systematic and autecology of this enigmatic species, widely distributed in Patagonia and frequently used in paleolimnological reconstructions, generates science-based evidence for their use as indicator species. Additionally, our results emphasize the usefulness of studying the living representatives (i.e., with valves and appendages) for elucidating the taxonomic status of the individual specimens, especially those present in paleontological records and used as bioproxies in paleolimnological studies.

Molecular, morphometric and digital automated identification of three Diaphorina species (Hemiptera: Liviidae)

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Mohammadreza Lashkari ◽  
Daniel Burckhardt ◽  
Shima Kashef
Keyword(s):  
Image Processing ◽  
Digital Image Processing ◽  
Digital Image ◽  
Automated Identification ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Morphometric Analyses ◽  
Important Pest ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
First Time

Abstract Diaphorina is a species-rich genus, native to the tropics and subtropics of the Old World, particularly of more arid regions. One of the species, Diaphorina citri, is the economically most important pest of citrus. Diaphorina species are morphologically similar which makes their identification difficult. In this study, the accuracy of DNA barcoding, using mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COI), geometric morphometrics of the forewing and digital image processing methods were tested for identification of the three Diaphorina species: D. chobauti, D. citri and D. zygophylli. Moreover, the published COI sequences of D. citri, D. communis and D. lycii obtained from Genbank were used for cluster analyses. DNA barcodes for D. chobauti and D. zygophylli are deposited in Genbank for the first time. The results of the molecular and geometric morphometric analyses are congruent and place D. chobauti as the sister taxon of the other Diaphorina species. The geometric morphometric analysis shows that in D. zygophylli the fore margin is slightly curved proximally and sharply bent distally, while in D. chobauti and D. citri it is straight proximally and weakly bent distally. The results of digital image processing show that the distribution of the dark pattern differs consistently in the three studied species.

scholarly journals ­Geometric morphometric analysis of snout shape in extant ruminants (Ungulata, Artiodactyla)

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan P. Tennant ◽  
Norman MacLeod
Keyword(s):  
Feeding Strategy ◽  
Functional Ecology ◽  
Intake Rate ◽  
Ecological Groups ◽  
Shape Variation ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Ruminant Species ◽  
Under Sampling ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
First Time

Snout shape is a prominent aspect of herbivore feeding ecology, controlling both forage selectivity and intake rate. Many previous investigations have suggested that ruminant feeding classes can be discriminated via snout shape, with grazing and browsing species attributed ‘blunt’ and ‘pointed’ snouts respectively, with an intermediate sub-grouping. This aspect of functional ecology is analysed for the first time using a statistically rigorous geometry-based framework to compare the two-dimensional profiles of the premaxilla in ventral aspect for a large sample of ruminant species. Our results suggest that, when a sample of browsing and grazing ruminants are classified ecologically based on a range of independent indicators of their feeding strategy, they cannot be fully discriminated on the basis of their premaxilla profile shape. Instead, our sample forms a shape variation continuum with overlap between groupings, but with a 78 percent chance of successful categorisation. Moreover, previously used terminology such as ‘pointed’ and ‘blunt’ are largely inadequate for delimiting snout shape varieties, insofar as these terms lack the descriptive power to define the morphological disparity demonstrated. These results suggest that previous attempts to use snout shape as a proxy for feeding style in ruminants may have been biased due to under-sampling of this highly diverse group and to lack of geometric rigour in the assessment of shape data. Alternatively, conflicting or inadequate evidence in defining ‘browsers’ and ‘grazers’ could have caused incorrect assignment to ecological groups, distorting our analyses. The relation between snout shape and body mass are also documented.

scholarly journals Geometric morphometric analysis of spore shapes improves identification of fungi

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. e0250477
Author(s):  
Alexander Ordynets ◽  
Sarah Keßler ◽  
Ewald Langer
Keyword(s):  
Species Identification ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Fungal Spores ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Test System ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Geometric Information ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Shape And Size

Morphology of organisms is an essential source of evidence for taxonomic decisions and understanding of ecology and evolutionary history. The geometric structure (i.e., numeric description of shape) provides richer and mathematically different information about an organism’s morphology than linear measurements. A little is known on how these two sources of morphological information (shape vs. size) contribute to the identification of organisms when implied simultaneously. This study hypothesized that combining geometric information on the outline with linear measurements results in better species identification than either evidence alone can provide. As a test system for our research, we used the microscopic spores of fungi from the genus Subulicystidium (Agaricomycetes, Basidiomycota). We analyzed 2D spore shape data via elliptic Fourier and principal component analyses. Using flexible discriminant analysis, we achieved the highest species identification success rate for a combination of shape and size descriptors (64.7%). The shape descriptors alone predicted species slightly better than size descriptors (61.5% vs. 59.1%). We conclude that adding geometric information on the outline to linear measurements improves the identification of the organisms. Despite the high relevance of spore traits for the taxonomy of fungi, they were previously rarely analyzed with the tools of geometric morphometrics. Therefore, we supplement our study with an open access protocol for digitizing and summarizing fungal spores’ shape and size information. We propagate a broader use of geometric morphometric analysis for microscopic propagules of fungi and other organisms.

A new fanged frog in the Limnonectes kuhlii complex (Anura: Dicroglossidae) from northeastern Cambodia

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4894 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-473
Author(s):  
BRYAN L. STUART ◽  
SARA N. SCHOEN ◽  
EMMA E.M. NELSON ◽  
HEATHER MAHER ◽  
THY NEANG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Similar Species ◽  
Head Shape ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Male Head ◽  
Qualitative Characters ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis

The Limnonectes kuhlii complex is a group of morphologically similar species of fanged frogs distributed across much of mainland and insular Southeast Asia. Many new species in this complex have been described in recent years, primarily on the basis of mitochondrial DNA divergence corroborated by differences in linear measurements and qualitative characters. Males in this species complex develop enlarged heads at sexual maturity, but the degree of head enlargement varies among mature males, even within the same population. We evaluated the utility of body length (snout–vent length minus head length) in descriptive statistics and in size-adjusting measurements for traditional morphometric analysis, as well as a landmark-based geometric morphometric analysis of male head shape, in Indochinese species of the L. kuhlii complex. The analyses supported quantitative and qualitative morphological distinction of a divergent mitochondrial lineage of the L. kuhlii complex in northeastern Cambodia, and the lineage is described as a new species. Limnonectes fastigatus sp. nov. differs from its closest relatives and from geographically proximate members of the complex by having the combination of elongated, slender odontoids; nuptial pads on the first finger; immaculate belly; significantly different body length-adjusted measurements in both sexes; and a significantly different male head shape. The new species is the only member of the L. kuhlii complex known from Cambodia. 

Analysis of the differences between Syntormon pallipes and S. pseudospicatus (Diptera: Dolichopodidae): morphological and molecular data

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 305-316
Author(s):  
M.A. Chursina ◽  
I.Ya. Grichanov
Keyword(s):  
Dna Analysis ◽  
Distinct Species ◽  
Molecular Data ◽  
Wing Shape ◽  
Morphological Data ◽  
12S Rrna ◽  
Separate Species ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Geometric Morphometric Analysis ◽  
Morphological And Molecular Data

The recent catalogues of the family Dolichopodidae considered Syntormon pallipes (Fabricius, 1794) and S. pseudospicatus Strobl, 1899 as separate species. In this study, we used three approaches to estimate the significance of differences between the two species: molecular analysis (COI and 12S rRNA sequences), analysis of leg colour characters and geometric morphometric analysis of wing shape. The morphological data confirmed the absence of significant differences between S. pallipes and S. pseudospicatus found in the DNA analysis. Significant differences in the wing shape of two species have not been revealed. Hence, according to our data, there is no reason to consider S. pseudospicatus as a distinct species.

scholarly journals Geometric morphometric investigation of craniofacial morphological change in domesticated silver foxes

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Timothy M. Kistner ◽  
Katherine D. Zink ◽  
Steven Worthington ◽  
Daniel E. Lieberman
Keyword(s):  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Cranial Base ◽  
Craniofacial Morphology ◽  
Wild Populations ◽  
Linear Measurements ◽  
Skeletal Morphology ◽  
Geometric Morphometric ◽  
Domestication Syndrome ◽  
Morphometric Investigation ◽  
Unselected Population

AbstractTo test the effects of domestication on craniofacial skeletal morphology, we used three-dimensional geometric morphometrics (GM) along with linear and endocranial measurements to compare selected (domesticated) and unselected foxes from the Russian Farm-Fox Experiment to wild foxes from the progenitor population from which the farmed foxes are derived. Contrary to previous findings, we find that domesticated and unselected foxes show minimal differences in craniofacial shape and size compared to the more substantial differences between the wild foxes and both populations of farmed foxes. GM analyses and linear measurements demonstrate that wild foxes differ from farmed foxes largely in terms of less cranial base flexion, relatively expanded cranial vaults, and increased endocranial volumes. These results challenge the assumption that the unselected population of foxes kept as part of the Russian Farm-Fox experiment are an appropriate proxy for ‘wild’ foxes in terms of craniofacial morphology and highlight the need to include wild populations in further studies of domestication syndrome to disentangle the phenotypic effects of multiple selection pressures. These findings also suggest that marked increases in docility cannot be reliably diagnosed from shape differences in craniofacial skeletal morphology.

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