Microbial Communities of Ascocarps and Soils in a Natural Habitat of Tuber Indicum

Truffles are the fruiting bodies of hypogeous fungi in the genus Tuber. Some truffle species usually grow in an area devoid of vegetation, called brûlé, which knowledge about the microbial composition and structure is still limited. Here, we investigated the bacterial and fungal communities of Tuber indicum ascocarps and soils inside and outside a characteristic brûlé from a poplar plantation with no truffle production history in northeastern China using a high-throughput sequencing approach. A predominance of bacterial phylum Proteobacteria was observed in all samples, with Bacillus among the main genera in the ascocarps, while members of Lysobacter and unidentified Acidobacteria were more abundant in the soil. In addition, Gibberella, Fusarium and Absidia were the dominant fungi in the ascocarps, while Tuber were enriched in the ascocarps and soils inside the brûlé. Soil samples from inside the brûlé had a lower bacterial diversity and a greater fungal diversity than did those from outside the brûlé. Furthermore, some mycorrhization helper bacteria (Rhizobium) and ectomycorrhiza-associated bacteria (Lysobacter) were detected, indicating their potential roles in the complex development of underground fruiting bodies and brûlé formation. These findings may contribute to the protection and cultivation of truffles.

Marsupials (Mammalia, Metatheria) from the Brule Formation (Whitneyan, Oligocene) North Dakota

Five marsupial species are recognized from the Brule Formation at two localities in southwestern North Dakota: Fitterer Ranch and Obritsch Ranch (middle Oligocene; Whitneyan North American Land Mammal Age [NALMA]). The herpetotheriids Herpetotherium fugax Cope, 1873a, Copedelphys superstes new species, and the peradectid Nanodelphys hunti (Cope, 1873b) are represented at both localities. A fourth species is H. sp., cf. H. merriami (Stock and Furlong, 1922), represented by a single specimen from Fitterer Ranch, being limited elsewhere to the later Arikareean NALMA. A fifth species is represented by two isolated lower cheek teeth, interpreted as m1s, from Fitterer Ranch that are unique in lacking a trigonid (only two cusps present) while having a well-developed talonid. These specimens are referred to an indeterminate herpetotheriine species. The new species of Copedelphys is distinct from other species of the genus in that the anterior two lower molars are enlarged relative to the posterior molars. Overall, this new species is more similar in proportions to the latest Eocene (Chadronian) C. titanelix (Matthew, 1903) than the Oligocene (Orellan and Whitneyan) C. stevensoni (Cope, 1873b). This study adds a third and fourth Whitneyan marsupial fauna from the Great Plains region of North America, increases the known diversity of Whitneyan marsupials, and provides further evidence that marsupial diversity during the late Paleogene in North America was relatively stable until the late early Arikareean NALMA.UUID: http://zoobank.org/b8534802-b9ed-4120-baca-fc72917f7d6a

Cranial endocast of the stem lagomorph Megalagus and brain structure of basal Euarchontoglires

Early lagomorphs are central to our understanding of how the brain evolved in Glires (rodents, lagomorphs and their kin) from basal members of Euarchontoglires (Glires + Euarchonta, the latter grouping primates, treeshrews, and colugos). Here, we report the first virtual endocast of the fossil lagomorph Megalagus turgidus , from the Orella Member of the Brule Formation, early Oligocene, Nebraska, USA. The specimen represents one of the oldest nearly complete lagomorph skulls known. Primitive aspects of the endocranial morphology in Megalagus include large olfactory bulbs, exposure of the midbrain, a small neocortex and a relatively low encephalization quotient. Overall, this suggests a brain morphology closer to that of other basal members of Euarchontoglires (e.g. plesiadapiforms and ischyromyid rodents) than to that of living lagomorphs. However, the well-developed petrosal lobules in Megalagus , comparable to the condition in modern lagomorphs, suggest early specialization in that order for the stabilization of eye movements necessary for accurate visual tracking. Our study sheds new light on the reconstructed morphology of the ancestral brain in Euarchontoglires and fills a critical gap in the understanding of palaeoneuroanatomy of this major group of placental mammals.

Rodents (Mammalia)from Fitterer Ranch, Brule Formation (Oligocene), North Dakota

Korth, William W., Robert J. Emry, Clint A. Boyd, and Jeff J. Person. Rodents (Mammalia) from Fitterer Ranch, Brule Formation (Oligocene), North Dakota. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology, number 103, vi + 45 pages, 17 figures, 15 tables, 1 appendix, 2019.—Eighteen rodent species are recognized from the Fitterer Ranch fauna of North Dakota on the basis of more than a thousand collected specimens. Of the species recognized, four are new: the prosciurine aplodontiids Prosciurus hogansoni and Altasciurus leonardi, the heliscomyid Heliscomys borealis, and the cricetid Eumys lammersi. A previously described castorid from this fauna, Oligotheriomys primus Korth, 1998, is considered a synonym of “Eutypomys” magnus Wood, 1937, on the basis of the recovery of lower dentitions but is retained in the genus Oligotheriomys. A single specimen is questionably referred to Microparamys, a genus elsewhere limited to the Eocene (Clarkforkian-Chadronian land mammal ages). The rodent fauna appears to be a combination of predominantly Orellan and Whitneyan species (early Oligocene), suggesting that the section might transcend the Orellan-Whitneyan boundary. However, the rodent fauna does not alter significantly from the lowest to the highest horizons.