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Monday, November 1st, 2021
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 3:03a | [Botany • 2018] Monstera limitaris (Araceae) • A New Species from the border between Costa Rica and Panama
Abstract Species of genus Monstera are among the most representative hemi-epiphytic Araceae in the Neotropics. They are widely distributed and abundant in the tropical forests of Costa Rica and Panama. During recent exploration in the border region between the two countries, an undescribed species belonging to the genus has been identified. The new species, Mostera limitaris, is described and illustrated here, using a color plate based on photographs of the vegetative and reproductive structures of live material. Keywords: Central America, fieldwork, Monstera, Monsteroideae, taxonomy, Monocots
Monstera limitaris M. Cedeño, sp. nov. Monstera limitaris is characterized by having leaves with verruculose petioles at base, semi-persistent and convolute sheaths, crenate geniculum margins, blades with pinnatifid margins and fenestrations along the midrib as well as by the white-yellowish acuminate spathe, a creamy-white spadix and flowers with lateral-flattened stigmatophore and linear stigma which have a colorless stigmatic secretion. Eponymy:—The name limitaris, from the Latin “limitis”, refers to a border or boundary, alluding to the type locality, which is on the Costa Rica and Panama border. Marco Cedeño-Fonseca, Adam P. Karremans and Orlando O. Ortiz. 2018. Monstera limitaris (Araceae), A New Species from the border between Costa Rica and Panama. Phytotaxa. 376(1); 37–42. DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.376.1.4  | ||||||
| 3:15a | [Herpetology • 2021] Leptobrachella murphyi • Integrative Taxonomy reveals A New Species of Leptobrachella (Anura: Megophryidae) from the mountains of northern Thailand
Abstract The genus Leptobrachella is one of the most speciose and taxonomically troubling groups of Asian anurans. Herein, we describe a new species of Leptobrachella from Doi Inthanon, Chiang Mai Province, Thailand based on the integration of morphological, acoustic and molecular data. The new species, Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov., is morphologically distinguished from its congeners on the basis of body size, dorsal skin texture and coloration, ventral coloration and pattern, degree of webbing and fringing on the fingers and toes, iris coloration in life, pattern of markings on flanks and pattern of body macroglands. It also differs from its phylogenetically close congeners by an uncorrected p-distance of >9.6% for a fragment of 16S rRNA. The advertisement call of the new species consists of 4.5–4.7 kHz (at 15 °C) and without a distinct introductory note. Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov. likely occurs across the Thanon Thong Chai Range and analyses provide evidence of unknown biodiversity and species composition on Doi (mountain) Inthanon. In addition, the congeneric species L. minima was also confirmed in Doi Inthanon. The coexistence pattern of Leptobrachella in Doi Inthanon deserves further study. As Thailand’s highest mountain and biodiversity reservoir, the need for further biological exploration is urgent given ongoing habitat loss and degradation. Keywords: Amphibia, Biodiversity hotspot, Cryptic diversity, Integrative taxonomy, Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov., Southeast Asia, Thailand    
Leptobrachella murphyi sp. nov. Chresonymy: Leptolalax sp. — Ohler et al. 2011: 9; Leptolalax sp. 3 — Chen et al. 2018: 165; Leptolalax pelodytoides — Taylor 1962. Etymology. The specific epithet “ murphyi ” is a patronymic noun in the genitive singular; derived from the name of Prof. Robert W. Murphy from the Royal Ontario Museum, Canada, the co-founder of ColdCode, the international effort to DNA barcode species of amphibians and reptiles. We acknowledge his continuous support and inspiration of our study across the country border from China to Southeast Asia. For the common name, we recommend “Chiang Mai Leaf Litter Toad”.
Jin-Min Chen, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Yun-He Wu, Nikolay A. Poyarkov, Kai Xu, Parinya Pawangkhanant and Jing Che. 2021. Integrative Taxonomy reveals A New Species of Leptobrachella (Anura: Megophryidae) from the mountains of northern Thailand. Zootaxa. 5052(2); 41-64. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5052.2.2 | ||||||
| 7:57a | [PaleoMammalogy • 2021] Eusmilus adelos • The Largest Hoplophonine (Carnivora: Nimravidae) and A Complex New Hypothesis of Nimravid Evolution
Abstract Nimravids were the first carnivorans to evolve saberteeth, but previously portrayed as having a narrow evolutionary trajectory of increasing degrees of sabertooth specialization. Here I present a novel hypothesis about the evolution of this group, including a description of Eusmilus adelos, the largest known hoplophonine, which forces a re-evaluation of not only their relationships, but perceived paleoecology. Using a tip-dated Bayesian analysis with sophisticated evolutionary models, nimravids can now be viewed as following two paths of evolution: one led to numerous early dirk-tooth forms, including E. adelos, while the other converged on living feline morphology, tens of millions of years before its appearance in felids. 
Systematic palaeontology Carnivora Nimravidae Eusmilus Eusmilus adelos sp. nov. Holotype: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington D.C., USA (USNM) 12820: partially crushed cranium, parts of both dentaries, atlas, axis, 3rd, 5th and 7th cervical vertebrae, three lumbar vertebrae, left: scapula, distal humerus, proximal and distal ends of radius, proximal ulna (Figs. 1, 2, 3, Supplementary Figs. S1–S3). Etymology: From the Greek adelos, for unseen, unknown, or secret. The specific epithet refers to the unclear taxonomic affiliations these specimens have had in their more than 85 year history of publication. Paul Zachary Barrett. 2021. The Largest Hoplophonine and A Complex New Hypothesis of Nimravid Evolution. Scientific Reports. 11, 21078. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-00521-1 |
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