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Thursday, April 21st, 2022
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| 1:40a | [Cnidaria • 2022] Atolla reynoldsi • A New Species of Coronate Scyphozoan (Scyphozoa: Coronatae: Atollidae) Found in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean
Abstract We have observed and collected unusual specimens of what we recognize as undescribed types of the genus Atolla over the past 15 years. Of these, there appear to be three potentially different types. One of these has now been genetically sequenced and compared both morphologically and molecularly with five other Atolla species that have been found in the eastern Pacific. This new variant is so morphologically distinct from other previously described Atolla species that we believe it can be described as a new species, Atolla reynoldsi sp. nov. This species along with two additional types may comprise a new genus. It is also clear that a more accurate and diagnostic morphological key for the genus Atolla needs to be developed. This paper will also provide some potential starting points for a new key to the genus. Keywords: Atolla; new species; Pacific; coronate; Scyphozoa; ROV; trawl  
Systematics Class Scyphozoa Götte, 1887 Subclass Coronamedusae Calder, 2009 Order Coronatae Vanhöffen, 1892 Family Atollidae Hickson, 1906 Genus Atolla Haeckel, 1880 Atolla reynoldsi sp. nov. Diagnosis: Atolla reynoldsi sp. nov. can have from 26–39 tentacles and rhopalia. The overall shape is flattened although the center zone is a rounded dome, albeit not very tall (Figure 1). The tentacles in situ are usually coiled and a hypertrophied tentacle has not been observed. There are ~nine lateral ridges along the pedalia that have some spikes of various heights (Figure 5b–d). The gut has a distinctive Greek-cross morphology (Figure 6c). Diagnostic characters separating this new species from extant Atolla species include the spiked ridges and papillae on the exumbrellar surface of the rhopaliar pedalia, the ability to coil the tentacles, the Greek-cross gut morphology, and the lack of a hyptertrophied tentacle. The gonads are oval when immature but become large and horseshoe-shaped when mature. The radial septa are straight or slightly divergent and extend beyond the coronal muscle. Etymology: Named after the first volunteer at the Monterey Bay Aquarium (Jeff Reynolds) who guarded a beached whale on Del Monte Beach overnight so that the Aquarium could retrieve it and prepare it for eventual overhead display. Systematic remarks: The order Coronatae is identified by the separation of the exumbrella into two concentric zones by a circular coronal groove. The central zone is a circular disc or dome while the marginal zone is divided by radiating grooves into thickened pedalia, with peripheral lappets. The presence of more than eight rhopalia place it into the family Atollidae, which is currently monogeneric.
 George I. Matsumoto, Lynne M. Christianson, Bruce H. Robison, Steven H. D. Haddock and Shannon B. Johnson. 2022. Atolla reynoldsi sp. nov. (Cnidaria, Scyphozoa, Coronatae, Atollidae): A New Species of Coronate Scyphozoan Found in the Eastern North Pacific Ocean. Animals. 12(6); 742. DOI: 10.3390/ani12060742 Simple Summary: This paper describes an unusually large and distinctive deep-sea red medusa with coiled tentacles in the family Atollidae. This family is monogeneric with ten presently accepted species in the genus Atolla. The new medusa is molecularly and morphologically distinct from the five species that we have been able to sample and morphologically distinct from all ten previously described species. We have also observed and collected samples from another two potentially new species. The ocean provides over 98% of the available living space on our planet and we still do not know who is living there or how they interact with one another. This paper adds to the increasing number of new deep-sea species being described as we increase our exploration, and as advances in undersea technology and genetic sequencing become more available. Atolla reynoldsi sp. nov. has 26–39 tentacles that are coiled in situ, a Greek-cross gut morphology with smooth edges, spiked ridges and papillae on the rhopaliar pedalia and no trailing tentacle. | ||||||||
| 1:55a | [Mammalogy • 2022] Eospalax muliensis • Phylogenetic Relationships of the Zokor Genus Eospalax (Rodentia, Spalacidae) inferred from Whole-genome Analyses, with Description of A New Species Endemic to Hengduan Mountains
Abstract Zokors in the genus Eospalax, which are endemic to northern and western China, are subterranean rodents that inhabit various niches, including grasslands, high-altitude meadows, forests, and farmlands. Six species in Eospalax were described a century ago but their taxonomy and phylogeny remain controversial. In this study, we performed high-depth whole-genome sequencing of 47 zokor samples, comprising all six previously described species. Genomic analyses revealed a reliable and robust phylogeny of Eospalax and supported the validity of the six named species. According to the inferred phylogenetic relationships, Eospalax first divergent into two clades in the early Pliocene (ca. 4.68 million years ago (Ma)), one inhabiting the high-altitude Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions, and the another inhabiting the low-altitude Loess Plateau and Qinling-Daba Mountains. The most recent divergences occurred between E. baileyi and E. smithii and between E. rufescens and E. rothschildi in the late Pliocene (ca. 2.09 and 2.19 Ma, respectively). We also collected specimens of zokors in the southern Hengduan Mountains (Muli County, Sichuan Province), far from the known distributions of all other zokors. Morphological and molecular analyses strongly suggested that the specimens represent a new species, formally described here as Eospalax muliensis sp. nov. The new species belongs to the high-altitude clade and diverged from closely related species (ca. 4.22 Ma) shortly after the first divergence in Eospalax. Interestingly, Eospalax muliensis sp. nov . possesses more supposedly plesiomorphic characters, suggesting a possible origin of the genus in the Hengduan Mountains. Keywords: Zokor, Eospalax, Phylogenomic analyses, New species, Hengduan Mountains
Eospalax muliensis Zhang, Chen & Shi, sp. nov. Suggested common name: Muli zokor; 木里鼢鼠 (Muli Fenshu) Diagnosis: Eospalax muliensis sp. nov. can be distinguished from other described species of Eospalax by a combination of the following characters: size small (mean BW=155.64 g; mean GLS=40.52 mm); tail relatively long, densely hairy; nose-pad trifoliate; rostrum weak, nearly rectangular, nasals small, posterior border of nasals transverse, anterior halves of premaxilla nearly aligned with nasals; braincase well-domed, temporal ridges not conspicuous, parallel in front, lambdoid crests only present on side of skull; occipital shield with developed occipital ridges, extending well posteriorly, almost forming plane with occipital condyle; about 1/3 of incisive foramina included within maxillae, remaining 2/3 of incisive foramina included within premaxillae; palate and pterygopalatine fossa large, M2–M2 almost equal to LUM; M3 with two reentrant angles on outer side.
 Etymology: The species name muliensis is derived from Muli County, the type locality of the new species in Sichuan Province, China, and the Latin adjectival suffix -ensis means “belonging to”. Distribution and habitat: Eospalax muliensis sp. nov. is currently known only from the Kangwu Ranch, Muli County, Sichuan Province, China (elevational range ~3 700 m). The habitat is alpine meadow, surrounded by shrubs (Supplementary Figure S4). This species may be adapted to high-elevation habitats, and thus may occur in other alpine meadows in the southern Hengduan Mountains.  Tao Zhang, Meng-Long Lei, Hao Zhou, Zhong-Zheng Chen and Peng Shi. 2022. Phylogenetic Relationships of the Zokor Genus Eospalax (Mammalia, Rodentia, Spalacidae) inferred from Whole-genome Analyses, with Description of A New Species Endemic to Hengduan Mountains. Zoological Research. 43(3); 331-342. DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2022.045  |
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