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Thursday, October 6th, 2022
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 2:15a | [Botany • 2022] Liparis macrosepala (Orchidaceae: Epidendroideae) • A New Species from southwest China with its Phylogenetic Position
Abstract A new orchid species, Liparis macrosepala, is illustrated and described from Yunnan Province, China, based on morphological and molecular analyses. This plant is characterised by the ovoid-fusiform, slightly compressed pseudobulbs with 4 or 5 leaves with slightly crisped margins on their apical half, dorsal sepal heart-shaped, lip with a bituberculate basal callus and a thickened folded lateral lobe on each side, centrally with one cavity with slightly raised margins, the column with a single pair of broadly triangular, obtuse wings. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses of combined nrITS and plastid matK DNA sequences place this species in section Cestichis. Keywords: Liparis section Cestichis, molecular phylogeny, morphology, matK, nrITS
  Liparis macrosepala Z.W. Wang, Y. Zhang & W.C. Huang, sp. nov. Chinese name: 大萼羊耳蒜 Diagnosis: Liparis macrosepala is characterised by the ovoid-fusiform, slightly compressed pseudobulbs with 4 or 5 alternate leaves on their apical half, these with slightly crispate margins, dorsal sepal ovate with cordate base, broadly elliptic, ca. 4 mm long, 2 callus-shaped and thickened folds, base with 2 oblong lobes on both sides, centrally with 1 thickened, concave callus, column with a single pair of arcuate wings. Distribution and habitat: It is found on tree trunks on a limestone ridge-top evergreen broad-leaved forest at an elevation of 1500–1700 m in Mengna County, Xishuangbanna Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, People’s Republic of China. The habitat presents a tropical monsoon climate. Etymology: The species epithet refers to the large and conspicuous dorsal sepal of the flower. Zhengwei Wang, Yi Zhang, Ze Zhang, Xiaochen Li, Zhijin Wu, Lan Yan, Aixian Lu, Chengzhi Xie, Chao Hu and Weichang Huang. 2022. Liparis macrosepala (Orchidaceae), A New Species from southwest China with its Phylogenetic Position. PhytoKeys. 210: 67-77. DOI: 10.3897/phytokeys.210.87033  | ||||||
| 4:04a | [Arachnida • 2022] Ibana gan • The First Record of the Thomisid Genus Ibana Benjamin, 2014 (Araneae: Thomisidae) from China, with the Description of A New Species
Abstract Background The genus Ibana Benjamin, 2014 was established, based on the type species Ibana senagang Benjamin, 2014 from Borneo, Malaysia. No species of this genus has been recorded from China. New information A new species of Ibana is described and illustrated, representing the first record of the genus for China. Ibana gan sp. n. differs from its congener by the yellowishbrown longitudinal band on the abdomen and the round, contiguous spermathecae. The distribution of the new species in Jiangxi Province is mapped. Keywords: taxonomy, spiders, types, Jiangxi  
Ibana gan Liu & Li, sp. n. Diagnosis: The new species can be distinguished from Ibana senagang Benjamin, 2014 (Benjamin 2014: 181, figs. 1G, 3A–C) by the transverse ridge of copulatory openings present (vs. absent), the copulatory ducts extending from anterolateral to posteromedial part of epigyne (vs. from medial to anteromedial) and the oval, contiguous spermathecae (vs. close touching) (Figs 2, 3). Etymology: The specific name refers to the Chinese abbreviation for Jiangxi Province; noun in apposition. Distribution: Known only from the type locality in Jiangxi Province, China Keke Liu, Wenhui Li, Yanbin Yao, Congzheng Li and Shuqiang Li. 2022. The First Record of the Thomisid Genus Ibana Benjamin, 2014 (Araneae, Thomisidae) from China, with the Description of A New Species. Biodiversity Data Journal. 10: e93637. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.10.e93637 | ||||||
| 12:44p | [Ichthyology • 2022] Pethia dikhuensis • A New Species (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Nagaland, Northeast, India
Abstract A new species of Pethia from Nagaland, northeastern India is distinguished from all its congeners in the Ganges-Brahmaputra drainage, Kaladan drainage and the Chindwin- Ayeyarwady drainage by the following combination of characters: lateral line complete with 22–23 pored scales up to tail-fin base, 3rd and 4th lateral line scales with minute humeral spot, a large elliptical to rounded black blotch covering 16th to 18th, or 17th to 19th lateral-line scales; live male specimens with reddish-green body above lateral line and reddish-orange beneath; dorsal, pectoral, pelvic, anal and caudal fins reddish-orange; dorsal fin in both sexes with broad black submargin. Genetic analysis based on the mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase unit I (cox1) suggests that the species is distinct from other known species of Pethia for which data are available. Keywords: Pisces, barbs, Cypriniformes, Pethia expletiforis, Dikhu River, Brahmaputra River    Jayasimhan Praveenraj, Limaakum, John Daniel Marcus Knight, Nallathambi Moulitharan and Nungsangtemjen Imchen. 2022. Pethia dikhuensis (Teleostei: Cyprinidae), A New Species from Nagaland, Northeast, India. Zootaxa. 5194(2); 283-295. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5194.2.9  | ||||||
| 12:56p | [PaleoIchthyology • 2022] Xiushanosteus mirabilis & Shenacanthus vermiformis • The Oldest Complete Jawed Vertebrates from the early Silurian of China
Abstract Molecular studies suggest that the origin of jawed vertebrates was no later than the Late Ordovician period (around 450 million years ago (Ma)). Together with disarticulated micro-remains of putative chondrichthyans from the Ordovician and early Silurian period these analyses suggest an evolutionary proliferation of jawed vertebrates before, and immediately after, the end-Ordovician mass extinction. However, until now, the earliest complete fossils of jawed fishes for which a detailed reconstruction of their morphology was possible came from late Silurian assemblages (about 425 Ma). The dearth of articulated, whole-body fossils from before the late Silurian has long rendered the earliest history of jawed vertebrates obscure. Here we report a newly discovered Konservat-Lagerstätte, which is marked by the presence of diverse, well-preserved jawed fishes with complete bodies, from the early Silurian (Telychian age, around 436 Ma) of Chongqing, South China. The dominant species, a ‘placoderm’ or jawed stem gnathostome, which we name Xiushanosteus mirabilis gen. et sp. nov., combines characters from major placoderm subgroups and foreshadows the transformation of the skull roof pattern from the placoderm to the osteichthyan condition. The chondrichthyan Shenacanthus vermiformis gen. et sp. nov. exhibits extensive thoracic armour plates that were previously unknown in this lineage, and include a large median dorsal plate as in placoderms combined with a conventional chondrichthyan bauplan. Together, these species reveal a previously unseen diversification of jawed vertebrates in the early Silurian, and provide detailed insights into the whole-body morphology of the jawed vertebrates of this period. Systematic palaeontology Gnathostomata Gegenbaur, 1874  Xiushanosteus mirabilis Zhu, Li, Ahlberg and Zhu gen. et sp. nov. Etymology. Xiushan county, where the fossils were discovered, and osteus (Latin), bone; mirabilis (Latin), miracle, referring to the miraculous discovery of complete jawed vertebrates from the early Silurian. Holotype. Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) V300001, part and counterpart of a complete fish. Referred material. A total of 20 individuals, catalogued as IVPP V300002–V300021. Locality and horizon. Yongdong, Xiushan county, Chongqing, China; Huixingshao Formation, middle-to-late Telychian, Llandovery, Silurian, about 436 Ma (Extended Data Figs. 1 and 2 and Supplementary Information). The horizon yields fossils of diverse jawless and jawed fishes (Extended Data Fig. 3a–d), including the two taxa described here. The Lagerstätte features many head-to-tail fishes with fine details such as the complete fin web and possible vertebral column cartilage (Extended Data Fig. 3e). Furthermore, fossils of eurypterids (Fig. 1c,d) and phyllocarid crustaceans (Extended Data Fig. 3f), as well as algal fragments were also discovered alongside the fish fauna.  Chondrichthyes Huxley, 1880 Shenacanthus vermiformis Zhu, Li, Ahlberg and Zhu gen. et sp. nov. Etymology. In honour of Congwen Shen, a distinguished writer who located his most famous story Border Town (Biancheng) at Hong’an Biancheng, close to the fossil site. Greek akantha, a thorn. Species name, Latin vermiformis, referring to the worm-like ornament on the median dorsal plates. Holotype. IVPP V300000, the only known specimen of the genus and species, part and counterpart of a near-complete fish. Locality and horizon. The same as for X. mirabilis. Diagnosis. Small chondrichthyan, approximately 22 mm from the rostrum to the anal fin. Fusiform body shape; small cranium (~3.5 mm from the rostrum to the shoulder girdle) with blunt rostrum; dentition absent; branchial region posteriorly positioned in relation to the cranium; branchiostegal and hyoidean plates absent, shoulder girdle covered in large dermal plates both dorsally and ventrally, two median dorsal plates, the anterior one smaller and oblate, the posterior one larger and teardrop-shaped, with vermiform ornament; paddle-like pectoral fins lacking fin spine; Anal fin also lacking fin spine. Small, diamond-shaped scales. Small scutes or dermal plates with linear ornament along the dorsal and ventral midlines.  You-an Zhu, Qiang Li, Jing Lu, Yang Chen, Jianhua Wang, Zhikun Gai, Wenjin Zhao, Guangbiao Wei, Yilun Yu, Per E. Ahlberg and Min Zhu. 2022. The Oldest Complete Jawed Vertebrates from the early Silurian of China. Nature. 609; 954–958. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05136-8 https://phys.org/news/2022-09-fish-fossi  | ||||||
| 1:03p | [Botany • 2022] Cryptocoryne paglaterasiana (Araceae) • A New Endangered Species from Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, Western Mindanao, Philippines
Abstract Cryptocoryne paglaterasiana, a new endemic species discovered by two citizen scientists in Zamboanga del Norte, Western Mindanao, Philippines is herein described and illustrated. A detailed description, colour plates, phenology, distribution, provisional conservation status and a list of Cryptocoryne species in the Philippines are presented below. With this discovery, the Philippines now holds a total number of seven Cryptocoryne species and except for one they are endemic, rare and threatened. Keyword: Aquatic plant, aroid, Cryptocoryne joshanii, Philippine biodiversity, Plant taxonomy, Zamboanga peninsula flora   Cryptocoryne paglaterasiana Naive & N.Jacobsen, sp. nov. Diagnosis: Spathe somewhat resembling Cryptocoryne joshanii Naive & J.R.T.Villanueva but is only 4–7 cm long (¼–½ length of C. joshanii); stigmas creamy white, ascending to erect (C. joshanii has purplish red, forwardly bent stigmas); leaves with a blackish to reddish brown purple lamina (C. joshanii has a (silvery) green lamina with irregular line markings). The plant size also significantly differs as this new species is much smaller than C. joshanii. Eponymy: The specific epithet ‘paglaterasiana’ was coined after the names of two citizen scientists wherein ‘pagla’ was derived from Mr. Ariel Paglalulan and ‘teras’ from Mr. Edilberto Ponteras, who discovered the species and brought it to the attention of the first author. Distribution: Endemic to the Zamboanga Peninsula. The species has so far only been found in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, Western Mindanao, Philippines.   Mark Arcebal K. Naive, Yhebron J. Lagud and Niels Jacobsen. 2022. Discovery through Citizen Science: Cryptocoryne paglaterasiana (Araceae), A New Endangered Species from Tampilisan, Zamboanga del Norte, Western Mindanao. Taiwania. 67(4); 539-543. DOI: 10.6165/tai.2022.67.539 | ||||||
| 1:27p | [Paleontology • 2022] Scleromochlus and the early Evolution of Pterosauromorpha
Abstract Pterosaurs, the first vertebrates to evolve powered flight, were key components of Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems from their sudden appearance in the Late Triassic until their demise at the end of the Cretaceous. However, the origin and early evolution of pterosaurs are poorly understood owing to a substantial stratigraphic and morphological gap between these reptiles and their closest relatives6, Lagerpetidae. Scleromochlus taylori, a tiny reptile from the early Late Triassic of Scotland discovered over a century ago, was hypothesized to be a key taxon closely related to pterosaurs, but its poor preservation has limited previous studies and resulted in controversy over its phylogenetic position, with some even doubting its identification as an archosaur. Here we use microcomputed tomographic scans to provide the first accurate whole-skeletal reconstruction and a revised diagnosis of Scleromochlus, revealing new anatomical details that conclusively identify it as a close pterosaur relative1 within Pterosauromorpha (the lagerpetid + pterosaur clade). Scleromochlus is anatomically more similar to lagerpetids than to pterosaurs and retains numerous features that were probably present in very early diverging members of Avemetatarsalia (bird-line archosaurs). These results support the hypothesis that the first flying reptiles evolved from tiny, probably facultatively bipedal, cursorial ancestors.        Davide Foffa, Emma M. Dunne, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Richard J. Butler, Nicholas C. Fraser, Stephen L. Brusatte, Alexander Farnsworth, Daniel J. Lunt, Paul J. Valdes, Stig Walsh and Paul M. Barrett. 2022. Scleromochlus and the early Evolution of Pterosauromorpha. Nature. DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05284-x twitter.com/SerpenIllus/status/1577680289945583616 | ||||||
| 4:17p | [Crustacea • 2022] Macrobrachium irwini • A New Species of Freshwater Shrimp (Caridea: Palaemonidae) from Western Ghats, India
Abstract A new species of the freshwater shrimp of the genus Macrobrachium irwini sp. nov., is described from the Nandhini River near Kateel, Karnataka region of Western Ghats, India. 11 specimens of Macrobrachium irwini sp. nov. were collected from Nandhini river running through a secondary forest with heavily vegetated banks. The morphological analyses revealed that the new species can be clearly distinguished from the closely related species, M. snpurii and M. scabriculum based on the shape and dentition on rostrum, antennular peduncle, segmental ratios of first pereiopod, tubercles along the cutting edges of immovable and movable fingers of second major pereiopod and telson. Additionally, we provided the striking colour patterns on the new species which could be distinguish this species from congeneric species. Keywords: Crustacea, Western Ghats, freshwater, Macrobrachium, new species, India  Macrobrachium irwini sp. nov. K. Kunjulakshmi, MacLean Antony Santos and S. Prakash. 2022. Macrobrachium irwini sp. nov., A New Species of Freshwater Shrimp from Western Ghats, India (Caridea: Palaemonidae). Zootaxa. 5194(3); 416-425. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5194.3.5  |
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