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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024
| Time | Event | ||||||||
| 1:06a | [PaleoBotany • 2023] Bauhinia tibetensis • The Oldest Fossil Record of Bauhinia s.s. (Fabaceae) from the Tibetan Plateau sheds light on its Evolutionary and Biogeographic Implications
Abstract Bauhinia s.s. is a large genus in the family Fabaceae, but its evolutionary and biogeographical history is still unclear due to the scarcity of fossil records compared to the highly diverse modern species in pantropic regions. Here, we report the earliest fossil record of Bauhinia s.s., namely Bauhinia tibetensis Y. Gao et T. Su sp. nov., based on leaves from the latest Paleocene of the southern Tibetan region. Combined with palaeoecological niche simulations and ancestral state reconstruction, the new fossils suggested a Paleocene origin of Bauhinia s.s. in the Afrotropical realm that subsequently dispersed to the Neotropical and Indomalayan realms. Bauhinia tibetensis belongs to the Asian clade of Bauhinia s.s. that reached the southern Tibetan region from the Afrotropical realm via the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc in the early Paleocene. This clade spread to south-eastern China during the Oligocene and entered northern India during the Neogene or earlier. The discovery of the oldest Bauhinia s.s. from what is now the southern Tibetan Plateau updates our understanding of the biogeographical history of this genus and demonstrates that the Kohistan-Ladakh Island Arc is an ancient corridor for floristic interchange between Africa and India. Keywords: Bauhinia s.s., biogeography, diversification, Paleocene, leaf fossil, palaeoecological niche simulations  Yi Gao, Ai Song, Wei-Yu-Dong Deng, Lin-Lin Chen, Jia Liu, Wei-Cheng Li, Gaurav Srivastava, Robert A. Spicer, Zhe-Kun Zhou and Tao Su. 2023. The Oldest Fossil Record of Bauhinia s.s. (Fabaceae) from the Tibetan Plateau sheds light on its Evolutionary and Biogeographic Implications. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21(1); 2244495. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2023.2244495 x.com/AsiaPaleofloras/status/1715100959364317389 | ||||||||
| 1:23a | [Ichthyology • 2024] Enteromius nzigidaherai • A New endemic Enteromius (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from the upper Malagarazi in Burundi: Lessons for a protected area under implementation
Abstract Recent collecting efforts in the upper Malagarazi basin (2013–2022) allowed for an integrative study based on qualitative (colour), quantitative (meristic and metric), and barcoding gene [mtDNA, cytochrome c oxidase (COI)] data of specimens similar to Enteromius sp. ‘ascutelatus’, being a previously identified, potentially, new species. Based on these data, the present study confirms its identification as a new species for science, which is here formally described as Enteromius nzigidaherai sp. nov. This new species belongs to the group of Enteromius species for which the last unbranched ray of the dorsal fin is flexible and devoid of serrations along its posterior edge. This species has a horizontal series of black spots at the midlateral level of the sides. Three congeneric species, known from the Congo basin sensu lato, with two of them also found in the upper Malagarazi basin, are most similar to it. However, E. nzigidaherai sp. nov. is distinguished from the two sympatric upper Malagarazi species, that is, E. quadrilineatus and E. lineomaculatus, at least by two meristics and two morphometrics. It is also distinguished from E. urostigma, known from the upper Congo basin, by two meristics and one, apparently related, morphometric. In addition, a barcoding (mtDNA, COI) study revealed that the specimens of E. nzigidaherai sp. nov. form a well-supported, separate lineage, with a K2P genetic distance of more than 10% with specimens identified as E. quadrilineatus and E. lineomaculatus, both originating from the upper Malagarazi basin and for which tissue samples were available. Finally, the new species was found to be endemic to the upper reaches of two left bank affluents of the upper Malagarazi basin: the Muyovozi and the Kinwa. However, both affluents are threatened by human activities, which seem to have resulted in its local disappearance as recent intensive collecting efforts in the latter affluent have remained unsuccessful. The species should thus be considered Critically Endangered (CR) according to IUCN criteria B1ab(ii,iv)c(i,iii). Therefore, it is hoped that the present description draws renewed attention to the importance of aquatic protection in the region by highlighting the need for the effective establishment of the Malagarazi Nature Reserve and concern for its optimal delimitation to efficiently protect the entire ichthyofauna of the upper Malagarazi, without excluding the fish species confined to its affluent rivers. Keywords: aquatic protection, COI barcoding, colour pattern, Enteromius nzigidaherai sp. nov., Malagarazi Nature Reserve, Nkoma Massif  Enteromius nzigidaherai sp. nov. Anatole Bigirimana, Tchalondawa Kisekelwa, Luis M. da Costa, Charlotte E. T. Huyghe, Gaspard Banyankimbona and Emmanuel J. W. M. N. Vreven. 2024. Description of A New endemic Enteromius (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from the upper Malagarazi in Burundi: Lessons for a protected area under implementation. Journal of Fish Biology. DOI: doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15652 | ||||||||
| 2:10a | [Herpetology • 2024] The Rediscovery of Noblella peruviana after More than 115 Years helps Resolve the Molecular Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Noblella (Anura: Strabomantidae)
Abstract We revise the taxonomy of the frog genus Noblella on the basis of a molecular phylogeny. Previous studies recognized that Noblella is non-monophyletic, with one clade distributed from southeastern Peru to northeastern Bolivia and adjacent areas in Brazil and another clade distributed from northern Peru to Ecuador and southeastern Colombia. The lack of sequences from the type species Noblella peruviana prevented the investigation of its phylogenetic position and the status of related taxa. Our rediscovery after more than 115 years allowed for the inclusion of DNA sequences of Noblella peruviana obtained from specimens collected at the type locality in southeastern Peru. We inferred a phylogeny based on a concatenated dataset (three mitochondrial and two nuclear loci) using Bayesian and maximum likelihood methods. Our phylogeny corroborated the non-monophyly of Noblella and helped resolve the status of related taxa, including Psychrophrynella bagrecito, the type species of the genus Psychrophrynella (rediscovered after 42 years). We identified a clade containing N. peruviana, P. bagrecito, and other species of Noblella and Psychrophrynella distributed in southern Peru. Given that the name Noblella predates Psychrophrynella, we propose that Psychrophrynella should be considered a junior synonym of Noblella. The second clade contains species of Noblella distributed in Ecuador and northern Peru, including N. myrmecoides, which used to be the type species of the genus Phyllonastes. Consequently, we propose to reinstate the genus Phyllonastes to accommodate all species of Noblella distributed in Ecuador, northern Peru, southeastern Colombia, and adjacent areas in Brazil. We present an updated taxonomy including new combinations for 12 species and reinstatements for three species. Keywords: amphibians; Andes; terrestrial-breeding frogs Noblella Barbour Noblella Barbour, 1930: 81. Type species Sminthillus peruvianus Noble, 1921: 1, by original designation. Phyllonastes Heyer, 1977: 151. Type species Euparkella myrmecoides Mynch, 1976, by original designation. Content: Twelve species currently recognized in the genus (this paper): N. bagrecito, N. carrascoicola, N. chirihampatu, N. glauca, N. losamigos, N. madreselva, N. peruviana, N. pygmaea, N. ritarasquinae, N. thiuni, N. usurpator, and N. vilcabambensis. (Note: No sequences available for N. carrascoicola and N. ritarasquinae. Proposed inclusion in the genus is based on similarities in morphology and geographic distribution.)
Rudolf von May, M. Isabel Diaz, Alex Ttito, Roy Santa-Cruz and Alessandro Catenazzi. 2024. The Rediscovery of Noblella peruviana after More than 115 Years helps Resolve the Molecular Phylogeny and Taxonomy of Noblella (Amphibia, Anura, Strabomantidae). Diversity. 16(10), 613. DOI: doi.org/10.3390/d16100613 | ||||||||
| 2:35a | [Paleontology • 2024] Gondwanax paraisensis • A New “silesaurid” from the oldest Dinosauromorph-bearing Beds of South America provides insights into the early Evolution of Bird-line Archosaurs
Highlights: • One of the oldest dinosauromorphs is described. • It is the earliest “silesaurid” with a sacrum composed of three vertebrae. • The oldest episode of sympatry among “silesaurids” in South America is reported. Abstract Investigations regarding the early evolutionary history of bird-line archosaurs have undergone significant advancements in recent years. However, controversies remain, especially regarding the phylogenetic position of “silesaurids”. Whereas some hypotheses place these archosaurs as the sister-group to dinosaurs, others suggest that “silesaurids” are early ornithischian dinosaurs. Despite the phylogenetic disputes, “silesaurids” are a crucial group for comprehending the origins and early evolution of dinosaurs. In the present study, a new “silesaurid” from the Middle-Upper Triassic of Southern Brazil is described. Gondwanax paraisensis gen. et sp. nov. comes from the Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Formation (Ladinian-Carnian boundary), representing one of the oldest “silesaurids” worldwide. Furthermore, Gondwanax paraisensis gen. et sp. nov is the oldest “silesaurid” with three sacral vertebrae, a feature usually observed in more derived forms. In addition, distinct from any other Triassic Pan-Aves, the new taxon bears an incipient fourth trochanter of the femur. This unique combination of features indicates a high diversity of locomotor strategies among early pan-avians. In addition, the co-occurrence of Gondwanax paraisensis gen. et sp. nov. and Gamatavus antiquus in the same Assemblage Zone represents the oldest evidence of sympatry among “silesaurids” in South America. Indeed, the unique combination of sacral and hindlimb features may suggest distinct behaviors for these species, potentially leading to niche differentiation within the same ecosystems. Systematic palaeontology Archosauria Cope, 1870 (sensu Gauthier & Padian, 2020) Pan-Aves Gauthier and De Queiroz, 2001 (sensu Ezcurra et al., 2020) Dinosauromorpha Benton, 1985 (sensu Ezcurra et al., 2020) Gondwanax paraisensis gen. et sp. nov.   Rodrigo Temp Müller. 2024. A New “silesaurid” from the oldest Dinosauromorph-bearing Beds of South America provides insights into the early Evolution of Bird-line Archosaurs. Gondwana Research. In Press, DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2024.09.007 | ||||||||
| 2:35p | [Entomology • 2024] Syntretus perlmani • Drosophila are hosts to the First described Parasitoid Wasp (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) of Adult Flies
Abstract Parasitoid wasps are exceptionally diverse and use specialized adaptations capable of manipulating the physiology and behaviour of host organisms. In more than two centuries since the first records of Drosophila-parasitizing wasps, nearly 200 described and provisional parasitoid species of drosophilids have been identified. These include endoparasitoids and ectoparasitoids, as well as species attacking larval and pupal hosts. Despite a deep history of research attention and remarkable biodiversity, a wasp species that attacks and develops inside the adult stage of a fly host has not been described previously. Here we report the discovery of a wasp species that infects the adult stage of fruit flies in the genus Drosophila, including one of the most deeply studied model organisms in biology, Drosophila melanogaster. Notably, this wasp can be easily collected from backyard fly baits and has a broad geographic distribution throughout the eastern USA. We document its life history and unique host interactions, including egg-laying into and larval emergence from adult flies, and provide protocols to raise wasps from wild-caught host flies. Our results emphasize the need for ongoing research investment in insect biodiversity and systematics. As parasitoid research continues to uncover unusual biology and supports fundamental mechanistic insights into immunity, metabolism, ecology, evolution and behaviour, we anticipate that this wasp’s association with the laboratory model organism, D. melanogaster, will provide new research opportunities across the life sciences. 
Family Braconidae Latrielle, 1829 Subfamily Euphorinae Foerster, 1862 Tribe Syntretini Shaw, 1985 Genus Syntretus Foerster, 1862 Subgenus Syntretus Foerster, 1862 Syntretus perlmani sp. nov. Shaw & Ballinger, 2024 Differential diagnosis. Syntretus perlmani sp. nov is a tiny species that is distinct from other known Syntretus species by virtue of its small size (body length about 1.5 mm) and utilization of adult Drosophila flies as hosts. The antenna is shorter than the head and mesosoma combined, and there are 12–13 flagellomeres. Often the antenna has only 12 flagellomeres (the lowest number recorded for any North American Syntretus species). Of the North American species, S. perlmani is most similar to Syntretus brevicornis Muesebeck, which also has a small body size and short antenna. Of the two species, S. perlmani is the smaller, with a body length of about 1.5 mm, as compared to 2.2 mm for ... Etymology. This species is named after Steve Perlman (University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada), in recognition of his contributions to research and mentorship in the field of Drosophila–parasite interactions. Logan D. Moore, Toluwanimi Chris Amuwa, Scott Richard Shaw and Matthew J. Ballinger. 2024. Drosophila are hosts to the First described parasitoid Wasp of Adult Flies. Nature. 633; 840–847. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07919-7 reflector-online.com/30665/news/new-spe  |
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