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Monday, November 18th, 2024
| Time | Event | ||||||||
| 7:43a | [Entomology • 2023] Hathoronthophagus spinosus • A New Genus and Species in the Diverse Dung Beetle Tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from South Africa
Abstract A new dung beetle genus and species is described and pictured following its recent discovery on a farm in South Africa. Hathor spinosa Deschodt, new species belongs to the subfamily Scarabaeinae, tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846, it shows a unique set of characters. A map is provided to show the type locality of the new genus and species that has a putative association with ants. Coleoptera, Putative ant association, dung beetle, Afrotropical region Christian M. Deschodt and Catherine L. Sole. 2023. A New Genus and Species in the Diverse Dung Beetle Tribe Onthophagini Streubel, 1846 (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae) from South Africa. Zootaxa. 5375(2); 279-284. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5375.2.9 =========== In November 2023, Deschodt & Sole (2023) proposed the new genus-group name Hathor Deschodt for a peculiar, putatively ant-associated onthophagine dung beetle from Gauteng province, South Africa. The genus is as yet known only from the female holotype of the species Hathor spinosa Deschodt, 2023. It was overlooked that the new generic name is preoccupied by Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards, 1902, as regulated by the Principle of Homonymy (Articles 52–60 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature [henceforth the Code, Anonymous 1999]). Hathor Kirkaldy & Edwards is a monotypic genus of red bug or cotton stainer (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pyrrhocoroidea: Pyrrhocoridae) from tropical Africa, itself a junior subjective synonym of Sericocoris Karsch, 1892. Sericocoris is currently a valid genus (Robertson 2004; Stehlík & Jindra 2011). Coleoptera, Scarabaeidae, Scarabaeinae, Onthophagini  Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini Genus Hathoronthophagus Stals, Daniel & Deschodt, replacement name Hathoronthophagus spinosus (Deschodt in Deschodt & Sole, 2023), new combination Riaan Stals, Gimo M. Daniel and Christian M. Deschodt. 2024. Hathoronthophagus, new replacement name for Hathor Deschodt, 2023, preoccupied genus-group name of a putatively myrmecophilic dung beetle (Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini). Zootaxa. 5397(3); 449-450. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5397.3.10 | ||||||||
| 12:46p | [Botany • 2024] Leontopodium nyingchiense (Asteraceae: Asteroideae) • A New Species from Xizang (Tibet), China
Abstract Leontopodium nyingchiense, a new species of Asteraceae from the Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region of China, is described and illustrated here. Morphologically, it is most similar to L. lingianum but can be distinguished by the combination of monoecious and dioecious individuals, involucral bracts arranged in 3–5 series (with outer series herbaceous and middle to inner series membranous), fimbriate apices on female florets, rough-edged lobes on male florets, and achenes lacking costae. Phylogenetic analyses further support the separation of this new species from related taxa. Finally, we characterize this new species through both morphological comparisons and molecular analyses. Key words: Leontopodium, morphological analysis, new species, Nyingchi, phylogenetic analysis
Leontopodium nyingchiense X.Z.Lan, W.L.Zheng & W.Q.He, sp. nov. Diagnosis: Leontopodium nyingchiense is morphologically most similar to L. lingianum but can be distinguished by several features. The species includes monoecious and dioecious individuals, with some plants having both male and female flowers in the same individual. Its involucral bracts are in 3–5 series; the outermost series is herbaceous, while the middle and innermost series are membranous. The female floret corolla has brown, fimbriate apices and a fringed, ragged tip, while the male floret corolla has lobes with rough, granulate edges. Additionally, the achenes lack costae. Etymology: The epithet indicates the type locality, i.e. Nyingchi area, Xizang, China. Vernacular name: lín zhī huǒ róng cǎo (Chinese pronuciation); 林芝火绒草 (Chinese name). Wen-Qi He, Fang-Yu Zhao, Zhao-Fu Chu, Guo-Zhu Chai, Kai-Hui Zhao, Jing-Qin Tian, Bao-Xin Zhang, Fang-Yuan Zhang, Zhi-Hua Liao, Wei-Lie Zheng and Xiao-Zhong Lan. 2024. Leontopodium nyingchiense (Asteraceae), A New Species from Xizang (Tibet), China. PhytoKeys. 249: 181-192. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.249.136846 | ||||||||
| 4:51p | [Paleontology • 2024] Skiphosoura bavarica • A new and large monofenestratan (Monofenestrata: Pterodactyliformes) reveals the evolutionary transition to the pterodactyloid pterosaurs
Highlights: • A new pterosaur, Skiphosoura bavarica, is named from the Jurassic of Germany • The specimen is much larger than other known forms and is preserved in three dimensions • The Skiphosoura helps document the transition from early pterosaurs to the pterodactyloids • The tail is short but retains the supporting structures of earlier forms Summary For over a century, there was a major gap in our understanding of the evolution of the flying Mesozoic reptiles, the pterosaurs, with a major morphological gap between the early forms and the derived pterodactyloids. Recent discoveries have found a cluster of intermediate forms that have the head and neck of the pterodactyloids but the body of the early grade, yet this still leaves fundamental gaps between these intermediates and both earlier and more derived pterosaurs. Here, we describe a new and large Jurassic pterosaur, Skiphosoura bavarica gen. et sp. nov., preserved in three dimensions, that helps bridge the gap between current intermediate pterosaurs and the pterodactyloids. A new phylogeny shows that there is a general progression of key characteristics of increasing head size, increasing length of neck and wing metacarpal, modification to the fifth toe that supports the rear wing membrane, and gradual reduction in tail length and complexity from earlier pterosaurs into the first pterodactyloids. This also shows a clear evolution of the increasing terrestrial competence of derived pterosaurs. Furthermore, this closes gaps between the intermediates and their ancestors and descendants, and it firmly marks the rhamphorhynchines and ctenochasmatid clades as, respectively, being the closest earliest and latest groups to this succession of transitional forms. Keywords: Monofenestrata, Wukongopteridae, non-pterodactyloid, Pterosauria, Solnhofen, phylogeny Taxonomy: Pterosauria (Kaup, 1834) Breviquartossa (Unwin, 2003 sensu Andres et al., 2014) Monofenestrata (Lü et al., 2010 sensu Andres et al., 2014) Pterodactyliformes (Andres et al., 2014)
Skiphosoura gen. nov. Skiphosoura bavarica sp. nov. Diagnosis: A large, non-pterodactyloid pterodactyliform pterosaur (Figures 1 and S1–S11) with the following unique autapomorphies for this grade: raised margins of the alveoli in the maxillary dentition and laterally developed; variable tooth spacing with anterior teeth close together and posterior teeth much further apart in the upper jaw; postexapophyses present on cervical vertebrae; procoleous dorsal vertebrae; tail short but still retaining filiform supporting zygapophyses and chevrons; humerus shorter than femur; ulna more than 1.5 times the length of the humerus; robust pteroid that is gently curved along its length; and wing phalanx 2 is subequal to wing phalanx 3. Holotype: Specimen LF 4157—a near-complete but disarticulated specimen of a subadult animal that is missing only part of the skull, some vertebrae, and a few metapodial elements. Locality information: The specimen was found in 2015 in the “visitor’s section” of the Schaudiberg Quarry near Mühlheim, Bavaria, Germany, which has yielded other recent pterosaur finds. ...
Etymology: Skiphosoura derives from “skyphos” and “oura,” Ancient Greek for “sword” and “tail,” in reference to the short, stiff, and tapering caudal series of the animal, with bavarica in reference to the Free State of Bavaria in Germany where the specimen was found.  David William Elliott Hone, Adam Fitch, Stefan Selzer, René Lauer and Bruce Lauer. 2024. A new and large monofenestratan reveals the evolutionary transition to the pterodactyloid pterosaurs. Current Biology. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2024.10.023  |
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