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Wednesday, December 18th, 2024

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    3:24a
    [Botany • 2020] Allium schisticola (Amaryllidaceae) • A New Species of Allium sect. Melanocrommyum from West Azarbaijan (Iran), with peculiar morphological characters and an unexpected phylogenetic position

     

     Allium schisticola R.M. Fritsch, Moazzeni & Dolatyari, 

    in Dolatyari, Moazzeni, Hosseini, Blattner et Fritsch, 2020. 

    Abstract
    Allium schisticola is described from West Azarbaijan (Iran) as a new species. It is closely related to A. sabalense and A. sahandicum in having a similar flower color but differs by leaf, filament, and tepal characters. We investigated the phylogenetic relationship of the new species based on sequences of the chloroplast trnL-trnF and nuclear ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions in A. subg. Melanocrommyum compared with 109 accessions of this subgenus. Our results confirm its placement in A. subg. Melanocrommyum. However, the ITS tree showed that the new species should belong to A. sect. Melanocrommyum despite the fact that it represents many morphological characters of A. sect. Acanthoprason. Most peculiar for the new species are obtuse tepals broadest near the tip (vs. very narrowly lanceolate up to triangular tepals in A. sect. Acanthoprason), with adaxially inconspicuous median vein (vs. conspicuous median vein in sect. Acanthoprason). The new species is diploid with a chromosome number of 2n = 2x = 16. Karyotype features and meiotic chromosomes behavior are presented for the new taxon. A detailed morphological description, illustrations, and a distribution map of the new species are given.

    Keywords: Allium sabalense, Allium sahandicum, Iran, phylogeny, section Acanthoprason, subg. Melanocrommyum, Monocots

     Allium schisticola
          A-C: Cultivated plant at anthesis. D-F: Plants in their natural habitat; D: Plant in the fruiting stage; E: Close-up of fruits; F: Bulb; G: Seeds (Millimeter paper as background).
    All photos by Hamid Moazzeni.

    Allium schisticola R.M. Fritsch, Moazzeni & Dolatyari, sp. nov.


    Alireza DOLATYARI, Hamid MOAZZENI, Saeide HOSSEINI, Frank R. BLATTNER and Reinhard M. FRITSCH. 2020. Allium schisticola, A New Species with peculiar morphological characters and an unexpected phylogenetic position. Phytotaxa. 450(3):246-256. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.450.3.1 
     Researchgate.net/publication/342549771_Allium_schisticola_a_new_species_and_an_unexpected_phylogenetic_position

    10:11a
    [Botany • 2022] Sternbergia mishustinii (Amaryllidaceae: Amaryllidoideae) • A New Species from the Mersin Province in southern Turkey


    Sternbergia mishustinii  Zubov & Trias-Blasi, 

    in Zubov, Trias Blasi et Mishustin, 2022. 

    Summary
    Sternbergia mishustinii (Amaryllidaceae, Amaryllidoideae), a new species with hysteranthous leaves and mainly cleistogamous flowers, possibly endemic to the Mersin area (Cilician Plain, southern Turkey), is described and illustrated. Morphological differences between the new species and other related species are discussed. Photographs (habitat and morphology), a distribution map and a provisional conservation assessment are provided.

    Key Words: Cilician Plain, cleistogamy, hysteranthous, Mediterranean flora

     Images of Sternbergia mishustinii in situ, Feb. 2019.
    A habitat within Mediterranean garrigue community at type locality; B, C plants of S. mishustinii.
    photos: R. Mishustin.

     Morphological features of seed grown and cultivated in Ukraine in adult plants of Sternbergia mishustinii vs S. colchiciflora.
     A fruiting plants in pots: S. colchiciflora (left pot, origin -Berezino, Odessa region, S Ukraine), S. mishustinii (right pot, ex locus classicus); B S. mishustinii plants lifted from pots: range of ages from seedlings to mature fruiting individuals (left to right); C fruiting plants lifted from pots with adventitious roots, basal sheaths, bulbs, leaves, scapes and capsules: S. colchiciflora (left three plants, origin -Berezino, Odessa region, S Ukraine), S. mishustinii (right two plants, ex locus classicus); D S. mishustinii bulb with a chasmogamous flower; E S. mishustinii bulbs with cleistogamous flowers; F S. mishustinii chasmogamous flower; G S. mishustinii ripening capsule; H seeds with strophioles (marked by arrows): S. colchiciflora (left side: ± C-shaped, origin -Berezino, Odessa region, S Ukraine), S. mishustinii (right side: ± Ç-shaped, ex locus classicus).
     photos: R. Mishustin.

    Sternbergia mishustinii Zubov & Trias Blasi sp. nov. 

    Etymology. Named after Mr Ruslan Mishustin, Ukrainian nature explorer, who found and collected its seeds in 1997 during a zoological trip in southern Turkey.


    Dimitri Zubov, Anna Trias Blasi and Ruslan Mishustin. 2022. Sternbergia mishustinii (Amaryllidaceae): A New Species from the Mersin Province in southern Turkey. Kew Bulletin. DOI: 10.1007/s12225-022-10013-8 
      Researchgate.net/publication/359614613_Sternbergia_mishustinii_a_new_species_from_Mersin_southern_Turkey

    1:33p
    [Paleontology • 2024] Reassessment of Xenodens calminechari with A Discussion of Tooth Morphology in Mosasaurs

     

     Xenodens calminechari be considered a nomen dubium

    in Sharpe, Powers et Caldwell, 2024. 

    Abstract
    Xenodens calminechari is a mosasaurid taxon named by Longrich et al. (2021) based on the holotype MHNM.KH.331, a left maxilla with several teeth. This holotype was obtained nonscientifically (without technical supervision) from an area in Morocco that yields many manipulated or forged specimens. Examination of Longrich et al. (2021) reveals four tooth crowns occupy what appear to be two alveoli in MHNM.KH.331, and there is potential adhesive connecting the tooth crowns to the maxilla on their lateral sides. We argue that the articulated tooth crowns of this taxon were artificially placed in the maxilla, rendering at least two apomorphies of this taxon the product of forgery. Longrich et al. (2021)'s claims of fused tooth ‘roots' in MNHM.KH.331 are instead calcified periodontal ligament and alveolar bone that have ankylosed, resembling the typical mosasaurid condition. Differing tooth crown morphology does not preclude the referral of the teeth of this specimen to a younger ontogenetic stage of another mosasaur (possibly Carinodens) because many extant lizard species show drastic ontogenetic changes in the dentition. We argue that Xenodens calminechari represents a nomen dubium. This specimen constitutes a confluence of two persistent problems in vertebrate paleontology: material sourced from commercial excavations that has not been adequately tested for forgery, and taxa named from tooth-based holotypes that ignore the potential for intraspecific dental variation and interspecific convergence in dental characters, as are common in squamates. We suggest that Longrich et al. CT scan MHNM.KH.331, and we supply CT examples for identifying artificially added tooth crowns to Moroccan mosasaur jaws. Finally, we provide recommendations for the designation of mosasaurid holotypes.

    Keywords: dentition, mosasaur, paleontology, squamate, taxonomy

    (a) MHNM.KH.331, holotype of Xenodens calminechari in lateral view in matrix, photograph adapted from Longrich et al., 2021; (b) fake mosasaurid jaw (UALVP unlisted) from Morocco showing tooth crowns artificially attached to unrelated bone fragments, ‘in matrix’; (b) close-up of tooth crowns in lateral view of MHNM.KH.331, photograph adapted from Longrich et al. (2021); (d) close-up of (c) showing tooth crown-‘jaw’ intersection; (e) close-up of Halisaurus arambourgi UALVP 56123 showing forged tooth-jaw intersection.

    Left maxilla of Xenodens calminechari, MHNM.KH.331: All photographs adapted from Longrich et al. (2021). (a) Maxilla in ventral view, showing irregular proposed tooth spacing in posterior tooth row; (b) close-up of (a) showing nonfusion of tooth roots due to separation of alveoli (marked by asterisks) by alveolar bone; (c) maxilla in medial view showing a disjunct arrangement of tooth crowns and resorption pits (which indicate alveolar spacing); (d) close-up of tooth crowns in medial view showing the irregular junction of tooth crowns and basal tissue; (e) close-up of tooth crowns in lateral view showing potential adhesive connecting tooth crowns to maxilla.

    CT scan example for recognizing falsely attached teeth in mosasaur fossils from Morocco. (a, b) Anterior portion of left dentary of Halisaurus arambourgi UALVP 56123 from type locality of Xenodens calminechari

    Issues with tooth-based holotypes in vertebrate paleontology, using three hypothetical species of mosasaurids as an example. Holotype 1 was established using an anterior adult tooth of species 2, and holotype 2 was established using a juvenile posterior tooth from species 1. Neither holotype adequately represents the anatomy of its target taxon.


    Henry S. Sharpe, Mark J. Powers and Michael W. Caldwell. 2024. Reassessment of Xenodens calminechari with A Discussion of Tooth Morphology in Mosasaurs. The Anatomical Record. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/ar.25612 
      x.com/Paleoartologist/status/1869006641993335019

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