[Most Recent Entries] [Calendar View]
Saturday, January 25th, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 1:43a | [PaleoOrnithology • 2024] Neobohaiornis lamadongensis • A New diminutive Species of bohaiornithid enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group, northern China
Abstract Enantiornithes are the most successful early-diverging avian clade, their fossils revealing important information regarding the structure of Cretaceous avifaunas and the parallel refinement of flight alongside the ornithuromorph lineage that includes modern birds. The most diverse recognized family of Early Cretaceous enantiornithines is the Bohaiornithidae, known from the Jehol Biota in northeastern China. Members of this clade enhance our understanding of intraclade morphological diversity and elucidate the independent evolution of this unique lineage. Here, we report on a new specimen of bohaiornithid, Neobohaiornis lamadongensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, China. The holotype specimen is considerably smaller than all other known bohaiornithids (roughly half the size of Bohaiornis). The presence of complete fusion in compound elements strongly suggests it represents a mature or nearly mature individual, and therefore substantially increases the known size range of this clade. This specimen further differs from known bohaiornithids in that it exhibits reduced manual unguals and an increased number of sacral vertebrae, which indicates bohaiornithids evolved increased flight capabilities in parallel to other enantiornithine lineages, such as the Longipterygidae. Traces of the plumage, which are rarely preserved in bohaiornithids, reveal the presence of remiges with rounded distal margins and short crural feathers.
Aves Linnaeus, 1758; [sensu Sereno, 1999]. Ornithothoraces Chiappe, 1995. Enantiornithes Walker, 1981. Bohaiornithidae Wang et al., 2014. Neobohaiornis lamadongensis gen. et sp. nov. Diagnosis: Referrable to Enantiornithes based on the presence of the following diagnostic features: a furcula with a ventral margin wider than dorsal margin; a proportionately elongate hypocleidium of the furcula; minor metacarpal projecting distally farther than major metacarpal; metatarsal IV mediolaterally thinner than both metatarsals II and III with the trochlea reduced to a single condyle; and a J-shaped metatarsal I. Referred to the enantiornithine clade Bohaiornithidae based on the presence of ... Etymology: The generic name refers to the derived morphology (e.g., reduced alular digit, increased number of sacral vertebrae) of this taxon relative to other bohaiornithids. The specific name refers to the town of Lamadong, near where the fossil was found. Caizhi Shen, Alexander D. Clark, Hui Fang, Shaokun Chen, Hongxia Jiang, Qiang Ji and Jingmai K. O’Connor. 2024. A New diminutive Species of bohaiornithid enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group, northern China. Scientific Reports. 14: 31363. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-82869-8 | ||||||
| 1:43a | [Entomology • 2025] Rimboda saekii • A New Species of Rimboda Heller (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae: Othippiini) reared from Distylium racemosum in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan
Abstract The genus Rimboda has hitherto contained six species from Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines. Here, Rimboda saekii Fujisawa & Lewis new species is described from specimens collected in the subtropical forests of Amami-Oshima, Tokunoshima, Okinawa-jima Island, and Ishigaki-jima Island, Japan. Specimens were reared from Distylium racemosum (Hamamelidaceae). The occurrence of Rimboda in southwestern Japan represents a significant northward extension in the known geographic range of the genus. We provide habitus photographs, a 3D model and illustrations of the male and female genitalia of R. saekii, as well as a checklist to the world species of Rimboda. Coleoptera, Conoderinae, island endemism, protected natural area, Yambaru National Park, species discovery, Nansei Islands  Rimboda saekii Fujisawa & Lewis new species  Yusuke FUJISAWA, Jake H. LEWIS and Salvatore S. ANZALDO. 2025. A New Species of Rimboda Heller (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Conoderinae, Othippiini) reared from Distylium racemosum Siebold & Zucc. in the Ryukyu Islands, Japan. Zootaxa. 5575(2); 339-345. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5575.2.10 [2025-01-23] | ||||||
| 4:24p | [Ichthyology • 2024] Aulopus chirichignoae • A New flagfin (Aulopiformes: Aulopidae) from the eastern Pacific Ocean
Abstract A new species of the Aulopidae is described from the waters of southern Ecuador and northern Peru. Aulopus chirichignoae sp. nov. was previously confused with Aulopus bajacali Parin & Kotlyar, 1984, but it differs from this species by a significantly marked elongation of the dorsal fin rays in males (absent in females), a smaller head, modal differences in dorsal and anal ray counts (15 vs 14 and 11 vs 12, respectively), a higher number of vertebrae (50–51 vs 47–49), and color differences, especially on the dorsal fin. DNA barcoding analysis supported the status of new species, evidencing a 4.2% and 2.8% divergence with Aulopus filamentosus (Bloch, 1792) and A. bajacali, respectively. A sequence of an Aulopus sp., collected in the Tropical Eastern Pacific, matches the new species with only a 0.4% divergence, indicating that Aulopus chirichignoae sp. nov. is distributed at least as far north as the Paramount Seamount at 3°20.35’N, ca. 400 km north of the Galápagos Islands. Pisces, new species, fish, taxonomy, Peru, Ecuador, Tropical Eastern Pacific, DNA barcode   Aulopus chirichignoae sp. nov. Philippe BÉAREZ, Fabiola ZAVALAGA, Junior MIRANDA, Marion I. MENNESSON, Sarita CAMPOS-LEÓN and Pedro JIMÉNEZ-PRADO. 2024. Aulopus chirichignoae, A New flagfin from the eastern Pacific Ocean (Teleostei, Aulopiformes, Aulopidae). Zootaxa. 5458(1); 108-118. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5458.1.6 | ||||||
| 4:24p | [Botany • 2025] Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense (Ericaceae, subgen. Hymenanthes) • A New Species from Guangxi, China
Abstract A new species of Rhododendron (Ericaceae) in subgen. Hymenanthes, sect. Ponticum, subsect. Fortunea from Yuanbaoshan, northern Guangxi, China, namely R. yuanbaoshanense, is described and illustrated. The new species is most similar to R. yuefengense and R. orbiculare, but it differs from R. yuefengense by its broader ovate to orbicular leaf blades with a cordate-auriculate base, cylindric petioles, and longer inflorescence rachis. It is distinguished from R. orbiculare in having 8–17-flowered inflorescences with longer rachis, funnelform-campanulate to campanulate corollas that are pink to pale pinkish-purple and sparsely glandular outside, and densely white glandular style. China, Ericaceae, Guangxi, Rhododendron subgen. Hymenanthes, taxonomy, Eudicots    Yi-Hui DENG, Bo PAN, Tao DING, Hong LIU, Xue-Lian QIN, Zi-Xiong HUANG and Min-Min DENG. 2025. Rhododendron yuanbaoshanense (Ericaceae), A New Species from Guangxi, China. Phytotaxa. 682(2); 179-184. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.682.2.6 [2025-01-21]  |
| << Previous Day |
2025/01/25 [Calendar] |
Next Day >> |