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Thursday, March 13th, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 3:08a | [Ichthyology • 2024] Ariosoma thoothukudiense • A New Species of the congrid eel Genus Ariosoma (Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the Southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal
Abstract A new species of congrid eel genus, Ariosoma is described here based on two mature female specimens collected from trawl by-catch landings at Thoothukudi fishing harbour, off Thoothukudi, Bay of Bengal. The new species can be easily distinguished from its congeners in having pre-anal length 48.7–49.1% TL; dorsal-fin origin just before pectoral-fin insertion; body bicoloured, pale brown dorsally and silvery white ventrally; preopercular portion dark; pectoral fin reddish with dark spot at the base; SO canal with six pores; pre-dorsal vertebrae 10–11; pre-anal vertebrae 61–64; total vertebrae 162–163. Further, the new species differs from all the congeners of Indian waters in having more total vertebrae, except A. albimaculatum (162–163 vs 129–153 in others; 161–164 in A. albimaculatum). The new species identity was also supported by molecular analyses using the mitochondrial COI gene and the result revealed that the new species is closely related to Ariosoma maurostigma and Ariosoma albimaculatum with a pair-wise genetic distance of 11.4% and 11.6% followed by A. melanospilos with 16.8%. Keywords: Ariosoma gnanadossi, Bathymyrinae, Bay of Bengal, molecular analyses, systematics
Ariosoma thoothukudiense, new species Proposed common name: Thoothukudi stout conger Etymology. The species is named for its type specimens collection site Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. Paramasivam Kodeeswaran, A. Kathirvelpandian, Anil Mohapatra and T. T. Ajith Kumar. 2024. A New Species of the congrid eel Genus Ariosoma (Teleostei: Anguilliformes: Congridae) from the Southeast coast of India, Bay of Bengal. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 104; e51. DOI: doi.org/10.1017/S0025315424000420 [17 May 2024]  | ||||||
| 5:08a | [Ichthyology • 2025] Yunnanilus triangulus • A New loach Species (Cypriniformes: Nemacheilidae) from Yunnan, China
Abstract A new species of the genus Yunnanilus, designated Yunnanilus triangulus sp. nov., is described from the Nanpan River in Yunnan Province, southwestern China. Nuptial males of this species are distinguished by the presence of tubercles on the caudal peduncle during the reproductive period, a feature not observed in other members of the genus. The new species is further characterized by the following unique combination of morphological characters: body scaled, smaller eyes than interorbital width, nine inner gill rakers on first gill arch, lateral head length 27.1%–30.9% SL, head width 14.3%–17.2% SL, eye diameter 19.6%–23.8% of lateral head length, and caudal peduncle depth 94.0%–130.6% of its length. Morphological and molecular evidence support the validity of this species, despite its geographic proximity to Y. polylepis. These findings underscore the ecological specialization that exists within the genus Yunnanilus and highlight the urgent need for species-specific conservation strategies, given their restricted distributions and dependence on specific habitats. Key Words: Caudal peduncle with tubercles, freshwater fish, morphological characters, sexual dimorphism
Yunnanilus triangulus sp. nov. Diagnosis. The new species can be distinguished from all other members of the genus by the presence of a unique triangular tubercle on the male caudal peduncle. It shares a body covered by scales, except on head and thorax, with Y. chuanheensis, Y. jiuchiensis, Y. longibulla, Y. macrogaster, Y. macrolepis, Y. parvus, Y. pleurotaenia, Y. polylepis, and Y. spanisbripes. However, the new species can be readily differentiated from these congeners by the following combination of characters: eye diameter shorter than interorbital width (vs. longer in Y. jiuchiensis and Y. longibulla), outer gill raker absent (vs. present in Y. macrolepis and Y. spanisbripes), processus dentiformis absent (vs. present in Y. macrogaster, Y. parvus, and Y. pleurotaenia), six branched pelvic-fin rays (vs. seven or eight in Y. chuanheensis), eight branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. nine in Y. polylepis), and specific metric characters. Etymology. The specific name triangulus is derived from the unique presence of a tubercle on the caudal peduncle in nuptial males, a character not previously recorded in the genus Yunnanilus. We suggest the Chinese vernacular name “三角云南鳅” and the English vernacular name “triangle Yunnan loach.” Gender: masculine.  Mei Liu, Jian-Bing Lyu, Li-Na Du, Xiao-Yong Chen. 2025. Description of A New loach Species, Yunnanilus triangulus sp. nov. (Cypriniformes, Nemacheilidae), from Yunnan, China. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 101(2): 465-471. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.136965 | ||||||
| 2:28p | [Botany • 2025] Pternopetalum shunhuangensis (Apiaceae) • A New Species from Hunan, China
Abstract Based on field investigations, morphological and molecular systematic studies, a new species, Pternopetalum shunhuangensis (Apiaceae) from Hunan Province, China is described. Diagnostic morphological characters, full description and a detailed illustration are provided. The differences between P. shunhuangensis and morphologically similar species P. tanakae are presented and discussed. Since no population assessment of this species in its whole distribution area is made, it is best to assign a conservation status of ‘Data Deficient’ (DD) for this species. Key words: Apiaceae, China, new species, Pternopetalum
Pternopetalum shunhuangensis W.Zhou & L.Wu, sp. nov. Diagnosis. Pternopetalum shunhuangensis differs from P. tanakae (Franch. & Sav.) Hand.-Mazz. by its roots without tubercles at nodes, fewer basal leaves, unelongated ultimate segments of cauline leaves, elongate styles and terminal umbels. A more detailed comparison between the two species is presented in Table 1. ... Etymology. The species epithet is derived from the type locality, Shunhuang Mountain. Its Chinese name is given as 舜皇囊瓣芹 [Pinyin: shùn huáng náng bàn qín]. Wei Zhou, Zi-Lin Feng, Long-Ping Tang, Du Deng, Bao-cheng Wu and Lei Wu. 2025. Pternopetalum shunhuangensis (Apiaceae), A New Species from Hunan, China. PhytoKeys. 253: 261-270. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.253.142516 | ||||||
| 2:29p | [PaleoMammalogy • 2025] New remarkably Complete Skeleton of Mixodectes reveals Arboreality in a large Paleocene primatomorphan mammal following the Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction
Abstract Mixodectids are poorly understood placental mammals from the Paleocene of western North America that have variably been considered close relatives of euarchontan mammals (primates, dermopterans, and scandentians) with hypothesized relationships to colugos, extinct plagiomenids, and/or microsyopid plesiadapiforms. Here we describe the most complete dentally associated skeleton yet recovered for a mixodectid, specifically Mixodectes pungens from the early Paleocene of the San Juan Basin, New Mexico. A partial skull with all the teeth erupted and associated axial skeleton, forelimbs, and hind limbs, with epiphyses fused, indicate that it was a mature adult. Results from cladistic analyses incorporating new data robustly support primatomorphan (Primates + Dermoptera) affinities of Mixodectidae, but relationships within Euarchonta are less clear, with Mixodectes recovered as a stem primatomorphan, stem dermopteran, or stem primate. Analyses of postcrania suggest that M. pungens was a relatively large (~ 1.3 kg), claw-climbing arborealist capable of frequent clinging on large diameter vertical supports. With teeth suggesting an omnivorous diet that included leaves, M. pungens occupied a unique ecological niche in the early Paleocene of North America that differed from contemporary, arboreal plesiadapiforms that were smaller and more frugivorous. Euarchontans were thus a more diverse radiation in the early Cenozoic than previously appreciated. Keywords: Mixodectidae, Plesiadapiforms, Evolution, Postcranium, Locomotion
 Stephen G. B. Chester, Thomas E. Williamson, Jordan W. Crowell, Mary T. Silcox, Jonathan I. Bloch and Eric J. Sargis. 2025. New remarkably Complete Skeleton of Mixodectes reveals Arboreality in a large Paleocene primatomorphan mammal following the Cretaceous-Paleogene Mass Extinction. Scientific Reports. 15, 8041. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-90203-z | ||||||
| 4:14p | [Paleontology • 2025] Novel Record of Placodont Remains including A Henodus Cranium from the Upper Triassic Silves Group of the Algarve, southern Portugal
ABSTRACT Recent fieldwork in the Upper Triassic deposits of the Silves Group in the Algarve, southern Portugal revealed novel cyamodontid placodont material. The collection includes a partial skull and numerous isolated armor plates from four localities in Silves and Loulé municipalities. The skull shows a strong affinity to henodontid placodonts, especially to Henodus chelyops from Tübingen-Lustnau in Germany. It shares features such as a rectangular outline of the cranium, occurrence of a broad spatulate rostrum, and toothless maxillae with curved longitudinally extending grooves. The only unambiguous difference observed pertains to the more robust and convex snout shape of the new specimen. Based on these multiple similarities, the specimen is identified as Henodus sp., but poor preservation prevents species-level identification. The new specimen from Portugal represents the second record of Henodus and illustrates a wider geographic distribution of that genus, extending beyond the Germanic Basin and reaching coastal areas near the westernmost branch of the Neotethys. The age of the deposits where the cranium was found is not well-established but refers to a time interval within the upper Carnian–Rhaetian, suggesting the specimen may be younger than other henodontid records. The novel Henodus material found in the continental, but likely the near-coastal depositional setting, concurs with the known records of brackish to the freshwater habitat of the other henodontid placodonts. The occurrence of abundant armor plates assigned to Cyamodontidae at multiple sites and stratigraphic horizons indicates that placodonts were common in the south Iberian margin.
Maciej Ruciński, Hugo Campos, Octávio Mateus and Ingmar Werneburg. 2025. Novel Record of Placodont Remains including A Henodus Cranium from the Upper Triassic Silves Group of the Algarve, southern Portugal. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2460445. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2025.2460445  |
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