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Wednesday, April 16th, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 12:28a | [Botany • 2025] Sonerila cornuta & S. phaluongensis (Melastomataceae: Sonerileae) • New Species from northern Vietnam
Abstract Two new species, Sonerila cornuta and S. phaluongensis, discovered in Vietnam, are described and illustrated. The first, superficially similar to S. reptans, however, it is distinguished by an obclavate hypanthium (vs. cylindrical-campanulate or obconical) and purple anthers (vs. yellow), with the base having two prominent S-curved lobes (vs. lobes at the base of anther short, inconspicuous). The second, is morphologically similar to Sonerila betongensis but differs in having a quadrangular, 4-winged stem (vs. terete), glabrous leaves (vs. densely hispid), shortly cylindrical hypanthium (vs. cupuliform to campanulate) that is sparsely covered with glandular hispid hairs (vs. relatively densely hispid with simple hairs), and the anther base with two prominent lobes (vs. small, inconspicuous). In addition to the formal description, line drawings, color plates, information on distribution, ecology, and conservation status, as well as comparisons with morphologically similar species, are provided for each species. endemism, flora of Vietnam, Melastomataceae tribe Sonerileae, Pha Luong Mountain, Phu Xai Lai Leng Mountain, plant diversity, plant taxonomy, Xuan Nha Natural Reserve, Eudicots  Sonerila cornuta K.S. Nguyen, Aver. & C.W. Lin, Sonerila phaluongensis K.S. Nguyen, Aver. & C.W. Lin   Khang Sinh NGUYEN, Leonid V. AVERYANOV and Che Wei LIN. 2025. New Species, Sonerila cornuta and S. phaluongensis (Melastomataceae), from northern Vietnam. Phytotaxa. 696(2); 158-168. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.696.2.5 [2025-04-01]  | ||||||
| 6:38a | [PaleoIchthyology • 2023] Iridopristis parrisi • An earliest Paleocene squirrelfish (Beryciformes: Holocentroidea) and its bearing on the timescale of holocentroid evolution
Abstract The record of articulated marine fish fossils during the latest Cretaceous and earliest Cenozoic is sparse. The oldest-known definitive squirrelfishes and soldierfishes, like the first examples of many extant reef-dwelling clades, are known from early Eocene deposits of Europe. Here, we describe a new genus and species of holocentroid (Teleostei: Beryciformes: Holocentroidea) based on material from three individuals from early Paleocene (Danian) deposits of New Jersey, USA using micro-computed tomography. The specimens comprise a three-dimensionally preserved skull and partial postcranium, plus two isolated neurocrania. The new taxon, †Iridopristis parrisi, possesses a unique combination of characters, including a heterosulcoid otolith morphology and an edentulous premaxillary tooth-gap, while lacking a newly proposed character for the remainder of Cenozoic holocentroids: a lamina on the lateral surface of the anguloarticular, anterior to the jaw joint. Bayesian phylogenetic analysis of morphological, stratigraphical and molecular data under the fossilized birth-death process finds that the new taxon branches from the holocentrid stem, where it is joined by two of the three squirrelfish genera from the early Eocene (Ypresian) of Bolca, Italy. We estimate a Danian divergence between Myripristinae and Holocentrinae, the two reciprocally monophyletic subfamilies of Holocentridae. Our analysis suggests that several holocentroid lineages crossed the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary. Keywords: Acanthomorpha, Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary, squirrelfishes, computed tomography, Bayesian phylogenetics, parsimony
Infraclass Teleostei Müller, 1845 Subsection Acanthomorphata Rosen, 1973 Order Beryciformes Regan, 1911 sensu Dornburg & Near, 2021 Superfamily Holocentroidea Richardson, 1846 sensu Gayet, 1980b Genus † Iridopristis gen. nov. † Iridopristis parrisi sp. nov. Diagnosis: Holocentroid with the unique combination of the following characters: orbital branch of the supraorbital sensory canal with a separate opening from the main channel of the canal; large supraoccipital crest which is triangular in lateral aspect and borders the foramen magnum; parasphenoid with ventrolateral wings; lack of a berycimorph foramen in the anterior ceratohyal; deeply notched ventral surface of the anterior ceratohyal to accommodate branchiostegals; elongate postmaxillary process of the premaxilla; maxillary shaft approximately cylindrical in cross-section and elongate; presence of an alveolar platform expanded outwardly at the symphyseal area of the dentary; distinct edentulous concavity along the mesial margin of the premaxilla; unornamented triangular facet present on the posterolateral surface of the maxilla; edentulous ectopterygoid; head of quadrate posterior to orbital margin; an unexpanded otic bulla; an otolith morphology more similar to that found in holocentrine squirrelfishes (heterosulcoid) than the specialized phenotype of myripristine soldierfishes; lack of a dorsally projecting lamina directly anterior to the anguloarticular-quadrate joint on the lateral surface of the anguloarticular; eleven abdominal centra; cycloid scales with spinoid posterior edge. Derivation of name: The prefix of the generic name (Irido-) from the Greek genitive declension of iridis, meaning ‘rainbow’, and serving as the etymological root for the element iridium. This refers dually to the mosaic nature of characters present in the specimen, and for its occurrence close to the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary, known for its famous iridium anomaly (Alvarez et al., 1980). The suffix -pristis from the Greek for ‘saw’ (entering zoological usage in this context via Cuvier, 1829), used in the extant holocentrid genera Myripristis and Pristilepis, and referring to the holocentrid affinity for bearing coarse squamation. The specific name is in honour of David Parris, Curator Emeritus of Natural History at the New Jersey State Museum, for his discovery of the specimens described here, and in appreciation of his life-long devotion to the study of the North American fossil fauna.  Conclusions: †Iridopristis parrisi presents as an articulated skull and abdomen from the early Danian Hornerstown Formation of New Jersey, USA. Inclusion of the specimen in a phylogenetic analysis suggests that it is a stem-member of Holocentridae, along with the Ypresian-age †Berybolcensis and †Tenuicentrum. The new species possesses multiple characters that align it more closely to Cenozoic holocentroids than to Cretaceous holocentroids, including: a separate opening of the orbital branch of the supraorbital sensory canal, ventrolateral wings of the parasphenoid, an anterior ceratohyal with no foramen, and deep notches along the ventral margin of the anterior ceratohyal to accommodate branchiostegals. Character state optimization supports character state acquisitions prior to the origin of †Iridopristis parrisi that have previously been interpreted as derived states for the subclade Myripristinae: an alveolar platform expanded near the symphysis to overhang the lateral margin of the dentary, and a concave tooth gap at the mesial margin of the premaxilla. This finding necessitates a deeper examination of phenotypic synapomorphies to support the subfamily Myripristinae. Three-dimensionally preserved fossil fishes of Danian age are rare, and further excavation of the greensand formations along the mid-Atlantic of the USA may offer greater insight into the faunal composition and evolutionary dynamics during the critical early Palaeogene history of marine spiny-rayed fishes. James V. Andrews, Jason P. Schein and Matt Friedman. 2023. An earliest Paleocene squirrelfish (Teleostei: Beryciformes: Holocentroidea) and its bearing on the timescale of holocentroid evolution. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 2(1); 2168571. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2023.2168571 | ||||||
| 6:39a | [Botany • 2025] Phlogacanthus xanthophyllus (Acanthaceae) • A New Species from Yunnan, China
Abstract Phlogacanthus xanthophyllus, a new species from Yunnan, China, is described and illustrated. This new species resembles P. pyramidalis, but can be distinguished by its leaf blade with grayish white patches and corolla yellowish green with dark brown to yellow patches. The new species is currently known from three populations growing under the limestone forests and is assessed as ‘Data Deficient' (DD) according to the IUCN red list categories and criteria. A key to all Phlogacanthus species in China is included. Keywords: China, new taxon, Phlogacanthus, taxonomy, Yunnan   Hou-Cheng Xi, Yu-Min Shui, Xing-Da Ma, Jian-Yong Shen, Han Lai, Hai-Bo Mo and Wen-Guang Wang. 2025. Phlogacanthus xanthophyllus, A New Species of Phlogacanthus (Acanthaceae) from Yunnan, China. Nordic Journal of Botany. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/njb.04585 [28 March 2025] | ||||||
| 6:39a | [Herpetology • 2025] Goggia sabula • A New Pygmy Gecko (Squamata: Gekkonidae: Goggia) from the arid Northern Cape Province of South Africa
Abstract The genus Goggia is composed of ten small bodied leaf-toed gecko species endemic to South Africa and adjacent Namibia. Using a combination of phylogenetic and morphological analyses we assessed the taxonomic status of an isolated rupicolous population discovered south of Klein Pella in the Northern Cape Province of South Africa. The newly collected material was recovered as a well supported clade by two independent phylogenetic algorithms (maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference), with little intraspecies structuring. While the particular interspecific relationships among closely related Goggia remain unresolved, the phylogenetic results suggest the novel material is related to G. rupicola, G. gemmula, G. incognita and G. matzikamaensis. This is supported by the similar ecologies (rupicolous lifestyle), geographies (arid western extent of South Africa) and morphologies (prominent dorsal chevrons and yellow-centred pale dorsal spots), which are shared among these closely related species. Despite their similarity, the novel population from Klein Pella remains geographically separate, differs from congeners by an uncorrected ND2 p-distance of 11.03–22.91%, and is morphologically diagnosable. Based on these findings we describe the Klein Pella population as a new species. Reptilia, Gekkonidae, Namibia, arid, quartzite, cryptic species  Goggia sabula  Werner CONRADIE, Courtney HUNDERMARK, Luke KEMP and Chad KEATES. 2025. New Pygmy Gecko (Goggia: Gekkonidae) from the arid Northern Cape Province of South Africa. Zootaxa. 5618(4); 552-570. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5618.4.5 [2025-04-04] facebook.com/feverhunting/posts/10229231  | ||||||
| 2:00p | [Botany • 2025] Trichodrymona isophylla (Gesneriaceae) • A New Species from the Colombian Andes
Abstract Recent field expeditions to the Andes and herbarium research have led to the discovery of a new species of Trichodrymonia (Gesneriaceae). Trichodrymonia isophylla J.L. Clark & Clavijo is widely distributed in the Cordilleras Central and Occidental in the Colombian Andes. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by isophyllous leaves that are evenly spaced on erect shoots, scale-like indumentum on stems and petioles, and a prominent submarginal collecting vein visible on both leaf surfaces. Following IUCN guidelines, a preliminary conservation assessment indicated that this species as Least Concern (LC). Keywords: Colombia, Columneinae, Gesnerieae, Gesnerioideae, Taxonomy     Trichodrymona isophylla J.L.Clark & Clavijo, sp. nov. Etymology. The specific epithet reflects the pairs of equally sized or isophyllous leaves. In contrast, most species of Trichodrymonia have anisophyllous leaf pairs.  John L. Clark and Laura Clavijo. 2025. Trichodrymonia isophylla (Gesneriaceae), A New Species from the Colombian Andes. Brittonia. DOI: doi.org/10.1007/s12228-025-09831-4 [26 February 2025]  | ||||||
| 2:05p | [Herpetology • 2025] Leptobrachium aryatium • A New Species of Leptobrachium Tschudi, 1838 (Anura: Megophryidae) from Northeast India
Abstract A new species of Leptobrachium (Anura: Megophryidae) is described from Garbhanga Reserve Forest, Assam, India, based on an integrative taxonomic approach. Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. is a medium-sized species, with adult SVL of 49.0–55.4 mm in males and 53.2–61.65 mm in females. It is morphologically distinct from its congeners by having an obscured tympanum, a bicoloured iris with the top quarter fiery orange forming an inverted "V" shape and the rest black, and a spade-shaped inner metatarsal tubercle. Additional distinguishing features include a distinct supratympanic fold extending from behind the eye to the arm insertion, toe webbing formula: I 0–1 II 0–2 III 0–3 IV 3–1/2 V, and prominent black blotches on the dorsum and tibia. The ventrum is creamy to white with varying amounts of dark infusion, and the gular region exhibits a prominent black reticulation pattern. Phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene reveal that Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. forms a well-supported sister lineage to the clade comprising L. sylheticum and L. smithi, with genetic divergences of 2.0–2.3% and 3.7–4.3%, respectively. Acoustic analyses further distinguish Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. from its closest relatives, with differences in call duration, frequency range, and amplitude patterns. Amphibia, Guwahati, Garbhanga, acoustic, 16S rRNA, endemic species   Leptobrachium aryatium sp. nov. Jayaditya PURKAYASTHA, Dipankar DUTTA, Jayanta GOGOI and Saibal SENGUPTA. 2025. A New Species of Leptobrachium Tschudi, 1838 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Northeast India. Zootaxa. 5621(1); 91-110. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5621.1.4 [2025-04-14]  |
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