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Friday, May 2nd, 2025
| Time | Event | ||||||
| 12:10a | [Botany • 2024] Litsea vagamonica (Lauraceae) • A New Species from southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India
Abstract A new species in the family Lauraceae, Litsea vagamonica is described and illustrated from the Vagamon Hills, Kerala, India. The new species is similar to Litsea wightiana, from which it differs by its glabrous branchlets, thinly coriaceous leaves, glabrous on both surfaces, with acute to acuminate apex, glabrous petioles, densely puberulent brachyblasts, fulvous-tomentose involucral bracts, the inner ones with 6-nerves, stamens with stipitate glands, presence of a pistillode in male flowers, an ellipsoid, sparsely pubescent ovary in female flowers, and an ellipsoid fruit with puberulent fruit cupule on a glabrous, 0.9–1.2 cm long pedicel. Magnoliids, Litsea wightiana, novelty, Western Ghats, Vagamon  Aloor Jose ROBI and Revathy VIJAYASHARMA. 2024. Litsea vagamonica (Lauraceae): A New Species from southern Western Ghats, Kerala, India. Phytotaxa. 645(3); 294-300. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.645.3.9 [2024-04-26]  | ||||||
| 3:40a | [Ichthyology • 2025] Gobio uralensis • On the border of Europe and Asia: A New Species of Gudgeons (Cypriniformes: Gobionidae) from the Caspian Sea Basin
Abstract A new species of cypriniform fish was discovered during studies of the riverine fish fauna of the Caspian Sea basin, employing an integrative taxonomy approach. The Ural gudgeon is herein described as a new species from the Ural River system, which is considered a geographical boundary between Europe and Asia. The new species is distinguished from the other gudgeon species by a combination of morphological characters and genetic data. Morphologically, it is very similar to Gobio volgensis from the Volga basin. Genetically, however, it is closer to G. acutipinnatus, which occurs in the upper Irtysh River (Ob’ River system), and to G. multipunctatus from the Lake Alakol basin in Central Asia (p-distance = 0.037; COI mtDNA). Therefore, the Ural gudgeon, which is endemic to the Ural River system, is of Asian rather than European origin. The biogeography of freshwater aquatic animals in the region is discussed in relation to paleogeographic events and connections between the Caspian Sea and Ob’ drainages. Key Words: Biogeography, DNA barcoding, endemics, freshwater fish, genetics, taxonomy
Class Actinopteri Cope, 1871 Order Cypriniformes Bleeker, 1859 Family Gobionidae Bleeker, 1863 Genus Gobio Cuvier, 1816 Gobio uralensis sp. nov. (English name – Ural gudgeon, Russian name – уральский пескарь) Ilya S. Turbanov, Aleksey A. Bolotovskiy, Oleg N. Artaev, Aleksandr A. Gandlin, Marina A. Levina, Ekaterina D. Vasil’eva and Boris A. Levin. 2025. On the border of Europe and Asia: Gobio uralensis, A New Species of Gudgeons (Cypriniformes, Gobionidae) from the Caspian Sea basin. Zoosystematics and Evolution. 101(2): 855-874. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.147368 | ||||||
| 4:10a | [Paleontology • 2025] A South American sebecid from the Miocene of Hispaniola documents the presence of Apex Predators in early West Indies Ecosystems
Abstract The absence of terrestrial apex predators on oceanic islands led to the evolution of endemic secondary apex predators like birds, snakes and crocodiles, and loss of defence mechanisms among species. These patterns are well documented in modern and Quaternary terrestrial communities of the West Indies, suggesting that biodiversity there assembled similarly through overwater dispersal. Here, we describe fossils of a terrestrial apex predator, a sebecid crocodyliform with South American origins from the late Neogene of Hispaniola that challenge this scenario. These fossils, along with other putative sebecid specimens from Cuba and Puerto Rico, show that deep-time Caribbean ecosystems more closely resembled coeval localities in South America than those of today. We argue that Plio-Pleistocene extinction of apex predators in the West Indies resulted in mesopredator release and other evolutionary patterns traditionally observed on oceanic islands. Adaptations to a terrestrial lifestyle documented for sebecids and the chronology of West Indian fossils strongly suggest that they reached the islands in the Eocene–Oligocene through transient land connections with South America or island hopping. Furthermore, sebecids persisted in the West Indies for at least five million years after their extinction in South America, preserving the last populations of notosuchians yet recovered from the fossil record.
Lázaro W. Viñola López, Jorge Velez-Juarbe, Philippe Münch, Juan N. Almonte Milan, Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Laurent Marivaux, Osvaldo Jimenez-Vasquez and Jonathan Bloch. 2025. A South American sebecid from the Miocene of Hispaniola documents the presence of Apex Predators in early West Indies Ecosystems. Proc. R. Soc. B. 292: 20242891. DOI: doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.2891 [30 April 2025] | ||||||
| 9:16a | [Botany • 2017] Pleroma carajasense (Melastomataceae) • A New Species endemic to Ironstone Outcrops in the Brazilian Amazon
Abstract A new species of Pleroma from Serra dos Carajás, Pará state, Brazil, is described. Pleroma carajasense occurs in southeastern Amazonia, northern Brazil, in canga vegetation, on ironstone outcrops. It is morphologically related to Tibouchina caatingae, because both are shrubs with elliptic to oval leaves, conspicuous petioles (3–17 mm and 10–15 mm, respectively), a pair of elliptic bracteoles, and purple petals, anthers (both cycles) and style. Pleroma carajasense differs from T. caatingae by its chartaceous leaves (versus coriaceous in T. caatingae), with an obtuse to cuneate base (vs. obtuse to subcordate), hypanthium 4–7 × 1.2–4 mm (vs. 10–15 × 3–5 mm). According to IUCN criteria, this species should be considered endangered (EN). A morphological description, illustrations, photos in the field, scanning electronic micrographs of the leaf indumentum and seeds, information on conservation status and distribution are presented. Keywords: canga, ferruginous soil, Melastomeae, Tibouchina
 Pleroma carajasense K.Rocha, R.Goldenb. & F.S.Mey. sp. nov. Keila Cristina de Jesus ROCHA, Renato GOLDENBERG, Pedro Lage VIANA, Fabrício Schmitz MEYER. 2017. Pleroma carajasense (Melastomataceae), A New Species endemic to Ironstone Outcrops in the Brazilian Amazon. Phytotaxa. 329(3); 233–242. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.329.3.4 [December 2017] | ||||||
| 9:25a | [Botany • 2019] Sedum lipingense (Crassulaceae) • Identifying A New stonecrop Species in SE Guizhou, China, based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence
Abstract We describe and illustrate Sedum lipingense (Crassulaceae), a new species of stonecrop found in the limestone areas of SE Guizhou, China. Based on the presence of adaxially gibbous carpels and follicles, this taxon belongs to sect. Sedum S.H. Fu. The new species superficially resembles S. subtile Miquel and S. bulbiferum Makino but differs from these two taxa in its development of a basal leaf rosette during florescence. The nrDNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequences also support the claim that this plant is a new species in the Sedum genus. Keywords: flora of Guizhou, karst, limestone flora, new taxon, Sedum lipingense
Sedum lipingense R.B. Zhang, D. Tan & R.X. Wei, sp. nov. Diagnosis: Sedum lipingense can be distinguished from the closely related S. subtile and S. bulbiferum by the presence of rosettes, absent sterile shoots and bulbils, subequal lanceolate-oblong sepals, and other traits. Ren-Bo Zhang, Tan Deng, Quan-Li Dou, Lin He, Xin-Yun Lv and Hong Jiang. 2019. Sedum lipingense (Crassulaceae) Identifying A New Stonecrop Species in SE Guizhou, China, based on Morphological and Molecular Evidence. PhytoKeys. 134: 125-133. DOI: doi.org/10.3897/phytokeys.134.38287 | ||||||
| 9:46a | [Botany • 2023] Castilleja eggeri (Orobanchaceae: Pedicularideae) • A New endemic Species from Mexico
Abstract The new species Castilleja eggeri (Orobanchaceae) is described, compared and illustrated. The species is distinguished by its reduced number of 1–5 flowers per inflorescence, decumbent stems and dissected leaves. It is distributed in a narrow and very humid area of cloud forest in the mountains of central Veracruz in eastern Mexico. It is compared with Castilleja moranensis, morphologically the most similar species. Conservation assessment classifies the species as critically endangered (CR). Also, a key and distribution map of Castilleja taxa in the state of Veracruz are provided. This species is added to the endemisms of Castilleja in Mexico, where one third of the total diversity of the genus in the Americas is found. Keywords: Castillejinae, hemiparasitism, parasitic species, Scrophulariaceae  Castilleja eggeri sp. nov. Antonio Francisco-Gutiérrez, Miguel Cházaro-Basáñez and Sergio Avendaño-Reyes. 2023. Castilleja eggeri (Orobanchaceae: Pedicularideae), A New endemic Species from Mexico. Nordic Journal of Botany. e04057. DOI: 10.1111/njb.04057 [17 August 2023] | ||||||
| 10:05a | [Botany • 2025] Begonia dorisiae & B. medinae • Morphological and Molecular analyses revealed Two New Species of Begonia, sect. Baryandra in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, Philippines
Abstract Two new species of Begonia section Baryandra from the province of Davao Oriental, part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC), Philippines are described and illustrated. We compared these species with two other species found in EMBC. Begonia dorisiae resembles B. amparoae but is distinct by tomentose hairs with a bulbous base on the petioles and abaxial side of the lamina. Begonia medinae resembles B. elmeri, both of which are the only peltate Mindanao species to date but is distinct mainly on the dense pilose hairs on its lamina, petioles and peduncles. Analyses of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS1, ITS2 and 5.8S gene) sequences of these Eastern Mindanao species, combined with other 45 Philippine sect. Baryandra species and 10 other Asian species support the distinction of the two new species from their congeners. The phylogenetic placement of these plants alongside other Philippine species can further shed light on the intricate biogeographic patterns of Philippine wildlife, especially on areas less studied such as EMBC. Archipelago, Begoniaceae, island endemicity, orogeny, species radiation, taxonomy, Eudicots
Begonia dorisiae Bucay, Tandang & K.F.Chung, sp. nov. § Baryandra Diagnosis:—Begonia dorisiae resembles B. amparoae, another species in Eastern Mindanao island by its overall foliage size and color and similar male flowers, but differs in having dense, dark brown tomentose hairs on the petioles (vs. sparse red hairs to glabrous in B. amparoae), entire, glabrous leaf margins (vs. denticulate, ciliate margins), tomentose hairs on the abaxial side of lamina (vs. glabrous), rectangular bracts with an inequilaterally acuminate to acute apex (vs. widely ovate, obtuse apex) and crescent shaped capsule wing with rounded apex (vs. rectangular with truncated apex). Other differences are summarized in Table 3. ... Etymology:—The specific epithet dorisiae is a tribute to broadcaster Doris Bigornia whose name became an informal, yet very useful monicker of the genus Begonia especially for local communities. Many Filipino botanists, particularly in this series of expeditions, find that the easiest way to make citizens remember the genus Begonia is to associate it with ‘Bigornia’. Across different islands and demographics, the best way to capture citizens’ interest when communicating the biology of Philippine Begonia is, in fact, Doris Bigornia.
Begonia medinae Bucay, Tandang & K.F.Chung, sp. nov. § Baryandra Diagnosis:—Begonia medinae resembles B. elmeri, another species originally described in Agusan del Norte, also part of the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor. Both species are the only peltate species described from the island to date. However, B. medinae is significantly different from B. elmeri in terms of vestition. A distinctive character of B. medinae is the dense white pilose hairs on the lamina (vs. glabrous to sometimes sparsely ciliate in B. elmeri). Begonia medinae also has the same hairs in the petioles (vs. fulvus hairs), and peduncle (vs. glabrous). Other differences are summarized in Table 4. ... Etymology:—The specific epithet “medinae” is to acknowledge the Filipino entomologist Dr. Milton Medina who originally observed this Begonia during their biodiversity studies in the area. This also commemorates their efforts in their conservation studies of the Philippine biodiversity, particularly the ecosystems in Davao Oriental province and the whole of Mindanao Island. Mark Angelo C. BUCAY, Danilo N. TANDANG, Hong-Wun CHEN, Li-Wei TSAI, Rosario R. RUBITE and Kuo-Fang CHUNG. 2025. Morphological and Molecular analyses revealed Two New Species of Begonia sect. Baryandra in the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor, Philippines. Phytotaxa. 698(4); 245-256. DOI: doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.698.4.4 [2025-05-02] facebook.com/philcolsoc/posts/1221968061 |
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