Early tetrapodomorph biogeography: Controlling for fossil record bias in macroevolutionary analyses

The fossil record provides direct empirical data for understanding macroevolutionary patterns and processes. Inherent biases in the fossil record are well known to confound analyses of this data. Sampling bias proxies have been used as covariates in regression models to test for such biases. Proxies, such as formation count, are associated with paleobiodiversity, but are insufficient for explaining species dispersal owing to a lack of geographic context. Here, we develop a sampling bias proxy that incorporates geographic information and test it with a case study on early tetrapodomorph biogeography. We use recently-developed Bayesian phylogeographic models and a new supertree of early tetrapodomorphs to estimate dispersal rates and ancestral habitat locations. We find strong evidence that geographic sampling bias explains supposed radiations in dispersal rate (potential adaptive radiations). Our study highlights the necessity of accounting for geographic sampling bias in macroevolutionary and phylogenetic analyses and provides an approach to test for its effect.     

Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) from four protected areas in the state of Pernambuco,Brazil

New records and distributional notes of Chironomidae (Insecta, Diptera) are provided for four protected areas in the state of Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil. Additionally, we also present new records and update of distributional ranges from Brazil and the Neotropical Region. In total, 810 specimens belonging to 35 genera within the subfamilies Chironominae (22 taxa), Tanypodinae (11 taxa) and Orthocladiinae (2 taxa) were found. The subfamilies Chironominae and Tanypodinae predominated. Axarus Roback, 1980 Roback, S.S. (1980), ‘New name for Anceus Roback nec Anceus Risso’, Entomological News, 91, 32.[Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar] and the Tanytarsus ortoni-group were recorded for the first time in the state of Pernambuco, while Nanocladius Kieffer, 1913a Kieffer, J.J. (1913b), ‘Nouvelle étude sur les Chironomides de l'Indian Museum de Calcutta’, Records of the Indian Museum, 9, 119–197. [Google Scholar] was recorded for the first time in the Northeast Region of Brazil. Our results make evident how much and where current knowledge of the northeastern Brazil chironomids remains fragmentary.     

河南发现刘氏石龙子及该物种系统位置分析

2018年8月下旬,在河南省南阳市桐柏山采集到11号石龙子科（Scincidae）蜥蜴标本。经形态比较鉴定,该批标本均为刘氏石龙子（Pleistiodon liui）,是河南省爬行动物分布新记录种,也是该物种在长江以北地区首次被发现。通过形态学分析,发现刘氏石龙子可能存在雌雄性二态。基于COI基因658 bp序列的系统发育分析显示,大渡石龙子（P. capito）和黄纹石龙子（P. tunganus）聚在一起,然后再与刘氏石龙子聚成一支系,支持先前基于形态数据的黄纹石龙子种组的单系性。     

广东丹霞山国家级自然保护区 蝙蝠物种多样性调查

于2017年至2018年对广东丹霞山国家级自然保护区的翼手目动物进行调查,主要采用日栖息地与夜栖息地、捕食区网捕等调查方法,共调查到翼手目5科13属23种,其中蝙蝠科(Vespertilionidae)9属15种,菊头蝠科(Rhinolophidae)1属4种,蹄蝠科(Hipposideridae)1属2种,假吸血蝠科(Megadermatidae)1属1种,犬吻蝠科(Molossidae)1属1种。从区系组成来看,以东洋界为主(19种),其次为广布种(3种),古北界仅1种。从栖息类型上看,分为洞栖型、树栖型及建筑物栖息型,以洞栖型为主(15种),建筑物栖息型其次(12种),树栖型最少(5种),但其中9个物种的栖息地类型同时包含了上述3种栖息类型中的2种。本研究在广东丹霞山发现中国蝙蝠新分布记录1种,为卡氏伏翼(Hypsugo cadornae);而中印鼠耳蝠(Myotis indochinensis)为中国分布的再次确认。     

湖北兴山发现霍氏缺齿鼩

2016年12月,在湖北省兴山县采集到1只食虫类标本。其体型较小(头体长75.00 mm),通体呈棕褐色,尾较长(82.00 mm),眼细小。头骨扁平,较为坚固,齿尖具有浅红棕色色斑。通过测定其线粒体Cyt b基因序列,并结合缺齿鼩属6个物种的同源区序列,构建其系统发生关系,发现该标本与基因库中霍氏缺齿鼩(Chodsigoa hoffmanni)序列聚为具较高支持度的一支。综合形态学与系统发育学证据,将该标本鉴定为霍氏缺齿鼩。此次发现是湖北省境内该物种的首次记录,也是其在我国云南省及越南分布区外的又一发现,拓展了对该物种在我国分布范围的认识。     

Spatial distribution and landscape associations of large-antlered deer

For more than a century, the Boone and Crockett Club has kept records of harvest locations for 38 categories of North American big game, which includes measurement details and sizes of enduring characteristics (e.g., antlers, skulls, horns). All white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) entered in the Club records (i.e., record deer) have large antlers because the measurements must meet or exceed a minimum size to qualify for entry. We used the records from the Club to test the hypothesis that the spatial distribution in the harvest of record deer was related to the number of antlered deer harvested, variations in land productivity, soil mineral content, and attributes of land cover for 9 states in the midwestern United States. We used a Bayesian theoretical framework to develop a spatial model that examined the influence of explanatory variables on the number of record deer harvested in each county. In our study area, 3,658 record deer were harvested in 692 of the 856 counties (80.8%). More record deer were harvested in counties that had more high-contrast edges, less contiguous land cover, and greater variation in soil productivity. These results provide information for managers and hunters to better understand the spatial distribution of record deer and factors that are correlated with their distribution. © 2019 The Wildlife Society.     

中国鸡皮衣属地衣一新记录种(英文)

在对保存于中国科学院微生物所菌物标本馆(HAMAS-L)的鸡皮衣属地衣进行研究过程中,发现一中国新记录种亚澳鸡皮衣(Pertusariathwaitesii)。该种地衣体灰白色至烟灰色,表面有皱褶,缝裂成网块状,无粉芽和裂芽;果疣半球形,顶部扁平,孔口较多,轻微下陷;子囊盘陷生于果疣中,每个子囊含有2个孢子,孢子长椭圆形,孢子壁双层,端壁微加厚;皮层含有地衣黄,在波长365 nm紫外光照射下呈现红褐色,髓层含有原岛衣酸。该种与海滨鸡皮衣(P.subobductans)和亚孔鸡皮衣(P.subpertusa)都含有2个长椭圆形的孢子,但是海滨鸡皮衣含有降斑点酸,皮层遇KOH由黄色变成红色;而亚孔鸡皮衣含有富马原岛衣酸,且孢子较大。亚澳鸡皮衣生长在海拔1 200~2 300 m的阔叶树树皮上。     

中国尺蛾亚科三新记录属研究（鳞翅目： 尺蛾科）

本文记述中国尺蛾亚科3新记录属及3新记录种： 羚尺蛾Absala dorcada Swinhoe,双弓尺蛾Calleremites subornata Warren,巨尺蛾Pachista superans (Butler)。总结了每个属、种的形态特征;为羚尺蛾 Absala dorcada Swinhoe和巨尺蛾 Pachista superans (Butler) 指定了选模。     

中国豆科植物一新记录种——小花红豆草

报道了小花红豆草Onobrychis micrantha Schrenk在中国新疆的分布。该种的分布区以往仅在中亚的哈萨克斯坦、巴基斯坦等地以及阿富汗和伊朗有记载。它与美丽红豆草O. pulchella Schrenk接近, 区别在于前者荚果的刺分离, 而后者荚果的刺彼此结合成膜质透明的隔膜。至此, 中国红豆草属Onobrychis的种类已达4种, 包括3个野生种和1个引进栽培种。给出了4种植物的检索表。