Thecamoeba foliovenanda n. sp. (Amoebozoa,Discosea, Thecamoebida) – One more case of sibling species among amoebae of the genus Thecamoeba

Until recently it seemed that amoebae of the genus Thecamoeba can be reliably identified using light-microscopic characters, like the size and shape of the cell, a characteristic pattern of folds and ridges and structure of the nucleus. However, recent molecular studies show the presence of sibling species that can be reliably distinguished based on the gene sequence data only. Here we describe a new terrestrial species, Thecamoeba foliovenanda n. sp. This species is almost identical with Thecamoeba similis in light-microscopy, which has minor differences in the ultrastructure but considerable differences in the SSU rRNA gene sequence. We investigated the light-microscopic data, as well as transmission electron-microscopic images and videorecords on the type strain of T. similis 1583/8 and performed its comparison with the new species. This study further supports the conclusion that species of the genus Thecamoeba nowadays require gene sequencing for reliable identification and species distinction.     

Cortinarius sarcoflammeus sp. nov, a new species of subgenus Dermocybe (Agaricales) growing in Sphagnum bogs

 Cortinarius sarcoflammeus is proposed as a new species belonging to subgenus Dermocybe, on the basis of its morphological, chemical and ecological characters. The strong red-orange colour of the context and stipe base, large spores, sphagnicolous habitat and high dermorubin content are characteristic for the new species. Holotypes of C. huronensis and C. huronensis var. olivaceus have been examined for comparison, and their differences discussed. Photographs and line drawings of C. sarcoflammeus are added. Received February 13, 2001 Accepted March 23, 2001     

On the Procompsognathus postcranium (Late Triassic, Germany)

A review of the historical background of the material housed in the Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde (Stuttgart) and ascribed to Procompsognathus triassicus (Upper Triassic, Germany) is provided. The systematic position of the postcranial remains is discussed. The combined results of cladistic analyses suggest that the type material, an incomplete postcranial skeleton in two pieces (SMNS 12591), is from a theropod close to Segisaurus and Coelophysis. An isolated manus (SMNS 12352a) is definitely not theropodan, but could be from any small basal archosaur. The remarkable diversity of the carnivorous guild that dwelled in southern Germany before the end-Triassic events is underlined.     

Phylogenetic relationships in the cricket tribe Xenogryllini (Orthoptera,Gryllidae, Eneopterinae) and description of the Indian genus Indigryllus gen. nov.

The subfamily Eneopterinae is known greatly for its diversified acoustic modalities and disjunct distribution. Within Eneopterinae, tribe Lebinthini is the most studied group, due to its highest species diversity (ca. 150 species in 12 genera), endemic distribution on the islands of Southeast Asia and of the South West Pacific, males’ ability to produce high‐frequency calling songs, and evolution of females’ vibrational response. To investigate the distribution pattern and diversification of acoustic and behavioral attributes in a larger frame, clear understanding of phylogenetic relationships within other tribes of Eneopterinae is vital. In this study, we focus on the tribe Xenogryllini, sister group of Lebinthini. Xenogryllini, as opposed to Lebinthini, is known by fewer species (11 species in two genera), distributed widely in continental Asia and Africa, and for producing low‐frequency calling songs. We describe a new genus Indigryllus with a new species of the tribe Xenogryllini, discovered from the southwest of India. We used eight molecular genetic markers to reconstruct the phylogenetic relationships. The resultant phylogenetic tree is used to compare and discuss distribution patterns and acoustic modalities between Lebinthini and Xenogryllini.     

Alexandrium diversaporum sp. nov., a new non-saxitoxin producing species: Phylogeny,morphology and sxtA genes

Species of the PST producing planktonic marine dinoflagellate genus Alexandrium have been intensively scrutinised, and it is therefore surprising that new taxa can still be found. Here we report a new species, Alexandrium diversaporum nov. sp., isolated from spherical cysts found at two sites in Tasmania, Australia. This species differs in its morphology from all previously reported Alexandrium species, possessing a unique combination of morphological features: the presence of 2 size classes of thecal pores on the cell surface, a medium cell size, the size and shape of the 6″, 1′, 2⁗ and Sp plates, the lack of a ventral pore, a lack of anterior and posterior connecting pores, and a lack of chain formation. We determined the relationship of the two strains to other species of Alexandrium based on an alignment of concatenated SSU-ITS1, 5.8S, ITS2 and partial LSU ribosomal RNA sequences, and found A. diversaporum to be a sister group to Alexandrium leei with high support. A. leei shares several morphological features, including the relative size and shapes of the 6″, 1′, 2⁗ and Sp plates and the fact that some strains of A. leei have two size classes of thecal pores. We examined A. diversaporum strains for saxitoxin production and found them to be non-toxic. The species lacked sequences for the domain A4 of sxtA, as has been previously found for non-saxitoxin producing species of Alexandrium.     

Ciliates from eutrophized water in the northern Brazil and morphology of Cristigera hammeri Wilbert, 1986 (Ciliophora,Scuticociliatia)

Ciliates occur in all major aquatic and soil environments worldwide and are important links in the microbial food webs, which, along with other free-living protists, are generally overlooked in biodiversity conservation programs. In Brazil, the northern region comprises the Brazilian Amazonia, an area widely known for its huge biodiversity. However, the diversity of ciliates in that region is still almost unknown. As result of the present study, a total of 21 species of ciliates, distributed among 15 genera, were inventoried from samples of eutrophized water collected in the city of Belém, capital of the state of Pará, one of the states which comprise the Brazilian Amazonia. In addition, a local population of the rare scuticociliate Cristigera hammeri is described from optical and electron microscopy observations, and its synonymy with C. pleuronemoides is rejected based on new evidence.     

Jsowerbya, new genus of Muricidae (Mollusca: Gastropoda) from the Eocene of the Paris (France) and Hampshire (England) basins with a phylogenetic assessment of its Ocenebrine versus Ergalataxine affinities

Jsowerbya, nov. gen. (Gastropoda: Muricidae) includes three species from the Eocene of the Paris and Hampshire basins. It increases the number of extinct muricid genera, which curiously represent a very small fraction of the described genera. The species of Jsowerbya, often mistaken for the muricopsine genus Muricopsis, possess a unique combination of characters shared with the subfamilies Ocenebrinae and Ergalataxinae. A cladistic analysis, based on structural homologies of the spiral sculpture, however, suggests that Jsowerbya is closely related to the Ocenebrinae. Thus, Jsowerbya is here regarded as one the most basal Ocenebrinae.     

Hexasaturnalis nakasekoi nov. sp., a Jurassic saturnalid radiolarian species frequently confounded with Hexasaturnalis suboblongus (Yao)

Detailed morphological study of the ring of the Jurassic saturnalid radiolarian species frequently cited in the literature as Hexasaturnalis suboblongus (Yao) has proven that it contains two well-defined species: H. suboblongus (Yao), practically ranging within the boundaries of the Bajocian, and Hexasaturnalis nakasekoi nov. sp., ranging within the Bathonian-Kimmeridgian interval. The two species seem to be important stratigraphically because the transition from the former to the latter took place at or around the Bajocian/Bathonian boundary. The phyletic lineage Hexasaturnalis hexagonus (Yao) → H. inuyamaensis (Yao) → H. suboblongus (Yao) → H. nakasekoi nov. sp. → H. minor (Baumgartner) → Dicerosaturnalis angustus (Baumgartner) → D. dicranacanthos (Squinabol) is proposed.     

New material of Pleistocene cats (Carnivora, Felidae) from Southern South America, with comments on biogeography and the fossil record

In this paper the systematic position and age of several Pleistocene cat remains found in southern South American are studied, in an attempt to more fully document the scarce record of the group and clear up their obscure Quaternary history. The fossils are compared with a large sample of recent specimens by means of qualitative and quantitative characters, as well as multivariate methods (discriminant analysis). The age of previous records is restricted using recent chronostratigraphic and biostratigraphic studies. Ly. colocolo is recorded in the late Ensenadan (0.78-0.5 Ma BP) and Bonaerian/Lujanian (0.5 Ma-8.5 Ka BP) ages of the Pampean Region (Argentina) and in the late Pleistocene or Holocene of Tierra del Fuego (Chile). An incomplete hemimandible found in the Bonaerian of the Pampean Region is referred to cf. Herpailurus and could be the earliest record of this lineage. Two other remains could belong to On. geoffroyi, but their incompleteness and some differences prevent their assignation to this recent species. The age of “Felis” vorohuensis is restricted to the late Ensenadan. The fossil record of the Ocelot Lineage is very fragmentary, but it is at least as old as late Ensenadan. Taphonomic biases are responsible for this poor fossil record and this fact could partially explain the hiatus with respect to the timing estimated by molecular divergence. The combination of data suggests that Ly. colocolo, On. guigna, On. geoffroyi and Oreailurus jacobita speciated in South America, supporting previous opinions. If the molecular divergence dates are right the recent diversity of this group could be explained by a minimum of five to six immigrations.