First Potwarmus from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia and the early phylogeny of murines (Rodentia: Muroidea)

Potwarmus is recorded for the first time in Saudi Arabia. The material comes from the Middle Miocene of the Hofuf Formation at Al‐Jadidah. This species, Potwarmus flynni sp. nov. , is described and compared with all species currently placed in the genera Potwarmus, Dakkamys, Paradakkamys, Vallaris, and some species of ‘Myocricetodon’ (i.e. the so‐called ‘primitive dendromurids’) as well as with two of the most primitive definitive murines (namely Antemus chinjiensis and Progonomys debruijni). Potwarmus flynni sp. nov. differs from the above‐mentioned species in having the anterior part of the m1 strongly reduced. A cladistic analysis provides evidence that this new Arabian taxon is close to Potwarmus primitivus and Potwarmus sp. nov. from Jebel Zelten (Libya), and also that this genus is unlikely to be the sister taxon to Antemus. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 156 , 664–679.     

Tachyoryctes makooka (Tachyoryctini,Spalacidae, Rodentia) and its bearing on the phylogeny of the Tachyoryctini

Abstract: The Rhizomyinae is a subfamily of myomorph rodents within the family Spalacidae. It is subdivided into two tribes: the Asian Rhizomyini and the Tachyoryctini. Even though the origin of the Tachyoryctini is to be found in Asia, they are nowadays restricted to Africa. African Tachyoryctini are known from the Late Miocene and include a single genus with five species: the recently discovered Tachyoryctes makooka, which is described in detail in this work, T. pliocaenicus, T. konjiti and the two extant T. splendens and T. macrocephalus. Their closest Asian counterparts are the Late Miocene Protachyoryctes and Eicooryctes. A cladistic analysis involving all the above‐mentioned taxa was carried out. Protachyoryctes tatroti turned out to be the most basal species of the ingroup followed by the Ethiopian T. makooka. Both taxa show some primitive traits like the protosinus on the first upper molars, short but distinct mesolophids on the lower molars and the presence of the mure on the cheek teeth. T. pliocaenicus and the most derived Tachyoryctini share the synapomorphic reduction or loss of these characters. The increase in hypsodonty evidenced in this lineage is correlated with the transition from a humid to a drier climate that started at the beginning of the Pliocene.     

Onset of spring starting earlier across the Northern Hemisphere

Recent warming of Northern Hemisphere (NH) land is well documented and typically greater in winter/spring than other seasons. Physical environment responses to warming have been reported, but not details of large‐area temperate growing season impacts, or consequences for ecosystems and agriculture. To date, hemispheric‐scale measurements of biospheric changes have been confined to remote sensing. However, these studies did not provide detailed data needed for many investigations. Here, we show that a suite of modeled and derived measures (produced from daily maximum–minimum temperatures) linking plant development (phenology) with its basic climatic drivers provide a reliable and spatially extensive method for monitoring general impacts of global warming on the start of the growing season. Results are consistent with prior smaller area studies, confirming a nearly universal quicker onset of early spring warmth (spring indices (SI) first leaf date, ?1.2 days decade^?1), late spring warmth (SI first bloom date, ?1.0 days decade^?1; last spring day below 5°C, ?1.4 days decade^?1), and last spring freeze date (?1.5 days decade^?1) across most temperate NH land regions over the 1955–2002 period. However, dynamics differ among major continental areas with North American first leaf and last freeze date changes displaying a complex spatial relationship. Europe presents a spatial pattern of change, with western continental areas showing last freeze dates getting earlier faster, some central areas having last freeze and first leaf dates progressing at about the same pace, while in portions of Northern and Eastern Europe first leaf dates are getting earlier faster than last freeze dates. Across East Asia last freeze dates are getting earlier faster than first leaf dates.     

European phenological response to climate change matches the warming pattern

Global climate change impacts can already be tracked in many physical and biological systems; in particular, terrestrial ecosystems provide a consistent picture of observed changes. One of the preferred indicators is phenology, the science of natural recurring events, as their recorded dates provide a high-temporal resolution of ongoing changes. Thus, numerous analyses have demonstrated an earlier onset of spring events for mid and higher latitudes and a lengthening of the growing season. However, published single-site or single-species studies are particularly open to suspicion of being biased towards predominantly reporting climate change-induced impacts. No comprehensive study or meta-analysis has so far examined the possible lack of evidence for changes or shifts at sites where no temperature change is observed. We used an enormous systematic phenological network data set of more than 125 000 observational series of 542 plant and 19 animal species in 21 European countries (1971–2000). Our results showed that 78% of all leafing, flowering and fruiting records advanced (30% significantly) and only 3% were significantly delayed, whereas the signal of leaf colouring/fall is ambiguous. We conclude that previously published results of phenological changes were not biased by reporting or publication predisposition: the average advance of spring/summer was 2.5 days decade⁻¹ in Europe. Our analysis of 254 mean national time series undoubtedly demonstrates that species' phenology is responsive to temperature of the preceding months (mean advance of spring/summer by 2.5 days°C⁻¹, delay of leaf colouring and fall by 1.0 day°C⁻¹). The pattern of observed change in spring efficiently matches measured national warming across 19 European countries (correlation coefficient r =−0.69, P <0.001).     

New species of Hispanomys (Rodentia,Cricetodontinae) from the Upper Miocene of Batallones (Madrid,Spain)

Material of Hispanomys (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) is described from various localities at Batallones (MN10) (Madrid, Spain). All of it belongs to a single species, which differs from the other known species of the genus and a new taxon, Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov. , is created for it. The samples from the various localities show differences interpreted as being the result of slight age disparities amongst the different sites. Although they were previously thought to be coeval, Batallones 10 is probably older than Batallones 1, which is possibly older than Batallones 3. Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov. is characterized by several morphological features such as the lack of cingula and mesolophs, the presence of well‐developed ectolophs, four‐ or five‐rooted M1, short or absent mesolophids, and reduced and simplified M3. Hispanomys moralesi sp. nov. is a relatively derived species, the evolutionary stage of which is comparable to those of other members of the genus from the Upper Vallesian. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 160 , 725–747.