New tempospondyl amphibians from the basal Triassic of the Obshchii Syrt Highland,Eastern Europe

Two new genera (monotypic Samarabatrachus gen. nov. (S. bjerringi sp. nov.) and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. (including S. samarensis (Sennikov, 1981) and S. morkovini sp. nov) and a new species of the genus Selenocara Bjerring (S. rossica sp. nov.) are described based on revision of the original material of the form previously known as Wetlugasaurus samarensis. The genera Selenocara and Samarabatrachus gen. nov. positioned at the base of radiation of Triassic capitosaurids are combined into a new subfamily, Selenocarinae subfam. nov. The genus Syrtosuchus gen. nov., which is undoubtedly a derivative of early capitosaurids (Selenocara or a closely related genus), shows some typical benthosuchid features and is assigned to a separate benthosuchid subfamily, Syrtosuchinae subfam. nov. The diagnoses of the genera Wetlugasaurus Riabinin and Selenocara are amended. For the territory of the Obschii Syrt Highland, the genera Selenocara, Samarabatrachus gen. nov., and Syrtosuchus gen. nov. are regarded as key members of a separate Early Triassic tetrapod assemblage (Selenocara–Syrtosuchus Fauna), which is intermediate between the Tupilakosaurus and Benthosuchus faunas and dated Late Induan (Dienerian).     

Olenekian brachiopods from the Kamenushka River basin,South Primorye: New data on the brachiopod recovery after the end-Permian mass extinction

The brachiopods (e.g., Heterelasma sp. nov., Uniplicatorhynchia sp. nov., Quadratirhynchia sp., and Sphriganaria sp.) discovered from the Olenekian deposits of the Kamenushka River basin and Russky Island, South Primorye, allow refining the information on the stratigraphic range of the relevant families and recovery of the biota after the Late Permian mass extinction. A new terebratulid genus, Bittnerithyris gen. nov., and a new rhynchonellid species, Piarorhynchella tazawai sp. nov., are established.     

Late Cretaceous (Santonian-Campanian) sea lilies (Echinodermata,Crinoidea) from the glacial rafts of northwestern Poland

Seven Santonian (Isocrinus? minutus, Tetracrinus jagti, Cyathidium senessei, Bourgueticrinidae indet., Notocrinidae indet., Glenotremites paradoxus, Marsupites testudinarius) and seven Campanian (Nielsenicrinus carinatus, Austinocrinus sp., Bourgueticrinidae indet., Bourgueticrinus cf. constrictus, B. ellipticus, B.? suedicus, Roveacrinina gen. et sp. indet.) crinoid taxa from the Cretaceous glacial rafts of northwestern Poland (near Wolin Island) are described for the first time. The taphonomy and palaeogeographic implications are discussed. The present assemblage differs taxonomically from the crinoid faunules recently described from the glacial rafts of eastern Poland. However, these faunules are similar to crinoids from the autochthonous Upper Cretaceous sediments of southern and eastern Poland (Miechów Trough, Kraków-Cz?stochowa Upland, Middle Vistula River valley). An update of Late Cretaceous crinoids from the Miechów Trough and Kraków-Cz?stochowa Upland is also given.     

Revision of Late Pleistocene and Holocene Galliformes Fauna from the Crimean Mountains

The Late Pleistocene and Holocene Galliformes faunas from the Crimean Mountains included seven species of birds belonging to the families Phasianidae and Tetraonidae: Phasianus colchicus, Alectoris chukar, Perdix perdix, Coturnix coturnix, Lyrurus tetrix, Lagopus mutus, and Lagopus lagopus. The habitation of Gallus representatives in the Crimea in the Late Pleistocene has not been confirmed. Representatives of the family Phasianidae were present in the Crimean fauna at least for most of the Late Pleistocene. All of them survived until the Late Holocene. Pheasants became extinct around the eighteenth century, and the rock partridge seems to have disappeared only in the first half of the twentieth century. The species were restored in the Crimea in the second half of the twentieth century. Gray partridges were common resident birds of the Crimean Mountains throughout the Late Pleistocene and Holocene. Quail was not a numerous breeding species of the Crimean Mountains at the same time, but mass migration of this species through the Crimea appeared only at the end of the Late Pleistocene and evolved over the Holocene warming. Species of Tetraonidae appeared in the fauna of the Crimea long before the beginning of the cold-phase maximum of the last glaciations but no later than 28000 years ago and became extinct in the Early Holocene warming but no later than 9000 years ago.     

Marine algal flora of the Late Viséan (Early Carboniferous) of the Moscow Basin

New data on the taxonomic composition of the algal flora of the Late Viséan of the Moscow Basin are discussed based on newly collected material. The algal assemblage comprises 24 taxa, 14 taxa identified to species, nine identified to genus, and one taxon not positively identified. Representatives of the genera Anthracoporella, Anthracoporellopsis, Asphaltina, Asphaltinella, Asteroaoujgalia, and Zidella are recorded for the first time from the Upper Viséan of the Moscow Basin. The large geographic ranges of these benthic calcareous algae suggest a relatively free exchange of the floral elements of the Late Viséan Moscow Basin with the remote basins of North America and the Paleotethys in the Aleksinian and Mikhailovian time. The new data fill an important gap in the current state of knowledge of Late Viséan marine algae.     

Neogene phasianids (Aves: Phasianidae) of Central Asia: 2. Genera <Emphasis Type="Italic">Perdix,Plioperdix</Emphasis>, and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bantamyx</Emphasis>

The phasianid genera Perdix, Plioperdix, and Bantamyx from the Neogene of Mongolia and Transbaikalia are reviewed. Based on published data and new material, the diagnoses of Late Pliocene Perdix margaritae Kurochkin and Plioperdix ponticus (Tugarinov) and Late Miocene Bantamyx georgicus Kurochkin are emended. It is shown that a tarsometatarsus from the Upper Miocene of the Pavlodar locality belongs to the genus Palaeoperdix rather than Palaeortyx, as was proposed in the previous studies. Small Neogene Asian phasianids are compared in detail with Neogene taxa from Europe and extant genera.     

The fossil fallow deer <Emphasis Type="Italic">Dama geiselana</Emphasis> (Cervidae,Mammalia, upgrade to species level) in the context of migration and local extinctions of fallow deer in the Late and Middle Pleistocene in Europe

The fossil fallow deer Dama dama geiselana Pfeiffer from Neumark-Nord (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) is upgraded to species level and discussed within the current taxonomy of recent and fossil fallow deer. Typical antler and skeletal characteristics are discussed in comparison with the recent Dama dama, Dama mesopotamica and the fossil species Dama clactoniana, Dama nestii and Dama rhenana. The phylogenetic relationship of fallow deer can be traced back to the Late Pliocene and distinguished morphologically from Cervus elaphus, Cervus nippon and Axis axis. Late and Middle Pleistocene finds from Germany are presented and discussed in the context of the finds from the Mediterranean region and Great Britain. The differences in antler morphology and bone dimensions in West German and North-East German fallow deer from the Late Pleistocene support the hypothesis of different immigration channels, on the one hand from the eastern Mediterranean along the Danube and on the other from the west along the Rhone and Rhine. In the Middle Pleistocene, Dama mesopotamica is considered as the typical fallow deer in the eastern Mediterranean, while in the west, Dama clactoniana is widespread. The hypothesis of immigration from the eastern Mediterranean is supported by the fossil record in Germany with the fallow deer from Edesheim. Conversely, Dama geiselana probably influenced East Mediterranean populations. Special tooth characteristics of Dama geiselana occur with lower frequency in Dama mesopotamica. In the Bronze Age, the fallow deer from Kastanas (Macedonia) shares antler characteristics, the high frequency of specific features of the scapula, and the astragalus with Dama geiselana. A relict population of Dama geiselana probably reached the Eastern Mediterranean at the beginning of the last cold stage.     

The first gliding reptiles from the upper Permian of Russia

Two new gliding reptiles from the Late Permian Kul’chumovo-A locality (Orenburg Region), Rautiania alexandri gen. et sp. nov. and R. minichi sp. nov., are described and assigned to the family Weigeltisauridae. These finds substantially expand the knowledge of the morphology of this group and suggest the climax state of terrestrial tetrapod communities of eastern Europe in the pre-Triassic Time, which resulted in the development of ecological niches not typical of earlier terrestrial vertebrate faunas.     

Present-day vegetation and the Holocene and recent development of Egelsee-Moor,Salzburg province,Austria

This paper describes the present-day vegetation, stratigraphy and developmental history of the mire of Egelsee-Moor (Salzburg, Austria; 45°45′N, 13°8.5′E, 700 m a.s.l., 15 ha in area) since the early Late Glacial on the basis of 4 transects with 14 trial borings across the peatland. We present a vegetation map of the mire, a longitudinal section through the peat body based on six cores showing the peat types, overview macrofossil diagrams of six cores showing the local mire development and two pollen diagrams covering the Late Glacial and Holocene. The chronology of the diagrams depends on biostratigraphic dating for the Late Glacial and early Holocene and radiocarbon dating for the remaining Holocene. The northern part of the mire originated through terrestrialisation of nutrient-rich, mostly inundated fen and the southern part through paludification of wet soils. The very small lake of today was a reservoir until recently for providing water-power for timber rafting (‘Holztrift’). The mire vegetation today is a complex of forested parts (mainly planted Pinus sylvestris and Thuja occidentalis, but also spontaneous Picea abies, Betula pubescens and Frangula alnus), reed-lands (Phragmites) and litter meadows (Molinietum, Schoenetum, etc.). The central part has hummock-hollow complexes with regionally rare species of transitional mires (Drosera anglica, D. intermedia, Lycopodiella inundata, Scorpidium scorpioides, Sphagnum platyphyllum, S. subnitens). The results indicate that some of the mid-Holocene sediments may have been removed by the timber-rafting practices, and that water extraction from the hydrological catchment since 1967 has resulted in a partial shift of transitional mire to ombrotrophic bog. The latter potentially endangers the regionally rare species and was used as an argument to stop further water extraction.     

Conodont biostratigraphy of the Early Triassic in eastern Slovenia

The Early Triassic is a critical interval for the study of recovery from the terminal Permian mass extinction, as there are small-scale extinction events, which may have contributed to the delayed recovery. The systematic measuring and sampling of a 12-m-thick section at the Mokrice locality in eastern Slovenia has resulted in the recovery of a conodont fauna from the Olenekian beds. Four conodont zones have been recognized. These zones are in ascending order as follows: the Hadrodontina aequabilis Zone, Platyvillosus corniger Zone, Platyvillosus regularis Zone, and Triassospathodus hungaricus Zone. These conodont zones confirm the proposed conodont biozonation sequence in western Slovenia and have correlation value especially for the western marginal Tethys. Multielement conodont apparatuses of Triassospathodus hungaricus and Platyvillosus regularis have been reconstructed based on conodont elements that were recently obtained from the Slovenian sections. Although the S₂element was not found, the apparatus indicates that the conodont species “Spathognathodus” hungaricus should be assigned to the genus Triassospathodus.     

Late Glacial and Holocene history of Plešné Lake and its surrounding landscape based on pollen and palaeoalgological analyses

Pollen analysis has been carried out on a 549 cm thick sediment profile from lake Ple?né jezero (Ple?né Lake) in the Bohemian Forest (?umava, Czech Republic; 1090 m a.s.l.; 48°47′ N; 13°52′ E). Analyses of 67 samples characterise the development of the lake biotope and the surrounding landscape during the last ca. 14,000 years. The pollen diagram shows a very distinct transition between the Late Glacial and the Holocene biostratigraphic units at a depth of ca. 312 cm. In the surroundings of Ple?né Lake the vegetation was treeless during the entire Late Glacial. The alpine tree limit, formed by Betula and Pinus with undergrowth of shrubs, might have been at ca. 500 m a.s.l. Pollen transported from long distances was significant due to the openness of the landscape, coming from southern Europe and even Africa, and including high numbers of Artemisia, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae, and some other herbs and shrubs from steppe and forest-steppe areas in southern Europe or Africa (likely Ephedra, certainly Lygeum spartum). The expansion of shrubs, particularly Juniperus, preceded the expansion of trees near the end of the Late Glacial. Afforestation of the region by thin stands of Betula and Pinus occurred during the Preboreal. Significant warming in the Boreal resulted in the expansion of Corylus, Quercetum mixtum (QM) trees, and probably also Picea and Alnus. Picea as well as QM trees were further expanding during the Early Atlantic. Picea was the dominant tree during the Late Atlantic and Fagus started to spread towards its end. Abrupt expansion of Abies marks the Subboreal. A high degree of afforestation (Abies, Fagus, Picea) was characteristic for the Early Subatlantic. During Late Subatlantic, pollen of synanthropic plants appears. Phases of the lake biotope development were defined on the basis of coccal green algae and Isoëtes.     

Apophyses,verticiles, and denticles in skeletons of Late Paleozoic radiolarians of the subfamily Entactiniinae

Morphostructural analysis of secondary skeletal elements, such as apophyses on the main spines and verticiles on the secondary spines of certain Late Paleozoic radiolarians of the subfamily Entactiniinae allow their taxonomic rank to be raised to genus. The presence of denticles on the secondary spines is only evidence of particular species. Three skeleton morphotypes are established: primary morphotype A, verticillate morphotype B, and apophyseal morphotype C. A new species, Entactinia mariannae sp. nov., and two new genera, Apophysiacus gen. nov. with five species, A. ichikawai (Caridroit et De Wever, 1984), A. minuta (Feng, 2007), A. praepycnoclada (Nazarov et Ormiston, 1983), A. pycnoclada (Nazarov et Ormiston, 1985), and A. sakmaraensis (Kozur et Mostler, 1989), and Verticillides gen. nov. with three species, V. nazarovi nom. nov., V. nestellae sp. nov., and V. verticillatus sp. nov., are described.     

Contribution to the knowledge of Diptera (Insecta) parasitizing on birds

Data on the species composition and biology of Diptera, parasitizing on 11 bird species, including Passer montanus, Passer domesticus, Parus coeruleus, Parus major, Corvus frugilegus, Corvus cornix, Sturnus vulgaris, Emberiza citronella, Jynx torquilla, Anthus trivialis, and Crex crex, are given. Biological features of Protocalliphora azurea, Carnus hemapterus, Coboldia fuscipes, and Ornithomyia avicularia are discussed.     

Ants of the tribe Formicini (Hymenoptera,Formicidae) from Late Eocene amber of Europe

The tribe Formicini (Formicinae) from the Late Eocene Baltic, Bitterfeld, Rovno, and Scandinavian ambers is revised. Ants are recorded for the first time from the Bitterfeld and Scandinavian ambers. Two new genera (Cataglyphoides gen. nov. and Conoformica gen. nov.) and six new species (Cataglyphoides intermedius sp. nov., Conoformica bitterfeldiana sp. nov., Formica kutscheri sp. nov., F. palaeopolonica sp. nov., F. radchenkoi sp. nov., F. zherikhini sp. nov.) are described. A new combination, Cataglyphoides constrictus (Mayr, 1868), comb. nov., is established. A lectotype of Camponotus constrictus Mayr, 1868 and a neotype of Formica phaethusa Wheeler, 1915 are designated. Formica clymene Wheeler, 1915 is recognized as a new synonym of F. phaethusa Wheeler, 1915. An identification key for workers of Formicini species from Late Eocene European ambers is provided.     

Isolation and molecular characterization of the fungal endophytic microbiome from conventionally and organically grown avocado trees in South Florida

Fungal endophytes are the most ubiquitous and highly diverse microorganisms that inhabit the interior of healthy plants. They are important in plant ecology and offer untapped potential to improve plant health and productivity in agroecosystems. The endophytic assemblage of avocado is poorly understood; therefore, surveys of fungal endophytes of Persea americana Mill. (Avocado) in South Florida organic and conventional orchards were conducted. A total of 17 endophytic fungal species were recovered from healthy avocado terminal branches. Endophytic fungal species were identified by rDNA sequencing of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, using UNITE Species Hypotheses to reliably assign a taxon name, and determined as belonging to the genera Alternaria, Cladosporium, Colletotrichum, Corynespora, Diaporthe, Lasiodiplodia, Neofusicoccum, Neopestalotiopsis, Phyllosticta, and Strelitziana. Endophyte community assemblage differed between organic and conventional agroecosystems. This is the first report of Alternaria eichhorniae, Cladosporium tenuissimum, Corynespora cassiicola, Colletotrichum alatae, Diaporthe fraxini-angustifoliae, Lasiodiplodia gonubiensis, Neofusicoccum algeriense, Neofusicoccum andinum, Neopestalotiopsis foedans, Phyllosticta capitalensis, and Strelitziana africana as endophytes of avocado. Evaluation using pathogenicity tests on avocado leaves and terminal branches showed that endophytic fungal isolates did not cause disease symptoms.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Remalcis</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Epiphyton</Emphasis> as different stages in the life cycle of calcareous algae

Although the calcareous algae Renalcis and Epiphyton, which were main reef-constructors at the end of the Late Proterozoic, beginning of the Cambrian, and, partially, in the Devonian, long attracted the attention of scientists, their nature long remained enigmatic. Numerous revisions inclined to the opinion that Renalcis only existed and considered Chabakovia, Shuguria, Izhella, and even Epiphyton as synonyms of the former genus. However, convincing proofs for this conclusion were lacking. I propose a new morphological interpretation of the Renalcis group, based on Gemma with its unique preservation of monospores within the colony, which overgrew outside the colony first in Korilophyton and then in Epiphyton. It was concluded that the life cycle of Epiphyton included heteromorphous stages of Renalcis (Izhella), Chabakovia (Shuguria), Gemma, and dendroid Korilophyton.     

Reliability of the search for 19 common mutations in the <Emphasis Type="Italic">CFTR</Emphasis> gene in Russian cystic fibrosis patients and the calculated frequency of the disease in Russian Federation

A study of Russian cystic fibrosis (CF) patient DNA was conducted to assess the incidence frequency of 19 mutations, namely CFTRdele2,3(21kb), F508del, I507del, 1677delTA, 2143delT, 2184insA, 394delTT, 3821delT, L138ins, 604insA, 3944delGT, G542X, W1282X, N1303K, R334W, and 3849 + 10kbC > T, S1196X, 621 + 1g > t, and E92K of the CFTR gene. We also sought to determine the estimated CF frequency in Russian Federation. In addition, we determined the total information content of the approach for 19 common mutations registration in the CFTR gene, 84.6%, and the allelic frequencies of the examined mutations: three mutations were observed with a frequency exceeding 5% (F508del, 53.98%, E92K, 6.47%, CFTRdele2,3(21kb), 5.35%); other mutations were observed with frequencies ranging from 0.13 to 3.0%. The CF population carrier frequency was 1 in 38 subjects, while the predicted CF frequency was 1 in 5776 newborns.     

Revision of non-passeriform birds from Polgárdi (Hungary,Upper Miocene): 3. Neoaves

A taxonomic revision of Upper Miocene Neoaves from Polgárdi locality is summarized. Rallicrex polgardiensis is transferred to the genus Rallus. The taxonomic position of R. kolozsvarensis is discussed. Porzana estramosi veterior and P. kretzoii are transferred to the genus Zapornia former is ranked as species. It is shown that the material referred to Egretta polgardiensis, Surnia robusta, and Otis kalmani actually belong to the fossil barn owl Tyto campiterrae. The genera Cuculus and Tetrao are identified incorrectly and several other taxa cannot be identified to genus. A fragmentary carpometacarpus originally referred to as Gallinago veterior actually belongs to Glareolidae. A complete list of revised non-passeriform taxa from Polgárdi is provided and the composition of the avifauna is discussed. The absence of taxa shared with approximately contemporaneous avian assemblage from the Hyargas-Nuur 2 locality in eastern Mongolia is evidence that at least two separate zoogeographical units of temperate avifaunas existed in the Late Miocene of Eurasia.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cannabis</Emphasis> is indigenous to Europe and cultivation began during the Copper or Bronze age: a probabilistic synthesis of fossil pollen studies

Conventional wisdom states Cannabis sativa originated in Asia and its dispersal to Europe depended upon human transport. Various Neolithic or Bronze age groups have been named as pioneer cultivators. These theses were tested by examining fossil pollen studies (FPSs), obtained from the European Pollen Database. Many FPSs report Cannabis or Humulus (C/H) with collective names (e.g. Cannabis/Humulus or Cannabaceae). To dissect these aggregate data, we used ecological proxies to differentiate C/H pollen, as follows: unknown C/H pollen that appeared in a pollen assemblage suggestive of steppe (Poaceae, Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae) we interpreted as wild-type Cannabis. C/H pollen in a mesophytic forest assemblage (Alnus, Salix, Populus) we interpreted as Humulus. C/H pollen curves that upsurged and appeared de novo alongside crop pollen grains we interpreted as cultivated hemp. FPSs were mapped and compared to the territories of archaeological cultures. We analysed 479 FPSs from the Holocene/Late Glacial, plus 36 FPSs from older strata. The results showed C/H pollen consistent with wild-type C. sativa in steppe and dry tundra landscapes throughout Europe during the early Holocene, Late Glacial, and previous glaciations. During the warm and wet Holocene Climactic Optimum, forests replaced steppe, and Humulus dominated. Cannabis retreated to steppe refugia. C/H pollen consistent with cultivated hemp first appeared in the Pontic-Caspian steppe refugium. GIS mapping linked cultivation with the Copper age Varna/Gumelni?a culture, and the Bronze age Yamnaya and Terramara cultures. An Iron age steppe culture, the Scythians, likely introduced hemp cultivation to Celtic and Proto-Slavic cultures.     

Molecular analyses of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ficus erecta</Emphasis> and its allies within the subsection <Emphasis Type="Italic">Frutescentiae</Emphasis> (Moraceae)

Ficus (Moraceae) is a keystone group in tropical and subtropical forests with remarkable diversity of species and taxonomical challenges as a consequence of fig–pollinator coevolution. Ficus subsect. Frutescentiae includes about 30 species that are predominantly shrubs or small trees with Terminalia branching. Many of these species are difficult to delimit morphologically, and the group includes a tangle of uncertain taxa and incorrectly applied names. We conducted a phylogenetic analysis with internal and external transcribed spacer data (ITS and ETS) and data from 18 polymorphic microsatellite loci to evaluate the species status of the most perplexing members of this subsection. The results confirm the monophyly of subsect. Frutescentiae, with F. pedunculosa as sister to the rest. The F. erecta complex comprises approximately 17 taxa: F. erecta, F. abelii, F. boninsimae, F. nishimurae, F. iidaiana, F. gasparriniana var. laceratifolia, F. gasparriniana var. viridescens, F. pyriformis, F. stenophylla, F. fusuiensis, F. fengkaiensis, F. sinociliata, F. tannoensis, F. vaccinioides, F. formosana, F. pandurata, and F. periptera. The last five of these were supported as good species, while the others were not well supported by the present evidence. Evidence also supported the status of the non-F. erecta complex species including. F. pedunculosa, F. ischnopoda, F. heteromorpha, and F. variolosa. Ficus filicauda and F. neriifolia are possibly conspecific. The species status of F. potingensis should be restored and it should be treated as a member of section Eriosycea. Identification of the remaining taxa (F. gasparriniana var. esquirolii, F. ruyuanensis, F. daimingshanensis, F. chapaensis, F. changii, F. trivia, and F. tuphapensis) and their relationships to the F. erecta complex were not clarified. As a whole, only ten species in this subsection are confirmed, one is excluded, one is synonymous, and the others are either unresolved or short of samples. There appears to be a consistent genetic background among these unresolved groups, which suggests that repeated hybridization (as a result of pollinator host shifts) has filled up the interspecific gaps during the fig–pollinator coevolution process.