Cranial morphology of the early tertiary Phenacolemur and its bearing on primate phylogeny

An early Eocene skull of the paromomyid Phenacolemur, a plesiadapoid primate, is described with particular emphasis on the ear region. The auditory bulla is composed of the petrosal and of a large ectotympanic plate which is outside of the bulla. The preserved morphology of the middle ear is distinctly more primitive than that of the older Plesiadapis. It cannot be determined with certainty whether Phenacolemur had the carotid circulation enclosed in bony tubes or not. The auditory bulla of early primates and relevant living ones is discussed and it is suggested that an extrabullar ectotympanic, as seen in all non-lemuriform fossil and extant primates, was probably the primitive ordinal condition, rather than the intrabullar ring-like ectotympanic in the Lemuriformes. Aspects of the carotid circulation are discussed as they pertain to the relationship of early Tertiary primates, living Tarsiiformes, Lemuriformes and Lorisiformes.     

Unlocking the ring: Occurrence and development of the uninterrupted intrabullar septum in Canidae

The maned wolf, Chrysocyon brachyurus, and some of the earliest canids are known for the peculiar ring-like shape of their intrabullar septum (an incomplete bony partition in the auditory bulla). In attempt to understand the origin of this character state, the auditory bullae in adult and juvenile dried skulls of 28 species of living Caninae were examined with a special emphasis on the occurrence of a ring-like (uninterrupted) septum. In addition to C. brachyurus, this morphology was invariably found in the bush dog, Speothos venaticus, what makes the presence of the uninterrupted septum the first osteological synapomorphy supporting the Chrysocyon–Speothos clade recently revealed by molecular systematics.The canine juvenile morphologies indicate that the intrabullar septum is ring-like at its early developmental stage. As ontogeny progresses, the septum resorbs differentially, depending on taxon, to become horseshoe- or crescent-like. By this transformation of the initially ring-like septum, Caninae seem to ontogenetically parallel a trend found in the phylogeny of Hesperocyoninae, an extinct canid group. The reverse recapitulation occurs, however, in the evolution of Caninae themselves, with their most-derived members having a least-resorbed septum. This implies that the ontogenetic criterion cannot be used for inference of the polarity of septal character states within the Caninae. The evolution of the canine intrabullar septum could have involved a series of heterochronies towards increasingly paedomorphic states in several lineages of the tribe Canini.New data were also obtained on the bone composition of the canid intrabullar septum. While the dorsal septum is entotympanic, the ventral one is in fact ectotympanic in adult Caninae. This compound structure results from penetration of the ventral entotympanic sinus into the ectotympanic.     

Isolation and characterization of polymorphic microsatellite loci in Bornean treeshrews (Tupaia spp.)

In this study, we developed five microsatellite loci from an enriched genomic library constructed for the pygmy treeshrew (Tupaia minor), and adapted another two from a previous study on the common treeshrew (Tupaia glis), for use in studying mating and dispersal patterns in Bornean treeshrews. We screened 32 plain treeshrew (Tupaia longipes) and 54 large treeshrew (Tupaia tana) individuals at these loci. Polymorphism ranged from two to 13 alleles, and heterozygosity ranged from 0.29 to 0.88. These results indicate the general utility of these microsatellites for genetic analyses in other Tupaia spp.     

Rule reversal: Ecogeographical patterns of body size variation in the common treeshrew (Mammalia,Scandentia)

There are a number of ecogeographical “rules” that describe patterns of geographical variation among organisms. The island rule predicts that populations of larger mammals on islands evolve smaller mean body size than their mainland counterparts, whereas smaller‐bodied mammals evolve larger size. Bergmann's rule predicts that populations of a species in colder climates (generally at higher latitudes) have larger mean body sizes than conspecifics in warmer climates (at lower latitudes). These two rules are rarely tested together and neither has been rigorously tested in treeshrews, a clade of small‐bodied mammals in their own order (Scandentia) broadly distributed in mainland Southeast Asia and on islands throughout much of the Sunda Shelf. The common treeshrew, Tupaia glis, is an excellent candidate for study and was used to test these two rules simultaneously for the first time in treeshrews. This species is distributed on the Malay Peninsula and several offshore islands east, west, and south of the mainland. Using craniodental dimensions as a proxy for body size, we investigated how island size, distance from the mainland, and maximum sea depth between the mainland and the islands relate to body size of 13 insular T. glis populations while also controlling for latitude and correlation among variables. We found a strong negative effect of latitude on body size in the common treeshrew, indicating the inverse of Bergmann's rule. We did not detect any overall difference in body size between the island and mainland populations. However, there was an effect of island area and maximum sea depth on body size among island populations. Although there is a strong latitudinal effect on body size, neither Bergmann's rule nor the island rule applies to the common treeshrew. The results of our analyses demonstrate the necessity of assessing multiple variables simultaneously in studies of ecogeographical rules.     

Partitions in the carnivoran auditory bulla: their formation and significance for systematics

The common notion that the septa in the carnivoran auditory bulla are formed by the growth of bone edges inwards the bullar cavity is a mistaken assumption based on the data of the late 19th century. Intrabullar partitions are in fact a result of the differential resorption of the bulla internal surface during the growth of the external surface. A septum develops at the boundary between local, relatively independent, ‘inflations’ of the bulla wall. This explanation, given by Van Kampen in 1905 for the case of the Canidae and some Mustelidae, can be applied to the whole order, including the aeluroid families with their ‘bilaminar’ septum bullae. Such an approach seems to solve the problem of homology of the intrabullar septa throughout the Carnivora, a question which has long been confused because of insufficient knowledge of septum morphogenesis. The partitions can really be considered as indicators of independent attempts to increase the size of a middle‐ear cavity among the infraorders. This conclusion follows immediately from the difference between major carnivoran taxa in the arrangement of separate inflations on the bulla wall, which can be considered as additional sinuses enlarging the hypotympanic space. It is precisely this difference that conditions the relative contribution of several bones (mainly of the ectotympanic and caudal entotympanic) to the intrabullar septa. Thus, the initial topographies of the above sinuses – whichever subsequent bone modelling of septa occurs – represent unique patterns useful in the higher‐level systematics of the Carnivora.     

浙江省分布1新记录科——霉草科

报道了中国浙江省种子植物区系1新记录科,含1新记录属和2新记录种,即霉草科(Triuridaceae)喜荫草属(Sciaphila),大柱霉草(Sciaphila secundiflora Thwait.ex Benth.)和多枝霉草(S.ramosa Fukuyama et Suzuki)。凭证标本存放于浙江自然博物馆标本室(ZM)。     

Cranial circulation of the pen-tailed tree shrewPtilocercus lowii and relationships of Scandentia

The major cranial arteries and veins are described for a 30-mm crown-rump length fetus of the pen-tailed tree shrewPtilocercus lowii, and comparisons are made with cranial vessels reported in the tree shrewTupaia and with the vascular pattern reconstructed for primitive eutherians.Ptilocercus shares a number of derived features of the cranial circulation withTupaia, which, therefore, represent synapomorphies of tree shrews (Tupaiidae, Scandentia). Included are (1) the enclosure of the intratympanic portion of the internal carotid artery in a bony canal that is floored proximally and distally by the entotympanic and by the petrosal in between, (2) the enclosure of the intratympanic portion of the stapedial artery by the petrosal in a canal on the promontorium and within the epitympanic crest beneath the tympanic roof, (3) the absence of an exit for the arteria diploëtica magna, (4) an alisphenoid canal, (5) a maxillary artery that passes medial to the mandibular nerve beneath foramen ovale, and (6) a laryngeopharyngeal artery. Some of these derived features, however, are also found in certain other eutherians (e.g., numbers 2, 3, and 6 in Euprimates) and, therefore, may be used in future studies to assess the higher-level affinities of Scandentia.     

Intraordinal phylogenetics of treeshrews (Mammalia: Scandentia) based on evidence from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene

Despite their traditional and continuing prominence in studies of interordinal mammalian phylogenetics, treeshrews (order Scandentia) remain relatively unstudied with respect to their intraordinal relationships. At the same time, significant morphological variation among living treeshrews has been shown to have direct relevance to higher-level interpretations of character state change as reconstructed in traditional interordinal studies, which have often included only a single species of treeshrew. Therefore, the importance of resolving relationships among treeshrews extends well beyond a better understanding of patterns of diversification within the order. A recent review highlighted several shortcomings in published studies of treeshrew phylogenetics based on morphology. Here we present the first investigation of treeshrew phylogenetics based on DNA sequences, utilizing previously published sequences from the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene and combining them with newly generated sequence data from 15 species. Parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian analyses all strongly support a sister relationship between Ptilocercus and the remaining species, further substantiating its recent elevation to familial status. Dendrogale is consistently recovered as the next taxon to diverge, but relationships among the remaining taxa are poorly supported by these data. We provide evidence for a relatively rapid radiation within the genera Tupaia and Urogale, but limited resolution precludes more than a cursory interpretation of biogeographic patterns.     

Aplysia punctata added to list of laboratory-cultured Aplysia

The marine opisthobranch molluscAplysia punctata was cultured at the Laboratoire de Biologie Marine in Concarneau, France.A. punctata veligers settled and underwent metamorphosis on the algaLomentaria articulata, but not onUlva spp., Palmaria marina, Laminaria spp. andFucus spp.Research supported by grants from The Arts Foundation and the Lerner Fund for Marine Research of the American Museum of Natural History. We wish to thank Director Yves Legal, College de France for his support and cooperation.     

重庆唇形科植物一新记录种——洪林龙头草北大核心CSCD

该研究报道了一个在重庆发现的唇形科(Lamiaceae)植物新记录种——洪林龙头草(Meehania hongliniana B.Y.Ding&X.F.Jin),并提供了其形态描述及彩色图片,凭证标本藏于重庆自然博物馆植物标本室(CQNM)。洪林龙头草2018年首次发现于浙江开化县南华山,其具有明显的不育茎和可育茎而与该属其他物种不同。     

New discoveries on the middle ear anatomy of Ignacius graybullianus (Paromomyidae,Primates) from ultra high resolution X-ray computed tomography

A skull of Ignacius graybullianus (USNM 421608) was studied using ultra high resolution X-ray computed tomography (uhrCT). The anatomy of the middle ear in this specimen was previously studied through partial removal of the auditory bulla on one side. The data now available allow for examination of the others unprepared ear, which is more completely preserved, as well as adding to the information available about the previously studied ear. Analysis of the relationships between the bones making up the auditory bulla confirms previous assertions that it is formed from the entotympanic, and not from the petrosal, basioccipital, or basisphenoid. Contrary to previous reconstructions of the middle ear anatomy in all known plesiadapiforms, this specimen exhibits a bony canal for the promontorial artery and/or internal carotid nerves running across the lateral extreme of the promontorium. The identification of this structure is confirmed by the clear presence of a lumen, and its origination at a posterior carotid foramen (pcf) in a position that corresponds to that identified in previous studies of the paromomyid basicranium (Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 36 (1972) 59, Am. J. Phys. Anthropol., 89 (1992) 477). Remnants of this canal are present bilaterally in USNM 421608, which additionally supports its identification. The presence of bony canals for branches of the internal carotid artery and the internal carotid nerves is a feature seen in scandentians and euprimates that is missing in dermopterans. The unusual lateral route followed by the internal carotid nerves is a primitive euprimate feature missing in all other archontans. As such, this evidence is consistent with a close euprimate-paromomyid relationship, and the inclusion of the latter in the order Primates. The discovery of this feature in paromomyids after almost 30 years of study of the ear region of this family acts as a cautionary note to the interpretation of the middle ear in damaged specimens.     

Shark attacks in the rivers of southern Iran

Synopsis The literature on shark attacks in freshwaters of southern Iran is reviewed and 11 attacks with 3 fatalities recorded from local informants for the period 1953 to 1985. The species of shark responsible is probably the bull shark, Carcharhinus leucas, whose presence in the Tigris River is confirmed by preserved specimens in the British Museum (Natural History). The Iranian records represent a significant proportion (28%) of the documented cases world-wide for unprovoked, freshwater attacks.     

A comparative study of the ontogenetic development of the cupules inCastanea andLithocarpus (Fagaceae)

Two contradicting theories have been proposed for the morphological nature of fagaceous cupules; the intercalary growth theory and the higher order dichasial branch theory. All the previous ontogenetic studies insist on the latter one, but the genera investigated have been rather restricted and have not covered all the cupule types. A comparative study of the ontogenetic development of cupules inCastanea crenata andLithocarpus edulis, which are representatives of fundamentally different cupule types, revealed that both the theories are incomplete. InL. edulis, the higher order dichasial branches contribute to cupule formation along the anterior portions of the lateral flowers. However, along the adaxial portion of the central flower, the cupule develops as an intercalary growth, represented by rapid increase of tangentially oblong epidermal cells. InCastanea, intercalary growth is not clearly observable, for presumably, the flowers are surrounded by a well-developed partial inflorescence mound from the beginning of development.Contributions from the Osaka Museum of Natural History No. 305.     

The evolution of vocalisations in the genus Corvus: effects of phylogeny, morphology and habitat

In this study we investigated the phylogenetic, morphological and ecological factors affecting the caw calls of 28 species of the genus Corvus, spanning the worldwide range of the taxon. The three phylogeographic groups identified by Goodwin (1986, Crows of the World, British Museum (Natural History), St Edmudsbury Press, Bury St Edmunds), i.e. the American stock, the Palearctic-African stock and the Oriental-Australian stock, were differentiated by some of the acoustic features of their calls, suggesting that historical factors may have played an important role in the evolution of vocalisations in this group. To assess the effects of morphology (body size and bill length) and environment (open vs. closed habitat) and to simultaneously take into account the phylogenetic effects, we used the phylogenetically independent contrast method. This manner of analysis revealed that body size was important in shaping the acoustic attributes of the caw call, as it influenced two temporal and two spectral variables, whereas the effect of bill length was far weaker. Notably, our results did not confirm the negative correlation between call frequency and body size that resulted in a phylogeny-free analysis of the same data in many studies on passerines. Larger Corvus species, in fact, utter calls with higher fundamental frequency than those of smaller species. Hence, these results show that incorporating phylogeny in analyses can substantially alter the conclusions reached by studies carried out with non-phylogenetic approaches. The acoustic environment, considered one of the most important forces driving the evolution of vocalisations in passerines, slightly influenced only two acoustic parameters in the Corvusgenus, call fundamental frequency and duration of pulsed units, both of which increased in the calls of forest species.     

New afrotropical species of the Bombyliid genus <Emphasis Type="Italic">Petrorossia</Emphasis> Bezzi (Diptera,Bombyliidae)

Two new species are described from Paul du Merle collection in the National Museum of Natural History in Paris, Petrorossia cameruni sp. n. from Cameroon and Petrorossia chadi sp. n. from Chad and Came     

Age categories and corresponding gender characteristics of five Crested Francolin subspecies (genus Dendroperdix)

Fifty-five Crested Francolins, Dendroperdix sephaena sephaena, were trapped, marked, retrapped and observed from 1984 to 1988 to assess and describe gender and age criteria based on morphological measurements and plumage characteristics on the farm La Boheme (Rustenburg, North West province, South Africa). The measurements and characteristics were compared with skin specimens of the other recognied subspecies endemic to Africa, namely D. s. zambesiae, D. s. grantii, D. s. spilogaster and D. s. rovuma. Selected biometric parameters of specimens were measured at the Ditsong Museum of Natural History and the American Museum of Natural History in 2014. The purpose of this study was to describe age categories (excluding chicks) with corresponding gender characteristics based on morphology and plumage features. This study revealed six definitive age/gender categories. A combination of spur length (or absence of long spurs in the case of females) and feather colouration patterns on the back, tail coverts, wing coverts and mantle are reliable indicators of different gender/age categories in all D. sephaena subspecies in Africa.