Early Eocene Primates from Gujarat, India

The oldest euprimates known from India come from the Early Eocene Cambay Formation at Vastan Mine in Gujarat. An Ypresian (early Cuisian) age of ∼53 Ma (based on foraminifera) indicates that these primates were roughly contemporary with, or perhaps predated, the India-Asia collision. Here we present new euprimate fossils from Vastan Mine, including teeth, jaws, and referred postcrania of the adapoids Marcgodinotius indicus and Asiadapis cambayensis. They are placed in the new subfamily Asiadapinae (family Notharctidae), which is most similar to primitive European Cercamoniinae such as Donrussellia and Protoadapis. Asiadapines were small primates in the size range of extant smaller bushbabies. Despite their generally very plesiomorphic morphology, asiadapines also share a few derived dental traits with sivaladapids, suggesting a possible relationship to these endemic Asian adapoids. In addition to the adapoids, a new species of the omomyid Vastanomys is described. Euprimate postcrania described include humeri, radii, femora, calcanei, and tali, most of which show typical notharctid features and are probably attributable to asiadapines. Anatomical features of the limb elements indicate that they represent active arboreal quadrupedal primates. At least one calcaneus is proximally shorter and distally longer than the others, resembling eosimiids in this regard, a relationship that, if confirmed, would also suggest an Asian or southeast Asian faunal connection. Isolated teeth from Vastan Mine recently attributed to a new eosimiid, Anthrasimias gujaratensis, appear to provide that confirmation. However, their attribution to Eosimiidae is equivocal. They are similar to teeth here tentatively referred to Marcgodinotius, hence A. gujaratensis may be a junior synonym of M. indicus. Corroboration of eosimiids at Vastan requires more compelling evidence. Although definitive conclusions are premature, available evidence suggests that the Vastan adapoids, at least, were derived from western European stock that reached India near the Paleocene-Eocene boundary.     

Three extant genera of freshwater thalassiosiroid diatoms from Middle Eocene sediments in northern Canada

The evolutionary history of diatoms is only constrained partially by the fossil record. The timing of several key events, such as initial colonization of freshwater habitats by marine taxa, remains poorly resolved. Numerous specimens of the genera Cyclotella, Discostella, and Puncticulata (Ochrophyta: Thalassiosirales) have been recovered in Middle Eocene lacustrine sediments from the Giraffe Pipe locality in the Northwest Territories, Canada. These diatoms extend the fossil record of the family Stephanodiscaceae to at least 40 million years before present (Ma) and thus provide a new evolutionary milepost for the thalassiosiroid diatoms, an important clade of centric diatoms with global representation in both marine and freshwater environments. The quality of the fossil material enables detailed investigations of areolae, fultoportulae, and rimoportulae, revealing direct morphological affinities with a number of extant taxa. These observations extend the antiquity of several characters of phylogenetic importance within the thalassiosiroid diatoms, including the fultoportula, and imply that the entire lineage is considerably older than prior constraints from the fossil record, as suggested independently by several recent molecular phylogenies.     

Northern Health Service in Canada

The current state and future development of Canada''s North present significant medical problems. The medical facilities available at present are inadequate and, although they are improving rapidly, they must keep pace with the coming expansion of the North. Arctic regions of other northern countries do not show the great discrepancies in health standards that Canada''s North does in comparison to her southern areas. To improve the situation adequate communication, transportation, personnel and facilities are needed. It is proposed that residents in hospital training programs work for a period in the North to supplement recommendations of the Hall Commission in this connection and to broaden their own training.     

Arctic plant diversity in the Early Eocene greenhouse

For the majority of the Early Caenozoic, a remarkable expanse of humid, mesothermal to temperate forests spread across Northern Polar regions that now contain specialized plant and animal communities adapted to life in extreme environments. Little is known on the taxonomic diversity of Arctic floras during greenhouse periods of the Caenozoic. We show for the first time that plant richness in the globally warm Early Eocene (approx. 55-52 Myr) in the Canadian High Arctic (76° N) is comparable with that approximately 3500 km further south at mid-latitudes in the US western interior (44-47° N). Arctic Eocene pollen floras are most comparable in richness with today's forests in the southeastern United States, some 5000 km further south of the Arctic. Nearly half of the Eocene, Arctic plant taxa are endemic and the richness of pollen floras implies significant patchiness to the vegetation type and clear regional richness of angiosperms. The reduced latitudinal diversity gradient in Early Eocene North American plant species demonstrates that extreme photoperiod in the Arctic did not limit taxonomic diversity of plants.     

Webspinners in Early Eocene amber from western India (Insecta, Embiodea)

The family Scelembiidae (Neoembiodea: Embiomorpha: Archembioidea) is recorded from Asia for the first time, based on two individuals preserved in Early Eocene amber from the Cambay Basin, western India. Kumarembia hurleyi Engel & Grimaldi, gen. n. et sp. n., is described, figured, and distinguished from other archembioid genera. The genus shares male genitalic features with scelembiids, otherwise known from South America and Africa.     

Hydrogenase Activity in Deeply Buried Sediments of the Arctic and North Atlantic Oceans

The goal of this study was to measure hydrogenase activity in oceanic sediments of the Lomonosov Ridge (Arctic Ocean) and of the Porcupine Seabight (North Atlantic), and to understand how its distribution varied depending on geochemical and lithological characteristics of the sediment. Hydrogenase activity was found at all sites, and absolute values and downhole distributions varied widely within and between sites. At the Lomonosov Ridge, hydrogenase was below detection in the top 190 meters of sediment, but high levels were measured in the organic carbon-rich layers below this depth. Activity at Challenger Mound, Porcupine Seabight (Site 1317) was one to two orders of magnitude higher than the upslope or downslope sites (1318 and 1316, respectively), and was higher in the mound than below the mound base. Consistent with the interpretation of hydrogenase as an indicator of microbial activity, cells were present in all hydrogenase-positive samples or in nearby horizons. Cell-specific activity values were as much as 1000 fold lower than those of cultured Clostridium pasteurianum, with the values from the highest activity sediments approaching those of C. pasteurianum more closely. This suggests that little adaptation in hydrogenase activity might be necessary to support H₂ metabolism in deeply buried sediments that contain relatively high levels of substrates.     

New Early Eocene Basal tapiromorph from Southern China and Its Phylogenetic Implications

A new Early Eocene tapiromorph, Meridiolophus expansus gen. et sp. nov., from the Sanshui Basin, Guangdong Province, China, is described and discussed. It is the first reported Eocene mammal from the basin. The new taxon, represented by a left fragmentary mandible, is characterized by an expanded anterior symphyseal region, a long diastema between c1 and p1, a rather short diastema between p1 and p2, smaller premolars relative to molars, an incipient metaconid appressed to the protoconid on p3, a prominent entoconid on p4, molar metaconid not twinned, cristid obliqua extending mesially and slightly lingually from the hypoconid, inclined metalophid and hypolophid, and small hypoconulid on the lower preultimate molars. Meridiolophus is morphologically intermediate between basal Homogalax-like taxa and derived tapiromorphs (such as Heptodon). Phylogenetic analysis indicates Equidae is more closely related to Tapiromorpha than to Palaeotheriidae, although the latter is only represented by a single species Pachynolophus eulaliensis. ‘Isectolophidae’, with exception of Meridiolophus and Karagalax, has the closest affinity with Chalicotherioidea. Furthermore, the majority rule consensus tree shows that Meridiolophus is closer to Karagalax than to any other ‘isectolophid’, and both genera represent stem taxa to crown group Ceratomorpha.     

Borings in mobile clasts from Eocene conglomerates of Northern Dalmatia (Coastal Dinarides, Croatia)

Summary Bored clasts occur in Eocene conglomerates deposited in the upper shoreface and beachface settings of the Dinaric foreland basin. The trace fossil assemblage consists ofGastrochaenolites, Trypanites, and possibly some other ichnotaxa and may be compared to theTrypanites Ichnofacies. The preservation characteristics of the borings reflect many stages of colonisation/boring and abrasion. The removal of shells of the boring bivalves, the different depths of the abrasional truncation of borings, and the predominant preservation of the largest excavations (Gastrochaenolites) in the ichnocoenosis are related to repeated phases of abrasion, caused by the mobility of clasts. Coastal gravel is a specific variant of hard substrates, whose mobility controls the colonisation of borers, the type of assemblage and its preservation potential.     

Revision of the scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera), with description of a new species from Early Eocene McAbee,British Columbia,Canada

The scorpionfly family Holcorpidae (Mecoptera) has been informally discussed since the early 1960’s, but a detailed treatment in accordance with the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature for naming families was not provided until Willmann did so in 1989; he is recognized as author of the family. The Holcorpidae concept is revised here based on examination of its two specimens of Holcorpa maculosa from the Late Eocene of Florissant, Colorado, and a third, new specimen from the Early Eocene Okanagan Highlands locality at McAbee, British Columbia, Canada. This new specimen belongs to a second, new species, which is described here, Holcorpa dillhoffi n. sp.     

Dead Wood is Buried and Preserved in a Labrador Boreal Forest

Large amounts (36.4 Mg ha⁻¹ or 179 m³ ha⁻¹) of buried dead wood were found in overmature (146–204-year-old) black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) forests in the high boreal region of eastern Canada. Amounts of this size indicate that burial reduces rates of wood decay producing an important component of long-term carbon (C) storage. Radiocarbon-derived ages of black spruce stems buried near the bottom of the organic soil horizon at three old-growth sites were up to 515 years old. Together with information on current stand age, this suggests that the stems have been dead for more than 250 years. Most aboveground dead wood decays or becomes fragmented within about 70 years of tree death in these forests. The presence of old yet well-preserved buried wood suggests that decay rates are greatly reduced when downed dead wood is quickly overgrown by moss. Thus, the nature and type of ground-layer vegetation influences the accumulation of organic matter in these forests. This process of dead wood burial and the resultant addition to a large and long-enduring belowground C pool should be considered when estimating dead wood abundance for habitat or forest C accounting and cycling.     

A Fossil Wood Flora from King George Island: Ecological Implications for an Antarctic Eocene Vegetation

Early Tertiary sediments of the Antarctic Peninsula region continueto yield a rich assemblage of well-preserved fossil dicotyledonousangiosperm wood. The wood flora under consideration is fromthe Collins Glacier region on Fildes Peninsula, King GeorgeIsland and is derived from tuffaceous sediments of the MiddleUnit of the Fildes Formation. These deposits accumulated ina volcanic setting adjacent to a basic-intermediate stratocone.The fossil assemblage provides further evidence for the existenceof cool temperate forests, similar in composition to those foundtoday in New Zealand, Australia and, in particular, southernSouth America. This paper describes two conifer and five angiospermmorphotypes, four of which are new additions to the Antarcticapalaeoflora records. Cupressinoxylon Goeppert, which is thedominant conifer in terms of numbers, and Podocarpoxylon Gothanrepresent the conifers. The angiosperm component includes twospecies ofNothofagoxylon and two previously undescribed woodmorphotypes that exhibit greatest anatomical similarity to woodsofLuma A. Gray (Myrtaceae) and Eucryphia Cav. (Cunoniaceae).These morphotypes are described and assigned to the organ generaMyrceugenelloxylon Nishida, and Weinmannioxylon Petriella, respectively.A model based on the extant cool temperate Valdivian rainforestsis proposed and ecological reconstructions based on palaeobotanicaland geological evidence suggest that changes in the palaeovegetationreflect natural dynamics following volcanic disturbances.Copyright2001 Annals of Botany Company Fossil wood, Antarctica, Myrtaceae, Eucryphia, Nothofagaceae, Eocene, Valdivia, Tertiary     

Australia's oldest Anseriform fossil: a quadrate from the Early Eocene Tingamarra Fauna

Abstract: A partial quadrate (essentially the otic part) from the nonmarine, earliest Eocene (54.6 Ma) Tingamarra Local Fauna in Queensland, Australia, has been identified as the oldest Australian anseriform fossil. The Tingamarra quadrate shows a combination of plesiomorphic anseriform characters with a unique synapomorphic character complex of the Anhimidae (screamers), which today are endemic to South America. In concert with the basal position of the Anhimidae among the crown‐group anseriforms, this set of characters suggests a stem group of the Anhimidae, raising a possibility of the Transantarctic migration of stem anhimids to South America. The quadrate morphology supports palaeognathous rather than recently claimed anhimid relationships of the Dromornithidae and identifies Sylviornis as an anseriform rather than a galliform.     

Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in Bison (Bison bison) from Northern Canada

Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using the Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (Map)-specific region, locus 251, was used as a screening tool for the detection of Map DNA in fecal samples from northern Canadian bison herds. Further characterization of positive samples (26/835) was performed because Map DNA was found without signs of disease. Strain typing, using PCR-Restriction endonucleas assay (REA), was limited to two samples but revealed that the samples corresponded to a cattle-related strain and a sheep-related strain. Sequencing of part of the IS1311 region from the two samples revealed a unique three base-pair region, which is only found within the northern Canadian bison isolates.     

Avonlea Point Occurrence in Northern Montana and Canada

Abstract

This report is a follow up of the 1961 Kehoe-McCorquodale presentation in the Plains Anthrdpqlogist of the Avonlea point as a horizon marker for the Late Prehistoric Periood in the Northwestern Plains, Montana Avonlea data are discussed, compared and combined with Canadian data to develop an expanded picture of regional Avonlea “culture”. A critique of the kehoe-McCorquodale generalizations reinforces essential hypothesis and further clarifies Avonlea spatial and temporal parameters.     

Scale–bearing Chrysophyceae (Mallomonadaceae) from Central and Northern Canada

In this study, scale–bearing Chrysophyceae (Mallomonadaceae) have been examined by means of transmission and scanning electron microscopy. Lakes in four areas in central and northern Canada, viz. Experimental Lakes Area (ELA), in northwestern Ontario, Whiteshell Provincial Park and Southern Indian Lake in eastern and northern Manitoba, respectively, and Saqvaqjuac on the west coast of Hudson Bay in the Northwest Territories have been investigated. Forty–three species of the genera Mallomonas, Paraphysomonas, Spiniferomonas and Synura have been identified in addition to three species of the genus Chrysochromulina (Prymnesiophyceae). Ten species are new to Canada; five of these have not previously been recorded from North America. Paraphysomonas elegantissima sp. nov. is described. The composition of the Canadian chrysophycean flora is compared with the chrysophycean flora of North America as a whole.     

Early Eocene orthophragminids from the Lower Indus Basin,Pakistan, and their biostratigraphic implication

Orthophragminids are a key biostratigraphic proxy for Paleocene–Eocene sequences in western Tethys, but poorly known in eastern Tethys. The orthophragminids were previously misinterpreted as Paleocene's orbitoidiform foraminifera in the Indus Basin, Pakistan. This study focuses on detailed taxonomy and biostratigraphy of orthophragminids. Nine species/subspecies of orthophragminids are identified, including Discocyclina ranikotensis, D. archiaci bakhchisaraiensis, D. a. ex. interc. staroseliensis bakhchisaraiensis, D. dispansa hungarica, D. d. taurica, D. d. broennimanni and Orbitoclypeus schopeni ramaraoi, and two new species Discocyclina pseudoranikotensis n. sp. and Discocyclina debalensis n. sp. are described. The identified orthophragminid taxa represent the orthophragminid zones OZ2-3, corresponding to the shallow benthic zones SBZ5-7 of early Ypresian (early Eocene), which are correlated with those in western Tethys. However, we found that the first appearances of D. d. hungarica and D. d. taurica occur in the OZ3 or SBZ7 in this study instead of the OZ5 or SBZ10 as in western Tethys. The possible paleoecological setting for the occurrences of recognized species is interpreted as inner to middle shelf.     

Early Eocene lagomorph (Mammalia) from Western India and the early diversification of Lagomorpha

We report the oldest known record of Lagomorpha, based on distinctive, small ankle bones (calcaneus and talus) from Early Eocene deposits (Middle Ypresian equivalent, ca 53 Myr ago) of Gujarat, west-central India. The fossils predate the oldest previously known crown lagomorphs by several million years and extend the record of lagomorphs on the Indian subcontinent by 35 Myr. The bones show a mosaic of derived cursorial adaptations found in gracile Leporidae (rabbits and hares) and primitive traits characteristic of extant Ochotonidae (pikas) and more robust leporids. Together with gracile and robust calcanei from the Middle Eocene of Shanghuang, China, also reported here, the Indian fossils suggest that diversification within crown Lagomorpha and possibly divergence of the family Leporidae were already underway in the Early Eocene.