New discoveries on the giant hedgehog Deinogalerix from the Miocene of Gargano (Apulia,Italy)

During the Miocene, the Abruzzo/Apulia region (Italy), isolated from the continent, was the theatre of the evolution of a vertebrate ecosystem in insular context. During the Late Miocene, the protagonists of this ecosystem called “Mikrotia fauna” show a high endemic speciation level, presenting spectacular giant and dwarf species of mammals and birds. Deinogalerix is one of the most uncommon forms of this peculiar fauna. It is the largest Galericinae that ever lived. From Gargano (Apulia, Italy) deposits (also called “Terre Rosse”), Deinogalerix has been, since its discovery in the 1970s’, the subject of two publications in which various morphotypes were described. Its presence is also attested at Scontrone (Abruzzo, Italy). In 2005, the new Miocene fissure “Mikrotia 013” (M013) was found in the Gargano area at Cava Dell’Erba by a team of the Università degli studi di Torino. The study of the micromammals, and in particular the presence of an archaic form of Mikrotia, attests that M013 is the oldest fissure known to date. All the Deinogalerix remains come from the smallest morphotype ever found. The morphological features (other than size) allow us to describe the new species Deinogalerix masinii. It presents a large variability of dental and mandibular features expressed in mosaic patterns within the material: the robustness of the upper and lower P3 and P4, and the characteristic trigonid of m1 of the genus; the archaic morphology of the maxilla and the mandible; the abrading pattern of the teeth are unique for Deinogalerix. These new remains allow us to update the knowledge of Deinogalerix. The suit of characters testified that D. masinii nov. sp. is an archaic form on the evolutionary trend toward the most derived representatives of the genus. The affinities of Deinogalerix with the Parasorex group are confirmed, but the time of immigration in Gargano remains debated.     

Additional fish recordsfrom the Judith River Formation (Campanian) of Montana

The recent recovery of additional fish remains from several fossil sites in Blaine County. Montana, allows us to add a new species of selachian and the occurrence of two genera of Chimaeriformes to the total vertebrate faunal assemblage of the Judith River Formation (Campanian).The new selachian genus is: Chiloscyllium missouriensis, a representative of the family: Orectolobidae.In association with the new orectolobid, there are representatives of the Chimaeroids: Ischyodus bifurcatusCase, and Elasmodus cf. greenoughiAgassiz.These new additions increase the total vertebratefaunnal assemblage of the Judith River Formation to twenty species.     

Palaeogeographic significance of the giraffid remains (Mammalia,Arctiodactyla) from Cessaniti (Late Miocene,Southern Italy)

The late Tortonian – early Messinian shallow marine sands of Cessaniti area (Monte Poro, Vibo Valentia, Southern Italy) yield marine and continental vertebrates. The best represented taxon is the Sirenian Metaxytherium serresii, while the terrestrial mammal assemblage includes a boselafine bovid, an hexaprotodontid hippopotamus, the giraffids Samotherium cf. boissieri and Bohlinia cf. attica, a rhino and the elephantid Stegotetrabelodon syrticus. Until now, the latter was a species with an exclusive Afro-Arabian distribution and the record of Cessaniti is the first outside Afro-Arabia. Our attention is here focused on the occurrence of Samotherium cf. boissieri and Bohlinia cf. attica, both being species well represented in the Pikermian Biome. Although evidences of the distribution of the genus Samotherium in Late Miocene African assemblages are weak, it is reported at several sites, while a new species of Bohlinia reported in Chad is still debated. At Cessaniti, the co-occurrence of two giraffid taxa typical for the Pikermian biome together with a frankly Afro-Arabic species (S. syrticus), further marks the existence of a land connection between the Cessaniti area and North Africa as well as the evidence of a phase of expansion of the Pikermian Biome into the African continent.     

First detailed description of Hispanomys bijugatus Mein and Freudenthal, 1971 (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) from the Upper Aragonian of La Grive-Saint Alban (France): Biostratigraphical implications

The material of Hispanomys bijugatus (Rodentia, Cricetodontinae) from La Grive-Saint Alban (carrière Lechartier, fissure L3) is described for the first time and compared with all species of the genus known to date. As common in the Upper Aragonian populations of Hispanomys, this taxon evidences a low variability. H. bijugatus shows some progressive characters with respect to the remaining Aragonian congeneric species, such as the absence of labial and lingual cingula surrounding the upper and lower molar valleys respectively, the increase in the number of roots on the second lower molar, and the lost of mesolophs. This suggests that H. bijugatus, in spite of being one of the oldest species of the genus, is relatively derived with regard to the coeval congeneric species. Because H. bijugatus and H. decedens are believed to be closely related species within the same lineage, the fact that the former shows a more progressive dental morphology than the latter suggests that the unnamed fissure-fillings from La Grive and La Grive M (with H. decedens only) are older than La Grive L3 (with H. bijugatus only). The coexistence of both species at locality L5 suggests an intermediate age.     

Discovery of an Upper Miocene Vertebrate fauna near Tizi N’Tadderht,Skoura, Ouarzazate Basin (Central High Atlas,Morocco)

The discovery of Upper Miocene vertebrates at Tizi N’Tadderht in the Ouarzazate basin (Morocco) helps to fill a gap in our knowledge of Neogene faunas in North Africa. The new fauna includes an ostrich cf. Struthio sp, a turtle cf. Centrochelys sp., Crocodylus cf. niloticus, and a relatively diverse fauna of large mammals. The mammal assemblage probably includes three hipparion species, including a very small form not previously reported from Africa, aff. Cremohipparion periafricanum, two species of rhinoceros cf. Ceratotherium sp. and aff. Chilotherium sp., a Proboscidean cf. Tetralophodon sp., a large member of the Giraffidae similar to “Palaeotragus” germaini and two bovids of which one is likely related to Prostrepsiceros, while the other is a new medium-sized antelope with spiral horns, certainly a representative of the Caprinae, a group that is rare in Africa. A late Miocene age, corresponding to the European Turolian Mammal age, is most likely for this fauna.     

The mammal fauna from the late Early Biharian site of Castagnone (Northern Monferrato, Piedmont, NW Italy)

Small and large mammals associated in Early Pleistocene floodplain sediments outcropping near Castagnone (Cerrina Valley, northern Monferrato Hills, Piedmont, NW Italy) are here examined, with particular emphasis on the voles. The micromammal assemblage includes Talpa sp., Sciurus cf. S. warthae, Mimomys savini, Mimomys pusillus, Microtus (Allophaiomys) cf. M. (A.) nutiensis, Ungaromys cf. U. nanus, Apodemus mystacinus, Leporidaeindert. and the associated macrofauna lists the following generic Galerian components: Stephanorhinus cf. S. hundsheimensis, Sus sp., Hippopotamus sp., Capreolus sp. and other Cervidae indet. (a fallow-deer and a megacerine), Bison sp. and Elephantidae indet. Due to the co-occurrence of U. nanus and an evolutionary advanced form of Allophaiomys with the normal paleomagnetic polarity of the embedding sediments, this faunal assemblage can be biochronologically dated to the late Early Biharian within the Jaramillo subchron.     

Early Miocene Amphibians (Caudata, Salientia) from the Mokrá-Western Quarry (Czech Republic) with comments on the evolution of Early Miocene amphibian assemblages in Central Europe

The Mokrá-Western Quarry exhibits the rare occurrence of Early Miocene (MN 4) vertebrate fauna within the area of the eastern part of Central Europe. In addition to a rich fauna of reptiles and mammals, two fossiliferous karst joints (Mokrá-Western Quarry, 1/2001 Turtle Joint and Mokrá-Western Quarry, 2/2003 Reptile Joint) yielded a rich fauna of amphibians including 13 amphibian taxa: Salamandridae: Mioproteus sp., Chelotriton sp., type I, Chelotriton sp., type II, Triturus aff. roehrsi, Triturus cf. marmoratus, Triturus sp. (T. cristatus species group), Chioglossa meini, Mertensiella mera, Salamandridae gen. and sp. indet.; Pelobatidae: Pelobates sanchizi; Ranidae: Rana sp. (synklepton Rana esculenta); Bufonidae: Bufo sp. The first records of the West European species Triturus cf. marmoratus and Chioglossa meini are reported from the eastern part of Central Europe indicating the wide distribution of those taxa throughout the whole of Europe as early as MN 4. The oldest known record of Pelobates sanchizi documents the Early Miocene presence of representatives closely related to the extinct Late Oligocene representatives of Pelobates. The slow evolution of amphibian species is documented by the presence of Triturus cf. marmoratus and the oldest known occurrence of the extinct salamander Mertensiella mera.     

Brachiopods and other fossils from the Permo-Triassic boundary beds of the Antalya Nappes (SW Taurus, Turkey)

An uppermost Permian-Lower Triassic biota of brachiopods, conodonts, algae and foraminifers from the Pamucak and Kokarkuyu formations at Çürük Da? (Antalya, Turkey) is here described. The brachiopods belong to two different assemblages: a lower assemblage, early Wuchiapingian in age, with Spinomarginifera cf. S. helica, Spinomarginifera cf. S. iranica, Alatorthotetina sp. ind., Orthothetina sp. ind., Ombonia antalyensis nov. sp. and few specimens of Pennospiriferinoidea; an upper assemblage, Changhsingian in age, comprising S. cf. S. iranica, Spinomarginifera cf. S. spinosocostata, Spinomarginifera sp. ind. and Orthothetina sp. ind., characteristic taxa of the low diversity survival brachiopod faunas of latest Permian age (Survival Fauna 1). The occurrence of the conodont Hindeodus cf. praeparvus above the brachiopod fauna confirms its Changhsingian age. The oolitic grainstones at the top of the Pamucak Formation contain Permocalculus sp., Macroporella cf. apachena, species of Hemigordius and Palaeozoic Lagenida. Coarse calcite fibrous cements pervade the oo-bioclastic grainstones, suggesting early marine cementation. The base of the Kokarkuyu Formation is characterized by the disaster forms Earlandia amplimuralis and “Cornuspira” mahajeri, gastropods and ostracods. The conodont Isarcicella lobata has been recovered 31 m above the base of the Kokarkuyu Formation, indicating the occurrence of the second Triassic conodont zone above the parvus biozone and below the staeschei biozone. The faunal content at the transition of the Pamucak and Kokarkuyu formations records the biotic survival in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction. Facies evolution from lower energy inner platform wackestones and packstones to higher energy open platform oolitic grainstones indicates a transgression at the top of the Pamucak Formation, which continues into the Lower Triassic Kokarkuyu Formation.     

Shark faunas from the Late Jurassic—Early Cretaceous of northeastern Thailand

A revision of the freshwater shark fauna from the Phu Kradung Formation in NE Thailand allows the recognition of a new species of Acrodus, which represents the youngest occurrence of the genus and confirms its displacement in freshwater environments after the Toarcian. The rest of the shark fauna includes teeth of Hybodus sp., aff. Hybodus sp., hybodontid dermal denticles, Jiaodontus sp., Lonchidion sp. A, Lonchidion sp. B, Heteroptychodus cf. H. kokutensis and dorsal fin spines. The presence of Jaiodontus and of unusual hybodontid dermal denticles suggests a Jurassic age for most of the Phu Kradung Formation, whereas the presence of Heteroptychodus suggests an Early Cretaceous age for the top of the Formation. However, the age of the Phu Kradung Formation is still uncertain, with contradictory signals coming from palynology, detrital zircon thermochronology and vertebrate palaeontology. In any case, it appears that this is the oldest occurrence of the genus Heteroptychodus, and suggests a Thai origin for this genus, which may have replaced Acrodus in the Thai freshwater palaeoecosystems. Together with Acrodus, the presence of Lonchidion sp. A suggests some European affinities for the shark fauna from the Phu Kradung Formation.     

The fish assemblage from the Pennsylvanian Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry Lagerstätte (Oklahoma,USA)

A diverse assemblage of fishes (isolated teeth and scales) is reported from the Middle to Upper Pennsylvanian Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry Lagerstätte in Oklahoma, USA. The assemblage includes chondrichthyans such as the bransonelliform Bransonella lingulata, the xenacanthiform Xenacanthus, the symmoriiform Stethacanthus, ctenacanthiforms, an polyacrodontid euselachian, anachronistid neoselachians (Cooleyella amazonensis and C. sp.) and an iniopterygian paraselachian cf. Sibyrhynchidae. Moreover, the assemblage encompasses remains of acanthodians and various actinopterygians and a single specimen of an osteolepiform sarcopterygian. Most of the taxa are cosmopolitan during the Late Palaeozoic. The occurrence of bransonelliform and xenacanthiform species at the same locality is very rare in the Carboniferous. The assemblage yields the first Carboniferous occurrences of a polyacrodontid hybodontoid and an actinopterygian belonging to the Acropholidae. Bransonella lingulata from the Desmoinesian/Moscovian of the Buckhorn Asphalt Quarry in Oklahoma represents the youngest occurrence of this species.     

Re-interpreting the biochronology of the La Celia and Los Gargantones mammal sites (Late Miocene,Murcia, Spain)

The biochronological age of the small-mammal populations of Los Gargantones 1, 2 and La Celia (upper Miocene, La Celia sub-basin, Murcia, Spain) is re-interpreted. The presence in Los Gargantones of Occitanomys adroveri, Parapodemus barbarae, Parapodemus cf. gaudryi, Huerzelerimys turoliensis, Atlantoxerus cf. adroveri, and Alilepus evidences a correlation to MN12 (∼7.5–7 Ma) rather than to MN11 (∼9–7.5 Ma), as inferred previously. The assemblage corresponds to that of the more eastern, near-coast sites of Crevillente 8 and 15, situated in the Alicante area. The stratigraphically highest site of La Celia contains Hispanomys adroveri, a species also indicative of MN12. The presence of Castromys cf. littoralis together with an advanced O. adroveri points to a slightly younger age than that of Los Gargantones, approaching that of MN13 sites. The assemblage best matches that of Crevillente 17. Other species described in this paper are Prolagus crusafonti, Prolagus sp., Parasorex cf. ibericus, Panelimnoecus cf. repenningi, and Blarinella aut Petenyia sp. indet.     

Pleistocene Carnivora (Mammalia) from Tighennif (Ternifine), Algeria

The site of Tighennif (= Ternifine) in Northern Algeria, well-known for its Homo mauritanicus (= Homo rhodesiensis?) remains, and probably dating to the late Calabrian, yielded a large assemblage of terrestrial carnivores. Some are identical or probably identical with extant species: Crocuta crocuta and Hyaena hyaena (Hyaenidae), Felis silvestris (Felidae), Mellivora capensis and Poecilictis cf. libyca (Mustelidae), and Vulpes cf. rueppelli (Canidae). In addition, among felids there is an unidentified leopard-like form; a smaller, more common species assigned to Lynx sp. (a genus quite rare in Africa) but which is certainly different from modern forms, an Homotherium that seems to be the last occurrence of the machairodonts in Africa, and a Panthera aff. leo, which is unfortunately too poorly known to be named. Rare bears do not display all derived features of later North African U. bibersoni. Among canids, the Nyctereutes-like jackal Lupulella mohibi is an endemic North African form known until the late middle Pleistocene, and the hunting dog Lycaon magnus is also clearly distinct from the modern species. A single new species is described, Enhydrictis hoffstetteri, a large, otter-like member of the Mustelidae, of a genus that was previously unknown from Africa, and certainly testifies to North–South dispersal across the Mediterranean at some time during the early Pleistocene.     

Climate Change and the Distribution of Neotropical Red-Bellied Toads (Melanophryniscus,Anura, Amphibia): How to Prioritize Species and Populations?

We used species distribution modeling to investigate the potential effects of climate change on 24 species of Neotropical anurans of the genus Melanophryniscus. These toads are small, have limited mobility, and a high percentage are endangered or present restricted geographical distributions. We looked at the changes in the size of suitable climatic regions and in the numbers of known occurrence sites within the distribution limits of all species. We used the MaxEnt algorithm to project current and future suitable climatic areas (a consensus of IPCC scenarios A2a and B2a for 2020 and 2080) for each species. 40% of the species may lose over 50% of their potential distribution area by 2080, whereas 28% of species may lose less than 10%. Four species had over 40% of the currently known occurrence sites outside the predicted 2080 areas. The effect of climate change (decrease in climatic suitable areas) did not differ according to the present distribution area, major habitat type or phylogenetic group of the studied species. We used the estimated decrease in specific suitable climatic range to set a conservation priority rank for Melanophryniscus species. Four species were set to high conservation priority: M. montevidensis, (100% of its original suitable range and all known occurrence points potentially lost by 2080), M. sp.2, M. cambaraensis, and M. tumifrons. Three species (M. spectabilis, M. stelzneri, and M. sp.3) were set between high to intermediate priority (more than 60% decrease in area predicted by 2080); nine species were ranked as intermediate priority, while eight species were ranked as low conservation priority. We suggest that monitoring and conservation actions should be focused primarily on those species and populations that are likely to lose the largest area of suitable climate and the largest number of known populations in the short-term.     

A Contribution to the Taxonomy of the Genus Xiphinema Cobb, 1913

In a comparative study of different populations of Xiphinema, the significance of the female gonad structure in species determination is stressed, and monodelphic, pseudomonodelphic, and didelphic forms in the genus are defined. X. chambersi is redescribed and illustrated, X. ensiculiferum and X. krugi are redefined, and X. ensiculiferoides n.sp. and X. orthotenum n.sp. are described. Proposed new synonymies are: X. itanhaense = X. brasiliense; X. bulgariensis and X. conurum = X. italiae; X. ifacolum = X. basiri; X. macrostylum = X. ensiculiferum; X. truncatum = X. elongatum; and X. vulgare = X. setariae. X. yapoense is considered species inquirenda and X. obtusum a nomen dubium. The following eight subgenera of the genus Xiphinema are proposed: Radiphinema n. subg., Krugiphinema n. subg., Xiphinema n. subg., Elongiphinema n. subg., Halliphinema n. subg., Basiphinema n. subg., Rotundiphinema n. subg., and Diversiphinema n. subg. A key to the subgenera of Xiphinema is presented, plus a list of 50 species in the genus, their synonyms, and 10 species inquirendae.     

Ediacaran acanthomorphic acritarchs from the Outer Krol Belt,Lesser Himalaya,India: Their significance for global correlation

Large acanthomorphic acritarchs have been previously reported from the Ediacaran successions of the Pachmunda and Krol Hill synclines in the Outer Krol Belt of Lesser Himalaya, India. Thin sections of chert from Krol ‘A’ Formation in Khanog and Rajgarh synclines, Outer Krol Belt, record an equally well developed and diversified assemblage of Ediacaran large acanthomorphic acritarchs. This assemblage contains specimens belonging to seven genera and ten species, identified as: Appendisphaera fragilis, A. grandis, Asterocapsoides sp. A, Asterocapsoides sp. B, Cavaspina acuminata, C. basiconica, Eotylotopalla dactylos, Knollisphaeridium sp., Papillomembrana sp., and Weissiella cf. grandistella. It also contains five unnamed forms, viz. A, B, C, D, and E. The Krol acritarch assemblage shows a close resemblance with the Upper Doushantuo or Tanarium anozos–Tanarium conoideum assemblage of China. However, the absence of biostratigraphically important markers such as Tanarium anozos and T. conoideum from the Krol assemblage, so far, makes it difficult to establish a definite biostratigraphic correlation between the two assemblages. The current observations from this new locality provide additional data for regional and global biostratigraphic correlation, and significantly increase the purview of Ediacaran sequences for global biostratigraphic zonation.     

New data on the Cricetidae from the Miocene “Terre Rosse” of Gargano (Apulia,Italy)

The Gargano “Terre Rosse” deposits are paleokarst fissure fillings found in the Mesozoic limestone of the Apricena-Poggio Imperiale area. They are an important source of information for evolutionary and paleobiogeographic studies. The Late Miocene-Early Pliocene assemblages found in the Terre Rosse attest the complex history of endemic faunal distribution in a paleoarchipelago. Based on the cricetid samples from six distinct fissures (F15, F21a, F21b, F21c, F1, F9, NBS) stored in the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Florence, three species of endemic cricetids are described: the small-sized Hattomys beetsi, the middle-sized Hattomys nazarii, and the large-sized Hattomys gargantua. The specimens from fissure F15 are attributed to H. beetsi, those from F21a-b to the transitional form Hattomys beetsi-nazarii, those belonging to NBS are ascribed to H. nazarii, whereas those from F1 and F9 are classified as H. gargantua. F21c is considered contaminated with material from different fissures. In line with previously published results, the analysis confirms that the endemic cricetids underwent a remarkable increase in size through time. The morphological variations show a marked trend towards increasing enamel thickness, but also the tendency of the cusps to assume a carved-in aspect. The variations of the morphological characters confirm that the three species likely belong to the same lineage.