Osteopygis (Testudines: Cheloniidae) from the Lower Tertiary of the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco

Osteopygis emarginatus Cope 1868 is described from the Lower Tertiary of the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin, Morocco, on the basis of skulls and lower jaws. Osteopygis is a cosmopolitan turtle that had a wide geographical distribution during the Late Cretaceous and Paleocene. Osteopygis emarginatus is a very conservative species which crossed the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary without major changes.     

A new Palaeocene Megalopidae (Teleostei,Elopomorpha) from the phosphate basins of Morocco

Abstract

A new Megalopidae (Teleostei, Elopomorpha, Elopiformes), Protarpon boualii sp. nov., is described on the basis of two neurocrania gathered from the Lower Palaeocene (Danian) beds of the Oulad Abdoun basin, in Morocco. Its inclusion in the family Megalopidae and the genus Protarpon is supported by the L-shaped pterotics, the flat skull roof, the well developed epiotic processes and the roofed dilatator fossae. It differs from Protarpon priscus and P. oblongus from the Ypresian of the London Clay Formation (England) mainly by the proportions of the subtemporal and the post-temporal fossa openings, the proportions of skull roof bones and its larger size. Protarpon boualii sp. nov. represents the first fossil occurrence of a megalopid in North Africa. Its close phylogenetic relationships with forms from the London Clay Formation highlight the strong biogeographical affinities between the faunas of these two localities during the Palaeocene-Eocene period.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D5FEE8B3-B220-461F-B635-31DD7F2CF921     

A new species ofFumana (Cistaceae) from Rif, Morocco

A new species ofFumana (Dunal) Spach subgenusFumana, F. fontqueri, is described from the region of Rif, Morocco. Notes on its morphology, ecology, distribution and taxonomic relationships are presented. It differs fromF. procumbens (Dunal) Gren. etGodr. andF. baetica Güemes, by the indument of the stem, the disposition of pedicels, and the size of the flowers.     

A new seabird (Aves, cf. Phaethontidae) from the Lower Eocene phosphates of Morocco

A proximal part of humerus from the basal Ypresian (lowermost Eocene) of the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, is described as a new genus and species tentatively assigned to the Phaethontidae (tropicbirds). This fossil possibly represents the oldest record of the Phaethontidae and markedly differs from Lithoptila, a contemporaneous Prophaethontidae from the same locality. This new taxon lived in a tropical climate and was probably an efficient flier with pelagic habits, like extant tropicbirds of the genus Phaethon.     

A new species of Halisaurus from the Late Cretaceous phosphates of Morocco, and the phylogenetical relationships of the Halisaurinae (Squamata: Mosasauridae)

A new species of the basal mosasaurid Halisaurus from the Late Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) of the Oulad Abdoun Phosphate Basin of Morocco is described on the basis of both cranial and postcranial remains. H. arambourgi sp. nov. is characterized by unique features of the nares, frontal, parietal, girdle and limb bones. A phylogenetical analysis supports the monophyletic status of Halisaurus ; H. platyspondylus (Maastrichtian, New Jersey), H. ortliebi (Maastrichtian, Belgium) and H. arambourgi form an unresolved polytomy. This study does not support the attribution of ' Halisaurus ' sternbergii (Santonian, Kansas) to Halisaurus nor to any known genus. A new genus, Eonatator , is proposed for the reception of this species, Eonatator sternbergii comb. nov. The new taxon Halisaurinae ( Halisaurus  +  Eonatator ) is the sister-group of more advanced mosasaurids (Natantia). Halisaurines are defined by the shape of the lateral premaxilla–maxilla suture; an oblique contact plane between the parietal and the supratemporal; a preaxial ridge present on the distal two-thirds of the radius length; and tibia and fibula long and slender with slightly expanded extremities.  © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2005, 143 , 447–472.     

Five new species of Triotemnus (Coleoptera, Curculionidae, Scolytinae) from Morocco and Yemen

Fivenew species of the genus Triotemnus from Morocco and Yemen are described. Triotemnus is a new genus of Scolytinae for the Yemen region. External morphology of the new species and all morphologically related species of the genus were studied. While the new species from Morocco are morphologically similar to the known species from the corresponding region, all three newly described species from Yemen, mainly two of them living in Socotra, are morphologically very different from all other known species of the genus. Geographical distribution and the probability of endemicity are discussed.     

Description of a new species of Sternocoelis from Morocco with proposal of the Sternocoelis marseulii species group (Coleoptera, Histeridae)

TheSternocoelis marseulii species group is proposed based on antennal and prosternal characters. Five species are included in the group:Sternocoelis marseulii (Brisout de Barneville, 1866)(Spain), Sternocoelis viaticus Lewis, 1892 (Algeria), Sternocoelis vaucheri Lewis, 1896 (Morocco), Sternocoelis berberus Lackner & Yélamos, 2001 (Morocco)and Sternocoelis yelamosisp. n. (Morocco). The external morphology of Sternocoelis yelamosisp. n. is described and illustrated, the illustrations of genitalia of all species of the group (except for Sternocoelis vaucheri) are provided and a key to the species of the group is given.     

A new species of the genus Baeoura from Morocco,with a key to the West Palaearctic species (Diptera,Tipuloidea, Limoniidae)

The genus Baeoura is represented in Morocco by two species, Baeoura ebenina Starý, 1981, and Baeoura staryi sp. n. The new species is described and illustrated, and a key to the West Palaearctic species of Baeoura is presented.     

A strange new chelonioid turtle from the Latest Cretaceous Phosphates of Morocco

A new genus and species of huge marine turtle (superfamily Chelonioidea, epifamily Dermochelyoidae) is described from the Maastrichtian Phosphates of the Oulad Abdoun Basin of Morocco. A new type of feeding apparatus, adapted for a powerful crushing pattern, illustrates the noteworthy diversity of fossil vertebrates of the Maastrichtian-Ypresian Phosphates of Morocco. No other crushing cryptodire or bothremydid pleurodire has this morphology. During the Maastrichtian, the known crushing pattern of chelonioids was different, close to that of modern cheloniids, as illustrated in Morocco in the Maastrichtian Ganntour Basin and the Palaeogene Oulad Abdoun Basin. This new taxon exhibits unusual cranial characters (fusion of premaxillae associated with a backward and dorsal retraction of the naris, horizontal stretching of the dorsal meatus quadrati), that are shared only with another new turtle, known also from the same Maastrichtian Phosphates of Morocco.     

Two new species ofHalicyclops (Copepoda,Cyclopoida) from the Amazon Basin,Brazil

Two new species ofHalicyclops are described from plankton samples taken in two localities in the Amazon River mouth area, State of Pará, Brazil.Halicyclops lindbergi sp.n. resemblesH. hurlberti andH. clarkei from which it differs by a combination of characters in leg 5, the anal pseudoperculum and the caudal rami. The other new species,H. dussarti, is most morphologically similar toH. pilosus, but they are separated by differences in legs 1 and 5 as well as in the ornamentation of the middle caudal setae.     

Nanometer‐scale characterization of exceptionally preserved bacterial fossils in Paleocene phosphorites from Ouled Abdoun (Morocco)

Micrometer‐sized spherical and rod‐shaped forms have been reported in many phosphorites and often interpreted as microbes fossilized by apatite, based on their morphologic resemblance with modern bacteria inferred by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observations. This interpretation supports models involving bacteria in the formation of phosphorites. Here, we studied a phosphatic coprolite of Paleocene age originating from the Ouled Abdoun phosphate basin (Morocco) down to the nanometer‐scale using focused ion beam milling, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning transmission x‐ray microscopy (STXM) coupled with x‐ray absorption near‐edge structure spectroscopy (XANES). The coprolite, exclusively composed of francolite (a carbonate‐fluroapatite), is formed by the accumulation of spherical objects, delimited by a thin envelope, and whose apparent diameters are between 0.5 and 3 μm. The envelope of the spheres is composed of a continuous crown dense to electrons, which measures 20–40 nm in thickness. It is surrounded by two thinner layers that are more porous and transparent to electrons and enriched in organic carbon. The observed spherical objects are very similar with bacteria encrusting in hydroxyapatite as observed in laboratory experiments. We suggest that they are Gram‐negative bacteria fossilized by francolite, the precipitation of which started within the periplasm of the cells. We discuss the role of bacteria in the fossilization mechanism and propose that they could have played an active role in the formation of francolite. This study shows that ancient phosphorites can contain fossil biological subcellular structures as fine as a bacterial periplasm. Moreover, we demonstrate that while morphological information provided by SEM analyses is valuable, the use of additional nanoscale analyses is a powerful approach to help inferring the biogenicity of biomorphs found in phosphorites. A more systematic use of this approach could considerably improve our knowledge and understanding of the microfossils present in the geological record.     

Two new species of Neanuridae (Collembola: Poduromorpha) from littoral of Rio de Janeiro,Brazil

Samples collected in “restinga” areas of two conservation units in Rio de Janeiro state revealed the presence of two new species of Neanuridae family. The first, Pseudachorutes solaris sp. nov., from Parque Estadual da Costa do Sol and from Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba, differs from other species for having 34–50 vesicles in the postantennal organ, and the second, Friesea jurubatiba sp. nov. from Parque Nacional da Restinga de Jurubatiba, differs from other species for having 8 clavate chaetae in the abdominal segment VI.     

Taxonomy and breeding system in a new species of Scrophularia L. (Scrophulariaceae) from Morocco

A new species of the genus Scrophularia, S. fontqueri Ortega-Olivencia & Devesa, is described for the Western Rif mountains in Morocco. Similarities and differences with the most closely related species (S. auriculata Loefl. ex L. and S. viciosoi Ortega-Olivencia & Devesa) are indicated, and ecological and distribution data are provided. The new species displays a high degree of polyploidy (2n = 56), and has palynological characteristics similar to those of other species in this genus. The new species shows protogynous dichogamy and produces considerable amounts of nectar in both sexual phases. Nectar secretion was maximum during the early hours of the morning. Mean longevity of the flowers was 2.66 days. Both nectar secretion and floral longevity correlated strongly with mean daytime air temperature. Pollination experiments showed that interaction with pollinators is necessary for reproduction, and gametophytic homomorphic self-incompatibility was documented. This feature was confirmed by observation of pollen tubes after hand self-pollination. The seed/ovule ratio was very low.     

Two new species of Temnocephala (Platyhelminthes, Temnocephalida) from the South American snake-necked turtle Hydromedusa tectifera (Testudines, Chelidae)

Temnocephala brevicornis Monticelli, 1889 is the only species of the genus Temnocephala Blanchard, 1849 reported from chelonians to date. During a survey of the species of Temnocephala extant in southern Uruguay, two new species were found on the chelonian Hydromedusa tectifera Cope, 1869. They are described here as Temnocephala pereirai n. sp. and Temnocephala cuocoloi n. sp. Both resemble T. brevicornis, but differ in the morphometry of the penial stylet, and in qualitative details of the reproductive complex. Temnocephala pereirai n. sp. differs from T. brevicornis by having a massive, cylindrical sphincter in the distal portion of the vagina, and a seminal vesicle that opens into the subpolar to equatorial portion of the contractile vesicle. In addition, the penial stylet in Temnocephala pereirai n. sp. is large in relation to body size, straight and more slender, having the distal portion of its shaft slightly sinuous, and a smaller introvert equipped with about 16 distal crowns of smaller spines. Temnocephala cuocoloi n. sp. is most similar to T. brevicornis, but differs by having a smaller, curved penial stylet that has a smaller introvert in relation to stylet size, with about 10 distal crowns of smaller spines. A key to the species of the Temnocephala from chelonians is provided. This study supports the validity of the following characters previously proposed for the taxonomy of the genus Temnocephala: the shape of the sphincters in the female reproductive system, the shape of the penial stylet, and the number, size, and position of spines in the introvert.     

A new species of Dyrosaurus (Crocodylomorpha, Dyrosauridae) from the early Eocene of Morocco: phylogenetic implications

A new dyrosaurid is described from the Ypresian of the phosphatic deposits of the Oulad Abdoun Basin of Morocco. It is based on numerous cranial and postcranial remains, allowing an almost complete reconstruction. This new Dyrosaurus species, Dyrosaurus maghribensis sp. nov. , is currently only known from Morocco. It differs from D. phosphaticus , present in contemporaneous levels of Algeria and Tunisia, by several autapomorpies, including a smooth dorsal margin of the parietal and widely opened choanae. A phylogenetic analysis, using 47 taxa and 234 morphological characters, shows the dyrosaurids as the sister taxon of pholidosaurids, which include Elosuchus , Sarcosuchus , Terminonaris and Pholidosaurus , and the thalattosuchians. Goniopholididae is a non-monophyletic group; however, if dyrosaurids are not included in the analysis, the result differs and the goniopholidids form a distinct clade. If Thalattosuchia is excluded, both Goniopholididae and Pholidosauridae become paraphyletic assemblages. Thus, phylogenetic problems remain with respect to longirostrine clade, and more attention should be paid to resolving their evolutionary relationships amongst the crocodyliforms.  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 148 , 603–656.