A Review of the Fossil Record of the Genus Itea (Iteaceae, Saxifragales) with Comments on its Historical Biogeography

Itea is a genus of about 20 species of trees and shrubs that are today native to southeastern North America, eastern Asia, and eastern Africa. In this paper, I review the fossil record of Itea, which is based on four types of fossils: diporate, psilate pollen attributed to Itea or the dispersed pollen genus Iteapollis; carpofossils representing fruits and seeds attributed to Itea europaea; flowers preserved in amber and assigned to Adenanthemum iteoides; and leaf impressions attributed to Itea. The distributions of these fossils indicate that Itea was present in western North America from the early Eocene to Miocene, in eastern North America beginning no later than the early Miocene, and in western Eurasia from the late Eocene to Pliocene. Only one datapoint is known from eastern Asia; it is early Miocene in age. Based on the fossil record, it can be inferred that Itea crossed between continents over both the Bering Land Bridge and North American Land Bridge, and that it reached Africa from Europe via Anatolia. Thus, it is predicted that the sole extant North American species, I. virginica, may be most closely related to the sole extant African species, I. rhamnoides. The potential application of Itea fossils to calibrating phylogenetic trees generated from molecular sequence data is also discussed.     

Diversity,host associations,and phylogeography of temperate aurofusarin-producing Hypomyces/Cladobotryum including causal agents of cobweb disease of cultivated mushrooms

Temperate species of Hypomyces and Cladobotryum that produce the red pigment aurofusarin are common on agaricoid and polyporoid basidiomata of species from five orders of Agaricomycetes. Several cause cobweb disease of commercially cultivated mushrooms resulting in serious losses. We sequenced rpb1, rpb2, tef1, and FG1093 regions in 90 wild strains and 30 strains from mushroom farms, isolated from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. Multigene analyses support the distinctness of five species but reveal Hypomyces rosellus to be paraphyletic, comprising several cryptic lineages. Hypomyces rosellus s. str. is characterised by wide dispersal and gene flow across Eurasia but does not occur in North America. Instead, the lineages from the West and the East Coast appear distinct, having given rise to species inhabiting the Southern Hemisphere. Our results reveal wide misuse of the name H. rosellus, especially for cobweb isolates. The majority of these belong to Hypomyces odoratus, including a weakly supported group of fungicide-resistant strains from Europe and North America sharing identical sequence data. New collections are presented for Cladobotryum rubrobrunnescens and Cladobotryum tenue as well as Cladobotryum multiseptatum and Hypomyces dactylarioides, all previously known only from their type material. The former species pair occurs in Europe and the latter in Australia and New Zealand. Separate lineages appear to be maintained by geographic isolation in North America and temperate Australasia but by host specialisation in the species occurring sympatrically in Europe and Asia. Both specialist and generalist host use strategies have evolved in the group. Although teleomorphs are known in most of the species and unnamed lineages, analyses of the five-gene regions suggest the prevalence of clonal reproduction in H. odoratus. This can be the reason for its success in mushroom farms, also facilitating the spread of fungicide resistance. While tef1 and rpb2 can be recommended for species delimitation, low variation, not exceeding 1 % in the whole ingroup, impeaches the use of ITS as a barcoding gene region in this group of fungi.     

Des serpents (Reptilia,Squamata) de type nord-américain dans le Miocène Français. Évolution parallèle ou dispersion?

The French Miocene (Orleanian and Astaracian) yielded five new species of snakes referable to four genera from the Neogene or Recent of North America: Texasophis meini nov. sp., Paleoheterodon arcuatus nov. sp., Neonatrix europaea nov. sp., Neonatrix crassa nov. sp. (Colibridae) and Micrurus gallicus nov. sp. («Elapidae). It is suggested that Micrurus and the previously described boid snake Albaneryx from the French Miocene probably represent lineages that originated in North America and reached Europe by way of Asia. Paleoheterodon and Neonatrix could have originated in Asia and subsequently reached Europe on one hand and North America on the other. Texasophis may have originated in North America and followed the same route as Micrurus and Albaneryx, but an alternative hypothesis is that it originated in Asia and spread toward Europe and North America in the same manner as Paleoheterodon and Neonatrix.     

Genetic divergence analysis of the Common Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) and the Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile using COI sequence

In this paper new mitochondrial COI sequences of Common Barn Owl Tyto alba (Scopoli, 1769) and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus (Pontoppidan, 1763) from southern Chile are reported and compared with sequences from other parts of the World. The intraspecific genetic divergence (mean p-distance) was 4.6 to 5.5% for the Common Barn Owl in comparison with specimens from northern Europe and Australasia and 3.1% for the Short-eared Owl with respect to samples from north America, northern Europe and northern Asia. Phylogenetic analyses revealed three distinctive groups for the Common Barn Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) plus Central and North America, (ii) northern Europe and (iii) Australasia, and two distinctive groups for the Short-eared Owl: (i) South America (Chile and Argentina) and (ii) north America plus northern Europe and northern Asia. The level of genetic divergence observed in both species exceeds the upper limit of intraspecific comparisons reported previously for Strigiformes. Therefore, this suggests that further research is needed to assess the taxonomic status, particularly for the Chilean populations that, to date, have been identified as belonging to these species through traditional taxonomy.     

Molaetherium heissigi n. gen., n. sp., an unusual mammal from the Early Oligocene of Germany (Mammalia: Palaeanodonta)

A new genus and species of epoicotheriid,Molaetherium heissigi, is described from the Early Oligocene of Grafenmühle 22, near Pappenheim, Bavaria. It is a tiny, highly fossorial form, closely related to the North American genusEpoicotherium. Asia is considered the center of origin of the suborder Palaeanodonta; from there it dispersed to North America and Europe.     

Early Carboniferous spiriferoid brachiopods from the Qaidam Basin,Northwest China: Taxonomy,biostratigraphy and biogeography

Six Early Carboniferous brachiopod species in four genera of the Superfamily Spiriferoidea are described from the Qaidam Basin, northwestern China, including a new genus, Qaidamospirifer, and two new species: Grandispirifer qaidamensis and Qaidamospirifer elongatus. Additionally, a new genus, Triangulospirifer, is also proposed to replace Triangularia Poletaev, 2001 that was preoccupied by a Devonian molluscan genus.On the basis of the new material as well as published information, we have reviewed the taxonomic composition and the stratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic distributions of the three previously established genera from the viewpoint of palaeobiogeography. The study reveals that Grandispirifer has a relatively long stratigraphic range from the late Tournaisian to Serpukhovian. During this interval, the genus attained a wide geographical distribution, reaching Northwest China, western Yunnan of West China, Japan, as well as Iran and North Africa. Angiospirifer first occurred in western Europe in the Viséan, and later migrated to North Africa during the late Viséan. In the Serpukhovian, it migrated eastward, reaching the Donets Basin of Ukraine and the Qaidam Basin in Northwest China. Anthracothyrina evolved from Brachythyrina in North Africa in late Viséan, then dispersed north-westward to western and eastern Europe and, further eastward to the Qaidam Basin during the Serpukhovian.     

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) in fish: history and current status of understanding

Epizootic ulcerative syndrome (EUS) is one of the most important diseases affecting more than 100 species of wild and cultured finfish. EUS was first reported in farmed ayu (Plecoglossus altivelis) from Japan in 1971 and has since then spread across different countries of four continents including Asia, Australia, North America and Africa. The spread of the disease, especially in Asia–Pacific region and Africa has led to substantial damage to the fish resources and livelihood of the fish farmers. No reports are available confirming the outbreak of the disease from Europe and South America. The latest outbreak of EUS has been reported from Canada in a new susceptible species brown bullhead, Ameiurus nebulosus. It seems that the disease has potential to spread further, owing to the epizootic nature of the disease and broad susceptible host range. Considering the global importance of this disease, this review provides the current status of understanding about the etiology, process of diseases development, species affected, diagnostic methods as well as control and preventive measures, in light of the historical developments in those areas.     

Sinopaninae and Arfianinae (Hyaenodontida,Mammalia) from the Early Eocene of Europe and Asia; evidence for dispersal in Laurasia around the Paleocene/Eocene boundary and for an unnoticed faunal turnover in Europe

Hyaenodontida are represented in Europe by three subfamilies: Proviverrinae, Arfianinae and Sinopaninae. Here, we review all the specimens of Arfianinae and Sinopaninae known to date in Europe and Asia. A new Galecyon species is erected: Galecyon gallus nov. sp. We discuss the taxonomic position of the two Asian hyaenodontidans Anthracoxyaena palustris and Arfia langebadreae; the genus Anthracoxyaena is synonymized with Arfia. The analysis of the European and Asian arfianines and sinopanines provides new data concerning the dispersals and faunal events that occurred during the Early Eocene in Laurasia. The Arfianinae and Sinopaninae appeared in Europe around the Paleocene/Eocene boundary (reference-level MP7). The sinopanines are widespread in Europe; they are known in Dormaal (Belgium, reference-locality of the level MP7), Rians, Soissons, Pourcy, Try, Le Quesnoy (France), and Abbey Wood (England). The analysis of the paleogeographic distribution of all Oxyaenodonta and Hyaenodontida at and after the MP7 supports the existence of two European provinces: the North Province and Mesogean Province. We show that the Arfianinae and Sinopaninae rapidly disappeared from Europe; they are unknown in Avenay (reference-locality of the level MP8+9) and younger localities. Their disappearance from Europe is synchronous with that of the Oxyaenodonta. These observations support the existence of a faunal turnover, which occurred between the reference-levels MP7 (Dormaal) and MP8+9 (Avenay). The hypothesis of a dispersal from Europe to North America during the Paleocene-Eocene transition for the Arfianinae and Sinopaninae is supported. Moreover, the study of Arfianinae supports a dispersal from Europe to Asia around the P/E boundary, followed by a short period of endemic evolution. However, our study does not support a close relationship between Arfia and the “Arfia-like South Asian Proviverrinae” (Kyawdawia, Indohyaenodon, Paratritemnodon and Yarshea).     

A new delthyridoid spiriferid genus from the Dra Valley, Morocco, and its phylogenetic affinities (Brachiopoda, Lower Devonian)

Multiplicatispirifer, a new delthyridoid brachiopod genus with a gently divergent capillate micro-ornamentation and bifurcating costae on flanks, sulcus and fold, has been identified in the Mdâouer-el-Kbîr Formation of the Dra Valley (southern Anti-Atlas, Morocco). Its type speciesMultiplicatispirifer foumzguidensis n. gen., n. sp., at present the only species of this genus, is described. This form has hitherto been determined asFimbrispirifer orStruveina by various authors. In this work, the new genus is compared with the multiplicate and capillate spiriferid genera with bifurcating costae which also have costae in the sulcus and on the fold:Costispirifer andPerryspirifer from North America,Elymospirifer from South China,Borealispirifer from Asia andMultispirifer from Central Europe. The relation ofMultiplicatispirifer to the fimbriateFimbrispirifer, Struveina andVandercammenina, from which it is distinguished by its capillate micro-ornamentation, is discussed. The new genus is hitherto only known from the Moroccan southern Anti-Atlas. Its colsest relatives, taxa ofCostispirifer, occur in the Eastern American Realm (Gaspé, Canada and the eastern United States) and the Nevada Province (western United States).Multiplicatispirifer occurrences are restricted to the Lower/Upper Emsian boundary interval (upper Lower Devonian). The reasons for a possible migration corridor between North America and North Africa before Emsian time are discussed.     

Phylogeny and biogeography of Alyssum (Brassicaceae) based on nuclear ribosomal ITS DNA sequences

The genus Alyssum consists of about 195 species native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. All species were assigned to six sections. Previous molecular phylogeny studies indicate that Alyssum is polyphyletic. However, the divergence time and dispersal of the genus are not well studied. In this study, the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Alyssum were studied with nrDNA ITS sequences obtained from five sections. The divergence time was estimated by fossil calibration and the biogeography was examined by spread analysis. The phylogeny indicated two main lineages: lineage 1 includes the section of Alyssum, Gamosepalum and Psilonema; lineage 2 includes the section of Odontarrhena, Meniocus and Clypeola. The phylogenetic relationship was not congruent with the previous sectional classifications. The age of Alyssum was dated to the upper Miocene. Molecular data suggested the diversification of Alyssum in Mediterranean areas and wide-ranging distribution such as North Africa, eastward into Central Asia and immigration into North America. Climatic aridification and arid/semiarid areas established in the Pliocene/Pleistocene could have provided favourable conditions for the migration and diversification of Alyssum.     

On the Distribution and Origin of Salix in the World

1. The distribution of Salix species among the continents. There are about 526 species of Salix in the world, most of which are distributed in the Northern Hemisphere with only a few species in the Southern Hemisphere. In Asia, there are about 375 species, making up 71.29 percent of the total in the world, including 328 endemics; in Europe, about 114 species, 21.67 percent with 73 endemics; in North America, about 91 species, 17.3 percent with 71 endemics; in Africa, about 8 species, 1.5 percent, with 6 endemics. Only one species occurs in South America. Asia, Europe and North America have 8 species in common (excluding 4 cultivated species). There are 34 common species between Asia and Europe, 14 both between Europe and North America and between Asia and North America, 2 between Asia and Africa. Acording to the Continental Drift Theory, the natural circumstances which promoted speciation and protected newly originated and old species were created by the orogenic movement of the Himalayas in the middle and late Tertiary. Besides, the air temperature was a little higher in Asia than in Europe and North America (except its west part) and the dominant glaciers were mountainous in Asia during the glacial epoch in the Quaternary Period. Then willows of Europe moved southwards to Asia. During the interglacial period they moved in opposite direction. Such a to-and-fro willow migration between Asia and Europe and between and North America occurred so often that it resulted in the diversity of willow species in Asia. Those species of willows common among the continents belong to the Arctic flora. 2. The multistaminal willows are of the primitive group in Salix. Asia has 28 species of multistaminal willows, but Europe has only one which is also found in Asia. These 28 species are divided into two groups, “northern type” and “southern type”, according to morphology of the ovary. The boundary between the two forms in distribution is at 40°N. The multistaminal willows from south Asia, Africa and South America are very similar to each other and may have mutually communicated between these continents in the Middle or Late Cretaceous Period. The southern type willows in south Asia are similar to the North American multistaminal willows but a few species. The Asian southern type willows spreaded all over the continents of Europe, Asia and North America through the communication between them before the Quaternany Period. Nevertheless, it is possible that the willows growing in North America immigranted through the middle America from South America. The Asian northern type multistaminal willows may have originated during the ice period. The multistaminal willows are more closed to populars in features of sexual organs. They are more primitive than the willows with 1-3 stamens and the most primitive ones in the genus. 3. The center of origin and development of willows Based on the above discussion it is reasonable to say that the region between 20°-40°N in East Asia is the center of the origin and differentiation of multistaminal willows. It covers Southern and Southwestern China and northern Indo-China Pennisula.     

Aspects of late triassic palynology. 1. On the morphology,taxonomy and stratigraphical/geographical distribution of the form genus Ovalipollis

Morphological and taxonomic problems related to the form genus Ovalipollis are discussed in some detail. A reconsideration has led to an emended generic diagnosis emphasizing the presence of two lateral tenuitates.Because of the continuous variation in different morphological features a broad species concept seems to be justified. It is considered at present that only one species can be readily distinguished, viz. Ovalipollis pseudoalatus (Thiergart, 1949) Schuurman nov. comb. The known distribution of Ovalipollis in its present concept is confined to the uppermost Middle Triassic—Lower Lias of North America, Europe, North Africa and theMiddlee East.There is evidence of the existence of a progressive, possibly time-proportionate size increase of Ovalipollis.     

African origin and global distribution patterns: Evidence inferred from phylogenetic and biogeographical analyses of ectomycorrhizal fungal genus Strobilomyces

Aim

The ectomycorrhizal genus Strobilomyces is widely distributed throughout many parts of the world, but its origin, divergence and distribution patterns remain largely unresolved. In this study, we aim to explore the species diversity, distribution and evolutionary patterns of Strobilomyces on a global scale by establishing a general phylogenetic framework with extensive sampling.

Location

Africa, Australasia, East Asia, Europe, North America, Central America and Southeast Asia.

Methods

The genealogical concordance phylogenetic species recognition method was used to delimit phylogenetic species. Divergence times were estimated using a Bayesian uncorrelated lognormal relaxed molecular clock. The ancestral area and host of Strobilomyces were inferred via the programs rasp and mesquite . The change of diversification rate over time was estimated using Ape, Laser and Bammtools software packages.

Results

We recognize a novel African clade and 49 phylogenetic species with morphological evidence, including 18 new phylogenetic species and 23 previously described ones. Strobilomyces probably originated in Africa, in association with Detarioideae/Phyllanthaceae/Monotoideae during the early Eocene. The dispersal to Southeast Asia can be explained by Wolfe's “Boreotropical migration” hypothesis. East Asia, Australasia, Europe and North/Central America are primarily the recipients of immigrant taxa during the Oligocene or later. A rapid radiation implied by one diversification shift was inferred within Strobilomyces during the Miocene.

Main conclusions

An unexpected phylogenetic species diversity within Strobilomyces was uncovered. The highest diversity, resulting probably from a rapid radiation, was found in East Asia. Dispersal played an important role in the current distribution pattern of Strobilomyces. The Palaeotropical disjunction is explained by species dispersal from Africa to Southeast Asia through boreotropical forests during the early Eocene. Species from the Northern Hemisphere and Australasia are largely derived from immigrant ancestors from Southeast Asia.     

Ostracods from the marginal coastal Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) of the Central Tunisian Atlas (North Africa): Paleoenvironment,biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography

This work provides the first detailed taxonomic study of ostracod species from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) marginal coastal deposits of the Central Tunisian Atlas, the Kebar Formation, as well as biostratigraphic, paleoecological and paleobiogeographic implications. The ostracod fauna provides new insights into the depositional environment and biostratigraphic framework of the Kebar Formation, and is represented mainly by freshwater and brackish-water species among them, Perissocytheridea tunisiatlasica nov. sp., is newly described. The environmental setting of this formation comprises marginal-littoral conditions in its lower part, thus not exclusively non-marine/continental as assumed previously. The ostracod associations from the studied locality, Jebel Ksaïra, indicate a minimum age of Early Aptian as recently attributed to the lower member of the Kebar Formation based on charophytes (presence of Late Barremian to Early Aptian Globator maillardii var. biutricularis Vicente and Martín-Closas, 2012), whereas an Early Albian age had been previously assigned to the Jebel Kebar site. The relative sea-level fall documented in the lower member of the Kebar formation at Jebel Ksaïra might correspond to the 3rd order cycle major eustatic sea-level fall event starting at the base of the Aptian. Paleobiogeographically, the non-marine ostracod fauna newly discovered in the Kebar Formation shows some affinities to contemporaneous faunas of southern and western Europe, e.g. that of the uppermost Weald Clay Group of southern England (Cypridea fasciata subzone of Horne, 1995), West Africa, and possibly to eastern South America (Brazil). Hence, the studied ostracods further support the hypothesis of supraregional faunal exchange by passive ostracod dispersal during the Early Cretaceous – between Europe and Northern Africa on the one hand, and eastern South America/western Africa and North Africa on the other hand. This leads to the hypothesis that the Peri-Tethyan islands could have worked as effective bridges for non-marine ostracods to become widely dispersed passively by “island-hopping” of larger animals and thus, ultimately, facilitated intercontinental faunal exchanges between South America and Europe – potentially even Asia – via North Africa during the Early Cretaceous.     

Vuilleminia erastii sp. nov. (Corticiales), an amphi-Beringian species and revision of the occurrence of Vuilleminia comedens in North America

Vuilleminia is a basidiomycete genus the species of which have resupinate, corticioid fruiting bodies. It is apparently a North Hemisphere genus, and the majority of its species are distributed in Europe and western Asia. In North America, there are two reports of Vuilleminia comedens. Detailed study of North American specimens and comparisons with additional collections led to the conclusion that they belong to a new lineage named Vuilleminia erastii sp. nov., whose distribution extends from western North America to East Asia, Siberia, and Finland. The species is recognized by the decorticating fruiting bodies with preference for species of Betulaceae in the boreal zone, relatively small allantoid basidiospores, and little-developed cystidia with apical appendix.     

世界蓑藓属（Macromitrium,Bryophyta）植物分类修订与系统发育研究：历史、现状和问题

蓑藓属(Macromitrium Brid.)是藓类植物中分类最困难的类群之一。先后该属记录946个种,现接受351个种。目前中美洲、亚洲、澳大利亚、新西兰等地区的蓑藓属植物基本完成了分类修订,而南美洲、非洲中部、马达加斯加等地区的蓑藓属植物尚未进行系统的分类修订。蓑藓属的属下分类系统问题众多,先后在该属下建立了10个亚属、20个组和2个亚组,目前接受的有4个亚属和8个组,但是这些类群之间的分类地位和关系仍然不清。鉴于蓑藓属种数多,种间分类问题多,分布广泛,需要开展国际间的合作才能够解决世界蓑藓属的分类修订和系统学研究。     

Systematics and gene geography of Juniperus communis L. inferred from isoenzyme data

Using isoenzyme analysis, 35 populations of Juniperus communis L. from various parts of the Russian species range and by one population from Sweden and Alaska were studied. The total sample size was 1200 plants. As a result, the existence of J. communis var. oblonga in North Caucasus and J. communis var. depressa in North America was confirmed, but genetic differences between J. communis var. communis and J. communis var. saxatilis were not detected in the main part of the Russian species range (European part of Russia, Ural, Siberia). These populations proved to be genetically uniform with the same predominant allelic frequencies, which may evidence recent settling of this species from one of Central or East European refugium. J. communis var. saxatilis from northeastern Russia inhabiting the region behind Verkhoyansk mountain and Russian Far East showed considerable differentiation in frequencies of alleles at three loci and geographical subdivision. These populations also exhibit high intrapopulation variation. This can be connected with the refugium in this territory. The origin of this group is probably connected with migrations from Central Asia (Tibet) in the direction to northeastern Russia along mountains connecting Central and North Asia. It is also assumed that migrations of this species previously proceeded across the Beringian land bridge.     

Exploring the Formation of a Disjunctive Pattern between Eastern Asia and North America Based on Fossil Evidence from Thuja (Cupressaceae)

Thuja, a genus of Cupressaceae comprising five extant species, presently occurs in both East Asia (3 species) and North America (2 species) and has a long fossil record from Paleocene to Pleistocene in the Northern Hemisphere. Two distinct hypotheses have been proposed to account for the origin and present distribution of this genus. Here we recognize and describe T. sutchuenensis Franch., a new fossil Thuja from the late Pliocene sediments of Zhangcun, Shanxi, North China, based on detailed comparisons with all living species and other fossil ones, integrate the global fossil records of this genus plotted in a set of paleomaps from different time intervals, which show that Thuja probably first appeared at high latitudes of North America in or before the Paleocene. This genus reached Greenland in the Paleocene, then arrived in eastern Asia in the Miocene via the land connection between East Asia and western North America. In the late Pliocene, it migrated into the interior of China. With the Quaternary cooling and drying, Thuja gradually retreated southwards to form today’s disjunctive distribution between East Asia and North America.