Early Tithonian Saturnalidae (Radiolaria) from the Solnhofen area (Southern Franconian Alb, southern Germany)

In order to complete the study of the very rich early Tithonian (Hybonoticeras hybonotum Zone) radiolarian fauna from the Mühlheim Member of the Mörnsheim Formation outcropping in the Solnhofen area, the taxa of the family Saturnalidae are described. Although rather rare, the Saturnalidae of this member contain 14 species, ten of which are new. These species belong to four genera, one of which is new (Moebicircus n. gen.), and two subfamilies (Hexasaturnalinae and Saturnalinae). The taxonomy at generic level of these late Jurassic radiolarians is founded on the basis of the position of the blades along the ring and number and morphology of the spines. Type of spines (simple or forked) has either species level value or none, depending on species. Special attention was given to anomalies, which sometimes are rather frequent, since they can give Information of paleobiological and paleoecological Orders. Among them frequent cases of open ring and additional spines withDicerosaturnalis and Siamese twins skeletons withSpongosaturninus andDicerosaturnalis are to be noted. The authors hope that this new taxonomy will give a better image of the evolution and radiation of the Saturnalidae during the Tithonian.     

Toarcian and Aalenian (Jurassic) ammonites from the Shemshak Formation of the Jajarm area (eastern Alborz, Iran)

In the Jajarm area (eastern Alborz Mountains, NE Iran) the ?Upper Triassic — Lower Bajocian siliciclastic Shemshak Formation is up to 2000 m thick. Whereas the lower third of the formation is nearly exclusively non-marine, the upper two-thirds are fully marine. The middle part is characterized by several levels containing a relatively diverse and well preserved assemblage of ammonites of the Toarcian to Aalenian stages. Two sections of the ammonite-bearing strata, spaced 20 km, are presented and correlated by means of ammonite biostratigraphy. The ammonite fauna consists of 27 taxa, some of which are recorded for the first time from the Alborz Mountains. The ammonites are briefly described and their palaeobiogeographic context is reviewed. The ammonite fauna of the Shemshak Formation at Jajarm, as elsewhere in North and Central Iran, is exclusively Northwestern Tethyan in character and is closely related to the faunas of Northwestern and Central Europe.     

Control of the larvae ofConorhynchus mendicus (Col.: curculionidae) bySteinernema carpocapsae andSteinernema feltiae (nematoda,steinernematidae) in the gharb area (Morocco)

Two entomopathogenic nematodes,Steirnernema carpocapsae andS. feltiae were evaluated in the laboratory and under field conditions against larvae ofConorhynchus mendicus, a pest of sugar beet in the Gharb area of Morocco. Nematodes were applied in an artificially infested field using a knapsack sprayer either during the day or in the evening after sunset. The number of insect cadavers recovered from both soil and sugar beet plants was greater in the treated plots compared with the untreated ones. The percent reduction in live larvae was significantly greater in theS. carpocapsae treated plots (89.5% and 59.5% for night an day application respectively) compared with those treated withS. feltiae (68.5% and 28% respectively). The efficacy of entomopathogenic nematodes was therefore increased by application at night particularly in the case ofS. carpocapsae where control was maintained for 45 days.     

Observations on the distribution of some chironomids (Diptera) and caddisflies (Trichoptera) in the Killarney area,Ireland

The Killarney region, south-west Ireland, has a mild oceanic climate, yet elements of the flora and fauna in the area appear to have disjunct distributions. Eleven chironomid and two trichopteran taxa, which are considered cold stenothermous and generally occur outside Ireland at high altitudes or northern latitudes, are found in waters around 25 metres above sea level in Killarney. These are believed to be glacial relict elements which have survived in the region to live with a fauna depauperate in comparison to western Europe.     

Cieneguiticeras, a new genus of Tithonian oppeliids (Ammonoidea, Late Jurassic)

The new genus Cieneguiticeras, assigned to the family Oppeliidae, is described on the basis of Andean lower-middle Tithonian ammonites from Arroyo Cieneguita, west-central part of the Neuquén-Mendoza Basin, Argentina. The macroconchs are closely homoeomorphic with Neochetoceras Spath and the microconchs have a ‘glochiceratid’-type morphology. The stratigraphic range of Cieneguiticeras nov. gen. includes the lower and middle Tithonian by means of a succession of two or three species which are interpreted as members of a phyletic lineage. Ammonites from the Tithonian of Cuba, Mexico and France are more or less confidently included in this new genus.     

The distribution patterns of reptiles in the Riff region, northern Morocco

A biogeographical classification of reptiles in the Riff region (northern Morocco, Africa) was carried out to look for shared distribution patterns, here termed chorotypes. Baroni‐Urbani & Buser's similarity index was applied to the presence/absence data of reptiles in 10×10 km UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) squares, and then UPGMA (Unweighted Pair‐Group Method using arithmetic average) was used to classify the species. A probabilistic method was employed to assess the statistical significance of the groups obtained. An ordination method, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis, was also used to study the distribution of the reptiles within a continuous framework.
A gradual longitudinal replacement of reptile species was found throughout the Riff, with no sharp discontinuities for the distributions of most of the species. This may be due to the biogeographical northward movement of the Saharan boundaries, which have not yet reached biogeographical equilibrium. Thus, Saharan reptiles enter the Riff region from the east, through the lower basin of the River Moulouya.
Seven reptile chorotypes were identified in the Riff, and these comprise Mediterranean species and others endemic to the Maghreb (the region that spans most of North‐western Africa, excluding the Sahara). These chorotypes have a western distribution, and are segregated from one another according to altitude. Historical and ecological processes can account for the distributions shared by these species, which have inhabited the Riff for longer than eastern reptiles.     

Multicenter study of dermatophyte distribution in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Catalonia,Spain)

The results of a multicenter study on the distribution of dermatophyte species in the metropolitan area of Barcelona (Spain) are presented.In the period 1977–1983, 638 dermatophyte strains were isolated from tineas by three different mycological laboratories. Zoophilic strains were prevalent comprising 64.4% of the isolates. T. mentagrophytes var. granulosum was isolated in 51% of the cases.A signigicant drop in the prevalence of T. tonsurans and T. violaceum was noted. Important variations were observed in dermatophyte distribution in relation to other geographical areas of Spain.     

Landscape and stational distribution of the robber flies (Diptera, Asilidae) in the Lower Volga area

The distribution of 108 species of robber flies over different landscapes and plant associations in the Lower Volga area was studied.     

Iron bacteria in Devonian carbonates (Tafilalt, Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

A condensed Mid-Upper Devonian succession of the Tafilalt (Anti-Atlas) contains numerous red carbonate intervals. Bioclastic tempestites form a transition between an outer shelf and a hemipelagic setting. The red pigmentation is not related to the abundance of detrital iron oxides, but to the presence of iron bacteria and fungi. They form bioconstructions remarkably similar to those previously described in the Jurassic Ammonitico Rosso from Italy and Spain. Thus, dysaerobic microenvironments are proposed and not oxic conditions for these Fe-poor sediments.     

Notes on the distribution and phylogeography of two rare small Gerbillinae (Rodentia,Muridae) in Morocco: Gerbillus simoni and Gerbillus henleyi

Even though Gerbillinae rodents represent an important part of the mammalian fauna in North Africa, many gaps remain in our understanding of the distribution, ecology, evolution, and systematics of some lesser known species in this family. We present in this study the most recent findings on two of these species. The first species, Gerbillus simoni Lataste, 1881, is a short-tailed, small gerbil, endemic to North Africa. In Morocco, it is present only in a small area in the northeast, where it has not been caught since 1970. In 2014, we captured a small gerbil in this region that was identified as G. simoni based on morphology and molecular data (cytochrome b gene sequencing). This study represents the first genetic characterization of G. simoni in Morocco and the first one outside Tunisia. Populations from Morocco and Tunisia (mainland and Kerkennah Islands) show very little genetic differentiation. The second species, Gerbillus henleyi de Winton, 1903, is a long-tailed small gerbil that lives in the Sahel and North Africa with an extension to the Middle East. In Morocco, this species was only known in the southwest. Between 2014 and 2015, we have captured four gerbils in the northeast of the country, which were confirmed genetically and morphologically as belonging to this species. This represents an extension of its known distribution of about 370 km to the northeast of the country. These new Moroccan specimens form a distinct lineage. High genetic diversity is observed throughout the geographic range of G. henleyi, suggesting the existence of several cryptic species.     

Abundance, biomass and small-scale distribution of cryopelagic amphipods in the Franz Josef Land area (Arctic)

Arctic sea ice is inhabited by several amphipod species. Abundance, biomass and small-scale distribution of these cryopelagic (=ice associated) amphipods were investigated near Franz Josef Land in summer 1994. The mean abundance of all species was 420 ind./m²; the mean biomass was 10.61 g ww/m². Gammarus wilkitzkii was the dominant species, whereas Apherusa glacialis, Onisimus nanseni and O. glacialis were only scarcely found. Amphipods were concentrated at the edges of ice floes and were less frequent in areas further away under the ice. The relationship between the distribution and ecological/physiological requirements of cryopelagic amphipods, as well as the small-scale morphology of Arctic sea ice, are discussed. Received: 14 January 1998 / Accepted 14 April 1998     

Pollen morphology in Cytisus (Papilionoideae,Leguminosae) from Morocco and the Iberian Peninsula

Although it is generally accepted that the tribe Genisteae has rather homogeneous pollen, we have found considerable variation in pollen size and morphology in Cytisus and related genera (Argyrocytisus and Chamaecytisus), which match taxonomic groups defined on morphological grounds. The results of Principal Component Analysis of pollen characteristics show the following: Cytisus Sect. Alburnoides is well-delimited, with the smallest pollen grains and the simplest pattern in the tectum, fossulate-perforate to perforate; No separation of C. villosus (Sect. Cytisus) from Sect. Alburnoides is observed; Cytisus Sect. Spartopsis, with the largest pollen grains and reticulate to reticulate-fossulate ornamentation, forms an isolated group; C. fontanesii (Sect. Heterocytisus) stands apart from other Cytisus species by its homogeneous ornamentation and the perforate instead of psilate-punctate margo. Thus, the pollen data supports its transfer to the separated genus Chronanthos; Pollen ornamentation and morphology also support the separation of Argyrocytisus battandieri and Chamaecytisus mollis from Cytisus.     

Factors of intraspecific variability in ammonites,the example of Gassendiceras alpinum (d’Orbigny, 1850) (Hemihoplitidae,Upper Barremian)

The homogeneity of a large sample of Gassendiceras alpinum is tested statistically. The quantitative analysis did not reject the null hypothesis and the homogeneity of the sample is accepted. As a result, the different taxa used in the literature (G. alpinum, “Barrancyloceras barremense”, Leroyiceras mascarellii and Spinocrioceras sauvanae) all fall into the variability of a single species, although some doubt subsist for L. dolloi. Taxonomically, by the priority principle the only name that should be used is G. alpinum. The results and other examples about the intraspecific variability confirm the importance of the Westermann's laws in ammonites, but they show that there are other important sources of covariation. In Gassendiceras the variability is tripolar (both the classic robust-slender poles of the Westermann's laws plus a third morphological pole with thick section and not so robust ornamentation), which implies that the intraspecific variability is not always uniform or consistent from one group to another, or in any case do not necessarily respond to the same factors in equivalent proportions. Heterochronies, erasing of the ornamentation and uncoiling of the heteromorph ammonites are also considered as factors of the intraspecific variability.     

Les ammonites du Pliensbachien du jebel Bou Rharraf (Haut Atlas oriental, Maroc)

The originality of the sedimentary deposits and ammonite faunas in the jebel Bou Rharraf concerns “Ammonitico Rosso” facies, the westernmost known for the Pliensbachian, and a strong diversity of the Phylloceratida (Phylloceras, Calaiceras, Zetoceras, Partschiceras and Juraphyllites). The morphological disparity is also important in Galaticeras, Miltoceras and Tauromeniceras. If some taxa like Miltoceras taguendoufi and Mauretaniaceras elmii nov. gen., nov. sp. seem endemic to the High Atlas, most part of the Pliensbachien ammonites of the eastern High Atlas are classic for the southern margin of the western Tethys. Three genera (Callomoniceras, Appenninoceras, Mauretaniaceras) and three new species (Miltoceras involutum, Tropidoceras heterogeneum, Mauretaniaceras elmii) are described. An analysis using the “Discrete Cosine Transform” (DCT) method allows the better understanding of the morphospace of the rib patterns for the Fuciniceras from jebel Bou Rharraf. The biostratigraphy of the High Atlas is also improved with a set of 19 biohorizons for the Pliensbachian and the base of the Toarcian that are correlable with the Tethyan areas.     

On the distribution and importance of picocyanobacteria in a boreal inshore area (Kiel Bight, Western Baltic)

From April to October 1986 abundance and vertical distributionof picocyanobacteria were studied at four stations in Kiel Fjordand Kiel Bight. Both picocyanobacteria and autotrophic, eukaryoticpicoplankton cell numbers were estimated by epifluorescencemicroscopy whereas larger phytoplankton (>3 µm) wasenumerated by the Utermöhi settling technique. Picocyanobactenacell numbers peaked in July and August near the water surface(1.4–2.6 x 10⁸ cells l^–1). Although picocyanobacteriaabundance increased from the outer Kiel Bight to the more eutrophicinner stations of Kiel Fjord, their contribution to total phytoplanktonbiomass decreased. During summer up to 52% of phytoplanktoncarbon and up to 97% of autotrophic picoplankton carbon werecontributed by picocyanobacteria. Therefore picocyanobacteriaare an important component of the summer phytoplankton communityin boreal inshore waters, too.     

Multiple intercontinental dispersals shaped the distribution area of Hordeum (Poaceae)

The grass genus Hordeum (Poaceae, Triticeae), comprising 31 species distributed in temperate and dry regions of the world, was analysed to determine the relative contributions of vicariance and long-distance dispersal to the extant distribution pattern of the genus. Sequences from three nuclear regions (DMC1, EF-G and ITS) were combined and analysed phylogenetically for all diploid (20 species) and two tetraploid Hordeum species and the outgroup Psathyrostachys. Ages of clades within Hordeum were estimated using a penalized likelihood analysis of sequence divergence. The sequence data resulted in an almost fully resolved phylogenetic tree that allowed the reconstruction of intrageneric migration routes. Hordeum evolved c. 12 million years ago in South-west Asia and spread into Europe and Central Asia. The colonization of the New World and South Africa involved at least six intercontinental exchanges during the last 4 million years (twice Eurasia-North America, North America-South America, twice South America-North America and Europe-South Africa). Repeated long-distance dispersal between the northern and southern hemisphere were important colonization mechanisms in Hordeum.