A peculiar climbing Megalonychidae from the Pleistocene of Peru and its implication for sloth history

The Xenarthra, particularly the Tardigrada, are with the Notoungulata and Marsupialia among the most diversified South American mammals. Lujanian South American Land Mammal Age localities from the coastal Piedra Escrita site and Andean Casa del Diablo Cave, Peru, have yielded three specimens of the Megalonychidae Diabolotherium nordenskioldi gen. nov. This singular fossil sloth exhibits a peculiar mosaic of cranial and postcranial characters. Some are considered convergent with those of other sloths (e.g. 5/4 quadrangular teeth, characteristic of Megatheriidae), whereas others clearly indicate climbing capabilities distinct from the suspensory mode of extant sloths. The arboreal mode of life of D. nordenskioldi is suggested by considerable mobility of the elbow, hip, and ankle joints, a posteriorly convex ulna with an olecranon shorter than in fossorial taxa, a radial notch that faces more anteriorly than in other fossil sloths and forms an obtuse angle with the coronoid process (which increases the range of pronation–supination), a proximodistally compressed scaphoid, and a wide range of digital flexion. D. nordenskioldi underscores the great adaptability of Tardigrada: an arboreally adapted form is now added to the already known terrestrial, subarboreal, and aquatic (marine and freshwater) fossil sloths. A preliminary phylogenetic analysis of the Tardigrada confirmed the monophyly of Megatherioidea, Nothrotheriidae, Megatheriidae, and Megalonychidae, in which Diabolotherium is strongly nested.  © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 149 , 179–235.     

Nemerteans of the Great Barrier Reef 3. Anopla Heteronemertea (Lineidae)

Nine species of lineid heteronemerteans are recorded from the Great Barrier Reef province of Australia. Six of these are new species, including four new genera, and are fully described and illustrated. These are Aetheorhynchus actites gen. et sp. nov. , Bennettiainsularis gen. et sp. nov., Cerebratulus magnetkus sp. nov., Colemania albulus gen. et sp. nov., Mkrura tridacnae sp. nov. and Quasilineus pulcherrimus gen. ct sp. nov. Lineus tricuspidatus (Quoy & Gaimard) is re-established, illustrated and described. Gorgonorhynchus repens Dakin & Fordham and Parborlasia hutchingsi Gibson have been fully described elsewhere, but a full list of known locations is provided.     

Nemerteans of the Great Barrier Reef 6. Enopla Hoplonemertea (Polystilifera: Reptantia)

Two new genera and species of reptantic polystiliferous hoplonemerteans from the Great Barrier Reef province of Australia are described and illustrated. Urichonemertes pilorhynchus gen. et sp. nov. and Xenonemertes rhamphocephalus gen. et sp. nov. are both placed in the family Drepanophoridae (Polystilifera: Eureptantia: Aequifurcata).     

云南省蚱科一新属新种(直翅目:蚱科)

本文报道蚱科一新属一新种。新属,微翅蚱属Alulatettix gen nov.的主要特征是前胸背板强烈隆起呈屋脊形,前胸背板侧片后缘具二凹陷,前、后翅甚微小。其模式种为云南微翅蚱Alulatettix yunnanensis sp.nov.     

中国中三叠世龙蝎蛉新科的发现(昆虫纲,长翅目)

记述龙蝎蛉新科Drakonochoristidae fam. nov.和1新亚科及其2新属、种和1个老亚科。2新属种的化石标本采自中国陕西铜川中三叠统铜川组下段上部的灰绿色泥岩和页岩。新科性质及其分类位置在文中进行讨论。新科的建立填补这个类群在中国的空白,同时对于小蝎蛉科Nannochoristidae和二叠蝎蛉科Permochoristidae的演化关系的研究有一定的意义。这些新属、种系陕西昆虫群(陕西生物群的一个类别)铜川昆虫组合的新成员。铜川组的时代相当于欧洲拉丁尼期(Ladinian Stage)。     

云南省厉螨科一新属新种（蜱螨亚纲：革螨股）

在云南陇川县的蟋蟀Gryllus sp.体上采得一种革螨,系厉螨科Ltelapidae Berlese中未曾描述过的种类,并为之建立新属,订名为滇厉螨属Dianolaelaps gen.nov.,属模标本为蟋蟀滇厉螨Dianolaelaps gryllus sp.nov.。新属的主要鉴别特征是:雌螨螯钳动趾端部分三叉;颚角内侧有沟漕并具齿突;口下片末端,在颚角与下咽间有长圆形结构,其内缘并具透明的尖齿列;涎针有膜状结构包绕;足Ⅰ—Ⅲ基节各具一棘,各基节远端侧具细小毛列。     

MORPHOLOGY OF PLACENTOPHORA (SOLIERIACEAE,GIGARTINALES: RHODOPHYTA), A NEW GENUS BASED ON SARCODIOTHECA COLENSOI FROM NEW ZEALAND1

The only member of the red algal family Solieriaceae known from New Zealand is the endemic Sarcodiotheca colensoi (Hook. & Harv.) Kylin. This study shows that it differs in several respects from the type S. furcata (Setch. & Gard.) Kylin; thus a new genus Placentophora is created for the New Zealand alga. Although P. colensoi nov. comb. is retained in the Solieriaceae on the basis of vegetative, spermatangial, tetrasporangial, carpogonial-branch and early gonimoblast features, it differs from typical members of that family in its pattern of later carposporophyte development. After a single gonimoblast initial is cut off from the auxiliary cell towards the center of the thallus, further gonimoblasts develop from the initial as ramifying, radiating filaments. These filaments enter an extensive “nutritive-cell” region surrounding the auxiliary cell, form, numerous connections to the “nutritive” cells, and incorporate most of them into a central placenta of interconnected, and variously-fused vegetative and gonimoblast cells. Carpo-sporangia then form in short chains around the periphery of the placenta. The cystocarp lacks both a central fusion cell and a sterile-celled investment, or “Faserhülle.” The distinctive carposporophyte of Placentophora is compared to patterns of gonimoblast development, known in other members of the Solieriaceae.     

马陆体上的革螨一新属新种及一新科的建立(蜱螨亚纲:皮刺螨总科)

在贵阳市土马陆Julus terrestris 体上采得一种革螨,系未曾描述过的新种,并为其建立新科、新属,以其背板周围具细毛这一特征而命名为:毛盾螨科Trichoaspididae和毛盾螨属Trichoaspis。模式种:马陆毛盾螨,新种Trichoaspis julus sp.nov.     

叶刺瘿螨亚科一新属三新种：真螨目：瘿螨科

新属为新诺尔瘿螨属Neoknorella Kuang et Feng,gen.nov.三新种是竹新诺尔瘿螨Neoknorella bambusae sp.nov.,竹裂柄瘿螨 Dichopelmus bambusae sp.nov.和樟无伪足瘿Anothopoda cinnamomi sp.nov.,它们均营自由生活。     

革螨一新属新种及一新科的建立(蜱螨亚纲:革螨股)

在云南陇川县的蜣螂体上采得一种革螨系未曾描述过的新种,并为之建立新科与新属,用其颚角呈球形膨大及躯体角化较深的特征命名。球革螨科新科Bulbogamasidae fam.nov.的主要特征:叉毛三叉,其侧具一拇指状薄膜;颚角呈球形膨大,角化弱;头盖前缘光滑;雄螨足11具强大的距状表皮突。球革螨属新属Bulbogamasus gen.nov.的主要特征:背板整块;背毛26对,板周围的长大,中部的细小;胸叉叉丝末端具刺状突,小分支端部有的分叉;雌螨具腹肛板与肛前毛;雄螨导精趾粗长,超过螯钳长的2倍以上。模式种为中华球革螨新种Bulbogamasus sinicus sp.nov.