Conifer Woods of the Pliocene Age from Yunnan, China

The Tertiary floras play an integral role in understanding the biodiversity and interactions between climate and vegetation in Yunnan, China. The fossil spores, pollen grains, and leaves in this region have been investiagedintensively. In comparison, the woods have been studied relatively little. A large number of Pliocene wood specimens was collected from the opencast lignite coal mine of Hongxing situated in Changning County of Yunnan Province. Among the collection, Tsuga cf. dumosa (D. Don) Eichler and Pinus cf. armandii Franchet were identified based on wood structures. The subtle feature of tori extensions is reported in the wood of T. cf. dumosa. Considering the climatic requirements of modern T. dumosa and P.armandii, the two species of conifer described from Pliocene sediments probably grew in mountainous terrain at an elevation of approximately 2 300 m, in a cool and humid environment.     

A new species of Castanopsis (Fagaceae) from the upper Pliocene of West Yunnan,China and its biogeographical implications

Two fossil leaves identified as Castanopsis presclerophylla n. sp. collected from a diatomite bed in the upper Pliocene (3.3–2.8 Ma) in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, Southwest China, are characterized by elliptic laminar shapes with acuminate apex, convex base, simple trichome bases and cyclocytic stomata. The cuticles of extant leaves from six selected Castanopsis species that are similar to the Pliocene fossil leaves in laminar shape were examined in detail for the comparison. Based on the analysis of leaf architecture and cuticular characteristics, the present fossil leaves most closely resemble the extant leaves of Castanopsis sclerophylla (Lindl.) Schott., which prefers a subtropical climate. The published fossil records of Castanopsis also indicate that it was once widely distributed in North America, Europe and Asia before the Pliocene, and then rapidly retreated to the East and Southeast Asia as a result of the Pleistocene glaciation.     

A fossil Dendrocygninae (Aves,Anatidae) from the Early Pliocene of the Argentine Pampas and its paleobiogeographical implications

In the present paper, the distal end of a humerus referable to a Dendrocygninae anseriform bird is reported. The specimen was collected at the Monte Hermoso Formation (early Pliocene) of the Farola Monte Hermoso locality (Buenos Aires Province, Argentina). This record constitutes one of the oldest for the group in South America and elsewhere. The overview of the anseriform record in South America indicates a similar pattern to that of other localities across the world. Paleogene localities are dominated by non-Anatinae taxa, whereas more recent faunas are dominated by anatines. Following this pattern, in South America the Anatinae appears in the fossil record as recently as in the Pleistocene, probably arriving from North America during the Great American Biotic Interchange. Pleistocene and Recent anseriform avifaunas are dominated by Anatinae taxa, and this dominance is probably due to some “key characters” regarding reproductive biology. In fact, the anatines exhibit a high reproductive success probably due to the capability of having two molts per year, and that the parental care of the downy young is only conducted by the female. The combination of characters may have allowed anatines to dominate most aquatic environments, surpassing in diversity more plesiomorphic taxa.     

Estimation of hearing capabilities of Early Miocene sloths (Mammalia,Xenarthra, Folivora) and palaeobiological implications

The Miocene Santacrucian sloths are a very important assemblage because they represent the first major radiation among sloths and, therefore, they could provide many insights about sloth evolution and diversity. Based on other studies, the hearing capabilities of Pleistocene sloths were identified. For a deeper understanding of these capabilities from an evolutionary point of view, in this article we study the hearing capabilities of Santacrucian sloths. We estimate the frequency range and the best frequency of hearing of six species of stem-megatherines and one species of mylodont. In most cases, the best frequency of hearing is much lower than the expected value for the estimated body mass of the species. This general shift towards low values of frequency is different than the pattern observed in mammals where sound localisation is improved by an increased sensitivity to high frequencies. In this article, we also propose some palaeobiological inferences of the low-frequency shift of hearing range in Miocene Santacrucian sloths.     

Gynoecial vascular anatomy and its systematic implications in Celtidaceae and Ulmaceae (Urticales)

Vasculature in the bicarpellate, pseudomonomerous gynoecium with two distinct styles is examined and compared in all of 15 genera of Celtidaceae and Ulmaceae (Urticales). Gynoecial vasculature is diversified in the families but consistet in a genus or a group of genera. Our observations corroborate the earlier suggestion that Ulmaceae (six genera) basically have three-bundled styles, while Celtidaceae (nine genera) always have one-bundled styles. Comparisons with other Urticales and with Eucommiaceae as an outgroup of Urticales indicate that Celtidaceae are more closely related to Moraceae in sharing one-bundled style (a synapomorphy), rather than to Ulmaceae. This supports a separation of Celtidaceae as a distinct family from Ulmaceaesensu lato. Based on the degree of fusion of major vascular bundles running in the gynoecium, we further distinguish three types of gynoecial vasculature in Ulmaceae and, likewise, three types in Celtidaceae, and discuss evolutionary trends of gynoecial vasculature as well as some generic relationships within the families.     

Arvicolidae (Rodentia) from the Pliocene of Tollo de Chiclana (Granada, SE Spain)

Several new fossiliferous Pliocene localities have been identified in the continental deposits of the area of Tollo de Chiclana (Guadix Basin, SE Spain), that have yielded a rich rodent and insectivore fauna. In this paper, we study the Arvicolidae from these localities. Remains adscribed to the genera Dolomys, Mimomys and Kislangia have been found, which are very interesting from a biostratigraphical point of view.     

A new species of Deinsdorfia (Soricidae, Insectivora, Mammalia) from the Pliocene of Spain

A new species of Deinsdorfia is defined using new material coming from the karstic fissure infilling of Almenara-Casablanca 4 (Castelló, Spain), which shows important differences with the rest of the previously known species of the genus. The definition of a new species is supported by the characters found in extra material coming from the localities of Valdeganga, in the Albacete Province (Spain). The stratigraphical occurrence of this genus of pigmented-toothed shrews reinforces the idea of the Iberian Peninsula as a sink area during the Pliocene, where some Central-European soricids expanded their distribution. Most of those migrations or distributional expansions coincide with moments of climatic changes in the northern hemisphere.     

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.     

A new species of lesser panda Parailurus (Mammalia,Carnivora) from the Pliocene of Transbaikalia (Russia) and some aspects of ailurine phylogeny

A new species of the lesser panda, Parailurus baikalicus sp. nov., from the Pliocene of Transbaikalia is described. In contrast to the European taxa P. anglicus and P. hungaricus, it retains a primitive occlusal pattern of M¹-M², with a concave buccal outline, small mesostyle on M¹, and undeveloped styles on M². At the same time, the Transbaikalian panda is more advanced than other representatives of Parailurus in the upper molars with a reduced lingual cingulum and an enlarged paraconule, which is partially (M¹) or completely (M²) separated from the protocone. This combination of primitive and advanced characters points to the separation of the Asian branch at the earliest stages of the genus development. The Transbaikalian lesser panda may represent a terminal form of this phylogenetic lineage.     

Citrus meletensis (Rutaceae), a new species from the Pliocene of Valdarno (Italy)

There are few fossil remains that are assigned or compared toCitrus. A new and characteristic leaf from the Pliocene of Italy is described asCitrus meletensis and its systematic position within theRutaceae is discussed. Together with other sparse remains that are reviewed here it confirms the existence ofCitrus in the European Tertiary.     

Fish otoliths from the Pliocene Heraklion Basin (Crete Island,Eastern Mediterranean)

The Pliocene Eastern Mediterranean fish record is revealed through the study of a 60-m thick stratigraphic sequence near the village Voutes (Heraklion, Crete). Forty-two species belonging to twenty families are identified. Calcareous nannoplankton biostratigraphy places the studied sequence within the biozone MNN16a (latest Zanclean). The stratigraphic distribution of 31 species is modified. Among these, 12 species are reported for the first time in the Eastern Mediterranean Zanclean, while 19 species are first reported outside the Ionian Sea. The Voutes fish fauna presents a diversified benthic and benthopelagic assemblage filling a significant gap in the fossil record.     

Cutmarked bones from Pliocene archaeological sites at Gona, Afar, Ethiopia: implications for the function of the world's oldest stone tools

Newly recorded archaeological sites at Gona (Afar, Ethiopia) preserve both stone tools and faunal remains. These sites have also yielded the largest sample of cutmarked bones known from the time interval 2.58-2.1 million years ago (Ma). Most of the cutmarks on the Gona fauna possess obvious macroscopic (e.g., deep V-shaped cross-sections) and microscopic (e.g., internal microstriations, Herzian cones, shoulder effects) features that allow us to identify them confidently as instances of stone tool-imparted damage caused by hominid butchery. In addition, preliminary observations of the anatomical placement of cutmarks on several of the recovered bone specimens suggest that Gona hominids may have eviscerated carcasses and defleshed the fully muscled upper and intermediate limb bones of ungulates--activities that further suggest that Late Pliocene hominids may have gained early access to large mammal carcasses. These observations support the hypothesis that the earliest stone artifacts functioned primarily as butchery tools and also imply that hunting and/or aggressive scavenging of large ungulate carcasses may have been part of the behavioral repertoire of hominids by c. 2.5 Ma, although a larger sample of cutmarked bone specimens is necessary to support the latter inference.     

Wood anatomy of Penaeaceae (Myrtales): comparative, phylogenetic, and ecological implications

Wood samples of stems, lignotubers, and roots of the majority of species of Penaeaceae were analyzed with respect to qualitative and quantitative features. Virtually no data have hitherto been presented on xylem features of this family, restricted to Cape Province, South Africa. Presence of vestured pits in vessels, septate crystalliferous parenchyma in wood, intraxylary phloem, predominantly erect ray cells in the typically narrow, multiseriate rays and in the uniseriate rays, and amorphous deposits in ray cells place Penaeaceae securely in Myrtales and help to define that order. By comparison of ecological preferences of the species, as observed during field work, with quantitative analysis of conductive tissue, close correspondence of the wood structure to habit and habitat is demonstrated.     

The anatomy of the hypocotyls of Ceriops Arnott (Rhizophoraceae), Recent and fossil

Fragments of the hypocotyls of the fossil Ceriops cantiensis Chandler from the Lower Tertiary of southern England and the living Ceriops tagal (Perr.) C.B. Rob. and Ceriops decandra (Griff.) Ding How have been examined by SEM. The living material has also been studied by light microscopy. Great similarity has been revealed between homologous tissues of the Recent and fossil material: the palisade-like epidermis; a two-zoned cortex composed of an outer region of compact collenchymatous tissue and an inner region of aerenchyma; phloem fibres; a large number of small vascular bundles, only some of which have xylem; few xylem elements; similarity of xylem elements; pith region of roundish to shortly oblong cells forming long, bead-like rows in longitudinal view. Evidence is also presented of similarity between Recent and fossil starch grains.     

An ecological interpretation of the difference in leaf anatomy and its plasticity in contrasting tree species in orange kloof,table mountain,South Africa

Leaf anatomy and morphology were studied in 11 tree species growing in an undisturbed forest and the adjoining fynbos for over 50 years. Functional anatomical results suggest that the forest and the fynbos are ecologically distinct. Moreover, leaf anatomy suggests that the foliage is primarily adapted for photosynthesis rather than for control of transpirational water loss. Forest precursor tree species and scrub species exhibit xeromorphy in the fynbos whereas they exhibit mesomorphic features inside the forest. The wide-ranging species, such as Olea capensis subsp. capensis, simulated the response of the forest precursors, with the cuticle being phenotypically plastic between the forest and the fynbos but not between the stream and non-stream habitats. Finally, the forest precursors, the scrub species, and the wide-ranging taxa seem to have anatomical characters which can be modified in the fynbos and therefore allow its colonization by a variety of different species.     

New cranial material of Shansirhinus (Rhinocerotidae, Perissodactyla) from the Lower Pliocene of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China

A well-preserved skull and articulated mandible of Shansirhinus, a horned aceratherine rhinocerotid, is described from an Early Pliocene (Gaozhuangian; approximately 5.3-4.34 Ma) locality of the Linxia Basin in Gansu, China. Comparing the new material of Shansirhinus ringstromi Kretzoi, 1942, we confirm the synonymy proposed previously for the species Chilotherium yunnanensis Tang et al., 1974, Chilotherium cornutum Qiu and Yan, 1982, and Ch. tianzhuensis Zheng, 1982. New knowledge concerning its cranial and mandibular morphology allows insight into its phylogenetic position among aceratherine rhinocerotids. A sister group relationship between Shansirhinus and Chilotherium is proposed on the basis of cranial, mandibular and dental evidence. Shared derived characters that support this relationship include: an expanded mandibular symphysis with a concave ventral surface; retracted premaxillae lacking upper incisors; a robust and right-angled facial crest; a flat or slightly concave dorsal skull profile; a weak or absent parastyle fold; and a constricted protocone on the premolars. Shansirhinus was probably a grazer, which is evidenced by the high crown, strong wear, well-developed secondary folds, and enamel plications on its teeth. The age of S. ringstromi is Late Miocene to the Early Pliocene, corresponding to the Turolian to Ruscinian, MN12-MN15 of Europe. S. ringstromi is likely the ancestor of the more advanced S. brancoi (Schlosser, 1903).     

Systematic anatomy of Oceanopapaver, a monotypic genus of the Gapparaceae from New Caledonia

Evidence from vegetative anatomy, reproductive morphology, and palynology does not support a relationship of Oceanopapaver with Cistaceae, Cruciferae, Flacourtiaceae, Papaveraceae, and Tiliaceae, but suggests placement of the genus in Capparaceae. The apparent occurrence of myrosin cells, among other features, effectively excludes all of the aforenoted families except Capparaceae and Cruciferae. However, multicellular non-glandular trichomes, bracteate inflorescences, sepals and petals each occasionally other than four per flower, presence of an androgynophore, numerous stamens, tricolporate and binucleate pollen, the unilocular mature ovary, the stipitate fruit, and the exotegmic seed in Oceanopapaver favour Capparaceae over Cruciferae. Floral histology and vasculature provide no clues about the relationships of Oceanopapaver. A few features are anomalous, most notably the presence of secretory canals and secretory cells in the genus versus their absence in Capparaceae and their rarity in Cruciferae, the trichomic floral nectary in the genus versus the massive, non-trichomic nectaries in these two families, and the straight embryo in the genus versus the more or less curved or folded embryo in the two families. The fleshy endosperm in Oceanopapaver has counterparts in a few Capparaceae, contrary to previous claims that endosperm is absent or scanty in this family. The report of stamen fascicle traces for Oceanopapaver is the first for Capparaceae, but these should be sought elsewhere in the family. Within Capparaceae the genus fits best in Capparoideae compared to Cleomoideae or the nine other very restrictive subfamilies variously proposed for Capparaceae. There is no justification for the monotypic segregate Oceanopapaveraceae. The phylogenetic and functional anatomy of vegetative and reproductive structures is discussed.     

Oligochaetes (Naididae,Tubificidae, Enchytraeidae and Alluroididae) of Guyana,Peru and Ecuador

More than 41 species in 23 genera of the microdrile oligochaete families Tubificidae, Naididae, Opistocystidae, and Enchytraeidae and the freshwater megadrile family Alluroididae have been identified in recent collections made in Peru, Guyana and Ecuador. Just less than 70% of our species records are new for one or more of these countries and one is a new, albeit tentative, generic record for the South American continent. About 16 species new to science remain to be described. One of these is only the second reported species of Brinkhurstia (Alluroididae) and possesses unusual, single, very elongate penial setae. All of our species records are pertinent to tests of different hypotheses about historical and phylogenetic relationships among organisms of northern and southern South America and North America. The species, including new ones, with limited distributions are of particular significance to such hypotheses.     

Cranial anatomy of the Paleocene plesiadapiform Carpolestes simpsoni (Mammalia, Primates) using ultra high-resolution X-ray computed tomography, and the relationships of plesiadapiforms to Euprimates

Central to issues surrounding the origin of euprimates, affinities of Paleocene Carpolestidae have been controversial. Carpolestids have been classified as plesiadapoid primates, tarsiiform euprimates, dermopterans, or the sister taxon of euprimates to the exclusion of other plesiadapiforms, based exclusively on dental or postcranial data. Newly discovered crania of Carpolestes simpsoni from the latest Paleocene of the Clarks Fork Basin, Wyoming, are the first described for the family Carpolestidae. The two best preserved skulls were studied using ultra high-resolution X-ray computed tomography. Comparison of these specimens to those of other stem primates (Plesiadapiformes) demonstrates that the diversity of cranial morphology in this group is greater than previously thought. Carpolestes differs from euprimates and is similar to other plesiadapiforms (Ignacius and Plesiadapis) in lacking a postorbital bar and having a relatively long rostrum. Carpolestes is similar to fossil euprimates and Plesiadapis in having a bullar morphology consistent with a petrosal origin, and differs from Ignacius, in which the bulla is composed of the entotympanic. Carpolestes differs from primitive euprimates and all other known plesiadapiforms in possessing a two-chambered auditory bulla, similar to that of modern Tarsius. However, Carpolestes had an internal carotid artery (ICA) that took a transpromontorial route from a posteromedially positioned posterior carotid foramen (pcf), unlike Tarsius, in which this artery takes a perbullar route from an anterolaterally positioned pcf. Carpolestes has clear grooves on the promontorium for both the promontorial and stapedial arteries, indicating that it had an unreduced internal carotid circulation, similar to that of early euprimates. Carpolestes differs from primitive euprimates and some specimens of Ignacius in not having bony tubes surrounding the branches of the ICA. Cladistic analysis of cranial data fails to support a close relationship of Carpolestidae to either tarsiiform euprimates or extant Dermoptera, but suggests a close relationship between Carpolestidae, Plesiadapidae, and Euprimates.     

Indigenous cultivation and conservation of Totora (Schoenoplectus Californicus, cyperaceae) in Peru

In coastal and highland Peru, totora,Schoenoplectus californicus (C. A. Meyer) Soják (Cyperaceae), has played a central cultural role. Totora was used to build boats, houses, bridges, mats, containers, clothing, string, and fans and has been noted for its use as both food (for humans and livestock) and fertilizer. We conducted unstructured interviews in Spanish and followed participant observation methods in Huanchaco and Lake Titicaca located in coastal and highland Peru, respectively. We hypothesized that a plant with high saliency to the local culture would have a high level of associated indigenous conservation practices. In addition, the level of care and management should increase as the resource became more valued or increasingly scarce. We found that, despite a long established tradition of sustainable use, the people were increasingly relying on intensive cultivation of this plant. The value of totora to local residents justified the efforts spent in maintaining adequate supplies of this plant. Increases in population, politics, and yearly variation in climate patterns have created a reduction in available totora and contributed to an increase in management practices.