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Is additive coding useful for morphological phylogenetic analyses? An empirical evaluation
No full textAbstract We address an old but still controversial question of morphological phylogenetics: whether additive (or ordered) coding is beneficial to properly extracting phylogenetic information from phenotypical variation. To empirically evaluate the value of the additive coding, we compared the impact of multistate additive, non-additive, and binary codings for 14 quantitative characters in a phylogenetic analysis of a genus of phorid flies (Diptera). First, we compared which of these morphological codings were most effective for the morphological matrix to approximate the results of a molecular data set. We then compared which morphological coding strategies yielded the best Bayesian posterior probabilities when concatenated to molecular data. We also calculated consistency and retention indices for each binary element of the additive characters and contrasted these results to a measure of phylogenetic signal. Overall, these indices were lower for additive characters than for the others but still indicate reasonable accommodation in the tree. Additive coding outperformed the multistate non-additive coding by recovering higher Bayesian posterior probabilities in the concatenated dataset. Additive coding was also among the best coding strategies for the morphological matrix to approximate the phylogenetic signal from an independent source of evidence—i.e., molecular results. Therefore, quantitative information coded as additive had reasonable phylogenetic congruence with other data and improved the phylogenetic results of morphological data in most cases. These results support the use of additive coding for phylogenetic analysis and encourage other similar empirical evaluations aiming to explore the generality of the benefits of this coding method
A checklist of helminths (Acanthocephala, Nematoda and Platyhelminthes) found in rodents (Mammalia, Rodentia) from Slovakia
No full textNearly seven decades have passed since the first records of helminths in rodents in Slovakia were published. Thereafter, the number of documented helminth species within the territory of the country has steadily increased. This checklist compiles data from 34 sources, including 27 academic articles, five unpublished reports, and two conference proceedings produced between 1955 and early 2025. Following a critical review of each source, 73 nominal helminth species from 27 species of rodents, comprising 30 nematodes, 29 cestodes, 13 trematodes, and one acanthocephalan, were included in this checklist. Information on helminth diversity is absent for only two of the 29 rodent species registered in the Slovak Republic: Myocastor coypus and Arvicola scherman. Furthermore, our findings suggest that certain rodent species remain under-researched despite the presence of some information on their helminth fauna. This checklist lays the basis for future helminthological research on rodents in Slovakia. The raw dataset generated for this article is available in the Suppl. material 1
Ammonites and stratigraphy of the Achdorf Formation (Braunjura Group; Aalenian) at the type locality of the Wilflingen-Bank near Gosheim (W Swabian Alb)
No full textThe crassicostatum and viallii ammonite biohorizons (Bifidatum Subzone, Opalinum Zone, Lower Aalenian, Achdorf Formation) are described from the Wilflinger Steige near Gosheim. A new subzone, the Obtusiformis Subzone is introduced and includes a new pustulifera biohorizon of the Murchisonae Zone, the ammonite faunas are described. The ammonite assemblage of “lens 1” of Geisingen is reviewed and assigned to the Obtusiformis Subzone. The sehndensis/murchisonae biohorizon is provisionally proposed as the oldest biohorizon of the Murchisonae Subzone (Murchisonae Zone). The ammonite biohorizons are correlated with sections in Germany and abroad. The evolution of the ammonite morphogenera Ludwigia and Staufenia is discussed
Phylogenomics and taxonomic revision of Stenarella Szépligeti (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae, Cryptinae)
No full textAbstract The phylogeny of the Old World genus Stenarella Szépligeti is investigated using data from genomic ultraconserved elements. Thirteen species from the four biogeographic regions where the genus occurs were included in the analyses. The resulting trees corroborate the monophyly of Stenarella and show substantial biogeographic structure within the genus, with three major clades corresponding to species occurring in the Afrotropical, Palearctic and Oriental–Australasian regions. The Afrotropical component of the genus is represented by fifteen species, while outside of the Afrotropics there seem to be only three species, each with very wide geographic distribution. The taxonomic limits of the genus are reviewed, and an updated diagnosis is provided. A total of eighteen species are recognized as valid, of which twelve are described as new: S. aurea sp. nov., S. bugalana sp. nov., S. delicata sp. nov., S. favilla sp. nov., S. fenestralis sp. nov., S. hopkinsi sp. nov., S. katanga sp. nov., S. natalina sp. nov., S. nigriscuta sp. nov., S. nigromaculata sp. nov., S. saaksjarvi sp. nov., and S. vannoorti sp. nov. An updated identification key to the species of the genus is provided, as well as diagnoses, redescriptions, and new distribution records for the previously known species
Simultaneous quantitative determination of remdesivir, dexamethasone, rosuvastatin, and atorvastatin in human plasma using HPLC-UV analysis
No full textA new reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the simultaneous determination and quantification of two clinically proven drugs in COVID-19 treatment – remdesivir and dexamethasone – and two 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitors – rosuvastatin and atorvastatin – in human plasma by isocratic elution and ultraviolet detection. A mobile phase consisting of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid in water and acetonitrile (60:40, v/v) was used in the proposed analytical procedure, and the chromatographic determination was performed on a Purospher® RP–18 column at room temperature. The developed method was validated for linearity in the range of 1–24 µg/ml, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.998. The percentage recovery of the analyzed drugs was 100.87, 99.71, 102.41, and 93.38% for remdesivir, dexamethasone, rosuvastatin, and atorvastatin, respectively. The developed, effective, and specific method is suitable for implementation in routine quality control and clinical laboratory practice
Taxonomic corrections, new records, and life history information on the jumping tree bugs (Hemiptera, Miridae, Isometopinae) of Korea
No full textThe identities of two species of Korean Isometopinae (Hemiptera: Miridae) are clarified based on examination of their type material. The following new synonyms are proposed: Isometopus amurensis Kerzhner, 1988 = Isometopus jejuensis Kim & Jung, 2016, syn. nov. and Myiomma ussuriense Ostapenko, 2001 = Myiomma koreanum Oh & Lee, 2025, syn. nov. Isometopus citri Ren, 1987 is reported from Korea for the first time. Life histories of I. amurensis Kerzhner, I. japonicus Hasegawa, 1946, and I. rugiceps Kerzhner, 1988 are documented based on Korean individuals
New records of ferns and lycophytes from Rishiri and Rebun Islands, with an updated list of species from the region
No full textWe update the checklist of ferns and lycophytes from Rishiri and Rebun Islands, Hokkaido, northern Japan. Based on a combination of extensive field surveys and thorough review of previous literature and herbarium records, we compile a robust and revised checklist. The updated list includes 78 taxa (67 ferns and 11 lycophytes), incorporating three newly recorded taxa on the two islands: Botrychium multifidum var. multifidum, Dryopteris monticola, and Thelypteris pozoi subsp. mollissima. Our findings highlight previously overlooked species diversity of ferns and lycophytes in the region
Taxonomic novelties in New Guinea Uvarieae (Annonaceae): Revision of Pyramidanthe and new genus records of Desmos and Fissistigma
No full textThe diversity of climbing Annonaceae in New Guinea, the world’s largest tropical island, remains poorly known. Here, we provide a regional taxonomic account for three genera of the Uvarieae tribe, two of which represent new genus records for the island. First, we revise the genus Pyramidanthe (formerly Mitrella), recognizing a total of seven species. Four are described as new, P. montana, P. nervosa, P. oblongifolia, and P. parvifolia, whereas another, P. silvatica, is synonymized under P. schlechteri. Two additional Uvarieae genera, Desmos and Fissistigma, are recorded in New Guinea for the first time. Desmos is reported with the description of a new species, D. insolens, based on a single fruiting collection from the Ramu basin of Papua New Guinea. Fissistigma, sister to Pyramidanthe, is reported following the discovery of two collections of F. latifolium from the Bird’s Head Peninsula of Indonesia. Due to improper typification of the latter species, a neotype is herein designated. A key to the species of Pyramidanthe is provided alongside a key to the six climbing Annonaceae genera in New Guinea. This account raises to 21 the total number of Annonaceae genera present on the island
Redescription of Plagiopholis styani (Serpentes, Pseudoxenodontidae), with description of two new species from China
No full textDuring a long period, the genus Plagiopholis included four species and was extremely scarce. One of the members, Plagiopholis styani Boulenger, 1893, was treated as a single species widely distributed in the Oriental Realm of China. However, after new samplings of this species and examination of historical collection specimens, combined with molecular phylogenetic results based on two mitochondrial gene fragments (CO1 and Cyt b) and morphological comparisons of different populations, we found distinct divergences among them. Based on these results, we made the following taxonomic decisions and described the taxa in detail: (1) the populations from the type locality and adjacent areas such as Zhejiang, Anhui, and northeastern Jiangxi were considered Plagiopholis styani sensu stricto; (2) the population from Hunan Province is herein described as a new species, Plagiopholis acuta sp. nov.; (3) the populations from Sichuan and Guizhou provinces are also described herein as a new species, Plagiopholis pluvialis sp. nov. This study brings the total number of Plagiopholis to six and highlights the importance of documenting the cryptic diversity of small-bodied snakes in East Asia’s fragmented montane ecosystems
The present-day crustal stress field of the Molasse Basin in Switzerland
No full textWe present a completely revised and extended database of the crustal present-day orientation of the maximum horizontal stress SHmax for northern Switzerland and neighbouring regions. We analysed 32 deep boreholes located in the Molasse Basin of Switzerland from which we interpreted > 30 km of image and caliper logs and picked from these the stress-induced borehole breakouts, drilling induced tensile fractures, and petal centerlines. We also used 105 induced fractures from 139 microhydraulic fracturing tests in 8 boreholes. The interpretation of the data resulted in 64 data records of the SHmax orientation. In addition, we also used an extended and revised dataset of 704 earthquake focal mechanisms computed by the Swiss Seismological Service and derived SHmax orientations from these as well. Combining these data with data records from the World Stress Map database release 2016 resulted in a dataset with 948 data records. The overall regional pattern of the SHmax orientation in the Alpine foreland of Switzerland shows a counterclockwise rotation of approximately 50° from N–S in the northeast to NW–SE in the southwest supporting earlier interpretations that the SHmax orientation is primarily controlled by the gravitational potential energy of the Alpine topography. Beyond this large-scale pattern, no further lateral changes of the SHmax orientation imposed by structural elements or rock property contrasts are resolved due to the resolution limit of the dataset. On average, there is only one reliable data record in Switzerland per 140 km2 with predominant standard deviations of ± 20–25° for individual data records. Thus, small SHmax rotations as well as rotations on lateral scales of a few 10s of km are typically not resolved. We also investigated changes of the SHmax orientation with depth with an emphasis on a potential impact of a mechanical decoupling horizon between the Mesozoic sediments and the underlying basement, which is located in the Middle Muschelkalk (Triassic). For this we used a sub-dataset of 88 SHmax orientations located in northern Switzerland where we have a good coverage of data records in the sediments (n = 43) and in the basement (n = 45). The mean SHmax orientation in the sediments is 166 ± 12° and in the basement 159 ± 22° indicating that a potential decoupling horizon either does not leave an imprint in the SHmax orientation or that decoupling is not acting on a regional scale