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Checklist of Coendou Lacépède.
No full text36 p.
"June 10, 2011."The erethizontid rodent genus Coendou (including Echinoprocta and Sphiggurus) contains 13 valid species that live in tropical and subtropical forests from Mexico to Uruguay. This report tabulates information about the type material of all Recent nominal taxa referred to the genus, provides synonymies of all species recognized as valid, describes geographic distributions based on examined specimens, cites published descriptions of external and craniodental morphology, summarizes information that supports recommended binomial usage, and suggests where future taxonomic research is likely to be productive. Among other novel results, the nominal taxa richardsoni J.A. Allen, 1913, and rothschildi Thomas, 1902, are synonymized with C. quichua Thomas, 1899; a Paraguayan neotype is designated for C. spinosus (F. Cuvier, 1823); and a specimen of C. rufescens is reported from Bolivia, extending the range of that species by 1800 km. Additionally, morphometric data are tabulated for several species not treated in previous reports of this series, including C. bicolor, C. mexicanus, C. prehensilis, C. quichua, C. rufescens, and C. spinosus
New genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae.
No full text24 p. : ill., map ; 26 cm.
"May 9, 2011."Marinussaurus curupira, a new genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae lizard is described from Iranduba, state of Amazonas, Brazil. The genus is characterized by an elongate body; short and stout pentadactyl limbs; all digits clawed; single frontonasal; two prefrontals; absence of frontoparietals; interparietal and parietals forming a straight posterior margin, with interparietal shorter than parietals; distinctive ear opening and eyelid; few temporals; three pairs of chin shields; nasal divided; a distinct collar; smooth, mainly hexagonal, dorsal scales; smooth quadrangular ventral scales; two precloacal and three femoral pores on each side in males; pores between three or four scales. Parsimony (PAR) and partitioned Bayesian (BA) phylogenetic analyses with morphological and molecular data recovered the new genus as a member of the Ecpleopodini radiation of the Cercosaurinae. A close relationship of the new genus with Arthrosaura is postulated
Developmental habitat.
Get PDF70 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.The existence of ontogenetic shifts in habitat by marine turtles, and of immature-dominated assemblages in "developmental habitat," were important concepts first proposed by Archie Carr in 1956. Results of long-term, in-water capture programs in Caribbean Panama (17 yr) and Bermuda (37 yr) allow the testing and refinement of these ideas, in particular the developmental habitat hypothesis for Chelonia mydas, Eretmochelys imbricata, and Caretta caretta. A literature survey reviews worldwide studies on these species, and also incorporates Lepidochelys kempii. The studies in Panama and Bermuda reported in this paper use netting, mark/recapture, laparoscopy, and satellite telemetry to investigate size distributions, maturity status, residency, site fidelity, and developmental migrations of three species of sea turtles at three study sites. Characteristics of benthic developmental habitat of C. mydas, E. imbricata, L. kempii, and, to a lesser extent, C. caretta in the Atlantic Ocean usually include benthic feeding; exclusive or nearly exclusive occupation by immature animals; seasonal or multiyear residency and site fidelity in specific areas; developmental migration from the habitat before maturation; and high genetic diversity. Variation of these traits worldwide, contradictory evidence regarding the concept of developmental habitat, and evolution of this life stage are presented. Laparoscopic data provide information concerning the process of sexual maturation; mean size and size range are presented for three maturity stages of C. mydas from Panama and Bermuda, and for size at onset of puberty and maturity for Eretmochelys and Caretta in the West Atlantic. Nicaragua is the primary site of recovery of immature green turtles tagged in Bermuda, representing a developmental migration of at least 2800 km. To the extent that tag returns and stranding data represent good proxies for mortality, transitions between life stages appear to be periods of decreased survivorship
Simonoonops.
No full text30 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm.The goblin spider genus Simonoonops Harvey has been known only from its Venezuelan type species, but the group occurs also in Guyana and the Lesser Antilles. Most of its members have been misplaced in the genus Dysderina Simon; D. princeps Simon, D. spinigera Simon, D. craneae Chickering, D. globina Chickering, D. soltina Chickering, and D. zinona Chickering are transferred to Simonoonops. Members of Simonoonops resemble those of Dysderina in having three transverse ridges on the sternum, but differ in lacking a groove connecting the anterior spiracles and having a more complex embolic region on the male palp. Two specific names are newly synonymized: S. orghidani (Dumitrescu and Georgescu) with S. craneae, and S. zinona with S. soltina. Six new species are described: S. simoni, S. grande, and S. andersoni from Venezuela, S. lutzi from Guyana, S. etang from Grenada, and S. chickeringi from Saint Vincent
Family Podocnemididae.
No full text237 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"Issued April 29, 2011."The family Podocnemididae consists of 20 genera and 30 species considered here as valid and diagnosable by cranial characters. Three of these genera and eight species persist into the Recent fauna, barely reflecting the evolutionary diversity and distribution of the group. The family extends from the late Cretaceous to the Recent and occurs in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. A phylogenetic analysis utilizes 31 podocnemidid taxa (30 named and one unnamed; a total of 37 taxa analyzed includes outgroups) in the Podocnemididae that are analyzed using PAUP. The resulting consensus of nine equally parsimonious cladograms is the basis for a new classification of the family. The family Podocnemididae is reconfirmed as monophyletic, using the unique possession of a cavum pterygoidei formed by the basisphenoid, pterygoid, prootic, and quadrate, underlain by the pterygoid and basisphenoid, among other characters. Much of our resolution agrees with that of França and Langer (2006), which can be modified and restated as follows: (Bauruemys (vilavilensis (Podocnemis (Peltocephalus, Erymnochelys)))). The two clades proposed by Broin (1991) and Lapparent de Broin (2000b, 2001, 2003a, 2003b), designated by her as the "subfamily Podocnemidinae" and the "subfamily Erymnochelinae," are inconsistent with our analysis. In our analysis the "Podocnemidinae" (sensu Broin, 1991) is paraphyletic, and the "Erymnochelinae" (sensu Broin, 1991) could be made monophyletic, with the important addition of Peltocephalus (placed in the "Podocnemidinae" by Broin). We add a number of new taxa to the basal Podocnemididae and to the broad-jawed subtribe Stereogenyina. Within the family Podocnemididae Cope, 1868, the sister taxon to all other podocnemidids and recognized as the subfamily Bauruemydinae, new, is Bauruemys elegans (Suárez, 1969a), known from associated skulls and shells. All other podocnemidids, the redefined subfamily Podocnemidinae Cope, 1868, are united by a slight to absent temporal emargination, a completely closed foramen jugulare posterius, and saddle-shaped cervical centra (modified as a separate state in Erymnochelys). A basal group of Cretaceous-Paleocene podocnemidids that are the sister group to all remaining podocnemidids, here termed the infrafamily Peiropemydodda, consisting of two taxa from the late Cretaceous of Brazil, Peiropemys mezzalirai, n. gen. et sp., and Pricemys caiera, n. gen. et sp., and Lapparentemys vilavilensis (Broin, 1971), n. gen., from the Paleocene of Bolivia. The resolution of the basal members of the family is: (Bauruemys (Pricemys (Lapparentemys, Peiropemys)) (Infrafamily Podocnemidodda)). The remaining podocnemidids form the infrafamily Podocnemidodda Cope, 1868, new rank, and is characterized by the possession of a cheek emargination that does not reach above the level of the orbit, the medial expansion of the triturating surfaces with a median maxillary ridge present, and the presence of accessory ridges on the triturating surfaces. This group contains the living podocnemidids and a series of extinct forms, including the marine broad-jawed taxa. Within the Podocnemidodda, the genus Podocnemis is the sister group to all the remaining
taxa, which is the magnatribe Erymnochelydand. When only the living fauna is considered our
results show Podocnemis as the sister taxon to Erymnochelys plus Peltocephalus, in common with
Williams (1954c), Franc¸a and Langer (2006), Meylan et al. (2009), and Cadena et al. (2010).
With the fossil taxa present, the Erymnochelydand is united only by the small to absent cheek
emargination. However, some of the fossil taxa (i.e., Caninemys, Dacquemys), are not known for
a number of characters, and, if the analysis is reduced to include only the living species,
Erymnochelys and Peltocephalus are united by a greater number of characters: cavum
pterygoidei with enlarged anterior opening, so that the foramen cavernosum enters the roof
of the cavum pterygoidei, orbits facing anterolaterally, jugal-quadrate contact present, cheek
emargination slight to absent, horizontal occipital shelf absent, premaxillae reach apertura
narium interna (also in some Podocnemis), supraoccipital roof exposure slight or absent, chorda
tympani enclosed in processus retroarticularis, neural series extends to costal six, and axillary
musk duct not in bridge.
When one considers just the Recent genera, none of the published molecular results reproduce
the Gaffney and Meylan (1988) and Lapparent de Broin (2000b) resolution of (Erymnochelys
(Podocnemis, Peltocephalus)); rather these publications show a preference for the (Peltocephalus
(Podocnemis, Erymnochelys)) arrangement, while we, in agreement with Franc¸a and Langer
(2006) and the earlier version of the present data set, Meylan et al. (2009), place our marbles with
the third alternative, (Podocnemis (Peltocephalus, Erymnochelys)). This latter hypothesis has a number of characters favoring its resolution, even when fossils are excluded. One of the more
compelling ones is the large cavum pterygoidei with an enlarged anterior opening and the
foramen cavernosum containing the lateral head vein, entering the roof of the cavum
pterygoidei.
Within the magnatribe Erymnochelydand are the following taxa: Caninemys, Dacquemys,
unnamed genus UCMP 42008, Albertwoodemys, Turkanemys, Peltocephalus, Erymnochelys,
Neochelys, Papoulemys, and the members of the tribe Stereogenyini (see below). The resolution
of Caninemys within the Erymnochelydand is not strongly supported; in only one step it
becomes a multichotomy with Podocnemis and the infrafamily Peiropemydodda. Neochelys,
Papoulemys (possibly a synonym of Neochelys), and Dacquemys, however, are strongly
supported as part of the magnatribe Erymnochelydand, as proposed earlier (Broin, 1991;
Lapparent de Broin, 2000b, 2001, 2003a, 2003b).
A new shell-based taxon, Albertwoodemys testudinum, n. gen. et sp., and an unnamed skull
and shell, UCMP 42008, are united by a high-domed shell with thick lateral ridges along the
plastron and the absence/fusion of the pectoral scales. The skull of UCMP 42008 agrees with
that in Dacquemys in having large parietals and a supraoccipital covering the posterior margin.
Lacking a skull, Albertwoodemys is not entered into the data set, but the skull-shell specimen of
the closely related UCMP 42008 is in the analysis.
New skull material identifiable as Neochelys has been discovered associated with shells of
‘‘Podocnemis’’ fajumensis Andrews, 1903, resulting in the new combination Neochelys fajumensis
(Andrews, 1903). Neochelys has the Erymnochelydand synapomorphy of a large cavum
pterygoidei with an enlarged anterior opening and the foramen cavernosum entering the roof of
the cavum pterygoidei, as in Peltocephalus and Erymnochelys. The European Neochelys species
are Eocene and the African Fayum species is Early Oligocene, extending both spatial and
temporal ranges of the genus.
The tribe Stereogenyini has a dorsal process of the palatine that reaches the frontal in the
septum orbitotemporale, the fossa precolumellaris is absent, and both foramina nervi hypoglossi
are combined and recessed in a short canal that opens on the occipital surface. Within the tribe
Stereogenyini, Mogharemys blanckenhorni Dacque´ (1912), n. gen., is the sister taxon to the welldefined
subtribe Stereogenyina.
Two groups are recognized within the subtribe Stereogenyina. The infratribe Bairdemydita
contains Bairdemys Gaffney and Wood, Latentemys plowdeni, n. gen. et sp., Cordichelys antiqua
(Andrews, 1903), n. gen. The infratribe Stereogenyita contains Brontochelys gaffneyi (Wood,
1970), n. gen., Lemurchelys diasphax, n. gen. et sp., Shweboemys Swinton, 1939, and Stereogenys
Andrews, 1901. The subtribe Stereogenyina is strongly supported by a secondary palate with a
median cleft, unique among turtles, as well as other characters. While the other Podocnemididae
were apparently freshwater species, there is evidence that many or all of the subtribe
Stereogenyina were marine or near-shore marine.
Compared with a group such as the Bothremydidae, we see in the evolution of the
Podocnemididae, a relatively conservative series of South American paraphyletic taxa with an
unusually persistent cranial as well as shell morphology, beginning in the Late Cretaceous with
Bauruemys, Peiropemys, and Pricemys, and continuing with the Paleocene Lapparentemys,
culminating in the Recent Podocnemis. A monophyletic Tertiary group with more geographic,
taxonomic, and morphologic diversity, the magnatribe Erymnochelydand, contains African,
European, Asian, and South American taxa, as well as a radiation of marine, broad-jawed
species in the mid-Tertiary. The living remnants of the Erymnochelydand are the South
American Peltocephalus and the African Erymnochelys, close relatives despite their current
geographic separation
Brignolia.
No full text131 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"Issued April 29, 2011."Males of the goblin spider genus Brignolia Dumitresco and Georgesco have palps that are heavily sclerotized, resembling those found in males of the genus Ischnothyreus Simon. Nevertheless, these palps have the dorsal depression ("fenestra") previously considered synapomorphic for the genus Opopaea Simon (plus its likely synonym Epectris Simon), and the female genitalia also correspond closely to those of Opopaea species, with the addition of a posterior tube. Brignolia males lack the inflated and subbasally connected palpal patella characteristic of Opopaea (plus Epectris), and Brignolia is therefore hypothesized to represent the sister group of those taxa. The generic names Lisna Saaristo and Aridella Saaristo, each based on a single species from the Seychelle Islands, are newly synonymized with Brignolia. The type species, B. cubana Dumitresco and Georgesco, has attained a pantropical distribution, and has at least three earlier names; Xestaspis parumpunctata Simon from Sierra Leone, Gamasomorpha perplexa Bryant from the Virgin Islands, and B. recondita (Chickering) from Panama are each placed as senior synonyms of B. cubana. Opopaea ambigua Simon, from Sri Lanka, is transferred to Brignolia. A total of 26 new species are described. Two are from the New World (B. dasysterna from Florida, and B. cobre from Florida and the West Indies), but most are from southern Asia and the Indopacific region: B. sinharaja and B. ratnapura from Sri Lanka, B. rothorum, B. cardamom, B. kumily, B. valparai, B. kaikatty, B. nilgiri, B. kodaik, B. jog, and B. karnataka from southern India, B. bengal, B. sukna, B. assam, and B. ankhu from northern India and Nepal, B. mapha, B. suthep, B. diablo, and B. chumphae from Thailand, B. schwendingeri from Vietnam, B. palawan from the Philippines, and B. gading, B. elongata, and B. kapit from Borneo
New Antarctic astrapothere.
No full text16 p. : ill., map ; 26 cm.
"June 1, 2011."During the past quarter century, the uplifted nearshore sediments comprising the Eocene La Meseta Formation (LMF) of Seymour (Marambio) Island have produced a diverse assemblage of terrestrial mammals that closely, but not exactly, resembles late Early Eocene faunas from southern Patagonia. This assemblage includes the only astrapothere and litoptern fossils known from outside South America. The occurrence of astrapotheres in LMF was originally indicated by fragmentary dental remains tentatively referred to family Trigonostylopidae on the basis of their general resemblance to the Patagonian genus Trigonostylops Ameghino. In this contribution we describe a new astrapothere specimen from LMF; unlike specimens collected previously, this one is a complete and excellently preserved lower cheek tooth, providing a basis for a review of all previous records of Astrapotheria from this formation. This tooth (probably p4 rather than m1) is sufficiently distinct from all other known astrapothere cheek teeth to warrant assignment to a new genus and species, Antarctodon sobrali. It has a transversally elongated entoconid, resembling that observed in at least one specimen of the Mustersan genus Astraponotus, but the tooth as a whole is much lower crowned and less lophodont than in the latter. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Antarctodon is closer to genera classified by previous authors as astrapotheriids (e.g., Albertogaudrya and Tetragonostylops) than it is to Trigonostylops. Reexamination of other LMF specimens previously referred to Trigonostylopidae reveals that some specimens are attributable to this new taxon and others either are not astrapotheres at all or lack distinctive features. Consequently, at present the record of order Astrapotheria in Antarctica should be considered as restricted to non-trigonostylopids
New genus, new tribe for Enicognathus melanauchen.
No full text33 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"May 11, 2011."The name Enicognathus melanauchen Jan belongs to a currently unrecognized but apparently valid species of small snake described some 140 years ago from an unknown locality in Bahia, Brazil; the unique specimen is in the Nationaal Natuurhistorisch Museum, Leiden. Attempts were unsuccessful to associate it with named genera of the colubrid subfamilies Xenodontinae, Dipsadinae, Colubrinae, and Natricinae; consequently, no basis was found for challenging the provenance. The genus Amnesteophis and tribe Amnesteophiini therefore are erected for the species. (The snake generic name Enicognathus and the emendation Henicognathus are both junior homonyms of bird names.) Assignment to Xenodontinae is partly on geographic grounds as well as on hemipenial and osteological comparisons with the other colubrid subfamilies mentioned. Tribe Amnesteophiini differs from other tribes in Xenodontinae by combination of three unusual character states: (1) straight-line configuration of posterior maxillary teeth; (2) lack of hemipenial calyces; and (3) an unforked sulcus spermaticus. Hemipenial calyces also are absent in the Xenodontini, and an unforked sulcus spermaticus occurs in one species of Echinantherini (Taeniophallus nicagus). Amnesteophis melanauchen somewhat resembles Taeniophallus occipitalis in color pattern and 15 dorsal scale rows, but A. melanauchen differs externally from all Taeniophallus in having feebly keeled dorsal scales. The provenance and taxonomic placement of Amnesteophis needs to be corroborated by new specimens, or refuted by new insight on relationships and geographic origin. Comparisons made for this study shed light on a few groups of dipsadines. The tribal name "Leptodeirini Jenner" auctorum is nomenclaturally unavailable and invalid since it was proposed in an unpublished thesis (Jenner, 1981) that cannot subsequently be used as an indication or bibliographic reference in order to confer availability (contra Dowling et al., 1983). The diagnostic character of a simple sulcus spermaticus does not strictly characterize the type genus Leptodeira as originally assumed. Several molecular studies have failed to corroborate monophyly for the group of genera originally and subsequently assigned to the "Leptodeirini," although two genera (Imantodes + Leptodeira) consistently received strong support. The biogeographically and ecologically successful Imantodes and Leptodeira, which share large geographic ranges between the tropics of Cancer and Capricorn, are placed in the new tribe Imantodini. In addition to molecular support, the loss of bifurcation of the sulcus spermaticus (Imantodes and some Leptodeira) or reduction to a small terminal fork or expanded flat area (other Leptodeira) sets off the mainly scansorial Imantodini from all other Dipsadinae except the terrestrial Mesoamerican-North American night-snakes, which appear to form an unnamed clade. The dipsadine genus Rhadinaea Cope (sensu Myers, 1974) is further partitioned by the resurrection of Rhadinella Smith, 1941, which equates to the godmani species group of 15 Middle American species. The maxillary dentition in Rhadinella is superficially similar to that of Amnesteophis in the straight-line arrangement of several posteriorly enlarged teeth (ultimate fang not offset). Similar apomorphic dentition is shared with Lower Central American Trimetopon, which differs from Rhadinella in tendency toward diminutiveness and lack of a basal nude pocket on the hemipenis. Offset fangs (whether grooved or smooth) appear symplesiomorphic within most genera of Xenodontinae and Dipsadinae, although possibly synapomorphic for these groups combined
New genus Malagiella.
No full text86 p. : ill. (some col.), col. maps ; 26 cm.A new oonopid genus endemic to Madagascar, Malagiella, is proposed and its 10 constituent species newly described and illustrated: M. ambalavo ([male]), M. andringitra ([male, female]), M. fisheri ([m, f]), M. goodmani ([f]), M. nikina ([f]), M. ranavalona ([f]), M. ranomafana ([m, f]), M. toliara ([m, f]), M. valterova ([m, f]), and M. vohiparara ([m, f]). Malagiella is most similar to the Asian genus Camptoscaphiella in both somatic and genitalic features, but differs in some important characters. Unlike Camptoscaphiella, the Malagiella male has a palpal bulb completely fused with the tarsus and a sternum bearing stiff bristles; the female has a round copulatory opening and bifid 4th claws. The species may be recognized by the genitalia. Male palpi are fairly uniform, but differ in segment proportion and details of the embolus complex, which consists of a broad dorsal embolus connected to a laminar ventral prong. Female genitalia are more variable, especially in the curvature of the receptaculum, which spans the range from nearly straight to widely sinuous and occurs in mirror-image versions having opposite coiling. These torsional variants, with females having either left- or right-handed receptacula, probably occur in all species, although they are not evident in species with straight receptacula and (obviously) unknown in species represented by singleton female specimens. Malagiella species are very diverse somatically, ranging from dark, big, and large-eyed species to pale, small, and reduced-eyed ones. Our preliminary clustering uses mostly these somatic features, with some genitalic support, to identify three species groups: ranomafana, vohiparara, and toliara. Other genitalic characters that suggest different groupings are discussed