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Metaparagia doddi.
No full text6 p. : ill. (some col.) ; 26 cm.
"November 30, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 6).The first record of Metaparagia doddi Meade-Waldo since the description of the type is given, the male is described, and a host plant recorded. Characters of the male are scored in a cladistic data matrix previously published by Carpenter (1997); analysis of the revised matrix results in the same cladogram as in that study
Eucricetodon of the Junggar Basin, China.
No full text21 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"November 30, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 17-19).New specimens of Eucricetodon are described from the late Oligocene Tieersihabahe Formation of the Junggar basin, northern Xinjiang, China. The relatively abundant material documents the morphological variation within Asian species of the genus. The taxon, identified as E. aff. E. caducus, is similar to E. caducus from the Oligocene of Kazakhstan and China and E. occasionalis from the Early Miocene of Kazakhstan. It also shows noticeable resemblances to E. longidens from the Late Oligocene of Europe whose origin is currently in debate. The study confirms the strong morphological affinity between Asian and European species of Eucricetodon and suggests that the evolutionary trends among paracricetodontines are probably more complex than previously assumed, especially with the new forms discovered from the last decade. A systematic revision of Eurasian paracricetodontines at species level is needed to understand their evolutionary history
Deseadan of Moquegua, Perú.
No full text24 p. : ill., maps ; 26 cm.
"November 30, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 22-24).Subsequent to our initial reports of the discovery of Deseadan fossils in southern Perú, we have obtained new data regarding the paleontology and geology of the upper member of the Moquegua Formation. These data include newly recovered fossil specimens and further analyses of those collected in our earlier field seasons. We have also obtained an ash directly from within the fossil-bearing units near the summit of Cerro Pan de Azúcar. Biotites from this Sugarloaf ash give an age estimate of 26.25 ± 0.10 Ma, thus supporting our previous suggestion that these fossil-bearing horizons are of late Oligocene age (Deseadan South American Land Mammal Age) and removing our query regarding a possible early Miocene age. Most of the fossils are of notoungulates and most of these are trachytheriine mesotheriids. Remarkably, three distinct mesotheriid taxa appear to have been present in the Moquegua fauna, none of which are referable to the common Trachytherus alloxus of the nearby and at least partly contemporaneous Salla beds of Bolivia. Other fossils documented here include postcranial elements of the notohippid notoungulate, Moqueguahippus, a macraucheniid litoptern (cf. Coniopternium), an osteoderm of an unnamed species of armadillo (Dasypodidae, cf. Dasypodinae), and a claw of a phorusrhacid bird. We also describe a diminutive new hystricognath rodent, Sallamys quispea, sp. nov. It is similar to, but distinct from, S. pascuali of Salla. Indeed, despite the temporal and geographic proximity of Moquegua to Salla, none of the taxa from Moquegua that can be identified to species are known from Salla. Likewise, we have failed to find any dasypodids from Salla that have osteoderms like that described in this work. Thus, it is appears that distinctive paleogeographic and paleoenvironmental conditions in the late Oligocene led to a regional biotic differentiation for the Moquegua area of coastal Perú
Evolutionary Depth of Human Brain Language Areas: Roles of Common Ancestors and Major Adaptive Shifts
No full text1 hr 2 min
Phylogeny of Asilidae inferred from morphological characters of imagines (Insecta, Diptera, Brachycera, Asiloidea). (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 319)
No full text175 p. : ill. (some col.), map ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-131).A phylogenetic hypothesis is proposed for higher-level relationships within Asilidae, based on a sample of 158 species from 140 genera representing all 11 previously recognized subfamily taxa and 39 of the 42 tribal taxa and 220 discrete, parsimony informative, morphological characters from all tagmata of the imagines. Cladistic analysis results in 720 most parsimonious trees of 2760 steps in length, and a strict consensus topology of 2965 steps. The strict consensus cladogram is well resolved except for species of Apocleinae and Asilinae, which form a large polytomy. Monophyly of Asilidae is corroborated and supported by five autapomorphies: (1) labella of labium fused to prementum at least ventrally; (2) hypopharynx heavily sclerotized; (3) hypopharynx with dorsal seta-like spicules; (4) labrum short and at most half as long as labium; (5) cibarium trapezoidal. The clade Apioceridae + Mydidae is the sister group to Asilidae. The phylogenetic hypothesis indicates that five out of the 11 previously recognized subfamily taxa are non-monophyletic, i.e., Apocleinae, Asilinae, Dasypogoninae, Laphystiinae, and Stenopogoninae. The present cladistic analysis forms the most comprehensive phylogenetic study on Asilidae to date and is used to revise the taxon’s phylogenetic classification in which 14 subfamily taxa are recognized. Ommatiinae, Trigonomiminae, and Stichopogoninae are recovered as monophyletic and contain the same genera as previously postulated. Dioctriinae and Leptogastrinae are also recovered as monophyletic, but the genera Myelaphus and Acronyches are transferred to them, respectively. Asilinae comprises all Apocleinae and Asilinae species and Laphriinae comprises all Laphriinae and Laphystiinae species sensu previous authors. Dasypogoninae and Stenopogoninae are divided into several taxa at phylogenetically unrelated positions in the cladogram. The Dasypogoninae comprises only Blepharepiini, Dasypogonini, Lastauracini, Megapodini (including Cyrtophryina, Lagodiina, Megapodina, and Senobasina), Molobratiini, Saropogonini, and Thereutriini as well as the unplaced genera Archilestris, Diogmites, and Lestomyia. The remaining taxa possessing either a large prothoracic tibial spine, i.e., Brachyrhopalini and Chrysopogonini, or a small S-shaped spur, i.e., Cophura, Leptarthrus, and Nicocles, are part of the Brachyrhopalinae (new status). The Stenopogoninae comprises only Enigmomorphini, Plesiommatini, and Stenopogonini as well as the unplaced genera Ancylorhynchus and Scylaticus. Bathypogoninae (new status), Phellinae (new status), Tillobromatinae (new status), and Willistonininae (new status) are new subfamilial taxa previously assigned to Stenopogoninae. The remaining Stenopogoninae sensu previous authors represented here, i.e., Cyrtopogonini, Ceraturgini, Heteropogon, Holopogon, Metapogon, and Rhabdogaster, are assigned to the Brachyrhopalinae (new status). The genera Coleomyia and Oligopogon remain incertae sedis as neither genus groups with any other Asilidae, and are positioned as adelphotaxa to speciose clades. The higher-level relationships are: (Laphriinae ((Asilinae + Ommatiinae) (Bathypogoninae (Phellinae ((Tillobromatinae (Coleomyia incertae sedis + Dasypogoninae + Stenopogoninae)) (Willistonininae (Oligopogon incertae sedis ((Dioctriinae (Leptogastrinae + Trigonomiminae)) (Brachyrhopalinae + Stichopogoninae)))))))))
New material (Pleurodira, Bothremydidae)
No full text26 p. : ill., 1 map ; 26 cm.
"June 25, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 25-26).New cranial and postcranial material of the pleurodire family Bothremydidae, subtribe Bothremydina, from the Gulf Coastal Plain of North America, clarifies the distribution of the genera Bothremys and Chedighaii. New skull material from the Campanian Tar Heel Formation of North Carolina shows the presence of both Bothremys and Chedighaii, based on a maxilla and lower jaw. Additionally, a series of otic chambers and basicrania, while providing important information on morphology, are identified as subtribe Bothremydina, genus and species indeterminate, as the basicranium alone is insufficient to distinguish Bothremys and Chedighaii. An associated skull-shell specimen belonging to the pleurodire subtribe Bothremydina from the Campanian Mooreville Chalk of Alabama, FMNH PR 247, identified in Gaffney et al. (2006) as Chedighaii barberi, is reinterpreted as belonging to the genus Bothremys. A maxilla and jugal fragment found among the material belonging to FMNH PR 247 shows that this specimen has a skull with deep pits on its triturating surface, diagnostic of the genus Bothremys, and in contrast to the flat triturating surface of Chedighaii. Because FMNH PR 247 has an associated partial skull and shell, it was the basis for placing the species "Podocnemis" barberi Schmidt, 1940, the type of which is a shell, in Chedighaii Gaffney et al., 2006. A result of this identification is that the species "Podocnemis" barberi Schmidt, 1940, cannot be assigned to a genus, as the shell morphology of Chedighaii Gaffney et al., 2006, and Bothremys Leidy, 1865, cannot be distinguished at present. A review of the shell material in the subtribe Bothremydina concludes that shells alone are inadequate to reliably distinguish alpha-level taxa in this group at present. It is likely that ALAB PV 2001.2, NCSM 23681, and YPM PU 12951, here referred to Chedighaii sp., belong to a new species of Chedighaii, distinct from Chedighaii hutchisoni, but the material is too incomplete at present to adequately diagnosis it.American Museum of Natural History
Escaphiella, new genus of goblin spiders.
No full text151 p. : ill. (1 col.), maps ; 26 cm.
"Issued September 3, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 146-147, 149-151) and index.A new genus, Escaphiella, is established for a group of 36 oonopid species found from the United States south to Chile and Argentina. The previously known species had been placed in Scaphiella Simon, and Escaphiella is hypothesized to be the sister group of that genus. Members of the two groups share a laterally extended ventral abdominal scutum and a distinctive female genitalic conformation, but differ in cheliceral shape and setation, female palpal tarsal shape, male and female palpal tarsal setation, embolus form, and posterior respiratory structure. At least seven species of Escaphiella are characterized by the highly unusual occurrence of asymmetry between the right and left male pedipalps. In at least eight species, the right and left posterior median spinnerets are fused into a single median projection, or even lost entirely. Nine specific names are transferred from Scaphiella: S. hespera Chamberlin (chosen as the type species), S. litoris Chamberlin, S. juvenilis (Gertsch and Davis), S. iguala Gertsch and Davis, S. schmidti Reimoser, S. gertschi Chickering, S. itys Simon, S. scutata Chickering, and S. argentina Birabén. Two of those names are newly synonymized: E. juvenilis with E. hespera, and E. scutata with E. itys. The female of E. hespera is described for the first time, and 29 new species are described: E. nye from California and Nevada, E. acapulco, E. colima, E. catemaco, E. tonila, E. chiapa, E. nayarit, E. magna, and E. olivacea from Mexico, E. viquezi from Honduras and Nicaragua, E. tayrona, E. betin, and E. gigantea from Colombia, E. bolivar from Venezuela, E. cidades, E. hesperoides, E. maculosa, E. cachimbo, E. aratau, E. bahia, E. pocone, E. blumenau, and E. morro from Brazil, E. exlineae from Peru, E. peckorum from Argentina, E. ramirezi from Argentina and Uruguay, E. ocoa from Chile, and E. cristobal and E. isabela from the Galapagos Islands
Neogene amphicyonid Borocyon.
No full text95 p. : ill. (1 col.), map ; 26 cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 84-87).In the early Miocene, endemic North American amphicyonids of the subfamily Daphoeninae evolved a lineage of large beardogs adapted for prey pursuit over open terrain. Three species comprise this lineage, here placed in the genus Daphoenodon, subgenus Borocyon Peterson, 1910, the sister subgenus to the daphoenine beardog Daphoenodon (Daphoenodon). These species (Borocyon robustum, B. niobrarensis, B. neomexicanus, n. sp.) are distinguished by limbs modified for fore-aft motion and parasagittal alignment contributing to a lengthened stride. These adaptive features are most evident in the terminal species, B. robustum, where the forelimb is conspicuously elongated. The species of Borocyon increase in body size from small B. neomexicanus, known only from the latest Arikareean of northern New Mexico, through earliest Hemingfordian B. niobrarensis from western Nebraska and southeast Wyoming, to B. robustum, likely the keystone predator of its guild. Borocyon robustum (~ 100-150 kg) was the most widely distributed, occurring during the early Hemingfordian from the Pacific Northwest through the Great Plains to the Florida Gulf Coast. Regional aridity prevalent in the North American midcontinent during the Arikareean may have contributed to the emergence of Borocyon by providing an appropriate niche for a long-legged, open-country predator. The skeleton of Borocyon robustum, based on composite elements acquired over many decades, reveals a carnivoran unlike any living pursuit predator. The species displays a mosaic of postcranial features that parallel limb elements of both highly evolved cursors (Canis lupus, Acinonyx jubatus) and large, ambush felids (Panthera leo, P. tigris). Skeletal traits contributing to its efficient locomotion include: proportionately lengthened forelimbs, the parasagittal radioulnar articulation with the humerus, an elongate radius and ulna, a modified carpal structure, and paraxonic elongate metapodials of the fore- and hindfoot, as well as details of the anatomy of femur, tibia, and proximal tarsals. These postcranial features indicate a large digitigrade predator with a number of anatomical parallels in the forelimb to running pursuit predators such as the wolf, but there are also musculoskeletal adaptations of the shoulder and hindlimb that compare with those of large, living felids. Skull, dentition, and mandibular anatomy are similar to those of living wolves. However, Borocyon robustum, on average a much larger carnivore, placed even greater emphasis on a pattern of dental occlusion and toothwear suggesting both carnivory and durophagous habits. Physiological attributes of Borocyon that may have contributed significantly to its adaptive program as a pursuit predator remain unknown
Isoptera in Dominican amber.
No full text48 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"March 31, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 46-48).The most diverse and best-preserved paleofauna of the higher termites heretofore known, all found in Miocene amber of the Dominican Republic, is described. The imago of Coptotermes priscus Emerson is redescribed, and the soldier of C. priscus, the first known fossil soldier of this genus, is described. The fauna includes the following 29 new species, all in existing genera, with Krishna and Grimaldi as authors of each: in the Rhinotermitidae, two new species based on imagoes of each--Coptotermes hirsutus and C. paleodominicanus; in the Termitidae, 23 new species based on imagoes--Amitermes lucidus, Anoplotermes bohio, A. cacique, A. carib, A. maboya, A. naboria, A. nitaino, A. quisqueya, A. taino, Atlantitermes antillea, A. caribea, A. magnoculus, Microcerotermes insulanus, M. setosus, Nasutitermes amplioculatus, N. incisus, N. magnocellus, N. medioculatus, N. pilosus, N. seminudus, Subulitermes hispaniola, S. insularis, and Termes primitivus; in the Nasutitermitinae four new species based on nasute soldiers--Caribitermes hispaniola, Nasutitermes rotundicephalus, Parvitermes longinasus, and Velocitermes bulbus. This brings the total termite fauna in Dominican amber to four families, 17 genera, and 39 species, a number that exceeds that of the present-day fauna of Hispaniola. Biogeographical, paleoecological, and phylogenetic implications of the Dominican amber termites are discussed.Published by the American Museum of Natural History, New York, NY
Biology of the bee Hoplitis (Anthocopa)
No full text12 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.
"June 25, 2009."
Includes bibliographical references (p. 11-12).Herein we describe the nesting biology of the solitary ground-nesting bee Hoplitis (Hoplitis) monstrabilis Tkalců from eastern Turkey. Its shallow nests in the ground differ from the known nests of members of subgenus Hoplitis, most of which make mortar and pebble nests either on the exposed surfaces of rocks or within stems or other cavities. Cells are not lined with flower petals or other vegetative tissue, as expected for subgenus Hoplitis, but unlike other ground-nesting species of Hoplitis belonging to other subgenera such as Anthocopa. The egg of this bee is also described and illustrated, as is the fifth (last) larval instar.American Museum of Natural History