21,305 research outputs found

    A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated ' sky island' of northern Mozambique

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    Portik, Daniel M., Travers, Scott L., Bauer, Aaron M., Branch, William R. (2013): A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated ' sky island' of northern Mozambique. Zootaxa 3710 (5): 415-435, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3710.5.

    A new Reed Frog (Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius) from coastal northeastern Mozambique

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    Conradie, Werner, Verburgt, Luke, Portik, Daniel M., Ohler, Annemarie, Bwong, Beryl A., Lawson, Lucinda P. (2018): A new Reed Frog (Hyperoliidae: Hyperolius) from coastal northeastern Mozambique. Zootaxa 4379 (2): 177-198, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4379.2.

    Report on Meteorological Research March 1, 1935 (m-1)

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    The object of the report was to elucidate in detail the various features of the research program in meteorology being carried on at the Daniel Guggenheim Airship Institute in Akron, Ohio. Mr. L. J. Fangman, of the U.S. Weather Bureau, was collaborating with the author in carrying out work such as a study of autographic records of the various meteorological elements during frontal passages with a view to the possible prediction of the intensity of the accompanying disturbance as it may affect the operation of aircraft and a study of atmospheric gustiness with a view to finding the dependence between frequency end amplitude of velocity fluctuations and the vertical temperature and velocity gradients

    (Fourth) Report on Meteorological Activities at the DGAI (8-1-36)(Weather Bureau Copy)

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    This report is on the investigations of frontal phenomena at the Daniel Guggenheim Airship Institute in Akron, Ohio from January 1, 1935 through August 1, 1936. The investigation was carried out with the cooperation of the U.S. Bureau of Aeronautics, the U.S. Weather Bureau, the California Institute of Technology, and the Guggenheim Airship Institute. Mr. R.C. Robinson of the Weather Bureau cooperated with the author in carrying out the investigation. The object of the investigation was to determine the intensity of the atmospheric disturbances (i.e. rapidity of wind shift and gustiness) accompanying the passage of cold fronts, along with a study of the characteristics of the air masses involved and other features which might affect the intensity of the disturbance. The report treated thirty cold fronts which passed the station during 1935 to 1936

    Lygodactylus regulus Portik, Travers, Bauer & Branch, 2013, sp. nov.

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    Lygodactylus regulus sp. nov. Prince Dwarf Gecko (Figs. 6–8) Holotype. MVZ 266138, Adult male, Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Mt. Namuli (15 ° 23 ' 15 "S, 37 °04' 24 "E, 1281 m a.s.l.), collected by D. M. Portik, 10 August 2011 (Fig. 6). Paratypes. Three specimens: MVZ 266137, adult male, Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Mt. Namuli (15 ° 22 ’ 28 ”S, 37 °03’ 54 ”E, 1421 m a.s.l.), collected by D. M. Portik, 10 August 2011 (Fig. 7); PEM R 14922, adult female, Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Mt. Namuli, Ridge leading to Marakuni Ridge (1537 AC, 1800 m a.s.l.), collected by P. Ryan, 30 November 1998; PEM R 20277, adult female, Mozambique, Zambézia Province, Mt. Namuli, Muretha Plateau (15 ° 23 ’04.5”S, 37 °03’ 13.6 ”E, 1878 m a.s.l.), collected by J. Bayliss, 27 May 2007 (Fig. 8). Etymology. The specific epithet is derived from Latin regulus = petty king, prince. The closest relative of this species is Lygodactylus rex, the King Dwarf Gecko or Regal Dwarf Gecko, which exhibits a larger body size and inhabits nearby Mt. Mulanje, Malawi, an overall larger massif than Mt. Namuli, Mozambique. Given the smaller body size, smaller size of the massif inhabited, and close relationship with the King Dwarf Gecko, we recommend the common name Prince Dwarf Gecko for this species. Diagnosis. Lygodactylus regulus sp. nov. differs from all other species in the genus Lygodactylus, except for L. angularis, L. picturatus, and L. rex, in its larger body size (males 38–39 mm SVL, females 38–40 mm SVL). Lygodactylus regulus sp. nov. differs from both L. angularis and L. picturatus by having a mental with shallow lateral fissures (mental entire in L. angularis and L. picturatus), and by having a conspicuous ocellus above the shoulder, a trait shared with L. rex. From the latter it can be distinguished by having an overall smaller body size (L. regulus sp. nov.: males 38–39 mm SVL, females 38–40 mm SVL; L. rex: males 47–55 mm SVL, females 39–46 mm SVL), often having a condition of three postmentals rather than two postmentals (L. regulus sp. nov.: 75 %, n = 4; L. rex: 37.5 %, n = 16), males possessing a greater number of precloacal pores (L. regulus sp. nov.: 12–13; L. rex: 8–11), having more variability in the condition of contact of first infralabial with the postmental or postpostmentals (L. regulus sp. nov.: ranging from contact with postmental only to <25 % overlap with postpostmental; L. rex: ranging from <25 % overlap with postpostmental to 50 % overlap with postpostmental), and sometimes displaying a pale dorsolateral stripe originating behind the eye and extending down the trunk. These two species can also be distinguished genetically using mitochondrial or nuclear markers, with average p -distance values between L. regulus sp. nov. and L. rex being 12.9 % (ND 2), 1.2 % (MXRA 5), and 3.0% (RAG- 1). Finally, the two species are geographically well separated by over 160 km. Description of holotype. MVZ 266138; Adult male; SVL: 38.9 mm; TrunkL: 18.5 mm; CrusL: 5.9 mm; TaiIL: 49.2 mm; TaiIW: 4.7 mm; HeadL: 11.2 mm; HeadW: 7.0 mm; HeadH: 4.5 mm; EarL: 0.9 mm; ForeaL: 5.3 mm; OrbD: 1.9 mm; NarEye: 3.5 mm; SnEye: 4.7 mm; EyeEar: 3.2 mm; Internar: 2.0 mm; Interorb: 4.1 mm. Build moderate; head very broad and distinct from neck. Snout long and broad, the distance from the tip to anterior border of the eye slightly greater than the interorbital distance anteriorly, greater than the distance between eye and ear opening. Snout covered with heterogeneous flattened granular scales, medium-sized on crown of head and middle of snout, becoming smaller laterally above eye, and larger anteriorly on snout, reaching largest size in loreal region. Scales on the snout larger than those on the occiput, which are, in turn, much larger than the small convex dorsal granules. Canthus rostralis not prominent. Rostral pentagonal, wider than high. Nostril oval and directed slightly posteriorly, bordered by rostral, first supralabial, supranasal, and two postnasals; supranasals separated by a single small internasal granule. Spiny superciliaries present. Mental heptaganol with shallow lateral fissures, followed by two large postmentals. Scales behind postmentals enlarged, decreasing in size towards base of throat, then increasing in size on chest and belly. Supralabials 8 - 8; infralabials 8 - 8. Gulars imbricate, 26 between posteriormost infralabials. Dorsal granular scales roughly homogeneous, slightly larger on ventrolateral portions of trunk. Limbs well developed but short, pentadactyl, 1 st digit greatly reduced and lacking claw. Distal portions of remaining digits expanded, bearing claw. Six pairs of lamellae under fourth finger; 8 enlarged subdigital scales occur proximally to manual lamellae; six pairs of lamellae beneath fourth toe. Granular scales on dorsal surface of limbs roughly homogeneous and similar size to those on trunk; scales on ventral surface of thighs subhexagonal, subimbricate, and same size as those on trunk; scales on ventral surface of arms subhexagonal, subimbricate, and smaller in size than those on trunk. Precloacal pores 12, arranged in a chevron roughly 6 scale rows anterior to cloaca posteriorly. Three rows of 4–6 enlarged, glandular scales (β-glands) present along the ventral surface of thighs. Tail shape cylindrical, caudal scales dorsally semi-flattened, imbricate, largely homogeneous; subcaudal scales large, flattened, subhexagonal, subimbricate, and arranged in a single broad row. Further measurements are recorded in Tables 4 and 5. Coloration in ethanol. Above, a more-or-less uniform cinnamon brown background coloration, with a broad continuous kingfisher rufous lateral stripe extending from the shoulder to the base of the tail (Fig. 6 B). Anterior to the shoulder the stripe breaks and continues irregularly to the posterior border of the eye, narrowing substantially in width. Just above the shoulder is a large black patch with a small white spot in the center. Dorsum of head anterior to crown is uniform burnt umber, throat is sulphur yellow with three pairs of irregular black stripes approximately two granules wide which converge from the labials towards the chest, with the two most distal pairs meeting and the most proximal pair remaining separated by three granules. Dorsal surfaces of limbs cinnamon brown, with irregular lighter markings. Body venter smoky white with no markings or speckling. Gular region suffused with pale sulphur yellow and bearing medium neutral gray markings (Fig. 6 C, yellow lacking in paratype MVZ 266137 – Fig. 7 D). Dorsum of tail cinnamon brown with lighter chevron pattern (kingfisher rufous to pale pinkish buff), laterally exhibiting 19 cinnamon brown rectangular markings separated by kingfisher rufous background with minute pale pinkish buff spots, ventrally smoky white suffused with grey posteriorly. Measurements recorded to the nearest 0.1 millimeter. Note: Paratype PEM R 20277 has a damaged head and several measurements were unable to be recorded. Museum abbreviations: MVZ, Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley; PEM, Port Elizabeth Museum. Coloration in life. Recently euthanized specimens prior to fixation (Figs. 6 A, 7 A) are smoke gray to cinnamon-drab in background coloration with darker brown to black markings and a paler thick dorsolateral stripe. In the holotype this stripe contains a series of well-defined circular to oval markings ranging from cinnamon-drab anteriorly to cream white posteriorly. The ocellus anterior to the forelimb insertion is bright white with a black border. In paratype MVZ 266137 the pale dorsolateral stripe extends to the posterior border of the orbit. Paratype PEM R 20277 (Fig. 8) exhibits a much more mottled pattern than seen in other members of the type series or in L. rex. This is dominated by brick red and dusky brown to smoky white dorsal markings, including a series of light lateral blotches. The ocellus near the limb insertion is bright white with a blackish surround. Venter of throat and chest bright white; abdomen, thighs and tail venter yellow (between pale greenish yellow and sulphur yellow) with area of β-glands trogon yellow (based on MVZ 266137, Fig. 7 B). The iris is crimson. Paratype variation. MVZ 266137: Nostril bordered by rostral, first supralabial, supranasal, and one postnasal; mental hexaganol with shallow lateral fissures, followed by three postmentals (two large, one small); supralabials 7 - 7; infralabials 7 - 7; precloacal pores 13; gulars between posteriormost infralabials 28. Color in ethanol: Broad kingfisher rufous lateral stripe extends unbroken from base of tail to posterior border of eye, narrowing significantly in width approaching eye. Dorsum of anterior part of head is uniform burnt umber, with 3 to 4 minute cream spots along canthus rostralis. Throat is white with three pairs of irregular black stripes that converge from the infralabials towards the chest. Lateral dark rectangles on tail less conspicuous, but a line of minute pale pinkish buff spots still discernable. PEM R 14922: Five pairs of lamellae under 4 th finger; mental with shallow lateral fissures, followed by three postmentals (two large, one small); supralabials 7 - 7; infralabials 8 - 8. PEM R 20277: Five pairs of lamellae under 4 th toe; mental with shallow lateral fissures, followed by three postmentals (two large, one small). Additional differences in morphological measurements are recorded in Tables 4 and 5. Size. Largest male (MVZ 266138) 38.8 + 49.2 = 88.0 mm; largest female (PEM R 14922) 40.7 + 38.0 = 78.7 mm (tail truncated). Distribution and habitat. The holotype (MVZ 266138) was collected from the rafters of a village hut, similar to the structure appearing in the foreground of Fig. 9 A. The immediate surrounding vegetation had been cleared for agricultural plots, however a riparian forest strip was approximately 40 m west of the plot. This limited riparian forest followed the flowing Nanchili drainage below Nanchili Falls, and during a visual survey no specimens were located in this habitat. The paratype, MVZ 266137, was found basking on wooden debris adjacent to a local residence, surrounded by cultivated plots. The paratype PEM R 14922 was collected on rock in an open grassy area west of Ukalini Forest on the southern side of Mt. Namuli (15 ° 22 ’S, 37 °03’E, 1800 m a.s.l.) (Fig. 9 B, C). This area consists of a large granite whaleback with a thin layer of peaty soil that dries seasonally, thereby exfoliating and exposing the rock below (similar to Fig. 9 C). Branch and Ryan (2001) report another individual (presumably L. regulus sp. nov.) was seen on a dead tree stump in similar habitat bordering the forest edge at the southern flank of Peseni, a peak 4 km southwest of Mt. Namuli (15 ° 23 ’S, 37 °02’E). Another paratype (PEM R 20277) was collected on the Muretha plateau on an exfoliating rock flake (15 ° 23 ’04.5”S, 37 °03’ 13.6 ”E, 1878 m a.s.l.). Based on the limited number of specimens and observations, Lygodactylus regulus sp. nov. has been found in open grassy habitat between 1281–1878 m a.s.l. and utilizes a variety of basking sites, including exposed rock, tree stumps, woody debris, and artificial habitat. The exposed granite domes forming the main peaks throughout the Namuli massif may also serve as suitable habitat, provided some retreat is available. Lygodactylus regulus sp. nov. has not been recorded in Ukalini Forest, which consists of Afromontane forest vegetation, despite concerted attempts to locate it. All reports indicate this species does not require montane forest or mid-elevation forest habitat, and is often found adjacent to forest habitats. This contrasts with L. rex which is known only from midelevation forest habitats (Lukubula Forest Station, 825 m a.s.l.; Ruo Gorge riverine forest along Lujeri River, 995 m a.s.l.), except for a population on Lichenya Hut on Mt. Mulanje (1858 m a.s.l.). There are no other records of the species on the summit of Mt Mulanje, indicating that the Lichenya Hut population is possibly introduced as the hut is the largest on the mountain and was constructed in the 1920 ’s for use as a ‘hill station’ allowing families from the tea estates to escape the summer heat (Eastwood 1988). The species has only been observed on trees or buildings, and has not been observed on rocks. However, a series of L. rex eggs were found in a crumbling rock crack sheltered by forest trees in Ruo Gorge. The broader Namuli massif covers an area of roughly 200 km 2 above 1200 m, with an estimated 300 ha of higher elevation grasslands (Timberlake et al. 2009), and it is likely that L. regulus sp. nov. is dispersed throughout this habitat. A survey at the nearby lower elevation town of Gurué produced only L. capensis, which seems to replace L. regulus sp. nov. at elevations below 800 m (Portik et al. 2013).Published as part of Portik, Daniel M., Travers, Scott L., Bauer, Aaron M. & Branch, William R., 2013, A new species of Lygodactylus (Squamata: Gekkonidae) endemic to Mount Namuli, an isolated ' sky island' of northern Mozambique, pp. 415-435 in Zootaxa 3710 (5) on pages 423-431, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3710.5.2, http://zenodo.org/record/24892

    Daniel Akech

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    abstract: Daniel was a little boy when the war came to his village. He witnessed people being shot and running for shelter. There was no food or water so he drank urine and ate tree leaves. “Lost Boys Found” is an ongoing, interdisciplinary project that is collecting, recording and archiving the oral histories of the Lost Boys/Girls of Sudan. The collection is a work-in-progress, seeking to record the oral history of as many Lost Boys/Girls as are willing, and will be used in a future book.Age: 24Region: Upper NileThis picture and bio was donated to the "Lost Boys Found" oral history project from The Arizona Lost Boys Cente

    Daniel Emmett postcard

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    Postcard of Daniel Emmett and his home in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Emmett is considered to be the author of the antebellum song "Dixie," written in 1859, which became the unofficial song of the Confederate soldiers during the American Civil War. He was born in Mount Vernon in 1815 and taught himself the fiddle, and later became associated with minstrel shows and helped to define that genre. Minstrel shows traveled around the United States, presenting skits and musical performances. Emmett also composed many other songs, including "Old Dan Tucker," "Turkey in the Straw," and "The Blue Tail Fly." He died in 1904

    Daniel Jau Maper

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    abstract: Daniel Jau Maper was herding cattle when Arabs attacked his village. “Lost Boys Found” is an ongoing, interdisciplinary project that is collecting, recording and archiving the oral histories of the Lost Boys/Girls of Sudan. The collection is a work-in-progress, seeking to record the oral history of as many Lost Boys/Girls as are willing, and will be used in a future book.Age: 27Region: Upper NileThis picture and bio was donated to the "Lost Boys Found" oral history project from The Arizona Lost Boys Cente

    Daniel A. Ngor

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    When Daniel was five years old Arab soldiers attacked his village. “Lost Boys Found” is an ongoing, interdisciplinary project that is collecting, recording and archiving the oral histories of the Lost Boys/Girls of Sudan. The collection is a work-in-progress, seeking to record the oral history of as many Lost Boys/Girls as are willing, and will be used in a future book.Age : 23Region: Upper NileThis picture and bio was donated to the "Lost Boys Found" oral history project from The Arizona Lost Boys Cente
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