The taxonomic status ofpraeanthropus africanus (primates: Pongidae) from the late pliocene of Eastern Africa

Primates ◽  
1986 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 485-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter W. Ferguson
Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2281 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-67 ◽  
Author(s):  
JURATE DE PRINS ◽  
RAIMONDAS MOZŪRAITIS ◽  
CARLOS LOPEZ-VAAMONDE ◽  
RODOLPHE ROUGERIE

The sex attractant for Phyllonorycter melanosparta (Meyrick, 1912) has been determined as (10E)-dodec-10-en-1-yl acetate and (10E)-dodec-10-en-1-ol combined in a ratio 10:1. The distribution of this species in Eastern Africa is updated and its presence in Kenya is recorded for the first time. We discuss the taxonomic status of P. melanosparta with reference to three character sets: semiochemicals, morphological and molecular characters (DNA barcodes). This combination of characters is also proposed as a new approach to study the diversity and phylogeny of Phyllonorycter in the Afrotropical region.


Paleobiology ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-511 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey K. McKee

Two models of faunal turnover patterns, one with constant turnover and another with climatically induced turnover pulses, were tested against the empirical fossil data of first and last appearances of large mammals from the late Pliocene and Pleistocene of East Africa. Computer simulations of each model were generated by first creating change in hypothetical faunal communities and then sampling the evolving communities in a manner scaled to the specific contingencies of the East African fossil record. Predictions of the two turnover models were compared with the empirical data. Neither model yielded predictions that deviated significantly from the observed patterns of first and last appearances of species, and both models produced extremely similar results. The implication is that the fossil data of East Africa are not refined enough to detect variations in the pace of turnover; the patterns of first- and last-appearance frequencies are determined more by the contingencies of the fossil record than by the underlying evolutionary and migrational patterns. Whereas these results undermine the primary basis of empirical support for the turnover-pulse hypothesis, they do not imply that other models are more likely. However, the simulation results were highly suggestive of significant reduction in species biodiversity of large mammals during the past 2 Myr.


2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1741) ◽  
pp. 3193-3200 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria L. Herridge ◽  
Adrian M. Lister

The insular dwarfism seen in Pleistocene elephants has come to epitomize the island rule; yet our understanding of this phenomenon is hampered by poor taxonomy. For Mediterranean dwarf elephants, where the most extreme cases of insular dwarfism are observed, a key systematic question remains unresolved: are all taxa phyletic dwarfs of a single mainland species Palaeoloxodon antiquus (straight-tusked elephant), or are some referable to Mammuthus (mammoths)? Ancient DNA and geochronological evidence have been used to support a Mammuthus origin for the Cretan ‘Palaeoloxodon’ creticus , but these studies have been shown to be flawed. On the basis of existing collections and recent field discoveries, we present new, morphological evidence for the taxonomic status of ‘P’. creticus , and show that it is indeed a mammoth, most probably derived from Early Pleistocene Mammuthus meridionalis or possibly Late Pliocene Mammuthus rumanus . We also show that Mammuthus creticus is smaller than other known insular dwarf mammoths, and is similar in size to the smallest dwarf Palaeoloxodon species from Sicily and Malta, making it the smallest mammoth species known to have existed. These findings indicate that extreme insular dwarfism has evolved to a similar degree independently in two elephant lineages.


Zootaxa ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 3599 (3) ◽  
pp. 201-228 ◽  
Author(s):  
ELIZABETH SCOTT ◽  
JOHN D. VISSER ◽  
CAROLINE A. YETMAN ◽  
CAROLINE A. YETMAN ◽  
LAUREN OLIVER ◽  
...  

Pyxicephalus currently contains three recognized species, viz. P. adspersus, P. edulis and P. obbianus, the former two of which have a long history of confusion. Parry (1982) described P. adspersus angusticeps from Beira, Mozambique, which was synonymized with P. edulis. We re-examine the taxonomic status of Pyxicephalus taxa from Mozambique, examining the types and contrasting them to congeners throughout Africa. Morphological characters previously used to delimit species in Pyxicephalus are examined, and problems with some identified. Additional diagnostic characters and their variation in Pyxicephalus are discussed, and a revised key is provided. Confusion among species in the genus, type localities, literature and folklore led to P. adspersus angusticeps being incorrectly synonymized with P. edulis. We formally revalidate P. angusticeps, and designate a lectotype for P. edulis. The identity of voucher specimens from previous work suggests that the breeding ecology of P. angusticeps is distinct from that of P. adspersus and P. edulis, and that the advertisement call of P. angusticeps was used as part of the evidence for elevating P. edulis out of synonymy with P. adspersus. The previous confusion of P. adspersus and P. edulis does not affect the recognition of P. angusticeps. The wider implication of the previous misidentification of P. angusticeps as P. edulis is that most of the museum material labeled as P. adspersus from East Africa is P. edulis, and most of the museum material labeled as P. edulis from East Africa is P. angusticeps. This conclusion has been confirmed from East African museum material thus far examined.


Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4718 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-56
Author(s):  
YURI M. MARUSIK ◽  
S. OTTO ◽  
G. JAPOSHVILI

A new species, Amaurobius caucasicus sp. n., is described based on the holotype male and two male paratypes from Eastern Georgia. A similar species, A. hercegovinensis Kulczyński, 1915, known only from the original description is redescribed. The taxonomic status of Amaurobius species considered as nomina dubia and species described outside the Holarctic are also assessed. Amaurobius koponeni Marusik, Ballarin & Omelko, 2012, syn. n. described from northern India is a junior synonym of A. jugorum L. Koch, 1868 and Amaurobius yanoianus Nakatsudi, 1943, syn. n. described from Micronesia is synonymised with the titanoecid species Pandava laminata (Thorell, 1878) a species known from Eastern Africa to Polynesia. Considerable size variation in A. antipovae Marusik et Kovblyuk, 2004 is briefly discussed. 


1997 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
DALE R. CALDER ◽  
LESTER D. STEPHENS

Samuel Fessenden Clarke was the leading specialist on hydroids (phylum Cnidaria) in North America over the last quarter of the nineteenth century. During that period he published taxonomic papers on hydroids from both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts of the continent, from the Gulf of Mexico, and from the eastern Pacific off Central and South America. He also authored a section on hydrozoan biology for “The Riverside Natural History” series. Most of his papers on hydroids were published while he was in his twenties. Clarke described as new 61 nominal species, three nominal genera, and one nominal family, as well as two “varieties” of hydroids. A list of these, and their current taxonomic status, appears in the present work. Clarke consistently provided sound descriptions and locality data for all supposed new species, and drew accurate illustrations of most of them. His research on Hydrozoa, beyond alphataxonomy, was directed towards faunal distributions and the use of hydroid assemblages as biogeographic indicators. In addition to investigations on hydroids, Clarke carried out research on the developmental biology of amphibians and reptiles. His doctoral dissertation at Johns Hopkins University was based on the embryology of the “Spotted Salamander” (=Yellow-spotted Salamander), and he published a major paper on the habits and embryology of the American Alligator. Most of Clarke's career was devoted to academic duties at Williams College, Massachusetts, where he was recognized as a dedicated and inspiring teacher. He served the American Society of Naturalists in various capacities, including a term as its president, was an influential trustee of the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, and promoted the study of science in American schools.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 222-232 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. V. Yakovlev ◽  
N. A. Shapoval ◽  
G. N. Kuftina ◽  
A. V. Kulak ◽  
S. V. Kovalev

The Proclossiana eunomia (Esper, 1799) complex is currently composed of the several subspecies distributed throughout Palaearсtic region and North America. Despite the fact that some of the taxa have differences in wing pattern and body size, previous assumptions on taxonomy not supported by molecular data. Therefore, the identity of certain populations of this complex has remained unclear and the taxonomic status of several recently described taxa is debated. Here, we provide insights into systematics of some Palaearctic members of this group using molecular approach, based on the analysis of the barcoding fragment of the COI gene taking into account known morphological differences.


2017 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hou Mian ◽  
Yu Guo-hua ◽  
Chen Hong-man ◽  
Liao Chang-le ◽  
Zhang Li ◽  
...  

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