scholarly journals New transitional fossil from late Jurassic of Chile sheds light on the origin of modern crocodiles

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando E. Novas ◽  
Federico L. Agnolin ◽  
Gabriel L. Lio ◽  
Sebastián Rozadilla ◽  
Manuel Suárez ◽  
...  

AbstractWe describe the basal mesoeucrocodylian Burkesuchus mallingrandensis nov. gen. et sp., from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Toqui Formation of southern Chile. The new taxon constitutes one of the few records of non-pelagic Jurassic crocodyliforms for the entire South American continent. Burkesuchus was found on the same levels that yielded titanosauriform and diplodocoid sauropods and the herbivore theropod Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, thus expanding the taxonomic composition of currently poorly known Jurassic reptilian faunas from Patagonia. Burkesuchus was a small-sized crocodyliform (estimated length 70 cm), with a cranium that is dorsoventrally depressed and transversely wide posteriorly and distinguished by a posteroventrally flexed wing-like squamosal. A well-defined longitudinal groove runs along the lateral edge of the postorbital and squamosal, indicative of a anteroposteriorly extensive upper earlid. Phylogenetic analysis supports Burkesuchus as a basal member of Mesoeucrocodylia. This new discovery expands the meagre record of non-pelagic representatives of this clade for the Jurassic Period, and together with Batrachomimus, from Upper Jurassic beds of Brazil, supports the idea that South America represented a cradle for the evolution of derived crocodyliforms during the Late Jurassic.

The analysis of integration of the legal systems of states in the American region is held. In the Southern subregion, a combination of integration and disintegration in cooperation of states led to the creation of two integration entities – MERCOSUR and the Andean Community (AC), in the Northern subregion – NAFTA. The author concludes that the convergence on the American continent, especially using the integration method, helped to implement a special scenario in the southern part of this continent – the meta-integration scenario, with the creation of the Union of South American Nations, uniting the Andean Community and MERCOSUR – something resembling a European one, but at the same time different from it. UNASUR is an effective mechanism for bringing together and integrating the states of the South American continent. Within this Union with notable leadership of Brazil and Argentina the first steps in the direction of the foreign policy integration of the member states are traced. In terms of economic integration, the Union uses the achievements of the AC and MERCOSUR, unifying the legal regulators in the economic sphere and bringing rapprochement to the legal systems of the member states.


Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4966 (5) ◽  
pp. 550-562
Author(s):  
JORGE PÉREZ-SCHULTHEISS ◽  
GEORGE D. F. WILSON

A new asellotan isopod of the family Protojaniridae Fresi, Idato & Scipione, 1980 is described from freshwater springs in the Osorno province, Los Lagos region, southern Chile. Wiyufiloides osornoensis gen. & sp. n. is the third South American protojanirid species and the first known groundwater isopod in Chile. The new genus and species is principally characterized by the presence of a vestigial antennal scale, a strongly subchelate pereiopod I and the absence of an apical lobe on the protopod of pleopod II. The new taxon is described in detail and figures are given. 


Oryx ◽  
1958 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 332-334

Problems of nature preservation in British territories of central America may be clearly divided between continental countries, British Honduras and British Guiana on the one hand, and the islands on the other; although the fauna of Trinidad and Tobago has much in common with that of the South American continent. The islands of the Greater and Lesser Antilles have been separated long enough from the mainland and from each other, for them to have developed their own plants and animals. Common to continental and island countries, however, are the migratory shore birds of the western hemisphere.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas A. Arnemann ◽  
Stephen H. Roxburgh ◽  
Tom Walsh ◽  
Jerson V.C. Guedes ◽  
Karl H.J. Gordon ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Old World cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera was first detected in Brazil with subsequent reports from Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay. This pattern suggests that the H. armigera spread across the South American continent following incursions into northern/central Brazil, however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Here we compare northern and central Brazilian H. armigera mtDNA COI haplotypes with those from southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. We infer spatial genetic and gene flow patterns of this dispersive pest in the agricultural landscape of South America. We show that the spatial distribution of H. armigera mtDNA haplotypes and its inferred gene flow patterns in the southwestern region of South America exhibited signatures inconsistent with a single incursion hypothesis. Simulations on spatial distribution patterns show that the detection of rare and/or the absence of dominant mtDNA haplotypes in southern H. armigera populations are inconsistent with genetic signatures observed in northern and central Brazil. Incursions of H. armigera into the New World are therefore likely to have involved independent events in northern/central Brazil, and southern Brazil/Uruguay-Argentina-Paraguay. This study demonstrates the significant biosecurity challenges facing the South American continent, and highlights alternate pathways for introductions of alien species into the New World.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonas Andre Arnemann ◽  
Stephen Roxburgh ◽  
Tom Walsh ◽  
Jerson Guedes ◽  
Karl Gordon ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Old World cotton bollworm Helicoverpa armigera was first detected in Brazil with subsequent reports from Paraguay, Argentina, Bolivia, and Uruguay. This pattern suggests that the H. armigera spread across the South American continent following incursions into northern/central Brazil, however, this hypothesis has not been tested. Here we compare northern and central Brazilian H. armigera mtDNA COI haplotypes with those from southern Brazil, Uruguay, Argentina, and Paraguay. We infer spatial genetic and gene flow patterns of this dispersive pest in the agricultural landscape of South America. We show that the spatial distribution of H. armigera mtDNA haplotypes and its inferred gene flow patterns in the southwestern region of South America exhibited signatures inconsistent with a single incursion hypothesis. Simulations on spatial distribution patterns show that the detection of rare and/or the absence of dominant mtDNA haplotypes in southern H. armigera populations are inconsistent with genetic signatures observed in northern and central Brazil. Incursions of H. armigera into the New World are therefore likely to have involved independent events in northern/central Brazil, and southern Brazil/Uruguay-Argentina-Paraguay. This study demonstrates the significant biosecurity challenges facing the South American continent, and highlights alternate pathways for introductions of alien species into the New World.


2014 ◽  
Vol 152 (1) ◽  
pp. 166-175 ◽  
Author(s):  
HAIYAN TONG ◽  
WILAILUCK NAKSRI ◽  
ERIC BUFFETAUT ◽  
VARAVUDH SUTEETHORN ◽  
SURAVECH SUTEETHORN ◽  
...  

AbstractA new genus and new species of primitive eucryptodiran turtle, Phunoichelys thirakhupti gen. et sp. nov., is described on the basis of shell remains from the lower part of the Phu Kradung Formation, at Phu Noi locality, Kalasin Province, NE Thailand. It is assigned to Xinjiangchelyidae on the basis of the marginals covering the lateral end of the costals and the anal scutes invading the hypoplastra. The new taxon is further characterized by a low and rounded carapace without a cervical notch; the whole carapace and plastron covered with a clear ornamentation consisting of tiny irregular vermiculated furrows; a complete neural series that reaches the suprapygal; a very wide and short cervical scute; relatively wide vertebral scutes; and a long first thoracic rib that extends along the full width of the first costal. The sutured plastron/carapace connection and the marginals covering the lateral end of the second to seventh costals suggest that the turtles from Phu Noi may be related to some primitive xinjiangchelyids from the Sichuan Basin. The discovery of a xinjiangchelyid turtle in the lower part of the Phu Kradung Formation supports a Late Jurassic age for that part of the formation.


1960 ◽  
Vol 152 (949) ◽  
pp. 500-507 ◽  

The plant life of the southern cold temperate zone differs widely from that of the northern cold temperate zone not only in its floristic composition but also in its physiognomic types of vegetation. The latter difference is partly due to the fact that the austral zone concerned is cold temperate in a sense rather different from the corresponding boreal zone. Contrary to the great continents dominating the boreal cold temperate zone, the austral cold temperate zone consists mostly of a great ocean containing only a narrow extension of the South American continent and various islands. Owing to this difference the climates of the austral cold temperate zone are generally much more oceanic than those of the boreal cold temperate zone. Nowhere in the boreal zone do we find a climate with such small


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