scholarly journals A New Cypselomorph Bird from the Middle Eocene of Germany and the Early Diversification of Avian Aerial Insectivores

The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Mayr
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Food Competition ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Insectivorous Birds ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Early Diversification ◽  
Aerial Insectivores

Abstract A new taxon of the Cypselomorphae—the clade including nightjars, potoos, owlet-nightjars, and apodiform birds—is described from the middle Eocene of Messel in Germany. Phylogenetic analysis of 49 characters shows Protocypselomorphus manfredkelleri gen. et sp. nov. to be the sister group of all other cypselomorph taxa, although this placement was not robust to bootstrapping. As evidenced by its swift-like beak, long forearm, and reduced feet, P. manfredkelleri was hawking insects on the wing. Thus it adds a distinctive new taxon to the already diverse assemblage of Paleogene aerial insectivores, all of which belong to the Cypselomorphae. This strongly contrasts with the extant avifauna where many aerial insectivores belong to songbirds, and among the insectivorous cypselomorph taxa only swifts and nightjars are species rich and widely distributed. The diversity of aerial insectivores among the Cypselomorphae may have been reduced by food competition with songbirds, which do not become the dominant group of insectivorous birds before the early Miocene. Una Nueva Ave Cipselomorfa del Eoceno Medio de Alemania y la Diversificación Temprana de las Aves Insectívoras Aéreas Resumen. Se describe un nuevo taxón de Cypselomorphae, el clado que incluye a las familias Caprimulgidae, Nyctibiidae, Aegothelidae y a las aves apodiformes, del Eoceno medio de Messel en Alemania. Un análisis filogenético de 49 caracteres muestra que Protocypselomorphus manfredkelleri gen. et sp. nov. es el grupo hermano de los demás taxa de cipselomorfos, aunque esta posición no fue apoyada por el análisis de bootstrap. Como lo evidencia su pico tipo vencejo, antebrazo largo y patas pequeñas, P. manfredkelleri cazaba insectos al vuelo. Así, este hallazgo añade un nuevo taxón al grupo ya diverso de los insectívoros aéreos del Paleógeno, todos los cuales pertenecen al grupo de los cipselomorfos. Esto contrasta fuertemente con la avifauna actual, en que muchos insectívoros aéreos pertenecen al grupo de los paseriformes, mientras que de los taxa de insectívoros cipselomorfos sólo los apodiformes y caprimúlgidos presentan alta diversidad específica y se encuentran ampliamente distribuidos. La diversidad de los insectívoros aéreos en los cipselomorfos pude haberse reducido debido a la competencia por alimento con las aves paseriformes, las cuales no se transforman en el grupo dominante de aves insectívoras sino hasta el Mioceno temprano.

Earliest North American articulated freshwater acanthomorph fish (Teleostei: Percopsiformes) from Upper Cretaceous deposits of Alberta, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 157 (7) ◽  
pp. 1087-1096
Author(s):  
Alison M. Murray ◽  
Donald B. Brinkman ◽  
Michael G. Newbrey ◽  
Andrew G. Neuman
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Upper Cretaceous ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Neural Spine ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Fossil Material ◽  
Species Being ◽  
Cretaceous Deposits

AbstractFossil material from the Maastrichtian part of the Scollard Formation is identified as belonging to an acanthomorph fish. An articulated specimen, preserved in part and counterpart, is a member of the paracanthopterygian order Percopsiformes, based on it having a full neural spine on the second preural centrum and two epurals in the caudal skeleton (both paracanthopterygian characters), as well as six branchiostegal rays and an anterodorsal excavated margin on the opercle (percopsiform characters). We name this as a new genus and species, Lindoeichthys albertensis. A phylogenetic analysis with no prior constraints recovered a single most-parsimonious tree with the new taxon placed as the sister group to a clade containing the Palaeocene Montana genus Mcconichthys + Percopsidae. However, this analysis did not recover the traditional percopsiforms (including Aphredoderidae and Amblyopsidae) as monophyletic. A second analysis, in which we constrained the traditional members of the Percopsiformes to be monophyletic, resulted in the new species being placed as the sister group to Percopsis. The articulated percopsiform specimen from the Pisces Point locality allows isolated dentaries from vertebrate microfossil localities to be identified as being from a member of that group. These isolated elements first appear in the late Campanian Judith River Group of Alberta and the Kaiparowits Formation of Utah, documenting that percopsiform fishes were present in the Western Interior of North America at least 75 Ma ago.

scholarly journals A giant dapediid from the Late Triassic of Switzerland and insights into neopterygian phylogeny

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (8) ◽  
pp. 180497 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ashley E. Latimer ◽  
Sam Giles
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Ct Scanning ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Dental Material ◽  
Late Triassic ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Morphological Disparity ◽  
Early Mesozoic

A new Triassic neopterygian is described on the basis of a large three-dimensional neurocranium from the Rhaetian (Late Triassic) of the Kössen Formation (Schesaplana, Grisons, Switzerland). CT scanning reveals neurocranial features similar to Dapedium , suggesting that this new genus, Scopulipiscis saxciput gen. et sp. nov., was deep-bodied and potentially durophagous, although no associated dental material is known. An expanded phylogenetic analysis of actinopterygians resolves Dapediidae as a clade (inclusive of Tetragonolepis ), although fails to recover any characters supporting the monophyly of the genus Dapedium . Dapediids are resolved as stem holosteans, filling a conspicuous gap in early neopterygian relationships. Pycnodonts, previously suggested as either stem teleosts or the sister group to dapediids, are resolved as a clade on the neopterygian stem. Similarities between the new taxon described here and Dapedium provide insights into morphological disparity within early members of the group—suggesting that the ecological expansion of dapediids originated prior to the End-Triassic extinction—as well as contributing to a growing understanding of endocranial anatomy in Palaeozoic and Early Mesozoic actinopterygians.

The genus Sciarotricha gen. n. (Sciaridae) and the phylogeny of recent and fossil Sciaroidea (Diptera)

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-143 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pekka Vilkamaa ◽  
Heikki Hippa
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
The Other ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Parsimony Analysis ◽  
Cladistic Analyses ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

AbstractThe phylogeny of the main groups of the Sciaroidea, including the fossil Antefungivoridae, Archizelmiridae, Mesosciophilidae, Pleciofungivoridae, Pleciomimidae, Protopleciidae and Bolitophilidae: Mangasinae, and an extant new taxon, was studied by parsimony analysis. Two cladistic analyses of seventy-eight morphological characters from adults were made. One analysis, with forty-one extant taxa in the ingroup and the other, with the addition of twelve fossil taxa, both produced two most parsimonious cladograms. The phylogenetic hypotheses obtained differed from each other, and in part also to a great extent from previous ones although most of the traditionally recognized groups appeared monophyletic, including the speciose Cecidomyiidae and Sciaridae. The Cecidomyiidae (fossil analysis) or the Keroplatidae-Ditomyiidae (extant analysis) appeared as the sister-group of the rest of the Sciaroidea. Following on from these analyses, we propose emending the current Sciaridae to include the following subfamilies: Archizelmirinae stat. n., Rangomaraminae stat. n., Sciarinae, Sciarosominae subfam. n. and Sciarotrichinae subfam. n. A new taxon from Namibia, Sciarotricha biloba gen. n., sp. n. is described, and, according to the phylogenetic analysis, is placed in the Sciaridae (Sciarotrichinae). The sister-group of the Sciaridae as newly defined is the Mycetophilidae group, in the extant analysis including the Mycetophilidae, Manotidae, Lygistorrhinidae, Pterogymnus and Sciaropota, and in the fossil analysis even including the Mesosciophilidae and the Ohakunea group (Ohakunea + Colonomyia).

A new Eocene genus of ant-like stone beetles sheds new light on the evolution of Mastigini

2015 ◽  
Vol 89 (6) ◽  
pp. 1056-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paweł Jałoszyński
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Type Species ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Eocene Amber

AbstractFossil Scydmaeninae beetles are exceptionally poorly known and those described usually lack important details to reliably analyze their phylogenetic relationships with extant taxa. Baltostigus n. gen. is the first extinct ant-like stone beetle taxon unambiguously assigned to the tribe Mastigini. It includes B. antennatus n. sp. (the type species of Baltostigus) and B. horribilis n. sp., from the lower to middle Eocene amber of Poland and Lithuania, respectively. Results of a phylogenetic analysis comprising morphological characters of all extant and extinct genera of the supertribe Mastigitae strongly support the placement of Baltostigus as a sister group to all remaining Mastigini. The new genus shows character states not known in any extant Mastigini: fully developed hind wings, prominent humeral calli, deep elytral punctures partly arranged in longitudinal rows and symmetrical aedeagal parameres. These features suggest that Mastigini might have evolved from forms morphologically similar to small-bodied extant Clidicini of the ‘Leptochromus lineage.’

scholarly journals A New Thaumastocyoninae (Amphicyonidae, Carnivora) from the Early Miocene of Tuchořice, the Czech Republic

2019 ◽  
Vol 75 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 397-411
Author(s):  
Jorge Morales ◽  
Oldřich Fejfar ◽  
Elmar Heizmann ◽  
Jan Wagner ◽  
Alberto Valenciano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Czech Republic ◽  
Morphological Traits ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
The Other ◽  
Monophyletic Group ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
The Czech Republic ◽  
Fossil Remains

Abstract New Amphicyonidae fossil remains from the early Miocene site of Tuchořice (the Czech Republic) confirm the presence of a new Thaumastocyoninae taxon: Peignecyon felinoides n. gen. et n. sp. It is characterized by a peculiar combination of plesiomorphic and derived morphological traits. The new genus can be defined by a long and sharp mandible diastema, loss of mesial premolars (p2–p3), p4 with an inclined distally high main cuspid, moderate sectorial carnassial teeth, m1 with relict metaconid, and talonid and trigonid of similar width, and reduced M2 and m2. In the phylogenetic analysis the Thaumastocyoninae form a monophyletic group characterized by the start of the m2/M2 reduction, still moderate in Crassidia intermedia (von Meyer, 1849), but remarkable in the other species of the clade. Peignecyon felinoides already shows the advanced features defining the Thaumastocyoninae, and constitutes the sister group of the most specialized genera Tomocyon Viret, 1929b and Thaumastocyon Sthelin et Helbing, 1925. Consequently, it can be considered an excellent link between this group and the more primitive members of the tribe Ysengrini (Ysengrinia Ginsburg, 1966 and Crassidia Heizmannn et Kordikova, 2000). Peignecyon felinoides shows that the trend towards hypercarnivory had already emerged in the European early Miocene fauna, thus helping to understand the complex evolution of the Amphicyonidae during the Miocene.

scholarly journals A new balaenopterid whale from the late Miocene of the Southern North Sea Basin and the evolution of balaenopterid diversity (Cetacea, Mysticeti)

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6915 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelangelo Bisconti ◽  
Dirk K. Munsterman ◽  
Klaas Post
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
North Sea ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Monophyletic Group ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Skull Morphology ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of ◽  
Morphological Transformations

Background Balaenopterid mysticetes represent the most successful family-rank group of this clade. Their evolutionary history is characterized by a rich fossil record but the origin of the living genera is still largely not understood. Recent discoveries in the southern border of the North Sea revealed a number of well preserved fossil balaenopterid whales that may help resolving this problem. In particular, skull NMR 14035 shares morphological characters with the living humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae and, for this reason, its characteristics are investigated here. Methods The comparative anatomical analysis of the new specimen formed the basis of a new phylogenetic analysis of the Mysticeti based on a matrix including 350 morphological character states scored for 82 Operational Taxonomic Units. The stratigraphic age of the specimen was determined based on the analysis of the dinocyst assemblage recovered in the associated sediment. We assessed clade diversity in Balaenopteridae by counting the numbers of clades in given time intervals and then plotted the results. Results Nehalaennia devossi n. gen. et sp. is described for the first time from the late Tortonian (8.7–8.1 Ma) of the Westerschelde (The Netherlands). This new taxon belongs to Balaenopteridae and shows a surprisingly high number of advanced characters in the skull morphology. Nehalaennia devossi is compared to a large sample of balaenopterid mysticetes and a phylogenetic analysis placed it as the sister group of a clade including the genus Archaebalaenoptera. The inclusion of this fossil allowed to propose a phylogenetic hypothesis for Balaenopteridae in which (1) Eschrichtiidae (gray whales) represents a family of its own, (2) Balaenopteridae + Eschrichtiidae form a monophyletic group (superfamily Balaenopteroidea), (3) Cetotheriidae is the sister group of Balaenopteroidea, (4) living Balaenoptera species form a monophyletic group and (5) living M. novaeangliae is the sister group of Balaenoptera. Our work reveals a complex phylogenetic history of Balaenopteridae and N. devossi informs us about the early morphological transformations in this family. Over time, this family experienced a number of diversity pulses suggesting that true evolutionary radiations had taken place. The paleoecological drivers of these pulses are then investigated.

Dna-Dna Hybridization Studies of Carnivorous Marsupials .2. Relationships Among Dasyurids (Marsupialia, Dasyuridae)

1990 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 673 ◽  
Author(s):  
JAW Kirsch ◽  
C Krajewski ◽  
MS Springer ◽  
M Archer
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Internal Consistency ◽  
Dna Hybridization ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
The Other ◽  
Early Miocene ◽  
Chromatography Method ◽  
Sminthopsis Crassicaudata ◽  
Dna Hybridisation ◽  
Before And After

A suite of comparisons among ten radiolabelled dasyurid species and one outgroup bandicoot was generated using the hydroxyapatite chromatography method of DNA-DNA hybridisation; comparisons were also made with four other dasyurid taxa. Square matrices of DELTA-T(m)s, DELTA-Modes, and DELTA-T50H's were complied and corrected for reciprocity, additivity, and, in the case of DELTA-T(m)'s, normalised percentages of hybridisation. These matrices were analysed using the FITCH algorithm in Felsenstein's PHYLIP (Version 3.1), and all distinct topologies were jackknifed to test for internal consistency. Additionally, uncorrected DELTA-T(m), DELTA-Mode, and DELTA-T50H datasets were bootstrapped and subjected to phylogenetic analysis to assess measurement imprecision. FITCH trees from folded matrices including unlabelled species or those for which heteroduplex comparisons were incomplete were also calculated and jack-knifed, both before and after correction. With the exception of limited measurements to Dasyuroides byrnei and Dasykaluta rosamondae, which showed affinities with Dasyurus spp., the final tree was fully resolved: Sminthopsis crassicaudata and S. murina, together with the more distant Planigale maculata, are the sister-group to all other dasyurids examined, which in turn comprise two clades. One of these includes Dasyurus, Dasyuroides, and Dasykaluta; the other, 'true' Antechinus (A. flavipes, A. stuartii, A. swainsonii) as a sister-group to Antechinus melanurus plus Murexia longicaudata, with Phascogale tapoatafa representing a probable sister-group to all Antechinus with Murexia. DNA-DNA hybridisation provides no support for the genus Satanellus: most of the trees linked Dasyurus albopunctatus with D. maculatus instead of D. hallucatus. Similarly, Antechinus flavipes and A. stuartii appear to be closer to each other than either is to A. swainsonii. The historical biogeographic significance of the adopted phylogeny is considered, and it is concluded that the putative early Miocene separation of Australia and New Guinea was probably too early to account for the independent evolution of the New Guinean clade.

scholarly journals On the osteology and phylogenetic affinities of Morsoravis sedilis (Aves) from the early Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark

2011 ◽  
Vol 59 ◽  
pp. 23-35
Author(s):  
Gerald Mayr
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Original Description ◽  
Sister Group ◽  
Late Eocene ◽  
Sister Group Relationship ◽  
Early Eocene ◽  
Early Oligocene ◽  
Small Bird ◽  
Phylogenetic Affinities

Morsoravis sedilis is a small bird from the early Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark, which in the original description was considered to be most closely related to Charadriiformes. Because Morsoravis has subsequently been likened to Pumiliornis tesselatus, an equally enigmatic bird from the middle Eocene of Messel in Germany, I perform here the first phylogenetic analysis including the two taxa. This analysis supports a sister group relationship between Morsoravis and Pumiliornis, and the clade including the two taxa is recovered as the sister taxon of the late Eocene/early Oligocene Eocuculus.I report a possible, albeit lost, second specimen of Morsoravis, and identify derived characters in support of a sister group relationship between Morsoravis and Pumiliornis. The analysis did not resolve the higher-level affinities of the clade including Morsoravis, Pumiliornis, and Eocuculus, and did not confirm charadriiform affinities of Morsoravis. More data on the osteology of the fossils, as well as an improved understanding of the interrelationships of extant birds, are needed for a well-established phylogenetic assignment of these fossil taxa.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document