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

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.

2019 ◽  
Vol 157 (7) ◽  
pp. 1087-1096
Author(s):  
Alison M. Murray ◽  
Donald B. Brinkman ◽  
Michael G. Newbrey ◽  
Andrew G. Neuman

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.


Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4254 (5) ◽  
pp. 537 ◽  
Author(s):  
CHIA-HSUAN WEI ◽  
SHEN-HORN YEN

The Epicopeiidae is a small geometroid family distributed in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions. It exhibits high morphological diversity in body size and wing shape, while their wing patterns involve in various complex mimicry rings. In the present study, we attempted to describe a new genus, and a new species from Vietnam, with comments on two assumed congeneric novel species from China and India. To address its phylogenetic affinity, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the family by using sequence data of COI, EF-1α, and 28S gene regions obtained from seven genera of Epicopeiidae with Pseudobiston pinratanai as the outgroup. We also compared the morphology of the new taxon to other epicopeiid genera to affirm its taxonomic status. The results suggest that the undescribed taxon deserve a new genus, namely Mimaporia gen. n. The species from Vietnam, Mimaporia hmong sp. n., is described as new to science. Under different tree building strategies, the new genus is the sister group of either Chatamla Moore, 1881 or Parabraxas Leech, 1897. The morphological evidence, which was not included in phylogenetic analyses, however, suggests its potential affinity with Burmeia Minet, 2003. This study also provides the first, although preliminary, molecular phylogeny of the family on which the revised systematics and interpretation of character evolution can be based. 


The Condor ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 107 (2) ◽  
pp. 342-352 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald Mayr

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.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-45
Author(s):  
Bruno Zilberman

Corotoca is a strictly Neotropical genus of termitophilous beetles associated with termites of genus Constrictotermes. A cladistic analysis based on 13 terminal taxa and 60 characters (57 morphological and three behavioral) was conducted. The exhaustive search with equally weighted characters resulted in two most parsimonious trees with 95 steps. Spirachtha is proposed to be the sister group of the monophyletic “subgroup Corotocae” (Corotoca + Cavifonexus gen. nov.), based on eleven synapomorhphies (ten exclusive and one homoplastic). The monophyly of Corotoca is supported here, including six species associated with Constrictotermes cyphergaster: (Corotoca hitchensi sp. nov + (C. melantho + C. pseudomelantho sp. nov.) + ((C. fontesi + (C. phylo + C. araujoi)). A new genus, Cavifronexus gen. nov., is proposed to two species associated with Constrictotermes cavifrons (Holmgren, 1910): Cavifronexus guyanae comb. nov., from Guyana and Brazil, previously described as Corotoca; and a new species, Cavifronexus papaveroi sp. nov., from Brazil. This work also includes descriptions, redescriptions, and illustrations for all species and genera. Keys for genera and species identification in “subgroup Corotocae” are also provided.


2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1658) ◽  
pp. 879-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jérémy Anquetin ◽  
Paul M Barrett ◽  
Marc E.H Jones ◽  
Scott Moore-Fay ◽  
Susan E Evans

The discovery of a new stem turtle from the Middle Jurassic (Bathonian) deposits of the Isle of Skye, Scotland, sheds new light on the early evolutionary history of Testudinata. Eileanchelys waldmani gen. et sp. nov. is known from cranial and postcranial material of several individuals and represents the most complete Middle Jurassic turtle described to date, bridging the morphological gap between basal turtles from the Late Triassic–Early Jurassic and crown-group turtles that diversify during the Late Jurassic. A phylogenetic analysis places the new taxon within the stem group of Testudines (crown-group turtles) and suggests a sister-group relationship between E. waldmani and Heckerochelys romani from the Middle Jurassic of Russia. Moreover, E. waldmani also demonstrates that stem turtles were ecologically diverse, as it may represent the earliest known aquatic turtle.


Zootaxa ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 3195 (1) ◽  
pp. 61 ◽  
Author(s):  
GUSTAVO A. BRAVO ◽  
R. TERRY CHESSER ◽  
ROBB T. BRUMFIELD

A comprehensive molecular phylogenetic analysis of the family Thamnophilidae indicated that the genus Myrmotherula is not monophyletic. The clade composed of M. guttata and M. hauxwelli is only distantly related to other members of the genus and should be removed from Myrmotherula. The phenotypic distinctiveness of the clade argues against merging it with its sister group Thamnomanes and no generic name is available for the guttata-hauxwelli clade. Consequently, we describe the genus Isleria for these two species, and designate Myrmothera guttata as its type species.


1985 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-279 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.P. Duffels

Rhadinopyga n. gen. is erected for Diceropyga recedens (Walker) from Salawati, D. impar (Walker) and D. acuminata Duffels, both from Waigeo, and Rhadinopyga epiplatys n. sp. from the “Vogelkop” area ( = Tjendrawasih) of New Guinea and the islands of Misoöl and Batjan. Phylogenetic analysis suggests a sister-group relationship of Rhadinopyga n. gen. and Diceropyga Stål. The endemism of Rhadinopyga in the “Vogelkop” area is discussed in connection with the geological history of the area and the historical biogeography of the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria.


2005 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-194 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.L. Bell ◽  
M.J. Polcyn

AbstractA new genus and species of primitive-limbed mosasauroid, Dallasaurus turneri, from the Middle Turonian (∼92 Ma) of north-central Texas, is described on the basis of two incomplete skeletons. The new taxon retains plesiomorphic characters such as facultatively terrestrial limbs (plesiopedal) but also exhibits certain characters shared with derived mosasaurs of the subfamily Mosasaurinae. In phylogenetic analysis, the new taxon reconstructs as the basal member of that clade. Other plesiopedal taxa previously included in the family Aigialosauridae reconstruct in basal positions within three different, major clades that include members that achieved the derived (hydropedal) fin-like limb condition. In addition, Opetiosaurus and Aigialosaurus reconstruct as successive outgroup taxa to all other mosasauroids, thereby demonstrating the paraphyletic nature of the current concept of Aigialosauridae. Interpretation of our phylogenetic analysis suggests that three different lineages of mosasauroids independently achieved the derived mosasaur body plan, including fully marine limb modifications culminating in the development of flippers or paddle-like appendages. The inclusion of plesiopedal forms within lineages of well-established hydropedal clades requires a reorganisation of our concepts of Mosasauridae to include these basal forms. In order to avoid continued use of the paraphyletic taxon ‘Aigialosauridae’ as currently defined, we recommend ‘Aigialosauridae’ as a formal taxonomic name be used only for inclusion of Aigialosaurus dalmaticus and potential members of its own independent lineage. This also avoids the implicit polyphyletic use of ‘Mosasauridae’. Additionally, the diagnosis of Mosasauridae should be modified to exclude limb characters that discriminate between more terrestrial versus more aquatic adaptations.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 291 (1) ◽  
pp. 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
NÁDIA ROQUE ◽  
SILVANA C. FERREIRA ◽  
CÁSSIO VAN DEN BERG

Asteraceae is the family with the highest species number in the rocky fields (campos rupestres) of the Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil. On the basis of several collections from this area, we are proposing a new genus of Asteraceae based on morphology and phylogeny, to accommodate a species newly described here. Lapidia apicifolia is a loosely ramified shrub 2–4 m high, stem tomentose, leaves opposite-decussate, laminae conduplicate, petiolate, receptacle flat, epaleaceous, glabrous, and pappus of bristles fused at base, irregular in length, fringed and purplish. In a phylogenetic analysis using sequence data from ITS and trnL-trnF of selected members of Eupatorieae, Lapidia is indicated as sister group of a highly supported clade with Morithamnus, Bahianthus and Catolesia. This group is composed by loosely branched shrubs, most with leaves that are lax, stems, leaves and involucral bracts that are viscid (Bahianthus and Morithamnus) and, if not, trichomes (tomentose indumentum) are developed (Lapidia), to protect against both solar radiation and loss of water. A description, illustrations, and a discussion about related and sympatric genera are presented.


2005 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 489-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandre C. Ribeiro ◽  
Murilo Carvalho ◽  
Alex L. A. Melo

Otothyropsis marapoama, a new genus and species, is described based on specimens recently collected in a headwater stream of the middle stretch of the rio Tietê, a river from the upper rio Paraná basin in southeastern Brazil. The new taxon belongs to a clade also encompassing the genera Schizolecis, Otothyris and Pseudotothyris. Otothyropsis marapoama is hypothesized to be the sister-group of Pseudotothyris and Otothyris based mainly on the presence of several derived characters of the swimbladder capsule and associated bones. Several paedomorphic characters shared by Pseudotothyris and Otothyris and their significance for the phylogenetic position of the new genus are discussed.


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