scholarly journals New Middle Eocene proboscidean from Togo illuminates the early evolution of the elephantiform-like dental pattern

2021 ◽  
Vol 288 (1960) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lionel Hautier ◽  
Rodolphe Tabuce ◽  
Mickaël J. Mourlam ◽  
Koffi Evenyon Kassegne ◽  
Yawovi Zikpi Amoudji ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Pivotal Role ◽  
Tooth Crown ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lower Molar ◽  
Phosphate Deposits

Africa has played a pivotal role in the evolution of early proboscideans (elephants and their extinct relatives), yet vast temporal and geographical zones remain uncharted on the continent. A long hiatus encompassing most of the Eocene (Ypresian to the Early Priabonian, around 13 Myr timespan) considerably hampers our understanding of the early evolutionary history of the group. It is notably the case with the origin of its most successful members, the Elephantiformes, i.e. all elephant-like proboscideans most closely related to modern elephants. Here, we describe a proboscidean lower molar discovered in Lutetian phosphate deposits from Togo, and name a new genus and species, Dagbatitherium tassyi . We show that Dagbatitherium displays several elephantiform dental characteristics such as a three-layered Schmelzmuster, the presence of a mesoconid, transversely enlarged buccal cusps and the individualization of a third lophid closely appressed to a minute distal cingulid. Dagbatitherium represents a stem Elephantiformes, pushing back the origin of the group by about 10 Myr, i.e. a third of its currently known evolutionary history. More importantly, Dagbatitherium potentially unlocks the puzzle of the origin of the unique elephantiform tooth crown organization by bridging a critical temporal and morphological gap between early bunodont incipiently bilophodont proboscidean taxa and more derived elephantiforms.

Groehnaltica batophiloides, a new genus and species of flea-beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) from Baltic amber, described using X-ray microtomography

Zootaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 4859 (3) ◽  
pp. 397-408
Author(s):  
ANDRIS BUKEJS ◽  
CHRIS A. M. REID ◽  
MAURIZIO BIONDI
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Flea Beetle ◽  
Baltic Amber ◽  
Diverse Group ◽  
Monotypic Genus ◽  
Micro Computed Tomography ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
X Ray ◽  
History Of

Based on a well-preserved specimen from Eocene Baltic amber, Groehnaltica batophiloides gen. nov. and sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae: Galerucinae: Alticini) is described and illustrated using X-ray micro-computed tomography (μCT). The new monotypic genus is compared with fossil and extant flea-beetle genera. In the extant Eurasian fauna Groehnaltica shows most similarity to Batophila Foudras, 1859. However, it is also similiar to a Palaeotropical group of genera, including Bikasha Maulik, 1931, and Lanka Maulik, 1926. Groehnaltica batophiloides is the tenth member of Alticini to be described from Baltic amber, adding to our understanding of the evolutionary history of this diverse group of beetles. 

New Uintasoricine (?Primates, Plesiadapiformes) From the Earliest Bridgerian, Latest Early Eocene of Wyoming

2012 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 973-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregg F. Gunnell
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Middle Eocene ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Biodiversity Hotspot ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Early Eocene ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
New Form

Uintasoricines are diminutive plesiadapiforms that are found in the latest Paleocene through middle Eocene, predominantly in North America. They are not a diverse group but individual species may be locally abundant and they are a persistent element of the plesiadapiform radiation in North America surviving over a span of approximately 16 million years. Recent field work in southern Wyoming at South Pass has led to the discovery of a new genus and species of uintasoricine. The new form is smaller in tooth dimensions compared to other known uintasoricines, being slightly smaller thanUintasorex montezumicusfrom California. Both the newly described taxon andU. montezumicusare among the smallest plesiadapiforms yet known with body weights estimated to be 20 to 25 g. The sediments of the Cathedral Bluffs Tongue of the Wasatch Formation at South Pass contain a unique upland fauna—the presence of a distinctive uintasoricine in this assemblage adds further evidence to support the notion that this upland environment was a biodiversity hotspot during the latest early Eocene.

Rautangaroa, a new genus of feather star (Echinodermata, Crinoidea) from the Oligocene of New Zealand

2018 ◽  
Vol 92 (5) ◽  
pp. 872-882 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomasz K. Baumiller ◽  
R. Ewan Fordyce
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Detailed Analysis ◽  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Intact Specimen ◽  
History Of ◽  
Recovered Material ◽  
Feather Star ◽  
Established Genus

AbstractWe describe a nearly complete, and thus extremely rare, feather star (Crinoidea, Comatulida) from Oligocene strata of North Otago/South Canterbury, New Zealand. A detailed analysis of this specimen, as well as newly recovered material and previously described fragmentary remains from nearby contemporaneous sedimentary units, in addition to relevant historical specimens, lead us to conclude that it cannot be placed in any currently established genus. A new genus,Rautangaroa,is proposed to accommodate it.This intact specimen ofRautangaroa aotearoa(Eagle, 2007), provides rare data on the morphology of arms and cirri. It represents the first example of arm autotomy and regeneration in a fossil feather star and thus has bearing on the importance of predation to the evolutionary history of this group.UUID:http://zoobank.org/c050dafd-93ba-4334-b11b-59209aabb588

scholarly journals Puelchesia gracilis, a new genus and species of Pachydemini endemic to the Monte biogeographic province in Argentina (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Melolonthinae)

Zootaxa ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 1349 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
FEDERICO C. OCAMPO ◽  
ANDREW B.T. SMITH
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Scarab Beetle ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Biogeographic Province ◽  
Central Argentina ◽  
West Central ◽  
Current Classification ◽  
History Of

A new scarab beetle genus and species, Puelchesia gracilis, is described based on specimens collected in the Monte biogeographic province of west central Argentina. This genus is placed in the tribe Pachydemini based on an evaluation of the characters within the context of the current classification of the subfamily Melolonthinae. The distribution and natural history of the taxon is also discussed.

A new Genus and Species, Eurymyiocnema aphelinoides (Hymenoptera, Aphelinidae), and a History of the Genera Euryischia Riley and Myiocnema Ashmead

1947 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 381-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harold Compere
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
East Africa ◽  
New Genus ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
History Of

The new species described in this paper was received from Richard Le Pelley, Government Entomologist, Kenya Colony, British East Africa, for identification. A new genus Eurymyiocnema is erected for its reception. This genus is most closely related to Myiocnema Ashmead, which was placed by its author in the “Aphelininae”, although subsequent authors have regarded Myiocnema as belonging to the Elasmidae. Eurymyiocnema is placed in the Aphelinidae, and the opinion is expressed that Myiocnema, as well as Euryischia Riley, are out of place in the Elasmidae, since both of these genera resemble Aphelinus Dalman much more closely than they do Elasmus Westwood.

Morphology, songs and genetics identify two new cicada species from Morocco: Tettigettalna afroamissa sp. nov. and Berberigetta dimelodica gen. nov. & sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Cicadettini)

Zootaxa ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 4237 (3) ◽  
pp. 517
Author(s):  
GONÇALO JOÃO COSTA ◽  
VERA L. NUNES ◽  
EDUARDO MARABUTO ◽  
RAQUEL MENDES ◽  
TELMA G. LAURENTINO ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Evolutionary History ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Acoustic Analysis ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Habitat Preferences ◽  
Dna Barcode ◽  
Genetic Data ◽  
North African ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Subject

Morocco has been the subject of very few expeditions on the last century with the objective of studying small cicadas. In the summer of 2014 an expedition was carried out to Morocco to update our knowledge with acoustic recordings and genetic data of these poorly known species. We describe here two new small-sized cicadas that could not be directly assigned to any species of North African cicadas: Tettigettalna afroamissa sp. nov. and Berberigetta dimelodica gen. nov. & sp. nov. In respect to T. afroamissa it is the first species of the genus to be found outside Europe and we frame this taxon within the evolutionary history of the genus. Acoustic analysis of this species allows us to confidently separate T. afroamissa from its congeners. With B. dimelodica, a small species showing a remarkable calling song characterized by an abrupt frequency modulation, a new genus had to be erected. Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses with DNA-barcode sequences of Cytochrome C Oxidase 1 support the monophyly of both species, their distinctness and revealed genetic structure within B. dimelodica. Alongside the descriptions we also provide GPS coordinates of collection points, distributions and habitat preferences. 

Edworthia Lerbekmoi, a New Primitive Paromomyid Primate from the Torrejonian (Early Paleocene) of Alberta, Canada

2010 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 868-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Fox ◽  
Craig S. Scott ◽  
Brian D. Rankin
Keyword(s):  
New Genus ◽  
River Valley ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Working Hypothesis ◽  
Evolutionary Scenario ◽  
The Future ◽  
Early Paleocene ◽  
History Of ◽  
Lower Incisors

A primitive paromomyid plesiadapiform primate, Edworthia lerbekmoi new genus and species, is described from a recently discovered locality in the Paskapoo Formation, exposed at a road cut in Edworthy Municipal Park, Bow River Valley, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The new taxon, probably middle Torrejonian (To2) in age, is based on two dentary fragments containing well-preserved dentitions that bracket p2-4, m1-3. With the exception of the basal Paromomys, E. lerbekmoi differs from all other paromomyids in retaining p2, but p2 in the new paromomyid is single-rooted, not two-rooted as in Paromomys. E. lerbekmoi differs further from Paromomys in having an enlarged anterior alveolus for a tooth immediately anterior to p2, hypothesized to be il. Unlike other paromomyids with an enlarged il, however, this tooth in E. lerbekmoi was obliquely, not horizontally, oriented and its alveolus opens dorsally, in the alveolar row, not anteriorly, as in other paromomyids in which il is greatly enlarged. This suggests that E. lerbekmoi represents a previously unknown paromomyid lineage that evolved from an ancestor having obliquely oriented lower incisors as in the basal primate Purgatorius, not from an ancestor in which il was already subhorizontal in orientation, as in Paromomys. If this working hypothesis is correct or whether in the future some other evolutionary scenario will better account for the unique anterior dentition in E. lerbekmoi, the new paromomyid nonetheless demonstrates that crucial aspects of the earliest history of the important plesiadapiform family Paromomyidae remain to be discovered.

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