Rediscovery and redescription of Marmosa (Stegomarmosa) andersoni Pine (Mammalia: Didelphimorphia: Didelphidae), an endemic Peruvian mouse opossum, with a reassessment of its affinities

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1756 (1) ◽  
pp. 49 ◽  
Author(s):  
SERGIO SOLARI ◽  
RONALD H. PINE

Mouse opossums of the genus Marmosa Gray (Didelphidae) represent a complex of taxa with poorly understood affinities. Species now placed within this genus are mostly the leftovers from previous taxonomic arrangements. Even the most recent and complete revisions have not fully resolved the relationships among Marmosa and the many taxa previously included in Marmosa or listed as synonyms of it. Herein, we review and discuss one of these taxa, Stegomarmosa, based on new specimens that significantly increase our knowledge of the morphological diversification of the group. Until recently, this genus/subgenus has been known only from a single specimen taken more than 50 years ago in southeastern Peru. In 1997-1998, six additional specimens were collected at two little-separated localities almost 200 km NW of the type locality. We include a detailed diagnosis of the genus-group Stegomarmosa and its type species, M. andersoni, and update the distribution for and provide new information on the natural history of the latter. We also discuss published claims, concerning geographic range, that may be inaccurate and misleading. Finally, we scored the morphological characters used in the most recent phylogenetic analyses of the didelphids, in order to explore the affinities of M. andersoni and to determine the distinctiveness of the taxon Stegomarmosa.

Zootaxa ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4915 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-59
Author(s):  
ANDRÉS CAMILO MONTES-CORREA ◽  
LILIANA P. SABOYÁ-ACOSTA ◽  
JUAN DAVID JIMÉNEZ-BOLAÑO ◽  
TEDDY ANGARITA-SIERRA ◽  
VLADIMIR BRICEÑO-PÉREZ ◽  
...  

Pseudogonatodes furvus is an endemic gecko from the region of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, an isolated massif located in the continental Caribbean region of Colombia. Pseudogonatodes furvus is the type species of the genus, and its morphology and natural history remain poorly known. This lizard was described based on two specimens. After its description, the species has only been mentioned in a handful of taxonomic studies of Pseudogonatodes, in which a few morphological characters of P. furvus have been mentioned. One other paper reported two new localities, without providing new information on the external morphology, especially the lepidosis of the newly obtained specimens. Here we review the external morphology of P. furvus, based on examination of the holotype and six additional specimens. We provide an extended diagnosis and definition, description of holotype, variation, comparisons with other Pseudogonatodes, geographic distribution (adding a fourth locality to the known distribution for the species), and conservation status. Additionally, we describe osteological features for the diagnosis of the genus. 


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-28
Author(s):  
Yoshimasa Kumekawa ◽  
Haruka Fujimoto ◽  
Osamu Miura ◽  
Ryo Arakawa ◽  
Jun Yokoyama ◽  
...  

Abstract Harvestmen (Arachnida: Opiliones) are soil animals with extremely low dispersal abilities that experienced allopatric differentiation. To clarify the morphological and phylogenetic differentiation of the endemic harvestman Zepedanulus ishikawai (Suzuki, 1971) (Laniatores: Epedanidae) in the southern part of the Ryukyu Archipelago, we conducted molecular phylogenetic analyses and divergence time estimates based on CO1 and 16S rRNA sequences of mtDNA, the 28S rRNA sequence of nrDNA, and the external morphology. A phylogenetic tree based on mtDNA sequences indicated that individuals of Z. ishikawai were monophyletic and were divided into clade I and clade II. This was supported by the nrDNA phylogenetic tree. Although clades I and II were distributed sympatrically on all three islands examined (Ishigaki, Iriomote, and Yonaguni), heterogeneity could not be detected by polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism of nrDNA, indicating that clades I and II do not have a history of hybridisation. Also, several morphological characters differed significantly between individuals of clade I and clade II. The longstanding isolation of the southern Ryukyus from the surrounding islands enabled estimation of the original morphological characters of both clades of Z. ishikawai.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 177-187
Author(s):  
Lourdes Y. Echevarría ◽  
Pablo J. Venegas ◽  
Luis A. García-Ayachi ◽  
Pedro M. Sales Nunes

We describe a new species of Selvasaura from the montane forests of the eastern slopes of the Andes in northern Peru, based on external and hemipenial morphological characters and previous phylogenetic analyses. The new species can be differentiated from the other two Selvasaura species in having keeled dorsal scales usually flanked by longitudinal striations, in adults and juveniles; adult males with a yellow vertebral stripe bordered by broad dark brown stripes on each side and a unilobed hemipenis surrounded by the branches of the sulcus spermaticus. The description of the new species contributes information about new states of diagnostic characters of Selvasaura and natural history.


Zootaxa ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 4442 (4) ◽  
pp. 551 ◽  
Author(s):  
FLÁVIO KULAIF UBAID ◽  
LUÍS FABIO SILVEIRA ◽  
CESAR A. B. MEDOLAGO ◽  
THIAGO V. V. COSTA ◽  
MERCIVAL ROBERTO FRANCISCO ◽  
...  

Seed-finches are small-sized Neotropical granivorous birds characterized by extremely strong and thick beaks. Among these birds, the Great-billed Seed-Finch Sporophila maximiliani has been selectively and intensively trapped to the extent that has become one of the most endangered bird species in South America, yet its taxonomy remains complex and controversial. Two subspecies have been recognized: S. m. maximiliani (Cabanis, 1851), mainly from the Cerrado of central South America, and S. m. parkesi Olson (= Oryzoborus m. magnirostris), from northeastern South America. Originally, S. m. parkesi was diagnosed as being larger than the Large-billed Seed-Finch, S. c. crassirostris (Gmelin, 1789), but proper comparisons with S. m. maximiliani, which is larger than S. c. crassirostris, were never performed. Here we provide a review of the taxonomic and nomenclatural history of S. maximiliani, reevaluate the validity and taxonomic status of the subspecies based on morphological characters, and significantly revise its geographic distribution. Analyses based on plumage patterns and a Principal Component Analysis of morphometric characters indicated that S. m. parkesi is most appropriately treated as a synonym of the nominate taxon, which results in a monotypic S. maximiliani comprising two disjunct populations. Further, we conducted systematic searches for S. maximiliani in Brazil, in an attempt to obtain natural history information. After more than 6,000 hours of fieldwork in 45 areas of potential and historical occurrence, S. maximiliani was located only in two sites, in marshy environments called veredas, confirming the critical conservation status of this species, at least in Brazil. We discuss the conservation potential for, and the problems involved with, captive breeding of S. maximiliani for reintroduction into the wild. 


2008 ◽  
Vol 77 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-116 ◽  
Author(s):  
Per G.P. Ericson

The paper summarizes the current understanding of the evolution and diversification of birds. New insights into this field have mainly come from two fundamentally different, but complementary sources of information: the many newly discovered Mesozoic bird fossils and the wealth of genetic analyses of living birds at various taxonomic levels. The birds have evolved from theropod dinosaurs from which they can be defined by but a few morphological characters. The early evolutionary history of the group is characterized by the extinctions of many major clades by the end of the Cretaceous, and by several periods of rapid radiations and speciation. Recent years have seen a growing consensus about the higher-level relationships among living birds, at least as can be deduced from genetic data.


Animals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 2021
Author(s):  
Zachary J. Loughman

Herpetocultural practices are based on norms driven by economy of space and time for keepers, with little scientific inference backing their practice. In recent years, a subset of herpetoculturalists have promoted evidence-based husbandry that relies on science and experimental design to generate husbandry practice. A theoretical framework and protocol are proposed herein that enables any individual who has access to the internet the ability to use various outlets of natural history information (scientific literature databases, social media sources, and weather websites) and previously published husbandry reports as evidence to drive the creation of novel herpetocultural practice. A case study is provided which compares readily available information on the care of Hydrodynastes gigas (false water cobra), such as online care sheets for the species, with the proposed evidence based herpetocultural protocol founded on natural history information and published care and captive breeding reports. Results were assessed for protocol efficacy and determined that the natural history informed evidence-based approach increased animal welfare and generated new information specific to the natural history of H. gigas.


1991 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven M. Goodman ◽  
Thomas S. Schulenberg

SummaryThe Red-tailed Newtonia Newtonia fanovanae, previously known from a single specimen from the eastern rainforest of central Madagascar, was rediscovered in October 1989 in the Marosohy Forest in the south-east of the island. In the study area, N. fanovanae occurs in the middle and upper section of the canopy of humid forest between 300 and 1,300 m. Ecological relationships with the other two sympatric Newtonia, amphichroa and brunneicauda, are discussed. The main morphological differences between fanovanae and the other two sympatric species are that the former has relatively long wings and short tarsi. The song of fanovanae is described and compared to other members of the genus. Our observations on the morphology, behaviour and vocalisations of N. fanovanae confirm its validity as a species.Le Newtonie à queue rouge Newtonia fanovanae jusqu'à presént uniquement connu d'un seul spécimen provenant de la partie orientale de la forêt tropicale du Madagascar central, fût redécouvert en octobre 1989 dans la forêt de Marosohy au sud-est de l'île. N. fanovanae fût rencontré dans les parties moyennes et supérieures du feuillage de la forêt humide entre 300 et 1,300 m d'altitude. Les relations écologiques avec les deux espèces sympatriques de Newtonia, amphichroa et brunneicauda sont discutées. Les différences morphologiques principales entre fanovanae et les deux espéces sympatriques sont que celle-ci a des ailes relativement longues et des tarses courts. Le chant de fanovanae est decrit et comparé avec celui d'autres membres du genre. Nos observations sur la morphologie, le comportement et les vocalizations de N. fanovanae confirment sa validité comme bonne espéce.


Zootaxa ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 1555 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
JOSÉ PAULO LEITE GUADANUCCI

The genus Oligoxystre Vellard 1924 is revised. Pseudoligoxystre Vol 2001 is synonymized with Oligoxystre and its typespecies, P. bolivianum Vol 2001, is considered valid. The type-specimen of Oligoxystre auratum Vellard 1924, type-species by original designation, is considered lost. No additional material matching the original description was found and therefore the species is diagnosed from the original description. Four new species, all from Brazil, are also described: O. caatinga, O. dominguense, O. tucuruiense, and O. rufoniger. Data on natural history of O. bolivianum from field and captivity observations are presented. The genus Cenobiopelma Mello-Leitão & Arlé 1934 ) is based upon Cenobiopelma mimeticum Mello-Leitão & Arlé 1934 for which no type was ever designated and hence both are considered nomina nuda.


2017 ◽  
Vol 50 (03) ◽  
pp. 201-208 ◽  
Author(s):  
Caroline Kwasny ◽  
Ulf Manuwald ◽  
Joachim Kugler ◽  
Ulrike Rothe

AbstractThe objectives of this systematic review were to estimate the incidence, prevalence and natural history of the metabolic (vascular) syndrome (MVS) among adults in different European countries. Furthermore, we assessed its co-incidence with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and cardiovascular diseases (CVD). PubMed, MedLine, and EMBASE (via Ovid) were searched for relevant studies. After reading 116 full-text articles to find eligible ones, 66 publications met our inclusion criteria. Data for the incidence are based on a study from Portugal, in which the incidence rate for the MVS was 47.2/1000 person-years. Prevalence varied strongly depending on country and definition. The lowest was found in the United Kingdom (3%), the highest in Finland (71.7%). No article that deals with the natural history of the MVS was found. Considering the co-existence of MVS and T2DM, it ranged between 2% (United Kingdom) and 74.4% (Spain). The co-occurrence of MVS and CVD ranged from 2.8% (Italy) up to 52% (Netherlands). Coronary heart disease (CHD) varied between 1.2% and 44.2%. With regard to peripheral artery disease (PAD), values between 3.3% and 59.8% were found. Due to the many different definitions of the MVS, a comparison is very difficult. Overall prevalence ranged between 3% and 71.7% depending on definition, age, and country. An association between MVS and T2DM as well as several CVD can be assumed.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 438 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-236
Author(s):  
BÁLINT DIMA ◽  
KARL SOOP

Cortinarius section Xenosmatae, originally based on solely morphological characters, was subsequently shown to contain phylogenetically distantly related species. The type species C. xenosma is a singleton, and this study aims to revise the other members of the section using combined molecular (nrDNA ITS and LSU) and morphological data. Based on phylogenetic analyses using RAxML, PhyML and Bayesian Inference and additional morphological features one new species (C. paraxenosma) and one new section (sect. Olorinati) are proposed. Furthermore sect. Carbonelli is extended and emended to include two former members of sect. Xenosmatae. A key to the species in New Zealand with xenosmatoid morphology is provided.


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