scholarly journals A new large Pliosaurid from the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) of Sáchica, Boyacá, Colombia

2018 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-238 ◽  
Author(s):  
María Eurídice Páramo-Fonseca ◽  
Cristian David Benavides-Cabra ◽  
Ingry Esmirna Gutiérrez

A new fossil MP111209-1 found in the Barremian beds of Sáchica, a town near Villa de Leiva representing the more complete skeleton found in the region is described here. After a detailed study of its morphological characteristics, it is evident that the new specimen represents a new genus and species of brachauchenine pliosaurid from Central Colombia that we named Sachicasaurus vitae gen. et sp. nov. Sachicasaurus is a large brachauchenine (almost 10 m in length) characterized by the following combination of characters: skull exceeding two meters in length,  transverse constriction in the rostrum, caniniform teeth present, pineal foramen in a very advanced position, palatines separated in the midline by the pterygoids, very short mandibular symphysis (bearing four teeth positions), reduced number of mandibular teeth (less than 20), slender hyoid bones, 12 cervical vertebrae, cervical centra showing ventral foramina, single rib facet in all cervical centra, at least 40 pre-caudal vertebrae, and ilium with a long posterior projection. Although it is difficult to clearly establish the phylogenetic position of Sachicasaurus viate within Brachaucheninae due to its combination of primitive and derived features, the morphological comparisons and the cladistic analysis show an evident phylogenetic proximity of Sachicasaurus to the Aptian-Albian genus Kronosaurus.

2008 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 663-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cristina M. Bührnheim ◽  
Tiago P. Carvalho ◽  
Luiz R. Malabarba ◽  
Stanley H. Weitzman

Amazonspinther dalmata, a new miniature characid from the streams of rio Purus and rio Madeira, right bank tributaries of the rio Amazonas, is described as a new genus and species of the subfamily Cheirodontinae. The unique characters of the new genus and species are the three remarkable black blotches on the base of the dorsal, anal, and caudal fins, the anteriormost proximal radial of the anal fin with an anteriorly extended lamina entering the abdominal cavity, and the extremely elongate caudal peduncle. The reduced number of ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays (7-9), and the hemal spines of only posterior one, two, or sometimes three caudal vertebrae directly articulating with the ventral procurrent caudal-fin rays further diagnoses the new taxon from remaining genera of the tribe Cheirodontini. The results of a phylogenetic analysis strongly support a close relationship between A. dalmata and Spintherobolus in the tribe Cheirodontini on the basis of fifteen unambiguous synapomorphies. Ten of these characters, previously hypothesized as exclusive synapomorphies for Spintherobolus, were now also identified in Amazonspinther, such as the pattern of exposed neuromasts on the head, the presence of a second pseudotympanum anterior to the first pleural rib, and the nearly discoidal coracoid bone. A discussion about the phylogenetic position of the closely related fossil †Megacheirodon to Spintherobolus and Amazonspinther is also provided. Convergent characters shared between Amazonspinther and the characid Priocharax are discussed in relation to miniaturization. Biogeographical implications of the diversification of Amazonspinther, Spintherobolus, and Megacheirodon lineages are discussed.


2012 ◽  
Vol 183 (6) ◽  
pp. 517-524 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan E. Evans ◽  
Marc E. H. Jones ◽  
Ryoko Matsumoto

Abstract The Purbeck Limestone Group of England has yielded a rich assemblage of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (Berriasian) vertebrate fossils, including one of the most diverse Early Cretaceous lizard assemblages on record. Here we describe the first articulated lizard skull from Purbeck. The specimen was rediscovered in the collections of the British Geological Survey, having been excavated at least a century ago. Although originally assigned to the Purbeck genus Paramacellodus, with which it shares maxillary and some dental characters, the new Purbeck skull differs from other Purbeck genera, including Paramacellodus, in frontal, pterygoid and maxillary morphology. It is here assigned to a new genus and species. Cladistic analysis groups it with Lacertoidea, unlike Paramacellodus, Becklesius and Parasaurillus which group with scincids and cordyliforms.


2011 ◽  
Vol 80 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-644 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dany Azar ◽  
André Nel ◽  
Michael Engel ◽  
Romain Garrouste ◽  
Armand Matocq

A new family of Coreoidea from the Lower Cretaceous Lebanese Amber (Hemiptera: Pentatomomorpha)A new genus and species,Yuripopovina magnifica, belonging to a new coreoid family, Yuripopovinidae (Hemiptera: Pentatomomorpha), is described and illustrated from the Lower Cretaceous amber of Lebanon. The species represents the first definitive Mesozoic record for the Coreoidea. A cladistic analysis of Coreoidea, including the new family, is undertaken.


2002 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 23-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hasan H. Basibuyuk ◽  
Mike G. Fitton ◽  
Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn ◽  
Donald L.J. Quicke

AbstractThe definition of the family Evaniidae is revised and Cretevaniidae are synonymised with Evaniidae based on evidence derived from recently described Mesozoic taxa and a new genus and species, Lebanevania azari, described here from Lebanese amber. A fore leg with a long trochanter and a 12-segmented antenna are autapomorphies of the new genus. A large, high and wide head and a high and short mesosoma are derived characters shared with other Evaniidae. The new genus also has complete fore wing venation and lacks a tubular petiole, which are ground plan features of the Evanioidea. A cladistic analysis of fossil and extant members of the superfamily Evanioidea and notes on fossil taxa are presented.


1974 ◽  
Vol 52 (4) ◽  
pp. 701-705 ◽  
Author(s):  
William Campbell Steere ◽  
Zennoske Iwatsuki

The name Pseudoditrichum mirabile Steere et Iwatsuki is proposed for a minute moss with leafy stem 1-3 mm high and seta 6 mm long; it was collected on calcareous silt near the Sloan River, Great Bear Lake, Northwest Territories, only a few miles south of the Arctic Circle. The gametophytic characters agree well with those of the Ditrichaceae, a relatively primitive family, but the peristome is clearly double, with the inner and outer teeth opposite, which thereby indicates a much more advanced phylogenetic position, perhaps at the evolutionary level of the Funariaceae. As the combination of gametophytic and sporophytic characteristics exhibited by this moss does not occur in any existing family of mosses, it is therefore deemed necessary to create the new family Pseudoditrichaceae for the new genus and species described here.


1986 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Wilson

Abstract. Three new species and one new genus of adherent foraminiferans have been found within bivalve borings in cobbles from the Faringdon Sponge-gravel (Upper Aptian) of south-central England. The new genus and species, Lapillincola faringdonensis is a uniserial textulariine with an initial planispiral coil and a multiple aperture. Lapillincola gen. nov. is a remarkable homeomorph of Arenonina Barnard, which was originally described as an agglutinated form. Arenonina is shown here to actually be calcareous and perforate, and thus a junior synonym of Rectocibicides Cushman & Ponton. Acruliammina parvispira sp. nov. is another uniserial textulariine with an initial coil. Bullopora ramosa sp. nov. is an adherent polymorphinid with a branching, irregular series of adherent chambers. These foraminiferans may have used the bivalve borings as spatial refuges from the abrasive, high energy environment of the Sponge-gravel.


MycoKeys ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 35 ◽  
pp. 27-39 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hai-Sheng Yuan ◽  
Xu Lu ◽  
Cony Decock

Grammatuslabyrinthinusgen. et sp. nov. is proposed based on DNA sequences data and morphological characteristics. It is known so far from southern, tropical China. The new species is characterised by an annual, resupinate basidiocarp with a shallow, subporoid hymenophore, a hymenium restricted to the bottom of the tubes, a dimitic hyphal system, presence of encrusted skeletocystidia and dendrohyphidia, longitudinally septate basidia and smooth, oblong-ellipsoid to cylindrical, acyanophilous basidiospores. Phylogenetic analyses based on ITS + nLSU DNA sequences data indicate that G.labyrinthinus belongs to Auriculariaceae in which it has an isolated position. Phylogenetic inferences show G.labyrinthinus to be related to Heteroradulum. However, the ITS sequences similarity between G.labyrinthinus and H.kmetii, the type species of Heteroradulum, were 89.84% and support the establishment of the new genus. Inversely, Heteroradulumsemis clustered with G.labyrinthinus with strong support and it is transferred to Grammatus.


Zootaxa ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 1087 (1) ◽  
pp. 53 ◽  
Author(s):  
FEDERICA MENON

Tettagalma striata, new genus and species of Tettigarctidae (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea), is described from the Lower Cretaceous laminated limestones of the Crato Formation, Brazil. The new discovery represents the first certain record of this family in Brazil and confirms its presence in the Southern Hemisphere during the early Cretaceous. Architettix Hamilton, 1990, from the same formation, and all the taxa originally placed in Cicadoprosbolidae, are also included in Tettigarctidae, as the former is considered a synonym.


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