scholarly journals The earliest known titanosauriform sauropod dinosaur and the evolution of Brachiosauridae

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip D. Mannion ◽  
Ronan Allain ◽  
Olivier Moine
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Late Jurassic ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Sensitivity Analyses ◽  
Appendicular Skeleton ◽  
South American ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Almost All

Brachiosauridae is a clade of titanosauriform sauropod dinosaurs that includes the well-known Late Jurassic taxaBrachiosaurusandGiraffatitan. However, there is disagreement over the brachiosaurid affinities of most other taxa, and little consensus regarding the clade’s composition or inter-relationships. An unnamed partial sauropod skeleton was collected from middle–late Oxfordian (early Late Jurassic) deposits in Damparis, in the Jura department of eastern France, in 1934. Since its brief description in 1943, this specimen has been informally known in the literature as the ‘Damparis sauropod’ and ‘FrenchBothriospondylus’, and has been considered a brachiosaurid by most authors. If correctly identified, this would make the specimen the earliest known titanosauriform. Coupled with its relatively complete nature and the rarity of Oxfordian sauropod remains in general, this is an important specimen for understanding the early evolution of Titanosauriformes. Full preparation and description of this specimen, known from teeth, vertebrae and most of the appendicular skeleton of a single individual, recognises it as a distinct taxon:Vouivria damparisensisgen. et sp. nov. Phylogenetic analysis of a data matrix comprising 77 taxa (including all putative brachiosaurids) scored for 416 characters recovers a fairly well resolved Brachiosauridae.Vouivriais a basal brachiosaurid, confirming its status as the stratigraphically oldest known titanosauriform. Brachiosauridae consists of a paraphyletic array of Late Jurassic forms, withEuropasaurus,VouivriaandBrachiosaurusrecovered as successively more nested genera that lie outside of a clade comprising (Giraffatitan+Sonorasaurus) + (Lusotitan+ (Cedarosaurus+Venenosaurus)).Abydosaurusforms an unresolved polytomy with the latter five taxa. The Early Cretaceous South American sauropodPadillasauruswas previously regarded as a brachiosaurid, but is here placed within Somphospondyli. A recent study contended that a number of characters used in a previous iteration of this data matrix are ‘biologically related’, and thus should be excluded from phylogenetic analysis. We demonstrate that almost all of these characters show variation between taxa, and implementation of sensitivity analyses, in which these characters are excluded, has no effect on tree topology or resolution. We argue that where there is morphological variation, this should be captured, rather than ignored. Unambiguous brachiosaurid remains are known only from the USA, western Europe and Africa, and the clade spanned the Late Jurassic through to the late Albian/early Cenomanian, with the last known occurrences all from the USA. Regardless of whether their absence from the Cretaceous of Europe, as well as other regions entirely, reflects regional extinctions and genuine absences, or sampling artefacts, brachiosaurids appear to have become globally extinct by the earliest Late Cretaceous.

scholarly journals Drinking water standards in South American countries: convergences and divergences

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 295-310 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vívian Gemiliano Pinto ◽  
Léo Heller ◽  
Rafael Kopschitz Xavier Bastos
Keyword(s):  
Drinking Water ◽  
Scientific Basis ◽  
World Health ◽  
South American ◽  
Who Guidelines ◽  
Water Safety ◽  
Drinking Water Standards ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Health Organization ◽  
Almost All

In this paper we present a comparative assessment of drinking-water standards from almost all South American countries, using the USA and the Canadian standards and the World Health Organization (WHO) Guidelines as references. Similarities and discrepancies between standards/guidelines were identified through descriptive analyses and, in the case of chemical standards, clustering techniques. In general, one or another of the four consecutive editions of the WHO Guidelines were shown to be quite influential in setting drinking-water standards in the region, but not so much the USA and the Canadian standards. Considerable discrepancies between South American drinking-water standards were found, mainly with respect to chemical substances. Questions are raised about their scientific basis and/or the practicalities for their enforcement. In conclusion, the paper highlights that many drinking-water regulations in South America need updating, taking on the approach of health-based targets in setting these standards, as well as that of a broader risk-based preventive management in the entire supply system to assure water safety.

scholarly journals A turiasaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Wealden Supergroup of the United Kingdom

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e6348
Author(s):  
Philip D. Mannion
Keyword(s):  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Middle Jurassic ◽  
Late Jurassic ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Phylogenetic Analyses ◽  
Neural Spine ◽  
Faunal Turnover ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
The Usa ◽  
The Uk

The Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary, 145 million years ago, has long been recognised as an extinction event or faunal turnover for sauropod dinosaurs, with many ‘basal’ lineages disappearing. However, recently, a number of ‘extinct’ groups have been recognised in the Early Cretaceous, including diplodocids in Gondwana, and non-titanosauriform macronarians in Laurasia. Turiasauria, a clade of non-neosauropod eusauropods, was originally thought to have been restricted to the Late Jurassic of western Europe. However, its distribution has recently been extended to the Late Jurassic of Tanzania (Tendaguria tanzaniensis), as well as to the Early Cretaceous of the USA (Mierasaurus bobyoungi and Moabosaurus utahensis), demonstrating the survival of another ‘basal’ clade across the J/K boundary. Teeth from the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of western Europe and North Africa have also tentatively been attributed to turiasaurs, whilst recent phylogenetic analyses recovered Late Jurassic taxa from Argentina and China as further members of Turiasauria. Here, an anterior dorsal centrum and neural arch (both NHMUK 1871) from the Early Cretaceous Wealden Supergroup of the UK are described for the first time. NHMUK 1871 shares several synapomorphies with Turiasauria, especially the turiasaurs Moabosaurus and Tendaguria, including: (1) a strongly dorsoventrally compressed centrum; (2) the retention of prominent epipophyses; and (3) an extremely low, non-bifid neural spine. NHMUK 1871 therefore represents the first postcranial evidence for Turiasauria from European deposits of Early Cretaceous age. Although turiasaurs show clear heterodont dentition, only broad, characteristically ‘heart’-shaped teeth can currently be attributed to Turiasauria with confidence. As such, several putative turiasaur occurrences based on isolated teeth from Europe, as well as the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Africa, cannot be confidently referred to Turiasauria. Unequivocal evidence for turiasaurs is therefore restricted to the late Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of western Europe, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the late Early Cretaceous of the USA, although remains from elsewhere might ultimately demonstrate that the group had a near-global distribution.

scholarly journals Carcharodontosaurian remains (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Upper Jurassic of Portugal

2018 ◽  
Vol 93 (1) ◽  
pp. 157-172 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabete Malafaia ◽  
Pedro Mocho ◽  
Fernando Escaso ◽  
Pedro Dantas ◽  
Francisco Ortega
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Appendicular Skeleton ◽  
Single Individual ◽  
Caudal Vertebra ◽  
Systematic Analysis ◽  
Theropod Dinosaur ◽  
Theropod Dinosaurs ◽  
Caudal Vertebrae ◽  
Lusitanian Basin

AbstractA new specimen of a theropod dinosaur found in the Upper Jurassic (Freixial Formation, late Tithonian) of the Lusitanian Basin is described. It corresponds to a single individual and includes a sequence of articulated caudal vertebrae, an almost complete right pes, and other fragments of the appendicular skeleton. The specimen includes the most complete pes of a theropod dinosaur currently known in the Lusitanian Basin and represents one of the youngest skeletal records of theropod dinosaurs currently known in the Portuguese Upper Jurassic.A systematic analysis of this specimen is performed and it shows a combination of characters that allows us to interpret it as belonging to an allosauroid taxon. Within this clade, the material from Cambelas shares a few features with some carcharodontosaurids, including the presence of a lateral lamina extending along the anterior end of the centrum in the caudal vertebra and of a low vertical crest on the lateral surface of the femoral lesser trochanter. The set of remains described here shares some unusual features with another specimen previously described in the Portuguese fossil record, which also presents some synapomorphies of Carcharodontosauria. However, no autapomorphy or exclusive character combination can be recognized in the specimen here described in order to describe it as a new form. The presence of this specimen suggests a greater diversity in the allosauroid theropod fauna from the Late Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin than currently known and probably expands the temporal record of Carcharodontosauria up to upper Tithonian of south-western Europe.

scholarly journals The comparative osteology of Plesiochelys bigleri n. sp., a new coastal marine turtle from the Late Jurassic of Porrentruy (Switzerland)

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3482 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Püntener ◽  
Jérémy Anquetin ◽  
Jean-Paul Billon-Bruyat
Keyword(s):  
Late Jurassic ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Marine Turtle ◽  
Appendicular Skeleton ◽  
Crown Group ◽  
Coastal Marine ◽  
Coastal Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Swiss Jura ◽  
Nw Switzerland ◽  
Comparative Osteology

Background During the Late Jurassic, several groups of eucryptodiran turtles inhabited the shallow epicontinental seas of Western Europe. Plesiochelyidae are an important part of this first radiation of crown-group turtles into coastal marine ecosystems. Fossils of Plesiochelyidae occur in many European localities, and are especially abundant in the Kimmeridgian layers of the Swiss Jura Mountains (Solothurn and Porrentruy). In the mid-19th century, the quarries of Solothurn (NW Switzerland) already provided a large amount of fossil turtles, most notably Plesiochelys etalloni, the best-known plesiochelyid species. Recent excavations in the Porrentruy area (NW Switzerland) revealed new fossils of Plesiochelys, including numerous well-preserved shells with associated cranial and postcranial material. Methods/results Out of 80 shells referred to Plesiochelys, 41 are assigned to a new species, Plesiochelys bigleri n. sp., including a skull–shell association. We furthermore refer 15 shells to Plesiochelys etalloni, and 24 shells to Plesiochelys sp. Anatomical comparisons show that Plesiochelys bigleri can clearly be differentiated from Plesiochelys etalloni by cranial features. The shell anatomy and the appendicular skeleton of Plesiochelys bigleri and Plesiochelys etalloni are very similar. However, a statistical analysis demonstrates that the thickness of neural bones allows to separate the two species based on incomplete material. This study furthermore illustrates the extent of intraspecific variation in the shell anatomy of Plesiochelys bigleri and Plesiochelys etalloni.

scholarly journals A new short-necked chelid turtle from the Loncoche Formation (Late Campanian- Early Maastrichtian) Mendoza province, Argentina: Macro, microanatomy, and preliminary phylogenetic relationships

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo de la Fuente ◽  
Ignacio Maniel ◽  
Juan Marcos Jannello ◽  
Juliana Sterli ◽  
Bernardo González Riga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Cancellous Bone ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Cervical Vertebrae ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Appendicular Skeleton ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Preliminary Phylogenetic Analysis

Background. The lower section of the Loncoche Formation (Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian) outcropping at Ranquil-Có locality (Mendoza province, Argentina) has yielded a rich assemblage of vertebrates that was studied in 1995 by Gonzalez Riga. According to this author these vertebrate remains were found in a tidal paleoenvironment, resulting from transportation, mixing and deposition of continental remains mixed with those from near costal environments. Previously to these findings Jose F. Bonaparte recovered in 1990 a large turtle from the same locality and horizon. Methods. Remains of basicranium (basioccipital and basisphenoid), fragments of both quadrates, left opisthotic, a lower jaw, cervical vertebrae, one caudal vertebra, appendicular skeleton, a partial carapace and one almost complete plastron are preserved in MACN Pv M2. In order to explore the phylogenetic relationships of MACN Pv M2, this specimen was included in a data matrix built up by 48 characters and 17 taxa. One fragmentary costal plate was sampled for histological analysis. The bone microstructure of the thin sections was studied under light microscopy using normal and polarized lights. Results. The preliminary phylogenetic analysis suggests that MACN Pv M2 is nested in a clade also including Phrynops hilarii + Mesoclemmys nasuta + long-necked chelids. The pelvic girdle attached by suture to the shell in MACN Pv M2 and the synapomorphic characters such as splenial bone in the lower jaw, ilium extending over the eight costal and anterior margin of the suprapygal bones allow us to assign this specimen to Pleurodira Chelidae. The microanatomy of MACN Pv M2 shows a diploe structure as in other turtles. The internal cortex is equal or slowly thinner than the external one, and the cancellous bone occupy the main proportion (50-60%). The external cortex is composed of structural fibre bundles that extend parallel to the external surface and orient longitudinally and transversally to the progression of the elements. The cancellous bone is mostly well developed. The internal cortex consists of parallel-fibred bone that locally can grade into lamellar bone. Discussion. The unique combination of plesiomorphies (such as lateral mesoplastra, area articularis mandibularis concave, a short midline epiplastral suture, an anterior peripherals bones shorter than posterior ones) and autapomorphies (such as both rami of the lower jaw fused, extremely wide anterior plastral lobe, and a slightly epiplastral notch) recovered in this phylogenetic analysis allow to assigned MACN Pv M2 as a new species of short-necked chelid taxa. The histology of MACN Pv M2 shows features that suggest adaptation to the aquatic lifestyle (i.e., well vascularized external cortex, the vascularization of the internal cortex composed of scattered vascular canals and primary osteons of longitudinally orientation).

scholarly journals A new short-necked chelid turtle from the Loncoche Formation (Late Campanian- Early Maastrichtian) Mendoza province, Argentina: Macro, microanatomy, and preliminary phylogenetic relationships

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcelo de la Fuente ◽  
Ignacio Maniel ◽  
Juan Marcos Jannello ◽  
Juliana Sterli ◽  
Bernardo González Riga ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Cancellous Bone ◽  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Cervical Vertebrae ◽  
Data Matrix ◽  
Appendicular Skeleton ◽  
Thin Sections ◽  
Lower Jaw ◽  
A New Species ◽  
Preliminary Phylogenetic Analysis

Background. The lower section of the Loncoche Formation (Late Campanian-Early Maastrichtian) outcropping at Ranquil-Có locality (Mendoza province, Argentina) has yielded a rich assemblage of vertebrates that was studied in 1995 by Gonzalez Riga. According to this author these vertebrate remains were found in a tidal paleoenvironment, resulting from transportation, mixing and deposition of continental remains mixed with those from near costal environments. Previously to these findings Jose F. Bonaparte recovered in 1990 a large turtle from the same locality and horizon. Methods. Remains of basicranium (basioccipital and basisphenoid), fragments of both quadrates, left opisthotic, a lower jaw, cervical vertebrae, one caudal vertebra, appendicular skeleton, a partial carapace and one almost complete plastron are preserved in MACN Pv M2. In order to explore the phylogenetic relationships of MACN Pv M2, this specimen was included in a data matrix built up by 48 characters and 17 taxa. One fragmentary costal plate was sampled for histological analysis. The bone microstructure of the thin sections was studied under light microscopy using normal and polarized lights. Results. The preliminary phylogenetic analysis suggests that MACN Pv M2 is nested in a clade also including Phrynops hilarii + Mesoclemmys nasuta + long-necked chelids. The pelvic girdle attached by suture to the shell in MACN Pv M2 and the synapomorphic characters such as splenial bone in the lower jaw, ilium extending over the eight costal and anterior margin of the suprapygal bones allow us to assign this specimen to Pleurodira Chelidae. The microanatomy of MACN Pv M2 shows a diploe structure as in other turtles. The internal cortex is equal or slowly thinner than the external one, and the cancellous bone occupy the main proportion (50-60%). The external cortex is composed of structural fibre bundles that extend parallel to the external surface and orient longitudinally and transversally to the progression of the elements. The cancellous bone is mostly well developed. The internal cortex consists of parallel-fibred bone that locally can grade into lamellar bone. Discussion. The unique combination of plesiomorphies (such as lateral mesoplastra, area articularis mandibularis concave, a short midline epiplastral suture, an anterior peripherals bones shorter than posterior ones) and autapomorphies (such as both rami of the lower jaw fused, extremely wide anterior plastral lobe, and a slightly epiplastral notch) recovered in this phylogenetic analysis allow to assigned MACN Pv M2 as a new species of short-necked chelid taxa. The histology of MACN Pv M2 shows features that suggest adaptation to the aquatic lifestyle (i.e., well vascularized external cortex, the vascularization of the internal cortex composed of scattered vascular canals and primary osteons of longitudinally orientation).

scholarly journals Trends in adolescent drinking across 39 high-income countries: exploring the timing and magnitude of decline

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rakhi Vashishtha ◽  
Amy Pennay ◽  
Paul Dietze ◽  
Melvin Barrientos Marzan ◽  
Robin Room ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Alcohol Consumption ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
High Income ◽  
European Countries ◽  
Adolescent Drinking ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Recent Trends ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Relative Change

Abstract Background Evidence suggests adolescent alcohol consumption has declined since the turn of the millennium in almost all high-income countries. However, differences in the timing and magnitude of the decline have not been explored across countries. Methods We examined trends in adolescent past month or monthly alcohol consumption prevalence from cross-national or national survey reports for 39 countries and four US territories. For each country, we calculated the magnitude of the decline in youth drinking as the relative change in prevalence from the peak year to the most recent year available. Heat maps were utilized to present the timing and magnitudes of these declines. Results The timing and extent of youth drinking declines have varied markedly across countries. The decline began in the USA before 1999, followed by Northern European countries in the early 2000s; Western Europe and Australasia in the mid-2000s. The steepest declines were found for Northern Europe and the UK, and the shallowest declines were observed in Eastern and Southern European countries. Conclusions Previous analyses of the decline in adolescent drinking have emphasized the wide reach of the changes and their near-coincidence in time. Our analysis points to the other side of the picture that there were limits to the wide reach, and that there was considerable variation in timing. These findings suggest that as well as broader explanations that stretch across countries, efforts to explain recent trends in adolescent drinking should also consider factors specific to countries and regions.

scholarly journals New transitional fossil from late Jurassic of Chile sheds light on the origin of modern crocodiles

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando E. Novas ◽  
Federico L. Agnolin ◽  
Gabriel L. Lio ◽  
Sebastián Rozadilla ◽  
Manuel Suárez ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Analysis ◽  
Late Jurassic ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Taxonomic Composition ◽  
South American ◽  
New Taxon ◽  
Southern Chile ◽  
American Continent ◽  
South American Continent ◽  
New Discovery

AbstractWe describe the basal mesoeucrocodylian Burkesuchus mallingrandensis nov. gen. et sp., from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Toqui Formation of southern Chile. The new taxon constitutes one of the few records of non-pelagic Jurassic crocodyliforms for the entire South American continent. Burkesuchus was found on the same levels that yielded titanosauriform and diplodocoid sauropods and the herbivore theropod Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, thus expanding the taxonomic composition of currently poorly known Jurassic reptilian faunas from Patagonia. Burkesuchus was a small-sized crocodyliform (estimated length 70 cm), with a cranium that is dorsoventrally depressed and transversely wide posteriorly and distinguished by a posteroventrally flexed wing-like squamosal. A well-defined longitudinal groove runs along the lateral edge of the postorbital and squamosal, indicative of a anteroposteriorly extensive upper earlid. Phylogenetic analysis supports Burkesuchus as a basal member of Mesoeucrocodylia. This new discovery expands the meagre record of non-pelagic representatives of this clade for the Jurassic Period, and together with Batrachomimus, from Upper Jurassic beds of Brazil, supports the idea that South America represented a cradle for the evolution of derived crocodyliforms during the Late Jurassic.

scholarly journals SOCIAL PROTEST IN INDIA

2015 ◽  
pp. 198-207
Author(s):  
S. I. Lunev
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Social Problems ◽  
Social Protest ◽  
Caste System ◽  
Women's Movements ◽  
The Political ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Almost All ◽  
Mass Actions ◽  
The Arab Spring

Economic globalization creates unfavorable conditions for some countries and social groups while the situation in other countries and social is becoming worse. That is why social problems are on the rise worldwide. Thus, social protest became the major cause of the Arab spring is. Social wave overwhelmed Western Europe and the USA. The solution of social problems depends not on the political will of the elite, but on the activity of the population, as the ruling circles will not adopt a policy of self-restrictions and concessions to the majority without the hard push from the bottom. The peculiar feature of India is the general satisfaction of the society with the political system and economic situation. At the same time the protests against specific cases and events in the country mobilize hundreds of thousands of people, be it corruption scandals or violence against women. However, cultural- civilizational factors contribute to the non-violent character of almost all mass actions. Another distinctive feature of India is the desire of the organizers of the protest to reject support of the major parties due to the belief that political leaders are interested more in strengthening their social base rather than in solving the concrete problems. There are different categories of social protest in India: peasant movements; scheduled castes' (Dalits, the former untouchables) movements; anti-corruption movements; environmental movements; backward caste movements; women's movements; tribal movements; industrial proletariat movements; students' movements; middle class movements; human rights movements. The first four movements are currently the most noticeable. Social protest has not, so far, led to any serious political instability. However, a certain development of the situation can generate it, as well as the rejection of the mainly peaceful methods. In this respect, Dalit movements, especially in case of further erosion of the caste system, are the subject of the greatest concern.

EPIZOOTOLOGICAL FEATURES OF MODERN CATTLE LEUKEMIA

1970 ◽  
pp. 53-58
Author(s):  
V. V. Makarov ◽  
D. A. Lozovoy
Keyword(s):  
Dairy Cattle ◽  
Western Europe ◽  
Control Programs ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Negative Order ◽  
Dairy Cattle Breeding ◽  
The Usa ◽  
Epizootic Process ◽  
National Programs

  Enzootic bovine leucosis (EBL) has been known for more than a century and a half. Its occurrence and registration may have historically been associated with intensive breeding of dairy cattle in Western Europe to increase target productivity. It is known that any limiting intervention in the nature of the animal organism is always accompanied by an uncontrolled and unpredictable change in the genotype of a wider range than the required, particularly negative order. In particular, a decrease in the resistance to macroorganisms and the possibility of the new diseases emergence, including infectious ones (for example, immunodeficiencies such as BLAD syndrome of black-motley cattle and stress syndrome in pigs, the occurrence of scrapie and other slow sheep infections). In the last two decades of the last century, in many disadvantaged countries, primarily Western European, national programs for the eradication of EBL have been developed and subsequently successfully implemented. First of all the motivation was the economy of dairy cattle breeding (mainly the extension of productive age, as well as the tightening of requirements in international trade in cattle and bull products, breeding, pricing, etc.). In an analytical article are reviewed the elements of epizootology of EBL in the foreign countries with special attention to the situation in the USA, scenarios of various control programs, and promising methods for assessing the role of infected animals in the epizootic process. A critical assessment of the problem of EBL in the Russian Federation is given, the reasons for the ineffectiveness of against leucosis measures are discussed.

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