A new giant species of the millipede genus Prionopetalum Attems, 1909 from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Odontopygidae)

A new large species of the millipede genus Prionopetalum Attems, 1909, P. nessiae sp. nov. from Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania, is described, with SEM imaging and illustrations of relevant taxonomic characters, and mapped. Comments on the significance of sternum 9 in descriptions of Odontopygidae, and on the intrageneric differences in Prionopetalum, are included.

Integrative taxonomy of giant crested Eusirus in the Southern Ocean, including the description of a new species (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Eusiridae)

Among Antarctic amphipods of the genus Eusirus, a highly distinctive clade of giant species is characterized by a dorsal, blade-shaped tooth on pereionites 5–7 and pleonites 1–3. This lineage, herein named ‘crested Eusirus’, includes two potential species complexes, the Eusirus perdentatus and Eusirus giganteus complexes, in addition to the more distinctive Eusirus propeperdentatus. Molecular phylogenies and statistical parsimony networks (COI, CytB and ITS2) of crested Eusirus are herein reconstructed. This study aims to formally revise species diversity within crested Eusirus by applying several species delimitation methods (Bayesian implementation of the Poisson tree processes model, general mixed Yule coalescent, multi-rate Poisson tree processes and automatic barcode gap discovery) on the resulting phylogenies. In addition, results from the DNA-based methods are benchmarked against a detailed morphological analysis of all available specimens of the E. perdentatus complex. Our results indicate that species diversity of crested Eusirus is underestimated. Overall, DNA-based methods suggest that the E. perdentatus complex is composed of three putative species and that the E. giganteus complex includes four or five putative species. The morphological analysis of available specimens from the E. perdentatus complex corroborates molecular results by identifying two differentiable species, the genuine E. perdentatus and a new species, herein described as Eusirus pontomedon sp. nov.

A strikingly coloured new giant millipede from Vietnam has copycat in Borneo (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Harpagophoridae)

A new giant species of the subfamily Rhynchoproctinae with strikingly bi-coloured, red-yellow legs contrasting with a black body is described: Alienostreptus bicoloripes sp. nov. from Vietnam. The new species is assigned to the genus Alienostreptus Pimvichai, Enghoff & Panha, 2010 hitherto comprising one species, A. alienus (Attems, 1936), and differing from other rhynchoproctine genera by having the femoral spine duplicated. Species of this genus share three synapomorphic characters of the subfamily, viz (1) anterior coxal fold forms deep concavity in posterior view, (2) posterior coxal fold very low, and (3) posterior coxal fold with mesal flap. A superficially very similar colourful species from Borneo, also with bi-coloured legs but clearly not belonging to Alienostreptus due to the position of ventral soft pads on male legs, is documented based on photographs.

A remarkable new species of the millipede genus Trachyjulus Peters, 1864 (Diplopoda, Spirostreptida, Cambalopsidae) from Thailand, based both on morphological and molecular evidence

A new, giant species of Trachyjulus from a cave in southern Thailand is described, illustrated, and compared to morphologically closely related taxa. This new species, T. magnussp. nov., is much larger than all other congeners and looks especially similar to the grossly sympatric T. unciger Golovatch, Geoffroy, Mauriès & VandenSpiegel, 2012, which is widespread in southern Thailand. Phylogenetic trees, both rooted and unrooted, based on a concatenated dataset of the COI and 28S genes of nine species of Cambalopsidae (Trachyjulus, Glyphiulus, and Plusioglyphiulus), strongly support the monophyly of Trachyjulus and a clear-cut divergence between T. magnussp. nov. and T. unciger in revealing very high average p-distances of the COI gene (20.80–23.62%).

A new “giant” species of Maranta L. (Marantaceae) from the Atlantic Forest of northeastern Brazil

A new species of Maranta subg. Maranta, M. gigantea, is described and illustrated. This is known from the submontane Atlantic Forest in the states of Pernambuco and Alagoas (Brazil). Based on the zingiberoid growth form it is morphologically similar to M. anderssoniana and M. zingiberina, differing mainly in the shape of the leaf blade (lanceolate to oblong or ovate respectively vs. narrow-lanceolate) and number of calli in the callose staminode (one prominent callus vs. two prominent calli). It is further differentiated from M. anderssoniana by being larger plants (up to 1.8 m tall vs. up to 1.0 m tall), with a tomentose leaf sheath (vs. sericeous), larger corolla tube length (9−12 mm long vs. 5−6 mm long), asymmetrically elliptical corolla lobes (vs. asymmetrically oblong) and larger outer staminodes (minor 12−15 × 6.5−8 mm vs. 10−11 × 5.5−6 mm and major 13−16 × 8.5 × 10.5 mm vs. 10−12 × 8−9.2 mm). Due to its narrow distribution, it is classified as critically endangered.

Incubation behaviours of oviraptorosaur dinosaurs in relation to body size

Most birds sit on their eggs during incubation, a behaviour that likely evolved among non-avian dinosaurs. Several ‘brooding' specimens of smaller species of oviraptorosaurs and troodontids reveal these non-avian theropods sat on their eggs, although little is known of incubation behaviour in larger theropod species. Here we examine egg clutches over a large body size range of oviraptorosaurs in order to understand the potential effect of body size on incubation behaviour. Eggshell porosity indicates that the eggs of all oviraptorosaurs were exposed in the nest, similar to brooding birds. Although all oviraptorosaur clutches consist of radially arranged eggs in a ring configuration, clutch morphology varies in that the central opening is small or absent in the smallest species, becomes significantly larger in larger species, and occupies most of the nest area in giant species. Our results suggest that the smallest oviraptorosaurs probably sat directly on the eggs, whereas with increasing body size more weight was likely carried by the central opening, reducing or eliminating the load on the eggs and still potentially allowing for some contact during incubation in giant species. This adaptation, not seen in birds, appears to remove the body size constraints of incubation behaviour in giant oviraptorosaurs.

A new giant titanosaur sheds light on body mass evolution among sauropod dinosaurs

Titanosauria was the most diverse and successful lineage of sauropod dinosaurs. This clade had its major radiation during the middle Early Cretaceous and survived up to the end of that period. Among sauropods, this lineage has the most disparate values of body mass, including the smallest and largest sauropods known. Although recent findings have improved our knowledge on giant titanosaur anatomy, there are still many unknown aspects about their evolution, especially for the most gigantic forms and the evolution of body mass in this clade. Here we describe a new giant titanosaur, which represents the largest species described so far and one of the most complete titanosaurs. Its inclusion in an extended phylogenetic analysis and the optimization of body mass reveals the presence of an endemic clade of giant titanosaurs inhabited Patagonia between the Albian and the Santonian. This clade includes most of the giant species of titanosaurs and represents the major increase in body mass in the history of Titanosauria.

Loimia ramzegasp. nov., a new giant species of Terebellidae (Polychaeta) from French waters (Brittany, English Channel)

A new species of Terebellidae,Loimia ramzegasp. nov., has been identified from North Brittany beaches (English Channel). This new species is characterized by its gigantic size (max 650 mm, live), two pairs of lateral lappets on segments 1 and 3; first pair more ventral, second pair more developed and lateral but oblique, with wavy edge. Nine ventral pads from segment 2 (fused on segments 2 and 3), first three pads swollen, next ones subsequently decreasing in size. Three types of notochaetae, asymmetrically bilimbate, symmetrically bilimbate and capillary. Uncini pectinate with 6 teeth (some with 5 teeth) slightly decreasing in size, in one vertical row. Pygidium with about 14 long conical marginal papillae surrounding anus.