The Eocene–Oligocene Southern Ocean is thought to have played a major role in cetacean evolution.Yet,fossils from its heart—Antarctica—are rare,and come almost exclusively from the Eocene La Meseta and Submeseta fo...The Eocene–Oligocene Southern Ocean is thought to have played a major role in cetacean evolution.Yet,fossils from its heart—Antarctica—are rare,and come almost exclusively from the Eocene La Meseta and Submeseta formations of Marambio(Seymour)Island.Here,we provide a summary and update of this crucial fossil assemblage,and discuss its relevance in the broader context of cetacean evolution.To date,Eocene specimens from Antarctica include basilosaurids,a group of archaic stem cetaceans that had already fully adapted to life in water;and the archaic toothed mysticete Llanocetus,the second oldest crown cetacean on record(ca.34 Ma).This Eocene co-occurrence of stem and crown cetaceans is highly unusual,and otherwise only observed in Peru.Though related,at least some of the Antarctic species appear to be different from,and notably larger than their Peruvian counterparts,suggesting an early differentiation of the high latitude cetacean fauna.展开更多
Prunus is an economically important genus widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.Previous studies on the genus using a variety of loci yielded conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses.Here,we generated nuc...Prunus is an economically important genus widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.Previous studies on the genus using a variety of loci yielded conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses.Here,we generated nuclear reduced representation sequencing data and plastid genomes for 36 Prunus individuals and two outgroups.Both nuclear and plastome data recovered a well-resolved phylogeny.The species were divided into three main clades corresponding to their inflorescence types,-the racemose group,the solitary-flower group and the corymbose group-with the latter two sister to one another.Prunus was inferred to have diversified initially in the Late Cretaceous around 67.32 million years ago.The diversification of the three major clades began between the Paleocene and Miocene,suggesting that paleoclimatic events were an important driving force for Prunus diversification.Ancestral state reconstructions revealed that the most recent common ancestor of Prunus had racemose inflorescences,and the solitary-flower and corymb inflorescence types were derived by reduction of flower number and suppression of the rachis,respectively.We also tested the hybrid origin hypothesis of the racemose group proposed in previous studies.Prunus has undergone extensive hybridization events,although it is difficult to identify conclusively specific instances of hybridization when using SNP data,especially deep in the phylogeny.Our study provides well-resolved nuclear and plastid phylogenies of Prunus,reveals substantial cytonuclear discord at shallow scales,and sheds new light on inflorescence evolution in this economically important lineage.展开更多
Results of a geochemical and geochronological study of the Paleoproterozoic rock assemblage in the Haisyn block of the Ros-Tikych Domain of the Ukrainian Shield are reported.Within the block,the Haisyn Complex compris...Results of a geochemical and geochronological study of the Paleoproterozoic rock assemblage in the Haisyn block of the Ros-Tikych Domain of the Ukrainian Shield are reported.Within the block,the Haisyn Complex comprises granitoids,including pyroxene-bearing diorites,quartz diorites,granodiorites,amphibole-biotite and biotite granites,and aplite and pegmatite granites.Monazite U-Pb isotope age of charnockitic syenite belonging to the Haisyn Complex was defined at 2027±6 Ma.This age coeval with the time of granulite facies metamorphism and emplacement of numerous granitic intrusions in the area.The Sm–Nd apatite isochron yielded an age of 2100±150 Ma.TheεNd isochron value of-5 indicates a long crustal residence time of the crustal protolith.Geochemical data do not indicate any enrichment of the studied rocks in relation to the Eoarchean and Neoarchean charnockites developed in the same area.So,if the model of partial melting of the older crustal protolith is involved then the degree of melting must be quite high.However,deep negative anomalies of Sr,Eu,Zr,and Ti indicate that plagioclase,zircon,and Fe–Ti oxides probably remained unmelted in the source.The Haisyn block was buried in the lower crust at high temperature and pressure conditions in the Paleoproterozoic time.Such a situation resulted in partial melting of the existing crust and formation of melts,containing undigested zircon and bearing ancient Nd isotope signature.展开更多
Confused geographical structure of a population and mitonuclear discordance are shaped by a combination of rapid changes in population demographics and shifts in ecology.In this study,we generated a time-calibrated ph...Confused geographical structure of a population and mitonuclear discordance are shaped by a combination of rapid changes in population demographics and shifts in ecology.In this study,we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny of Scutiger boulengeri,an endemic Xizang alpine toad occurring in mountain streams on the Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau(QTP).Based on three mitochondrial DNA(mt DNA)genes,eight clades were assigned to three deeply divergent lineages.Analysis of nuclear DNA(nu DNA)genes revealed three distinct clusters without geographic structure,indicating significantly high rates of gene flow.Coalescent theory framework analysis(approximate Bayesian computation model DIYABC and Migrate-N)suggested that divergence of the main intraspecific clusters was the result of hybridization after secondary contact in the Holocene around 0.59 million years ago(Ma).The ratio of mt DNA FST(fixation index)to nu DNA FST was 2.3,thus failing to show male-biased dispersal.Geographic cline analysis showed that a wide hybrid zone was initially established in southwestern China,without significant reproductive isolation but with strong introgression in S.boulengeri,suggesting high hybrid fitness.Furthermore,mt DNA genes exhibited isolation by distance(IBD)while nu DNA genes exhibited significant isolation by environment(IBE).Results suggested that mitonuclear discordance may have initially been caused by geographic isolation,followed by precipitation-mediated hybridization,producing a wide hybrid zone and geographic structure confusion of nu DNA genes in S.boulengeri.This study indicated that complicated historical processes may have led to specific genetic patterns,with a specific climate factor facilitating gene flow in the system.展开更多
Environmentally heterogeneous mountains provide opportunities for rapid diversification and speciation.The family Prunellidae(accentors)is a group of birds comprising primarily mountain specialists that have recently ...Environmentally heterogeneous mountains provide opportunities for rapid diversification and speciation.The family Prunellidae(accentors)is a group of birds comprising primarily mountain specialists that have recently radiated across the Palearctic region.This rapid diversification poses challenges to resolving their phylogeny.Herein we sequenced the complete mitogenomes and estimated the phylogeny using all 12(including 28 individuals)currently recognized species of Prunellidae.We reconstructed the mitochondrial genome phylogeny using 13 protein-coding genes of 12 species and 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus).Phylogenetic relationships were estimated using a suite of analyses:maximum likelihood,maximum parsimony and the coalescent-based SVDquartets.Divergence times were estimated by implementing a Bayesian relaxed clock model in BEAST2.Based on the BEAST time-calibrated tree,we implemented an ancestral area reconstruction using RASP v.4.3.Our phylogenies based on the maximum likelihood,maximum parsimony and SVDquartets approaches support a clade of large-sized accentors(subgenus Laiscopus)to be sister to all other accentors with small size(subgenus Prunella).In addition,the trees also support the sister relationship of P.immaculata and P.rubeculoides+P.atrogularis with 100%bootstrap support,but the relationships among the remaining eight species in the Prunella clade are poorly resolved.These species cluster in different positions in the three phylogenetic trees and the nodes are often poorly supported.The five nodes separating the seven species diverged simultaneously within less than half million years(i.e.,between 2.71 and 3.15 million years ago),suggesting that the recent radiation is likely responsible for rampant incomplete lineage sorting and gene tree conflicts.Ancestral area reconstruction indicates a central Palearctic region origin for Prunellidae.Our study highlights that whole mitochondrial genome phylogeny can resolve major lineages within Prunellidae but is not sufficient to fully resolve the relationship among the species in the Prunella clade that almost simultaneously diversify during a short time period.Our results emphasize the challenge to reconstruct reliable phylogenetic relationship in a group of recently radiated species.展开更多
Toxicodendron is a genus in the Rhus complex of Anacardiaceae with a disjunct distribution between eastern Asia and North America,extending to southeastern Asia and the neotropics.Nuclear(internal transcribed spacer,e...Toxicodendron is a genus in the Rhus complex of Anacardiaceae with a disjunct distribution between eastern Asia and North America,extending to southeastern Asia and the neotropics.Nuclear(internal transcribed spacer,external transcribed spacer,and NIA-i3) and chloroplast(ndhF and trnL-F) sequences were used to construct phylogenetic relationships of Toxicodendron.Phylogenetic analysis of these data strongly support Toxicodendron as a monophyletic group distinct from other genera of the Rhus complex,and the phylogeny does not fully corroborate classification at the sectional level.Two temperate disjunct lineages were detected,one from section Toxicodendron and the other between the eastern North American Toxicodendron vernix and the eastern Asian Toxicodendron ver-nicifluum.Their divergence times were estimated to be 13.46(7.95-19.42) and 7.53(2.76-12.86) mya,respectively.The disjunction between section Griffithii(taxa from warm temperate to tropical Asia) and Toxicodendron striatum(from the neotropics) was supported and their divergence time was estimated to be 20.84(11.16-30.52) mya in the early Miocene.Our biogeographic results and the paleontological data support the Bering land bridge as the most likely route to explain the temperate disjunctions,yet the tropical disjunction in Toxicodendron seems to be best explained by the North Atlantic land bridge hypothesis.展开更多
The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard,1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia,China,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,South Africa,Tajikistan,and Ukraine.Herein,a new ge...The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard,1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia,China,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,South Africa,Tajikistan,and Ukraine.Herein,a new genus and a new species of fossil mesopsychid,Epicharmesopsyche pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia,China,supplementing the family-level diversity.The well-preserved,new material reveals many characters,including antennae,wing venation,shape and genitalia that increase our morphological understanding of the family,although unfortunately the mouthparts and most of the legs are not preserved.Diagnosis of the Mesopsychidae is emended to include a four-or five-branched MP in both the fore-and hind wings.This is the first documentation of a wing coupling structure in the Mesopsychidae,consisting of three to four frenula bristles on the humeral lobe at the base of the costal margin of both hind wings.Asymmetrical shape and size of the left and right wings on a specimen of E.pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,seems to be a common condition for mesopsychid taxa from northeastern China.展开更多
The disjunct distribution of plants between eastern Asia(EA) and North America(NA) is one of the most well-known biogeographic patterns. However, the formation and historical process of this pattern have been long deb...The disjunct distribution of plants between eastern Asia(EA) and North America(NA) is one of the most well-known biogeographic patterns. However, the formation and historical process of this pattern have been long debated. Chamaecyparis is a good model to test previous hypotheses about the formation of this disjunct pattern as it contains six species disjunctly distributed in EA, western North America(WNA)and eastern North America(ENA). In this study, we applied ecological niche models to test the formation of the disjunct pattern of Chamaecyparis. The model calibrated with the EA species was able to predict the distribution of eastern NA species well, but not the western NA species. Furthermore, the eastern Asian species were shown to have higher niche overlap with the eastern North American species. The EA species were also shown to share more similar habitats with ENA species than with WNA species in the genus. Chamaecyparis species in WNA experienced a significant niche shift compared with congeneric species. Chamaecyparis had a low number of suitable regions in Europe and the middle and western NA during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) period, and became extinct in the former region whereas it retains residual distribution in the latter. The extirpations in western NA and Europe in response to the late Neogene and Quaternary climatic cooling and the more similar habitats between ENA and EA ultimately shaped the current intercontinental disjunct distribution of Chamaecyparis. Both current hypotheses may be also jointly applied to explain more eastern Asian and eastern North American disjunctions observed today.展开更多
The flying squirrels(Pteromyini,Rodentia)are the most diverse and widely distributed group of gliding mammals.Taxonomic boundaries and relationships within flying squirrels remain an area of active research in mammalo...The flying squirrels(Pteromyini,Rodentia)are the most diverse and widely distributed group of gliding mammals.Taxonomic boundaries and relationships within flying squirrels remain an area of active research in mammalogy.The discovery of new specimens of Pteromys(Hylopetes)leonardi Thomas,1921,previously considered a synonym of Hylopetes alboniger,in Yunnan Province,China allowed a morphological and genetic reassessment of the status of this taxon.Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of two mitochondrial(12S ribosomal RNA and 16S ribosomal RNA)and one nuclear(interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein)gene fragments.Morphological assessments involved examinations of features preserved on skins,skulls,and penises of museum specimens,supplemented with principal component analysis of craniometric data.Together these assessments revealed that this taxon should be recognized not only as a distinct species,but should also be placed within a new genus,described here as Priapomys gen.nov.展开更多
The spinosaurids represent an enigmatic and highly unusual form of large tetanuran theropods that were first identified in 1915.A recent flurry of discoveries and taxonomic revisions of this important and interesting ...The spinosaurids represent an enigmatic and highly unusual form of large tetanuran theropods that were first identified in 1915.A recent flurry of discoveries and taxonomic revisions of this important and interesting clade has added greatly to our knowledge.Spinosaur body fossils are however generaUy rare and most species are known from only limited skeletal remains.Their unusual anatomical adaptations to the skull,limbs and axial column all differ from other large theropods and point to an unusual ecological niche and a lifestyle intimately linked to water.展开更多
The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vas...The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vascular plants for the Eocene(56-33.9 million years ago) and Oligocene(33.9-23 million years ago) epochs of North America north of IVlexico using 201 fossil floras.We calculated the direction and shape of the gradient using quadratic regression to detect linear and curvilinear trends.We performed regressions for the Eocene and Oligocene as well as for informal time intervals within the Eocene:early,middle,and middle + late.We found that quadratic models better explain the data than linear models for both epochs as well as for the early Eocene.A roughly linear trend in the middle and middle + late intervals may reflect limited sampling of high latitude floras for those times.The curvilinear relationship was weak for the Eocene and the model showed a peak in richness at 45.5°N.The curvilinear relationship was much stronger for the Oligocene and the peak occurred at 48.5°N.In the Eocene,the mid-latitude peak in richness may be explained by mean annual temperature,which was probably higher at some mid-latitudes than at lower ones.For the Oligocene,the peak in richness at midlatitudes may be explained by evolutionary diversification within the temperate zone or by increased aridity at low latitudes.We also assessed the latitudinal richness gradient of genera within modern floras in North America north of Mexico and we found a weak,curvilinear trend with a peak in richness at 31.5°N.Our results suggest that the latitudinal genus richness gradient of vascular plants in North America continued to develop into its modern structure following the Oligocene.展开更多
The present paper reconstructs the biogeographic diversification for Nolana L.f.(Solanaceae),a genus of 89 endemic species largely restricted to fog-dependent desert lomas formations of coastal Peru and Chile.Previous...The present paper reconstructs the biogeographic diversification for Nolana L.f.(Solanaceae),a genus of 89 endemic species largely restricted to fog-dependent desert lomas formations of coastal Peru and Chile.Previous efforts have reconstructed a phylogenetic estimate for Nolana using a combination of molecular markers.Herein,we expand on those results to examine hypotheses of biogeographic origins and diversification patterns.Nolana occupies habitats within a continuous coastal desert and forms a terrestrial archipelago of discrete "islands" unique in size,topography,and species composition.Each locality contains at least one Nolana species and many contain multiple species in sympatry.The genus has a Chilean origin,with the basal clades confined to Chile with wide geographic and ecological distributions.Peru contains two strongly supported clades,suggesting two introductions with subsequent radiation.A Chilean clade of shrubby,small-flowered species appears to have had its origins from the same ancestors of the second line that radiated in Peru and northern Chile.Nolana galapagensis is endemic to the Islas Gala'pagos,with origins traced to Peruvian taxa with a divergence time of 0.35 mya.Rates of diversification over the past 4.02 mya in Nolana,in one of the driest habitats on Earth,suggest rapid adaptive radiation in several clades.Success in Nolana may be attributed to characters that confer a competitive advantage in unpredictable and water-dependent environments,such as succulent leaf anatomy and ecophysiology,and the reproductive mericarp unique to Nolana.The processes affecting or shaping the biota of western South America are discussed.展开更多
Plants in natural ecosystems are exposed to a combination of UV radiation,ionizing radiation(IR)and other abiotic factors.These factors change with the altitude.We investigated DNA alterations of some wild plants of d...Plants in natural ecosystems are exposed to a combination of UV radiation,ionizing radiation(IR)and other abiotic factors.These factors change with the altitude.We investigated DNA alterations of some wild plants of different plant families in natural ecosystems at three altitudes in Rila Mountain,Bulgaria(1500,1782,and 2925 m above sea level(a.s.l.)exposed to UV radiation,IR and other abiotic stresses,to assess the tolerance of plant species to the changing environmental conditions in three successive growth seasons.For this purpose,physicochemical,cytogenetic,and molecular methods were applied.DNA damage was assessed by micronucleus test and molecular method comet assay adapted and applied by us to wild plant species from Onagraceae,Rosaceae,Boraginaceae,Saxifragaceae,Orobanchaceae,Asteraceae and Poaceae families,growing at three different altitudes.Variability in the DNA sensitivity and the level of tolerance was observed among the plant species in response to combined abiotic factors assessed by induced DNA damage and gross beta activity.The studied representatives of Poaceae were less susceptible than the other studied species at all three altitudes and showed close level of DNA injuries to that of unaffected control plant grown in laboratory conditions.The lower levels of DNA damage of these wild plant species corresponded to their lower ability to accumulate radionuclides.There was a particularly pronounced low level of DNA injuries in the plant species at the highest altitude.The level of DNA damage showed correlation with the values of some abiotic environmental factors.The results would contribute to the elucidation of the extent of adaptation of plant species to the continuously changing environment and would be useful in selecting sensitive herbaceous monitor species for environmental impact assessment at mountain and alpine sites.展开更多
During the entry of specimen data from the paper by O'Shea et al.(2015)into the database at the National Museum of Natural History,Smithsonian Institution(USNM),one of us(KAT)realized that several errors existed,l...During the entry of specimen data from the paper by O'Shea et al.(2015)into the database at the National Museum of Natural History,Smithsonian Institution(USNM),one of us(KAT)realized that several errors existed,likely stemming from inverted specimen numbers,typos,or inadvertently skipping lines while transferring information from lines in a spreadsheet.We here present the corrected entries,listed in the same taxon order as in the original paper.展开更多
The Campos Gerais Domain(CGD)in southeastern Brazil is an approximately 180 km×35 km area of Archean–Proterozoic rocks located southwest of the São Francisco Craton(SFC).The Archean–Paleopro terozoic evolu...The Campos Gerais Domain(CGD)in southeastern Brazil is an approximately 180 km×35 km area of Archean–Proterozoic rocks located southwest of the São Francisco Craton(SFC).The Archean–Paleopro terozoic evolution of the CGD—alongside its potential correlation with the SFC or other cratonic blocks in the region-is currently poorly-constrained.We present the results of systematic petrography,bulkrock geochemistry,mineral chemistry and geochronology for a suite of scarcely studied mafic–ultramafic rocks from the CGD.We also provide a compilation of previously reported bulk-rock geochemical and spinel group mineral chemical data for mafic–ultramafic rocks throughout the CGD,and geochronological information for various lithotypes in the region.The CGD records a protracted Mesoarchean to Statherian(3.1–1.7 Ga)crustal evolution,which we interpret to share a common history with the southern SFC and their related reworked segments,suggesting that it is a westward extension of this cratonic terrain.The metavolcano-sedimentary rocks of the Fortaleza de Minas and Alpinópolis segments represent a Mesoarchean greenstone belt that is stratigraphically and chemically comparable to Archean greenstone belts worldwide,and that is broadly coeval with a local suite of tonalite-trondhjemite-grano diorite(TTG)gneisses and migmatites.U-Pb SHRIMP zircon data from a subalkaline metagabbro yielded a concordia age of ca.2.96 Ga,revealing a previously unrecognized phase of Archean magmatism in the CGD that can be chrono-correlated with metakomatiite and TTG generation elsewhere in the São Francisco paleocontinent.Our data contradict a hypothesis whereby the metavolcano-sedimentary rocks of the Jacuí-Bom Jesus da Penha and Petúnia segments represent an ophiolite,as previously suggested,instead presenting features that point to formation in association with a continental arc.Coupled with a U-Pb(SHRIMP)crystallization age of ca.2.13 Ga recorded by zircon grains from a metaultramafic rock,these data highlight that a magmatic event was chrono-correlated with the main accretionary phase of the Minas Orogeny,and with the Pouso Alegre/Amparo and São Vicente complexes.Finally,a U-Pb(SHRIMP)concordia age of ca.590 Ma—obtained from metamorphic-textured zircon grains from a metaultramafic rock—points to a late metamorphic overprint related to upper amphibolite conditions,brittle fault activation and the juxtaposition of crustal blocks in association with the latest stages of western Gondwana’s assembly in the southern SFC,with later retrogression to greenschist-facies.展开更多
The Philippines is listed as one of the world's megadiverse countries despite its small size.Conversely,it is also on the list of global biodiversity conservation hotspots.With the threat of extinction at an all-t...The Philippines is listed as one of the world's megadiverse countries despite its small size.Conversely,it is also on the list of global biodiversity conservation hotspots.With the threat of extinction at an all-time high,better understa nding of the archipelago's biodiversity will provide invalua ble baseline information for proper conservation efforts.Here we provide an upda ted checklist on the herpetological biodiversity of Ca miguin Sur,Misa mis Oriental,Minda nao,Philippines.Field surveys and specimen collection from the municipality of Mambajao resulted in a total of 28 species(13 anurans,11 lizards,and four snakes)-all well represented by voucher specimens.Our data provides seven additional species records,upda ting the island's total amphibian and reptile species count to 57,with about half Philippine endemic.Included in the new records are three invasive alien species of amphibians:The Cane Toad Rhinella marina,the Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodatylus planirstris,and the Asiatic Painted Narrowmouth Toad Kaloula pulchra.展开更多
The cosmopolitan family Solanaceae,which originated and first diversified in South America,is economically important.The tribe Hyoscyameae is one of the three clades in Solanaceae that occurs outside of the New World;...The cosmopolitan family Solanaceae,which originated and first diversified in South America,is economically important.The tribe Hyoscyameae is one of the three clades in Solanaceae that occurs outside of the New World;Hyoscyameae genera are distributed mainly in Europe and Asia,and have centers of species diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions.Although many phylogenetic studies have focused on Solanaceae,the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Hyoscyameae and its biogeographic history remain obscure.In this study,we reconstructed the phylogeny of Hyoscyameae based on whole chloroplast genome data,and estimated lineage divergence times according to the newly reported fruit fossil from the Eocene Patagonia,Physalis infinemundi,the earliest known fossil of Solanaceae.We reconstructed a robust phylogeny of Hyoscyameae that reveals the berry fruit-type Atropa is sister to the six capsule-bearing genera(Hyoscyameae sensu stricto),Atropanthe is sister to the clade(Scopolia,Physochlaina,Przewalskia),and together they are sister to the robustly supported AnisoduseHyoscyamus clade.The stem age of Hyoscyameae was inferred to be in the Eocene(47.11 Ma,95%HPD:36.75e57.86 Ma),and the crown ages of Hyoscyameae sensu stricto were estimated as the early Miocene(22.52 Ma,95%HPD:15.19e30.53 Ma),which shows a close correlation with the rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary.Our results provide insights into the phylogenetic relationships and the history of the biogeographic diversification of the tribe Hyoscyameae,as well as plant diversification on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.展开更多
Based on four specimens discovered in the collection of the natural History Museum, London, United kingdom, we present a new distribution record for the skink Sphenomorphus oligolepis for seram island, Maluku Province...Based on four specimens discovered in the collection of the natural History Museum, London, United kingdom, we present a new distribution record for the skink Sphenomorphus oligolepis for seram island, Maluku Province, Indonesia. This find constitutes the westernmost record for the species and extends its range by over 800 km. the species was heretofore only known from apparently isolated mainland new Guinean populations.展开更多
We report the results of five herpetological surveys during 2011–2013 that included visits to all districts of Timor-Leste(Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro, Dili, Covalima, Ermera, Lautém, Liquia, Manatuto, Man...We report the results of five herpetological surveys during 2011–2013 that included visits to all districts of Timor-Leste(Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro, Dili, Covalima, Ermera, Lautém, Liquia, Manatuto, Manufahi, Viqueque) except the Oecusse exclave. Our fieldwork culminated in the discovery of one putative new frog species(genus Kaloula), at least five putative new lizard species(genera Cyrtodactylus, Cryptoblepharus, and Sphenomorphus), and two putative new snake species(genera Stegonotus and Indotyphlops). In addition, we present new distribution records of amphibians and reptiles for 11 of the country's 12 contiguous districts, along with additional natural history data. Results from our surveys increase the number of amphibian and reptiles known to occur in Timor-Leste from 22 species before our surveys began to over 60, including over 20 as yet undescribed species.展开更多
文摘The Eocene–Oligocene Southern Ocean is thought to have played a major role in cetacean evolution.Yet,fossils from its heart—Antarctica—are rare,and come almost exclusively from the Eocene La Meseta and Submeseta formations of Marambio(Seymour)Island.Here,we provide a summary and update of this crucial fossil assemblage,and discuss its relevance in the broader context of cetacean evolution.To date,Eocene specimens from Antarctica include basilosaurids,a group of archaic stem cetaceans that had already fully adapted to life in water;and the archaic toothed mysticete Llanocetus,the second oldest crown cetacean on record(ca.34 Ma).This Eocene co-occurrence of stem and crown cetaceans is highly unusual,and otherwise only observed in Peru.Though related,at least some of the Antarctic species appear to be different from,and notably larger than their Peruvian counterparts,suggesting an early differentiation of the high latitude cetacean fauna.
基金This work was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.32170381 and 31770200).
文摘Prunus is an economically important genus widely distributed in the temperate Northern Hemisphere.Previous studies on the genus using a variety of loci yielded conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses.Here,we generated nuclear reduced representation sequencing data and plastid genomes for 36 Prunus individuals and two outgroups.Both nuclear and plastome data recovered a well-resolved phylogeny.The species were divided into three main clades corresponding to their inflorescence types,-the racemose group,the solitary-flower group and the corymbose group-with the latter two sister to one another.Prunus was inferred to have diversified initially in the Late Cretaceous around 67.32 million years ago.The diversification of the three major clades began between the Paleocene and Miocene,suggesting that paleoclimatic events were an important driving force for Prunus diversification.Ancestral state reconstructions revealed that the most recent common ancestor of Prunus had racemose inflorescences,and the solitary-flower and corymb inflorescence types were derived by reduction of flower number and suppression of the rachis,respectively.We also tested the hybrid origin hypothesis of the racemose group proposed in previous studies.Prunus has undergone extensive hybridization events,although it is difficult to identify conclusively specific instances of hybridization when using SNP data,especially deep in the phylogeny.Our study provides well-resolved nuclear and plastid phylogenies of Prunus,reveals substantial cytonuclear discord at shallow scales,and sheds new light on inflorescence evolution in this economically important lineage.
文摘Results of a geochemical and geochronological study of the Paleoproterozoic rock assemblage in the Haisyn block of the Ros-Tikych Domain of the Ukrainian Shield are reported.Within the block,the Haisyn Complex comprises granitoids,including pyroxene-bearing diorites,quartz diorites,granodiorites,amphibole-biotite and biotite granites,and aplite and pegmatite granites.Monazite U-Pb isotope age of charnockitic syenite belonging to the Haisyn Complex was defined at 2027±6 Ma.This age coeval with the time of granulite facies metamorphism and emplacement of numerous granitic intrusions in the area.The Sm–Nd apatite isochron yielded an age of 2100±150 Ma.TheεNd isochron value of-5 indicates a long crustal residence time of the crustal protolith.Geochemical data do not indicate any enrichment of the studied rocks in relation to the Eoarchean and Neoarchean charnockites developed in the same area.So,if the model of partial melting of the older crustal protolith is involved then the degree of melting must be quite high.However,deep negative anomalies of Sr,Eu,Zr,and Ti indicate that plagioclase,zircon,and Fe–Ti oxides probably remained unmelted in the source.The Haisyn block was buried in the lower crust at high temperature and pressure conditions in the Paleoproterozoic time.Such a situation resulted in partial melting of the existing crust and formation of melts,containing undigested zircon and bearing ancient Nd isotope signature.
基金supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(STEP,2019QZKK05010503)Biodiversity Survey and Assessment Project of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment,China(2019HJ2096001006)+1 种基金Construction of Basic Conditions Platform of Sichuan Science and Technology Department(2019JDPT0020)China Biodiversity Observation Networks(Sino BON)。
文摘Confused geographical structure of a population and mitonuclear discordance are shaped by a combination of rapid changes in population demographics and shifts in ecology.In this study,we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny of Scutiger boulengeri,an endemic Xizang alpine toad occurring in mountain streams on the Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau(QTP).Based on three mitochondrial DNA(mt DNA)genes,eight clades were assigned to three deeply divergent lineages.Analysis of nuclear DNA(nu DNA)genes revealed three distinct clusters without geographic structure,indicating significantly high rates of gene flow.Coalescent theory framework analysis(approximate Bayesian computation model DIYABC and Migrate-N)suggested that divergence of the main intraspecific clusters was the result of hybridization after secondary contact in the Holocene around 0.59 million years ago(Ma).The ratio of mt DNA FST(fixation index)to nu DNA FST was 2.3,thus failing to show male-biased dispersal.Geographic cline analysis showed that a wide hybrid zone was initially established in southwestern China,without significant reproductive isolation but with strong introgression in S.boulengeri,suggesting high hybrid fitness.Furthermore,mt DNA genes exhibited isolation by distance(IBD)while nu DNA genes exhibited significant isolation by environment(IBE).Results suggested that mitonuclear discordance may have initially been caused by geographic isolation,followed by precipitation-mediated hybridization,producing a wide hybrid zone and geographic structure confusion of nu DNA genes in S.boulengeri.This study indicated that complicated historical processes may have led to specific genetic patterns,with a specific climate factor facilitating gene flow in the system.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC32020103005)the Third Xinjiang Scientific Expedition and Research(XIKK)(2022xjkk0205)Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research(2019QZKK0501)。
文摘Environmentally heterogeneous mountains provide opportunities for rapid diversification and speciation.The family Prunellidae(accentors)is a group of birds comprising primarily mountain specialists that have recently radiated across the Palearctic region.This rapid diversification poses challenges to resolving their phylogeny.Herein we sequenced the complete mitogenomes and estimated the phylogeny using all 12(including 28 individuals)currently recognized species of Prunellidae.We reconstructed the mitochondrial genome phylogeny using 13 protein-coding genes of 12 species and 2 Eurasian Tree Sparrows(Passer montanus).Phylogenetic relationships were estimated using a suite of analyses:maximum likelihood,maximum parsimony and the coalescent-based SVDquartets.Divergence times were estimated by implementing a Bayesian relaxed clock model in BEAST2.Based on the BEAST time-calibrated tree,we implemented an ancestral area reconstruction using RASP v.4.3.Our phylogenies based on the maximum likelihood,maximum parsimony and SVDquartets approaches support a clade of large-sized accentors(subgenus Laiscopus)to be sister to all other accentors with small size(subgenus Prunella).In addition,the trees also support the sister relationship of P.immaculata and P.rubeculoides+P.atrogularis with 100%bootstrap support,but the relationships among the remaining eight species in the Prunella clade are poorly resolved.These species cluster in different positions in the three phylogenetic trees and the nodes are often poorly supported.The five nodes separating the seven species diverged simultaneously within less than half million years(i.e.,between 2.71 and 3.15 million years ago),suggesting that the recent radiation is likely responsible for rampant incomplete lineage sorting and gene tree conflicts.Ancestral area reconstruction indicates a central Palearctic region origin for Prunellidae.Our study highlights that whole mitochondrial genome phylogeny can resolve major lineages within Prunellidae but is not sufficient to fully resolve the relationship among the species in the Prunella clade that almost simultaneously diversify during a short time period.Our results emphasize the challenge to reconstruct reliable phylogenetic relationship in a group of recently radiated species.
基金supported bygrants from the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program,grant no. 2007CB411601)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant nos.30625004 and 40771073 to H. Sun)+2 种基金the Yunnan Natural Science Foundation (grant no. 2008CC013)the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation (to J.Wen)supported by the Laboratory of Analytical Biology of the National Museum of Natural History,Smithsonian Institution,Washington DC,USA
文摘Toxicodendron is a genus in the Rhus complex of Anacardiaceae with a disjunct distribution between eastern Asia and North America,extending to southeastern Asia and the neotropics.Nuclear(internal transcribed spacer,external transcribed spacer,and NIA-i3) and chloroplast(ndhF and trnL-F) sequences were used to construct phylogenetic relationships of Toxicodendron.Phylogenetic analysis of these data strongly support Toxicodendron as a monophyletic group distinct from other genera of the Rhus complex,and the phylogeny does not fully corroborate classification at the sectional level.Two temperate disjunct lineages were detected,one from section Toxicodendron and the other between the eastern North American Toxicodendron vernix and the eastern Asian Toxicodendron ver-nicifluum.Their divergence times were estimated to be 13.46(7.95-19.42) and 7.53(2.76-12.86) mya,respectively.The disjunction between section Griffithii(taxa from warm temperate to tropical Asia) and Toxicodendron striatum(from the neotropics) was supported and their divergence time was estimated to be 20.84(11.16-30.52) mya in the early Miocene.Our biogeographic results and the paleontological data support the Bering land bridge as the most likely route to explain the temperate disjunctions,yet the tropical disjunction in Toxicodendron seems to be best explained by the North Atlantic land bridge hypothesis.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (2012CB821906)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31230065, 31272352, 41272006)+1 种基金Project of Great Wall Scholar and KEY project of Beijing Municipal Commission of Education (grants KZ201310028033)China Geological Survey (grant 1212011120115)
文摘The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard,1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia,China,Kyrgyzstan,Russia,South Africa,Tajikistan,and Ukraine.Herein,a new genus and a new species of fossil mesopsychid,Epicharmesopsyche pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia,China,supplementing the family-level diversity.The well-preserved,new material reveals many characters,including antennae,wing venation,shape and genitalia that increase our morphological understanding of the family,although unfortunately the mouthparts and most of the legs are not preserved.Diagnosis of the Mesopsychidae is emended to include a four-or five-branched MP in both the fore-and hind wings.This is the first documentation of a wing coupling structure in the Mesopsychidae,consisting of three to four frenula bristles on the humeral lobe at the base of the costal margin of both hind wings.Asymmetrical shape and size of the left and right wings on a specimen of E.pentavenulosa gen.et sp.nov.,seems to be a common condition for mesopsychid taxa from northeastern China.
基金funded by grants from the Ministry of Science and Technology of China, Basic Research Project(No. 2013FY112600)the Talent Project of Yunnan Province(No. 2011CI042)
文摘The disjunct distribution of plants between eastern Asia(EA) and North America(NA) is one of the most well-known biogeographic patterns. However, the formation and historical process of this pattern have been long debated. Chamaecyparis is a good model to test previous hypotheses about the formation of this disjunct pattern as it contains six species disjunctly distributed in EA, western North America(WNA)and eastern North America(ENA). In this study, we applied ecological niche models to test the formation of the disjunct pattern of Chamaecyparis. The model calibrated with the EA species was able to predict the distribution of eastern NA species well, but not the western NA species. Furthermore, the eastern Asian species were shown to have higher niche overlap with the eastern North American species. The EA species were also shown to share more similar habitats with ENA species than with WNA species in the genus. Chamaecyparis species in WNA experienced a significant niche shift compared with congeneric species. Chamaecyparis had a low number of suitable regions in Europe and the middle and western NA during the Last Glacial Maximum(LGM) period, and became extinct in the former region whereas it retains residual distribution in the latter. The extirpations in western NA and Europe in response to the late Neogene and Quaternary climatic cooling and the more similar habitats between ENA and EA ultimately shaped the current intercontinental disjunct distribution of Chamaecyparis. Both current hypotheses may be also jointly applied to explain more eastern Asian and eastern North American disjunctions observed today.
基金supported by the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program(STEP,2019QZKK0501)National Natural Science Foundation of China(32000304)+4 种基金Yunnan Fundamental Research Projects(202101AT070294)National Key Research and Development Program of China(2017YFC0505200)Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(XDA20050202)Biodiversity Survey,Monitoring and Assessment(2019HB2096001006)Kadoorie Farm&Botanic Garden。
文摘The flying squirrels(Pteromyini,Rodentia)are the most diverse and widely distributed group of gliding mammals.Taxonomic boundaries and relationships within flying squirrels remain an area of active research in mammalogy.The discovery of new specimens of Pteromys(Hylopetes)leonardi Thomas,1921,previously considered a synonym of Hylopetes alboniger,in Yunnan Province,China allowed a morphological and genetic reassessment of the status of this taxon.Phylogenetic reconstruction was implemented using sequences of two mitochondrial(12S ribosomal RNA and 16S ribosomal RNA)and one nuclear(interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein)gene fragments.Morphological assessments involved examinations of features preserved on skins,skulls,and penises of museum specimens,supplemented with principal component analysis of craniometric data.Together these assessments revealed that this taxon should be recognized not only as a distinct species,but should also be placed within a new genus,described here as Priapomys gen.nov.
文摘The spinosaurids represent an enigmatic and highly unusual form of large tetanuran theropods that were first identified in 1915.A recent flurry of discoveries and taxonomic revisions of this important and interesting clade has added greatly to our knowledge.Spinosaur body fossils are however generaUy rare and most species are known from only limited skeletal remains.Their unusual anatomical adaptations to the skull,limbs and axial column all differ from other large theropods and point to an unusual ecological niche and a lifestyle intimately linked to water.
文摘The latitudinal richness gradient is a frequent topic of study on the modern landscape,but its history in deep time is much less well known.Here,we preliminarily evaluated the paleolatitudinal richness gradient of vascular plants for the Eocene(56-33.9 million years ago) and Oligocene(33.9-23 million years ago) epochs of North America north of IVlexico using 201 fossil floras.We calculated the direction and shape of the gradient using quadratic regression to detect linear and curvilinear trends.We performed regressions for the Eocene and Oligocene as well as for informal time intervals within the Eocene:early,middle,and middle + late.We found that quadratic models better explain the data than linear models for both epochs as well as for the early Eocene.A roughly linear trend in the middle and middle + late intervals may reflect limited sampling of high latitude floras for those times.The curvilinear relationship was weak for the Eocene and the model showed a peak in richness at 45.5°N.The curvilinear relationship was much stronger for the Oligocene and the peak occurred at 48.5°N.In the Eocene,the mid-latitude peak in richness may be explained by mean annual temperature,which was probably higher at some mid-latitudes than at lower ones.For the Oligocene,the peak in richness at midlatitudes may be explained by evolutionary diversification within the temperate zone or by increased aridity at low latitudes.We also assessed the latitudinal richness gradient of genera within modern floras in North America north of Mexico and we found a weak,curvilinear trend with a peak in richness at 31.5°N.Our results suggest that the latitudinal genus richness gradient of vascular plants in North America continued to develop into its modern structure following the Oligocene.
基金supported,in part,by grants to MOD from the National Science Foundation (DEB 0415573,DEB 9801297,DEB 8513205)
文摘The present paper reconstructs the biogeographic diversification for Nolana L.f.(Solanaceae),a genus of 89 endemic species largely restricted to fog-dependent desert lomas formations of coastal Peru and Chile.Previous efforts have reconstructed a phylogenetic estimate for Nolana using a combination of molecular markers.Herein,we expand on those results to examine hypotheses of biogeographic origins and diversification patterns.Nolana occupies habitats within a continuous coastal desert and forms a terrestrial archipelago of discrete "islands" unique in size,topography,and species composition.Each locality contains at least one Nolana species and many contain multiple species in sympatry.The genus has a Chilean origin,with the basal clades confined to Chile with wide geographic and ecological distributions.Peru contains two strongly supported clades,suggesting two introductions with subsequent radiation.A Chilean clade of shrubby,small-flowered species appears to have had its origins from the same ancestors of the second line that radiated in Peru and northern Chile.Nolana galapagensis is endemic to the Islas Gala'pagos,with origins traced to Peruvian taxa with a divergence time of 0.35 mya.Rates of diversification over the past 4.02 mya in Nolana,in one of the driest habitats on Earth,suggest rapid adaptive radiation in several clades.Success in Nolana may be attributed to characters that confer a competitive advantage in unpredictable and water-dependent environments,such as succulent leaf anatomy and ecophysiology,and the reproductive mericarp unique to Nolana.The processes affecting or shaping the biota of western South America are discussed.
基金This work was supported by a grant of the National Science Fund of the Republic of Bulgaria under Project No.DN 04/1,13.12.2016 entitled:“Study of the combined effect of the natural radioactivity background,the UV radiation,the climate changes and the cosmic rays on model groups of plant and animal organisms in mountain ecosystems”.
文摘Plants in natural ecosystems are exposed to a combination of UV radiation,ionizing radiation(IR)and other abiotic factors.These factors change with the altitude.We investigated DNA alterations of some wild plants of different plant families in natural ecosystems at three altitudes in Rila Mountain,Bulgaria(1500,1782,and 2925 m above sea level(a.s.l.)exposed to UV radiation,IR and other abiotic stresses,to assess the tolerance of plant species to the changing environmental conditions in three successive growth seasons.For this purpose,physicochemical,cytogenetic,and molecular methods were applied.DNA damage was assessed by micronucleus test and molecular method comet assay adapted and applied by us to wild plant species from Onagraceae,Rosaceae,Boraginaceae,Saxifragaceae,Orobanchaceae,Asteraceae and Poaceae families,growing at three different altitudes.Variability in the DNA sensitivity and the level of tolerance was observed among the plant species in response to combined abiotic factors assessed by induced DNA damage and gross beta activity.The studied representatives of Poaceae were less susceptible than the other studied species at all three altitudes and showed close level of DNA injuries to that of unaffected control plant grown in laboratory conditions.The lower levels of DNA damage of these wild plant species corresponded to their lower ability to accumulate radionuclides.There was a particularly pronounced low level of DNA injuries in the plant species at the highest altitude.The level of DNA damage showed correlation with the values of some abiotic environmental factors.The results would contribute to the elucidation of the extent of adaptation of plant species to the continuously changing environment and would be useful in selecting sensitive herbaceous monitor species for environmental impact assessment at mountain and alpine sites.
文摘During the entry of specimen data from the paper by O'Shea et al.(2015)into the database at the National Museum of Natural History,Smithsonian Institution(USNM),one of us(KAT)realized that several errors existed,likely stemming from inverted specimen numbers,typos,or inadvertently skipping lines while transferring information from lines in a spreadsheet.We here present the corrected entries,listed in the same taxon order as in the original paper.
基金the Brazilian research institutions:National Council for Scientific and Technological Development(CNPqprocess n°206612/2014-1)+2 种基金the Fundação de AmparoàPesquisa de Minas Gerais(FAPEMIGprocess n°CRA 1.058/04)for the financial assistancethe Geological Survey of Brazil(SGB/CPRM)for the support。
文摘The Campos Gerais Domain(CGD)in southeastern Brazil is an approximately 180 km×35 km area of Archean–Proterozoic rocks located southwest of the São Francisco Craton(SFC).The Archean–Paleopro terozoic evolution of the CGD—alongside its potential correlation with the SFC or other cratonic blocks in the region-is currently poorly-constrained.We present the results of systematic petrography,bulkrock geochemistry,mineral chemistry and geochronology for a suite of scarcely studied mafic–ultramafic rocks from the CGD.We also provide a compilation of previously reported bulk-rock geochemical and spinel group mineral chemical data for mafic–ultramafic rocks throughout the CGD,and geochronological information for various lithotypes in the region.The CGD records a protracted Mesoarchean to Statherian(3.1–1.7 Ga)crustal evolution,which we interpret to share a common history with the southern SFC and their related reworked segments,suggesting that it is a westward extension of this cratonic terrain.The metavolcano-sedimentary rocks of the Fortaleza de Minas and Alpinópolis segments represent a Mesoarchean greenstone belt that is stratigraphically and chemically comparable to Archean greenstone belts worldwide,and that is broadly coeval with a local suite of tonalite-trondhjemite-grano diorite(TTG)gneisses and migmatites.U-Pb SHRIMP zircon data from a subalkaline metagabbro yielded a concordia age of ca.2.96 Ga,revealing a previously unrecognized phase of Archean magmatism in the CGD that can be chrono-correlated with metakomatiite and TTG generation elsewhere in the São Francisco paleocontinent.Our data contradict a hypothesis whereby the metavolcano-sedimentary rocks of the Jacuí-Bom Jesus da Penha and Petúnia segments represent an ophiolite,as previously suggested,instead presenting features that point to formation in association with a continental arc.Coupled with a U-Pb(SHRIMP)crystallization age of ca.2.13 Ga recorded by zircon grains from a metaultramafic rock,these data highlight that a magmatic event was chrono-correlated with the main accretionary phase of the Minas Orogeny,and with the Pouso Alegre/Amparo and São Vicente complexes.Finally,a U-Pb(SHRIMP)concordia age of ca.590 Ma—obtained from metamorphic-textured zircon grains from a metaultramafic rock—points to a late metamorphic overprint related to upper amphibolite conditions,brittle fault activation and the juxtaposition of crustal blocks in association with the latest stages of western Gondwana’s assembly in the southern SFC,with later retrogression to greenschist-facies.
基金We would like to thank the following for making this field expedition possible and successful:the Philippine National Museum of Natural History(PNMNH),the local government of Camiguin Sur,Mindanao and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ma mbajao for the logistics support and permit to collect,allowing us to conduct herpetofa unal assessment in Mount Timpoong Hibok-hibok National Monument(MTHHNM)and other areas within the island.We would also like to extend our gratitude to the our collagues who assisted us,for support and company:Dave Gencral,Rolly Urriza,Cecilia Banag Moran,Sarah Grace Zamudio,and the local guide Jhoner Abian for his extensive effort and support during our field survey.
文摘The Philippines is listed as one of the world's megadiverse countries despite its small size.Conversely,it is also on the list of global biodiversity conservation hotspots.With the threat of extinction at an all-time high,better understa nding of the archipelago's biodiversity will provide invalua ble baseline information for proper conservation efforts.Here we provide an upda ted checklist on the herpetological biodiversity of Ca miguin Sur,Misa mis Oriental,Minda nao,Philippines.Field surveys and specimen collection from the municipality of Mambajao resulted in a total of 28 species(13 anurans,11 lizards,and four snakes)-all well represented by voucher specimens.Our data provides seven additional species records,upda ting the island's total amphibian and reptile species count to 57,with about half Philippine endemic.Included in the new records are three invasive alien species of amphibians:The Cane Toad Rhinella marina,the Greenhouse Frog Eleutherodatylus planirstris,and the Asiatic Painted Narrowmouth Toad Kaloula pulchra.
基金We thank Dr.Xiao-Feng Chi and Dr.Ofelia Vargas-Ponce for contributing the whole chloroplast genome sequences of Anisodus tanguticus(Maxim.)Pascher and Physalis philadelphica Lam.before the release in NCBI.This work was supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.5192012)National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant number 32070235)the China Scholarship Council(Grant No.201906515009)。
文摘The cosmopolitan family Solanaceae,which originated and first diversified in South America,is economically important.The tribe Hyoscyameae is one of the three clades in Solanaceae that occurs outside of the New World;Hyoscyameae genera are distributed mainly in Europe and Asia,and have centers of species diversity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent regions.Although many phylogenetic studies have focused on Solanaceae,the phylogenetic relationships within the tribe Hyoscyameae and its biogeographic history remain obscure.In this study,we reconstructed the phylogeny of Hyoscyameae based on whole chloroplast genome data,and estimated lineage divergence times according to the newly reported fruit fossil from the Eocene Patagonia,Physalis infinemundi,the earliest known fossil of Solanaceae.We reconstructed a robust phylogeny of Hyoscyameae that reveals the berry fruit-type Atropa is sister to the six capsule-bearing genera(Hyoscyameae sensu stricto),Atropanthe is sister to the clade(Scopolia,Physochlaina,Przewalskia),and together they are sister to the robustly supported AnisoduseHyoscyamus clade.The stem age of Hyoscyameae was inferred to be in the Eocene(47.11 Ma,95%HPD:36.75e57.86 Ma),and the crown ages of Hyoscyameae sensu stricto were estimated as the early Miocene(22.52 Ma,95%HPD:15.19e30.53 Ma),which shows a close correlation with the rapid uplift of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau at the Paleogene/Neogene boundary.Our results provide insights into the phylogenetic relationships and the history of the biogeographic diversification of the tribe Hyoscyameae,as well as plant diversification on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.
文摘Based on four specimens discovered in the collection of the natural History Museum, London, United kingdom, we present a new distribution record for the skink Sphenomorphus oligolepis for seram island, Maluku Province, Indonesia. This find constitutes the westernmost record for the species and extends its range by over 800 km. the species was heretofore only known from apparently isolated mainland new Guinean populations.
文摘We report the results of five herpetological surveys during 2011–2013 that included visits to all districts of Timor-Leste(Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Bobonaro, Dili, Covalima, Ermera, Lautém, Liquia, Manatuto, Manufahi, Viqueque) except the Oecusse exclave. Our fieldwork culminated in the discovery of one putative new frog species(genus Kaloula), at least five putative new lizard species(genera Cyrtodactylus, Cryptoblepharus, and Sphenomorphus), and two putative new snake species(genera Stegonotus and Indotyphlops). In addition, we present new distribution records of amphibians and reptiles for 11 of the country's 12 contiguous districts, along with additional natural history data. Results from our surveys increase the number of amphibian and reptiles known to occur in Timor-Leste from 22 species before our surveys began to over 60, including over 20 as yet undescribed species.