Apparent Endemism Research Articles

Cribrimorph and OtherCauloramphusSpecies (Bryozoa: Cheilostomata) from the Northwestern Pacific

We provide original descriptions for nine new species in the cheilostome bryozoan genus Cauloramphus (C. gracilis, C. Ordinarius, C. amphidisjunctus, C. cheliferoides, C. oshurkovi, C. infensus, C. parvus, C. peltatus, and C. ascofer) and a redescription of C. disjunctus Canu and Bassler, 1929 . We delineate a group of eight species, here termed the 'C. disjunctus clade,' that have the opesial spine joints calcified to a greater or lesser extent in mature zooids; most also have paired, hypertrophied avicularia. This group includes C. amphidisjunctus, C. cheliferoides, C. infensus, C. parvus, C. peltatus, and C. ascofer in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska; C. oshurkovi in the Commander Islands; and C. disjunctus in Japan. High levels of apparent endemism in two unrelated bryozoan genera (Cauloramphus and Monoporella), and geographical population differentiation in C. ascofer indicating ongoing allopatric speciation, suggest high speciation rates for deep benthic bryozoans in the western Aleutians. A phylogenetic hypothesis for the C. disjunctus clade indicates that populations of Cauloramphus dispersed between the Aleutians and Asia on at least three separate occasions, and that the polarity of at least two of these dispersal events was from the Aleutians to Asia.

<strong>An updated checklist of the mosses of Paraguay</strong>

The original checkelist of mosses for Paraguay listed 137 species for the country, based on literature reports. An updated checklist has been compiled here, with corrections and additional names added from recent literature records, and in some cases from herbarium records. A total of 240 moss species, including 8 infraspecific taxa, from 94 genera and 38 families are now recorded for Paraguay. This total includes 8 published nomina nuda and 9 taxa that are listed as present in the country but which lack any specific locality reference. Forty-three taxa are apparent endemics to Paraguay and warrant further taxonomic evaluation. The 240 taxa now recorded for Paraguay are listed here along with relevant bibliographical or locality references. A supplementary list of synonyms is also included.

Major events of Paleogene mammal radiation in China

AbstractOn the basis of mammalian biostratigraphical study, the Paleogene was subdivided into 11 land mammal ages in China: the Paleocene Shanghuan, Nongshanian and Gashatan; the Eocene Lingchan, Arshantan, Irdinmanhan, Sharamurunian, Naduan and Ulangochuan; and the Oligocene Ulantatalian and Tabenbulukian. Biostratigraphical correlation with North American Land Mammal Ages, plus some palaeomagnetic, isotopic and radiometric results, established the indirect connection with the international time scale. Under this biochronological framework, the compositional change of mammalian faunas and the evolution of major groups are discussed. Three stages are recognized in the Paleogene mammalian radiation: (1) the Paleocene flourishing of archaic groups, (2) the Eocene rising and development of modern major groups and (3) the Oligocene faunal reorganization. During the Paleocene, the mammalian radiation was dominated by the archaic groups and the faunas showed apparent endemism. The radiation was characterized by faunal turnovers due to the flourishing of different families in archaic groups. During this period, ancestral forms of modern glires emerged and the first Rodentiaformes appeared in the late Late Paleocene. Such faunal changes corresponded to the successive rise of temperature after the transition from the Mesozoic to the Cenozoic. The Initial Eocene Thermal Maximum resulted in a significant decrease of the archaic groups and the faunal composition became more similar to that of modern ones. At the beginning of the Eocene, Artiodactyla and Euprimates appeared and Rodentia and Perissodactyla began to differentiate. During the Eocene, Mixodontia, Arctostylopidae, Dinocerata, Pantodonta, Tillodontia and Creodonta disappeared in succession. Perissodactyla became the dominant group in the faunas. The faunal turnovers were characterized by the alteration of dominant families due to the appearance, differentiation and flourishing of families in modern orders. The severe cooling events at the Eocene–Oligocene transition resulted in the development of open grassland, that further contributed to the great mammalian faunal turnover. The perissodactyl‐dominant Eocene faunas were replaced by the rodent/lagomorph‐dominant Oligocene faunas. The appearance and radiation of hypsodont mammal groups characterized the mammalian evolution in the Oligocene. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Biodiversity "hotspots", patterns of richness and endemism, and distribution of marine sponges in South Africa based on actual and interpolation data: A comparative approach

“Hotspots” of biodiversity at a meso-scale diversity were examined for marine sponge populations throughout the temperate, subtropical and tropical South Africa. Actual and interpolated (predicted) data sets are presented in a comparative manner to compare the diversity patterns of South African Demospongiae species and their distribution in contiguous 5°grid sections, to demonstrate current knowledge of the sponge fauna in various coastal regions. Richness and endemism varied considerably between marine areas and grid sections, for species at all spatial scales. Richness and endemism were equally effective indicators of biodiversity “hotspots”, but differed in patterns between the two datasets. Species richness appears to be fairly unevenly distributed along the coast, and marked peaks occur in the south of the country, the greatest being in the area surrounding Cape Town (Sector 11); almost certainly the consequence of a disproportionately intense sampling effort at these locations. Levels of apparent endemism varied considerably between sectors, ranging from zero (Sector 1) to 71 species (Sector 11), with an average of 57% apparent endemic species recorded for all 35 regions based on the actual data, vs. 20% apparent endemics for the predicted data. The Bray-Curtis analysis (without transformations) showed no clear pattern of faunal relationships between the 35 selected sectors for the actual dataset, but the predicted data set showed three distinct faunal groups, the West Coast fauna extending from Cape Point northwards, a South Coast fauna, and an East Coast fauna.

Ancient introductions of mammals in the Mediterranean Basin and their implications for conservation

ABSTRACT The importance of taxonomy to the determination of conservation priorities and actions is widely accepted. It should be not surprising therefore that the taxonomic treatment of mammal species that have been subject to human actions in antiquity may well influence the contemporary assessment of conservation priorities at various levels. As a result of early extinctions caused by humans and protohistoric and historic introductions, we suggest that the Mediterranean Basin and its islands are particularly prone to misdirection of efforts towards biodiversity conservation. The two main risks associated with the failure to use an evolutionary and palaeoecological approach to conservation efforts are (i) an underestimation of the conservation importance of distinctive continental taxa vs. the apparent endemicity of island taxa; and (ii) a serious risk for native and endemic island species when anthropochorous mammals, especially ungulates, misguidedly become the focus of conservation actions, particularly inside protected areas. Urgent measures, including refinement of mammal taxonomy, the exclusion of known anthropochorous taxa from conservation lists and implementation of protective legislation, are necessary to maintain the uniqueness and richness of the Mediterranean biodiversity hotspot.

EXCEPTIONALLY WELL-PRESERVED MIDDLE ORDOVICIAN SPONGES FROM THE LLANDEGLEY ROCKS LAGERSTATTE, WALES

Abstract: A diverse fauna of three-dimensionally preserved sponges is described from nearshore volcanogenic sandstones near Llandrindod, Mid-Wales. The fauna was preserved through early marginal silicification, in rare examples with silicification of soft tissue, and includes aspicular and spicular demosponges, hexactinellids, and a heteractinid. The fauna is largely endemic, with the following new species, genera and families erected: Onerosiconcha gregalia gen. et sp. nov., Ordinisabulo quadragintaforma gen. et sp. nov., Miritubus erinaceus gen. et sp. nov., Vadosifistula milvus gen. et sp. nov., Polycornua trescelestus gen. et sp. nov. (Pseudolanciculidae fam. nov.), P. entropus sp. nov., Palaeocallyoides improbabilis gen. et sp. nov., Reticulicymbalum tres gen. et sp. nov., Triactinella rigbyi gen. et sp. nov. (Triactinellidae, fam. nov.), Spissiparies minuta gen. nov., Brevicirrus arenaceus gen. et sp. nov., Pyritonema scopula sp. nov. (Pyritonemidae, fam. nov.) and Microastraeum tenuis gen. et sp. nov. In addition, Pseudolancicula Webby and Trotter is recorded outside Australia for the first time, although only as isolated spicules. The environment represented by this fauna has not previously yielded articulated sponges, and thus the apparent endemism may be misleading.

176 New Discoveries Regarding the Benthic Marine Algal Flora of the Sultanate of Oman

Intensive littoral and sublittoral collecting on the monsoon‐impacted rocky shores of southern Oman, made at the end of the summertime monsoon (Sept. 2000 and Sept. 2001), has produced a remarkably high number of undescribed taxa and new records for this region of the Northern Arabian Sea. Taxa to be discussed in this presentation include: a new species of Centroceras that reaches 60 cm in height, is heavily corticated, has distinctively secund branching, and occurs well into the ‘supralittoral fringe’; a new species of Jolyna, which is often branched, is not as long or thick as the more common J. laminarioides, has ascocysts but lacks hair tufts, and also occurs in the supralittoral; a Turbinaria (T. foliosa) that has the least modified blades known in the genus; a remarkably robust and erect species of Leveillea; and an undescribed Gelidium, which has previously passed under the name of ‘Suhria vittata’. A complicated picture has emerged that shows this flora to have biogeographical affinities with pantropical and subtropical regions, the tropical‐subtropical Indo‐Pacific, South Africa, temperate Europe and the Mediterrranean, Japan, as well as revealing components that are characteristic of the Arabian Sea monsoon season and apparent endemics restricted to Oman. This research (the Algal Biodiversity Project of Oman) has been funded by the British Government's Darwin's Initiative grant for the ‘Survival of Species’ and managed by HTS Development, Ltd., of the U.K.

Small-scale patterns of sponge biodiversity (Porifera) on Sunshine Coast reefs, eastern Australia

Ten reefs off the Sunshine Coast, south-eastern Queensland (26.2-26.8°S, 153.2°E), Australia, were sampled from 1991 to 2000. They were found to contain a rich fauna of 247 species of marine sponges (Porifera) in 97 genera, 44 families and 14 orders, with 51% of species not yet recorded elsewhere from the Indo-west Pacific, representing a highly unique fauna in this biogeographic transition zone between the Solanderian and Peronian provinces. Reefs were relatively heterogeneous in species richness (18-83 species/reef, mean 41 species/reef), despite equivalent collection effort, and were highly heterogeneous in taxonomic composition (34% mean 'apparent endemism'/reef), with only 15 species co-occurring in more than five reefs. Sixty per cent of species were 'rare' (found only on single reefs) and only 19% of species co-occurred in the adjacent Moreton Bay region. Gradients in species richness and taxonomic composition were not correlated with the distance between reefs or their latitude and only partially correlated with their distance from the shore, but they were highly correlated when sites were combined on the basis of both distance from shore and latitude. Two southern outer reefs (5.5-9 km from the coast) and four northern inner reefs (0.5-1.25 km from the coast) had highly distinctive faunas (richness and taxonomic composition), with a gradual gradient of dissimilarities for reefs intermediate between these two groups of sites, similar to sponge faunal patterns from other studies conducted at much larger spatial scales. One southern outer reef, Flinders Reef, was anomalous compared with the general regional fauna. Flinders Reef had low species richness, the highest taxonomic distinctness and the least heterogeneity in terms of taxonomic composition at species, genus and family levels, with affinities closer to the southern Great Barrier Reef than to the Sunshine Coast or Moreton Bay reefs. This finding is significant because Flinders Reef is the only designated highly protected marine area outside of Moreton Bay and is allegedly representative of the marine biodiversity of the whole region, yet contains few of the sponge genetic resources of the region, which has implications for the design and scale of marine reserves. Family-level taxa were poor surrogates of species diversity. Factors potentially responsible for spatial heterogeneity of sponge faunas between groups of reefs are discussed, including gradients in water quality (light, turbidity, siltation) and requirements for habitat specialisation by some species.

Genetic variability of measles viruses circulating in the Benelux

In Europe measles incidence remains high and in some parts the disease is likely to be still endemic due to insufficient vaccination. Luxembourg experienced an outbreak with at least 110 cases in 1996, and cases continued to be reported throughout 1997. We used molecular epidemiology to investigate this apparent endemicity. On the basis of their N gene sequences, the isolates were assigned to the typical European C2 and D6 genotypes. Sequence diversity within the outbreak was 0.2%. The nucleotide distance between the C2-viruses of the outbreak and the other C2 isolates was at least three or four times higher, suggesting an independent origin of the latter viruses. Similarly, the four D6 viruses found in Luxembourg were thought to be of at least two or three origins. Thus, we propose here to use intra-outbreak sequence diversity to differentiate between sporadic endemic cases and a "pseudo-outbreak" of multiple unrelated imported cases.

The land fauna of Ascension Island: new data from caves and lava flows, and a reconstruction of the prehistoric ecosystem

Abstract. Terrestrial arthropods were investigated in 1990 and 1995 on Ascension, a young and extremely isolated volcanic island in the equatorial Atlantic. Three new genera (of Araneae, Oribatida and Psocoptera) were discovered and the number of apparently endemic species was increased from fourteen to about twenty‐nine. Some 311 species of land animals (a few now extinct) are known to have established themselves on the island; in a few groups there may be significant numbers of unrecorded species. About ninety‐five endemic and non‐endemic species are considered to be native (including two marine turtles, twelve seabirds and two extinct landbirds); seventy‐eight are of doubtful status; and at least 138 were probably introduced by humans. Natural colonists arrived mainly by air (drifting with the wind during migratory movements) but some evidently travelled on floating objects or attached to birds or other animals. Natural colonization was almost entirely from Africa.Before the arrival of humans, Ascension had an early successional ecosystem. The fauna in the lava and cinder deserts of the lowlands—both on the surface and in subterranean cracks and caves—was dominated by taxonomically varied scavengers and mainly arachnid predators. The scattered angiosperms here and in the foothills supported some host‐specific herbivores with associated predators; they were also exploited (especially after exceptional rains) by a number of Orthoptera, Hemiptera and Lepidoptera derived from migratory African populations and perhaps reinforced at intervals by additional groups of colonists. The more extensive and largely cryptogamic vegetation on the central peak had a poor fauna probably composed mainly of micro‐arthropods. Along coasts, on islets and in the extensive seabird colonies there were additional arthropod species and also a flightless rail and a night heron (both now extinct).Invertebrate stocks that colonized Ascension underwent a variety of evolutionary changes including phyletic evolution leading to endemic status, adaptation to subterranean life (Araneae, Pseudoscorpiones, Collembola and Psocoptera), character release (phorid Diptera), and probably splitting of lineages (speciation) within the island (Isopoda, Collembola and gryllid Orthoptera). The relatively high diversity of Pseudoscorpiones (five species in five genera) and their 100% apparent endemicity is notable.The indigenous fauna of Ascension provides a view of an early stage in the processes of colonization, adaptive evolution and radiation which—over much longer periods—give rise to the richer and more distinctive faunas of older oceanic islands such as Ascension's nearest neighbour, St Helena, where a few invertebrate clades have undergone repetitive speciation and some adaptive radiation.

Shore Flies of the Galápagos Islands (Diptera: Ephydridae)

Fifteen species of shore flies, nearly doubling the number of known fauna, are reported from the Galapagos Islands. Of the 15 species, all but 2 are widespread in the Neotropics and apparently arrived on the Galapagos as introductions, which were probably independent events. The 2 apparent endemics, Philygria galapagensis Wirth and Scatella galapagensis Curran, may have speciated on these islands. The shore-fly fauna is disharmonic biogeographically, with only 11 of 20 tribes being represented. Ephydra gilvipes Coquillett (new synonym) is conspecific with E. chilensis Macquart, the senior synonym. A lectotype for Paralimna decipiens Loew is designated.

Devonian (Givetian–Frasnian) stromatoporoids from the subsurface of Saskatchewan, Canada

Samples from the Duperow, Souris River, and Dawson Bay formations collected from a mine shaft near Esterhazy, Saskatchewan, contain the stromatoporoids that are described in this paper. The lower beds of the Duperow Formation, corresponding to members 1 and 2, contain a stromatoporoid fauna of 11 species, most of which occur in the Upper Cairn and Peechee formations of the Rocky Mountains. The underlying Souris River fauna consists of two species known from the correlative Beaverhill Lake, Mikkwa, Flume, and Cairn formations. Seven species were identified from the Dawson Bay Formation, of which the most diagnostic is Schistodictyon bailliei McCammon.Widening the species concept applied to stromatoporoids places several species described from these intervals in synonymy, decreases apparent endemism, and leads to the recognition of the wide distribution of the Flume–Cairn fauna from the Northwest Territories to Iowa.

Kenyan coral reef-associated gastropod assemblages: distribution and diversity patterns

A survey of Kenya's shallow water (<2 m) coral reef-associated prosobranch fauna was undertaken to determine patterns of distribution, density, diversity and species richness, and the possible role of other reef fauna and human utilization on these patterns. The sample assemblage of 135 species from 25 families is similar to other Indian Ocean regions with no apparent endemism or subregional faunal affinities. Species richness, determined by species-individual relationships, has been reduced by approximately 45% since the Pleistocene. Northern Kenya, typified by small coral islands experiencing river and estuarine discharges had low densities and species richness and high species variability. This is attributable to the interrelated factors of river discharge, small reefs and reduced predator refuge. Southern Kenya's more expansive fringing reef has a denser and richer fauna but appears less species rich than Tanzania. Variation within reefs suggests similarities in diversity between reef lagoons, flats and edges, but lagoons had lower densities than reef flat or edge sites. This is attributable to greater predation rates within lagoons. Species composition between reef locations was variable but differed for comparisons between reef lagoons and reef flats. The population densities of thirty commercially collected species were compared between shelled and unshelled reefs. Only two commercial strombids, Lambis truncata and L. chiragra, had lower densities within shelled compared to unshelled reefs. Within six southern Kenvan reef lagoons, total gastropod densities were negatively correlated with the Balistidae (triggerfish) and total fish densities and positively with sea urchin densities. The removal of balistids through fishing appears to lead to co-occurring population increases in gastropod and sea urchin populations which, in most instances, appears to negate the effect of shell collecting.

A New Species of Mythicomyia from Central Arizona (Diptera: Bombyliidae)

A new species of bombyliid, Mythicomyia (Mythicomyia) sedonae, from central Arizona is described and illustrated. Its uniqueness is exemplified by its unusually large size (twice the average size of species of this genus) and its apparent endemism to the Sedona area in association with flowers of Erigeron divergens. Recent concentrated collecting in and around the Sedona area of Central Arizona has revealed a new species of Mythicomyia. The genus is comprised of over 150 species throughout the New World, with additional species described from Bangladesh and China. The primary reason for the uniqueness of this species is its large size (4.0 mm). Species of Mythicomyia range in size from 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm. This species is almost twice the size of most known species. Only Mythicomyia grandis Hall and Evenhuis from southern Mexico is close in size (up to 3.0 mm). At first appearance in the field, this species reminds one of Platypygus in its general habitus. However, definitive characters of antennae, wing venation, and genitalia place it in the nominate subgenus of Mythicomyia.

Epidemiology of antimicrobial resistant cholera in Kenya and East Africa.

Strains of Vibrio cholerae O1, El Tor resistant to multiple antimicrobial agents, were isolated in Kenya between 1982 and 1985. Strains of serotype Ogawa were resistant to tetracycline, ampicillin, and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole. Resistance was mediated in all instances by a plasmid ca 100 mD of incompatibility group C. Based on analysis of restriction endonuclease digests, all Ogawa isolates had an identical resistance plasmid. This plasmid differed from plasmids in resistant V. cholerae O1 strains isolated in Tanzania, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. On Southern blot analysis of restriction endonuclease digests of chromosomal DNA using DNA probes there were no apparent differences between Kenyan V. cholerae O1 strains isolated before and after emergence of antibiotic resistance; however, a majority of El Tor strains isolated in other geographic areas had the same Southern blot pattern. Our data document the apparent endemicity of multiply antimicrobial resistant V. cholerae O1 strains in Kenya, and the persistence of a single unique resistance plasmid among isolates of serotype Ogawa.

Middle Devonian acritarch biostratigraphy of North America

Abstract. The known stratigraphic ranges of 66 acritarch species from eight independently dated Middle Devonian sections in North America are plotted. Twenty seven species are restricted to the Middle Devonian in North America, yet only 12 species occur in more than one section. None of these 12 species is, as yet, known to occur outside North America. This apparent endemism is believed to be due partly to the lack of study of contemporaneous assemblages from elsewhere in the world.