Biogeographic Significance Research Articles

Fruits of Sabia (Sabiaceae) from the Miocene of western North America and their biogeographic significance

Distinctive, reticulately sculptured ellipsoidal endocarp impressions have been discovered in Middle Miocene lake deposits of Idaho and eastern Oregon in the northwestern USA. We describe a new species based on these endocarp impressions and compare them morphologically with previously described extinct and extant species of Sabia (Sabiaceae) using light microscopy and micro-CT scanning. Sabia megacarpa sp. nov. endocarps are distinguished by their large size but resemble other species of Sabia in their asymmetric elliptical shape, reticulate surface ribs, unilocular morphology and gland-dotted endocarp surface. Although Sabia is now native to Southeast Asia and Malesia, the fossil record indicates this genus was formerly present in Europe and North America. The new species indicates that Sabia survived until at least 16 million years ago in western North America.

Corals and a cephalopod from the Whirlpool Formation (latest Ordovician, Hirnantian), Hamilton, Ontario: biostratigraphic and biogeographic significance

AbstractSolitary rugose corals assigned to Streptelasma rutkae n. sp. and an annulated orthoconic cephalopod identified as Gorbyoceras sp. occur in nearshore shallow-marine sandstone of the Whirlpool Formation in Hamilton, southern Ontario. They are the first macrofossils contributing to a modern understanding of the age and correlation of this stratigraphic unit. Streptelasma rutkae most closely resembles S. subregulare (Savage, 1913), which occurs widely in the Edgewood Province of the east-central United States, in strata considered latest Ordovician (Hirnantian). Gorbyoceras ranges into the latest Katian (latest Richmondian) in the Cincinnati Arch region. Thus, the occurrences of S. rutkae and Gorbyoceras sp. support other biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic data suggesting that the Whirlpool Formation is latest Ordovician, rather than earliest Silurian as traditionally thought. They also indicate paleogeographic connections between the area of Whirlpool deposition in Ontario and the Edgewood Province and Cincinnati Arch region in the east-central United StatesUUID: http://zoobank.org/d1ded814-204d-4070-a469-52d3b6e259c7

Macrofossils of Artocarpaceae and Lauraceae from Siwalik (Upper Miocene) Sediments of Himachal Pradesh, India and their Climatic and Biogeographic Significance

Macrofossils of Artocarpaceae and Lauraceae from Siwalik (Upper Miocene) Sediments of Himachal Pradesh, India and their Climatic and Biogeographic Significance

A clue to the evolutionary history of modern East Asian flora: Insights from phylogeography and diterpenoid alkaloid distribution pattern of the Spiraea japonica complex

Each subkingdom of East Asian flora (EAF) has a unique evolutionary history, but which has rarely been described based on phylogeographic studies of EAF species. The Spiraea japonica L. complex, which is widespread in East Asia (EA), has received considerable attention because of the presence of diterpenoid alkaloids (DAs). It provides a proxy for understanding the genetic diversity and DA distribution patterns of species under various environmental conditions associated with the geological background in EA. In the present study, the plastome and chloroplast/nuclear DNA of 71 populations belonging to the S. japonica complex and its congeners were sequenced, combined with DA identification, environmental analyses, and ecological niche modelling, to investigate their phylogenetic relationships, genetic and DAs distribution patterns, biogeography, and demographic dynamics. An “ampliative” S. japonica complex was put forward, comprising all species of Sect. Calospira Ser. Japonicae, of which three evolutionary units carrying their respective unique types of DAs were identified and associated with the regionalization of EAF (referring to the Hengduan Mountains, central China, and east China). Moreover, a transition belt in central China with its biogeographic significance was revealed by genetic and DA distribution patterns from the perspective of ecological adaptation. The origin and onset differentiation of the “ampliative” S. japonica complex was estimated in the early Miocene (22.01/19.44 Ma). The formation of Japanese populations (6.75 Ma) was facilitated by the land bridge, which subsequently had a fairly stable demographic history. The populations in east China have undergone a founder effect after the Last Glacial Maximum, which may have been promoted by the expansion potential of polyploidization. Overall, the in-situ origin and diversification of the “ampliative” S. japonica complex since the early Miocene is a vertical section of the formation and development of modern EAF and was shaped by the geological history of each subkingdom.

New relevant chorological and conservation data on Carex (Cyperaceae) and Hypericum (Hypericaceae) from Ecuador.

Knowledge of Carex L. (true sedges) and Hypericum L. (St. John's wort) in the Neotropics is fragmentary. As a result of a fieldwork campaign in Ecuador and revision of herbarium collections (K, QCA and QCNE), we present here relevant records of twelve Carex (Cyperaceae) and four Hypericum (Hypericaceae) species. Regarding Carex, we present the novel report for South America of C.aztecica, as well as the first Ecuadorian records for C.brehmeri, C.collumanthus, C.fecunda, C.melanocystis and C.punicola. The three later records have additional biogeographical significance, as they represent the new northern limit of these species. We also include observations for another five species included in the Ecuadorian Red List of Endemic Plants. As a result, the list of native Carex reported for Ecuador would now include 52 taxa. With regard to Hypericum, we include the new report of H.sprucei for the province of Bolívar, and the confirmation of the presence of three rare species (H.acostanum, H.matangense, H.prietoi) in their type localities, although with extremely low population sizes. We discuss their conservation status and implications.

Fossil Leaves and Fruits of Tetramelaceae (Curcurbitales) from the Eocene of the Rocky Mountain Region, USA, and Their Biogeographic Significance

Premise of research. Eocene sediments of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming contain fossil leaves and infructescences that appear to represent Tetramelaceae (Cucurbitales). Today, this family consists of two genera (Tetrameles and Octomeles) of towering rain forest trees native to India, Southeast Asia, and Australia.Methodology. We examined the fruit, seed, and leaf morphology of extant Tetramelaceae as a basis for recognizing fossil representatives. Fossils were studied from localities in the Parachute Creek Member of the Green River Formation in Utah and Colorado and in the Bridger and Aycross Formations of western Wyoming. Extant and extinct material was studied by light microscopy and micro–computed tomography (micro-CT) scanning.Pivotal results. Infructescences of Parvaspicula lepidioidea (Cockerell) comb. nov. conform to Tetramelaceae in their spicate arrangement of helically arranged, capsular, ribbed fruits with inferior ovaries and parietal placentation. Each fruit typically has four styles and dehisces apically between the styles, reminiscent of extant Tetrameles, but they share an apical disk and the bulbous stigmas of extant Octomeles. Leaves of Punctaphyllum glandulosum (Brown) comb. nov. conform to Tetramelaceae in their long petioles, basal marginal and intramarginal veins, and regularly spaced circular laminar glands. These glands are small and cover the laminae or are larger and concentrated in a single file row along the lamina margin. Punctaphyllum glandulosum varies in its base shape, lobe number, and margin type, matching the variation seen in extant Octomeles leaves.Conclusions. The repeated co-occurrence of Parvaspicula and Punctaphyllum and the morphological similarities of both of these organs with extant Tetramelaceae lead us to infer that they represent parts of the same extinct plant. These records serve as the first documented leaf and infructescence fossils of Tetramelaceae and suggest that the family once lived in North America, indicating broader biogeographic distribution than previously recognized.

Northern range limits of Plumed Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus plumiferus with notes on other species in Bulburin National Park, Queensland

We report observations of the Plumed Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus plumiferus from Bulburin National Park, the largest subtropical rainforest remnant in central Queensland located at the northern limit of the Southeast Queensland bioregion. By documenting the currently understood northern limits of this subspecies of the Marbled Frogmouth Podargus ocellatus, we briefly discuss the broader biogeographical significance of Bulburin National Park in understanding the distribution of other rainforest-inhabiting species that occur in naturally and anthropogenically fragmented ranges along Australia’s eastern seaboard. Among species we discuss are Russet-tailed Thrush Zoothera heinei and Satin Bowerbird Ptilonorhynchus violaceus

Hibbertia advena (Dilleniaceae), a new and rare species from Queensland with transcontinental affinities

The new species Hibbertia advena T.Hammer & Toelken is described. It occurs in north-east Queensland but shares a strong morphological affinity with members of the H. exasperata (Steud.) Briq. species group, which are widespread in south-west Western Australia. This may be an example of a very wide transcontinental disjunction in Australian Hibbertia. The biogeographic significance of such disjunctions is briefly discussed, pending further insights when a more complete molecular phylogeny of the genus is generated.

New discovery of Mahonia fossils from the Pliocene of Yunnan, China, and its biogeographical significance

ABSTRACT Mahonia Nuttall (Berberidaceae Jussieu) is an East Asian‒North American disjunct evergreen genus. There are many fossil records of Mahonia from the Eocene to Pleistocene in North America and Europe, but only a few reliable fossils have been reported from East Asia. Compressed fossil leaflets, described here as Mahonia mangbangensis sp. nov. and Mahonia cf. oiwakensis, were collected from the Pliocene Mangbang Formation in Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, southwest China. These new fossil specimens show the same leaf architectural characteristics as those belonging to the Group Orientales of Mahonia, and represent the youngest occurrence of the genus in East Asia. This new fossil discovery extends the stratigraphic range of Mahonia in East Asia and provides new insights into the potential differentiation and migration routes of the Group Orientales in China. Mahonia probably differentiated during the Pliocene in western Yunnan, representing part of the diversification history of this genus in East Asia.

New species of Phassus Walker ghost moth from northeastern Mexico and notes on its biogeographic significance (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae)

New species of Phassus Walker ghost moth from northeastern Mexico and notes on its biogeographic significance (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae)

Cunoniaceae infructescences from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora, Patagonia, Argentina.

Two distinct types of fossil infructescences from the early Eocene Laguna del Hunco flora, Chubut Province, Patagonia, Argentina, preserve features of the family Cunoniaceae. The goal of the study was to assess their affinities within Cunoniaceae and to interpret their evolutionary and biogeographical significance. Specimens were collected from the Tufolitas Laguna del Hunco, Huitrera Formation. They were prepared, photographed, and compared morphologically with similar extant and fossil fruits and infructescences using published literature and herbarium material. The fruit and infructescence morphology place the fossil taxa within Cunoniaceae. They do not conform to any extant genus, supporting the erection of two new fossil genera. Racemofructus gen. nov. shares diagnostic features of the tribe Cunonieae, especially Weinmannia s.l., and exhibits two tribal morphological synapomorphies: a racemose inflorescence and a replum composed of a single column. Cunoniocarpa gen. nov. specimens are paniculate inflorescences with basipetally dehiscent, bicarpellate capsules that have persistent styles and calyces. Its replum morphology suggests an affinity to the tribe Caldcluvieae, particularly to the genus Ackama. The new Patagonian fossils described herein constitute the oldest record of cunoniaceous capsules globally, supplementing a significant body of fossil evidence from pollen, wood, and reproductive structures from southern South America and Antarctica that suggests that the Cunoniaceae were diversified and widely distributed in the southern hemisphere by the early Eocene. Racemofructus and Cunoniocarpa are, respectively, the first fossil records from South America of reproductive structures with affinity to tribes Cunonieae and Caldcluvieae.

A first account of the semi-endophytic coralline algae Lithophyllum cuneatum from the Caribbean Sea and its evolutionary and biogeographic significance

A first account of the semi-endophytic coralline algae Lithophyllum cuneatum from the Caribbean Sea and its evolutionary and biogeographic significance

New snakeflies of the genus Inocellia Schneider, 1843 (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) from the Hengduan Mountains, China

• New snakeflies are reported from the Hengduan Mountains. • Inocellia yulongensis sp. nov. is described from the southern part of the Hengduan Mountains. • The world highest record of snakefly is updated to be over 4200 m high. Three species of the snakefly genus Inocellia Schneider, 1843 (Raphidioptera: Inocelliidae) are reported from the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China. Among them, Inocellia yulongensis sp. nov. is described as new to science. Inocellia cheni Liu, H. Aspöck, Yang & U. Aspöck, 2010 is first recorded from Sichuan Province based on a newly collected male from a locality over 4200 m a.s.l. Inocellia obtusangularis Liu, H. Aspöck, Yang & U. Aspöck, 2010 is first recorded from Yunnan Province. The rich species diversity of snakeflies and its biogeographic significance from the Hengduan Mountains are discussed.

Recent shallow water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands (Northeast Atlantic) – Assemblage composition and biogeographic significance

We report the first survey of shallow-water foraminifera from the Selvagens Islands, an isolated archipelago located in the subtropical Northeast Atlantic. In our samples, we identified 63 species of foraminifera belonging to 43 genera in the >63 μm fraction, including eight species of symbiont-bearing Larger Benthic Foraminifera (LBFs). The assemblages consist mostly of epiphytic species and species associated with coarse grain and hard substrate habitats. Analysis of dead assemblages revealed two main clusters that mostly correspond with the two island groups within the archipelago and relates to their environmental characteristics. Our results provide illustrated baseline information for this remote and relatively pristine habitat, wherein foraminifer community assemblages show a higher degree of similarity to those of the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, and Bermuda as compared to those of Mauritania, Northwest Africa. Hence, this study suggests that geographic proximity and oceanic barriers plays a lesser role than environmental parameters when determining foraminiferal biogeography. In addition, given that all LBF species reported in Selvagens are also present across the Atlantic Ocean, our results suggest that the previously defined ‘Caribbean’ LBF realm should be extended to the subtropical North Atlantic, taking into account local conditions, particularly minimal temperatures, controlling specific LBF assemblages.

A PRELIMINARY CHECKLIST OF THE BRYOPHYTES OF SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA

There are currently 192 bryophyte species (156 mosses, 31 liverworts and 5 hornworts) documented from San Luis Obispo County, California. Similar to the vascular flora of the county, the bryophyte flora strongly reflects the transitional nature of the region, which lies near the intersection of the Coast Ranges and Transverse Ranges and supports a large and diverse set of vegetation types. Important floristic and biogeographic patterns include a distinctive suite of species from closed-cone coniferous forests and several noteworthy intrusions of Mojave Desert species into the Coast Ranges. A high proportion of species are known from the county from only one or a few collections, indicating that additional floristic work in the county is very likely to yield new records, with many of these promising to add to the biogeographic significance of the region.

On the systematics and the phylogenetic position of the poorly known, montane dragon-lizard species Pseudocalotes austeniana (Annandale, 1908) (Squamata, Agamidae, Draconinae)

The montane agamid speciesPseudocalotes austenianahas had a complicated taxonomic history, as the species was initially described as a member of the genusSaleaGray, 1845. Later, the species was placed in a monotypic genusMictopholisSmith, 1935, which was erected only to include this species; however, the species was later on transferred to the genusPseudocalotesFitzinger, 1843, owing to the morphological similarities, and lack of strong characters to diagnose the genusMictopholis. Nonetheless, its precise phylogenetic and systematic position has remained unresolved due to the lack of molecular sequence data. During a herpetological expedition to Arunachal Pradesh, specimens ofP. austenianawere collected from the hills near the type locality. The mitochondrial 16S rRNA, ND2 and ND4, and the nuclear RAG1 regions were subjected to molecular phylogenetics. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference gene trees revealed thatP. austenianais a member of the subfamily Draconinae. The analyses showed that the genusPseudocalotesis polyphyletic, andP. austenianawas embedded within the genusJapaluraGray, 1853 sensu stricto. We here, thus, propose to transfer the speciesP. austenianato the genusJaplaura, asJapalura austenianacomb. nov.Biogeographic and evolutionary significance of the findings are discussed.

New palynological data from the Late Pleistocene glacial refugium of South-West Iberia: The case of Doñana

The Doñana area in southern Iberia is one of the most renowned protected areas of Europe, mostly due to the diversity and value of its wetland ecosystems. The large biogeographical significance of this territory and the outstanding availability of sedimentary archives have made this region a hotspot of paleobotanical research in the Iberian Peninsula. Specifically, the organic deposits on El Asperillo Cliff have been studied during the past few decades from the geomorphological and paleobotanical (pollen, macrofossils) points of view. However, large uncertainties remain concerning the chronology of certain sections of the exposed profile and the paleobotanical potential of this site has not been fully exploited yet. In this study, we revisited El Asperillo with the aims of completing the paleobotanical record and refining the chronology of this site. The age of the studied deposits ranges from ca. 22,000 to 30,900 cal. yr BP according to the radiocarbon dates obtained, thus embracing the particularly cold and dry Heinrich Event 2 and the Last Glacial Maximum. Our palynological results allow inferring the presence of a coastal marshland system. Additionally, the new pollen records highlight the relevance and diversity of pines (Pinus nigra-sylvestris type, P. pinaster, P. halepensis-pinea type) in the Late Pleistocene landscape of Doñana, reinforcing the native status of pines. Last but not least, the results stress the persistence of a highly diverse woody flora in Doñana during the harshest periods of the last glacial cycle, highlighting the importance of this enclave in postglacial vegetation recolonization of the Iberian Peninsula.

Two new catfish species of typically Amazonian lineages in the Upper Rio Paraguay (Aspredinidae: Hoplomyzontinae and Trichomycteridae: Vandelliinae), with a biogeographic discussion

Two new species of particular biogeographic significance are described from the upper rio Paraguay basin, one of the genus Paracanthopoma (Trichomycteridae, Vandelliinae) and the other of the genus Ernstichthys (Aspredinidae, Hoplomyzontinae). The two species occur sympatrically in the Rio Taquarizinho, tributary of the Rio Taquari, in the upper Paraguay system. Paracanthopoma saci is distinguished from its only congener, P. parva, by a spatulate caudal peduncle; a minuscule premaxillary dentition (reduced to three delicate teeth); the supraorbital latero-sensory canals opening as two separate s6 pores; the caudal fin slightly convex or truncate with round edges; the skull roof entirely open, unossified; the origins of dorsal and anal fins approximately at same vertical; and the pelvic fin with three rays. Ernstichthys taquari is diagnosed among congeners by the narrow bony shields on dorsal and ventral series, not overlapping or contacting each other; by the presence of seven or eight serrations on the posterior margin of the pectoral spine; and by the pectoral-fin spine only slightly larger than subsequent soft rays. Both Paracanthopoma and Ernstichthys were previously unknown outside of the Greater Amazonian river systems (Amazon, Orinoco, Essequibo and smaller surrounding drainages). Their presence restricted to the Rio Taquari is unexpected and suggests a peculiar biogeographical history. Ancestral geographic distributions were reconstructed using S-DIVA and BBM methods in RASP. A majority of resulting hypotheses support that the two species reached the Paraguay from the Amazon. The alternative explanation accounts for their presence in the Paraguay by vicariant events. In no case, their presence in the Paraguay is an ancestral distribution with subsequent Amazonian dispersal. Though unusual, this pattern is also seen in a few other fish taxa, showing that the Rio Taquari is biogeographically hybrid, combining elements from both the Paraguay and Amazon drainages.

New taxa of extant and fossil primitive moths in South-East Asia and their biogeographic significance (Lepidoptera, Micropterigidae, Agathiphagidae, Lophocoronidae)

We report some surprising recent distributional range extensions of one extant genus and two more families of primitive moths discovered in amber fossils from South-east Asia which were previously only known from Australia and/or the southwestern Pacific, with the possible exception of an undescribed Siberian fossil attributed to Lophocoronidae. During entomological field work in rain forests of central Vietnam a new species of Micropterigidae was discovered. It is described herein as Aureopterix bachmaensis sp. nov. based on male and female specimens collected at light in the Bach-Ma National Park. The identification was corroborated by a molecular analysis. This is the first record of this genus in the Northern Hemisphere, previously thought to be restricted to the Australian Region (including New Caledonia). First results of investigations of Burmese amber inclusions now reveal the presence of the Australian Region families Agathiphagidae and Lophocoronidae in the Cretaceous of Asia. The fossil taxon Agathiphagama perdita gen. nov., sp. nov. is established on the basis of two females and this is assigned to Agathiphagidae. The fossil genus Acanthocorona gen. nov. is established in Lophocoronidae and includes seven species described here as A. skalskiisp. nov., A. bowangisp. nov., A. muellerisp. nov., A. kuranishiisp. nov., A. sattlerisp. nov., A. spiniferasp. nov. and A. wichardisp. nov. The new species can be distinguished by the male genitalia which are illustrated together with wing venation and other morphological characters. The disjunct ranges of these taxa are discussed in a historical biogeographic context. Vicariance and dispersal hypotheses explaining the disjunct pattern are discussed. The discovery of these new species suggests a broader ancestral range of Aureopterix, Agathiphagidae and Lophocoronidae. Their extant ranges may be regarded as remnants or relicts of a wider distribution in the Mesozoic, or at least in the case of Aureopterix they could be the results of recent or ancient dispersal processes, since the calibration of molecular splits does not so far accord with plate tectonics.

Floristic biodiversity, biogeographical significance, and importance of Morocco's Arganeraie Biosphere Reserve.

The coastal and subcoastal areas of west-central Morocco (Safi to Draa River, the Souss Valley, and the southern part of the western High Atlas and northern and southern slopes of the western Anti-Atlas) are characterized by typical Infra-Mediterranean vegetation ranking them amongst the important of the remarkable borderlands of North Africa. The flora is determined by complex historical and environmental factors occurring since the Tertiary period. The originality of this sector is due to the presence of the argan tree (Argania spinosa (L.) Skeels), Moroccan gum (Acacia gummifera Willd), olive trees (Olea europaea L. subsp. maroccana (Greuter & Burdet) P. Vargas & al.), a thermophilic flora adapted to an arid climate with several endemic species. This flora constitutes the final barrier against the desert and is of environmental and socioeconomical interest. Leaves and fruits provide forage material, while wood is used for fuel. Argan fruits are collected for their oily constitutes and for nutritional, cosmetic, and medicinal properties. Additionally, many species of Argan ecosystems are used in medicine and cosmetics. Recognizing its ecological value and local economic importance, the Argan region was declared a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 1998. Despite their biogeographical, historical, and socioeconomic value, vegetation structures in west-central Morocco are vulnerable and threatened by human activities. They exhibit high levels of degradation due to increasing clearance, overgrazing, and overexploitation. The area requires high conservation priority and sustainable management strategies for key species and genetic diversity.