Congeneric Forms Research Articles

Equivalence of Parallel Tests in a Basic Statistics Course in Higher Education Using Classical Measurement Theory

Developing and administering parallel test forms to students in higher education offsets the cost of having assessment scores that have low validity. This research demonstrated the validity and equivalence of parallel tests in a Basic Statistics course. Among other things, the study: (1) established and compared the item specifications of the items on the different test forms developed, and (2) determined the extent of parallelism of the alternate test forms. Three carefully designed alternate forms of achievement tests (using item specification and test specification table) were administered to 504 second-year students. In addition, academic resilience scale was administered to the same students to help ascertain the criterion validity of the alternate forms. The study revealed some level of similarities in the statistical specifications of the alternate test forms. Further analysis showed that the three alternate test forms developed were congeneric forms of parallelism. The authors concluded that developing classical parallel forms of the test is not feasible, but having congeneric parallel test forms offset the cost of having less valid scores which do not represent students’ attainment levels. Faculty members are encouraged to make use of parallel test forms in assessing students in higher education.

The first Cretaceous megaspores from Ukraine

The first megaspores recovered from Ukrainian Lower Cretaceous strata are described and illustrated by reflected light and scanning electron micrography. Four lycopsid megaspore taxa are identified in core samples from north of Kherson (Khersons'ka Oblast), in the Black Sea Basin, southern Ukraine. Miospore assemblages recovered from the same samples reveal a slightly higher diversity of lycopsid microspores and, in conjunction with previous foraminiferal biostratigraphy, indicate an Aptian–Albian age for the strata. The megaspore suite shares genera with mid-Mesozoic assemblages from widely distributed parts of the world, but most of the Ukrainian specimens have subtle morphological differences from congeneric forms established in other regions. The megaspores accumulated in fluvial floodplain facies and highlight the potential of this region for investigating other Cretaceous mesofossils including early flowers.

New fossil sawflies (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China

Zheng, Y., Chen, J., Zhang, J. & Zhang, H., 6 August 2019. New fossil sawflies (Hymenoptera, Xyelidae) from the Middle Jurassic of northeastern China. Alcheringa 44, 115–120. ISSN 0311-5518. Magnaxyela rara gen. et sp. nov. and Abrotoxyela curva sp. nov. (Xyelidae, Macroxyelinae, Gigantoxyelini) are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation at Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China. The two new species are confidently assigned to tribe Gigantoxyelini of subfamily Marcroxyelinae based on their wing venation and various other morphological characters. Magnaxyela rara is established based on the following forewing characters: pterostigma sclerotized completely, Sc two-branched and meeting R before origin of Rs, 1-Rs as long as 1-M, but shorter than Rs + M, R curved bewteen 1r-rs and 2r-rs and cell 2r longer than 1r. Abrotoxyela curva is differentiated from congeneric forms by the two-branched vein Sc of the forewing, Sc2 short and inclined towards the base of the wing, 1-Rs, 1-M and Rs + M nearly equal in length, crossvein 1m-cu longer than 1cu-a. The fossils described herein increase the diversity of the Mesozoic Xyelidae. Yan Zheng* [zhengyan536@163.com], Jun Chen* [ubiscada@sina.com], and Junqiang Zhang [zhangjunqiang@lyu.edu.cn], Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Shuangling Road, Linyi 276000, PR China; Haichun Zhang [hczhang@nigpas.ac.cn], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, PR China. *Also affiliated with: State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, PR China.

Amended diagnosis of Colveraia variabilis Klinghardt, 1921 (Bivalvia) from Friuli (NE Italy) and redescription of Colveraia darendeensis Karacabey, 1974 from Turkey: Taxonomy, comparisons and biogeography

An examination of the historical material of Colveraia variabilis Klinghardt, 1921 housed in the collections of the Steinmann Institute of Palaeontology (Bonn, Germany) and of some newly collected specimens from the type area of Mt. Jouf (Friuli, NE Italy) has revealed many previously unknown characters of this radiolitid. Klinghardt had only large fragments of Colveraia variabilis at his disposal and he erred in some respects, mainly by mistaking the upper valve for the lower one. Representatives of the genus Colveraia have been collected at different localities of the Central-Eastern Mediterranean Tethys and the Arabian Plate, but the majority of these have never been described in detail or have been identified solely on the basis of transverse sections, except in Turkey, where many well-preserved specimens have been recovered. Historical and new examples of Colveraia variabilis from Mt. Jouf and the material recovered from Turkish localities show different external characters as far as radial zone, general shell shape and ornamentation are concerned. These lead us to assign all Turkish specimens to Colveraia darendeensis Karacabey, 1974, which is here described in detail. Comparisons with congeneric forms from the Central-Eastern Mediterranean Tethys and the Arabian Plate are also made.

A new species of Aboilus (Insecta, Orthoptera) from the Jurassic Daohugou beds of China, and discussion of forewing coloration in Aboilus

Wang, H., Li, S., Zhang, Q., Fang, Y., Wang, B. & Zhang, H., 13.02.2015. A new species of Aboilus (Insecta, Orthoptera) from the Jurassic Daohugou beds of China, and discussion of forewing coloration in Aboilus. Alcheringa 39, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518He Wang* [wanghe0701@163.com], Sha Li* [lisha.paleo@gmail.com], Qi Zhang* [zhqi1105@126.com], Yan Fang [yanfang@nigpas.ac.cn], Bo Wang† [bowang@nigpas.ac.cn] and Haichun Zhang [hczhang@nigpas.ac.cn], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, PR China.*Also affiliated with University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China. †Also affiliated with Steinmann Institute, University of Bonn, Bonn 53115, Germany.A new species of Aboilinae (Orthoptera: Prophalangopsidae), Aboilus perbellus, is described and illustrated based on three well-preserved forewings recovered from the Middle–Upper Jurassic Daohugou beds of Inner Mongolia, China. The new species differs from all congeneric forms in its special forewing coloration and features of its wing venation. To date, three types of forewing coloration have been found among different species of Aboilus at Daohugou, suggesting that these taxa inhabited different ecotopes.

Round herring (genus Etrumeus) contain distinct evolutionary lineages coincident with a biogeographic barrier along Australia’s southern temperate coastline

Molecular genetic surveys of marine fishes have revealed that some widely distributed species are actually a composite of multiple evolutionary lineages. This is apparent in the round herrings (genus Etrumeus), wherein a globally distributed taxon (Etrumeus sadina Mitchill 1814) has proven to contain at least seven valid taxa, with more likely awaiting discovery. Here, we survey evolutionary lineages of the nominal E. sadina (formerly E. teres, a junior synonym) across the southern temperate zone of Australia, a marine region divided into three biogeographic provinces based primarily on the distribution of intertidal faunas. Results from morphological and mitochondrial DNA data reveal two evolutionary lineages corresponding to eastern and southwestern provinces (d = 0.007 for cytochrome c oxidase subunit I and d = 0.017 for cytochrome b), possibly initiated by the Bassian Isthmus between Australia and Tasmania during low sea-level stands. The Australian round herring is also genetically distinct from the nearest congeneric forms in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, with a corresponding modal difference in gill-raker counts in most cases. Based on these data, we resurrect the title Etrumeus jacksoniensis for the Australian round herring. While the Bassian Isthmus may have initiated the partition of evolutionary lineages within Australia, additional oceanographic and ecological factors must reinforce this separation in order to maintain diagnostic genetic differences along a continuous temperate coastline.

Megaspore and microfossil assemblages reveal diverse herbaceous lycophytes in the Australian Early Jurassic flora

Here, we describe and illustrate by transmitted light and scanning electron microscopy the first Australian Jurassic megaspore assemblages. The megaspores and other mesofossils were isolated from terrestrial deposits of the Marburg Subgroup (late Pliensbachian) at Inverleigh Quarry, Clarence-Moreton Basin, eastern Australia. Nine megaspore taxa are identified including one new species: Paxillitriletes rainei. Miospore assemblages recovered from the same samples at Inverleigh reveal a slightly higher diversity of lycophyte microspores. The collective megaspore suite from Inverleigh shares several genera with mid-Mesozoic assemblages from widely distributed parts of the world, but most of the Inverleigh species have subtle morphological differences from congeneric forms elsewhere. The megaspores accumulated in fluvial floodplain facies and are associated with mostly dissociated isoetalean leaf debris. Other mesofossils in the sampled interval include annelid egg cases, dispersed seeds and charcoal. Invertebrate burrows and possible vertebrate tracks also occur in this succession. Lycophyte macrofossils are otherwise known from only two other Australian Jurassic deposits. The richness of the megaspore and microspore suites attest to a significant diversity of lycophytes in the Australian Jurassic floras not hitherto appreciated from described macrofloras.

Designation of a neotype for the Brazilian porcupine, Coendou prehensilis (Linnaeus, 1758)

The Brazilian porcupine was one of several species described and illustrated by the 17 th -century naturalist Georg Marcgrave, whose text was among the primary references upon which Linnaeus based his Hystrix prehensilis. As currently understood, Coendou prehensilis is a wide-ranging polytypic taxon that has never been revised and may represent a complex of closely related species. Given that no name-bearing type specimen of C. prehensilis is believed to be extant, and in order to avoid ambiguous application of this name, we designate a specimen collected at the type locality in Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, as the neotype for Hystrix prehensilis Linnaeus. The geographic distribution of mitochondrial DNA haplotypes suggests that specimens from west-central Brazil previously identified as “Coendou prehensilis” belong to a different species, but only a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the genus will shed light on species limits and the geographic ranges of C. prehensilis and other congeneric forms.

Molecular systematics of Neotropical spiny mice (Neacomys: Sigmodontinae, Rodentia) from the Guianan Region

Although three species of Neacomys (terrestrial spiny mice: Sigmodontinae) are currently recognized from the Guianan Region (northeastern South America), their taxonomic distinctness has not been tested with genetic data, their relationships to other congeneric forms is unknown, and there have been no studies of their intraspecific phylogeographic variation. These three species are very similar in their external morphology, and sympatry has been demonstrated for all three combinations of pairs. We have sequenced the cytochrome- b gene of 26 specimens morphologically identified as Neacomys paracou , Neacomys dubosti , and Neacomys guianae , for assessing their phylogenetic position with regard to other Amazonian taxa of the genus and for assessing their genetic variation within the Guianan Region. Our results (1) confirm that three genetically distinct species of Neacomys species occur in French Guiana, Suriname, and Guyana; (2) suggest that they are not closely related to one another vis-à-vis extralimital species; and (3) reveal shallow phylogeographic structure in only the most widespread form, N. paracou . The morphological examination of molecularly identified individuals of N . paracou and N. dubosti suggests that one external character, namely the relative size of caudal scales, is of dubious diagnostic value.

Taxonomic status ofMicronycteris homezi(Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae)

There are currently six species ofMicronycteris(sensu stricto) recognized in Venezuela, of which three have pale venters:M. homezi,M. minutaandM. schmidtorum. Since the original description ofM. homezias a subspecies ofM. megalotis(based on the presence of a cutaneous fossa in the interauricular region), this taxon has not appeared in checklists for Venezuelan mammal inventories due to confusion and uncertainty related to the original description. However, it was recently reconsidered as a valid taxon on the basis of an additional series of males collected in French Guiana, Guyana, and Brazil. The examination of a larger number of specimens ofMicronycteriscollected in Venezuela (73 of them within the pale venter group), allows us to reject the cutaneous fossa as a valid character to diagnoseM. homezi, suggesting that the namehomezirepresents a junior synonym ofM. minuta. Among the arguments supporting this statement are: 1) the discovery of a cutaneous fossa in two congeneric forms (M. megalotisandM. microtis); 2) the existence of histological evidence verifying the presence of this structure (incipiently developed) in specimens assignable toM. minuta; 3) the development of the fossa only in adult males (associated with a hypertrophy of the interauricular band); and 4) the similarity, in both chromatic and morphological features of Venezuelan specimens assignable to eitherM. minutaorM. homezi. The presence of a developed cutaneous fossa only in some adult males, as well as its correlation with the growth of the interauricular band and the modification of histological components could be the result of hormonal effects influenced by social rank or reproductive condition. Both structures are elements of a coordinated system, whereby the interauricular band is responsible for the production of sebaceous substances associated with the cutaneous fossa.

Two new nearctic species of small orthocladiinae (Diptera: Chironomidae) with notes on ecology

Two new species of chironomid midges (Rheosmittia arcuata n.sp. and Mesocricotopus loticus n.sp.) are recognized. They may easily be missed in collections due to their small size, and difficulty in collecting from the larval microhabitat (sand substrates for R. arcuata n.sp., low order streams with depositional substrates including gravel, sand, and silt for M. loticus n.sp.). Some morphological features are given to distinguish the new species from similar congeneric forms. The distribution and some ecological information for each species are also briefly discussed.

Late Eocene Decapod Crustacea from North Westland, South Island, New Zealand

Eight species of brachyuran decapod crustaceans are recorded from coastal outcrops of Island Sandstone between Perpendicular Point and Punakaiki, Westland, New Zealand. The fauna consists of three raninids—Laeviranina pororariensis (Glaessner), L. keyesi n. sp., Lyreidus bennetti n. sp.; two portunids—Rhachiosoma granuliferum (Glaessner), Pororaria eocenica Glaessner; a goneplacid—Carcinoplax temikoensis n. sp.; and two majids—Leptomithrax griffini n. sp., Notomithrax allani n. sp. Together, they form the most diverse brachyuran assemblage yet described from New Zealand. The decapods are preserved in unusual elliptical masses, with their long axes typically parallel to bedding, containing superbly preserved cuticle often surrounded by well-formed fecal pellets, probably of decapod origin. The accumulations are interpreted to be mechanical concentrations within depressions produced by decapods or associated spatangoid echinoids. Although seven of the species have been recorded only from the Island Sandstone, Rhachiosoma granuliferum (Glaessner) is now known to occur in the correlative deep-water facies of the Kaiata Formation in North Westland, as well as in the Tapui Sandstone, North Otago (middle Eocene), and from coeval rocks at Snowdrift Quarry, southeast Otago. The raninids suggest comparison with congeneric forms from Snowdrift Quarry and the Tapui Sandstone, as well as with the La Meseta Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica. Based upon associated foraminiferans, a Kaiatan–Runangan (late Eocene) age is assigned to this fauna. The occurrences of Carcinoplax, Leptomithrax, and Notomithrax represent paleobiogeographic and stratigraphic records for the genera.

A New, Disjunct Species of Triclad Flatworm (Turbellaria: Tricladida) From a Spring in Southern New England

An undescribed species of flatworm belonging to the genus Polycelis (family Planaridae) is reported from a spring in western Massachusetts. The new species represents the first recorded occurrence of Polycelis in eastern North America. The morphological uniqueness and geographical disjunction of the new species suggests that it has been isolated from congeneric forms for a considerable length of time. However, it is alternatively possible that the species' existence in western Massachusetts is the result of introduction from some as yet unknown "natural" range elsewhere. If in fact naturally occurring in New England, the new species could be a survivor of a pre-glacial fauna that survived glacial advances by living in groundwater habitats under the ice sheet.

Observations on chytridiaceous parasites of Phanerogams

In a previous paper (Sr~m~ow, GRIFFIN and JOHNS 11961) we described the morphological and developmental features of a species of the chytrid genus Physoderma found on common quack gr'ass in Northern Michigan. At that time we did not at tempt to place our fungus in any published taxon but merely compared it with other congeneric forms described from the same host and uniformly assigned by their discoverers to graminis (Bfisgen) de Wild. We noted that our fungus was distinct from these primarily in not producing host stunting or suppressing flowering and in possessing smaller resting spores. We expressed hope at this time that extensive cross-inoculation work would enable us to place our fungus with some certainty taxonomically. In view of the chaotic conditions prevailing generally at the moment in differentiating species of Physoderma, a situation which is seen perhaps at its worst in supposed new taxa described from grasses, the need for such studies is imperative. Indeed, the general paucity of information on host-range studies in the Physodermataceae is appalling, and concrete data derived from experimental evidence defending the supposed host specificity of many species (P. menthae Schroeter, P. aponogetonis Sparrow, P. marsiliae Brewster, P. digitariae Pavgi and Thirumalaeher, etc.) is almost non-existent. Therefore, we set up a series of cross-inoculation studies to determine whether other members of the Tribe Hordeae, and other grasses on which various species of Phyaoderma had been described, were susceptible to our parasite. Furthermore, it seemed of interest to discover ff certain non-gramineous swamp plants from the same area on which we had also found Physoderma could be infected by the Agropyron parasite. The list of prospective host plants is by no means comprehensive for the purpose needed but represents what materials were available to us at the time. Needless to say, it is being extended as our own collections of seeds and plants continues.

Chromosomal studies in some Indian Lepidoptera

1. Cytological studies have been carried out during spermatogenesis of fifteen species. 2. A peculiar synizesis phase occurs normally in the early prophase stage of primary spermatocytes. 3. The homologous chromosomal threads undergo a longitudinal pairing during synizesis. 4. Typical diplotene stage has not been discovered; instead, a diffuse phase intervenes between pachytene and diakinesis. 5. In the diakinetic bivalents the presence of one or two completely terminalized chiasmata can be justified. There are a few instances, however, where certain bivalents are precociously resolved intou nivalents disclosing most probably a failure of chiasma-formation in them. The question, therefore, whether definite chiasmata are formed in Lepidoptera cannot be answered with absolute certainty. 6. By a comparative study of the chromosomal garnitures in the congeneric forms investigated herewith, such as Vanessa indica and V. kashmirensis, and Earias insulana and E. fabia, it has been concluded that a number discrepancy in related species must be attributed to fusions and fragmentations of original chromosomes and not to polyploidy. 7. A male homogamety occurs in all the species studied. 8. Any relationship between a sex-chromosome pair and the nucleolus could not be established.

A Nematode-Capturing Phycomycete Forming Chlamydospores Terminally on Lateral Branches

The genus Cystopage was erected in the Zoopagaceae for fungi that subsist by capturing microscopic animals through adhesion to aseptate filamentous hyphae and that reproduce by forming chlamydospores on or in the substratum (1). Three species that I assigned to the genus under the binomials C. subtilis (1), C. ellipsospora (3) and C. sphaerospora (3) are habitually destructive to terricolous rhizopods; while the 2 more robust congeneric forms which I presented under the names C. lateralis (1) and C. intercalaris (2), signalizing the positional rela? tions of their chlamydospores, always prey on free-living nematodes. Another species predacious on eelworms is here described as a sixth member of the genus, under an epithet which, being compounded of 2 words (ickados, awopa) meaning branch and seed, respectively, is similarly intended to indicate the usual position of the reproductive bodies.