Continuous Fieldwork Research Articles

Phylogenetic diversity of the Pristimantis anaiae species group, with a description of a new species of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) from Cerro Candelaria, Tungurahua, Ecuador

Continuous field work on mountains in the upper Pastaza watershed, showed an unexpected cryptic diversity in the recently described Pristimantis anaiae species group. Based on molecular and morphological characters we describe a new frog species from the central region of the eastern Ecuadorian Andes. We present an updated phylogeny for the Pristimantis anaiae species group, based on widely used, ubiquitous, and available genes, three mitochondrial genes (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, ND1) and RAG1 nuclear gene. Our phylogenetic hypothesis increases genetic diversity of the species group and shows two well-supported subclades. We show the relationships of the new species and include for the first time Pristimantis maryanneae, belonging to a clade related to P. resistencia + P. glendae. Our phylogeny shows that new species, from Cerro Candelaria, is more closely related to P. kunam from Sangay National Park and differs from it by having a less conspicuous dorsolateral row of enlarged tubercles, and sacral oval marks surrounded by thin white pale lines. The new species and two additional undescribed species occur on the south side of the Rio Pastaza Valley, at Cerro Candelaria within the Llanganates – Sangay Ecological Corridor, reflecting the high importance of this area for conservation and understanding of evolution processes in the area, suggesting a probably adaptive radiation zone for the P. anaiae species group.

Another new species of Dixonius (Squamata, Gekkonidae) from Gia Lai Province in the Central Highlands, Vietnam

Another new species of Dixonius, D. fulbrightisp. nov., is described from Gia Lai Province, in the Central Highlands of Vietnam, using an integrated approach based on morphological, categorical (color pattern), and mitochondrial NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 gene (ND2) and its flanking tRNAs data. Phylogenetic analyses recovered Dixonius fulbrightisp. nov. as closely related to D. gialaiensis from Gia Lai Province and part of a clade that includes D. minhlei, D. siamensis, and D. somchanhae. Multivariate (PCA, DAPC, and MFA) and univariate (ANOVA) analyses of 15 meristic (scale counts), six morphometric (mensural), and five categorical (color pattern and morphology) characters from 44 specimens of all eight species of Dixonius from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia clearly demonstrated that Dixonius fulbrightisp. nov. is statistically different and diagnostically distinct from all closely related species of Dixonius. This new species discovery highlights the underestimated gecko diversity and the importance of continued fieldwork in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.

Comments on the taxonomic status of Cyrtodactylus zebraicus Taylor, 1962 (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from Northern Peninsular Malaysia.

The taxonomic status of Cyrtodactylus zebraicus in Peninsular Malaysia has been plagued with uncertainty over the last three decades owing to a lack of vouchered material. Recent collections confirmed the presence of this species in the northernmost state of Perlis and for the country. An expanded description of the newly collected Peninsular Malaysian specimens as well as the holotype of C. zebraicus is provided along with a comparison with other Cyrtodactylus species in the country. This study adds to the growing number of herpetofaunal species with Indo-Burmese affinities discovered in northern states of the country and the biogeographic importance of this region for the exchange of fauna and flora. The findings also highlight the importance of continued field work along the biogeographic interchange of the Banjaran Nakawan that separates southwestern Thailand from northwestern Peninsular Malaysia and the need to sample and collect voucher specimens that can be deposited in proper scientific collections for current and future research.

The earliest European Acheulean: new insights into the large shaped tools from the late Early Pleistocene site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain)

Since the oldest known Acheulean lithic techno-typological features in Europe were reported at the site of Barranc de la Boella (Tarragona, Spain), continuous fieldwork has been conducted there in archeological deposits of the late Early Pleistocene age (0.99–0.78 Ma). As a result, excavations in two of the three open-air localities have significantly expanded the collection of lithic and faunal remains, allowing us to make progress in the interpretation of the hominin behaviors in an open-air fluvial-deltaic sedimentary environment. This includes examples of cumulative palimpsests, such as those found at the locality of La Mina, in which hominins only had a minimal role as modifying agents, as well as the extraordinary mammoth butchery site recorded at the Pit 1 locality. The aim of this paper is to present a comprehensive update of the collection of large shaped tools and to assess its significance in the framework of the earliest occurrence of the Acheulean in Europe. This cultural entity is increasingly well-documented for the early Middle Pleistocene, but very little is known about its presence in Europe before the Brunhes–Matuyama boundary. Large shaped tools appear in the three localities explored in the Unit II of Barranc de la Boella, including choppers (unifacial and bifacial) and standard Acheulean forms, such as picks, knives, and cleaver-like forms. Techno-typological and morphometrical analyses revealed a basic heavy-duty component obtained through simple shaping sequences coupled with significantly more elaborate tools produced on various large blanks (cobbles, slabs, or flakes). The complete bifacial and bilateral shapings have yet to be documented, but the present specific tool assemblage attests to the Early Acheulean technological threshold. Hence, the archaeological data from Barranc de la Boella provide insights into the first appearance of the Acheulean technology in Europe and add critical information to the debate on the technological variability of the Early Pleistocene hominin occupation of the continent. The results of this study revealed a technological assemblage unique in the known late Early Pleistocene archeological record from Europe, different from the rest of ancient Acheulean sites in this continent, which are dated at the Middle Pleistocene. This lends support to the hypothesis that Barranc de la Boella may represent a previously unrecognized Early Acheulean dispersion out of Africa connected to its first evidence at the gates of Eurasia, potentially moving over the northern Mediterranean coastal road to reach Western Europe.

Two new syntopic species of wolf snakes (genus Lycodon H. Boie in Fitzinger, 1826) from an imperiled ecosystem in the Song Giang River Valley of southern Vietnam (Squamata: Colubridae)

An integrative taxonomic analysis of species in the colubrid genus Lycodon Fitzinger, 1826 recovered two new syntopic species of the L. rufozonatus complex from the imperiled Song Giang River valley in Khan Hoa Province, of Southern Vietnam. Although L. truongisp. nov. and L. anakradayasp. nov. are syntopic, they are not particularly closely related and can be differentiated from each other and all other species in the L. rufozonatus complex on the basis of meristics, morphometrics, color pattern, and uncorrected pairwise genetic distance based on the mitochondrial gene cytochrome b. The discovery of these two new range-restricted species and a previously described range-restricted gekkonid in the genus Cyrtodactylus Gray, 1828 from the same valley, underscores the necessity of continued field work in the Song Giang River valley so as to catalog the unrealized herpetological diversity in this area and establish research-based conservation programs.

Factors Affecting Stress and Job Satisfaction its Impact on Performance of Medical Representatives at Central Kerala Region with Special Reference to Era of Coronavirus (COVID-19) –Pandemic Outbreak.

This study is to find out and analyse the factors influencing job stress and job satisfaction and its impact on performance of Medical Representatives working under pharmaceutical industry,at Central Kerala districts (PALAKKAD, THRISSUR, ERNAKULAM and IDUKKI). We all know that increased stress leads to reduced productivity and also overall affects the overall performance.Stress is a universal phenomenon and common challenge to employee productivity,it is the unavoidable reality of modern day workplace.Apart from other professions, Medical Representative’s daily life or work involves continuous field work, continuous travelling, waiting for Dr visits, administrative work, sales pressure, and more.. Medical Representatives need to be always physically fit, mentally alert & attentive, presentable, punctual, patient, committed, responsive, skilled communicator, and an extrovert person to be able to succeed in the amazing competitive field of Pharmaceutical industry.

Home Sweet Home?: Recent Studies of Chinese Indonesians

Abstract This article reviews two books on Chinese Indonesians in post-Suharto Indonesia written by two young scholars: Chong Wu-Ling (2018), and Toshio Matsumura (2017). Both books illustrate the recent stream of academic publications on Chinese Indonesians by a young generation of non-Indonesian scholars who are mostly based in the East Asia region. Their works are promising as they rely on continuous fieldwork and pose new questions that reflect the socio-political changes in Indonesia and the rise of China in the region. Despite these welcomed developments, we have yet to see any paradigm shift from the works of earlier scholars. Concurrently, young scholars in the region are challenged to develop their studies beyond the Euro-American intellectual hegemony.

<p><strong>Revision of <em>Cyrtandra tempestii</em> (Gesneriaceae) and the description of <em>Cyrtandra tuiwawai</em> from Taveuni, Fiji</strong></p>

Cyrtandra tempestii, a species endemic to the southeast coast of Taveuni, Fiji, is reevaluated in light of recent field collections and a thorough examination of herbarium specimens. A revised description of this species based on observations and morphological measurements from the field is presented here. Cyrtandra tuiwawai sp. nov. was formerly included under C. tempestii based on similarities in floral morphology and is described here as a new species endemic to the montane forests of Taveuni. Habitat preference, as well as morphological characters, distinguish the two species from one another. The addition of C. tuiwawai brings the total number of Cyrtandra species in Fiji to 42, and supports the need for continued fieldwork in the region.

How Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic

Understanding Society is a household panel survey with continuous fieldwork (monthly sam-ples) using a mixed mode design. Prior to March 2020, around half of all interviews were carried out face-to-face, amounting to around 1,150 interviews per month. This article outlines how the survey rapidly transitioned to a protocol without face-to-face interviews and presents some initial indicators of the impact of the change on field outcomes.

Half a Century of Onomastic Research in Karelia

The article marks the 50th anniversary of onomastic research in Karelia which has brought about 12 monographs and dictionaries, as well as several hundred articles. The paper summarizes the most important advances made by the research team in local toponymy studies: a typology of the Balto-Finniс toponyms, the peculiarities of Karelian and Vepsian name motivation, and the ways that Karelian and Vepsian names are adapted to the Russian naming system. The development of methods of areal typology allowed the researchers to restore the picture of ethno-linguistic history of Karelia and adjacent territories, based on toponymic evidence. In the field of anthroponymy, the progress relates to the identification of numerous Karelian folk variants of Orthodox names and the reconstruction of medieval male and female personal names system of Karelians and Vepsians. The latter also proved the fact that non-calendar Russian names were actively used among the Karelians at the turn of the Middle Ages and the Modern Times. Particular attention is given to the research team’s activity and achievements in the field of onomastic lexicography, which produced a number of toponymic dictionaries of different types. The important role of the continuous fieldwork of Karelian toponymists, carried out both in the territory of Karelia and outside the republic, is noted. Ultimately, the work of three generations of researchers has been brought together in a comprehensive toponymic card-index comprising 300.000 units in Karelian, Veps, and Russian, as well as its electronic version (GIS Toponymy of Karelia) with additional mapping and analytical functionalities.

First record of shrews (Eulipotyphla, Soricidae) in the Sierra de Otontepec, an isolated mountain in Veracruz, Mexico

Knowledge of the diversity and distribution of mammals in tropical and subtropical regions remains incomplete. This is especially true for many small species inhabiting remote areas with limited access. Here we present the first record of small-eared shrews (Soricidae, Cryptotis ) from the Sierra de Otontepec, Mexico, an isolated mountain in the Gulf Coastal Plain that has remained poorly explored (Figure 1). We conducted a short-term survey in the Sierra de Otontepec using pitfall and Sherman traps during August 2016. Taxonomic identification was based on morphological and molecular analyses (Appendix 1). We collected six shrew specimens from the cloud forests in the Sierra de Otontepec (Figure 2). Morphological and molecular characterization indicated that all specimens collected were small-eared shrews belonging to the Cryptotis mexicanus species group (Table 1, Figure 3), a clade which is closely associated with cloud forests. Based on the morphological and molecular evidence, we refer to this population from the Sierra de Otontepec as C. mexicanus , Our results corroborate the importance of continued fieldwork in remote tropical areas. Overall, this finding offers relevant information that could be used to better understand the evolution and biogeographic history of this species group and its habitat.

Two more new species of Hemiphyllodactylus Bleeker (Squamata: Gekkonidae) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar (Burma).

An integrative phylogenetic analysis recovers two new species of the gekkonid genus Hemiphyllodactylus (Bleeker) from the Shan Hills of eastern Myanmar. Hemiphyllodactylus ywanganensis sp. nov. and H. uga sp. nov. are nested within the eastern Myanmar clade of a previous genus-wide phylogenetic analysis and form a more exclusive monophyletic group with H. linnwayensis. These species differ from each other and all other Hemiphyllodactylus in having unique combinations of character states involving postmental and subcaudal scale morphology; maximum SVL; digital formulae; numbers of chin scales, circumnasals, intersupranasals (=postrostrals), labials, longitudinally arranged dorsal and ventral scales, and pore-bearing femoroprecloacal scales; as well as subtle differences in coloration and pattern. The phylogenetic affinities of the eastern Myanmar clade are similar to those of an endemic clade of Cyrtodactylus from the Shan Hills in that both are more closely related to Indochinese taxa east of Myanmar as opposed to other Indo-Burmese species. The discovery of these new species underscores the underappreciated herpetological diversity of limestone ecosystems as well as the remote nature of the rugged uplands of the Shan Hills and emphasizes the need for continued field work in this region.

Range extensions for White-shouldered AntshrikeThamnophilus aethiops, Imeri Warbling AntbirdHypocnemis flavescensand Black-headed AntbirdPercnostola rufifronsalong the Putumayo River in Colombia, and their biogeographical significance

The avifauna on the north bank of the Putumayo River in Colombia is one of the most poorly known in western Amazonia. In February 2017 we spent nine days conducting ornithological field work in and around the community of El Encanto, dpto. Amazonas. We present novel distributional information for six species, the most significant of which concern range extensions for Whiteshouldered Antshrike Thamnophilus aethiops, Imeri Warbling Antbird Hypocnemis flavescens and Black-headed Antbird Percnostola rufifrons minor. We discuss these records in the context of recent ornithological work on the south bank of the Putumayo in Peru and address their biogeographical significance, especially with regards to the definition of areas of endemism in western Amazonia and the role of the Putumayo River as a distributional barrier. Our findings underscore the need for continued ornithological field work in the Putumayo–Caquetá interfluvium and indeed the Colombian Amazon as a whole.

A preliminary report of the fossil mammals from a new microvertebrate locality in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Grand County, Utah

The first Mesozoic mammals in North America were discovered in the Morrison Formation during the closing decades of the 19th century, as by-products of dinosaurs quarried by teams led by O.C. Marsh. These tiny fossils served as foundational specimens for our understanding of Mesozoic mammal evolution. There are now nearly 25 mammal-bearing localities known from the Morrison Formation, distributed across the Western Interior from the Black Hills to southern Colorado and west into Utah; the most historically important of these are in Wyoming (e.g., Como Quarry 9). Most Morrison mammals are known by jaws or jaw fragments, and several important Mesozoic groups (e.g., docodonts, dryolestoids, and to a large extent triconodonts and symmetrodonts) were established based on Morrison material, shaping the perception of mammalian diversity on a global scale. Despite heavy sampling of coeval sites elsewhere, the Morrison remains the most systematically diverse (at high taxonomic levels) assemblage of Jurassic mammals in the world. Here, we describe two mammalian specimens and highlight other remains yet to be fully identified from a new microvertebrate locality in the Morrison Formation of eastern Grand County, Utah. The site is positioned low in the Brushy Basin Member and is similar in lithology and stratigraphic level to the famous small vertebrate localities of the Fruita Paleontological Area, located less than 50 km to the northeast. In addition to small archosaurs and squamates, limited excavation to date has yielded at least 20 mammalian specimens representing a minimum of six taxa, several of which are new and quite different from typical Morrison taxa. Preservation is generally excellent and includes partially articulated cranial and postcranial elements of small vertebrates. This new site has great potential to contribute new taxa and more complete morphological data than typical Morrison localities, underscoring the importance of continued field work in the Morrison.

A preliminary report of the fossil mammals from a new microvertebrate locality in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, Grand County, Utah

The first Mesozoic mammals in North America were discovered in the Morrison Formation during the closing decades of the 19th century, as by-products of dinosaurs quarried by teams led by O.C. Marsh. These tiny fossils served as foundational specimens for our understanding of Mesozoic mammal evolution. There are now nearly 25 mammal-bearing localities known from the Morrison Formation, distributed across the Western Interior from the Black Hills to southern Colorado and west into Utah; the most historically important of these are in Wyoming (e.g., Como Quarry 9). Most Morrison mammals are known by jaws or jaw fragments, and several important Mesozoic groups (e.g., docodonts, dryolestoids, and to a large extent triconodonts and symmetrodonts) were established based on Morrison material, shaping the perception of mammalian diversity on a global scale. Despite heavy sampling of coeval sites elsewhere, the Morrison remains the most systematically diverse (at high taxonomic levels) assemblage of Jurassic mammals in the world. Here, we describe two mammalian specimens and highlight other remains yet to be fully identified from a new microvertebrate locality in the Morrison Formation of eastern Grand County, Utah. The site is positioned low in the Brushy Basin Member and is similar in lithology and stratigraphic level to the famous small vertebrate localities of the Fruita Paleontological Area, located less than 50 km to the northeast. In addition to small archosaurs and squamates, limited excavation to date has yielded at least 20 mammalian specimens representing a minimum of six taxa, several of which are new and quite different from typical Morrison taxa. Preservation is generally excellent and includes partially articulated cranial and postcranial elements of small vertebrates. This new site has great potential to contribute new taxa and more complete morphological data than typical Morrison localities, underscoring the importance of continued field work in the Morrison.

The Ahmao (Miao) schism: the problem of spiritual agency in encounters between church and state in southwest China

The majority of Ahmao in southwest China have been Christian since a mass conversion movement took place in the 1900s. Throughout the century, Ahmao congregations have gone through several reforms and survived many political campaigns. After two decades of prosperity through China’s reform era, since the 2000s many Ahmao congregations in northern Yunnan have experienced schisms. This paper sets out to investigate a schism that took place in a medium-size Ahmao congregation between 2005 and 2015. Based upon several years of continuous fieldwork, I found that the alleged schism in this Ahmao congregation – rather than describing a long-standing fracture in the community – appears intermittently and should be considered as an effect of religious regulation that problematizes the agency of spiritual practice. Under the regime of religious regulation in contemporary China, Ahmao congregations have been delicately negotiating between different modes of agency as changes in Christian practice become necessary or inevitable.

Climate to fish: Synthesizing field work, data and models in a 39-year retrospective analysis of seasonal processes on the eastern Bering Sea shelf and slope

We combined field data and the output from a climate-to-fish coupled biophysical model to calculate weekly climatologies and 1971–2009 time series of physical and biological drivers for 16 distinct regions of the eastern Bering Sea shelf and slope. We focus on spatial trends and physical-biological interactions as a framework to compare model output to localized or season-specific observations. Data on pollock (≥8cm) diet were used to evaluate energy flows and zooplankton dynamics predicted by the model. Model validation shows good agreement to sea-ice cover albeit with a one month delay in ice retreat. Likewise, the timing of spring phytoplankton blooms in the model were delayed approximately one month in the south and extend further into summer, but the relative timing between the spring and fall bloom peaks was consistent with observations. Ice-related primary producers may shift the timing of the spring bloom maximum biomass earlier in years when sea ice was still present after mid-March in the southern regions. Including the effects of explicit, dynamic fish predation on zooplankton in the model shifts the seasonal spring peak and distribution of zooplankton later in the year relative to simulations with implicit predation dependent only on zooplankton biomass and temperature; the former capturing the dynamic demand on zooplankton prey by fish. Pollock diets based on stomach samples collected in late fall and winter from 1982–2013 show overwintering euphausiids and small pollock as key prey items in the outer and southern Bering Sea shelf; a characteristic not currently present in the model.The model captured two large-scale gradients, supported by field data, characterizing the overall dynamics: 1) inshore to off-shelf physical and biological differences with a gradient in inter-annual variability from higher frequency inshore to lower frequency offshore; and 2) latitudinal gradients in the timing of events. The combined effects of length of day, bathymetry, and tides, which are consistent from year to year, and the two large-scale gradients, characterize the environment on which regional differences were based and restrict their inter-annual and seasonal variability. Thus, the relative timing and sequence of events remained consistent within regions. The combination of model outputs and observational data revealed specific ecosystem processes: (1) The spatial progression in the timing, peaks and sequence of events over the shelf is driven by wind, sea ice, and stratification and creates a seasonal expansion and contraction of the warmer pelagic and bottom habitat suitable to pollock. (2) The seasonal warming of air temperature and the spring-summer expansion of the warm pelagic and bottom habitats influence the ice retreat and the associated ice edge and open water spring blooms, as well as subsequent production/abundance of copepods and euphausiids. (3) These warmer conditions favor pelagic energy flows to pollock (≥10cm) and allow their distribution to expand shoreward and northward along the shelf break. (4) The fall-winter expansion of the seasonal ice cover drives the contraction of warmer waters towards the outer and southwest shelf and favors benthic energy flows over most of the shelf. There, fall blooms allow for additional lipid storage by large copepods and euphausiids that sink close to the bottom where they either go into diapause or have a restricted diel migration over winter. (5) During these cold months, the preferred pollock habitat shifts and contracts towards the outer and southwest shelf where their increased density and reduced prey availability leads to winter pollock cannibalism and consumption of overwintering euphausiids. Our project highlights the benefits of linking continuous and long-term field work with the development and implementation of highly complex models. In the face of uncertainty, simulations such as these, tightly coupled to field programs, will be instrumental as testbeds for process exploration and management evaluation, increasing their relevance for future fisheries and ecosystem management and strategic planning.

Wiederholungsaufnahmen als Instrument zur Qualitätssicherung im Schweizerischen Landesforstinventar

Repeat surveys as a quality assurance tool in the Swiss National Forest Inventory The Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI) repeats surveys to guarantee the quality of fieldwork. To this end, approximately 10% of sample plots are completely surveyed a second time over a field season. Based on the results of the repeat survey, the current investigation focuses on the assessment precision, i.e. the reproducibility of various tree and stand attributes in NFI4. It also investigates whether the change from periodic (NFI1–NFI3) to continuous (NFI4) fieldwork has had a positive effect on the reproducibility of the attributes. The current results of the repeat surveys for NFI4 (2009/2017) are compared with those for NFI3 (2004/2006) to this end. We used statistical measures as well as measurement quality objectives (MQO) set by the NFI instructor team as a reference for evaluating reproducibility. The results vary for tree attributes which are vital for estimating stock. The result for the diameter at breast height (dbh) corresponds to the expected values, while that for upper stem diameter at seven meters height and tree height were approximately 5% below the expected values. With regard to the seven stand attributes also analyzed, four of them exceeded the quality goals (stand age, stand stability, the degree of cover of secured regeneration, and stage of development). The results for the mixture proportion, the stand structure and crown closure were between 5 and 18% below MQO. The result for presence of woody species shows that the recording of larger plants (above 130 cm) is clearly more reproducible than for smaller plants (40–130 cm). In NFI4, the reproducibility for almost all studied attributes was improved. The results suggest that the modified structure of fieldwork (with only three field teams and continuous fieldwork in NFI4) has a positive influence on the reproducibility of the included attributes.

Functional Analysis in Long-Term Operation of High Power UV-LEDs in Continuous Fluoro-Sensing Systems for Hydrocarbon Pollution.

This work analyzes the long-term functionality of HP (High-power) UV-LEDs (Ultraviolet Light Emitting Diodes) as the exciting light source in non-contact, continuous 24/7 real-time fluoro-sensing pollutant identification in inland water. Fluorescence is an effective alternative in the detection and identification of hydrocarbons. The HP UV-LEDs are more advantageous than classical light sources (xenon and mercury lamps) and helps in the development of a low cost, non-contact, and compact system for continuous real-time fieldwork. This work analyzes the wavelength, output optical power, and the effects of viscosity, temperature of the water pollutants, and the functional consistency for long-term HP UV-LED working operation. To accomplish the latter, an analysis of the influence of two types 365 nm HP UV-LEDs degradation under two continuous real-system working mode conditions was done, by temperature Accelerated Life Tests (ALTs). These tests estimate the mean life under continuous working conditions of 6200 h and for cycled working conditions (30 s ON & 30 s OFF) of 66,000 h, over 7 years of 24/7 operating life of hydrocarbon pollution monitoring. In addition, the durability in the face of the internal and external parameter system variations is evaluated.

David Stoddart OBE

David Stoddart <scp>OBE</scp>