Documentation Of Biodiversity Research Articles

Evaluating shortfalls and spatial accuracy of biodiversity documentation in the Atlantic Forest, the most diverse and threatened Brazilian phytogeographic domain

AbstractDigital accessible knowledge of biodiversity data is an increasingly important source of information in studies of biogeography and conservation. These databases can also reveal temporal, spatial and taxonomical gaps in biodiversity documentation, even in areas that have been intensively studied and from where accurate species lists are available. Therefore, revealing these gaps may help allocating collecting efforts, conservation priorities and strategies for improving database curation. Here, we evaluate potential shortfalls for flowering plants in a tropical hotspot, the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, by cross‐referencing two online repositories of biodiversity data (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility – GBIF – and the Brazilian Flora 2020 floristic database – BFG). We aimed to evaluate the congruence between those repositories, highlighting tendencies in current documentation for this area. We found that from the 7220 reported flowering plant species endemics to the Atlantic Forest, 1573 (22%) have no valid spatial data in GBIF, and 75% of all of the 605,951 records do not present valid spatial information. Most of the missing information is related to species known only from few and old collections with absent or inaccurately georeferenced data. This lack of information may cause a large impact in spatial studies, especially for rare and threatened species. Nevertheless, our analysis also shows that spatial information for the filtered data is highly congruent between GBIF and BFG data, indicating relatively high availability of quality data in large repositories after standard and automatized cleaning procedures. Still, good practices to decrease the impact of losing data are recommended, including more investment in field collections, targeting poorly known species and returning cleaned spatial datasets to online repositories after taxonomic revisions.

Testing the Effectiveness of DNA Barcoding for Biodiversity Assessment of Moths from Nigeria

Comprehensive biodiversity assessment of moths in Nigeria rely greatly on accurate species identification. While most of the Nigerian moths are identified effortlessly using their morphological traits, some taxa are morphologically indistinguishable, which makes it difficult for taxon diagnosis. We investigated the efficiency of the DNA barcode, a fragment of the mitochondrial Cytochrome C oxidase subunit I, as a tool for the identification of Nigerian moths. We barcoded 152 individuals comprising 18 morphospecies collected from one of the remaining and threatened rainforest blocks of Nigeria – the Cross River National Park. Phenetic neighbor-joining tree and phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood approach were employed for the molecular-based species identification. Results showed that DNA barcodes enabled species-level identification of most of the individuals collected from the Park. Additionally, DNA barcoding unraveled the presence of at least six potential new and yet undescribed species—Amnemopsyche sp., Arctia sp., Deinypena sp., Hodebertia sp., Otroeda sp., and Palpita sp. The phylogenetic Maximum Likelihood using the combined dataset of all the newly assembled sequences from Nigeria showed that all species formed unique clades. The phylogenetic analyses provided evidence of population divergence in Euchromia lethe, Nyctemera leuconoe, and Deinypena lacista. This study thus illustrates the efficacy of DNA barcoding for species identification and discovery of potential new species, which demonstrates its relevance in biodiversity documentation of Nigerian moths. Future work should, therefore, extend to the creation of an exhaustive DNA barcode reference library comprising all species of moths from Nigeria to have a comprehensive insight on the diversity of moths in the country. Finally, we propose integrated taxonomic methods that would combine morphological, ecological, and molecular data in the identification and diversity studies of moths in Nigeria.

Extracting Data from Legacy Taxonomic Literature: Applications for planning field work

Traditional taxonomic publications have served as a biological data repository accumulating vast amounts of data on species diversity, geographical and temporal distributions, ecological interactions, taxonomic relations, among many other types of information. However, the fragmented nature of taxonomic literature has made this data difficult to access and use to its full potential. Current anthropogenic impact on biodiversity demands faster knowledge generation, but also making better use of what we already have. This could help us make better-informed decisions about conservation and resources management. In past years, several efforts have been made to make taxonomic literature more mobilized and accessible. These include online publications, open access journals, the digitization of old paper literature and improved availability through online specialized repositories such as the Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL) and the World Spider Catalog (WSC), among others. Although easy to share, PDF publications still have most of their biodiversity data embedded in strings of text making them less dynamic and more difficult or impossible to read and analyze without a human interpreter. Recently developed tools as GoldenGATE-Imagine (GGI) allow transforming PDFs in XML files that extract and categorize taxonomically relevant data. These data can then be aggregated in databases such as Plazi TreatmentBank, where it can be re-explored, queried and analyzed. Here we combined several of these cybertaxonomic tools to test the data extraction process for one potential application: the design and planning of an expedition to collect fresh material in the field. We targeted the ground spider Teutamus politus and other related species from the Teutamus group (TG) (Araneae; Liocranidae). These spiders are known from South East Asia and have been cataloged in the family Liocranidae; however, their relations, biology and evolution are still poorly understood. We marked-up 56 publications that contained taxonomic treatments with specimen records for the Liocranidae. Of these publications, 20 contained information on members of the TG. Geographical distributions and occurrences of 90 TG species were analyzed based on 1,309 specimen records. These data were used to design our field collection in a way that allowed us to optimize the collection of adult specimens of our target taxa. The TG genera were most common in Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. From these, Thailand was the second richest but had the most records of T. politus. Seasonal distribution of TG specimens in Thailand suggested June and July as the best time for collecting adults. Based on these analyses, we decided to sample from mid-July to mid-August 2018 in the three Thai provinces that combined most records of TG species and T. politus. Relying on the results of our literature analyses and using standard collection methods for ground spiders, we captured at least one specimen of every TG genus reported for Thailand. Our one-month expedition captured 231 TG spiders; from these, T. politus was the most abundant species with 188 specimens (95 adults). By comparison, a total of 196 specimens of the TG and 66 of T. politus had been reported for the same provinces in the last 40 years. Our sampling greatly increased the number of available specimens, especially for the genera Teutamus and Oedignatha. Also, we extended the known distribution of Oedignatha and Sesieutes within Thailand. These results illustrate the relevance of making biodiversity data contained within taxonomic treatments accessible and reusable. It also exemplifies one potential use of taxonomic legacy data: to more efficiently use existing biodiversity data to fill knowledge gaps. A similar approach can be used to study neglected or interesting taxa and geographic areas, generating a better biodiversity documentation that could aid in decision making, management and conservation.

Brachyuran crab diversity and abundance patterns in the mangroves of Cameroon

Brachyuran crabs are the most important group of mangroves epifauna. They operate relevant ecological roles in terms of structure and function in mangrove ecosystems. The study aims to assess crab diversity and the patterns of their distribution for biodiversity documentation. The survey was carried out in mangrove forests of the Cameroon coastline. Investigations were randomly carried out on 17 degraded mangrove areas where Rhizophora stands dominated. Crabs were collected during the period of low tide, during day and night times in the 4 × 4 m2 quadrant plots delimited inside each belt zonation throughout transects. In total, 27 crab morphospecies were recorded with global sampling effort equals to 87.5%. Eleven morphospecies were recorded for the first time in Cameroon. Sesarmid crabs were most represented (10 species) with abundant taxa (72.9% of individuals). Crab community has low species richness and diversity indices (d=0.004; H′=3.3±0.1; J′=0.8). Hill evenness are close to 1, confirms that one species (Guinearma kamermani) tends to dominate the whole community. Armases elegans, Chiromantes buettikoferi, Goniopsis pelii, Metagrapsus curvatus, Guinearma alberti, G.huzardi and G. kamermani were the common species in the study areas. The Center mangrove stands appeared most diverse (E(Sn=401)=18±1.1species), followed by the South (E(Sn=401)=16±0.5species) and the North (E(Sn=401)=11±0.0species). Species abundance is typically distributed as in linear log series (Motomura model) corresponding to the disturbed environments. The lack of conservation strategies in the management of mangrove forests in Cameroon might lead to the disappearance of these ecosystem properties and its relevant components.

A New Nurse Frog from Brazil (Aromobatidae: Allobates), with Data on the Distribution and Phenotypic Variation of Western Amazonian Species

Limited knowledge about species diversity restricts inferences about biogeography and macroecology in Amazonia, where biodiversity documentation has become particularly pressing due to anthropogenic impacts. An emblematic example of poorly known Amazonian amphibian diversity is that of Allobates nurse frogs, in which species boundaries and ranges are unclear. Based on genetic, morphological and call data from samples collected in 14 poorly known sites in Brazil, we identify and describe a new, broadly distributed western Amazonian nurse frog. In the light of the genetic data, combined with examination of more than 400 museum specimens, we also assess the distribution and levels of phenotypic variation in poorly known species from Amazonian lowlands, namely A. flaviventris, A. gasconi, A. subfolionidificans, and A. trilineatus. Lastly, our morphological examinations point to inconsistencies and heterospecific samples in the type series of A. fuscellus, A. gasconi, and A. vanzolinius, as revealed by large variation in key traits. By improving knowledge about species ranges and identifications, we hope that this study will support biodiversity inventories and stimulate further investigations of understudied western Amazonian nurse frogs.

Private environmental consultancy reveals five genera and ten species of angiosperms new to Rio Grande do Norte state, northeastern Brazil

New occurrences of 10 species of angiosperms from Rio Grande do Norte state are reported. These data were collected by an environmental consultancy prior to the establishment of a wind farm. These records demonstrate the presence of knowledge gaps in the Caatinga flora of the state and show how an environmental consultancy can positively contribute towards the documentation of biodiversity in areas prior to their modification by human activities. In particular, at a time when the Brazilian Congress is discussing the elimination of environmental studies for licensing new developments, these new occurrence data highlight the importance of environmental studies.

Molluscan diversity in shallow water hydrothermal vents off Kueishan Island, Taiwan

Hydrothermal vents are among the most ‘extreme’ habitats in the marine ecosystem, with increased water temperature, drastically different pH to the surrounding water, and richness in toxic substances such as hydrogen sulphide and methane. Although perhaps better recognised as deep-sea habitat, vents actually occur in shallow water within SCUBA diving range in various parts of the world. Kueishan Island, Taiwan is one location where these shallow vents occur, and with a pH as low as 1.52 it is one of the most ‘extreme’. Although the faunal composition of shallow Kueishan vents have been previously reported, some molluscan species, however, were misidentified. Here we present a corrected and updated list of molluscs inhabiting hydrothermally influenced areas off Kueishan Island, a total of 13 species including six new records. Documentation of biodiversity is key in understanding ecosystem functioning, and we briefly discuss the potential significance of the apparent abundance of carnivorous and suspension feeding molluscs in Kueishan vents.

An Updated Taxonomic Inventory of Flora of Srinagar City (Kashmir Himalaya) India, Using Herbarium Reconstruction Approach

The historical collections in herbaria are increasingly used for documentation of biodiversity. The use of herbarium reconstruction in the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, using a case study from Srinagar city in Kashmir Himalaya has been shown. During the present investigation, a comprehensive and updated biodiversity database of 937 plant taxa has been developed, which is based on expert investigation of ca. 45,000 plant specimens deposited in the herbarium of University of Kashmir, and careful supplementation of field records in the study area made over the last one decade. The results indicate a clear dominance of herbaceous growth form as 602 species were herbs. Majority of the plant species possess perennial life span, as 610 plant species fall under this category. Inspite of being a rapidly urbanising centre, Srinagar city owing to its location in the global biodiversity hotspot of Himalayas exhibits a clear dominance of wild-growing plant species. In the database, 20 species fall under different threat categories. The present study is the documentation of plant biodiversity of this eco-fragile mountainous region and clearly demonstrates the precious value of biological collections in bridging the knowledge gaps in global biodiversity hotspots, including Himalayas. Looking ahead, the biodiversity database can serve as a baseline in the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity; and more importantly, the database can provide the reference framework in assessing and monitoring the impending impacts of land use and climate change on the biodiversity of this Himalayan city.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Planning the future of plant systematics: Report on a special colloquium at the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Phalaris canariensis L. (Poaceae): A new alien plant record for Kashmir Himalaya, India

The correct taxonomic identification assumes first and foremost priority in the scientific documentation of biodiversity. The Kashmir Himalaya, located in the north-western side of the Himalayan biodiversity hotspot, is well-known for its diverse flora which merits immediate scientific documentation. In this context, the present study reports Phalaris canariensis L. (Poaceae) as a new alien plant record to the flora of Kashmir Himalaya, India. In this paper, a detailed description, photographs, and comparison of diagnostic characters with allied species are provided to scientifically validate this alien plant record for this Himalayan region.

CONSTRUCTING BALINESE ANALOGY AND PROVERB BASED ON BIOLOGICAL PHENOMENA: THE INITIATIVE OF BALINESE BIODIVERSITY DOCUMENTATION

<p>The nature is real teacher for a person who wish to develop their intelligence. Intelli­gence is a natural quality of live. The universe intelligence are hidden everywhere, and if we have eyes to see, we can see it everywhere. We can learn from animals on how they sleep, they live and their interaction each others. Most people in every traditional culture learn based on their beliefs rather than their reason (Suryadarma, 2012). There are many different ways to look the uniqueness of biodiversity and the interrelationship between humans and their social and biophysical surroundings. <br />People in the past; i.e. hunting and gathering communities were heavily depended on their immediate natural resources to meet most of their basic needs. Therefore, they closely interacted with their environment and thereby, gained a sound knowledge and understand­ing the uniqueness of each species and its underlying ecological processes. Many events in daily life is interesting, in the sense that many phenomena and objects can be directly ob­served. The richness of biological pehenomena in the ecosystems can be directly observed. Some phenomena had recorded as a proverbs, analogy and song. <br />Balinese use the uniqueness of biodiversity resources and ecological phenomena in their daily life to find analogy, proverb and song to reflect their life. Yesudian (1989) declared; that man is the culminating point of the creation but in the man alone are animal, human and divine qualities alive and active together. Which aspects of our nature are to manifest? To manifest the humanity is the purpose of our earthly life (Suryadarma, 2010). This is the rea­son why the Balinese use proverbs, analogy, and song as part of learning process. Learning is processes of our escalation where it processes e.g. it can be analogized with the process of transformation on butterfly life cycle <br />Tsunami is a large ocean waves that washes everything in the shallow water of a shore­line where globalization can be analogized with tsunami process in which the world increas­ingly their activities. Globalization is the fact where the people have been two ways in look­ing at it impact on their life activities. It is the reason why each person use different ways looking of proverbs, analogy in our cultural activities. How develop its in deferent level and different site into better science for better life? How to explore and develop it as sources of biodiversity documentation information because these activities will be developed the fra­grance of ecological wisdom and enter in every one heart.</p>

Documentation of Ethno - Veterinary Practices used for Treatments of Different Ailments in Garhwal Himalayan Region

This study aims to document information about ethanobotanical information of plant used by the people for the treatment of livestock in different parts of Garhwal region of Uttarakhand state. The documentation of biodiversity and its traditional use(s) by the local inhabitant of this region have assumed priority due to the rampant loss of biodiversity, the increasing patent wars on bio-resources. Traditional use of plant and plant resources has a long history in Uttarakhand and its use is rapidly increasing due to having no side effects, easily available at affordable prices and some time only available to the poor especially in remote regions of Garhwal region. The methods employed during the present study were designed with the sole purpose of eliciting the precious wealth of information on the ethno-veterinary uses of medicinal plants by the people of Garhwal region. Field surveys were conducted in the various thickly populated live-stocks rich places of Garhwal region between 2007-11.Key informants were identified after preliminary discussion with the people. Information on ethanobotanical uses of the plants was collected by interviewing key informants of the community using a semi-structured open –ended questionnaire. Usually, the elderly and experienced members of the society, locally known as ‘Vaidyas’,were interviewed.Often,they were accompanied to the field for the identification of plant species used and their preferred habitats. All the relevant information, in particular the mode of preparation, method of use and dosage of each medicinal plant species was recorded. Echno-veterinary practices used by the people are interesting, and have been practiced since long back. In general bleeding, foot and mouth disease, gastrointestinal helminthiasis, mange, myiasis, pain, pediculosis, pneumonia, tick infestation and uterine prolapsed were ten common conditions/ailments of animals for which traditional ethno-veterinary prescriptions are usually being used in the area. The data generated by this study will be helpful for making the maximum and sustainable use of plants as well as animal resources. The disappearance of these practices will not only affect poor villagers and their livestock but also be a permanent loss of our culture, heritage and biodiversity .It is finally hoped that ethno-veterinary practices will be useful to the Department of Animal Husbandry, extension workers, scientists, and policy makers in their efforts towards sustainable livestock farming system and might be able to offer a broader range of animal healthcare options in the different regions of Garhwal Himalaya.

A SURVEY ON BIRDS OF THE YAYU FOREST IN SOUTHWEST ETHIOPIA

A survey of birds in the Yayu forest, southwest Ethiopia, was conducted between August and December 2009. Timed Species Count (TSC) method was used. The survey was conducted in seven selected sampling blocks, each with an area of 0.5 km 2 . The blocks were representative of vegetation types (afromontane forest, transitional rain forest and riverine forest) and conservation zones (core, buffer and transition). A total of 112 bird species were recorded. Species composition of birds showed significantly higher number during the wet season than the dry season. The number of bird species records of the seven blocks also showed significant difference. The study reinforces the designation of the Yayu forest as a biodiversity hotspot and it is recommended that ongoing conservation and biodiversity documentation efforts should continue.

On the occurrence of the rare deepwater gobiid fish Gobius gasteveni Miller, 1974 in the western Mediterranean (Italy)

Marine biodiversity in the Mediterranean Sea is in the process of change. This is often linked to climate change and consequently to the occurrence of exotic species or to their range extension (Bianchi and Morri, 2000; Quignard and Tomasini, 2000). Exotics are also introduced by ships, mostly via ballast water (Galil, 2009). Nevertheless, for small and economically unimportant species like gobies it is often difficult to determine whether a new record indicates range expansion or if it had been overlooked previously. Museum samples collected in past decades or even centuries play an important role in the documentation of biodiversity (Kovacic and Golani, 2007; Liu et al., 2009). Additionally, most data on gobiid fishes are available from species occurring in shallow waters (Miller, 1986; Kovacic, 2001), with virtually nothing known on gobies that settle in deep waters (Ahnelt and Dorda, 2004). Gobius gasteveni Miller, 1974 is representative of such a rare gobiid fish from deeper waters. Originally described from the English Channel, this goby has been subsequently reported from the Atlantic coast of Spain and Portugal, Madeira and the Canaries (summarized in Alberto et al., 1999 and Beldade et al., 2007). In the Mediterranean it is known in only two western locations, near the Alboran and Balearic islands, respectively (Ahnelt and Dorda, 2004). The specimens from the Golfo di Genova (Gulf of Genoa) represent the third and most eastern record in the Mediterranean Sea (Fig. 1). Materials and methods

The CC-Bio Project: Studying the Effects of Climate Change on Quebec Biodiversity

Anticipating the effects of climate change on biodiversity is now critical for managing wild species and ecosystems. Climate change is a global driver and thus affects biodiversity globally. However, land-use planners and natural resource managers need regional or even local predictions. This provides scientists with formidable challenges given the poor documentation of biodiversity and its complex relationships with climate. We are approaching this problem in Quebec, Canada, through the CC-Bio Project (http://cc‑bio.uqar.ca/), using a boundary organization as a catalyst for team work involving climate modelers, biologists, naturalists, and biodiversity managers. In this paper we present the CC-Bio Project and its general approach, some preliminary results, the emerging hypothesis of the northern biodiversity paradox (a potential increase of biodiversity in northern ecosystems due to climate change), and an early assessment of the conservation implications generated by our team work.

The Critical Role of Permanent Voucher Specimens of Hosts and Vectors in Public Health and Epidemiology

The Critical Role of Permanent Voucher Specimens of Hosts and Vectors in Public Health and Epidemiology

Molecular approaches towards assessment of cyanobacterial biodiversity

Cyanobacteria, a diverse group of photosynthetic prokaryotes, often play central roles in carbon and nitrogen assimilation which makes their environment productive. Despite their significant agronomic values, biodiversity assessment and conservation of these important microbes have not been given much attention by researchers. This review tries to bring together the important aspects of molecular approaches being used for cyanobacterial biodiversity assessment. Molecular approaches have been divided into 2 classes: PCR independent and PCR based approaches. While the former includes guanine plus cytosine (G+C) content, nucleic acid re-association and hybridization and DNA microarrays, the latter basically uses DNA cloning and sequencing, DGGE (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis), TGGE (temperature gradient gel electrophoresis), SSCP (single strand conformation polymorphism), RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism), ARDRA (amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis), T-RFLP (terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism), RISA (ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis), ARISA (automated ribosomal intergenic spacer analysis) and RAPD (random amplified polymorphic DNA). Molecular assessment of cyanobacterial biodiversity frequently uses markers like 16S rDNA, phycocyanin locus, nif gene, rpo gene, ITS region etc. This article examines and compares various conventional and modern methods and their short comings, if any. It attempts to provide a general overview of biodiversity assessment, molecular techniques and markers used for biodiversity assessment and also recommends combinatorial approach with different molecular markers. It is likely to improve the degree of resolution and provide as possible the broadest picture and indepth information about biodiversity documentation. Key words: Cyanobacteria, biodiversity, molecular approaches, molecular markers, DGGE, TGGE, SSCP, RFLP, ARDRA, T-RFLP, RISA, ARISA, RAPD, 16S rDNA, phycocyanin locus, nif gene, rpo gene.

The Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH) fish collection as a global biodiversity archive for elasmobranchs and actinopterygians as well as other fish taxa

Summary Based on the analysis of the Zoological Museum Hamburg (ZMH) fish collection database, a current status report of the ZMH fish collection is provided with a focus on Elasmobranchii and Actinopterygii. Therein, development of the collection, systematic and geographic coverage of the collection material, and the volume and structure of the ZMH type collection are presented and analysed. The majority of the specimens in the ZMH fish collection is preserved in 70% ethanol and arranged in phylogenetic order. The basis of the collection originates from the former Natural History Museum in Hamburg. Initially low in numbers, in 1850 amounting to only 119 lots, the fish collection increased markedly during the second half of the 19th century. By the end of 1875 the number of registered lots was 550, surpassing the 4400 mark in 1900. Expeditions exploring unknown habitats and territories were the main source of material during the first half of the 20th century. The first two decades of the 20th century marked a period of relatively rapid expansion in the number of fish species and specimens collected at the ZMH, with about 11.1% of the material indexed in the collection database originating from 1901 to 1920. Much of the additional expansion derived from the 1993 takeover of 23 860 marine fish lots from the former ISH (Institut fur Seefischerei, Hamburg) collection, the main reason for which about 74.6% of all actual catalogued lots were stored in the ZMH fish collection during the 1951–2000 period. In February 2008, the number of catalogued entries reached 45 640, with about 257 967 specimens. Some 8100 nominal species in 60 orders and 378 families are represented in the ZMH fish collection. The collection maintains worldwide coverage, with large numbers of lots originating from the Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Caribbean Sea, from Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and Middle America. Actinopterygii and Elasmobranchii together comprise more than 93% of the known orders, more than 98% of the families and more than 99% of the lots and individuals represented in the collection database. The collection contains about 1321 type series (lots) and 3656 type specimens; 41.8% of the type lots are primary types. Actinopterygians contribute 90.6% to the type series and 94.6% to the type specimens. Elasmobranchs are represented with 8.1% of the type series and 4.7% of the type specimens in the ZMH fish collection. Sharks are represented with 27 type series (25.2%), whereas the contribution of batiods amounts to 80 type series (74.8%). Comprising 69.2% of all elasmobranch types, the family Rajidae is the most important group of batoid fishes represented. The family Scyliorhinidae with 14.0% of all elasmobranch types is the best-represented shark family in the ZMH type collection. Further development and future research of the ZMH Ichthyology Group is discussed and is to include modern taxonomic and biogeographic approaches important in present global biodiversity research, thereby rendering the ZMH fish collection as an indispensible tool among international reference centres dealing with biodiversity documentation and conservation of fishes.

Adequacy of the Early Ordovician trilobite record in the southern Montagne Noire (France): biases for biodiversity documentation

ABSTRACTThe litho- and biostratigraphical subdivisions of the Tremadocian-Arenigian succession of the southern Montagne Noire are hereby revised. The Lower Ordovician diversity patterns are estimated through statistical analysis of 27 families, 64 genera and 132 species of trilobites across nine interval zones; from bottom to top: the Proteuloma geinitzi, Shumardia (Conophrys) pusilla, Euloma filacovi, Taihungshania miqueli, Taihungshania shui landyranensis, Colpocoryphe maynardensis, Neseuretus (Neseuretus) arenosus, Apatokephalus incisus and Hangchungolithus primitivus zones. Maximum trilobite diversity occurred within the E. filacovi and A. incisus zones, alternating with two sharp declines (S. (C.) pusilla and T.shui landyranensis zones), in both cases drastically related to transgressive-regressive trends. Trilobites attained their highest diversity in muddy outer-platform settings, decreasing in fine-grained sandstones and siltstones of shoreface environments, where trilobites could still be numerically abundant. Four major trilobite turnovers are recognised at the bottom of the P. geinitzi, S.(C.)pusilla, E. filacovi and T. shui landyranensis zones, in which survivors from previous intervals are not reported at specific level, and important generic replacements took place. Despite the relative incompleteness of the Lower Ordovician trilobite record, envisaged after analysing the high proportion of monotypic taxa and discontinuous ranges of some families, the trilobite record is representative enough to estimate diversity patterns, although a better understanding of the palaeoenvironmental control will greatly enhance biodiversity resolution.

Adequacy of the Early Ordovician trilobite record in the southern Montagne Noire (France): biases for biodiversity documentation

Adequacy of the Early Ordovician trilobite record in the southern Montagne Noire (France): biases for biodiversity documentation