Comparison Of Fauna Research Articles

Molecular genetic biodiversity assessment of the Wallis Island sponge fauna in the Tropical Pacific

Abstract Polynesia is a hotspot for marine biodiversity in the South Pacific Ocean, yet the distribution of many invertebrate taxa in this region is still often poorly assessed. Information on the diversity and phylogeography of sponges in particular remains limited in spite of their importance for coral reef ecosystems. Recent expeditions to the island group of Wallis and Futuna enabled the first larger-scale assessment of the Wallis Island sponge fauna, resulting in the molecular identification of 82 unique Molecular Operational Taxonomic Units (MOTUs) from 339 sponge samples based on 28S C-region rDNA and CO1 mtDNA data. Faunal comparisons with both adjacent archipelagos and more distant Indo-Pacific regions were predominantly based on the MOTUs obtained from Wallis Island ecoregions, and suggest high levels of endemism of sponges in Wallis and Futuna, corroborating previous data on the biodiversity of sponges and other marine phyla in the South Pacific. The results of this molecular taxonomic survey of the Wallis and Futuna sponge fauna aim to lay solid foundations for a sustainable ‘Blue Economy’ in Wallis and Futuna for the conservation of their local coral reefs.

Late Darriwilian–early Katian (Ordovician) ostracods of northeastern Yunnan, Southwest China

Ordovician silicified ostracods of the western Yangtze Platform, South China, are documented for the first time from the Huadan Formation of Qiaojia County, northeastern Yunnan Province, Southwest China. Twenty-one species of 17 genera are identified with new taxa including Vendona spinifera n. sp. and Nikitinella songliangensis n. sp. These two species, together with Medianella gigantea are the most common constituents of the fauna. Faunal comparison shows close connections between South China, Baltica, the Argentine Precordillera, Kazakhstan, Tarim, and Sibumasu during this time interval. This fauna is considered to be related to a nearshore carbonate environment, and biostratigraphical analysis of it supports a late Darriwilian to early Katian age for the Huadan Formation.

Approbation of the software complex "Biodiversity of Ukraine" on the example of oribatid mites (Аcari: Оribatida) of Transcarpathia

The paper considers some features of the web resource "Biodiversity of Ukraine" for the analysis of collections and literature data on the example of oribatid mites of Transcarpathia. Possibilities are investigated for analysis of the spatial distribution of oribatids in terms of georegions of the study area. Their faunal similarity was determined using the Sorensen and Jaccard indexes integrated into the web resource. The territorys have been identified, which are promising for further studies of the fauna and ecology of oribatid mites. The purpose of our work was to test some features of the web resource "Biodiversity of Ukraine" on the example of Transcarpathian oribatids. This approach for the analysis of the diversity of oribatid mites was made for the first time. 273 records representing 129 species of oribatid mites were made for the Transcarpathian lowland. 154 records for 98 species were made for the Vulkanichno-intermountaindells oblast. 507 records for 183 species of oribatids were integrated for Polonynsko-Chornohirska region. 42 finds of 37 species were made for the Marmarosh massive. 114 records of 96 species of oribatids were integrated for the Transcarpathian part of Gorgany massive. It is established that a number of mountain massifs remain completely unexplored in terms of oribatids: Vyhorlat-Hutynskyi, Velykyi Dil, Tupyi and Verkhovynskyi. The latter remains unexplored not only within Transcarpathia but within the entire Verkhovynskyi Watershed range. All these areas are promising in the study of not only taxonomic diversity, but also the ecological characteristics of oribatid mites. The indicators of Sorensen and Jaccard indexes were counted. The value of these indicators depends on the ecological conditions of specific georegions and the degree of studien for oribatid mites. The perspective expediency of using the web-resource "Biodiversity of Ukraine" for comparison of fauna of oribatid mites of different georegions is established. After the integration of more complete information about oribatid mites into the database of the web resource "Biodiversity of Ukraine" it will be expedient to make a faunal comparison of georegions not only of Transcarpathia but also of other territories. The work was performed within the scientific theme: "Estimation of the biotic diversity of model groups of Arthropoda of the Ukrainian Carpathians with the use of modern information technology" (0120U101162).

Mammalian Diversity and Matses Ethnomammalogy in Amazonian Peru Part 4: Bats

In this report, the fourth of our monographic series on mammalian diversity and Matses ethnomammalogy in the Yavarí-Ucayali interfluvial region of northeastern Peru, we document the occurrence of 98 species of bats, including 11 emballonurids, 2 noctilionids, 66 phyllostomids, 1 furipterid, 4 thyropterids, 7 vespertilionids, and 7 molossids. New species based on specimens collected in this region (Peropteryx pallidoptera, Micronycteris matses, Hsunycteris dashe, Sturnira giannae, and Thyroptera wynneae) have already been described elsewhere, but noteworthy distributional and taxonomic results newly reported here include the first specimen of Diclidurus isabella from Peru and the diagnosis of Glossophaga bakeri as a species distinct from G. commissarisi. Lists of examined voucher specimens, identification criteria, essential taxonomic references, and summaries of natural history observations are provided for all species. Original natural history information reported herein includes numerous observations of roosting behavior obtained by indigenous Matses collaborators. We assess the Yavarí-Ucayali bat inventory for completeness and conclude that more species remain to be discovered in the region, where as many as 116 species might be expected. Most of the “missing” species (those expected based on geographic criteria but not actually observed) are aerial insectivores, a guild that is notoriously difficult to sample by mistnetting. Of the 98 species in the observed regional fauna, only 71 are known to occur sympatrically at Jenaro Herrera, by far the best-sampled locality between the Yavarí and Ucayali rivers. Faunal comparisons with extralimital inventories (e.g., from Brazil, Ecuador, and French Guiana) suggest that frugivorous bats are substantially more speciose in western Amazonia than in eastern Amazonia, a result that is consistent with previous suggestions of an east-to-west gradient in the trophic structure of Amazonian mammal faunas. As previously reported, the Matses have only a single name for “bat,” but they recognize the existence of many unnamed local species, which they distinguish on the basis of morphology and behavior. However, by contrast with the well-documented accuracy of Matses observations about primates and other game species, recorded Matses monologs about bat natural history contain numerous factual errors and ambiguities. Linguistic underdifferentiation of bat diversity and inaccurate natural history knowledge are both explained by cultural inattention to small, inedible, and inoffensive nocturnal fauna.

The Tetrapod Fossil Record from the Uppermost Maastrichtian of the Ibero-Armorican Island: An Integrative Review Based on the Outcrops of the Western Tremp Syncline (Aragón, Huesca Province, NE Spain)

The South-Pyrenean Basin (northeastern Spain) has yielded a rich and diverse record of Upper Cretaceous (uppermost Campanian−uppermost Maastrichtian) vertebrate fossils, including the remains of some of the last European dinosaurs prior to the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event. In this work, we update and characterize the vertebrate fossil record of the Arén Sandstone and Tremp formations in the Western Tremp Syncline, which is located in the Aragonese area of the Southern Pyrenees. The transitional and continental successions of these sedimentary units are dated to the late Maastrichtian, and exploration of their outcrops has led to the discovery of numerous fossil remains (bones, eggshells, and tracks) of dinosaurs, including hadrosauroids, sauropods, and theropods, along with other tetrapods such as crocodylomorphs, testudines, pterosaurs, squamates, and amphibians. In particular, this fossil record contains some of the youngest lambeosaurine hadrosaurids (Arenysaurus and Blasisaurus) and Mesozoic crocodylomorphs (Arenysuchus and Agaresuchus subjuniperus) in Europe, complementing the lower Maastrichtian fossil sites of the Eastern Tremp Syncline. In addition, faunal comparison with the fossil record of Hațeg island reveals the great change in the dinosaur assemblages resulting from the arrival of lambeosaurine hadrosaurids on the Ibero-Armorican island, whereas those on Haţeg remained stable. In the light of its paleontological richness, its stratigraphic continuity, and its calibration within the last few hundred thousand years of the Cretaceous, the Western Tremp Syncline is one of the best places in Europe to study the latest vertebrate assemblages of the European Archipelago before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction.

The butterflies of St. Eustatius with faunal comparisons among the adjacent islands of the Lesser Antilles

Based on four years of butterfly monitoring in four contrasting natural habitats on St. Eustatius, we document large and consistent differences in the butterfly species assemblages in the different habitats and compare the butterfly assemblages of the three windward Dutch islands to those of other islands of the Lesser Antilles. Seven new species records were established for St. Eustatius, thereby updating the butterfly list to a total of 32 species. Pieridae were the most numerically abundant group of butterflies (48%), followed by Lycaenidae (26%), Hesperiidae (12%), and smaller numbers of both Heliconiinae (6%) and Charaxinae (5%). Heliconiinae and Charaxinae both showed a significant dependence on the moister, wind-sheltered habitats of the volcanic slopes and crater of the Quill, but this dependence was particularly strong for Heliconiinae. The butterfly faunas of the windward Dutch islands numbered a total of 44 species. The presence of larval host plants needed for local reproduction was confirmed for all but two species. Cluster analysis separated the butterfly faunas of these and the surrounding islands into two groups. The more speciose butterfly assemblages of Saba, St. Eustatius, and St. Martin clustered together with the those of the surrounding higher islands of Antigua, Montserrat, Nevis, and St. Kitts, while the poorer faunas of the low-lying islands of Anguilla, St. Bartholomew, and Barbuda formed a separate cluster and had a lower species richness particularly in the Heliconiinae and Charaxinae. Based on consistent effects of elevation on butterfly faunas, at both geographic scales (between areas on St. Eustatius and between islands), our results suggest that island maximum elevation is the overriding factor explaining the distribution of butterfly faunal richness in the northern Lesser Antillean islands studied.

New Palaeogene caviomorphs (Rodentia, Hystricognathi) from Santa Rosa, Peru: systematics, biochronology, biogeography and early evolutionary trends

AbstractThe origin and early evolution of South American rodents are ongoing subjects of debate. The caviomorphs of the Peruvian localities of Santa Rosa and Contamana are the oldest South American rodents so far known. The Santa Rosa rodents are abundant and diverse, but dating was based on biostratigraphy (?Eocene), whereas in various Contamana sites radiometric dates, vertebrate biochronology and palynostratigraphy suggest an age of 41.6–40.94 Ma (late middle Eocene). Previous faunal comparisons between the localities have identified few shared taxa. Here we studied new and previously described rodent fossils from Santa Rosa and analysed their biochronological and biogeographical implications. We recognize five new taxa and three genera for Santa Rosa, four of them previously known only from the Eocene Contamana region. Thus, the Santa Rosa and the late middle Eocene Contamana assemblages appear to be chronologically closer than previously thought. An ?Eocene age for Santa Rosa is substantiated by other mammals reported from Santa Rosa. With 11 named genera and 15 species, the Santa Rosa rodents represent the most species‐rich South American Palaeogene rodent assemblage known. The Eocene radiation in the Neotropics that gave rise to this diversity was not associated with an immediate geographical dispersion to higher latitudes, perhaps because different biogeographical barriers or factors of competition delayed their dispersal. Evidence suggests that replacement, rather than a persistence of conservative long‐lasting lineages, was the dominant process among Palaeogene tropical caviomorph rodents.

Invertebrate fauna of ephemeral streams on Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island in northern New Zealand

ABSTRACTThe invertebrate fauna of five ephemeral forest streams on Hauturu-o-Toi/Little Barrier Island in northern New Zealand was assessed in January 2014. Low summer flows restricted benthic sampling largely to pools that would, during periods of ‘normal’ flow, be main-channel riffle/run habitat. Additionally, adult stages of aquatic insects were sampled by light trapping. Fifty-three aquatic species/morphospecies were recorded during the study, including 25 new records, bringing total island species richness to 65. The fauna was dominated by Ephemeroptera and Trichoptera; species richness of Plecoptera and Diptera was low, and only single species of Mollusca and Crustacea were recorded. Species found were either common with broad New Zealand distributions, or species restricted to the North Island. No species was endemic to the island. Faunal comparisons with adjacent mainland streams indicated the island had similar assemblages of core taxa, but generally lower species richness, likely resulting from physiographic differences found there.

New Data on Carboniferous Xiphosurans (Xiphosura, Chelicerata) of the Donets Coal Basin

Descriptions of four xiphosuran species belonging to two genera, Bellinurus Pictet, 1846 and Prestwichianella Woodward, 1918 (currently included in Euproops Meek, 1867), which were described in the 1920s from the Carboniferous of the Donets Coal Basin, are reassessed based on modern knowledge of taphonomy and xiphosuran anatomy. Prestwichianella zalesskii Chernyshev, 1927 is here synonymized under Euproops danae (Meek et Worthen, 1865). New specimens of E. danae and Bellinurus sp. from the Carboniferous of the Donets Coal Basin are considered in view of associated floral and faunal assemblages and comparisons with floras and faunas from some previously described localities containing members of these genera.

A review of vertebrate body fossils from the Korean Peninsula and perspectives

For the first time, a comprehensive review was presented for all Korean vertebrate body fossils reported during last 100 years. At present, Korean vertebrate faunas are characterized by no fossil report in the Paleozoic, various Cretaceous terrestrial vertebrates, and the Late Eocene to Middle Miocene mammals. Except for the old collection of land mammals of North Korea, most fossils have been found and published during the last three decades in South Korea. They are commonly incomplete and fragmentary. Articulated skeletons are rare except for fish fossils. Cretaceous vertebrate faunas include six freshwater fish orders (including Jinjuichthys cheongi), two families of turtles, an anguimorph lizard (Asprosaurus bibongriensis), a crocodyliform (“Hadongsuchus acerdentis”), an anurognathid pterosaur, various theropod remains including three kinds of birds, titanosauriform remains, a basal ornithopod (Koreanosaurus boseongensis), and a basal neoceratopsian (Koreaceratops hwaseongensis). Among them, pterosaur and bird specimens from the Sinuiju Series of North Korea have not been described in detail yet, but their fossil assemblages are very similar to those of Jehol Biota of northeastern China. A possibility of the faunal connection is discussed between two regions. Unfortunately, no additional mammal fossil has been reported from North Korea since two important land mammal localities were discovered in the late Eocene and early Miocene strata before 1943. However, new rodent and cetacean fossils were found in both terrestrial and marine Miocene strata in South Korea. Most of the valid vertebrate taxa appear to be endemic in Korea, but some clades show faunal affinities with Mongolia, China, and Japan. However, detailed faunal comparisons have not been performed among these countries. Vertebrate paleontological data of the Korean Peninsula have been rapidly accumulated and become crucial to understand evolutionary dynamics of vertebrates in East Asia. Vertebrate paleontological studies need to focus more on the Paleozoic strata for primitive fishes and early tetrapods, and Cenozoic terrestrial strata for land mammals in Korea. Further work throughout the geologic column will only improve our understanding of the evolution of life in East Asia.

Biochronological and palaeobiogeographical significance of the earliest Miocene mammal fauna from Northern Vietnam

Current scientific knowledge of Tertiary fossils from south of the Ailao Shan-Red River shear zone is extremely poor, in sharp contrast with the situation nowadays, as the area of Laos and Vietnam is regarded as a global hotspot of biodiversity. In this context, the few localities that yielded fossil assemblages are of first importance for the understanding of Cenozoic palaeobiogeography and the tectonic and palaeogeographical evolution of the region. Hang Mon 1 (Son La Province, Northern Vietnam) was the first site that provided evidence of Tertiary mammals, but its age remained very controversial, interpretations ranging from Oligocene to Late Miocene. Herein, we re-investigate the mammal fauna of the locality based on newly collected material and previously published fossil mammals. A new outcrop, Hang Mon 2, provides evidence of the rhinoceroses Pleuroceros blanfordi and Bugtirhinus sp. Together with the earlier finds of uncommonly small-sized Protaceratherium, these fossils allow a correlation to the earliest Miocene (most probably ranging from ~23 to ~21 Ma; Aquitanian) based on faunal comparison with the Sulaiman Province of Pakistan. The revision of the mammals from Hang Mon 1 is in agreement with this stratigraphic proposal. In addition, the discoveries from Vietnam (the rhinocerotid assemblage and Hyotherium) further support the hypothesis of strong biogeographical and environmental affinities between Europe, the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia (Vietnam) during the Aquitanian.

Evolutionary Determinants of Morphological Polymorphism in Colonial Animals.

Colonial animals commonly exhibit morphologically polymorphic modular units that are phenotypically distinct and specialize in specific functional tasks. But how and why these polymorphic modules have evolved is poorly understood. Across colonial invertebrates, there is wide variation in the degree of polymorphism, from none in colonial ascidians to extreme polymorphism in siphonophores, such as the Portuguese man-of-war. Bryozoa are a phylum of exclusively colonial invertebrates that uniquely exhibit almost the entire range of polymorphism, from monomorphic species to others that rival siphonophores in their polymorphic complexity. Previous approaches to understanding the evolution of polymorphism have been based on analyses of (1) the functional role of polymorphs or (2) presumed evolutionary costs and benefits based on evolutionary theory that postulates polymorphism should be evolutionarily sustainable only in more stable environments because polymorphism commonly leads to the loss of feeding and sexual competence. Here we use bryozoans from opposite shores of the Isthmus of Panama to revisit the environmental hypothesis by comparison of faunas from distinct oceanographic provinces that differ greatly in environmental variability, and we then examine the correlations between the extent of polymorphism in relation to patterns of ecological succession and variation in life histories. We find no support for the environmental hypothesis. Distributions of the incidence of polymorphism in the oceanographically unstable Eastern Pacific are indistinguishable from those in the more stable Caribbean. In contrast, the temporal position of species in a successional sequence is collinear with the degree of polymorphism because species with fewer types of polymorphs are competitively replaced by species with higher numbers of polymorphs on the same substrata. Competitively dominant species also exhibit patterns of growth that increase their competitive ability. The association between degrees of polymorphism and variations in life histories is fundamental to understanding of the macroevolution of polymorphism.

New late Paleocene (late middle Tiffanian) mammals from the Roche Percée local fauna, south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada

An exceptionally large and diverse assemblage of mammals from the early late Paleocene (about 58 million years ago) has been collected from the Ravenscrag Formation near Roche Percée, south-eastern Saskatchewan, Canada. Previous research of the Roche Percée local fauna has examined only a small portion of the mammals, with the vast majority of taxa remaining unstudied. Identification and descriptions of these latter taxa are provided here. With these new additions, the assemblage is now known to include 44 mammalian species. Notable among these findings is the substantial collection of the erinaceomorph lipotyphlan Litocherus lacunatus, the remarkable diversity of viverravid carnivorans, and the recovery of some of the first known elements of the upper dentition of the pantolestid Besseocetor pilodontus. A complete description of the mammalian fauna supports previous assignments of a late middle Tiffanian North American Land Mammal Age (Ti4 lineage zone) to the Roche Percée local fauna. Faunal comparisons further suggest a close similarity of the Roche Percée assemblage to the near contemporaneous Divide Quarry local fauna from the Bighorn Basin, northern Wyoming, but also reveal some similarities to slightly older middle Tiffanian local faunas (Ti3 lineage zone) at localities in the Paskapoo Formation of central Alberta. The specimens from the Roche Percée local fauna represent the largest and most taxonomically diverse assemblage of late middle Tiffanian mammals yet known, offering a unique perspective on mammalian evolution and diversity in North America during this time interval.

Longgudong, an Early Pleistocene site in Jianshi, South China, with stratigraphic association of human teeth and lithics

In this paper we report on Longgudong, an Early Pleistocene cave site in south China which was systematically excavated in 1999 and 2000, and where human teeth and associated stone artifacts were discovered within the same stratigraphic layer. The age of this site was estimated from faunal comparisons and palaeomagnetism and has been attributed to the Early Pleistocene, most probably the earlier Early Pleistocene. The human teeth from this site have been well studied. However, the stone artifacts are still unknown to most scholars. This paper thus presents an analysis of the lithics as the first firmly demonstrated stone tools associated with Early Pleistocene human fossils in south China.

Taxonomic and Behavioral Components of Faunal Comparisons Over Time: The Bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) of Boulder County, Colorado, Past and Present

Historical and recent studies of Boulder County, Colorado (USA) bees (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) illustrate the potential and the pitfalls of using comparative collection data to evaluate faunal composition and change over time. A compilation of bee records from Boulder County (Scott et al. 2011) is used as a basis for re-examining the comparison of an historical data set (Cockerell 1907) with a recent one (Kearns and Oliveras 2009a,b). Despite numerical comparability reported by Kearns and Oliveras, the taxonomic and behavioral composition of these data sets differ markedly from each other and, in different ways, from that of the subset of bee species common to both and from the total fauna documented from Boulder County. The rank order of species richness across bee families and across cohorts of bees with different social behaviors and feeding preferences do not covary among data sets: taxonomically, colletids, andrenids and megachilids are relatively under-represented in the more recent data set, in which halictids are better represented than any other family. Behaviorally, parasitic and oligolectic solitary species are less well represented in both datasets, the paucity of Andrena Fabricius spp. being especially conspicuous in the more recent of the two, which is dominated by polylectic social bees. Ensemble comparisons of raw species richness may mask differences in the readiness with which bees with different taxonomic affiliations, social behaviors, and degrees of host plant specificity lend themselves to being sampled, and possibly to their appearing to undergo faunal turnover. When these behaviors are taken into account, these comparisons imply either (1) impacts, in descending order of severity, on parasitic bees, oligolectic solitary bees, and polylectic solitary bees or (2) the relative ineffectiveness with which these classes of bees are sampled with generalized pan- or bowl-trapping techniques. Seasonally limited summer sampling protocols may favor polylectic social bees, as reflected in halictids' being disproportionately well-sampled relative to andrenids, which account for a majority of early season oligolectic solitary bees—ironically those of potentially greatest interest when evaluating the stability of pollinator faunal diversity. By virtue of their abundance and protracted flight seasons, in contrast, eusocial bees appear to be among the most readily sampled, though potentially less relevant to the purposes of evaluating the integrity of animal-pollinated plant communities.

Cenomanian to Santonian radiolarian biostratigraphy, carbon isotope stratigraphy and paleoenvironments of the Sverdrup Basin, Ellef Ringnes Island, Nunavut, Canada

An upper Albian to Santonian sedimentary record on Ellef Ringnes Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, records variable paleoenvironmental conditions within the Cretaceous Polar Sea and Sverdrup Basin. The upper Albian to lower Cenomanian uppermost Christopher and Hassel formations represent a regressive system tract from offshore to shoreface/terrestrial paleoenvironments. The upper Cenomanian to Santonian shales of the Kanguk Formation signify a distal offshore basin setting controlled by increased subsidence and high global sea levels. Siliceous pelagic faunas and floras dominate the basin and herein, three informal radiolarian partial range zones are proposed for the Polar Sea. Alternating diversity and abundance patterns are interpreted as a response to sea-level controlled productivity systems. Transgressive phases correspond to low diversity shallow dwelling radiolarian taxa with an expanded oxygen minimum zone (OMZ); regressive phases are coupled with radiolarian radiations of deeper dwelling species and a depressed OMZ. The upper Cenomanian to Turonian was marked by increased preservation of marine-type organic matter and organic carbon isotope excursions indicate the presence of the Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 (OAE 2) at the base of the Kanguk Formation. Rock Eval data suggest that an increasing terrestrial influence prevailed during the Coniacian to Campanian time covering the OAE 3. Benthic environments are dominated by anoxic conditions, as suggested by the near lack of benthic foraminifera and extensive intervals of fine platy shale lacking bioturbation. Only the upper Coniacian records a return to dysoxic benthic conditions. Radiolarian faunal comparisons to more southern localities suggest migration routes from the east through a narrow North Atlantic pathway and from the Pacific through the Alaskan–Asian Pathway.

The amphipod (Crustacea: Peracarida) fauna of the Aegean Sea, and comparison with those of the neighbouring seas

Examination of sampled material and review of the relevant literature revealed the presence of 299 benthic and 46 pelagic amphipod species from the Aegean Sea. Two of the species identified,Caprella hirsutaMayer, 1890 andApohyale crassipes(Heller, 1866), are recorded for the first time in the Aegean Sea and the Levantine Basin respectively. A checklist of the Mediterranean amphipods is given, as well as their distribution in the Mediterranean territorial areas and the Black Sea. The faunal comparison of the Mediterranean areas showed that the number of species decreases from west to east. In terms of zoogeographical categories the Atlanto-Mediterranean species dominate in all Mediterranean areas followed by the endemic species concerning the benthic amphipods while in pelagic amphipods cosmopolitan species dominate and are then followed by Atlanto-Mediterranean. Three species,Bemlos leptocheirus(Walker, 1909) andLinguimarea caesarisKrapp-Schickel, 2003,Photis lamelliferaSchellenberg, 1928, are lessepsian migrants and are reported in the Levantine and Central Mediterranean Seas.

An Unusual Occurrence of Bashkirian (Pennsylvanian) Rugose Corals From the Sverdrup Basin, Arctic Canada

The oldest known Carboniferous rugose coral fauna in the Canadian Arctic Islands was collected in the Yelverton Inlet area of northern Ellesmere Island, from Bashkirian carbonates of the lower Nansen and Otto Fiord formations. It includes the generaDibunophyllumThomson and Nicholson,LonsdaleiaMcCoy,PalaeosmiliaMilne-Edwards and Haime andTizraia? Said and Rodríguez. Such a generic assemblage is unknown elsewhere above the Serpukhovian. An upper? Bashkirian specimen ofParaheritschioidesSando, collected above the main fauna, is the oldest known representative of that genus. Faunal comparisons suggest Novaya Zemlya or northern Timan as the most likely source areas for the Yelverton Inlet fauna.

A new species of long‐snouted lungfish from the Late Devonian of Australia, and its functional and biogeographical implications

Abstract: A new species of the Late Devonian lungfish Rhinodipterus is described from the Frasnian Gogo Formation, northern Western Australia. The description is based on a single specimen preserved in a small concretion, represented by elements of the skull roof, lower jaw, palate, neurocranium, hyoid arch, pectoral girdle and other parts of the postcranial skeleton. Rhinodipterus kimberleyensis sp. nov. differs from other species in the shape of its parasphenoid, number of tooth rows, nature of the tooth plates and characteristics of the skull roof. Functional morphology suggests Rhinodipterus kimberleyensis sp. nov. had a weak bite and may have fed off the reef substrate. Rhinodipterus kimberleyensis sp. nov. possessed a suite of skeletal characters that suggest it may have breathed air. Morphological comparison and a cladistic analysis place Rhinodipterus crown‐ward of all other Gogo lungfishes and closely related to Oervigia, Andreyevichthys and Orlovichthys. Faunal comparisons between Australia and Laurussia indicate palaeobiogeographical links existed between these landmasses during the Middle to Late Devonian.

<p><strong>Landscape distribution of oribatid mites (Acari, Oribatida) in Kolkheti National Park (Georgia, Caucasus)*</strong></p>

The key subject of this investigation was to study distribution patterns of oribatid mites in the main habitats and ecosystems of Kolkheti National Park. Oribatida were studied in 1) sand dunes, 2) Juncus bogs, 3) flooded alder (Alnus barbata C. A. Mey) forests, and 4) humid alder forests. Sampling was conducted in November 2009 at 18 sites along three transects. For exploratory analysis, we applied clustering techniques. Correlation between species number, density and humus was calculated. Chao1 statistics were used to estimate the completeness of sampling. Forty six oribatid species were recorded. The highest Shannon diversity index was registered for alder forests, whereas the lowest index was observed for dunes. In sand dunes 16 species were found, three of which occurred only in this landscape. In Juncus bogs, 32 species were recorded, and 16 were unique to this landscape, including bog specific Zetomimus furcatus (Warburton & Pearce, 1905), Euzetes globulus (Nicolet, 1855) and Punctoribates manzanoensis Hammer, 1958. Twenty two species were found in flooded forests, seven being exclusive. Ten species were recorded in humid forests, and Metabelbella macerochaeta Bulanova-Zachvatkina, 1965 and Eremobelba geographica Berlese, 1908, typical inhabitants of humid forest soils, appeared as exclusive species. Faunal comparisons among landscapes show high similarity between dune and bog oribatid mite communities, followed by flooded and humid alder forests. In dunes and bogs, total faunal density is determined by euryecological species, whereas in alder forests density was determined by high abundance of humid and extremely humid specific species.