Gondwanan Origin Research Articles

Discovery of supposedly “Gondwanan” myrmeleontoids (Neuroptera) in the Lower Cretaceous of South Korea

Two new species of myrmeleontoid neuropterans are described from the Lower Cretaceous (Albian) of the Jinju formation (South Korea), Araripenymphes koreicus sp.nov. (Cratosmylidae) and Araripeneura asiatica sp.nov. (Araripeneuridae). This is the first Mesozoic record of Myrmeleontoidea from the Korean Peninsula. Genera Araripeneura Martins-Neto and Vulcano, 1989 and Araripenymphes Menon et al., 2005 have long been known only from the Lower Cretaceous of Brazil. Recently Araripenymphes was discovered in middle Cretaceous Burmese amber, which was considered as evidence for its Gondwanan origin. However, new records of these genera from the Lower Cretaceous of South Korea indicate that their distribution was in fact not Gondwanan, but cross-continental, contrary to initial suggestions.

First fossil species of family Hyidae (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones) confirms 99 million years of ecological stasis in a Gondwanan lineage.

Burmese amber preserves a diverse assemblage of Cretaceous arachnids, and among pseudoscorpions (Arachnida: Pseudoscorpiones), ten species in five families have already been named. Here, we describe a new fossil species from Burmese amber in the pseudoscorpion family Hyidae, providing detailed measurements, photographs and 3D-models from synchrotron scanning. Based on morphology, the new fossil, Hya fynni sp. nov. is placed in the genus Hya, and is nearly identical to extant species in the genus, except for the position of trichobothrium est on the pedipalpal chela, thereby indicating extreme morphological stasis in this invertebrate lineage over the last 99 million years. Hya fynni represents the first described fossil species in Hyidae, and the third described Burmese fossil in the superfamily Neobisioidea. It also joins the garypinid, Amblyolpium burmiticum, in representing the oldest fossil records for extant pseudoscorpion genera. Considering proposed divergence dates, the newly described fossil species bolsters a Gondwanan origin for Hyidae, and provides evidence for the "Late Jurassic Rifting" hypothesis for the Burma Terrane, in which this landmass rifted from Gondwana in the Late Jurassic and collided with Eurasia by the Cretaceous/Eocene. Like Hya species today, H. fynni likely inhabited humicolous microhabitats in tropical forests on the Burma Terrane, supporting ecological niche stasis for this family since the Mesozoic.

Earliest megafossils of scandent calamoid palms from the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Central India and their paleobiogeographic implications

Two well-preserved petrified palm stems from the latest Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) to earliest Danian (Early Paleocene) sediments of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds of Madhya Pradesh, Central India are described. Their significant anatomical characteristics include a Calamus-type general stem pattern, the presence of well-preserved fibrovascular bundles (fvbs) with two wide metaxylem vessel elements (230 μm–250 μm) and one phloem strand, uniform density of fvbs, lack of continuity between protoxylem and metaxylem vessel elements, and an absence of centrifugal differentiation of sclerenchymatous fibrous parts. These features reveal a close resemblance to those of extant genera of scandent Calamoideae. The permineralized stems are described as a new species namely, Palmoxylon calamoides Kumar, Roy et Khan sp. nov. The fossils represent the oldest reliable fossil records of this family, supporting their Gondwanan origin, their importance in tracing their migration pathways from India to Europe and other continents after the docking of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia during the Paleocene, and an “Out-of-India” dispersal hypothesis. Today the subfamily Calamoideae is disjunctly occurred in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, and South America, but the poor deep-time fossil record of this subfamily with a small number of Cenozoic fossils makes hypotheses concerning its origin and dispersal difficult to evaluate. The present study has significant implications for the origin and migration of this subfamily and the paleoclimate.

A revised phylogeny of Boletaceae using whole genome sequences

ABSTRACT The porcini mushroom family Boletaceae is a diverse, widespread group of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) mushroom-forming fungi that so far has eluded intrafamilial phylogenetic resolution based on morphology and multilocus data sets. In this study, we present a genome-wide molecular data set of 1764 single-copy gene families from a global sampling of 418 Boletaceae specimens. The resulting phylogenetic analysis has strong statistical support for most branches of the tree, including the first statistically robust backbone. The enigmatic Phylloboletellus chloephorus from non-ECM Argentinian subtropical forests was recovered as a new subfamily sister to the core Boletaceae. Time-calibrated branch lengths estimate that the family first arose in the early to mid-Cretaceous and underwent a rapid radiation in the Eocene, possibly when the ECM nutritional mode arose with the emergence and diversification of ECM angiosperms. Biogeographic reconstructions reveal a complex history of vicariance and episodic long-distance dispersal correlated with historical geologic events, including Gondwanan origins and inferred vicariance associated with its disarticulation. Together, this study represents the most comprehensively sampled, data-rich molecular phylogeny of the Boletaceae to date, establishing a foundation for future robust inferences of biogeography in the group.

New Sinoalidae (Hemiptera, Cercopoidea) in Cenomanian Kachin amber, with notes on its paleobiogeographic implications

The froghopper extinct family Sinoalidae shows high paleo-diversity in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber biota. The sinoalid genus Cretadorus Chen, 2020 is revised in this study. Araeoanasillus Poinar et Brown, 2023, tentatively placed in Sinoalidae with subfamily and tribe incertae sedis in original paper, is proposed herein to be synonymized under Cretadorus, leading to Cretadorus leptosomus (Poinar et Brown, 2023) comb. nov. A new species of this genus, Cretadorus qingyui sp. nov., is described and illustrated on the basis of an almost complete fossil trapped in Kachin amber. The Gondwanan origin of Burma Terrane suggests that Sinoalids in Kachin amber are likely one of residual groups of Gondwanan biotae, and so this family had wide paleobiogeographic distribution on the earth in the Jurassic. In the Early Cretaceous, the distribution range of Sinoalidae has reduced: it at least probably disappeared in northeastern Eurasia. This hemipteran lineage was extinct in the late Mesozoic owing to food crisis after the angiosperm floristic revolution.

Fire responses of flora in a sclerophyll–rainforest vegetation complex in the Nightcap Range, North Coast, New South Wales

Context Species fire responses were investigated in a mixed sclerophyll–rainforest ecosystem in the Nightcap Range, North Coast, New South Wales. Aims To examine rates of seedling recruitment and resprouting in functional and phytogeographic components of wet sclerophyll forest (WSRf), and adjacent open forest (OF) and rock outcrop shrubland (RO). Methods Species resprouting and seedling recruitment traits (fire responses) were recorded in 45 stem plots and 225 seedling subplots in WSRf, OF and RO. Species fire responses were classified, community fire-response spectra compiled and rates of seedling recruitment and resprouting in WSRf examined in relation to primary fire response, growth-form, habitat and broad functional and phytogeographic species groupings. Species size-regenerative class distribution was used to analyse population structure, fire impact, regeneration and recruitment in resprouter species that comprised most of the mesic-Gondwanan element of the WSRf flora. Key results WSRf, OF and RO habitats had distinctively different fire-response spectra. In WSRf, there was a high proportion of mesophyll resprouter species of Gondwanan origin with nil or very low seedling recruitment, a distinct component of mesophyll seeders of Indo-Malayan origin, as well as sclerophyll seeders and resprouters that also comprised most of the OF and RO floras. Resprouters comprised 75% of the WSRf flora, 50% OF and 10% pavement shrubland. Continuous size-class distributions indicated recruitment between fire events in the majority of mesophyll resprouters in WSRf. Lower total seedling density appeared to reflect inherent species traits and less canopy disturbance by fire. Large sclerophyll species forming the unburnt canopy of WSRf had very low seedling recruitment. Conclusions Different habitats (WSRf, OF and RO) and functional and phytogeographic clades in WSRf display distinctive patterns of resprouting and seedling-recruitment fire response. Fire responses of species that maintain species population and community composition are governed by fire regime, habitat variables and inherent species traits. Implications The distinctive fire-response spectrum of WSRf appears to be a direct consequence of the overlap of ‘new’ and ‘old’ floras in this broad vegetation type.

Fossil Trichoptera embedded in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

The paper gives an overview of Trichoptera found as adults in mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from about 100 million years ago. Fifty-eight extinct species are listed, three of which are still described here: Paduniella cretaceasp. nov., Palerasnitsynus vilarinoisp. nov., Palleptocerus kuranishiisp. nov. The extinct subfamily Palerasnitsyninaestat. nov. of the family Xiphocentronidae is established and the extinct Bipectinata orientaliscomb. nov. is transferred from the family Calamoceratidae to the family Odontoceridae. The extinct family LepidochlamidaeWang et al., 2022, stat. nov. is transferred to the superfamily Leptoceroidea. The fifty-eight caddisflies of Burmese amber are distributed among twenty-one genera and fourteen families, of which fifteen genera and four families are also extinct. The large time distance between extinct and extant organisms makes the assignment to the extant genera and families difficult, because the higher taxa are defined according to the species living today and often do not or hardly correspond to the earlier species and their adaptations. Furthermore, in line with the hypothesis of a Gondwanan origin of Burmese amber, some embedded Trichopterans are discussed as relict descendants of Gondwanan Trichoptera, e.g. the family Palleptoceridae and the Xiphocentronid subfamily Palerasnitsyninae.

Drift in the tropics: Phylogenetics and biogeographical patterns in Combretaceae

AbstractAimThe aim of this study was to further advance our understanding of the species‐rich, and ecologically important angiosperm family Combretaceae to provide new insights into their evolutionary history. We assessed phylogenetic relationships in the family using target capture data and produced a dated phylogenetic tree to assess fruit dispersal modes and patterns of distribution.LocationTropical and subtropical regions.Time PeriodCretaceous to present.Major Taxa StudiedFamily Combretaceae is a member of the rosid clade and comprises 10 genera and more than 500 species, predominantly assigned to genera Combretum and Terminalia, and occurring on all continents and in a wide range of ecosystems.MethodsWe use a target capture approach and the Angiosperms353 universal probes to reconstruct a robust dated phylogenetic tree for the family. This phylogenetic framework, combined with seed dispersal traits, biome data and biogeographic ranges, allows the reconstruction of the biogeographical history of the group.ResultsAncestral range reconstructions suggest a Gondwanan origin (Africa/South America), with several intercontinental dispersals within the family and few transitions between biomes. Relative abundance of fruit dispersal types differed by both continent and biome. However, intercontinental colonizations were only significantly enhanced by water dispersal (drift fruit), and there was no evidence that seed dispersal modes influenced biome shifts.Main ConclusionsOur analysis reveals a paradox as drift fruit greatly enhanced dispersal distances at intercontinental scale but did not affect the strong biome conservatism observed.

Phylogenetic position, validity and diversity of the genus Milnesioides (Eutardigrada: Apochela)

Abstract The order Apochela, the only exclusively carnivorous tardigrade lineage, comprises four genera, of which Milnesium contains multiple species and is common and cosmopolitan, whereas the remaining genera (Bergtrollus, Limmenius and Milnesioides) are monotypic, rare and have restricted geographical distributions. More importantly, although there are ample genetic data for numerous Milnesium species, no other apochelan genus has been sequenced so far, which limits our understanding of milnesiid evolution. In this contribution, we analysed two populations of Milnesioides from the south coast of Western Australia. The obtained molecular phylogenetic tree clearly indicated Milnesioides as a sister lineage to all remaining Milnesium species, supporting the validity of the genus. Moreover, the sister relationship of Milnesioides and Milnesium lends support to the Gondwanan origin of the order Apochela. Phenotypic differences between the type population of Milnesioides exsertum from New South Wales and the populations from Western Australia analysed in this study suggest that the latter represent a new species. The new data and morphological differences between populations reported in the original description of Milnesioides strongly suggest that the genus is not monotypic.

Duabanga (Lythraceae) from the Oligocene of India and its climatic and phytogeographic significance

Understanding the evolutionary history of biodiversity hotspots has important implications for their future survival. India hosts four biodiversity hotspots: the Western Ghats of South India, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Eastern Himalaya, and the Indo-Myanmar region. Northeast India (NEI) is an important region that hosts 43% of the total plant species occurring in India, of which ∼39% are endemic. This region also acts as a gateway for biotic exchange between India and southeast Asia. The area also receives exceptional rainfall during the pre-monsoon (March to May), in addition to the summer monsoon (June to September) season. In rainforests of NEI, forest-forming plant species make up a large proportion of the biodiversity. Understanding the evolutionary history of rainforests of NEI has implications for the conservation of biodiversity hotspots. Here we report the evergreen rainforest genus Duabanga Buch.-Ham. of the family Lythraceae from the late Oligocene sediments of Assam, NEI. Fossil records of this genus (from south and southeast Asia) suggest its Gondwanan origin, while its modern distribution is dominantly controlled by moisture availability.

The South Armenian Block: Gondwanan origin and Tethyan evolution in space and time

The geodynamic evolution of the South Armenian Block (SAB) within the Tethyan realm during the Palaeozoic to present-day is poorly constrained. Much of the SAB is covered by Cenozoic sediments so that the relationships between the SAB and the neighbouring terranes of Central Iran, the Pontides and Taurides are unclear. Here we present new geochronological, palaeomagnetic, and geochemical constraints to shed light on the Gondwanan and Cimmerian provenance of the SAB, timing of its rifting, and geodynamic evolution since the Permian. We report new 40Ar/39Ar and zircon U-Pb ages and compositional data on magmatic sills and dykes in the Late Devonian sedimentary cover, as well as metamorphic rocks that constitute part of the SAB basement. Zircon age distributions, ranging from ∼3.6 Ga to 100 Ma, firmly establish a Gondwanan origin for the SAB. Trondhjemite intrusions into the basement at ∼263 Ma are consistent with a SW-dipping active continental margin. Mafic intraplate intrusions at ∼246 Ma (OIB) and ∼234 Ma (P-MORB) in the sedimentary cover likely represent the incipient stages of breakup of the NE Gondwanan margin and opening of the Neotethys. Andesitic dykes at ∼117 Ma testify to the melting of subduction-modified lithosphere. In contrast to current interpretations, we show that the SAB should be considered separate from the Taurides, and that the Armenian ophiolite complexes formed chiefly in the Eurasian forearc. Based on the new constraints, we provide a geodynamic reconstruction of the SAB since the Permian, in which it started rifting from Gondwana alongside the Pontides, likely reached the Iranian margin in Early Jurassic times, and was subject to episodes of intraplate (∼189 Ma) and NE-dipping subduction-related (∼117 Ma) magmatism.

The ichthyofaunistic colonization and complex biogeographic history of the southern portion of the Southwest Atlantic Ocean

AbstractHere, we highlight the geological processes that resulted in the current conformation of the southern Southwest Atlantic Ocean, and explore the heterogeneous composition of the marine ichthyofauna found between 33° and 56° from a paleobiological perspective. During the early Cretaceous (140 Mya), the South Atlantic was still not formed, and Gondwana was probably a set of united plates with shallow continental waters. In the middle Cretaceous (112 Mya), the major Gondwanan plates started diverging from each other, allowing shallow marine intrusions and the diversification of an endemic fish fauna. By the end of the Mesozoic (66 Mya), the proto‐South Atlantic connected with the North Atlantic, which was still part of the Tethys Sea, allowing its ichthyofauna to colonize the south and reach the Antarctic region. The opening of the Drake Passage in the Oligocene (33 Mya) enabled the cold waters of the Pacific Ocean to reach the South Atlantic, causing drastic effects on the thermophilic fauna and favoring the dispersion of cold‐water species. Successive glaciations during the Quaternary (2 Myr to 10,000 years ago) resulted in the prevalence of Antarctic climatic conditions in the southern Southwest Atlantic. The long history of changing scenarios in the constitution of the southern Southwest Atlantic is reflected in the heterogeneous composition of the marine ichthyofauna between 33° and 56°S, which is characterized by a mixture of cosmopolitan, Tethyan, Pacific, Gondwanan, Antarctic, and endemic origins.

A new group of species of the genus Megalothorax (Collembola, Neelidae) with Gondwanan distribution, and introducing an open interactive identification key of Megalothorax species

Megalothorax Willem, 1900 is a genus of Neelidae (Collembola) with worldwide distribution. Three new species are described here: Megalothorax anterolenis sp. nov. (Patagonia, Chile), Megalothorax tasmanterolenis sp. nov. (Tasmania, Australia) and Megalothorax zealanterolenis sp. nov. (the South Island, New Zealand). New descriptive elements are also provided for Megalothorax rubidus. Two of the new species were sequenced (COI, 16S rDNA, 28S rDNA). Within the genus, the three new species form a new group of species characterised by the absence of secondary granulation dorsally on the head and the thorax, a reduced chaetotaxy of the basomedian field of labium, a bifurcate hair on the maxillary outer lobe and an enlarged S-chaeta (Sa2) on Ant. IV. The molecular based phylogeny further supports the sistership of the two sequenced species. The possible Gondwanan origin of the new group is discussed. Elements of discussion are also provided regarding the possible function of the incomplete coverage of secondary granulation. Finally, an open interactive identification key for the Megalothorax species of the world is introduced.

A new clevosaurid (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Upper Triassic of India

ABSTRACT A new clevosaurid rhynchocephalian is described from the Upper Triassic Tiki Formation of the Rewa Gondwana Basin of India. The material is based on several partial craniomandibular elements containing acrodont and fully ankylosed tooth implantations and on the basis of multiple diagnostic features is assigned to a new taxon, Clevosaurus nicholasi. Phylogenetic analysis nests the Tiki rhynchocephalian within the clade Clevosauridae, where it is recovered as an early-diverging taxon basal to the other clevosaurs except for a clade comprising C. convallis + Sigmala sigmala. The autapomorphic characters of Clevosaurus nicholasi include a very robust dentary with an obliquely angled narrow lip of the secondary bone at the symphysis, anteriorly bifurcated Meckelian canal, a sub-dental shelf on the dentary, acrodont marginal anterior teeth, and absence of or smooth lateral and medial wear facets on the marginal dentary and maxillary teeth, respectively. The Late Triassic rhynchocephalian record of the Gondwana is relatively sparse in comparison with that of the Laurasian regions, and the new clevosaur represents the first Late Triassic record from India. Based on the paleobiogeographic distribution, a possible Gondwanan origin for Clevosauridae is hypothesized.

Gondwanan origin of the Dipterocarpaceae-Cistaceae-Bixaceae is supported by fossils, areocladograms, ecomorphological traits and tectonic-plate dynamics

There is disparity between the estimated time of origin of the ‘superclade’ Dipterocarpaceae sensu lato, that includes Sarcolaenaceae, Cistaceae, Pakaraimaea, Bixaceae, Cochlospermaceae and Sphaerosepalaceae, as determined by recent molecular phylogenies (100−85 million years ago, Ma) and its strongly tropical, South American-African-Madagascan-SE Asian distribution that indicates an older Gondwanan origin (>110 Ma). We used several paleobiogeographic approaches, including recently reported fossil records, to explore the hypothesis that Dipterocarpaceae sl has a Gondwanan/early-Cretaceous origin.We created molecular phylogenies for this group, assigned each genus/family to the tectonic plate on which it is extant, and subjected the cladogram to areogram analysis. We also assessed ecological, mycotrophic and morphological traits, and global circulation patterns, as these might affect this group’s distribution.The initial analysis (omitting fossil evidence) showed that the crown of Dipterocarpaceae sl occurred concurrently on the South American and Madagascan plates. Including fossils from Africa and India changed this to a South American-African origin. Collectively, these origins represent NorthWest Gondwana with South America, Africa and Madagascar remaining conjoined until ≥105–115 Ma, setting the minimum age for this superclade with some evidence that it may be much older. We also show that the immediate ancestors of the three daughter lineages [Dipterocarpaceae- Sarcolaenaceae (in Africa/Madagascar, ≥115 Ma), Cistaceae- Pakaraimaea (South America/Africa/Eurasia, ≥105 Ma) and Bixaceae-Cochlospermum-Sphaerosepalaceae (South America/ Africa, ≥105 Ma)] also arose in NorthWest Gondwana.The immediate ancestors or basal species in Sarcolaenaceae, Sphaerosepalaceae, Dipterocarpaceae (both its subfamilies) and Bixaceae migrated from (South America)/Africa to Madagascar and we propose that the Dipterocarpoideae proceeded from Africa to India while still linked to Madagascar. In addition, much subsequent diversification of this superclade has occurred on the Eurasian, Indian, SE Asian (Sunda) and North American plates post-Gondwanan breakup.This long vicariant history is supported by fossil, ecological, mycotrophic and morphological traits, and global circulation patterns that show negligible propensity for transoceanic dispersal to explain this clade’s wide intercontinental distribution.We conclude that all these areocladogram/plate-breakup/ ecomorphological/circulation features are consistent with a Gondwanan/early-Cretaceous (>115 Ma) origin for the Dipterocarpaceae-Cistaceae-Bixaceae superclade plus its three daughter clades. Future analyses at the species level, exploring alternative diversification dates from both fossils and plate-tectonic dynamics, are needed to refine these findings.

Historical Biogeography of Earwigs.

The Dermaptera are an insect order exhibiting their highest diversity in the tropical areas of the southern hemisphere. This pattern has been considered a reflection of a Gondwanan origin. However, this hypothesis has not been tested through analytical methods. In this paper, the world distribution of earwigs was analysed by using the 'Cladistic Analysis of Distributions and Endemism' (CADE), a method which groups areas of endemism on the basis of shared distributions and phylogenetic relationships among taxa. In addition, clustering techniques were applied to depict biotic relationships based on similarity indices. Results of CADE support the idea that Gondwanan fragmentation exerted a crucial role in shaping the current distribution of the main clades of earwigs. However, the relationships between India with South East Asia suggested a biotic interchange occurred after the Indian collision with the Eurasian plate. The overall scenario emerging from cluster analyses revealed a strong influence of dispersal events. Overall, the distribution of earwig major clades indicates that their biogeographical history was mainly characterized by vicariance events (led by the break-up of Gondwana) followed by large scale dispersal processes constrained by the Himalayan orogenesis and the presence of colder temperatures, which have largely hampered the colonization of the northern hemisphere.

A Parasitoid Puzzle: Phylogenomics, Total-evidence Dating, and the Role of Gondwanan Vicariance in the Diversification of Labeninae (Hymenoptera, Ichneumonidae)

AbstractBiogeographic patterns in the Southern Hemisphere have largely been attributed to vicariant processes, but recent studies have challenged some of the classic examples of this paradigm. The parasitoid wasp subfamily Labeninae has been hypothesized to have a Gondwanan origin, but the lack of divergence dating analysis and the discovery of a putative labenine fossil in Europe pose a challenge to that idea. Here we used a combination of phylogenomics, divergence dating and event-based biogeographical inference to test whether Gondwanan vicariance may explain the distribution patterns of Labeninae. Data from genomic ultraconserved elements were used to infer the phylogeny of Labeninae with 54 species from 9 genera and a broad selection of 99 outgroup taxa. Total-evidence divergence dating places the origin of Labeninae at around 146 mya, which is consistent with a Gondwanan origin but predates the full separation of Africa and South America. The results suggest a path for biotic exchange between South America and Australia potentially through Antarctica, until at least 49 million years ago. Total-evidence analysis places the fossil Trigonator macrocheirus Spasojevic et al. firmly inside crown-group Labeninae, suggesting that labenine distribution range at some point during the Eocene surpassed the boundaries of Gondwanaland. Biogeographic inference also indicates that North American groups represent more recent range expansions that nonetheless occurred before the formation of the Isthmus of Panama land bridge. These conclusions point to a more complex scenario than previously expected for Labeninae biogeography.

A new species of the March fly genus Dilophus Meigen, 1803 (Diptera: Bibionidae) from the Oligocene of Provence (France)

Dilophus cerestensis sp. nov. is the first described species of this bibionid genus from the lower Oligocene of Céreste (France). The species is characterized by a wing with the crossvein r-m quite shorter than basal part of Rs, a putative symplesiomorphy for this genus, suggesting a position in its stem group. Dilophus is significantly less diverse and frequent in the fossil record (mainly from the Northern Hemisphere) than the other bibionid genera Bibio, Plecia, and Penthetria, possibly related to a Gondwanan origin.

Dipterocarps used India as a raft from Gondwana to Eurasia

AbstractIt has been hypothesized that most Asian tropical lineages have originated in Gondwana with the Indian subcontinent playing a crucial role in the dispersal of ancestral Gondwanan taxa. The disjunct distribution of dipterocarps and the fossil record in India support the Gondwana hypothesis. This is the first comprehensive study addressing the evolutionary and biogeographic relationships of dipterocarps in the Indian subcontinent to test the Gondwana hypothesis. A Bayesian phylogenetic tree of the Dipterocarpaceae family including the Indian counterparts corroborates the monophyly of subfamilies/tribes and shows new biogeographic affinities. Molecular dating reveals the Cretaceous origin of Dipterocarpaceae. Diversification of major lineages occurred during the Pliocene‐Miocene epochs. The DEC analysis ascertains the Gondwanan origin and dispersal route from the Madagascar (Africa)‐India‐Sri Lanka‐Seychelles block to Eurasia. The biogeographic analysis suggests early vicariance followed by an out‐of‐India dispersal of Dipterocarpaceae. Three dispersal events from India to the remainder of Asia at 47.6 Ma, 42.53 Ma and 37.6 Ma are identified. There probably was a biotic interchange between India and mainland Asia via Sumatra following the collision of the Indian plate with Eurasia. Molecular dating and dispersal events coincide with the geological events. During the Miocene, uplift of the Himalayan‐Tibetian plateau induced climatic variation, which seems to have resulted in the extinction of major Indian dipterocarp lineages and reverse dispersal into India. Hopea‐Shorea, one of the earliest diverged lineages, originated in Southeast Asia. The establishment of Southeast Asian monsoon climate may have favoured allopatric speciation and diversification of Southeast Asian lineages also resulting in further dispersal into India.

Discovery of a New Species of Daphnia (Crustacea: Cladocera) from the Arabian Peninsula Revealed a Southern Origin of a Common Northern Eurasian Species Group

The biodiversity distribution patterns and their formation history in continental waters are studied based on some model groups such as Daphnia O.F. Müller (Crustacea: Cladocera). Most publications on this genus concern the subgenus Daphnia (Daphnia) while representatives of the subgenus Daphnia (Ctenodaphnia), inhabiting mainly temporary waters, are poorly studied. We found a new species of the D. (C.) sinensis complex in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula, and our discovery allows us to resolve some problems concerning the history of these daphniids in the northern hemisphere. A formal description, illustrations (including numerous SEM photos) and a differential diagnosis of D. (C.) arabica Neretina, Al Neyadi & Hamza sp. nov. are provided. Phylogeny of D. (C.) similis complex is reconstructed based on three mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S and COI); a haplotype network based on short 12S fragments is also constructed. A monophyletic D. (C.) sinensis within the D. (C.) similis complex includes three earlier-derived locally distributed members: D. (C.) similoides, D. (C.) inopinata and D. (C.) arabica sp. nov. Our data suggest an old (Late Mesozoic) Gondwanan origin of the D. (C.) sinensis group and its Caenozoic differentiation in North Africa and the Middle East. This region then became a center of subsequent dispersion of D. (C.) sinensis through the whole of Eurasia and Africa during the Miocene and subsequent epochs. Interestingly, our scheme of the D. sinensis group dispersion has a well-known analogue: it is comparable to that suggested for earlier human migration from Africa through the Arabian Peninsula and the Middle East to the rest of Eurasia.