Hardee Counties Research Articles

First report in the fossil record of a shark tooth embedded in a pinniped bone

There are now many examples in the fossil record of shark bite marks preserved on biogenic materials including coprolites, ammonoids, sea star ossicles, an echinoid, and bone and calcified cartilage. These exceptional fossils document evidence of exploratory behavior, active predation, and/or scavenging. However, only a small subset report on the presence of shark teeth embedded in fossilized bone or cartilage. Although a few shark tooth-marked seal bones are known from the fossil record, no direct evidence of predation or scavenging in the form of a shark tooth embedded in a fossil seal bone has yet been documented. Herein, we describe the first shark tooth embedded in a seal (Phocidae Gray, 1821) bone, a calcaneum (CMM-V-6964), that was surface collected in Mosaic’s South Fort Meade Mine, Hardee County, Fort Meade, Florida, United States. The isolated bone originated from within the Bone Valley Member of the Peace River Formation (Hawthorn Group). The partial tooth is identified as having come from an Early Pliocene great white shark, Carcharodon carcharias (Linnaeus, 1758). This discovery also represents the first C. carcharias tooth ever found embedded in a fossil bone. The embedded tooth may have come about as a result of active predation or scavenging. The extant macropredatory sharks, Carcharodon carcharias (great white shark), Notorynchus cepedianus (Péron, 1807) (sevengill shark), Somniosus microcephalus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801) (the Greenland shark), and Somniosus antarcticus Whitley, 1939 (sleeper shark), are known to actively prey upon seals (Pinnipedia Illiger, 1811). If this peculiar fossil association resulted from active predation, the seal did not survive the encounter because there is no evidence of healing in the area around the embedded shark tooth.

First Report of Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, and Lasiodiplodia theobromae Causing Fungal Watermelon Vine Decline in Southwest and West-Central Florida

Wilt and vine decline symptoms were observed on watermelon plants in Glades and Hardee Counties in Florida in spring 2017 that resembled viral watermelon vine decline caused by squash vein yellowing virus (SqVYV). When no SqVYV was detected, greenhouse studies and morphological and molecular analyses revealed three fungal pathogens, Macrophomina phaseolina, Fusarium brachygibbosum, and Lasiodiplodia theobromae, that were not previously reported on watermelon in Florida. A previously reported oomycete, Pythium spinosum, was also detected in some, but not all, isolations and when applied independently resulted in disease incidence that was comparable to the untreated check, ruling it out as a primary causal agent of the symptoms observed in the field. In one of three experiments, seedlings inoculated with a combination of M. phaseolina, F. brachygibbosum, and P. spinosum suffered the highest disease severity based on AUDPC values. In another experiment, seedlings inoculated with F. brachygibbosum exhibited the most severe symptoms and rapid disease development following inoculation. When seeds were inoculated with either a single or a combination of the isolated fungi, those inoculated with L. theobromae resulted in seedlings with the greatest disease severity. This is the first report of these three fungal pathogens on watermelon in Florida.

Eleocharis elegans (Cyperaceae) new to Florida and a possible native addition to the flora of the United States

Eleocharis elegans, a neotropical wetland sedge (Cyperaceae), is reported as new for the United States from a site in Hardee County, Florida. A number of factors suggest this represents a natural occurrence. We speculate that climate change-related factors such as increasingly frequent major storms offer the most logical explanation of its arrival in the United States.

First Report of Peanut mottle virus in Forage Peanut (Arachis pintoi) in the United States

Arachis pintoi is one of the many perennial peanuts grown in many tropical and subtropical countries around the world. Although Peanut mottle virus (PeMoV) was reported in Arachis glabrata from Georgia in 2007, there are no reports of PeMoV infecting A. pintoi in the United States. In June 2017, samples of A. pintoi that originated from Hardee County, FL, plants showed a variety of symptoms ranging from yellowing to dark islands, green vein banding, and mild mottling. They tested positive initially with broad-spectrum lateral flow antibody immunoassay and later were confirmed by sequencing the reverse-transcription PCR products. Detection of PeMoV in A. pintoi is significant because it is transmitted by aphids in a nonpersistent manner and is seed-borne in A. hypogea. It is not known if PeMoV is seed-borne in A. pintoi. However, A. pintoi is commonly vegetatively propagated using stolon cuttings. It is possible that PeMoV can spread to A. pintoi in Florida by all these means, making maintenance of virus-free propagation stock plants important. To our knowledge, this is the first report of PeMoV in A. pintoi the United States.

C[sbnd]O isotope geochemistry of the Florida phosphate of Four Corners and Hardee County mines, USA: Implication for genesis and diagenesis

The study area located in Florida, USA and emphasized on low-grade phosphorites in Hardee County (HC) and Four Corners (FC) mining areas. The main purpose of this study is to apply a standard geochemical technique to understand the diagenetic history and paleo-environmental aspects of phosphates within one of the major phosphate deposits in the USA. The effect of diagenesis on the phosphate minerals was studied by isotope analysis of the phosphate bone fragments and phosphatized mudclasts and rods. The environmental conditions that prevailed during the life of organisms were assessed by isotope analysis of the shark teeth. In this paper, variation in stable isotope (δ18O and δ13C) signatures of structural carbonate in rocks and shark teeth were studied in Florida phosphate. The studied samples show negative values for both δ13C and δ18O isotopes of structural carbonate. The light mudclast samples shows higher oxygen ratios (−1.6) than the dark mudclasts (−2.3) in Hardee County, whereas those values were lower, −2.3 and −3, respectively, in Four Corners samples. The shark teeth found in the deposits show narrow variations in values of δ13C (−3.4 to −4.9%o) and δ18O (−1.4 to 2.1%o) isotope. The bone fragments in the deposits are more similar to the light mudclasts regarding the isotope ratios and carbonate content. The alteration is evident in the Florida phosphorites where δ18O values of bulk teeth are higher than those of bones and mudclast. This alteration could be because of increasing crystallinity and decreasing carbonate content with increasing depth of burial.

On the mineral characteristics and geochemistry of the Florida phosphate of Four Corners and Hardee County mines

The Florida phosphate deposits in Four Corners and Hardee County mines are composed mainly of phosphate minerals and quartz in addition to subordinate proportions of feldspars, dolomite, calcite, gypsum, kaolinite, attapulgite and montmorillonite. These phosphorites contain three structurally different types of mudclasts: massive mudclasts, mudclasts with concentric structure and mudclasts consisting of agglomerates of apatite microparticles. The latter are represented by particles resembling phosphatized fossil bacteria associated with microbial filaments, and hollow apatite particles having surfacial coatings and connected to microbial filaments. The Florida phosphate particles are reworked and vary in mineral composition, color and shape. They are composed of a mixture of well-crystalline species including carbonate fluorapatite (francolite), carbonate apatite and fluorapatite. The color variation of the phosphate particles is related to difference in mineral composition, extent of diagenetic effects and reworking. The light-colored mudclasts are characterized by the presence of carbonate apatite and aluminum hydroxide phosphate minerals, whereas the dark mudclasts are rich in iron aluminum hydroxide phosphate minerals.The Florida phosphorites are suggested to be formed partially by authigenetic precipitation, replacement of the sea floor carbonate and diatomite, and microbial processes. With respect to elemental geochemistry, the analyzed particles contain small percentages of sulfur and iron which are related to the occurrence of pyrite. Traces of silica and alumina are recorded which may be attributed to the diagenetic. Some of the tested particles are relatively rich in phosphorous, fluorine, calcium, and magnesium, while poor in silicon, potassium and sulfur. Whereas, the bioclasts (especially teeth) are relatively rich in calcium, phosphorous and fluorine while poor in silicon, aluminum, magnesium and potassium. Hence, the microchemical analyses revealed that differential diagenesis affected mudclasts more than bioclasts. There is a complete compositional gradation between clay and phosphate particles which reflects their interaction. This involved kaolinitization of the phosphate particles, phosphatization of the clay mineral particles and production of silica.

A New Record forCicindela scabrosa(Coleoptera: Carabidae:Cicindelinae) from Hardee County, Florida

The Florida Scrub Tiger Beetle Cicindela scabrosa Schaupp, a species precinctive to Florida, has not previously been recorded from Hardee County, Florida. Cicindela scabrosa is known from Alachua, Brevard, Broward, Dade, Highlands, Indian River, Levy, Orange, Polk, Putman, St. Johns, Taylor, and Volusia counties (Peck & Thomas, 1998). Cicindela scabrosa, once considered a variety of Cicindela abdominalis Fabricius, was raised to species rank by Choate (1984). The 2 species are generally similar in appearance, but may be separated (Choate 1984) by the presence in C. scabrosa of white apical lunule markings with small medial white marks and heavily punctured elytra, flattened white hairs on the underside of the abdomen and numerous conspicuous white hairs on sides of the pronotum (Fig. 1). Cicindela scabrosa was first recorded in

Rapid Assessment of the Needs and Health Status of Older Adults After Hurricane Charley—Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee Counties, Florida, August 27-31, 2004

On August 13, 2004, Hurricane Charley, a Category 4 storm with sustained winds of 145 mph, made landfall at a Gulf of Mexico barrier island in Florida, resulting in an estimated 31 deaths statewide and extensive property damage in Charlotte, DeSoto, and Hardee counties. The Florida Department of Health (FLDOH) requested that CDC conduct a rapid needs assessment of older adults (i.e., aged >/=60 years) because this vulnerable age group constitutes a substantial proportion of the population in the most severely affected counties (Charlotte County [43% older adult residents of 141,627 total population], DeSoto County [24% of 32,209], and Hardee County [18% of 36,938]). This report summarizes the findings and recommendations from three rapid needs assessments in these Florida counties. Older adult residents experienced disruptions in both quality-of-life status and medical care for preexisting conditions (e.g., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and physical disabilities). On the basis of these findings, recommendations were provided to FLDOH for immediate use in deploying resources for response to Hurricane Charley and in planning responses to future disasters.

SURVEY OF PEST MOLE CRICKETS (ORTHOPTERA: GRYLLOTALPIDAE) ACTIVITY ON PASTURE IN SOUTH-CENTRAL FLORIDA

Histories of pest mole cricket activity (Scapteriscus spp. Scudder) (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae) on bahiagrass (Paspalum notatum Fluegge) pastures were needed to provide baseline data for evaluating on-going biological control with Steinernema scapterisci (Nguyen and Smart) nematodes. Seven ∼4-ha pastures were selected from five county sites for the survey. These consisted of one mole cricket-infested bahiagrass pasture each from two ranches in Polk county and from one ranch each in Manatee and Pasco counties. The rest were two renovated and uninfested pastures located at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center, Ona, in Hardee county and a third in Desoto county. Six linear pitfall traps (each 12.2 m total) were installed on equal subdivisions (0.67 ha) of each of the seven pastures in July 1997 and labeled 1 to 6 at each site according to a visually-determined decreasing slope of terrain. Traps were cleaned weekly from the time of installation through December 1999, and the total weekly-captures per trap of tawny, S. vicinus (Scudder) and southern, S. borellii, (Giglio-Tos) mole crickets were recorded along with weekly rainfall for each site. The mean, weekly mole cricket capture on heavily-infested bahiagrass pastures increased exponentially over time beginning with the early summer rains. Mean weekly-count on these pastures peaked at 20-60 juveniles per trap, depending on site, in June-July and then declined sharply through September and October as mole crickets matured. The annual mean weekly-capture on heavily-infested pastures was 10 to 12 juveniles per trap. There was very little surface activity by overwintering adult mole crickets during December and January. Mean weekly-capture on uninfested new bahiagrass pasture was erratic and usually less than 2 juveniles per trap. The data suggest that peak weekly mole cricket pitfall trap captures between June and August in excess of 20 juveniles per trap and a total seasonal capture in excess of 43 m-1 of trap were indicative of a serious infestation problem.

Simulated changes in potentiometric levels resulting from groundwater development for phosphate mines, west-central Florida

A digital model of two-dimensional groundwater flow was used to predict changes in the potentiometric surface of the Floridan aquifer resulting from groundwater development for proposed and existing phosphate mines during 1976–2000. The modeled area covers 15,379 km 2 in west-central Florida. In 1975, groundwater withdrawn from the Floridan aquifer for irrigation, phosphate mines, other industries and municipal supplies averaged about 28,500 l/s. Withdrawals for phosphate mines are expected to shift from Polk County to adjacent counties to the south and west, and to decline from about 7,620 l/s in 1975 to about 7,060 l/s in 2000. The model was calibrated under steady-state and transient conditions. Input parameters included aquifer transmissivity and storage coefficient; thickness, vertical hydraulic conductivity, and storage coefficient of the upper confining bed; altitudes of the water table and potentiometric surface; and groundwater withdrawals. Simulation of November 1976 to October 2000, using projected combined pumping rates for existing and proposed phosphate mines, resulted in a rise in the potentiometric surface of about 6 m in Polk County, and a decline of about 4 m in parts of Manatee and Hardee counties.

Nunc Dimittis

Dr. J. Clyde Driggers, President of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College, Tifton, Georgia, died on Tuesday, April 29, in St. Joseph’s Hospital, Atlanta, following a massive coronary.He was born 58 years ago, in Fort Green, Hardee County, Florida. He received a B.S. degree, majoring in agricultural education and animal husbandry, at the University of Florida in 1938, and a Ph.D. degree in 1949, majoring in animal nutrition. Except for distinguished military service during World War II, he was associated with the poultry staff at the University of Florida until 1957, when he became Head of the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia, Athens. He became President of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on September 1, 1964.Dr. Driggers was a retired Colonel in the United States Army Reserve, having served as a parachute infantry unit commander in the Eastern Theatre of Operations, and staff officer in Japan during .