Messel Pit – Wikipedia Germany
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Digital Reconstruction of the Inner Ear of Leptictidium Auderiense
View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by RERO DOC Digital Library Published in "Paläontologische Zeitschrift 90(1): 153–171, 2016" which should be cited to refer to this work. Digital reconstruction of the inner ear of Leptictidium auderiense (Leptictida, Mammalia) and North American leptictids reveals new insight into leptictidan locomotor agility Irina Ruf1,2 • Virginie Volpato1,3 • Kenneth D. Rose4 • Guillaume Billet2,5 • Christian de Muizon5 • Thomas Lehmann1 Abstract Leptictida are basal Paleocene to Oligocene semicircular canals than the leptictids under study. Our eutherians from Europe and North America comprising estimations reveal that Leptictidium was a very agile ani- species with highly specialized postcranial features mal with agility score values (4.6 and 5.5, respectively) including elongated hind limbs. Among them, the Euro- comparable to Macroscelidea and extant bipedal saltatory pean Leptictidium was probably a bipedal runner or jum- placentals. Leptictis and Palaeictops have lower agility per. Because the semicircular canals of the inner ear are scores (3.4 to 4.1), which correspond to the more gener- involved in detecting angular acceleration of the head, their alized types of locomotion (e.g., terrestrial, cursorial) of morphometry can be used as a proxy to elucidate the agility most extant mammals. In contrast, the angular velocity in fossil mammals. Here we provide the first insight into magnitude predicted from semicircular canal angles sup- inner ear anatomy and morphometry of Leptictida based on ports a conflicting pattern of agility among leptictidans, but high-resolution computed tomography of a new specimen the significance of these differences might be challenged of Leptictidium auderiense from the middle Eocene Messel when more is known about intraspecific variation and the Pit (Germany) and specimens of the North American pattern of semicircular canal angles in non-primate Leptictis and Palaeictops. -
The World at the Time of Messel: Conference Volume
T. Lehmann & S.F.K. Schaal (eds) The World at the Time of Messel - Conference Volume Time at the The World The World at the Time of Messel: Puzzles in Palaeobiology, Palaeoenvironment and the History of Early Primates 22nd International Senckenberg Conference 2011 Frankfurt am Main, 15th - 19th November 2011 ISBN 978-3-929907-86-5 Conference Volume SENCKENBERG Gesellschaft für Naturforschung THOMAS LEHMANN & STEPHAN F.K. SCHAAL (eds) The World at the Time of Messel: Puzzles in Palaeobiology, Palaeoenvironment, and the History of Early Primates 22nd International Senckenberg Conference Frankfurt am Main, 15th – 19th November 2011 Conference Volume Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung IMPRINT The World at the Time of Messel: Puzzles in Palaeobiology, Palaeoenvironment, and the History of Early Primates 22nd International Senckenberg Conference 15th – 19th November 2011, Frankfurt am Main, Germany Conference Volume Publisher PROF. DR. DR. H.C. VOLKER MOSBRUGGER Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany Editors DR. THOMAS LEHMANN & DR. STEPHAN F.K. SCHAAL Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum Frankfurt Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt am Main, Germany [email protected]; [email protected] Language editors JOSEPH E.B. HOGAN & DR. KRISTER T. SMITH Layout JULIANE EBERHARDT & ANIKA VOGEL Cover Illustration EVELINE JUNQUEIRA Print Rhein-Main-Geschäftsdrucke, Hofheim-Wallau, Germany Citation LEHMANN, T. & SCHAAL, S.F.K. (eds) (2011). The World at the Time of Messel: Puzzles in Palaeobiology, Palaeoenvironment, and the History of Early Primates. 22nd International Senckenberg Conference. 15th – 19th November 2011, Frankfurt am Main. Conference Volume. Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Frankfurt am Main. pp. 203. -
The Poneromorph Ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae
732 G. M. Dlussky and S. Wedmann (1995) to Pachycondyla, belongs to Ponerinae, but no key uniformly convex. Eyes oval, situated in front of the characters of Pachycondyla are visible on the imprints midlength of head; head about 5 times longer than maxi- (unpublished data of Dlussky). The taxonomic position mum eye diameter. Gena longer than maximal eye diame- of species described by Zhang (1989) from Miocene ter. Frons width nearly 23% of head width. Scape almost deposits of Shanwang (China) as Euponera nubeculata reaching the posterior margin of the head. Head 1.3 times as and E.? minutansata (Euponera is a junior synonym of long as scape length. Funiculus gradually incrassate to the Pachycondyla) are unclear, partly because the quality apex but without distinctly differentiated club. Funicular of the drawings is not good. The narrow frons and the segments (except first and apical) less than 1.5 times longer closely approximated antennal sockets may be an indirect than thick. Mandibles subtriangular with 9–10 compara- indication that E. nubiculata belongs to Ponerinae. But tively large teeth. Mandible length is about half (51% in the comparatively large size (9 mm) precludes inclusion holotype and 53% in paratype) of head length. Mesosoma of this species in the morphogenus Ponerites Dlussky & robust. Scutum flat in side view, 3.7 times shorter than Rasnitsyn, 2003. The species described as E. minutansata mesosoma. Scutellum small, 6.5 times shorter than meso- undoubtedly does not belong in Ponerinae. The feature soma. Propodeal dorsum and declivity form rounded obtuse accepted by Zhang as a constriction between the first and angle. -
Autecology of the Sunda Pangolin (Manis Javanica) in Singapore
AUTECOLOGY OF THE SUNDA PANGOLIN (MANIS JAVANICA) IN SINGAPORE LIM T-LON, NORMAN (B.Sc. (Hons.), NUS) A THESIS SUBMITTED FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE 2007 An adult male Manis javanica (MJ17) raiding an arboreal Oceophylla smaradgina nest. By shutting its nostrils and eyes, the Sunda Pangolin is able to protect its vulnerable parts from the powerful bites of this ant speces. The scales and thick skin further reduce the impacts of the ants’ attack. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My supervisor Professor Peter Ng Kee Lin is a wonderful mentor who provides the perfect combination of support and freedom that every graduate student should have. Despite his busy schedule, he always makes time for his students and provides the appropriate advice needed. His insightful comments and innovative ideas never fail to impress and inspire me throughout my entire time in the University. Lastly, I am most grateful to Prof. Ng for seeing promise in me and accepting me into the family of the Systematics and Ecology Laboratory. I would also like to thank Benjamin Lee for introducing me to the subject of pangolins, and subsequently introducing me to Melvin Gumal. They have guided me along tremendously during the preliminary phase of the project and provided wonderful comments throughout the entire course. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) provided funding to undertake this research. In addition, field biologists from the various WCS offices in Southeast Asia have helped tremendously throughout the project, especially Anthony Lynam who has taken time off to conduct a camera-trapping workshop. -
The Evolution of Micro-Cursoriality in Mammals
© 2014. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd | The Journal of Experimental Biology (2014) 217, 1316-1325 doi:10.1242/jeb.095737 RESEARCH ARTICLE The evolution of micro-cursoriality in mammals Barry G. Lovegrove* and Metobor O. Mowoe* ABSTRACT Perissodactyla) in response to the emergence of open landscapes and In this study we report on the evolution of micro-cursoriality, a unique grasslands following the Eocene Thermal Maximum (Janis, 1993; case of cursoriality in mammals smaller than 1 kg. We obtained new Janis and Wilhelm, 1993; Yuanqing et al., 2007; Jardine et al., 2012; running speed and limb morphology data for two species of elephant- Lovegrove, 2012b; Lovegrove and Mowoe, 2013). shrews (Elephantulus spp., Macroscelidae) from Namaqualand, Loosely defined, cursorial mammals are those that run fast. South Africa, which we compared with published data for other However, more explicit definitions of cursoriality remain obscure mammals. Elephantulus maximum running speeds were higher than because locomotor performance is influenced by multiple variables, those of most mammals smaller than 1 kg. Elephantulus also including behaviour, biomechanics, physiology and morphology possess exceptionally high metatarsal:femur ratios (1.07) that are (Taylor et al., 1970; Garland, 1983a; Garland, 1983b; Garland and typically associated with fast unguligrade cursors. Cursoriality evolved Janis, 1993; Stein and Casinos, 1997; Carrano, 1999). In an in the Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla and Carnivora coincident with evaluation of these definition problems, Carrano (Carrano, 1999) global cooling and the replacement of forests with open landscapes argued that ‘…morphology should remain the fundamental basis for in the Oligocene and Miocene. The majority of mammal species, making distinctions between locomotor performance…’. -
Inferring Echolocation in Ancient Bats Arising From: N
NATURE | Vol 466 | 19 August 2010 BRIEF COMMUNICATIONS ARISING Inferring echolocation in ancient bats Arising from: N. Veselka et al. Nature 463, 939–942 (2010) Laryngeal echolocation, used by most living bats to form images of O. finneyi falls outside the size range seen in living echolocating bats their surroundings and to detect and capture flying prey1,2, is con- and is similar to the proportionally smaller cochleae of bats that lack sidered to be a key innovation for the evolutionary success of bats2,3, laryngeal echolocation4,8, suggesting that it did not echolocate. and palaeontologists have long sought osteological correlates of echolocation that can be used to infer the behaviour of fossil bats4–7. Veselka et al.8 argued that the most reliable trait indicating echoloca- tion capabilities in bats is an articulation between the stylohyal bone (part of the hyoid apparatus that supports the throat and larynx) and a the tympanic bone, which forms the floor of the middle ear. They examined the oldest and most primitive known bat, Onychonycteris finneyi (early Eocene, USA4), and argued that it showed evidence of this stylohyal–tympanic articulation, from which they concluded that O. finneyi may have been capable of echolocation. We disagree with their interpretation of key fossil data and instead argue that O. finneyi was probably not an echolocating bat. The holotype of O. finneyi shows the cranial end of the left stylohyal resting on the tympanic bone (Fig. 1c–e). However, the stylohyal on the right side is in a different position, the tip of the stylohyal extends beyond the tympanic on both sides of the skull, and both tympanics are crushed. -
New Large Leptictid Insectivore from the Late Paleogene of South Dakota, USA
New large leptictid insectivore from the Late Paleogene of South Dakota, USA TJ MEEHAN and LARRY D. MARTIN Meehan, T.J. and Martin, L.D. 2012. New large leptictid insectivore from the Late Paleogene of South Dakota, USA. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 57 (3): 509–518. From a skull and mandible, we describe a new genus and species of a primitive insectivore (Mammalia: Insectivora: Leptictida: Leptictidae). Its large body size and higher−crowned teeth indicate a different feeding ecology from other leptictid insectivores. With evidence of some heavy, flat wear on the molariform teeth, its shift in diet was likely to greater herbivory. Unlike the narrow snout of Blacktops, this new leptictid retains a broad snout, suggesting that small verte− brates were still important dietary components. The specimen was collected from the floodplain deposits of the lower or middle White River Group of South Dakota, which represent the latest Eocene to earliest Oligocene (Chadronian and Orellan North American Land Mammal “Ages”). Key words: Mammalia, Leptictidae, Leptictis, Megaleptictis, Eocene, Oligocene, White River Group, South Dakota, North America. TJ Meehan [[email protected]], Research Associate, Section of Vertebrate Paleontology, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA; Larry D. Martin [[email protected]], Division of Vertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum and Biodiversity Re− search Center, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA. Received 4 April 2011, accepted 25 July 2011, available online 17 August 2011. Introduction molariform teeth. A fossa in this region at least suggests in− creased snout mobility, but no definitive anatomical argument Leptictida is a primitive order of placental, insectivorous has been made to support a highly mobile cartilaginous snout mammals convergent to extant sengis or elephant “shrews” tip, as in sengis. -
Global Models of Ant Diversity Suggest Regions Where New Discoveries Are Most Likely Are Under Disproportionate Deforestation Threat
Global models of ant diversity suggest regions where new discoveries are most likely are under disproportionate deforestation threat Benoit Guénard1, Michael D. Weiser, and Robert R. Dunn Department of Biology and the Keck Center for Behavioral Biology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695 Edited* by Edward O. Wilson, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, and approved March 23, 2012 (received for review August 24, 2011) Most of the described and probably undescribed species on Earth As for other taxa, richness decreased with latitude (e.g., refs. 13 are insects. Global models of species diversity rarely focus on and 14) (Fig. 1) and there were also strong regional effects on the insects and none attempt to address unknown, undescribed magnitude of diversity. African regions were less diverse than diversity. We assembled a database representing about 13,000 would be expected given their latitude (or climate), the reverse of records for ant generic distribution from over 350 regions that the pattern observed for termites (15, 16) and terrestrial mammals cover much of the globe. Based on two models of diversity and (17), although similar to that for vascular plants (5, 18). The 53 endemicity, we identified regions where our knowledge of ant endemic genera were found almost exclusively in tropical regions diversity is most limited, regions we have called “hotspots of dis- that were diverse more generally, with four interesting exceptions covery.” A priori, such regions might be expected to be remote in North Africa, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and South Korea (Fig. 2). and untouched. Instead, we found that the hotspots of discovery Both overall generic diversity and endemic diversity showed are also the regions in which biodiversity is the most threatened a peak in the Oriental region, especially in Borneo, and were also by habitat destruction. -
71St Annual Meeting Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Paris Las Vegas Las Vegas, Nevada, USA November 2 – 5, 2011 SESSION CONCURRENT SESSION CONCURRENT
ISSN 1937-2809 online Journal of Supplement to the November 2011 Vertebrate Paleontology Vertebrate Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Society of Vertebrate 71st Annual Meeting Paleontology Society of Vertebrate Las Vegas Paris Nevada, USA Las Vegas, November 2 – 5, 2011 Program and Abstracts Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 71st Annual Meeting Program and Abstracts COMMITTEE MEETING ROOM POSTER SESSION/ CONCURRENT CONCURRENT SESSION EXHIBITS SESSION COMMITTEE MEETING ROOMS AUCTION EVENT REGISTRATION, CONCURRENT MERCHANDISE SESSION LOUNGE, EDUCATION & OUTREACH SPEAKER READY COMMITTEE MEETING POSTER SESSION ROOM ROOM SOCIETY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS SEVENTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING PARIS LAS VEGAS HOTEL LAS VEGAS, NV, USA NOVEMBER 2–5, 2011 HOST COMMITTEE Stephen Rowland, Co-Chair; Aubrey Bonde, Co-Chair; Joshua Bonde; David Elliott; Lee Hall; Jerry Harris; Andrew Milner; Eric Roberts EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Philip Currie, President; Blaire Van Valkenburgh, Past President; Catherine Forster, Vice President; Christopher Bell, Secretary; Ted Vlamis, Treasurer; Julia Clarke, Member at Large; Kristina Curry Rogers, Member at Large; Lars Werdelin, Member at Large SYMPOSIUM CONVENORS Roger B.J. Benson, Richard J. Butler, Nadia B. Fröbisch, Hans C.E. Larsson, Mark A. Loewen, Philip D. Mannion, Jim I. Mead, Eric M. Roberts, Scott D. Sampson, Eric D. Scott, Kathleen Springer PROGRAM COMMITTEE Jonathan Bloch, Co-Chair; Anjali Goswami, Co-Chair; Jason Anderson; Paul Barrett; Brian Beatty; Kerin Claeson; Kristina Curry Rogers; Ted Daeschler; David Evans; David Fox; Nadia B. Fröbisch; Christian Kammerer; Johannes Müller; Emily Rayfield; William Sanders; Bruce Shockey; Mary Silcox; Michelle Stocker; Rebecca Terry November 2011—PROGRAM AND ABSTRACTS 1 Members and Friends of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology, The Host Committee cordially welcomes you to the 71st Annual Meeting of the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology in Las Vegas. -
Onetouch 4.0 Scanned Documents
/ Chapter 2 THE FOSSIL RECORD OF BIRDS Storrs L. Olson Department of Vertebrate Zoology National Museum of Natural History Smithsonian Institution Washington, DC. I. Introduction 80 II. Archaeopteryx 85 III. Early Cretaceous Birds 87 IV. Hesperornithiformes 89 V. Ichthyornithiformes 91 VI. Other Mesozojc Birds 92 VII. Paleognathous Birds 96 A. The Problem of the Origins of Paleognathous Birds 96 B. The Fossil Record of Paleognathous Birds 104 VIII. The "Basal" Land Bird Assemblage 107 A. Opisthocomidae 109 B. Musophagidae 109 C. Cuculidae HO D. Falconidae HI E. Sagittariidae 112 F. Accipitridae 112 G. Pandionidae 114 H. Galliformes 114 1. Family Incertae Sedis Turnicidae 119 J. Columbiformes 119 K. Psittaciforines 120 L. Family Incertae Sedis Zygodactylidae 121 IX. The "Higher" Land Bird Assemblage 122 A. Coliiformes 124 B. Coraciiformes (Including Trogonidae and Galbulae) 124 C. Strigiformes 129 D. Caprimulgiformes 132 E. Apodiformes 134 F. Family Incertae Sedis Trochilidae 135 G. Order Incertae Sedis Bucerotiformes (Including Upupae) 136 H. Piciformes 138 I. Passeriformes 139 X. The Water Bird Assemblage 141 A. Gruiformes 142 B. Family Incertae Sedis Ardeidae 165 79 Avian Biology, Vol. Vlll ISBN 0-12-249408-3 80 STORES L. OLSON C. Family Incertae Sedis Podicipedidae 168 D. Charadriiformes 169 E. Anseriformes 186 F. Ciconiiformes 188 G. Pelecaniformes 192 H. Procellariiformes 208 I. Gaviiformes 212 J. Sphenisciformes 217 XI. Conclusion 217 References 218 I. Introduction Avian paleontology has long been a poor stepsister to its mammalian counterpart, a fact that may be attributed in some measure to an insufRcien- cy of qualified workers and to the absence in birds of heterodont teeth, on which the greater proportion of the fossil record of mammals is founded. -
103 the EVOLUTION of BATSI Leigh Van Valen Department Of
103 THE EVOLUTIONOF BATSI Leigh Van Valen Department of Biology University of Chicago 1103 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 Received August 30, 1978; June 8, L979 Abstract: I devel-op the first explicitly Justified phylogeny of the known farnil-les of bats, usj.ng all available characters. This phylogeny permits the adaptive evolution of the order to be outlined. Two main clades emerge within the Microchiroptera and are cal-led new infraorders, Vespertilionia and Phyllostomatia. In each infraorder there is a series of grades of progressively stronger fi-ight, and there is a radiation of diet within the Phyllostomatia. Parallel evolution is extensive. Most grades stlll exist, presumably by a poorly understood partitioning of the resource space. The Megachiroptera nay have originated in the l-ate Ollgocene or early Miocene from surviving mernbers of the Eochiroptera (new suborder). The Kerivoul,ldae, Myzopodidae, Thyropteridae, and Furlpterldae are placed in the Natalidae, and the lcaronycterididae in the PaLaeochiropterygidae. The features of an ancestral bat are predicted. Bat origins are poorly known but may be found in Paleocene members of the Adapisoricidae. ,r** Bats constitute the second largest order of marnmalsand have a readily decipherable adaptive history, at least compared with the Rodentia and Insectivora. Nevertheless, there is no treatment of this adaptive hlstory nor even a general phyl-ogeny, which must form its foundation. I noticed this l-ack when revising a course on the paleobiology of mauunalsand undertook to remedy it. Although I sttll lack much familiarity with bats, the resul-t may be of more general interest. ORIGIN OF BATS One may hypothesize ttrat bats dld originate, but it is harder to go beyond this. -
Sistemática Y Ecología De Las Hormigas Predadoras (Formicidae: Ponerinae) De La Argentina
UNIVERSIDAD DE BUENOS AIRES Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Sistemática y ecología de las hormigas predadoras (Formicidae: Ponerinae) de la Argentina Tesis presentada para optar al título de Doctor de la Universidad de Buenos Aires en el área CIENCIAS BIOLÓGICAS PRISCILA ELENA HANISCH Directores de tesis: Dr. Andrew Suarez y Dr. Pablo L. Tubaro Consejero de estudios: Dr. Daniel Roccatagliata Lugar de trabajo: División de Ornitología, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia” Buenos Aires, Marzo 2018 Fecha de defensa: 27 de Marzo de 2018 Sistemática y ecología de las hormigas predadoras (Formicidae: Ponerinae) de la Argentina Resumen Las hormigas son uno de los grupos de insectos más abundantes en los ecosistemas terrestres, siendo sus actividades, muy importantes para el ecosistema. En esta tesis se estudiaron de forma integral la sistemática y ecología de una subfamilia de hormigas, las ponerinas. Esta subfamilia predomina en regiones tropicales y neotropicales, estando presente en Argentina desde el norte hasta la provincia de Buenos Aires. Se utilizó un enfoque integrador, combinando análisis genéticos con morfológicos para estudiar su diversidad, en combinación con estudios ecológicos y comportamentales para estudiar la dominancia, estructura de la comunidad y posición trófica de las Ponerinas. Los resultados sugieren que la diversidad es más alta de lo que se creía, tanto por que se encontraron nuevos registros durante la colecta de nuevo material, como porque nuestros análisis sugieren la presencia de especies crípticas. Adicionalmente, demostramos que en el PN Iguazú, dos ponerinas: Dinoponera australis y Pachycondyla striata son componentes dominantes en la comunidad de hormigas. Análisis de isótopos estables revelaron que la mayoría de las Ponerinas ocupan niveles tróficos altos, con excepción de algunas especies arborícolas del género Neoponera que dependerían de néctar u otros recursos vegetales.