Palaeonews No 10 for 2020 (PDF)
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High School Living Earth Evidence for Evolution Lessons Name: School: Teacher
DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=CA-B High School Living Earth Evidence for Evolution Lessons Name: School: Teacher: The Unit should take approximately 4 days complete. Read each section and complete the tasks. DO NOT EDIT--Changes must be made through “File info” CorrectionKey=CA-B FIGURE 1: This creosote ring in the Mojave Desert is estimated to be 11 700 years old . This makes it one of the oldest living organisms on Earth . The creosote bush is thought to be the most drought-tolerant plant in North America. It has a variety of adaptations to its desert environment, including its reproductive tendency to clone outward in rings rather than rely solely on seed production. The plant’s leaves are coated in a foul-tasting resin that protects it from water loss through evaporation and from grazing. It only opens its stomata in the morning to pull in carbon dioxide for photosynthesis from the more humid air and closes them as the day’s temperature increases. It also has a root system that consists of both an exceptionally long tap root and a vast network of shallow feeder roots. Creosote bushes exhibit two different shapes to fit different microclimates. In drier areas, the plant has a cone shape in which stems funnel rainwater into the taproot. In wetter areas, the bush has a more rounded shape that provides shade to its shallow feeder roots. PREDICT How do species change over time to adjust to varying conditions? DRIVING QUESTIONS As you move through the unit, gather evidence to help you answer the following questions. -
SVP's Letter to Editors of Journals and Publishers on Burmese Amber And
Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 300 McLean, VA 22102 USA Phone: (301) 634-7024 Email: [email protected] Web: www.vertpaleo.org FEIN: 06-0906643 April 21, 2020 Subject: Fossils from conflict zones and reproducibility of fossil-based scientific data Dear Editors, We are writing you today to promote the awareness of a couple of troubling matters in our scientific discipline, paleontology, because we value your professional academic publication as an important ‘gatekeeper’ to set high ethical standards in our scientific field. We represent the Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP: http://vertpaleo.org/), a non-profit international scientific organization with over 2,000 researchers, educators, students, and enthusiasts, to advance the science of vertebrate palaeontology and to support and encourage the discovery, preservation, and protection of vertebrate fossils, fossil sites, and their geological and paleontological contexts. The first troubling matter concerns situations surrounding fossils in and from conflict zones. One particularly alarming example is with the so-called ‘Burmese amber’ that contains exquisitely well-preserved fossils trapped in 100-million-year-old (Cretaceous) tree sap from Myanmar. They include insects and plants, as well as various vertebrates such as lizards, snakes, birds, and dinosaurs, which have provided a wealth of biological information about the ‘dinosaur-era’ terrestrial ecosystem. Yet, the scientific value of these specimens comes at a cost (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/11/science/amber-myanmar-paleontologists.html). Where Burmese amber is mined in hazardous conditions, smuggled out of the country, and sold as gemstones, the most disheartening issue is that the recent surge of exciting scientific discoveries, particularly involving vertebrate fossils, has in part fueled the commercial trading of amber. -
Dornbos.Web.CV
Stephen Quinn Dornbos Associate Professor and Department Chair Department of Geosciences University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Milwaukee, WI 53201-0413 Phone: (414) 229-6630 Fax: (414) 229-5452 E-mail: [email protected] http://uwm.edu/geosciences/people/dornbos-stephen/ EDUCATION 2003 Ph.D., Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. 1999 M.S., Geological Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA. 1997 B.A., Geology, The College of Wooster, Wooster, OH. ADDITIONAL EDUCATION 2002 University of Washington, Summer Marine Invertebrate Zoology Course, Friday Harbor Laboratories. 1997 Louisiana State University, Summer Field Geology Course. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE 2017-Present Department Chair, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 2010-Present Associate Professor, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 2004-2010 Assistant Professor, Department of Geosciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. 2012-Present Adjunct Curator, Geology Department, Milwaukee Public Museum. 2004-Present Curator, Greene Geological Museum, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee. 2003-2004 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Southern California. 2002 Research Assistant, Invertebrate Paleontology Department, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. EDITORIAL POSITIONS 2017-Present Editorial Board, Heliyon. 2015-Present Board of Directors, Coquina Press. 2014-Present Commentaries Editor, Palaeontologia Electronica. 2006-Present Associate Editor, Palaeontologia Electronica. Curriculum Vitae – Stephen Q. Dornbos 2 RESEARCH INTERESTS 1) Evolution and preservation of early life on Earth. 2) Evolutionary paleoecology of early animals during the Cambrian radiation. 3) Geobiology of microbial structures in Precambrian–Cambrian sedimentary rocks. 4) Cambrian reef evolution, paleoecology, and extinction. 5) Exceptional fossil preservation. HONORS AND AWARDS 2013 UWM Authors Recognition Ceremony. 2011 Full Member, Sigma Xi. -
Permophiles Issue
Contents Notes from the SPS Secretary ...........................................................................................................................1 Shen Shuzhong Notes from the SPS Chair ..................................................................................................................................2 Charles M. Henderson Meeting Report: Report on the Continental Siena Meeting, Italy, September 2006.....................................3 G. Cassinis, A. Lazzarotto, P. Pittau Working Group Report: Short report on 2005-2006 activities of the non-marine – marine correlation work- ing group of SPS ..................................................................................................................................................5 J.W. Schneider Report of SPS Working Group on “Using Permian transitional biotas as gateways for global correlation”7 Guang R. Shi International Permian Time Scale ...................................................................................................................10 Voting Members of the SPS ............................................................................................................................. 11 Submission guideline for Issue 49 ....................................................................................................................12 Reports: Ostracods (Crustacea) from the Permian-Triassic boundary interval of South China (Huaying Mountains, eastern Sichuan Province): paleo-oxygenation significance .......................................................12 -
Diversity Variation, Distribution Pattern, and Evolutionary Implicat
+Model PALWOR-305; No. of Pages 20 ARTICLE IN PRESS Available online at www.sciencedirect.com ScienceDirect Palaeoworld xxx (2015) xxx–xxx A systematic overview of fossil osmundalean ferns in China: Diversity variation, distribution pattern, and evolutionary implications a,f,g b,c,∗ d b e Ning Tian , Yong-Dong Wang , Man Dong , Li-Qin Li , Zi-Kun Jiang a College of Palaeontology, Shenyang Normal University, Shenyang 110034, China b Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China c Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China d College of Geosciences, Yangtze University, Wuhan 430100, China e Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China f State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China g Key Laboratory for Evolution of Past Life in Northeast Asia, Ministry of Land and Resources, Shenyang 110034, China Received 7 August 2014; received in revised form 9 December 2014; accepted 12 May 2015 Abstract The order Osmundales is a unique fern taxon with extensive fossil records in geological past. Diverse osmundalean fossils have been reported from China, ranging in age from the Late Palaeozoic to the Cenozoic. Most of them are based on leaf impressions/compressions, but permineralized rhizomes are also well documented. In this study, we provide a systematic overview on fossil osmundalean ferns in China with special references on diversity variations, distribution patterns, and evolutionary implications. Fossil evidence indicates that this fern lineage first appeared in the Late Palaeozoic in China. -
Active Research Grants
Linda C. Ivany Professor Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences Heroy Geology Laboratory,Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244 phone: (315) 443-3626 / fax: (315) 443-3363 / email: [email protected] http://thecollege.syr.edu/people/faculty/pages/ear/Ivany-Linda.html https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4692-3455 Education Ph.D. in Earth and Planetary Sciences, 1997, Harvard University Advisor: Stephen Jay Gould M.S. in Geology, minor in Zoology, 1990, University of Florida-Gainesville Advisor: Douglas S. Jones B.S. in Geology, minor in Zoology, 1988, Syracuse University Advisor: Cathryn R. Newton Academic Positions 2012-present Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2005-2012 Associate Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2001-2005 Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 2000-2001 Visiting Assistant Professor of Earth Sciences, Syracuse University 1997-2000 Michigan Society Fellow and Visiting Assistant Professor of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan General Research Interests Evolutionary Paleoecology, Paleoclimatology, Stable Isotopes in Paleobiology I am a marine paleoecologist and paleoclimatologist. My interests lie broadly in the evolution of the Earth-life system and how ecosystems and their component taxa evolve and respond to changes in the physical environment. Specific areas of interest include biotic and climatic change during the Paleogene (~65-24 million years ago); use of geochemical data, particularly stable isotopes, derived from accretionary biogenic materials for inference -
Saxicolous Bryophytes of an Ordovician Dolomite Escarpment in Interlake Manitoba, with New Species Records for the Province
Saxicolous Bryophytes of an Ordovician Dolomite Escarpment in Interlake Manitoba, with New Species Records for the Province RICHARD T. C ANERS 442 Earth Sciences Building, Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3 Canada; email: [email protected] Caners, Richard T. 2011. Saxicolous bryophytes of an Ordovician dolomite escarpment in Interlake Manitoba, with new species records for the province. Canadian Field-Naturalist 125(4): 327-337. An assessment of bryophyte species growing on an Ordovician dolomite escarpment in the Interlake region of Manitoba known as Marble Ridge revealed a diverse flora composed mostly of circumboreal floristic elements. Two liverwort families (including three species) and four moss species are reported for Manitoba for the first time: the liverworts Athalamia hyalina (Sommert.) Hatt. (Cleveaceae), Mannia fragrans (Balbis) Frye et Clark (Aytoniaceae), and Mannia sibirica (K. Müll.) Frye et Clark (Aytoniaceae) and the mosses Brachythecium collinum (Schleich. ex C. Müll.) Schimp. in B.S.G., Grimmia teretinervis Limpr., Schistidium frigidum H. H. Blom, and Seligeria donniana (Sm.) C. Müll. An annotated summary of these and other bryophyte species documented at the site is provided. The diversity of encountered bryophytes can mostly be attributed to the moist and shaded microclimatic conditions on the escarpment and the large number of microhabitats the escarpment supports. This study represents one of few accounts of bryophytes in the region and highlights the importance of this particular geologic formation in supporting a number of species that are expected to be regionally uncommon. Key Words: Athalamia hyalina , Brachythecium collinum , bryophyte, circumboreal, floristic affinity, Grimmia teretinervis , Interlake, life form, liverwort, Manitoba, Mannia fragrans , Mannia sibirica , Marble Ridge, moss, phytogeography, Schistidium frigidum , Seligeria donniana. -
Transitional Fossils by Greg
Transitional Fossils By Greg Neyman © Answers In Creation Answers In Creation Website www.answersincreation.org/transitional_fossils.htm Transitional fossils, or the supposed lack thereof, has been used for many years by anti-evolutionists to argue against evolution. Here, I will explain what a transitional fossil is, and why it is not valid as an argument against evolution. A transitional fossil shows the evolutionary development from one species to another. For example, if organism 1 existed 70 million years ago, and organism 2 shows up in the fossil record 5 million years later, then theoretically there should be intermediate species in this 5 million year gap, which shows gradual progression from one species to another. The lack of these "transitional" fossils is proof to young earth creationists that evolution is false. Evolutionists have shown that indeed there are transitional fossils, and there are plenty of examples of them. For instance, see http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq- transitional.html . Here is the key point...even if young earth creationists accept these examples of transitional fossils, they will still claim that there are no transitional fossils! These fossils will be called either unique species, or they will come up with some reason (disease, birth defect, etc) that accounts for the apparent transition feature. Naturally, they will say, "Where are the transitional fossils between these transitional fossils?" If we had a clear fossil record, showing progression every 10,000 years for millions of years, they will not believe it, and will want the "transitional" fossils for the missing 10,000 year period. No amount of evidence will convict them that their belief is wrong. -
Ediacaran Sponges, Animal Biomineralization, and Skeletal Reefs COMMENTARY Shuhai Xiaoa,1
COMMENTARY Ediacaran sponges, animal biomineralization, and skeletal reefs COMMENTARY Shuhai Xiaoa,1 With an estimated 15,000 living species (1), the animal AB phylum Porifera (colloquially known as sponges) is not a biodiversity heavyweight as are arthropods, mol- lusks, and chordates. Unassuming in character, sponges barely move in their adult lifetime of up to several thousand years, and they passively strain food particles from water currents that they generate con- tinuously around the clock. They would be one of the most boring pets to have. However, sponges contrib- ute to the global ecosystem and to our knowledge CD about animal evolution in their own ways. Because Other Crown-group sponges Other Crown-group sponges sponges diverged near the base of the animal family metazoans metazoans Age (Ma) Age tree (2), they hold a special place in understanding 500 520 early animal evolution. Because sponges were among Cambrian the first animals to build mineralized skeletons 540 bilaterian fossils 560 Stem-group through biologically controlled processes (3), they pro- sponge vide key insights into the origins of animal biomineral- 580 600 ization. Also, because many sponges are important reef Ediacaran Aspiculate sponges or non-biomineralizing animals constructors, they play an essential role in modern reef 620 640 Spiculate sponges or ecosystems and may take over the reins from corals as demosponge biomarkers biomineralizing animals Stem-group sponge Stem-group global warming exacerbates (4). Thus, when and how 660 680 Cryogenian sponges evolved, acquired biomineralization, and molecular clocks 700 started contributing to reef construction become crit- ical questions in the early evolution of animals, biomi- Fig. -
Christopher A. Brochu
Curriculum Vitae CHRISTOPHER A. BROCHU Department of Geoscience Phone: 319-353-1808 University of Iowa Fax: 319-335-1821 Iowa City, IA 52242 Email: [email protected] EDUCATIONAL AND PROFESSIONAL HISTORY Higher Education 1993-1997 Ph.D. Geological Sciences University of Texas at Austin 1989-1993 M.A. Geological Sciences University of Texas at Austin 1985-1989 B.S. Geology University of Iowa Professional and Academic Positions 2010 - present Miller Teaching Fellow, University College, University of Iowa 2006 - present Associate Professor, Department of Geoscience, University of Iowa 2001 - 2006 Assistant Professor, Department of Geoscience, University of Iowa 2001 - present Research Associate, Vertebrate Paleontology Laboratory, Texas Memorial Museum 2001 - present Research Associate, Department of Geology, Field Museum 2001 - present Research Associate, Science Museum of Minnesota 1998 - 2000 Postdoctoral Research Scientist, Department of Geology, Field Museum Honors and Awards 2011 Fellowship, Obermann Center for Advanced Studies, University of Iowa 2011 Career Development Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa 2006 Dean’s Scholar, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa 2005 Collegiate Teaching Award, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Iowa 1996 Romer Prize, Society of Vertebrate Paleontology 1996 Stoye Award in General Herpetology, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists 1996 Best Student Technical Sessions Speaker, Geological Sciences, University of Texas -
New Transitional Fossil from Late Jurassic of Chile Sheds Light on the Origin of Modern Crocodiles Fernando E
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN New transitional fossil from late Jurassic of Chile sheds light on the origin of modern crocodiles Fernando E. Novas1,2, Federico L. Agnolin1,2,3*, Gabriel L. Lio1, Sebastián Rozadilla1,2, Manuel Suárez4, Rita de la Cruz5, Ismar de Souza Carvalho6,8, David Rubilar‑Rogers7 & Marcelo P. Isasi1,2 We describe the basal mesoeucrocodylian Burkesuchus mallingrandensis nov. gen. et sp., from the Upper Jurassic (Tithonian) Toqui Formation of southern Chile. The new taxon constitutes one of the few records of non‑pelagic Jurassic crocodyliforms for the entire South American continent. Burkesuchus was found on the same levels that yielded titanosauriform and diplodocoid sauropods and the herbivore theropod Chilesaurus diegosuarezi, thus expanding the taxonomic composition of currently poorly known Jurassic reptilian faunas from Patagonia. Burkesuchus was a small‑sized crocodyliform (estimated length 70 cm), with a cranium that is dorsoventrally depressed and transversely wide posteriorly and distinguished by a posteroventrally fexed wing‑like squamosal. A well‑defned longitudinal groove runs along the lateral edge of the postorbital and squamosal, indicative of a anteroposteriorly extensive upper earlid. Phylogenetic analysis supports Burkesuchus as a basal member of Mesoeucrocodylia. This new discovery expands the meagre record of non‑pelagic representatives of this clade for the Jurassic Period, and together with Batrachomimus, from Upper Jurassic beds of Brazil, supports the idea that South America represented a cradle for the evolution of derived crocodyliforms during the Late Jurassic. In contrast to the Cretaceous Period and Cenozoic Era, crocodyliforms from the Jurassic Period are predomi- nantly known from marine forms (e.g., thalattosuchians)1. -
A Brief History of Whale Evolution: As Supported by The
A Brief History of Whale Evolution As Supported By the Fossil Record BIOB 272 – Genetics and Evolution Presented by Mindy Flanders Presented for Rick Henry December 8, 2017 Cetaceans—whales, dolphins, and porpoises—are so different from other animals that, until recently, scientists were unable to identify their closest relatives. As any elementary student knows, a whale is not a fish. That means that despite the similarities in where they live and how they look, whales are not at all like salmon or even sharks. Carolus Linnaeus, known for classifying plants and animals, noted in the 1750s that “whales breathe air through lungs not gills; are warm blooded; and have many other anatomical differences that distinguish them from fish” (Prothero, 2015). Other characteristics cetaceans share with all other mammals are: they have hair (at some point in their life), they give birth to live young, and they nurse their young with milk. This implies that whales evolved from other mammals and, because ancestral mammals were land animals, that whales had land ancestors (Thewissen & Bajpai, 2001). But before they had land ancestors they had water ancestors. The ancestors of fish lived in water, too. Up until 375 million years ago (mya), everything other than plants and insects lived in water, but it was around that time that fish and land animals began to diverge. A series of fossils represent the fish-to-tetrapod transition that occurred during the Late Devonian Period 359-383 mya (Herron & Freeman, 2014). In search of a new food source, or to escape predators more than twice their size (Prothero, 2015), the first tetrapods pushed themselves out of the swamps and began to live on land (Switek, 2010).