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The Royal Society of Tasmania PAPERS AND PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF TASMANIA FOR THE YEAR 1943 £7 xVT*'iteVr \w CENTENARY NUMBER Edited by JOSEPH PEARSON and D. CoLBRON PEARSE PUBLISHED BY THE SOCIETY The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Hobart 15.12.1941 Price: Ten Shillings Royal Society of Tasmania Papers and Proceedings, 1943 CONTENTS Page The Phreatoicoidea. By G. E. Nicholls 1 A Century of Ideas on Evolution. By Eric Ashby 159 On some new Australian Apneumonomorphae with Notes on their Respiratory Systems. By V. V. Hickman - 179 Variation in Pultenaea juniperina Labill. By Winifred M. Curtis 197 The Royal Society of Tasmania, 1843-1943. By J. Somerville 199 Centenary of the Royal Society . 223 Annual Report, 1943 233 Abstracts of Proceedings 237 Obituary .' : .... 248 PAr. & PROC. ROY. SOC. TASMANIA, 1943 (15TH DECEMBER, 1944.) 1 The Phreatoicoidea By ' G. E. NlCHOLLS Professor of Biology, University of Western Australia (Read 16th November, 1943) PART II.—The PHREATOICIDAE Family Phreatoicidae Right mandible without lacinia mobilis. Body sub-cylindrical, pi eon compressed; head relatively long, generally with posterior process; cervical groove usually well developed; first peraeon segment normally not fused to the head; the telson as a rule produced into terminal projection. Maxillula usually with few setospines on apex of proximal endite; coxae of peraeopods generally free from pleura of related segments; bases of hinder peraeopods moderately, or scarcely, expanded. As has already been noted (Part I, p. 25), the essential distinction between the Amphisopidae and the Phreatoicidae is found in the retention or the loss of the secondary cutting edge of the right mandible. Since a similar reduction in that appendage has also taken place independently in some Amphipoda as well as in several groups of the. Isopoda, that modification might be attributable to difference in dietary or mode of life, but such an explana­ tion will not avail for the Phreatoicidae, all of which seem to be humus feeders. Within the sub-order, the degradation or complete disappearance of this lacinia could, of course, have occurred independently in more genera than one and, thus, forms which lack the right lacinia mobilis need not necessarily be near akin, but, on the other hand, its occurrence must have a phyletic significance, since its retention can only be interpreted as an inheritance from a common ancestor. Further, the absence of this cutting edge is generally associated with a more reduced condition of some of the other mouth parts; but, to that rule, the genus Phreatoicus (s.s.) proves a notable exception, the maxillula, at least, being as well, or even better, developed than it is in any Amphisopid form. Moreover, the retention of the more primitive condition of the mouth parts is usually accompanied by a greater development of the antennule, and the possession of large and prominent eyes, both features doubtless the attributes of the more active swimming mode of life. Part I, dealing with the Amphisopidae, was published in the 1942 volume of this Journal, and the literature referred to in Part II is given on pp. 4-5 of the 1942 volume. For explanation of lettering see Part I of this paper. Pap. and Proc. Roy. Soc. Tas., 1942; p. 5. 2 , THE PHREATOICOIDEA: PART II. Related to this, in the Amphisopidae, seems to be the condition of an apparently shortened head, on which the cervical groove can, in many species, no longer be traced, the process of cephalization having progressed so far that, in most members of that family, the first peraeon segment appears to have undergone considerable forward shifting, with the result that its appendage (the gnathopod) lies external to, instead of behind, the maxilliped.C1) In most of the Phreatoicidae, however, the cervical groove persists and in many members of that family the forward shifting of the first peraeon segment seems to have been less marked, so that a visible gap may still exist between the attachments of maxilliped and gnathopod. But whether the head be short or long, a character which may perhaps be important is the relative length of the post-mandibular part of the head; associated with this is the forward production at its anterior angle into a ' posterior process'. In Paramphisopus palustris, although the head appears short, the post-mandibular region is relatively long and is produced into a well-marked process. Mesamphi- sopus depressus, another species which retains many primitive features, also con­ forms to this type. All subterranean forms, whether Amphisopid or Phreatoicid, show, strongly marked, the opposite tendency (i.e., to head elongation), the lengthening being particularly noticeable in the region behind the mandible. Hyperoedesipus has no posterior process, but this is well developed in the species of Phreatoicoides. In general, the head in Amphisopidae is short, and the reduc­ tion in length appears to have been effected mostly at the expense of the post- mandibular region, while a posterior process is variable. It is well developed in Amphisopus spp., but absent in Phreatoicopsis. From these facts, one may perhaps draw the inferences that (1) the primitive condition was one in which the post-mandibular region was moderately long, this condition tending to become exaggerated in many subterranean species; (2) that a posterior process, moderately developed, was probably present in the ancestral form. Such a primitive condition of the head is characteristic of the majority of forms included in the second family of the sub-order—the Phreatoicidae. This includes some thirty-odd species and sub-species (more than twenty of which are new) and which are here referred to ten genera. In previous accounts, the eleven species known were all recorded under the name Phreatoicus. As noted in Part I, the Amphisopidae have a pan-Australian range and occur also in South Africa, whereas the members of the Phreatoicidae are restricted to New Zealand and the Bassian region of Australia. Tne£3iir," as will be seen from the key to genera given below, into_threjeJ^ separated by_^ it is of interest that the species occurring on the periphery of the area (New Zealand and the northern fringe of the Bassian) probably most nearly resemble, in condition of telson and mouth parts, the typical Amphisopids from West Australia. A few species, found only in the Great Lake of Tasmania, retain what may well be the primitive condition of the telson, and, seemingly, a comparatively slight reduction of the condition recorded for. the Carboniferous fossil, Acanthotelson. But the largest group of the species of the Phreatoicids cluster round australis or joyneri, and these are strictly confined to the Australian Alps and Tasmania, being in the latter country, quite widespread and abundantly occurring forms. This probably represents the latest efflorescence of the sub-order, all its repre- (!) Part I, figs 1 and 2B. G. E. NICHOLLS 3 sentatives being forms retaining what must be assumed to be the docked stump only of a primarily elongate telson, reduced mouth parts, and uropods but slightly armed. This stump of the telson bears a terminal fringe of spines, in the great majority four in number. Such an armature characterizes the telsonic apex, not only of the species of Paraphreatoieus, but also of a very wide range of members of this sub-order, and it may well have been the number originally preserved on this telsonic stump. A few, however (constituting the genus Metaphreatoicus), h§^6_J^™§ElB.esJ an arrangement which might represent either~^fTTSeThieiiate condition in the reduction of the telson, or be due to a secondary acquisition of a third pair of these spines developing upon the lateral border of the stump. In the present account it is regarded as secondary/1) and the more general armature of four spines is considered as the earlier condition in this family. KEY TO GENERA ,- •-•• Mir/'os co A. Eyes large, prominent; telson with terminal projection well -developed, its pleura slightly produced; gnathopod with spines on palm denticulate; spine beneath insertion of rami of uropods stout, toothed. B. Telsonic projection cylindrical, backwardly directed. vJ> a2 C. Telsonic projection relatively long, segments of peraeon deeper '.blessesivi\o«-!sfi'>J" ' than long; bases of hinder peraeopods not expanded Mesacanthotelson 6 }' 77O'- C1. Telsonic projection shortened; peraeon segments as long as deep ; bases of hinder peraeopods slightly expanded Colaeanthotelson fi-% B1. Telsonic projection slightly flattened, sharply upturned; segments of peraeon deeper than long •Onchotelson & r. A1. Eyes small or wanting; telsonic projection reduced to small upturned stump; pleura of telson well developed; gnathopod with spines on palm denticulate; spine beneath insertion of rami of uropod stout, toothed. B. Apex of telsonic projection armed with two pairs of spines. arjaphrsjstfW."—• C. Endopodite of first pleopod setose (Paraphreatoieus I J^rTi. C1. Endopodite of first pleopod without setae .... ^h^ Jf^.,.?®.^ Vji IColubotelson I Z><£-~\~ > B1. Apex of telsonic projection with three pairs of spines j Metaphreatoicus , .n. A2. Eyes wanting; telson scarcely produced or upturned, its hinder dorsal border having an outline ranging from sub-triangular to a flattened convex; gnathopod with palm armed with stout sub-conical spines. 1 >Q B. Body vermiform, telson with flattened posterior surface; spine beneath insertion of rami of uropods stout, simple. C. Gnathopod practically chelate; bases of hinder peraeopods not expanded rPhreatoicus J !\(? C1. Gnathopod sub-chelate; bases of hinder peraeopods moderately expanded j Neophreatoieus J fo |\j~? B1. Body sub-cylindrical, fusiform; bases of hinder peraeopods scarcely expanded. •.•'"•-•• '.v.- "' • " "lK,;- • '' • l"-fV' C. First pleopod with endopodite bearing plumose setae; penial stylet cylindrical with several terminal spines ; spine beneath inser­ tion of rami toothed Notamphisopus j j u<y C1. First pleopod with endopodite unarmed; penial stylet curved, tapering, armed with a stout spatulate spine; spine beneath insertion of rami of uropod toothed or absent ...
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