A slender new archaic beetle in Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Archostemata)

Jarzembowski, Edmund A., Wang, B. &; Zheng, D., October 2017. A slender new archaic beetle in Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Archostemata). Alcheringa 42, 110–114. ISSN 0311-5518.

A new archostematan beetle, Clessidromma palmeri gen. et sp. nov. (Insecta: Coleoptera) is described from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber from northern Myanmar. It has a uniquely specialized body form for which a new stem tribe, Clessidromatini trib. nov., is proposed in the subfamily Ommatinae of the family Cupedidae sensu lato.

Edmund Jarzembowski* [jarzembowski2@live.co.uk] Bo Wang? [bowang@nigpas.ac.cn] and Daran Zheng? [darzheng@connect.hku.hk] State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Rd, Nanjing 210008, PR China. *Also affiliated with: Department of Earth Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London SW7 5BD, UK. ?Also affiliated with: Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing 100101, PR China. ?Also affiliated with: Daran Zheng, Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China.     

The avifauna of the early Epipalaeolithic site of Ohalo II (19 400 years BP), Israel: species diversity,habitat and seasonality

The early Epipalaeolithic site of Ohalo II offers evidence that, some 19 400 years BP, prehistoric people on the shore of the Sea of Galilee exploited birds in large numbers as a food source and for the decorative value of their feathers and claws. The superb preservation of even the most delicate fauna at this site enabled an extensive analysis of a type rarely possible with avian remains of this antiquity. Certain types of birds were obtained preferentially, although a broad variety of avifauna was taken; preliminary analysis of some 488 identifiable bone fragments indicates that 16 families, 40 genera, and 68 different species are represented in the archaeological assemblage. As might be expected from a lakeshore site, the remains of waterfowl abound. The most diversity within a family occurs among the Anatidae, with ten genera and 22 species; however, the most frequently occurring birds are those of the family Podicipidae, or grebes, which account for approximately one-third of the assemblage. Species common to a variety of other environments are found in significant numbers as well (namely the Accipitridae). Large birds dominate the assemblage and the number of species represented by each family is disproportionate to the numerical frequency of those species at present, with passeriformes relatively poorly represented. The regular migration pattern of birds today broadly indicates that the site was occupied during the months of September–November and February–April. There are, however, a number of species that appear in this region today only from December through to March, which might indicate a longer, semi-permanent encampment. A biseasonal, or perhaps extended winter occupation pattern at Ohalo II seems to support a shift away from the generalized foraging economy of hunter–gatherers and to indicate the onset of planned intensive collecting, thus foreshadowing the initial steps toward sedentism. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Bird remains from the archaeological site of Guinea (El Hierro,Canary Islands)

The first data on bird hunting by the ancient people from El Hierro island are given here. Ninety-three bones have been examined from a cave situated in the archaeological site of Guinea. The majority of the bones are broken, burned and some of them have cuts showing human exploitation. There are species that have been eaten from the lower levels to the present day (Calonectris diomedea, Columba sp. and Corvus corax), one species that does not now live on El Hierro (cf. Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax), and an extinct species (Coturnix gomerae). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

关于民族文物的几点认识

民族文物是人类文化遗产的重要组成部分,是反映古代不同社会形态以及生产、生活状况的活化石.它填补了史籍记载的缺失和田野考古的不足,为人类社会发展史研究提供了珍贵的实物资料,在科学研究、发展旅游业、繁荣民族经济等方面具有重要价值.民族文物是中华民族的珍贵遗产,应及时抢救保护.     

Small and common: the oldest tropical Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the lower Eocene Cambay amber of India

Nadein, K.S. & Perkovsky, E.E. 2 July 2019. Small and common: the oldest tropical Chrysomelidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the lower Eocene Cambay amber of India. Alcheringa XXX, X–X. ISSN 0311-5518.

Three new genera and species of flea beetles (Chrysomelidae: Alticini) are described from the lowermost Eocene Cambay amber: Cambaltica paleoindica Nadein, gen. et sp. nov., Protorthaltica setosella Nadein, gen. et sp. nov., and Davidaltica cambayensis Nadein, gen. et sp. nov. These taxa share a zoogeographic affinity with extant Oriental and Afrotropical flea beetle faunas, with similarities to Afrotropical elements interpreted to be a result of Neogene migrations from Laurasia to Africa. The flea beetles within the Cambay amber are characterized by their small body size (1.2–1.9?mm), and the absence or rarity of larger flea beetles in the Cambay amber forest is assumed to be evidence for a progressive increase in the average body size of tropical flea beetles beginning in the early Eocene.

Konstantin S. Nadein [k.nadein@gmail.com], University of Kiel, Zoological Institute, Functional Morphology and Biomechanics, Am Botanischen Garten 1–9, Kiel, Germany; Evgeny E. Perkovsky [perkovsk@gmail.com], Schmalhausen Institute of Zoology, National Academy of Science of Ukraine, Bogdana Khmelnitskogo Str. 15, Kiev, Ukraine, Borissiak Paleontological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya Str. 123, Moscow, 117997, Russia.     

Fossil frogs from the central highlands of Papua New Guinea

Characteristic features of the pelves of 15 species of extant New Guinean highland frogs (Hylidae and Microhylidae) are described and figured. Ilia among species in these families were found to be relatively invariate with similar sized species often indistinguishable; thus fossil species diversity is therefore likely to be underestimated in such deposits. Nine-two disarticulated ilia from the highland Nombe rockshelter deposit represent a minimum of six species: two Hylidae and four Microhylidae; most of these ilia were deposited in the late Pleistocene before significant human activity at the site. Problems of drawing conclusions about the Pleistocene frog fauna of the area, especially what the main predator was, from such a small sample and limited understanding of the site taphonomy are discussed.     

A new approach to Corystospermales based on Triassic permineralized stems from Argentina

Anatomically preserved mature stems of late Middle Triassic corystosperms from the Paramillo Formation of Argentina are described and assigned to Cuneumxylon spallettii gen. nov. et sp. nov. The silicified specimens show features of the pith, primary xylem and successive rings of secondary xylem and phloem. The most striking characteristic is the anomalous secondary growth, represented by secondary xylem bounded by arcs of secondary phloem probably derived from successive repositioned cambia. Cuneumxylon has two kinds of unusual centrifugal secondary growth. The first shows unequal activity of different portions of the cambium on the circumference of the axes; the consequent restriction of cambial activity to certain restricted areas develops wedged stems, which often split. The second produces polyxylic stems following supernumerary cambial activity. As in extant plants growing in arid regions, the included phloem and the associated parenchyma may have had functional value avoiding desiccation of the outer tissues of the stem during droughts. Anatomical features of other Corystospermaceae were used to determine systematic affinities and to establish relationships among medullosans, corystosperms and cycads.     

A new Llanvirnian Isograptus from the D. murchisoni Shales of Abereiddy Bay,Wales

Isograptus ovatus davidensis subsp. nov. is described from the D. murchisoni Shales of Abereiddy Bay, Wales. This discovery gives further support to the correlation of the murchisoni Zone with the upper part of the Darriwil Stage of Victoria.     

The first fossil avian egg from Brazil

Marsola, J.C.A., Grellet-Tinner, G., Montefeltro, F.C., Sayão, J.M., Hsiou, A.S. & Langer, M.C., 2014. The first fossil avian egg from Brazil. Alcheringa 38, 563–567. ISSN 0311-5518.

In contrast to the rich record of eggs from non-avian dinosaurs, complete eggs attributable to Mesozoic birds are relatively scarce. Nevertheless, several well-preserved specimens have been discovered over the last three decades revealing functional and phylogenetic characters that shed light on the breeding strategies of extinct birds. Here we report the first fossil avian egg from Brazil, which was discovered in Upper Cretaceous strata of São Paulo in the southeastern part of the country. The taxonomic identity and structural features of the biomineralized tissues were determined using a combination of Scanning Electron Microscopy, Wave Dispersion Energy analyses and Computed Tomography. These show that the 125.5-μm-thick shell of the 31.4?×?19.5?mm egg incorporates three structural layers of similar thickness with both prismatic and aprismatic boundaries. Close similarity between the Brazilian bird egg and those of enantiornithines from the Upper Cretaceous Bajo de la Carpa Formation (Río Colorado Subgroup) of Argentina advocates affinity with basal Ornithothoraces. Furthermore, coherency of their depositional contexts might imply a compatible preference for breeding and nesting environments.

Júlio Cesar de A. Marsola [juliomarsola@gmail.com], Annie Schmaltz Hsiou [anniehsiou@ffclrp.usp.br] and Max C. Langer [mclanger@ffclrp.usp.br], Laboratório de Paleontologia de Ribeirão Preto, Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo state, 14040-901, Brazil. Gerald Grellet-Tinner [locarnolugano@gmail.com], Centro Regional de Investigaciones La Rioja—Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Entre Ríos y Mendoza s/n, 5301 Anillaco, Argentina; Orcas Island Museum, PO Box 134, 181 North Beach Road, Eastsound, WA 98245. Felipe C. Montefeltro [felipecmontefeltro@gmail.com], Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Avenida 24A 1515, Rio Claro, São Paulo State, 13506-900, Brazil. Juliana M. Sayão [jmsayao@gmail.com], Laboratório de Diversidade do Nordeste, Núcleo de Biologia, Centro Acadêmico de Vitória, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Rua do Alto do Reservatório s/n, Bela Vista, Vitória de Santo Antão, Pernambuco state, 52050-480, Brazil. Received 18.12.2013; revised 30.4.2014; accepted 18.5.2014.     

Cambrian–Ordovician non-marine fossils from South Australia

Newly discovered trace and body fossils from the Grindstone Range Sandstone of South Australia reveal evidence of megascopic life on land during the Cambrian–Ordovician. Arthropod trackways (Diplichnites gouldi) are interpreted here to have formed on land. The most persuasive evidence for this view is that footprints vary in clarity along the length of the trackway as it traversed moist then dry silt, then biological soil crust. Compatible, though not diagnostic of walking on land is trackway symmetry, without one side buoyed up by current. The footprints bulge outward and are partially filled with miniature talus cones. Footprints also are alternate as in walking, rather than opposite as in sculling. Arthropod resting traces (Selenichnites sp. indet.) have 11 lateral furrows, and footprints are bundled into sets of 8–11, most like euthycarcinoids. No arthropod dwelling burrows were found in associated palaeosols, so the track maker was more likely amphibious than fully terrestrial. Associated trace fossils include a new ichnotaxon of burrow, Myrowichnus arenaceus gen. et sp. nov. Thallose impressions (Farghera robusta gen. et sp. nov.) have the radiating dichotomous form of lichens, algae and liverworts. All these trace and body fossils were found in weakly developed palaeosols. Other palaeosols in the same formation are evidence of terrestrial ecosystems of modest biomass, weathering, carbon sequestration and stability in dry tropical regions.