Home

Les manchons de mousse corticoles, un micro-habitat riche en Invertébrés

Naturae 2023 (4)

An exhaustive inventory of invertebrate fauna living in the soil and in epiphytic mosses was conducted in two forests, located in the National Nature Reserve of the Marais de Lavours and the Regional Nature Reserve of the Galerie du Pont des Pierres (Department of Ain). A total of 32 338 specimens were collected, corresponding to three phylums (Molluscs, Annelids and Arthropods) and 24 taxonomic groups. If compared to the same surface, mosses sleeves have more invertebrates than the soil. Mites are very majority and more abundant than Springtails, themselves ten times more numerous than Hymenoptera (Ants), Beetles, Spiders and Woodlouse. In winter at Lavours, the soil and moss appear to be very different from the summer and from the Pont des Pierres.

Three new species of genus Russula Pers. from Sal dominated forests of tropical India based on morphotaxonomy and multigene phylogenetic analysis

Cryptogamie, Mycologie 44 (3)

Since 2013, routine macrofungal explorations have been carried out in several Shorea robusta-dominated forest areas of tropical eastern India (Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal). Three novel species of Russula Pers. collected recently from these states of India, Russula boddingii Hembrom, D.Chakr., A.Ghosh & K.Das, sp. nov. in subg. Compactae (Fr.) Bon, emend. Buyck & V.Hofst., R. pseudoflavida A.Ghosh, Hembrom, I.Bera & Buyck, sp. nov. in subg. Russula emend. Buyck & V.Hofst., and R. shoreae D.Chakr., A.Ghosh, K.Das & Buyck, sp. nov. in subg. Heterophyllidiae Romagnesi, emend. Buyck & V.Hofst., are described based on morphotaxonomy and molecular data.

A new cryptic species of Brazilozoros Kukalova-Peck & Peck, 1993 from French Guiana (Zoraptera, Spiralizoridae)

Zoosystema 45 (6)

The genus Brazilozoros Kukalova-Peck & Peck, 1993 (Zoraptera, Spiralizoridae) currently includes three species distributed in the Neotropical region. Here we describe a new species, B. kukalovae n. sp., from French Guiana. It is related to B. weidneri (New, 1978) but differs by the morphology of the male genitalia and the sensilla basiconica on 10th abdominal tergite. We also present a molecular phylogenetic reconstruction that confirms the position of the new species in Brazilozoros and the inclusion of Brazilozoros in the Spiralizoridae Kočárek, Horká & Kundrata, 2020. The study provides further evidence for the high level of cryptic diversity in the Zoraptera.

Cranial morphology and phylogenetic relationships of Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 (Perissodactyla, Rhinocerotoidea)

Comptes Rendus Palevol 22 (8)

Les Amynodontidae Scott & Osborn, 1883 sont une famille éteinte de Rhinocerotoidea Owen, 1845 connue depuis l’Éocène moyen jusqu’à la fin de l’Oligocène en Asie, en Amérique du Nord et en Europe. Nous présentons ici deux spécimens inédits d’Amynodontidae, un crâne et une mandibule, de Zaisanamynodon borisovi Belyaeva, 1971, datés de la fin de l’Éocène du bassin de Zaïssan (Kazakhstan) et un crâne de Metamynodon planifrons Scott & Osborn, 1887, daté du début de l’Oligocène des Big Badlands (États-Unis). Ce nouveau matériel a été inclus dans une matrice de caractères morpho-­anatomiques.

Middle Jurassic lobsters (Crustacea, Decapoda) from Normandy, France

Geodiversitas 45 (4)

The Middle Jurassic (Callovian) fauna from Sainte-Scolasse-sur-Sarthe (Normandy, France) is remarkable for its exceptionally preserved crustaceans in arenaceous limestone beds. The crustacean fauna includes five species assigned to the Glypheidae, Erymidae and Longodromitidae. Glypheid lobsters are the most diversified and abundant group. A new detailed anatomic description leads to the first reconstruction of Glyphea dressieri Meyer in Bronn, 1837, and to highlight a marked sexual dimorphism. Similar observations are made in Glyphea regleyana (Desmarest, 1822). A quantitative analysis based on 149 specimens shows two dominant species: Glyphea regleyana (47.0 % of specimens) and G. dressieri (46.3 %).

2D Geometric morphometrics of the first lower molar of the genus Meles Brisson, 1762 including new badger evidence from the Lower Pleistocene Quibas site (Murcia, Spain)

Comptes Rendus Palevol 22 (7)

Badgers belong to the genus Meles Brisson, 1762, which comprise four extant species (M. anakuma Temminck, 1844, M. leucurus (Hodgson, 1847), M. canescens Blanford, 1875, and M. meles (Linnaeus, 1758)). The genus is included in the subfamily Melinae Bonaparte, 1838, a polyphyletic group of Eurasian mustelids whose evolutionary relationships need further clarification. The evolutive relationships of the genus are complex and far from being resolved. This work aims to describe a nearly 1 Ma unpublished badger mandible from the Sierra de Quibas (Murcia) and to help clarify the evolutionary patterns of Euroasiatic badgers.

Revision of the short-necked Cretaceous plesiosaurians from New Zealand

Comptes Rendus Palevol 22 (6)

Polycotylidae Cope, 1869 is a clade of short-necked plesiosaurians that achieved a cosmopolitan distribution by the Late Cretaceous. Here, the material previously referred to Polycotylidae/Pliosauridae from the Upper Cretaceous of New Zealand is reviewed, concluding that only 2.4% and 7.7% respectively of the total plesiosaurians specimens recovered in these formations (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian Tahora Formation and Campanian-Maastrichtian Conway Formation) belong to Polycotylidae.

Bryoflora and landscapes of the eastern Andes of central Peru: II. Understory epiphyllous bryophyte assemblages of the Cordillera El Sira

Cryptogamie, Bryologie 44 (3)

We document the makeup of four understory epiphyllous (leaf-inhabiting) bryophyte assemblages along an elevational gradient on the eastern slopes of the Cordillera El Sira in Ucayali, Peru. Epiphylls from two lowland rainforest (250 and 350 m) and two upland cloud forest (1550 and 1800 m) sites were sampled along a transect spanning 6.8 km horizontal and 1.6 km vertical distance, with 74 epiphyllous taxa (69 liverworts and 5 mosses) identified. Change in community composition along the elevational gradient and factors affecting the diversity and distribution of understory epiphyllous bryophytes are explored using various approaches to diversity measurement and multivariate analysis.

Mollinedia arianeae Lírio & M.Pignal, sp. nov. (Mollinedieae, Mollinedioideae, Monimiaceae) : une nouvelle espèce microendémique de la forêt atlantique dans l’état de Rio de Janeiro, Brésil

Adansonia 45 (6)

In this paper we describe Mollinedia arianeae Lírio & M.Pignal, sp. nov., a new microendemic species from the Itatiaia National Park, at the Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The new species is most similar to M. jorgearum Peixoto and M. leucantha Molz & D.Silveira, being differentiated of them mainly by the habit, shape and colour of leaves when dried, type and indumentum of inflorescence, shape of the receptacle and margin of tepals shape in staminate flowers. We provide a morphological description, a comparison with related species, geographic distribution, comments on ecology and a preliminary extinction risk assessment. Beyond the academic readership, we believe that it is essential to promote science, technology and education in Brazil.

Food taboos in medieval Iberia: the zooarchaeology of socio-cultural differences

Anthropozoologica 58 (3)

The lives of both humans and non-human animals are determined by ideas about what makes an animal good or bad, or why some animals are deemed suitable to be eaten and some do not. Food taboos are indeed a key factor for understanding human-animal relationships and ways of socio-cultural and religious self-definition, but have surprisingly occupied little space in archaeological research so far. The medieval Iberian Peninsula was a melting pot of different socio-cultural and religious groups. Their research and their possible visibility through the zooarchaeological record are topics that have received increasing attention over the last few years.

Two new genera of Acanthopidae (Mantodea) from the Amazon region, with description of a new species

Zoosystema 45 (5)

Despite recent developments in the systematics of Acanthopinae Burmeister, 1838, the generic identity of two species, Acanthops parva Beier, 1942 and A. soukana Roy, 2002 remained ambiguous. The examination of the types and of previously unstudied specimens necessitated the creation of two new genera. Royacanthops n. gen. is introduced to accommodate Acanthops soukana Roy, 2002, and a new species from Brazil. Parvacanthops Schwarz & Moulin, n. gen. is proposed for Acanthops parva Beier, 1942. The resulting new combinations are Royacanthops soukana (Roy, 2002) n. comb. and Parvacanthops parva (Beier, 1942) n. comb. The male of R. soukana n. comb. is described for the first time.