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While the swabian and franconian karsts of southern Germany have yielded rich and important neogene vertebrate faunas, the middle to late Miocene transition is still extremely underrepresented. This period is however key for the understanding of the European mammal evolution. A microtoid rodent Microtocricetus M2 is described and commented in this paper. The fossil discovered in the karst filling Petersbuch 69 is regarded herein such as derived and might be thus the youngest fossil of the genus in Germany. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For example, a wonderful breathing technique which brings homeostasis and calm to the body and mind is that of "coherent breathing." While any breathing technique, even simple breath awareness can be transformative, the practice of connected or circular breathing creates a powerful state of alerted consciousness where deep healing and transformative work can be done. Ela has a special interest in the art and science of conscious breathing as a medicine and tool for growth and change. About the Founder Breathwork Africa was founded by Dr. Ela Manga when she saw the potential of conscious breathing as a fundamental pillar in the practice of integrative medicine. [Extracted from the article]

The fossil record of macroscelidean mammals is notoriously patchy, with a significant spatial and temporal gap separating faunas from the early Oligocene localities of northern Africa and the early Miocene localities of eastern and southern Africa. Here we describe fossil macroscelideans representing Myohyracinae and Rhynchocyoninae recovered from a rift-fill sequence of richly fossiliferous sandstones in the late Oligocene Nsungwe Formation in the Rukwa Rift Basin of southwestern Tanzania. Radiometrically dated to 25.2 Ma, a new Palaeogene myohyracine taxon (Rukwasengi butleri) is represented by a partial maxilla (RRBP 05409) preserving a lightly worn M2-M3. The M2 exhibits a less hypsodont and mesiodistally elongate morphology than the early Miocene Myohyrax oswaldi, and the three-rooted M3 exhibits a tiny mesially positioned fossette. A new rhynchocyonine (Oligorhynchocyon songwensis) is represented by specimens more brachyodont than the early Miocene Miorhynchocyon. Taken together these finds document a rare window into macroscelidean evolutionary history with diversification of the group near the Palaeogene-Neogene Transition (PNT). Continued exploration offers a refined perspective on mid-Cenozoic faunal and ecosystem dynamics on continental Africa, expanding opportunities for recognising trends in palaeobiological diversity across habitat types and through time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prionogale breviceps is a tiny carnivorous mammal from the early Miocene of eastern Africa. Originally, specimens were interpreted as the adult morphology of the taxon. The dentition did not obviously align Prionogale with the carnivorous lineages present in Afro-Arabia during the early Miocene: Hyaenodonta and Carnivora. When Namasector was discovered in Namibia, the small taxa were placed together in Prionogalidae and aligned with Hyaenodonta. In this study, based on comparisons to hyaenodont specimens preserving deciduous dentition, the holotype of Prionogale is reinterpreted as preserving dP3 and dP4. Some of the lower dental specimens attributed to the taxon preserve dp4. The holotype of Namasector also preserves deciduous dental material. A phylogenetic analysis that includes deciduous dental characters for a broader sample of hyaenodonts resolved Prionogalidae as a clade. Understanding of the deciduous dentition of Prionogale allows future analyses to compare homologous morphology, and to explore the environmental factors that shaped carnivorous mammal evolution through the Miocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of bioacoustics as a tool for bat research is rapidly increasing worldwide. There is substantial evidence that environmental factors such as weather conditions or habitat structure can affect echolocation call structure in bats and thus compromise proper species identification. However, intraspecific differences in echolocation due to geographical variation are poorly understood, which poses a number of issues in terms of method standardization. We examined acoustic data for Pteronotus cf. rubiginosus from the Central Amazon and the Guiana Shield. We provide the first evidence of intraspecific geographic variation in bat echolocation in the Neotropics, with calls significantly differing in almost all standard acoustic parameters for the two lineages of this clade. We complement our bioacoustic data with molecular and morphological data for both species. Considerable overlap in trait values prevents reliable discrimination between the two sympatric Pteronotus based on morphological characters. On the other hand, significant divergence in the frequency of maximum energy suggests that bioacoustics can be used to readily separate both taxa despite extensive intraspecific variability in their echolocation across the Amazon. Given the relative lack of barriers preventing contact between bat populations from the Central Amazon and French Guiana, the documented acoustic variation needs to be further studied in geographically intermediate locations to understand the potential isolation processes that could be causing the described divergence in echolocation and to determine whether this variation is either discrete or continuous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New remains of the small tragulidDorcatherium songhorensisWhitworth, 1958 from the Early Miocene fossil site of Napak XXI (Uganda) include the first significant sample of postcranial bones from this species ever described. The limb bones of this tragulid are very similar to that described in the Miocene Asian long-legged tragulids of the genusSiamotragulusThomaset al., 1990, a type previously unknown in the African Miocene. A cladistic analysis linksD. songhorensisto aSiamotragulusclade as its basal offshoot, so we propose the nameSiamotragulus songhorensis(Whitworth, 1958) for this species. Also, theSiamotragulusclade belongs to a monophyletic group that includesAfrotragulusSánchezet al., 2010 and the extant Asian generaMoschiolaandTragulus. This inclusive clade is characterized by both a derived selenodont dentition and an advanced postcranial skeleton. AdditionallySiamotragulusshows some cursorial refinements reflected in its postcranial skeleton including the pecoran-like metatarsals III–IV.Siamotragulus songhorensisshows that the genusSiamotraguluswas not endemic to Asia as previously thought, and that a highly diverse guild of tragulids, including different members of the advanced selenodont clade, inhabited Africa as early as the Early Miocene (19–20 Ma). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Mirounga is the largest living member of the Phocidae family (true seals) and includes two species: M. angustirostris and M. leonina. These species exhibit a noticeable antitropical distribution in the Northern and Southern hemispheres, respectively. The evolutionary history of elephant seals, especially in regard to establishing this antitropical pattern, is poorly known. Nearly all fossils of the genus are isolated remains from the Pleistocene of California (M. angustirostris) and South Africa (M. leonina). Here, we describe new fossil material of Mirounga sp. (incomplete maxilla, dentary, and humerus), from the middle to late Pleistocene of Antofagasta Region, northern Chile. This material constitutes the first fossil occurrence of this species in South America and suggests that during part of the Pleistocene, phocids coexisted with otariids along the eastern edge of the South Pacific Ocean, which contrasts with the current biogeographic pattern in this ocean basin, providing new information about the structure of the pinniped community during the Pleistocene of South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the odontocete, Ashleycetus planicapitis, gen. et sp. nov., based on a partial skull that was collected from the upper Rupelian (lower Oligocene) Ashley Formation near Charleston, South Carolina, and place it in the Ashleycetidae, fam. nov. Overall, the cranial morphology of this new species is plesiomorphic; it has an elongate, tabular intertemporal region, external nares well anterior to the antorbital notches, and anteromedially oriented lateral margins of the supraorbital processes. Xenorophus sloanii and Xenorophidae are rediagnosed, and the latter is also redefined as an apomorphy-based clade. This new definition should lead to greater stability because it excludes Archaeodelphis patrius, whose phylogenetic relationships have proven to be problematic. The holotype skull of the archaic odontocete Mirocetus riabinini, from probable upper Rupelian sediments of the lower Maikop beds of Azerbaijan, is redescribed, newly figured, and placed in the Mirocetidae, fam. nov. Previously regarded as an archaeocete, Mirocetus is here shown to be an odontocete. We added Ashleycetus, Albertocetus, and Mirocetus to a recently published supermatrix of morphological and molecular data. Although Ashleycetus, Archaeodelphis, and Mirocetus consistently occupy basal branch(es) within Odontoceti, their exact positions are sensitive to the value of a constant used in implied weighting for cladistics analysis. Three of the characters we find to be odontocete synapomorphies are closely associated with soft tissue structures implicated in the production and transmission of high-frequency sounds during echolocation. Detailed dissections of extant odontocetes are required to determine if these features can be considered evidence of echolocation in extinct taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interspecific competition and species replacement explain many evolutionary successions, but these processes are difficult to test. According to recent paleontological research, amebelodontines were predominant proboscideans in faunas of the early to middle Miocene of East Asia. In addition to the abundant Platybelodon, other amebelodontines are known, but they have been largely neglected by researchers. Here we describe two species of Protanancus, Pr. tobieni and Pr. brevirostris, sp. nov., from China. The former was present during the middle Miocene in Tongxin and Qin'an and was previously attributed to Amebelodon or Serbelodon; the latter was present during the early Miocene in the Linxia Basin. Cladistic analysis indicates that the two species appear to represent primitive members of Protanancus. However, the phylogenetic relationship among Protanancus, Platybelodon, and Amebelodon remains unresolved because of their strong parallel evolution. Our study suggests intensive competition between Protanancus and Platybelodon based on similarities in their mandibular morphologies and dental microwear patterns, with the former genus disappearing from East Asia by the late middle Miocene. This scenario is supported by a mechanical model, in which lower tusks with dentinal tubules, as occur in Platybelodon, show greater resistance to the adverse effects of both a heavy load and abrasion than those with concentric laminae, present in Protanancus. The model aids in interpreting the evolution of the inner structure of the lower tusks of amebelodontines, which may have provided a competitive advantages for these species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here we describe a new taxon of late Oligocene dugongine from the Western Atlantic and Caribbean region. Known from cranial and postcranial material, Callistosiren boriquensis, gen. et sp. nov., differs from other members of the group by displaying the following unique combination of characters: nasal process of premaxilla tapering but thickened; supraorbital process of frontal dorsoventrally thin (<2 cm) and well developed with recurved, bluntly pointed posterolateral corner; ventral rim of orbit not overhanging the lateral surface of the jugal; pterygoid fossa tall; tusks large, lozenge- or kiteshaped in cross-section, and with enamel confined to the medial side; lacrimals with thin, elongated dorsal process that is wedged between the premaxilla and frontal; and osteosclerotic but minimally pachyostotic ribs and vertebrae. A phylogenetic analysis places Callistosiren as one of the more basal members of the Dugonginae, but we note that the relationships and taxonomy of more derived members are in need of revision. Characters of the cranial morphology, such as the shape and size of the incisor tusks and the nature of the contact between the premaxilla and frontal, indicate that this new taxon may have fed preferentially on large species of seagrasses and their rhizomes. In addition, possession of osteosclerotic but minimally pachyostotic ribs and vertebrae is a unique feature unknown in other extinct dugongines and may indicate foraging behavior not known from other fossil sirenians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crocidura goliath nimbasilvanus Hutterer, 2003 (replacement name for C. odorata guineensis Heim de Balsac, 1968) from West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, Ivory Coast) and Crocidura goliath goliath Thomas, 1906 from Central Africa (Cameroon, Central African Republic, Gabon, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo) were regarded as members of a single species until recently. A phylogenetic analysis including three mitochondrial (16S, cytb and COI) and one nuclear marker (BRCA) shows that C. g. nimbasilvanus is the sister taxon of C. nimbae, a species also endemic to West Africa. Crocidura g. goliath is part of the C. olivieri group and closely related to C. olivieri, C. viaria and C. fulvastra. Calculation of genetic distances between cytb sequences confirms this pattern (divergence of 13.5% between C. g. nimbasilvanus and C. g. goliath). An analysis of 112 skulls using morphometric geometrics provides evidence of marked shape differences between the two taxa. Despite close external morphological resemblances, we found diagnostic external and craniodental characters between these two forms. We therefore propose to treat C. nimbasilvanus and C. goliath as distinct species. Similar morphological features exhibited by these two African giant forest shrews, especially their large size, may be the result of homoplasy due to convergent evolutionary pressure. We also investigated the phenotypic diversification in size and skull shape within C. goliath and discovered strong intraspecific variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key benefit and evolutionary driver of group living is reduced predation risk. In white rhinos, groups comprise adult females, their calves and one to six unrelated subadults. Subadults benefit from group living through exposure to novel areas, and protection from territorial males (i.e. 'buddy system'). In contrast, it is unclear whether mothers benefit from group living. To determine if they benefit, or if there is simply no cost, we recorded the vigilance of white rhino mothers in different-sized groups. We predicted that as group size increased, calves would have lower predation risk and mothers would reduce their vigilance. In contrast, we found that vigilance did not decrease as group size increased. Our findings thus indicate that decreased vigilance is not a benefit that white rhino mothers gain from living in groups. Also, costs of group formation are minimal for mothers as their large body size and ability to feed on a wide range of grasses reduces competition with other group members. As a result, we suggest that the benefits obtained by subadults, coupled with the lack of costs to adult females, are the main drivers of group formation in white rhinos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite extensive phylogenetic studies in the genus Microtus, several of its species have not been thoroughly evaluated. The present study focuses on a cytb molecular analysis of five vole species occurring in the southern Balkan Peninsula (M. felteni, M. thomasi, M. subterraneus, M. levis and M. guentheri), aiming to demonstrate the importance of thorough intraspecific sampling when the phylogeny of closely related taxa is tested. As a result, the Balkan populations of these voles showed significant intraspecific variation that distinguishes them from other European and Asian conspecifics and in some cases reveals distinct lineages even within the Balkan region. Their complex phylogeography suggest the existence of multiple subrefugia, located within the southern Balkan region, which promoted diversification of these voles during the Middle and Late Pleistocene glacial periods. The significant role of the southern Balkan Peninsula's paleogeographical and paleoclimatical characteristics in these small mammals' evolution is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this paper, the hypothesis of miniaturisation to explain the origin of mammals (Rowe 1993, Mammals phylogeny: mesozoic differentiation, multituberculates, monotremes, early therians, and marsupials. New York: Springer-Verlag, p. 129–145) is discussed, based on three lines of evidence resulting from new discoveries of eucynodonts in the Late Triassic of Southern Brazil (Bonaparte et al. 2003, Rev Bras Paleont 5:5–27; 2005, Rev Bras Paleont 8:25–46; 2006, New Mexico Museum Nat Hist Sci Bull 37:1–8; 2010, Rev Bras Paleont) that are: (1) the incomplete fossil record of eucynodonts known until 2003; (2) the structure of the primary palate rejects the ancestral condition of thrinaxodontids, probainognathids, chiniquodontids and cynognathids to the earliest mammals; and (3) the relatively large postdentary bones of the Middle Triassic brasilodontids that are otherwise very small in size (skull 44 mm long) suggest that small size per se did not help to improve the middle ear or other sophisticated organs present in the earliest mammals (Rowe 1993; Kemp 2005, The origin and evolution of mammals. Oxford University Press, p. 1–391). Small size possibly was not a secondary character, but a persistent primitive one. This new interpretation has resulted from comparative study of non-mammalian eucynodonts discovered in the Middle and Late Triassic of Brazil and those known previously. The general acceptance of the hypothesis of miniaturisation is thus a consequence of the poor fossil record of Middle and Late Triassic eucynodonts before 2003. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The investigation of the evolution and speciation of Equus in Eurasia is, despite the abundance of available material, often hampered by a lack of stratigraphic information. Here we present the results of our study of material belonging to Equus eisenmannae excavated from sequential ‘lower’ and ‘upper’ levels of the loess section at Longdan, China, which has been dated to ca. 2.55–1.85 Ma (early Nihewanian age). The morphological differences between fossils found in the ‘upper level’ and those from the ‘lower level’ were quantified using univariate and multivariate analyses. Quantitative variation among modern Equus is discussed in order to address issues of potential speciation events and evolutionary trends seen in the fossil material. We also discuss the evolutionary level of E. eisenmannae by comparing our sample with E. sanmeniensis. Results show that quantitative differences between fossils of E. eisenmannae from the different levels at Longdan approximate and do not exceed intraspecific variation among modern species of Equus, although the variation is smaller than in the extant species E. hemionus. Thus, no sufficient evidence of speciation within the two sequential levels could be found. However, some common evolutionary trends of modern Equus are evident in E. eisenmannae, even though E. eisenmannae is not considered the immediate ancestor of modern Equus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tapiridae of the Swiss Molasse Basin from the late Oligocene to the early Miocene are reviewed. Fossil remains that have not previously been described are identified, old descriptions and identifications from previous works are reassessed, and specimens from Switzerland and France are compared, specifically Protapirus bavaricus from Ebnat-Kappel (MP28) and Rufi bei Schanis (MP29), Protapirus aginensis from La Milloque (France, MP29), Protapirus douvillei from Buchberg 6 (MN4), Paratapirus helvetius from Haslen (Switzerland, MP28-30), Paratapirus intermedius from Saulcet (France, MN1), Hohronen (MN1), and Bruttelen 1 (MN3a), and Eotapirus broennimanni from Wischberg (MN1) and Benken (MN3-4?). These new data enable emended specific diagnoses for Protapirus bavaricus, P. aginensis, and P. douvillei. A late Oligocene (MP28-30) age for the locality of Haslen-the neotype locality of Paratapirus helvetius-is also attributed, based upon the literature and personal observations. Furthermore, a new and precise biostratigraphic range of the European Tapiridae at the species level is proposed for the Oligocene and early Miocene of Western Europe. The paleoecology of tapirs and their diversity and evolution through the Oligocene-Miocene transition are discussed and compared with contemporaneous large mammals such as Rhinocerotoidea, Anthracotheriidae, and Suoidea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterotetrameric adaptor protein (AP) complexes AP-1, AP-2, AP-3, and AP-4 play key roles in transport vesicle formation and cargo sorting in post-Golgi trafficking pathways. Studies on cultured mammalian cells have shown that AP-2 mediates rapid endoeytosis of a subset of plasma membrane receptors. To determine whether this function is essential in the context of a whole mammalian organism, we carried out targeted disruption of the gene encoding the μ2 subunit of AP-2 in the mouse. We found that μ2 heterozygous mutant mice were viable and had an apparently normal phenotype. In contrast, no μ2 homozygous mutant embryos were identified among blastocysts from intercrossed heterozygotes, indicating that μ2-deficient embryos die before day 3.5 postcoitus (E3.5). These results indicate that AP-2 is indispensable for early embryonic development, which might be due to its requirement for cell viability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New investigations in the Middle Eocene volcanosedimentary deposits, north of Birjand in eastern Iran, have resulted in the recovery of new mammal footprints (described as Palaeotheriipus sarjeanti nov. ichnosp.) and the first bird tracks (described as Gruipeda lambrechti nov. ichnosp.). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Only two vertebrate trackways are known from the Paleocene of western Canada and are among the few Paleocene vertebrate trackways known worldwide. A natural cast trackway consisting of five prints (three pes, two manus) on a fallen block was found along the Red Deer River, near the town of Red Deer, Alberta, in 1927. The discoverers, Ralph Rutherford and Loris Russell, identified the strata the track block had fallen from as belonging to the Paskapoo Formation (upper Paleocene: middle Tiffanian). The trackway was attributed to a mammalian track-maker in two subsequent publications. However, the prints are more characteristic of a reptilian (crocodylian) track-maker. A natural cast track-bearing block was discovered on Signal Hill in the city of Calgary during the preparation of a new residential subdivision in 1990. The large track-bearing block was found in a rock pile but is suspected to have originated from strata belonging to the Porcupine Hills Formation (Upper Paleocene: late Torrejonian), which was being excavated at the time. This large slab contains twelve prints (six pes, six manus) and is associated with extensive mud cracks. The mammalian affinity of the trackmaker was recognized by researchers from the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The giant flying squirrelPetaurista petauriis a large rodent studied by few researchers. Here, we sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome ofP. petauri. Similar to the typical vertebrate mitochondrial genome, the mtDNA ofP. petaurialso contained 37 genes (13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, and 22 tRNA genes) and a noncoding region (D-loop). We also analyzed the phylogenetic relationship ofP. Petaurito 14 other closely related species using the Bayesian inference. This work will contribute to our understanding of this species’ evolution and conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, we cloned and sequenced the complete mitochondrial genome DNA of Chinese pig, the Meishan pig. The sample was taken from Yencheng City, Jiangsu province in China. The complete genome DNA is 16 708 bp in length. We also performed a comparative analysis of the Meishan pig mitochondrial to the mitogenome sequences of 21 pig breeds which have been deposited in GenBank. Phylogenetic analysis using neighbour-joining computational algorithms showed that the analyzed species are divided into four major clades; the results can be subsequently used to provide information for pig phylogenetic and insights into the evolution of genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Marco Polo wild sheep was sequenced for the first time. It is 16 613 bp in length and possesses 22 tRNA genes, 13 typical mammalian protein-coding genes, two rRNA genes and one D-loop region. The whole genome’s base composition is 33.7% A, 25.8% C, 13.1% G and 27.4% T, and the percentage of AT-rich regions is 61.1%. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The American mink,Neovison vison, is native to North America and listed as one of the most widely distributed invasive species into the Eurasian mainland. Even though facing serious over-hunting and habitat degradation problems, this species has successfully dispersed into most areas of northeast China in the past decades, which may have a huge impact on local species composition and structure. We determined and annotated the whole mitochondrial DNA genome of the American minkN. visonto better understand the evolutionary relationship of this invasive species with otherMustelidaedistributing in China. The complete mitogenome is 16 627 bp in length, includes 13 protein-coding genes, 22 tRNA genes, 2 rRNA genes and one control region. We built the phylogenetic tree of American mink and other 10 most closelyMustelidaespecies. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ussurian moose (Alces alces cameloides) in Northeast China, which is on the southmost edge of the species’ Eurasian range, are facing dramatic decline in population size and distribution areas. We undertook the first sequencing of the entire mitogenome of Ussurian moose, which is thought as the oldest moose subspecies to better understand the evolutionary history of this circumboreal sole extant species. The mitogenome is 16,418 bp in length, consisting of two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 13 protein-coding genes, and one control region. The overall base composition is A: 33.7%, T: 30.1%, C: 23.2%, and G: 13.0%, with a much higher A + T content. The phylogenetic tree of moose and 10 other most closely related Cervidae species was built. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Yakow,Bos primigenius taurus × Bos grunniens,is a large and commercially important hybrid in family Bovidae. We first determined and annotated its complete mitochondrial genome. The mitogenome is 16,322 bp in length, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and a control region. As in other mammals, most mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand, except for ND6 and eight tRNA genes, which are encoded on the light strand. Its overall base composition is A: 33.7%, T: 27.3%, C: 25.8% and G: 13.2%. The complete mitogenome of Yakow (B. p. taurus × B. grunniens) could provide an important data to further explore the taxonomic status of Yakow (B. p. taurus × B. grunniens) inB.grunniens and enrich the genetic information or evolutionary history of the Bovidae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jintang black goat (Capra hircus) is an indigenous breed of Sichuan province of China. It is the first time that the complete mitochondrial genome sequence of Jintang black goat is reported in this work, which is determined through the PCR-based method. The total length of the mitogenome is 16,813 bp, which contains two ribosomalRNAgenes, 22tRNAgenes, 13 PCGs, and a control region (D-loop region). The total base composition of Jintang black goat mitochondrial genome is 33.52% A, 13.13% G, 27.35% T, and 26.00% C, and in the order A > T > C > G. The complete mitochondrial genome of Jintang black goat provides an important data in genetic mechanism and the evolution genomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is one of the important molecular markers in studying population genetic structure and evolutionary history.Hyla tsinlingensisis an endemic species in the family Hylidae, which is only distributed on Tsinling-Dabieshan Mountains in central China. The complete mitochondrial genome ofH. tsinlingensiswas sequenced (18,295 bp in length, GenBank accession number KP212702). Similar to the typical mtDNA of amphibians, the complete mtDNA sequence ofH. tsinlingensiscontained two rRNA genes (12S rRNA and 16S rRNA), 22 tRNA genes, 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), and one D-loop region. The nucleotide composition was 29.3% A, 27.1% C, 15.0% G, and 28.6% T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We sequenced and characterized the complete mitochondrial genome of the big-eared horseshoe bat,Rhinolophus macrotis. Total length of the mitogenome is 16,848 bp, with a base composition of 31.2% A, 25.3% T, 28.8% C and 14.7% G. The mitogenome consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA (12Sand16S rRNA) genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region. It has the same gene arrangement pattern as those of typical vertebrate mitochondrial genome. The results will contribute to our understanding of the taxonomic status and evolution in the genusRhinolophusbats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe two new macraucheniid litopterns from the late middle Miocene (ca. 13 Ma) Quebrada Honda Fauna of southern Bolivia. The holotype of ‘Theosodon’ arozquetai, sp. nov., is a partial cranium preserving RI2-M3 and LP1-M3, elements of the hind limb, and two metapodials. An upper cheek tooth series is also referred to this species. The holotype of Llullataruca shockeyi, gen. et sp. nov., is a mandible preserving nearly the entire lower dentition. A dentary, several upper teeth, and a variety of postcranial elements are also referred to this species. Two specimens from the slightly older locality of Cerdas, Bolivia, are assigned to L. cf. shockeyi. A phylogenetic analysis recovers ‘T.’ arozquetai as sister to Theosodon spp., and we provisionally refer it to that genus pending its revision. Llullataruca shockeyi forms a polytomy with three late Oligocene-early Miocene ‘cramaucheniines’ and the later-diverging macraucheniids. The body mass of ‘T.’ arozquetai is estimated at 80.8-116.2 kg, slightly smaller than early Miocene T. garretorum. Llullataruca shockeyi is among the smallest known macraucheniids based on dental dimensions and is estimated at 35.3-54.6 kg. Theosodon' arozquetai and L. shockeyi are the first well-characterized macraucheniids from the middle Miocene, and the latter species demonstrates that relatively early-diverging lineages persisted at least 7 million years longer in tropical latitudes than they did in Patagonia. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D26BB67B-D8E1-4D36-9552-4391874CF69C SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: McGrath, A. J., F. Anaya, and D. A. Croft. 2018. Two new macraucheniids (Mammalia: Litopterna) from the late middle Miocene (Laventan South American Land Mammal Age) of Quebrada Honda, Bolivia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2018.1461632. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reexamination of Sciurotamias gromovi from the upper Miocene of Ukraine stimulated revision of Sinotamias, a problematic Neogene sciurid of uncertain affinities and previously documented only from the middle-upper Miocene of Asia. A reanalysis of the Ukrainian material and other morphologically similar taxa shows Sinotamias to be a member of the xerine tribe Marmotini. Sciurotamias gromovi and Tamias atsali are shown to be members of Sinotamias. Tamias anatoliensis from the upper Miocene of Turkey is a junior subjective synonym of Sinotamias primitivus. Sinotamias minutus and Sinotamias maximus are excluded from the genus. The latter species is referred to Kherem. Prospermophilus is synonymized with Sinotamias. Phylogenetic analysis of 23 xerine genera using 66 craniodental characters places Sinotamias among the basal Marmotina as a sister group to the living members of the subtribe. The species of the genus are united by obliquely striated lower incisors, posteriorly expanded metaconules of M1-2, and posteriorly tapered ectolophid of m1-2. The late Oligocene-early Miocene Asian genus Plesiosciurus, previously classified in the sciurid subfamily Sciurinae, is instead a member of the Marmotini and is recovered as the sister taxon to Miospermophilus and Sinotamias. The genera Ammospermophilus, Cynomys, Marmota, Miospermophilus, Paenemarmota, Plesiosciurus, Sinotamias, and Spermophilus s.l. form a monophyletic subtribe Marmotina, supported by the absence of the mesoconid in m1-3. Miospermophilus is identified as the basal-most member of this group of genera, suggesting a Nearctic origin for the Marmotina. Sinotamias, considered to be a descendant of Plesiosciurus, appears to have originated in Asia and entered Europe around 8.5 Ma. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Sinitsa, M. V. 2018. Phylogenetic position of Sinotamias and the early evolution of Marmotini (Rodentia, Sciuridae, Xerinae). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1419251. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil bovids are described from the late Pliocene site of Ledi-Geraru, mainly from the Gurumaha and Lee Adoyta sedimentary packages (2.8–2.6 Ma). Finds include taxa already known from the slightly older Hadar Formation, such as the buffaloUgandax coryndonae, the bongo-likeTragelaphus rastafari-nakuaelineage, an alcelaphin resemblingParmularius pachyceras, and a large impala. Differences from Hadar include the abundance ofKobus sigmoidalis, the absence ofK. oricornus, and the presence ofTragelaphus gaudryiand probably alsoMenelikia lyrocera. The fossil bovids from Ledi-Geraru are mainly comparable to those known from contemporaneous assemblages in the Turkana Basin.MenelikiaandT. gaudryiare characteristic of the Turkana Basin, and these are probably their first records from the Afar. A new species ofBeatragusis also named. A well-preserved skull and skeleton of a fossil wildebeest from the Ogoyta sediments (<2.4 Ma) bears a mosaic of advanced and conserved traits that illuminate the evolution of theConnochaetesclade prior to the divergence of its two extant species. Taxonomic abundance, as well as functional analyses of postcranial elements, indicates that the ancient landscape at Ledi-Geraru was primarily made up of open habitats such as seasonal grasslands, with minor components of woodlands and wetlands. This contrasts with most localities from the Hadar Formation, which record more covered habitats. Comparisons with older Afar faunas indicate that environmental changes to drier and more open habitats were part of a long-term trend that goes back to at least 4 Ma, if not earlier. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:0A4AF06A-9918-4AFE-B3D1-633DE036EDCB SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Bibi, F., J. Rowan, and K. Reed. 2017. Late Pliocene Bovidae from Ledi-Geraru (Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia) and their implications for Afar paleoecology. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1337639. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incisor enamel microstructures of three euharamyidans,Shenshou lui, Xianshou linglong, andX. songae, from the early Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota, Liaoning Province, China, are reported. The enamel of the three species consists of columnar divergence units that are delimited by planes of crystallite convergence and have irregular shapes and sizes, but there is no distinct line or plane along the divergent axis of crystallites in the unit. Of the three species, the enamel ofS. luiis most primitive in having simpler enamel units that are roughly perpendicular to the enamel dentine junction. InXianshou, the enamel units are oblique apically, and crystallites in the inner zone of enamel show greater differentiation to form erratically spaced clusters that resemble incipient prism-like; seam-like and sheath-like structures are also present. This enamel type may represent a transitional stage between prismless and prismatic enamel. Mapping enamel types from selected taxa of basal mammaliaforms on a simplified phylogeny, the columnar enamel inThomasia, Shenshou, and some ‘plagiaulacoid’ multituberculates is interpreted as the plesiomorphic condition for allotherians, from which evolved the transitional enamel, as represented byXianshouand the ‘plagiaulacoid’Paulchoffatia, and the plesiomorphic prismatic enamel as in some post-‘plagiaulacoid’ multituberculates and gondwanatherians. The prismatic enamel in advanced multituberculates and other gondwanatherians may have evolved independently. Despite the new enamel morphologies revealed in euharamiyidans, the amelogenesis mechanism of how prisms, seams, and sheaths evolved within mammals remains unclear. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Mao, F.-Y., Y.-Q. Wang, S.-D. Bi, J. Guan, and J. Meng. 2017. Tooth enamel microstructures of three Jurassic euharamiyidans and implications for tooth enamel evolution in allotherian mammals. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1279168. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hegetotheriidae are one of the most derived families of the Order Notoungulata. It is composed of two subfamilies: Hegetotheriinae, which resolves as paraphyletic in most recent phylogenies, and Pachyrukhinae, which historically is considered monophyletic. The family is recognized from late Oligocene to Pliocene and is well diversified from its earliest records. Most papers on the family are systematic studies and, to a lesser degree, investigate its phylogenetic relationships, but paleobiogeographic approaches are rare. A phylogenetic analysis was carried out using TNT, based on a previous matrix that was augmented with additional taxa and characters. Previous results are supported, viz., the paraphyly ofHegetotheriumAmeghino andPaedotheriumBurmeister, and the monophyly of Pachyrukhinae, but new conclusions arise, such as the paraphyly ofHemihegetotheriumRovereto and the monophyly ofProhegetotheriumAmeghino and Hegetotheriinae. In this work, a paleobiogeographic analysis on hegetotheriids is carried out by means of the Bayesian method using the RASP program, with the aim of estimating the possible ancestral area and vicariance, dispersal, and extinction events. This analysis shows that Hegetotheriidae and both subfamilies originated in central Patagonia (southeast of Chubut and northeast of Santa Cruz provinces). The analysis also reveals that dispersals were the predominant events, and they are related to Cenozoic dispersals to lower latitudes as global cooling advanced and new lands emerged. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Seoane, F. D., S. Roig Juñent, and E. Cerdeño. 2017. Phylogeny and paleobiogeography of Hegetotheriidae (Mammalia, Notoungulata). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1278547. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nasal regions of the non-mammalian cynodontsMassetognathus, Probainognathus, andElliotheriumwere reconstructed from micro-computed tomography scans and compared with scans and published accounts of more derived forms, includingBrasilitherium, Morganucodon, Haldanodon, and extant mammals. The basic structure of the modern mammalian nose, already present in non-mammalian cynodonts of the Early Triassic, underwent little modification during the Triassic. A respiratory chamber opened into a nasopharyngeal passage through an enlarged primary choana bordered posteriorly by a transverse lamina that formed the floor to a more posterior olfactory chamber. Cartilaginous respiratory turbinals initially provided a surface for evaporative cooling during periods of increased activity in the exceptionally high ambient temperatures of the Triassic. A similar mechanism for heat loss is present in extant crocodilians, squamates, and mammals. In the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic non-mammaliaform cynodonts (Elliotherium) and mammaliaforms (Morganucodon), the pterygopalatine ridges behind the hard secondary palate extended ventrally and formed the lateral walls to a narrow nasopharynx, as pterygoid hamuli do in extant mammals. Ridges in this position suggest the presence of a palatopharyngeus muscle in late non-mammaliaform cynodonts that could hold the larynx in an intranarial position during rest or low activity levels to prevent inhaled air from entering the oral cavity, thus allowing cartilaginous respiratory turbinals to assume an additional role as temporal countercurrent exchange sites for heat and water conservation. Ossification of respiratory turbinals in mammals enhanced their efficiency for conserving heat and water at rest, as well as their ability to dissipate heat during thermal stress. Citation for this article: Crompton, A. W., T. Owerkowicz, B.-A. S. Bhullar, and C. Musinsky. 2017. Structure of the nasal region of non-mammalian cynodonts and mammaliaforms: speculations on the evolution of mammalian endothermy. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1269116. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Toxodontia (Mammalia, Notoungulata),Pampahippus secundussp. nov., is described based on remains recovered from outcrops of the Lumbrera Formation exposed in Salta Province, northwest Argentina. The material studied consists of mandibular, maxillary, and premaxillary fragments with complete and incomplete teeth representing at least three individuals. It differs from the type speciesP. arenalesiby its smaller size and the presence of several dental features: I2 smaller than the I1 and I3, paraconule absent on the P3, upper molars wider than long and subquadrangular, with a single crista projecting from the ectoloph, strong mesiolingual cingulum surrounding the protocone on the M1, conspicuous metacone fold on the ectoloph of M1 and M2, and absence of labial cingulids on lower molars. In order to determine the phylogenetic position ofP. secundusas well as different Paleogene notoungulates of northwestern Argentina, we performed a cladistic analysis. This analysis supports the paraphyly of Notohippidae proposed by previous authors and validates the monophyly of the genusPampahippus, which ranks as a relatively basal taxon within Toxodontia. This contribution illustrates the significant and yet poorly known diversity of Paleogene toxodontians from northwestern Argentina and the importance of their study in the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of Notoungulata. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EF8DACB3-3F71-4515-B99B-157ABBBFE092 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free atwww.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Deraco, V., and D. A. García-López. 2015. A new Eocene Toxodontia (Mammalia, Notoungulata) from northwestern Argentina. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2015.1037884. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]