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After the devastating Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction, several new groups of large reptilian predators invaded the sea in the early part of the Triassic. Among these predators, sauropterygians, consisting of placodonts, pachypleurosaurs, nothosaurs and pistosaurs (including the iconic plesiosaurs), displayed the greatest diversity at both the generic and species levels, and persisted from the Early Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. Here, we report a new species of Pachypleurosauria, Dianmeisaurus mutaensis sp. nov., from a recently discovered Lagerstätte in the Upper Member of the Anisian Guanling Formation. The only known specimen of the new species was collected from a quarry near Muta village, Luxi County, Yunnan Province, South China. Our new phylogenetic analysis based on a novel data matrix recovered the new taxon as a sister group to Dianmeisaurus gracilis—a small pachypleurosaur from the Middle Triassic Luoping biota. The new phylogenetic analysis also collapsed the monophyly of the traditionally recognized Eusauropterygia. Pistosauroidea, Majiashanosaurus, and Hanosaurus comprise the consecutive sister groups to a new clade including Pachypleurosauria and Nothosauroidea. A monophyletic Pachypleurosauria, within which the clade consisting of Dianmeisaurus and Panzhousaurus occupies the basal-most position, is recovered by this study. The clade consisting of Dawazisaurus and Dianopachysaurus forms the sister group to the remaining pachypleurosaurs included in this study. Since Dianmeisaurus, Panzhousaurus, Dawazisaurus, and Dianopachysaurus are all exclusively known from South China, our study provides further evidence to the hypothesis that pachypleurosaurs had a palaeobiogeographic origin in the eastern Tethys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Contemporary environmental, historical and evolutionary factors are increasingly used to decipher the drivers of spatial patterns of species richness. Evidence of such correlations for Chinese reptiles is scarce and poorly understood. We therefore explored the validity of the environmental capacity, historical climatic stability and diversification rates hypotheses on Chinese lizard richness. Location: Mainland China. Taxon: Squamata: Sauria. Methods: We mapped the distribution ranges of all 237 lizards in mainland China using a combination of different datasets. We used current environmental conditions (ambient energy, environmental productivity, and habitat heterogeneity), historical climate stability indices (long term: since ~3.3 Ma and short term: since the last glacial maximum) and mean tip diversification rates, to test whether current environmental conditions, historical climate change and diversification rates drive contemporary richness patterns of lizards in China. We applied piecewise structural equation models (pSEM) to jointly evaluate our hypotheses, considering direct and indirect effects. Results: Chinese lizards showed strong latitudinal diversity gradients. We found consistent support for contemporary climatic and environmental factors relationships with richness. Richness was also positively correlated with short‐term climatic stability, but less so with long‐term stability. Diversification rates were seldom found to be positively correlated with lizard richness. Main Conclusions: Our results support the environmental capacity and historical climate hypotheses, which link high richness to highly productive warm and stable regions (and low richness to cold and unstable regions). We conclude that post‐speciation dispersal and short‐term climatic oscillations quickly swamp the long‐term signal of diversification rates and climatic fluctuations, creating strong current climate–richness associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calotes wangi sp. nov., a new species of the agamid genus Calotes Cuvier, 1817, from southern China and northern Vietnam, is described. This species can be distinguished from all known congeners by a combination of morphological characteristics and genetic divergence in the mitochondrial tRNA, ND2, and CO1 genes. Molecular phylogenetic analysis revealed that the new species was formed as a monophyletic group and that considerable genetic divergence existed between its congeners (minimum p-distance, 4.6%). Calotes wangi sp. nov. is distinguished by a combination of the following characteristics: average SVL < 90 mm for adult males; 10-14 dorsal eyelid scales; scales on side of neck and adjacent shoulder area pointing obliquely upward; keels on neck scales weakly to strongly developed; fold in front of the shoulder absent; pair of dark triangular patches extending from the front of the shoulder to the jaw angles; and orange coloration of the tongue. Calotes wangi sp. nov. is similar to C. irawadi but differs in having scales between the nasal shield and the orbit and a fourth toe with a claw that can reach between the eyes and tympanum (even to the snout when hind the limbs are adpressed forward). Phylogenetic analyses revealed two well-supported subspecies, Lineages A and B in C. wangi sp. nov., with mean uncorrected p-distances between them of 2%. We propose that Lineage A, which is mainly from the central and southern Wuzhi Mountains on Hainan Island, is a subspecies, C. w. hainanensis ssp. nov. Lineage B mainly comprises individuals from other sites on the island plus the adjacent mainland, and is described as subspecies, C. w. wangi ssp. nov. A diagnostic key to all Calotes species of China is also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The genus Gekko Laurenti, 1768, currently comprises approximately 86 species, of which 21 are native to China, that commonly live on walls, rocks, and trees, and are distributed across Southeast Asia, western Oceania, and Melanesia. This article describes a new species of Gekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) based on its distinct morphological features and molecular evidence, which was identified in the Dabie Mountains on the border of Anhui and Henan provinces of Central China. The analysis of phylogeny based on a mitochondrial DNA fragment (16S, CYTB, and COI) indicated that the new taxon is different from its congeners. Morphologically, the new species can be diagnosed from the other subgenus Japonigekko species by a combination of 34 (14 mensural and 20 meristic) morphological characteristics, and Principal component analysis (PCA) and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the new species can be clearly distinguished from its sister species G. hokouensis. Based on the above multiple lines of evidence, we describe this gecko from the Dabie Mountains as a new species, Gekko kaiyai sp. nov. The discovery of this species implies that there are now 87 identified species in the genus Gekko, 22 of which can be found within China. This study describes a novel species of Gekko (Squamata: Gekkonidae) based on its distinct morphological features and molecular evidence, which was identified in the Dabie Mountains on the border of Anhui and Henan provinces of Central China. Gekko kaiyai sp. nov. could be distinguished from its congeners owing to its morphological characteristics, such as being a medium body sized gecko species (snout–vent length, 56.98–64.99 mm, n = 4, females; 50.03–61.56 mm, n = 11, males); nostrils scale in contact with rostral scale; tubercles on the dorsal and limb, while the upper forelimb is smooth with no tubercles; 22–33 interorbital scales between the anterior corners of the eyes; 157–209 ventral scales between mental and cloacal slit; 90–121 midbody scale rows; 30–43 ventral scale rows; 7–9 sub-digital lamellae on first fingers, 8–13 fourth fingers, 7–9 first toes, and 7–11 fourth toes; free of webbing in the fingers and toes; 9–12 pre-cloacal pores in males, which are absent in females; post-cloacal unilateral tubercles 1 (few 2); and a dorsum that is greyish white to dark brown, with 6–7 brown markings between the nape and sacrum. The phylogenetic tree based on the mitochondrial DNA sequences (16S, CYTB, and COI) indicated that Gekko kaiyai sp. nov. form an independent clade with strong support (100/1) and are a sister group to G. hokouensis. At the inter-species level, the genetic distances were all large, further confirming that an independent species had been identified. The discovery of this species implies that there are now 87 identified species in the genus Gekko, 22 of which can be found within China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Northwest China is characterized by unique geological and historical dynamics and endemic biota, but the joint influence of geography and past climate changes on the evolutionary history of endemic animals is poorly understood. We used two mtDNA genes (ND4 and Cytb) and ecological niche modeling (ENM) to explore how the Quaternary climatic fluctuations and complex geography in Northwest China have shaped genetic diversity, genetic structure, and demographic history of the Alashan pit viper (Gloydius cognatus). Our results clearly show that the lineage diversification of G. cognatus is related to the expansions of deserts and/or the early Pleistocene integration of the Yellow River. The strong spatial genetic structure fits an isolation-by-distance model. The signature of demographic and range contractions during the last glacial maximum (LGM) is rejected by both mitochondrial evidence and ENM. In addition, the suitable habitat of G. cognatus is predicted to be decreased in the future, suggesting that conservation and management of evolutionary significant units (ESUs) should be a priority. Our findings provide the first insights on the evolutionary history of G. cognatus in arid Northwest China and adjacent areas throughout the Quaternary. The joint impacts of historical geological events and Quaternary climatic oscillations in Northwest China on species evolution have been examined extensively in plant under a phylogeographic perspective. However, animal phylogeographic analyses in this region are still limited. The Alashan pit viper, Gloydius cognatus, occurs primarily in arid Northwest China and adjacent areas. Based on variation at two mtDNA genes (ND4 and Cytb) in 27 individuals representing 24 populations, the spatial genetic structure and demographic history of G. cognatus were examined across its geographic range. Phylogenetic analyses revealed two well-supported allopatric clades (each with two distinct subclades/lineages), distributed across the southern (Qaidam Basin, Lanzhou Basin, and Zoige Basin [S1]; Loess Plateau [S2]) and northern (Ily Basin [N1]; Junggar Basin and Mongolian Plateau [N2]) regions. AMOVA analysis demonstrated that over 76% of the observed genetic variation was related to these lineage splits, indicating substantial genetic differentiation among the four lineages. A strong pattern of isolation-by-distance across the sampling populations suggested that geographic distance principally shaped the genetic structure. The four lineages diverged by 0.9–2.2% for the concatenated data, which were estimated to have coalesced ~1.17 million years ago (Mya), suggesting that the expansions of the Badain Jaran, Tengger, and Mu Us deserts during the Xixiabangma glaciation likely interrupted gene flow and triggered the observed divergence in the southern and northern regions. Subsequently, the early Pleistocene integration of the Yellow River and associated deserts expansion promoted the differentiation of S1 and S2 lineages (~0.9 Mya). Both mitochondrial evidence and ecological niche modeling (ENM) reject the signature of demographic and range contractions during the LGM for G. cognatus. In addition, ENM predicts that the suitable habitat of G. cognatus will contract in the future. As such, the conservation and management of ESUs should be a priority. Our findings provide the first insights on the lineage diversification and population dynamics of the Alashan pit viper in relation to geological history and Pleistocene climatic oscillations in arid Northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanystropheidae is a clade of early archosauromorphs with high morphological disparity and a wide geographical distribution. The origin and early radiation of Tanystropheidae are still incompletely understood. Here we report Luxisaurus terrestris gen. et sp. nov., a new archosauromorph collected from the marine Upper Member of Guanling Formation (Pelsonian substage, Anisian, Middle Triassic) in Luxi County, Yunnan Province, China, and phylogenetically recovered as a tanystropheid. The morphology of Luxisaurus is consistent with a terrestrial lifestyle. This is the first occurrence of a tanystropheid found from the Anisian Guanling Formation in SW China and also the earliest tanystropheid from the eastern Tethys. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Dinocephalosauridae forms the sister group of Tanystropheidae, Fuyuansaurus occupies the most basal position in Tanystropheidae, and Luxisaurus forms the sister group to a clade consisting of all other tanystropheids. Considering that Fuyuansaurus and Luxisaurus are found exclusively in South China, we hypothesize that Tanystropheidae originated in the Early Triassic of South China and then dispersed globally. The discovery of Early Triassic tanystropheids in South China is needed to further support this hypothesis. The discovery of Luxisaurus expands the stratigraphical and geographical distribution of Tanystropheidae, and provides new insights into the origin and early radiation of the clade. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial patterns of body size are associated with environmental factors like temperature, seasonality, precipitation, resources, and altitude, among the most relevant. Latitudinal size patterns have been extensively studied. Studies on altitudinal gradients of body size, however, are relatively few. Besides, it is still unclear whether there is variation in the relationship between environmental factors and body size of species, or correlations within different altitudes. China provides a good opportunity to assess the altitudinal gradients of body size, because the entire terrain of China changes from high altitude in the west to low altitude in the east, with three natural terrain stages (low: less than 660 m.a.s.l.; medium: 660–2600 m.a.s.l.; and high: more than 2600 m.a.s.l.). Similarly, lizards are distributed across a wide altitudinal range (from −154.31 m to ~6000 m above sea level). We examined 211 lizard species in China and assessed the altitudinal gradients of Chinese lizard body sizes at assemblage and interspecific levels. Piecewise structural equation models (pSEM) were used to investigate the direct and indirect relationships between body size and environmental factors within different terrains (low, medium, and high altitudes). Overall, we found that body size in Chinese lizards decreases with increasing altitude. However, there were variations in the altitudinal gradients and drivers within the three terrain stages. Altitude has both direct (medium and low stages) and indirect (high stages) effects in shaping lizard size. We established that body size increased with increasing altitudes in the low and medium terrain stages. Seasonality had different effects on body size in medium (positively) and low (negatively) stages. However, among the three terrain stages, temperature was consistently negatively correlated with lizard size. Overall, we identified complex patterns and drivers of altitudinal gradients of body size within the three terrain stages, probably due to the different environmental conditions across altitudes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research is aimed to escalate Adaptive Neuro-Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) functioning in order to ensure the veracity of existing time-series modeling. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a global threat for the past three years. Therefore, advanced forecasting of confirmed infection cases is extremely essential to alleviate the crisis brought out by COVID-19. An adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system-reptile search algorithm (ANFIS-RSA) is developed to effectively anticipate COVID-19 cases. The proposed model integrates a machine-learning model (ANFIS) with a nature-inspired Reptile Search Algorithm (RSA). The RSA technique is used to modulate the parameters in order to improve the ANFIS modeling. Since the performance of the ANFIS model is dependent on optimizing parameters, the statistics of infected cases in China and India were employed through data obtained from WHO reports. To ensure the accuracy of our estimations, corresponding error indicators such as RMSE, RMSRE, MAE, and MAPE were evaluated using the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ). The recommended approach employed on the China dataset was compared with other upgraded ANFIS methods to identify the best error metrics, resulting in an R 2 value of 0.9775. ANFIS-CEBAS and Flower Pollination Algorithm and Salp Swarm Algorithm (FPASSA-ANFIS) attained values of 0.9645 and 0.9763, respectively. Furthermore, the ANFIS-RSA technique was used on the India dataset to examine its efficiency and acquired the best R 2 value (0.98). Consequently, the suggested technique was found to be more beneficial for high-precision forecasting of COVID-19 on time-series data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hupehsuchia, an enigmatic group of marine reptiles from the Lower Triassic of South China, is characterized by a suite of features including polydactyly in either or both fore and hind limbs. Particularly, one parahupehsuchine specimen shows seven-digited forelimbs and a six-digited hind limb. However, questions remain as to what sequence manus configuration evolved in hupehsuchians. Here, we describe a new hupehsuchian with seven manual digits associated with extra carpals and digits. Our new phylogeny revealed the evolutionary sequence of extra carpals, metacarpals, and phalanges in hupehsuchians through preaxial and central polydactyly and suggested that the polydactyly of the manus evolved stepwise in hupehsuchians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Reptiles are well recognized as the asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella spp., which is mainly inhabited in the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa of reptile species. A variety of Salmonella serovars, including human-specific pathogenic strains, have been isolated from reptiles previously. In addition, with the growth of the pet reptile market in China, reptile-associated Salmonella infections have been noticed as a significant contributor to overall human salmonellosis. However, it remains unclear regarding the prevalence of reptile-associated Salmonella in China or its implications on human health. This study aims to investigate the prevalence of Salmonella in captive reptile species in the Beijing area through culturation-based identification and to characterize drug resistance as well as host cell virulence in these isolated species. Further, by assessing the overall prevalence of drug-resistant Salmonella strains in captive reptiles in Beijing, China, our results highlight the potential threat of zoonotic salmonellosis from pet reptiles in the Beijing area of China. Background: Reptiles are asymptomatic carriers of Salmonella spp. Reptile-associated Salmonella infections have been noticed as a significant contributor to overall human salmonellosis. However, it remains unclear regarding the prevalence of reptile-associated Salmonella in China. Methods: Fecal and gastrointestinal mucosal samples were taken from 104 snakes, 21 lizards, and 52 chelonians and cultured on selective medium. The positive clones were validated and annotated by biochemical screening and multiplex PCR verification. In addition, the antibiotic resistance of identified Salmonella isolates was detected and followed by cytotoxic activity detection on human colon cells via co-culturation. Results: The overall prevalence of Salmonella in reptiles was 25.99%, with rates of 30.77%, 47.62%, and 7.69% in snakes, lizards, and chelonians, respectively. Further, all isolates showed variable drug-resistant activity to 18 antibiotics, of which 14 strains (30.43%) were resistant to more than eight kinds of antibiotics. More than half of isolated Salmonella strains were more toxic to host cells than the standard strain, SL1344. Whole genome sequencing (WGS) results showed that all lizard-associated strains belong to 4 serovar types, and 7 of them fall into the highly pathogenic serovars "Carmel" and "Pomona." Conclusions: Our results highlight the potential threat of zoonotic salmonellosis from captive reptiles in the Beijing area of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: As a pathogen of trichinellosis, Trichinella spiralis is a foodborne zoonotic nematode that can infect more than 100 species including mammals, birds, and reptiles. Pigs infected with T. spiralis are the primary host for disseminating it to humans. Therefore, a meta-analysis was performed here to assess the prevalence of T. spiralis in domestic pigs in China. After considering 43 different studies, including a total sample size of 551,097 pigs, these results indicated that T. spiralis were still prevalent in some areas in China and the highest prevalence region was Guangxi. The meta-analysis was performed to assess the prevalence of T. spiralis in domestic pigs in China. The potential studies from seven databases (Pubmed, Web of science, Scopus, Google Scholar, CNKI, Wanfang, CBM) were searched. I2, Cochran's Q statistic and the funnel plot and Egger's test were used to assess heterogeneity and publication bias, respectively. In this study, a total of 179 articles were captured in the initially screened. Of these, we finally obtained 39 significant articles (including 43 studies involving in 551,097 pigs) for the final analysis. We calculated using a random-effects model, and we found the overall infection rate was 0.04 (95% CI 0.03–0.06). The highest prevalence region was Guangxi. The funnel plot and Egger's test showed no publication bias in our meta-analysis. In addition, this high heterogeneity index was suggestive of potential variations which could be due to regions, quality scores, detection methods, publication years, or samplings. These results indicated that T. spiralis were still prevalent in some areas in China. This highlights the need for an increased focus on implementing affordable, appropriate control programs to reduce economic losses and T. spiralis infection in domestic pigs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine ecosystem recovery after the Permo-Triassic mass extinction (PTME) has been extensively studied in the shallow sea, but little is known about the nature of this process in pelagic ecosystems. Omphalosauridae, an enigmatic clade of open-water durophagous marine reptiles, potentially played an important role in the recovery, but their fragmentary fossils and uncertain phylogenetic position have hindered our understanding of their role in the process. Here we report the large basal ichthyosauriform Sclerocormus from the Early Triassic of China that clearly demonstrates an omphalosaurid affinity, allowing for the synonymy of the recently erected Nasorostra with Omphalosauridae. The skull also reveals the anatomy of the unique feeding apparatus of omphalosaurids, likely an adaptation for feeding on hard-shelled pelagic invertebrates, especially ammonoids. Morphofunctional analysis of jaws shows that omphalosaurids occupy the morphospace of marine turtles. Our discovery adds another piece of evidence for an explosive radiation of marine reptiles into the ocean in the Early Triassic and the rapid recovery of pelagic ecosystems after the PTME. Further evidence for an explosive marine reptile diversification event in the Early Triassic is presented via morphological analysis of a new Sclerocormus specimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pet trade and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) consumption are major drivers of global biodiversity loss. Tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) are among the most traded reptile species worldwide. In Hong Kong, pet and TCM markets sell tokay geckos while wild populations also persist. To clarify connections between trade sources and destinations, we compared genetics and stable isotopes of wild tokays in local and non-local populations to dried individuals from TCM markets across Hong Kong. We found that TCM tokays are likely not of local origin. Most wild tokays were related to individuals in South China, indicating a probable natural origin. However, two populations contained individuals more similar to distant populations, indicating pet trade origins. Our results highlight the complexity of wildlife trade impacts within trade hubs. Such trade dynamics complicate local legal regulation when endangered species are protected, but the same species might also be non-native and possibly damaging to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Chinese soft-shell turtle (Pelidiscus sinensis) is a widely farmed aquatic reptile in China. It has of high nutritional, pharmaceutical, and economic value, but wild Chinese soft-shell turtle has been faced with an extreme decline of populations. Thus, it is of great significance to study the germ cells biology and develop the techniques for turtle breeding and genetic resource preserving. Nanog is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, and it plays a vital role in maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells; there is a lack of reporting on the Nanog gene in reptile. In this study, the cDNA sequence and promoter of a Nanog gene was identified in P. sinensis, designed as PsNanog. PsNanog gene products were mainly expressed in gonads and were especially rich in ovary. Particularly, PsNanog mRNA and protein was exclusively expressed in germ cells in ovary and testis. Collectively, this is the first report on the gene structure and expression of Nanog in turtle, which may lay a foundation for further functional analysis of the Nanog in turtle, even in the reptiles. Further, PsNanog probably has the conserved and divergent function in regulating cell pluripotency and germ cell development in turtle, compared with other species, including teleosts and mammals. Nanog is a homeodomain-containing transcription factor, and it plays a vital role in maintaining the pluripotency of embryonic stem cells. Nanog's function has been well studied in many species. However, there is lack of reporting on the Nanog gene in reptile. Here, we identified a 1032 bp cDNA sequence of a Nanog gene in Pelidiscus sinensis, known as PsNanog. PsNanog has a highly conserved HD domain and shares a high identity with that of Chelonia mydas and the lowest identity with Oryzias latipes. Similarly, PsNanog presented a tight cluster with C. mydas Nanog, but was far from those of teleosts. Additionally, we cloned a length of 1870 bp PsNanog promoter. Dual luciferase assay showed that the DNA fragment of −1560 to +1 exhibited a high promoter activity. The RT-PCR and RT-qPCR results showed that PsNanog was predominantly expressed in ovary, and then in testis. The in situ hybridization and immunohistochemical analysis showed that PsNanog was expressed in the early primary oocytes and the cytoplasm of the cortical region of stage VIII oocytes in ovary, and distributed in most stages of germ cells in testis. Collectively, the results imply that PsNanog probably has the conserved function in regulating germ cell development across phyla and is also a pluripotent cell gene and expressed in germ cells, which is similar to that in teleosts and mammals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two previously studied specimens of Gansurhinus qingtoushanensis are restudied, accompanied by the description of a relatively complete skeleton from the Lopingian Naobaogou Formation of Nei Mongol, China. The new skeleton represents an immature individual of a new species of Gansurhinus, which can be diagnosed by the choana position posterior to the premaxillary teeth, maxillary tooth position numbers of tooth row 5 is about half of tooth row 4, and length of row 5 is much shorter than length of tooth row 4. IVPP V12026 from the Naobaogou Formation is referred to the new species. Gansurhinus is distinguished by a diastema on the upper jaw, five rows of teeth on maxilla and dentary, teeth on the multiple tooth-rowed region bearing cusp-like emargination on the crown, lacking dental tooth wear. The following features could be the diagnostic characters of the genus or autapomorphies of the new species: ectopterygoid present; adductor fossa short relative to the length of lower jaw, with small contribution of surangular to posterolateral border; trapezoidal coronoid eminence with nearly straight dorsal margin; and foramen intermandibularis caudalis absent. Gansurhinus is more closely related to Rothianiscus than Moradisaurus, supporting previous analyses. This study further confirms recent work suggesting that the moradisaurine clade is more diverse than currently recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a country with one of the most species-rich reptile faunas in the world. However, nearly a quarter of Chinese lizard species assessed by the China Biodiversity Red List are threatened. Nevertheless, to date, no study has explicitly examined the pattern and processes of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards. In this study, we conducted the first comparative phylogenetic analysis of extinction risk in Chinese lizards. We addressed the following 3 questions: (1) What is the pattern of extinction and threat in Chinese lizards? (2) Which species traits and extrinsic factors are related to their extinction risk? (3) How can we protect Chinese lizards based on our results? We collected data on 10 species traits (body size [BS], clutch size, geographic range size, activity time, reproductive mode, habitat specialization [HS], habitat use, leg development, maximum elevation, and elevation range) and 7 extrinsic factors (mean annual precipitation (MAP), mean annual temperature, mean annual solar insolation, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), human footprint, human population density, and human exploitation). After phylogenetic correction, these variables were used separately and in combination to assess their associations with extinction risk. We found that Chinese lizards with a small geographic range, large BS, high HS, and living in high MAP areas were vulnerable to extinction. Conservation priority should thus be given to species with the above extinction-prone traits so as to effectively protect Chinese lizards. Preventing future habitat destruction should also be a primary focus of management efforts because species with small range size and high HS are particularly vulnerable to habitat loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying indicator taxa is a solution to the problem of a lack of diverse data. However, the variation between studies on richness correlations (RCs) among taxa from different climate regions makes the application value of indicator taxa questionable. Few studies have compared the RCs among climatic regions in a single study, leaving the variation in RCs and the underlying ecological drivers among climatic regions unknown. In this study, data were compiled on vascular plants, vertebrates (including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians), and environmental factors across 219 nature reserves located in subtropical and temperate regions of China to examine RCs among taxonomic groups and underlying ecological mechanisms. Results showed that the climatic region could affect between-taxon correlations in species richness and that the effectiveness of vascular plants as suitable indicator taxa for vertebrates varied with the climatic region and target taxa. Energy (temperature and evapotranspiration) and habitat heterogeneity (area and elevation range) were ecological drivers of RCs among taxonomic groups in the subtropical and temperate regions. The differences in the effect of abiotic factors on RCs among taxonomic groups caused the difference in RCs between subtropical and temperate regions. Our findings provide new evidence for understanding the variation of RCs and the underlying mechanisms and highlight the positive role of climatic variables and habitat heterogeneity in determining RCs between vascular plants and vertebrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Test correlations in species richness between 10 taxa from 361 nature reserves in China. • Assessed the relative importance of competing mechanisms hypothesized to promote indicator taxa correlations. • No single taxon is useful for indicating all other taxa; ferns have the potential to predict reptile and amphibian richness. • Temperature and water availability are the most important factor for predicting species richness in most of the studied taxa. Indicator taxa have been widely used in biological conservation when data on the taxa of conservation interest are lacking. However, most studies have focused on common taxa (e.g., vascular plants, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and mammals) and found little consistent correlation between taxa. In this study, we extended the investigation to cover 10 taxonomic groups from 361 nature reserves in China. We assessed the strength of competing mechanisms hypothesized to promote indicator taxa correlations. We detected significant positive correlations in species richness among most of the 10 taxonomic groups except for macrofungi-insect and bryophyte-bird pairs. Yet, we found no single taxon satisfying the criteria to be used as an indicator for other taxa, although angiosperms had the potential to predict species richness of several other groups (e.g., ferns, gymnosperms, mammals, reptiles, amphibians), and ferns were useful for indicating reptiles and amphibians. Macrofungi and insects are the two groups that cannot be effectively indicated by any other groups. We also found that energy and climatic stability played the most significant role in regulating species richness of most study taxa, and possibly their between-taxon correlations. Our study provides new evidence for understanding cross-taxon congruence and the underlying mechanisms in the nature reserves of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shanyangzhai Cave, located in Hebei Province, North China, has yielded a large number of snake bones dated back to the late middle Pleistocene and late Pleistocene. These snakes are represented by at least six taxa: three colubrids (Elaphe cf. schrenckii, Elaphe cf. dione, Lycodon sp.), one natricid (Rhabdophis tigrinus), and two viperids (Gloydius sp1. and Gloydius sp2.). Most of the identified taxa still occur on the research area, except for Elaphe schrenckii. The snake fauna of Shanyangzhai Cave represents the first Pleistocene snake remains described in any detail from a cave locality in North China. The bones in Shanyangzhai Cave also represent the first fossil record of pit vipers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report a case of oral abscess caused by Paenibacillus cineris in a pet Burmese python. Microbiological and nucleic acid sequencing showed high similarity to the reference strain P. cineris (113XG30) isolated in China. Although Paenibacillus spp. are environmental bacteria, we highlight the importance of careful consideration of such unusual organisms in exotic reptiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cryptic diversity not only introduces confusion to taxonomic studies, but it also poses major challenges to conservation and environmental legislation. One such troubling group are the Mountain Dragons in the genus Diploderma in Southwest China. Previous studies have suggested that the genus contains considerable cryptic diversity, particularly in the D. flaviceps complex. Owing to taxonomic confusion, micro‐endemic lineages are still neglected by the Chinese wildlife protection laws, despite their urgent conservation needs. Combining multivariate morphological and multi‐locus phylogenetic data, we provide the first integrative systematic revision of the genus Diploderma. Specifically, we confirm that the six examined populations of D. cf. flaviceps from the upper Jinsha and Yalong River Valleys in Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces represent six cryptic, undescribed lineages, and we describe each of them as a new species. With the updated taxonomy and distribution information, we discuss the taxonomy of the D. flaviceps complex in Southwest China, provide an updated diagnostic key along with distributional ranges for all species of the genus, and discuss some of the suspicious records of other congeners in China. Lastly, we evaluate the IUCN status of each of the six new species and highlight the major challenges for Diploderma conservation in China due to delayed environmental legislation and misleading conservation assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choristoderes are a small clade of freshwater aquatic reptiles known from deposits of Jurassic–Miocene age. They show their greatest diversity in the Early Cretaceous of Asia, with seven recorded genera including longirostrine and brevirostine taxa, long- and short-necked taxa, and representatives of both neochoristoderes and non-neochoristoderes. The latter, informal grouping, comprising Monjurosuchus, Philydrosaurus, Hyphalosaurus, Khurendukhosaurus and, probably, Shokawa, is distinguished by the closure of the lower temporal fenestra. This differentiates them from typically diapsid stem choristoderes like the Jurassic Euramerican Cteniogenys and from all neochoristoderes like Champsosaurus and Simoeodosaurus. The recent description of Coeruleodraco jurassicus from the Callovian/Oxfordian of China provided the first example of an Asian non-neochoristodere with an open lower temporal fenestra. Here, we describe a second, geologically younger, genus and species from the Shahai Formation of Badaohao locality in western Liaoning, considered to be Aptian–Albian in age. This adds an eighth choristodere genus to the Early Cretaceous Asian record. The new species shares the diapsid skull morphology of C. jurassicus, demonstrating that a lineage of small, brevirostrine choristoderes with fully diapsid skulls persisted in Asia until the latter part of the Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Plateau Pit Viper, Gloydius strauchi, from southwest and central China has long been considered a single, widespread species despite suspicion that it represents a potential complex of distinct evolutionary lineages. Although series of works were published on the G. strauchi species complex over the last 10 yr, species boundaries and diagnostic features of different members of the complex have remained poorly understood. Combining both morphological and genetic data, we re-evaluate taxonomic statuses of populations of G. strauchi in southwest China and describe the eastern Tibetan populations as a new species. The new species is most closely related to G. monticola phylogenetically, and it differs from all congeners by having a matte dorsal body scale texture, oval and robust head shape, distinct body ornamentation and coloration, and unique hemipene morphology. In addition, we provide the first updated diagnostic key to all recognized members of the G. strauchi species complex, and discuss ongoing taxonomic problems associated with cryptic diversity within the genus in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two major evolutionary events in the early history of Mesozoic marine reptiles have been recorded in the Triassic of China. The first event evidenced by the Early Triassic Chaohu Fauna was the emergence of new marine communities and their subsequent radiation in the Spathian Subage of the late Olenekian (Early Triassic). The earliest marine reptile fossil horizon was found to be 248.81 Ma in age, therefore about 3.35 myr after the end-Permian mass extinction. The emergence time for the clade Ichthyosauromorpha has been suggested to be between 251.5 and 248.8 Ma. Moreover, the first occurrence of this clade is not thought to have been prior to the end-Permian mass extinction and this is therefore indicative of an exceptionally high evolutionary rate. Globally, twenty eight marine reptile species (six from Chaohu) have been recorded in an interval of just 2 myr in the Early Triassic, and these marine reptiles diversified and became the predators in the Mesozoic marine ecosystems that formed soon after the end-Permian mass extinction. The first event was followed by a transition from coastal to oceanic communities followed by selective disappearance of coastal species and emergence of oceanic species in the Ladinian of the Middle Triassic, as evidenced by the Xingyi Fauna. Here a 5.1 m thick fossiliferous unit yields 17 or more taxa of marine reptiles and can be subdivided into two separate assemblages. The lower assemblage is mainly composed of nearshore sauropterygians, close to that of the Anisian Panxian Fauna and with a strong palaeobiogeographic affinity to western Tethys. In the upper assemblage, the coastal pachypleurosaurian and nothosaurian sauropterygians disappear, to be replaced by the large ichthyosaurs and pistosaurs with a closer palaeobiogeographic affinity to Panthalassa. In this assemblage, there is an example of an ichthyosaur unequivocally feeding on another marine reptile. This is the oldest definitive record of a marine reptile acting as an apex predator. The transition from the lower assemblage to the upper one also records a turnover of Mesozoic marine reptiles from coastal to oceanic forms, and from a strong west Tethyan affinity to an assemblage showing a greater affinity with east Panthalassa by the late Middle Triassic. • Two major evolutionary events in the early history of Mesozoic marine reptiles after the end-Permian mass extinction are recorded. • The first event was the emergence and subsequent radiation of marine reptiles during the late Olenekian. • A diversity of predatory marine reptiles appeared in the newly established Mesozoic marine ecosystem soon after the end-Permian mass extinction. • The second event was the ecological shift from coastal to oceanic environments in the Ladinian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choristodera are freshwater aquatic reptiles known from the Middle Jurassic to the Miocene. Their fossil record shows a peak in diversity in the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia, most notably in the Jehol Biota of China but also in Japan and Mongolia. However, until now, the only Jurassic records from Asia have been rare disarticulated elements from Middle Jurassic microvertebrate sites in Transbaikalian Siberia, with a possible jaw fragment from the Late Jurassic of Xinjiang, China. Here we describe Coeruleodraco jurassicus gen. et sp. nov., a new, fully articulated choristodere skeleton from the Tiaojishan Formation of China, which is considered to be of Late Jurassic (Oxfordian) age. As such, the new specimen represents the first complete Jurassic choristodere recovered worldwide, and also provides important information on the pre-Cretaceous history of the group in eastern Asia. In its proportions and postcranial characters the new taxon resembles previously described Asian taxa such as Philydrosaurus, but it is distinct in possessing several apparently plesiomorphic characters, including a short antorbital region, paired external nares and an open lower temporal fenestra. Phylogenetic analysis places the new choristodere as the sister taxon of a non-neochoristoderan clade comprising Asian and European taxa, whereas the European Jurassic Cteniogenys becomes the sister taxon to all other Choristodera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leishmaniasis caused by protozoan parasite Leishmania is a neglected disease which is endemic in the northwest of China. Reptiles were considered to be the potential reservoir hosts for mammalian Leishmaniasis, and Leishmania had been detected in lizards from the epidemic area in the northwest of China. To date, few studies are focused on the natural infection of snakes with Leishmania. Methods: In this study, 15 snakes captured from 10 endemic foci in the northwest of China were detected Leishmania spp. on the base of mitochondrial cytochrome b, heat shock protein 70 gene and ribosomal internal transcribed spacer 1 regions, and identified with phylogenetic and network analyses. Result: In total, Leishmania gene was found in 7 snakes. The phylogenetic inference trees and network analysis suggests that the species identification was confirmed as Leishmania donovani, L. turanica and L. (Sauroleishmania) sp. Conclusion: Our work is the first time to investigate the natural Leishmania spp. infection of snakes in the northwest of China. Mammalian Leishmania (L. donovani and L. turanica) was discovered in snakes and the reptilian Leishmania (Sauroleishmania sp.) was closely related to the clinical strains both prompt the importance of snakes in the disease cycle. To indicate the epidemiological involvement of snakes, a wide sample size in epidemic area and the pathogenic features of reptilian Leishmania promastigotes are recommended in the future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The histology of bone can be preserved virtually unaltered for hundreds of millions of years in fossils from all environments and all vertebrate taxa, giving rise to the flourishing field of paleohistology. 1 The shafts of long bones are formed by the apposition of periosteal bone tissue, similar to the growth of wood, and preserve, an often cyclical, record of the growth of the individual and events in its life history. One such event is sexual maturation or puberty, during which hormonal changes transform the juvenile into a sexually mature adult. Puberty has been well studied in humans and some other living vertebrates. Here, we describe puberty in Keichousaurus , a small sexually dimorphic and live-bearing marine reptile from Middle Triassic rocks of SW China, about 240 million years old. Using a combination of bone histology and morphology, we detected puberty 2 as one of the four life stages (the others being fetus, juvenile, and adult). Adult Keichousaurus males have a more robust humerus than females, with pronounced muscle attachment sites and a triangular shaft cross section. Midshaft sections of the humeri of the males show the transition from the rounded juvenile cross section to the triangular adult cross section, as reflected in the contour of the growth marks. This shape change is produced by differential bone apposition of the periosteum, presumably triggered by sex hormones, as in humans, 3 and influenced by changes in loading regime during puberty. This is the first report of puberty in a fossil amniote. [Display omitted] • Puberty is recognized in a Triassic reptile called Keichousaurus by bone histology • Shape change of male humeri in Keichousaurus starts from the onset of puberty • Sex hormones may trigger puberty in Keichousaurus • Loading regime during puberty can result in differential bone apposition in humeri Li et al. report puberty for the first time in a fossil amniote. The bone thin sections show the onset of pubertal growth and reveal the development of sexually dimorphic features in a live-bearing marine reptile called Keichousaurus from the Triassic of South China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea turtles are globally endangered and face anthropogenic threats, such as direct harvest, bycatch, and habitat degradation. Genetic studies help identify connectivity between nesting and foraging grounds for conservation and management. However, information on genetic stock composition of green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in the South China Region (including Hong Kong, Guangdong Province, and Taiwan) is severely limited. In this study, mixed stock analysis based on the 760-bp mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control region of green turtles (n = 110) revealed that the primary source rookeries in the Pacific contributing to foraging green turtle aggregations in the South China Region were Peninsular Malaysia, Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia, Aru of Indonesia, Sulu Sea. northeastern Borneo, Republic of Marshall Islands, Wanan of Taiwan, and the central Ryukyu and Yaeyama of Japan. This study is the first to investigate and report the source nesting populations of a relatively large number of foraging green turtles in the region. The genetic results also indicate possible use of coastal Guangdong, the Taiwan Strait, and the East China Sea as habitat by pelagic-phase green turtles hatched from nesting beaches in Taiwan and mainland China. As a precautionary approach for effective sea turtle conservation, conservation and management of each distinct green turtle source rookery as well as foraging aggregations sourced from multiple natal origins in the South China Region is needed to preserve genetic diversity for the species. Anthropogenic threats to nesting and foraging habitats and migratory pathways, such as direct take for trade and fishery impacts, should be thoroughly assessed and effectively mitigated by regional collaboration to sustain these populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pangupterus liui gen. et sp. nov. from the Jiufotang Formation of Sihedang, Lingyuan City, Liaoning Province is erected based on a nearly complete lower jaw. It is characterized by having a total of 36 slender curved teeth with sharp tips, forming a distinct fish-grabbing mechanism; the teeth are well-spaced and are circular in section; the length ratio of the mandibular symphysis to the whole jaw is 20%; and the ratio of the tooth root width to tooth length is 12%. Toothed pterosaurs make up about 56.3% of the pterosaur assemblage from the Jiufotang Formation, which indicates that toothed forms played a key role in the ecosystem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pterosaurs consist of an extinct group of flying reptiles that show short- and long-tailed species. Among those are the anurognathids whose phylogenetic position has been considered quite controversial. So far, there are about 10 described specimens from the Anurognathidae, from which only a few show the preservation of caudal elements. Here, we report a new anurognathid specimen (IVPP V16728) from Mutoudeng, Qinglong, Hebei, China that shows the most complete tail of this non-pterodactyloid clade. The preserved part of the tail has at least 20 caudal vertebrae, some showing extended chevrons and zygapophyses, which is a very primitive character within pterosaurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honania complicidentata and Tsiyuania simplicidentata are pareiasaur taxa based on material from the Shangshihezi Formation of Jiyuan, Henan Province, China that were earlier designated as nomina vana. Based on the study of new material, and the reexamination of old specimens, we determine that the pareiasaur material from Jiyuan represents a single species that differs from all known species from other localities. Thus, we resurrect the name H. complicidentata for the material from Jiyuan. H. complicidentata is characterized by maxillary teeth with high crowns, dentary teeth slightly posteriorly inclined compared to the dentary dorsal margin, nearly all preserved marginal teeth have a cusped cingulum on the lingual surface, and humerus without an ectepicondylar foramen. Phylogenetic analysis shows Honania is more basal than Shansisaurus and Shihtienfenia from the Sunjiagou Formation of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese alligator Alligator sinensis Fauvel (Reptilia: Crocodylia) is considered as one of the most critically endangered species of the 23 extant crocodiles. However, our knowledge of the helminth parasites of this rare animal is completely lacking. During a helminthological survey of reptiles in China, we found a new ascaridoid nematode, Dujardinascaris gigantea sp. n. from A. sinensis. The morphology of D. gigantea sp. n. was studied using light and scanning electron microscopy. The new species was also characterised using molecular methods by sequencing and analysing the small ribosomal DNA (18S) and the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qijianglong guokr, gen. et sp. nov., represents a mamenchisaurid eusauropod from the Late Jurassic of southern China. The holotype consists of an incomplete skull, partly articulated axial skeleton, and fragmentary appendicular skeleton. A well-preserved braincase and skull roof provide rare insights into the poorly known neurocranial anatomy of mamenchisaurids and reveal a unique combination of characters such as an accessory tuber at the base of planar basipterygoid process and parietal excluding frontal from the anterior margin of the supratemporal fenestra. The cervical vertebrae have a distinct finger-like process extending from the postzygapophyseal process beside a zygapophyseal contact. Qijianglong is the first mamenchisaurid from the Late Jurassic of China that is definitively distinct from Mamenchisaurus, indicating greater morphological and taxonomic diversity of the poorly represented Late Jurassic mamenchisaurids. The occurrence of Qijianglong is consistent with a scenario in which mamenchisaurids formed an endemic sauropod fauna in the Late Jurassic of Asia. Phylogenetically, Qijianglong represents a relatively plesiomorphic mamenchisaurid lineage. The mamenchisaurids form an ancient clade of basal eusauropod dinosaurs that likely appeared in the Early Jurassic. A cladistic analysis highlights the interrelationships of mamenchisaurids and suggests guidelines for mamenchisaurid taxonomic revision. It may be desirable to restrict generic names to the type species in order to avoid confusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E77AE32E-0E07-4FE1-9ABA-0DFBA1B47672 SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of gigantic apex predators in the eastern Panthalassic and western Tethyan oceans suggests that complex ecosystems in the sea had become re-established in these regions at least by the early Middle Triassic, after the Permian-Triassic mass extinction (PTME). However, it is not clear whether oceanic ecosystem recovery from the PTME was globally synchronous because of the apparent lack of such predators in the eastern Tethyan/western Panthalassic region prior to the Late Triassic. Here we report a gigantic nothosaur from the lower Middle Triassic of Luoping in southwest China (eastern Tethyan ocean), which possesses the largest known lower jaw among Triassic sauropterygians. Phylogenetic analysis suggests parallel evolution of gigantism in Triassic sauropterygians. Discovery of this gigantic apex predator, together with associated diverse marine reptiles and the complex food web, indicates global recovery of shallow marine ecosystems from PTME by the early Middle Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The placodonts of the Triassic period (~252-201 mya) represent one of the earliest and most extreme specialisations to a durophagous diet of any known reptile group. Exceptionally enlarged crushing tooth plates on the maxilla, dentary and palatine cooperated to form functional crushing areas in the buccal cavity. However, the extreme size of these teeth, combined with the unusual way they occluded, constrained how replacement occurred. Using an extensive micro-computed tomographic dataset of 11 specimens that span all geographic regions and placodont morphotypes, tooth replacement patterns were investigated. In addition, the previously undescribed dental morphologies and formulae of Chinese taxa are described for the first time and incorporated into the analysis. Placodonts have a unique tooth replacement pattern and results follow a phylogenetic trend. The plesiomorphic Placodus species show many replacement teeth at various stages of growth, with little or no discernible pattern. On the other hand, the more derived cyamodontoids tend to have fewer replacement teeth growing at any one time, replacing teeth unilaterally and/or in functional units, thus maintaining at least one functional crushing area at all times. The highly derived placochelyids have fewer teeth and, as a result, only have one or two replacement teeth in the upper jaw. This supports previous suggestions that these taxa had an alternative diet to other placodonts. Importantly, all specimens show at least one replacement tooth growing at the most posterior palatine tooth plates, indicating increased wear at this point and thus the most efficient functional crushing area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Although the influence on species richness of landscape attributes representing landscape composition and spatial configuration has been well documented at landscape scales, its effects remain little understood at macroecological scales. We aim to assess the role of landscape attributes, and their relative importance compared with climate, habitat heterogeneity and human influence ( CHH) in particular, in shaping broad-scale richness patterns. Location Mainland China. Methods Species richness data for mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians were derived from the China Species Information Service. Together with the richness data, CHH variables and class- and landscape-level landscape metrics were calculated using grain sizes of 50 km × 50 km, 100 km × 100 km and 200 km × 200 km. At these multiple scales, the species richness of each taxonomic group was correlated with CHH and landscape variables using both ordinary least square ( OLS) and simultaneous autoregressive ( SAR) models; variation partitioning was used to assess the relative strength of landscape attributes versus CHH variables. Results In general, climate is the most influential factor shaping richness patterns. Landscape attributes, especially class-level attributes, can also explain considerable variation in richness. Variation partitioning showed largely overlapped fractions of explained variation between landscape attributes and CHH variables. The pure explanatory power of landscape attributes was small for mammals, reptiles and amphibians, showing R2 of 1-3%, while it was considerably larger for birds, showing R2 of 5-10%. The environment-richness correlations showed scale dependency, but the pure explanatory power of landscape attributes appeared to show small changes across the scale range used in this study. Main conclusions In addition to CHH variables, landscape attributes can explain some broad-scale richness patterns, especially for birds. The incorporation of landscape attributes will be conducive to better understanding the drivers of richness patterns and modelling species richness at macroecological scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A thalattosaur taxon, Concavispina biseridens, was recently named and briefly described. It is described here in detail and compared with other thalattosaurs, especially Xinpusaurus. Concavispina is characterized by a long skull, measuring approximately half the length of presacral portion of the vertebral column, two rows of blunt teeth on the anterior part of the maxilla, and neural spines that have convex anterior or posterior margins and V-shaped notches in their dorsal margins. Concavispina differs from all thalattosaurs except Xinpusaurus in that the anterior end of the maxilla is curved dorsally, less than five cervical vertebrae are present, and the proximal end of the humerus is wider than the distal end. Phylogenetic analysis of 40 characters suggests that Miodentosaurus occupies a basal position within Askeptosauridea, Paralonectes is the basalmost member of Thalattosauridea, Concavispina may form a clade with Xinpusaurus, and Chinese thalattosaurs do not have a close relationship with eastern Pacific forms as suggested by previous studies. Concavispina may have been similar to Xinpusaurus in overall locomotor style, but probably had a poorer swimming ability. Concavispina likely differed from Xinpusaurus in diet, for example by depending on softer food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new Middle Triassic sauropterygian, Qianxisaurus chajiangensis, gen. et sp. nov., is described on the basis of a skeleton from the Zhuganpo Member (Ladinian) of the Falang Formation, Xingyi, southwestern Guizhou Province, China. It is primarily characterized by a premaxilla with eight teeth, marginal teeth with a slightly constricted peduncle and short conical crown, snout longer than the rest of skull, postorbital with a truncated dorsal process and forked posterior process, a very small supratemporal fenestra, a short retroarticular process posteriorly truncated and lacking a dorsal concavity, an elongate trunk with 28 vertebrae, a stout sacrum with four vertebrae, a longitudinal groove on proximodorsal surface of the dorsal ribs, and a coracoid with a narrow lateral portion and a foot-shaped medial portion. Q. chajiangensis appears similar to the European pachypleurosaurs, but a global phylogenetic analysis failed to support close relationships with these taxa. Instead, Q. chajiangensis is an eosauropterygian and most probably the sister group of a clade consisting of the European pachypleurosaurs and the Nothosauroidea. The discovery of Q. chajiangensis certainly enriches our knowledge of the early history of the Eosauropterygia and leads to a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among known eosauropterygians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Jeholosaurus shangyuanensis is a small ornithischian dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of the Lujiatun locality, Liaoning Province, China. Here, we provide the first detailed description of its postcranial skeleton based on the holotype and four other well-preserved skeletons, and compare it with material of other primitive cerapodans. Jeholosaurus can be diagnosed on the basis of one postcranial autapomorphy, relating to the absence of parapophyses from the anterior dorsal vertebrae, and a unique combination of postcranial characters, but its anatomy is otherwise similar to that of many other basal ornithischians. A phylogenetic analysis incorporating these new postcranial data confirms previous suggestions that Jeholosaurus is a basal ornithopod and that it forms a clade with Changchunsaurus and Haya; Koreanosaurus and Yueosaurus might also belong to this clade, though additional material of both will be required to test this hypothesis. The name Jeholosauridae is proposed for this apparently endemic group of Cretaceous East Asian taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Four main dinosaur sites have been investigated in latest Cretaceous deposits from the Amur/Heilongjiang Region: Jiayin and Wulaga in China (Yuliangze Formation), Blagoveschensk and Kundur in Russia (Udurchukan Formation). More than 90% of the bones discovered in these localities belong to hollow-crested lambeosaurine saurolophids, but flatheaded saurolophines are also represented: Kerberosaurus manakini at Blagoveschensk and Wulagasaurus dongi at Wulaga. Methodology/Principal Findings: Herein we describe a new saurolophine dinosaur, Kundurosaurus nagornyi gen. et sp. nov., from the Udurchukan Formation (Maastrichtian) of Kundur, represented by disarticulated cranial and postcranial material. This new taxon is diagnosed by four autapomorphies. Conclusions/Significance: A phylogenetic analysis of saurolophines indicates that Kundurosaurus nagornyi is nested within a rather robust clade including Edmontosaurus spp., Saurolophus spp., and Prosaurolophus maximus, possibly as a sistertaxon for Kerberosaurus manakini also from the Udurchukan Formation of Far Eastern Russia. The high diversity and mosaic distribution of Maastrichtian hadrosaurid faunas in the Amur-Heilongjiang region are the result of a complex palaeogeographical history and imply that many independent hadrosaurid lineages dispersed without any problem between western America and eastern Asia at the end of the Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in China has produced numerous well preserved fossils of feathered theropods and early birds. Recent discoveries of feathered dinosaurs, as well as transitional pterosaurs and a sexually mature individual of Darwinopterus preserved together with an egg from the Daohugou Biota of an earlier age than the Jehol Biota, in northeastern China, have greatly enriched our knowledge of the transition from dinosaurs to birds and primitive to derived pterosaurs. The age estimate of fossils or host strata, however, has proven to be contentious and varies widely from the Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. Here, we report a SHRIMP U–Pb zircon date unambiguously associated with the fossil horizons, and thus, for the first time, provide an age calibration for the earliest appearance of feathered dinosaurs and transitional pterosaurs. Date results indicate that the feathered dinosaurs of China were present more than 161Ma ago, unquestionably older than Archaeopteryx in Germany, and are the earliest known feathered dinosaurs in the world. Furthermore, feathers appeared in ornithischians before 159Ma rather than late in the Early Cretaceous. The known transitional pterosaurs first emerged before 161Ma. The Daohugou Biota, containing mammals, primitive pterosaurs, insects and plants, in addition to the feathered dinosaurs, was living in Inner Mongolia ,western Liaoning and northern Hebei in northeastern China during the Middle Jurassic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new specimen of the protorosaur Macrocnemus fuyuanensis, from the Zhuganpo Member of the Falang Formation at Fuyuan (Yunnan Province, southwestern China), is described and compared with Macrocnemus bassanii. The new specimen is the first in the genus Macrocnemus that clearly shows details of the preorbital region of the skull. A large, plate-like lacrimal is located in front of the tall, columnar prefrontal that defines the anterior margin of the orbit. A longitudinally oriented nasal groove extends along the anterior two-thirds of the snout, accommodating the external naris at its anterior part. A similar preorbital depression has previously been described for Dinocephalosaurus and it is also reported here for the first time in Tanystropheus. The new specimen confirms the status of Macrocnemus fuyuanensis as a species distinct from Macrocnemus bassanii on the basis of a humerus that significantly exceeds the radius in length. The occurrence of both Macrocnemus and Tanystropheus in southwestern China further underscores the close faunal affinities of the eastern and western Tethyan realms during the Middle and early Late Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatial turnover of species lies at the heart of macroecology and conservation biogeography. However, our knowledge of the causes of species turnover remains poor, particularly for herpetofaunas including amphibians and reptiles. Here, using regression, variance partitioning, and hierarchical partitioning analyses, we examine the relationships of species turnover in herpetofaunas among provinces in eastern China with respect to geographic distance and environmental difference. We found that species turnover in herpetofaunas is moderately to strongly correlated with geographic distance and difference in most environmental variables examined between provinces. Geographic distance and environmental difference together explain 87.1 and 89.9% of the variance of species turnover for amphibians and reptiles, respectively. Variance partitioning analysis indicated that most variance in species turnover is explained by the joint effect of geographic distance and environmental difference. Beyond this shared variance, environmental difference is a stronger predictor of species turnover than geographic distance, particularly for reptiles. Hierarchical partitioning analysis showed that energy-related variables explained more variance in species turnover for both amphibians and reptiles, compared with water-related variables. The independent effects of water-related variables are slightly higher for amphibians than for reptiles whereas the independent effects of energy-related variables are slightly higher for reptiles than amphibians. These patterns are consistent with different ecophysiological requirements of the two taxa. Our results have important implications for predicting changes in biodiversity of herpetofaunas under climate change scenarios. Global warming will affect the immigration and local extinction of both amphibians and reptiles, and precipitation change may affect amphibians more strongly, compared with its effect on reptiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers world news briefs related to medical care. The international Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews, PROSPERO was launched by the Centre for Reviews and Dissemination and Great Britain National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR). An online mentoring scheme was established by the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors (ISAJE). The State Administration of Radio, Film and Television of China announces that it would ban smoking scenes in television and films.

We studied sexual dimorphism and female reproduction in two sympatric species of toad-headed lizards, Phrynocephalus frontalis and P. versicolor, from Inner Mongolia, North China. The smallest reproductive females of P. frontalis and P. versicolor we recorded were 43.5 mm and 44.2 mm SVL, respectively. Females were the larger sex in P. versicolor, whereas female and male adults of P. frontalis did not differ in mean SVL. Females of P. frontalis were on average smaller than females of P. versicolor, so were males of P. frontalis. In both species females were larger in abdomen length (AL) but smaller in head length (HL), head width (HW) and tail length (TL); adults of P. frontalis were larger in HL and TL but smaller in AL and HW than adults of P. versicolor of the same size. Females of both species laid a single clutch of 2-6 eggs per breeding season. The trade-off between size and number of eggs was evident in both species. Of the examined female reproductive traits, only clutch size and egg size differed between the two species, with females of P. frontalis laying fewer but larger eggs than did females of P. versicolor of the same SVL. However, as the observed between-species difference in egg size (and thus, offspring size) was small, any niche divergence resulting from this difference could be less important in reducing competitions between these two sympatric species of lizards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]