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Bony fishes are among the best represented macrofossils from the earliest Eocene Fur Formation, northern Denmark. The most abundant fish of the formation has never been formally described, in spite of its abundance throughout the formation, and only referred to as an 'argentinoid'. This work provides a taxonomic study of this argentinoid taxon, which is described herein as Surlykus longigracilis gen. et sp. nov. The caudal skeleton shows separated first preural and first ural centra, a unique condition within the Argentiniformes. In addition, it is characterised by having a large mouth and a single supramaxilla, which suggest that Surlykus gen. nov. occupies a basal position within the Argentiniformes, representing the sister-group to all the other lineages of this clade ([Argentinidae + Opisthoproctidae] + [Bathylagidae + Microstomatidae]), and, consequently, a stem-group Argentiniformes. Mass-mortality assemblages may indicate that Surlykus longigracilis gen. et sp. nov. formed large schools in the ancient North Sea Basin, where it probably represented the trophic nucleus of the fish communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new genus and species of stromateiform fish, Butyrumichthys henricii gen. et sp. nov., from the Eocene Fur Formation of Denmark is described. The description is based on six well-preserved, almost complete articulated skeletons plus a well-preserved head. All the specimens originate from the carbonate concretion horizons of the Fur Formation. The fossils were investigated also through element-mapping of strontium and phosphorus using a micro-XRF spectrometer in order to expose and enhance the skeletal anatomy. Butyrumichthys gen. nov. exhibits a unique combination of characters that support its recognition as a new stromateoiform genus, including jaws with uniserially arranged, small conical teeth, preopercle with at least 15 prominent spines, 37–38 (17–18 + 20) vertebrae, dorsal fin with 5–6 weak spines and 27–28 soft rays, and anal fin with two spines and 19–20 soft rays. The new fossil stromateoid described herein shows several morphological similarities to certain species of the genus SchedophilusCocco, 1839, especially S. pemarco (Poll, 1959) and S. medusophagus (Cocco, 1839), and is tentatively referred to the family Centrolophidae. The exceptionally preserved fossil fishes of the Fur Formation increase our knowledge of the diversity of Paleogene marine teleosts, also providing some of the earliest occurrences of modern lineages based on articulated skeletal remains, including that of the stromateiforms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Injured European hedgehogs are frequently admitted to hedgehog rehabilitation centres with different types of cuts and injuries. Although not rigorously quantified, a growing concern is that an increasing number of cases may have been caused by robotic lawn mowers. Research indicates that European hedgehogs are in decline. It is therefore important to identify and investigate the factors responsible for this decline to improve the conservation initiatives directed at this species. Because hedgehogs are increasingly associated with human habitation, it seems likely that numerous individuals will encounter several robotic lawn mowers during their lifetimes. Consequently, this study aimed to describe and quantify the effects of robotic lawn mowers on hedgehogs, and we tested 18 robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead hedgehogs. Some models caused extensive damage to the dead hedgehogs, but there were noteworthy differences in the degree of harm inflicted, with some consistently causing no damage. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dead, dependent juvenile hedgehogs, and no models could detect the hedgehog cadavers without physical interaction. We therefore encourage future collaboration with the manufacturers of robotic lawn mowers to improve the safety for hedgehogs and other garden wildlife species. We tested the effects of 18 models of robotic lawn mowers in collision with dead European hedgehogs and quantified the results into six damage categories. All models were tested on four weight classes of hedgehogs, each placed in three different positions. None of the robotic lawn mowers tested was able to detect the presence of dependent juvenile hedgehogs (<200 g) and all models had to touch the hedgehogs to detect them. Some models caused extensive damage to the hedgehog cadavers, but there were noteworthy differences in the degree of harm inflicted, with some consistently causing no damage. Our results showed that the following technical features significantly increased the safety index of the robotic lawn mowers: pivoting blades, skid plates, and front wheel drive. Based on these findings, we encourage future collaboration with the manufacturers of robotic lawn mowers to improve the safety for hedgehogs and other garden wildlife species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]