bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trauma and the Making of Flexible Minds in the Tibetan Exile Community
Authors: Lewis Sara
Published: July 2018

This ethnographic study of trauma and resilience among Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India explores how Buddhist practices like lojong (mind-training) bolster resilience, and why foreign practices of psychotherapy have largely been rejected.
Can Tai Chi and Qigong Postures Shape Our Mood? Toward an Embodied Cognition Framework for Mind-Body Research
Authors: Osypiuk Kamila , Thompson Evan , Wayne Peter M.
Published: July 2018

Dynamic and static body postures are a defining characteristic of mind-body practices such as Tai Chi and Qigong (TCQ). A growing body of evidence supports the hypothesis that TCQ may be beneficial for psychological health, including management and prevention of depression and anxiety. Although a variety of causal factors have been identified as potential mediators of such health benefits, physical posture, despite its visible prominence, has been largely overlooked. We hypothesize that body posture while standing and/or moving may be a key therapeutic element mediating the influence of TCQ on psychological health. In the present paper, we summarize existing experimental and observational evidence that suggests a bi-directional relationship between body posture and mental states. Drawing from embodied cognitive science, we provide a theoretical framework for further investigation into this interrelationship. We discuss the challenges involved in such an investigation and propose suggestions for future studies. Despite theoretical and practical challenges, we propose that the role of posture in mind-body exercises such as TCQ should be considered in future research.
Wisdom and compassion: A new perspective on the science of relationships.
Authors: Condon Paul , Dunne John , Wilson-Mendenhall Christine
Published: July 2018

In psychological science, mindfulness and compassion are thought to promote physical health, mental well-being, and even virtuous character. Yet in Buddhist philosophy, mindfulness and compassion can cause suffering when the two are not balanced. One key mechanism of mindfulness is “dereification,” which amounts to experiencing one’s thoughts just as thoughts, and not as real representations of the world. If one focuses solely on thoughts as unreal representations, one can simply dismiss all such activity, leading to apathy. Compassion can be problematic if one gets caught up in other-cherishing, and if others’ aspirations and needs fail to align with those that one has imposed upon others. In this article, we review how the integration of mindfulness and compassion yields a novel framework to examine flourishing. As a case study, we apply these insights to the science of relationships, which leads to a re- conceptualization of “individual” flourishing.
Greater striatopallidal adaptive coding during cue-reward learning and food reward habituation predict future weight gain
Authors: Burger Kyle Stanley
Published: July 2018

Animal experiments indicate that after repeated pairings of palatable food receipt and cues that predict palatable food receipt, dopamine signaling increases in response to predictive cues, but decreases in response to food receipt. Using functional MRI and mixed effects growth curve models with 35 females (M age=15.5±0.9; M BMI=24.5±5.4) we documented an increase in BOLD response in the caudate (r=.42) during exposure to cues predicting impending milkshake receipt over repeated exposures, demonstrating a direct measure of in vivo cue-reward learning in humans. Further, we observed a simultaneous decrease in putamen (r=-.33) and ventral pallidum (r=-.45) response during milkshake receipt that occurred over repeated exposures, putatively reflecting food reward habitation. We then tested whether cue-reward learning and habituation slopes predicted future weight over 2-year follow-up. Those who exhibited the greatest escalation in ventral pallidum responsivity to cues and the greatest decrease in caudate response to milkshake receipt showed significantly larger increases in BMI (r=.39 and -.69 respectively). Interestingly, cue-reward learning propensity and food reward habituation were not correlated, implying that these factors may constitute qualitatively distinct vulnerability pathways to excess weight gain. These two individual difference factors may provide insight as to why certain people have shown obesity onset in response to the current obesogenic environment in western cultures, whereas others have not.
Relation of Dietary Restraint Scores to Activation of Reward-Related Brain Regions in Response to Food Intake, Anticipated Intake, and Food Pictures
Authors: Burger Kyle Stanley
Published: July 2018

Prospective studies indicate that individuals with elevated dietary restraint scores are at increased risk for future bulimic symptom onset, suggesting that these individuals may show hyper-responsivity of reward regions to food and food cues. Thus, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to examine the relation of dietary restraint scores to activation of reward-related brain regions in response to receipt and anticipated receipt of chocolate milkshake and exposure to pictures of appetizing foods in 39 female adolescents (mean age = 15.5 ± 0.94). Dietary restraint scores were positively correlated with activation in the right orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in response to milkshake receipt. However, dietary restraint scores did not correlate with activation in response to anticipated milkshake receipt or exposure to food pictures. Results indicate that individuals who report high dietary restraint have a hyper-responsivity in reward-related brain regions when food intake is occurring, which may increase risk for overeating and binge eating.
A functional neuroimaging review of obesity, appetitive hormones and ingestive behavior
Authors: Burger Kyle Stanley
Published: July 2018

Adequate energy intake is vital for the survival of humans and is regulated by complex homeostatic and hedonic mechanisms. Supported by functional MRI (fMRI) studies that consistently demonstrate differences in brain response as a function of weight status during exposure to appetizing food stimuli, it has been posited that hedonically driven food intake contributes to weight gain and obesity maintenance. These food reward theories of obesity are reliant on the notion that the aberrant brain response to food stimuli relates directly to ingestive behavior, specifically, excess food intake. However current studies frequently use weight as a dependent measure, and homeostatic neuroendocrine regulators of food intake, such as leptin and ghrelin, are also impacted by weight status. Importantly, these differences endocrine functioning may contribute to effects seen in fMRI studies of reward-related obesity. In the present review, we examine the relative influence of weight and weight change, exogenous administration of appetitive hormones, and measures of ingestive behavior on BOLD response to food stimuli. Emerging evidence implicating the influences of impulsivity, macronutrient content, and reward learning and habituation in ingestive behavior and obesity are also considered.
Body mass variability is represented by distinct functional connectivity patterns
Authors: Sadler Jennifer R , Shearrer Grace Elisabeth , Burger Kyle Stanley
Published: July 2018

Understanding weight-related differences in functional connectivity provides key insight into neurocognitive factors implicated in obesity. Here, we sampled three groups from human connectome project data: 1) 47 pairs of BMI-discordant twins (n=94; average BMI-discordancy 6.7 3.1 kg/m2), 2) 47 pairs of gender and BMI matched BMI-discordant, unrelated individuals, and 3) 47 pairs of BMI-similar twins to test for body mass dependent differences in between network functional connectivity. Across BMI discordant samples, three networks appeared to be highly sensitivity to weight status; specifically, a network compromised of gustatory processing regions, a visual processing network, and the default mode network (DMN). Further, individuals with a lower BMI relative to their twin had stronger connectivity between striatal/thalamic and prefrontal networks (pFWE = 0.04) in the BMI-discordant twin sample. Cortical-striatal-thalamic networks underlie regulation of hedonically motivated behaviors. Stronger connectivity may facilitate increased regulation of decision-making when presented with highly rewarding, energy-dense foods. We also observed that individuals with a higher BMI than their twin had stronger connectivity between cerebellar and insular networks (pFWE = 0.04). Increased cerebellar-insula connectivity is associated with caloric deprivation and, in high BMI individuals, is associated compromised satiation signaling, thereby increasing risk for postprandial food intake. Connectivity patterns observed in the BMI-discordant twin sample were not see in a BMI-similar sample, providing evidence that the results are specific to BMI discordance. Beyond the involvement of gustatory and visual networks and the DMN, little overlap in results were seen between the two BMI-discordant samples. This may be a function of the higher study design sensitivity in the BMI-discordant twin sample, relative to the more generalizable results in the unrelated sample. These findings demonstrate that distinct connectivity patterns can represent weight variability, adding to mounting evidence that implicates atypical brain functioning with the accumulation and/or maintenance of elevated weight.
Using participant hedonic ratings of food images to construct data driven food groupings
Authors: Burger Kyle Stanley
Published: July 2018

Theorists posit that food reward is a powerful determinant of intake, yet little is known regarding how individuals’ hedonic ratings of a variety of foods inter-relate and how hedonic ratings correspond to habitual dietary intake. Participant ratings of food appeal of 104 food images were collected while participants were in a fed state (n=129). Self-reported frequency of intake of the food items, perceived hunger, body mass index (BMI), and dietary restraint were also assessed. Principal components analysis (PCA) was employed to analyze hedonic ratings of the foods, to identify component structures and to reduce the number of variables. The resulting component structures comprised 63 images loading on 7 components including Energy-Dense Main Courses, Light Main Courses and Seafood as well as components more analogous to traditional food groups (e.g., Fruits, Grains, Desserts, Meats). However, vegetables were not represented in a unique, independent component. All components were positively correlated with reported intake of the food items (r’s = 0.26 - 0.52, p < 0.05), except for the Light Main Course component (r = 0.10). BMI showed a small positive relation with aggregated food appeal ratings (r = 0.19; p < 0.05), which was largely driven by the relations between BMI and appeal ratings for Energy-Dense Main Courses (r = 0.24; p < 0.01) and Desserts (r = 0.27; p < 0.01). Dietary restraint showed a small significant negative relation to Energy-Dense Main Courses (r = -0.21; p < 0.05), and Meats (r = -0.18; p < 0.05). The present investigation provides novel evidence that how individuals’ hedonic ratings of foods aggregate into food components and how these component ratings relate to dietary intake. The notable absence of a vegetable component suggests that individuals’ liking for vegetables is highly variable and, from an empirical standpoint, not related to how they respond hedonically to other food categories.
A new genus of Buchonomyiinae (Diptera, Chironomidae) from Late Cretaceous Burmese amber, with the phylogeny of the subfamily revisited.
Authors: Baranov Viktor
Published: July 2018

Among the eleven modern subfamilies of non-biting midges (Diptera: Chironomidae), Buchonomyiinae are the most primitive and considered to be the sister group to the rest of the chironomids. The subfamily is monotypic with a single genus Buchonomyia, including three Recent species from Europe, South-East Asia and Central America, and a single fossil species, B. succinea Seredszus and Wichard, 2002, from Baltic amber. The elusive nature of the larvae and pupae, who develop as parasites or are commensal of caddisfly larvae, means that records of recent Buchonomyiinae extremely rare. From the latest dated phylogeny of the Chironomidae, the Buchonomyiinae branched from the rest of the Chironomidae in the Early to Middle Jurassic. Here we present the oldest record of the subfamily Buchonomyiinae, from Late Cretaceous Burmese amber. The record is represented by a new genus Furcobuchonomyia, with a single species F. saetheri. Bayesian analysis firmly places the new genus as the sister group to the rest of the Buchonomyiinae. Thus the discovery of this genus is sheding new light on the origin of the most basal group of the Chironomidae. A species level key to the subfamily is included.
A vertebrate microsite from a marine-terrestrial transition in the Foremost Formation (Campanian) of Alberta, Canada, and the use of faunal assemblage data as a palaeoenvironmental indicator
Authors: Cullen Thomas M , Fanti Federico , Capobianco Christopher , Ryan Michael J. , Evans David
Published: July 2018

Vertebrate microfossil assemblages contain abundant fossil material of small and large bodied animals recruited from the local paleocommunity that can provide important information for reconstructing regional paleoecology. The Foremost Formation is the oldest unit of the Belly River Group, and records the transition from the fully marine shales of the Pakowki Formation to the non-marine strata of the relatively well-sampled Oldman and Dinosaur Park formations. Although the Foremost Formation has relatively limited exposure and vertebrate fossil material is not abundant, it does contain some important early records of major vertebrate clades from Laramidia (e.g. ceratopsids, pachycephalosaurids).Here we document a new microfossil locality from the upper part of the formation that shows a transitional assemblage containing an abundance of terrestrial forms such as dinosaurs and other sauropsids, while still showing considerable marine influence. The proportion of marine taxa at this site is reduced relative to most sites known from the Foremost Formation, though much higher than more terrestrial sites of the overlying Oldman Formation. In addition to filling a gap in our understanding of this paleoenvironmental transition, this new site preserves two particularly significant specimens: a large, complete, cephalic spine of the hybodont shark Hybodus, and jaw fragments from the ratfish Elasmodus. This represents the first known complete cephalic spine of a hybodont shark from the Cretaceous of Alberta. The ratfish jaw fragments represent the first published record of this group from the Foremost Formation, further increasing our knowledge of chondrichthyan diversity in the Western Interior Seaway. Comparisons of this site to other microsites from the Campanian of Alberta demonstrate the utility of certain key groups, such as lissamphibians and chondrichthyans, in determining paleoenvironments from Mesozoic and Cenozoic vertebrate microsite assemblage data.
A new genus and species of eomysticetid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) and a reinterpretation of ‘Mauicetus’ lophocephalus Marples, 1956: transitional baleen whales from the upper Oligocene of New Zealand
Authors: Boessenecker Robert , Fordyce R. Ewan
Published: July 2018

The early evolution of toothless baleen whales (Chaeomysticeti) remains elusive despite a robust record of Eocene-Oligocene archaeocetes and toothed mysticetes. Eomysticetids, a group of archaic longirostrine and putatively toothless baleen whales fill in a crucial morphological gap between well-known toothed mysticetes and more crownward Neogene Mysticeti. A historically important but perplexing cetacean is “Mauicetus” lophocephalus (upper Oligocene South Island, New Zealand). The discovery of new skulls and skeletons of eomysticetids from the Oligocene Kokoamu Greensand and Otekaike Limestone permit a redescription and modern reinterpretation of “Mauicetus” lophocephalus, and indicating that this species may have retained adult teeth. A new genus and species, Tokarahia kauaeroa, is erected on the basis of a well-preserved subadult to adult skull with mandibles, tympanoperiotics, and cervical and thoracic vertebrae, ribs, sternum, and forelimbs from the Otekaike Limestone (>25.2 Ma). “Mauicetus” lophocephalus is relatively similar and recombined as Tokarahia lophocephalus. Phylogenetic analysis supports inclusion of Tokarahia within the Eomysticetidae alongside Eomysticetus, Micromysticetus, Yamatocetus, and Tohoraata, and strongly supports monophyly of Eomysticetidae. Tokarahia lacked extreme rostral kinesis of extant Mysticeti and primitively retained a delicate archaeocete-like posterior mandible and synovial temporomandibular joint, suggesting that Tokarahia was capable of at most, limited lunge feeding in contrast to extant Balaenopteridae, and utilized an alternative as-yet unspecified feeding strategy.
Caryosyntrips: a radiodontan from the Cambrian of Spain, USA and Canada
Authors: Pates Stephen , Daley Allison C.
Published: July 2018

Caryosyntrips appendages have previously been reported from the Burgess Shale (Cambrian, Stage 5), British Columbia, Canada. New specimens of the genus are here reported from the Wheeler Formation (Cambrian, Drumian) and Langston Formation, Spence Shale Member (Cambrian, Stage 5), Utah, USA. The original Burgess Shale specimens are re-examined alongside the new specimens. Caryosyntrips is shown to have paired ventral spines on each podomere. Three species of Caryosyntrips are recognised: C. serratus Daley and Budd, C. camurus nov. sp. and C. durus nov. sp., differentiated by the overall shape of their appendages and arrangement of dorsal and ventral spines. These differences have potential implications for the feeding methods employed by different species of Caryosyntrips. A specimen collected from the upper Valdemiedes Formation of Spain (Cambrian, Stage 4), previously described as the lobopodian Mureropodia apae Gámez Vintaned et al., is reinterpreted as a Caryosyntrips appendage. This identification is supported by the overall shape of the fossil, and the presence, orientation, and height:width ratio, of ventral spines. However the dorsal surface of the appendage is not well preserved, and the appendage and its ventral spines are larger than other known Caryosyntrips. Therefore it is left in open nomenclature as C. cf. camurus. These new finds increase the temporal range of Caryosyntrips (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4 to Series 3, Drumian) and the geographic range to a new continent, Gondwana.
Middle Miocene Chalicotheriinae (Mammalia, Perissodactyla) from France, with a discussion on chalicotheriine phylogeny
Authors: Anquetin Jérémy , Antoine Pierre-Olivier , Tassy Pascal
Published: July 2018

Middle Miocene chalicotheriine remains from France have played an important part in the palaeontological history of chalicotheres. For example, both the first known skull and first complete individual come from Sansan (MN 6, Gers, France). Nevertheless, these remains have never been described in detail until now. Firstly, cranial remains of Anisodon grande from Sansan are described. A review of nomenclatural problems supports that Anisodon Lartet, 1851 is the appropriate genus name for this species and a new lectotype is designated. Secondly, the description of new remains of Chalicotherium goldfussi from Saint-Gaudens (MN 8, Haute-Garonne, France) considerably increases knowledge of this taxon. Thirdly, a skull from La Grive Saint-Alban (MN 7-8, Isère, France) is reassessed. A new cladistic analysis of the Chalicotheriinae is proposed incorporating these new data. This analysis, including 12 taxa and 51 cranio-mandibular and dental characters, supports the division of Middle and Late Miocene chalicotheriines into two clades. A novel pattern of relationships is proposed and the systematics is revised. However, chalicotheriine relationships remain labile due to a need for both a revision of pre-Middle Miocene taxa and the addition of postcranial data.
A review of the fossil record of turtles of the clade Thalassochelydia
Authors: Anquetin Jérémy , Püntener Christian , Joyce Walter G.
Published: July 2018

The Late Jurassic (Oxfordian to Tithonian) fossil record of Europe and South America has yielded a particularly rich assemblage of aquatic pan-cryptodiran turtles that are herein tentatively hypothesized to form a monophyletic group named Thalassochelydia. Thalassochelydians were traditionally referred to three families, Eurysternidae, Plesiochelyidae, and Thalassemydidae, but the current understanding of phylogenetic relationships is insufficient to support the monophyly of either group. Given their pervasive usage in the literature, however, these three names are herein retained informally. Relationships with marine turtles from the Cretaceous have been suggested in the past, but these hypotheses still lack strong character support. Thalassochelydians are universally found in near-shore marine sediments and show adaptations to aquatic habitats, but isotopic evidence hints at a broad spectrum of specializations ranging from freshwater aquatic to fully marine. A taxonomic review of the group concludes that of 68 named taxa, 27 are nomina valida, 18 are nomina invalida, 18 are nomina dubia, and 5 nomina oblita.
A novel respiratory architecture in the Silurian mollusc Acaenoplax
Authors: Dean Christopher David , Sutton Mark , Siveter Derek , Siveter David
Published: July 2018

Extant aplacophorans, a group of shell-less vermiform molluscs, respire through appendages within or projecting from a posterior cavity. Respiratory structures differ between the subclasses Caudofoveata (ctenidia within the cavity) and Solenogastres (folds of the mantle itself). Acaenoplax hayae, a Silurian vermiform mollusc from the Herefordshire Lagerstätte, England, exhibits characteristics of both these groups. While recent work places it within the crown group Aplacophora, near the caudofoveates, initial observations suggested that its respiratory structures were closer to those of the solenogastres. Here, we present new reconstructions of the posterior of Acaenoplax prepared with the aim of resolving features obscured when prior studies were undertaken. These reconstructions detail a novel posterior architecture, not closely comparable to that of either extant aplacophoran group, in which respiratory projections arise from a membrane that partly encloses a central posterior cavity. The posterior membrane is flanked by small spherical projections; both membrane and spherical projections are apparently unique within the Aplacophora. The existence of this previously undocumented respiratory system underlines the diversity of the aplacophoran clade during the Palaeozoic.
A new species of troodontid theropod (Dinosauria: Maniraptora) from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Maastrichtian) of Alberta, Canada
Authors: Evans David , Cullen Thomas , Larson Derek , Rego Adam
Published: July 2018

Troodontid material from the Maastrichtian of North America is extremely rare, beyond isolated teeth from microvertebrate sites. Here we describe troodontid frontals from the early Maastrichtian Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Horsethief Member). The most complete specimen, TMP 1993.105.0001, is notably foreshortened and robust when compared with numerous specimens referred to Troodon from the Dinosaur Park Formation, and exhibits several characteristics that distinguish it from other Late Cretaceous troodontids. Morphometric analyses reinforce shape differences between TMP 1993.105.0001 and other North American troodontids, and show that proportional differences are independent of size. We therefore erect a new taxon, Albertavenator curriei gen. et sp. nov., which is diagnosed by the following autapomorphies: (1) primary supraciliary foramen is truncated anteriorly by the lacrimal contact; (2) superficial (ectocranial) surface of the frontal proportionally shorter than all known troodontids, with a length to width ratio under 1.3; and (3) frontoparietal contact in which an enlarged lappet of the frontal extends medially to extensively overlap the lateral region of the anteromedial process of the parietal. Interestingly, tooth and jaw morphology from the single relatively complete dentary recovered from the Horseshoe Canyon cannot be distinguished from dentaries and teeth from the Dinosaur Park Formation. If the dentary and teeth from the Horsethief Member of the Horseshoe Canyon Formation prove to belong to A. curriei, extensive overlap in tooth morphology between the Dinosaur Park and Horseshoe Canyon formations reinforces the notion that tooth morphotypes do not exhibit strong correspondence to species alpha diversity, and may encompass multiple closely related taxa.
An unexpectedly abundant new genus of black flies (Diptera, Simuliidae) from Upper Cretaceous Taimyr amber of Ugolyak, with discussion of the early evolution of birds at high latitudes
Authors: Evgeny Perkovsky
Published: July 2018

Ugolyakia kaluginae gen. et sp. nov. is described from Ugolyak (Santonian Taimyr amber), based primarily on its unbranched Rs and developed katepisternal sulcus. It is attributed to the tribe Simuliini, although it lacks calcipala and spiniform seta on the costal vein characteristic of most genera of the tribe. Possession of a claw with a large subbasal tooth and absence of significant sclerotization of the sternites suggest that U.kaluginae females were blood-sucking avian parasites. Black flies make up 3% of all insect inclusions and 5% of all identifiable dipterans in Ugolyak amber. Only two Late Cretaceous black fly specimens were previously known. Feathers found at nearly all Cretaceous black fly sites (and at all formations with records of Simuliini) were younger than the Hauterivian. Ugolyak black flies are thought to have inhabited the same environments as Cretaceous ornithurine birds and most likely fed on them. These insects can then be used as an indicator of this bird community, allowing a better understanding of the Late Cretaceous forest ecology of Northern Asia. The inferred presence of Ornithuromorpha at high latitudes by the Early Cretaceous implies that their high growth rate may have evolved as an adaptation to a short yearly period of productivity (probably as a compensation for the poor light ability of their young). This further implies that advanced ornithuromorphs might have originated at higher latitudes; later, aquatic ornithuromorphs occupied niches in lower latitude regions with tropical climates such as the Chinese Jehol biota, to which they were preadapted. The inferred seasonality at higher latitudes during cold spells of the Early Cretaceous could further be viewed as a prerequisite for the evolutionary origin of the granivory.
The first definitive occurrence of Ichthyosaurus and Temnodontosaurus (Reptilia: Ichthyosauria) in Nottinghamshire, England and a review of ichthyosaur specimens from the county
Authors: Lomax Dean
Published: July 2018

The occurrence of ichthyosaurs from Nottinghamshire is poorly documented. Here, we report on at least 63 specimens from museum and university collections. The specimens range from isolated elements to nearly complete skeletons. Preservation varies, but some are three-dimensional. The identification of both Ichthyosaurus and Temnodontosaurus in the county adds additional localities for the occurrence of those genera. Nottinghamshire is one of only a few counties to have yielded a fairly substantial number of ichthyosaur specimens. They are from localities in the Upper Triassic (Penarth Group) and Lower Jurassic (Lower Lias Group) that can no longer be accessed.
Environmental drivers of crocodyliform extinction across the Jurassic/Cretaceous transition
Authors: Tennant Jonathan , Mannion Philip D. , Upchurch Paul
Published: July 2018

Crocodyliforms have a much richer evolutionary history than represented by their extant descendants, including several independent marine and terrestrial radiations during the Mesozoic. However, heterogeneous sampling of their fossil record has obscured their macroevolutionary dynamics, and obfuscated attempts to reconcile external drivers of these patterns. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of crocodyliform biodiversity through the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) transition using subsampling and phylogenetic approaches and apply maximum-likelihood methods to fit models of extrinsic variables to assess what mediated these patterns. A combination of fluctuations in sea-level and episodic perturbations to the carbon and sulfur cycles was primarily responsible for both a marine and non-marine crocodyliform biodiversity decline through the J/K boundary, primarily documented in Europe. This was tracked by high extinction rates at the boundary and suppressed origination rates throughout the Early Cretaceous. The diversification of Eusuchia and Notosuchia likely emanated from the easing of ecological pressure resulting from the biodiversity decline, which also culminated in the extinction of the marine thalattosuchians in the late Early Cretaceous. Through application of rigorous techniques for estimating biodiversity, our results demonstrate that it is possible to tease apart the complex array of controls on diversification patterns in major archosaur clades.
Revising the species “Mustela” ardea Gervais, 1848-1852 (Mammalia, Mustelidae): Martellictis gen. nov. and the systematics of the fossil “Galictinae” of Eurasia
Authors: Bartolini Lucenti Saverio
Published: July 2018

A number of recent genetic and systematic reviews have changed our knowledge of the taxonomy of Mustelidae. In particular, the subfamily Galictinae Reig, 1956 has been recently grouped in the subfamily Ictonychinae Pocock, 1921. Among the Eurasian fossil taxa of this subfamily, the first to be described were Enhydrictis Major, 1901 and Pannonictis Kormos,1931. The latter genus is well characterised from the Plio-Pleistocene deposits of central and southern Europe, whereas Enhydrictis is an endemic and enigmatic form, recovered fromlate Pleistocene localities of Sardinia. Other recent studies have revealed a more palaeo-diverse and complex taxonomic scenario than was previously thought. Based on variousevidence, this review proposes a reinterpretation of the material of the galictini from earlyPleistocene sites such as St. Vallier and Olivola, historically named “Mustela” ardea Gervais,1848–1852, and its attribution to Martellictis gen. nov. The definition of Martellictis ardeareveals a more complex systematic panorama of western Eurasian Ictonychinae, and at thesame time, this re-ascription stresses the importance of understanding the possible originof the different morphological adaptations (such as those of Enhydrictis) and clarifying thephylogenetic relationships among these taxa.
A toothless dwarf dolphin (Odontoceti: Xenorophidae) points to explosive feeding diversification of modern whales (Neoceti)
Authors: Boessenecker Robert , Fraser Danielle , Churchill Morgan , Geisler Jonathan
Published: July 2018

Toothed whales (Odontoceti) are adapted for catching prey underwater and possess some of the most derived feeding specializations of all mammals, including the loss of milk teeth (monophyodonty), high tooth count (polydonty), and the loss of discrete tooth classes (homodonty). Many extant odontocetes possess some combination of short, broad rostra, reduced tooth counts, fleshy lips, and enlarged hyoid bones - all adaptations for suction feeding upon fish and squid. We report a new fossil odontocete from the Oligocene (~30 Ma) of South Carolina (Inermorostrum xenops, gen. et sp. nov.) that possesses adaptations for suction feeding: toothlessness and a shortened rostrum (brevirostry). Enlarged foramina on the rostrum suggest the presence of enlarged lips or perhaps vibrissae. Phylogenetic analysis firmly places Inermorostrum within the Xenorophidae, an early diverging odontocete clade typified by long-snouted, heterodont dolphins. Inermorostrum is the earliest obligate suction feeder within the Odontoceti, a feeding mode that independently evolved several times within the clade. Analysis of macroevolutionary trends in rostral shape indicate stabilizing selection around an optimum rostral shape over the course of odontocete evolution, and a post-Eocene explosion in feeding morphology, heralding the diversity of feeding behaviour amongst modern Odontoceti.
A DIAGNOSIS OF ALLIGATOR MISSISSIPPIENSIS BITE MARKS WITH COMPARISONS TO EXISTING CROCODYLIAN DATASETS
Authors: Drumheller Stephanie K , Brochu Christopher A.
Published: July 2018

Crocodylians are known to consume and modify bones, but actualistic observations of their bite marks have been limited to forensic case studies and surveys of two taxa: Crocodylus niloticus and Crocodylus porosus. To further explore patterns of crocodylian bite mark expression, we performed a survey of traces left by Alligator mississippiensis. We compared the results to pre-existing crocodylian datasets with regards to potentially diagnostic traits: bisected marks, hook scores, and a lack of furrows. Mark type did not correlate with vital statistics of the sampled animals or collections protocol. Bisected marks were found in rates similar to those seen in one previous survey of C. niloticus, and rates of hook scoring and bone breakage were higher. These traces were all present in higher rates than those reported in C. porosus. Unlike results seen in Crocodylus, furrows were identified in the A. mississippiensis samples. Hook scores were also identified, but recent surveys of non-crocodylian taxa have shown that these features are not unique to crocodylians and instead are related to inertial feeding strategies. The presence and rate of bisected marks found in this study bolster the interpretation that these traces are a clade-wide phenomenon and a useful diagnostic indicator for Crocodylia.
PHYLOGENETIC TAPHONOMY: A STATISTICAL AND PHYLOGENETIC APPROACH FOR EXPLORING TAPHONOMIC PATTERNS IN THE FOSSIL RECORD USING CROCODYLIANS
Authors: Drumheller Stephanie K , Brochu Christopher A.
Published: July 2018

Actualistic observations form the basis of many taphonomic studies in paleontology. However, surveys limited by environment or taxon may not be applicable far beyond the bounds of the initial observations. Even when multiple studies exploring the potential variety within a taphonomic process exist, quantitative methods for comparing these datasets in order to identify larger scale patterns have been understudied. This research uses modern bite marks collected from 21 of the 23 generally recognized species of extant Crocodylia to explore statistical and phylogenetic methods of synthesizing taphonomic datasets. Bite marks were identified, and specimens were then coded for presence or absence of different mark morphotypes. Attempts to find statistical correlation between trace types, marking animal vital statistics, and sample collection protocol were unsuccessful. Mapping bite mark character states on a eusuchian phylogeny successfully predicted the presence of known diagnostic, bisected marks in extinct taxa. Predictions for clades that may have created multiple subscores, striated marks, and extensive crushing were also generated. Inclusion of fossil bite marks which have been positively associated with extinct species allow this method to be projected beyond the crown group. The results of this study indicate that phylogenies can and should be further explored for use as predictive tools in a taphonomic framework.
New records of the fur seal Callorhinus (Carnivora: Otariidae) from the Plio-Pleistocene Rio Dell Formation of Northern California and comments on otariid dental evolution
Authors: Boessenecker Robert
Published: July 2018

New fossils representing two species of the fur seal Callorhinus are reported from the uppermost Pliocene to lower Pleistocene Rio Dell Formation of northern California. The finds include latest Pliocene–earliest Pleistocene dentaries and postcrania of Callorhinus gilmorei, and a partial dentary of early Pleistocene age identified as Callorhinus sp. The aforementioned material is ascribed to C. gilmorei due to the incipient single-rooted condition of the p1–2, retention of double-rooted p3–m1, and overall small size. The dentary identified as Callorhinus sp. exhibits a more derived pattern of tooth morphology, including single-rooted p1–p4 (and double-rooted m1), larger size than C. gilmorei, and in the size range of extant Callorhinus ursinus (which typically exhibit fused roots on all postcanine teeth). Fusion of postcanine roots began with the p2 and continued posteriorly, and is likely an adaptation to accommodate crowded teeth anteriorly in the jaws. Callorhinus gilmorei has previously been reported from the upper Pliocene of southern California and Japan, and this new record extends the range of this taxon further north in the Northeast Pacific. Callorhinus sp. is the most complete pinniped fossil to be described from the early Pleistocene of the Northeast Pacific. The wide biogeographic range of Callorhinus during the Pliocene and Pleistocene documents the persistence of this taxon, potentially as a Pliocene-Holocene anagenetic lineage. This highlights the antiquity of the Callorhinus lineage, which has persisted in the Northeast Pacific since the Pliocene, establishing it as the oldest and earliest diverging crown otariid.
The Strud crustacean fauna (Late Devonian, Belgium): updated review and palaeoecology of an early continental ecosystem
Authors: Gueriau Pierre , Rabet Nicolas , Du Tien Hat Eva
Published: July 2018

Arthropods are the first animals to colonize land habitats, with myriapods and arachnids having done so at least by the Silurian. Much later several lineages of Pancrustacea (hexapods and the paraphyletic crustaceans) also venture onto land: the hexapods by the Early Devonian, and later at least four other groups of pancrustaceans, namely isopods, amphipods, ostracods and decapods, which most generally colonised the continental water bodies. All faced a series of challenges, in particular gas exchange, desiccation, reproduction, osmoregulation and exposure to ultraviolet radiation, resulting in many morphological, physiological and ecological adaptations. Nonetheless, whether they reached land via salt or freshwater remains poorly documented, mainly because relevant localities are few. The Famennian (Late Devonian) Strud locality in Belgium provided an exceptional source of information on early aquatic continental ecosystems and their plant, vertebrate and arthropod colonizers at a crucial step in the terrestrialization process. Here, we review and update its crustacean fauna, which inhabited floodplain and temporary pool waters. New anatomical details of the notostracan Strudops goldenbergi Lagebro et al., 2015, as well as a new genus and species of spinicaudatan, are described. We also discuss the ecology of this unique, early continental ecosystem and its insights into the terrestrialization process.
Evolution and extinction of Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) cephalopods from the López de Bertodano Formation, Seymour Island, Antarctica
Authors: Witts James , Bowman Vanessa C. , Wignall Paul , Crame J. Alistair , Francis Jane , Newton Robert
Published: July 2018

One of the most expanded records to contain the final fortunes of ammonoid cephalopods is within the López de Bertodano Formation of Seymour Island, James Ross Basin, Antarctica. Located at ~65º South now, and during the Cretaceous, this sequence is the highest southern latitude onshore outcrop containing the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K–Pg) transition. We present comprehensive new biostratigraphic range data for 14 ammonite and one nautiloid species based on the collection of >700 macrofossils from high-resolution sampling of parallel sedimentary sections, dated Maastrichtian to earliest Danian in age, across southern Seymour Island. We find evidence for only a single, abrupt pulse of cephalopod extinction at the end of the Cretaceous when the final seven ammonite species disappeared, consistent with most evidence globally. In the lead up to the K–Pg extinction in the James Ross Basin, starting during the Campanian, ammonite diversity decreased overall, but the number of endemic taxa belonging to the family Kossmaticeratidae actually increased. This pattern continued into the Maastrichtian and may be facies controlled, linked to changes in sea level and seawater temperature. During the early Maastrichtian, ammonite diversity dropped significantly with only two species recorded from the basal López de Bertodano Formation on Seymour Island. The subsequent diversification of endemic taxa and reappearance of long-ranging, widespread species into the basin resulted in an increase in ammonite diversity and abundance during the mid-Maastrichtian. This was coincident with an apparent period of warming temperatures and sea level rise interpreted from palynology and sedimentology, perhaps reflecting a high latitude expression of the Mid-Maastrichtian Event. Late Maastrichtian diversity levels remained stable despite reported climatic and environmental variation. Ammonite diversity patterns during the Maastrichtian parallel those of microfossil species such as nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera, suggesting that dynamic climatic and environmental changes affected many planktonic and nektonic organisms during the latest Cretaceous. However, we suggest that these perturbations had a minimal effect on overall diversity prior to the catastrophic extinction event at the K–Pg boundary.
Exceptional preservation of Upper Carboniferous (lower Westphalian) fossils from Edlington, Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Lomax Dean
Published: July 2018

A new fossil-bearing, Upper Carboniferous (lower Westphalian) locality in Doncaster, South Yorkshire, UK, is reported and an account of the fossils is presented. The diverse flora and fauna consists of plants, bivalves, arthropods (primarily xiphosurans), tentaculitids (microconchids), fish scales, shark egg capsules and coprolites. Fossils are preserved in siderite nodules and shales, and display excellent preservation and detail. Previous collecting of Carboniferous fossils in the Doncaster area has been minimal. The discovery of this locality addresses this deficit and is of further importance as such localities in the UK are diminishing in number with the cessation of coal-mining and the reclamation of mine dumps, further demonstrating the importance and recognition of the Edlington site.
The first record of dinosaur eggshell from the Horseshoe Canyon Formation (Maastrichtian) of Alberta, Canada
Authors: Funston Gregory , Currie Philip J.
Published: July 2018

Eggs and eggshell are generally rare in the Upper Cretaceous rocks of Alberta, despite being relatively abundant nearby in Montana. Palaeontologists and other people have been prospecting the Horseshoe Canyon Formation for more than a 130 years, but eggshell fragments have only just been recovered. The fragments are unornamented with angusticanaliculate pores and three structural layers. Numerous features support their referral to Prismatoolithus levis, and they confirm the presence of a bird-like external layer in this ootaxon. The fragments, which likely belonged to Albertavenator curriei, are from a site with abundant troodontid teeth and perinate material from hadrosaurs, ceratopsians, and theropods. The discovery of eggshell challenges the notion that the Horseshoe Canyon Formation is too heavily sideritized to preserve eggshell.
Aysheaia prolata from the Utah Wheeler Formation (Drumian, Cambrian) is a frontal appendage of the radiodontan Stanleycaris
Authors: Pates Stephen , Daley Allison C. , Ortega-Hernández Javier
Published: July 2018

Aysheaia prolata, was described as the only lobopodian fromthe Drumian (Cambrian) Wheeler Formation in Utah, USA,and the sole representative of this genus besides the typespecies Aysheaia pedunculata, from the Cambrian (Stage 5)Stephen Formation, British Columbia. A redescription ofAysheaia prolata reveals previously overlooked morphological features, including segmental boundaries between putative lobopods, and curved terminal spines on the putative anterior end. These observations undermine lobopodian affinities of Aysheaia prolata, and instead we interpret this specimen as an isolated radiodontan frontal appendage. The presence of 11 podomeres, five of which possess elongate and anteriorly recurved ventral blades with auxiliary spines, together with shorter robust dorsal spines, identify the specimen as Stanleycaris. This represents the first report of Stanelycaris outside of the Cambrian Stage 5 thin Stephen Formation in British Columbia, expanding its palaeobiogeographic and stratigraphic range. Aysheaia is left as a monotypic genus endemic to the Burgess Shale. TheSpence Shale luolishaniid Acinocrinus stichus is currentlythe only lobopodian known from the Cambrian of Utah.
Digging their own macroevolutionary grave: fossoriality as an evolutionary dead end in snakes
Authors: Cyriac Vivek Philip , Kodandaramaiah Ullasa
Published: July 2018

The tree of life is highly asymmetrical in its clade wise species richness and this has often been attributed to variation in diversification rates either across time or lineages. Variations across lineages are usually associated with traits that increase lineage diversification. Certain traits can also hinder diversification by increasing extinction and such traits are called evolutionary dead-ends. Ecological specialization has usually been considered as an evolutionary dead-end. However, recent analyses of specializations along single axes have provided mixed support for this model. Here, we test if fossoriality, a trait that forces specialization at multiple axes, acts as an evolutionary dead-end in squamates (lizards and snakes) using recently developed phylogenetic comparative methods. We show that fossoriality is an evolutionary dead-end in snakes but not in lizards. Fossorial snakes exhibit reduced speciation and increased extinction compared to non-fossorial snakes. Our analysis also indicates that transition rates from fossoriality to non-fossoriality in snakes are significantly lower than transition rates from non-fossoriality to fossoriality. Overall our results suggest that broad scale ecological interactions that lead to specialization at multiple axes limit diversification.