cometadata/datacite-titles-descriptions-related-identifiers huggingface dataset:
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23560383
title: A new cryptodire from the Eocene of the Na Duong Basin (northern Vietnam) sheds new light on <i>Pan-Trionychidae</i> from Southeast Asia

description: <i>Striatochelys baba</i> gen. et sp. nov. is a new pan-trionychid from the middle–upper Eocene (late Bartonian–Priabonian, 39–35 Ma) of the Na Duong Basin in northern Vietnam. It represents one of the best documented and most completely known Palaeogene pan-trionychid species from Asia. <i>Striatochelys baba</i> can be diagnosed by: (1) its relatively small size; (2) the absence of a preneural; (3) the presence of well-developed straight ridges on the costals and neurals in adults; (4) ridges more strongly developed posteriorly than anteriorly; and (5) entoplastron callosity in the shape of a bulge. A phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>S. baba</i> within <i>Pan-Trionychinae</i> in an unresolved polytomy with species of the genus <i>Nilssonia</i>. In addition, comparisons of the new taxon with plastomenids, pan-trionychids from the Palaeogene and extant trionychids from Asia demonstrate a particularly close resemblance to <i>Nilssonia</i> spp. Based on the close resemblance between <i>S. baba</i> and ‘<i>Trionyx</i>’ <i>impressus</i> (a pan-trionychid from the Maoming Basin of southern China), we here assign the latter species to the new genus <i>Striatochelys</i>. The close relationship between <i>S. baba</i> gen. et sp. nov. from the Na Duong Basin and <i>S. impressa</i> comb. nov. from the Maoming Basin further supports the hypothesis that a close connection between both localities existed, as already exemplified by other faunal elements such as pan-geoemydids and crocodylians. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E8E5C4DE-E52A-43FB-B9C1-CE3ED2ED66C1
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23560383.v1
title: A new cryptodire from the Eocene of the Na Duong Basin (northern Vietnam) sheds new light on <i>Pan-Trionychidae</i> from Southeast Asia

description: <i>Striatochelys baba</i> gen. et sp. nov. is a new pan-trionychid from the middle–upper Eocene (late Bartonian–Priabonian, 39–35 Ma) of the Na Duong Basin in northern Vietnam. It represents one of the best documented and most completely known Palaeogene pan-trionychid species from Asia. <i>Striatochelys baba</i> can be diagnosed by: (1) its relatively small size; (2) the absence of a preneural; (3) the presence of well-developed straight ridges on the costals and neurals in adults; (4) ridges more strongly developed posteriorly than anteriorly; and (5) entoplastron callosity in the shape of a bulge. A phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>S. baba</i> within <i>Pan-Trionychinae</i> in an unresolved polytomy with species of the genus <i>Nilssonia</i>. In addition, comparisons of the new taxon with plastomenids, pan-trionychids from the Palaeogene and extant trionychids from Asia demonstrate a particularly close resemblance to <i>Nilssonia</i> spp. Based on the close resemblance between <i>S. baba</i> and ‘<i>Trionyx</i>’ <i>impressus</i> (a pan-trionychid from the Maoming Basin of southern China), we here assign the latter species to the new genus <i>Striatochelys</i>. The close relationship between <i>S. baba</i> gen. et sp. nov. from the Na Duong Basin and <i>S. impressa</i> comb. nov. from the Maoming Basin further supports the hypothesis that a close connection between both localities existed, as already exemplified by other faunal elements such as pan-geoemydids and crocodylians. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E8E5C4DE-E52A-43FB-B9C1-CE3ED2ED66C1
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24638880.v1
title: A new pipid from the Cretaceous of Africa (In Becetèn, Niger) and early evolution of the Pipidae

description: Pipimorpha and its crown-group Pipidae possess one of the most extensive fossil records among anurans, known since the Early Cretaceous in both Laurasia and Gondwana. Pipimorph diversification may have been driven by the breakup of West Gondwana during the Cretaceous. Numerous fossils from South America have been unearthed in the last decade, documenting this event. Unfortunately, Cretaceous pipimorphs from Africa have been limited to a few well-preserved taxa from sub-Saharan Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, which hinders our comprehension of pipimorph diversification during this key period. The site of In Becetèn, in south-east Niger, is one of the few mid-Late Cretaceous (Coniacian–Santonian) sites from which a pipid, <i>Pachycentrata taqueti</i>, is known. Here, we describe and name a second pipid from the same locality. This taxon is known by a relatively complete braincase. Phylogenetic analyses confirm its position as a pipid, with pipinomorph affinities. This makes In Becetèn the oldest site with at least two pipids. Phylogenetic results are congruent with recent pipimorph relationships, with the presence of an endemic extinct clade in South America, Shelaniinae. The phylogenetic results also allow us to review the proposed definition for Pipimorpha and its subclades and propose new systematic definitions for them. Temporal calibration of the phylogenetic tree based on the fossil record suggests that pipimorphs diversified in a western Gondwana block and confirms that South America separated from Africa around the mid-Cretaceous. Between these two events, pipids diverged in Africa, giving rise to major extant clades. This study highlights the importance of Africa for early pipid diversification during the Cretaceous and of the opening of the Southern Atlantic Ocean for anuran dispersion and diversification. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D40F9A91-D57C-4ED8-B80A-9CA5246599E3
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22551571
title: Silurian phyllocarid crustaceans (Phyllocarida, Archaeostraca) from South China

description: In the Silurian, the suborder Caryocaridina of the phyllocarids was replaced by the suborder Ceratiocaridina as the dominant group. The latter did not achieve a global distribution until the late Silurian. In the early Silurian, ceratiocarids were a little-diversified group and palaeogeographically restricted mainly to Laurussia. Although previous studies have mentioned phyllocarid fossils from the Silurian of the South China plate, these have never been systematically described. This study describes three genera and four species (including one new genus, two new species, and two undetermined species), i.e. <i>Cugocaris future</i> gen. et sp. nov., <i>Gonatocaris wuhanensis</i> sp. nov., <i>Gonatocaris</i> sp. and <i>Warneticaris</i> sp., based on 38 phyllocarid specimens from the Fentou Formation in Wuhan. <i>Cugocaris future</i> gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished by an elliptic carapace ornamented by sinuous and anastomosing longitudinal striae, a styliform telson, and slender furcal rami. <i>Gonatocaris wuhanensis</i> sp. nov. is characterized by anastomosing longitudinal striae on the carapace, greatest carapace width in the centre of the carapace, and three different types of ornamentations on the surface of the abdominal segments. A phylogenetic analysis of 41 Palaeozoic phyllocarids reveals that <i>Gonatocaris</i>, <i>Rolfecaris</i> and <i>Cugocaris</i> gen. nov. form a monophyletic group. Thus, a new family, Gonatocarididae fam. nov., is proposed. This family is characterized by a carapace lacking median dorsal plate, rostral plate, a well-developed anterior carapace horn, and ornamented with prominent raised, wavy, anastomosing longitudinal striae. A palaeoecological analysis suggests that <i>G. wuhanensis</i> was a fairly active swimmer, while <i>C. future</i> was necto-benthic with relatively weak swimming abilities. This study not only extends the known morphological range of phyllocarids, but also has implications for the functional morphology, taxonomy, and evolution of archaeostracans as a whole. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B6B60B6-19F1-4A58-AC65-3B1AEE5D0939
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22551571.v1
title: Silurian phyllocarid crustaceans (Phyllocarida, Archaeostraca) from South China

description: In the Silurian, the suborder Caryocaridina of the phyllocarids was replaced by the suborder Ceratiocaridina as the dominant group. The latter did not achieve a global distribution until the late Silurian. In the early Silurian, ceratiocarids were a little-diversified group and palaeogeographically restricted mainly to Laurussia. Although previous studies have mentioned phyllocarid fossils from the Silurian of the South China plate, these have never been systematically described. This study describes three genera and four species (including one new genus, two new species, and two undetermined species), i.e. <i>Cugocaris future</i> gen. et sp. nov., <i>Gonatocaris wuhanensis</i> sp. nov., <i>Gonatocaris</i> sp. and <i>Warneticaris</i> sp., based on 38 phyllocarid specimens from the Fentou Formation in Wuhan. <i>Cugocaris future</i> gen. et sp. nov. is distinguished by an elliptic carapace ornamented by sinuous and anastomosing longitudinal striae, a styliform telson, and slender furcal rami. <i>Gonatocaris wuhanensis</i> sp. nov. is characterized by anastomosing longitudinal striae on the carapace, greatest carapace width in the centre of the carapace, and three different types of ornamentations on the surface of the abdominal segments. A phylogenetic analysis of 41 Palaeozoic phyllocarids reveals that <i>Gonatocaris</i>, <i>Rolfecaris</i> and <i>Cugocaris</i> gen. nov. form a monophyletic group. Thus, a new family, Gonatocarididae fam. nov., is proposed. This family is characterized by a carapace lacking median dorsal plate, rostral plate, a well-developed anterior carapace horn, and ornamented with prominent raised, wavy, anastomosing longitudinal striae. A palaeoecological analysis suggests that <i>G. wuhanensis</i> was a fairly active swimmer, while <i>C. future</i> was necto-benthic with relatively weak swimming abilities. This study not only extends the known morphological range of phyllocarids, but also has implications for the functional morphology, taxonomy, and evolution of archaeostracans as a whole. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B6B60B6-19F1-4A58-AC65-3B1AEE5D0939
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24321710.v1
title: The <i>Tapirus</i> from Camp dels Ninots (NE Iberia): implications for morphology, morphometry and phylogeny of Neogene Tapiridae

description: Western Eurasian Neogene tapirids are an intriguing but poorly known and poorly documented group of mammals. As the Western Eurasian Tapiridae are mainly represented by scanty and fragmented remains, their systematics have been the subject of debate. Here, we describe exquisite tapirid material from the late Pliocene locality of Camp dels Ninots (CN), North-East Iberia, providing new information on the taxonomy, morphological and morphometric variability, and phylogeny of fossil species. The material studied comprises five crania of different ages, shedding new light on the ontogenetic patterns of fossil European tapirs and their variability. The adult specimens from CN are morphologically similar to other latest Pliocene tapirs from Vialette (France) and Villafranca d’Asti (Italy), and are referred here to the species <i>Tapirus arvernensis</i>. Further, the differences detected among the animals of different ages shed light on the variability of some features and aid in reconsidering the validity of some fossil species. A new cladistic analysis of fossil Tapiridae suggests <i>T. arvernensis</i> is closely related to <i>T. indicus</i>, and is probably an Asian immigrant. Other latest Miocene fossil species, <i>Tapiriscus balkanicus</i> and <i>Ta. pannonicus</i>, are resolved sister taxa and probably represent endemic species of Europe that were replaced by <i>T. arvernensis</i>.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.22701186
title: New material of <i>Miotragocerus</i> (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) from northern China and its systematic implications

description: Late Miocene tragoportacins are widespread in Eurasia and Africa and are important members of the <i>Hipparion</i> fauna. The phylogenetic relationships within the tragoportacins are debatable due to the large number of species, fragmentary materials, and large intraspecific variations. The Chinese tragoportacins are rare and poorly studied in previous work. Recently, a dozen well-preserved skulls were excavated from northern China, providing important information for the classification and phylogenetic analysis of the Chinese tragoportacins. In this study, we assign the new material from Linxia Basin and Fugu County to <i>Miotragocerus gregarius</i>, providing detailed descriptions of both males and females. We discuss sexual dimorphism and compare the horn core, dentition and cranium characters in <i>Miotragocerus</i>, <i>Tragoportax</i> and related species. We also perform cladistic analyses, including Eurasian and African tragoportacins, <i>Tetracerus</i> and <i>Eotragus</i>. The phylogenetic analysis indicates that the two Chinese late Miocene tragoportacins belong to <i>Miotragocerus</i> and <i>Tragoportax</i>, which immigrated from the west to China in different periods.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23889766
title: A new tiny eutherian from the Late Cretaceous of Alaska

description: A new eutherian, <i>Sikuomys mikros</i> gen. et. sp. nov., is described from Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian) strata of the Prince Creek Formation cropping out along the lower Colville River in northern Alaska, USA. The taxon represents the northernmost occurrence of a Mesozoic eutherian (palaeolatitude 80–85°N). The Alaskan taxon differs morphologically from <i>Gypsonictops</i> in having: weak pre- and postcingula on P5, upper molars with small conules, narrower pre- and postcingula, and a postcingulum that extends lingually past the protocone, p5 lacking a paraconid, lower molars with a metaconid that is taller than, or subequal in height to, the protoconid, and a less anteroposteriorly compressed trigonid. Phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>S. mikros</i> as the sister taxon to <i>Gypsonictops</i> in the strict consensus tree. A regression equation for predicting body mass of insectivorans utilizing lower molar area estimates the mass of <i>S. mikros</i> at ∼10.8 grams, approximately one-third to one-fifth that of other gypsonictopids. The occurrence of this lilliputian eutherian – the smallest terrestrial vertebrate known from the high palaeolatitude Prince Creek Formation – provides insight into its overwintering strategies. The pattern in which the smallest species of a lineage occurs at the highest latitudes suggests that <i>S. mikros</i> did not hibernate, but rather was active year-round, akin to extant shrews (Soricidae). From a palaeobiogeographical standpoint, the occurrence of <i>S. mikros</i> is evidence that some leptictidans lived year-round in the Arctic, a probable prerequisite for dispersal between North America and Asia, hypothesized by others to be the place of origin for Leptictida. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8D9F78CE-F34D-4D31-A9F0-2121D6E2B23A
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.23889766.v1
title: A new tiny eutherian from the Late Cretaceous of Alaska

description: A new eutherian, <i>Sikuomys mikros</i> gen. et. sp. nov., is described from Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian) strata of the Prince Creek Formation cropping out along the lower Colville River in northern Alaska, USA. The taxon represents the northernmost occurrence of a Mesozoic eutherian (palaeolatitude 80–85°N). The Alaskan taxon differs morphologically from <i>Gypsonictops</i> in having: weak pre- and postcingula on P5, upper molars with small conules, narrower pre- and postcingula, and a postcingulum that extends lingually past the protocone, p5 lacking a paraconid, lower molars with a metaconid that is taller than, or subequal in height to, the protoconid, and a less anteroposteriorly compressed trigonid. Phylogenetic analysis recovers <i>S. mikros</i> as the sister taxon to <i>Gypsonictops</i> in the strict consensus tree. A regression equation for predicting body mass of insectivorans utilizing lower molar area estimates the mass of <i>S. mikros</i> at ∼10.8 grams, approximately one-third to one-fifth that of other gypsonictopids. The occurrence of this lilliputian eutherian – the smallest terrestrial vertebrate known from the high palaeolatitude Prince Creek Formation – provides insight into its overwintering strategies. The pattern in which the smallest species of a lineage occurs at the highest latitudes suggests that <i>S. mikros</i> did not hibernate, but rather was active year-round, akin to extant shrews (Soricidae). From a palaeobiogeographical standpoint, the occurrence of <i>S. mikros</i> is evidence that some leptictidans lived year-round in the Arctic, a probable prerequisite for dispersal between North America and Asia, hypothesized by others to be the place of origin for Leptictida. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8D9F78CE-F34D-4D31-A9F0-2121D6E2B23A
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24321710
title: The <i>Tapirus</i> from Camp dels Ninots (NE Iberia): implications for morphology, morphometry and phylogeny of Neogene Tapiridae

description: Western Eurasian Neogene tapirids are an intriguing but poorly known and poorly documented group of mammals. As the Western Eurasian Tapiridae are mainly represented by scanty and fragmented remains, their systematics have been the subject of debate. Here, we describe exquisite tapirid material from the late Pliocene locality of Camp dels Ninots (CN), North-East Iberia, providing new information on the taxonomy, morphological and morphometric variability, and phylogeny of fossil species. The material studied comprises five crania of different ages, shedding new light on the ontogenetic patterns of fossil European tapirs and their variability. The adult specimens from CN are morphologically similar to other latest Pliocene tapirs from Vialette (France) and Villafranca d’Asti (Italy), and are referred here to the species <i>Tapirus arvernensis</i>. Further, the differences detected among the animals of different ages shed light on the variability of some features and aid in reconsidering the validity of some fossil species. A new cladistic analysis of fossil Tapiridae suggests <i>T. arvernensis</i> is closely related to <i>T. indicus</i>, and is probably an Asian immigrant. Other latest Miocene fossil species, <i>Tapiriscus balkanicus</i> and <i>Ta. pannonicus</i>, are resolved sister taxa and probably represent endemic species of Europe that were replaced by <i>T. arvernensis</i>.
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24159021
title: A new species of <i>Plohophorus</i> Ameghino (Cingulata, Glyptodontidae) from the latest Pliocene–earliest Pleistocene of the Pampean Region (Argentina): the last survivor of a Neogene lineage

description: Within xenarthrans, two large groups are recognized, Pilosa (anteaters and sloths) and Cingulata (armoured xenarthrans). The latter contains Glyptodontidae, one of the most bizarre and enigmatic groups of animals that ever lived. Recent phylogenetic proposals show an early Miocene divergence into two clades, one of northern origin (Glyptodontinae) and the other with its oldest records in the early–middle Miocene of southern South America, which groups most of the recognized diversity. Although knowledge of the ‘austral clade’ has increased recently, several taxa need urgent taxonomic and phylogenetic studies to understand their evolutionary history. One case is represented by the ‘Plohophorini’, a tribe that traditionally included several genera (<i>Plohophorus</i>, <i>Pseudoplohophorus</i>, <i>Phlyctaenopyga</i>, <i>Stromaphorus</i> and <i>Stromaphoropsis</i>), from the late Miocene–Pliocene of the Pampean and North-Western regions of Argentina, and Uruguay. A new and terminal species of <i>Plohophorus</i>, <i>P. avellaneda</i> sp. nov., coming from the El Polvorín Formation (Pampean region of Argentina) is here reported and described, and represents the first case of a Neogene genus of glyptodont crossing the Plio–Pleistocene boundary (<i>c</i>. 2.53 Ma). In addition, the palaeohistological analysis on the osteoderms (the first for ‘Plohophorini’) reveals some characters not observed in other glyptodonts, highlighting its potential phylogenetic importance. The phylogenetic analysis corroborates that the well-characterized species of ‘Plohophorini’ of Uruguay and the Pampean region of Argentina (‘eastern Plohophorini’) constitute a natural group within the austral clade, since both species of <i>Plohophorus</i> (<i>P. avellaneda</i> + <i>P. figuratus</i>) cluster together, and are the sister taxa of <i>Ps. absolutus</i> + <i>Ps. benvenutti</i>. Along the evolutionary history of Plohophorini an increase in body mass is observed, reaching its maximum with <i>P. avellaneda</i> sp. nov. (<i>c</i>. 471 ka). Despite the high frequency of late Pliocene records, Plohophorini disappear completely from the fossil record during the Pleistocene, suggesting that this character was negatively selected. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FF11606C-2F27-4309-9DFD-FA74E769E639
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.24159021.v3
title: A new species of <i>Plohophorus</i> Ameghino (Cingulata, Glyptodontidae) from the latest Pliocene–earliest Pleistocene of the Pampean Region (Argentina): the last survivor of a Neogene lineage

description: Within xenarthrans, two large groups are recognized, Pilosa (anteaters and sloths) and Cingulata (armoured xenarthrans). The latter contains Glyptodontidae, one of the most bizarre and enigmatic groups of animals that ever lived. Recent phylogenetic proposals show an early Miocene divergence into two clades, one of northern origin (Glyptodontinae) and the other with its oldest records in the early–middle Miocene of southern South America, which groups most of the recognized diversity. Although knowledge of the ‘austral clade’ has increased recently, several taxa need urgent taxonomic and phylogenetic studies to understand their evolutionary history. One case is represented by the ‘Plohophorini’, a tribe that traditionally included several genera (<i>Plohophorus</i>, <i>Pseudoplohophorus</i>, <i>Phlyctaenopyga</i>, <i>Stromaphorus</i> and <i>Stromaphoropsis</i>), from the late Miocene–Pliocene of the Pampean and North-Western regions of Argentina, and Uruguay. A new and terminal species of <i>Plohophorus</i>, <i>P. avellaneda</i> sp. nov., coming from the El Polvorín Formation (Pampean region of Argentina) is here reported and described, and represents the first case of a Neogene genus of glyptodont crossing the Plio–Pleistocene boundary (<i>c</i>. 2.53 Ma). In addition, the palaeohistological analysis on the osteoderms (the first for ‘Plohophorini’) reveals some characters not observed in other glyptodonts, highlighting its potential phylogenetic importance. The phylogenetic analysis corroborates that the well-characterized species of ‘Plohophorini’ of Uruguay and the Pampean region of Argentina (‘eastern Plohophorini’) constitute a natural group within the austral clade, since both species of <i>Plohophorus</i> (<i>P. avellaneda</i> + <i>P. figuratus</i>) cluster together, and are the sister taxa of <i>Ps. absolutus</i> + <i>Ps. benvenutti</i>. Along the evolutionary history of Plohophorini an increase in body mass is observed, reaching its maximum with <i>P. avellaneda</i> sp. nov. (<i>c</i>. 471 ka). Despite the high frequency of late Pliocene records, Plohophorini disappear completely from the fossil record during the Pleistocene, suggesting that this character was negatively selected. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:FF11606C-2F27-4309-9DFD-FA74E769E639