Article
Geography, Physical
Jorge F. Genise, Eduardo S. Bellosi, Liliana F. Cantil, Mirta G. Gonzalez, Pablo Puerta
Summary: This study investigates the ichnofacies and palaeosols from the La Pava and Coll ' on Cur ' a formations in Patagonia, Argentina during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition. The results suggest that the La Pava Formation represents wooded grasslands in seasonal, subhumid and temperate-warm conditions, while the Coll ' on Cur ' a Formation represents a habitat with reduced plant cover similar to semiarid and temperate-warm dry woodlands or bushlands. These findings provide insights into the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems in Patagonia during this transitional period.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Pedro Pinero, A. Itati Olivares, Diego H. Verzi, Victor H. Contreras
Summary: The discovery of the new genus Paralonchothrix gen. nov. provides new insights into the evolutionary pattern of echimyids recorded at high latitudes since the late Miocene, showing an association with living Amazonian arboreal clades. This finding also supports the hypothesis that northwestern Argentina maintained connections with tropical biomes of northern South America during the late Miocene.
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Florencia Paolucci, Marta S. Fernandez, Monica R. Buono, Jose Cuitino
Summary: The giant, dwarf, and pygmy sperm whale are the only three extant species of physeteroids. Fossil records of physeteroids in Miocene marine sediments in Patagonia, Argentina are significant. The taxonomic classification of 'Aulophyseter' rionegrensis has been a subject of debate for nearly a century, and recent phylogenetic analyses have not supported its proposed relationship with other species.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Andrea Villa
Summary: The Middle Miocene gekkotan Palaeogekko risgoviensis from Germany has been a puzzle for paleontologists due to limited knowledge of its osteology and relationships. This study reevaluates the type material of P. risgoviensis, comparing it with other geckos from Europe, and confirms its status as a distinct taxon. Although the phylogenetic relationships of Palaeogekko are still uncertain, it is supported as a non-eublepharid gekkonoid.
Article
Biology
Claudia P. P. Tambussi, Federico J. J. Degrange, Laureano Gonzalez Ruiz
Summary: A new extinct species, Yarquen dolgopolae, is described based on fossil bones found in the Collon Cura Formation in Argentina. The size of the humerus is similar to that of the Short-eared Owl, but it displays distinctive differences in the fossa m brachialis, fossa olecrani, sulcus scapulotricipitalis, pneumatic foramen, incisura intercondilaris, and condylus ventralis. The ungual phalanx of digit 1 also exhibits unique characteristics. The Collon Cura Formation in Argentina is known for diurnal hunters such as Phorusrhacidae and Falconidae, and this discovery adds to the understanding of the avian fauna of the formation.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zixuan Guo, Naoki Kohno
Summary: A new extinct dolphin species belonging to the kentriodontids, Kentriodon sugawarai sp. nov., was described in northern Japan. The study identified unique characteristics of this new species and placed it in a monophyletic group through phylogenetic analysis. The research also suggested that the innovation in the acoustic apparatus may have played a significant role in the early evolution and diversification of kentriodontids, including Kentriodon sugawarai.
Article
Geography, Physical
Carlos D. Greppi, Juan L. Garcia Massini, Roberto R. Pujana
Summary: The study examined permineralized woods from the Miocene strata in the southwestern region of Santa Cruz Province, Argentina, and identified six types of borings related to oribatid mites, beetles, and springtails. The host woods showed fungal decay and colonization by hyphae and spores, indicating interactions with arthropods and trees. The evidence suggests advanced decay of the analyzed woods before fossilization and active decomposition of woody substrates by various organisms in early Neogene forest ecosystems of Patagonia.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Danhui Sun, Tao Deng, Xiaokang Lu, Shiqi Wang
Summary: We report a new elasmothere genus and species, Tongxinotherium latirhinum, from the middle Miocene of Tongxin, Ningxia, China. The new genus exhibits unique morphological characteristics, bridging the gap between early elasmotheres and Iranotherium and Ningxiatherium. The discovery of Tongxinotherium latirhinum expands the diversity of middle Miocene elasmotheres.
JOURNAL OF SYSTEMATIC PALAEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Hanzhang Song, Luliang Huang, Helanlin Xiang, Cheng Quan, Jianhua Jin
Summary: This study reports the discovery of Engelhardia fossil winged fruits with detailed anatomical structures from the Miocene Erzitang Formation of Guangxi, South China, suggesting that Engelhardia had reached its modern distribution during the Miocene. The unique anatomical and morphological features of the new fossils clearly distinguish them from other fossil genera and show unambiguously their attribution to the genus Engelhardia.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Myriam Boivin, Laurent Marivaux, Walter Aguirre-Diaz, Aldo Benites-Palomino, Guillaume Billet, Francois Pujos, Rodolfo Salas-Gismondi, Narla S. Stutz, Julia Tejada-Lara, Rafael M. Varas-Malca, Anne H. Walton, Pierre-Olivier Antoine
Summary: This paper describes a new caviomorph assemblage discovered in Peruvian Amazonia, considered to fall within the late middle Miocene Laventan South American Land Mammal Age. The site yielded a diverse caviomorph fauna, including a new species of erethizontoid.
Article
Plant Sciences
Daniela P. Ruiz, Roberto R. Pujana, Mariana Brea
Summary: The study of fossil woods from the Rio Leona Formation in southern Patagonia revealed a microthermal climate with rainy and dry seasons, with mean annual temperature around 8-12 degrees C and mean annual precipitation around 80-170 cm/year. The environment also showed signs of water abundance and wood tolerance to hydric stress, similar to the Mediterranean climate found in central Chile.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Matthias Kranner, Mathias Harzhauser, Oleg Mandic, Philipp Strauss, Wolfgang Siedl, Werner E. Piller
Summary: The Vienna Basin is one of the largest onshore oil and gas fields in Europe, consisting of several horst and graben structures. Analysis of water depth evolution along a NE-SW transect indicates dramatic changes over time, coinciding with shifts in prevailing tectonic regimes.
MARINE AND PETROLEUM GEOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marc E. H. Jones, Roger B. J. Benson, Pavel Skutschas, Lucy Hill, Elsa Panciroli, Armin D. Schmitt, Stig A. Walsh, Susan E. Evans
Summary: Salamanders, as model organisms, play an important role in studying various aspects of tetrapods. However, their origin and early radiation are still poorly understood. A recent study in Scotland discovered fossils from the Middle Jurassic that represent almost the complete skeleton of an enigmatic stem-salamander called Marmorerpeton. Using computed tomography, the researchers were able to study the anatomy of this early salamander in detail and also conducted a phylogenetic analysis to understand its relationship with other species. The findings provide new insights into the evolutionary changes in salamanders and the origins of Batrachia and Lissamphibia.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Menglin Wang, Simon Hellemans, Ales Bucek, Taisuke Kanao, Jigyasa Arora, Crystal Clitheroe, Jean-Jacques Rafanomezantsoa, Brian L. Fisher, Rudolf Scheffrahn, David Sillam-Dusses, Yves Roisin, Jan Sobotnik, Thomas Bourguignon
Summary: Madagascar, due to its isolation, is home to unique plant and animal species, including various lineages of termites. This study used mitochondrial genomes to explore the historical biogeography of Neoisoptera, a termite lineage. The results suggest that Neoisoptera colonized Madagascar between 7 and 10 times independently during the Miocene, similar to its colonization of Australia.
Article
Zoology
Mercedes Fernandez, Juan C. Fernicola, Esperanza Cerdeno
Summary: Protypotherium is a main genus of the Interatheriidae, widely distributed in southern to middle latitudes of Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, and Chile. This study provides a taxonomic revision of the Santacrucian species of Protypotherium and concludes the validity of certain species within this genus. Additionally, a phylogenetic analysis reveals the relationship of Protypotherium with other related genera. The findings also highlight the need for further investigation into the subdivision of the Santa Cruz Formation.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)