Article
Geology
Shu-Han Zhang, Shu-Zhong Shen, Douglas H. Erwin
Summary: This study investigates the patterns of latitudinal diversity gradients (LDGs) from the Carboniferous icehouse to the Triassic greenhouse climates using marine invertebrate fossils. The results suggest that LDG peaks are influenced by multiple factors rather than solely alternating icehouse and greenhouse climates, with icehouse climates generally restricting diversity at high latitudes. The diversity peaks shifted northward during the late Carboniferous and early Permian, likely due to plate drift and increased habitat area. Changes in LDG steepness were most pronounced at low latitudes and during biotic crises and recovery, while transitions from icehouse to greenhouse climates created more deviation at high latitudes.
Review
Ecology
Jedediah F. Brodie, Philip D. Mannion
Summary: Explanations for the latitudinal concentration of Earth's biodiversity fail to explain variations in the gradient over time. A hierarchy of factors driving latitudinal diversity distribution is proposed: climate is the main predictor over long time spans, habitat area is important when climatic gradients are shallow, and historical contingencies have a short-term influence at most due to niche conservatism. Therefore, although variable, latitudinal diversity gradients are largely predictable on Earth and potentially on other planets.
TRENDS IN ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Xiujuan Qiao, Jiaxin Zhang, Zhong Wang, Yaozhan Xu, Tianyang Zhou, Xiangcheng Mi, Min Cao, Wanhui Ye, Guangze Jin, Zhanqing Hao, Xugao Wang, Xihua Wang, Songyan Tian, Xiankun Li, Wusheng Xiang, Yankun Liu, Yingnan Shao, Kun Xu, Weiguo Sang, Fuping Zeng, Haibao Ren, Mingxi Jiang, Aaron M. Ellison
Summary: The study identified candidate foundation woody plant species in Chinese forests using statistical criteria, revealing that such species are more common in temperate forests. The research also found that the species diversity of co-occurring woody species had different associations with the basal area of candidate foundation species at different spatial scales.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Kuiling Zu, Cancan Zhang, Fusheng Chen, Zhiyong Zhang, Shahid Ahmad, Ghulam Nabi
Summary: This study examined the distribution patterns of species richness and phylogenetic diversity along the latitudinal gradients in Chinese Nature Reserves. The results showed that both species richness and phylogenetic diversity increased with latitude in China. Temperature was found to be strongly correlated with species diversity and phylogenetic structure. These findings contribute to our understanding of species diversity and provide support for biodiversity conservation in China.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Adam Woodhouse, Anshuman Swain, William F. F. Fagan, Andrew J. J. Fraass, Christopher M. M. Lowery
Summary: Anthropogenic climate change has caused the geographic ranges of marine organisms to shift polewards. However, it is uncertain to what extent species will move and whether these range shifts will lead to extinction. Understanding the evolution of marine biodiversity patterns and the factors influencing them is crucial in interpreting these current trends.
Article
Plant Sciences
Marion Chartier, Maria von Balthazar, Susanne Sontag, Stefan Loefstrand, Thomas Palme, Florian Jabbour, Herve Sauquet, Jurg Schoenenberger
Summary: Morphological diversity is an important but often neglected aspect of biodiversity, crucial for understanding evolutionary processes, ecological interactions, and biodiversity conservation. A study on angiosperm order Ericales found a latitudinal gradient of floral disparity, with the disparity decoupled from species richness. The study highlights the relevance of biodiversity parameters beyond species richness and underscores the importance of species interactions, particularly in tropical regions.
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Yu Zhang, Yi-Gang Song, Can-Yu Zhang, Tian-Rui Wang, Tian-Hao Su, Pei-Han Huang, Hong-Hu Meng, Jie Li
Summary: The latitudinal diversity gradient is an important biodiversity pattern on Earth, with species diversity increasing from polar to tropical regions. Despite several hypotheses proposed, there is still no consensus on the underlying causes of this pattern. In this review, the authors summarize recent progress in studying the latitudinal diversity gradient, highlighting the effects of evolution and ecology and the importance of tropical region distribution.
Article
Ecology
Stefan Pinkert, Vijay Barve, Rob Guralnick, Walter Jetz
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive data product of the geographic distributions of extant butterflies, based on literature sources and occurrence records. The database provides insights into the richness and latitudinal gradients of butterfly diversity, highlighting the importance of leveraging multiple distribution information for ecological and conservation analysis.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Malte Mau, Christian J. Bjerrum, Lars B. Clemmensen
Summary: Geological evidence of wave ripple marks in lacustrine sediments from central East Greenland provides new paleoclimatic data on paleowind directions during the Late Triassic period, showing stable paleowinds from the SSE and NNW directions for at least 7.5 million years. This corresponds well with general circulation model results suggesting NNW summer winds and SSE winter winds, influenced by Late Triassic mountain topography in present-day Greenland and Norway.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Elena L. Zvereva, Mikhail V. Kozlov
Summary: The study found that herbivory and carnivory decrease while parasitism increases from high to low latitudes, with the trend more pronounced above 50-60 degrees; additionally, the decrease in biodiversity towards the poles is generally stronger than that of herbivory and carnivory.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Yiming Li, Siqi Wang, Chaoyuan Cheng, Jiaqi Zhang, Supen Wang, Xianglei Hou, Xuan Liu, Xuejiao Yang, Xianping Li
Summary: This study investigated latitudinal gradients in genetic diversity at exon 2 in 93 terrestrial mammal species and found clear latitudinal gradients and presence of positive selection. Absolute latitude, positive selection, and body mass are important predictors of within-species genetic diversity.Positive selection, evolutionary speed, and drift at low latitudes may shape the latitudinal gradient in within-species genetic diversity.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Bethany J. Allen, Matthew E. Clapham, Erin E. Saupe, Paul B. Wignall, Daniel J. Hill, Alexander M. Dunhill
Summary: Understanding spatial variation in origination and extinction rates is crucial for understanding macroevolutionary patterns. In this study, we develop and test metrics for regional analysis and apply them to the Permian and Triassic marine invertebrate record to examine variation in extinction and origination rates across latitudes. Our results show that extinction and origination rates were generally uniform across latitudes for these time intervals, cautioning against attributing observed differences to contrasting evolutionary dynamics. We also find that origination and extinction levels were more variable across clades than across latitudes.
Article
Biology
Xinneng Lian, Chenyang Cai, Diying Huang
Summary: Two new permochoristid species, Mesochorista tongchuanensis sp. nov. and Agetopanorpa sinica sp. nov., were described and illustrated from the late Middle Triassic of Yanchang Formation in Shaanxi Province. This new discovery adds to our knowledge of the distribution and palaeodiversity of Mesochorista and Agetopanorpa during the Triassic.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Obstetrics & Gynecology
Arpitha Chiruvolu, Kevin M. Claunch, Alberto J. Garcia, Barbara Petrey, Kendall Hammonds, Lea H. Mallett
Summary: The study revealed that in treating transient tachypnea of the newborn, using CPAP compared to NC resulted in significantly lower maximum FiO(2) levels in the CPAP group, with a 32% reduction in hours on oxygen.
JOURNAL OF PERINATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Emma M. Dunne, Alexander Farnsworth, Roger B. J. Benson, Pedro L. Godoy, Sarah E. Greene, Paul J. Valdes, Daniel J. Lunt, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The rise of dinosaurs as dominant components in terrestrial ecosystems was a significant event in the history of life. The drivers of their early evolution and diversity, however, remain poorly understood. This study suggests that the expansion of dinosaurs' distribution and abundance may have been driven by both opportunistic factors, such as the extinction of co-occurring species, and changes in global climatic distributions during the Triassic to Jurassic transition.
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Ori Adam, Alexander Farnsworth, Daniel J. Lunt
Summary: The variation of the tropical rain belt is largely driven by equatorial precipitation inhibition. The tropical modality is a fundamental characteristic of tropical climate, which is associated with the width of the rain belt and the meridional overturning circulation. Low modality regions exhibit monsoonal seasonal variations, while high modality regions have three independent seasonal modes of variation.
JOURNAL OF CLIMATE
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Gemma Louise Benevento, Roger B. J. Benson, Roger A. Close, Richard J. Butler
Summary: The extinction of non-avian dinosaurs led to the diversification of placental mammals, with increases in diversity observed in all body size classes. Small-bodied mammals experienced similar diversity increases to larger species, likely due to greater access to resources and finer resource partitioning. The extinctions and ecological changes during the Late Cretaceous and across the K/Pg boundary contributed to this diversification.
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Erin M. Dillon, Emma M. Dunne, Tom M. Womack, Miranta Kouvari, Ekaterina Larina, Jordan Ray Claytor, Angelina Ivkic, Mark Juhn, Pablo S. Milla Carmona, Selina Viktor Robson, Anwesha Saha, Jaime A. Villafana, Michelle E. Zill
Summary: Over the past 50 years, the study of analytical paleobiology has been expanded due to the availability of new data and analytical tools, leading to innovative analyses of biodiversity dynamics in Earth's history. However, analytical paleobiology still faces obstacles in terms of equitable access to data and best practices for fossil record analysis. Recent progress has been made through collaborative, interdisciplinary, and open science approaches, particularly among early-career researchers. This article discusses four challenges faced by analytical paleobiology from an early-career perspective and highlights efforts to address these challenges, as well as the need for systemic changes in paleobiological research practices.
Article
Geology
Kirsty M. Edgar, Luke E. Meade, Harry T. Jones, Lewis Haller, Sam Scriven, Christopher Reedman, Richard J. Butler
Summary: Spyway Quarry in Dorset is the largest easily accessible UK dinosaur tracksite, with over 100 tracks made by sauropod dinosaurs. The trackway surface has undergone changes over time due to natural processes, resulting in the reduction of track prominence. Visitor data indicates an annual visitation of approximately 10,000 people, with potential improvements suggested for visitor directions and information. Our study emphasizes the importance of using 3D imaging techniques for documenting and preserving site legacies.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Molly J. Fawcett, Stephan Lautenschlager, Jordan Bestwick, Richard J. Butler
Summary: This study used finite element analysis to compare the functional morphology of basal pseudosuchian archosaurs with the stress distribution of post-Triassic theropod dinosaurs. The results showed some degree of functional convergence, but also revealed that the basal loricatan Saurosuchus had a weaker bite force and likely consumed softer parts of carcasses. This finding highlights the functional diversity of basal pseudosuchians and the functional differences between Triassic and post-Triassic apex predators.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Richard J. Butler, Luke E. Meade, Terri J. Cleary, Kai T. Mcwhirter, Emily E. Brown, Tom S. Kemp, Juan Benito, Nicholas C. Fraser
Summary: The fissure fill localities in southwest England and South Wales have yielded diverse small-bodied tetrapod assemblages from the Late Triassic to Early Jurassic period. However, the age of the fissures and the origin of these assemblages are still debated. A new species of procolophonid, named Hwiccewyrm trispiculum gen. et sp. nov., has been discovered in the Cromhall fissure. This species shares similarities with Late Triassic procolophonids from Scotland, Brazil, and North America, but also has unique characteristics.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Davide Foffa, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Richard J. Butler, Stephen L. Brusatte, Stig Walsh, Nicholas C. Fraser, Paul M. Barrett
Summary: Scleromochlus taylori, a reptile from the Lossiemouth Sandstone Formation in Scotland, has been the subject of much debate due to the poor preservation of its fossils. Using microcomputed tomographic techniques, this study provides a detailed description of the animal's anatomy and highlights previously unknown features. The findings reveal that Scleromochlus taylori retains primitive characteristics of archosaurs, while also showing similarities to pterosauromorphs, shedding light on the origin of pterosaurs.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Marcelo A. De Lira A. Mota, Tom Dunkley Jones, Nursufiah Sulaiman, Kirsty M. M. Edgar, Tatsuhiko Yamaguchi, Melanie J. J. Leng, Markus Adloff, Sarah E. E. Greene, Richard Norris, Bridget Warren, Grace Duffy, Jennifer Farrant, Masafumi Murayama, Jonathan Hall, James Bendle
Summary: 34 million years ago, the growth of the Antarctic Ice Sheet led to a fall in sea level, causing the shift of nutrients and carbon from continental margins to the ocean, which slowed global cooling and ice sheet expansion. The expansion of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet during the Eocene-Oligocene Transition (EOT) is a significant event in Earth's climate history. By analyzing proxies from a shallow shelf location and using an Earth System model, researchers found that the earliest stage of EOT experienced a marked regression and an elevated flux of continental-derived organic matter, which acted as a transient negative feedback to climate cooling through delivering a pulse of organic carbon to the oceans.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ahmed Oussou, Peter L. Falkingham, Richard J. Butler, Khadija Boumir, Driss Ouarhache, Kawtar Ech-charay, Andre Charriere, Susannah C. R. Maidment
Summary: In addition to bone fossils, fossil tracks and trackways provide valuable insights into dinosaur paleobiology. This article reports on three new tracksites from the Imilchil area in Morocco, which contain tracks made by different types of dinosaurs, including sauropods, theropods, ornithopods, and potentially bird-like non-avian theropods. The authors also created three-dimensional digital models of the track sites using photogrammetry. These new tracksites contribute to our understanding of dinosaur-substrate interactions and enrich the existing record of faunal ichnoassemblages in the High Atlas Mountains and North Africa.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Martin D. Ezcurra, Saswati Bandyopadhyay, Dhurjati P. Sengupta, Kasturi Sen, Andrey G. Sennikov, Roland B. Sookias, Sterling J. Nesbitt, Richard J. Butler
Summary: Proterosuchidae represents the earliest significant diversification of Archosauromorpha and is crucial in understanding the recovery of life after the end-Permian mass extinction. Recent revisions have confirmed the presence of new Proterosuchidae species, including Samsarasuchus pamelae, in the Panchet Formation in India, expanding the taxonomic diversity of Proterosuchidae.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Emma M. Dunne, Samuel E. D. Thompson, Richard J. Butler, James Rosindell, Roger A. Close
Summary: A spatially explicit mechanistic model based on neutral theory is used to explain the changes in apparent diversity in the fossil record of the late Carboniferous and early Permian, which are caused by variation in sampling intensity through time.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Davide Foffa, Sterling J. J. Nesbitt, Ben T. T. Kligman, Richard J. J. Butler, Michelle R. R. Stocker
Summary: Anisodontosaurus greeri is a small-bodied tetrapod with a heterodont dentition from the Middle Triassic. Its evolutionary relationships have been uncertain, but new data from micro-computed tomography scans suggest that it belongs to the archosauromorph clade Trilophosauridae. Comparison with other trilophosaurids reveals similarities with Variodens inopinatus, and cladistic analyses confirm the existence of two distinct lineages within Trilophosauridae. These findings have important implications for our understanding of the early evolution and distribution of trilophosaurids.
JOURNAL OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Julia E. Weiffenbach, Michiel L. J. Baatsen, Henk A. Dijkstra, Anna S. von der Heydt, Ayako Abe-Ouchi, Esther C. Brady, Wing-Le Chan, Deepak Chandan, Mark A. Chandler, Camille Contoux, Ran Feng, Chuncheng Guo, Zixuan Han, Alan M. Haywood, Qiang Li, Xiangyu Li, Gerrit Lohmann, Daniel J. Lunt, Kerim H. Nisancioglu, Bette L. Otto-Bliesner, W. Richard Peltier, Gilles Ramstein, Linda E. Sohl, Christian Stepanek, Ning Tan, Julia C. Tindall, Charles J. R. Williams, Qiong Zhang, Zhongshi Zhang
Summary: Simulations of the mid-Pliocene and pre-industrial periods show that the closed Bering Strait and Canadian Archipelago lead to a stronger AMOC, which results in higher sea surface temperatures in the North Atlantic. The impact of the AMOC on North Atlantic temperatures is more significant during the mid-Pliocene compared to the pre-industrial period.
CLIMATE OF THE PAST
(2023)