Geobios最新文献

{"title":"Reassessment of the taxonomic status of Canis antiquus (Carnivora, Canidae) from the Early Pleistocene site of Minnaar’s Cave (Gauteng, South Africa)","authors":"Camille Thabard ,&nbsp;Jean-Baptiste Fourvel","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Despite an extensive fossil record, the Plio-Pleistocene canids of South Africa remain little studied compared to other carnivore guilds (felids and hyenids). Minnaar’s Cave (Gauteng, South Africa) is a paleontological site dated ca. 2 Ma. In 1937, Broom identified a new jackal-like species, <em>Canis antiquus</em>. The species was never re-identified elsewhere, despite the fossil richness of the other Cradle of Humankind sites and the abundance of medium-sized canids in the assemblages. The present paper reassesses the taxonomic status of <em>C. antiquus</em> in the light of consistent modern and fossil comparison samples for the two species of African jackal (<em>Lupulella mesomelas</em> and <em>Lupulella adusta</em>) as well as raccoon dog (<em>Nyctereutes procyonoides</em>, <em>Nyctereutes terblanchei</em>) and <em>Nyctereutes</em>-like species (<em>Canis brevirostris).</em> The paleontological study highlights the considerable morphometric variability of medium-sized canids, which means that a part of individuals shares similarities from one species to another. Nevertheless, the co-occurrence of diagnostic criteria for different anatomical elements (e.g., various teeth) enables specific identification. Our study invalidates the existence of <em>C. antiquus</em> and reassigns the fossils to <em>L. adusta</em>. The study of the Minnaar’s Cave specimens contributes to highlighting the presence of <em>L. adusta</em> in the Plio-Pleistocene assemblages of South Africa, previously considered scarce.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 241-249"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141845946","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleoichthyology in the Philippines: A review of Cenozoic fish fossils with insights on its current status and future opportunities","authors":"Dominique Mediodia ,&nbsp;Abigael Castro ,&nbsp;Meyrick Tablizo ,&nbsp;David Policarpio ,&nbsp;Joeven Calvelo ,&nbsp;John Phillip Baguio ,&nbsp;Antero Borja II ,&nbsp;Chien-Hsiang Lin ,&nbsp;Allan Gil Fernando","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.006","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Systematic fish fossil studies are scarce in the tropical West Pacific, which hinders our understanding of historical processes that resulted in the modern fish fauna in the region. To fill this gap, we reviewed published and domestic fish fossil reports in the Philippines, assessed the status of paleoichthyological research, described fish fossil-bearing sedimentary basins and formations, highlighted difficulties, and provided prospects for future research opportunities. So far, six published documents have reported Oligocene to Pleistocene fish fossils from three sedimentary basins: Cagayan Valley Basin, Ilocos-Central Luzon Basin, and Visayan Sea Basin. Based on domestic reports, we have identified six additional stratigraphic units containing Miocene to Pleistocene fish fossils, such as skeletons, mouth plates, teeth, vertebrae, and otoliths. Moreover, we identified 58 fossiliferous units from eight sedimentary basins for future explorations. The lack of expertise, however, hinders the systematic sampling and study of fish fossils in the country. We recommend developing a national program for paleoichthyological research and promoting paleontology by engaging researchers, government agencies, private collectors, and the general public. This concerted effort will enhance our understanding of the paleoichthyological fauna of the Philippines, which is vital in bridging the knowledge gap on fish fossil records in the West Pacific region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 163-174"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141852041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fishes and squamate reptiles from the Pliocene sites of Berești and Mălușteni (eastern Romania) – A reassessment of old but poorly known material","authors":"Ștefan Vasile ,&nbsp;Oleksandr Kovalchuk ,&nbsp;Márton Venczel ,&nbsp;Bogdan-Gabriel Rățoi ,&nbsp;Bogdan-Stelian Haiduc","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.007","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.007","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This paper performs a revision of teleost fish and squamate reptile material from the Early Pliocene sites of Berești and Mălușteni (eastern Romania), found in old collections, but never described in detail. The fish assemblage includes a few cyprinid species (<em>Rutilus robustus</em>, <em>Rutilus</em> cf. <em>R. frisii</em>, <em>Scardinius ponticus</em>, <em>Barbus</em> sp., <em>Tinca</em> sp.), <em>Silurus</em> cf. <em>S. soldatovi</em>, pikes (<em>Esox moldavicus</em> and <em>Esox</em> sp.), as well as indeterminate remains of salmonid, percid and sparid fishes. Squamate reptiles are represented by isolated vertebral and cranial material assigned to the anguid lizard <em>Pseudopus pannonicus</em>, as well as by isolated snake vertebrae belonging to the viperid <em>Macrovipera</em> sp. This is the most taxonomically diverse Pliocene ectothermic vertebrate assemblage described so far from the Romanian Carpathian Foreland. The obtained results contribute to a better understanding of continental vertebrate fauna evolution in the eastern part of central Europe.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 265-274"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141852782","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Study of the shape and size in lower molars of Toxodon platensis (Mammalia: Toxodontidae) of the Late Pleistocene of South America","authors":"Donato Costamagna ,&nbsp;Brenda S. Ferrero ,&nbsp;Federico Giri ,&nbsp;Ana María Ribeiro","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.005","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study aims to assess shape and size variations in lower molars (m1-m3) of <em>Toxodon platensis</em> Owen across diverse South-American regions: northern Pampa, Mesopotamia, northwestern Argentina (NWA), southwestern Uruguay, and southern Brazil. We examined 102 specimens, capturing 20 landmarks for each molar. Principal component analyses were used for shape analysis, and geographic origin relationships were explored through cluster analysis. Centroid size (CS) was analyzed with ANOVA. The shape of <em>T. platensis</em> molars differed among different populations in each geographic region. Molars from NWA exhibited a slenderer shape, whereas Mesopotamia specimens displayed more robust trigonids. Northern Pampa and southwestern Uruguay molars were the most similar in shape, and the molars of the populations in southern Brazil showed more curved morphologies. CS was similar among the different populations of <em>T. platensis</em>, which suggests a probability of similar food particle fracture and processing. On the other hand, when observing shape variations as a result of diet, it can be concluded that the shape changes observed in different geographic areas could be related to the type of vegetation consumed by various <em>T. platensis</em> populations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 49-60"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Palaehoplophorini glyptodonts (Xenarthra, Glyptodontidae) from the Puerto Madryn Formation (Late Miocene), Argentine Patagonia: Diversity and biochronological implications in southern South America","authors":"Daniel Barasoain ,&nbsp;María T. Dozo ,&nbsp;Laureano R. González Ruiz ,&nbsp;José I. Cuitiño ,&nbsp;Rodrigo L. Tomassini ,&nbsp;Alfredo E. Zurita","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.09.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.09.004","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Palaehoplophorini is a poorly known lineage of glyptodonts that appeared during the Middle Miocene in Patagonia. Their diversity is considered low with respect to other glyptodont groups, including only two well-characterized species from the Middle-Late Miocene of Patagonia (ca. 12 Ma): <em>Palaehoplophorus meridionalis</em> and <em>Palaehoplophoroides rothi</em>. The putative Late Miocene Palaehoplophorini <em>Palaehoplophorus antiquus</em> and <em>Aspidocalyptus castroi</em> from the Mesopotamian and Pampean regions, respectively, were defined based on fragmentary materials without relevant diagnostic characters. Here, we describe several Late Miocene (ca. 9.4 Ma) Palaehoplophorini remains coming from the upper levels of the Puerto Madryn Formation (Península Valdés, Chubut Province, Argentina). Material includes carapace osteoderms, caudal rings, and tube fragments, all assigned to Palaehoplophorini. A right femur one-third larger than that of <em>Kelenkura castroi</em> (Chasicoan Stage/Age) was also identified, suggesting an estimated body mass of ca. 320 kg<em>.</em> These fossil remains confirm the persistence of Palaehoplophorini during the Late Miocene, at least in Patagonia. Our analysis also discards the Pampean region as a “refuge” for the last Palaehoplophorini as it was previously proposed. Lastly, anatomical comparisons reflect a correlation between body mass and latitudinal distribution of late Tortonian glyptodonts in South America, with a size decrease towards low latitudes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 15-24"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387136","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The carnivoran guilds from the Late Miocene hominid locality of Hammerschmiede (Bavaria, Germany)","authors":"Nikolaos Kargopoulos ,&nbsp;Alberto Valenciano ,&nbsp;Juan Abella ,&nbsp;Michael Morlo ,&nbsp;George E. Konidaris ,&nbsp;Panagiotis Kampouridis ,&nbsp;Thomas Lechner ,&nbsp;Madelaine Böhme","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.003","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.003","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Late Miocene locality of Hammerschmiede has yielded an astonishing diversity of vertebrates, including 28 different carnivoran species. The main layers HAM 5 (11.62 Ma) and HAM 4 (11.44 Ma) have been found to host 21 and 17 carnivoran species, respectively. Herein we perform a guild structure analysis aiming to unravel their ecomorphological role. A rarefaction analysis showed that such a high representation of carnivorans is comparable only to the fissure fillings of La-Grive-Saint-Alban. The First and Last Occurrence Dates of several genera and species are reported in the locality. The profile of the locality concerning the Numbers of Species and Individuals per family is unique among the Miocene localities of Europe. The discovered carnivorans were attributed to palaeoecological categories based on their body mass, locomotor pattern, and diet preferences. Ecomorphological comparison revealed that most species were able to reduce competition by occupying different ecological niches, but some cases of ecological overlap were found. This shows that the ecosystem of Hammerschmiede offered diverse resources that allowed the subsistence of a plethora of carnivorans. Finally, the two main layers exhibit some differences in their carnivoran components, with HAM 4 dominated by small-/medium-sized piscivores/generalist carnivores, whereas HAM 5 also includes large-sized durophagous/hypercarnivorous forms.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 139-152"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141714438","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The mandible of Salbatore II: A new Ursus deningeri site in the northern Iberian Peninsula","authors":"Mónica Villalba de Alvarado ,&nbsp;María Prat-Vericat ,&nbsp;Martin Arriolabengoa ,&nbsp;Joan Madurell- Malapeira ,&nbsp;Asier Gómez-Olivencia","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.08.019","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.08.019","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Ursus deningeri</em>, together with <em>Ursus spelaeus sensu lato</em>, are chronospecies that belong to the Quaternary iconic cave bear lineage. They inhabited Iberia from the late Early to the late Middle Pleistocene. Here we describe a complete bear mandible recovered from Salbatore II cave (Basque Country). To assess its taxonomy, we compared it with other European Pleistocene cave and brown bears. Comparisons were made concerning its morphology and using both traditional and 3D geometric morphometrics analyses. The mandible has several morphological similarities with the cave bears such as a high corpus and deep masseter fossa. However, it exhibits a coronoid process that leans backwards, a pointed pterygoid process, and the p1 and p3 are present. These are characteristics customarily associated with <em>U. deningeri</em> and <em>U. arctos</em>. Metric analyses show that Salbatore II fits within the cave bear variation, with a minimum overlap with brown bears once size is accounted for. However, geometric morphometric analyses show that Salbatore II is similar to <em>U. arctos</em>, but within <em>U. deningeri</em> variation. Based on the overall size and the morphological characteristics, Salbatore II displays <em>U. deningeri</em> affinities with many ancestral characteristics, suggesting a minimum mid-Middle Pleistocene age, a chronology rarely recorded in the Cantabrian region.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 275-287"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Blender as a tool for palaeoichnological research: Case study from Lark Quarry","authors":"Anthony Romilio","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.11.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.11.002","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The digitisation of tracks, tracksites, and trackmakers has become of increasing interest for modern dinosaur ichnologists, offering research methods for the objective acquisition and documentation of track surface topologies but can also significantly enhance scientific communication to broader communities by facilitating the visualisation of 2D and 3D tracksite and trackmaker data. This paper explores the expanded use of digital techniques for the study of palaeontological sites, specifically using Blender – a versatile open-source 3D software – on the dinosaur tracksites within the Lark Quarry Conservation Park. Blender is primarily a visualisation tool that enables, but is not limited to, the creation of detailed 3D models and animations. While this study highlights some of these functionalities, it notably demonstrates how Blender’s customisable Python scripting can be leveraged to automate the analysis of trackway parameters and biomechanical data. Moreover, this study introduces Blender add-ons directly relevant to ichnological studies with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces, enabling palaeontologists to effectively utilise advanced digital tools within their research. These innovations broaden the accessibility of advanced digital methods to the palaeontological community and pave the way for more efficient analysis of fossil trackways.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 219-226"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387033","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of a Neogene diatomite deposit from La Pampa Province (Argentina)","authors":"Rocío Fayó ,&nbsp;Marcela Alcira Espinosa ,&nbsp;Camilo Andrés Vélez-Agudelo","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.02.009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Diatomite deposits constitute siliceous biogenic sedimentary rocks primarily composed of diatoms. In Argentina, there is a scarcity of paleoenvironmental reconstructions for these deposits. This study focuses on the analysis of the diatom content in a Plio-Pleistocene diatomite from La Pampa Province. The aim is to identify diatom diversity and reconstruct the evolution of paleoenvironments. The studied section of 4.40 m is located at the CP site (38°08′40.5’’S; 67°09′23.2’’W, El Sauzal Formation). The profile is a laminated white diatomite with three levels of volcanic ash. Seven samples 50 cm-equidistant were extracted and oxidized with H₂O₂ for diatom analysis. 500 valves/slide were counted in order to calculate relative abundances. Diatom zones were defined using CONISS. The analysis revealed 72 morphospecies, with 28 of them exhibiting abundances &gt;4%. The diatom flora is predominantly composed of small fragilarioid diatoms accompanied by <em>Discostella</em>, <em>Aulacoseira</em>, <em>Epithemia</em>, <em>Rhopalodia</em>, and <em>Cymbella</em> species, indicating a lacustrine origin. At the base, a paleolake with a relatively alkaline pH, low nitrogen concentrations and high phosphates (volcanic ash) favored the growth of a diverse diatom community. Towards the top, the dominance of fragilarioids, the decrease in freshwater planktonic taxa and the presence of gypsum suggest a shallower environment with increased salinity during the drier periods of the Plio-Pleistocene.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 91-101"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Actualistic taphonomy of microvertebrates ingested by the barn owl (Tyto alba) in a forested area. Implications for the fossil record","authors":"Ana Carolina Moreano Ortiz ,&nbsp;Pablo E. Ortiz ,&nbsp;Mónica V. Pia ,&nbsp;Mariana Mondini","doi":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.geobios.2024.05.011","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Rodents are common prey of nocturnal raptor birds, which ingest whole individuals and subsequently expel partially digested remains as regurgitated pellets. This generates accumulations of skeletal elements that may become part of the fossil record. Inferring which predator was responsible of any given fossil microvertebrate assemblage allows assessing potential biases and making paleoecological inferences. Neotaphonomic studies allow modelling the particularities characterizing different raptors under different environmental conditions. Based on them, it is possible to suggest the predator involved in fossil microvertebrate assemblages by considering the taxonomic and anatomical abundance, the degree of digestive corrosion and that of breakage of skeletal remains. Yet, no detailed neotaphonomic studies on raptors had been made so far in NW Argentina, and other studies in South America have been made mainly in open and arid environments. This has forced paleontological studies to use analogues that might not be fully relevant. Here we present an actualistic study on rodent skeletal remains (NISP = 7540) recovered from modern pellets produced by the barn owl (<em>Tyto alba</em>), recovered at Villa Padre Monti (Tucumán, Argentina), a Yungas forest area partially affected by the presence of crops. The aim is to characterize the taphonomic traces of <em>T. alba</em> under these environmental conditions. The assemblage is composed of at least five species of Cricetidae rodents and a varied representation of skeletal elements, especially of the post-cranium; it has a high relative anatomical abundance (58.7%). Skeletal breakage levels are low, especially in the mandibles and post-cranium. Digestive corrosion is predominantly absent (62.1%) to light, although some elements with high degrees of digestive corrosion were found, even in the extreme digestion category. These results generally compare well with other taphonomic studies on the barn owl, and add data to the known variability of modern accumulations by this Strigiformes. They are thus expected to have an impact on the interpretations of fossil faunas.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":55116,"journal":{"name":"Geobios","volume":"88 ","pages":"Pages 187-195"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2025-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143387031","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}