Ichnofacies and microbial build-ups on Late Miocene rocky shores from Menorca (Balearic Islands), Spain

Angular unconformites between Jurassic and Miocene strata are exposed in the sea cliffs of Cala Cigonya on the northwest coast of Menorca in the Balearic Islands of Spain. The geological discontinuities represent rocky shores on opposite sides of a former headland with 15 m of topographic relief. On the east flank, Jurassic dolomite is overlain by Upper Miocene (Tortonian to Messinian) breccia and laminated limestone. Here, a partially exhumed dolomite surface records Miocene bivalve borings of the ichnospecies Gastrochaenolites torpedo and G. lapidicus that achieved a density of >1,000 borings/m². Other associated traces include sponge borings (Entobia isp.) and polychaete borings (Caulostrepsis isp.). A breccia deposit 0.8 m thick was derived from the underlying dolomite and angular clasts still retain evidence of bivalve borings. Above follows a succession of laminated limestone beds more than 5 m thick, including some levels with dome-shaped stromatolites and other horizons with reworked dolomite clasts. Thin-section analysis of the laminated limestone reveals dark and light couplets 0.2 mm thick consistent with microbial origins. In contrast, the west flank was buried by coarse sandstone and laminated sediments. Here, dwelling structures of regular echinoids (Circolites kotoncensis) are the dominant traces preserved on the dolomite surface, reaching a maximum density of 66 borings/m². Associated borings include Entobia geometrica as well as rare traces of Gastrochaenolites isp. and Trypanites isp. Notable for the absence of a basal Miocene breccia, the west flank is interpreted as a sheltered rocky shore coeval with an exposed rocky shore on the east flank. Today, heavy surf on the north coast of Menorca is related to the Tramontana winds that blow out of Spain during winter months. Similar atmospheric circulation patterns must have prevailed during the Late Miocene, but the replacement of ichnofacies by microbial build-ups resulted from increased salinity during the Messinian crisis.     

First report of the exotic blue land planarian, Caenoplana coerulea (Platyhelminthes, Geoplanidae), on Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

In April 2009 two specimens of a terrestrial flatworm were collected from under a rock in an orchard at Ciutadella de Menorca on the easternmost Balearic island of Menorca (Spain). Their external morphology suggested that both specimens belonged to the invasive blue planarian Caenoplana coerulea, a species which is native to eastern Australia. Sequence data of a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and of the entire 18S ribosomal RNA confirm its identification. This is one of the first records of the species in Europe where it has only been found in one locality in the United Kingdom, France and NE Spain.     

Vegetational change in the Balearic Islands (Spain) during the Holocene

New information about the vegetational history of the Balearic Islands during part of the Holocene derives from the results of a pollen study of a 20‐metre‐deep core from Cala Galdana on the SW coast of Minorca.

The lower part of the pollen diagram at the beginning of the Atlantic Period records significant quantities of pollen of Corylus and also local taxa indicating swamp vegetation. In the middle part, Corylus is greatly reduced, AP percentages decrease appreciably and Olea and Ericaceae reach important values, while Plantago Poaceae and Cerealia increase significantly. In the upper part, a rise in Chenopodiaceae occurs, during which a slight increase of the arboreal taxa takes place with greater dryness. Most recently, vegetation changes reflect human activity.     

New data on Mio-Pliocene Sciuridae (Rodentia,Mammalia) from southern Spain

Sciurids are very scarce in the fossil record, especially in the basins of southern Spain. The aim of this paper is to review the Sciuridae record in these basins. The Granada and Guadix basins have yielded specimens of Xerini and Pteromyinae, which represent the largest collection of fossil Sciuridae in southern Spain from the Middle Turolian to the Upper Ruscinian. The new discoveries change the currently known geographical and temporal range of some taxons, since we find the oldest evidence of Pliopetaurista pliocaenica in localities from the Late Turolian and of Heteroxerus mariatheresae in a locality of the Middle Turolian. Furthermore, we record the first evidence of Atlantoxerus margaritae in southern Spain.     

Annual pollen spectrum in the air of Palma de Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

This aeropalynological study documented the pollen of 13 taxa with the highest concentration in the air of Palma de Mallorca during the years 2004–2010, using a Hirst-type volumetric spore trap. The taxa were Cupressaceae, Olea europaea, Platanus hispanica, Pinus spp., Parietaria judaica, Urtica membranacea, Quercus ilex, Poaceae, Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, Plantago spp., Castanea sativa, Pistacia lentiscus and Betula spp. These taxa accounted for 91.85 % of the total annual pollen recorded during the period. The mean annual pollen index was 20,027. The highest pollen counts occurred in February–June, representing 88.74 % of the annual total collected. Every year, there was a substantial increase in the concentration and types of pollen from March to May, followed by a decrease from July to January. The maximum annual total pollen count was recorded in 2005 with 25,870 and the minimum in 2009 with 14,726. The mean daily average pollen concentration count showed a declining trend over the study period. With respect to seasonal phases analysed, the later phase of the pollen season is more variable than the beginning. To observe the overall dynamics of the different pollen types better, a pollen calendar was established for Palma de Mallorca. The pollen calendar had typical Mediterranean features and is a useful tool for allergological and botanical awareness.     

Distribution and associations of the aquatic Heteroptera of the Balearic Islands (Spain)

Twenty-five species of aquatic Heteroptera were collected from the Balearic Islands. Five are first records (Sigara nigrolineata, Micronecta scholtzi, Ranatra linearis, Notonecta meridionalis and Hebrus pusillus). Previous records are also discussed.The spatial structure of the communities on the Islands is analysed. The different abundance of species and their characteristic habitats are identified.The species associations for each island are established through factorial analysis (correspondence analysis); a total of 8 associations are defined. They represent permanent habitats, with the exception of one, characteristic of seasonal ponds of Mallorca. Within the permanent lentic habitats, a clear difference occurs between artificial habitats (albercas: stone or cemented man-made irrigation ponds) and natural pond habitats.     

A new species of Deinsdorfia (Soricidae, Insectivora, Mammalia) from the Pliocene of Spain

A new species of Deinsdorfia is defined using new material coming from the karstic fissure infilling of Almenara-Casablanca 4 (Castelló, Spain), which shows important differences with the rest of the previously known species of the genus. The definition of a new species is supported by the characters found in extra material coming from the localities of Valdeganga, in the Albacete Province (Spain). The stratigraphical occurrence of this genus of pigmented-toothed shrews reinforces the idea of the Iberian Peninsula as a sink area during the Pliocene, where some Central-European soricids expanded their distribution. Most of those migrations or distributional expansions coincide with moments of climatic changes in the northern hemisphere.     

Blarinoides aliciae sp. nov., a new Soricidae (Mammalia,Lipotyphla) from the Pliocene of Spain

A new species of Blarinoides (Soricidae, Mammalia), Blarinoides aliciae, is described from the Pliocene of Tollo de Chiclana (Guadix Basin, southeastern Spain). It is notably smaller than the single species of this genus known until now, B. mariae. B. aliciae is recorded from several other Spanish localities, but the sample from Tollo de Chiclana-3 is the most numerous. B. aliciae proves the simultaneous existence of two different species of Blarinoides in Europe during the Pliocene: one of large size in central and eastern Europe, and another one of small size in Iberia.     

Helianthemum scopulicolum (Cistaceae), a new species from Majorca (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Rupicolous plants coming from a single Balearic locality are described as a new species, Helianthemum scopulicolum . The plant is diploid (2n=20) and belongs to Helianthemum subgenus Helianthemum sect. Helianthemum . On morphological grounds, Helianthemum scopulicolum is related to some members of the H. apenninum aggregate, notably H. apenninum s.l., H. asperum and H. violaceum . However, the new species can be distinguished on the basis of leaves green, shining, glabrescent on the adaxial surface, deciduous short bracts, glabrescent inner sepals lacking long setae and pink-purple flowers.     

The European Pine Marten Martes martes in the Balearic Islands, Spain

Between March and December 1990, a survey of Pine Marten Martes martes L. on the Balearic Islands of Minorca and Majorca was carried out. Pine Marten were found distributed over 55% of Minorca and occupied Aleppo Pine and Holm Oak forests, mediterranean shrublands and riparian/ cliff habitats. In Majorca, Pine Marten were found on 48% of the island and three broad physiographic areas, the Sierra de Tramuntana, Sierra de Levant and the Massif de Randa. Droppings were collected along four designated routes during five bimonthly intervals in Minorca to describe the Pine Marten's differential use of habitat types. The upland/open pine forest had the highest use index while the Holm Oak forest had the lowest. The number of Pine Marten faeces collected was greatest during the months of July-August. The Balearic Island Pine Marten populations were once on the verge of extinction; however, protection during the last 20 years has enabled the species to recover throughout most of the forested habitats on both islands. Resource managers must carefully monitor the Pine Marten populations to provide the species and its habitat with adequate protection and management in the future.     

Presence in the Balearic Islands (Spain) of the midges Culicoides imicola and Culicoides obsoletus group

An outbreak of the livestock viral disease bluetongue (BT) was detected during September and October 2000 in the Balearic Islands, Spain. Due to the lack of information about the species of Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) reported in the affected area, six farms in Majorca, four in Minorca and one in Ibiza were selected to carry out surveillance of Culicoides adults using light traps. Here, for the first time, we report the presence in the Balearic Islands of Culicoides imicola Keiffer, the main vector of BT, and the Culicoides obsoletus Meigen group.     

New insights on Cricetodontini (Rodentia,Mammalia) from the Duero Basin,Spain

Abstract

The tribe Cricetodontini is a common cricetid group found in several European basins from the Miocene. Here we present a study of the fossils of this group found in the Duero Basin. We updated the biostratigraphical assignation of some of the localities in which several species of Cricetodontini have been found. Cricetodontini remains from eight localities from the central sector of the Duero Basin have been described, measured and assigned to a species. The presence in these localities of Hispanomys aguirrei, H. lavocati, H. nombrevillae and H. aragonensis has allowed correlating them to the biostratigraphic scale built for the Miocene in Calatayud-Daroca Basin, identifying biozones G3, H and I (MN7/8 – MN10, Late Aragonian – Early Vallesian, Middle – Late Miocene). Furthermore, this study constitutes the first citation of this species in this basin, except H. aguirrei, previously described in the Duero Basin. After this work, the biostratigraphical assignation of the studied sites is now well known. We evidenced the resemblance of Duero and Calatayud-Daroca basins.     

Soricidae (Mammalia) from the Early Pleistocene of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania

Soricid remains collected from Bed I of Olduvai Gorge are described. The great majority of the specimens are mandibles. A survey of the mandibles of living African species revealed many differences in characters of the lower teeth and jaw that can be used for identification. On the basis of these characters, nine species are distinguished in the Olduvai collection, of which six are well enough preserved to permit a discussion of their relationships to living species. Three new species and one new subspecies are described. All the Olduvai shrews differ in some respects from their nearest living relatives; three species are close to species from Makapansgat, Swartkrans and Sterkfontein, RSA, though there appear to be slight differences. A change in the soricid fauna takes place within Bed I, interpreted as due to increasing aridity.     

Post-Pleistocene evolution of Bornean shrews Crocidura foetida (Mammalia, Soricidae)

Fossil mandibles of the Bornean shrew Crocidura foetida recovered from excavations at the west mouth of Niah cave, Sarawak, Malaysia, show that the late Pleistocene population at this lowland location was comparable in size with the large subspecies Crocidura foetida doriae , presently occurring at inland, upland locations. Two Holocene specimens fall in the size range of the smaller lowland subspecies C. f. foetida . Comparable post-Pleistocene size-reduction is known among other mammals of Borneo, but this is the first instance of dated examples. The evolutionary trend conforms with Bergmann's 'rule' but, other than climate change, no selective agent is apparent.  © 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2008, 94 , 413–419.     

Field evaluation of Medfly (Dipt., Tephritidae) female attractants in a Mediterranean agrosystem (Balearic Islands, Spain)

Field evaluation of female-targeted trapping systems for the Mediterranean fruit fly Ceratitis capitata (Wied.) was carried out in a Citrus orchard in Majorca (Spain). Traps and lures included: IPMT and Tephri traps, both baited with a three-component food-based synthetic attractant 3FA (composed of putrescine, ammonium acetate and Trimethylamine) as well as IPMT-baited with Nu-Lure, and Delta traps baited with Trimedlure. The 3FA food-based synthetic attractant was set up either wet (containing water) or dry (without water) in IPMT and Tephri traps. Two experiments were conducted, the first during autumn/winter conditions and high Medfly population levels, and the second during spring conditions and low population levels. The results obtained show that the 3FA was very effective at capturing females at high and low population levels. In the first experiment the best performance was shown by the Tephri trap baited with 3FA in combination with water, and in the second the best was also the Tephri trap but with dry treatment. The high number of non-targeted insects captured by the first treatment together with servicing difficulties would indicate that the 3FA/dry-baited Tephri trap is the best choice in the area of the study. On the other hand the 3FA captured a percentage of mated females equivalent to those obtained with Nu-Lure. The Trimedlure proved to be an adequate tool to detect the earliest Medfly males in increasing spring population. The implications and advantages of using the 3FA female attractants in sterile insect technique programmes and mass trapping approaches, are discussed.     

New bryophyte records from the Balearic Islands

Abstract

New localities are given for 22 bryophyte taxa from Ibiza and 11 from Mallorca. Nine species and two varieties are believed to be new to the Balearic Islands.     

西藏林芝发现烟黑缺齿鼩

2018年11月,在西藏自治区林芝地区波密县扎木镇（29°48′25″ N,95°41′56″ E）海拔3 400 m处捕获1只缺齿鼩属动物。该个体背毛深灰色,腹面毛色稍淡,呈苍灰色;尾长明显大于头体长,背腹异色不明显,尾部末端缺少簇毛;头骨坚固,头盖骨隆起明显,颧骨板很窄,齿式3.1.1.3/2.0.1.3 = 28,这些特征与烟黑缺齿鼩（Chodsigoa furva）的鉴别特征一致。通过测定其Cyt b基因全序列,并结合从GenBank下载的缺齿鼩属已有同源序列构建的最大似然树显示,该个体与烟黑缺齿鼩聚为一支（支持率BS为100）,与云南地区烟黑缺齿鼩的遗传距离在2.25% ~ 2.34%之间。基于以上形态和分子结果确认该个体为烟黑缺齿鼩,是该物种在西藏的首次分布记录。     

河南信阳发现台湾灰麝鼩北大核心CSCD

于2013年和2018年在河南信阳新县与浉河共采集到3号鼩鼱成年个体标本,基于齿色特征初步鉴定为劳亚食虫目鼩鼱科麝鼩属(Crocidura)物种。对所采3号标本的Cyt b基因进行PCR扩增和测序,测序结果与GenBank数据库进行比对,并通过构建系统发育关系树进一步明确所采3只标本的分类地位。根据标本形态、头骨特征,结合分子生物学证据,确定该物种为台湾灰麝鼩(C.tanakae),为河南哺乳动物分布新记录种。标本现存于郑州大学生物多样性与生态学研究所(编号分别为IBE20131005、IBE2018100501和IBE2018100502)。     

Interspecific relations of African crocidurine shrews (Mammalia: Soricidae) based on multivariate analysis of mandibular data

Eighteen graded non-metric characters and 30 measurements of the mandible and lower dentition were used to investigate the grouping of African species of the genera Crocidura, Suncus and Sylvisorex. Seventy-seven taxa (species, subspecies and synonyms), including four European species, were represented by one to nine mandibles (147 mandibles in all), and the means of four Pleistocene African species were also included. The metric data were subjected to principal component and canonical variate analyses, and the non-metric data to principal component analysis. Grouping was detected by comparing the results of the three analyses. Six groups are recognized within the genus Crocidura , typified by C. fumosa, C. turba, C. russula, C. fuscomurina, C. hirta and C. flavescens. Sylvisorex is divisible into two groups, typified by S. lunaris and S. granti. The African species of Suncus (but not the introduced species, S. murinus ) form a single group, which is linked to the Sylvisorex granti group. Suncus is closely related to, or convergent with, the Crocidura fuscomurina group. The first non-metric principal component, the second metric principal component and the second canonical variate are significantly correlated. It is considered that these together represent a general trend of evolutionary advance. Phylogenetic relations are discussed in the light of this; Crocidura may be diphylefic.