Diversity in the later Paleogene proboscidean radiation: a small barytheriid from the Oligocene of Dhofar Governorate,Sultanate of Oman

Despite significant recent improvements to our understanding of the early evolution of the Order Proboscidea (elephants and their extinct relatives), geographic sampling of the group’s Paleogene fossil record remains strongly biased, with the first ~30 million years of proboscidean evolution documented solely in near-coastal deposits of northern Africa. The considerable morphological disparity that is observable among the late Eocene and early Oligocene proboscideans of northern Africa suggests that other, as yet unsampled, parts of Afro-Arabia might have served as important centers for the early diversification of major proboscidean clades. Here we describe the oldest taxonomically diagnostic remains of a fossil proboscidean from the Arabian Peninsula, a partial mandible of Omanitherium dhofarensis (new genus and species), from near the base of the early Oligocene Shizar Member of the Ashawq Formation, in the Dhofar Governorate of the Sultanate of Oman. The molars and premolars of Omanitherium are morphologically intermediate between those of Arcanotherium and Barytherium from northern Africa, but its specialized lower incisors are unlike those of other known Paleogene proboscideans in being greatly enlarged, high-crowned, conical, and tusk-like. Omanitherium is consistently placed close to late Eocene Barytherium in our phylogenetic analyses, and we place the new genus in the Family Barytheriidae. Some features of Omanitherium, such as tusk-like lower second incisors, the possible loss of the lower central incisors, an enlarged anterior mental foramen, and inferred elongate mandibular symphysis and diminutive P₂, suggest a possible phylogenetic link with Deinotheriidae, an extinct family of proboscideans whose origins have long been mysterious.     

Effects of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) root mucilage on microbial community response and capacity for phenanthrene remediation

Biodegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) is normally limited by their low solubility and poor bioavailability. Prior research suggests that biosurfactants are synthesized as intermediates during the production of mucilage at the root tip. To date the effects of mucilage on PAH degradation and microbial community response have not been directly examined. To address this question, our research compared 3 cowpea breeding lines (Vigna unguiculata) that differed in mucilage production for their effects on phenanthrene (PHE) degradation in soil. The High Performance Liquid Chromatography results indicated that the highest PHE degradation rate was achieved in soils planted with mucilage producing cowpea line C1, inoculated with Bradyrhizobium, leading to 91.6% PHE disappearance in 5 weeks. In root printing tests, strings treated with mucilage and bacteria produced larger clearing zones than those produced on mucilage treated strings with no bacteria or bacteria inoculated strings. Experiments with ¹⁴C-PHE and purified mucilage in soil slurry confirmed that the root mucilage significantly enhanced PHE mineralization (82.7%), which is 12% more than the control treatment without mucilage. The profiles of the PHE degraders generated by Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis suggested that cowpea C1, producing a high amount of root mucilage, selectively enriched the PHE degrading bacteria population in rhizosphere. These findings indicate that root mucilage may play a significant role in enhancing PHE degradation and suggests that differences in mucilage production may be an important criterion for selection of the best plant species for use in phytoremediation of PAH contaminated soils.     

Population Structure and Cryptic Evolutionary Units in the Alligator Snapping Turtle

The alligator snapping turtle (  Macroclemys temminckii ) is a long-lived, slow-growing chelydrid turtle found in Gulf of Mexico drainages from Florida to Texas (U.S.A.). Populations are thought to be depleted throughout the range due in part to an increased harvest in the 1960s through 1980s. To identify population and evolutionary units, 420 base pairs were sequenced within the mitochondrial DNA control region of 158 specimens from 12 drainages. Results indicate substantial phylogeographic structuring and strong population-level separations among river drainages. Eight of 11 haplotypes were observed to be river-specific, providing diagnostic markers for most drainages. Three partitions are resolved in the mtDNA genealogy, corresponding to the eastern, central, and western portion of the species' range. These separations coincide with recognized biogeographic provinces. The population structure by river system indicates that many drainages are distinct management units, with the Suwannee River lineage possibly deserving special attention, based on the criterion of genetic distinctiveness. The partitioning of M. temminckii into river-specific populations illustrates the management framework and conservation challenges that apply to a broad array of riverine species. Drainage-specific molecular markers may be used to identify the geographic origin of turtle products in the marketplace.