Search

Little is known about how the large brains of mammals are accommodated into the dazzling diversity of their skulls. It has been suggested that brain shape is influenced by relative brain size, that it evolves or develops according to extrinsic or intrinsic mechanical constraints, and that its shape can provide insights into its proportions and function. Here, we characterise the shape variation among 84 marsupial cranial endocasts of 57 species including fossils, using 3D geometric morphometrics and virtual dissections. Statistical shape analysis revealed four main patterns: over half of endocast shape variation ranges between elongate and straight to globular and inclined; little allometric variation with respect to centroid size, and none for relative volume; no association between locomotion and endocast shape; limited association between endocast shape and previously published histological cortex volumes. Fossil species tend to have smaller cerebral hemispheres. We find divergent endocast shapes in closely related species and within species, and diverse morphologies superimposed over the main variation. An evolutionarily and individually malleable brain with a fundamental tendency to arrange into a spectrum of elongate-to-globular shapes – possibly mostly independent of brain function - may explain the accommodation of brains within the enormous diversity of mammalian skull form.

Understanding feeding ecology of extinct kangaroos is fundamental to understanding the evolution of kangaroos and the Australia paleoenvironment during the Oligo-Miocene. Comparisons with extant species have suggested that the macropodiforms of the Oligo/Miocene (kangaroos and allies) from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northern Australia, were predominantly folivorous browsers or fungivores, unlike the majority of extant species. To further test this hypothesis, we investigate the relationship between variation in cranial and mandibular shape of extant and extinct macropodiforms and ecological factors such as diet, locomotion, and body mass using 3D geometric morphometric analysis of 42 living species and eight extinct species from two radiations (the extinct clade of Balbaridae and some early representatives of the extant Macropodidae. Dietary class (fungivore, browser, grazer, and mixed feeder) correlated strongly with variation in cranial shape (20–25% of variance explained). There was also significant association between cranial shape, and both locomotor mode and body mass. In a principal component analysis of shape variation for crania (including the shape of the molar row), Riversleigh macropodiforms cluster with extant folivorous browsers on principal components (PC) 1 and 3, providing support for previous interpretations of these species as browsing kangaroos. However, as a group and regardless of phylogenetic association, the shape centroid of extinct species differs significantly from that of extant species. Riversleigh macropodiforms cluster with regular hoppers or arboreal tree kangaroos, but this may be a result of the correlation between diet and locomotor mode in kangaroos. Their similarity to extant browsers supports previous interpretations of rainforest and woodland environments at Riversleigh during the early and middle Miocene, respectively. Procrustes ANOVA Analysis of the full shape dataset and diet also shows that diet accounts for a significant portion of variation; however, when phylogeny is taken into account these results become nonsignificant. In analyses of dentary shape, some balbarid species cluster with extant mixed feeders, although this may reflect phylogenetic differences rather than ecological signal.

The study of faunal remains from archaeological sites is often complicated by the presence of large numbers of highly fragmented, morphologically unidentifiable bones. In Australia, this is the combined result of harsh preservation conditions and frequent scavenging by marsupial carnivores. The collagen fingerprinting method known as zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry (ZooMS) offers a means to address these challenges and improve identification rates of fragmented bones. Here, we present novel ZooMS peptide markers for 24 extant marsupial and monotreme species that allow for genus-level distinctions between these species. We demonstrate the utility of these new peptide markers by using them to taxonomically identify bone fragments from a nineteenth-century colonial-era pearlshell fishery at Bandicoot Bay, Barrow Island. The suite of peptide biomarkers presented in this study, which focus on a range of ecologically and culturally important species, have the potential to significantly amplify the zooarchaeological and paleontological record of Australia. 1. Introduction 2. Material and methods 2.1. Materials 2.1.1. Modern reference specimens 2.1.2. Archaeological specimens 2.2. Collagen extraction 2.3. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization–tandem time of flight mass spectrometry 2.4. Liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry 2.5. Identification and confirmation of biomarkers 3. Results 3.1. Novel ZooMS peptide markers 3.2. Marsupial versus monotreme ZooMS markers 3.3. Marsupial ZooMS markers 3.4. Using ZooMS to identify macropods 3.5. Collagen fingerprinting of archaeological specimens 4. Discussion 4.1. ZooMS insights at Bandicoot Bay 4.2. Comparison to published markers 4.3. Challenges and future prospects

Many mammals dig, either during foraging to access subsurface food resources, or in creating burrows for shelter. Digging requires large forces produced by muscles and transmitted to the soil via the skeletal system; thus fossorial mammals tend to have characteristic modifications of the musculoskeletal system that reflect their digging ability. Bandicoots (Marsupialia: Peramelidae) scratch-dig mainly to source food, searching for subterranean food items including invertebrates, seeds, and fungi. They have musculoskeletal features for digging, including shortened, robust forelimb bones, large muscles, and enlarged muscle attachment areas. Here, we compared changes in the ontogenetic development of muscles associated with digging in the Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer). We measured muscle mass (m m ), pennation angle, and fiber length (FL) to calculate physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA; a proxy of maximum isometric force) as well as estimate the maximum isometric force (Fmax) for 34 individuals ranging in body size from 124 to 2,390 g. Males grow larger than females in this bandicoot species, however, we found negligible sex differences in mass-specific m m , PCSA or FL for our sample. Majority of the forelimb muscles PCSA showed a positive allometric relationship with total body mass, while m m and FL in the majority of forelimb muscles showed isometry. Mechanical similarity was tested, and two thirds of forelimb muscles maximum isometric forces (Fmax) scaled with isometry; therefore the forelimb is primarily mechanical similar throughout ontogeny. PCSA showed a significant difference between scaling slopes between main movers in the power stroke, and main movers of the recovery stroke of scratch-digging. This suggests that some forelimb muscles grow with positive allometry, specially these associated with the power stroke of digging. Intraspecific variation in PCSA is rarely considered in the literature, and thus this is an important study quantifying changes in muscle architectural properties with growth in a mammalian model of scratch-digging.

Investigation of the microbial ecology of terrestrial, aquatic and atmospheric ecosystems requires specific sampling and analytical technologies, owing to vastly different biomass densities typically encountered. In particular, the ultra-low biomass nature of air presents an inherent analytical challenge that is confounded by temporal fluctuations in community structure. Our ultra-low biomass pipeline advances the field of bioaerosol research by significantly reducing sampling times from days/weeks/months to minutes/hours, while maintaining the ability to perform species-level identification through direct metagenomic sequencing. The study further addresses all experimental factors contributing to analysis outcome, such as amassment, storage and extraction, as well as factors that impact on nucleic acid analysis. Quantity and quality of nucleic acid extracts from each optimisation step are evaluated using fluorometry, qPCR and sequencing. Both metagenomics and marker gene amplification-based (16S and ITS) sequencing are assessed with regard to their taxonomic resolution and inter-comparability. The pipeline is robust across a wide range of climatic settings, ranging from arctic to desert to tropical environments. Ultimately, the pipeline can be adapted to environmental settings, such as dust and surfaces, which also require ultra-low biomass analytics. Ministry of Education (MOE) Published version The work was supported by Singapore Ministry of Education Academic Research Fund Tier 3 grant (grant MOE2013-T3-1-013).

Evidence is presented of how the Great Recession affected prioritisation of environmental protection. World Values Survey data from both before the recession’s onset and its aftermath shows that increases in unemployment rates had significant, negative effects upon prioritisation of environmental protection while changing growth rates or gross domestic product (GDP) had none. These results hold not only among advanced industrial democracies, but also generalise to Latin American countries. Additionally, the findings offer no evidence that the recession changed the way in which individual wealth relates to the prioritisation of environmental protection. As a strong environmental public opinion is an important factor in the successful implementation of environmental policy, the findings suggest that, if policymakers wish to maintain public support for implementing environmental protection measures, they should prioritise low unemployment over economic growth.

The generic and specific status of fossil kangaroo specimens attributed to Nambaroo and Ganawamaya from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, Australia, are revised and new material is described. Results indicate that the previously proposed 12 species (eight of Nambaroo and four of Ganawamaya) represent four species from a single genus (Ganawamaya). Previous studies distinguished species of Ganawamaya from Nambaroo in lacking a protostylid on the lower first molar. However, our analyses indicate that the apparent presence/absence of the protostylid is related to the degree of dental wear, being totally worn in older individuals. Unworn specimens from Riversleigh were previously typically attributed to Nambaroo, while worn specimens were most commonly attributed to Ganawamaya. With support from phylogenetic analyses, we refer Riversleigh's N. couperi and N. gillespieae to Ganawamaya. The diagnoses of both genera are revised. We also assign undescribed specimens from the Ngapakaldi Quarry and Leaf Locality, South Australia, to Gan. couperi comb. nov. and Gan. acris, respectively, and describe new material of Gan. acris and Gan. aediculis.

The Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland, Australia, contains numerous Oligo-Miocene and Pleistocene fossil bearing deposits. Species of the suborder Macropodiformes (kangaroos and allies) described from Oligo-Miocene sediments at Riversleigh include representatives of all three macropodiform families: Macropodidae, Hypsiprymnodontidae and Balbaridae, a family of extinct fanged kangaroos. Despite extensive taxonomic study, few studies have focused on the ecology of balbarids that are present in Late Oligocene to Late Miocene faunal assemblages. Recently, several macropodiform species from Riversleigh have been described or revised that significantly alter previous interpretations of species richness and abundance at Riversleigh. In this study, Riversleigh macropodiform species richness and relative abundance is explored against a framework of recently revised taxonomic interpretations and biostratigraphy. With the exception of the Early Miocene, our results suggest that balbarids were less abundant than macropodids at Riversleigh. Balbarid species richness declined by the Early Miocene while macropodid species diversity declined from the Early Miocene to Middle Miocene and again in the Late Miocene. We also estimate body mass for macropodiform taxa throughout the Oligo-Miocene. A statistically significant increase in body mass is evident for most taxa through time. A number of ancestral macropodid genera suffer extinction in the Middle Miocene and are replaced by larger sthenurine macropodids around the time of the Miocene Climatic Optimum. Trends in faunal turnover (extinction and replacement of several macropodiform species) in the Middle Miocene are consistent with trends for other mammalian groups both from Riversleigh and globally.

This paper uses panel survey data from 2002 to 2008 – covering a period of economic prosperity and intense economic difficulties – to analyse the impact of changing levels of economic and financial security from the 2008 economic crisis on individuals’ environmental protection preferences. Declining economic conditions in the aftermath of the crisis have been thought to produce lower levels of support for environmental protection and previous literature has predominantly supported this claim. Due to the availability of data, most analyses undertaken to date have focused on aggregate changes using repeated cross-sectional data and various economic indicators. Research looking at individual-level change and how individuals’ perceptions of changing economic conditions may affect their prioritization of environmental protection has however been lacking. This paper finds that neither changing economic perceptions nor changing household financial circumstances can account for the decline in environmental protection prioritization witnessed in the aftermath of the great recession.

Starting from sodium azide, methyl-bromoacetate, and 3-methylbut-1-yne, a safe and efficient three-step continuous process was developed to obtain 2-(4-isopropyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)acetic acid. Isolation of hazardous intermediates was avoided, and by using FT-IR in-line monitoring of the azides involved, risks associated with these components were minimized. Furthermore, the use of FT-IR as a tool for optimization in real time facilitated the understanding of the kinetics of the reaction steps and resulted in a rapid optimization of parameters. The continuous method was used for multihundred grams manufacturing of the triazole which was used as a key building block in one of our drug development projects.

The development of the rate- and state-dependent friction framework (Dieterich Appl Geophys 116:790–806, 1978; J Geophys Res 84, 2161–2168, 1979; Ruina Friction laws and instabilities: a quasistatic analysis of some dry friction behavior, Ph.D. Thesis, Brown Univ., Providence, R.I., 1980; J Geophys Res 88:10359–10370, 1983) includes the dependence of friction coefficient on normal stress (Linker and Dieterich J Geophys Res 97:4923–4940, 1992); however, a direct dependence of the friction law on time-varying normal stress in dynamic stepover and dip-slip fault models has not yet been extensively explored. Using rate- and state-dependent friction laws and a 2-D dynamic finite element code (Barall J Int 178, 845–859, 2009), we investigate the effect of the Linker–Dieterich dependence of state variable on normal stress at stepovers and dip-slip faults, where normal stress should not be constant with time (e.g., Harris and Day J Geophys Res 98:4461–4472, 1993; Nielsen Geophys Res Lett 25:125–128, 1998). Specifically, we use the relation dψ/dt = −(α/σ)(dσ/dt) from Linker and Dieterich (J Geophys Res 97:4923–4940, 1992), in which a change in normal stress leads to a change in state variable of the opposite sign. We investigate a range of values for alpha, which scales the impact of the normal stress change on state, from 0 to 0.5 (laboratory values range from 0.2 to 0.56). For stepovers, we find that adding normal-stress dependence to the state variable delays or stops re-nucleation on the secondary fault segment when compared to normal-stress-independent state evolution. This inhibition of jumping rupture is due to the fact that re-nucleation along the secondary segment occurs in areas of decreased normal stress in both compressional and dilational stepovers. However, the magnitude of such an effect differs between dilational and compressional systems. Additionally, it is well known that the asymmetric geometry of reverse and normal faults can lead to greater slip and a greater peak slip rate on reverse faults than on normal faults, given the same initial conditions for each (Nielsen Geophys Res Lett 25:125–128, 1998; Oglesby et al. Science 280:1055–1059, 1998; Oglesby and Archuleta J Geophys Res 105:13643–13653, 2000; Oglesby et al. Bull Seismol Soc Am 90:616–628, 2000). For dip-slip models, we find that adding the Linker–Dieterich normal stress dependence to the state variable serves to mitigate differences in peak slip rate between reverse and normal fault models. However, differences in total slip among reverse and normal fault models remain relatively unchanged. We also examine effects from initial shear stress (loading stress) and effects from incorporating a rate-strengthening zone on the uppermost portion of a reverse and a normal fault.

Significance This manuscript describes a precise diel cycle carried out by airborne microbiota in the tropics. 795 metagenomes from air samples taken from a single site show that fungi, bacteria, and plants all adhere to a specific timing for their presence in the near-surface atmosphere. The airborne community composition thereby shows an unexpected robustness, with the majority of the dynamics in taxa composition occurring within 24 h, but not across days, weeks, or months. Environmental parameters are the main drivers for the observed phenomenon, with temperature being the most important one., The atmosphere is vastly underexplored as a habitable ecosystem for microbial organisms. In this study, we investigated 795 time-resolved metagenomes from tropical air, generating 2.27 terabases of data. Despite only 9 to 17% of the generated sequence data currently being assignable to taxa, the air harbored a microbial diversity that rivals the complexity of other planetary ecosystems. The airborne microbial organisms followed a clear diel cycle, possibly driven by environmental factors. Interday taxonomic diversity exceeded day-to-day and month-to-month variation. Environmental time series revealed the existence of a large core of microbial taxa that remained invariable over 13 mo, thereby underlining the long-term robustness of the airborne community structure. Unlike terrestrial or aquatic environments, where prokaryotes are prevalent, the tropical airborne biomass was dominated by DNA from eukaryotic phyla. Specific fungal and bacterial species were strongly correlated with temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration, making them suitable biomarkers for studying the bioaerosol dynamics of the atmosphere.

Marsupials and their fossil relatives, which collectively comprise Metatheria, have been of scientific interest for centuries, with many aspects of their evolution and systematics subject to intense research and debate. Here, we review progress over the last 25 years, which has included the description of many new species (modern and fossil), and major improvements in understanding of their phylogenetic relationships, as well as the overall evolutionary history and biogeography of Marsupialia (crown-clade) and Metatheria (total-clade). Significant advances have included the deployment of increasingly sophisticated molecular, morphological, and total evidence analyses, which have resolved most previously disputed relationships among and within the modern marsupial orders. A broad systematic consensus is now emerging, although several major areas of contention remain, particularly among fossil metatherians. New modern species continue to be described at an impressive rate, with almost 50 named in the last 25 years, and many more await discovery. There has also been an explosion in the discovery and description of fossil marsupials and non-marsupial metatherians (~270 species), principally from Australasia and the Americas but also from Antarctica, Europe, and Asia. Most are represented by dental specimens only, but some consist of complete and well-preserved material, which has led to major improvements in our understanding of the evolution of cranial and postcranial morphology. Improvements in the fossil record and advances in methods for inferring divergence times have helped clarify when and where key events occurred in metatherian evolution, and the patterns of subclade diversification. We also have improved understanding of biogeographical relationships among metatherians on different landmasses. Despite enormous progress, numerous key uncertainties remain due to major gaps in the fossil record (e.g., Antarctica, Late Cretaceous, and early Paleogene of Australia) and a comparative lack of studies that directly combine molecular and fossil data. Future advances will largely depend on improvements in the fossil record and studies that better integrate neontological and paleontological evidence.

The close association between muscle and bone is broadly intuitive; however, details of the covariation between the two has not been comprehensively studied. Without quantitative understanding of how muscle anatomy influences bone shape, it is difficult to draw conclusions of the significance of many morphological traits of the skeleton. In this study, we investigated these relationships in the Quenda (Isoodon fusciventer), a scratch-digging marsupial. We quantified the relationships between forelimb muscle anatomy and bone shape for animals representing a range of body masses (124-1,952 g) using two-block partial least square analyses. Muscle anatomy was quantified as muscle mass and physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA), and we used two morphometric methods to characterize bone shape: seven indices of linear bone proportions, and landmarks analysis. Bone shape was significantly correlated with body mass, reflecting allometric bone growth. Of the seven bone indices, only shoulder moment index (SMI) and ulna robustness index (URI) showed a significant covariation with muscle anatomy. Stronger relationships between muscle anatomy and forelimb bone shape were found using the landmark coordinates: muscle mass and PCSA were correlated with the geometric shape of the scapula, humerus, and third metacarpal, but to a lesser extent with shape of the ulna. Overall, our data show that landmark coordinates are more sensitive than bone indices to capturing shape changes evident throughout ontogeny, and is therefore a more appropriate method to investigate covariation with forelimb muscle anatomy. Single-species studies investigating ontogeny require refined methods to accurately develop understanding of the important relationships between muscle force generation and bone shape remodeling. Landmark analyses provide such a method.

The extinct Thylacine Thylacinus cynocephalus, also known as the marsupial wolf or Tasmanian Tiger, is an iconic part of Australia’s natural history. The latest surviving member of the diverse family Thylacinidae, the thylacine was widespread across mainland Australia during the Pleistocene but by 3200 ybp it was restricted to Tasmania. Persecuted by farmers, thylacines are thought to have gone extinct in the wild by the 1930s, and the last surviving captive animal died in 1936. Despite much public interest and numerous popular accounts, the ecology of this iconic Australian species is not well known. Though huge numbers of animals were killed during the extermination of thylacines from Tasmania, very few useful specimens exist in collections. For palaeontologists, access to comparative material is important but not always practicable. The purpose of this atlas is to provide a comprehensive record of the skeletal anatomy of the Thylacine to provide researchers a useful reference for comparative studies.

Ecological processes operating across the spatial scale can be equivalently found operating across the temporal scale. Such processes may affect community structure and species richness relationships in ways that can be analysed using the fossil record. The best studied involve the combination of the Species-Area-Relationship and the Species-Time-Relationship into a single space-time equivalence of species richness. This equivalence has been recorded in modern and fossil systems, providing insights into underlying ecological processes controlling species turnover through space and time. The analysis of space-time equivalence has received less attention for community structure, and we outline a framework wherein this could be examined. The inclusion of fossil data to investigations into space-time equivalence are important for revealing emergent properties of ecosystems that are not possible using only modern ecological data. They reveal complexities in the nature of the equivalence across distinct geographical and temporal thresholds and are impacted by environmental heterogeneity. In particular, the examination of space-time equivalence for Quaternary systems highlights the uniqueness of the Holocene with respect to the Pleistocene. Understanding how and why species are found together across large spatial and temporal scales can provide information important for conservation efforts; however, the few cases of space-time equivalence reported using fossil records indicates that this remains a poorly studied area in palaeoecology.

The precipitation history of south-west Australia since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) has important implications for understanding southern hemisphere climate dynamics. Previously reported environmental records indicating more open vegetation during the LGM have been interpreted in terms of aridity, but such changes can be explained by alternative mechanisms. To provide new evidence concerning the region's Quaternary precipitation history, we examine temporal changes in large mammal richness at four south-west Australian fossil sites: Devil's Lair, Tunnel Cave, Witchcliffe Rock Shelter and Rainbow Cave. Large mammal richness is correlated strongly with mean annual precipitation across 53 modern Australian communities. Extending this relationship to the fossil record, a steady increase in richness from the LGM to the onset of the Holocene at both Devil's Lair and Tunnel Cave is consistent with increased precipitation through time. This supports previous interpretations of a more arid LGM and implies regional heterogeneity in the position of the southern hemisphere westerlies. A reduction in richness during the last ∼1000 years is unlikely to be the result of precipitation change and may be related to more frequent burning of the landscape by hunter-gatherers in an effort to increase availability of large prey.

Lineage zones within nine contemporaneous mammalian lineages represented in the Cenozoic fossil vertebrate record from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area in northern Australia are used to resolve a series of faunal intervals from the Late Oligocene to Late Miocene. The results agree with previous interpretations of Cenozoic biostratigraphy, provide evidence for the presence of time horizons subdividing some of the four previously recognized Riversleigh biochrons A–D and also provide evidence supporting the allocation of a greater number of Riversleigh faunas to intervals within the Riversleigh biochronology than other methods in previous work. This approach demonstrates the biostratigraphical potential of evolutionary lineages.

New specimens of the late Oligocene macropodiform, Gumardee pascuali, are described, as well as two new late Oligocene to early Miocene species, G. springae sp. nov. and G. richi sp. nov. Species of Gumardee exhibit a unique combination of features, including very long upper and lower third premolars, partially lophodont molars and, in dorsoventral plane, concave lower molar row and convex upper molar row. We combined two morphological matrices to assess the phylogenetic relationships of these species. Our analysis recovered species of Gumardee as a well-supported monophyletic group, nested within Potoroinae. Gumardee richi and G. pascuali appear to be more derived than G. springae in having a more strongly developed posthypocristid that is almost hypolophid-like.

The presence of the spinifex hopping mouse Notomys alexis in the diet of lesser salmon catfish Neoarius graeffei from the Ashburton River, Western Australia, is reported for the first time. The consumption of terrestrial mammals by Australian freshwater fishes is widely considered to be an infrequent occurrence, of limited importance to aquatic food webs. However, remains of N. alexis were present within the stomachs of 44% of N. graeffei sampled, constituting approximately 95% of the total stomach contents. These findings suggest that N. graeffei will consume large quantities of terrestrial vertebrates when available, and may represent a valuable energy source for this ecologically important species in dryland rivers.

This work was financially supported by the EPSRC (EP/M506631/1, EP/L505079/1) and COST action SM1302 SIPs. M.B. would like to thank EaStCHEM and the School of Chemistry for support; O. L. M. acknowledges financial support from the Grant Agency of the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic and Slovak Academy of Sciences VEGA (grant No. 2/0116/17) and from the Slovak Research and Development Agency (grant APVV-15-0726). A series of representative late d-block metal complexes bearing a rigid bis(phosphine) ligand, iPr2P-Ace- PPh2 ( L , Ace = acenaphthene-5,6-diyl), was prepared and fully characterised by various techniques, including multinuclear NMR and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The heteroleptic nature of the peri- substituted ligand L allows for the direct observation of the JPP couplings in the 31P{1H} NMR spectra. Magnitudes of JPP are correlated with the identity and geometry of the metal, and the distortions of the ligand L . The forced overlap of the phosphine lone pairs due to the constraints imposed by the rigid acenaphthene skeleton in L results in large 4JPP of 180 Hz. Sequestration of the lone pairs, either via oxidation of the phosphine, or metal chelation, results in distinct changes in the magnitude of JPP. For tetrahedral d10 complexes ( [LMCl2] , M = Zn, Cd, Hg), the JPP is comparable or larger (193–309 Hz) to that in free ligand L , although the P···P separation in these complexes is increased by ca. 0.4 Å (compare to free ligand L ). The magnitude of JPP diminishes to 26–117 Hz in square planar d8 complexes ( [LMX2] , M = Ni, Pd, Pt, X = Cl, Br) and octahedral Mo0 complex [ LMo(CO)4] , 33 Hz). Coupling Deformation Density calculations indicate the through-space interaction dominates in free L , whilst in metal complexes the main coupling pathway is via the metal atom. Postprint Postprint

The phylogenetic relationships of bandicoots and bilbies have been somewhat problematic, with conflicting results between morphological work and molecular data. This conflict makes it difficult to assess the taxonomic status of species and subspecies within this order, and also prevents accurate evolutionary assessments. Here, we present a new total evidence analysis, combining the latest cranio-dental morphological matrix containing both modern and fossil taxa, with molecular data from GenBank. Several subspecies were scored in the morphological dataset to match the molecular data available. Both parsimony and Bayesian analyses were performed, giving similar topologies except for the position of four fossil taxa. Total evidence dating places the peramelemorphian crown origin close to the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, and the radiations of most modern genera beginning in the Late Miocene or Early Pliocene. Our results show that some species and subspecies require taxonomic reassessment, and are revised here. We also describe a new, extinct species from the Nullarbor region. This suggests that the number of recently extinct peramelemorphian species is likely to further increase.

Chamberlain, P.M., Travouillon, K.J., Archer, M. & Hand, S.J., November 2015. Kutjamarcoot brevirostrum gen. et sp. nov., a new short-snouted, early Miocene bandicoot (Marsupialia: Peramelemorphia) from the Kutjamarpu Local Fauna (Wipajiri Formation) in South Australia. Alcheringa 40, XX–XX. ISSN 0311-5518.A new bandicoot species, Kutjamarcoot brevirostrum gen. et sp. nov. (Peramelemorphia), is described here from the Leaf Locality, Kutjamarpu Local Fauna (LF), Wipajiri Formation (South Australia). The age of the fossil deposit is interpreted as early Miocene on the basis of biocorrelation between multiple species in the Kutjamarpu LF and local faunas from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area (WHA). Kutjamarcoot brevirostrum is represented by isolated teeth and three partial dentaries and appears to have been short-snouted with an estimated mass of 920 g. Phylogenetic analyses place K. brevirostrum in a clade with extant Australian bandicoots and the extinct Madju, but potentially exclude the extant New Gu...

The Pliocene fossil record of Australia has revealed the oldest known occurrences of modern peramelemorphian (bandicoot and bilbies) genera such as Perameles, cf. Peroryctes, and Chaeropus. Recent phylogenetic analyses based on morphology have questioned the previously accepted understanding about generic relationships of some of these Pliocene taxa. These doubts limit our ability to develop independent divergence models based on molecular data because they depend on fossil records in order to calibrate minimum rates of change. Hence, there is a need to critically review the Pliocene fossil record. To this end, we have examined Pliocene specimens of peramelemorphians in museum collections across Australia and performed a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis based on dental and cranial morphology to review and accordingly revise subfamilial taxonomy. As part of this revision, we describe here two new species, one from the Chinchilla Local Fauna (LF) in Queensland (Perameles wilkinsonorum, sp. nov.) and one from both the Big Sink LF in the Wellington Caves area and the Bow LF in New South Wales (Silvicultor karae, gen. et sp. nov.). We reassign the two ‘Peroryctes’ species from Hamilton LF, Victoria, to a new genus (Silvicultor). We summarize the distribution of peramelemorphians during the Pliocene and show how climate change appears to have shaped their subsequent Quaternary distribution. SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP Citation for this article: Travouillon, K. J., J. Louys, G. J. Price, M. Archer, S. J. Hand, and J. Muirhead. 2017. A review of the Pliocene bandicoots of Australia, and descriptions of new genus and species. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1360894.

Existing analysis suggests that individuals may reduce their concern for and belief in climate change as a result of macro-economic difficulties. Such conclusions are predominantly based on repeated cross-sectional and pooled data making it difficult to separate out the effects of economic conditions from other explanatory factors. Approaching this question through experimentally priming individuals to feel a certain way about the economy has also proven difficult due to economic perceptions being difficult to alter in a survey setting [Kachi, Bernauer, & Gampfer, 2015. Climate policy in hard times: Are the pessimists right? Ecological Economics, 114, 227–241]. This article thus investigates a related question on the effect of the salience of economic perceptions on climate change views using an online question-order experiment, whereby salience denotes the prominence of the issue in the mind of the respondent. Respondents were randomly assigned to receiving an economic prompting question before or after being asked about their climate change views. The results show no effect of the prompting on belief in anthropogenic climate change, but they do show an effect of prompting on prioritization of taking urgent action to address climate change. Those with a non-positive view of the economy were less likely to support urgent action in comparison to those who considered the economy to be performing well if they were asked first about their economic evaluations. The salience of economic evaluations and the direction of such evaluations would not be significant if economic evaluations themselves were not important, and thus the findings also reveal that economic evaluations do matter. Key policy insights Belief in anthropogenic climate change is not affected by the salience of economic perceptions.Support for taking urgent action to implement policies to address climate change is impacted by the salience of macro-economic perceptions, with respondents who have their non-positive economic perceptions brought to the forefront of their minds displaying reduced support for urgent action.Policies that aim to tackle climate change are more likely to have bottom-up support from the public during periods when the economy is perceived to be prosperous. Belief in anthropogenic climate change is not affected by the salience of economic perceptions. Support for taking urgent action to implement policies to address climate change is impacted by the salience of macro-economic perceptions, with respondents who have their non-positive economic perceptions brought to the forefront of their minds displaying reduced support for urgent action. Policies that aim to tackle climate change are more likely to have bottom-up support from the public during periods when the economy is perceived to be prosperous.

Bacillus altitudinis strain SGAir0031 ( Firmicutes ) was isolated from tropical air samples collected in Singapore. Its genome was assembled using short reads and single-molecule real-time sequencing, comprising one chromosome with 3.81 Mb and one plasmid with 32 kb. The genome consists of 3,820 protein-coding genes, 81 tRNAs, and 24 rRNAs.

This correction is to fulfil the requirements of the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) code criteria for the publication of new species name. In order for Chaeropus baynesi to be a valid taxon, the species name needed to be registered in Zoobank at the time of publication, with the Zoobank number appearing with the publication. This correction aims to solve …

A new genus of Oligo-Miocene kangaroo (Macropodiformes), Cookeroo, and two new species, Cookeroo bulwidarri and C. hortusensis, are described from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northern Australia. Species of Cookeroo are distinguished from other basal macropodids by possessing a unique combination of characters including an expanded masseteric canal confluent with the mandibular canal that extends to below m1, a sinuous i1 with enamel on the buccal surface only and with dorsal and ventral flanges present, a dentary with a marked inflection of the ventral border below m3, bilophodont molars, and an elongate third premolar. We assess the phylogenetic relationships of the genus using a combination of two previously published morphological matrices. Our analysis recovers Cookeroo species as early-branching members of a clade that also contains macropodines, sthenurines, and lagostrophines. http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E32B7E60-80B0-4A0E-BBE2-E3CA66F41D2F SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at www.tandfonline.com/UJVP. Citation for this article: K. Butler, K. J. Travouillon, G. J. Price, M. Archer, and S. J. Hand. 2016. Cookeroo, a new genus of fossil kangaroo (Marsupialia, Macropodidae) from the Oligo-Miocene of Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2016.1083029.

The pig-footed bandicoot, Chaeropus ecaudatus, is one of the most enigmatic Australian marsupials, which went extinct in the late 1950s probably as a result of European colonization. It is unusual in being the only marsupial to have evolved reduction of digits on both fore and hind feet, with the forefeet being pig-like (two toes) and the hind feet being horse-like (one toe). According to molecular phylogenetic analyses, Chaeropus diverged from other bandicoots (Peramelidae), and the bilbies (Thylacomyidae) by the mid-Late Oligocene. This is considerably earlier than suggested by the fossil record, with the current oldest specimens being Late Pleistocene in age. Here, I report the oldest fossils of Chaeropus, representing a new species, Chaeropus baynesi from the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene (2.47–2.92 Ma) Fisherman's Cliff Local Fauna, Moorna Formation, New South Wales, Australia, and extending the fossil record of the genus and family by at least 2 million years. Chaeropus baynesi is less high crowned than C. ecaudatus and lacks lateral blade development on lower molars, suggesting that it was unlikely to be grazing. This suggests that Chaeropus must have adapted rapidly to the drying conditions and changes in environments, and would have become a grazer in a very short period of time.

Minimum Sample Richness (MSR) is defined as the smallest number of taxa that must be recorded in a sample to achieve a given level of inter-assemblage classification accuracy. MSR is calculated from known or estimated richness and taxonomic similarity. Here we test MSR for strengths and weaknesses by using 167 published mammalian local faunas from the Paleogene and early Neogene of the Quercy and Limagne area (Massif Central, southwestern France), and then apply MSR to 84 Oligo-Miocene faunas from Riversleigh, northwestern Queensland, Australia. In many cases, MSR is able to detect the assemblages in the data set that are potentially too incomplete to be used in a similarity-based comparative taxonomic analysis. The results show that the use of MSR significantly improves the quality of the clustering of fossil assemblages. We conclude that this method can screen sample assemblages that are not representative of their underlying original living communities. Ultimately, it can be used to identify which assemblages require further sampling before being included in a comparative analysis.

International audience; Many techniques have been developed to estimate species richness and beta diversity. Those techniques, dependent on sampling, require abundance or presence/absence data. Palaeontological data is by nature incomplete, and presence/absence data is often the only type of data that can be used to provide an estimate of ancient biodiversity. We used a simulation approach to investigate the behaviour of commonly used similarity indices, and the reliability of classifications derived from these indices, when working with incomplete data. We drew samples, of varying number and richness, from artificial species lists, which represented original life assemblages, and calculated error rates for classifications of the parent lists and samples. Using these results, we estimated the Minimum Sample Richness (MSR) needed to achieve 95% classification accuracy. Results were compared for classifications derived from several commonly used similarity indexes (Dice, Jaccard, Simpson and Raup-Crick). MSR was similar for the Dice, Jaccard and Simpson indices. MSR for the Raup-Crick index was often much lower, suggesting that it is preferable for classifying patchy data, however the performance of this index was less stable than the other three in the simulations, which required an even lower MSR. MSR can be found for all presence/absence data from the contour graphs and equations as long as the absolute species richness and the beta diversity can be estimated.

The long-nosed bandicoot, Perameles nasuta Geoffroy, 1804, found on the east coast of Australia, has two subspecies, P. n. nasuta Geoffroy, 1804 and P. n. pallescens Thomas, 1923. Until recently, this distinction has remained untested by either morphological or molecular studies. Based on a recently published but limited molecular study, two publications have recommended that P. pallescens be treated as a species distinct from P. nasuta. Here, the morphological distinction between P. pallescens and P. nasuta is tested by examination of museum specimens from throughout the combined species range, using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. No external features and very few cranial features were found to separate the two subspecies. However, dental morphology and measurements are effective at distinguishing two geographically distinct populations; while a complex pattern of clinal vs non-clinal trends in cranial size suggest a genetic disjunction that corresponds with the dentally-defined geographic groups. These findings support the raising of P. pallescens to species level. In terms of dental features, P. pallescens was found to be most similar to the fossil P. sobbei. The morphological phylogeny recovered P. pallescens as sister to P. nasuta, when no fossil Perameles taxa were included, probably as a result of little cranial differentiation between them. When fossil Perameles were included, the relationships between species of Perameles were unresolved, probably as a result of P. sobbei lacking cranial remains.

Bandicoots and bilbies (Marsupialia : Peramelemorphia) represent the dominant omnivorous clade of Australasian marsupials and, as ground-dwelling, small- to medium-sized mammals, have not fared well in the 200 years since European settlement. Unlike large or charismatic marsupial species, the cryptic nature of bandicoots and bilbies tends to keep them out of the public eye, at a time when public interest plays a significant role in conservation efforts. The inconspicuous ‘rat-like’ appearance of many bandicoots and a generalist ecological strategy belie a complex biology of adaptive traits and evolutionary diversity. For a few species these biological traits have enabled them to make use of urban environments. In the main, however, peramelemorphians are facing ongoing pressure from introduced predators and human impacts. Basic biological information for many species, particularly those from New Guinea, is still lacking. In this review, we examine advances in the knowledge of the biology of this group over the past 25 years including anatomical, physiological and ecological studies. We also provide a comprehensive review of the fossil records of bandicoots in order to provide an up-to-date platform for future studies. From this work, it is clear that there is still much to be done regarding the taxonomy and biology of these animals before a more detailed understanding of the evolutionary history of this group can be elucidated.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) is a large acceptance (0.65 sr m(2)) detector designed to operate in the International Space Station (ISS) for three years. The purposes of the experiment are to search for cosmic antimatter and dark matter and to study the composition and energy spectrum of the primary cosmic rays. A "scated-down" version has been flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery for 10 days in June 1998. The complete AMS is programmed for installation on the ISS in October 2003 for an operational period of 3 yr. This contribution reports on the experimental configuration that will be installed on the ISS. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

International audience; During the Cenozoic, Australian environments changed from being dominated by warm and humid rainforests to mainly arid/semiarid habitats comparable to those found today. Northern Australia's Oligo-Miocene palaeoenvironment were analysed using mammalian assemblages from the Riversleigh World Heritage Area, northwestern Queensland. Limitations of fossil assemblages were minimised using Minimum Sample Richness and taxonomic distinctness analyses because these identify under-sampled, unrepresentative and taxonomically-biased fossil assemblages which can then be removed from the overall analysis. Cenogram and body mass distribution methodologies were used to help determine the palaeohabitats of seventeen sites from Riversleigh that span the late Oligocene to early Miocene, middle Miocene and early late Miocene. The results suggest a change of environment through time, with the late Oligocene of Riversleigh represented by an open forest, the early and middle Miocene by rainforest, and the early late Miocene represented by open forest.

International audience; Body size distribution and cenogram analyses both use body weight distributions of mammalian species to describe structural patterns within communities. Using these methods it has been possible to correlate modern mammalian community structure and habitat. In turn these correlations have been used to infer palaeohabitat from analysis of the structure of extinct mammal communities. We used the cenogram method to construct the body size distribution of both contemporary and pre-European invasion lists of mammal taxa from 52 Australian national parks spanning all major environments. All modern Australian open environments showed a gap in body mass distribution. Historical open environments showed no distinct gap in body mass distribution but had significantly less medium-sized species than closed environments. Large, introduced mammalian predators have been shown to prefer medium-sized prey over large or small prey and to contribute signi!cantly to the extinction of medium-sized species in open environments. Our results are consistent with previous studies which have found that mid-sized mammals are more extinction prone, and this has been suggested to be due to introduced cats and foxes, following the European colonization of Australia. Two methods complementary to cenograms are introduced in this study, which are useful to infer vegetation covertures of fossil localities.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was flown on the space shuttle Discovery during flight STS-91 (June 1998) in a 51.7 deg orbit at altitudes between 320 and 390 km. A search for antihelium nuclei in the rigidity range 1–140 GV was performed. No antihelium nuclei were detected at any rigidity. An upper limit on the flux ratio of antihelium to helium of < 1.1×10^−6 was obtained. The high energy proton, electron, positron, helium, antiproton and deuterium spectra were accurately measured. For each particle and nuclei two distinct spectra were observed: a higher energy spectrum and a substantial second spectrum. Positrons in the second spectrum were found to be much more abundant than electrons. Tracing particles from the second spectra shows that most of them travel for an extended period of time in the geomagnetic field, and that the positive particles (p and e+) and negative ones (e−) originate from two complementary geographic regions. The second helium spectrum flux over the energy range 0.1–1.2 GeV/nucleon was measured to be (6.3 ± 0.9) × 10^−3(m^2 s sr)^−1. Over 90 percent of the helium flux was determined to be 3He at the 90% confidence level

The primary proton spectrum in the kinetic energy range 0.2 to 200 GeV was measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS–91 at an altitude of 380 km. The complete data set combining three shuttle attitudes and including all known systematic effects is presented.

The Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) was flown on the space shuttle Discovery during flight STS-91 in a 51.7 degree orbit at altitudes between 320 and 390 km. A total of 2.86 * 10^6 helium nuclei were observed in the rigidity range 1 to 140 GV. No antihelium nuclei were detected at any rigidity. An upper limit on the flux ratio of antihelium to helium of < 1.1 * 10^-6 is obtained., 18 pages, Latex, 9 .eps figures

The lepton spectra in the kinetic energy ranges 0.2 to 40 GeV for e − and 0.2 to 3 GeV for e + were measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS–91 at altitudes near 380 km. From the origin of the leptons two distinct spectra were observed: a higher energy spectrum and a substantial second spectrum with positrons much more abundant than electrons. Tracing leptons from the second spectra shows that most of these leptons travel for an extended period of time in the geomagnetic field and that the e + and e − originate from two complementary geographic regions.

The helium spectrum from 0.1 to 100 GeV/nucleon was measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS-91 at altitudes near 380 km. Above the geomagnetic cutoff the spectrum is parameterized by a power law. Below the geomagnetic cutoff a second helium spectrum was observed. In the second helium spectra over the energy range 0.1 to 1.2 GeV/nucleon the flux was measured to be (6.3±0.9)×10 −3 ( m 2 sec sr ) −1 and more than ninety percent of the helium was determined to be 3He (at the 90% CL). Tracing helium from the second spectrum shows that about half of the 3He travel for an extended period of time in the geomagnetic field and that they originate from restricted geographic regions similar to protons and positrons.

The proton spectrum in the kinetic energy range 0.1 to 200 GeV was measured by the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer (AMS) during space shuttle flight STS-91 at an altitude of 380 km. Above the geomagnetic cutoff the observed spectrum is parameterized by a power law. Below the geomagnetic cutoff a substantial second spectrum was observed concentrated at equatorial latitudes with a flux ~ 70 m^-2 sec^-1 sr^-1. Most of these second spectrum protons follow a complicated trajectory and originate from a restricted geographic region., 19 pages, Latex, 7 .eps figures