A new species of Diplodocid Dinosaur from the Late Jurassic of northern Wyoming.

Diplodocids were members of the Sauropod group of Dinosaurs, noted for their extremely long necks and tails; they were less massive than the related Titanosaurids and Brachiosaurs, but were longer and more slender, making them probably the longest animals ever to live; the longest species, Diplodocus and Supersaurus, are thought to have reached around 34 m, making them longer than a Blue Whale (though considerably less massive). The ecology of the Diplodocids is somewhat mysterious; their light frame and long bodies makes it seem unlikely that they had the musculature to lift their necks very high, and they had relatively short legs compared to other Sauropods, ruling out Giraffe-style treetop feeding. Some palaeontologists have described them as 'Dachshund' Dinosaurs.

In a paper published in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology on 27 January 2013, Emanuel Tschopp of the Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia at the Universidade Nova de Lisboa and Octávio Mateus of the Museu da Lourinhã describe a new species of Diplodocid Dinosaur from the Late Jurassic Morrison Formation at Howe Quarry near Shell,Wyoming.

The new Dinosaur is named Kaatedocus siberi, where the Crow word 'Kaate' (small) has been combined with the element '-docus' (beam) from Diplodocus, to make 'small-beam' or 'small-Diplodocus', and 'siberi is in honour of Hans-Jakob Siber, who founded the Sauriermuseum Aathal, near Zurich, and who was involved in the organization and funding of the expedition which found the new specimen, as well as its subsequent preparation and curation.

Kaatedocus siberi is described from a partial skull and a series of cervical (neck) vertebrae. It is thought to have been a young animal, with weekly fused bones and a head and neck length of about 3.8 m and a total body length of 14 m. 

The reconstructed skull of Kaatedocus siberi in right lateral view. (A) Photograph. (B) Drawing. Light grey areas in (B) are reconstructed parts. Abbreviations: a: articular;  aof: antorbital

fenestra; bt: basal tuber; d: dentary;  f: frontal;  ltf: laterotemporal fenestra; m: maxilla; o: orbit;

os: orbitosphenoid; p: parietal; pm: premaxilla; po: postorbital; popr: paroccipital process;  pra: proatlas; q: quadrate; qj: quadratojugal; sq: squamosal. Scale bar is 5 cm. Tschopp & Mateus (2013).

The reconstructed skull of Kaatedocus siberi in right lateral view. (A) Photograph. (B) Drawing. Abbreviations: a: articular; aof: antorbital fenestra; bt: basal tuber; d: dentary; f: frontal; la: lacrimal; ls: laterosphenoid; ltf: laterotemporal fenestra; m: maxilla; o: orbit; p: parietal; paof: preantorbital fossa; po: postorbital; popr: paroccipital process; pre: pre-epipophysis; pro: prootic; q: quadrate; qj: quadratojugal; sa: surangular; sq: squamosal. Scale bar is 5 cm. Tschopp & Mateus (2013).

The reconstructed skull of Kaatedocus siberi in dorsal view. (A) Photograph. (B) Drawing. Abbreviations: a: articular; aof: antorbital fenestra; f: frontal; ls: laterosphenoid; m: maxilla; n: external nares; o: orbit; p: parietal;  pm: premaxilla; po: postorbital; popr: paroccipital process; ppfo: postparietal foramen; pra: proatlas; q: quadrate; sq: squamosal. Scale bar is 5 cm. Tschopp & Mateus (2013).

Life reconstruction of the skull of Kaatedocus siberi. Note the lateral spur on the lacrimal and the palpebral element covering the orbit. Illustration by Davide Bonadonna in Tschopp & Mateus (2013).

See also Dwarf Titanosaur eggs from the Haţeg Basin in Romania, A Mamenchisaurid Sauropod Dinosaur from Thailand, A Titanosaur from the Antarctic and An American Titanosaur.

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Two new species of Amphipod Crustacean from the Gulf of Thailand.

Amphipods are (mostly) small, laterally compressed Crustaceans with differentiated legs (i.e. not all their legs are the same). Female Amphipods carry their eggs in brood pouches till they hatch; the young resemble the adults and typically reach maturity after about six molts. Amphipods are extremely widespread and numerous, but often overlooked due to their small size, most species being under 10 mm, though giant species exceeding 30 cm are known from the deep oceans.

In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 5 June 2013, Koraon Wongkamhaeng of the Excellence Center for Biodiversity of Peninsular Thailand at the Prince of Songkla University, Charles Coleman of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin and Pornsilp Pholpunthin, also of the Excellence Center for Biodiversity, describe two new species of Amphipod Crustaceans from the Seagrass beds of Talet Bay and Phangan Island in the Lower Gulf of Thailand.

The first new species described is placed in the genus Maeropsis, and given the specific name paphavasitae, in honour of Nittharatana Paphavasit of Chulalongkorn University, who has studied biology of Seagrass beds in the Gulf of Thailand. Maeropsis paphavasitae is a 5 mm Amphipod Crustacean found living on the Seagrass Thalassia hemprichii in beds in Talet Bay.

Maeropsis paphavasitae, line drawing of male; the females are essentially similar. Wongkamhaeng et al. (2013).

The second new species is placed in the genus Rotomelita, and given the specific name longipropoda, in reference to the length of the propodus (second segment) of the male gnathopod (limb on the second thoracic segment). Rotomelita longipropoda is a 1.65 mm Amphipod Crustacean found living on the Seagrasses Thalassia hemprichii and Halophila ovalis, in beds off Phangan Island. The females are slightly larger than the males, and are distinct anatomically.

Rotomelita longipropoda; male (top) and female (bottom). Wongkamhaeng et al. (2013).

Map showing the sites where the specimens were found. Wongkamhaeng et al. (2013).

See also A new species of Peppermint Shrimp from the Caribbean, Four new species of parasitic Copepods from Japan, A new Isopod Crustacean from a limestone cave in Brazil, Two new species of Cave Crab from Christmas Island and Nauplius Larvae frim the Windyfield Chert in Aberdeenshire, Scotland.

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Three new species of Fern from the Middle Triassic of northern Italy.

Middle Triassic plant fossils have been collected from the Dolomites for at least a century and a half. These Triassic floras were dominated by Conifers, and were long thought to have lived in an arid climate, though recent palynological studies (studies of fossil pollen) have suggested a more diverse flora, indicative of a warm, humid climate. 

In a paper published in the journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica on 23 October 2012, Evelyn Kustatscher of the Naturmuseum Südtirol, Elio Dellantonio of the Museo Geologico delle Dolomiti and Johanna van Konijnenburg van Cittert of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center in Leiden and the The Netherlands and Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, discus the discovery of a new fossil site at Monte Agnello, where the flora is dominated by Ferns rather than Conifers. The fossils are preserved under layers of volcanic ash, suggesting preservation was facilitated by means of rapid burial during a volcanic eruption. The fossils show good preservation of the three dimensional structure of the leaves, but are preserved as external molds rather than carbonized tissues, so no internal structure is retained. Three new species of ferns are described in this study.

The first new species is placed in the genus Phlebopteris, and given the specific name fiemmensis, in reference to the Fiemme Valley, where the fossils were found. This is the oldest species in the genus to have been described, though some slightly older fragmentary remains are known from Germany and Antarctica; the genus is rare in the Triassic but becomes abundant in the Jurassic and Cretaceous. Phlebopteris fiemmensis is also the oldest described species of the Family Matoniaceae, Palm-like Ferns with living relatives in southeast Asia and Indonesia. The species os described from three partial fronds which between them show the venation and fertile structures of the leaves.

Partial frond of Phlebopteris fiemmensis, showing venation. Kustatscher et al. (2012).

The second species is placed in the genus Chiropteris, and given the specific name monteagnellii, in reference to Monte Agnello. The genus Chiropteris are Seed Ferns of uncertain affinity, known from the Permian of South America and the Triassic of a number of sites around the world. Chiropteris monteagnellii is preserved as a number of funnel shaped leaved with venation, some having attached stems.

Frond of Chiropteris monteagnellii. Kustatscher et al. (2012).

The third species is placed in the genus Cladophlebis, and given the specific name ladinica, in reference to the price stratigraphic stage the fossils derive from; the Ladinian, or late Middle Triassic, from roughly 242 to 235 million years ago. The precise affinities of Cladophlebis are unknown, but it is thought to be related to modern Ferns. Cladophlebis ladinica is described from two fronds with preserved venation and the arrangement of pinnules shown.

Cladophlebis ladinica. Kustatscher et al. (2012).

See also The first leaves; leafy plant fossils from the Early Devonian of South China, Two new species of Moss from the Permian of Brazil, A Permian forest preserved in volcanic ash, Russian scientists germinate Pleistocene seeds and Insect borings in Triasic wood.

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A new species of Peppermint Shrimp from the Caribbean.

Cleaner Shrimps of the genus Lysmata are known in the aquarium trade as 'Peppermint Shrimps'. They are popular in marine aquaria due to their bright colours, Fish cleaning behavior and ability to control aquarium pests such as Glass Anemones. They are also of interest to biologists due to their unusual reproductive cycle; the shrimps are protandric simultaneous hermaphrodites, which is to say they all start out as males and develop female sexual characters as they get older without ever losing their male organs. The genus is thought to contain a large number of cryptic species, i.e. species which look the same as other species but which are genetically distinct. This is made more complex by the fact that is has been recently shown that many non-cryptic species can only be distinguished by colour, with most specimens in museum and university colections being preserved in alcohol, which makes them loose their colouration.

In a paper published in the journal Zootaxa on 11 December 2012, Andrew Rhyne of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology at Roger Williams University and the Research Department at the New England Aquarium, Ricardo Calado of the Departamento de Biologia & Centro de Estudos do Ambiente e do Mar at the Universidade de Aveiro, and Antonina dos Santos of the  Instituto Nacional de Recursos Biológicos, describe a new species of Peppermint Shrimp from the Caribbean.

The new species is named Lysmata jundalini, in honour of Junda Lin of the Florida Institute of Technology, an expert on the biology of Lysmata. Lysmata jundalini is a small (6.5 mm) translucent Shrimp with rust-coloured longitudinal stripes. It is described from specimens found living of Puerto Rico, but is thought to live throughout much of the Caribbean. The species lives in the rubble zone on the tops of Coral reefs, and is often associated with the sea anemone Stichodactyla helianthus, Moray Eels and Porites sp. Corals.

Live color pattern of Lysmata jundalini in (a) lateral view, and (b) dorsal view. Rhyne et al. (2012).

See also Four new species of parasitic Copepods from Japan, A new Isopod Crustacean from a limestone cave in Brazil, Two new species of Cave Crab from Christmas Island, Nauplius Larvae frim the Windyfield Chert in Aberdeenshire, Scotland and The Christmas Island Blue Crab recognized as a distinct species.

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The atmosphere of GJ 1214b.

GJ 1214b is a 'Super-Earth' planet (a planet significantly larger than Earth but significantly smaller than Uranus or Neptune) orbiting a Red Dwarf star in the constellation of Ophiuchus, 42 light years from Earth, the discovery of which was announced in a paper in the journal Nature by a team of scientists led by David Charbonneau of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. It orbits the star at a distance of 0.0143 AU (1.43% of the distance at which the Earth orbits the Sun) with an orbital period of 38 hours. 

Since it passes in front of the star when seen from Earth, it is was possible for the discovering team to determine not just the mass of the planet (by the amount it caused the star to wobble) but also its diameter, enabling the mean density of the planet to be determined; 1870 kg mˉ³, compared to 5150 to kg mˉ³ for the Earth. Since a planet significantly larger than the Earth with a similar composition would be expected to be much denser (due to the higher gravity) it was clear that GJ 1214b was a new class of object. Based upon this the discoverers concluded that GJ 1214b was a water world; a small rocky world covered by an ocean hundreds of kilometers deep, with a thin hydrogen/helium atmosphere (water could exist on a planet this close to the star GJ 1214 because it is a lot cooler than our Sun).

Model of GJ 1214b as a waterworld. John Garrett.

However this is not the only possible interpretation of the density of GJ 1214b; a small, dense, rocky planet with an extensive atmosphere could have a similar overall density.

In a paper published on the online arXiv database at Cornell University Library on 23 May 2013, a team of scientists led by Ernst de Mooij of the Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Toronto, describe the results of a spectographic study of the atmosphere using the Very Large Telescope in the Atacama Desert in Chile, the William Hershel Telescope on La Palma in the Canary Islands and the Isaac Newton Telescope at Herstmonceux in Sussex, England.

De Mooij et al. predicted the intensity of light that would be produced by the scattering of light from GJ 1214 through the atmosphere of GJ 1214b if the planet had a thin atmosphere with abundant water, a thick atmosphere dominated by hydrogen or a thick, cloudy, hydrogen dominated atmosphere and then plotted the intensity of light detected by these, and previous, observations against this.

Transmission spectrum of GJ1214b, including all available measurements from the literature. Overplotted are three models for the atmosphere of GJ1214b: a hydrogen dominated atmosphere with solar composition (green line), a hydrogen dominated atmosphere with clouds and low methane abundance (red line) and a water dominated atmosphere (blue line). The dashed curves at the bottom are the transmission curves for the different filters. De Mooij et al. (2012).

These results correlate best with the 'waterworld' model of GJ 1214b, which de Mooij et al. conclusede seems the most likely, given the available data.

See also Kepler 69c; a Super Venus rather than a Super Earth? Questioning the possible planet of Alpha Centauri, Two new more planets discovered in the Gliese 676 system, The peculiar planets of Kepler-36 and The atmosphere of GJ1214b.

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The bite of the Megapiranha.

Piranhas are carnivorous Characid Fish from the Amazon river basin with a reputation for stripping large animals to the bone in seconds. While this reputation is unquestionably exaggerated, Piranhas are still formidable predators, capable of delivering powerful bites and tackling large prey. In the Late Miocene South America was home to a much larger fish, Megapiranha paranensis, which is thought to have exceeded a meter in length, and which if like modern Piranhas in habit, would have been a truly terrifying predator. However Megapiranha is known only from a partial premaxilla (part of the upper jaw) with three teeth, which are intermediate between those of Piranhas and the related, but herbivorous, Pacus, so some ichthyologists have questioned if Megapiranha was actually a carnivore at all. Pacus are considered to be amiable, even affectionate fish in the aquarium trade; though as their diet includes tough nuts which they crack with their teeth, it is still best to avoid being bitten by one.

The only known remains of Megapiranha paranensis. Clone et al. (2009).

In a paper published in the journal Nature Scientific Reports on 20 December 2012, a team of scientists led by Justin Grubich of the Department of Biology at the American University in Cairo, the Division of Fishes at The Field Museum of Natural History and the Biology Department at Western Kentucky University, describe the results of an investigation into the biting power of the modern Black Piranha, Serrasalmus rhombeus, and the implications for this on the biting power of Megapiranha paranensis. 

Grubich et al. found that a 170 g Serrasalmus rhombeus was capable of delivering a bite with a force of 67 N, while a 1.1 kg fish could deliver a bite of 320 N, the largest bite/size ratio ever recorded in any form of Fish (including Sharks) and three times as powerful as an equivalent sized American Alligator. Scaled up to the estimated size of Megapiranha paranensis this would imply a bite strength of between 1240 N and 4749 N, equivalent to the bite of a 3000 kg Great White Shark.

If this is correct, and the strength of the bite in a Piranha is largely controlled by the adductor mandibulae muscle complex, which is not preserved in Megapiranha paranensis, then the fish would have been capable of quickly biting through the armour of the largest Armoured Catfish and Turtles of Miocene South America, and of doing significant damage to the limbs of some of the large Mammalian Megafauna extant at the time.

Lower jaw mechanics of Serrasalmus rhombeus depict a highly modified 3rd class lever where the closing mechanical advantage (Li/Lo) amplifies AM muscle force transmission by 50% to 150% from the jaw tip to the posterior teeth (C). Grubich et al. (2012).

This bite would be a third of the estimated strength of the bite of Tyrannosaurus rex, which is considered to have been over a hundred times the size of Megapiranha paranensis, and would vastly exceed the estimated size-to-mass ratio of any other living or fossil Fish, including the enormous whale eating Carcharodon megalodon and the monstrous Devonian placoderm, Dunkleosteus terrelli. 

This should sound a note of caution on this study; it is a truism in science that extraordinary claims need to be backed up with extraordinary evidence, and no evidence is available on the morphology or behavior of Megapiranha paranensis. Furthermore its dentition is not the same as that of Serrasalmus rhombeus, which strongly suggests that other elements of its biology were different too. The study has revealed that the bite of Serrasalmus rhombeus is truly remarkable, and suggests that Megapiranha paranensis was also a remarkable Fish, but the claims about the biting power of Megapiranha paranensis are not supported by the available evidence.

See also A new species of Armored Catfish from Peru, A new species of Giant Side-Necked Turtle from the Palaeocene of Columbia, New species of Armored Catfish from Ecuador and The bite of T. rex.

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Four people killed in Sichuan landslide.

Four people have died and another three were injured when a landslide struck a house in Fulai village in Luzhou Prefecture in southeastern Sichuan Province, China, at about 5.30 am on Saturday 22 June, local time (9.30 pm on 21 June, GMT). The incident happened following heavy precipitation associated with the onset of the rainy season.

Rescuers carrying one of the injured victims from the site of the Luzhou landslide. Xinhua.

Landslides are a common problem after severe weather events, as excess pore water pressure can overcome cohesion in soil and sediments, allowing them to flow like liquids. Approximately 90% of all landslides are caused by heavy rainfall.

See also Hundreds feared dead after collapse of Chorabari Glacier, Three workers killed in landslide at Mumbai quarry, Seven killed in Nepal landslide, Five people killed by landslip at Java brickworks and Three construction workers killed in Philippine landslip.

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