The endemic vole Microtus tTyrrhenicola) (Arvicolidae, Rodentia) from Monte Tuttavista (Sarclinia, Italy): new perspectives for phylogeny and biochronology

Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) henseli és un talpó fòssil endèmic que va viure a Còrsega i Sardenya des del Pleistocè Mitjà a l'Holocè. S'han reconegut diferents poblacions de Tyrrhenicola a través de cliferents graus evolutius que presenten una posició sistemàtica encara controvertida. S'han duit a terme algunes anàlisis de diverses poblacions de Tyrrhenicola provinents de les fissures recentment estucliades de Monte Tuttavista. Les poblacions estudiades mostren diferents distribucions de morfotípus que permeten reconèixer diferències als graus evolutius que faciliten la ubicació de les diferents poblacions a la seqüència fossilífera.Microtus (Tyrrhenicola) henseli is an endemic fossil vole widespread in Sardinia and Corsica during Middle Pleistocene and Holocene. Though different evolutionary degrees have been recognised between different populations of Tytrhenicola its systematic position is still controversial. Some analyses on several populations of Tyrrhenicola from the recently stuclied fissure fillings of Monte Tuttavista have been carried out, the stuclied populations show clifferent morphotype distributions that allowed recognising clifferences in evolutionary degrees helping the sequencing of the clifferent populations

CHASMAPORTHETES MELEI N.SP., AN ENDEMIC HYAENID (CARNIVORA, MAMMALIA) FROM THE MONTE TUTTAVISTA FISSURE FILLINGS (LATE PLIOCENE TO EARLY PLEISTOCENE; SARDINIA, ITALY)

Occurrence of large carnivores in island ecosystems is unusual, especially in the case of top predators. Here, a new endemic hyaenid species, Chasmaporthetes melei, from the late Late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene fissure fillings of Monte Tuttavista, Orosei, Sardinia, is described. Although smaller, C. melei is morphologically comparable with the Plio-Pleistocene Eurasian hunting-hyena Chasmaporthetes lunensis, a possible ancestor of the Sardinian species. C. melei displays all the characteristic feeding adaptations of Chasmaporthetes, including a derived enamel structure similar to the condition in extant bone-crushing hyaenas. C. melei was an active predator that nonetheless included a relatively large amount of bone in its diet. SHORT NOTE

COMPARING THE BODY MASS VARIATIONS IN ENDEMIC INSULAR SPECIES OF THE GENUS PROLAGUS (OCHOTONIDAE, LAGOMORPHA) IN THE PLEISTOCENE OF SARDINIA (ITALY)

Prolagus figaro and P. sardus are part of an endemic insular anagenetic lineage that populated Sardinia since the earliest Late Pliocene to Holocene. BM of some populations of these two species was calculated using regression models. The best BM proxies for Prolagus are: femur length, zeugopod measurements and distal humerus diameter. The anagenetic lineage show a BM increase of ca 20% from the populations of P. figaro (398−436 g) to P. sardus (504−525 g). The trend shown by the size of lower third premolar, even if not directly comparable with BM, is opposite (ca -30% at the transition P. figaro−P. sardus). Compared to P. cf. calpensis, a continental species of similar age, BM of P. figaro is ca +25%. The comparison with the insular endemic P. apricenicus evidenced differences in BM range and timespan required to attain it, due to the different size and palaeogeographical situation of the islands. Insular endemic Prolagus follow the small mammal pattern of Island Rule. Mein’s (1983) biphasic model seems applicable to the evolution of P. figaro. A tachytelic phase followed by a bradytelic one seems to characterize also the appearance of P. sardus, at least for dental traits, a process probably triggered by important variations of abiotic and biotic traits of the environment, as indicated by the turnover that marks the onset of the Dragonara subcomplex. The prediction of life history traits and other biological attributes of Sardinian Prolagus using BM should be considered with caution due to the complexity of ecological selective regimes of Sardinia

Tooth and Long Bone Scaling in Sardinian Ochotonids (Early Pleistocene-Holocene): Evidence for Megalodontia and Its Palaeoecological Implications

Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG[Abstract] Body size is a useful character to unravel the biology of fossil taxa and, indirectly, the palaeoenvironment in which they lived. However, the reliability of size proxies is debated, particularly among insular endemics in which large teeth relative to body size have been observed. To shed light on this issue, here we compute statistical models to assess: (i) teeth and long bone scaling and (ii) dentition size evolutionary dynamics in the anagenetic lineage Prolagus figaro-P. sardus from the late Early Pleistocene-Holocene of Sardinia, Italy. Postcranial bones, particularly tibial epiphyses, are shown to be the most suitable parameters for prediction of body mass in Prolagus and other lagomorph taxa. By contrast, p3 should not be used for size reconstructions, whereas m1 width provided the highest correlation with long bones. On the other hand, the postcanine occlusal surface of Sardinian Prolagus (m1 and toothrow area) appeared significantly larger than those of extant lagomorphs, pointing to a higher resistance to tooth wear and a more durable permanent dentition. It seems likely that megalodontia might have evolved in Sardinian Prolagus to cope with the abrasive diet found on islands (food habit hypothesis). Nonetheless, we cannot exclude that other biological features, such as long longevity, could be co-driving forces in this fossil lineage (life history hypothesis). The results achieved throw light on size and scale evolution in lagomorphs, as well as refine the eco-evolutionary responses of small mammals to insular regimes.This work was supported by Consellería de Cultura, Educación e Universidade, Xunta de Galicia, Spain (BM-S, ED481B 2018/046, Axudas á etapa postdoutoral da Xunta de Galicia 2018 – Modalidade A), Visiting Professor grant of the President's International Fellowship Initiative of the Chinese Academy of Science (CA), Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación and the European Regional Development Fund of the European Union (CA, CGL2016-76431-P), CERCA Program of the Generalitat de Catalunya (CA), and Grant to Department of Science, Roma Tre University (CA, MIUR-Italy Dipartimenti di Eccellenza, ART. 1, C. 314-337L. 232/2016). Funding for open access charge: Universidade da Coruña/CISUG.Xunta de Galicia; ED481B 2018/04

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection are often non-specific, and there is no definitive test for the accurate diagnosis of infection. The 'omics' approaches to identifying biomarkers from the host-response to bacterial infection are promising. In this study, lipidomic analysis was carried out with plasma samples obtained from febrile children with confirmed bacterial infection (n = 20) and confirmed viral infection (n = 20). We show for the first time that bacterial and viral infection produces distinct profile in the host lipidome. Some species of glycerophosphoinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol sulfate were higher in the confirmed virus infected group, while some species of fatty acids, glycerophosphocholine, glycerophosphoserine, lactosylceramide and bilirubin were lower in the confirmed virus infected group when compared with confirmed bacterial infected group. A combination of three lipids achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.911 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.98). This pilot study demonstrates the potential of metabolic biomarkers to assist clinicians in distinguishing bacterial from viral infection in febrile children, to facilitate effective clinical management and to the limit inappropriate use of antibiotics

Identification of regulatory variants associated with genetic susceptibility to meningococcal disease.

Non-coding genetic variants play an important role in driving susceptibility to complex diseases but their characterization remains challenging. Here, we employed a novel approach to interrogate the genetic risk of such polymorphisms in a more systematic way by targeting specific regulatory regions relevant for the phenotype studied. We applied this method to meningococcal disease susceptibility, using the DNA binding pattern of RELA - a NF-kB subunit, master regulator of the response to infection - under bacterial stimuli in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. We designed a custom panel to cover these RELA binding sites and used it for targeted sequencing in cases and controls. Variant calling and association analysis were performed followed by validation of candidate polymorphisms by genotyping in three independent cohorts. We identified two new polymorphisms, rs4823231 and rs11913168, showing signs of association with meningococcal disease susceptibility. In addition, using our genomic data as well as publicly available resources, we found evidences for these SNPs to have potential regulatory effects on ATXN10 and LIF genes respectively. The variants and related candidate genes are relevant for infectious diseases and may have important contribution for meningococcal disease pathology. Finally, we described a novel genetic association approach that could be applied to other phenotypes

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection are often non-specific, and there is no definitive test for the accurate diagnosis of infection. The 'omics' approaches to identifying biomarkers from the host-response to bacterial infection are promising. In this study, lipidomic analysis was carried out with plasma samples obtained from febrile children with confirmed bacterial infection (n = 20) and confirmed viral infection (n = 20). We show for the first time that bacterial and viral infection produces distinct profile in the host lipidome. Some species of glycerophosphoinositol, sphingomyelin, lysophosphatidylcholine and cholesterol sulfate were higher in the confirmed virus infected group, while some species of fatty acids, glycerophosphocholine, glycerophosphoserine, lactosylceramide and bilirubin were lower in the confirmed virus infected group when compared with confirmed bacterial infected group. A combination of three lipids achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of 0.911 (95% CI 0.81 to 0.98). This pilot study demonstrates the potential of metabolic biomarkers to assist clinicians in distinguishing bacterial from viral infection in febrile children, to facilitate effective clinical management and to the limit inappropriate use of antibiotics

Plasma lipid profiles discriminate bacterial from viral infection in febrile children

Fever is the most common reason that children present to Emergency Departments. Clinical signs and symptoms suggestive of bacterial infection ar

A new colubroid snake (Serpentes) from the early Pleistocene of Sardinia, Italy

We herein describe Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp., a new snake taxon from the early Pleistocene of Monte Tuttavista VI, Sardinia, Italy. Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. possesses a distinct vertebral anatomy and is diagnosed by a unique combination of features. The new Sardinian taxon is further compared in detail and differentiated from all extant European and North African snake species. Although the affinities of Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. with colubroids are clear, its more inclusive relationships within that clade cannot be resolved with certainty. Being an insular form, Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. adds significantly to our so far poor knowledge of island endemic snakes. An overview of the fossil record of snakes from the Mediterranean islands is provided. The new species increases the number of reptile taxa that went extinct in Sardinia during the late Neogene and Quaternary. RIASSUNTO - [Un nuovo serpente colubroide (Serpentes) del Pleistocene inferiore della Sardegna, Italia] - Viene qui descritto Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp., un serpente proveniente dai livelli fossiliferi del Pleistocene inferiore di Cava IV (Monte Tuttavista, Orosei, Sardegna). Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. è rappresentato da numerose vertebre caratterizzate da una combinazione di caratteri unica. Di particolare importanza nel distinguerlo da tutte le specie viventi o estinte dell’area europea e nordafricana sono la presenza di carena emale nelle vertebre del tronco e la sua ampiezza (tale da ospitare una convessità nel caso delle vertebre del tronco posteriori); la neurospina relativamente bassa che aggetta sia anteriormente sia posteriormente; l’arco neurale piuttosto depresso; i processi prezigapofisari relativamente lunghi, apicalmente ottusi, e provvisti di un margine posteriore leggermente convesso se osservati in norma dorsale; la presenza di una cavità nel margine dorsale dello zigantro. La lunghezza del centro delle vertebre del tronco non supera i 5 mm. Sebbene sia chiara l’affinità di Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. con i colubroidi sprovvisti di ipoapofisi nelle vertebre del tronco, non è possible risolvere i suoi rapporti filogenetici di dettaglio. Tuttavia, l’epiteto specifico indica una affinità apparente con le specie appartenenti al genere Elaphe s.l. La descrizione di questa nuova specie amplia le conoscenze relative ai serpenti insulari del Mediterraneo di cui viene presentata una sintesi. L’estinzione di Sardophis elaphoides Georgalis & Delfino n. gen. n. sp. testimonia ulteriormente che durante il tardo Neogene e il Quaternario la Sardegna ha perduto un numero significativo di rettili (geoemydidi a tartarughe dal guscio molle, anfisbene, agamidi, lacertidi di taglia relativamente grande appartenenti al genere Timon e vipere, oltre alla specie qui descritta) e che quindi la sua erpetofauna attuale è notevolmente impoverita se confrontata con quella del suo recente passato

THE ENDEMIC CANID CYNOTHERIUM (MAMMALIA, CARNIVORA) FROM THE PLEISTOCENE DEPOSITS OF MONTE TUTTAVISTA (NUORO, EASTERN SARDINIA)

This paper presents the main results related to the analysis of fossils of the endemic Sardinian canid Cynotherium, discovered during the past years within the rich fossiliferous karst deposits in the Monte Tuttavista area (Eastern Sardinia, Nuoro).The analysis indicates that the remains from various fissure infillings differ in size and dental characters, which are suggestive of evolutionary phases under endemic conditions. The chronological sequencing of fissures obtained based on the evolutionary stage of the fossil canid is consistent with that emerging from the analysis of the whole mammal assemblages occurring in the same fissures. The possible evolutionary relationships of the Sardinian canid to the Plio-Pleistocene mainland species are also considered; a derivation from a population of late Canis arnensis (or Canis mosbachensis) population is supported