Late Cretaceous continental and marine vertebrate assemblages of the Laño Quarry (Basque-Cantabrian Region, Iberian Peninsula): an update

The vertebrate-bearing beds of the Laño quarry (Condado de Treviño) are among the most relevant sites from the Late Cretaceous of Europe. Geologically, Laño and the adjacent region are set on the southern limb of the South-Cantabrian Synclinorium (SE Basque-Cantabrian Region, northern Iberian Peninsula). The Laño sites were discovered in 1984; thousands of bones and teeth, including microfossils, have been collected during the prospection in the field and excavation campaigns. The vertebrate remains occur at two different stratigraphic horizons within a continental to shallow marine succession of Late Campanian-Maastrichtian age. The lower horizon contains the Laño 1 and Laño 2 sites, whereas the upper horizon contains the Albaina site. In the Laño sites, three fossiliferous beds (called L1A, L1B and L2) are known within an alluvial system composed mainly of fluvial sands and silts. The sedimentary structures are consistent with channel areas within an extensive braided river system. Based mainly on stratigraphic correlations, the fluvial beds of Laño are regarded as Late Campanian to Early Maastrichtian in age. These deposits have yielded a very diverse vertebrate assemblage, which consists of nearly 40 species, including actinopterygians, lissamphibians, lepidosaurs, turtles, crocodyliforms, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and mammals. Seven genera and ten species have been erected to date in Laño. With reference to the marine vertebrate association of Albaina, it consists of at least 37 species, including sharks and rays, actinopterygians, mosasaurids, and plesiosaurs. Two genera and species of rhinobatoids (family indet.) and two new species of rhinobatids have been erected in Albaina. The fossil association indicates a Late (but not latest) Maastrichtian age. Recently, isolated turtle and dinosaur fossils have been discovered in the sublittoral beds of Albaina. The Laño quarry is one of the most noteworthy Campanian-Maastrichtian vertebrate localities of Europe by its taxonomic diversity, and provides useful information about the composition and affinities of both continental and marine vertebrate faunas from the latest Cretaceous of southwestern Europe.Los niveles con fósiles de vertebrados de la cantera de Laño (Condado de Treviño) se cuentan entre los más importantes del Cretácico Superior de Europa. Desde un punto de vista geológico, Laño y la región adyacente forman parte del flanco sur del Sinclinorio Subcantábrico (SE de la Región Vasco-Cantábrica). El descubrimiento de los niveles fosilíferos remonta a 1984; las prospecciones de campo y las campañas de excavación han proporcionado miles de huesos y dientes, incluyendo microfósiles. Los restos de vertebrados aparecen en dos horizontes estratigráficos diferentes formando parte de una sucesión continental a marina litoral de edad Campaniense superior a Maastrichtiense. El horizonte inferior contiene los yacimientos de Laño 1 y Laño 2, mientras que el superior contiene solo uno: Albaina. En los yacimientos de Laño, se reconocen tres niveles fosilíferos (llamados L1A, L1B y L2) formados en el seno de un sistema aluvial compuesto por arenas y limos fluviales. Las estructuras sedimentarias indican áreas de canal dentro de un sistema trenzado muy extendido. Según las correlaciones estratigráficas, los depósitos fluviales de Laño son de edad Campaniense superior a Maastrichtiense inferior. Estos depósitos han proporcionado una asociación muy diversa de vertebrados, que consiste en cerca de 40 especies, incluyendo actinopterigios, lisanfibios, lepidosaurios, tortugas, cocodrilos, dinosaurios, pterosaurios y mamíferos. En Laño se han definido hasta el momento siete géneros y diez especies. Por lo que respecta a la asociación de vertebrados marinos de Albaina, se han reconocido al menos 37 especies, que incluyen tiburones y rayas, actinopterigios, mosasaurios y plesiosaurios. Hasta la fecha se han definido en Albaina cuatro nuevos rinobatoideos: dos especies de rinobátidos y dos géneros y especies cuya familia es indeterminada. La asociación fósil es de edad Maastrichtiense superior no terminal. Recientemente se ha descrito el hallazgo de restos fósiles aislados de tortugas y dinosaurios en los niveles marinos de Albaina. La cantera de Laño es una de las localidades de vertebrados más destacadas del Campaniense-Maastrichtiense por su diversidad taxonómica, y proporciona información relevante sobre la composición y afinidades de las faunas de vertebrados continentales y marinos del Cretácico final del suroeste de Europa

The last European varanid: demise and extinction of monitor lizards (Squamata, Varanidae) from Europe

Remains of a varanid lizard from the middle Pleistocene of the Tourkobounia 5 locality near Athens, Greece are described. The new material comprises cranial elements only (one maxilla, one dentary, and one tooth) and is attributed to Varanus, the genus to which all European Neogene varanid occurrences have been assigned. Previously, the youngest undisputed varanid from Europe had been recovered from upper Pliocene sediments. The new Greek fossils therefore constitute the youngest records of this clade from the continent. Despite being fragmentary, this new material enhances our understanding of the cranial anatomy of the last European monitor lizards and is clearly not referable to the extant Varanus griseus or Varanus niloticus, the only species that could be taken into consideration on a present-day geographic basis. However, these fossils could represent a survivor of the monitor lizards of Asian origin that inhabited Europe during the Neogene

Phylogenetic relationships and molecular evolution in uropeltid snakes (Serpentes: Uropeltidae): allozymes and albumin immunology

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73950/1/j.1095-8312.1990.tb00541.x.pd

A 60-million-year Cenozoic history of western Amazonian ecosystems in Contamana, eastern Peru

Weprovide a synopsis of ~60million years of life history in Neotropical lowlands, based on a comprehensive survey of the Cenozoic deposits along the Quebrada Cachiyacu near Contamana in PeruvianAmazonia. The 34 fossilbearing localities identified have yielded a diversity of fossil remains, including vertebrates,mollusks, arthropods, plant fossils, and microorganisms, ranging from the early Paleocene to the lateMiocene–?Pliocene (N20 successive levels). This Cenozoic series includes the base of the Huchpayacu Formation (Fm.; early Paleocene; lacustrine/ fluvial environments; charophyte-dominated assemblage), the Pozo Fm. (middle + ?late Eocene; marine then freshwater environments; most diversified biomes), and complete sections for the Chambira Fm. (late Oligocene–late early Miocene; freshwater environments; vertebrate-dominated faunas), the Pebas Fm. (late early to early late Miocene; freshwater environments with an increasing marine influence; excellent fossil record), and Ipururo Fm. (late Miocene–?Pliocene; fully fluvial environments; virtually no fossils preserved). At least 485 fossil species are recognized in the Contamana area (~250 ‘plants’, ~212 animals, and 23 foraminifera). Based on taxonomic lists from each stratigraphic interval, high-level taxonomic diversity remained fairly constant throughout themiddle Eocene–Miocene interval (8-12 classes), ordinal diversity fluctuated to a greater degree, and family/species diversity generally declined, with a drastic drop in the early Miocene. The Paleocene–?Pliocene fossil assemblages from Contamana attest at least to four biogeographic histories inherited from (i) Mesozoic Gondwanan times, (ii) the Panamerican realm prior to (iii) the time of South America’s Cenozoic “splendid isolation”, and (iv) Neotropical ecosystems in the Americas. No direct evidence of any North American terrestrial immigrant has yet been recognized in the Miocene record at Contamana.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Synergistic TLR2/6 and TLR9 Activation Protects Mice against Lethal Influenza Pneumonia

Lower respiratory tract infections caused by influenza A continue to exact unacceptable worldwide mortality, and recent epidemics have emphasized the importance of preventative and containment strategies. We have previously reported that induction of the lungs' intrinsic defenses by aerosolized treatments can protect mice against otherwise lethal challenges with influenza A virus. More recently, we identified a combination of Toll like receptor (TLR) agonists that can be aerosolized to protect mice against bacterial pneumonia. Here, we tested whether this combination of synthetic TLR agonists could enhance the survival of mice infected with influenza A/HK/8/68 (H3N2) or A/California/04/2009 (H1N1) influenza A viruses. We report that the TLR treatment enhanced survival whether given before or after the infectious challenge, and that protection tended to correlate with reductions in viral titer 4 d after infection. Surprisingly, protection was not associated with induction of interferon gene expression. Together, these studies suggest that synergistic TLR interactions can protect against influenza virus infections by mechanisms that may provide the basis for novel therapeutics