New fossil reptil material (Reptilia: Chelonii, Crocodylia) from the Lower Oligocene of Borken (Central Germany: Hesse)

Se describen tortugas fósiles del Oligoceno inferior de la cuenca de Borken, comparándolas con especies próximas de la misma edad. Se relata la historia de la investigación, paleogeografía y posición estratigráfica. Junto a los Trionychidae, Carettochelyidae y Testudinoidea figura el cocodrilo Diplocynodon.The fossil turtles and crocodiles from the marine Early Oligocene of the Borken basin are described and compared with related species of the same stratigraphical age. Additionally, an overview is given on the history of research, the palaeogeographic and stratigraphic situation as well as on the relationships of the species mentioned. Beside the known representatives of the Trionychidae, Carettochelyidae, Testudinoidea and Diplocynodon are described

Prehistoric bird and egg shell remains from the village Sulze near Erfurt/Thuringia

Prähistorische Eierschalenfragmente der Fundstelle Sulze bei Erfurt in Thüringen werden beschrieben und diskutiert. Die folgenden Arten werden nachgewiesen: Cygnus olor, Anser anser, Anas platyrhynchos und Gallus gallus forma domestica. Auf der Grundlage von Knochenresten gelten folgende Nachweise: Columba livia forma domestica, Tyto alba, Anser anser forma domestica, Anas platyrhynchos forma domestica, Gallus gallus forma domestica, Corvus corax, Coloelus monedula, Galerida cristata, Passer domesticus und Coccothraustes coccothraustes. Besonderes Gewicht wird auf die Bestimmungsmethoden an prähistorischen Eierschalen gelegt.Prehistoric materials of bird- egg shells from the deposit Sulze are described and discussed. The following species occur: Cygnus olor, Anser anser, Anas platyrhynchos and Gallus gallus forma domestica. Furthermore, some bone remains from Columbia livia forma domestica, Tyto alba, Anser anser forma domestica, Anas platyrhynchos forma domestica, Gallus gallus forma domestica, Corvus corax, Coloelus monedula, Galerida cristata, Passer domesticus and Coccothraustes coccothraustes were collected. Special importance was attached to identification methods of prehistoric egg-shells

A comparison of Gap statistic definitions with and without logarithm function

The Gap statistic is a standard method for determining the number of clusters in a set of data. The Gap statistic standardizes the graph of $\log(W_{k})$, where $W_{k}$ is the within-cluster dispersion, by comparing it to its expectation under an appropriate null reference distribution of the data. We suggest to use $W_{k}$ instead of $\log(W_{k})$, and to compare it to the expectation of $W_{k}$ under a null reference distribution. In fact, whenever a number fulfills the original Gap statistic inequality, this number also fulfills the inequality of a Gap statistic using $W_{k}$, but not \textit{vice versa}. The two definitions of the Gap function are evaluated on several simulated data sets and on a real data of DCE-MR images

First remains of the head of “Steneosaurus” (Crocodylomorpha: Teleosauridae) from the Late Jurassic of Oker (Lower Saxony, Germany)

[EN] Two remains of the head region of the Late Jurassic marine crocodile Steneosaurus brevirostris Owen, 1842 are described from the Kimmeridgian of the Langenberg near Oker, Lower Saxony, Germany. They consist of fragments of a rostrum and a lower jaw (mandible) and represent the first record of parts of the head from this locality. A comparison with similar materials of the nearly contemporary Steneosaurus jugleri (V. Meyer, 1845) and St. picteti (De Tribolet, 1873) suggest that the latter two species are synonymous with St. brevirostris.[ES] Se describen dos restos cefálicos del cocodrilo marino Steneosaurus brevirostris Owen, 1842, del Jurásico Superior, provenientes del Kimmeridgiense del monte Langenberg cerca de la comunidad de Oker, Baja Sajonia, Alemania. Se trata de fragmentos de un rostrum y una mandíbula inferior y representan el primer hallazgo de partes de la cabeza en esta localidad. La comparación con materiales parecidos de Steneosaurus jugleri (V. Meyer, 1845) y St. picteti (De Tribolet, 1873), casi contemporáneos, hace suponer que las últimas dos especies son sinónimas con St. brevirostris

New material of the chelonian ichnotaxon Emydichnium megapodium (Walther, 1904) from the Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) of Northern Germany

New turtle-tracking material from Emydichnium megapodium (Walther, 1904) from the Kimmeridgian of Störmer quarry near Wallücke at Wiehen Hills(Wiehengebirge) in North Rhine-Westphalia/Northern Germany is described.Se describe un nuevo rastro de tortuga, Emydichnium megapodium (Walther, 1904), del Kimmeridgiense de la cantera Störmer, cerca de Wallücke, en las colinas de Wiehen (Wiehengebirge) en Renania del Norte (Westfalia/norte de Alemania)

Population Status, Threats and Conservation of the Spotted Pond Turtle; Geoclemys Hamiltonii (Gray, 1830) (Geoemydidae) of Pakistan

In the present work on population status, threats and conservation of thespotted pond turtle; Geoclemys hamiltonii (Gray, 1830) (Geoemydidae)was conducted in Thatta, Sujawal and Badin districts of Sindh provinceof Pakistan. A total number of 277 live specimens of G. hamiltonii fromsoutheast province (Sindh) of Pakistan have been collected from differentwater bodies and sites in three consecutive year’s i.e 2015-2017. Thepopulation status of G. hamiltonii has recorded as decreasing in Sindhdue to habitat destruction, eutrophication, agricultural farming and someother anthropogenic activities. This species is mostly used as pet and thepoachers mostly carrying this species for trade in East Asian countries. Theglobally illegal trading hubs of this species are Bangkok, Taiwan and HongKong. More and powerful actions and efforts are needed to raise awarenessof smuggling of wildlife, with a specific need of formal memorandums ofunderstanding (MOUs) are strongly encouraged south Asian and east Asiancountries to control illegal trade between the countries and territories alongthe trade route of Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Thailand, Hong Kong andTaiwan to improve cross border enforcement

Metabolism of dibenzofuran and dibenzodioxin as model for 2, 3, 7, 8-tetrachlorodibenzodioxin degradation

We demonstrated that fluorene and DBF are attacked hy strain DPO 1361 via an angular dioxygenation. A pathway for DBF degradation is presented, which inidicates an analogy to the pathway estahlished for diphenyl (1.4). Further investigations will have to show whether the same angular dioxygenation mechanism is involved also in the degradation of dibenzodioxin

Enrichment of dibenzofuran utilizing bacteria with high co-metabolic potential towards dibenzodioxin and other anellated aromatics

Dibenzofuran degrading bacteria were enriched from various environmental sources. A mutualistic mixed culture of strain DPO 220 and strain DPO 230 was characterized. Strain DPO 220 alone showed limited growth with dibenzofuran as sole source of carbon and energy (td ≥ 4.5 h). A labile degradation product, C12H10O5, and salicylate were isolated from the culture fluid. Salicylate was found to be a central intermediate of DBF-degradation.Strain DPO 220 co-metabolized a wide range of anellated aromatics as well as heteroaromatics. High rates of co-oxidation of dibenzodioxin demonstrate analogue-enrichment to be a powerful technique for selecting enzymatic activities for otherwise non-degradable substrates