Ontogeneze vybraných taxonů trilobitů a agnostoidů ze středního kambria barrandienské oblasti

Předkládaná práce se zabývá ontogenezí trilobitů a agnostidů, pocházejících ze skryjsko- týřovické a příbramsko-jinecké pánve (Kambrium, Barrandien, Český masiv). Práce je prezentována jako soubor čtyř samostatných článků, které byly publikovány v recenzovaných odborných časopisech. Úvodní část práce slouží jako obecný přehled postembryonálního vývoje trilobitů a propojuje prezentované publikace dohromady. Publikované studie jsou zaměřeny na moderní popis postembryonálního vývoje druhů Sao hirsuta, Ptychopariida sp. A, Ptychopariida sp. B, Ptychopariida sp. C, Ellipsocephalus hoffi, Ellipsocephalus polytomus, Hydrocephalus carens a Eccaparadoxides pusillus. Kromě toho je zde diskutována životní-historie raných vývojových stádií vybraných trilobitů. U druhů Sao hirsuta a Ptychopariida sp. A je předpokládáno, že měly bentická protaspidní stádia. Druhy Ptychopariida sp. B, Eccaparadoxides pusillus a Hydrocephalus carens byly pravděpodobně lecitotrofní. Bylo rovněž prokázáno, že druhy s bentickými protaspidními stádii měly silně omezené zeměpisné rozšíření a že lecitotrofní druhy se vyskytovaly převážně ve vyšších zeměpisných šířkách. Vývoj druhů Ellipsocephalus hoffi a Ellipsocephalus polytomus ukazuje na blízké fylogenetické vztahy mezi čeledí Ellipsocephalidae a řádem Redlichiida.This thesis deals with the ontogeny of trilobites and agnostids from the Cambrian of the Skryje-Týřovice and Příbram-Jince basins (Barrandian area, Bohemian Massif). Thesis is presented as a compilation of four papers that were published in scientific peer-reviewed journals. The introduction of the thesis serves as a general overview of the trilobite post- embryonic development and connects all published papers together. All four papers presented here are focussed on modern description of the post-embryonic development of Sao hirsuta, Ptychopariida sp. A, Ptychopariida sp. B, Ptychopariida sp. C, Ellipsocephalus hoffi, Ellipsocephalus polytomus, Hydrocephalus carens and Ecca- paradoxides pusillus. In addition, a discussion about the life-history strategies of early developmental trilobite stages is presented. It has been suggested that Sao hirsuta and Ptychopariida sp. A had benthic protaspides and that the early ontogenetic stages of Ptychopariida sp. B, Eccaparadoxides pusillus and Hydrocephalus carens were likely lecithortophic. Consequently, it has been documented that species with benthic protaspides show a strongly restricted geographic distribution and that lecithotrophic taxa seem to be associated with higher latitude areas. The developmental patterns of Ellipsocephalus hoffi and...Ústav geologie a paleontologieInstitute of Geology and PaleontologyPřírodovědecká fakultaFaculty of Scienc

Barcoding a partir de posos de café - Explorando la biodiversidad de gasterópodos pterópodos a partir de posos de frascos de colección

Despite their cosmopolitan occurrence and massive plankton sampling during expeditions, the genetic diversity within Pteropoda Cuvier, 1804 is still largely unexplored. In this study we present a next-generation environmental barcoding approach to zooplankton bulk samples, which were collected during the circumglobal 2010 Malaspina expedition to evaluate pteropod diversity. We introduce a technique that avoids destructive procedures and leaves material intact for further morphological investigations. We extracted DNA out of the dregs (organic material such as mucus or body parts) of 27 sample containers for molecular barcoding (average 100-260 bp of COI). We were able to identify 7128 operational taxonomic units corresponding to the species composition contained in the examined samples. Among them were three species of thecosome pteropods, Creseis acicula, Creseis virgula and Cavolinia inflexa, which are discussed with respect to their taxonomy and their geographic distribution. Unidentified gymnosomes were also present in our samples from warmer regions in oceanic waters of the southern Indian Ocean. To facilitate identification of species, it is beneficial to create a better database of pteropod COI barcodes. Furthermore, gathering environmental barcoding data on a broad global scale will help to better understand species abundance and distribution of pteropods in the world’s oceans, and potentially those of other planktonic organisms.A pesar de su presencia cosmopolita y las actividades de muestreo masivo de plancton durante las expediciones, la diversidad genética dentro de los Pteropoda Cuvier, 1804 está todavía inexplorada en gran medida. En este estudio se presenta una aproximación desde el barcoding ambiental aplicada a muestras generales de zooplancton recogidas durante la expedición circumglobal “Malaspina 2010”, con el fin de evaluar la diversidad de pterópodos. Se introduce una técnica que evita procedimientos destructivos de tal modo que el material permanece intacto para futuras investigaciones morfológicas. Extrajimos ADN de los posos (material orgánico como moco o partes del cuerpo) de 27 recipientes de muestras para el barcoding (promedio de 100- 260 bp de COI). Se pudieron identificar 7128 “OTUs” correspondientes a la composición de las especies contenidas en las muestras examinadas. Entre ellas se encontraron tres especies de pterópodos tecosomados, Creseis acicula, Creseis virgula y Cavolinia inflexa, cuya taxonomía y distribución geográfica son discutidas. Gimnosomados no identificados procedentes de regiones más templadas de aguas oceánicas del sur del Océnao Indico también estaban presentes. Para facilitar la identificación de especies, es beneficioso crear una base de datos ampliada de códigos de barras COI de pterópodos. Además, la recopilación de datos de barcoding ambiental a una escala mundial amplia ayudará a comprender mejor la abundancia y distribución de especies de pterópodos en los océanos del mundo y de otros posibles organismos planctónicos

A new nektaspid euarthropod from the Lower Ordovician strata of Morocco

International audienceNektaspids are Palaeozoic non-biomineralized euarthropods that were at the peak of their diversity during the Cambrian Period. Post-Cambrian nektaspids are a low-diversity group with only a few species described so far. Here we describe Tariccoia tazagurtensis , a new species of small-bodied nektaspid from the Lower Ordovician Fezouata Shale of Morocco. The new species differs from the type (and only other known) species from the Ordovician strata of Sardinia (Italy), Tariccoia arrusensis , in possessing more pointed genal angles, a cephalon with marginal rim, a pygidium with anterior margin curved forwards, a rounded posterior margin, and longer and more curved thoracic tergites. The two specimens of T. tazagurtensis sp. nov. show remains of digestive glands that are comparable to those seen in the Cambrian nektaspid Naraoia . The rare occurrence of T. tazagurtensis sp. nov. in the Fezouata Shale and the distribution of other liwiids suggest that these liwiids were originally minor members of open-marine communities during the Cambrian Period, and migrated into colder brackish or restricted seas during the Ordovician Period

Large trilobites in a stress-free Early Ordovician environment

International audienceUnderstanding variations in body-size is essential for deciphering the response of an organism to its surrounding environmental conditions and its ecological adaptations. In modern environments, large marine animals are mostly found in cold waters. However, numerous parameters can influence body size variations other than temperatures, such as oxygenation, nutrient availability, predation, or physical disturbances by storms. Here, we investigate trilobite size variations in the Lower Ordovician Fezouata Shale deposited in a cold water environment. Trilobite assemblages dominated by small-to normal-sized specimens that are few cm in length are found in proximal and intermediate settings, while those comprising larger taxa more than 20cm in length are found in the most distal environment of the Fezouata Shale. Drill core material from distal settings shows that sedimentary rocks hosting large trilobites preserved in-situ are extensively bioturbated with a high diversity of trace fossils, indicating that oxygen and nutrients were available in this environment. In intermediate and shallow settings, bioturbation is less extensive and shallower in depth. The rarity of storm events (minimal physical disturbance) and the lack of predators in deep environments in comparison to shallower settings would have also helped trilobites attain larger body sizes. This highly resolved spatial study investigating the effects of numerous biotic and abiotic parameters on body size has wider implications for the understanding of size fluctuations over geological time

Trace elements discriminate between tissues in highly weathered fossils

Palaeontologists assess the affinities of fossils using either morphology-based phylogenetic analyses, possibly enhanced by the use of advanced imaging techniques, or the identification of remnants or derivatives of fossil organic molecules with high taxonomic specificity (“biomarkers”). However, these approaches are often of little use for the majority of fossils whose original morphology and chemistry have been severely altered or completely lost during decay, diagenesis and modern weathering. Here we show that the inorganic incorporation of trace elements during fossilization and diagenesis can be used to assess the affinity of highly altered fossils, constituting a powerful tool overlooked so far. This is illustrated by the study of a wide range of animals from the Early Ordovician Fezouata Shale (Tremadocian, Morocco) using synchrotron X-ray fluorescence major-to-trace elemental mapping. Although all fossils studied here have turned into iron oxides, spectral analyses reveal that their different tissue types (i.e. biomineralised, sclerotised, cuticularised, and internal tissues) can be distinguished on the basis of their trace element inventories. The resulting elemental classes and distributions allowed us to identify an enigmatic, highly weathered organism as a new stem euarthropod preserving remains of its nervous system

Postpartum Mastitis and Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

This single-center, case-control study documents a relative increase in methicillin resistance among 48 cases of Staphylococcus aureus–associated postpartum mastitis during 1998–2005. Of 21 cases with methicillin resistance, 17 (81%) occurred in 2005. Twenty (95%) isolates contained the Staphylococcus cassette chromosome mec type IV gene; this suggests that the increase is due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Fossiles cambriens de la région barrandienne (République tchèque) conservés au Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille

A complete list of fossils originating from the Cambrian of the Barrandian area and housed in the Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille is compiled. The collection includes two agnostids, ten trilobites, one brachiopod and one echinoderm species, all collected at ten outcrops in the Buchava Formation of the Skryje-Týřovice Basin and most probably also at two outcrops in the Jince Formation of the Příbram-Jince Basin. A large part of the material was collected by Prof. Charles Barrois and Dr. Louis Dollé (both University of Lille) during the excursion organised before the Ninth International Geological Congress in Vienna in 1903. Other, poorly documented specimens were purchased from the enterprise Krantz towards the end of the 19th century and in the first years of 20th century. The geographic position and stratigraphy of outcrops, from which the material originates, are briefly discussed.Une liste complète des fossiles provenant du Cambrien de la région barrandienne déposés au Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Lille a été établie. La collection comprend deux espèces d'agnostidés, dix trilobites, un brachiopode et un échinoderme ; les fossiles récoltés dans dix affleurements proviennent tous de la Formation Buchava du bassin de Skryje-Týřovice et probablement également de deux affleurements de la Formation Jince du bassin de Příbram-Jince. Une grande partie du matériel a été récoltée par le Professeur Charles Barrois et par le Dr. Louis Dollé (de l'Université de Lille) au cours de l'excursion organisée avant le VIIIème Congrès géologique national à Vienne en 1903. Les autres spécimens, mal documentés, ont été achetés à l'entreprise Krantz à la fin de 19ème siècle et dans les premières années du 20ème siècle. La situation géographique et la stratigraphie des affleurements d'où provient le matériel sont brièvement discutées

New fossil assemblages from the Early Ordovician Fezouata Biota

The Fezouata Biota (Morocco) is a unique Early Ordovician fossil assemblage. The discovery of this biota revolutionized our understanding of Earth’s early animal diversifications—the Cambrian Explosion and the Ordovician Radiation—by suggesting an evolutionary continuum between both events. Herein, we describe Taichoute, a new fossil locality from the Fezouata Shale. This locality extends the temporal distribution of fossil preservation from this formation into the upper Floian, while also expanding the range of depositional environments to more distal parts of the shelf. In Taichoute, most animals were transported by density flows, unlike the in-situ preservation of animals recovered in previously investigated Fezouata sites. Taichoute is dominated by three-dimensionally preserved, and heavily sclerotized fragments of large euarthropods—possibly representing nektobenthic/nektic bivalved taxa and/or hurdiid radiodonts. Resolving whether this dominance reflects a legitimate aspect of the original ecosystem or a preservational bias requires an in-depth assessment of the environmental conditions at this site. Nevertheless, Taichoute provides novel preservational and palaeontological insights during a key evolutionary transition in the history of life on Earth