The Upper Cretaceous Ajlun Group (Cenomanian-Turonian) of southern/south-eastern Jordan has been analysed in 15 detailed sections with thicknesses between 40 m and 200 m. Taxonomic, palaeoecological, taphonomic, and sedimentological aspects were taken into account. During the early Upper Cretaceous the study area was situated at the south-eastern margin of the Tethys Ocean, between the palaeo-shoreline in the south-east and an offshore carbonate platform in the west. Thus, the measured sections include a complete facies succession from terrestrial-dominated environments via marginal marine siliciclastics to an area of carbonate precipitation. So far, very little is known about the fauna and the depositional environment of the group, especially of the transitional marginal marine part. Also, in depth studies of the Cretaceous fauna of southern Jordan are very rare. Therefore, the benthic fauna of the area is described in an extensive taxonomic chapter. It consists of 117 taxa, 77 of which are bivalves, 22 gastropods, 9 echinoids, and 4 corals. The phyla Porifera, Bryozoa, and Brachiopoda are represented by 1 species each. Additionally, at least two species of decapod crustaceans were found. One bivalve species is new: Anthonya jordanica from Cenomanian claystones of the eastern study area. 41 quantitative samples of the benthic invertebrate fauna were grouped into nine associations and three assemblages by means of a Q-mode cluster analysis. These are described as remnants of former communities and their environments are discussed. Salinity and substrate consistency are assumed to have been the most important environmental parameters controlling the faunal distribution. The overall palaeo-environment is discussed on the basis of sedimentological and palaeoecological results. It was primarily influenced by the morphology of the sea floor, sediment supply, and salinity of the sea water. / Mit Hilfe von 15 detaillierten Profilen mit Mächtigkeiten zwischen 40 m und 200 m wird die oberkretazische Ajlun-Gruppe (Cenoman-Turon) im Süden/Südosten Jordaniens auf Fazies- und Faunenverteilung untersucht. Dabei wird besonderes Augenmerk auf Taxonomie, Paläoökologie, Taphonomie und Sedimentologie gelegt. Während der frühen Oberkreide lag das Untersuchungsgebiet am Südostrand der Tethys, im Bereich zwischen Küstenlinie und einer vorgelagerten Karbonatplattform. Die Profile liefern einen kompletten Schnitt vom terrestrischen Ablagerungsraum im Südosten über stark siliziklastisch geprägte randlich marine Verhältnisse zu vollmarinen Bereichen mit Karbonatsedimentation. Insgesamt kann gerade der klastisch dominierte Übergangsbereich als bislang nahezu unbearbeitet gelten. Auch paläontologische Untersuchungen fehlen für dieses Zeitintervall bis auf wenige Ausnahmen nahezu völlig. Daher wurde zunächst in einem taxonomischen Teil eine Bestandsaufnahme der Fauna (mit Schwerpunkt auf Benthosorganismen) gemacht. Für das Arbeitsgebiet konnten 2 Ammonoideen und 117 Benthosarten bestimmt werden, die sich aus 77 Muschel-, 22 Schnecken-, 9 Seeigel- und 4 Korallentaxa, sowie je einen Vertreter der Schwämme, Bryozoen und Brachiopoden zusammensetzen. Zusätzlich wurden mindestens zwei neue Arten decapoder Krebse gefunden. Bei den Bivalven konnte die neue Art Anthonya jordanica sp. nov. aufgestellt werden. Der allgemein mäßige Erhaltungszustand der Fauna ließ die Aufstellung weiterer neuer Arten nicht zu, obwohl unter den in offener Nomenklatur geführten Taxa mit Sicherheit einige neue Arten sind. Nach einer Fazies-Analyse der verschiedenen lithologischen Einheiten wurden mit Hilfe einer paläoökologischen Analyse neun Faunenassoziationen und drei Faunenvergesellschaftungen ausgeschieden. Diese statistischen Einheiten, überwiegend Überreste ehemaliger Lebensgemeinschaften, werden beschrieben und die sie bestimmenden Milieuparameter diskutiert. Die wichtigsten, limitierenden Faktoren, welche die Verteilung der Faunengemeinschaften entscheidend steuern, sind die Salinität und das Substrat.

<p><i>Heterodrilus</i> is a marine group of small (3-25 mm) clitellates that occur interstitially in sandy sediments from the intertidal zone down to about 150 m depths. The taxon includes 42 valid species and has been recorded from localities in the Mediterranean Sea, the North-west Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean), the Galapagos Islands, and the Indo-Pacific Region. A majority of the species of <i>Heterodrilus</i> are characterized by having trifid anterior chaetae (i.e., chaetae with three teeth at the distal end). A few species have bifid chaetae, but these are regarded as having lost the third tooth secondarily. Within the taxon, species are distinguished by morphological characters in the internal organization of the male and female genitalia, but also by characters in the form and number of chaetae. In this thesis, two new taxa are introduced, <i>Heterodrilus tripartitus </i>and <i>H. ursulae</i>, both from the Mediterranean Sea. The ultrastructure of the cuticle in four species (<i>H. paucifascis, H. pentcheffi, H</i>. <i>flexuosus, H. minisetosus</i>) is studied and it is shown that there is interspecific variation in the morphology of the cuticle. One of the studied species, <i>H. paucifascis</i>, shows intraspecific variation, which is associated with sample locality. The systematic position of <i>Heterodrilus</i> within Tubificidae is studied with molecular markers, and the results support that <i>Heterodrilus </i>(earlier classified as a member of Rhyacodrilinae) is positioned within Phallodrilinae. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships within <i>Heterodrilus</i> are estimated based on molecular characters from mitochondrial COI, the 16S rRNA gene, and the nuclear 18S rRNA gene, and the result indicate that the two major clades in our tree corresponds to different geographical distributions. This thesis also includes a checklist, as well as a key, to the species of <i>Heterodrilus</i>.</p>

<p>This thesis concerns the evolution of African small carnivorans, with emphasis on East African Viverridae and Herpestidae (Carnivora, Mammalia). Viverridae and Herpestidae are two Old World feliform (belonging to the cat branch) carnivoran families with a confusing, and sometimes even misleading, taxonomic and systematic history, in addition to a scarce fossil record. </p><p>A new genus and species from Fort Ternan, western Kenya, dated to ca 14 Mya (million years ago), was described and tentatively assigned to the Viverridae. The excellent preservation of this material has the potential to shed much light on the evolution of feliform carnivorans from Africa. The fossil record of Carnivora from Laetoli, a Pliocene hominid-bearing site in northern Tanzania, was also described and placed in an evolutionary context. The age of the fossil fauna from Laetoli ranges from 4.3 Mya to 2.5 Mya. The fossil material from this site is remarkable for two reasons: it is extensive in both number of taxa represented and amount of fossil material, especially of small carnivorans, and it is fossilized and preserved under aeolian conditions. In addition to these paleontological studies, two studies concerning extant Viverridae and Herpestidae were conducted. First, the phylogeography of the white-tailed mongoose, <i>Ichneumia albicauda</i>, (Herpestidae), was examined, with the tentative conclusion that its origin is southern African. Second, the ecomorphology and biogeography of African and Eurasian Viverridae and Herpestidae was analysed in order to investigate if these features can be used to help assess their evolutionary history in the absence of fossils. The pattern that emerges in this study is that the species of Viverridae and Herpestidae do not generally overlap in ecomorphology where they overlap geographically, which indicates considerable competitive interactions between the families in both Africa and Eurasia.</p>

Heterodrilus is a marine group of small (3-25 mm) clitellates that occur interstitially in sandy sediments from the intertidal zone down to about 150 m depths. The taxon includes 42 valid species and has been recorded from localities in the Mediterranean Sea, the North-west Atlantic Ocean (including the Caribbean), the Galapagos Islands, and the Indo-Pacific Region. A majority of the species of Heterodrilus are characterized by having trifid anterior chaetae (i.e., chaetae with three teeth at the distal end). A few species have bifid chaetae, but these are regarded as having lost the third tooth secondarily. Within the taxon, species are distinguished by morphological characters in the internal organization of the male and female genitalia, but also by characters in the form and number of chaetae. In this thesis, two new taxa are introduced, Heterodrilus tripartitus and H. ursulae, both from the Mediterranean Sea. The ultrastructure of the cuticle in four species (H. paucifascis, H. pentcheffi, H. flexuosus, H. minisetosus) is studied and it is shown that there is interspecific variation in the morphology of the cuticle. One of the studied species, H. paucifascis, shows intraspecific variation, which is associated with sample locality. The systematic position of Heterodrilus within Tubificidae is studied with molecular markers, and the results support that Heterodrilus (earlier classified as a member of Rhyacodrilinae) is positioned within Phallodrilinae. Furthermore, the phylogenetic relationships within Heterodrilus are estimated based on molecular characters from mitochondrial COI, the 16S rRNA gene, and the nuclear 18S rRNA gene, and the result indicate that the two major clades in our tree corresponds to different geographical distributions. This thesis also includes a checklist, as well as a key, to the species of Heterodrilus.

This thesis concerns the evolution of African small carnivorans, with emphasis on East African Viverridae and Herpestidae (Carnivora, Mammalia). Viverridae and Herpestidae are two Old World feliform (belonging to the cat branch) carnivoran families with a confusing, and sometimes even misleading, taxonomic and systematic history, in addition to a scarce fossil record. A new genus and species from Fort Ternan, western Kenya, dated to ca 14 Mya (million years ago), was described and tentatively assigned to the Viverridae. The excellent preservation of this material has the potential to shed much light on the evolution of feliform carnivorans from Africa. The fossil record of Carnivora from Laetoli, a Pliocene hominid-bearing site in northern Tanzania, was also described and placed in an evolutionary context. The age of the fossil fauna from Laetoli ranges from 4.3 Mya to 2.5 Mya. The fossil material from this site is remarkable for two reasons: it is extensive in both number of taxa represented and amount of fossil material, especially of small carnivorans, and it is fossilized and preserved under aeolian conditions. In addition to these paleontological studies, two studies concerning extant Viverridae and Herpestidae were conducted. First, the phylogeography of the white-tailed mongoose, Ichneumia albicauda, (Herpestidae), was examined, with the tentative conclusion that its origin is southern African. Second, the ecomorphology and biogeography of African and Eurasian Viverridae and Herpestidae was analysed in order to investigate if these features can be used to help assess their evolutionary history in the absence of fossils. The pattern that emerges in this study is that the species of Viverridae and Herpestidae do not generally overlap in ecomorphology where they overlap geographically, which indicates considerable competitive interactions between the families in both Africa and Eurasia.

"Patterns are proven solutions to recurring design problems." In der Literatur sind inzwischen zahlreiche Muster dokumentiert. Es ist offensichtlich, daß eine rein sequentielle Suche in dieser Mustermenge nicht effizient ist. Vielmehr wird ein Ordnungssystem benötigt, um für spezifische Problemstellungen geeignete Muster wiederaufzufinden. In dem Beitrag werden zunächst Anforderungen an ein Ordnungssystem für Muster entwickelt. Im zweiten Teil des Beitrages werden verschiedene Ordnungssysteme für Muster vorgestellt. Der dritte Teil des Beitrages bewertet die beschriebenen Ordnungssysteme im Hinblick auf die zuvor erarbeiteten Anforderungen. Abgeschlossen wird der Beitrag mit Überlegungen, wie ein leistungsfähiges Ordnungssystem für Muster ausgestaltet sein könnte.

Biodiversity in the tropics is disproportionately high compared to other habitats, and also under disproportionate threat from human impact. It is necessary to understand how this diversity evolved and how it is partitioned across space in order to preserve it. In this thesis I construct phylogenies of tropical forest dependent vertebrates from Southeast Asia and the islands of the Sunda shelf, a region referred to as Sundaland. I focus on the tree squirrels (genus Sundasciurus) and Asian barbets (Aves: Family Megalaimidae), two taxa with similar ecological characteristics. I use these phylogenies to test hypotheses that have been put forward to explain high levels of tropical diversity including the Pleistocene pump and museum hypotheses. I also use phylogenies to elucidate phylogeographic patterns within the region. I find no evidence for an increase in speciation in the Pleistocene, but I do find within species structure that dates to this period. Common phylogeographic patterns were identified between many forest dependent vertebrates that suggest that populations on the island of Sumatra are generally more closely related to Malay Peninsula populations than to populations on Borneo. From a methodological viewpoint we propose careful usage of universal primers in ancient DNA studies because of our finding of increased risk of amplifying pseudogenes of the mtDNA.

Konstanz, Univ., Diss., 2005.

Thesis (doctoral)--Rijksuniversiteit te Utrecht, 1983. / Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Techn. University, Diss., 2003--Berlin.