Os roedores Cricetidae (Myomorpha, Muroidea) são representados por cinco subfamílias: Arvicolinae, Cricetinae, Neotominae, Tylomyinae e Sigmodontinae. Os Sigmodontinae, por sua vez, são os representantes sul-americanos com a quase totalidade das espécies pertencentes a esta subfamília. Representa o mais diversificado grupo de mamíferos da América do Sul, o que significa aproximadamente 20% da mastofauna do continente. Algumas contribuições marcaram as pesquisas paleontológicas dos Sigmodontinae sul-americanos, como os registros do naturalista dinamarquês Peter Lund, que coletou grande número de material nas grutas e cavernas de Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais. Todavia, os dados paleontológicos são escassos quando comparados à diversidade atual dos roedores sigmodontíneos. Com relação à região do Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, no estado do Piauí, conhecida pelas descobertas arqueológicas e paleontológicas, numerosos restos de mamíferos de pequeno porte foram recuperados de grutas e abrigos calcários, entre eles os roedores Sigmodontinae, objeto do presente trabalho Os materiais estudados provenientes de três localidades da região (Toca do Gordo do Garrincho, Toca do Barrigudo e Toca do Serrote das Moendas) foram identificados e descritos. São registrados aqui: Bibimys labiosus, Necromys lasiurus, Cerradomys sp., Holochilus sciureus, Pseudoryzomys simplex, Calomys sp. e Wiedomys sp. Aspectos ecológicos e biogeográficos de cada táxon também foram considerados para discutir aspectos paleoambientais da região, destacando-se o primeiro registro de B. labiosus para o Quaternário do nordeste brasileiro, sugerindo uma distribuição paleobiogeográfica diferente da atualmente conhecida para espécie. Assim, contribuímos com novos registros de sigmodontíneos para a Serra da Capivara, ampliando o conhecimento sobre o grupo no Quaternário do nordeste do Brasil e mostrando que os materiais recuperados na região apresentam grande potencial para fornecer esclarecimentos sobre a dinâmica biogeográfica dos Sigmodoninae ao longo do Quaternário. / The Cricetidae rodents (Myomorpha/Muridae) are composed by five groups: Arvicolinae, Cricetinae, Neotominae, Tylomyinae and Sigmodontinae. The Sigmodontinae are the South American representatives with almost all Cricetidae species in this subfamily. They are the most diverse mammalian taxon in South America, which means about 20% of South American mammalian fauna. Some important contributions marked the Sigmodontinae paleontological researches in south American, as the records of the Danish naturalist Peter Lund, who collected numerous materials in Lagoa Santa caves, Minas Gerais. However, the paleontological data are scarce when compared to current sigmodontinae diversity. In relation to the region of Serra da Capivara National Park, State of Piauí, is known by archaeological and paleontological researches, and there many remains of small mammals were recovered from caves and rock shelter, between them the Sigmodontinae rodents are the object of this study. Remains of the Sigmodontinae from three shelters in the region (Toca do Gordo do Garrincho, Toca do Barrigudo e Toca do Serrote das Moendas) that were identified and described. The taxa identified is: Bibimys labiosus, Necromys lasiurus, Cerradomys sp., Holochilus sciureus, Pseudoryzomys simplex, Calomys sp. e Wiedomys sp. Ecological and biogeographical feature from each taxon were evaluated to discuss the feature paleoenvironment from region, with the first quaternary record from B. labiosus in Brazilian northeast, that suggest a different paleobiogeographic range from currently know. Therefore, we contributed through new Sigmodontinae records from Serra da Capivara, expanding the quaternary sigmodontinae knowledge from Brazilian northeast and showing that there are a large potential for clarify the Sigmodontinae biogeographic dynamic.

Os roedores Cricetidae (Myomorpha, Muroidea) são representados por cinco subfamílias: Arvicolinae, Cricetinae, Neotominae, Tylomyinae e Sigmodontinae. Os Sigmodontinae, por sua vez, são os representantes sul-americanos com a quase totalidade das espécies pertencentes a esta subfamília. Representa o mais diversificado grupo de mamíferos da América do Sul, o que significa aproximadamente 20% da mastofauna do continente. Algumas contribuições marcaram as pesquisas paleontológicas dos Sigmodontinae sul-americanos, como os registros do naturalista dinamarquês Peter Lund, que coletou grande número de material nas grutas e cavernas de Lagoa Santa, Minas Gerais. Todavia, os dados paleontológicos são escassos quando comparados à diversidade atual dos roedores sigmodontíneos. Com relação à região do Parque Nacional Serra da Capivara, no estado do Piauí, conhecida pelas descobertas arqueológicas e paleontológicas, numerosos restos de mamíferos de pequeno porte foram recuperados de grutas e abrigos calcários, entre eles os roedores Sigmodontinae, objeto do presente trabalho Os materiais estudados provenientes de três localidades da região (Toca do Gordo do Garrincho, Toca do Barrigudo e Toca do Serrote das Moendas) foram identificados e descritos. São registrados aqui: Bibimys labiosus, Necromys lasiurus, Cerradomys sp., Holochilus sciureus, Pseudoryzomys simplex, Calomys sp. e Wiedomys sp. Aspectos ecológicos e biogeográficos de cada táxon também foram considerados para discutir aspectos paleoambientais da região, destacando-se o primeiro registro de B. labiosus para o Quaternário do nordeste brasileiro, sugerindo uma distribuição paleobiogeográfica diferente da atualmente conhecida para espécie. Assim, contribuímos com novos registros de sigmodontíneos para a Serra da Capivara, ampliando o conhecimento sobre o grupo no Quaternário do nordeste do Brasil e mostrando que os materiais recuperados na região apresentam grande potencial para fornecer esclarecimentos sobre a dinâmica biogeográfica dos Sigmodoninae ao longo do Quaternário. / The Cricetidae rodents (Myomorpha/Muridae) are composed by five groups: Arvicolinae, Cricetinae, Neotominae, Tylomyinae and Sigmodontinae. The Sigmodontinae are the South American representatives with almost all Cricetidae species in this subfamily. They are the most diverse mammalian taxon in South America, which means about 20% of South American mammalian fauna. Some important contributions marked the Sigmodontinae paleontological researches in south American, as the records of the Danish naturalist Peter Lund, who collected numerous materials in Lagoa Santa caves, Minas Gerais. However, the paleontological data are scarce when compared to current sigmodontinae diversity. In relation to the region of Serra da Capivara National Park, State of Piauí, is known by archaeological and paleontological researches, and there many remains of small mammals were recovered from caves and rock shelter, between them the Sigmodontinae rodents are the object of this study. Remains of the Sigmodontinae from three shelters in the region (Toca do Gordo do Garrincho, Toca do Barrigudo e Toca do Serrote das Moendas) that were identified and described. The taxa identified is: Bibimys labiosus, Necromys lasiurus, Cerradomys sp., Holochilus sciureus, Pseudoryzomys simplex, Calomys sp. e Wiedomys sp. Ecological and biogeographical feature from each taxon were evaluated to discuss the feature paleoenvironment from region, with the first quaternary record from B. labiosus in Brazilian northeast, that suggest a different paleobiogeographic range from currently know. Therefore, we contributed through new Sigmodontinae records from Serra da Capivara, expanding the quaternary sigmodontinae knowledge from Brazilian northeast and showing that there are a large potential for clarify the Sigmodontinae biogeographic dynamic.

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document / Dissertation (MSc (Anatomy))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Anatomy / unrestricted

North American black bears (U. americanus) and brown bears (U. arctos) can be difficult to distinguish in the fossil record due to similar dental and skeletal morphologies. Challenges identifying ursid material from Oregon Caves National Monument (ORCA) called for an accurate tool to distinguish the species. Ursid teeth have a high degree of variability and morphological features are not always diagnostic. This study utilized a large database of lower tooth lengths (p4, m1, m2, and m3) and ratios (p4/m1, m2/m1, m3/m1, p4/m3, m2/m3) in an attempt to differentiate U. americanus and U. arctos in North America. Further, this project examined how these linear measurements differ in response to ecoregion, latitude, and climate. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) found significant differences between U. americanus and U. arctos from across North America for every variable studied. Stepwise discriminant analyses (DA) found lengths separated species better than ratios with 99.1% correct classification versus 77.5% correct classification for ratios. When sexes were analyzed, ANOVA only found significant differences for lengths while DA found lengths and ratios could not accurately distinguish between sexes; only 72.1% of sexes were classified correctly while utilizing lengths and 61% for ratios. Seventeen previously identified fossil specimens from across North America, in addition to the ORCA specimen, demonstrated the utility of this study, confirming several identifications and rejecting others, proposing the need for new designations.

Evolution of rocky coastlines is controlled by littoral, biological and fluvial processes. Resultant landforms are overprinted and/or new ones formed as a result of changes in sea level caused by glacioeustasy and/or local tectonics. On carbonate coasts, chemical erosion in the form of karstification takes on a dominant role. Type of karstification is an important factor in understanding carbonate coast evolution and landform development so it is critical to identify type of karstification. In this research, fractal indices were used to distinguish cave and thus karstification type. It was determined that fractal indices effectively differentiated cave types and the indices were used to distinguish cave types at study sites on Barbados, the ABC Islands (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao) and the Caribbean coast of the northeast Yucatan peninsula, Mexico. This research evaluated caves located in the phreatic, epiphreatic and vadose zones of the northeast coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico to determine the relationship between the caves and to coastal processes. Three distinct coastal landforms associated with caves on the study sites were evaluated to quantify and model the interplay of littoral, fluvial and karstic processes and cave and karst development. On Barbados, the combination of surface fluvial processes, and mixing-zone and fluvial-karstic dissolution, resulted in the formation of gullies. Some gullies contained caves in their bounding walls and/or served as points of recharge to fluvial caves. Bokas of the ABC islands are distinctive geomorphic structures that formed from the interplay of fluvial, littoral and mixing zone karstification. The morphology of the bokas was a function of dominant geomorphic process. The caletas of the Yucatan Caribbean were formed by karstification processes that also produced features with mixing-zone-like morphologies but with fluvio-karstic function. The results of this research expand the Carbonate Island Karst Model (CIKM), which explains eogenetic dissolutional processes and landforms on small carbonate islands, to one that includes carbonate islands of all sizes, and carbonate continental coasts.

Dissolutional voids in the subsurface were examined from three different viewpoints. First, analysis of pseudokarst features on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, uncovered the involvement of organics in the cementation and porosity generation process. This organic material was analyzed using SEM, TEM, and in thin section. While the actual role of organics in the cementation process could not be determined using these tools, the abundance of the material was documented. Holocene samples appear to have more organics than Pleistocene samples. The abundance of this material should have an effect on isotope analyses and needs to be considered in future work on meteoric cements and the environments where they form. Second, work on Mallorca Island, Spain, demonstrated how the placement and abundance of exposed caves could predict subsurface cave distributions. This work measured caves along exposed coastlines and in protected areas known as calas. Results found that caves within the calas have larger volumes and aerial footprints than caves on the exposed cliffs. The cave distributions showed that calas had to form prior to cave formation. Several paleo-slump features were observed and are believed to be the result of collapsed Tortonian flank margin caves, which were later inilled with Messinian sediments, using the caves as limited accommodation space, resulting in these sediment layers unaffected by the collapse further up section. Third, the current method of cave data manipulation to produce cave areal footprints and volume was found to be incorrect and in need of a calibration mechanism. This calibration was determined by reviewing how Compass cave mapping software generates volume estimates, using shapes of known volumes. Cave surveying techniques were also reviewed to determine if survey protocol affected volume outputs. Surveying in straight lines, down the center of a passage, avoiding splay shots, and taking left, right, up and down measurements (LRUDs) were found to generate the most accurate volumes estimates using Compass. These protocols were used to remap caves from paper maps to generate correction factors. Propriety software was used that could “shrink wrap” a 3D cave map rendering to produced values for cave volume and porosity and rock porosity.

Hickory Tree Cave, also known as Big Spring Cave, is located in the southern Appalachians and is known for fossils that are considered to be Quaternary in age. Fossil mammals were identified and assigned to the lowest taxonomical level possible. Most remains are fragmented or digested and it seems likely that various taphonomic processes are responsible for the resulting assemblage. The site lacks the extreme boreal component of Pleistocene cave faunas in the region (e.g. Baker Bluff Cave), with most reported taxa inhabiting Appalachian deciduous forest environments in North America today. While the presence of tapir (Tapirus sp.) suggests a pre-Holocene component for the deposit, the lack of boreal taxa may indicate that deposition occurred during a relatively warm interval.

No

No description available.

A preliminary survey of caves located in the limestone belt of the Appalachian Valley of Virginia, has revealed the presence of numerous soil and water inhabiting species of aquatic Phycomycetes. A review of the literature indicates a paucity of information dealing with these organisms. The caves sampled and the methods used in this investigation are briefly described. From nineteen caves 162 soil and water samples were collected from which 33 isolates have been obtained. In addition a number of monocentric chytrids were observed, but have not been further identified. Each species isolated has been studied and described under unifungal cultural conditions. The occurrence and distribution of each species is cited and any variations in morphology or development are discussed. Questions dealing with the taxonomy and nomenclature are considered in each case. The cavernicolous environment may be regarded as a new station for each species reported herein. Three species of Pythium, P. afertile, P. irregulare, and P. nagaii, are reported for the first time as saprophytic inhabitants of the soil. / Master of Science