Mariana Vilela-Andrade, Colin D. Sproat, David F. Wright
et al.
AbstractDuring the Ordovician, the brachiopod order Atrypida originated and diversified. However, speciation patterns and evolutionary drivers within three atrypide Laurentian genera, Anazyga, Catazyga, and Zygospira, remain poorly known. Herein, we propose a Bayesian phylogenetic framework for these clades. Morphological character data, including 34 internal and external characters, were collected for 20 species, including seven species assigned to Zygospira, six species previously assigned to Anazyga, and seven species previously assigned to Catazyga. Morphological data were analyzed in BEAST2.5 via an Mk Model of morphological character evolution implementing the fossilized birth–death (FBD) model. In addition, FBD-based rates of extinction, origination, and fossil sampling were estimated across four Late Ordovician time intervals. Primary results include: (1) each genus was polyphyletic as traditionally established; (2) proposed transfer of all Anazyga and two Catazyga species to Zygospira based on reconstructed evolutionary relationships; (3) recognition of one new species, Zygospira idahoensis Vilela-Andrade n. sp., and the elevation of Z. multicostata Howe, 1965, originally a subspecies, to species status; and (4) updated understanding of clade origination and speciation. The origination age for the clade is calibrated to be 453 Ma (Sandbian 2). Recovered biodiversification rates indicate that the highest speciation and extinction rates occurred in the Katian 3 stage slice, when the number of species in the clade peaked. Subsequently, a decline in biodiversification led to an extinction episode in the Katian 4 for all lineages. Catazyga and Zygospira are interpreted as early Late Ordovician atrypids that experienced both rapid radiation and extinction during the Katian.UUID: http://zoobank.org/442febc2-f7bb-4c04-b454-d43180237ebc
Brightonicystis is a valid genus characterised by nine or more oral plates, with two in the B and D ambulacra not reaching
the inner mouth edge; five ambulacral facets shared by oral and facetal plates; two generations of smooth thecal plates
with buried humatipores. Brightonicystis contains two named species, Brightonicystis gregaria and Brightonicystis sal
moensis, with other unnamed taxa known from Canada and Sweden, all of which are Hirnantian. All other holocystitid
genera are Silurian. A review of the Holocystitidae confirms the established genera Holocystites and Brightonicystis both
characterised by five ambulacra with shared facets, as well as Trematocystis, Pustulocystis, and Paulicystis all character
ised by four ambulacra. The hypothesis that the differences between Pentacystis (without orals) and Osgoodicystis (with
two or six orals) are taphonomic is reviewed and rejected. The peristome border and food grooves should be absent in
Pentacystis if the oral plates on which they occur were lost during preservation. Pentacystis species show both features
developed on facetal plates. Osgoodicystis is reinstated as a valid genus with six narrow orals. Moyacystis gen. nov.,
type species Osgoodicystis cooperi, bears only two orals (O1 and O6) and facetal plates with oral pores in the peristome
border. Pentacystis, Osgoodicystis, and Moyacystis gen. nov., all possess five ambulacral facets restricted to single
facetal plates and a smooth thecal surface. The Australian genus Austrocystites is a junior synonym of Trematocystis.
Holocystitid subfamilies and subgenera introduced by Frest and Strimple (in Frest et al. 2011) are not discussed herein.
Lucio Manuel Ibiricu, Ignacio Alejandro Cerda, Julieta Lucia Caglianone
et al.
En el centro-sur de la Provincia de Chubut se exponen excelentes afloramientos de rocas sedimentarias de edad cretácica que conforman el principal relleno de la cuenca del Golfo San Jorge. Dentro de esta cuenca se destacan por su abundancia de vertebrados fósiles, la Formación Bajo Barreal (Cenomaniano temprano–Turoniano tardío) y la Formación Lago Colhué Huapi (Coniaciano–Maastrichtiano). Aunque el registro está mayormente dominado por dinosaurios saurisquios, hallazgos de fósiles de ornitisquios, específicamente ornitópodos, se han incrementado en los últimos años. En esta contribución se pretende ampliar el conocimiento de los ornitópodos basales Notohypsilophodon comodorensis y Sektensaurus sanjuanboscoi provenientes de las formaciones Bajo Barreal y Lago Colhué Huapi, respectivamente. También, por primera vez, se abordan y se describen aspectos sobre la paleohistología de ambos ornitópodos. Asimismo, con las evidencias que se cuentan al momento y a la espera de nuevos estudios que resuelvan mejor las relaciones sistemáticas en la base de Ornithopoda, se sugiere que los elasmarios se habrían originado en el este de Gondwana, probablemente durante el Cretácico temprano, y posteriormente se habrían dispersado al oeste de dicho supercontinente, donde alcanzaron tamaños corporales mayores. Por último, al menos en Patagonia central, se observa una selección del ambiente entre los ornitópodos basales (elasmarios) y los derivados (hadrosáuridos). Los primeros se habrían desarrollado en ambientes tierra adentro con climas con cierta estacionalidad, mientras que los hadrosáuridos habrían seleccionado ambientes cercanos al mar y con un clima más homogéneo.
A relatively well-preserved rodent fossil, including its incisors, cheek teeth, and postcranial skeleton, was collected from the Baiyin Obo in Siziwang Banner, Nei Mongol. A multifaceted research approach was undertaken in this study to conduct a comprehensive analysis on the newly discovered specimen. Based on a morphological comparison, the new specimen was identified as Hulgana cf. H. ertnia within the Ischyromyidae family. Incisive enamel microstructure analysis revealed the typical pauciserial enamel structure of Hulgana. Bone histological analysis indicates that the specimen represents a juvenile individual, which is consistent with the ontogenetic stage indicated by dental developmental stage and wear pattern. The application of geometric morphometrics to the calcaneus and bone histology of the femur and phalanx further substantiates the taxonomic classification of Hulgana as a terrestrial and cursorial rodent, exhibiting a degree of fossorial ability. This classification is analogous to that of certain extant cricetids and ground squirrels.
Nícolas O. L. de Oliveira, Yolanda Jiménez-Teja, Renato A. Dupke
et al.
We present the analysis of the intracluster light (ICL) in three fossil groups (FG), RXJ085640.72+055347.36, RX J1136+0713, and RX J1410+4145, at z ~ 0.1. We used two optical broad-band filters, F435W and F606W, observed with the Hubble Space Telescope and spectroscopic data obtained with the Gemini Multi-Object Spectrograph to generate the ICL maps and measure the ICL fraction using CICLE, an algorithm developed to disentangle the ICL from the light of galaxies. We found ICL fractions of 9.9% - 14.4%, 3.8% - 6.1%, and 4.7% - 10.7% for RXJ0856, RXJ1136, and RXJ1410, respectively. This behavior is not consistent with the presence of the ICL fraction excess previously observed in merging clusters and also inconsistent with the constant ICL fraction distribution characteristic of relaxed systems, although the values found are within the typical range expected for the latter. Instead, they show a significantly increasing trend with wavelengths over ~ 3800 - 5500A, indicating that fossil groups are indeed old and undisturbed systems, even compared with regular relaxed clusters.
MANUS G. LEIDI, LUCY M.E. MCCOBB, PATRICK D. MCDERMOTT
et al.
A new species of bubble-headed trilobite, Staurocephalus oliveae sp. nov., is described from 250 specimens collected
from a recently discovered locality in the Sholeshook Limestone Formation (upper Katian, Upper Ordovician; Ashgill,
Cautleyan Zone 1 equivalent) in the village of Llanddowror, Carmarthenshire. Although no fully articulated specimens
were found, the material is the most abundant and well-preserved of any Ordovician Staurocephalus species known
from Britain and Ireland, and enables the complicated 3D structure of its cephalon to be reconstructed. Staurocephalus
oliveae sp. nov. is the earliest representative of the genus recorded in Avalonia, following its presumed migration into
the area from Laurentia or Baltica. Recognition of this Cautleyan species resurrects the potential usefulness of the long
established, widely distributed, Staurocephalus clavifrons as a latest Katian (= Rawtheyan) indicator.
Abstract Two stratigraphically well constrained (by ammonites and conodonts) coleoid remains have been recorded from the Triassic (Anisian) dark-grey organodetritic limestones (Ráztoka Limestone) of Western Carpathians (Hronic Nappe). The limestones deposited at the periphery of a former carbonate platform. It yields a highly diverse cephalopod fauna including nautiloids (2 taxa), ammonoids (7 taxa) and indetermined aulacoceratids. Two unusual coleoid specimens are referred to genus Mojsisovicsteuthis (M. boeckhi) and probably to a new taxon (described as Breviconoteuthis aff. breviconus herein) possessing similar morphological features of genus Breviconoteuthis (Phragmoteuthida) and/or Zugmontites. Based on index ammonites and conodonts, both records are of the uppermost Trinodosus through the lowermost Reitzi zones (Anisian—lower Illyrian). While the genus Mojsisovicsteuthis has been widely dispersed (however its records are rare), the occurrence of Breviconoteuthis and Zugmontites is strictly limited to the Alpine-Carpathian region. Comparing with the holotype and additional specimens stored in the Hungarian Natural History Museum, the overal shell of Mojsisovicsteuthis and its size has been reconstructed. Its relationship to aulacoceratids and phragmoteuthids is briefly discussed. Geochemical record (n-alkanes from the bulk rock) provided a relevant signal of the existence of algal meadows.
Cecilia Rodríguez Amenábar, Alessandra Santos, G. Raquel Guerstein
Palynological analysis of Upper Cretaceous marine rocks from the Rabot and Snow Hill Island formations, James Ross Basin, northeastern Antarctic Peninsula, has revealed the record of a previously undescribed dinoflagellate cyst species, previously assigned to Oligosphaeridium sp. A. Here, we provide a formal description of this new species, which we name Stiphrosphaeridium sobralii sp. nov. and we add some features to the description of the genus Stiphrosphaeridium. The new species is found in
Campanian strata, which are calibrated with magnetostratigraphic data. It is considered an important Late Cretaceous biostratigraphic marker commonly recorded in offshore environments of Antarctica.
The utilization of face masks is an essential healthcare measure, particularly during times of pandemics, yet it can present challenges in communication in our daily lives. To address this problem, we propose a novel approach known as the human-in-the-loop StarGAN (HL-StarGAN) face-masked speech enhancement method. HL-StarGAN comprises discriminator, classifier, metric assessment predictor, and generator that leverages an attention mechanism. The metric assessment predictor, referred to as MaskQSS, incorporates human participants in its development and serves as a "human-in-the-loop" module during the learning process of HL-StarGAN. The overall HL-StarGAN model was trained using an unsupervised learning strategy that simultaneously focuses on the reconstruction of the original clean speech and the optimization of human perception. To implement HL-StarGAN, we curated a face-masked speech database named "FMVD," which comprises recordings from 34 speakers in three distinct face-masked scenarios and a clean condition. We conducted subjective and objective tests on the proposed HL-StarGAN using this database. The outcomes of the test results are as follows: (1) MaskQSS successfully predicted the quality scores of face mask voices, outperforming several existing speech assessment methods. (2) The integration of the MaskQSS predictor enhanced the ability of HL-StarGAN to transform face mask voices into high-quality speech; this enhancement is evident in both objective and subjective tests, outperforming conventional StarGAN and CycleGAN-based systems.
Reinforcement learning (RL) has achieved significant success but is hindered by inefficiency and instability, relying on large amounts of trial-and-error data and failing to efficiently use past experiences to guide decisions. However, humans achieve remarkably efficient learning from experience, attributed to abstracting concepts and updating associated probabilistic beliefs by integrating both uncertainty and prior knowledge, as observed by cognitive science. Inspired by this, we introduce Conceptual Belief-Informed Reinforcement Learning to emulate human intelligence (HI-RL), an efficient experience utilization paradigm that can be directly integrated into existing RL frameworks. HI-RL forms concepts by extracting high-level categories of critical environmental information and then constructs adaptive concept-associated probabilistic beliefs as experience priors to guide value or policy updates. We evaluate HI-RL by integrating it into various existing value- and policy-based algorithms (DQN, PPO, SAC, and TD3) and demonstrate consistent improvements in sample efficiency and performance across both discrete and continuous control benchmarks.
Numerous dromaeosaurid taxa recovered from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Gobi Desert raise questions over niche
partitioning among closely related species. Here, I describe a dromaeosaurid specimen from the Baruungoyot strata of
the Khulsan locality, containing a partial skull in close association with the left hind limb. The material can be referred
to the velociraptorine Shri devi, until now known only from a single specimen lacking a skull, collected from the same
site. The referral is based on the apomorphic morphology of the pes, including the highly hypertrophic ungual of the
second digit and details of the metatarsus. The skull of S. devi confirms its close affinities with Velociraptor mongoliensis,
but shows distinctive features among Velociraptorinae, including a short antorbital fenestra, a Z-shaped maxillo-jugular
suture, a distinct labial ridge above the supralabial foramina row of the maxilla, and the posterior position of the last
maxillary tooth. The skull of S. devi is slender, but relatively short when compared to other velociraptorines, suggesting
convergence to the North American eudromaeosaurians. The Baruungoyot strata with S. devi represent less arid conditions
than the aeolian Djadokhta strata yielding V. mongoliensis, supporting earlier observations linking the elongation
of the dromaeosaurid snout with the environment.
Zoe M. Christen, Marcelo R. Sánchez-Villagra, Kévin Le Verger
Abstract With their odd cranial features, glyptodonts, closely related to extant armadillos, are a highly diverse group of the South American megafauna. Doedicurus, Glyptodon, Panochthus, and Neosclerocalyptus were present in the “Pampean Formation” during the Pleistocene, and they are all exceptionally preserved in the Santiago Roth Collection, thus offering the possibility of investigating these four well-diversified genera. A total of 13 specimens (seven species) were analysed and compared in a qualitative/quantitative study of external cranial remains and endocranial reconstructions (i.e., braincase and associated cranial canals, and inner ears). We report on anatomical features that contribute to existing phylogenetic matrices; many of them are new potential synapomorphies supporting the current hypotheses regarding the evolutionary history of the Pleistocene glyptodonts. These include the anterior cranial shape, the position of the basicranium in respect to the whole cranium, the shape of the cranial roof, the position of the largest semicircular canal, and the inclination of the cerebrum. They may represent new shared-derived features among Glyptodon, Doedicurus, Neosclerocalyptus, and Panochthus. We also provide detailed comparative descriptions highlighting new potential convergences in respect to current phylogenies, concerning, for instance, the shape of the foramen magnum, the global shape of the cranium, orbital shape, cochlear position, and a strong protrusion of the zygomatic process of the squamosal. In light of these results, we discuss morphological transformations across phylogeny. The endocranial comparison brought insights on the phylogenetic patterns of cranial canal evolution.
Markerless estimation of 3D Kinematics has the great potential to clinically diagnose and monitor movement disorders without referrals to expensive motion capture labs; however, current approaches are limited by performing multiple de-coupled steps to estimate the kinematics of a person from videos. Most current techniques work in a multi-step approach by first detecting the pose of the body and then fitting a musculoskeletal model to the data for accurate kinematic estimation. Errors in training data of the pose detection algorithms, model scaling, as well the requirement of multiple cameras limit the use of these techniques in a clinical setting. Our goal is to pave the way toward fast, easily applicable and accurate 3D kinematic estimation \xdeleted{in a clinical setting}. To this end, we propose a novel approach for direct 3D human kinematic estimation D3KE from videos using deep neural networks. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed end-to-end training is robust and outperforms 2D and 3D markerless motion capture based kinematic estimation pipelines in terms of joint angles error by a large margin (35\% from 5.44 to 3.54 degrees). We show that D3KE is superior to the multi-step approach and can run at video framerate speeds. This technology shows the potential for clinical analysis from mobile devices in the future.
Ensuring operational control over automated vehicles is not trivial and failing to do so severely endangers the lives of road users. An integrated approach is necessary to ensure that all agents play their part including drivers, occupants, vehicle designers and governments. While progress is being made, a comprehensive approach to the problem is being ignored, which can be solved in the main through considering Meaningful Human Control (MHC). In this research, an Integrated System Proximity framework and Operational Process Design approach to assist the development of Connected Automated Vehicles (CAV) under the consideration of MHC are introduced. These offer a greater understanding and basis for vehicle and traffic system design by vehicle designers and governments as two important influencing stakeholders. The framework includes an extension to a system approach, which also considers ways that MHC can be improved through updating: either implicit proximal updating or explicit distal updating. The process and importance are demonstrated in three recent cases from practice. Finally, a call for action is made to government and regulatory authorities, as well as the automotive industry, to ensure that MHC processes are explicitly included in policy, regulations, and design processes to ensure future ad-vancement of CAVs in a responsible, safe and humanly agreeable fashion.
Baltileuctra dewalti Chen sp. nov., a new extinct species
of needle stoneflies (Leuctridae, Plecoptera), is described
and illustrated from the Eocene Baltic amber and compared
to the other leuctrids. Baltileuctra dewalti Chen sp.
nov. differs from both extant and extinct representatives of
Leuctridae by a combination of morphological characters
including wing venation, unique terminalia structures, and
cercal modification. The most distinguishable character
for the new taxon is the presence of two dentate long spines
lateral to a well-developed subanal probe. Several parasitic
mites are also found on the new stonefly. This is the earliest
known fossil evidence for mite parasitism in Plecoptera.
Victor Neumann, Roman Kuiava, Rodrigo A. Ramos
et al.
This article presents and describes a 229 bus test system that includes wind, hydro and fossil fuel power plants. It represents the Northeast subsystem of the Brazilian Interconnected Power System (BIPS). The test system supplies a load of 4.17 GW, being 13% powered by wind farms, which is the current wind power penetration level of the BIPS. The data comprehends different load levels based on the typical load behavior and typical capacity factors of wind, hydro and fossil fuel plants, as well as the capacity of transmission and sub-transmission lines, transformers, and the adopted structure for the test system. The data is compiled considering models and operating scenarios of the BIPS, and allow performing studies of static voltage stability, sensitivity of voltage stability margin considering the wind farms, and multi-objective optimization considering market constraints. The results of the simulations with the test system indicate the consistency of their data structure and its applicability to different studies of electric power systems.
Farhad Nazari, Darius Nahavandi, Navid Mohajer
et al.
Human Activity Recognition (HAR) is a crucial technology for many applications such as smart homes, surveillance, human assistance and health care. This technology utilises pattern recognition and can contribute to the development of human-in-the-loop control of different systems such as orthoses and exoskeletons. The majority of reported studies use a small dataset collected from an experiment for a specific purpose. The downsides of this approach include: 1) it is hard to generalise the outcome to different people with different biomechanical characteristics and health conditions, and 2) it cannot be implemented in applications other than the original experiment. To address these deficiencies, the current study investigates using a publicly available dataset collected for pathology diagnosis purposes to train Machine Learning (ML) algorithms. A dataset containing knee motion of participants performing different exercises has been used to classify human activity. The algorithms used in this study are Gaussian Naive Bayes, Decision Tree, Random Forest, K-Nearest Neighbors Vote, Support Vector Machine and Gradient Boosting. Furthermore, two training approaches are compared to raw data (de-noised) and manually extracted features. The results show up to 0.94 performance of the Area Under the ROC Curve (AUC) metric for 11-fold cross-validation for Gradient Boosting algorithm using raw data. This outcome reflects the validity and potential use of the proposed approach for this type of dataset.
Eigen mode selection ought to be a practical issue in some real game systems, as it is a practical issue in the dynamics behaviour of a building, bridge, or molecular, because of the mathematical similarity in theory. However, its reality and accuracy have not been known in real games. We design a 5-strategy game which, in the replicator dynamics theory, is predicted to exist two eigen modes. Further, in behaviour game theory, the game is predicted that the mode selection should depends on the game parameter. We conduct human subject game experiments by controlling the parameter. The data confirm that, the predictions on the mode existence as well as the mode selection are significantly supported. This finding suggests that, like the equilibrium selection concept in classical game theory, eigen mode selection is an issue in game dynamics theory.
Various theories have been proposed to explain the Moon's current inclined orbit. We test the viability of these theories by reconstructing the thermal-orbital history of the Moon. We build on past thermal-orbital models and incorporate the evolution of the lunar figure including a fossil figure component. Obliquity tidal heating in the lunar magma ocean would have produced rapid inclination damping, making it difficult for an early inclination to survive to the present-day. An early inclination is preserved only if the solid-body of the early Moon were less dissipative than at present. If instabilities at the Laplace plane transition were the source of the inclination, then the Moon had to recede slowly, which is consistent with previous findings of a weakly dissipative early Earth. If collisionless encounters with planetesimals up to 140 Myr after Moon formation excited the inclination, then the Moon had to migrate quickly to pass through the Cassini state transition at 33 Earth radii and reach a period of limited inclination damping. The fossil figure was likely established before 16 Earth radii to match the present-day degree-2 gravity field observations.