AMNH Library Digital Repository
The AMNH Library Digital Repository is an archive maintained by the Research Library for AMNH Scientific Publications, AMNH scholarly output and other original and published materials digitized by the Library. All information in the repository is freely accessible to scholars around the world to support their research.
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- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Division of Anthropology.
- Contains scientific data and other digitized material from the Department of Astrophysics.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Center of Biodiversity and Conservation.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Herpetology.
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Recent Submissions
The history of scientific relations between Cuba and the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) : 160 years of collecting and collaborating (1857-2017) = La historia de las relaciones científicas entre Cuba y el American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) : 160 años de colección y colaboración (1857-2017)
(New York : American Museum of Natural History, 2024) Goldberg, Suzann L.; Novacek, Michael J.; Alayón García, Giraldo
Spanish and English on facing pages. First edition published 2017. Includes bibliographical references (pages 123-126).
Supplemental material for 'A species complex in the iconic frog-eating bat Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) with high variation in the heart of the Neotropics (American Museum novitates, no. 4021)'
(American Museum of Natural History., 2024-06-28) Fonseca, Bruna da Silva.; Soto-Centeno, J. Angel.; Simmons, Nancy B.; Ditchfield, Albert David.
Supplemental material for 'A species complex in the iconic frog-eating bat Trachops cirrhosus (Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae) with high variation in the heart of the Neotropics (American Museum novitates, no. 4021)' - https://hdl.handle.net/2246/7368
Revised evolutionary and taxonomic synthesis for parrots (Order: Psittaciformes) guided by phylogenomic analysis (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 468)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2024-06-28) Smith, Brian Tilston.; Thom, Gregory.; Joseph, Leo.
Parrots (Order: Psittaciformes) are a diverse clade that is easily distinguishable from other birds. Despite the clear characters that define Psittaciformes (hooked bills, zygodactylous feet, and plumage that is often predominantly green or red), relative morphological uniformity among parrots has made taxonomic classification a fraught endeavor for over a century. Parrot systematics were propelled forward when DNA sequencing data shed insights into higher- and species-level relationships. However, despite these significant advances, major gaps in taxon sampling and uncertainty in relationships remained due to inferring phylogenetic relationships with short fragments of DNA. Recent work using genome-wide molecular markers with nearly complete parrot species-level sampling has brought clarity to many of the remaining outstanding questions on taxonomic relationships. Here, we build on this work by including four additional species to present a taxonomic revision of Psittaciformes better aligned with its evolutionary tree. We infer maximum likelihood and time-calibrated phylogenies for parrots, present accounts for 106 genera, compare how our findings relate to previous work, and highlight future areas of research. The family-group nomenclature we propose reflects deep evolutionary divergences with diagnosable synapomorphies that are commensurate across comparable ranks in psittaciform clades. We erect three new family-group names at the rank of tribe (Brotogerini Smith, Thom, and Joseph, 2024; Neophemini Schodde, Mason, Smith, Thom, and Joseph, 2024; Bolbopsittacini Smith, Thom, and Joseph, 2024). We elevate one tribe to subfamily rank for the cacatuid genus Probosciger and we restrict usage of the recently introduced tribe Touitini to its type genus Touit. At shallower taxonomic scales, recognition of more rather than fewer genera addresses issues of paraphyly or high discordance in morphological and genomic characters at those levels. We support many reinstatements of older generic names advocated in recent decades, and we further reinstate five valid, available generic names not widely used in recent literature if at all (Licmetis, Gymnopsittacus, Clarkona, Suavipsitta, Cardeos). We advocate the retention of Vini Lesson, 1833, over Coriphilus Wagler, 1832, based on preliminary examination showing substantially more frequent usage of the former. We redraw generic limits in some other cases (e.g., Bolborhynchus parrotlets and allies) and this includes recognizing fewer genera than recently proposed for the Psittacula sensu lato ringneck parakeets. Our revised classification of parrots addresses many longstanding taxonomic questions including those that have arisen through the acquisition of genetic data. It provides context for the temporal origins of psittaciform clades and the taxonomic and phenotypic diversification throughout their evolutionary history. We hope that it will be a benchmark guiding further taxonomic study as well as for downstream analyses in many other fields.
A revised diagnosis of the blood-feeding candiru genus Paravandellia (Siluriformes, Trichomycteridae, Vandelliinae) : with descriptions of three new species (American Museum novitates, no. 4024)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2024-06-28) Henschel, Elisabeth.; Baskin, Jonathan N.; Collins, Rupert A.; Lujan, Nathan K.
The taxonomy of the blood-feeding candiru catfish genus Paravandellia is poorly resolved, incomplete, and hindered by a complex nomenclatural history, with many species being arbitrarily synonymized, considerable morphological and geographic variation being unevaluated, and morphological boundaries between the genus and its sister, Paracanthopoma, differing among authors. Herein, we describe three new species of Paravandellia based on photomicroscopy, cleared and stained specimens, and µCT imagery. We also reevaluate diagnostic character states for Paravandellia and Paracanthopoma, propose a new character to diagnose Paravandellia, and present our discovery of a possible type specimen of Parabranchioica teaguei and additional non-type specimens of Branchioica bertoni, junior synonyms of Parav. oxyptera. Based on these observations, we confirm Parav. alleynei and a recent newly described species of Paracanthopoma as members of a rediagnosed, putatively monophyletic Paravandellia, increasing its richness from two to seven species. We also discuss interrelationships of Paravandellia species based on the characters described.
Cranial anatomy and petrosal morphology of a juvenile individual of Neobrachytherium (Proterotheriidae, Litopterna, Mammalia) (American Museum novitates, no. 4023)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2024-06-28) Armella, Matías A.; García López, Daniel A. (Daniel Alfredo); Croft, Darin A.
South America underwent a span of isolation in the Cenozoic, during which an endemic fauna developed, including a diverse group of native ungulates. Among them, Proterotheriidae (Litopterna, Pan-Perissodactyla) were small to medium-sized hoofed herbivores mainly documented from the Oligocene to the Pleistocene. The study of proterotheriid mammals, specifically their cranial morphology, has been challenging due to the limited availability of materials, leading to a heavy reliance on dental evidence in their descriptions. This issue is particularly evident for late Neogene records, where comprehensive cranial studies have been lacking. Herein, we study a juvenile proterotheriid individual referred to Neobrachytherium intermedium recovered from Early Pliocene outcrops of northwestern Argentina. Our research focuses on cranial morphology, particularly on the dorsal and orbitotemporal regions, mesocranium, and basicranial structures. By employing noninvasive techniques, we describe the petrosal anatomy and compare it in a broader phylogenetic context. We also provide insights into ontogenetic stages within the genus. We find singular arrangements and structures for the genus (e.g., tuberosities in the postglenoid process) as well as traits shared with other mammals that are distinct from those found in other SANUs and pan-perissodactyls, such as Notoungulata (e.g., ringlike ectotympanic, gracile tympanohyal, poorly developed epitympanic wing and medial flange, large hiatus Fallopii). Traits such as the position and shape of the m. tensor tympani fossa and the development of the jugular notch may be synapomorphies of Litopterna, but this cannot be determined without resolving the phylogenetic position of Indalecia grandensis, which has been suggested to be a basal Litopterna. Considering ontogenetic observations, features like the frontal sulcus, the supraorbital foramen, and the palate configuration exhibit age-related changes. The occlusal patterns of teeth undergo substantial changes with wear, affecting loph morphology. Variations in deciduous premolars are observed within the same individual. These findings emphasize the importance of considering ontogenetic and individual variations when analyzing cranial and dental remains for taxonomic and phylogenetic purposes. The study provides valuable information for understanding late Neogene proterotheriids and the broader context of cranial evolution within Litopterna, highlighting the necessity for more comprehensive research.