New taxa of Nematocera are described from the Lower Cretaceous Khasurty locality (Western Transbaikalia, Russia). These are
Praearchitipula ribeiroi
sp. nov.,
P. kaluginae
sp. nov.,
P. podenasi
sp. ...nov. (Pediciidae),
?Protanyderus madrizi
sp. nov. (Tanyderidae),
Eoptychoptera fasbenderi
sp. nov. (Ptychopteridae),
Gilkania transbaikalica
gen. et sp. nov. (Chironomidae),
Amorimyia robusta
gen. et sp. nov. (Anisopodidae).
The paper overviews the fossil record of insects with long mouthparts and rostra adapted to feeding on floral nectar and pollination drops of extinct gymnosperms. The presence of suctorial mouthparts ...is demonstrated for the first time for the Permian mecopterans Permochoristidae and Permotanyderidae. The long-proboscid scorpionflies Mesopsychidae are recorded for the first time from the Upper Jurassic of Kazakhstan. A new finding of a detached head of a long-proboscid nectar-feeding brachyceran fly is reported from the Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia. Three major radiations of long-proboscid nectar feeders are identified: the Paleozoic, the Mesozoic, and the Cenozoic one; they were related to the Paleozoic seed ferns, the Bennettitales and other Mesozoic entomophilous gymnosperms, and the flowering plants, respectively. The earliest long-proboscid nectar feeders, found in the Lower Permian deposits of the Cis-Urals, belong to Protomeropidae (stem-Amphiesmenoptera). The few other Paleozoic insects specialized to nectarivory probably also included some long-proboscid Permochoristidae. The diversity of long-proboscid nectar feeders shows a dramatic increase since the Middle Jurassic. About 70 Mesozoic species with preserved long mouthparts and rostra are known to date; they belong to 12 families and 3 orders (Mecoptera, Neuroptera, and Diptera) and can be clustered into three morphogroups. With the beginning of the Cenozoic the long-proboscid Mecoptera and Neuroptera were supplanted by Hymenoptera and Lepidoptera in the nectar-feeding niche, while Diptera on the whole retained this specialization. Considerable abundance of long-proboscid nectar feeders before the appearance of flowers with hidden nectar indicates that complex pollination systems first evolved in gymnosperms. Therefore, insect pollination cannot be considered the key novelty in flowering plants crucial for their evolutionary success.
Сomparative analysis of arthropod assemblages found in Cretaceous fossil resins is provided. Arthropod-bearing Cretaceous resin sites are reviewed, and a list of arthropod records (identified to the ...family level) published up to 2015 is provided. Also, new records of mites, and new arthropod records from the Siberian resins are given. An efficient method for extracting amber from loose sediments in situations of limited infrastructure but easy access to water is described as well.
The sequence of arthropod assemblages in Cretaceous resins according to their evolutionary aspect does not match their geological sequence. This can be only partly explained by taphonomic constraints and inadequacy of the material: there is a deeper difference between somewhat contemporary assemblages than was characteristic of Permian assemblages studied in a similar way in previous studies. Our results confirm the earlier hypothesis that the Palaeozoic–Mesozoic biotic crisis was not so much a mass extinction as a biotic reorganisation that opened the way to diversification. These results might indicate a peculiar feature of the immediate effects of such reorganisations, namely that Mesozoic–Cenozoic communities became differentiated in their compositions much deeper than Palaeozoic ones (i.e., that their constituent groups acquired the ability to evolve much deeper changes while adapting to the ecological specifics of their environments). A transformation of organisms and/or their communities took place, comparable in scope to the rise of skeletal fauna in the Cambrian. The difference between these two transformations is that the later one resulted not from a particular adaptation (the skeleton) but from the ability to specialize more deeply than was possible in the Palaeozoic.
The Khasurty Fossil Insect Lagerstätte Kopylov, D. S.; Rasnitsyn, A. P.; Aristov, D. S. ...
Paleontological journal,
12/2020, Letnik:
54, Številka:
11
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The Khasurty locality (Lower Cretaceous of Transbaikalia, Russia) is one of the largest fossil insect sites in the region. Over the entire period of study, more than 6000 insect imprints have been ...collected here, representing 16 orders and 130 families. Dipterans, aphids and hymenopterans are the most common forms here, the most diverse taxa are Diptera, Hymenoptera, Coleoptera and Trichoptera. In addition to insects, remains of crustaceans, mosses, liverworts and vascular plants were found in Khasurty, as well as occasional finds of arachnids, bird feathers and fish scales. Two new families, 17 new genera and 21 new species of Trichoptera, two new species of Orthoptera, one new genus and species of Phasmatoptera, one new species of Reculida, three new genera and species of Hemiptera, a new genus and species of Thysanoptera, a new genus and species of Hymenoptera, a new subfamily, two new genera and six new species of Lepidoptera, three new genera and four new species of Neuroptera, as well as a new genus and species of liverworts are described. In terms of the composition of the fauna and flora, the Khasurty locality is very peculiar, it includes both Jurassic and Cretaceous taxa, but in general it can be attributed to the Jehol biota.
A new genus of Chironomidae (Insecta: Diptera) is described based on a single incomplete pupa from Khutel Khara (lower part of the Tsagan Tsab Formation, Lower Cretaceous; Mongolia). The new genus ...displays a mosaic of Podonominae and Tanypodinae characters. The most distinctive characters of the new taxon are stout strongly darkened anal spurs, strong serration of anal lobes, and peculiar armament at the base of anal lobes, looking as an artichoke-like spinose structure, unique among Chironomidae.
The results of study relationship between antigen reactivity of T-lymphocyte population under
ex vivo
conditions and the intensity of protective post-vaccination immunity to causative agent of ...brucellosis are presented. Тaking into account the peculiarities of immunopathogenesis brucellosis and prevailing role of adaptive T-cell immunity to protect against the causative agent of infection, possibility predictive evaluation of protective immunity against brucellosis using CAST-tests is considered as the most important aspect of brucellosis problems. There is an obvious need for an ex vivo correlation analysis of the activity of antigen stimulation of T cells and the intensity of protective immunity formed after vaccination. A close direct proportional relationship was established between the number of live microbial cells
Brucella abortus
19BA vaccine strain administered and increase in
ex vivo
CD3-cell activation. A close correlation was revealed between
ex vivo
value of antigen-induced stimulation CD3-lymphocytes and level of post-vaccination immunological protection against brucellosis infection. It has been shown that in biomodels vaccinated against brucellosis with a T-lymphocyte stimulation coefficient of 50% or more (according to intensity of antigen-induced
ex vivo
expression CD25), 100% protection from the development of brucellosis infection after infection with
Brucella melitensis
at a dose of 1 × 10
3
live microbial cells are provided. At the same time, there was a lack of a close correlation between an increase in the dose of brucella vaccine strain administered to biomodels and a change in geometric mean antibody titer, presence of a weakly pronounced relationship between level of agglutinins and immunological protection of biomodels from development brucellosis infection and indicators bacterial contamination body.Based on results of study, it was demonstrated that it is possible to quantify the formation and protective activity of T-cell immunity to causative agent of brucellosis based on analysis of level antigen reactivity of CD3-lymphocytes
ex vivo
. The data obtained and described methodological approach can be used as a predictive criterion in assessing protective level of cellular immunity to causative agent of brucellosis in vaccinated or recovering patients, as well as in order to analyze effectiveness of specific prophylaxis brucellosis and study immunogenicity and protective properties candidate for brucellosis vWe present the results of studies related to antigen reactivity of T lymphocyte population under ex vivo conditions and the intensity of protective post-vaccination immunity to causative agent of brucellosis. Due to peculiarities of immunopathogenesis in brucellosis infection and prevailing role of adaptive T cell immunity for protection against the causative agent of infection, a predictive evaluation of protective immunity against brucellosis using CAST-tests is considered the most important issue in the field. There is an obvious need for ex vivo analysis of correlations between the activity of antigen stimulation of T cells, and the intensity of protective immunity raised after vaccination. A close direct relationship was established between the number of live microbial cells of
Brucella abortus
19BA vaccine strain administered, and increase in ex vivo CD3 cell activation. A close correlation (r = -0.841 ÷ -0.966,
R2
= 0.708 ÷ 0.969) was revealed between ex vivo values of antigeninduced stimulation of CD3 lymphocytes, and the levels of post-vaccination immunological protection against brucellosis infection. We have shown that, in biomodels vaccinated against brucellosis with a T lymphocyte stimulation coefficient of 50% or more (according to intensity of antigen-induced ex vivo CD25 expression), 100% protection against brucellosis infection was achieved after contamination with B
rucella melitensis
at a dose of 1×10
3
live microbial cells. At the same time, a lack of a close correlation was noted between an increased dose of Brucella vaccine strain administered to biomodels, and a change in geometric mean of antibody titer (
R2
= 0.357÷0.404), along with a weak relationship between the levels of agglutinins and immunological protection of biomodels from developing brucellosis infection and indices of
in vivo
bacterial contamination.These results suggest an opportunity to quantify development and protective activity of T cell immunity to the causal agent of brucellosis based ex vivo levels of antigen reactivity of CD3 lymphocytes. A correlation analysis between the state of T cell antigen reactivity and immunological resistance to brucellosis infection indicated a high degree of closeness between these indices. The key influence on activity of protective immunity is exerted by the levels of antigen reactivity of T lymphocytes, whereas the quotient of antigenic stimulation in CD3+CD25+ population may be considered the most informative index of immune protective activity. The data obtained and the described methodology may be used as a predictive criterion in assessing protective level of cellular immunity to causative agent of brucellosis in vaccinated or recovering patients, testing the efficiency of specific prophylaxis in brucellosis and studying immunogenicity and protective properties of candidate vaccines against brucellosis.
One of the most interesting Mesozoic Lagerstätten, Shar Teg in southwestern Mongolia, is reviewed. The geological structure and oryctocoenoses of Shar Teg are described. Shar Teg is one of the most ...diverse Jurassic Lagerstätten in terms of fossils represented. Fossils from Shar Teg include aquatic and terrestrial plants, mollusks, crustaceans, insects, fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Insects are the most diverse group. To date, a total of 297 species of 161 families and 22 orders have been described or recorded in Shar Teg, making it possible to reconstruct comprehensively the Jurassic biota of the locality. The oryctocoenosis composition is peculiar; it includes only six species described from other localities. The oryctocoenosis appears to link the faunas of eastern Asia, Central Asia, and Europe. A total of 31 new species are described.
Erratum to: Paleontological Journal Tatarinov, L. P.; Mitta, V. V.; Shcherbakov, D. E. ...
Paleontological journal,
11/2021, Letnik:
55, Številka:
6
Journal Article
Recenzirano
An Erratum to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0031030121340013
An analysis of brucellosis incidence in Russia in 2013–2022 and the data on genetic diversity of
Brucella melitensis
and
Brucella abortus
populations isolated in Russia in 1939–2022 are provided in ...the review. Over the past decade, the epidemiological situation in Russia has been characterized as unstable against the background of persistent unfavorable conditions for brucellosis in cattle and small ruminants. During the period of 2013–2022 (9 months), 4298 epizootic foci as regards brucellosis in cattle (89164 sick animals) and 371 as regards brucellosis in small ruminants (13569) were registered. The largest number of epizootic brucellosis foci was recorded in the North-Caucasian and Southern Federal Districts. In 2013–2022, on average, 327 cases of brucellosis among people were registered annually, the incidence rate per 100 000 of the population was 0.24. Up to 70–90 % of brucellosis cases were detected in the south of the European part of the country. A trend towards deterioration of the situation on brucellosis in Volga (Penza and Samara Regions) and Central (Smolensk, Voronezh and Tula Regions) Federal Districts is observed. There is a connection between the intensity of epidemic manifestations of brucellosis and the level of anthropurgic enzooty of territories. In 2022, 467 cases of brucellosis were reported (0.32 per 100 000 of the population), which is 42.8 % higher than annual average values over 10 years. In 2023, a measure of stability of incidence rates, by 20–25 % above average long-term values, is to be expected. Incidence of brucellosis in humans will be within the range of 380–410 cases (0.26–0.28 per 100 000 of the population). The results of genotyping of
B. melitensis
strains point to an increase in the proportion of isolates with an MLVA-profile characteristic of strains from enzootic as regards brucellosis countries of Middle East and North Africa over past 20–25 years, which can indicate importation (introduction) of the infection from these territories to Russia through small ruminants and/or biomaterial from them.
