http://www.anbg.gov.au/lichen/ecology-habitats-arid.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lichens_in_Namibia
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayAbstract;jsessionid=EA8E1F0A2B44C6AE13354A82BF606CE0.journals?fromPage=online&aid=271694
http://www.jstor.org/stable/2389909

http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/biology/resources/crittenden/images/pc-4a.jpg

There is actually very nice footage of them in the BBC’s series “Private Life of Plants”, too bad no Youtube-clips has been made…

Cheers!

–Mikko

http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.1086/667653

- Laura

http://svpow.com/2010/02/19/how-big-was-amphicoelias-fragillimus-i-mean-really/

Ian

- Mikko

Not strictly dino-related, but may be of interest:

Marc E.H. Jones, Paul O’higgins, Michael J. Fagan, Susan E. Evans & Neil
Curtis (2012) Shearing Mechanics and the Influence of a Flexible Symphysis
During Oral Food Processing in Sphenodon (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia).
Anatomical Record (advance online publication)
doi: 10.1002/ar.22487
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ar.22487/abstract

The New Zealand tuatara, Sphenodon, has a specialized feeding system in
which the teeth of the lower jaw close between two upper tooth rows before
sliding forward to slice food apart like a draw cut saw. This shearing
action is unique amongst living amniotes but has been compared with the
chewing power stroke of mammals. We investigated details of the jaw movement
using multibody dynamics analysis of an anatomically accurate
three-dimensional computer model constructed from computed tomography scans.
The model predicts that a flexible symphysis is necessary for changes in the
intermandibular angle that permits prooral movement. Models with the
greatest symphysial flexibility allow the articulation surface of the
articular to follow the quadrate cotyle with the least restriction, and
suggest that shearing is accompanied by a long axis rotation of the lower
jaws.
This promotes precise point loading between the cutting edges of particular
teeth, enhancing the effectiveness of the shearing action.
Given that Sphenodon is a relatively inactive reptile, we suggest that the
link between oral food processing and endothermy has been overstated. Food
processing improves feeding efficiency, a consideration of particular
importance when food availability is unpredictable. Although this feeding
mechanism is today limited to Sphenodon, a survey of fossil
rhynchocephalians suggests that it was once more widespread.

Press Release with video:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/news-articles/May2012/120530-new-zealand-reptile-shows-chewing-not-just-for-mammals

Been known and even described previously, but always nice to have extra
knowledge.

Dwarf-proboscideans from Mediterranean and around the world listed in the
Archive:

Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus creutzbergi (Kuss, 1965) ()
Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) antiquus leonardii ()
Elephas (Palaeoloxodon) melitensis ()

Mammuthus lamarmorae ()
Mammuthus creticus ()
Mammuthus columbi exilis ()
Mammuthus primigenius wrangeliensis ()

Lister, A. M. & Sher, A. V., 2001: The origin and evolution of the
woolly mammoth.
–Science: Vol. 294, pp. 1094-1097

Poulakakis, N., Mylonas, M., Lymberakis, P. & Fassoulas, G., 2002:
Origin and taxonomy of the fossil elephants of the island of Crete (Greese):
proplems and perspectives.
–Palaegeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology: Vol. 186, pp. 163-183

Shoshoni, J., & Tassy, P., (eds.), 1996: The Proboscidea – Evolution
and paleontology of elephants and their relatives.
–Oxford University Press, New York, 1996, xxx – 472

Interestingly, there seems not to be any dwarf-species in _Loxodonta_

–Mikko

Or bird, again, if you believe Mike Lee:

(Likelihood reinstates Archaeopteryx as a primitive bird; Michael S. Y. Lee and Trevor H. Worthy 2011, http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2011/10/18/rsbl.2011.0884.short)

rather than Xu Xing, feathered dinosaur palaeontologist extraordinaire:

(An Archaeopteryx-like theropod from China and the origin of Avialae, Xu et al 2011, http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v475/n7357/full/nature10288.html)

Xu Xing’s talk at SVP provoked a lot of debate, as he tried to refute the just published Lee & Worthy refutation of his own paper; frustratingly it was the exact same time as mine so I missed it!

Ryan Carney (lead author on the feather paper) gave an excellent talk on the feather at SVP. Interestingly, a rival group was unable to detect melanosomes from the best preserved ‘Thermopolis’ Arachaeopteryx specimen (which incidentally was also subject to phylogenetic debate, that time about whether flight evolved twice in birds and their close non-avian dinosaurian relatives:

Corfe & Butler 2006, Comment on ‘‘A Well-Preserved Archaeopteryx Specimen with
Theropod Features’, http://www.sciencemag.org/content/313/5791/1238.2

Plus don’t forget last year was the 150th anniversary of the discovery of Archaeopteryx, complete with celebratory 10 euro coin (and removal from it’s perch as the earliest bird, or not, as discussed above). I suspect the feather paper was supposed to come out in the 150th year too, couple of weeks late, ah well.

Ian

Axolotls are supposed to have bicuspic pedicillate teeth, why not check those?

Oh, sorry, somebody already did…

Soukup, V., Epperlein, H.-H., Horacek, I. & Cerny, R., 2008: Dual epithelial origin of vertebrate oral teeth.
–Nature: Vol. 455, #7214, pp. 795-798 [doi: 10.1038/nature07304]

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v455/n7214/full/nature07304.html

–Mikko

The one line summary/key finding, for those who are interested:

“Cusp formation in the (multicuspid) gecko does not occur by the folding of the inner enamel epithelium, as in the mouse molar, but by the differential secretion of enamel.”

The gecko teeth are kind of only just multicuspid, however, so I wonder if this only applies to ‘kind of only just multicuspid’ taxa rather than fully multicuspid teeth.

Thanks Jackie.

Ian

http://www.ascsa.edu.gr/index.php/news/newsDetails/plakias-survey-finds-stone-age-tools-on-crete/