#congeners

[plural-affirmations]

Here's to questioning systems!

Whether you've been wondering about your plurality for a few hours or decades, you're a valid part of the plural community! Today's for you!

Shoutout to:

People who aren't sure if they're plural or not

Systems who know they're plural, but don't know anything else

Those figuring out whether they're traumagenic, endogenic, mixed origins, or something else entirely

Quoi/crypto/congenic individuals, or those with similar labels

People who aren't sure if they "count" as plural, such as someone with psychosis or imagimates

Those who are plural, but find themselves doubting their system often

And anyone else I missed

It's perfectly normal to not be 100% sure about things! I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually, but, even if you don't, you're still incredibly valid, and we support you! You deserve to take some time for yourself and think about things, but please don't feel rushed to find a label!

We wish you the best of luck on your self discovery journey!

🖤💜💙💚💛

[moonpool-system]

hello!!

is there a [word]genic term for (cw for caps if I need to resend this but without the caps lmk please also cussing I can remove that too: WHAT THE FUCK WHY ARE ALL OF YOU HERE YEAH I WENT THROUGH SOME SHIT AND A SMALL HANDFUL OF YOU ARE CLEARLY FROM THAT BUT WHY IN THE LIVING SHIT ARE MOST OF YOU HERE WHY DO WE NEED 6 MIKUS (exaggerated slightly on the mikus bit to be funny but we have more than we would logically need for JUST basic traumagenic and we saw your post on traumagenic being an umbrella so now we're curious)

Hi! tbh I wish there were more terms for such things, but don't forget that thinking you don't have "enough" trauma is a dangerous road. Be careful not to fakeclaim yourself!

That being said, here're some ones I thought you might be interested in

Quoigenic is an origin term used to indicate that the user does not know their origin, does not want to share their origin, does not think their origin is relevant, or thinks it's the wrong question to ask.

Praesigenic is a system origin term that means a system doesn't want their origin known, or doesn't want to tell that specific person. It's intended as a "fuck you" to the person asking. This can be for any reason, including safety or spite.

Congenic is a term used to indicate that a system, sisasystem, or headmate's origins are complicated. It can be used as a standalone origin or in conjunction with other origin terms.

You can always use multiple, too! For example, you could call yourselves traumagenic+congenic to explain how complicated it feels for you. Do whatever fits you best! As I like to say, labels are descriptors, not cages.

[campfirecollective]

you ever just. stumble across terms - plural and other stuff - and are like. huh. is this me, or is this us as a collective? and it’s really making you think lol. like. wow. huh.

[natalieironside]

"To investigators of this sort, recurring similarities seem specially important. So much so that students of folklore are apt to get off their own proper track, or to express themselves in a misleading 'shorthand': misleading in particular if it gets out of their monographs and into books about literature. They are inclined to say that any two stories that are built round the same folklore motif, or are made up of a generally similar combination of such motifs, are 'the same stories'. We read that Beowulf 'is only a version of Dat Erdmanneken'; that 'The Black Bull of Norrroway is Beauty and the Beast', or 'is the same story as Eros and Psyche'; that the Norse Mastermaid (or the Gaelic Battle of the Birds and its many congeners and variants) is 'the same story as the Greek tale of Jason and Medea'. Statements of that kind may express (in undue abbreviation) some element of truth; but they are not true in a fairy-story sense, they are not true in art or literature. It is precisely the colouring, the atmosphere, the unclassifiable individual details of a story, and above all the general purport that informs with life the undissected bones of the plot, that really count."

--J.R.R. Tolkien, On Fairy-Stories

[typhlonectes]

A new species of the genus  Luciogobius Gill, 1859 (Teleostei, Oxudercidae) from Taiwan

Kuan-Hsun Chen, Te-Yu Liao

Abstract

A new species, Luciogobius opisthoproctus sp. nov., is described based on 18 specimens collected from Daxi Creek (Yilan) and Babian Creek (Taitung) in Taiwan. The new species is characterized by having a yellowish body with scattered spots on the sides, a black blotch on the caudal fin, the absence of free pectoral-fin rays, and more than 40 vertebrae. The new species can be distinguished from congeners by the following combination of characters: AAA distance (anus to anal-fin origin) shorter than twice the body depth at anus, 4.2–7.2% of standard length (SL); pre-anus length 80.0–92.8% of pre-anal-fin length; snout length 39.7–62.7% of AAA distance; abdominal vertebrae 20–22; caudal vertebrae 20–22; first anal-fin pterygiophore usually inserted behind the second haemal spine.

Read the paper here:

A new species of the genus Luciogobius Gill, 1859 (Teleostei, Oxudercidae) from Taiwan (pensoft.net)

[markscherz]

What is your opinion on all those frog species within Pristimantis and do you think you could potentially list them off like Yakko's World?

At 608 species, there are too many Pristimantis species, and I honestly have no idea how people continue to describe new ones when you have so many congeners to compare to, many of which have never been sequenced. I wonder if they struggle with the same problems that are generated in insect groups, where the same species is described multiple times from different countries because people fail to remember that animals don't give a damn about national borders, and then don't do their homework on the fauna of their neighbours to appropriately rule out species from there as potentially the same.

I could maybe do a Yakko's World/Tom Lehrer's Elements Song version of the genera Stumpffia and Boophis, but I don't really know Pristimantis at all, so no, definitely couldn't list them off.

[hal1776]

TIL Adam and eve was ripped off from Gilgamesh.

"The parallels between the stories of Enkidu/Shamhat and Adam/Eve have been long recognized by scholars. In both, a human is created from the soil by a god and lives in nature. He is introduced to a female congener who tempts him. In both stories the man accepts food from the woman, covers his nakedness, and must leave his former home, unable to return. The presence of a snake who steals a plant of immortality from the hero later in the epic is another point of similarity."

Literally the ONLY difference is that in the bible, the banishment from the garden was a punishment from Yahweh

[mavis-the-apple-pie]

WARNING FOR PEACH SHOWTIME SPOILERS

Listen, I played Showtime, I saw the silly Sour Bunch guys and I just couldn’t help but make an OC of a member that just wanna act like other Theets

Clairette is named after a french variety of white grapes, much like how Grape’s french name, Syrah, is a black grape variety

She’s the only girl among the lowest ranked members, and also a lil pampered by Grape, who promised her a big role in the tragedy she’s planning. As a result, she’s either romantically pursued by her peers or disliked because she’s Grape’s pet

She somehow survived the whole theater collapse’s event and tried to blend in with the Theets, because she was mortified at the thought of being destroyed by Peach like she did for all her congeners

When she was inevitably discovered because she has the tedency to accidently cause chaos in the plays, and her darkle got purified, she assumed a new appearance instead, definitly free from Grape’s influence. Now she’s working hard to be up as a new actress of the Sparkle Theater, as the last standing member of the Sour Bunch, and possibly the only one who can potentially become a Sparkla

(Am I planning to ship her with a Sparkla? HMMMMMMMMMM)

[thepouletgalactique]

Annular Eclipse Fairy / Kreslas Reference

I'm finally releasing a little project I've had in mind for a long time. @ayyy-imma-ninja's incredible universe inspired me, so I decided to make a crossover between our two universes.

I hope you like this little project, @ayyy-imma-ninja 🥺

For now, this is just the prologue. The plot will feature @ayyy-imma-ninja's 3 fairies as well as characters I've invented myself for the sequel. Please be patient~

Warning: this little story is not canon to @ayyy-imma-ninja's, please don't associate what I do to what Meg does. My work is less qualitative than what she produces, so please consider this plot as fanfiction. Respect her work.

Now good reading~✨

(Production dated 11/02/2023)

-- Prologue Part 1 --

Kreslas : You're not in bed yet?

Gysper was leaning against what looked like a miniature handmade desk, lit by a firefly set against the wall of their den. 

He quickly turned his gaze to where the voice emanated from.

It was Kreslas, crouching at the edge of the entrance.

The two fairies lived in a tree cavity with other congeners of several different species. Fairies tended to live alone; nevertheless, over time, they had organized themselves into a community, like an isolated village in the middle of a forest. Each had its own den to live in, with the exception of the Rain Fairy, who had long since decided to take in the wild Eclipse Fairy, which was frowned upon in the village.

Gypser : And you're back late from your rounds.

Night had now fallen for several hours and darkness had blanketed the sleepy village. Only the gleaming pupils of Kreslas and his imposing silhouette stood out in the night.  

The Eclipse fairy went inside and answered.

Kreslas: The surveillance team and I were quite busy this evening... 

For Kreslas, strange things had happened today, but he preferred to avoid the subject, as Gypser was usually quite anxious. He turned the conversation to what was keeping his companion awake... He approached to look over his shoulder, placing one hand on the other, and asked.

Kreslas: What's keeping you up so late? 

Gypser hurriedly put away the parchments he'd been scribbling on a few moments ago. 

Gypser: Nothing special, I had things to do.

Kreslas raises an eyebrow with an amused smile, he wasn't fooled. In fact, he knew what the little fairy was up to. 

Kreslas: Ho "nothing special” ? Like how to organize food supplies for this winter? You know there's still 5 months to go.

Unmasked by his intentions, Gysper tried to justify himself by stammering. 

Gypser: Autumn is approaching soon, I can feel the seasons changing. Rainy, cold weather is just around the corner. We need to make sure all food stocks are full for the village. And also calculate the expiry of food; organize stocks by type of food; calculate rations; above all plan for emergency reasons; also plan for potential problems and...

Still smirk on face, the big fairy watched him explain himself, gesturing all the while. He straightened up, then crossed his arms, unconvinced by his answer.

Seeing that Kreslas didn't approve of his excuses, he stopped, sighed and placed his hands on the desk. His fingers tightened slightly in concern over the parchments on the desk. 

Gysper: I'm just forward-thinking... And worried... Especially after the thefts that took place there a while ago…

Kreslas: I know, I just don't like to see you so stressed... Don't worry, we'll find who did this.

He says, trying to reassure him. 

Gysper: I'm not so much worried about who did it, but about the repercussions it could have. I've got a bad feeling about this. I don't want the village to be endangered in any way.

Anxiety growing in his voice as well as in his being, he closed his eyes, calmed down for a moment and then smiled slightly. 

Gypser: But I don't doubt you, you've always been a good hunter.

In a burst of tenderness, he rose from his chair and embraced the waist of his partner. 

Feeling those tiny hands clasping me, his heart vibrated from within his chest. Teasingly, he continued.

Kreslas: On the other hand, when the prey come to me on their own, things simplify considerably.

Easily, he lifted him up and nibbled lightly on his neck with his sharp teeth, all the while making comical mouth noises that made Gypser burst out laughing. 

Their sizes were very significant. Kreslas usually towered over the other fairies by a head, measuring around 20 cm/7.9 inch, while Gypser was a head shorter than the others, measuring more like 13 cm/5.2 inch.

They enjoyed the moment embracing each other for a few seconds, before Gypser asked curiously.

Gypser: Tell me what happened, it's not often you're home this late...

Kreslas lifted his head from his shoulder to stare at him. Hesitant to answer, he put him down. 

Kreslas: The patrol and I found a trap... In the stock that was stolen a few weeks ago...

He tilted his head.

Gypser: Do you think it's the same fairy who came to steal? Could it have come from other villages in the area?

Kreslas: No, I don't think it was a fairy, the trap was far too... heavy and sophisticated to be a trap built by a fairy. I also found footprints. Footsteps from "bigger than us".

Gypser jumped.

Gypser: Could they be fairy hunters?! I thought there hadn't been any for a long time! 

Kreslas: It could be one of them. The "bigger than us" are evolving, but we're still desired creatures. The village has faced hunter attacks in the past, so we need to be on our guard. The theft last time may have been a way of knowing that this stock belonged to fairies or an animal, so I was stupid to suggest that the village ransom the entrance...

Gypser: You're not stupid, you wanted to do the right thing to keep the village safe. It's a good thing this stockpile isn't close to the village. We need to alert the other villages around here. 

Kreslas: I don't understand why they didn't warn of a potential intrusion earlier. The day shift hasn't heard from them for a while... They've sent signals again today, with no response.

Gypser: That's really strange... I hope nothing's happened to them. 

A few seconds of thought passed before the Eclipse fairy spoke again.

Kreslas: Tomorrow I'll go and check on you, flying high in the foliage so as not to attract attention. You, spread the word in our village and try to get out as little as possible. We have to be careful.

His heart raced at the idea of Kreslas moving away from the village; he'd done it to parts before, but not in such an urgent situation. 

Gypser: Please, be careful... 

Seeing Gypser's anxiety grow in his eyes, he smiled slightly and stroked one of his petals.

Kreslas: I promise. 

Gysper remained tense all the same. Staring into space, he was already thinking the worst, biting his thumbnail in stress. Kreslas took his hands, slipping his fingers between his own. 

Kreslas: But now it's time to rest.

Trying to dodge Kreslas' directions, he turned back to his desk. 

Gysper: But first I just have a couple of things to finish-

He let out a small gasp of surprise before finishing his sentence. Kreslas had already caught him before he could reach his chair, pinning him down with his arms and lifting him off the floor. A teasing smile played across his face. 

Kreslas: Where are you going? No more excuses now. At ease! 

The little fairy jiggled as she tried to shake him off. 

Gysper: Hey, it'll only take a few minutes!

Kreslas: You always say the same thing and end up falling asleep with your nose on your desk! You can continue tomorrow with a clear mind. 

A small chuckle came from Gypser's mouth, then he sighed, defeated. 

Gysper: Okay, okay, but I need you to put me down so I can change. 

He chuckled before putting it down gently and setting up his extinguisher. Gysper looked for something to change into for the night. 

Krelas, for his part, didn't have any specific clothes to rest in, so he contented himself with watching his partner frantically rummaging through his belongings.

But his attention was suddenly drawn to something outside, far away in the gloom. He began to stare intently at the outside of the den.

An unexplained shiver ran down his spine.

Something was bothering him, the wind was blowing abnormally for him, but he couldn't explain it. Krelas was very familiar with the sounds of foliage from his wilderness days, before he met Gysper. The sound of nature was no longer a secret to him. 

He continued to examine the void, unable to look away. A bad feeling was slowly creeping up on him. Was it paranoia?

Gypser had chosen his outfit and was about to put it on when he watched Kreslas furtively scan the entrance. Curious and concerned, he asked. 

Gypser: Is everything all right? Did you see anything? 

His companion's voice roused him from his torpor, and he shook his head to regain his composure. 

Kreslas: No, everything's fine. I'm just a little tired. Let's get some sleep...

He didn't want to worry any further with unfounded premonitions. 

Yet Gypser's anxiety had not subsided. Kreslas still had some wild attitudes, including his sensitivity to the dangers and things around him.

Just as he was about to ask the same question, a rumbling sounded behind the trees. Something was approaching at high speed, a creature looming up in front of them. The two fairies had never seen anything like it before. 

The creature before them was black with spinning wings, linked on either side by metal rods, producing a deafening din. It also had a sturdy, smooth black frame. A silver logo representing two Laurel branches, a crown and a pistol bullet were visible on its sides. Finally, an intense red light resembling a eye seemed to be watching them intently with lifeless and emotionless.

The creature was facing them. Blocking the only exit, pointing something at them.

Taken by surprise, both were frozen, time seemed to stand still for a moment. Gypser's eyes widened. Petrified on the spot, he clutched his clothes tightly. For Kreslas, the only priority was to protect Gypser. Instinctively, he rushed towards Gypser, hoping to reach him in time. 

Kreslas: Gypser! Get down!

In his rush, the metal monster fired. An explosion followed by a dazzling flash then a thick cloud of nauseating smoke gradually filled the room. 

Kreslas was thrown against the wall of their lair and lost sight of Gypser.

Other vermin of the same type arrived on either side of the village and fired into the other dens. Taken by surprise, few fairies managed to escape. Those who did were either captured by nets and dragged to the ground, or crushed by the flying things hurtling at them.

Disoriented, Krelas got to his feet despite the pain. His head was spinning and nausea was rising in his throat, the shock had weakened him. He groped the walls for his companion. His vision was blurred by the thick smoke and the wounds inflicted by the explosion. 

After a few minutes of fruitless searching, his strength suddenly left him due to the cloud of gas.

Sore and feeling his body getting heavier and heavier, he collapsed to the ground while, outside, the cries of other fairies echoed under the explosions. 

The cold ground kept him slightly awake.

Powerless, he used the last of his strength to concentrate on the surrounding noises, the cries and explosions continuing for a few minutes until silence returned. Then the ground began to tremble, as something climbed the tree where he was standing. A white light blinded him and swept across their now messy dens. Unknown voices broke the silence.

??? : There are still some here. 

??? : They are completely stunned? 

??? : Yep! The drones did their job well, I see.

Kreslas felt his body leave the ground as a large, warm hand reached out to examine him. He barely had time to make out the man's silhouette before he lost consciousness. 

This was the beginning of the end...

-------------------------------------------------------- Prologue Part 1 - Prologue Part 2 (Soon) - Chapter 1 (Soon)

[yureipunk]

Consystem - a system that is complicated, hard to describe, etc.

this could be used for sisasystems, systems in general, etc. and can be used in conjunction with other terms.

etymology: con - prefix from congenic, system

requested by: no one

tagging: @vhsynder, @aetherive, @revenant-coining, @hoardicboy, @radiomogai

[ID: two rectangular flags with 4 segments surrounding a diamond in the middle; the second flag being duller/light version of the first. the top 2 segments, from left to right, are dark wine and orange. the bottom 2 segments, from left to right, are dull light wine and light orange. the diamond in the middle is split in half and is the colours, from left to right, dark pink and light warm pink. End ID]

[luniidae]

~ The Calm ~

Before the Storm

Chapter V

Note: Hi everyone! Here is a new chapter ✨ A little bit more about Luvia's character.

_____________________________

Did you think that Raphael was done with Luvia's horns ? Of course he wasn't....

It was always the same thing.... Maintaining, squeezing, fracturing, tearing... This had been her daily life for several years. Oh sure, she had everything she could want (although she wasn't one to ask for anything). But that, on the other hand, she had no say in the matter. As a reminder, Dracanists horns had impressive healing properties, and regenerated themselves after a few weeks. In addition, it was an “object” of great rarity, given that almost all of Luvia’s congeners had disappeared.

However, the young girl had never obtained a precise explanation as to Raphael's use of it. The latter had always assured her that it was “doing people a service” without dwelling on the subject.

When she was 7 years old, the young girl didn't ask herself any questions. She had arrived in the House of Hope a year earlier, and all that mattered to her was having a comfortable place to live. But the more the years passed, the more she wondered.

Actually, Raphael hadn't really lied, but he hadn't said everything either. Her horns actually helped people, in some way. But what he didn't talk about was that he used them to lure mortals into signing contracts in exchange for the precious horn. Some were so desperate that they agreed to any conditions without thinking about the consequences.

Most of the time, these were people trying to save a loved one who was seriously ill or on the verge of death. But he also gave it to other demons in exchange for certain favors. In all of Avernus, he was the only one to possess a Dracanist, and he jealously kept her to himself.

However, the repetitive mutilations made Luvia's horns more and more fragile, and the young girl suffered, both physically and psychologically, but also aesthetically. Indeed, they were horribly cracked in places and Luvia's regenerative magic could no longer change anything. Furthermore, she ends up developing a complex about it, to the point of covering the mirror in her bedroom so that she can no longer see her own reflection. Additionally, the process of removing them was increasingly painful, causing near constant pain since she was 10 years old.

If Raphael had been able to show restraint when Luvia had started asking questions, the limits of his patience were quickly reached over time. So she eventually stopped trying.

He didn't seem to listen to her, or pretended to not to. She accepted this for a while, but she quickly got tired of it. She was now 15, and she had the feeling to be nothing but a resource.

She once refused to cooperate when the Lackey came to cut her horn as usual. Surprised, they didn't dare to insist and didn't take anything from her. But they had had been scolded by Raphael, who kindly scolded Luvia right after.

The next month, Luvia shown herself to be more reluctant and the Lackey had struggling to take one of her horns. They didn't dare to complain about it to Raphael, though. They thought that was only a complicated day and nothing more. So it wasn't useful to warn their boss. Anyway, Raphael did notice that the horn was a bit damaged, which made it less powerful.

Several weeks later, the young girl tried again to evade a new cutting session. But this time, the Lackey was more firm, and it was more and more unbearable.

And as the pain increased, she found it more and more difficult to follow Raphael's teachings. She struggled to concentrate, her head was painful, just like her heart whenever she saw the disappointment in His eyes. She did her best, she really did, but it wasn't enough. And she had no one to talk about all of this. She didn't know what she felt... Anger ? Sadness ? Desperation ? What was certain is that is was hurtful.... Especially when the one who requested her mutilation was the one for whom she had the most admiration. But Luvia had enough.

The next time would be the last one.

To be continued

Bonus: The "evolution" of Luvia's horns.

[death-mothblog]

Peppered moth

The peppered moth (Biston betularia) is a temperate species of night-flying moth. It is mostly found in the northern hemisphere in places like Asia, Europe and North America. Peppered moth evolution is an example of population genetics and natural selection.The caterpillars of the peppered moth not only mimic the form but also the colour of a twig. Recent research indicates that the caterpillars can sense the twig's colour with their skin and match their body colour to the background to protect themselves from predators.The wingspan ranges from 45 mm to 62 mm (median 55 mm). It is relatively stout-bodied, with forewings relatively narrow-elongate. The wings are white, "peppered" with black, and with more-or-less distinct cross lines, also black. These transverse wing lines and "peppered" maculation (spotting) can also, in rare instances, be gray or brown; the spotting pattern, in particularly very rare cases, is sometimes a combination of brown and black/gray. The black speckling varies in amount, in some examples it is almost absent, whilst in others it is so dense that the wings appear to be black sprinkled with white. The antennae of males are strongly bipectinate. Prout (1912–16) gives an account of the forms and congeners.

[silentiaray]

So, the correct answer is: it is a symbol of justice.

The shape in the center is an abstract food item divided into perfectly equal halves by a bite (slimes can't identify this shape as a heart, their anatomy is different). Why a bite? The concept of justice arose in their culture long before they learned to make sharp knives. The moment when slimes, finding themselves in a situation of food shortage, began to consciously share it with their congeners in order to take care of them, is a very significant stage in the development of their sentient civilization, which laid the foundation for their social structure and mentality.

Thanks to Mussy_Zefirchik for the art featuring a stained glass window with the symbol of justice adorning the office of the Supreme Judge of the kingdom!

Masterpost

[dailyanarchistposts]

Appendix VI: Adaptations to Avoid Competition

Numerous examples of such adaptations can be found in the works of all field-naturalists. One of them, very interesting, may be given in the hairy armadillo, of which W.H. Hudson says, that “it has struck a line for itself, and consequently thrives, while its congeners are fast disappearing. Its food is most varied. It preys on all kinds of insects, discovering worms and larvæ several inches beneath the surface. It is fond of eggs and fledglings; it feeds on carrion as readily as a vulture; and, failing animal food, it subsists on vegetable diet-clover, and even grains of maize. Therefore, when other animals are starving, the hairy armadillo is always fat and vigorous” (Naturalist on the La Plata, p. 71).

The adaptivity of the lapwing makes it a species of which the range of extension is very wide. In England, it “makes itself at home on arable land as readily as in wilder areas.” Ch. Dixon says in his Birds of Northern Shires (p. 67), “Variety of food is still more the rule with the birds of prey.” Thus, for instance, we learn from the same author (pp. 60, 65), “that the hen harrier of the British moors feeds not only on small birds, but also on moles and mice, and on frogs, lizards and insects, while most of the smaller falcons subsist largely on insects.”

The very suggestive chapter which W.H. Hudson gives to the family of the South American treecreepers, or woodhewers, is another excellent illustration of the ways in which large portions of the animal population avoid competition, while at the same time they succeed in becoming very numerous in a given region, without being possessed of any of the weapons usually considered as essential in the struggle for existence. The above family covers an immense range, from South Mexico to Patagonia, and no fewer than 290 species, referable to about 46 genera, are already known from this family, the most striking feature of which is the great diversity of habits of its members. Not only the different genera and the different species possess habits peculiarly their own, but even the same species is often found to differ in its manner of life in different localities. “Some species of Xenops and Magarornis, like woodpeckers, climb vertically on tree-trunks in search of insect prey, but also, like tits, explore the smaller twigs and foliage at the extremity of the branches; so that the whole tree, from the root to its topmost foliage, is hunted over by them. The Sclerurus, although an inhabitant of the darkest forest, and provided with sharply-curved claws, never seeks its food on trees, but exclusively on the ground, among the decaying fallen leaves; but, strangely enough, when alarmed, it flies to the trunk of the nearest tree, to which it clings in a vertical position, and, remaining silent and motionless, escapes observation by means of its dark protective colour.” And so on. In their nesting habits they also vary immensely. Thus, in one single genus, three species build an oven-shaped clay-nest, a fourth builds a nest of sticks in the trees, and a fifth burrows in the side of a bank, like a kingfisher.

Now, this extremely large family, of which Hudson says that “every portion of the South American continent is occupied by them; for there is really no climate, and no kind of soil or vegetation, which does not possess its appropriate species, belongs” — to use his own words — “to the most defenceless of birds.” Like the ducks which were mentioned by Syevertsoff (see in the text), they display no powerful beak or claws; “they are timid, unresisting creatures, without strength or weapons; their movements are less quick and vigorous than those of other kinds, and their flight is exceedingly feeble.” But they possess — both Hudson and Asara observe — “the social disposition in an eminent degree,” although “the social habit is kept down in them by the conditions of a life which makes solitude necessary.” They cannot make those large breeding associations which we see in the sea-birds, because they live on the tree-insects, and they must carefully explore separately every tree — which they do in a most business-like way; but they continually call each other in the woods, “conversing with one another over long distances;” and they associate in those “wandering bands” which are well known from Bates’ picturesque description, while Hudson was led to believe “that everywhere in South America the Dendrocolaptidae are the first in combining to act in concert, and that the birds of other families follow their march and associate with them, knowing from experience that a rich harvest may be reaped.” It hardly need be added that Hudson pays them also a high compliment concerning their intelligence. Sociability and intelligence always go hand in hand.

[inatungulates]

Atlantic spotted dolphin "Stenella" frontalis

Observed by jpdandretta, CC BY

Features for recognizing the bridled dolphins, pt. 1: Atlantic spotted dolphin

The five mid-size dolphin species traditionally grouped together in the paraphyletic genus Stenella - the "bridled" or "side-striped" dolphins - may not have the striking coloration of some dolphins (i.e., common dolphins, Atlantic white-sided dolphins) or the extremely bold high-contrast patterning of others (i.e., southern right whale dolphins, Commerson's dolphins, killer whales), but these species still exhibit intricate patterns with several subtleties that, along with general body form, allow the fairly-similar species to be told apart.

Despite the name, Atlantic spotted dolphins are only sparsely spotted for much of their life, and complete coverage of a dense spot pattern develops only in the oldest individuals. Unspotted or lightly-spotted juveniles and young adults are probably the most "generic"-looking of the bridled dolphins, more easy to confuse with common bottlenose dolphins Tursiops truncatus than with any of their traditional congeners. Still, there are useful field marks to look for:

The most obvious, to my eye, is the intruding blaze from the paler thoracic patch (lighter area on the side of the face and ribcage) into the darker dorsal cape, running up toward the dorsal fin. Note that in this individual, the spotting is more heavily-developed along the thoracic patch and continues along the blaze, but the cape remains virtually unspotted.

The paler color of the underside often runs quite high up the sides of these dolphins, and can be quite strongly demarcated, rather than gradual. Note that in this individual, the transition from the medium-grey of the sides to the white of the lower body is crisp, and marked by a concentration of spots.

Note that the spots in the paler areas (lower body, face) are large, black, and more widely-spaced, while the spots in the darker areas (sides, back) are smaller, pale grey or whitish, and more concentrated. Older animals are completely dark with a dense covering of pale spots.

There is a fairly strong development of the mask (dark area immediately around the eye) and the typical delphinid bridle (thin stripes running from the eye over the rostrum, and from the rostrum to the blowhole).

Useful features of body form for ID:

The rostrum (beak) is of moderate length. It is a bit shorter and stubbier than in most of the other bridled dolphins, but it is notably longer and more thin than a common bottlenose dolphin.

The pectoral flippers and especially the dorsal fin are proportionally large. The relative size of the dorsal fin is, again, a useful trait for distinguishing from bottlenose dolphins.

[typhlonectes]

A spectacular new species of Hyloscirtus (Anura: Hylidae) from the Cordillera de Los Llanganates in the eastern Andes of Ecuador

Juan P. Reyes-Puig​, Darwin Recalde, Fausto Recalde, Claudia Koch, Juan M. Guayasamin, Diego F. Cisneros-Heredia, Lou Jost, Mario H. Yánez-Muñoz

Abstract

We have discovered a spectacular new species of frog in the genus Hyloscirtus, belonging to the H. larinopygion species group. The adult female is characterized by a mostly black body with large bright red spots on the dorsal and ventral surface, extremities, and toe pads. The adult male is unknown. Small juveniles are characterized by a yellow body with variable black markings on the flanks; while one larger juvenile displayed irregular orange or yellow marks on a black background color, with light orange or yellow toe pads. Additional distinctive external morphological features such as cloacal ornamentation are described, and some osteological details are imaged and analyzed. The performed phylogeny places the new species as the sister to a clade consisting of ten taxa, all of which are part of the H. larinopygion group. We use genetic distances to fit the new species into a published time-calibrated phylogeny of this group; our analysis based on the published chronology suggests that the divergence of the new species from its known congeners pre-dates the Quaternary period. The new species is currently only known only from Cerro Mayordomo, in Fundación EcoMinga´s Machay Reserve, at 2,900 m in the eastern Andes of Tungurahua province, Ecuador, near the southern edge of Los Llanganates National Park, but its real distribution may be larger.

Read the paper here: A spectacular new species of Hyloscirtus (Anura: Hylidae) from the Cordillera de Los Llanganates in the eastern Andes of Ecuador [PeerJ]