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1. The phylogeny and systematics of Xiphosura

   https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.10431  

   Lamsdell, James C. (January 2020, PeerJ)

   null (Ed.)

   Xiphosurans are aquatic chelicerates with a fossil record extending into the Early Ordovician and known from a total of 88 described species, four of which are extant. Known for their apparent morphological conservatism, for which they have gained notoriety as supposed ‘living fossils’, recent analyses have demonstrated xiphosurans to have an ecologically diverse evolutionary history, with several groups moving into non-marine environments and developing morphologies markedly different from those of the modern species. The combination of their long evolutionary and complex ecological history along with their paradoxical patterns of morphological stasis in some clades and experimentation among others has resulted in Xiphosura being of particular interest for macroevolutionary study. Phylogenetic analyses have shown the current taxonomic framework for Xiphosura—set out in the Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology in 1955—to be outdated and in need of revision, with several common genera such as Paleolimulus Dunbar, 1923 and Limulitella Størmer, 1952 acting as wastebasket taxa. Here, an expanded xiphosuran phylogeny is presented, comprising 58 xiphosuran species as part of a 158 taxon chelicerate matrix coded for 259 characters. Analysing the matrix under both Bayesian inference and parsimony optimisation criteria retrieves a concordant tree topology that forms the basis of a genus-level systematic revision of xiphosuran taxonomy. The genera Euproops Meek, 1867, Belinurus König, 1820, Paleolimulus , Limulitella , and Limulus are demonstrated to be non-monophyletic and the previously synonymized genera Koenigiella Raymond, 1944 and Prestwichianella Cockerell, 1905 are shown to be valid. In addition, nine new genera ( Andersoniella gen. nov. , Macrobelinurus gen. nov. , and Parabelinurus gen. nov. in Belinurina; Norilimulus gen. nov. in Paleolimulidae; Batracholimulus gen. nov. and Boeotiaspis gen. nov. in Austrolimulidae; and Allolimulus gen. nov., Keuperlimulus gen. nov., and Volanalimulus gen. nov. in Limulidae) are erected to accommodate xiphosuran species not encompassed by existing genera. One new species, Volanalimulus madagascarensis gen. et sp. nov., is also described. Three putative xiphosuran genera— Elleria Raymond, 1944, Archeolimulus Chlupáč, 1963, and Drabovaspis Chlupáč, 1963—are determined to be non-xiphosuran arthropods and as such are removed from Xiphosura. The priority of Belinurus König, 1820 over Bellinurus Pictet, 1846 is also confirmed. This work is critical for facilitating the study of the xiphosuran fossil record and is the first step in resolving longstanding questions regarding the geographic distribution of the modern horseshoe crab species and whether they truly represent ‘living fossils’. Understanding the long evolutionary history of Xiphosura is vital for interpreting how the modern species may respond to environmental change and in guiding conservation efforts. 

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2. Imaging systematics and clustering of DESI main targets

   https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/staa1621  

   Kitanidis, Ellie; White, Martin; Feng, Yu; Schlegel, David; Guy, Julien; Dey, Arjun; Landriau, Martin; Brooks, David; Levi, Michael; Moustakas, John; et al (August 2020, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society)

   null (Ed.)

   ABSTRACT We evaluate the impact of imaging systematics on the clustering of luminous red galaxies (LRG), emission-line galaxies (ELG), and quasars (QSO) targeted for the upcoming Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) survey. Using Data Release 7 of the DECam Legacy Survey, we study the effects of astrophysical foregrounds, stellar contamination, differences between north galactic cap and south galactic cap measurements, and variations in imaging depth, stellar density, galactic extinction, seeing, airmass, sky brightness, and exposure time before presenting survey masks and weights to mitigate these effects. With our sanitized samples in hand, we conduct a preliminary analysis of the clustering amplitude and evolution of the DESI main targets. From measurements of the angular correlation functions, we determine power law fits $$r_0 = 7.78 \pm 0.26\, h^{-1}$$Mpc, γ = 1.98 ± 0.02 for LRGs and $$r_0 = 5.45 \pm 0.1\, h^{-1}$$Mpc, γ = 1.54 ± 0.01 for ELGs. Additionally, from the angular power spectra, we measure the linear biases and model the scale-dependent biases in the weakly non-linear regime. Both sets of clustering measurements show good agreement with survey requirements for LRGs and ELGs, attesting that these samples will enable DESI to achieve precise cosmological constraints. We also present clustering as a function of magnitude, use cross-correlations with external spectroscopy to infer dN/dz and measure clustering as a function of luminosity, and probe higher order clustering statistics through counts-in-cells moments. 

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3. Fungal Systematics and Evolution: FUSE 8

   Lebeuf, R; Alexandrova, AV; Cerna-Mendoza, A; Corazon-Guivin, MA; da Silva, GA; de la Sota-Ricaldi, AM; Dima, B; Fryssouli, V; Gkilas, M; Guerrero-Abad, JC; et al (January 2021, Sydowia)
4. Zygoptera systematics: past, present, and future

   https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaf013  

   Sutherland, Laura_N; Carter, Payton_R; Abbott, John; Beatty, Christopher; Bota-Sierra, Cornelio_A; Büsse, Sebastian; Cano-Cobos, Yiselle; Combey, Rofela; Cordero-Rivera, Adolfo; Uche_Dike, Rhema; et al (July 2025, Insect Systematics and Diversity)

   Abstract Odonata is a midsized insect order (~6420 species) containing 3 suborders: Anisoptera (dragonflies, 3,120 species), Zygoptera (damselflies, ~3,297 species), and the intermediate Anisozygoptera (~3 species). In this review of the suborder Zygoptera, we provide a brief overview of their biology, ecology, and natural history. We also review the current state of their systematics and phylogenetics, highlighting remaining higher-level classification (eg family, superfamily) issues to address. Lastly, we will emphasize areas that are still in need of exploration which would greatly improve our understanding of the group. 

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5. Ant systematics: past, present, and future

   https://doi.org/10.1093/isd/ixaf025  

   Oberski, Jill T; Griebenow, Zachary H; Adams, Rachelle_M M; Andersen, Alan; Andrade-Silva, Joudellys; Barden, Phillip; Borowiec, Marek; Brady, Seán; Casadei-Ferreira, Alexandre; Csősz, Sándor; et al (June 2025, Insect Systematics and Diversity)

   Song, Hojun (Ed.)

   Abstract The classification of ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) has progressed in waves since the first 17 species were described by Linnaeus in the 1758 edition of Systema Naturae. Since then, over 18,000 species-rank names have accumulated for the global myrmecofauna, of which ~14,260 living and ~810 fossil species are valid. Here, we provide a synopsis of ant biodiversity and review the history and classification of the family, while highlighting the massive growth of the field in the new millennium. We observe that major transformation has occurred for ant classification due to advances in DNA sequencing technologies, model-based hypothesis testing, and imaging technologies. We therefore provide a revised and illustrated list of diagnostic character states for the higher clades of Formicidae, recognizing that vastly more work is to be done. To facilitate discussion and the systematic accumulation of evolutionary knowledge for the early evolution of the ants, we suggest an informal nomenclatural system for the higher clades of ants, based on names currently in use and a set of names that have been democratically selected by the authors. To guide future work on ant systematics, we summarize currently available databases and present perspectives on regions in need of biodiversity exploration, challenges facing the field, and the future of ant taxonomy. 

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