New coelacanth material from the Middle Triassic of eastern Switzerland, and comments on the taxic diversity of actinistans

New coelacanth material from the Middle Triassic Prosanto Formation of the Ducan and Landwasser area near Davos in eastern Switzerland, Canton Graubünden, is described. A sub-complete individual is visible in ventral view, and shows details of its branchial apparatus. In particular, it possesses relatively large teeth on the ceratobranchials, and possible ossified hypobranchials. Few diagnostic characters are observable, and most of them are visible on the mandibles preserved in lateral view. This specimen shares characters with Ticinepomis peyeri, a smaller form from the Middle Triassic of Monte San Giorgio, whose holotype is re-described in part here. A second specimen, a fragmentary caudal skeleton shows the typical supplementary lobe of coelacanths, and meristic characters indicating probable close affinities with T. peyeri. We refer this material to Ticinepomis cf. T. peyeri. Because the new specimen is larger than the holotype, we refute the possible juvenile status of the small specimen from Monte San Giorgio. The new material of Ticinepomis from Canton Graubünden shows anatomical features not preserved on the holotype and allows the addition of new characters to a previously published data matrix of actinistians. A phylogenetic analysis is performed, which supports that Ticinepomis is nested among the Latimeriidae. The diversity of post-Palaeozoic coelacanths is assessed. The taxic diversity of observed occurrences shows a peak in the Early Triassic and a peak in the Late Jurassic, as detected in previous studies. When ghost lineages are included in the computation, the Late Jurassic peak is smoothened. By comparing the taxic diversity curves with the curve of average ghost lineage duration, we conclude that the Early Triassic peak of diversity was probably caused by a biological radiation, whereas the Late Jurassic peak of observed diversity is probably the result of a Lagerstätten effect.     

Contents of Volume 48

Volume Contents

Contents of Volume 48     

Ice‐borne prehistoric finds in the Swiss Alps reflect Holocene glacier fluctuations

During the hot summer of 2003, reduction of an ice field in the Swiss Alps (Schnidejoch) uncovered spectacular archaeological hunting gear, fur, leather and woollen clothing and tools from four distinct windows of time: Neolithic Age (4900 to 4450 cal. yr BP), early Bronze Age (4100–3650 cal. yr BP), Roman Age (1st–3rd century AD), and Medieval times (8–9th century AD and 14–15th century AD). Transalpine routes connecting northern Italy with the northern Alps during these slots is consistent with late Holocene maximum glacier retreat. The age cohorts of the artefacts are separated which is indicative of glacier advances when the route was difficult and not used for transit. The preservation of Neolithic leather indicates permanent ice cover at that site from ca. 4900 cal. yr BP until AD 2003, implying that the ice cover was smaller in 2003 than at any time during the last 5000 years. Current glacier retreat is unprecedented since at least that time. This is highly significant regarding the interpretation of the recent warming and the rapid loss of ice in the Alps. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Solar limb darkening 1986–1990 (λλ303 to 1099 nm)

The Sun's limb darkening was observed repeatedly between the 1986 minimum and the 1990 maximum of solar activity.Systematic variations, which could depend either on the momentary activity and/or the phase in the solar cycle, werenot detectable, either at continuum wavelengths or in two broad-band spectral intervals. Completelyirregular variations, which concern not only individual, successive scans (due to granulation, etc.), but also thedaily andseasonal averages, are usually less than 1%, but can reach occasionally 2% or even more. Minoreast-west asymmetries even in the seasonal means seem to be well established, mainly for < 400 nm. Thefinal, mean limb-darkening coefficients agree basically with those published by Pierce and Slaughter (1977) and Pierce, Slaughter, and Weinberger (1977), but show a much lower scatter when plotted against wavelength.     

Numerical modeling to investigate slopes and mass flow phenomena

An overview is given about up-to-date techniques for slope stability and deformation analysis as well as mass flow phenomena simulation. The paper concentrates on a few aspects in respect to the use of numerical modeling techniques, especially in relation to the shear strength reduction techniques, discontinuum modeling, probabilistic concepts, the combination of GIS and numerical modeling as well as sophisticated hydro-mechanical coupling with time-dependent material behavior. At present these topics are preferred topics of scientific and technical research.     

A study of the mass,momentum and energy budget of the atmosphere

Production and expenditure rates in the terrestrial budget of various air properties (mass of precipitable water and carbon dioxide, zonal and root mean square momentum, heat, and entropy) are studied. The discussion is based on graphs and diagrams which illustrate the global radiation and heat budget, dynamical energy forms and conversions, hydrologic and carbon dioxide cycles, and meridional cross sections of mass, momentum, heat, and entropy budget terms. A comparison of atmospheric property holdings with expenditure rates results in a fictitious interval of time required to annull the holdings. For momentum, precipitable water, and heat this interval of time has the order of magnitude of 10⁰, 10¹, and 10² days, respectively.

---

Zusammenfassung Es werden die Einnahme- und Ausgabeposten beim terrestrischen Haushalt verschiedener Eigenschaften der Luft (Wasserdampf und Kohlensäure als Beispiele von Masseneigenschaften, ferner zonal-vektorieller und skalarer Impuls, Wärme und Entropie) untersucht. Die Diskussion wird durch graphische Darstellungen und Diagramme unterstützt, welche folgende Größen veranschaulichen: den globalen Strahlungs- und Wärmehaushalt, dynamische Energieformen und ihre Umwandlungen, Wasserkreislauf und Kohlensäurekreislauf, sowie Bilanzposten der Massen-, Impuls-, Wärme- und Entropiebilanz in Meridionalschnitten. Eine Vergleichung des Gehalts der Atmosphäre an verschiedenen Eigenschaften mit ihren Verlusten liefert ein fiktives Zeitintervall, in welchem die Reserven aufgebraucht würden, wenn kein Ersatz nachgeliefert würde; die Größenordnung dieses Zeitintervalles ergibt sich zu 10⁰, 10¹ und 10² Tagen für Impuls, Wasserdampf und Wärme.

---

Résumé L'auteur étudie la production et la dépense dans le bilan terrestre des différentes propriétés de l'air (la vapeur d'eau et le dioxyde de carbone comme exemples de propriétés de masse, puis la quantité de mouvement zonale-vectorielle et scalaire, la chaleur et l'entropie). Des graphiques illustrent la discussion qui représentent les grandeurs suivantes: économie globale de la radiation et de la chaleur, formes dynamiques de l'énergie et leurs transformations, cycles hydrologique et du dioxyde de carbone, ainsi que les composantes du bilan des masses, de la quantité de mouvement, de la chaleur et de l'entropie en coupes méridionales. La comparaison du contenu des diverses propriétés dans l'atmosphère avec leurs pertes est fournie par un intervalle de temps fictif, pendant lequel les réserves seraient épuisées, au cas où leur renouvellement ferait défaut; l'ordre de grandeur de cet intervalle résulte à 10⁰, 10¹ et 10² jours respectivement pour la quantité de mouvement, la vapeur d'eau et la chaleur.

---

---

With 8 Figures.     

Environmental changes and carbon cycle perturbations at the Triassic–Jurassic boundary in northern Switzerland

The Triassic–Jurassic boundary is characterized by strong perturbations of the global carbon cycle, triggered by massive volcanic eruptions related to the onset of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province. These perturbations are recorded by negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) which have been reported worldwide. In this study, Triassic–Jurassic boundary sections from the southern margin of the Central European Basin (CEB) located in northern Switzerland are analyzed for organic carbon and nitrogen isotopes in combination with particulate organic matter (POM) analyses. We reconstruct the evolution of the depositional environment from Late Triassic to Early Jurassic in northern Switzerland and show that observed negative shifts in δ¹³C of the total organic carbon (δ¹³C_TOC) in the sediment are only subordinately influenced by varying organic matter (OM) composition and primarily reflect global changes in the carbon cycle. Based on palynology and the stratigraphic positions of isotopic shifts, the δ¹³C_TOC record of the studied sections is correlated with the GSSP section at Kuhjoch (Tethyan realm) in Austria and with the St. Audrie’s Bay section (CEB realm) in southwest England. We also show that in contrast to POM analyses the applicability of organic carbon/total nitrogen (OC/TN) atomic ratios and stable isotopes of total nitrogen (δ¹⁵N_TN) for detecting changes in source of OM is limited in marginal depositional environments with frequent changes in lithology and OM contents.     

Delimiting the eastern extent of the Altyn Tagh Fault: Insights from structural analyses of seismic reflection profiles

The Altyn Tagh Fault (ATF) serves as a key continental‐scale controlling structural element of the Tibetan Plateau. However, its eastward extent remains controversial. Here we use high‐resolution seismic reflection profiles to investigate the subsurface structures of the easternmost ATF and use these to delimit the easternmost extent of the fault. The structural analyses show an eastward geometric change from transpressional positive flower structures to compressional thrusts, with transpression‐induced shortening magnitudes decreasing eastwards from a maximum of ~5.3 km to being absent. Stratigraphic controls indicate that the deformation took place over the last ~<1.2 Ma. Our wider findings lead us to: (a) reject the suggestion that the ATF previously extended beyond the Kuantan Shan‐Hei Shan to link with the Alxa‐East Mongolia Fault; and (b) propose that the rigid block model used to describe the Tibetan Plateau crust is not consistent with the extent and structural details of the easternmost ATF.