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Beginning with the Jeffersoniana series of publications, the museum is offering free, online downloads.  We will be adding more in the future, but don't forget to view the online store for additional publications for purchase.

A new Crataegus-feeding plant bug of the genus Neolygus from the eastern United States
Jeffersoniana #17

Thomas J. Henry

ABSTRACT
The new species Neolygus crataegi is described from two counties in southwestern Virginia where it was collected in June on flowers of hawthorn, Crataegus spp. Dorsal and lateral digital images and a habitus illustration of the adult, scanning electron photomicrographs of selected structures, and illustrations of male genitalia are provided to help distinguish N. crataegi from other species of the genus.

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Barstovian (middle Miocene) Land Mammals from the Carmel Church Quarry, Caroline County, Virginia
Jeffersoniana #18

Alton C. Dooley, Jr.

ABSTRACT
Excavation of marine sediments of the Calvert Formation at the Carmel Church Quarry has resulted in the collection of remains of several land mammals. These include the first reports from the upper Calvert Formation of the family Dromomerycidae and of the equid Calippus cf. regulus as well as the tayassuid “Prosthennops” xiphidonticus and a tapirid. The presence of Calippus cf. regulus and “Prosthennops” xiphidonticus indicate a late Barstovian age for this deposit, which is consistent with previous assessments based on diatoms.

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Unusual Cambrian Thrombolites from the Boxley Blue Ridge Quarry, Bedford County, Virginia
Jeffersoniana #19

Alton C. Dooley, Jr. 

ABSTRACT
Three unusual thrombolites were collected in June 2008 from the Late Cambrian Conococheague Formation at the Boxley Materials Blue Ridge Quarry in Bedford County, Virginia. These specimens are isolated low domes with a thrombolitic core and a pustulate, stromatolitic outer layer. The two largest domes have a distinctive thickened rim around their margins. There are apparent traces across the upper surfaces of the domes that may indicate grazing by invertebrates.

The overall structure and morphology of the Boxley specimens is reminiscent of modern thrombolites forming in Lake Thetis, a saline lake in southwestern Australia. The low domes and thickened rims in Lake Thetis specimens seem to be a result of growth in a protected setting, with shallowing water levels. Based on the similarities with the Lake Thetis specimens, the Boxley thrombolites may have formed in a protected lagoonal setting with gradually dropping water levels, followed by relatively rapid inundation and burial.  ISBN 1061-1878.  (Distributed as a PDF download only).

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Injuries in a Mysticete Skeleton from the Miocene of Virginia, With a Discussion of Buoyancy and the Primitive Feeding Mode in the Chaeomysticeti
Jeffersoniana #20

Brian L. Beatty and Alton C. Dooley, Jr.

ABSTRACT
A mostly complete skeleton of a mysticete from the Carmel Church Quarry displays some injuries, including a fractured and partially-healed left mandible, previously not reported in any fossil mysticete. The mostly healed nature of this non-union impaction fracture indicates that the animal died a significant amount of time after the injury. Additional injuries of the postglenoid process and left premaxilla, as well as the nature of the impaction fracture in the mandible suggest that the cause of this was some impact from the left anterior aspect.  Possible scenarios for how this injury could have happened include intraspecific aggression and, more likely, impact with the seafloor during benthic feeding.  The ribs of this individual are heavily osteosclerotic from dorsal to ventral ends, which would suggest that this taxon was a benthic feeder. In comparison with a sample of ribs from fossil mysticetes, it appears that Diorocetus may have been one of the last mysticetes with rib osteosclerosis, a feature possibly primitive to Mysticeti. Although this remains speculative, the presence of osteosclerotic ribs in primitive mysticetes suggests that the feeding mode employed by the earliest Chaeomysticeti was one of benthic feeding.

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Morphometric and Allozymic Variation in the Southeastern Shrew (Sorex longirostris)
Jeffersoniana #21

Wm. David Webster, Nancy D. Moncrief, Becky E. Gurshaw, Janet L. Loxterman, Robert K. Rose, John F. Pagels, and Sandra Y. Erdle

ABSTRACT
Morphometric and allozymic variation was examined in specimens of Sorex longirostris to assess the status of S. l. fisheri, which is thought to be restricted to the Great Dismal Swamp region of southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Significant geographic variation was detected in all cranial and external measurements and in body mass. Shrews from southeastern Virginia and throughout eastern North Carolina (S. l. fisheri Merriam 1895) are large overall but they have relatively narrow crania. Shrews from southern Georgia and Florida (S. l. eionis Davis 1957) also are large but they have relatively short tails. Shrews from elsewhere in the range of the species (S. l. longirostris Bachman 1837) are relatively small in all cranial and external dimensions and in body mass. Five of 25 genetic loci examined by starch-gel electrophoresis were variable, with one allele (MPIC) occurring only in shrews from southeastern Virginia and several sites in eastern North Carolina. Allozymic evidence for intergradation was demonstrated through the presence of the MPIC allele in specimens from central North Carolina that morphologically were assigned to S. l. longirostris. Shrews from the Lower Coastal Plain of eastern North Carolina were allozymically more similar to animals from the Great Dismal Swamp, the type locality of S. l. fisheri, than to shrews from western North Carolina and Virginia (S. l. longirostris). Thus, based on morphometric and allozymic information, we conclude that shrews referable to S. l. fisheri are distributed widely in the North Carolina Coastal Plain, well beyond the historic Great Dismal Swamp in southeastern Virginia.

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Karyotype designation and habitat description of the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda, Say) from the type locality
Jeffersoniana #22

Cody W. Thompson and Justin D. Hoffman

ABSTRACT

The karyotype of the northern short-tailed shrew (Blarina brevicauda) has been studied extensively across its range, revealing polymorphisms as a result of Robertsonian fissions/fusions. However, no karyological data have been reported at the type locality due to disagreement on its location. This information is vital given the proximity of a contact zone with the Elliot’s short-tailed shrew (B. hylophaga). Recent evidence has indicated that the type locality of B. brevicauda is situated at the western edge of this species’ distribution in eastern Nebraska. Therefore, it is now possible to establish a karyotype of specimens found at this location. Specimens were collected in 2006 at the type locality and field karyotyped. Chromosome morphology was consistent with previous reports. Two specimens collected from the type locality had a diploid number of 50 and a fundamental number of 48. Further investigation may reveal additional karyotypes at this location.

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