The Pleistocene/Holocene transition furnishes a classic example of apparent evolutionary stasis during a period of major environmental change, where observed environmental clines might predict evolutionary change. We have previously attempted to assess whether or not body size and shape were static in the extensive Quaternary vertebrate fauna of Rancho La Brea (RLB). However, the validity of time-series studies depends on dating, and there are indications that previous approaches based on pit mean radiocarbon ages may be misleading. Here we have compiled and recalibrated all available RLB radiocarbon ages, reanalyzed our morphometric data using a novel method for bootstrap resampling of calibrated C age distributions to estimate a time series of populations, and fit the time series with a range of simple evolutionary time-series models.

Although the shortness of our time series tends to favor nondirectional models and is insufficient to allow reliable discrimination between punctuated and gradual change, the results can still be clearly interpreted. The population means for most anatomical elements in most species at RLB do genuinely appear to be static through the Pleistocene/Holocene transition, as previously published. Some species exhibit previously undetected changes in population mean size and shape, including Smilodon, Gymnogyps, and Equus. However, the timing of change is variable among the non-static species and generally does not correspond to changes in temperature, and thus resists a Bergmann’s rule interpretation. Considering the species by ecological category may reveal more about the effects of climate regime shifts.

The Indo-West Pacific region serves as the primary habitat for the majority of extant hexapodid crabs. The hexapodids boast a rich evolutionary history dating back to the Cretaceous, marked by a significant radiation throughout the Cenozoic, while the Paleocene–Miocene of tropical America emerges as a pivotal center of radiation, evidenced by reported hexapodid species in Barbados, Panama, Peru, Trinidad, and Venezuela. Through an examination of the paleocarcinological collection at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, a new genus and species within Hexapodidae is described and illustrated. Rodneyellus feldmanni, the newly described taxon, is named in honor to Dr. Rodney Feldmann for his unwavering commitment to fossil crustacean research. This report marks the inaugural documentation of Hexapodidae in Brazil, encompassing both fossilized and extant representatives. Furthermore, the Pirabas Formation emerges as a critical locus for comprehending the contemporary distribution of decapod crustaceans across tropical America.

UUID: http://zoobank.org/9792bc1e-d06e-490b-a8e6-c23ee1c11fb1

Sustainable agricultural practices have become increasingly important due to growing environmental concerns and the urgent need to mitigate the climate crisis. Digital agriculture, through advanced data analysis frameworks, holds promise for promoting these practices. Pesticides are a common tool in agricultural pest control, which are key in ensuring food security but also significantly contribute to the climate crisis. To combat this, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) stands as a climate-smart alternative. We propose a causal and explainable framework for enhancing digital agriculture, using pest management and its sustainable alternative, IPM, as a key example to highlight the contributions of causality and explainability. Despite its potential, IPM faces low adoption rates due to farmers’ skepticism about its effectiveness. To address this challenge, we introduce an advanced data analysis framework tailored to enhance IPM adoption. Our framework provides (i) robust pest population predictions across diverse environments with invariant and causal learning, (ii) explainable pest presence predictions using transparent models, (iii) actionable advice through counterfactual explanations for in-season IPM interventions, (iv) field-specific treatment effect estimations, and (v) assessments of the effectiveness of our advice using causal inference. By incorporating these features, our study illustrates the potential of causality and explainability concepts to enhance digital agriculture regarding promoting climate-smart and sustainable agricultural practices, focusing on the specific case of pest management. In this case, our framework aims to alleviate skepticism and encourage wider adoption of IPM practices among policymakers, agricultural consultants, and farmers.