A Late Pleistocene hominin footprint site on the North African coast of Morocco.

Footprints represent a relevant vestige providing direct information on the biology, locomotion, and behaviour of the individuals who left them. However, the spatiotemporal distribution of hominin footprints is heterogeneous, particularly in North Africa, where no footprint sites were known before the Holocene. This region is important in the evolution of hominins. It notably includes the earliest currently known Homo sapiens (Jebel Irhoud) and the oldest and richest African Middle Stone Age hominin sites. In this fragmented ichnological record, we report the discovery of 85 human footprints on a Late Pleistocene now indurated beach surface of about 2800 m2 at Larache (Northwest coast of Morocco). The wide range of sizes of the footprints suggests that several individuals from different age groups made the tracks while moving landward and seaward across a semi-dissipative bar-trough sandy beach foreshore. A geological investigation and an optically stimulated luminescence dating of a rock sample extracted from the tracksite places this hominin footprint surface at 90.3 ± 7.6 ka (MIS 5, Late Pleistocene). The Larache footprints are, therefore, the oldest attributed to Homo sapiens in Northern Africa and the Southern Mediterranean.

New dating of the Matalascañas footprints provides new evidence of the Middle Pleistocene (MIS 9-8) hominin paleoecology in southern Europe.

Hominin footprints were recently discovered at Matalascañas (Huelva; South of Iberian Peninsula). They were dated thanks to a previous study in deposits of the Asperillo cliff to 106 ± 19 ka, Upper Pleistocene, making Neandertals the most likely track-makers. In this paper, we report new Optically Stimulated Luminescence dating that places the hominin footprints surface in the range of 295.8 ± 17 ka (MIS 9-MIS 8 transition, Middle Pleistocene). This new age implies that the possible track-makers are individuals more likely from the Neandertal evolutionary lineage. Regardless of the taxon attributed to the Matalascañas footprints, they supplement the existing partial fossil record for the European Middle Pleistocene Hominins being notably the first palaeoanthropological evidence (hominin skeleton or footprints) from the MIS 9 and MIS 8 transition discovered in the Iberian Peninsula, a moment of climatic evolution from warm to cool. Thus, the Matalascañas footprints represent a crucial record for understanding human occupations in Europe in the Pleistocene.

Climate-Aware and IoT-Enabled Selection of the Most Suitable Stone Fruit Tree Variety.

The application of new technologies such as the Internet of Things offers the opportunity to improve current agricultural development, facilitate daily tasks, and turn farms into efficient and sustainable production systems. The use of these new technologies enables the digital transformation process demanded by the sector and provides agricultural collectives with more optimized analysis and prediction tools. Due to climate change, one of the farm industry's problems is the advance or decay in the cycle of stone fruit trees. The objective is to recommend whether a specific area meets the minimum climatic requirements for planting certain stone fruit trees based on climatic data and bioclimatic indicators. The methodology used implements a large amount of meteorological data to generate information on specific climatic conditions and interactions on crops. In this work, a pilot study has been carried out in the Region of Murcia using an IoT platform. We simulate scenarios for the development of stone fruit varieties better adapted to the environment. Based on the standard, open interfaces, and protocols, the platform integrates heterogeneous information sources and interoperability with other third-party solutions to exchange and exploit such information.

Tracking late Pleistocene Neandertals on the Iberian coast.

Here, we report the recent discovery of 87 Neandertal footprints on the Southwest of the Iberian Peninsula (Doñana shoreline, Spain) located on an upper Pleistocene aeolian littoral setting (about 106 ± 19 kyr). Morphometric comparisons, high resolution digital photogrammetric 3D models and detailed sedimentary analysis have been provided to characterized the footprints and the palaeoenvironment. The footprints were impressed in the shoreline of a hypersaline swamped area related to benthic microbial mats, close to the coastline. They have a rounded heel, a longitudinal arch, relatively short toes, and adducted hallux, and represent the oldest upper Pleistocene record of Neandertal footprints in the world. Among these 87 footprints, 31 are longitudinally complete and measure from 14 to 29 cm. The calculated statures range from 104 to 188 cm, with half of the data between 130 and 150 cm. The wide range of sizes of the footprints suggests the existence of a social group integrated by individuals of different age classes but dominated, however, by non-adult individuals. The footprints, which are outside the flooded area are oriented perpendicular to the shoreline. These 87 footprints reinforce the ecological scenario of Neandertal groups established in coastal areas.

Red seabream iridovirus associated with cultured Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus mortality in Central America.

Mariculture of Florida pompano Trachinotus carolinus in Central America has increased over the last few decades and it is now a highly valued food fish. High feed costs and infectious diseases are significant impediments to the expansion of mariculture. Members of the genus Megalocytivirus (MCV), subfamily Alphairidovirinae, within the family Iridoviridae, are emerging pathogens that negatively impact Asian mariculture. A significant mortality event in Florida pompano fingerlings cultured in Central America occurred in October 2014. Affected fish presented with abdominal distension, darkening of the skin, and periocular hemorrhages. Microscopic lesions included cytomegalic 'inclusion body-bearing cells' characterized by basophilic granular cytoplasmic inclusions in multiple organs. Transmission electron microscopy revealed arrays of hexagonal virions (155-180 nm in diameter) with electron-dense cores within the cytoplasm of cytomegalic cells. Pathological findings were suggestive of an MCV infection, and the diagnosis was later confirmed by partial PCR amplification and sequencing of the viral gene encoding the myristylated membrane protein. The viral sequence revealed that the fingerlings were infected with an MCV genotype, red seabream iridovirus (RSIV), previously reported only from epizootics in Asian mariculture. This case underscores the threat RSIV poses to global mariculture, including the production of Florida pompano in Central America.

Molecular and immunohistochemical diagnosis of Francisella noatunensis subsp. orientalis from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues.

Members of the genus Francisella (viz., F. noatunensis subsp. orientalis [Fno] and F. noatunensis subsp. noatunensis) have been described as causative agents of chronic granulomatous and pyogranulomatous lesions in wild and cultured fish species. In the present study, 68 archived formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues from several fish species, collected at different geographical locations from 2000 to 2011, were analyzed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of the Fno intracellular growth loci C (iglC) gene and by immunohistochemistry for the demonstration of Fno antigens. The results revealed a high correlation between these 2 diagnostic techniques validating their use for the diagnosis of Fno infection in archived FFPE tissues and confirming the presence of Fno in fish species from the Cari y years of the present century.

Chromobacterium violaceum Infection in a free-ranging howler monkey in Costa Rica.

Chromobacterium violaceum is a gram-negative saprobe bacterium that is a rare opportunistic pathogen in mammals. There are numerous reports in humans including fatalities, but no record exists in free-ranging nonhuman primates. Here we report an infection by C. violaceum in a wild adult male howler monkey (Alouatta palliata) captured at Ballena Marine National Park, in southwestern Costa Rica. The individual had severe skin lesions over its extremities; gross findings included multiple skin ulcers, white foci in liver, and lymphoid hyperplasia. Histologic results included deep dermatitis with presence of necrotic epithelial cells where clusters of coccoid-shaped bacteria were detected. In the liver, numerous neutrophils forming microabscesses, telangiectasia, and focal necrotic areas were observed. Necrotic liver tissue sampled for bacteriologic culture resulted in the isolation of C. violaceum. We could not ascertain the source or mechanism of infection in this case, although infection through skin microabrasions is suspected. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report for this pathogen in a wild, nonhuman primate. This report also draws attention to this infectious agent as a potential emerging wildlife disease and consideration should be paid by regional veterinary and epidemiologic vigilance services.

Naegleria fowleri-associated encephalitis in a cow from Costa Rica.

Species of Naegleria, Acanthamoeba, and Balamuthia are soil amoebae that can cause encephalitis in animals and humans. Of these, Naegleria fowleri is the cause of often fatal primary meningoencephalitis in humans. N. fowleri-associated encephalitis was diagnosed in a cow that was suspected to have rabies. Only formalin-fixed brain was available for diagnosis. There was severe meningoencephalitis involving all parts of the brain and numerous amoebic trophozoites were present in lesions. The amoebae reacted with N. fowleri-specific polyclonal antibodies in an indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. This is the first report of amoebic encephalitis in any host from Costa Rica.

The finding of Rhodnius pallescens Barber, 1932 (Reduviidae: Triatominae) in palm trees (Attalea butyracea ) in north Costa Rica

A total of 167 nymphs and adults of Rhodnius pallescens was collected from the basal parts of dead fronds of two palm trees (Attalea butyracea ) in the town of Los Chiles, province of Alajuela, Costa Rica, close to the Nicaraguan border. Previous records of this species in the same habitat come from Panama and Colombia. A group of 32 insects examined for Trypanosoma cruzi revealed that all were infected. By examining their hemolymph, none of 24 of the insects was found infected with T. rangeli. Balb/c mice inoculated with the T. cruzi strain from infected insects showed a typical acute myocarditis reaction with numerous groups of parasites among the heart bers at autopsy. The geographical distribution of R. pallescens as well as its possible presence in other Central American countries and in Mexico where it is still unknown, coinciding with the distribution of the same species of palm tree, is discussed. Likewise, the potential of R. pallescens in becoming adapted to domestic environments is analyzed in light of recent information, and the epidemiological implications of the phenomenon are also discussed.