First evidence for human occupation of a lava tube in Arabia: The archaeology of Umm Jirsan Cave and its surroundings, northern Saudi Arabia.

Recent advances in interdisciplinary archaeological research in Arabia have focused on the evolution and historical development of regional human populations as well as the diverse patterns of cultural change, migration, and adaptations to environmental fluctuations. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of cultural developments such as the emergence and lifeways of Neolithic groups has been hindered by the limited preservation of stratified archaeological assemblages and organic remains, a common challenge in arid environments. Underground settings like caves and lava tubes, which are prevalent in Arabia but which have seen limited scientific exploration, offer promising opportunities for addressing these issues. Here, we report on an archaeological excavation and a related survey at and around Umm Jirsan lava tube in the Harrat Khaybar, north-western Saudi Arabia. Our results reveal repeated phases of human occupation of the site ranging from at least the Neolithic through to the Chalcolithic/Bronze Age. Pastoralist use of the lava tube and surrounding landscape is attested in rock art and faunal records, suggesting that Umm Jirsan was situated along a pastoral route linking key oases. Isotopic data indicates that herbivores primarily grazed on wild grasses and shrubs rather than being provided with fodder, while humans had a diet consistently high in protein but with increasing consumption of C3 plants through-time, perhaps related to the emergence of oasis agriculture. While underground and naturally sheltered localities are globally prominent in archaeology and Quaternary science, our work represents the first such combined records for Saudi Arabia and highlight the potential for interdisciplinary studies in caves and lava tubes.

From theory to practice: An integrated TTF-UTAUT study on electric vehicle adoption behavior.

In Industry 4.0, the adoption of new technology has played a major role in the transportation sector, especially in the electric vehicles (EVs) domain. Nevertheless, consumer attitudes towards EVs have been difficult to gauge but researchers have tried to solve this puzzle. The prior literature indicates that individual attitudes and technology factors are vital to understanding users' adoption of EVs. Thus, the main aim is to meticulously investigate the unexplored realm of EV adoption within nations traditionally reliant on oil, exemplified by Saudia Arabia. By integrating the "task technology fit" (TTF) model and the "unified theory of acceptance and usage of technology" (UTAUT), this research develops and empirically validates the framework. A cross-section survey approach is adopted to collect 273 valid questionnaires from customers through convincing sampling. The empirical findings confirm that the integration of TTF and UTAUT positively promotes users' adoption of EVs. Surprisingly, the direct effect of TTF on behavioral intentions is insignificant, but UTAUT constructs play a significant role in establishing a significant relationship. Moreover, the UTAUT social influence factor has no impact on the EVs adoption. This groundbreaking research offers a comprehensive and holistic methodology for unravelling the complexities of EV adoption, achieved through the harmonious integration of two well-regarded theoretical frameworks. The nascent of this research lies in the skilful blending of technological and behavioral factors in the transportation sector.

New additions to the crabronid fauna of the Arabian Peninsula and Saudi Arabia (Hymenoptera: Apoidea (Spheciformes): Crabronidae), new distribution records and new species.

The present study is based on specimens collected in coffee orchards on the mountains in the Jazan Province (southwestern Saudi Arabia) using Malaise traps. The genera Carinostigmus Tsuneki, 1954, and Polemistus de Saussure, 1892 are first recorded for the Arabian Peninsula, each with a single species. Three new species: Bembecinus similis Gadallah & Edmardash, Crossocerus arabicus Gadallah & Edmardash, and Oxybelus coffeae Edmardash & Gadallah are described and illustrated. The previously unknown female of Nysson ohli (Schmid-Egger 2011) (UAE) is discovered, described and illustrated.

Medieval DNA from Soqotra points to Eurasian origins of an isolated population at the crossroads of Africa and Arabia.

Soqotra, an island situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden in the northwest Indian Ocean between Africa and Arabia, is home to ~60,000 people subsisting through fishing and semi-nomadic pastoralism who speak a Modern South Arabian language. Most of what is known about Soqotri history derives from writings of foreign travellers who provided little detail about local people, and the geographic origins and genetic affinities of early Soqotri people has not yet been investigated directly. Here we report genome-wide data from 39 individuals who lived between ~650 and 1750 CE at six locations across the island and document strong genetic connections between Soqotra and the similarly isolated Hadramawt region of coastal South Arabia that likely reflects a source for the peopling of Soqotra. Medieval Soqotri can be modelled as deriving ~86% of their ancestry from a population such as that found in the Hadramawt today, with the remaining ~14% best proxied by an Iranian-related source with up to 2% ancestry from the Indian sub-continent, possibly reflecting genetic exchanges that occurred along with archaeologically documented trade from these regions. In contrast to all other genotyped populations of the Arabian Peninsula, genome-level analysis of the medieval Soqotri is consistent with no sub-Saharan African admixture dating to the Holocene. The deep ancestry of people from medieval Soqotra and the Hadramawt is also unique in deriving less from early Holocene Levantine farmers and more from groups such as Late Pleistocene hunter-gatherers from the Levant (Natufians) than other mainland Arabians. This attests to migrations by early farmers having less impact in southernmost Arabia and Soqotra and provides compelling evidence that there has not been complete population replacement between the Pleistocene and Holocene throughout the Arabian Peninsula. Medieval Soqotra harboured a small population that showed qualitatively different marriage practices from modern Soqotri, with first-cousin unions occurring significantly less frequently than today.

Rapid diversification of grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) driven by geographic isolation and extreme environmental conditions in the Arabian Peninsula.

Biological systems occurring in ecologically heterogeneous and spatially discontinuous habitats provide an ideal opportunity to investigate the relative roles of neutral and selective factors in driving lineage diversification. The grey mangroves (Avicennia marina) of Arabia occur at the northern edge of the species' range and are subject to variable, often extreme, environmental conditions, as well as historic large fluctuations in habitat availability and connectivity resulting from Quaternary glacial cycles. Here, we analyse fully sequenced genomes sampled from 19 locations across the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian/Arabian Gulf (PAG) to reconstruct the evolutionary history of the species in the region and to identify adaptive mechanisms of lineage diversification. Population structure and phylogenetic analyses revealed marked genetic structure correlating with geographic distance and highly supported clades among and within the seas surrounding the Arabian Peninsula. Demographic modelling showed times of divergence consistent with recent periods of geographic isolation and low marine connectivity during glaciations, suggesting the presence of (cryptic) glacial refugia in the Red Sea and the PAG. Significant migration was detected within the Red Sea and the PAG, and across the Strait of Hormuz to the Arabian Sea, suggesting gene flow upon secondary contact among populations. Genetic-environment association analyses revealed high levels of adaptive divergence and detected signs of multi-loci local adaptation driven by temperature extremes and hypersalinity. These results support a process of rapid diversification resulting from the combined effects of historical factors and ecological selection and reveal mangrove peripheral environments as relevant drivers of lineage diversity.

Study of some morphometric and meristic characteristics of Alepes vari (Cuvier, 1833) collected from the Arabian coast / Estudo de características morfométricas e merísticas de Alepes vari (Cuvier, 1833) coletados na costa da Arábia

The present study examines the correlations between fifteen morphometric and ten meristic characters and total length (TL) of males, females, and combined sexes of Alepes vari (Cuvier, 1833) collected from Karachi fish harbor, West Wharf of Karachi Coast. Statistical analyses of linear regression relationships show mostly strong correlations (r≥0.70; p<0.05) between total length (TL) and most morphometric characters in males, females, and combined sexes, except the height of pectoral-fin (PFH), and pelvic-fin base length (PelFL); whereas, meristic characters were found to be constant and indicate weak or negative type correlations (r≤0.50; p>0.05) with total length (TL). Hence, according to our present results, there is a direct relationship between the total length of fish and all morphometric characters, which were found to be the best indicators of positive allometric pattern growth in fish. Moreover, analysis of the 2-sample t-test revealed (t-test; p>0.05) that no sexual dimorphism was reported in Alepes vari. Thus, our present study could be valuable in systematic classification, sexual dimorphism, and management of this species on the Karachi coast.

O presente estudo examina as correlações entre 15 caracteres morfométricos e 10 caracteres merísticos e comprimento total (CT) de machos, fêmeas e sexos combinados de Alepes vari (Cuvier, 1833), coletados do porto de Karachi, West Wharf, na costa de Karachi. As análises estatísticas das relações de regressão linear mostraram, principalmente, correlações fortes (r ≥ 0,70; p < 0,05) entre o CT e a maioria dos caracteres morfométricos em machos, fêmeas e sexos combinados, exceto a altura da nadadeira peitoral e o comprimento da base da nadadeira pélvica, enquanto os caracteres merísticos foram constantes, indicando correlações fracas ou negativas (r ≤ 0,50; p > 0,05) com o CT. Portanto, de acordo com nossos resultados, existe uma relação direta entre o CT dos peixes e todos os caracteres morfométricos, que foram considerados os melhores indicadores de crescimento do padrão alométrico positivo em peixes. Além disso, a análise do teste t de duas amostras revelou (teste t; p > 0,05) que nenhum dimorfismo sexual foi relatado em A. vari.

Estimating adult age categories in commingled skeletons with Transition Analysis 3.

OBJECTIVES: We estimate adult age frequencies from Unar 1 and Unar 2, two late Umm an-Nar (2400-2100 BCE) tombs in the modern-day Emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. These collective tombs each contained hundreds of skeletons in commingled, fragmented, and variably cremated states. Previous studies placed the vast majority of this mortuary community in a generalized "adult" category, as have most analyses of similar tombs from this period. We sought to test how adult age estimation methods compare in identifying young, middle, and old-age individuals in commingled assemblages. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We employed Transition Analysis 3 (TA3) and traditional age estimation methods to generate adult age frequencies for each tomb. We compared these frequencies between tomb contexts as well as by method. RESULTS: Unar 1 and Unar 2 had similar adult age frequencies within each method, but TA3 age frequencies included significantly more middle and older adult individuals than those generated by traditional methods. DISCUSSION: These results support findings of earlier iterations of transition analysis in regard to sensitivity in old adult age estimation, compared with traditional methods. Our findings indicate a potential use of TA3 in reconstructing age frequencies and mortality profiles in commingled skeletal assemblages. Increasing our understanding of everyday life in the distant past necessitates better understandings of adult age, and here, we illustrate how age estimation method choice significantly changes bioarchaeological interpretations of aging in Bronze Age Arabia. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Adult age estimation using TA3 revealed significantly more middle and older adults than traditional methods in two commingled tombs. Similar mean maximum likelihood point estimates by side and across skeletal elements were found between tombs.

Eurasian back-migration into Northeast Africa was a complex and multifaceted process.

Recent studies have identified Northeast Africa as an important area for human movements during the Holocene. Eurasian populations have moved back into Northeastern Africa and contributed to the genetic composition of its people. By gathering the largest reference dataset to date of Northeast, North, and East African as well as Middle Eastern populations, we give new depth to our knowledge of Northeast African demographic history. By employing local ancestry methods, we isolated the Non-African parts of modern-day Northeast African genomes and identified the best putative source populations. Egyptians and Sudanese Copts bore most similarities to Levantine populations whilst other populations in the region generally had predominantly genetic contributions from the Arabian peninsula rather than Levantine populations for their Non-African genetic component. We also date admixture events and investigated which factors influenced the date of admixture and find that major linguistic families were associated with the date of Eurasian admixture. Taken as a whole we detect complex patterns of admixture and diverse origins of Eurasian admixture in Northeast African populations of today.

[The nontrivial approach or how physicians-bolsheviks treated kings. The Soviet medicine in the Arabian peninsula in 1920-1930s].

In the late 1920s, the USSR intensified its international activities in the Arabian Peninsula. The rapprochement with Arab monarchies provided opportunity to study political, economic and ethno-cultural characteristics of region by organizing transit of pilgrims to Mecca through the Soviet territory and providing medical care in first-aid posts at diplomatic missions. The Soviet physicians, in atypical situation of Arab monarchies, played important role as intermediaries between royal courts and the Soviet government, serving as agents of "soft power". The article considers causes of Moscow geopolitical interest to this region in 1920s-1930s. The distinctions of interaction between Soviet physicians and ruling circles of Hijaz and Yemen were explored. The humanitarian, cultural and geopolitical significance of these activities were examined. The article considers and explains, through optics of geopolitical approach, situational rationality that was applied by medical men when approaching treatment of royal personages despite ideological mismatch of this work with Bolshevism dogmas. The article consistently demonstrates, noting non-triviality of both locus itself and approaches to organization of medical care, how professionalism of Soviet physicians gained confidence of monarchs of Hijaz and Yemen in complicated conditions of competition with highly qualified physicians from Western Europe. It is emphasized that in conditions of Arabia, ideological attitudes had secondary importance, while such qualities as personal charisma and medical professionalism, which created solid reputation foundation for Soviet physicians, came to foreground.

Partial sternectomy with reconstruction of a giant cell tumor of the sternum, a case report, Saudi, Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Giant cell tumor (GCT) is a relatively common and locally aggressive benign bone tumor that rarely affects the sternum. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of giant cell tumor of the sternum in a 28-year-old Saudi with painful swelling at the lower part of the sternum. Subtotal sternectomy and reconstruction with a neosternum using two layers of proline mesh, a methyl methacrylate prosthesis, and bilateral pectoralis muscle advancement flaps were performed. CONCLUSIONS: Giant cell tumor of the sternum is a rare diagnosis. Surgical resection with negative margins is the ideal management. To avoid defects or instability of the chest wall, reconstruction of the chest wall with neosternum should be considered.

Plant, pigment, and bone processing in the Neolithic of northern Arabia-New evidence from Use-wear analysis of grinding tools at Jebel Oraf.

Archaeological sites with surface hearths are a ubiquitous feature across the arid zones of the Arabian interior. At Jebel Oraf, in the Jubbah basin of the Nefud Desert of northern Arabia, numerous grinding stone fragments were found in association with hearths, though the original purpose of these stones was unclear owing to the poor preservation of faunal and botanic remains. Here we describe results from use-wear analysis on five grinding tools at Jebel Oraf, demonstrating that such artefacts were used during the Neolithic for plant processing, bone processing, and pigment production. Grinding stones were often broken up after initial use and fragments were subsequently re-used for alternative purposes, before finally being placed on hearths or discarded. More specifically, plants were ground or prepared and possibly cooked in the hearths, and bones were processed as well. The analyses also highlight the importance of pigment processing at Neolithic sites and provide a link to painted rock art. The frequent use of pigment in the archaeological record suggests that pigment was widely used, and that Neolithic painted art may have been more common than the surviving images suggest.

The Qatari population's genetic structure and gene flow as revealed by the Y chromosome.

The Y-chromosome has been widely used in forensic genetic applications and human population genetic studies due to its uniparental origins. A large database on the Qatari population was created for comparison with other databases from the Arabian Peninsula, the Middle East, and Africa. We provide a study of 23 Y-STR loci included in PowerPlex Y23 (Promega, USA) that were genotyped to produce haplotypes in 379 unrelated males from Qatar, a country at the crossroads of migration patterns. Overall, the most polymorphic locus provided by the Promega kit was DYS458, with a genetic diversity value of 0.85 and a haplotype diversity of 0.998924. Athey's Haplogroup Predictor tool was used to predict haplogroups from Y-STR haplotypes in the Qatari population. In a median-joining network, the haplogroup J1 predominance (49%) in Qatar generated a star-like expansion cluster. The graph of population Q-matrix was developed using Y-STR data from 38 Middle Eastern and 97 African populations (11,305 individuals), and it demonstrated a stronger sub-grouping of countries within each ethnic group and showed the effect of Arabs on the indigenous Berbers of North Africa. The estimated migration rate between the Qatari and other Arabian populations was inferred using Bayesian coalescence theory in the Migrate-n program. According to the Gene Flow study, the main migration route was from Yemen to Kuwait through Qatar. Our research, using the PowerPlex Y23 database, shows the importance of gene diversity, as well as regional and social structuring, in determining the utility of demographic and forensic databases.

Species boundaries to the limit: Integrating species delimitation methods is critical to avoid taxonomic inflation in the case of the Hajar banded ground gecko (Trachydactylus hajarensis).

With the advent of molecular phylogenetics and the implementation of Multispecies Coalescent-based (MSC) species delimitation methods (SDM), the number of taxonomic studies unveiling and describing cryptic sibling species has greatly increased. However, speciation between early divergent lineages is often defined without evaluating population structure or gene flow, which can lead to false claims of species status and, subsequently, taxonomic inflation. In this study, we focus on the intriguing case of the Arabian gecko Trachydactylus hajarensis (Squamata: Gekkonidae). We generated mitochondrial data (12S rDNA) and genome-wide SNP data (ddRADseq) for 52 specimens to determine phylogenomic relationships, population structure and genetic diversity within this species. Then, we applied a set of different SDMs to evaluate several competing species hypotheses through the MSC. Results show that T. hajarensis is comprised by three well-defined population lineages, two of them in the Hajar Mountains of eastern Arabia, and one in Masirah Island, on the southeastern coast of Oman. Strong mito-nuclear discordances were found between populations inhabiting the Hajar Mountains, but we did not find evidence of current gene flow between them. Surprisingly, discordances in species tree topology were found when different downsampled datasets were used, and especially when linking population sizes, a commonly implemented feature in species tree reconstruction with genomic data. Different SDMs yielded different results, supporting from four species within the group, to T. hajarensis being a single species. With such contrasting results we suggest caution before splitting T. hajarensis. Overall, this study highlights the importance of sample and prior choice and the integration of several SDMs to not incur into taxonomic inflation, providing a set of already available tools to assess population structure, genetic diversity, and SDMs before describing new species.

The role of genetic selection and climatic factors in the dispersal of anatomically modern humans out of Africa.

The evolutionarily recent dispersal of anatomically modern humans (AMH) out of Africa (OoA) and across Eurasia provides a unique opportunity to examine the impacts of genetic selection as humans adapted to multiple new environments. Analysis of ancient Eurasian genomic datasets (~1,000 to 45,000 y old) reveals signatures of strong selection, including at least 57 hard sweeps after the initial AMH movement OoA, which have been obscured in modern populations by extensive admixture during the Holocene. The spatiotemporal patterns of these hard sweeps provide a means to reconstruct early AMH population dispersals OoA. We identify a previously unsuspected extended period of genetic adaptation lasting ~30,000 y, potentially in the Arabian Peninsula area, prior to a major Neandertal genetic introgression and subsequent rapid dispersal across Eurasia as far as Australia. Consistent functional targets of selection initiated during this period, which we term the Arabian Standstill, include loci involved in the regulation of fat storage, neural development, skin physiology, and cilia function. Similar adaptive signatures are also evident in introgressed archaic hominin loci and modern Arctic human groups, and we suggest that this signal represents selection for cold adaptation. Surprisingly, many of the candidate selected loci across these groups appear to directly interact and coordinately regulate biological processes, with a number associated with major modern diseases including the ciliopathies, metabolic syndrome, and neurodegenerative disorders. This expands the potential for ancestral human adaptation to directly impact modern diseases, providing a platform for evolutionary medicine.

Species diversity deflation: Insight into taxonomic validity of Garra species (Teleostei: Cyprinidae) from Dhofar Region in the Arabian Peninsula using an integrated morpho-molecular approach.

Garra is the most species-rich genus of freshwater fishes in the Arabian Peninsula, including Oman, which has eight recognized, species restricted mainly to the Hajar and Dhofar mountains. Garra species from the Dhofar region in Oman are reviewed based on integrated morphological and molecular (COI) data of newly collected fishes from the type localities of G. sindhae and G. smartae, and a new population from Wadi Laggashalyon. No diagnostic character was found to distinguish the two species and the Laggashalyon population as distinct taxa. Garra dunsirei, another species endemic to a sinkhole at Tawi Attair, a very difficult area to access at a depth of about 211 m, was examined here based on the GenBank data and the diagnostic characters given in the original descriptions of the studied Garra species. In addition, the phylogenetic tree placed the sequenced Omani Garra fishes into nine groups with K2P sequence divergence of 0.8% (G. smartae and G. smartae_Laggasaylon); 1.2% (G. smartae and G. sindhae), and 14.5% (G. Shamal and G. dunsirei) in their COI barcode region. A molecular species delimitation approach using PTP, also detected one entity for Garra species from the Dhofar region (G. dunsirei, G. sindhae and the both populations of G. smartae), which is consistent with our morphological data. Therefore, based on absence of diagnostic characters, low genetic distance, and molecular species delimitation approach, we treat G. sindhae and G. smartae as junior synonyms of G. dunsirei.

Cult, herding, and 'pilgrimage' in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia: Excavations at a mustatil east of AlUla.

Since the 1970s, monumental stone structures now called mustatil have been documented across Saudi Arabia. However, it was not until 2017 that the first intensive and systematic study of this structure type was undertaken, although this study could not determine the precise function of these features. Recent excavations in AlUla have now determined that these structures fulfilled a ritual purpose, with specifically selected elements of both wild and domestic taxa deposited around a betyl. This paper outlines the results of the University of Western Australia's work at site IDIHA-0008222, a 140 m long mustatil (IDIHA-F-0011081), located 55 km east of AlUla. Work at this site sheds new and important light on the cult, herding and 'pilgrimage' in the Late Neolithic of north-west Arabia, with the site revealing one of the earliest chronometrically dated betyls in the Arabian Peninsula and some of the earliest evidence for domestic cattle in northern Arabia.

Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast.

The urban peoples of the Swahili coast traded across eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean and were among the first practitioners of Islam among sub-Saharan people1,2. The extent to which these early interactions between Africans and non-Africans were accompanied by genetic exchange remains unknown. Here we report ancient DNA data for 80 individuals from 6 medieval and early modern (AD 1250-1800) coastal towns and an inland town after AD 1650. More than half of the DNA of many of the individuals from coastal towns originates from primarily female ancestors from Africa, with a large proportion-and occasionally more than half-of the DNA coming from Asian ancestors. The Asian ancestry includes components associated with Persia and India, with 80-90% of the Asian DNA originating from Persian men. Peoples of African and Asian origins began to mix by about AD 1000, coinciding with the large-scale adoption of Islam. Before about AD 1500, the Southwest Asian ancestry was mainly Persian-related, consistent with the narrative of the Kilwa Chronicle, the oldest history told by people of the Swahili coast3. After this time, the sources of DNA became increasingly Arabian, consistent with evidence of growing interactions with southern Arabia4. Subsequent interactions with Asian and African people further changed the ancestry of present-day people of the Swahili coast in relation to the medieval individuals whose DNA we sequenced.

Inland fishes of the Arabian Peninsula: Review and a revised checklist.

The Arabian Peninsula comprises the seven countries of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen (including the Socotra archipelago), covering an area of more than 3 million km). Although arid habitats cover most parts of the Arabian Peninsula, the region has several freshwater systems and comprises all or parts of four freshwater ecoregions basins that support a variety of inland aquatics including fishes. The current checklist provides all fish species in inland waters of the Arabian Peninsula including all recognized and named taxa, documenting recent changes and controversies in nomenclature, records, taxonomic status, occurrence, synonyms, common English name, range distribution, and conservation status based on several field surveys throughout the area and available articles. The confirmed inland ichthyodiversity of the Arabian Peninsula comprise 48 species belonging to 25 genera, 14 families, nine orders, and a class. Among these, 10 species (20.8%) are alien, and 21 species (52.3%) are considered endemic to the Arabian Peninsula. Favonigobius reichei is a new record for inland waters of the Arabian Peninsula. The most diverse order is Cypriniformes (19 species, 39.6%), followed by Cyprinodontiformes and Gobiiformes (eight species, 16.7% in each), Cichliformes (four species, 8.33%), Mugiliformes (three species, 6.25%), Anguilliformes and Siluriformes (two species, 4.17% in each), and Centrarchiformes and Gonorynchiformes (one species, 4.2% each). Saudi Arabia and Oman with 23 species (47.9% each) rank first in fish diversity (both native and exotic), followed by Yemen (15 species, 31.25%), UAE (seven species, 14.58%), Bahrain (two species, 4.17%), and Qatar and Kuwait (one species, 2.1% each). Of 21 endemic species of the Arabian Peninsula, six, six, and four species are restricted to the territories of Oman, Saudi Arabia and Yemen, respectively. No endemic fish have been reported from Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The list also includes two subterranean species belonging to the genus Garra. The provided data will be necessary to take action for effective conservation management strategies and policies.

Alpheid shrimps of the genera Athanas Leach, 1814, Athanopsis Coutire, 1897 and Pseudathanas Bruce, 1983 of the coasts of the Arabian Peninsula (Malacostraca: Decapoda: Caridea).

Several species of alpheid shrimps belonging the genera Athanas Leach, 1814, Athanopsis Coutire, 1897 and Pseudathanas Bruce, 1983 (Decapoda: Caridea) are reported based on material collected on the Red Sea coast of Saudi Arabia and in Oman. Athanas claereboudti sp. nov. is described based on specimens from Masirah Island and Bandar Khayran east of Muscat, Oman, whereas A. iranicus Anker, Naderloo & Marin, 2010, A. minikoensis Coutire, 1903, A. parvus De Man, 1910, and a species tentatively identified as A. cf. dentirostris Anker, Jeng & Chan, 2001, are reported from various Omani localities. In the genus Athanopsis, four species are reported, including one species new to science: A. brevirostris Banner & Banner, 1981 from Saudi Arabia, A. dawa sp. nov. and A. rubricinctuta Berggren, 1991 from Masirah Island, Oman, and A. tarahomii Marin, Sheibani & Sari, 2014 from Saudi Arabia. The records of A. rubricinctuta and A. tarahomii represent second findings and significant extensions of their previously known ranges for these species. An important error in the description and illustration of the colour pattern of A. tarahomii is corrected, whereas the colour pattern of A. brevirostris is compared again with that of A. saurus Anker, 2011; the latter species is newly recorded from New Caledonia. The taxonomic identity of A. platyrhynchus Coutire, 1897, the type species of the genus from Djibouti, remains somewhat problematic. Finally, the monotypic genus Alberta Kazmi & Kazmi, 2010 established for Alberta banneri Kazmi & Kazmi, 2010 is placed in the synonymy of Pseudathanas Bruce, 1983 and Pseudathanas banneri (Kazmi & Kazmi, 2010) comb. nov. is reported from Muscat, Oman, for the first time since its original description. The generic diagnoses of Athanas, Athanopsis and Pseudathanas are emended to accommodate new or transferred species. All species reported are illustrated in colour.

Mechanistic models of Rift Valley fever virus transmission: A systematic review.

Rift Valley fever (RVF) is a zoonotic arbovirosis which has been reported across Africa including the northernmost edge, South West Indian Ocean islands, and the Arabian Peninsula. The virus is responsible for high abortion rates and mortality in young ruminants, with economic impacts in affected countries. To date, RVF epidemiological mechanisms are not fully understood, due to the multiplicity of implicated vertebrate hosts, vectors, and ecosystems. In this context, mathematical models are useful tools to develop our understanding of complex systems, and mechanistic models are particularly suited to data-scarce settings. Here, we performed a systematic review of mechanistic models studying RVF, to explore their diversity and their contribution to the understanding of this disease epidemiology. Researching Pubmed and Scopus databases (October 2021), we eventually selected 48 papers, presenting overall 49 different models with numerical application to RVF. We categorized models as theoretical, applied, or grey, depending on whether they represented a specific geographical context or not, and whether they relied on an extensive use of data. We discussed their contributions to the understanding of RVF epidemiology, and highlighted that theoretical and applied models are used differently yet meet common objectives. Through the examination of model features, we identified research questions left unexplored across scales, such as the role of animal mobility, as well as the relative contributions of host and vector species to transmission. Importantly, we noted a substantial lack of justification when choosing a functional form for the force of infection. Overall, we showed a great diversity in RVF models, leading to important progress in our comprehension of epidemiological mechanisms. To go further, data gaps must be filled, and modelers need to improve their code accessibility.