宁夏恐龙足迹的发现及其意义

报道了在宁夏固原首次发现的恐龙足迹化石。该恐龙足迹化石分别为鸟脚类恐龙足迹和蜥脚类恐龙足迹,均发现于早白垩世李洼峡组沉积地层中。其中的鸟脚类恐龙足迹命名为六盘山宁夏足印 ( Ningxiapus liupanshanensis ichnogenus et inchnosp． nov． ) 。六盘山宁夏足印长与宽之比为1. 22; 第I 趾纤细,短于第IV 趾; 第II 趾与第III 趾之间夹角为35°,第III 趾与第IV 趾之间夹角为45° 等特征区别于其他鸟脚类恐龙脚印。新发现的蜥脚类恐龙以足迹化石形式保存,其前、后足印的长度大小分别为36 cm 和15 cm,应为中等大小的蜥脚类恐龙所留下。这些恐龙足迹化石的发现,为研究该地区的古生物地理及古生态的恢复以及为将来在该地区发现恐龙骨骼化石提供重要信息。     

甘肃省永靖县盐锅峡发现大型蜥脚类恐龙足迹

甘肃永靖盐锅峡下白垩统河口群盐锅峡组发现大量恐龙足迹化石 .初步调查发现了 10个化石点 2 93个足印化石 .其中在 1号点 6 0 0m2 的发掘面上 ,保存有 7组蜥脚类 138个足印、9组兽脚类 6 0个足印、1组鸟脚类 3个脚印和 1组翼龙类 11个足印 .7组蜥脚类足印形成4组保存完好的行迹和 3组的足迹组合 .最大的蜥脚类足印化石前脚 790mm× 112 0mm ,后脚 15 0 0mm× 14 2 0mm ,是目前发现的世界上最大的恐龙足印之一 .盐锅峡蜥脚类恐龙足迹可以分为 3种类型 :第 1类足迹前脚为新月形 ,后脚为椭圆形 ,前后足印不重合并均向外偏转 ;第 2类足迹前脚为半圆形 ,后脚为椭圆形 ,前后足印部分重合 ,后脚印向外偏转 ;第 3类足迹前脚半圆形 ,后脚U形 ,前后足印明显分离并均向外偏转 .蜥脚类恐龙足迹向外偏转反映恐龙成“外八字”型行走 ,这种行进方式可能与其巨大的体重有关 .根据计算 ,盐锅峡蜥脚类恐龙臀高最小为 3.0 4m ,最大可达到 5 .3m .恐龙行走的速度 2 .3～ 3.4km/h .古环境、古地理分析认为白垩纪甘肃兰州—青海民和一带为一内陆淡水湖盆 .盐锅峡一带的恐龙足迹化石就发现于最近湖中心的“雾宿山古岛”西侧湖岸上 .虽然白垩纪当地气候并不湿润 ,但湖岸地区草肥水美 ,是恐龙及其他陆生生物的乐园 .     

山东诸城地区蜥脚类恐龙足迹研究

蜥脚类恐龙是中生代时期陆地上最大的动物,作为广泛分布于侏罗纪和白垩纪的一种进化十分成功的恐龙,蜥脚类足迹也是分布较广,从早侏罗世到晚白垩世的地层中都有发现。诸城地区南部皇龙沟莱阳群、北部张祝河湾及棠棣戈庄大盛群中发现了三处早白垩世时期数量不等的恐龙足迹化石,这三处化石点都发现了蜥脚类的恐龙足迹化石。诸城地区三处的蜥脚类恐龙足迹之间有什么异同呢?这些足迹的造迹者都属于同一种蜥脚类恐龙吗?本文在大量的数据统计基础上,根据前后足的面积比对蜥脚类足迹进行了初步分类,推测早白垩世早期的皇龙沟及早白垩世晚期的棠棣戈庄都至少生活有两种不同的蜥脚类恐龙,证实了蜥脚类群居生活的特性。对三处不同时期蜥脚类恐龙体型的对比总结出蜥脚类体型趋小化的演化趋势,并分析认为环境的变化是演化的动力机制。对白垩纪恐龙物种的更替,古环境变化等多方面问题进行了探讨。     

山东诸城早白垩世中期超大规模恐龙足迹群及其古地理与古生态*

山东诸城黄龙沟恐龙足迹产于下白垩统中部莱阳群杨家庄组,其中以兽脚类为主,同时有蜥脚类和疑似鸟脚类足迹;兽脚类足迹又可进一步区分为大型兽脚类、似跷脚龙类(Paragrallator）和东方强壮百合龙类(Corpulentapus lilasia）。足迹共组成至少63条行迹,作者系统实测了其中50条,并据足迹大小指数—复步长和GAE(跷脚龙—安琪龙—实雷龙）图解给出了识别3类兽脚类足迹的经验性数值。足迹点沉积特征显示,浅湖相粉砂质泥岩和粉砂岩逐渐过渡为滨湖相砂岩。足迹层及其邻近层位波痕、泥裂发育,根据波脊线恢复的古岸线方向为东西向,波浪运动方向呈现出北至北西周期性变化,表明可能存在季节性风向变化。泥裂以及恐龙分布特征显示足迹点以S/WS为湖心方向,以N/EN为湖岸方向。似跷脚龙类和东方强壮百合龙类足迹分布区域的差异性表明东方强壮百合龙类生活区域更靠近湖岸。恐龙足迹中存在的明显叠盖现象表明足迹不是同时,而是多次活动遗迹。小型兽脚类行迹中较多近于平行的行迹体现了集群性生活习性。行进行为研究又显示兽脚类的绝大多数为快速奔跑状态,但蜥脚类等为慢行状态。兽脚类与蜥脚类、疑似鸟脚类足迹数量之比远大于正常捕食者和被捕食者之比也表明,早白垩世中期的胶莱盆地生存着以兽脚类为主、蜥脚类和鸟脚类为辅的恐龙动物群。早白垩世晚期,胶莱盆地以及沂沭断裂带内蜥脚类、鸟脚类恐龙以及鸟类逐渐繁盛,这与华北北部恐龙足迹所恢复的造迹恐龙动物群特征较为一致。中国北方、韩国、日本白垩纪恐龙足迹以及骨骼化石发育情况暗示,晚中生代中国北方以及东亚地区发育一个以恐龙等脊椎动物为主的大型陆地动物群。     

河北张家口早白垩世张家口组中发现恐龙化石

正1研究目的(Objective)河北省多处地区发现大量恐龙足迹和部分鸟类足迹,其中以兽脚类为主,而植食性的蜥脚类和鸟脚类足迹较少,暗示着侏罗—白垩纪过渡期恶劣的生态环境不利于植被的生长,从而造成植食性恐龙的迁移或灭亡,而肉食性恐龙以小型体更易生存。早白垩世初期,频繁的火山活动形成了一系列赋水洼地,同时带来了丰富的养分。这为热河生物群的萌发创造了有利条件。本文根据现有恐龙化石的形态特征及保存层位,为进一步探讨热河动物群的早期演化和恐龙生存环境提供了实际素材。     

山东沂沭断裂带早白垩世晚期恐龙足迹特征差异性*

近些年来,在山东沂沭断裂带南部地区(莒南、临沭、郯城和东海）的下白垩统上部大盛群中发现了大量的恐龙足迹化石,而这些化石反映的足迹类型、形态大小、足迹踩踏深度等方面都存在有差异性。研究发现,在足迹类型方面,莒南地区以兽脚类和鸟脚类恐龙足迹为主,临沭、郯城和东海地区以蜥脚类恐龙足迹为主。足迹大小方面,莒南地区的兽脚类足迹可划分为类型Ⅰ和类型Ⅱ两种类型,而东海地区的恐龙足迹主要属于类型Ⅱ,但是莒南地区大多数足迹的趾间角要小于东海地区的,这可能是由于兽脚类恐龙属种的不同所造成的;莒南地区鸟脚类足迹绝大多数要小于临沭地区的鸟脚类足迹;郯城地区的蜥脚类足迹较小,而莒南、临沭和东海地区大多数蜥脚类足迹的大小较为相似,个别临沭和莒南地区的蜥脚类恐龙足迹较大。足迹踩踏深度方面,临沭、东海和郯城地区的足迹相比莒南地区的足迹要稍深,这与足迹形成在不同湿度、黏度、颗粒度的沉积物表面上有密切联系。基于上述研究认为,在早白垩世晚期,沂沭断裂带内生活着种类繁盛,数量庞大的恐龙动物群,联系到沂沭断裂带东部诸城地区早白垩世早期地层中也发现有大量的以兽脚类为主的恐龙足迹化石,推断在早白垩世,沂沭断裂带及胶莱盆地当时为一个理想的恐龙生存、繁衍的栖息地。同时,山东早白垩世大量恐龙足迹化石的发现也为整个华北甚至东北亚地区晚中生代恐龙属种的分布、演化以及古地理研究提供了丰富的材料和信息。     

山东临沭地区早白垩世晚期恐龙足迹化石特征*

主要记述了山东临沭地区早白垩世晚期(大盛群沉积时期）、生活于干旱炎热气候条件下滨浅湖环境的恐龙所留下的大规模足迹化石群。初步研究表明,这些足迹以蜥脚类恐龙足迹占绝大多数,见少量鸟脚类、兽脚类和疑似甲龙类足迹(甲龙类足迹在中国罕见),足迹总体行进方向以向西和南西为主。通过对其中的2条蜥脚类和1条鸟脚类行迹及其行为学的分析认为其均处于慢行状态,而鸟脚类行迹的运动速度极慢,可能处于一种特殊的慢行状态。临沭地区早白垩世晚期大盛期如此大规模足迹化石群的发现,说明中国乃至东亚地区早白垩世普遍存在着以恐龙为代表的(包括鸟类在内）陆生脊椎动物群。足迹化石的研究将对进一步了解晚中生代陆地生物群的演化有着重要意义。对比其他地区早白垩世晚期地层中发现的恐龙足迹化石特征后认为,足迹的保存与当时的沉积环境有密切的关系,因此对恐龙足迹的研究又能进一步为恢复古生态、古地理环境等提供更丰富的信息。     

山东沭河裂谷带早白垩世晚期恐龙足迹群与古地理背景*

山东沭河裂谷带由北至南发育8个早白垩世晚期(大盛期）的恐龙足迹群化石点,其中5处为本研究首次报道。沭河裂谷带足迹化石点多,分布广,层位多,足迹数量和造迹恐龙种类丰富。郯城新发现的单个蜥脚类巨型足迹直径近1.0m,可能仅次于前人描述过的兰州西南盐锅峡下白垩统河口群内中国最大的蜥脚类足迹化石。沭河裂谷带的恐龙足迹产出于大盛群田家楼组,地质年代为110～100Ma,属于早白垩世晚期Aptian晚期—Albian期。恐龙足迹一般为凹形印痕,造迹者以蜥脚类恐龙为主,其次为鸟脚类和兽脚类。足迹多保存在发育波痕、泥裂、雨痕等沉积构造的细砂—粉砂岩沉积物层面。足迹和行迹特征显示造迹恐龙为群居和在栖息地漫步行走状态。足迹原位保存特征及赋存地层沉积学研究表明,早白垩世中晚期气候处于由温暖潮湿变得炎热干旱的过渡期,湖泊、三角洲广布,恐龙栖息于湖滨环境。沭河裂谷带早白垩世晚期恐龙足迹群的发现和综合研究进一步证实,中国早白垩世恐龙动物群有着更广阔的地理分布和相似的古地理环境。     

基于恐龙足迹重建攀西地区白垩纪恐龙动物群

攀西地区没有白垩纪恐龙骨骼化石记录,对该区白垩纪恐龙动物群组合的认识尚属空白。1991年,攀西地区首次发现了恐龙足迹,此后陆续发现了8个足迹点。这些足迹点共发现9种不同的非鸟恐龙足迹(6种非鸟兽脚类、1种蜥脚类和2种鸟脚类足迹),以及翼龙和龟类足迹。共11种足迹形态类型由185道行迹(与孤立足迹)组成,可能代表着同等数量的造迹者。其中飞天山组的组合多样性最强,小坝组和雷打树组较弱。这个相对全面的足迹数据库,为该地区白垩纪四足类的古生态学普查提供了动物群的组成信息,这在该缺乏骨骼化石的地区显得尤为重要。     

中国贵州中生代四足类足迹化石的回顾与新发现*

贵州省拥有丰富的中生代脊椎动物化石记录,多为三叠纪海生爬行类化石,侏罗纪和白垩纪的脊椎动物化石较少。目前,贵州省已发现中生代爬行类足迹点9处,分别为贞丰牛场、贞丰龙场、安顺幺铺、赫章辅处、毕节响水(2处)、仁怀茅台、赤水宝源和习水同民足迹点。文中除描述了贞丰龙场新增的一批足迹化石外,整理并总结了所有足迹点的发现史、研究现状、足迹类型与特征以及所反映的古生态信息。已发现的遗迹记录由69条行迹和420个孤立足迹组成,足迹总数达991个。所有的遗迹化石指示了至少477个造迹者,包括海生爬行类、手兽足迹类、非鸟兽脚类、鸟类、蜥脚类和鸟臀类等,其中三叠纪以海生爬行类主导,侏罗纪和白垩纪以蜥臀类主导。这个数据集为贵州中生代古生物类群的多样性提供了重要的信息,是晚中生代稀缺骨骼化石记录的良好补充,为研究贵州省中生代脊椎动物群的古生态与古环境提供了更多的证据。     

First report of the small bird track Koreanaornis from the Cretaceous of North America: implications for avian ichnotaxonomy and paleoecology

Although body fossils of shorebirds and shorebird-like species are extremely rare from the Cretaceous, rapid increase in the discovery of bird footprint sites provides valuable alternate evidence to help fill gaps in the story of the early evolution of shorebird-like species. Newly discovered bird tracks from the Albian-Cenomanian Dakota Formation in northeastern Utah represent the first report of the ichnogenus Koreanaornis from North America and only the second report of bird tracks from this formation. These tracks are not attributable to Aquatilavipes as previously claimed. Three well-preserved trackways are described and provisionally referred to Koreanaornis cf. hamanensis (Kim). However, a review of the ichnotaxonomy of shorebird ichnites reveals that this ichnotaxon also closely resembles the Miocene ichnospecies Avipeda sirin (Vyalov). This latter comparison points to the need for a thorough evaluation of the similarity between Mesozoic and Cenozoic avian ichnotaxa, which may be over-split in some cases and under-differentiated in others.The new material helps distinguish ichnogenus Koreanaornis from the larger bird track Aquatilavipes, which is more abundant and widespread in North America. In some cases Aquatilavipes has been incorrectly used as a catch-all ichnogenus both in North America and Asia. The Dakota Formation stratigraphy at the tracksite indicates that the track makers lived in a marginal marine paleoenvironment. However, despite the widespread distribution of such facies, often replete with dinosaur tracks, the bird track record of the Dakota Formation, and the Cretaceous of the western USA remains relatively sparse in comparison with other areas such as east Asia.     

A new bird track,Koreanaornis lii ichnosp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Hekou Group in the Lanzhou-Minhe Basin,Gansu, Northwest China,and implications for Early Cretaceous avian diversity

There are a growing number of Early Cretaceous avian tracks and trackways from around the world, with Asia (China and Korea) having the largest reported number and diversity of Mesozoic avian traces to date, and these new discoveries are increasing the Early Cretaceous avian ichnodivesrity of Laurasia. Here we report on a new Lower Cretaceous avian track locality in the Guanshan area, Yongjing County, Gansu Province, northwest China, and on a novel ichnospecies of Koreanaornis, Koreanaornis lii ichnosp. nov. Koreananornis lii is distinct from other Koreanaornipodidae in that it possesses a consistently wider digit divarication than previously described tridactyl tracks, and possess a short, small, posteromedially oriented hallux that displays a different orientation than that seen in Koreanaornis hamanensis. The lack of linear and angular data reported for digit I traces of many avian ichnotaxa has the potential to give misleading results in multivariate statistical analyses. Also, the wide divarication of Koreanaornis lii causes the ichnotaxon to not group with other Koreanornipodidae in multivariate analyses, but with Ignotornidae. Despite the results of the analyses, K. lii is morphologically distinct from these ichnotaxa. The results demonstrate that relying solely on multivariate statistical analyses without careful examination of footprint morphology will result in erroneous ichnospecies groupings. While new vertebrate ichnotaxa discoveries from Asia may support the hypotheses of the presence of a unique and endemic Asian vertebrate ichnofauna during the Cretaceous, the recent discovery of skeletal remains interpreted to be of a volant wading bird from the Early Cretaceous, and recent reports of tracks from volant avians, could suggest that flighted avians of the shore- and wading bird ecotypes could have had a Laurasian-wide distribution during the Early Cretaceous. However, strong convergence in foot morphology of shore- and wading birds suggests that avian ichnotaxa found in both present-day Asia and North America may have been made by birds endemic to eastern and western Laurasia during the Early Cretaceous.     

A new mammal track from the Laramie Formation (Maastrichtian) at the Fossil Trace locality,Golden, Colorado

A previously unknown and morphologically distinct pentadactyl mammal track was recovered from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Laramie Formation at the Fossil Trace site, a National Natural Landmark which is the type locality for Schadipes crypticus, the only named mammal track known from North America. The track is different, and larger than S. crypticus, and thus is evidence of a diversity of mammal trackmakers at this site. Although Cretaceous mammal tracks are very rare, preliminary indications are that those currently known are all morphologically distinct and therefore indicative of a global diversity of different trackmakers, as the body fossil record suggests. Lack of well-preserved mammal trackways with morphologically distinct manus and pes footprints hampers efforts to name diagnostic ichnotaxa.     

First report of turtle tracks from the Lower Cretaceous of Korea

A partial trackway of a turtle from the Jinju Formation (Sindong Group) is the first report of Mesozoic turtle tracks from Korea and the first report of traces of an aquatic tetrapod from Korea. Six tracks show a partial trackway configuration inferred to represent a partially buoyant trackmaker, possibly engaged in “bottom walking” behavior. Although turtle tracks often co-occur with crocodylian tracks in Cretaceous coastal plain facies in other regions, especially North America, to date there are no such co-occurrences in east Asia. This suggests that in Asia paleoenvironments suitable for turtles were quite widespread, but paleoenvironments were not suitable for crocodylians.     

记广东南雄盆地上白垩统主田组鸟脚类足迹及中国已命名的大型鸟脚类足迹的属级新观察

记述了广东省南雄盆地上白垩统主田组3组恐龙行迹,由杨梅坑足迹点的足迹命名了南雄鸭嘴龙足迹（Hadrosauropodus nanxiongensis ichnosp. nov.）一新种;古市足迹点的足迹归入鸭嘴龙足迹一未定种（Hadrosauropodus isp.）。这是中国鸭嘴龙足迹属的首次描述,将该足迹的分布从北美拓展至中国,并为南雄盆地存在大型的鸭嘴龙提供了新的化石证据。还整理了中国已描述的大型鸟脚类足迹：中国足迹（Sinoichnites）被定为非正式的塑模标本;扬子足印（Yangtzepus）被归入兽脚类足迹;禽龙足迹（Iguanodonopus）被认为是裸名,归入禽龙足迹（Iguanodontipus）;嘉荫足迹（Jiayinosauropus）增加了新材料并得以具体描述;内乡足迹（Neixiang footprint）得以重新描述。     

Yeosu dinosaur track sites of Korea: The youngest dinosaur track records in Asia

Eighty two dinosaur trackways were newly discovered in Upper Cretaceous lacustrine deposits on islands in the vicinity of Yeosu, Korea. Most dinosaur tracks occur in marginal lake deposits with polygonal desiccation cracks. The dinosaur tracks at the Yeosu site include 65 ornithopod trackways, 16 theropod trackways and one sauropod trackway. The prevalence of ornithopod tracks and the limited occurrence of sauropod tracks at the Yeosu site evidently reflect decreased sauropod diversity in the Upper Cretaceous. All ornithopod trackways represent bipeds, and most of the ornithopod tracks are similar to Caririchnium from other sites of the Korean peninsula. All fossil wood specimens collected in the study area represent conifers (three species of cupressaceous and two species of taxodiaceous conifers, and a new species) except for one, which is a discotyledon. It is thus inferred that the southwestern part of the Korean Peninsula was primarily covered with mesic forests with taxodiaceous trees during the Late Cretaceous. The K–Ar age of the Yeosu tracksite is determined as 81–65 Ma (Camapnian to Maastrichtian). It indicates that the Yeosu track site contains the last records of dinosaurs living in Asia. Consequently, semi-arid palaeoclimatic conditions, together with a large lake as a persistent water source and rich vegetation of gymnosperm trees as food, resulted in the preservation of abundant dinosaur tracks in the Upper Cretaceous on the Korean Peninsula.     

柏科扁柏属(Chamaecyparis，Cupressaceae)的生物地理演化历史

现生扁柏属(Chamaecyparis)植物仅有5个种零星分布在北美东西部、日本和我国台湾地区,其现代分布区形成的原因一直是植物学家关注的问题。以往的研究利用现代分子生物学方法或化石记录对该属的分布区演化进行过一些探讨,但尚有争议。本文结合扁柏属最新的化石证据以及现代分子生物学的研究结果,对其生物地理演化历史进行了详细的分析。化石证据显示,地史时期该属种类较现在丰富,自早白垩世以来广泛地分布在北半球的中高纬度地区。根据化石记录推测扁柏属植物很可能在早白垩世起源于东亚地区,晚白垩世时已通过白令陆桥传播至北美西部并进一步传播至北美高纬度地区,北美东部目前尚缺少化石记录,该区域的扁柏植物可能是从欧洲或者北美高纬度地区迁徙而来。欧洲扁柏可能在渐新世由北美通过北大西洋陆桥传播而来,或从东亚地区传播而来。新近纪气候持续变冷以及受第四纪冰期的影响,使扁柏属在欧洲、亚洲中西部以及北美中部局部灭绝,东亚大陆的种不断向南迁移至日本岛和台湾岛,最后在亚洲大陆消失,最终形成了该属在北美东西部、日本和台湾局限分布的地理格局。     

山东诸城盆地下白垩统莱阳群的非鸟恐龙与鸟足迹化石组合（英文）

中国山东省诸城盆地张祝河湾村下白垩统杨家庄组发现了非鸟恐龙（蜥脚类和鸟脚类）与古鸟类足迹。该足迹点的非鸟恐龙足迹深受水浸沉积物的影响,发生了强烈变形。蜥脚类足迹的前后足迹面积相近,造迹者行进缓慢。鸟脚类足迹属于禽龙-鸭嘴龙类型的足迹。古鸟类足迹并不类似于中国以往发现的中生代鸟类足迹,而类似于韩国滨水鸟类足迹的金东鸟足迹（Jin-dongornipes）。讨论了莱阳足迹（Laiyangpus）和拟跷脚龙足迹（Paragrallator,亦译为拟似鹬龙足迹）,前者因模式标本遗失而不明确,后者可归入安琪龙足迹未定种（Anchisauripus isp）。这批足迹的发现大大增加了山东省东部恐龙的多样性。