内蒙古发现白垩纪大型拟苏铁科(本内苏铁目)茎干化石

内蒙古包头达尔罕茂明安联合旗发现了保存完整的白垩纪大型本内苏铁目拟苏铁科拟苏铁属(Cycadeoidea)茎干化石。茎干化石呈椭球形,保存完好,高56cm,最大直径48cm,化石表面密布的菱形叶柄基呈螺旋状排列,从基部至顶端叶柄基逐渐变小,球果不均匀散生于叶柄基之间。茎干化石从内到外包括中央的髓部、外围的木质部圆筒、叶柄基、球果等。这是国内首次发现保存比较完整的本内苏铁目拟苏铁科茎干化石。同时,在茎干化石产地附近还发现有裸子植物宽孔异木(Xenoxylon latiporosum(Cramer)Gothan)木化石。本内苏铁茎干及宽孔异木化石对于研究本内苏铁目的演化历史和当时的植物群组成特点具有重要的科学意义。     

A New Species of Cupressinocladus from the Lower Cretaceous of Guyang Basin, Inner Mongolia, China and Cluster Analysis

Cupressinocladus Seward is a fossil genus of conifers and conifer fossils with reproductive organs are very rare. In general, it is difficult to understand the natural affinities with other conifers. In this paper, a new species, Cupressinocladus guyangensis P.H. Jin et B.N. Sun sp. nov., is reported based on branches with immature female cones from the Lower Cretaceous Guyang Formation of the Guyang Basin in Inner Mongolia, northern China. The foliage shoots are decussate. Leaves are decussate, imbricate, scale-like, weakly dimorphic, and bear longitudinal glands on the abaxial view. Stomata complexes are haplocheilic, monocyclic, irregularly arranged, and spread along the leaf margin. Immature female cones are subglobose with 6–8 cone scales, and three subglobose ovules arranged in a row at the base of the cone scales. Moreover, we performed cluster analysis using a statistics and machine learning toolbox for 23 fossils and extant species based on 16 morphological characters. The result implies that the new species bears a close resemblance to the extant Cupressus funebris Endl. and might have nearest systematic affinities to it.     

A psittacosaurid dinosaur from the Cretaceous of Thailand and its implications for the palaeogeographical history of Asia

Primitive ceratopian dinosaurs of the family Psittacosauridae were hitherto known only from central and northern Asia, from northern China to Mongolia and Siberia. This paper reports the discovery of psittacosaurid jaws in Early Cretaceous rocks of the Khorat Plateau in north-eastern Thailand. These fossils are clearly referrable to the genus Psittacosaurus Osborn and may represent a new species. They constitute a significant new element of the hitherto poorly known Cretaceous continental vertebrate fauna of South-East Asia, suggesting that it was basically similar to that of northern and central Asia. This in turn confirms that, contrary to some recent palaeogeographical reconstructions, by Early Cretaceous times the Indochina block, on which the Thai psittacosaurids have been found, had become part of mainland Asia.     

中国首次发现白垩纪桫椤科茎干化石

松辽盆地是我国白垩系分布最广、厚度最大、发育最全的陆相沉积盆地。孢粉分析发现桫椤孢在松辽盆地白垩系中比较常见。但由于桫椤孢与桫椤科或者蚌壳蕨科具有亲缘关系。桫椤孢在地层中的发现不能明确表明桫椤科植物的存在。这种状况影响了我们对松辽盆地古环境和古气候的精确分析。白垩纪桫椤科矿化茎干化石在黑龙江省齐齐哈尔市克山县的发现为解决桫椤科植物在松辽盆地存在与否的难题提供了重要证据。该化石为桫椤科树蕨植物的茎干片段,包括髓、网状中柱、皮层。分体中柱的横截面呈U、W或S形,外围具有厚壁组织鞘,分体中柱末端朝向髓部或者皮层。髓和皮层由薄壁组织组成,其中分布有许多维管束和根。创伤组织在髓中常见。当前化石是我国第一个桫椤科茎干化石记录。它的发现表明白垩纪时期松辽盆地北部曾经分布着现今多生长于热带、亚热带的桫椤科树蕨祖先类群。结合与其伴生的一些登普斯基树蕨、本内苏铁茎干等化石证据,可能指示当时气候为热带或者亚热带。     

A New Species of Rhodoleia (Hamamelidaceae) from the Upper Pliocene of West Yunnan, China and Comments on Phytogeography and Insect Herbivory

In Europe, fossil fruits and seeds of Rhodoleia (Hamamelidaceae) have been described from the Upper Cretaceous to the Miocene, whereas no fossil record of Rhodoleia has been reported in Asia, where the modern species occur. Herein, 21 fossil leaves identified as Rhodoleia tengchongensis sp. nov. are described from the Upper Pliocene of Tengchong County, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. The fossils exhibit elliptic lamina with entire margins, simple brochidodromous major secondary veins, mixed percurrent intercostal tertiary veins, and looped exterior tertiaries. The leaf cuticle is characterized by pentagonal or hexagonal cells, stellate multicellular trichomes, and paracytic stomata. The combination of leaf architecture and cuticular characteristics suggests that the fossil leaves should be classified into the genus Rhodoleia. The fossil distributions indicate that the genus Rhodoleia might originate from Central Europe, and that migrated to Asia prior to the Late Pliocene. Additionally, insect damage is investigated, and different types of damage, such as hole feeding, margin feeding, surface feeding, and galling, are observed on the thirteen fossil leaves. Based on the damage frequencies for the fossil and extant leaves, the specific feeding behavior of insects on Rhodoleia trees appears to have been established as early as the Late Pliocene. The high occurrence of Rhodoleia insect herbivory may attract the insect-foraging birds, thereby increasing the probability of pollination.     

Discussion on the Transform of Paleotethys into the Pacific

1.IntroductionTherehavebeenalargeamountofresearchesontheN--SextendingPaleotethysinthePaleozoicandonthemodernE--WextendingPacificOceanintheCenozoic.ButfewhavetouchedonhowthePaleotethysevolvedintothemodemPacific,andthereareonlyguessesaboutthesitllationofthePaleo--Pacificbetweenthetwostages.ThispapertriestodiscussthedynamicmechanismofthePaleo--PacificplateandthecharacteristicsoftheactivitiesofEastAsiacontinentalmarginintheMesozoicthroughtheterranesfromPaleotethysremainingintheEastAsiacont…     

中国东北首次发现白垩纪紫萁科叶柄基化石

我国东北地区是北半球少有的中生代紫萁科茎干化石产地之一。该地区出产的茎干化石为研究中生代紫萁科的演化历史提供了重要证据。我国过去报道的紫萁科茎干化石来自东北地区的侏罗系。近期在东北松辽盆地北部白垩系发现了紫萁科茎干化石, 为认识紫萁科在中生代晚期的演化发展过程提供了不可或缺的证据。本研究报道了在黑龙江省五大连池市和平镇发现的白垩纪紫萁科叶柄基化石。横切面上看叶柄基以茎缺失的位置为中心螺旋状排列, 较为紧密。维管束木质部呈深凹的C形, 末端向内弯曲。维管束凹陷处有薄的C形、边缘呈波纹状的厚壁组织带。C形维管束与厚壁组织带之间分布着薄壁细胞组成的粘液囊。内皮层中分布着不规则排列的若干厚壁组织束。近轴端叶柄基托叶翼中分布有2个较大和若干小的厚壁组织束; 大的厚壁组织束呈水滴形。随着叶柄基由近轴端向远轴端的延伸, 维管束近轴面凹陷处的厚壁组织带长度增长, 粘液囊数量增加; 托叶翼中厚壁组织束数量相应增加, 除了两个大的厚壁组织束外, 它们附近增加了若干大小不等的厚壁组织束和单个厚壁纤维细胞。当前化石是我国第一个白垩纪保存解剖结构的紫萁科化石记录。其结构特征与灭绝的Osmundacaulis和现存的Plenasium的叶柄基比较相似, 可能代表了白垩纪以上两属的成员之一。由于目前欧亚大陆白垩纪还未见Osmundacaulis和Plenasium的茎干化石记录, 当前化石的发现丰富了欧亚大陆白垩纪紫萁科植物的多样性。     

中国晚白垩世古水系展布及其对鸭嘴龙类分布的影响*

晚白垩世河道和冲积平原等河流相沉积广泛分布于中国大部分地区,保存了大量以鸭嘴龙超科为主的恐龙骨骼化石和遗迹化石。这些河流是否存在水系上的联系以及其对陆地生态系统分布的影响程度,目前研究较少。笔者收集了中国9个晚白垩世陆相盆地共2357个碎屑锆石的U-Pb年龄资料,通过对已收集的碎屑锆石的物源分析,探讨了中国晚白垩世的水系展布模式和物源方向。研究结果表明:晚白垩世中国南方地区可能存在北东—南西向的大型水系,其与现代水系展布模式相反,整体流向可能起源于晚中生代东部高原,向西和西南方向流经中国南方大部分地区,并形成了彼此相互交错、宽阔的河岸和冲积平原带;而北方地区的盆地则显示出被古隆起分隔的山间盆地特征,除共享来自晚中生代东部高原的少量物源外,各个盆地的物源主要来自于周围的古隆起,并形成了较为独立的复杂水系。以鸭嘴龙超科为代表的恐龙主要繁盛于北方地区相对独立的水系所形成的流域,演化出独特的东亚鸭嘴龙超科动物群。南方大型水系所形成的流域虽然保存了大量恐龙蛋和足迹化石,但仅发现少量骨骼化石,推测这可能是因为以鸭嘴龙为主的恐龙不适宜在南方炎热干旱的气候条件下常年生活,而只是在适宜的季节沿南方大型水系迁徙或繁殖。     

浙江天台中新统润楠属化石及其古环境指示

对浙江天台中新统下南山组6块叶片压型化石——天台润楠Machilus tiantaiensis Ding S. T. et Sun B. N. sp. nov.,并对其叶结构和表皮构造特征进行了详细的研究.其主要特征为:叶椭圆形,全缘,顶端渐尖,基部楔形,侧脉羽状;表皮细胞垂周壁浅波状,单细胞毛基多集中于脉络区;气孔下生式,气孔器短平列型,副卫细胞1~2个.通过与现生植物进行对比分析,发现当前标本的叶结构和表皮构造特征与樟科润楠属(Machilus)十分一致.利用PAST(palaeontological statistics)软件对我国润楠属68种植物叶片的形态特征进行聚类分析,结果表明当前化石与M. pingii Cheng ex Yang最为接近;角质层分析也表明二者的表皮构造最为相似.利用化石与其现存最近亲缘种M. pingii的气孔比率,恢复了天台晚中新世的古大气CO₂体积分数为407.9×10-6.此外,依据现生润楠属主要分布于亚洲东南部和南部的热带、亚热带地区,推断天台地区中新世的古气候较为温暖湿润.      

Theropod assemblages and a new ichnotaxon Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp. nov. from the Jiaguan Formation,Lower Cretaceous of Guizhou Province,China

A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.     

A Review on the Taxonomic, Evolutionary and Phytogeographic Studies of the Lotus Plant (Nelumbonaceae: Nelumbo)

Nelumbo Adans. （Nelumbonaceae） is an important member of the early-diverging eudicots. It contains two extant species： N. nucifera Gaertn. （the Sacred lotus）, distributed in Asia and Australia and N. lutea Willd. （the American lotus）, occurring in North America. This paper reviews the taxonomic, evolutionary and phytogeographic studies of the genus Nelumbo, and also raises scientific questions about it in further paleobotanic research. There are about 30 fossil species of Nelumbo established since the Early Cretaceous. Based on fossil studies, the ancestors of the extant N. nucifera and N. lutea are respectively considered to be N. protospeciosa from the Eocene to Miocene of Eurasia, and N. protolutea from the Eocene of North American. However, molecular systematic studies indicate that N. nucifera and N. lutea are probably split from a common ancestor during the Late Miocene to Early Pliocene, or even the Pleistocene, rather than separate relicts from extinct species on different continents. The characters of lotus stomatal development, seedling morphology as well as its flowering, pollination and fertilization in air reveal that it evolves from the land plants. Fossil data of Nelumbo indicates that the genus first occurs in mid-latitude area of Laurasia in the Early Cretaceous, then becomes widespread in North America and Eurasia and expands into Africa and South America during the Late Cretaceous; the genus probably colonizes the Indian Subcontinent from Asia during the Early Eocene after the collision of India and the Asian plates; the genus becomes extinct in Europe, but survives in Asia and North America during the Quaternary Ice Age, and later forms the present East Asia and North Australia-North America disjunctive distribution.     

甘肃酒西盆地早白垩世两种Elatides化石微细构造

现已绝灭的古老松柏类植物似纵属Elatides在中生代北半球中高纬度植被组成研究上具有重要意义。甘肃酒西盆地早白垩世地层中发现了Elatides的营养枝和雌球果,并保存有较好的碳膜,对它们进行了详细的宏观形态和微细特征研究。根据营养枝、叶角质层、花粉、球果、苞鳞和种子的特征,鉴定这些化石为2个种：Elatides harrisii Chow和Elatides curvifolia (Dunker) Nathorst。其中：Elatides harrisii的突出特征是,花粉球形且具乳状小突起、表面光滑无纹饰,侧面观具褶皱;Elatides Curvifolia的显著特点为,着生于苞鳞腹面基部的种鳞先端三裂,具三枚胚珠。这些特征与现生杉木Cunninghamia非常相似,推论Elatides与现生Cunninghamia可能具有亲缘关系。通过对Elatides地质历史和地理分布的研究,发现该属的演化方向与中生代大陆漂移的方向具可比性,因而为板块构造学说提供了又一古生物学佐证。     

吉林延边地区早白垩世长财组的蕉羽蕨叶(Nilssoniopteris)

首次在吉林省延边地区长财煤矿早白垩世长财组发现蕉羽蕨叶属(Nilssoniopteris)。根据其外部形态及表皮构造等特征,鉴定并描述蕉羽蕨叶4个种,即：普里纳达蕉羽蕨叶Nilssoniopteris prynadae Samylina,平轴蕉羽蕨叶(新联合)N.platyrachis (Samylina) comb．nov．长叶蕉羽蕨叶?N.longifliadenko?和蕉羽蕨叶(未定种)Nilssoniopteris sp。     

SIMS zircon U–Pb dating of the Late Cretaceous dinosaur egg-bearing red deposits in the Tiantai Basin,southeastern China

Dinosaur eggs or fragments are abundant and extensively distributed in China. They can be very informative in biostratigraphic division and correlation of continental strata where other fossils are relatively lacking. Despite remarkable discoveries of vertebrate fossils, particularly dinosaur eggs and skeletons from the middle and Late Cretaceous of both northern and southern China, there is hardly any direct evidence for the ages of the vertebrate-bearing terrestrial deposits. To constrain their depositional ages, here we have obtained SIMS U–Pb zircon ages from the tuffs interbedded with dinosaur egg-bearing sediments from the Laijia and Chichengshan formations of the terrestrial red deposits of the Late Cretaceous in the Tiantai Basin, Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. The SIMS zircon U–Pb ages from the Laijia and Chichengshan formations are about 96–99 Ma (Cenomanian) and 91–94 Ma (Turonian), respectively, providing direct time constraints on the vertebrate and dinosaur egg evolution in the Late Cretaceous as well as a basis for correlation with terrestrial Cretaceous deposits in other regions of southern and northern China.     

Notes on the divergence time of the fern genus Asplenium from fossil and molecular evidence

The extant fern genus Asplenium Linnaeus, 1753 is widely distributed in tropical-temperate regions and shows a high diversity. The oldest fossils assigned to it comprise fronds and spores preserved in situ from the Lower Cretaceous of northeast Asia. However, molecular dating suggests that Asplenium diverged during the Paleocene (∼57.7 Ma). Here we present some explanations for the disparity in fossil and molecular age estimates, and new insights into the origin and evolution of the genus. We suggest that Cretaceous Asplenium most likely represents a stem-group member, and that lineage extinction during the early evolutionary stages of the genus resulted in missing nodes.     

Studies on the Early Cretaceous Longzhaogou and Jixi Groups of eastern Heilongjiang,northeast China,and their bearing on the age of supposedly Jurassic strata in eastern Asia

The coal-bearing Longzhaogou and Jixi Groups in eastern Heilongjiang, northeast China, consist of alternating marine and non-marine deposits containing abundant marine animal and plant fossils. The Jixi Group also yields members of the Johel Fauna that is widely distributed in northern and eastern China. The two groups have been considered as Jurassic or mainly Jurassic in age for a long time. However, recent studies documented that the ammonites, bivalves, dinoflagellates, angiosperms and sporopollens are all of Early Cretaceous rather than Jurassic age. It has been demonstrated that: (1) the Longzhaogou and Jixi Groups and their equivalents, the Johel Group of China and the Transbaikalian Group of Russia, are of Early Cretaceous age, (2) the Barremian-Albian was also a very important period of coal accumulation in northeastern China and perhaps in all of eastern Asia, (3) there existed a large shallow embayment connecting with the Palaeo-Pacific in eastern Heilongjiang, and it was the climate of the embayment that controlled the origin and development of the animal and plant communities of northeastern China during the Early Cretaceous. Correlation between formations in the Jixi and Longzhaogou Groups has also been revised in this paper.     

Solenites (Czekanowskiales) from the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota of Southeastern Jilin, China and its Paleoclimatic Implications

Situated at the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China, abundant fossils, including invertebrates, vertebrates and plants, were collected from the Early Cretaceous Yingzuilazi Formation of the Baishan Basin, southeastern Jilin. The faunal remains from this formation distinctly belong to the Early Cretaceous Lycoptera–Ephemeropsis–Eosestheria assemblage of the Jehol Biota. Based on the gross leaf morphology and epidermal structures, two new species and one indeterminate species of genus Solenites(Czekanowskiales), S. baishanensis sp. nov., S. gracilis sp. nov. and S. sp. are described in this paper. This is the first fossil plant of Czekanowskiales reported from this new fossil locality of the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China. The new discovery contributes to improve our knowledge for understanding of leaf morphology, epidermal characters and diversity of this genus during the Early Cretaceous time, and extends geologic and geographic distribution of Solenites in northern China and Eurasia. Along with consideration of associated plant and faunal assemblages and sedimentology, we suggest that the regional climate was warm and moderately humid with seasonal temperature and precipitation variations in warm–temperate zone during the Early Cretaceous.     

晚侏罗世东亚多向汇聚构造体系的形成与变形特征

板块构造研究成果与同位素精确定年数据的积累,使我们对发生在中国东部的晚侏罗世-早白垩世东亚多向汇聚作用有了深刻的认识.全球三大洋在晚侏罗世(165±5)Ma近乎同时的开启,以及东亚周边占太平洋、新特提斯洋和蒙古-鄂霍茨克洋的俯冲消亡,在中国中东部和东亚地区形成了多向挤压汇聚的燕山期构造体系,即东业多向汇聚构造体系(简称东亚汇聚).东亚汇聚启动了经典的燕山运动,发育了独特的构造变形特征.东亚汇聚构造体系具有两个近乎稳定的刚性陆核,即鄂尔多斯地块和四川(盆地)地块,在它们的周缘形成了晚侏罗世-早白垩世陆内多向挤压变形和似前陆盆地,如大巴山晚侏罗世前陆.此外,东亚多向汇聚构造体系影响了东亚和中亚大部分地区的板内变形作用,在中国大陆及其周边形成了反映南北向挤压的蒙古弧共轭走滑断裂系统、燕山-阴山陆内造山带、大别山-大巴山侏罗纪陆内造山带等典型的燕山期构造带.东亚汇聚具有深刻的全球构造背景与动力来源,是重要的科学研究问题.     

First Record of Hoplictis(Carnivora,Mustelidae) in East Asia from the Miocene of the Ulungur River Area,Xinjiang,Northwest China

The first unequivocal remains of medium to large-sized mustelids from the middle Miocene Halamagai and Kekemaideng formations have been found in the Ulungur River area, Xinjiang, northwestern China. These new fossils are referred to the hypercarnivorous mustelid Hoplictis Ginsburg, 1961 and denote the first record of the genus in East Asia.We define Hoplictis baihu n. sp., for the mustelid from Tieersihabahe(Halamagai Fm.), which represents the smallest species of the genus. This primitive form is closer to H. florancei and H. noueli than to H. anatolicus and later, larger and more derived Hoplictis spp., from Europe and North America. A large toothless mandible from Duolebulejin(Kekemaiden Fm.) is assigned to Hoplictis cf. helbingi, and it presumably might represent the first record of H. helbingi outside Western Europe. The systematic position of Hoplicitis in relation to Ischyrictis with which it is similar is clarified. The occurrence in East Asia of two species of Hoplictis greatly expands the known distribution and diversity of the genus, and supports a Palaearctic Neogene dispersal event of carnivorans between Europe and Asia during the late Shanwangian–early Tunggurian equivalent to MN5–6 in Europe, and indication of another dispersal event from Europe to North America,through Northwest China during the late Tunggurian, equivalent to MN7–8 in Europe.     

New Schizolepis Fossils from the Early Cretaceous in Inner Mongolia, China and its Phylogenetic Position

Three Schizolepis species collected from the Lower Cretaceous layer of the Huolinhe Basin,Inner Mongolia,China are described.These fossils are Schizolepis longipetiolus Xu XH et Sun BN sp.nov.,which is a new species,Schizolepis cf.heilongjiangensis Zheng et Zhang,and Schizolepis neimengensis Deng.The new species is a well-preserved female cone,slender and cylindrical in shape.The seed–scale complexes have long petioles and are arranged on the cone axis loosely and helically.The seed scales are divided into two lobes from the base.Each lobe is semicircular or elongate ligulate in shape,widest at the middle or the lower middle part,with an obtuse or bluntly pointed apex.The inner margin is almost straight and the outer margin is strongly arched.On the surface of the lobe,there are longitudinal and somewhat radial striations from the base to the margin.The seed is borne on the adaxial surface at the base or middle of each lobe.Schizolepis was established in 1847,and,although more than twenty species have been discovered and reported,its phylogenetic position is controversial because of the imperfection of fossils.Most authors have considered there to be a close evolutionary relationship between Schizolepis and extant Pinaceae.Here,we analyze characteristics and compare Schizolepis with Picea crassifolia Kom,which is morphologically most similar to Schizolepis.The results indicate that the genus probably has a distant evolutionary relationship with extant Pinaceae.A detailed statistical analysis of the global paleogeographic distribution of Schizolepis showed that all the fossils of this genus appeared in strata ranging from the Upper Triassic to the Lower Cretaceous in the North Hemisphere,being rare in the Upper Triassic and Lower Jurassic,but being very common from the Middle Jurassic to the Lower Cretaceous,and particularly abundant in the Lower Cretaceous.According to the statistical results,we speculate that the genus originated in Europe in the Late Triassic then spread from Europe to Asia between the Late Triassic and the Late Jurassic.In the Early Cretaceous most species existed in China’s three northeastern Provinces and the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and adjacent areas.Combining the paleogeographic distribution of the genus with ancient climatic factors,we deduced that Schizolepis began to decline and became extinct in the Early Cretaceous,and the reason for its extinction is closely related to the icehouse climate during the Early Cretaceous.