A Dichocarpum-like Angiosperm from the Early Cretaceous of China

The Yixian Formation (the Early Cretaceous) of China has yielded a diverse group of early angiosperms, revealing the charm of angiosperms from the formation is far from finishing. Here we report a fossil angiosperm, Nothodichocarpum gen. et sp. nov, with physically connected female parts, male parts, branches, and leaves with pinnate reticulate venation from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. In addition to the previous reports, this report underscores the diversity of angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation and earlier origin of angiosperms. The morphological variations in the reproductive parts in different stages allow us to infer the development of this early angiosperm. This fossil plant demonstrates a unique character assemblage that sheds new light on the origin and evolution of carpels.     

A Novel Angiosperm from the Early Cretaceous and Its Implications for Carpel‐Deriving

The Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of China is famous for its fossils of early angiosperms, and these fossils have shed otherwise unavailable light on the evolution of angiosperms. The seeds in Archaefructus and Nothodichocarpum are inserted along the dorsal of the fruits while those in Sinocarpus are along the ventral of the fruits, suggesting different Bau‐plans and pathways deriving the carpels in these plants of the Early Cretaceous. Adding further fossil evidence, here we report a novel fossil angiosperm, Neofructus lingyuanensis gen. et sp. nov, with its seeds inserted on both ventral and dorsal sides of the fruits documented through light microscopic and SEM observations, suggesting a novel way forming gynoecium in the Yixian Formation. These fossil angiosperms indicate that angiosperm gynoecia in the Yixian Formation (the Barremian to Aptian) are derived in obviously different ways, implying an evolutionary scenario for angiosperms quite different from formerly assumed.     

The Earliest Ascidiate Carpel and Its Implications for Angiosperm Evolution

According to the classic doctrine of angiosperm evolution, the archetype carpel in angiosperms is of plicate form. However, this concept is facing increasing challenges from the systematics based on molecular data, which now takes ascidiate carpel as ancestral. This reorientation in evolutionary thinking cannot be fully achieved unless there is supporting fossil evidence. Here a fruit, named Liaoningfructus, is reported from the famous Yixian Formation (Early Cretaceous, 125 Ma), which yielded several pioneer angiosperms in the past decades. The configuration of the fruit suggests that the carpel giving rise to the fruit is most likely ascidiate, favoring the above reorientation. There are two seeds in the fruit, and at least one of them is served by a vascular bundle arising from the bottom of the fruit, implying a basal placentation in the former carpel, which again is different from the classic thinking. This discovery not only enhances the diversity of angiosperms in the Yixian Formation, but also accelerates the on-going switching of thinking on angiosperm evolution     

Fossil coniferous wood from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning,NE China: New material and palaeoclimate implications

The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, one of the most important Mesozoic lagerstätten in East Asia, is especially well-known for occurrences of fossil feathered dinosaurs and early angiosperms. However, the terrestrial biodiversity, especially the fossil wood record, is poorly known. In this study, several structurally preserved coniferous wood specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation are investigated, based on collections from the Heichengzi Basin in Beipiao of western Liaoning, Northeast China. Four species referred to four genera of fossil wood are described, including Taxodioxylon heichengziense sp. nov., Thujoxylon beipiaoense sp. nov., Sciadopityoxylon liaoningense Ding and Protocedroxylon shengjinbeigouense sp. nov. These new records enlarge the fossil wood diversity of the Yixian Formation up to 10 species in 9 genera, and provide further insights into the forest vegetation composition of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Systematic analysis of the floral constitution indicates that the petrified forests of the Yixian Formation are dominated by conifers, represented by Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, Sciadopityaceae, Pinaceae and Cupressaceae in the western Liaoning region. Palaeoclimatical analysis of the fossil wood assemblage implies that the western Liaoning region was dominated by a cool temperate, wet and seasonal climate with variable interannual water supply in the western Liaoning region during the Early Cretaceous.     

On the Lower Cretaceous in Yixian County of Jinzhou City, Western Liaoning, China

Traditionally, the lacustrine deposits in Yixian County of Western Liaoning have been assigned to either “the Dakangpu Bed” of the Yixian Formation or the Jiufotang Formation. However, a 206Pb/238U age of 126.47±0.87 Ma is newly obtained from the tuff sample (06051) of the lacustrine deposits in the Baitaigou fossil site of Potaizi village, Yixian County, indicating that the lacustrine deposits in Potaizi area are approximately equivalent to the Wumingshan volcanics of the Sihetun Bed of the Yixian Formation in Beipiao. From our new dating data have arisen some new problems: Where could we find the Jiufotang Formation in Yixian County? How widely distributed is the Jiufotang Formation in Western Liaoning? Could the traditionally named Jiufotang Formation somewhere in Western Liaoning be the synchronous deposits of other litho-units (e.g. the Yixian Formation) in different facies? Could some lacustrine deposits somewhere in Western Liaoning have been assigned to the Jiufotang Formation?     

Dispersed angiosperm cuticles: Their history, preparation, and application to the rise of angiosperms in Cretaceous and Paleocene coals, southern western interior of North America

Cuticle — the decay-resistant outer layer of leaves and young stems — provides a reliable means of identifying fossil plant remains and reflects the vegetative adaptations of plants to climate and other environmental parameters. The study of dispersed angiosperm cuticles originated prior to World War II and has focused on the origin and paleoecology of coal. Activity in dispersed cuticles reached a high point during the 1950s and 1960s with the study of Tertiary lignites in central Europe, then subsided in central Europe as workers from other regions expanded the technique to other time-periods and geographic regions. Data from dispersed cuticles augment data from palynomorphs because dispersed cuticles originate from a different generation of the vascular plant life cycle and have different taphonomic histories. Because the analysis of dispersed angiosperm cuticles is unfamiliar to many geologists, methods for the analysis and preparation of dispersed angiosperm cuticles are detailed in an appendix.Dispersed cuticle assemblages from coals in the upper Albian Longford Member of the Kiowa Formation and the Maastrichtian-Paleocene Raton Formation of the Southern Western Interior provide new constraints on the times that angiosperms entered coal swamps and rose to dominance. The Kiowa assemblages indicate that angiosperms first entered coal swamp environments by the late Albian, while the Raton assemblages indicate that angiosperms dominated primary productivity in some subtropical coal swamps by the late Maastrichtian. Angiosperms in Kiowa coals probably comprised pioneer species in conifer-dominated vegetation; the most common family of angiosperms was Chloranthaceae. Angiosperms in upper Maastrichtian Raton coals comprised the dominant seed plants to the exclusion of conifers; magnoliid dicots and monocots were the dominant taxa and comprised diverse genera and families. Evidence from palynology and types of preserved cuticle indicates that ferns were subordinate to seed plants in biomass in Raton coals, in contrast to some described assemblages from the Northern Western Interior. Paleocene coals from the Raton Basin show the loss of many Cretaceous angiosperm taxa as well as the appearance of new taxa, including conifers belonging to Taxodiaceae. However, these Taxodiaceae were evergreen and subordinate in abundance to angiosperms. Vegetational patterns shown by Cretaceous-Paleocene coals of the Southern Western Interior contrast with those of more northerly regions and indicate a poleward gradient in the timing of angiosperm dominance in coal swamps.     

A Whole Plant Herbaceous Angiosperm from the Middle Jurassic of China

In contrast to woody habit with secondary growth, truthful herbaceous habit lacking secondary growth is restricted to angiosperms among seed plants. Although angiosperms might have occurred as early as in the Triassic and herbaceous habit theoretically may have been well adopted by pioneer angiosperms, pre-Cretaceous herbs are missing hitherto, leaving the origin of herbs and evolution of herbaceous angiosperms mysterious. Here we report Juraherba bodae gen. et sp. nov, a whole plant herbaceous angiosperm, from the Middle Jurassic (>164 Ma) at Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China, a fossil Lagerst?tten that is worldwide famous for various fossil finds. The angiospermous affinity of Juraherba is ensured by its enclosed ovules/seeds. The plant is small but complete, with physically connected hairy root, stem, leaves, and fructifications. The Middle Jurassic age recommends Juraherba as the earliest record of herbaceous seed plants, demanding a refresh look at the evolutionary history of angiosperms.     

义县组底部层位发现恐龙化石

义县组是一套中生代火山-沉积地层,含有丰富的以热河生物群为代表的生物化石.20世纪80年代以来,在义县组沉积夹层中陆续发现珍稀鸟类、小型兽脚类恐龙中华龙鸟,以及原始被子植物辽宁古果等珍稀化石,但是有关珍稀化石沉积层的空间分布、上下层位关系、沉积环境和时代归属等问题,一直悬而未决,中国地质调查局东北地区地调中心从1999年10月开始,对辽宁省北票市-义县之间的义县组进行了1：5万区域地质调查填图,不仅确定了珍稀化石沉积层在地层层序中的确切位置,而且在珍稀化石沉积层以下,即义县组底部发现了大量恐龙化石.     

辽西地区土城子组-义县组地层划分对比及时代讨论

本文介绍了辽西中生代土城组、张家口组、义县组地层特征、化石组合。通过岩石地层、生物地层、同位素年代学研究,并在宁城道虎沟地区的张家口组沉积层中采到的化石组合和同位素年龄多数反映时代为晚侏罗纪;义县组生物化石组合和同位素年龄反映时代为早白垩纪。故将侏罗纪与白垩纪界线置于张家口组与义县组之间,同国际年表年代界限（145.5 Ma）相一致。     

Is Darwin's ‘Abominable Mystery’ still a mystery today?

Darwin described the Cretaceous diversification and subsequent rapid rise of flowering plants (angiosperms) as an “abominable mystery”: how could they have achieved worldwide ecological dominance by early Paleogene times when the oldest angiosperm fossils are only Cretaceous in age? However, recent phylogenetic and palaeobiogeographical analyses have suggested a much earlier, perhaps Triassic origin for the stem angiosperms. We suggest that the fossil record is accurately reflecting the rapid diversification of the crown angiosperms that molecular data suggests occurred in Cretaceous–early Palaeogene times, and which coincides with similar explosive diversifications that occurred in other parts of the terrestrial biota including insects, birds and mammals. Early, stem angiosperms are poorly represented in the fossil record for a combination of taphonomic and ecological reasons. We conclude that the reported evidence shows that the Darwin's “mystery” is in fact no mystery and confirms that it merely requires an appropriate reading of the fossil record.     

辽西早白垩世离龙类地理地史分布及其演化

离龙类是一在形态和生态适应上高度特化的水生—半水生爬行动物双孔亚纲的灭绝支系。离龙目的地理分布局限于北半球,地史分布从侏罗纪一直延续到中新世。辽西是中国最为重要的离龙类化石产地,化石点主要分布于凌源、义县、朝阳和建昌4个地区,尤其以义县地区化石点的分布最为密集。目前辽西已经发现的离龙类包括3科4属5种,其中潜龙和满洲鳄2属的化石仅发现于义县组,而伊克昭龙与戏水龙2属的化石则仅见于九佛堂组。化石证据表明,白垩纪离龙类在辽西范围内的延展分布呈现一个自西向东、由南向北的地理地史演化过程。化石证据也表明辽西的离龙类在较短的时期和较窄的地域范围内经历了一个快速分异演化的过程。长颈潜龙类和短吻满洲鳄类在辽西同时首现于凌源义县组大新房子层,并先后灭绝于义县组的大康堡层和金刚山层。潜龙类最后出现的大康堡层的火山凝灰岩层密集保存了数以千计的潜龙类个体,可能代表该类群于早白垩世发生了与火山喷发活动紧密相关的集群灭绝事件。而后,短吻戏水龙和长吻伊克昭龙同时首现于九佛堂组第2段,并于该组第3段沉积时期内灭绝。整个辽西地域内的离龙类的分布从126～120Ma,在经历了大约6Ma的快速分异演化之后,均于早白垩世阿普第期灭绝。     

Early Cretaceous Archaefructus eoflora sp. nov. with Bisexual Flowers from Beipiao, Western Liaoning, China

Recently, whether Archaefructus has bisexual multi-parted flowers or just inflorescences of unisexual flowers, and whether it is ancestral to all angiosperms or a derived eudicot have been debated. Here, from the same Yixian Formation, NE China, we report a new Archaefructus species, A. eoflora sp. nov., with the generic characteristics of dissected leaves and bisexual reproductive axes. It is entirely preserved with roots, rhizome, shoots and protogynous reproductive organs at different developmental stages. Its lateral and main fertile shoots form a pseudo-indeterminate pattern, while the reproductive branches on the main shoot form a cymose inflorescence. Subtended by 1-2 bract-like leaves, the section of stamen clusters changes into a much shorter section of carpels that have one row of orthotropous ovules. Significantly, one cluster bearing two carpels and one stamen between the two sections demonstrates a true bisexual flower, an important step of the origin of floral bisexuality, and the homology     

First record of the beetle family Lasiosynidae (Insecta: Coleoptera) from the Lower Cretaceous of China

A new genus, Cretasyne gen. nov., in the family Lasiosynidae, with two species C. lata sp. nov. and C. longa sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia, China. These fossils are the first record of the family from the Yixian Formation and provide significant information on lasiosynid morphology and diversity. The fossil record of Lasiosynidae is also reviewed.     

辽西地区义县组植物群古生态研究

对产于辽西北票地区不同地点义县组二段湖相含珍稀化石沉积岩层中的植物化石时行了系统的总结研究.应用现代植物生态学的原理和方法,根据义县组植物群的组成特征和分类群生态学分析,研究了义县组植物群所反映的古生态特征,并划分出4个古植物群落.通过义县组植物群的叶相特征与现代不同气候带植被的对比,推断义县组时期的古植被面貌总体指示了亚热带-暖温带温暖湿润气候条件下的植被景观.同时,认为存在季节性干旱、半干旱气候条件.     

辽西首次发现保存毛发和软件的中生代哺乳动物化石

中国辽西地区素以产出丰富多彩的中生代热河生物群闻名于世。特别是近几年来，该区大量长羽毛的恐龙、原始鸟类、原始哺乳类和被子植物化石的发现更加引起了国际科学界的极大关注。1997年秋，作者在辽宁北票四合屯地区发现了一块完整的保存有毛发和软体印痕的对齿兽类哺乳动物化石。身体保存有手发和软体印痕的中生代哺乳动物化石在世界上也是罕见的。对对于研究对齿兽形态结构、生物习性、系统关系等方面均具有重要意义。     

Xingxueanthus: An Enigmatic Jurassic Seed Plant and Its Implications for the Origin of Angiospermy

Abstract: The origin of angiosperms has been tantalizing botanists for centuries. Despite the efforts of palaeobotanists, most of the pre-Cretaceous angiosperms are regarded either non-convincing or misdated. The applications of SEM and LM (light microscope) enable us to recognize a coalified fossil plant, Xingxueanthus sinensis gen. et sp. nov., from the Haifanggou Formation (Middle Jurassic, >160 Ma) in western Liaoning, China. Xingxueanthus is an “inflorescence” with more than 20 female units spirally arranged. Each female unit is situated in the axil of a bract. The female unit is composed of an ovule-container and a style-like projection at the top. There is a vertical column bearing several ovules in the ovule-container. The general morphology and the internal structure of Xingxueanthus distinguish itself from any known fossil and extant gymnosperms, and its structures are more comparable to those of angiosperms. Xingxueanthus, if taken as a gymnosperm, would represent a new class, demonstrate an evolutionarily advanced status of ovule-protection in gymnosperms never seen before, and provide new insights into the origin of angiospermy. Alternatively, if taken as an angiosperm, together with Schmeissneria, it would increase the diversity of Jurassic angiosperms, which has been underestimated for a long time, and suggest a much earlier origin of angiospermy than currently accepted.     

冀北滦平盆地大店子组中网雕饰叶肢介Clithrograpta属的发现及其意义

在深入研究滦平盆地大店子组叶肢介化石时,于该组上部首次发现了网雕饰叶肢介Clithrograpta属,产出层数多,个体数量大,种的分异度高,为冀北滦平盆地大店子组的地层划分与对比,正确建立冀北-辽西陆相侏罗-白垩系的地层格架,提供了关键而有力的古生物证据。根据这一发现和大北沟组至西瓜园组叶肢介化石组合序列,本区大店子组上部（3-4段）可与辽西建昌盆地“义县组”下部（原大新房子组）对比;证明辽西地区缺失相当于本区的大店子组下部（1-2段）地层,西瓜园组大体相当于辽西的义县组。     

A New Symmetrodont Mammal with Fur Impressions from the Mesozoic of China

Western Liaoning of northeastern China is world-renowned for the Mesozoic Jehol biota, especially for yielding many feathered dinosaurs, primitive birds, mammals and fossil angiosperm. This paper describes a complete specimen of a symmetrodont mammal with well-preserved hairs and soft tissue from the basal part of the Yixian Formation in the Sihetun area, Beipiao, western Liaoning. It is significant for understanding the morphology, osteology, phylogeny and life habits of Mesozoic symmetrodont mammals.     

New fossil evaniids (Hymenoptera,Evanioidea) from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning,China

A new species, Procretevania mitis sp. nov., is described from the Early Cretaceous of Yixian Formation at the Huangbanjigou, Beipiao City, western Liaoning, China. Based on new morphological data, a key of Procretevania Zhang and Zhang, 2000 is provided. Forewing venations, body and forewing lengths, localities and horizons of various genera of Evaniidae in amber and compression fossils are summarized for comparison. Evaniidae have a high degree of venational diversity, while more complex forewing venations for Lebanevania and Mesevania suggest that they may represent the stem group of the Evaniidae. High diversity of Evaniidae in the Early Cretaceous implies that Evaniidae might have radiated before the Early Cretaceous. Furthermore, comparison of body and forewing lengths of amber and fossil genera indicate that the amber specimens have relatively smaller size.     

Prophaenognatha, a New Aclopinae Genus from the Yixian Formation, China and Its Phylogenetic Position Based on Morphological Characters (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae)

Prophaenognatha robusta gen. et sp. nov. (Scarabaeoidea: Scarabaeidae: Aclopinae), the best-preserved aclopine fossil so far, is described and illustrated from the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of the Jehol Biota, western Liaoning Province, NE China. The key to extinct and extant genera of Aclopinae is given and the monophyly of extant and fossil Aclopinae lineages is supported by five character states. The new taxon provides evidence about the evolution of Scarabaeoidea with its phylogenetic position inferred based on 68 morphological characters.