鹦鹉嘴龙类皮肤印痕化石的发现及其意义

本文报道的辽宁西部北票市四合屯地区鹦鹉嘴龙类的皮肤鳞片化石,是迄今鹦鹉嘴龙类皮肤印痕的确切报道。该恐龙皮肤表面覆盖着小的鳞片,这些鳞片呈多边形,镶嵌式排列,其形态及大小在不同的部位略有变化。这类小型恐龙最早出现的时代为晚侏罗世晚期,早白垩世是其繁盛时期。     

我国发现的首例蜥脚类恐龙皮肤化石

本文记述了在四川自贡发现的同骨骼化石一道保存的蜥脚类恐龙皮肤化石,据其赋存关系,鉴定为杨氏马门溪龙（Ｍａｍｅｎｃｈｉｓａｕｒｕｓｙｏｕｎｇｉ）的皮肤残留部分。皮肤化石揭示该蜥脚类恐龙活着时体被鳞状皮肤,突出于表皮的鳞片呈不规则多边形,较大,密集而互不重叠,与过去描绘的类似大象皮光滑无鳞的情形不同。     

辽宁凌源义县组恐龙皮肤印痕化石

辽宁西部凌源大王杖子义县组恐龙皮肤印痕化石的发现，是热河生物群中恐龙皮肤鳞片的又一次记录。这些鳞片的形态以不规则多边形为主、互不叠覆，同时鳞片的大小、排列方式等随其着生部位的不同而明显变化。从与该皮肤鳞片保存在一起的数枚上颌齿及部分前后肢骨来判断，这一恐龙化石应归鸟臀类，且极有可能为鹦鹉嘴龙类(psittacosaurids)。     

中国剑龙类恐龙化石

我国中生代陆相沉积地层发育、分布广泛,有近百个恐龙化石产地分布,从东部的山东半岛到西部的甘肃、新疆;从云南、四川到内蒙古和黑龙江。目前,我国已经成为世界上发现恐龙化石最多的国家,已研究命名的恐龙种类达210多个。其中剑龙类恐龙化石9属10种,包括在国内外都享有盛名的华阳龙、沱江龙、嘉陵龙、巨棘龙、将军龙。太白华阳龙化石的发现为剑龙类起源于东亚提供了佐证,四川巨棘龙副肩棘原始埋藏状态的发现使研究人员对其功能和意义有了新的认识,四川巨棘龙皮肤印模化石的发现对认识剑龙类表皮结构提供了新的证据。     

四川犍为晚侏罗世一新的肉食龙类

记述了四川盆地西南部晚侏罗世上沙溪庙组顶部的中国盗龙型肉食龙类化石材料,并依此建立一新属新种——犍为乐山龙 (Leshansaurus qianweiensis gen. et sp. nov.)。它以上枕骨中嵴呈尖峰状,额骨最大长度与最大宽度之比约2.86,基蝶骨之基翼骨突细长,环椎间椎体马蹄形,背椎横突相当细长,背椎和荐椎神经棘非常薄,荐椎椎体具有明显的腹嵴,肠骨内侧髋臼缘存在一明显的嵴等特征区别于其他肉食龙类。犍为乐山龙是目前所知四川盆地产出层位最高的肉食龙材料,它的发现扩大了肉食龙类的时代分布和地理分布,对探讨肉食龙的演化具有比较重要的意义。     

杨氏天镇龙性双形现象的初步研究

通过对河北地质大学地球科学博物馆和山西大同博物馆收藏的4具杨氏天镇龙（甲龙类）骨架化石的研究,主要根据其头颅和尾锤的形态特征,认为杨氏天镇龙存在明显的性双形现象。雄性个体的鳞骨角粗大,向后上方两侧突伸;尾锤呈亚圆形,大而扁平。雌性个体的鳞骨角细小、低矮,向后侧方向突伸;尾锤呈亚圆形,小而扁平,表面具核桃纹纹饰。对甲龙类性双形现象的探讨为恐龙的研究提出了一种新的思路,可避免分类时出现同物异名的现象。     

四川晚三叠世须家河组和早侏罗世下益门组轮藻化石的发现及其意义

本文论述了发现于四川大足上三叠统须家河组和西昌地区下侏罗统下益门组的轮藻化石及其意义。迄今,记述晚三叠世和早侏罗世,尤其早侏罗世轮藻化石的文章十分罕见。文内描述的Porochara两个新种:P.dazuensis,P.xichangensis及其所在的化石组合,不仅为我国西南地区红层的划分对比提供了重要的古生物依据,而且也初次揭示了该区这一时期的轮藻植物群面貌特征,为建立我国三叠、侏罗纪轮藻化石带增添了宝贵的资料。     

中国剑龙类的发展史和演化

剑龙类恐龙是一类长有骨板的中-大型有甲类恐龙。其最明显的特征是从颈部到尾部沿背脊有两列直立的骨板,呈对称或交错排列。已知最早的剑龙类恐龙发现于中侏罗世的欧洲和中国,在侏罗纪末期剑龙类迅速繁衍,在全球都有分布,但随后在白垩纪早期开始消亡。中国至今所发现的剑龙类恐龙化石有几十个个体材料,发表的属种共计9属10种,分别为嘉陵龙、乌尔禾龙、芒康龙、营山龙、华阳龙、沱江龙、重庆龙、巨棘龙,将军龙。从地层分布、头部、腰带、肢骨比值和骨板几个特征来看,中国剑龙类应该有一个从华阳龙-重庆龙-巨棘龙-沱江龙-营山龙-芒康龙-乌尔禾龙的演化过程。     

辽西晚中生代热河生物群中首次发现具胚胎的软壳蛋化石

本文详细记述了辽宁省锦州市义县晚中生代热河生物群中两类爬行动物的蛋化石,其中离龙类蛋化石发现于早白垩世九佛堂组上部,翼龙类蛋化石发现于早白垩世义县组上部的金刚山层。经研究,离龙类蛋化石不仅含有胚胎,而且为软壳蛋。翼龙类蛋化石没有显示硬壳结构,很可能同样为软壳蛋。这些蛋化石的发现对于我们了解这两类爬行动物的生殖方式和发育演化历史将具有重要科学意义。     

关于“浙江吉兰泰龙”（“Chilantaisaurus zhejiangensis”）的讨论

“吉兰泰龙”（“Chilantaisaurus”）自1964年首次描述命名以来,长期被认为是异特龙科（Allosauridae）的大型掠食恐龙,包括4个种。但随着研究的深入,这个属被解体。其中,属型种“大水沟吉兰泰龙”（“C. tashuikouensis”）和“西伯利亚吉兰泰龙”（“C. sibiricus”）被归入棘龙类（Spinosauria）或新坚尾龙类（Neotetanurane）;“毛儿图吉兰泰龙”（“C. maortuensis”）被归入鲨齿龙类（Carcharodontosaurid）,并被重新描述命名为毛儿图侏儒鲨齿龙（Shaochilong maortuensis）。“浙江吉兰泰龙”（“C. zhejiangensis”）是现存唯一的此类恐龙的足部骨骼化石标本,从其尺寸大小推测,这是一种身长约5 m的大中型兽足类恐龙。通过与其他大中型兽足类的同部位骨骼化石进行对比,可见其具备许多兽足类特别是镰刀龙类的共同特征,并非原以为的仅相似于慢龙,也不排除其属于另一种大中型兽足类的可能性。     

Exceptional stegosaur integument impressions from the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation of Wyoming

Dinosaur skin impressions are rare in the Upper Jurassic Morrison Formation, but different sites on the Howe Ranch in Wyoming (USA), comprising specimens from diplodocid, camarasaurid, allosaurid and stegosaurian dinosaurs, have proven to be a treasure-trove for these soft-tissue remains. Here we describe stegosaurian skin impressions from North America for the first time, as well as the first case of preservation of an impression of the integument that covered the dorsal plates of stegosaurian dinosaurs in life. Both have been found closely associated with bones of a specimen of the stegosaurian Hesperosaurus mjosi Carpenter, Miles and Cloward 2001. The scales of the skin impression of H. mjosi are very similar in shape and arrangement to those of Gigantspinosaurus sichuanensis Ouyang 1992, the only other stegosaurian dinosaur from which skin impressions have been described. Both taxa show a ground pattern of small polygonal scales, which in some places is interrupted by larger oval tubercles surrounded by the small scales, resulting in rosette-like structures. The respective phylogenetic positions of G. sichuanensis as a basal stegosaurian and H. mjosi as a derived form suggest that most stegosaurians had very similar skin structures, which also match the most common textures known in dinosaurs. The integumentary impression from the dorsal plate brings new data to the long-lasting debate concerning the function of dorsal plates in stegosaurian dinosaurs. Unlike usual dinosaur skin impressions, the integument covering the dorsal plates does not show any scale-like texture. It is smooth with long and parallel, shallow grooves, a structure that is interpreted as representing a keratinous covering of the plates. The presence of such a keratinous covering has affects on all the existing theories concerning the function of stegosaurian plates, including defense, thermoregulation, and display, but does not permit to rule out any of them.     

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.     

中华原始软骨硬鳞鱼之再描述及其地质时代

鲟形鱼类是一类脊椎骨尚未完全骨化、鳞片极度退化的原始辐鳍鱼类。本文重新系统描述了该类别中时代最古老的中华原始软骨硬鳞鱼(Eochondrosteus sinensis Lu,Li et Yang, 2005),补充并修订了其古生物学特征。该鱼类具有扇形的下鳃盖骨、多块条形鳃条骨、较大的喉板骨、具齿的上、下颌,且全身仅在尾鳍上叶具有鳞片等特征,可以区别于鲟形鱼类其他属种。初步的支序系统发育分析表明,Eochondrosteus可能是鲟形鱼类中最原始的类群,与所有其他鲟形鱼类的祖先类群构成一个姐妹群;同时其具有一些古鳕类才普遍拥有的特征,如相对较大的喉板骨和眶下骨等,有可能是原始辐鳍鱼类向鲟形鱼类进化过程中的过渡类型。这一鲟形鱼类化石产于甘肃省肃北县马鬃山镇西北约50 km的方山口组深灰色粉砂质页岩中。根据野外实地调查和岩石地层学、生物地层学对比,该鱼类的时代有可能是早三叠世,而非命名时认为的晚二叠世,但仍是迄今已发现的时代最古老之鲟形鱼类。     

Fossil Liverworts from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation in Inner Mongolia, China

A new genus and species, Rebouliothallus huolinhensis sp. nov., and two uncertain species, Ricciopsis sp. and Hepaticites sp., are described. The fossils were collected from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation of Huolinhe Basin, northeastern China. The new genus Rebouliothallus was established in the Aytoniaceae family of Marchantiales. Rebouliothallus huolinhensis appears to be quite similar to species of the extant genus Reboulia Raddi. The species is characterized by the relatively large ventral scales. Ventral scales are large, imbricate and arranged in two rows on the ventral surface. Rhizoids are either pegged or smooth. Ricciopsis sp. is characterized by the rosette-forming thallus. Hepaticites sp. shows some similarities to liverworts. Of the forty-nine Early Cretaceous floras of China, only two floras, one from the Huolinhe basin, Inner Mongolia and the other from the Jixi Basin, Heilongjiang Province, contain fossil liverworts. The rare fossil liverwort records in the Early Cretaceous floras of China may be the result of taphonomic bias.     

福建永安坂头组植物及古气候分析

分析了福建永安盆地早白垩世坂头植物群的组成特征。共计报道该植物群化石24属52种左右,包括未定种以及存疑种21个。植物群的组成以具鳞片状叶的松柏类化石为主,苏铁类化石次之,并以本内苏铁目占绝对优势,然后是真蕨类化石,以小羽片小而质厚为特征,银杏化石及其少见,未发现被子植物。坂头组植物的组成面貌与欧洲Wealden植物群、日本外带领石植物群,以及我国南方植物区,如浙江、山东等地的早白垩世植物群比较一致,说明坂头组含化石层位年龄为早白垩世早期。坂头组大多数植物主要分布于热带或亚热带地区,具有耐干旱炎热的特点,反映了较干旱而炎热的气候特征。除此之外,还发现少量适宜生活在温凉潮湿气候环境下的植物。根据这些对气候具有指示意义的代表分子在坂头组中的数量以及分布情况,推断永安盆地早白垩世早期气候总体上比较干旱炎热,且伴随有不同程度季节性的潮湿。     

Single quartz grain electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of a contemporary desert surface deposit,Eastern Desert,Egypt

Signal resetting by sunlight prior to burial is a crucial assumption in electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of sediments. This resetting process is expected to be completed to a greater extent in arid than in fluvial environments. The present paper investigates the natural and artificially irradiated signal intensity of Ti related centres in single quartz grains collected from the desert surface (Eastern Desert, Egypt) in order to test this hypothesis. The results suggest that in most grains both the Ti–Li and Ti–H signal are completely reset to zero. Additive dose curves based on the sum of both Ti centres show an anomaly in the low dose region. Possible causes for this behaviour are briefly discussed. Three fitting procedures are conducted and each of them shows a different palaeodose distribution with a rather large spread in D_E values. It is concluded that similar fossil deposits would be datable by single grain ESR using Q-band measurements of the Ti–Li or Ti–H signals in quartz.     

Molecular taphonomy of macrofossils from the Cretaceous Las Hoyas Formation,Spain

Macromolecular analysis of fossil fish scales from the Cretaceous Las Hoyas Formation (using pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry) revealed a dominant aliphatic composition (C₈ to C₂₂) whereas modern fish scale is proteinaceous (largely collagenous). Structural analysis of the aliphatic polymer using thermochemolysis revealed the importance of ester linkages; saturated fatty acids C₁₄ to C₁₈ (particularly C₁₆) are the most abundant. These acid components and their unsaturated counterparts are evident in the lipid composition of modern fish scales. Thus, the aliphatic composition of the fossil scales is probably a result of the incorporation of lipids (including a C₁₉ aromatic hydrocarbon) from the original indicating preservation by in situ polymerization of labile aliphatic components. Fossil arthropods and plants from the same deposit also show a dominant aliphatic macromolecular component, likely derived predominantly by crosslinking of free lipid precursors. Differences in the relative distribution of molecular components indicate likely chemosystematic differences between different fossil groups.