辽宁西部一新的帆翼龙类化石

根据发现于辽西朝阳九佛堂组一具有部分头骨的不完整骨架,命名一新的帆翼龙--赵氏龙城翼龙(新属新种).头骨和牙齿形态显示龙城翼龙与宽齿帆翼龙的关系要比与其他翼龙的关系密切,龙城翼龙是目前辽西九佛堂组中发现的唯一的帆翼龙类.帆翼龙科原仅一属种,发现于英国早白垩世地层中,辽西早白垩世新帆翼龙的发现,不但扩大了其地理分布,也证明辽西是晚侏罗世至早白垩世翼龙辐射、分异的重要地区.这对研究翼龙的起源和演化有重要意义.     

Large-Sized Ankylosaur (Dinosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning, China

Two incomplete bones referred to ankylosaur scapulocoracoid and humerus are described, which were discovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Dachengzi Town, Kazuo County, Liaoning Province. Ankylosaur dinosaurs have ever been found in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian, Fuxin and Sunjiawan Formations of western Liaoning. The occurrence of ankylosaurs within Jiufotang Formation improves our knowledge on the ankylosaur stratigraphic distribution. Based on the length of scapulocoracoid, the new dinosaur is estimated to exceed 6.0 meters long, representing the largest ankylosaur in western Liaoning.     

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。     

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.     

Sauropod Teeth from the Lower Cretaceous Luohandong Formation of Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia

The Early Cretaceous Zhidan Group in the northern Ordos Basin, Inner Mongolia, yielded a large number of tetrapods, including turtles, choristoderes, crocodyliforms, psittacosaurs, stegosaurs, theropods and birds. Well-preserved sauropod teeth have been found in the Luohandong Formation, a middle-upper unit of the Zhidan Group. The large V-shaped wear facet, low slenderness index value, labial grooves, lingual ridge and concavity on the tooth crown suggest that these teeth are from titanosauriforms. Moreover, the presence of the prominent bosses on the lingual side of the tooth crown indicates these teeth should be identified as Euhelopus teeth further. The existence of Euhelopus in Ordos Basin (Inner Mongolia), Shandong Province and western Liaoning Province shows some connections about vertebrate faunas during Early Cretaceous in these areas. Other tetrapod groups such as turtles (Sinemys, Ordosemys), choristoderes (Ikechosaurus), psittacosaurs (Psittacosaurus) and birds (Cathayornis) provide more evidences for this viewpoint.     

辽西义县组蝾螈类化石新发现

在辽西葫芦岛市附近的早白垩世义县组地层中发现1处新的蝾螈化石点。新台门一带出露的湖相沉积地层主要是一套灰绿色安山岩与紫色泥质粉沙岩的互层。该层中除了产蝾螈化石外，还有诸如Ephemeropsis，Eosestheria，Liaoningocladus等其他动植物化石。过去发现的Liaoxitriton化石点是在同一地区比新化石层稍高的层位中发现的。该类蝾螈化石曾报道产于早白垩世的九佛堂组，但是新近的野外调查表明，该化石点所在层位也属义县组。     

辽西早白垩世九佛堂组一新的初鸟类

描述了产于辽宁朝阳盆地联合乡回家子南山早白垩世九佛堂组一新的初鸟类化石。因其头骨下颌近前部具有一嵴状突;前肢短于后肢,前后肢长度比率为0,82;掌骨未愈合;后足纤细,第一趾反转,与其他三趾对握;尾椎少于23节等特征,区别于其他任何已知的初鸟类,故命名为一新属、新种一粗颌大连乌（Dalianraptor cuhe gen．et sp.nov）。     

New Eoenantiornithid Bird from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning, China

1 Introduction Enantiornithes were the most blooming branch among the early birds and had distinct diversities. They flourished in the Early Cretaceous (Kurochkim, 1985; Chiappe, 1991; Sanz and Bonaparte, 1992; Boles, 1995; Elzanowski, 1995), and become extinct at the end of the Late Cretaceous. Lots of the birds have been reported in western Liaoning, China (Sereno and Rao, 1992; Zhou, 1995; Hou, 1996, 1997; Sanz and Chiappe, 1996; Sanz et al., 1997; Hou and Chen, 1999; Hou et al., 1…     

长羽毛恐龙及翼龙研究新发现

在江西赣州地区晚白垩世地层中发现的窃蛋龙类化石——赣州华南龙,属于进步窃蛋龙类,其独特的头部特征为研究窃蛋龙类恐龙的颅面演化、古地理分布及古生态环境提供重要信息;在辽西早白垩世义县组地层中发现的大型、前肢短的驰龙类恐龙——孙氏振元龙,为大型、短前肢类型的驰龙类提供羽毛形态学方面的重要信息,为研究驰龙类的多样性、鸟类羽毛以及飞行起源提供了重要依据;在辽西发现的喙嘴龙类翼龙——朝阳东方颌翼龙,是该地区晚侏罗世地层中发现的第一件翼龙标本,不仅填补了时代上的空白,同时对于印证晚侏罗世喙嘴龙类的辐射演化具有重要作用。这些重要发现对于研究窃蛋龙类的演化、驰龙类羽毛演化及鸟类羽毛起源等热点与难点问题提供了重要的参考依据,尤其在发现华南龙的基础上,命名了赣州恐龙动物群。     

Xinghaiornis lini (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning: An Example of Evolutionary Mosaic in Early Birds

We describe a new species of Early Cretaceous bird from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province. Xinghaiornis lini gen. et sp. nov. is relatively large and characterized by a long, toothless rostrum and an elevated pedal digit I. The design of the skull and feet suggests that this bird was likely a mud-prober. This discovery provides strong support indicating that this avian trophic specialization originated at least 125 million years ago.     

辽西早白垩世一反鸟类新属种的发现

新反鸟化石（Gracilornis jiufotangensis gen. et sp. nov.）产于辽宁省朝阳地区早白垩世九佛堂组。根据该反鸟的骨骼细弱、肢骨关节发达、胸骨与躯干相比较小（胸骨宽与躯干长比率约为0.11;胸骨长与躯干长比率约为0.13）等不同于其他已知反鸟的特征,建立一新属种,归于华夏鸟科（Cathayornithidae）。     

中国发现世界上最原始的鸟类化石：华美金凤鸟（新属、新种）

始祖鸟的发现被认为是19世纪最重要的科学发现之一,迄今为止共发现了7枚保存骨骼、羽毛印痕的化石标本和1枚单根羽毛化石标本。由于始祖鸟既显示了明显的爬行动物的特征又保存了精美的羽毛,140多年来人们一直将其作为介于恐龙与鸟类之间的“中间环节”(“missing link”),但更倾向认为它是世界上最古老的鸟,或鸟类的始祖。由于始祖鸟化石稀少,加之地理分布十分局限,长期以来国际上一直围绕鸟类起源问题展开了激烈的争论,提出了各种各样的假说。直到20世纪90年代,在中国辽西晚中生代地层中发现了大量长羽毛的恐龙和原始鸟类化石,有力地支持了鸟类起源于小型兽脚类恐龙的学术观点,使赫 140多年前提出的“假说”成为当今国际科学界占主流地位的学说和理论,基本解决了长期困扰国际科学界的鸟类起源问题,遗憾的是,在过去的几年中,中国一直没有发现与德国始祖鸟十分接近或与德国始祖鸟处于同样进化水平的原始鸟类化石,这种缺憾使我们难以对鸟类定义问题进行深入的研究和探讨,2002年,笔者等在中国辽西早白垩世断层中发现了2种初鸟类化石,即中华神州鸟和东方吉祥鸟。通过比较解剖学研究和支序分析,这2种初鸟类要比始祖鸟略微进步一些,在研究鸟类的早期演化方面具有重要意义;但仍然难以对鸟类定义问题作进一步研究。本文首次报道了一件采自中国河北省丰宁县龙凤山桥头组的初鸟类化石——华美金凤鸟（新属、新种）(Jinfengopteryx elegans gen.et sp.nov),与其共生的化石有Lycoptera davidi,Peipiaosteus pani,yanosteus longidorsalis（鱼类）;Jibeinia luanhera,Protopteryx fengningensis(鸟类）;Ephemeropsis trisetalis(昆虫）及少量植物。支序分析表明,华美金凤鸟处于初鸟类谱系树的基部,比始祖鸟略微原始,与后者为姊妹群关系。奔龙等兽脚类恐龙是它们的外类群。金凤鸟、始祖鸟是中华神州鸟等原始鸟类的外类群。这说明华美金凤鸟处在恐龙向鸟类演化过程中一个非常关键的位置,是世界上迄今所发现的最原始的初鸟类。华美金凤鸟的发现在研究鸟类起源、恐龙-鸟类的系统关系等方面具有重要的科学意义。     

The first Early Cretaceous damsel–dragonfly (Odonata: Stenophlebiidae: Stenophlebia) from western Liaoning,China

A well-preserved forewing of the damsel–dragonfly Stenophlebia liaoningensis sp. nov. is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in the Huangbanjigou Village, western Liaoning, China. This is the first discovery of the genus Stenophlebia in China, although it was widely distributed in Europe during the Late Jurassic. The discovery adds to the biodiversity of Stenophlebiidae in the Chinese Cretaceous, and provides insight on the evolution of this extinct family.     

A New Genus and Species of Sapeornithidae from Lower Cretaceous in Western Liaoning, China

Sapeornithidae is a basal pygostylian family of Early Cretaceous primitive birds, in which only one genus and species, Sapeornis chaoyangensis, was reported before. This paper deals with a new genus and species of this family, Didactylornis jii gen. et sp. nov., which was unearthed from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. According to our phylogenetic analyses, both Didactylornis gen. nov. and Sapeornis form a sister group, which is basal to the clade formed by Confuciusornis and all the more derived birds, and more closely related to the short-tailed pygostylian birds than to the long-tailed avialian birds. The early history of pygostylian birds is poorly documented except for the studies of Confuciusornis and Sapeornis. The discovery ofDidactylornisjii gen. et sp. nov. adds the new material for the study on the early evolution of birds.     

Early Cretaceous spinicaudatans (“conchostracans”) from lacustrine strata of the Sidi Aïch Formation in the northern Chotts range,southern Tunisia: Taxonomy,biostratigraphy and stratigraphic implication

The fossil clam shrimp genus Cratostracus was first described from the Turonian–Coniacian (Upper Cretaceous) Qingshankou Formation in the Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces of China, and it has been found to range down into the Aptian Guantou Formation in Zhejiang Province of southeastern China. Recently, species tentatively attributable to it (Cratostracus? cheni) has been recorded in the well-known Jehol Biota bearing Barremian–lower Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) Yixian Formation in western Liaoning Province of northeastern China. The species described in this paper as Cratostracus? tunisiaensis sp. nov. was recovered from the Sidi Aïch Formation in the Chotts area of southern Tunisia. Although only tentatively attributed to Cratostracus, its occurrence is consistent with a Barremian (Early Cretaceous) age for the formation. This first direct dating of the Sidi Aïch Formation gives a valuable insight for the stratigraphy of the region and will make it possible to more precisely correlate the different outcrops of the Sidi Aïch Formation. Moreover, the new fossil discovery allows a reconstruction of the paralic ecosystem that characterized the study area during the Barremian.     

A reassessment of Iteravis huchzermeyeri and Gansus zheni from the Jehol Biota in western Liaoning,China

The authors reassessed the taxonomic distinction of Iteravis huchzermeyeri and Gansus zheni, which are two species of Ornithuromorpha based on specimens from the same locality in western Liaoning and derive from the Jehol Biota. The detailed comparisons of the holotype and referred specimens of both species, reveal no anatomical features that distinguish these taxa as separate species. Some minor differences are considered to relate to ontogenetic or interspecific differences. The stratigraphic occurrence for both specimens is the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation. Accordingly, the authors conclude that Iteravis huchzermeyeri has priority, by 15 days, for this taxon and that Gansus zheni is a junior synonym. The diagnosis of Iteravis huchzermeyeri is revised based on further study on all specimens referred to this species. Its generic distinction from Gansus is maintained thereby removing a potential genus-level correlation linking Xiagou Formation in Gansu Province with the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning Province.     

Enantiornithine Bird with Diapsidian Skull and Its Dental Development in the Early Cretaceous in Liaoning, China

A Iarge number of enantiornithine birds are discovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufutang Formation in western Liaoning, China. They are all small-sized birds with a few small teeth. The enantiornithine bird from the Jiufutang Formation in the Shangheshou area, Chaoyang, Liaoning Province reported in this paper is the largest individual known in all enantiornithine birds of the Early Cretaceous. However, its teeth possess a feature of pseudoheterodont. Some different development stages of the new teeth substitute the earlier stages and the stages of development are preserved in this specimen. This development pattern is similar to that of Archaeopteryx and alligator but not dinosaur. A well-developed postorbital was also preserved in the skull, which was a diapsidian skull like that of Confuciusornis. Additionally, the distinctive preservation of its prefrontal distinguishes it from other enantiornithine birds of the Early Cretaceous.     

辽西朝阳地区含鸟化石层附近侏罗—白垩系磁性地层研究

本文通过对辽西朝阳地区含鸟化石层附近侏罗-白垩系蓝旗组、土城子组、义县组地层共1252块古地磁样吕的测试与分析，建立了以上沉积地层的磁极性序列，发现蓝旗组、土城子组地层的磁极性序列具有频繁的正、反极性、而义县组则为单一正极性，结合现有古生物和同位素年龄资料，对比国际中生代地磁极性年表，表明土城子组的磁极性序列相当于提塘期、基末里期、牛津期和卡洛期，其主体的地质时代应属晚侏罗世（J3），土城子组底部的地质时代应属中侏罗世（J2)；并且根据义县组含鸟化石层以上层位的磁性地层研究结果，认为义县组含鸟化石的正极性带可与M16正极性时相对应，义县组含鸟类化石层的时代应属早白垩世早期，辽西白垩系/侏罗系界线很有可能位于义县组/土城子组之间。     

The Jurassic orthopteran Allaboilus gigantus Ren and Meng, 2006 (Prophalangopsidae) from Beipiao,Northeast China and its biostratigraphical significance

The orthopteran Allaboilus gigantus Ren and Meng, 2006 (Prophalangopsidae) is reported based on a male forewing from the Middle-Upper Jurassic Haifanggou Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning, China. This discovery greatly extends the distribution of the species from Daohugou in Inner Mongolia eastwards to Beipiao in western Liaoning. It further provides new evidence for correlation of the Daohugou Beds with the Haifanggou Formation indicating a Callovian-early Oxfordian age for the Daohugou Beds.     

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.