华东白垩纪鸭嘴龙类恐龙蛋化石的发现

浙江天台白垩纪地层中最常见的蛋化石类型之一是赤城山组地层（锆石U-Pb法同位素年龄约92Ma）的树枝树枝蛋（Dendroolithus dendriticus）。对比河南西峡含恐龙胚胎的蛋化石,确定其为鸭嘴龙类（Hadrosaurs）恐龙所产。鸭嘴龙类恐龙在系统分类上归鸟脚亚目（Ornithopoda Marsh,1881）鸭嘴龙超科（Hadrosauroidea Cope,1869）鸭嘴龙科（Hadrosauridae Cope,1869）,建议树枝蛋化石也相应归入圆形蛋化石亚目（Spheroolithineae账oosubord．nov．）树枝蛋化石超科（Dendroolithoidea oosuperfam．nov．）树枝蛋化石科（Dendroolithidae Zhaoand Li 1988）,以便对应研究。从已知的鸭嘴龙类恐龙产蛋尺寸推算,浙江天台的树枝树枝蛋（Dendroolithus dendriticus）为身长不超过7m的恐龙所产,个体大小类似东北一蒙古发现的萨哈林日本龙（Nipponosaurus sachaIinensis）、李氏黑龙江龙（Amurosaurus riabinini）和姜氏巴克龙（Bactrosaurus johnsoni）。该蛋在巢穴里,无序放置,至少3层,常超过20枚,蛋壳具韧性,重力作用下呈扁球形。     

宜兴地区恐龙蛋化石的发现及其意义

宜兴市张渚镇北牛犊山出露了一套陆相红层,由于一直未获化石,时代归属及区域对比分歧较大。1973年我队将其归为晚白垩世浦口组:1978年我队编制江苏省及上海市区域地质志时,将其归为西横山组。近几年笔者和本队部分同志在该区进行区域地质调查时,于该红层中采获了恐龙蛋化石,因而提出这一红层时代应归属于晚白垩晚期赤山组。一、地层剖面赤山组(K_2(?)) 厚>38.8m(11)灰紫包细粒岩屑砂岩(未见顶)。 >5.3m⑩紫红色含角砾细粒长石岩屑砂岩 2.8m⑨浅紫色角砾岩 4.6m⑧灰紫色细粒长石岩屑砂岩。2.4m⑦紫色含角砾长石岩屑砂岩。1.3m     

从浙江天台白垩纪蛋化石复原恐龙类群

浙江天台盆地白垩纪地层中,已发现了甲龙类及慢龙类等恐龙骨骼化石及数以千计的蛋化石,其中许多为恐龙蛋化石。根据国内外相同类型的蛋化石中迄今已发现的恐龙胚胎化石研究成果,可大致确定其中一部分蛋化石分别是由鸭嘴龙类、巨龙类、慢龙类、盗蛋龙类、伤齿龙类和暴龙类等恐龙所产。并发现鸭嘴龙类、巨龙类和慢龙类的圆形蛋、副圆形蛋在数量上占绝大多数,盗蛋龙的长形蛋和伤齿龙的棱柱形蛋较少,暴龙类的巨型长形蛋最少,从而反映了他们各自在生态金字塔中的位置。     

浙江白垩纪恐龙化石

浙江白垩系朝川组、中戴组、金华组、赖家组和赤城山组等地层中,已发现了数以千计保存完好的蛋化石,而恐龙骨骼化石却很少而且大多很残破。其中,目前能鉴别的恐龙有暴龙类（tyrannosaurs）、伤齿龙类（troodontids）、盗蛋龙类（oviraptorids）、鸭嘴龙类（hadrosaurs）、慢龙类（segnosaurs）、泰坦巨龙类（titanosaurs）、甲龙类（ankylosaurs）和结节龙类（nodosaurs）等,分布在天台、永康、东阳、丽水、缙云、金华和江山等广大区域,说明当时浙江存在过种类繁多的恐龙动物群。根据化石埋藏和沉积特征,在白垩纪时期浙江有诸多气候炎热、四面环山的大小盆地,恐龙多沿湖泊、河流筑巢生息,季节性的暴雨导致山洪泛滥,淹没了恐龙巢穴,因泥沙的快速掩埋封闭,巢穴里的蛋形成化石后保存较好。而恐龙或逃离,或尸骨被洪水搬运散落,所以、迄今除了已发现的4具不完整的骨架化石外,绝大多数是零散的骨骼。     

山东莱陽白垩纪後期恐龙化石及蛋化石

山东大学地质礦物系同學及王鳞祥、關广岳二先生,於1950年春在膠东萊陽縣金刚口及趙疃附近,白堊纪上部王氏系中所採的恐龍化石及蛋化石,已經初步研究,恐龍骨骼屬於鸟脚類中的鸭嘴龍科,屬類及種類因材料不足,未能作確切鑑定,但与谭錫疇教授及司丹斯基博士在同一屬位及地區內將軍頂附近所採的譚氏龍(Tanius)很相近,可能為同一種屬,祇是骨骼形體较罈氏龍稍大,但就僅有的材料作比較,則与外蒙古所採的姜氏巴克龍(Bactrosaurus johnsoni Gilmore),亦甚接近。山大地质礦物系所存標本,除零星碎塊外,计有大體完整之脊椎骨七,左鸟喙骨一,左右脛骨各一,左腓骨一。蛋化石包括受壓擠破裂之蛋三枚,零星蛋殼破片若干。由外表及製成薄片後在顯微镜下觀察之結果,發現舆現今已知的恐龍及其他爬行動物蛋殼構造,都不相同。但比較上舆外蒙古白堊纪上部伊蘭達巴索層內所採的鴨嘴龍式蛋殻結構,最為接近。依據外形,內形结構,及一般爬行動物和鳥類蛋殼之生長及構造,作比较推测,莱陽所產蛋化石為一種新的恐龍蛋型,可能為一種屬於鴨嘴龍類的恐龍所產。本文著者承山大地質礦物系何作霖主任及王麟祥先生供給標本和有關资料,及各项帮助,中国科学院楊钟健教授在标本之鉴定及研究上,赐予指導,並為校改原稿,表示無限謝忱。     

恐龙蛋化石研究

20世纪90年代以来,随着中国和阿根廷等地大量的恐龙蛋化石(特别是包含有胚胎化石的标本)被发掘出来,恐龙蛋的研究取得了长足进展。获得的信息说明,恐龙是高度分异的庞大多样化种群,不仅它们的体形差异巨大,而且其蛋的形态、尺寸及产卵习性也有很大差别。在形态和尺寸上,有大小如鸡蛋、柚子、篮球、铁饼及橄榄球等;产卵习性上,有一次产多枚,杂乱堆积掩埋;也有一次产两枚,精心排列成圈等。     

河南西峡白垩纪地层和蛋化石

本文在对西峡地区恐龙蛋化石分布进行全面评价同时,还首次报道了鳄类蛋化石、鸟类蛋化石、赵营组的无脊椎动物化石,这些新发现不仅丰富了西峡地区生物群面貌,也揭示了伏牛山南麓白垩纪构造盆地特点.     

Knoblochia cretacea,Late Cretaceous insect eggs from Central Europe

The genus Knoblochia is established for fossil insect eggs. The fossils are small, longitudinally ridged, ovoid to round with projections on both ends. Their thin perforated wall is covered by minute papillae, inner surface of the wall is smooth or covered by rectangular files of cells. Fossils assigned here to Knoblochia cretacea were earlier assigned to the genus Spirellea, which encompass a heterogenous complex of small fossils being or resembling angiosperm seeds from the Late Cretaceous. The majority of species of the genus Spirellea clearly represents remains of angiosperms. However, fossils described by Knobloch and Mai (1986) as Spirellea kvacekii are distinct, particularly in having external walls perforated, neither apex nor basal projection showing any absition scar or micropyle in the botanical sense. Attribution of these fossils to insects led us to designate the new name Knoblochia cretacea with a new holotype for fossils of this kind. Comparison of Knoblochia with insect eggs of species of Phasmatodea and Lepidoptera, and seeds of Stemonaceae showed clear affinity to insects. Due to the high amount of extinction among insects since the Cretaceous, the systematic affinity of Knoblochia remains open.     

A new species of Taxodioxylon from the Lower Cretaceous of the Jixi Basin, eastern Heilongjiang, China

Newly discovered silicified wood from the Jixi Basin, Heilongjiang Province, northeast China, represents the first record of Taxodioxylon sensu Gothan from the Lower Cretaceous of China. Taxodioxylon szei sp. nov. is characterized by abundant wood parenchyma, uniseriate rays 1–50 cells in height, 1–2 rows of separately or contiguously arranged bordered pits, taxodioid-type pits in cross field, no normal resin canals and an absence of spiral thickenings in tracheids. It agrees well with the diagnostic characters of Taxodioxylon, but is distinguished from previously described species by higher rays, the presence of idioblasts in some rays, and by having black granules, which seem to be clusters of a needle-like substance (crystals?) in axial wood parenchyma cells, and traumatic resin canals. The anatomy of T. szei, and other palaeobotanical and sedimentological evidence indicate that the Early Cretaceous climate of the Jixi Basin was seasonal and very favourable to tree growth.     

浙江白垩纪镰刀龙类恐龙

浙江白垩系中戴组和赖家组地层先后发现镰刀龙超科(Therizinosauridae)恐龙骨骼化石,证明镰刀龙类恐龙生活区域不仅遍及蒙古、哈萨克斯坦、中国华北、东北、华南及北美西部等地,而且也包括中国的华东。这类曾长期令人困惑的奇异动物,随着近一个世纪的化石材料积累和研究,逐渐显现出它们的演化过程,即由食肉性恐龙演化成以素食为主,也许还兼肉食的杂食性恐龙。随着食物来源的扩展,镰刀龙类成为白垩纪分布很广、对环境适应性很强、演化十分成功的恐龙。浙江天台盆地发现的始丰天台龙(Tiantaisaurus sifengensis)脊椎骨骼化石上的气囊构造(pneumaticity),说明其虽体态硕大,但骨骼结构并不很笨重,而是与现代鸟类骨骼很接近。尽管还不能确定恐龙的气囊能像鸟类的那样可作为呼吸系统的重要部分,但其减轻体重、提高行动灵活性的作用是毋庸置疑的,并再一次证实了恐龙与鸟类在演化上关系密切。     

New fossil mesosciophilids (Diptera: Nematocera) from the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of western Liaoning,China

A new genus with two new species, Orentalphila gravia gen. et sp. nov. and O. caloa sp. nov., and three new species in two known genera, Sinosciophila angustia sp. nov., Sinosciophila seboa sp. nov. and Similsciophila undulata sp. nov., are described from the Lower Cretaceous of Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou, Beipiao City, western Liaoning, China. These new taxa, representing the first records of mesosciophilids from this locality, provide morphological information and diversity for Mesosciophilidae in the Early Cretaceous. An updated key to known genera of Mesosciophilidae is provided. In addition, according the generic diagnosis revised by Zhang, 2007, Mesoplecia antiqua Hao and Ren, 2009 should be transferred to Mesosciophila Rohdendorf, 1946.     

Late Cretaceous Kholokhovchan Flora of Northeastern Asia: Composition,age and fossil plant descriptions

The Kholokhovchan Flora comes from tuffaceous – terrigenous deposits of the Vetvinskaya Member (Chalbugchan Group) in the Penzhina and Oklan rivers interfluve, Northeastern Russia. The depositional environment of the plant-bearing deposits is interpreted to have been a freshwater lake. The Kholokhovchan Flora hosts 42 fossil plant species belonging to Marchantiopsida, Polypodiopsida, Ginkgoales, Leptostrobales, Bennettitales, Pinales and Magnoliopsida. It is characterised by diverse angiosperms, less diverse conifers and ferns, by the presence of relatively ancient Sphenobaiera, Phoenicopsis and Pterophyllum together with advanced Late Cretaceous Taxodium, Glyptostrobus and angiosperms, among which platanoids are quite diverse. The Kholokhovchan Flora is most similar to Penzhina and Kaivayam floras of the Anadyr-Koryak Subregion and Arman Flora of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt (Northeastern Russia) and should be dated as Turonian–Coniacian. The Kholokhovchan Flora, that populated volcanic plateaus and intermontane valleys, are characterised by a mixture of ancient “Mesophytic” plants with typical Late Cretaceous “Cenophytic” taxa. This peculiar composition probably reflects a gradual penetration of new angiosperm-dominated plant assemblages into older floras: during the Late Cretaceous, “Cenophytic” assemblages migrated along river valleys and other disturbed habitats into the interior of Asia, eventually occupying volcanogenic uplands, and in places replacing the “Mesophytic” fern-gymnospermous communities that existed there. Two new angiosperm species, as well as four the most characteristic conifers of the Kholokhovchan Flora, are described: Cupressaceae gen. et sp. indet. cf. Widdringtonites sp., Taxodium cf. olrikii, Taxodium sp., Glyptostrobus sp., Ettingshausenia vetviensis sp. nov. and Parvileguminophyllum penzhinense sp. nov.     

First fossil insect from Lower Cretaceous Lebanese amber in Syria (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae)

Lebanoculicoides bloudani a new species of Ceratopogonidae from the Lower Cretaceous ambers of Syria and Lebanon is studied. The new species is characterized, described, illustrated, and compared with the other fossil taxa of the same extinct genus. A key to the species of the genus Lebanoculioides is proposed.     

A new species of Cyrtophyllitinae (Insecta: Ensifera) from the Cretaceous China

A new fossil species of Cyrtophyllitinae, Vitimoilus ovatus sp. nov., is described from the Dabeigou Formation and Yixian Formation of the Lower Cretaceous of China. It is clearly placed in Vitimoilus Gorochov, 1996 according to the following characters: R forking into RA and RP distally, M forking into MA and MP distally; CuA fused with CuPaα distal of the middle of the wing length; cross-veins in basal part of CuPb–CuPaβ area non-strongly curved.     

New genera and species of bark-gnawing beetles (Coleoptera: Trogossitidae) from the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous) of Western Liaoning,China

Two new genera from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, northeastern China are described and illustrated. Paracretocateres gen. nov. (type species P. bellus, sp. nov.) and Yixianteres gen. nov. (type species Y. beipiaoensis sp. nov.) are assigned to the subfamily Lophocaterinae based on the state of the procoxae which are not projecting, the transverse procoxal cavities, and the exposed protochantins. The new taxa broaden the diversity of this family and provide further morphological characters for phylogenetic studies of Trogossitidae. They also provide evidence that lophocaterines well-diversified prior to the trogossitines and their biologies may have been similar to extant forms.