中国辽西白垩纪甲龙(恐龙，鸟臀目)研究新进展

所有鸟臀目恐龙都是植食性或杂食性。鸟臀目恐龙中的奇异辽宁龙是一种体型很小的甲龙,以往均认为与其他甲龙一样生活在陆地上,主要以植物为食。报道了中国发现的一件新的奇异辽宁龙标本,该标本体腔内保存了很多鱼类化石骨骼,认为这些鱼类残骸是甲龙胃或肠里的残留物,因此可以作为该恐龙食肉的有力证据。奇异辽宁龙颊齿齿冠具有长而分叉的齿饰,这种齿系可以穿透像鱼类一样的小动物。恐龙前、后肢指(趾)爪演变得非常锋利同样可以证明其适应吃肉的生活方式。奇异辽宁龙腹部甲板演化成盾状及荐骨-腰带关联疏松也说明其适应水生生活,腹部甲板可以保护腹部身体免受水下攻击。同理,神经弓与椎体之间缝合线开阔不能再作为正型标本的幼年特征。奇异辽宁龙是自18世纪发现恐龙以来已知的第一种肉食性鸟臀目恐龙,不仅代表了第一种水生或半水生有甲类恐龙,更是目前已知最小的鸟臀目恐龙。     

A new ornithopod (Dinosauria,Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous of Antarctica and its palaeobiogeographical implications

A new ornithopod dinosaur from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Snow Hill Island Formation, at James Ross Island, Antarctica is here described. This new taxon, named as Morrosaurus antarcticus gen. et sp. nov., is represented by a fragmentary right hind limb belonging to a medium-sized individual. Our phylogenetic analysis nests the new taxon in a monophyletic clade of Southern Hemisphere ornithopods that includes most Patagonian and Antarctic ornithopods. Several members of this group share a slender and bunched foot with narrow metatarsal IV, expanded chevrons, and bowed humerus without deltopectoral crest. Several features indicate that these ornithopods exhibit adaptations for a specialized cursorial mode of life. The recognition of Patagonian and Antarctic Ornithopoda belonging to a monophyletic clade reinforces palaeobiogeographical signals indicating that Patagonia, Antarctica and Australia shared a common Late Cretaceous terrestrial fauna.     

A new ornithopod (Dinosauria; Ornithischia) from Antarctica

A new ornithopod dinosaur from Antarctica, Trinisaura santamartaensis n. gen. et n. sp. is diagnosed by a unique combination of characters that includes a scapula with a spike-like acromial process with a strong and sharp lateral crest and longer than other ornithopods, a humerus with a rudimentary deltopectoral crest represented as a thickening on the anterolateral margin of the humerus, and shaft strongly bowed laterally, and an ischium gently curved along its entire length. The holotype specimen comprises vertebral and appendicular elements. The presence of axially elongate distal caudal vertebrae, pubis with long prepubic and postpubic processes, as well as a femur with a distinct anterior trochanter, pendant 4th trochanter and shallow anterior intercondylar groove constitute a combination of characters present in the Late Cretaceous Patagonian Gasparinisaura, Anabisetia and Talenkahuen. The materials were found on the surface enclosed in a hard sandstone concretion collected near the Santa Marta Cove, James Ross Island, from the lower levels of the Snow Hill Island Formation (Campanian). This is the first ornithopod taxon identified from this unit, and the second ornithischian dinosaur, after the ankylosaur Antarctopelta oliveroi. However, other ornithopod reports from nearby localities of James Ross and Vega islands in outcrops of the overlying Lopez de Bertodano Formation suggest that this clade was widely represented in the Campanian and Maastrichtian of the James Ross Basin, Antarctic continent.     

Pachycephalosaurs (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Upper Cretaceous (upper Campanian) of New Mexico: A reassessment of Stegoceras novomexicanum

Pachycephalosaurs, a group of ornithischian dinosaurs with distinctive cranial ornamentation and skull domes, underwent dramatic changes in cranial morphology during ontogeny. This has caused debate about whether some specimens belong to juveniles or adults, which impacts studies of pachycephalosaur phylogeny and evolution. One such debate concerns a small skull roof specimen from the Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) of New Mexico, NMMNH P-33898, which was originally described as an indeterminate juvenile but later regarded as a mature adult and erected as the holotype of a new small-bodied species, Stegoceras novomexicanum. We restudied NMMNH P-33898 using computed tomography scanning, morphometric and phylogenetic analyses, and comparisons to growth series of other pachycephalosaurs (Stegoceras validum, Pachycephalosaurus wyomingensis). We conclude that two purported paratype specimens of Stegoceras novomexicanum cannot be referred to the same taxon as the holotype, that the holotype and controversial paratypes all belong to immature specimens and not aberrant small-bodied adults, but that current evidence cannot clearly determine whether NMMNH P-33898 is a juvenile belonging to its own diagnostic species (S. novomexicanum) or is a juvenile of Stegoceras validum, Sphaerotholus goodwini, or another known taxon. We review the pachycephalosaur record of New Mexico and demonstrate that pachycephalosaurs were important components of dinosaur faunas in the southern part of Western North America during the ∼15 million years before the end-Cretaceous extinction, just as they were in roughly contemporaneous northern localities.     

A Large Therizinosauroid （Dinosauria： Theropoda） from the Early Cretaceous of Northwestern China

We herein describe an associated partial postcranial skeleton of a theropod dinosaur discovered in the Lower Cretaceous Xinminpu Group of the Yujingzi Basin, in the Jiuquan area of Gausu Province, northwestern China. Features of its humerus, such as strongly expanded proximal and distal ends, a well developed medial tuberosity, distal condyles expressed on the humeral cranial surface, and a hypertrophied entepicondyle, definitively establish the therizinosauroid affinities of the specimen. It differs from other therizinosauroids in having a shallow, poorly demarcated glenoid fossa with a prominent rounded and striated tumescence on the dorsomedial surface of its scapular portion, and a pubis with a strongly concave cranial margin. It represents a new taxon, Suzhousaurus megatherioides gen. et sp. nov. Cladistic analysis recovers Suzhousaurus as the sister taxon of Nothronychus mckinleyi from the mid-Cretaceous of western North America; together, they are basal members of the Therizinosauroidea, more derived than the Early Cretaceous Falcarius and Beipiaosaurus but less derived than Alxasaurus and the Therizinosauridae. Along with ＂Nanshiungosaurus＂ bohlini from possibly coeval beds in the Mazongshan area of northern-most Gansu, Suzhousaurus represents one of the largest-known Early Cretaceous therizinosauroids, demonstrating that this clade attained considerable body size early in its evolutionary history.     

A New Basal Titanosaur (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China

A new dinosaur of Early Cretaceous age was recently discovered from the Mazongshan area of northwestern Gansu Province, China. The new dinosaur represents a new genus and species of Sauropoda, and is among the most basal members of Titanosauria. Its finding also suggests that titanosaurs might have originated in Asia no later than the Early Cretaceous.     

A new amber deposit from the Cretaceous (uppermost Albian-lowermost Cenomanian) of southwestern France

A Cretaceous amber deposit has recently been discovered in a quarry of Charente-Maritime (southwestern France), at Cadeuil. This paper presents the sedimentary and palaeoenvironmental settings of the uppermost Albian-lowermost Cenomanian series including the amber deposit. A preliminary analysis of the amber samples reveals diverse fossil arthropods (a few mites and at least 20 insect families within 9 orders), as well as numerous micro-organisms, mainly algae and mycelia. A myceloid colony of bacteria, a flagellate algae and four especially well preserved insects are illustrated (Diptera Dolichopodidae, Diptera Chironomidae, Hymenoptera Parasitica, and Heteroptera Tingidae). The abundance of the limnic micro-organisms is discussed in terms of bloom events. Their relative scarcity in almost all the amber pieces containing fossil arthropods is attributed to differences in the origin of resin: production along trunk and branches for amber with arthropods; production by aquatic roots for amber rich in algae. The absence of pollen and spores in amber is attributed to differences in the respective periods of resin and palynomorph production, which may be related to a seasonal climate during the Albian-Cenomanian transition in Western Europe.     

The status of Dollodon and other basal iguanodonts (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe

Dollodon bampingi was recently named based upon a specimen from the Bernissart Quarry that had previously been referred to Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis. The initial diagnosis of Dollodon did not adequately distinguish it from Mantellisaurus or from other basal iguanodonts, necessitating a reassessment of the material. Firsthand examination of the holotypes of the two taxa and numerous other basal iguanodont specimens, as well as a principal components analysis of basal iguanodont dentaries, did not find any morphological features to justify the distinction of Dollodon from Mantellisaurus. D. bampingi is thus best considered a junior synonym of M. atherfieldensis. Furthermore, the recent referral of the species Iguanodon seelyi to the genus Dollodon is not supported; I. seelyi is indistinguishable from Iguanodon bernissartensis, and is considered a junior synonym of that species. Finally, the recently named taxon Proplanicoxa galtoni, also based upon a specimen formerly attributed to M. atherfieldensis, is considered a nomen dubium and probable junior synonym of M. atherfieldensis. Thus, only two species of large-bodied basal iguanodont should be recognized from the Barremian-Aptian of England and Belgium: M. atherfieldensis and I. bernissartensis.     

A New Specimen of Liaoceratops yanzigouensis (Dinosauria:Neoceratopsia) from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China

A new specimen of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur Liaoceratops yanzigouensis is described. The specimen comes from the Lujiatun Bed of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Beipiao City of western Liaoning Province, and is represented by a very well preserved three-dimensional partial skull and mandible. It is also the smallest among the three specimens of L. yanzigouensis, and several features in the new specimen, such as the short preorbital length and the round rostroventral orbital rim, can be ontogenetically-related. The superb exposure of the palatal complex may be caused by the removing of its brain by a small predator in the contemporary Jehol Biota.     

First pachycephalosaurid (Dinosauria: Ornithischia) from the Frenchman Formation (upper Maastrichtian) of Saskatchewan,Canada

Compared to earlier representatives of the family, pachycephalosaurids are less well known from upper Maastrichtian deposits around the world. Here, we report on a nearly complete left postorbital attributable to the pachycephalosaurid Sphaerotholus cf. Sphaerotholus buchholtzae from the upper Maastrichtian Frenchman Formation of Saskatchewan. This marks a probable northern range extension for the species into Canada, and the first occurrence of a pachycephalosaurid from this formation. We further demonstrate the taxonomic distinction between Stegoceras edmontonense and S. buchholtzae, which has been debated, based on postorbital sutural proportions. The northerly occurrence of Sphaerotholus cf. S. buchholtzae is consistent with the hypothesis of low beta diversity during the late Maastrichtian of North America, and its high stratigraphic incidence documents the persistence of non-pachycephalosaurin pachycephalosaurines in a critical interval for understanding the end-Cretaceous mass extinction event.     

The First Stegosaur （Dinosauria, Ornithischia） from the Upper Jurassic Shishugou Formation of Xinjiang, China

A new stegosaur species, Jiangjunosaurus junggarensis, gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on a specimen collected from the Upper Jurassic upper section of the Shishugou Formation in the Junggar Basin, Xinjiang, China. It represents the first stegosaur from the Jurassic of Xinjiang and increases the diversity of the dinosaur fauna in the Shishugou Formation. The new genus is characterized by symmetrical and proportionally wide tooth crowns, a sub-rectangular axial neural spine seen in lateral view, and large openings on the lateral surfaces of the cervical centra. A preliminary character analysis suggests that this new taxon is more derived than the Middle Jurassic stegosaur Huayangosaurus but more primitive than most other known stegosaur species.     

A new titanosaur (Dinosauria,Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Lo Hueco (Cuenca,Spain)

The upper Campanian-lower Maastrichtian site of Lo Hueco (Cuenca, Spain) has provided a set of well-preserved partial skeletons in anatomical connection or with a low dispersion of their skeletal elements. One partial skeleton is herein described and a new titanosaurian sauropod is established, Lohuecotitan pandafilandi. This titanosaur is diagnosed by eight autapomorphic features: dorsally and ventrally widened or bifurcated posterior centrodiapophyseal lamina in anterior and middle dorsal vertebrae; short postspinal lamina with a transversely expanded distal end represented by smooth scars in the dorsal vertebrae; anteriormost caudals with the medial spinoprezygapophyseal and medial spinopostzygapophyseal laminae ventrally connected with the prespinal and postspinal laminae, respectively; anterior caudal neural spines with a dorsal projection of the prespinal and postspinal laminae; anterior caudal neural spines bears a “greek-cross”-like cross-section; middle caudal centra having two round and rough structures in the dorsal edge of the posterior articulation, which extends to the dorsal surface of the centrum; the articular ends of the rami of the haemal arches are divided in two articular surfaces; and tuberosity between the anterior and the lateral trochanter of the fibula. The herein performed phylogenetic analysis considered L. pandafilandi as a member of Lithostrotia more derived than Malawisaurus. The known palaeodiversity of the Late Cretaceous Ibero-Armorican titanosaurs is increasing, and further analyses focused on this group will be necessary to better understand the evolutionary history of European titanosaurs and to clarify their relationships within Titanosauria.     

记广东南雄盆地上白垩统主田组鸟脚类足迹及中国已命名的大型鸟脚类足迹的属级新观察

记述了广东省南雄盆地上白垩统主田组3组恐龙行迹,由杨梅坑足迹点的足迹命名了南雄鸭嘴龙足迹（Hadrosauropodus nanxiongensis ichnosp. nov.）一新种;古市足迹点的足迹归入鸭嘴龙足迹一未定种（Hadrosauropodus isp.）。这是中国鸭嘴龙足迹属的首次描述,将该足迹的分布从北美拓展至中国,并为南雄盆地存在大型的鸭嘴龙提供了新的化石证据。还整理了中国已描述的大型鸟脚类足迹：中国足迹（Sinoichnites）被定为非正式的塑模标本;扬子足印（Yangtzepus）被归入兽脚类足迹;禽龙足迹（Iguanodonopus）被认为是裸名,归入禽龙足迹（Iguanodontipus）;嘉荫足迹（Jiayinosauropus）增加了新材料并得以具体描述;内乡足迹（Neixiang footprint）得以重新描述。     

记广东南雄盆地上白垩统主田组鸟脚类足迹及中国已命名的大型鸟脚类足迹的属级新观察

记述了广东省南雄盆地上白垩统主田组3组恐龙行迹,由杨梅坑足迹点的足迹命名了南雄鸭嘴龙足迹（Hadrosauropodus nanxiongensis ichnosp. nov.）一新种;古市足迹点的足迹归入鸭嘴龙足迹一未定种（Hadrosauropodus isp.）。这是中国鸭嘴龙足迹属的首次描述,将该足迹的分布从北美拓展至中国,并为南雄盆地存在大型的鸭嘴龙提供了新的化石证据。还整理了中国已描述的大型鸟脚类足迹：中国足迹（Sinoichnites）被定为非正式的塑模标本;扬子足印（Yangtzepus）被归入兽脚类足迹;禽龙足迹（Iguanodonopus）被认为是裸名,归入禽龙足迹（Iguanodontipus）;嘉荫足迹（Jiayinosauropus）增加了新材料并得以具体描述;内乡足迹（Neixiang footprint）得以重新描述。     

Therizinosauroidea (Dinosauria: Theropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of Uzbekistan

Skeletal remains of indeterminate therizinosauroid dinosaurs are present in the Cenomanian Khodzhakul Formation and common in the Turonian Bissekty Formation of Uzbekistan. At least two taxa are present in the Bissekty Formation based on different frontal and humerus morphotypes. Phylogenetic analysis based on a dataset with 348 morphological characters and including all known therizinosaurian taxa places the Bissekty taxa as derived non-therizinosaurid therizinosauroids. The Bissekty therizinosauroids are more derived than Alxasaurus elesitaiensis in the extensive pneumatization of the postcranial axial skeleton, the absence of teeth in the anterior portion of the dentary, the weak development or even absence of pits for the collateral ligaments on the manual phalanges, and the subtriangular medial aspect of the distal end of the humerus, with the entepicondyle positioned well medial to the ulnar condyle. They are less derived than Therizinosauridae in the presence of a basisphenoid recess, the absence of pneumatic openings on the anterior caudal vertebrae, the distal end of metacarpal III not being ginglymoid in dorsal view, and the separation of the femoral head from the neck of that bone by a raised ventral rim.     

A New Protoceratopsid (Dinosauria: Neoceratopsia) from the Late Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China

An almost complete skull, which was collected from the Upper Cretaceous of the Bayan Mandahu area in Inner Mongolia, China by the Sino-Canadian Dinosaur Project, is described and assigned to a new genus of protoceratopsid dinosaur, Magnirostris dodsoni gen. et sp. nov. This new taxon is distinguished from other protoceratopsids by the robust rostral bone and the existence of incipient orbital horn cores. The existence of an additional antorbital fenestra indicates a close relationship between Magnirostris and Bagaceratops.     

New rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) material from the Wessex Formation (Barremian,Early Cretaceous), Isle of Wight,United Kingdom

Rebbachisauridae is a poorly understood clade of diplodocoid sauropod dinosaurs, currently known only from the Cretaceous of Africa, Europe and South America. European representatives are particularly rare and fragmentary. Here, we report an anterior caudal vertebra from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England. This specimen possesses several features known only in rebbachisaurids and shares two synapomorphies with the Afro-European taxa Demandasaurus darwini and Nigersaurus taqueti, both pertaining to the morphology of the neural spine. These features are the development of triangular lateral processes and the presence of an elliptical fossa on the lateral surface, bounded by the lateral lamina and postspinal rugosity. The Isle of Wight specimen also shares several features solely with Demandasaurus, indicating a close relationship with the Spanish taxon. These include the presence of a hyposphenal ridge, as well as an anteriorly excavated caudal rib that is restricted almost entirely to the neural arch. However, it differs from Demandasaurus in a number of ways, including the lack of excavation on the posterior surface of the caudal rib, the orientation of the neural spine, and the composition and morphology of the lateral lamina. In addition, the Isle of Wight vertebra possesses one potential autapomorphy: bifurcation of the elliptical fossa on the neural spine. However, because of the fragmentary nature of the material, a new name is not erected. Along with Demandasaurus and Histriasaurus boscarollii, this caudal vertebra indicates the presence of at least three European rebbachisaurid taxa and provides new anatomical information on this enigmatic clade of sauropod dinosaurs.     

New rebbachisaurid (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) material from the Wessex Formation (Barremian, Early Cretaceous), Isle of Wight, United Kingdom

Rebbachisauridae is a poorly understood clade of diplodocoid sauropod dinosaurs, currently known only from the Cretaceous of Africa, Europe and South America. European representatives are particularly rare and fragmentary. Here, we report an anterior caudal vertebra from the Barremian (Early Cretaceous) Wessex Formation of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of England. This specimen possesses several features known only in rebbachisaurids and shares two synapomorphies with the Afro-European taxa Demandasaurus darwini and Nigersaurus taqueti, both pertaining to the morphology of the neural spine. These features are the development of triangular lateral processes and the presence of an elliptical fossa on the lateral surface, bounded by the lateral lamina and postspinal rugosity. The Isle of Wight specimen also shares several features solely with Demandasaurus, indicating a close relationship with the Spanish taxon. These include the presence of a hyposphenal ridge, as well as an anteriorly excavated caudal rib that is restricted almost entirely to the neural arch. However, it differs from Demandasaurus in a number of ways, including the lack of excavation on the posterior surface of the caudal rib, the orientation of the neural spine, and the composition and morphology of the lateral lamina. In addition, the Isle of Wight vertebra possesses one potential autapomorphy: bifurcation of the elliptical fossa on the neural spine. However, because of the fragmentary nature of the material, a new name is not erected. Along with Demandasaurus and Histriasaurus boscarollii, this caudal vertebra indicates the presence of at least three European rebbachisaurid taxa and provides new anatomical information on this enigmatic clade of sauropod dinosaurs.