Evidence for geographic variation in the diets of late Pleistocene and early Holocene Bison in North America, and differences from the diets of recent Bison

During the late Pleistocene and early Holocene, Bison was widely dispersed across North America and occupied most regions not covered by ice sheets. A dietary study on Bison paleopopulations from Alaska, New Mexico, Florida, and Texas was performed using two methods that relate dental wear patterns to diet, mesowear analysis and microwear analysis. These data were compared to a mixed sample of extant Bison from the North American central plains, extant wood Bison from Alberta (Canada) and a variety of other modern ungulates. Mesowear relates macroscopic molar facet shape to levels of dietary abrasion. The mesowear signature observed on fossil Bison differs significantly from the hyper-abrasive grazing diet of extant Bison. Tooth microwear examines wear on the surface of enamel at a microscopic scale. The microwear signal of fossil samples resembles to modern Bison, but the fossil samples show a greater diversity of features, suggesting that fossil Bison populations regularly consumed food items that are texturally inconsistent with the short-grass diet typical of modern plains Bison. Mesowear and microwear signals of fossil Bison samples most closely resemble a variety of typical mixed feeding ungulates, all with diets that are substantially less abrasive than what is typical for modern plains Bison. Furthermore, statistical tests suggest significant differences between the microwear signatures of the fossil samples, thus revealing geographic variability in Pleistocene Bison diets. This study reveals that fossils are of value in developing an understanding of the dietary breadth and ecological versatility of species that, in recent times, are rare, endangered, and occupy only a small remnant of their former ranges.     

四川珙县巡场下二叠统栖霞组鹦鹉螺一新属

1981年6月,谢守江等在四川珙县巡场火车站采石场的下二叠统栖霞组近底部,采获一大型旋壳鹦鹉螺化石,由王雪龙等提供笔者研究。现将采样地点地层剖面简列于后。     

Spatial and temporal distribution of horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) spawning in Delaware Bay: Implications for monitoring

Concern for the status of horseshoe crab (Limulus polyphemus) has increased as harvest for conch and eel bait has increased and spawning habitat has decreased. In early 1999 a workshop was held at the behest of the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to design a statistically valid survey of horseshoe crab spawning in Delaware Bay. The survey that resulted was a redesign of a volunteer-based spawning survey that began in 1990, and its network of volunteers was relied on to implement the three-stage sampling design in 1999. During May and June of 1999, 163 participants surveyed during the highest of the daily high tides on 16 beaches (8 on each site of Delaware Bay). During the first half of the spawning season, spawning was associated with lunar phases, but moderated by wave height. Disproportionately more spawning occurred within 3 d of the first new and full moons, and spawning activity (measured by an index of female density) was correlated inversely to the percent of beaches with waves ≥0.3 m. Spawning was heaviest on the Delaware shore around the full moon in May in spite of low waves in New Jersey during the new and full moons in May. Number of beaches sampled was the most important factor in determining the precision of the spawning index and power to detect a decline. Explicit consideration of statistical power has been absent from the current debate on horseshoe crab status and harvest. Those who argue against harvest restrictions because of a lack of statistically significant declines take on a burden to show that the surveys they cite have high statistical power. We show the Delaware Bay spawning survey will achieve high statistical power with sufficient sampling intensity and duration. We recommend that future Delaware Bay spawning surveys sample on 3 d around each new and full moon in May and June and increase the number of beaches to ensure high statistical power to detect trends in baywide spawning activity.     

Revision of the conchostracan genera Cratostracus and Porostracus from Cretaceous deposits in north-east China

The diagnoses of the conchostracan genera Cratostracus and Porostracus are revised following a re-examination of their type species under a scanning electron microscope. In Cratostracus each growth line has a serrated lower margin. Radial lirae branch into smaller ridges that merge with each other to give the upper part of each growth band in the ventral region of the carapace a slightly undulating surface. Cross-bars are present between these lirae. In Porostracus the radial lirae on the growth bands near the umbo are long and relatively widely spaced. There is a fine reticulum between them in the umbonal part of the carapace and cross-bars on the ventral surface. The ornament of Porostracus indicates that it can be assigned to the family Halysestheriidae rather than to the Afrograptidae, in which it has been placed previously. Morphological analysis of most of the species of the two genera and closely related Orthestheria (Migransia) under the scanning electron microscope is required before their stratigraphic potential can be fully realized.     

1982~2022年《岩石矿物学杂志》期刊数据与研究主题分析

岩石学和矿物学是地球科学的重要分支学科,相关研究能够深入了解行星形成演化、宜居地球的资源富集与环境变化等重要科学问题。《岩石矿物学杂志》是国内岩石学和矿物学领域的重要期刊,对其发表文章的深入挖掘有助于梳理学科研究进展,为学科从业人员深入研究提供背景信息,为该刊未来刊文方向提供借鉴参考。采用大数据分析和可视化技术对《岩石矿物学杂志》1982~2022年发表的文献进行计量化研究。研究发现,岩石学和矿物学一直是该刊的主要发文领域,地球化学、花岗岩、锆石U-Pb定年、吸附和矿物学是高频率主题关键词。其中,地球化学的共现强度最高,与花岗岩、岩石成因、火山岩和岩石学等关键词关系密切;其次是晶胞参数,相关关键词有光学性质、粉晶数据和新矿物等。具体研究内容包括5个不同主题:岩石成分和特征分析、变质作用和岩石变质过程研究、矿床特征和成矿过程研究、沉积环境和地层特征分析以及环境矿物学研究。与国内外岩石学、矿物学领域知名期刊数据进行对比,认为未来刊文鼓励新技术、新方法的开发与应用、多学科交叉研究、大数据和机器学习驱动的新范式研究等。     

多硅白云母b0值对澜沧群中压和高压变质的反映

多硅白云母b₀值作为相对地质压力计的理论和方法,已受到各国地质学家的普遍重视。本文以澜沧群多硅白云母作为研究对象,提出运用多硅白云母b₀值区分不同压力变质的方法。研究结果表明澜沧群经历了中压和高压变质作用,两期变质的多硅白云母b₀值分别为9.027Å和9.047Å。     

非破坏性开放式激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法原位测定大尺寸陶瓷样品主微量元素组成

激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱法(LA-ICP-MS)通常采用体积固定的封闭剥蚀池,大尺寸样品要经过切割或破碎,能够放入剥蚀池后才可以再进行LA-ICP-MS分析,因此,这种常规密闭式LA-ICP-MS难以应用于无法破碎的珍稀大尺寸样品分析.为实现大尺寸样品的非破坏性微区原位主微量元素分析,本文基于自行设计的开放式样品采...     

The use of correspondence analysis in geochemistry

When factor analysis is used in geochemistry, it may be useful for factors to be transformed by rotations in order to be identified either to the end members of a mixing model (Miesch, 1976a),or to known chemical equilibriums. It requires that the formula for recomputing data from the factors may be written in a factored manner, which is generally not the case in correspondence analysis. The present paper shows that this becomes possible with data having constant row sums. As an example, the method is tested on the lavas of Paricutin Volcano, already examined by using an extended Q-mode factor analysis (Miesch, 1979).Recomputation of the data after projection gives simular results for both methods. Otherwise, the fact that correspondence analysis provides centered factors makes it well suited to the study of chemical reactions leading to constant mass transformations.     

Bayeritheca hughesii gen. et sp. nov., a new Eucommiidites -bearing pollen organ from the Cenomanian of Bohemia

A new pollen organ, Bayeritheca hughesii gen. et sp. nov. with in situ Eucommiidites pollen grains, is described from the Cenomanian of Bohemia in Central Europe. It is based on a single lignified specimen which is the largest Eucommiidites -producing pollen structure described so far. It shows whorls of microsporangiate units attached to a massive main axis forming a cone-like structure. Each microsporangiate unit forms distally an angular head bearing trichomes and centrally arranged mucronate tubercles. The head is attached to a short stalk. Proximal sides of heads display radially arranged synangia. Each synangium contains an unknown number of pollen sacs with numerous Eucommiidites pollen grains.Bayeritheca is the only genus of Erdtmanithecales in which synangia instead of sporangia are found. Bayeritheca differs from Eucommiiditheca Friis & Pedersen in the whorled arrangement of microsporangiate units, which are densely spaced forming a cone-like structure. It differs from Erdtmanitheca Pedersen, Crane & Friis in the elongate shape of the whole organ, slender main axis, shorter pollen sacs, and different Eucommiidites pollen.     

电流对钋青霉菌吸附和固定铅离子的响应机制

重金属铅污染是一种主要的环境污染类型,对生态以及人类健康存在着极大的威胁。如何修复铅污染是目前亟待解决的关键性问题。在众多的铅污染修复方法中,微生物修复法具有独特的优势。本实验中所使用的钋青霉菌是已被验证的对铅具有高耐受度和高吸附率的优秀菌种。在此基础上,本实验的主要研究目的在于进一步提高该菌种对铅的吸附、固定能力。实验采用双室电解池体系,分组设置0.5 V至1.5 V的梯度槽压,以观察不同电压下电流对钋青霉菌生长环境及对铅离子吸附作用的影响。实验结果表明,电流既可能促进也可能抑制钋青霉菌对铅离子的吸附和固定作用,其作用结果与外加电压的大小有关,在1.0~1.25 V的最适电压区间下,电流能增强钋青霉菌对铅离子的吸附和固定能力。     

Geochronology of Ailuropoda–Stegodon fauna and Gigantopithecus in Guangxi Province, southern China

Pleistocene faunas from south China are difficult to subdivide based on the long temporal ranges of many taxa and a reduced number of genera in comparison to faunas from temperate north China. In south China, the Ailuropoda–Stegodon fauna is a very general one and includes a relatively stable suite of genera that apparently persisted for long periods of time. These attributes have made constraining its time range difficult. Application of electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of tooth enamel constrains the ages well where uranium uptake was minor. Where uranium uptake into teeth was significant, an approach combining ESR and ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U isotopic analysis also yields excellent ages. Previous estimates of early, middle and late Pleistocene time ranges previously determined by biostratigraphic seriation for the Ailuropoda–Stegodon fauna are confirmed in all cases but are made more precise with our approach, including specific time ranges for certain archaic taxa. Absolute dating also yields an extended time range for Gigantopithecus blacki of 1200 to 310 ka.     

Trend surface analysis as a special case of IRF-k kriging

This short note establishes the equivalence between trend surface analysis with polynomials of orderk and IRF-k (intrinsic random function of orderk) kriging with a nugget effect covariance model.     

“金丝砗磲”研究初探

最近,在北京珠宝市场上出现了大量的＂金丝砗磲＂。通过常规宝石学检测和紫外-可见光吸收光谱测试,对其进行了初步研究。结果表明,此种＂金丝砗磲＂并不是砗磲,而是一种海洋腹足纲类海螺贝经染色而成的饰品。该海螺贝呈螺旋状层状构造,可以通过其表面颜色不均、黄色部分不透明、黄色部分无荧光加以鉴别,也可以采用紫外-可见光分光光度计测试加以鉴别。     

A history of the ‘Zambian copper flower', Becium centraliafricanum (B. homblei)

This contribution is a short history of the Zambian copper flower, Becium homblei (recently renamed B. centraliafricanum that has attracted attention as a plant associated with Cu-rich soils. It has a peculiar discontinuous distribution in Central Africa which has been explained in terms of biotype depletion. A field investigation into the ecology of the species shows that it is able to tolerate soil Cu concentrations of up to 15,000 μg/g (ppm), and soil nickel concentrations of nearly 5000 μg/g. B. homblei is also found on areas where soil metals are in trace quantities, and where soil bases, particularly Ca, are low. In spite of its tolerance to a wide range of edaphic conditions, the distribution of the species is very restricted in Zimbabwe, and this is almost certainly due to severe interspecific competition with a closely related species, B. obovatum, which is common on soils not unusually enriched in heavy metals. Pioneering work on geobotanical prospecting by use of Becium homblei was carried out by the late G. Woodward and others in the 1950s and 1960s. This species was used successfully for geobotanical prospecting for Cu. This present report is a brief history of these pioneering studies     

吉林省大布苏国家重点化石产地的猛犸象-披毛犀动物群

猛犸象-披毛犀动物群是晚更新世时期北半球最具代表性的典型哺乳动物群,该动物群的化石在中国东北地区广泛分布,其演化、发展乃至灭绝与古人类文明的发展有密切的关系。综述猛犸象-披毛犀动物群的概况,从动物组合、古地理分布、古生态环境等方面介绍了该生物群之全貌。以吉林省大布苏国家重点化石产地为例,对该产地出土的猛犸象-披毛犀动物群化石标本进行了最新的统计(分属6目13科21属23种),对其化石组合特征进行了分析,并对在东北地区深入开展该动物群研究的意义进行了探讨。     

An approach to large-scale field stress determination

The construction of stable structures in rock masses requires knowledge of the in situ stresses at the scale of excavations. However, the measurements obtained by the conventional overcoring technique are related to a small scale (centimetres). To extrapolate them to the scales of interest to rock mechanics (from meters to kilometres) requires a large number of individual stress measurements, followed by statistical analysis to avoid a considerable scatter of the measured values. In this paper, a method is proposed based on (a) large-scale surface stress and modulus measurements using the cylindrical jack method complemented by a special measuring scheme and then (b) back analysis for a given excavation shape. The method allows the simultaneous reconstruction of the stress components at the scale of excavation. A numerical simulation for a cylindrical excavation in an isotropic rock mass demonstrates the high accuracy and robustness of the method. The presence of a fractured zone surrounding the excavation can hamper the stress reconstruction, hence special measures should be taken to conduct the measurements in competent rock.     

A new series of steryl chlorin esters: pheophorbide a steryl esters in an oxic surface sediment

Investigation of chlorins in the oxic surface sediment of a small eutrophic alpine lake (Motte lake) revealed the presence of a new series of steryl chlorin esters containing the pheophorbide a nucleus, together with their pyropheophorbide a steryl ester counterparts previously observed in the anoxic surface sediment of the same lake. Identification of the pheophorbide a steryl esters was based on comparison of spectroscopic, chromatographic and mass spectrometric characteristics of the compounds with those of a synthetic standard and of pyropheophorbide a steryl esters. Combined liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the absence of pheophorbide a steryl esters in the anoxic sediment but allowed their detection in traces in the water column, indicating that pheophorbide a steryl esters are, like their pyropheophorbide a analogs, formed in the water column. The distribution of sterols released by hydrolysis of the pheophorbide a steryl esters shows close similarities to that of the free sterols in the water column and of the sterols of the pyropheophorbide a steryl esters. It appears that, like their pyropheophorbide a counterparts, pheophorbide a steryl esters incorporate mainly sterols of phytoplanktonic origin. Their formation probably involves the same mechanism as for pyropheophorbide a steryl ester formation, i.e. metabolism by zooplankton grazing on phytoplankton. The presence of pheophorbide a steryl esters in the oxic sediment and their absence from the anoxic sediment is probably due to a lower stability of compounds containing a carbomethoxy substituent in the anoxic environment.     

砂岩型铀矿微区原位U-Pb同位素定年技术方法研究

铀矿物定年一直是成矿年代学中的难点,随着微区原位U-Pb同位素定年技术的发展,可以直接针对矿石矿物(铀矿物)进行同位素定年;但是其中的砂岩型铀矿由于其存在状态复杂,在原位定年中剥蚀要求高,也缺乏合适的外部校正标准物质,所以定年准确度有待提高。本文研究了两种微区原位U-Pb同位素测年的方法,对砂岩型铀矿定年进行了尝试,试图解决铀矿测年中的无基体匹配问题并提高砂岩型铀矿定年水平。一是建立了一种激光剥蚀多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱仪联合电子探针进行微区原位U-Pb同位素测年的技术(LA-MC-ICP-MS&EMPA)。通过优化实验方法,对秦岭陈家庄花岗岩型铀矿进行了测试,获得与同位素稀释热电离质谱法(ID-TIMS)一致的年龄结果,证明了微区原位U-Pb同位素测年无基体匹配标准物质分析的可行性;并利用此法获得鄂尔多斯盆地红庆河和塔然高勒砂岩型铀矿的微区原位U-Pb同位素年龄信息。二是尝试了利用飞秒激光剥蚀多接收电感耦合等离子体质谱法(fsLA-MC-ICP-MS)对红庆河和宁夏宁东砂岩型铀矿样品进行微区原位U-Pb同位素定年,并获得了微区原位U-Pb同位素年龄,表明飞秒激光剥蚀技术在砂岩型铀矿定年中有很好的应用前景。本文提出,比较单一且年龄偏老的单矿物样品可以选择LA-MC-ICP-MS&EMPA联合法进行分析,需要高空间分辨率的样品建议使用fsLA-MC-ICP-MS法。     

A type curve approach to estimatingp for ap-normal transformation

The p-normal transformation plays an important role in reservoir characterization for data sets that are neither normally nor log-normally distributed. The key step in the transformation is to estimate the value of pfor a given data set. Even though there are several ways to determine p,these are more inconvenient than the quicker and easier type curve approach to estimate pwe present in this paper. In addition, the method provides the p-normal transformation with a visual interpretation. We demonstrate the technique by analyzing reservoir permeability and porosity data from the East Velma West Block Sims Sand Unit, Oklahoma.     

Potentials of monitoring rock fall hazards by GPR: considering as example the results of Salzburg

A part of the IUGS-UNESCO research project "Landslide Hazard Assessment and Cultural Heritage" (IGCP-Project No. 425) includes testing the application of geophysical methods for assessing hazard risks to people and cultural assets. In this work, Austria contributed with a study on the assessment of rock-fall hazards. As the Old Town of Salzburg is a prime example of such hazards, systematic GPR-measurements were made on major rock surfaces. The aim of the exploration with GPR was to assess the potential of the method for monitoring rock walls. That is, whether structures in the rock mass which could become important when considering the risk of a rock fall, can be imaged. To manage this problem successfully, moving the antenna over the rough rock surface was made as regular as possible. The effects of vegetation lifting the antenna from the rock surface and of overhanging regions could not be avoided. Due to the loss of coupling of the antenna and the change of radiation pattern, some interference of the records occurred. Thus, only after processing could it become clear which reflections came from within the rock. A three-dimensional survey of discontinuities in the rock requires accurate mapping of the rock surface by photogrammetric methods, to get a digital terrain model for the analysis of the GPR records. The results of repeated measurements have proved to be of essential relevance. They have shown that it is possible to reveal changes with time. For the interpretation of such observations, modeling is a very useful tool.