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…     

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）。     

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.     

辽西朝阳地区下白垩统九佛堂组一新的离龙类

根据发现于辽宁省西部朝阳地区下白垩统九佛堂组的离龙类一具有头骨的不完整骨架，建立Simoedosauridae科中的一新属新种：朝阳辽西龙：Liaoxisaurus chaoyangensis gen．etsp．nov．。朝阳辽西龙的下颌缝合部短，小于下颌长度的20％，牙齿齿槽近似正方形，区别于任何已知的进步的离龙类。它吻部相对较短，占头骨总长的49．8％。     

A New Ctenochasmatid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province

Based on a nearly complete lower jaw from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, a new ctenochasmatid pterosaur: Liaoxipterus brachyognathus gen, et sp. nov. is erected. Liaoxipterus brachyognathus is different from any known pterosaurs with skulls preserved from western Liaoning Province and its peripheral areas in that the anterior part of the mandibular symphysis is expanded, being widest between the fourth alveolus of each side. Liaoxipterus brachyognathus is assigned to Ctenochasmatidae based on the following characters: the rounded anterior end of the lower jaw is spatulated and dorsoventrally flattened and marked heterodonty in the dentition is absent. It differs from other ctenochasmatid pterosaurs in having relatively small number of teeth. Liaoxipterus is distinguished from some ornithocheirids, which have expanded anterior parts of the mandibular symphyses, such as Anhanguera piscator,Coloborhynchus robustus in which the teeth of the new pterosaur are not as variable.     

An Early Cretaceous Avialian Bird, Shenzhouraptor sinensis from Western Liaoning, China

This paper describes an avialian bird from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Yixian county, western Liaoning, China, which is named as Shenzhouraptor sinensis by Ji et al. on July 15, 2002. Shenzhouraptor sinensis is characterized by no teeth in its mouth, the forelimbs longer than the hindlimbs, a long tail with more than 23 caudal vertebrae, U-shaped wishbone, and remiges longer than the total length of ulna and manus. It is certain that the new avialian bird is really capable of powerful flight, representing a missing link between theropod dinosaurs and birds.     

New Material of Pterosaur Sinopterus （Reptilia： Pterosauria） from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation, Western Liaoning, China

1 Introduction The Jiufotang Formation is one of the most fossil- productive Early Cretaceous deposits of China. It overlies the famous Yixian Formation from which many important taxa were found (Ji et al., 2004; Chang et al., 2003; Zhou et al., 2003). In addition to other vertebrates, pterosaurs, the first flying reptiles in Earth history, are also abundant in the Jiufotang Formation. At present, nine species belonging to five genera have been reported from the Jiufotang Formation. The…     

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 Tapejarid Pterosaur from Western Liaoning, China

A new tapejarid pterosaur Huaxiapterus jii gen. et sp. nov. is erected based on a nearly complete skeleton with a skull. The skull morphology of Huaxiapterus jii gen. et sp. nov. appears transitional between the skulls of Sinopterus and Tapejara. The skull morphology （low crest） of Huaxiapterusjii indicates that Huaxiapterus is more closely related to Sinopterus than to Tapejara, which has a high crest. The relatively long and shallow skull of Sinopterus indicates that it is a primitive form. Huaxiapterus is more derived than Sinopterus but more primitive than Tapejara.     

A New Troodontid Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning Province, China

A new troodontid dinosaur,Daliansaurus liaoningensis gen.et sp.nov.,is erected based on a nearly complete specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City,Liaoning Province,China.This well preserved skeleton provides important new details of the anatomy for Liaoning troodontids,and gives new insight into their phylogenetic relationships and evolution.Daliansaurus is distinguished from other troodontids by an enlarged ungual on pedal digit IV,which is approximately the same size as the sickle-shaped second ungual,and is differentiated from other Liaoning troodontids by a number of characters of the skull,manus,pelvis,and hindlimb.A phylogenetic analysis recovers Daliansaurus within a subclade of Liaoning troodontids that also includes Sinovenator,Sinusonasus,and Mei.We erect a name for this group—Sinovenatorinae—and argue that it reflects a localized radiation of small-bodied troodontids in the Early Cretaceous of eastern Asia,similar to previously recognized radiations of Liaoning dromaeosaurids and avialans.As more Liaoning theropods are discovered,it is becoming apparent that small,feathered paravians were particularly diverse during the Early Cretaceous,and future work is needed to clarify how this diversity arose,which species coexisted,and how these numerous species partitioned niches.     

On the Lower Cretaceous in Yixian County of Jinzhou City, Western Liaoning, China

Traditionally, the lacustrine deposits in Yixian County of Western Liaoning have been assigned to either “the Dakangpu Bed” of the Yixian Formation or the Jiufotang Formation. However, a 206Pb/238U age of 126.47±0.87 Ma is newly obtained from the tuff sample (06051) of the lacustrine deposits in the Baitaigou fossil site of Potaizi village, Yixian County, indicating that the lacustrine deposits in Potaizi area are approximately equivalent to the Wumingshan volcanics of the Sihetun Bed of the Yixian Formation in Beipiao. From our new dating data have arisen some new problems: Where could we find the Jiufotang Formation in Yixian County? How widely distributed is the Jiufotang Formation in Western Liaoning? Could the traditionally named Jiufotang Formation somewhere in Western Liaoning be the synchronous deposits of other litho-units (e.g. the Yixian Formation) in different facies? Could some lacustrine deposits somewhere in Western Liaoning have been assigned to the Jiufotang Formation?     

New Material of Feilongus (Reptilia: Pterosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning

Based on a new nearly naturally preserved skull and four cervical vertebrae of the pterosaur Feilongus sp. from the lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning province, northeastern China, the diagnosis of Feilongus is amended. The revised diagnosis notes long, curved, needle-shaped teeth that are confined to the jaw far anterior to the nasoantorbital fenestra; posterior teeth that are slightly smaller than the anterior teeth; cervical vertebrae elongated with a ratio of length to width greater than 5; tooth number of about 78; and two cranial sagittal crests.     

A New Troodontid (Theropoda: Troodontidae) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning, China

A specimen collected from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China, represents a new genus and species of troodontid theropod. The new taxon is named and described on the basis of the holotype and the only known specimen, which comprises an articulated skeleton with the presacral vertebral, shoulder girdle and forelimbs missing as preserved. Diagnostic features of the new species include nasals that are sinusoid in lateral view, absence of a passage connecting the antorbital and maxillary fenestrae, relatively large teeth, plate-like chevrons forming a band along most of the length of the tail, and a long neck between the femoral head and shaft. The temporal constraints of the three paravian groups (Troodontidae, Dromaeosauridae and Aves) combined with the character distributions among the earliest known troodontids indicate a rapid evolution at the base of the Troodontidae.     

辽西早白垩世一反鸟类新发现

描述发现于中国辽宁朝阳早白垩世九佛堂组地层中的一件鸟类标本。该标本体型较小,具有许多反鸟类的近裔特征。通过对新标本后肢形态特征的分析,可判断其为一小型树栖反鸟类。新标本具有发育的前肢和进步的乌喙骨,及发育滞后的后肢和相对原始的胸骨形态。胸骨长宽比约为1,顶端呈圆弧形,两个后侧突末端不膨大,中央突末端稍扩大,龙骨突基本不发育等。新标本同时具有反鸟类的原始和进步特征,以及原始的胸骨特征。其综合特征不同于已知任意一种小型反鸟类,因此建立一个反鸟类新属种——普通小反鸟(Microenantiornis vulgaris gen.et sp.nov.)。     

Precious Fossil-Bearing Beds of the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Western Liaoning Province, China

Based on the subdivision into three members of the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, this paper deals mainly with the division and correlation of precious fossil bird-and reptile-bearing beds of the formation in the Dachengzi, Chaoyang, Dapingfang-Meileyingzi and Fuxin-Yixian basins. Among them, the precious fossil-bearing beds in the Dachengzi Basin may be recognized as the Xidagou Bed of the second member and the Yangcaogoudonggou Bed of the third member; those in the Chaoyang Basin may be confirmed as the Shangheshou Bed of the second member and the Dongpochi Bed of the third member; those in the Dapingfang-Meileyingzi Basin are as the Lamagou Bed of the second member, the Huanghuagou Bed of the lower third member and the Yuanjiawa Bed of the upper third member; and those in the Fuxin-Yixian Basin are listed as the Tuanshanzi Bed of the second member and the Pijiagou Bed of the third member. Since these basins are distinctly separated and the bird and reptile fossils are mostly new genera and species, we have to use the associated fossil ostracod assemblages as index to correlate the Xidagou Bed with the Shangheshou Bed and the Lamagou Bed, and to correlate the Yuanjiawa Bed with the Yangcaogoudonggou Bed and the Pijiagou Bed. Primarily, we established the sequence of the precious fossil-bearing beds of the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. They are represented by, in ascending order, the Xidagou Bed of the second member, the Huanghuagou Bed of the lower third member, and the Yuanjiawa Bed of the upper third member. Obviously, this work has significance for the study on the time-space distribution and radiation of birds and dinosaurs during the period of the middle Early Cretaceous.     

辽宁建昌早白垩世孔子鸟一新材料

记述了辽宁建昌头道营子早白垩世九佛堂组发现的孔子鸟化石一新种—建昌孔子鸟(Confuci-usornis jianchangensis sp.nov.)。尽管新种缺失前肢及肩带,还是在许多特征上很容易与属型种(圣贤孔子鸟)相区别。例如,个体小、鳞骨近三角形、方骨粗大、齿骨前端有突起、跗蹠骨近端愈合、第V跗蹠骨不存在和尾综骨粗大等。新种是孔子鸟类在建昌地区的首次发现,对于展示孔子鸟类的多样性等具有较重要意义。     

New Fossil Liverworts from the Lower Cretaceous of Western Liaoning, China

Sixteen liverwort specimens collected from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Huangbanjigou Village, Liaoning Province, China are studied in this work. The plants are thalloid and preserved in brown arenaceous mudstone as impressions. Based on examinations, the liverworts are assigned to two new genera and five new species: Riccardiothallus palmata sp. nov., Pallaviciniites stricta sp. nov., Pellites latithallus gen. et sp. nov., Conocephalumites hexagonites gen. et sp. nov. and Metzgerites multifidus sp. nov., belonging to five families and five genera. The fossil research indicates that the divergence of families, Aneuraceae and Metzgeriaceae, Pallaviciniaceae and Hymenophytaceae, Pelliaceae and Fossombroniaceae, was in the Lower Cretaceous (125 Ma). The research provides significant additions to the fossil liverwort records in Western Liaoning and offers fossil evidence for studying the classification and evolution of extant liverworts.     

辽宁西部早白垩世九佛堂组热河鸟类一新属种

辽宁朝阳早白垩世九佛堂组发现了一种新型热河鸟类化石。该化石不仅具有热河鸟类的典型特征,如尾椎由约28枚未愈合的椎体组成,中后部尾椎前后方向明显拉长;前颌骨无牙齿;齿骨后缘较直,靠近吻端腹侧明显膨大等,同时具有不同于其他已知热河鸟类的独具特征组合,如肱骨三角肌脊相对不发育;第三掌骨较直,与第二掌骨间距较小;后肢第一趾爪最大;尾椎脉弧、关节突不发育等。根据该化石的独特性及与其他热河鸟类特征对比研究,笔者建立了热河鸟类新属、新种：直掌内蒙鸟（Neimengornis rectusmim gen.et sp.nov.）。直掌内蒙鸟（新属、新种）的发现进一步丰富了热河鸟类的属种类群,为研究这一类群的形态特征和属种分异等提供了新的化石证据。     

New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Western Liaoning

A nearly complete skeleton with a lower jaw of pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of western Liaoning is described and assigned to a new genus, Eoazhdarcho gen. nov.. The new genus is characterized by a relatively small size,the ratio of the length to width of the middle series cervical vertebrae approximately 3.5 and the ratio of humeral length to femoral length approximately 0.96. The humerus of Eoazhdarcho shows great resemblances to that of previously described Azhdarchidae, so it is assigned to the family Azhdarchidae.     

A New Angiosperm Genus from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, Western Liaoning, China

The abundant fossils of early angiosperms found in the Yixian Formation (125 Ma, Early Cretaceous) have demonstrated unexpectedly high diversity and various reproductive strategies, and thus have shed new light on early angiosperm evolution. Here, using light microscope and scanning electron microscope, we document several fructifications of Baicarpus gen. nov. from Liaoning province, China. Each fructification of the new taxon includes several apocarpous carpels/fruits attached in an urn-formed gynobase. Each fruit/carpel has a persistent straight style and an ovary enclosing a single seed. These fossil plants demonstrate a new floral organization and thus enhance our understanding of the diversity of angiosperms in the Yixian Formation. Together with previously reported ones, this fossil angiosperm suggests an origin time for angiosperms earlier than widely accepted.