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.     

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.     

A New Ornithocheirid from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China

Based on a nearly complete skeleton with skull from the Early Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, a new ornithocheirid pterosaur: Boreopterus cuiae gen. et sp. nov. is erected. Boreopterus cuiae is different from other pterosaurs preserved with skulls known from the western Liaoning Province and its neighboring areas. Tiffs new oterosaur has more and larger teeth than those in other ornithocheirids. Its anterior nine pairs of teeth are larger than other teeth. The fourth pair of upper and lower teeth are slightly larger than the third pair. Overall, Boreopterus cuiae shows much small range of tooth size variation than Anhanguerapiscator and Coloborhynchus robustus. The new taxon shares with other ornithocherids in having a relatively large size of the third and fourth pairs of teeth.     

辽宁省四合屯下白垩统义县组的兽脚类足迹化石和可能的造迹者

记述了辽宁省四合屯下白垩统义县组三个半恐龙足迹,归入似鹬龙足迹（亦译为跷脚龙足迹）一未定种（Grallator isp.）。这是义县组恐龙足迹化石的首次描述。该行迹至少由3个造迹者所造。从足迹推断恐龙体长1.51m,属于义县组兽脚类恐龙较为普遍的体长范围。重建了尾羽鸟(Caudipteryx)和中华龙鸟(Sinosauropteryx)的足部,前者的足迹轮廓与似鹬龙足迹未定种的吻合度超过后者。根据化石记录,似鹬龙足迹类型可能广泛存在于义县组的各种中小型兽脚类（驰龙类与伤齿龙类除外）中。     

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.     

An Adult Specimen of Hongshanosaurus houi (Dinosauria: Psittacosauridae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Western Liaoning Province, China

A new specimen consisting of a complete skull and lower jaw was discovered from the Lujiatun bed of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in the Lujiatun site, Beipiao, western Liaoning Province. It represents an adult specimen of Hongshanosaurus houi. Comparative studies show that Hongshanosaurus is distinguishable from its sister taxon Psittacosaurus by having the preorbital portion about half of the basal skull length, and the elliptical external naris,orbit, and a lower temporal fenestra oriented caudodorsally.     

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.     

中国辽宁义县早白垩世燕鸟一新种

辽宁锦州义县早白垩世义县组发现了一种新型燕鸟(Yanornis)化石.该新型化石具有燕鸟的典型特征,如齿骨直且约占头骨全长的2/3、每侧约含20枚牙齿,颈椎细长,异凹型.愈合荐椎包括9枚脊椎,前肢约为后肢长的1.1倍.近端脚趾较其它趾节长和粗壮.然而,该新型化石部分特征又不同于燕鸟的模式种——马氏燕鸟(Yanornis martini),如其肱骨三角肌脊强烈发育,约为肱骨长度的一半.尺骨、桡骨及手部近等长,均长于肱骨.耻骨联合部较短,与尾综骨等长,不到耻骨长度的1/6.腓骨较长,约为股骨长度的4/5,约为胫跗骨长度的2/3.跗跖骨较短并完全愈合,不及胫跗骨长度一半.根据该新型化石的独特性及其与义县鸟、松岭鸟和马氏燕鸟的特征对比,笔者建立了燕鸟一新种——国章燕鸟(Yanornis guozhangisp.nov.).此外,国章燕鸟(新种)颈部还保存有3条鱼化石,这一特殊现象为研究燕鸟的生活习性和发育模式提供了重要信息.     

A New Enantiornithes (Aves) from the Early Cretaceous of China

A new bird from the early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China is described. This new species, Grabauornis lingyuanensis, shares several synapomorphies with the Enantiornithes. The specimen is relatively well preserved. The skeletal morphology of Grabauornis bears close resemblance to that of other Chinese members of this clade. The brachial index （the ratio between the lengths of humerus and ulna） is 0.95, which is close to the average for enantiornithine birds. It indicates that Grabauornis was a rather good flyer, and the presence of an alula in the wing further testifies to this.     

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.     

辽宁省四合屯下白垩统义县组的兽脚类足迹化石和可能的造迹者

记述了辽宁省四合屯下白垩统义县组三个半恐龙足迹,归入似鹬龙足迹（亦译为跷脚龙足迹）一未定种（Grallator isp.）。这是义县组恐龙足迹化石的首次描述。该行迹至少由3个造迹者所造。从足迹推断恐龙体长1.51m,属于义县组兽脚类恐龙较为普遍的体长范围。重建了尾羽鸟(Caudipteryx)和中华龙鸟(Sinosauropteryx)的足部,前者的足迹轮廓与似鹬龙足迹未定种的吻合度超过后者。根据化石记录,似鹬龙足迹类型可能广泛存在于义县组的各种中小型兽脚类（驰龙类与伤齿龙类除外）中。     

On a New Genus of Basal Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

1 Introduction The Mazongshan area in northwestern China yields a diverse dinosaur assemblage, including members of Theropoda, Sauropoda, Ankylosauridae, Euornithopoda, and Ceratopsia (Dong, 1997; You, 2002). This assemblage is characterized by several well-established taxa, such as the basal neoceratopsian Archaeoceratops oshimai (Dong and Azuma, 1997; You and Dodson, 2003), the basal hadrosauroid Equijubus normani (You et al., 2003a), and the basal titanosaurian Gobititan shenzhouensi…     

中国辽西早白垩世义县组始无齿翼龙新材料

根据新材料,对始无齿翼龙的特征进行了修订：中部颈椎体没有神经棘;肱骨三角嵴的长度与肱骨长度之比率约为0．2．5：翼掌骨的长度与第二翼指骨的长度几乎相等;第二翼指骨与第一翼指骨的长度之比率约为0．76。始无齿翼龙的新标本与正型稍微不同,可能由个体发育所引起。     

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 Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Middle Cretaceous of Jilin Province,China

A new basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Helioceratops brachygnathus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Quantou Formation (late Early Cretaceous or early Late Cretaceous) in the Liufangzi locality (Jilin province, China). Helioceratops differs from other basal neoceratopsians with its deep dentary ramus, its steeply-inclined ventral predentary facet, its heterogeneous dentary crowns, and by the denticles and secondary ridges asymmetrically distributed on either side of the primary ridge on its dentary teeth. Along with Auroraceratops and Yamaceratops, Helioceratops represents one of the most derived non-coronosaurian neoceratopsians. The palaeogeographical distribution of basal neoceratopsians appears limited to northern China and southern Mongolia in the current state of our knowledge. It is therefore probable that this region constituted the birthplace for more advanced, Late Cretaceous Coronosauria.     

Dongbeititan dongi, the First Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of Western Liaoning Province, China

We herein describe a partial postcranial skeleton of a sauropod dinosaur recovered from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group in the Beipiao area of western Liaoning Province, northeastern China. A suite of features it possesses, including the camellate internal structure of its presacral elements, the existence of pneumatocoels on the proximal ends of the dorsal ribs, and especially the medially deflected proximal portion of the femur, definitively establish the titanosauriform affinities of the specimen. It differs from other titanosauriforms in having a craniocaudally elongate coracoid with a squared cranioventral extreme and a long, smooth, and slightly convex acetabular edge of the pubis. It represents a new taxon, Dongbeititan dongi gen. et sp. nov. Comparative studies suggest that Dongbeititan is a basal titanosauriform, more derived than Euhelopus, Fusuisaurus, and Huanghetitan, but less derived than Gobititan and Jiutaisaurus. Dongbeititan represents the first sauropod dinosaur reported from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Group of western Liaoning Province.     

A New Enantiornithine Bird from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Jinzhou Area,Western Liaoning Province,China

A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Liaoning Province of northeastern China, Shengjingornis yangi, gen. et sp. nov., is reported. This new bird possesses the following unique combination of features: a long rostrum, with some teeth in the front; short nasal; slender jugal; Y-shaped furcula, with expanded distal end of the hypocleidum; cake-like sternum, with a low and caudally distributed keel; strut-like and caudally concave coracoid. The derived features of the scapula and the wings suggest a powerful flapping flight capability.     

A Dichocarpum-like Angiosperm from the Early Cretaceous of China

The Yixian Formation (the Early Cretaceous) of China has yielded a diverse group of early angiosperms, revealing the charm of angiosperms from the formation is far from finishing. Here we report a fossil angiosperm, Nothodichocarpum gen. et sp. nov, with physically connected female parts, male parts, branches, and leaves with pinnate reticulate venation from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. In addition to the previous reports, this report underscores the diversity of angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation and earlier origin of angiosperms. The morphological variations in the reproductive parts in different stages allow us to infer the development of this early angiosperm. This fossil plant demonstrates a unique character assemblage that sheds new light on the origin and evolution of carpels.     

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）。     

A Titanosaurian Sauropod Dinosaur with Opisthocoelous Caudal Vertebrae from the Early Late Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, China

We describe a new titanosaurian sauropod dinosaur, Borealosaurus wimani gen. et sp. nov., based on a distinctive mid-distal caudal vertebra from the early Late Cretaceous Sunjiawan Formation exposed in the Shuangmiao village of Beipiao in Liaoning, China. We provisionally refer an isolated tooth crown, a middle caudal vertebra, and a right humerus from the same locality and horizon to this taxon. Borealosaurus is distinguished from other sauropods in its possession of opisthocoelous mid-distal caudal vertebrae. The occurrence of opisthocoelous caudals in Borealosaurus and the Mongolian sauropod Opisthocoelicaudia raises the possibility that these taxa pertain to an as-yet unrecognized titanosaurian subclade endemic to the Cretaceous Asia.