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.)。     

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）。     

觉华鸟(新属)(Juehuaornis gen.nov.)——辽西早白垩世一今鸟型鸟类新发现

本文描述了产于中国辽宁凌源早白垩世九佛堂组地层的一件鸟类化石标本。该标本中等大小,具有许多原始今鸟型鸟类的共同衍征;同时该标本也具有一个区别与其他已知原始今鸟型鸟类的长吻:吻长超过整个头骨长的70%;前颌骨前端尖而下钩,向前超出下颌前端,下颌齿骨前端直,仅上颌骨和齿骨上具有牙齿,代表了原始今鸟型鸟类一个新的属种和一个新的生态类型,因此建立了一个今鸟型鸟类新属种——张氏觉华鸟(Juehuaornis zhangi gen.et sp.nov)。     

中国早白垩世热河生物群中大型霸王龙类化石的发现

一件包括部分头骨、下颌、肠骨等的不完整兽脚类恐龙骨架发现于辽宁喀左早白垩世九佛堂组中,估计身体全长可达9~10m。其前颌骨主体部分高、肠骨外侧面具显著的直立的嵴等特征表明该化石应归霸王龙类。它以外鼻孔大、上颌骨背缘前部略内凹、上颌骨孔向前达眶前窝前缘、腹缘与眶前窝腹缘存在较大距离等特征不同于晚白垩世的霸王龙科分子,故被命名为一新属种——喀左中国暴龙(Sinotyrannus kazuoensis gen. et sp. nov.),或许代表了最早的霸王龙科类型。该属种是已知个体最大的前晚白垩世霸王龙类,也是辽西及周边地区热河生物群中个体最大的兽脚类恐龙。它的发现不仅表明东亚是霸王龙类最主要的演化地区之一,而且为探讨霸王龙科的起源、热河生物群的组成与生态系统等提供了重要依据。     

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。     

辽宁建昌发现早白垩世Eosestheria新种

在辽宁省建昌县古生物化石调查过程中,在建昌县大三家子西北下白垩统九佛堂组下部采集了个体长4.3 cm,高1.6 cm的特大类型Eosestheria新种——建昌东方叶肢介(Eosestheria jianchangensis).该新种在建昌县首次发现,世界少有.     

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。     

中国首次发现真正会飞的“恐龙”——中化神州鸟（新属新种）

记述了辽宁义县早白垩世九佛堂组的一件初鸟类（Avialae）化石,其嘴里地牙,前肢明显长于后肢,尾巴由20多节尾椎组成,叉骨呈U字形,飞行羽毛超过了身体的长度。各种特征表明,新发现的初鸟类真正具有了飞行能力,代表了恐龙向鸟类演化过程中的又一中间环节。正式将其命名为中华神州鸟（Shenzhouroptor sinensis gen.et sp.nvo）。     

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.     

辽宁西部早白垩世朝阳翼龙科 (Chaoyangopteridae)化石一新种

中国辽宁西部早白垩世翼龙类化石非常丰富,其上部的九佛堂组翼龙类组合以含有丰富的无齿的古神翼龙科、朝阳翼龙科等进步类型而与下部的义县组翼龙类组合相区别。本文描述了辽宁西部建昌盆地九佛堂组一新的大型翼龙类化石,其以上下颌无齿、吻端指数为3.7、前颌骨背支细长且封闭鼻眶前孔背缘、很大的鼻眶前孔后端超过上下颌关节位置、轭骨的上颌骨突基部宽大而应被归入朝阳翼龙科(Chaoyangopteridae)神州翼龙属(Shenzhoupterus)。其以较大的体形(翼展2.05 m)、平直的上下颌咬合面、轭骨的眶后骨突较泪骨突长且基部略宽、第4～7颈椎长度依次减小等特征,区别于朝阳神州翼龙(Shenzhoupterus chaoyangensis),而被命名为三亚神州翼龙(新种)(Shenzhoupterus sanyainus sp. nov.)。这是辽宁西部早白垩世翼展最大且不具牙齿的翼龙类属种,它的发现丰富了九佛堂组翼龙类组合内容,对认识朝阳翼龙科的骨骼形态与生态习性亦具有积极意义。     

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.     

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.     

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…     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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…