Kaili Biota: A Taphonomic Window on Diversification of Metazoans from the Basal Middle Cambrian: Guizhou, China

1 Introduction The Burgess Shale Biota was discovered in the Cambrian strata of western Canada by American paleontologist C. D. Walcott in 1909 (Walcott, 1911). The fauna contains more than 140 metazoan genera (Robison, 1991, Briggs et al., 1994), with a preservational range from hard skeletal parts, non-mineralized remains and internal soft-tissue and soft-body remains. Following that discovery up to 40 similar taphonomic locations have been found globally in Lower and Middle Cambrian …     

Jianshangou Bed of the Yixian Formation in West Liaoning,China

The Jianshangou fossil locality was first found byChang Zhenglu and his colleagures in 1962, now thearea of Jianshangou, Sihetun and Huangbanjigou be-comes famous all over the world for its yielding feath-ered dinosaurs, Confuciusornis and Archaefructus. Thename of Jianshangou Bed was proposed by the firstauthor of present paper as an informal suggesting unitduring the research on Jehol fossils of western Liaon-ing in 1963 and 1964. The unit was named then asJianshan Bed[1], indicating th…     

关岭生物群的生活环境

产于贵州省关岭县新铺乡附近晚三叠世早期地层瓦窑组下部的关岭生物群科学意义重大、观赏性极好、生活环境独特。岩相古地理分析其生活环境为海湾。沉积和古生态特征显示生活环境水体平静。     

城子河组的新材料及其地层意义

黑龙江省密山县金沙农场北部鹿山地区被钻孔揭示的城子河组剖面产有海相一半成水相双壳类、沟鞭藻，孢子花粉及植物化石，这些新材料进一步证明城子河组的时代应属早白垩世早中期，从而为侏罗～白垩系界线划分及鸡西群与龙爪沟群对比提供了新的生物地层依据。     

New Localities and Palaeoscolecid Worms from the Cambrian (Stage 4, Series 2) Guanshan Biota in Kunming, Yunnan, South China

The Guanshan Biota from the Cambrian Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation is a typical Burgess-shale type Lagerst?tte that had witnessed the Cambrian explosion. Here we report two new localities of the Guanshan Biota, which is located at Baimei village, south of Kunming and Xinglong village, Wuding County, Yunnan Province respectively. Both localities produce soft-body fossils and several new taxa, e.g. a new species of palaeoscolecidans (Palaeoscolex xinglongensis sp. nov.) reported herein. The comparative study of the new species with similar form not only indicates that there is a diversification of palaeoscolecid species in Guanshan Biota, but also strengthens the ties between the older Chengjiang Biota and the younger Kaili Biota (and also the coeval Burgess Shale community). Three paleoecological features, including high diversity, little disparity and richness of palaeoscolecid worms, are summarized as a case study to represent the differences between Guanshan and Chengjiang Biota.     

辽西地区早白垩世义县组大康堡层沉积特征及沉积环境演化

辽西义县盆地下白垩统义县组大康堡沉积层分布范围广,为"热河生物群"的重要产出层位。通过对王家沟西山典型剖面的沉积学研究,识别出11种岩相类型,包括基质支撑砾岩相、凝灰质中-粗粒砂岩相、平行层理中-细砂岩相等,并将该时期的湖泊沉积划分为滨浅湖和深-半深湖环境。分析大康堡层垂向序列特征及纹泥特征,将该时期的湖泊演化划分为4个阶段:早期浅水湖泊沉积,见大量浅水生物化石;中期深-半深湖沉积,处于相对封闭-半封闭的状态,盐度增加;晚期湖泊水体变浅,水文动力条件增强,盐度降低;末期深-半深湖环境,纹泥指示陆源碎屑供给极少,降水较少。湖泊的演化过程受古气候控制明显。     

Solenites (Czekanowskiales) from the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota of Southeastern Jilin, China and its Paleoclimatic Implications

Situated at the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China, abundant fossils, including invertebrates, vertebrates and plants, were collected from the Early Cretaceous Yingzuilazi Formation of the Baishan Basin, southeastern Jilin. The faunal remains from this formation distinctly belong to the Early Cretaceous Lycoptera–Ephemeropsis–Eosestheria assemblage of the Jehol Biota. Based on the gross leaf morphology and epidermal structures, two new species and one indeterminate species of genus Solenites(Czekanowskiales), S. baishanensis sp. nov., S. gracilis sp. nov. and S. sp. are described in this paper. This is the first fossil plant of Czekanowskiales reported from this new fossil locality of the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China. The new discovery contributes to improve our knowledge for understanding of leaf morphology, epidermal characters and diversity of this genus during the Early Cretaceous time, and extends geologic and geographic distribution of Solenites in northern China and Eurasia. Along with consideration of associated plant and faunal assemblages and sedimentology, we suggest that the regional climate was warm and moderately humid with seasonal temperature and precipitation variations in warm–temperate zone during the Early Cretaceous.     

Polycyclic musks in green-lipped mussels (Perna viridis) from Hong Kong

Six polycyclic musk compounds [Cashmeran (DPMI), Celestolide (ADBI), Phantolide (AHMI), Traseolide (ATII), Tonalide (AHTN), and Galaxolide (HHCB)] were analysed in marine green-lipped mussels (Perna viridis) from Hong Kong. ADBI, HHCB and AHTN were detected in almost all samples, while AHMI, ATII and DPMI were not detected. Concentrations of ADBI, HHCB and AHTN in mussels ranged from below detection limit–0.0743 (mean: 0.0246), 0.247–6.08 (mean: 1.15) and 0.0591–0.738 (mean: 0.190) mg/kg lipid weight, respectively. Mussels from two sampling sites in central Victoria Harbour contained the highest total polycyclic musk levels, suggesting that these waters are heavily influenced by domestic sewage. Concentrations of HHCB and AHTN detected in the mussel samples were the second highest and the highest levels, respectively, compared to global concentrations. A preliminary risk assessment indicated that HHCB and AHTN in mussels pose little or no threat to the health of shellfish consumers. Nevertheless, more comprehensive studies are required to further assess the ecological and human health risks associated with polycyclic musks.     

Partitioning behavior of perfluorinated compounds between sediment and biota in the Pearl River Delta of South China

Surface sediment and biota were collected from 12 sampling sites – seven along the Pearl River Delta and five along the Hong Kong coastline. Perfluorinated compound (PFC) concentrations were detected using a high-performance-liquid-chromatogram–tandem-mass-spectrometry system. Analytical results indicated that the total PFC concentrations were in the range of 0.15–3.11 ng/g dry weight in sediments, while the total PFC concentrations in oyster and mussel samples were between 0.46–1.96 and 0.66–3.43 ng/g wet weight, respectively. The major types of PFCs detected in the sediment samples were perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), with concentrations ranging from low limits of quantification to 0.86 ± 0.12 ng/g dry weight and 1.50 ± 0.26 ng/g dry weight, respectively. In bivalve samples, PFOS was the dominant contaminant with concentrations ranging from 0.25 ± 0.09 to 0.83 ± 0.12 ng/g wet weight in oysters and 0.41 ± 0.14 to 1.47 ± 0.25 ng/g wet weight in mussels. An increase in PFC concentration was found to be correlated with increased human population density in the study areas.     

A reassessment of Iteravis huchzermeyeri and Gansus zheni from the Jehol Biota in western Liaoning,China

The authors reassessed the taxonomic distinction of Iteravis huchzermeyeri and Gansus zheni, which are two species of Ornithuromorpha based on specimens from the same locality in western Liaoning and derive from the Jehol Biota. The detailed comparisons of the holotype and referred specimens of both species, reveal no anatomical features that distinguish these taxa as separate species. Some minor differences are considered to relate to ontogenetic or interspecific differences. The stratigraphic occurrence for both specimens is the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation. Accordingly, the authors conclude that Iteravis huchzermeyeri has priority, by 15 days, for this taxon and that Gansus zheni is a junior synonym. The diagnosis of Iteravis huchzermeyeri is revised based on further study on all specimens referred to this species. Its generic distinction from Gansus is maintained thereby removing a potential genus-level correlation linking Xiagou Formation in Gansu Province with the Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning Province.