There is no such thing as the ‘Ediacara Biota'

The term‘Ediacara Biota’(or many variants thereof)is commonly used to refer to certain megascopic fossils of Precambrian and early Palaeozoic age e but what does the term actually mean?What differentiates a non-Ediacaran‘Ediacaran’and an Ediacaran‘Ediacaran’from an Ediacaran non-‘Ediacaran’?Historically,the term has been used in either a geographic,stratigraphic,taphonomic,or biologic sense.More recent research and new discoveries,however,mean that the term cannot actually be defned on any of these bases,or any combination thereof.Indeed,the term is now used and understood in a manner which is internally inconsistent,and unintentionally implies that these fossils are somehow distinct from other fossil assemblages,which is simply not the case.Continued use of the term is a historical relic,which has led in part to incorrect assumptions that the‘Ediacara Biota’can be treated as a single coherent group,has obscured our understanding of the biological change over the PrecambrianeCambrian boundary,and has confused research on the early evolution of the Metazoa.In the future,the term‘Ediacaran’should be restricted to purely stratigraphic usage,regardless of affnity,geography,or taphonomy;suffcient terminology also exists where reference to specimens on a geographic,taphonomic,or biologic basis is required.It is therefore time to abandon the term‘Ediacara Biota’and to instead treat equally all of the fossils of the Ediacaran System.     

辽宁建昌国家级化石集中产地化石分布特征及保护区划研究

古生物化石是地球历史的见证,是研究生命起源和演化的重要科学依据。辽宁建昌国家级化石集中产地是世界上最重要的燕辽生物群和热河生物群的化石产地,化石种类和化石数量丰富,是受到中外古生物学者关注的热点研究区域。根据近年来的研究成果,对建昌中生代生物化石的地理分布、赋存层位和化石属种等进行归纳介绍,并对古生物化石产地进行保护区划,将建昌化石产地划分出3个保护区,并进一步划分出5个核心区、6个缓冲区和3个试验区,为建昌地区开展相关研究和保护工作提供了科学参考和基础地质资料。     

热河生物群中蜘蛛和蟹奴化石几个新种

由于蜘蛛身体表面所覆盖的体壳较薄，通常保存为化石的几率较小，因此，蜘蛛化石是一类较为稀有的化石。热河生物群中的蜘蛛化石迄今尚未进行过系统描述。本文报道了属于Araneidae Leach，1819(园蛛科)、Gnaphosidae(平腹蛛科)和Theidiidae Sundeva1833(球腹蛛科)6个蜘蛛新种：Araneus liaoxiensis sp．nov．，A．aethus p．nov．，A．reheensissp．nov．，A．beipiaoensis sp，nov．，Gtuzphosq liaoningensiss p．nov．和Theridion atalus sp．nov．；以及蟹奴幼虫的一个化石新属种Mesosacculina papposa gen．etsp．nov．。这些化石均采自辽西北票黄半吉沟义县组下部(晚侏罗世-早白垩世)。     

New Benthic Fossils from the Late Ediacaran Strata of Southwestern China

The Jiangchuan Biota from the Jiucheng Member (Mb.) of the Dengying Formation (Fm.), discovered in Jiangchuan, eastern Yunnan, China, is marked by copious macrofossils at the apex of the Ediacaran strata. This fauna features benthic algae with varied holdfasts and other fossils of indeterminate taxonomic affinity and is compositionally unique compared to the Shibantan and Gaojiashan biotas of the Dengying Fm. and the Miaohe and Wenghui biotas of the Doushantuo Fm., elsewhere in China. One novel benthic saccular macroalgal fossil, named here Houjiashania yuxiensis gen. and sp. nov., from the Jiangchuan Biota is based on fossils that are sausage-shaped, elongate, tubular, ranging from 0.3 to 4 cm in length, and up to 0.8 cm in diameter. One terminus is blunt and rounded to an obtuse angle, the other is bent with a spread-out surface resembling a holdfast, suggesting a three-dimensional thallus. Thin, stipe-shaped outgrowths, likely vestiges of sessile saccular life forms, are prevalent in macroalgal fossils of analogous size and shape, as well as present brown algae Scytosiphonaceae, such as Colpomenia and Dactylosiphon. The new findings augment the diversity of benthic algae, such as those known from the Early Neoproterozoic Longfengshan Biota in North China. The benthic algal macrofossils in the Jiucheng Mb. add to knowledge of Late Ediacaran metaphyte diversification and offer more clues about the evolutionary positioning of primitive macroalgae. The co-occurrence of numerous planktonic and benthic multicellular algae and planktonic microbes might have facilitated ecologically the more extensive later Cambrian explosion evidenced by the Chengjiang Biota in Yunnan.     

燕辽生物群叶肢介动物群组成和演化*

中国北方著名中、晚侏罗世的燕辽生物群含有丰富的叶肢介动物群。早期燕辽生物群也称为道虎沟生物群,主要产出层位为海房沟组,含有三饰叶肢介动物群,主要分子包括: 海房沟三饰叶肢介(Triglypta haifanggouensis)、滦平三饰叶肢介(T.luanpingensis)和平泉三饰叶肢介(T. pingquanensis)。晚期燕辽生物群又可称为玲珑塔生物群,主要产出层位为髫髻山组,含有丰富的叶肢介化石,主要分子包括: 建昌三饰叶肢介(Triglypta jiancangensis)、玲珑塔辽西叶肢介(Liaoxiestheria linglongtaensis)、大西山玲珑塔叶肢介(Linglongtaestheria daxishanensis)和青龙玲珑塔叶肢介(Linglongtaestheria qinglongensis)。文中总结了北方雕饰叶肢介(Aquilonoglypta)、柴达木叶肢介(Qaidamestheria)和针孔叶肢介(Punctatestheria)的最新研究成果,支持将柴达木叶肢介、辽西叶肢介和玲珑塔叶肢介划归北方雕饰叶肢介科。同时,三饰叶肢介是由针孔叶肢介演化而来,与柴达木叶肢介并无直接演化关系。     

Distribution of petroleum hydrocarbons and organochlorinated contaminants in marine biota and coastal sediments from the ROPME Sea Area during 2005

The composition and spatial distribution of various petroleum hydrocarbons (PHs), comprising both aliphatic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and selected chlorinated pesticides and PCBs were measured in biota and coastal sediments from seven countries in the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (Bahrain, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates). Evidence of extensive marine contamination with respect to organochlorinated compounds and PHs was not observed. Only one site, namely the BAPCO oil refinery in Bahrain, was considered to be chronically contaminated. Comparison of the results from this survey for Σ DDTs and Σ PCBs in rock oysters from the Gulf of Oman with similar measurements made at the same locations over the past two decades indicates a temporal trend of overall decreasing Σ PCB concentrations in oysters, whereas Σ DDTs levels have little changed during that period.     

再论道虎沟生物群的时代

内蒙古宁城道虎沟地区的晚中生代地层十分发育，产状平缓，主要为一套产有丰富动、植物化石的凝灰质泥岩和粉砂岩，并夹有数层火山岩。从区域上来看，在西台子一带主要为早白垩世义县组的地层，产有丰富的热河生物群的化石，常见者有鱼类Lycoptera davidi，Peipiaosteus pani，Yanosteus longidorsalis，Protopsephurus liui和鸟类Confuciusornis anctus；但在道虎沟—小西沟一带主要为中—晚侏罗世髫髻山组的地层，产有丰富的道虎沟生物群的化石，常见者有蝾螈Jeholotriton paradoxus和Chunerpeton tianyiensis，翼龙Jeholopterus ningchengensis和Pterorhynchus wellnhoferi，手盗龙类Scansorio pteryxheilmanni和（？）Pedopenna daohugouensis[本文对Xu等（2005）描述的道虎沟足羽龙（Pedopennad aohugouensis）的原始产地存有疑义]，昆虫Mesobaetis sibirica，Mesoneta antiqua，Rhipidoblattina（Canaliblatta）hebeiensis，Brunneus haifanggouensis，Palaeontinodes haifanggouensis等，叶肢介Euestheria zilu jingensis，E．haifanggouensis，E．jingyuanensis和E．1uanpingensis，植物Cladophleln＇s（Osmunda？）sp．，Anomozamites angulatus，A．（Trymia？）sp．，Cycadolepissp．，Gmkgotes sp．，Pityospermus sp．，Pityocladus sp．，Zamitesgigas，Yanliaoiasmensis和Coniopteris burejem括等。根据区域地质构造、地层分布、生物群特征和地质年代学资料分析，笔者确信道虎沟生物群的时代为中—晚侏罗世（卡洛夫阶—牛津阶），根本不可能将其归于早白垩世热河生物群。     

是可疑化石还是化石：一论洛南生物群

当前人们普遍认为地球生物史上最早的后生动物是伊迪卡拉动物群，由软躯印痕化石组成，多数学者认为是刺胞动物，年代约６￣７亿年前，而多门类骨骼化石的出现则是寒武系底界的标志。震旦晚期虽有少量报道，但其层位不低于陆山陀组。但是，陈耳化石因其年代古老（１２亿年）而又显示多样的贝壳或骨骼的性质，学术界反映谨慎，认为将其归为可疑化石较为可靠。笔者从化石的保存特征、形态组合面貌、有机与无机成分分析和结构构造研究等     

冀北承德盆地早白垩世火山-沉积地层地质年代学研究: 对热河生物群时空演化的制约

热河生物群是世界闻名的陆相生物化石宝库, 保存了大量特异埋藏化石, 为研究早白垩世脊椎动物、昆虫和植物的演化提供了绝佳的素材.依据古生物组合的不同, 将其分为早、中、晚三期, 分别赋存于河北丰宁花吉营组、辽西义县组和九佛堂组及其周边地区相当层位.河北承德—围场地区处于早-中期热河生物群分布地区的过渡地带, 近年来不断的化石发现为研究华北克拉通破坏及其对陆地生态系统的影响提供了关键证据.但由于缺乏准确的年龄约束, 对于含化石层位的准确时代及其与邻区地层对比存在较大争议.本文利用来自于河北北部承德盆地袁家庄剖面的3个安山岩样品的锆石, 进行化学熔蚀-离子探针(CA-SIMS)锆石U-Pb定年, 获得年龄为129.6~128.7 Ma.结合前人发表的磁性地层学结果建立了新的磁性地层学对比方案和新的综合年代框架, 揭示了该剖面火山-沉积序列记录了古地磁极性序列M8n-M7n, 进一步证明了袁家庄剖面的陆相火山-沉积层序属于欧特里夫晚期.结合区域内前人年代学结果, 将该区域热河生物群化石层时代限定为130~127 Ma.年代地层学对比结果显示, 承德盆地早白垩世火山-沉积序列与滦平盆地大店子组和森吉图—四岔口盆地花吉营组上部时代相当, 明显老于辽西义县组时代, 揭示了华北克拉通北缘早白垩世陆相地层的自西向东逐渐年轻的特征.

     

A new lizard (Reptilia: Squamata) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China,with a taxonomic revision of Yabeinosaurus

Yabeinosaurus was the first lizard genus described from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China. The holotype of the type species, Y. tenuis, is an immature skeleton but it has been lost for decades. A second species, Y. youngi, was erected based on another immature skeleton and is distinguished by its longer, more gracile limbs. In 2001, a juvenile skeleton from the Jingangshan locality of Liaoning was designated as the neotype for Y. tenuis. Subsequently, several further specimens from other localities, juvenile and adult, have been attributed to this species. Here we describe a second lizard specimen from the neotype locality. In anterior tooth shape, finger-like mandibular angular process, cranial sculpture, maxilla shape, and short, robust humerus, the new specimen resembles adult and subadult material currently attributed to Y. tenuis, but it differs in having bicuspid posterior teeth and a straight rather than a hooked angular process of the mandible. We propose a new species (Y. bicuspidens sp. nov.) for this specimen which represents the first occurrence of bicuspid teeth in an Early Cretaceous lizard from China. However, the recognition of a second species at the neotype locality raises a taxonomic problem. Due to the immaturity of the designated holotype and neotype of Y. tenuis, they cannot be coded for the jaw and dental characters that distinguish the two robust-limbed species. This renders Yabeinosaurus tenuis a nomen dubium. Here we propose that Yabeinosaurus tenuis should be treated as a historic taxon, permitting retention of the generic name under ICZN rules, and erect a second new species (Y. robustus sp. nov.) for the principal robust-limbed morphotype in the Jehol Biota with monocuspid posterior teeth and a hooked angular process.