A Basal Titanosauriform from the Early Cretaceous of Guangxi, China

Based on a partial postcranial skeleton collected from the Lower Cretaceous Napai Formation of Guangxi, China, we erect a new sauropod taxon, Fusuisaurus zhaoi gen. et sp. nov. The holotype specimen consists of the left ilium, left pubis, anterior caudals, most of the dorsal ribs and distal end of the left femur. Fusuisaurus zhaoi is diagnosed by a unique combination of character states among the known sauropods. It displays several synapomorphies of Titanosauriformes but lacks many derived features seen in other titanosauriforms, suggesting that the new taxon represents the basalmost known titanosauriform and providing new evidence that Titanosauriformes originated from Asia. A size comparison suggests that Fusuisaurus zhaoi is among the largest Early Cretaceous sauropods, providing an important addition to the Early Cretaceous Chinese sauropod diversity.     

The Gaojiacun Mafic-Ultramafic Complex （Sichuan, SW China）：Neoproterozoic Magmatic Activity at the Western Margin of the Yangtze Craton

1 Introduction The Gaojiacun intrusive complex is one of the numerous ultramafic-mafic intrusions in Sichuan Province of China. It was mapped during the 1970s and studied mainly by Chinese scientists (e.g. Geological Team 106, 1975; Shen et al., 1986, 1989; CGGJC, 1986; Yang et al., 1993; Li et al., 1995; Shen et al., 2003; Zhu et al., 2004a). Since the year 2000, China has become one of the largest PGE consumers. While the country can produce only less than 1 ton PGE/year, the Chin…     

The First Mesozoic Heterodactyl Bird from China

1 Introduction Enantiornithines were the dominant birds nearly worldwide throughout the entire span of the Cretaceous (Chiappe, 1995; Feduccia, 1996). The adaptive radiation of opposite birds is little known besides the disparity of rostral morphology in Boluochia (Zhou, 1995), Longipteryx (Zhang et al., 2001), Longirostravis ( Hou et al., 2004), and the presence of stomach contents that reflect a diversity of diets. Like the structure of rostrum, differentiation of the locomotor apparatu…     

中国西南喀斯特地区石漠化成因及防治初探

喀斯特地区石漠化,是我国西南地区生态环境最突出的问题。首先探讨我国西南地区喀斯特石漠化成因,主要有自然因素和人为因素两方面的原因,指出喀斯特石漠化引起的干旱缺水、土壤贫瘠、地质灾害等严重威胁当地人民的生产和生活;据此,提出防治喀斯特石漠化的基本措施,即缓解人口压力、加快生态建设、调整产业结构与布局等。     

西北地区城镇化建设中雨水利用探讨

城镇化是西北地区发展的必由之路,然而最大的自然障碍因素是水资源严重短缺。国外较早地开展并已有效地利用了城市雨水,而我国起步比较晚。西北地区在推进城镇化建设中,宜把城市雨水资源化作为城市节水的方向之一。城市雨水资源的利用对西北地区城市可持续发展有重要的意义。     

Hydrothermal alteration processes in the giant Dahutang tungsten deposit,South China: Implications from litho-geochemistry and mass balance calculation

The giant Dahutang tungsten (W) deposit has a total reserve of more than 1.31 Mt WO₃. Veinlet-disseminated scheelite and vein type wolframite mineralization are developed in this deposit, which are related to Late Mesozoic biotite granite. Four major types of alterations, which include albitization, potassic-alteration, and greisenization, and overprinted silicification developed in contact zone. The mass balance calculate of the four alteration types were used to further understanding of the mineralization process. The fresh porphyritic biotite granite has high Nb, Ta, and W, but low Ca and Sr while the Jiuling granodiorite has high Ca and Sr, but low Nb, Ta, and W concentrations. The altered porphyritic biotite granite indicated that the Nb, Ta, and W were leached out from the fresh porphyritic biotite granite, especially by sodic alteration. The low Ca and Sr contents of the altered Neoproterozoic Jiuling granodiorite indicate that Ca and Sr had been leached out from the fresh granodiorite by the fluid from Mesozoic porphyritic biotite granites. The metal W of the Dahutang deposit was mainly derived from the fluid exsolution from the melt and alteration of W-bearing granites. This study of alteration presents a new hydrothermal circulation model to understand tungsten mineralization in the Dahutang deposit.     

Levels and patterns of genetic variation in Pampus minor:Assessment of a mitochondrial DNA control region sequence

Pampus minor is an important commercial fish. Due to the similarity of external morphological characteristics among the genus Pampus species, P. minor has often been identified as the juvenile group of both P. cinereus and P. argenteus. While little genetic background on this species is known, this study was based on control region sequences and provided the first evaluation of the genetic signature of 264 individuals of P. minor from 11 populations along the coasts of China and Malaysia. The results indicate high genetic haplotype diversity and low nucleotide diversity in this species. Additionally, two differentiated haplotype lineages were identified in the P.minor populations. However, phylogenetic structures corresponding to the geographical locations were unable to be established. Analysis of molecular variance identified a vast majority of the genetic variation occurring within populations. F-statistic test value(FST) of pairwise indicated that great differences existed between the Chinese and Malaysian P. minor populations. For the Chinese populations, the genetic differences were insignificant with the exception of the Xiamen population, which is a marginal population. During the late Pleistocene, a population expansion of P. minor occurred. These expanded populations originated from the glacial refugium in the South China Sea and then rapidly occupied and adapted to their new habitat. The results of this study provide genetic information for ensuring the protection and management of P. minor resources.     

寒武系崮山阶三叶虫生物地层新认识

由于Diceratocephalus已在华北的若干地点找到,如莱芜九龙山、淄博黑石寨和泰安大汶口,Dicerato-cephalus三叶虫亚带可以提升为三叶虫带,这样崮山阶便包含了4个三叶虫带(自上而下)Diceratoceph alusarma-tus带、Drepanura premesnili带、Blackwelderia paronai带和Damesella paronai带。     

The Distribution of Chadian and earliest Arundian strata in North Wales: Implications for Dinantian (Carboniferous) lithostratigraphy and palaeogeography

The late Chadian Foel Formation, previously thought to be confined to the Dyserth area of North Wales, forms a poorly exposed but persistent basal unit to much of the Dinantian crop east of the Clwydian Range, necessitating a revision of the local lithostratigraphy. The formation comprises a peritidal heterolith which, together with the lowest few metres of the overlying Llanarmon Limestone, yields microfossil assemblages diagnostic of the Eoparastaffella Cf4α Subzone. Succeeding strata, containing the lowest archaediscid foraminifera, provide the first record of Cf4β assemblages from North Wales and establish an early Arundian age for these beds. The Foel Formation was deposited as an aggradational sequence on the northern flank of St. George's Land during a pulsed transgression which began in late Chadian times. The widely recognized basal Arundian transgression is represented by the contact between the Foel Formation and overlying platform carbonates. The latter overlap the Foel Formation in the southernmost part of the Clwydian crop demonstrating, for the first time, southwards onlap on the northern side of the Bala–Bryneglwys Fault System.