Biodiversity and Sequence of the Middle Triassic Panxian Marine Reptile Fauna, Guizhou Province, China

Abstract: The Middle Triassic Panxian fauna is a physical marker and representative record of the rapid recovery of the Triassic marine ecosystem following the Early Triassic stagnant stage after the end-Permian mass extinction. Ten marine reptile taxa have been found from the 1.82–2.10 m-thick fossiliferous level in the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation, which can be subdivided into three marine reptile beds through the analysis on the stratigraphic distributions of fossil reptiles. The Lower Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygians Placodus inexpectatus Jiang et al., 2008 and Lariosaurus hongguoensis Jiang et al., 2006, the ichthyopterygians Xinminosaurus catactes Jiang et al., 2008 and Phalarodon cf. Phalarodon fraasi Merriam, 1910, associated with Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006, representing a stage of predominance of durophagous taxa. In this bed, the large complete skeletons may reach up to 2.3 m in length, and lithofacies and chemostratigraphic analyses indicate a relatively deep carbonate platform with an oxic water environment near the bottom, as well as a rising sea level. The Middle Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygian Nothosaurus yangjuanensis Jiang et al., 2006 and the archosaur Qianosuchus mixtus Li et al., 2006, associated with Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006. The fossils in this bed are characterized by its pincering dentition and large overall body size, with the largest possibly exceeding 3 m in length. This bed might represent a time of deepest basin with relatively anoxic condition near the bottom. The Upper Reptile Bed yields the sauropterygians Wumengosaurus delicatomandibularis Jiang et al., 2008, Keichousaurus sp., the protorosaur Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003, and the ichthyopterygian Mixosaurus panxianensis Jiang et al., 2006. In this bed, reptilian taxa characterized by suction feeding appeared, and most are less than 1 m long. This bed corresponds to a period of decreasing water depth.     

First boganiine beetle in mid-Cretaceous amber from northern Myanmar (Coleoptera: Boganiidae)

Cretoboganium gei gen. et sp. nov., a new amber inclusion of the cucujoid family Boganiidae is described and figured based on a well-preserved adult from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber (Hukawng Valley, northern Myanmar), some 99 million years ago. Based on the presence of a pair of pronotal callosities, Cretoboganium can be firmly placed in the extant subfamily Boganiinae, a small group currently comprising two small austral genera. Our discovery represents the first fossil record for Boganiinae. It also demonstrates another example that an apparently austral group may have its sister group occurred in today’s northern hemisphere. Together with the other fossil boganiid known from the Middle Jurassic of China, the finding suggests that Boganiidae is an ancient and relict group. Moreover, the present biogeographic distribution of Boganiinae is indicative of an earlier origin of this subfamily, which likely originated before the breakup of the Gondwanan supercontinent.     

陕西洛南龙牙洞遗址的特征和环境

要本文第一作者曾在陕西洛南龙牙南洞中获得洛南直立人的上臼齿及少量哺乳类化石。近年作者等又在龙牙北洞中采集到大量石制品及哺乳动物化石。龙牙洞是黄河流域最南的一个旧石器遗址。由30多种哺乳类化石组成的龙牙洞动物群是一个兼具古北界和东洋界动物的过渡型动物群,可与蓝田公王岭动物群对比,时代为早更新世晚期,是温暖、湿润的森林、草原、多水体环境条件下的动物组合。石制品非常丰富,属华北旧石器文化系统,但又可见南方文化的影响。龙牙北洞遗址很可能是洛南直立人制作石器的场地。     

Methane gas Seeps Along the Oxic/Anoxic Gradient in the Black Sea: Manifestations, Biogenic Sediment Compounds and Preliminary Results on Benthic Ecology

Abstract. Sediment parameters (grain size, organic content, chloroplastic pigments, Adenylates, Potential hydrolytic activity and electron transport system activity) and benthic biota were studied in methane seep area south-west of the Crimean Peninsula in the Black Sea over a depth range from 60 to 260m. A control transect with similar depths was performed in an adjacent nonseep area. Methane seepage in this region occurs from 35 to ˜ 85m depth, passing the oxic anoxic interface zone at 130 to 180m. The methane seep areas were characterized by abundant carbonate precipitates which occurred in various shapes from small, flat structures to tall chimneys with increasing anoxia. The carbonates were associated with distinct bacterial mats. Most of the measured biochemical parameters in the sediment were quite similar in the seep and nonseep areas. The content of organic matter was higher and grain size was more uniform in the nonseep areas. However, the seep areas were charaterized by highter proportions of the larger fauna (size classes 0.5–1 mm and ≥ 1mm) as well as increased total numbers of benthic fauna in the suboxic and upper anoxic zone. The animals did not show any seep-specific adaptations. In addition to methane seepage, highly variable hydrochemical and sedimentary conditions on the lower shelf and upper slope may also play an important role in structuring the composition and distribution of the benthic fauna.     

Low biomass of macrobenthic fauna at a tropical mudflat: An effect of latitude?

The macrobenthic animal biomass of the intertidal area of the Sembilang peninsula of South Sumatra, Indonesia, has been studied in 2004. Each month (March–August) 21 core samples were taken at each of six sampling stations. Macrobenthic fauna were identified at the lowest taxonomical level possible and counted. Biomass was measured as ash-free dry mass (afdm). The average biomass over all stations and months was 3.62 g afdm m⁻², the highest biomass (47.45 g afdm m⁻²) found at a station in one month was due to abundant occurrence of the bivalve Anadara granosa. Low biomass of macrobenthic fauna at Sembilang peninsula cannot easily be explained but is in line with low biomasses found elsewhere in the tropics. For that reason we analyzed a data set of 268 soft-bottom intertidal biomasses collected world-wide to look for a relationship with latitude. It was shown that average biomass of intertidal macrobenthic fauna in the tropics was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than that at non-tropical sites. A significant second-order relationship between biomass of macrobenthic fauna and latitude was established.     

鄱阳湖鱼类资源及渔业利用

1997年冬至2000年春,对我国最大淡水湖鄱阳湖的鱼类与渔业利用状况进行了调查.在1955年至2000年期间,鄱阳湖累计记录鱼类136种,隶属于25科78属;其中鲤科鱼类最多,有71种,占总种数的52.2%,其次是鲿科,12种,占8.8%本次调查期间共记录鱼类101种,新记录鱼类6种,即亮银鮈、洞庭小鳔鮈、光唇蛇鮈、短须鱊、方氏鳑鲏和粘皮鲻鰕虎鱼.还分析了该湖鱼类区系组成的变化、主要渔具的渔获物组成特征以及渔产量动态,提出了未来湖泊渔业可持续发展的建议.     

论中国早石炭世珊瑚的地理区系

依据中国早石炭世珊瑚群特征的研究，岩关期珊瑚地理区系可分（一）北方珊瑚大区——中国北方珊瑚区：①兴安珊瑚分区以Ａｎｋｈｅｌａｓｍａ和Ｈｏｍａｌｏｐｈｙｌｉｔｅｓ等北美分子为主的单体不具鳞板的珊瑚；②准噶尔珊瑚分区以Ｋａｓｉｎｅｌａ，Ｈｅｂｕｋｅｐｈｙｙｌｕｍ等欧亚分子为主体的单体无鳞板珊瑚。（二）特提斯珊瑚大区——中国南方珊瑚区：①华南珊瑚分区以Ｃｙｓｔｏｐｈｒｅｎｔｉｓ－Ｐｓｅｕｄｏｕｒａｌｉｎｉａ为代表的珊瑚群；②西部珊瑚分区以Ｂｅｉｃｈｕａｎｏｐｈｙｌｕｍ－Ｓｉｐｈｏｎｏｐｈｙｌｉａ－Ｈｕｍｂｏｌｄｔｉａ为代表的珊瑚群。大塘期珊瑚地理区系可分（一）特提斯珊瑚大区——Ｋ．Ｙ．珊瑚区：①北天山—吉中珊瑚分区以Ｙｕａｎｏｐｈｙｌｕｍ－Ｇａｎｇａｍｏｐｈｙｌｕｍ－Ｓｉｐｈｏｎｏｐｈｙｌｉａ为代表的珊瑚群；②南部珊瑚分区以Ｙｕａｎｏｐｈｙｌｕｍ－Ｋｅｉｃｈｏｕｐｈｙｌｕｍ为代表的珊瑚群。（二）冈瓦纳珊瑚大区——藏南珊瑚区：①冈底斯—口念青唐古拉珊瑚分区以Ｒｈｏｐａｌｏｌａｓｍａ－Ｍｉｒｕｓｏｐｈｙｌｕｍ为代表的小型单体无鳞板的珊瑚群；②喜马拉雅珊瑚分区以Ｌｏｎｇｉｃｌａｖａ－Ｃｕｍｍｉｎｓｉａ为代表的单体不具鳞     

中国南部OIS5e时期中亚热带北移的古生物学证据

大熊猫-剑齿象动物群是中国南方地区第四纪的代表性哺乳动物群,常见种属多见于亚热带地区,少数种属在自然状态下主要分布于热带-南亚热带地区,如猩猩、长臂猿、亚洲象和绝灭种巨貘、中国犀的现生种貘、犀等热带种,它们的存在指示了具热带气候性质的中亚热带南部的森林环境.本文在确定中国南部OIS 5e时期此类动物群种属构成与分布特征的基础上,主要以热带种属的分布及其北界为依据,推断出中业热带北界分布至秦岭-淮河以南,较现今北移约3°,1月份平均温较今高约4～5℃,年均温高约3℃,说明在现今的亚热带地区盛行中亚热带-热带的气候环境,发生了较大的生物-气候带变迁.该变迁事件对应于全球气候变化的高温期和35°N冬半年天文辐射总量的峰值,是全球气候变化影响下的结果.     

贵州毕节发现的巨猿牙齿化石及其意义

文章报道了发现于贵州毕节的一枚巨猿牙齿化石,介绍了巨猿化石发现的历史过程及与之相关的毕节扒耳岩早更新世哺乳动物化石。贵州毕节巨猿化石的发现,填补并扩大了巨猿化石的地史分布范围,对研究巨猿演化及云贵高原地质环境变化等相关问题有着重要意义。