A new tree fern stem,Tempskya zhangii sp. nov. (Tempskyaceae) from the Cretaceous of Northeast China

A new Cretaceous tree fern species from the family Tempskyaceae, Tempskya zhangii sp. nov., from Keshan County, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China, is described based on silicified fragments. The species is characterized by dichotomizing stems embedded in a matrix of adventitious roots, together forming a solid and compact false trunk. The dorsiventral stems are composed of solenosteles, and their internodes are short with 2–3 (rarely 4) leaf traces. A three-layered cortex includes a sclerenchymatous outer zone, parenchymatous middle zone, and an inner zone composed of sclerenchyma band and parenchyma cells. The pith consists of a parenchymatous outer zone and sclerenchymatous inner zone. The petiole has a single C- or U-shaped vascular strand. The adventitious root has diarch xylem surrounded by an inner sclerenchymatous and an outer parenchymatous cortex. In possessing these characters, T. zhangii is more similar to T. wyomingensis from the Cretaceous of North America than to other species of Tempskya. However, the Chinese species distinctly differs from T. wyomingensis in having a sclerenchymatous outer cortex, parenchymatous middle cortex, and sparse parenchyma in the xylem. It is the first record of Tempskya from China and the fourth from Asia. This species, together with Cyatheaceae, Osmundaceae, Cycadeoidaceae, and conifers found in the same region constituted the plant community at the time.     

A juvenile Edmontosaurus from the late Maastrichtian (Cretaceous) of North America: Implications for ontogeny and phylogenetic inference in saurolophine dinosaurs

The anatomy of an articulated juvenile specimen of the saurolophine hadrosaurid dinosaur Edmontosaurus annectens, LACM 23504, is described in detail. This individual consists of a partial skull and nearly complete articulated postcranium, collected from upper Maastrichtian strata of the Hell Creek Formation of Montana, USA. This study aims to help understand the ontogenetic morphological changes occurring in the cranium and postcranium of saurolophine hadrosaurids using E. annectens as a case study. Emphasis is placed on those morphological attributes that are ontogenetically variable via comparative osteology between the juvenile and the available adult specimens. It is observed that much of the cranial ontogenetic variation relates to the elongation of the skull and mandible. In the postcranium, most of the ontogenetic variation concentrates in the pectoral and pelvic girdles and the stylopodia. Not all the identified patterns of ontogenetic variation may be generalized to all hadrosaurids. The impact of ontogenetic variation on phylogenetically informative characters of saurolophine hadrosaurids is evaluated. It is concluded that, at least for Edmontosaurus annectens (and perhaps other saurolophine hadrosaurids), most characters used in phylogenetic inference of these animals are not affected by ontogeny. Thus, juvenile specimens are still a source of substantial character data suitable for use in phylogenetic analyses of saurolophine relationships. Nevertheless, it is recommended that ontogenetically variable characters are left as missing data in a character–taxon matrix when only juvenile material is available for a given saurolophine taxon. Scoring those characters based solely on juveniles is likely to decrease the accuracy of the phylogenetic inference.     

文蛤消化系统的形态学研究

文蛤消化系统包括唇瓣、口、食道、胃、晶杆、肠、肛门以及肝脏等部分，无唾液腺和食道腺，也无齿舌，其消化管壁的结构与一般软体动物的消化管壁基本相同，主要由粘膜层、粘膜下层、肌层及外膜组成，但肌层很薄。本文对文蛤消化系统各部分的解剖和组织结构进行了较详细的描述，并利用组织化学方法测定晶杆与肝脏中的几种成分。     

疣荔枝螺(Thais clavigera)性畸变现象的解剖学和组织学研究

以解剖学和组织学的方法研究了有机锡污染生物指示种——疣荔枝螺的正常雄、雌和性畸变个体的生殖系统。结果表明，性畸变个体除具有正常的雌性器官外，还有输精管或阴茎。当性畸变程度严重时，性畸变不育个体的卵囊腺组织出现破损，并具有不规则块状的不育卵囊和未排出的正常卵囊。虽然性畸变个体的雄性器官具有表现出雄性功能的潜能，但由于缺少精巢或完整的前列腺，不可能发展成为具有雄性功能的个体，这与性逆转有着本质上的区别。有机锡污染引起的性畸变已对疣荔枝螺种群生存构成了潜在的威胁，深化此类负面生态效应的研究是人类面临的重要课题。     

Osteology and ontogeny of Early Cretaceous Philydrosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) based on new specimens from Liaoning Province,China

Choristoderes are a group of extinct diapsid reptiles that once occupied the freshwater systems in the Northern Hemisphere from the Middle Jurassic through the Miocene. The Early Cretaceous monjurosuchid Philydrosaurus from western Liaoning, China, represents a transitional morphotype between a broad-snouted (crocodile-like) and a narrow-snouted (gavial-like) skull during the evolution of Choristodera. New specimens of the taxon from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation include an incomplete braincase and a nearly complete juvenile skeleton; the study of these specimens provides new information on the braincase and ontogenetic change of the skeleton of this transitional monjurosuchid. In the braincase floor, the foramen internus canalis caroticus externus opens in a groove lateral to the constricted lateral aspect of the parasphenoid, and ventral exposure of this foramen differs from Champsosaurus, in which parasphenoid/pterygoid fusion completely encloses the canal. On the occiput, the vagus nerve foramen penetrates the basioccipital, while the two foramina for the hypoglossal nerve open at the exoccipital/basioccipital suture. Comparative study of the new juvenile specimen with adult Philydrosaurus reveals previously unknown developmental changes of the cranial and postcranial skeleton of this monjurosuchid. Ontogenetically, Philydrosaurus underwent a dramatic change of skull proportions, including elongation of the antorbital and postorbital regions, and elongation of the jaws, with a great increase of the number of marginal teeth. The lower temporal fenestra is entirely closed in early ontogeny, as in large, fully-grown adults.     

中国海洋红藻——御前凹顶藻Laurencia Omaezakiana Masuda的形态与结构特征

凹顶藻类是近年来海洋红藻分类学研究的主要热点之一(Garbary et al.，1998；Nam et al.，2000；Nam et al.，2001；Masuda et al.，1996， 1998a，2001)。从经典分类学方面来说，这个类群不仅形态学差异大，而且解剖学特征也存在许多需要进一步探讨的问题，难度较大，所以长期以来其系统并不是十分明确。Saito(1967)提出的凹顶藻两亚属的分类系统应该说在当时是比较先进的。各国的藻类学家对此意见比较一致(张峻甫等1985；McDermid 1988)， 虽然有些修改或补充(张峻甫等1985；Furnari et al.，1993；Gil-Rodrigeuz et al.，1993)，但Nam(1990)对此提出了不同意见，他认为营养性生长轴产生的围轴细胞数目比其他分类特征更稳定，因此建议修改凹顶藻类的系统鉴定特征。Nam等(1994)认为凹顶藻属应该划分成两个属:凹顶藻属和拟凹顶藻属Osmundea Stackhouse。随后，Garbary等(1998)认为新的凹顶藻属应该再划分成两个属:凹顶藻属及软骨凹顶藻属Chondrophycus。目前，早期的凹顶藻属被划分成了3个属：凹顶藻属、软骨凹顶藻属及拟凹顶藻属。作者赞同后者的观点。 长期以来，中国凹顶藻类的研究在海藻分类学中是比较薄弱的一个方面，除了Tseng(1943)、张峻甫等(1980，1985)对香港和西沙群岛有过较详细研究外，其他的都比较简略。而随着国际上凹顶藻研究的不断深入，中国于1998年也开始了中国凹顶藻类的系统研究工作。目前作者发现仅在黄渤海分布着一个凹顶藻新记录种，即御前凹顶藻Laurencia omaezakiana Masuda。根据最新的凹顶藻类分类系统，此种仍然属于凹顶藻属。由于凹顶藻属物种含有丰富的次生代谢物质，因此，作为海藻化学研究的热点物种之一，有必要对其进行详细的介绍。