揭开翼龙性别及生殖之谜

翼龙是已知最早演化为强有力飞行能力的脊椎动物。最近发现的一成年雌性翼龙与她的蛋保存在一起的化石, 提供了翼龙性别的直接证据,并加深了对这些已绝灭的飞行动物生殖生物学的理解。这一雌性达尔文翼龙的发现使我们对这一物种有了更多的了解。新的发现证实了雄性具有相对小的骨盆和大的头骨脊, 而雌性则具有大的骨盆和头骨无脊。对蛋化石的详细研究显示翼龙的生殖策略, 如多数研究者以前怀疑的那样, 与鸟类的是不一样的, 而与鳄类或者其它的爬行动物一样。与以前发现的具有胚胎的翼龙蛋的壳一样, 这一研究也证实与其母体相比, 蛋相对小而软且具有羊皮纸一样的壳。很明显, 蛋产下来后, 会从周围环境中吸收水分, 从而在这一时期增加其大小和重量。这意味着母体不必在蛋里投入过多的水分, 而这一点可能对于飞行来说是相当有利的: 在母体中小而轻利于携带。这也暗示了雌性达尔文翼龙像爬行动物那样很少关注她们的蛋, 这些蛋被埋着而从周围吸收营养。     

Age of the pterosaur and web-footed bird tracks associated with dinosaur footprints from South Korea

Abstract   An absolute age has been determined for the Cretaceous Uhangri Formation in which web-footed bird tracks, pterosaur tracks and dinosaur tracks have been discovered recently. This combined track discovery is a first from Asia. There is one other similar find in the world, however, the Uhangri site is greater in abundance and frequency. Moreover, the size of the pterosaur tracks indicates that the track maker had a wingspan of 10 m or more. Well-preserved tuffaceous rocks in the formation made it possible to measure geological age by Rb–Sr and K–Ar methods. Rb–Sr whole rock ages for the volcanic rocks are: 96.0 ± 2.5 Ma (MSWD = 0.354) for lapilli andesitic tuff, 81.0 ± 2.0 Ma (MSWD = 0.296) for felsic tuff and 77.9 ± 4.1 Ma (MSWD = 4.41) for Hwangsan welded tuff. K–Ar ages are younger, 83.2–68.8 Ma. The layer containing fossil tracks of pterosaurs and web-footed birds are preserved in black shale sandwiched by the lapilli andesitic tuff and felsic tuff, and are thus 96–81 Ma in age. Dinosaur footprints are dated at 96–78 Ma. Thus the pterosaurs, web-footed birds and dinosaurs coexisted in the same environment from Cenomanian to Campanian time.     

辽西北票地区中-晚侏罗世土城子组恐龙足迹化石的发现

辽西朝阳北票南八家子附近中-晚侏罗世土城子组发现了大量恐龙足迹化石(兽脚类、鸟脚类、蜥脚类).本文主要对兽脚类恐龙足迹做了报道.兽脚类恐龙为两足行走,三趾型、窄行迹、多数为趾行式,化石均为上层面保存.层面发育泥裂和波痕.足迹大小从29.5cm×19cm到4cm×3cm,连续分布的足迹构成明显的行迹,行迹方向规律性分布为当时恐龙的行为习性提供了可靠证据.南八家子地区发现的大量小型兽脚类恐龙足迹表明:在北票地区小型兽脚类恐龙在中晚侏罗世土城子期已经出现.     

New Material of Feilongus (Reptilia: Pterosauria) from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Western Liaoning

Based on a new nearly naturally preserved skull and four cervical vertebrae of the pterosaur Feilongus sp. from the lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning province, northeastern China, the diagnosis of Feilongus is amended. The revised diagnosis notes long, curved, needle-shaped teeth that are confined to the jaw far anterior to the nasoantorbital fenestra; posterior teeth that are slightly smaller than the anterior teeth; cervical vertebrae elongated with a ratio of length to width greater than 5; tooth number of about 78; and two cranial sagittal crests.     

浙江东阳晚白垩世早期翼龙足迹(英文)

根据中国浙江东阳上白垩统金华组发现的4个翼龙足迹,建立翼龙一新的遗迹种:东阳翼龙足迹。它具有以下特征:手迹的第Ⅱ和第Ⅲ指夹角为29°,第Ⅰ指和第Ⅱ指的夹角为52°;足迹的长与宽的比率为0.17,除了翼龙足迹外,在同一层位中还发现有蜥脚类、鸟脚类、兽脚类、帯蹼和不具蹼的鸟类足迹。这些足迹化石的发现,为研究该地区的古生态环境及以后动物的骨骼化石,尤其是翼龙骨骼化石提供了重要依据。     

甘肃永靖盐锅峡早白垩世翼龙足迹的发现及意义

甘肃永靖盐锅峡恐龙足迹1号化石点中保存有翼龙足迹, 该足迹是我国翼龙足迹的首次发现.翼龙足迹为四足行走, 行迹宽.前脚为不对称三趾型, 趾行式, 其中Ⅱ趾最短, Ⅳ趾最长, 足迹外偏, 偏角大, Ⅳ趾与行迹交角为160°~ 180°.后脚外形为近长方形, 四趾型, Ⅱ、Ⅲ趾较Ⅰ、Ⅳ趾长, 行式, 脚长为宽的3倍, 足迹外偏, 偏角30°.足迹特征表明该翼龙足迹属于一新种.沉积特征表明翼龙足迹产于湖岸环境.      

A new Triassic pterosaur from Switzerland (Central Austroalpine, Grisons), Raeticodactylus filisurensis gen. et sp. nov.

A new basal non-pterodactyloid pterosaur, Raeticodactylus filisurensis gen. et sp. nov., is reported. It has been discovered in shallow marine sediments from the Upper Triassic of the lowest Kössen beds (late Norian/early Rhaetian boundary) in the central Austroalpine of Canton Grisons (Switzerland). The disarticulated specimen is comprised of an almost complete skull and a partial postcranial skeleton. A high and thin bony, sagittal cranial crest characterizes the anterodorsal region of the skull. The large mandible, with an additional keel-like expansion at the front, partly matches the enlarged sagittal cranial crest. A direct and close relationship to Austriadactylus cristatus, the only known Triassic pterosaur with a bony cranial crest so far, cannot be established. The teeth of the premaxilla are monocuspid and exhibit very strongly bowed enamel wrinkles on the lingual side whereas the enamel is smooth on the labial side. These monocuspid teeth are large and fang-like. The numerous smaller teeth of the maxilla show three, four and five cusps. These are very similar to the teeth of the Triassic pterosaur Eudimorphodon ranzii. The humerus shows a thinner construction than that seen in other Triassic pterosaurs. The femur is quite unusual with a caput femoris perpendicular to the shaft. The bones of the extremities are almost twice as long as the ones from the largest Triassic specimen E. ranzii (MCSNB 2888). The newly described pterosaur is an adult, with a wingspan of approximately 135 cm. A morphofunctional analysis suggests that R. filisurensis was a highly specialized piscivore and possibly a skim-feeder.