New and poorly known Cenozoic clown beetle compressions from France (Insecta: Coleoptera: Histeridae)

Summary

Two French fossil Histeridae are described or revised, viz. Hister cerestensis n. sp. from the Oligocene of Céreste (Lubéron) and Plegaderus pitoni (Theobald, 1935), n. comb. from the Pliocene of Chambon Lake (Puy-de-Dôme). Morphometric data are used to compare fossil and extant taxa, with multivariate statistics. A list of the fossil Histeridae is given.     

Ellesmeris sphenopteroides,gen. ET SP. NOV., a new zygopterid fern from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of Ellesmere,N.W.T., Arctic Canada

A new fern-like fossil plant is described from the lower Upper Devonian of southern Ellesmere Island, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The plant occurs in an Archaeopteris-dominated flora preserved in the Nordstrand Point Formation (Mid-Late Frasnian) near Bird Fiord. The plant has a pinnate vegetative system with three branch orders and laminate sphenopteroid pinnules. Primary pinnae usually diverge from the main axis in distichous pairs (quadriseriate), but can depart singly (biseriate). Each primary pinna bears a basal catadromic aphlebia. Anatomically, the plant exhibits a mesarch, bipolar protostele that is ribbon- to clepsydropsoid-shaped in the main axis. Primary pinna traces are also initially bipolar and crescent-shaped, but may become four-ribbed before dividing into a pair of bipolar traces. The morphology and anatomy of this plant are nongymnospermous and are most similar to Zygopteridales (particularly Rhacophytaceae and Zygopteridaceae). The Frasnian age of Ellesmeris shows that laminated foliage had evolved in some zygopterid ferns much earlier than previously recognized. The Sphenopteris-like pinnules of Ellesmeris indicate the need for caution when attributing such a convergent foliar design to other plant groups, such as the Devonian gymnosperms.     

The cuticular structure of the 495-Myr-old type species of the fossil worm Palaeoscolex,P. piscatorum (?Priapulida)

Latex impressions of the cuticle of a compression fossil of the ? priapulid Palaeoscolex piscatorum, from the Lower Ordovician of Shropshire, demonstrate a complex ornamentation of sclerites similar to isolated material, e.g. Hadimopanella and phosphatized arrays. Each ‘segment‘is defined by an intercalary zone and bears two rows of sub-circular plates with prominent nodes on the upper surface. The intercalary zone bears two narrow grooves and a series of platelets, similar to but smaller than the plates. The remainder of each segment is occupied by microplates. Palaeoscolex piscatorum is fairly similar to a number of other species, including Gamoscolex herodes and Milaculum elongatum. Present evidence suggests the palaeoscolecidans are priapulid worms (or near relatives). Their abundance, combined with records from Burgess Shale-like occurrences, suggest priapulids were a major component of many Lower Palaeozoic benthic communities.     

昆虫口器及其进化简史

昆虫口器有着很高的分化率,可细分为34个现生和2个化石类型,大部分出现在自泥盆纪以来的5个历史发展时期:早泥盆、中石炭、早二叠、三叠-侏罗、侏罗-白垩。文章依据时间线索,介绍每种口器的特征以及所属主要类群,对整个昆虫纲的口器做出了归类和描述。     

Morphological design and fossil record of the podocopid ostracod naupliar eye

The naupliar eye of podocopid ostracods is a useful character for considering evolution in photic environments. Based on external morphologies and histological observations, naupliar eyes are here categorized into six types. The fossil record demonstrates that the major evolutionary changes in podocopid naupliar eyes occured after the Ordovician. Eye types 1 and 2 are not joined to the carapace by the hypodermal cells, and these two types are found in Palaeozoic ostracods. Eye type 3, 4, 5 and 6 are extended on eye stalks, tightly joined to the carapace by the hypodermal cells, and use the carapace as the refractive cuticle lens. Eye type 3 appeared in the Permian, and eye types 4, 5 and 6 appeared in the Early Jurassic. The design of the podocopid naupliar eye diversified in the Early Jurassic.     

侏罗纪中蜉属和珠蜉属蜉蝣昆虫化石研究的新进展

长期以来,我国昆虫化石研究者所确认,并为众多地层古生物工作者所引用,作为地层对比和确定地质时代的两种侏罗系蜉蝣幼虫化石:西伯利亚中蜉(MesobaetissibiricaBrauer,RedtenbacheretGanglbauer,1889)和古珠蜉(MesonetaantiquaBrauer,RedtenbacheretGanglbauer,1889)在我国境内并不存在。迄今为止,这两个种仅局限于俄罗斯西伯利亚下侏罗统。此前,被我国昆虫化石研究者分别归入中蜉属(MesobaetisBrauer,RedtenbacheretGanglbauer,1889)和珠蜉属(MesonetaBrauer,RedtenbacheretGanglbauer,1889)的所有种类,其科级和属级分类位置有误。它们包括:西伯利亚中蜉,三间房中蜉(MesobaetissanjianfangensisHong,LiangetHu,1995),黑斑中蜉(MesobaetismaculataHong,LiangetHu,1995),古珠蜉和北票珠蜉(MesonetabeipiaoensisWang,1980)。道虎沟组、海房沟组、九龙山组和三间房组的水生蜉蝣组合完全不同,彼此不能对比。我国侏罗系—下白垩统蜉蝣幼虫全部是湖相,为原地埋藏,而非河流相,异地埋藏类型。     

鸟类跗跖骨远端形态的两种模式及其栖息行为

通过对大量现生鸟类的跗跖骨进行对比研究,得出鸟类的跗跖骨远端特征可以被用来作为判断鸟类栖息习性的依据。地栖性鸟类的跗跖骨远端由第Ⅱ、第Ⅲ、第Ⅳ跖骨滑车组成典型的“三角”模式,而树栖性鸟类的跗跖骨远端则是由位于同一平面位置的第Ⅱ、第Ⅲ、第Ⅳ跖骨滑车组成典型的“滚轴”模式。由此还尝试对中生代鸟类的栖息习性和功能作了检验和判定,依此鉴定与借助其他依据识别的结果比较一致。鸟类跗跖骨远端形态结构的观察与研究,对评判古鸟的栖息习性以及鸟类的栖息演化历史都具有重要意义。     

Two new fossil woods from the early Miocene of Kutch,Gujarat, India and their significance

The Kutch region of western India (Gujarat State) is today arid to semiarid and characterised by mostly ephemeral streams which carry water during the monsoon. The uneven distribution of rainfall and disturbed topography are the result of climate change during the Cenozoic period. Two fossil woods, namely Bauhinium palaeomalabaricum Prakash and Prasad (Fabaceae) and Ebenoxylon indicum Ghosh and Kazmi (Ebenaceae), are described from Kutch in order to provide insights into the palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate. Because the modern representatives of the present and previously described taxa from the same horizon are thermophilic in nature and grow in evergreen to deciduous forests, a warm and humid climate is interpreted. Furthermore, the finding of some mangrove taxa in the assemblage indicates the lagoonal to intertidal environment at the time of deposition.     

小哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素测试方法简介及应用前景

探讨古环境和古气候变化与哺乳动物演化之间的关系是目前古生物学研究领域中的一个热点,而哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质的碳、氧同位素分析是恢复古环境和古气候的一个重要手段。以往的哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质稳定同位素分析多集中在大哺乳动物化石,这主要是受到技术手段的限制,所需的样品量较大所决定的。但最近几年随着激光和离子显微探针技术的应用,对小哺乳动物化石(如啮齿类和兔形类)的牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素的分析和应用日趋成熟和广泛。除了传统的化学处理方法之外,对小哺乳动物化石牙齿釉质碳、氧同位素的分析还有以下三种方法:1)激光剥蚀气相色谱/同位素比值质谱分析;2)直接激光氟化技术;3)离子显微探针技术(SHRIMPII)。这些技术需要的样品量少,对标本的破损小,准确度和精密度高,所以在小哺乳动物化石和一些珍贵标本(如古人类化石)的稳定同位素分析中起到了重要作用。相对于大哺乳动物化石,小哺乳动物化石数量多、演化速度快,更能反映多个层位长时间序列的古环境和气候变化;而且小哺乳动物通常没有长距离迁徙的行为,栖息地局限,所以更能准确反映化石埋藏地点的古环境和气候状况。