Cyrtinoides Yudina and Rzhonsnitskaya, 1985, an aberrant Middle Devonian ambocoeliid brachiopod genus from China

Here we redescribe and reillustrate specimens of an ambocoeliid brachiopod previously described as Echinocoelia guangsiensis Sun, 1992 from the late Eifelian–earliest Givetian Mingtang Formation of the Liujing section in Guangxi Autonomous Region. The internal structure of the species, and especially the presence of a spondylium with tichorhinum in the ventral valve indicates that the species represents the aberrant genus Cyrtinoides Yudina and Rzhonsnitskaya, 1985. It seems probable that the anterior part of the tichorhinum in Cyrtinoides accommodated the diductor attachments. Geographic distribution of Cyrtinoides is restricted to the Northern Hemisphere and shows a disjunct pattern. This genus has not hitherto been identified from China.     

The Upper Paleocene of the Zumaya Section (Northern Spain): Review of the Ichnological Content and Preliminary Palaeoecological Interpretation

A systematic survey of intrastratal trace fossil distribution in flysch deposits shows that the ichnocoenoses form along two radically different modes: 1. Post‐turbidite ichnocoenoses begin with synchronous colonization. Further development of the tiered structure depends primarily on sediment composition, textural profile and oxygen levels. Different species respond to these factors according to their oxygen tolerances, penetration potentials and nutritional requirements.

2. Pre‐turbidite ichnocoenoses result from successional colonization, depending on the duration of background sedimentation. The depth of subsequent turbidite erosion determines which tier becomes preserved.

     

中国与欧洲晚中新世猪类比较研究:生物地层学及古生态学

猪类对比研究表明,从晚中新世初期到晚中新世末(或上新世初期),中国与欧洲的古气候、古环境和猪类演化都受到了全球性自然变化的影响,有着相同或相似的发展经历。晚中新世早期(early Vallesian(MN9))中国与欧洲的猪类显示它们均受到先前来自南亚猪类的影响,南亚猪类可能通过东南亚扩散到中国南方,通过西亚扩散到欧洲。晚中新世中期(lateVallesian(MN10)and early Turolian(MN11)),中国和欧洲的猪类与南亚已基本没有交流,在各自地区相对独立地演化发展。晚中新世晚期(late Turolian(MN12、MN13))中国北方除了保留有从南方迁移来的种类外,欧洲的猪类也已出现,此时中国(北方)动物群与欧洲动物群关系较为密切。南亚动物群在晚中新世早期(或者更早些)似乎已经和中国及欧洲的动物群分离。受青藏高原隆升等自然因素的影响,晚中新世中后期中国南方的古环境有一个从较为封闭、湿热的森林类型向相对开阔、干冷稀树草原类型的演变过程,而在此期间北方的自然环境则可能是从早期的半干旱疏林草原逐步发展到晚中新世末期的湿润林地。晚中新世欧洲自然环境有一个与中国南方相似的变化过程,比较而言,晚中新世中后期欧洲的环境可能比中国北方更为开阔和干冷。古气候和古环境变化是影响晚中新世猪类分布演化的决定性因素。     

An unusually diverse mollusc fauna from the earliest Triassic of South China and its implications for benthic recovery after the end-Permian biotic crisis

A single carbonate coquinoid lens from the Griesbachian (Early Triassic) of Shanggan, South China, yielded 11 bivalve species described in this study in addition to four gastropod and one ammonoid species reported elsewhere. This makes the Shanggan fauna one of the richest mollusc faunas from the early post-extinction interval after the end-Permian mass extinction event. Four of the present genera are long-term survivors, five are holdovers that went extinct at the end of the Griesbachian or later in the Early Triassic, and seven first appear in the Griesbachian. Three new bivalve species are described: Myalinella newelli nov. sp., Scythentolium scutigerulus nov. sp., and Eumorphotis shajingengi nov. sp. The genus Astartella, previously assumed to have vanished at the end of the Permian, is reported for the first time from the Early Triassic, which also removes Astartidae from Early Triassic Lazarus taxa. The small growth size of the Astartella specimens supports an earlier hypothesis that many of the Early Triassic Lazarus taxa did not survive in unknown refuges but were simply overlooked due to the scarcity of easily observable large-sized specimens. Ecologically, a comparatively high proportion of infaunal bivalve species (4/11) is remarkable for the early post-extinction interval, supporting the impression of a relatively advanced recovery state. Moreover, abundance-data of the bivalve-gastropod community reveal a remarkably low dominance index (D = 0.17) that is suggestive for advanced recovery and stable environmental conditions. It is proposed that the Shanggan fauna represents a late Griesbachian benthic recovery event that coincided with the appearance of similarly diverse benthic faunas in Oman and Primorye. A high proportion of genera that have previously not been reported from the Early Triassic indicate that the prevalence of poor preservation conditions is a major obstacle in identifying early phases of recovery from the greatest crisis in the history of metazoan life. The early recovery of benthic faunas reported in this study questions previous claims of a prolonged lag phase as a consequence of the extraordinary extinction magnitude or the persistence of adverse environmental conditions.     

Conservation of Mediterranean wetlands: interest of historical approach

The wetlands of North Africa are an endangered and invaluable ecological heritage. Some of these wetlands are now protected by various conservation statutes; which actual impact has not yet been reliably evaluated. This article aims to assess the conservation management (Nature Reserve and Ramsar site) of a protected Tunisian lake, Majen Chitane, by using palaeoecological, historical and modern data, and by comparing it with the unprotected lake Majen Choucha. While located in similar environments, these lakes are today home to very different flora. Baseline conditions reconstructed from literature indicate that both lakes were very similar until the 1950s, and comparable to the current state of Majen Choucha, housing rich oligotrophic plant communities. In the 1960s, at the time that cultivation of the adjacent peatland began, Majen Chitane underwent strong ecological changes as the initial oligotrophic plant, diatom and zooplankton communities were replaced by eutrophication-tolerant ones. Eutrophication led to the local extinction of 40–55% of the hydrophytic and temporary-pool plant species, including those characteristic of the Isoetion. Given the damages and despite the recent conservation status of the site, it's unlikely that Majen Chitane will undergo any natural regeneration. Restoring it would start with completely protecting the complex lake-peatland and re-introducing the locally extinct species from Majen Choucha. This work exemplifies the usefulness of connecting palaeoecological, historical and modern data for the conservation of Mediterranean wetlands.     

松辽盆地晚白垩世介形类古生态学

通过化石组合和岩性指标分析松辽盆地上白垩统自下而上青山口组—姚家组—嫩江组一段介形类的古生态学。青山口组盐度具有偏咸性、微咸性到半咸性的变化,32个介形类种以栖居于温暖湿润气候带的浅湖微咸水类型占绝对优势,水体清澈安静,有机质丰富,底质为泥等细粒沉积物(个别的为粉砂沉积物),宜于介形类动物群生长且有利于壳体完好保存;其次为生活于半咸水的深湖—半深湖类型,底质为泥。姚家组—嫩江组一段见23个介形类种,栖居于温暖半湿润气候带,以半咸水的深湖、半深湖—浅湖区的类型为主,多泥底,偶见粉砂质底;其次为微咸水的浅湖—三角洲前缘型,泥或粉砂质底;仅3个种生活于温暖湿润的粉砂质底淡水浅湖区。温暖湿润的淡水三角洲分流平原带则难以产出介形类化石。     

薄鳞鱼类化石的新发现及其地层意义

本文记述了薄鳞鱼类(leptolepids)一新属新种——罗家峡隆德鱼(Longdeichthys luojiaxiaensis gen.et sp.nov.)。它和广泛分布于我国北方的另一原始真骨鱼类狼鳍鱼(Lycoptera)共生。因而,为研究真骨鱼类的演化和确定我国北方中生代含鱼岩系的时代及地层对比上,提供了新的资料。     

Late Miocene Microstonyx remains (Suidae, Mammalia) from Northern China

Several large suid cranial remains attributed to Microstonyx major are part of a new Hipparion Fauna collection from the Hezheng area, Northern China. The new material confirms the presence of Microstonyx in the late Miocene of the area. The Chinese form belongs to a small-sized eastern population with reduced premolar row and clear sexual bimodality. Statistical comparison shows that Microstonyx major was a polymorphic species and reinforces recognition of Hippopotamodon as a separate genus, defined by relatively stout premolars resulting from a different underlying pattern of allometric growth. The presence of Microstonyx in North China and the distinct suid assemblage that lived there suggest biogeographic connections between Northern China and Western Eurasia in contrast to isolation from Southern China and the Indian subcontinent. The suid fauna of the late Miocene of Northern China seems to have been restricted to the later, more humid phase represented by the Red Clay faunas.     

华北四个古人类遗址的哺乳动物群及其与深海沉积物的对比

根据华北地区四个主要的更新世哺乳动物群的性质及其地层学的资料,认为大荔动物群的时代相当于深海O~(18)的第6—7阶段;周口店动物群出现在第8—12阶段;陈家窝动物群与第16—17阶段相当;而公王岭动物群则出现在贾拉米洛事件之前。     

Getting a grip on the intertidal: flow microhabitat and substratum type determine the dislodgement of the crab Pachygrapsus crassipes (Randall) on rocky shores and in estuaries

Hydrodynamic forces can affect survival as well as limit the movement of motile benthic animals. An animal's danger of dislodgement depends on the hydrodynamic forces it experiences in its microhabitat relative to the force required to dislodge it (tenacity) from the substratum. We measured water flow and substratum characteristics in two different habitats of the shore crab Pachygrapsus crassipes: a wave-swept rocky shore and an intertidal mudflat. The maximum water velocities and accelerations in the microhabitats of the crabs at the wave-swept site were three times and two times greater, respectively, than at the mudflat site. In the laboratory, we measured the tenacity of crabs of various sizes on different substrata, and also measured their drag, lift and added-mass coefficients. Using these data, we calculated the flow conditions under which crabs would be overturned or sheared off the substratum in their two habitats. The net horizontal force (drag plus acceleration reaction) required to dislodge a crab on a rugose rock substratum was an order of magnitude greater than on smooth rock and two orders of magnitude greater than on mud. Our calculations indicate that, under non-storm conditions, crabs will not be dislodged from the substratum in either the mudflat or the wave-swept habitat when grasping the substratum with maximum tenacity. Moving crabs have lower tenacity and our calculations predict that hydrodynamic forces will restrict the mobility of large crabs more than that of small ones on smooth, but not on rugose rock.     

Larval and juvenile fishes occurring with flood tides on an intertidal mudflat in the Tama River estuary, central Japan

Intertidal movements of fish larvae and juveniles on a mudflat in the Tama River estuary, central Japan, were investigated by comparing the abundance and sizes of fishes caught in the intertidal zone during flood tides with those in the subtidal zone during low tides. A total of 28465 individuals, belonging to 9 families and 20 species, were collected by small purse seine. Among the abundant species, planktonic larvae and juveniles of gobiids and Konosirus punctatus were more abundant in the intertidal zone at flood tide than the subtidal zone at low tide. Similar occurrence patterns were found in juvenile Plecoglossus altivelis altivelis and Lateolabrax japonicus, having fully developed swimming abilities. In contrast to these species, much higher abundances of epibenthic juveniles of 2 gobiids (Acanthogobius flavimanus and Gymnogobius macrognathos) were found in the subtidal zone at low tide, although they also utilized the intertidal zone at flood tide.     

华北四个古人类遗址的哺乳动物群及其与深海沉积物的对比

根据华北地区四个主要的更新世哺乳动物群的性质及其地层学的资料,认为大荔动物群的时代相当于深海O~(18)的第6—7阶段;周口店动物群出现在第8—12阶段;陈家窝动物群与第16—17阶段相当;而公王岭动物群则出现在贾拉米洛事件之前。     

中国石炭系孢粉组合带序列

我国是世界中唯一的在石炭纪发育有欧美植物区,华夏植物区,安加拉植物区和风瓦纳植物区植物群的国家,并以欧美－华夏植物群最为发育,本文总结了近20年来华北和西北（新疆,甘肃,宁夏）的石炭系孢粉研究成果,提出了适合我国大部分地区的古物 系孢粉组合带序列方案（计15个孢子带）,描述了各带的特征,依据孢子带的对比和同层所产动物化石,讨论了它们的时代。     

Benthic palaeoecology of Danian deep-shelf bryozoan mounds in the Danish Basin

Early Danian cool-water bryozoan mounds exposed in the coastal cliff Stevns Klint in Denmark were formed shortly after the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction. They represent a relatively deep-water, highly diverse benthic ecosystem within the epeiric seaway that covered the Danish Basin. The mounds are 50–110 m long and reached a height of about 5–10 m above the seafloor; they are asymmetrical with a steep southern and a gentle northern flank, and were dominated by small suspension feeders. The benthic elements generally occur as fragments set in a carbonate mud matrix. The main skeletal contributors are delicate branching bryozoans with minor contributions of bryozoan sheets, and nodular/arborescent bryozoans. Locally abundant octocorals occur on the mound crests and upper parts of the steep flanks. Echinoids are present in minor amounts, but are locally abundant. Serpulids, crinoids, asteroids, brachiopods, bivalves, massive calcareous sponges, and benthic foraminifers are generally minor contributors to the benthic mound fauna. Influx of planktonic foraminifers, coccoliths and other planktonic organisms was high and was probably a major source of nutrient supply to the mainly suspension-feeding benthic fauna.

The faunal association reflects a relatively low energy environment with a high, possibly seasonal influx of particulate nutrients. The best growth conditions with respect to nutrient influx were on the mound crest and upper steep flank reflected by the diverse and relatively largest benthic faunal elements. Periodic reworking and winnowing occurred across the entire mound structure but most prominent on the gentle northern flanks limiting the benthic growth and notably the colony density and size of delicate branching bryozoans. Vagile benthic faunas were also adapted to different areas on the mound. Irregular echinoids preferred the intermound areas within fine-grained wackestone–packstone facies where they ploughed through the sediment, whereas regular echinoids were epifaunal and preferred the upper parts of the mounds, possibly feeding mainly on bryozoans. Skeletons of both groups became concentrated at the toe of the steep flanks and in the intermound areas by physical reworking during major storms.

Changes in faunal composition on the mound crests occurred rhythmically on both small and large scale during mound growth. Rhythmically recurring faunal assemblages reflect alternating hydrodynamic conditions on the seafloor with respect to nutrient influx and energy, which probably were linked to short-term seasonal and long-term climatic variations; the long-term alternation may be within the Milankovitch frequency band. Blooming events of bryozoan sheets resulted from relatively short periods with large amounts of available food and suitable substrate. Successful colonisation by octocorals on the other hand reflected longer-term favourable conditions on the mounds possibly associated with overall higher energy levels.

A possible Pleistocene analogue to the bryozoan-dominated Danian mounds occurs at the shelf-slope break of the Great Australian Bight. Both of these cool-water mound systems deviate from most other biogenic mounds known from the fossil record in their non-cemented nature, regular geometry and a lack of core and flank facies.     

Bilinguites — a cosmopolitan Late Carboniferous ammonoid genus

The Bashkirian (Late Carboniferous) ammonoid genus Bilinguites has a nearly global distribution in the tropical and subtropical zones and 25 species have been described up till now. Most of them are considered endemic, but some may have a wide geographic distribution. Our study on new and previously collected materials from North China (Gansu and Ningxia) shows that the stratigraphically youngest species of Bilinguites in North China and Western Europe are morphologically very similar, possibly indicating correspondence of the ammonoid faunas. Bilinguites scalpratus is revised and established as a stratigraphically important species of the genus in North China; it co-occurs with the first gastrioceratid species Cancelloceras pachygyrum. This occurrence can be correlated with the Western European co-occurrence of Cancelloceras cancellatum and Bilinguites superbilinguis at the base of the G₁ Zone.     

我国北方地区裸胞壳属(Emericela)的种

对１４０２份来自于东北、华北及西北地区的土样进行裸胞壳属（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａ）菌的分离。结合菌落形态及扫描电镜下子囊孢子的形态将各菌鉴定到种。结果表明我国北方地区分布有８个种,１个变种,分别是无冠裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａａｃｒｉｓｔａｔａ）、皱折裸胞壳（４Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｃｏｒｒｕｇａｔａ）、茴香裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｆｏｅｎｉｃｕｌｉｃｏｌａ）、宫治裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｍｉｙａｊｉ）、构巢裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｎｉｄｕｌａｎｓｖａｒ．ｎｉｄｕｌａｎｓ）、构巢裸胞壳宽脊变种（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｎｉｄｕｌａｎｓｖａｒ．ｌａｔａ）、四脊裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｑｕａｄｒｉｌｉｎｅａｔａ）、褶皱裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｒｕｇｕｌｏｓａ）及波状裸胞壳（Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｕｎｄｕｌａｔａ）。除银川地区以Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａａｃｒｉｓｔａｔａ为优势菌外,各地区以Ｅｍｅｒｉｃｅｌａｎｉｄｕｌａｎｓ最为常见。文中对常见菌种进行了简要的概述,对在我国较少见的种进行了详细的描述和讨论     

Larval and juvenile gastropods from a Carboniferous black shale: palaeoecology and implications for the evolution of the Gastropoda

A horizon in the late Visean Ruddle Shale from Arkansas contains the oldest well-preserved gastropod protoconchs known from the Americas. The gastropod fauna consists of a diverse larval shell assemblage and a low diversity assemblage of juvenile gastropods that probably had a benthic life habit. Gastropod larval shells are always isolated, i.e. the gastropods did not complete their life cycle (no metamorphosis) and were unable to become benthic. This was caused by unfavorable environmental conditions on the soft muddy bottom that was probably due to anaerobic to exaerobic conditions. The absence or scarcity of bioturbation caused by invertebrate detritus or sediment feeders in both shale and concretions (formed before compaction) favored preservation of the delicate larval shells. The lack or scarcity of infauna and bioturbation as well as the low diversity of the presumed benthos supports an interpretation of a quasi-anaerobic to exaerobic benthic environment. The superbly preserved larval shells demonstrate that there are more caenogastropod clades present in the late Palaeozoic than suggested previously. Some larval shell types have an openly coiled first whorl followed by a planktotrophic larval shell; openly coiled initial whorls are unknown from modern caenogastropods. The vetigastropods have a smooth protoconch of two whorls clearly demarked from the following whorls - a pattern unknown in modern vetigastropods which have a protoconch of less than one whorl and build no larval shell during their planktonic stage. This could indicate a link between Palaeozoic vetigastropods and the caenogastropods.