A New Basal Hadrosauroid Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation in Nakhon Ratchasima Province,Northeastern Thailand

A new basal hadrosauroid dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Khok Kruat Formation of Thailand, Sirindhorna khoratensis gen. et sp. nov is described. The new taxon is based on composite skull and mandible including premaxilla, maxilla, jugal, quadrate, braincases, predentary, dentaries, surangular, and maxillary and dentary teeth. It is diagnostic by such characters as, sagittal crest extending along entire dorsal surface of the parietal and reaching the frontoparietal suture (autapomorphy), transversely straight frontoparietal suture, caudodorsally faced supraoccipital, no participation of the supraoccipital in the foramen magnum, mesiodistally wide leaf-shaped dentary tooth with primary and secondary ridges on the lingual surface of the crown, perpendicularly-erected and large coronoid process of dentary, and nonvisible antorbital fossa of the maxilla in lateral view. Phylogenetic analysis revealed S. khoratensis as among the most basal hadrosauroids. Sirindhorna khoratensis is the best-preserved iguanodontian ornithopod in Southeast Asia and sheds new light to resolve the evolution of basal hadrosauriforms.     

A new sauropod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Ilek Formation,Western Siberia,Russia

Sibirotitan astrosacralis nov. gen., nov. sp., is described based on isolated but possibly associated cervical and dorsal vertebrae, sacrum, and previously published pedal elements from the Lower Cretaceous (Barremian?) Ilek Formation at Shestakovo 1 locality (Kemerovo Province, Western Siberia, Russia). Some isolated sauropod teeth from the Shestakovo 1 locality are referred to the same taxon. The phylogenetic parsimony analyses place Sibirotitan astrosacralis nov. gen., nov. sp., as a non-titanosaurian somphospondyl titanosauriform. The new taxon exhibits four titanosauriform and one somphospondylan synapomorphies, and one autapomorphy – a hyposphene ridge that extends between the neural canal and the postzygapophyses. It differs from all other Somphospondyli by having only five sacral vertebrae. The new taxon shares with Euhelopus and Epachtosaurus sacral ribs that converge towards the middle of the sacrum in dorsal view. Sibirotitan astrosacralis nov. gen., nov. sp., is only the second sauropod taxon from Russia and one of the oldest titanosauriform described so far in Asia.     

A new basal ornithopod dinosaur from the Barremian of Galve,Spain

A partially articulated postcranial skeleton of a small ornithischian dinosaur, Gideonmantellia amosanjuanae nov. gen. et sp., from the Early Cretaceous of Galve (Teruel province, Spain) is described. It was recovered in an outcrop of fluvial red clays from the Camarillas Formation, which is Barremian in age. This partial skeleton is recognised as a new ornithopod taxon by the following autapomorphies: (1) postacetabular process of the ilium with a brevis shelf that is noticeably medially expanded in its cranial part but narrow and horizontal in its caudal part; (2) rod-like prepubic process with its anterior end twisted and expanded; and (3) L-shaped first chevron. Our phylogenetic analysis indicates that Gideonmantellia represents a basal ornithopod taxon more derived than Orodromeus, the “Asian clade” (which includes Haya and others) and Hypsilophodon.     

吉林省中部早白垩世泉头组-原始鸟脚类恐龙

报道了在松辽盆地白垩纪沉积中首次发现的原始鸟脚类恐龙化石,并根据其头部特征建立一新属新种——娇小长春龙(Changchunsaurus parvus gen.etsp.nov.)。化石产于吉林省公主岭市刘房子镇山前泉头组上部紫红色含砾泥质砂岩中,同一层位还产有兽脚类、鳄类、恐龙蛋、哺乳类等化石。娇小长春龙是一种混合了原始的和衍生性状的小型鸟脚类恐龙。它具有某些比多数鸟脚类和头饰龙类要原始的特征,例如,5颗前上颌齿、前上颌骨吻部只有很短一段齿缺、前上颌骨与上颌齿之间的间隙较小、颊齿两侧的釉质对称、前上颌骨腹侧边缘与上颌骨腹侧边缘基本处于同一水平线等。同时,娇小长春龙也具有一些与真鸟脚类类似的进步特征,比如眶前孔小、外下颌孔缺失。娇小长春龙具有颧骨突,这在鸟脚类恐龙中较为罕见,它的颧骨突表面具有鲕状构造,这一特征未见于其他已知鸟脚类。娇小长春龙的前齿骨形态与角龙类接近,腹支明显长于侧支,前齿骨与齿骨的愈合方式同角龙类相似。娇小长春龙的确切系统分类位置需要进一步的工作来确定。     

New basal iguanodonts from the Cedar Mountain formation of Utah and the evolution of thumb-spiked dinosaurs

Background

Basal iguanodontian dinosaurs were extremely successful animals, found in great abundance and diversity almost worldwide during the Early Cretaceous. In contrast to Europe and Asia, the North American record of Early Cretaceous basal iguanodonts has until recently been limited largely to skulls and skeletons of Tenontosaurus tilletti.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Herein we describe two new basal iguanodonts from the Yellow Cat Member of the Cedar Mountain Formation of eastern Utah, each known from a partial skull and skeleton. Iguanacolossus fortis gen. et sp. nov. and Hippodraco scutodens gen. et sp. nov. are each diagnosed by a single autapomorphy and a unique combination of characters.

Conclusions/Significance

Iguanacolossus and Hippodraco add greatly to our knowledge of North American basal iguanodonts and prompt a new comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of basal iguanodont relationships. This analysis indicates that North American Early Cretaceous basal iguanodonts are more basal than their contemporaries in Europe and Asia.     

Siamspinops, a new selenopid spider genus from Southeast Asia (Arachnida, Araneae)

Examination of a collection of selenopid spiders from Southeast Asia resulted in recognition of a new genus, Siamspinops gen. nov., which is erected to accommodate four new Southeast Asian species. Siamspinops spinosissimus sp. nov. (the type species; the male and female are described), S. spinosus sp. nov. (female) and S. allospinosus sp. nov. (female) are recorded from Thailand, S. spinescens sp. nov. (female) from the Malay Peninsula.     

Ichnotaxonomic Review of Large Ornithopod Dinosaur Tracks: Temporal and Geographic Implications

BackgroundLarge ornithopod tracks are known from the Upper Jurassic to the uppermost Cretaceous rocks of all continents but Antarctica. They include the tracks historically called Iguanodon footprints, iguanodontid footprints, hadrosaur/hadrosaurid footprints, and other large ornithopod tracks that have been used to define ichnotaxa. More than 40 ichnospecies based on large ornithopod tracks have been defined, but the validity of many of them is questionable.Conclusions/SignificanceThe monospecific ichnogenus Iguanodontipus (I. burreyi) is characterized by a small, rounded heel and elongate, narrow digit impressions. Its distribution is limited to the Berriasian-Valanginian of Europe. Caririchnium consists of four ichnospecies (C. magnificum [type ichnospecies], C. kortmeyeri, C. billsarjeanti and C. lotus) with a large, rounded heel and short, wide digit impressions. This ichnogenus ranges from the Berriasian-Hauterivian to the Aptian-Albian of South America, North America, Asia and Europe. Finally, Hadrosauropodus (three ichnospecies: H. langstoni [type ichnospecies], H. leonardii and H. kyoungsookimi) shows a large, bilobed heel and short, wide digit impressions. It is known from the Aptian-Albian to the Maastrichtian of North America, Asia and Europe. The ichnofamily Iguanodontipodidae includes large iguanodontian tracks characterized mainly by mesaxonic, tridactyl and subsymmetrical pes tracks that are as wide as (or wider than) long and have one pad impression in each digit and one in the heel. Its distribution is confidently limited to the Cretaceous of Europe, Asia, North America and South America.     

Necrosaurus or Palaeovaranus? Appropriate nomenclature and taxonomic content of an enigmatic fossil lizard clade (Squamata)

Necrosaurus cayluxi is an enigmatic lizard from the Paleogene of the Phosphorites of Quercy, France that was first mentioned in the 19th century. Although it is generally believed that Filhol was the author who established this taxon, I am herein demonstrating that authorship should in fact be attributed to Zittel, a fact that also influences not only its generic nomenclature, but also its appropriate type material. As such, the valid name for this taxon should be Palaeovaranus cayluxi and its holotype is a left maxilla. Additionally, Ophisauriscus eucarinatus from the middle Eocene of Geiseltal, Germany, another taxon that was previously assigned to Necrosaurus, is herein shown to be a nomen dubium, whereas Melanosauroides giganteus from the same locality, is considered a valid species and is recombined as Palaeovaranus giganteus comb. nov. The suggested changes in nomenclature also affect “Necrosauridae”, a poorly defined clade of lizards from the Cretaceous–Paleogene of Europe, North America, and Asia. In order to maintain nomenclatural stability and define a monophyletic lineage, I am here establishing the new family Palaeovaranidae fam. nov., which includes solely the genus Palaeovaranus. The known occurrences of Palaeovaranus across the Paleogene of Western Europe are discussed.     

Diving ducks from the Middle Miocene of western Mongolia

Medium-sized diving ducks from the Middle Miocene of the Sharga locality (western Mongolia) are described. Sharganetta mongolica gen. et sp. nov. and Nogusunna conflictoides gen. et sp. nov. are evolutionary more advanced than the thoroughly studied Early Miocene genus Mionetta, but more primitive than Anatinae and Oxyurinae. The humeral morphology gives evidence of an aberrant position of the two new genera. Another taxon, Protomelanitta gracilis gen. et sp. nov. presumably belongs to basal Mergini.     

A New Stem Placental Mammal from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia

A new taxon of stem placentals, Hovurlestes noyon gen. et sp. nov. from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia (Höovör locality) is described. The new taxon differs from members of the genus Prokennalestes from Höovör in the single-rooted canine and the presence of cusp e, which is an enhancing interlocking between anterior molars (m1 and m2). Hovurlestes noyon gen. et sp. nov. is one of the rarest mammal taxa from Höovör, which expands morphological diversity of the earliest Eutheria.     

A New Sail-Backed Styracosternan (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Morella,Spain

A new styracosternan ornithopod genus and species is here described based on a partial postcranial skeleton and an associated dentary tooth of a single specimen from the Arcillas de Morella Formation (Early Cretaceous, late Barremian) at the Morella locality, (Castellón, Spain). Morelladon beltrani gen. et sp. nov. is diagnosed by eight autapomorphic features. The set of autapomorphies includes: very elongated and vertical neural spines of the dorsal vertebrae, midline keel on ventral surface of the second to fourth sacral vertebrae restricted to the anterior half of the centrum, a posterodorsally inclined medial ridge on the postacetabular process of the ilium that meets its dorsal margin and distal end of the straight ischial shaft laterally expanded, among others. Phylogenetic analyses reveal that the new Iberian form is more closely related to its synchronic and sympatric contemporary European taxa Iguanodon bernissartensis and Mantellisaurus atherfieldensis, known from Western Europe, than to other Early Cretaceous Iberian styracosternans (Delapparentia turolensis and Proa valdearinnoensis). The recognition of Morelladon beltrani gen. et sp. nov. indicates that the Iberian Peninsula was home to a highly diverse medium to large bodied styracosternan assemblage during the Early Cretaceous.     

First Ordovician vertebrate from south America

The first Ordovician vertebrate from South Americais described from the Anzaldo Formation (Caradoc, Upper Ordovician) of Central Bolivia. It is referred to a new taxon, Sacabambaspis janvieri nov. gen. nov. sp., within the jawless vertebrate group Heterostraci, and displays some resemblance to both Astraspis and Arandaspis. It differs from all other known heterostracans by having very broad sensory-line grooves on the exoskeleton. Consideration of the palaeobiogeography of Ordovician vertebrates suggests that the early forms have been restricted to warm regions.     

Pentamerids (Brachiopoda) from the Lower and Middle Devonian of Northeastern Asia

Pentamerids (Brachiopoda) are described from the Lower and Middle Devonian of northeastern Asia: Antirhynchonella cherkesovae sp. nov. belonging to the family Clorindidae and Devonogypa indigirica (Sidjachenko), Vadimia gen. nov. with the type species V. gonensis sp. nov. and V. naanchanensis sp. nov., and Vladimiria gen. nov. with the type species Vl. yanensis sp. nov. all belonging to the subfamily Devonogypinae.     

A new family of lithophoran Proseriata (Platyhelminthes), with the description of seven new species from the Indo‐Pacific and South America,and the proposal of three new genera

In this contribution a new representative of the taxon Meidiama Marcus, 1946, Meidiama uruguayensis sp. nov. , from Uruguay, is described, as are six more new species, for which three new genera are proposed: Dreuxiola philippi gen. nov. sp. nov. , from the French subantarctic archipelago Kerguelen; Yorknia aprostatica gen. nov. sp. nov. ; Serrula byronensis gen. nov. sp. nov. ; Serrula maxillaria sp. nov. ; Serrula concharum sp. nov. ; and Serrula acuta sp. nov. , from eastern Australia and Tasmania. Arguments are presented to propose a new taxon to contain these new species, rather than include them in the Archimonocelididae Meixner, 1938 (of which Meidiama has been considered a member so far), as well as to remove the Calviriinae Martens & Curini‐Galletti from the Archimonocelididae to become a separate taxon Calviriidae. Possible autapomorphies for the three families are discussed. It is also concluded that, with the present state of our knowledge, no sound indications can be given about close relationships. © 2009 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2009, 155 , 759–773.     

A new brittle star (Ophiuroidea: Ophiodermatina) from the Early Triassic Paris Biota (Bear Lake County,Idaho, USA)

Knowledge on the morphology of Early Triassic ophiuroids is very limited, in spite of the relatively high number of described species. This hampers attempts to use morphology-based phylogenetic analyses in order to explore the early diversification of the ophiuroid modern clades between the latest Paleozoic and the early Mesozoic. Here, a new ophiuroid from the Early Triassic of southern Idaho (USA) is described and assigned to the new taxon Shoshonura brayardi Thuy nov. gen., nov. sp. It is part of an exceptional Early Triassic faunal assemblage recently described as the Paris Biota. On account of the arm morphology and the shape of the arm spines and arm spine articulations, Shoshonura brayardi nov. gen., nov. sp. is considered a basal member of the suborder Ophiodermatina.     

SULCOPYRENULA,A NEW PYRENOCARPOUS LICHEN GENUS (PYRENULACEAE,LICHENIZED ASCOMYCOTA)

Sulcopyrenula H. Harada gen. nov. is described. It differs from other genera ofPyrenulaceae by having longitudinally sulcate spores. The genus is represented by two species: S. canellae-albae (Fée) H. Harada comb. nov. and S. staurospora (Tuck.) H. Harada comb. nov. Both species have been previously reported from N. and S. America, and the latter species is now reported from Asia.     

A new trogiid genus from lower Eocene Fushun amber (Insecta: Psocodea: Trogiomorpha)

A new fossil brachypterous psocid tax on belonging to the family Trogiidae is characterized, illustrated and described from the early Eocene Fushun amber. Paralepinotus fushunensis nov. gen., nov. sp., shares several characters with the genus Lepinotus von Heyden, 1850, but differs from it mainly by the presence of tibial spurs other than apical ones and the absence of a forked sensillum on the last maxillary palp. This fossil taxon is also characterized by relatively developed elytriform forewing but still not reaching the tip of the abdomen. A checklist of all known Trogiidae is provided.     

New Late Miocene murids from China (Mammalia, Rodentia)

New murids of Late Miocene (medial Baodean Chinese Mammal Unit) age from Inner Mongolia, northern China, and from Yunnan Province, southern China, are described. Hansdebruijnia perpusilla nov. sp. represents the earliest known and morphologically most primitive species of the genus, which is known from the latest Miocene of Europe and western Asia. The new species suggests an eastern Palaearctic origin of Hansdebruijnia. “Progonomys” yunnanensisQIU and STORCH, 1990 from Lufeng, Yunnan Province, is referred to Linomys nov. gen. New samples from Leilao, Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, are included in this species, although this population is somewhat more primitive than that from Lufeng. Leilaomys zhudingi nov. gen. and sp. from Leilao shows a unique combination of apomorphic and plesiomorphic characters, which suggest an early divergence from the murid stem. The new findings indicate that our knowledge of the early radiation of murids in southeast Asia is still in its infancy.     

A new genus Woonpaikia Park,gen. nov. (Lepidoptera: Lecithoceridae) with descriptions of two new species

A new genus Woonpaikia Park, gen. nov. (Lepidoptera: Gelechioidea: Lecithoceridae) is established, based on the type species, Woonpaikia villosa Park, sp. nov. from Thailand. Another new species, Woonpaikia angoonae Park, sp. nov. is also described.