中国三叠纪海生爬行动物化石研究的回顾与进展

中国三叠纪海生爬行动物化石研究始于20世纪50年代,近10年来取得了重要的进展。此类化石在华南分布广泛,已见于多个省区的十余处地点,涉及自下三叠统奥伦尼克阶至上三叠统诺利阶的至少7个层位,并显示出由东向西产出层位逐渐升高的趋势。我国的三叠纪海生爬行动物化石门类齐全,属种丰富,已知类群包括鱼龙类、海龙类、檐齿龙类、始鳍龙类、原龙类、初龙类和湖北鳄类,显示出典型的西特提斯动物群特征,同时也体现了与东太平洋动物群的某些联系,以及一定的地方色彩。这些化石为研究三叠纪海生爬行动物各个类群的起源、演化和绝灭以及海洋环境的变迁提供了新的材料。     

东南亚和云南爬行动物区系的一致性及其起源和演化

云南与川、黔、贵等邻近省区都属于东南亚的一部分。依据爬行动物分布范围广的特点,把云南爬行动物区系起源和演化与东南亚甚至南亚的爬行动物作为一个整体进行研究,可能为解决东南亚及云南爬行动物某些类群的起源这一共同性问题,提供一些有用的资料。 本文将印度半岛、东南亚及其邻近岛屿现生爬行动物与世界范围的相同科级阶元的分布进行比较,并以古地质、古地理演变资料推论科级阶元同祖先起源地的大致范围。在此基础上,再将印度半岛、中南半岛和邻近岛屿,云南高原及邻近地区爬行动物的科属种进行比较,以探讨地区间差异的规律性。运用新构造运动和古气候变化观点阐明其物种或类群的迁移规律及其变化原因。     

遗迹化石:探索生物与环境相互作用的重要信息载体

遗迹化石是地质历史时期生物在沉积物表面和内部所留下的生命活动记录.遗迹化石不仅与生物种类和生活习性密切相关,还受到环境因子和沉积介质的影响和控制.地质地史时期的软躯体生物很难保存为化石,而它们生命活动的行为习性都烙印在了遗迹化石里.因此,遗迹化石成为探索生物与环境相互作用的重要信息载体,在重建古环境和古生态、探索早期生...     

生物多样性的自组织、起源和演化

生命系统是典型的自组织系统,系统中的多样性和复杂性存在着涨落,巨涨落在生物多样性上表现为生物的大规模爆发和灭绝,微涨落则为常规发生和背景灭绝,不断增加多样性是生命系统的内在属性,而实际多样性由自然选择决定,低选择压有利于生物多样性的产生,系统中过于优势的单一成分抑制多样性,系统的复杂性相变存在临界点,临界点定,低选择压有利于生物多样性的产生,系统中过于优势的单一成分抑制多样性,系统的复杂性相变存在临界点,临界点之上可自发产生正反馈的繁荣,临界点之下会发生趋于简单性的相变。上述原理可应用在生物多样性研究和保护中,例如研究特定系统的相变临界点,以便在配置系统组分时使复杂性超过其相变临界点,促使多样性的维持和增长由“被组织”进入“自组织”的可持续发展。     

三叠纪末生物大灭绝

三叠纪是紧接着二叠纪之后的一个纪,是中生代的第一个纪。这个时代开创了爬行动物和裸子植物的空前繁盛。三叠纪始于距今2.52亿年,结束于2.01亿年前,延续了约5100万年。三叠纪的生物在经历二叠纪末大灭绝之后的复苏和演化,呈现出一派繁盛景象,出现了恐龙等新一代中生代霸主。但随后又遭受了一次全球性的生物大灭绝事件。     

贵州西部早三叠世浅水碎屑岩相中微康奇虫(microconchids)化石的发现及其古生态意义*

微康奇虫(microconchids)是一种主要营水生固着生活的帚形动物, 在奥陶纪至侏罗纪的地层中均有广泛记录。本文报道了产自贵州遵义市播州剖面及六盘水市六枝剖面下三叠统夜郎组泥质岩中保存的微康奇虫的钙质栖管化石及印模化石。该组内的微康奇虫化石数量丰富, 保存精美, 电镜下可观察到其壳体特有的平行纤维薄层状微晶结构。本文共鉴定出微康奇虫化石共2科2属4种, 为该门类生物在华南早三叠世浅水碎屑岩中的首次报道。古生态上, 微康奇虫群落呈现出低分异度和高丰度的特征, 为早三叠世恶劣海洋环境中具有较强适应能力的典型生态灾难分子。     

生物复苏——大绝灭后生物演化历史的第一幕

生命史是一部生物界短期,快速剧变与长期,慢速稳定相互交替的历史。大绝灭（即集群绝灭）事件反映了全球环境的大突变,点断了地质历史中的生命记录及其发展历程,预示着生物界的演化出现了最有意义的飞跃,近年来尝试研究大绝灭后全球生物界的残存－复苏及其基本型式,并探索复苏的控制因素,标志着地质科学中一个重心的转移（即从大绝灭转向其后的生物残存与复苏的研究）。生物复苏揭示了大绝灭后生物演化历史的第一幕,其研究的     

云南植物区系的起源与演化

云南是生物多样性高度富集的地区,其植物种类占中国植物种类的一半以上,几乎包含了欧亚大陆的各种主要植被类型,其错综复杂的生物区系是如何形成与演化的,这个基本问题目前尚未得到解决。本文结合云南的历史地质事件,从植物区系地理学研究上对云南植物区系的起源与演化研究进行了介绍。研究发现,云南植物区系具有一个远古的热带起源背景,在第三纪热带、亚热带性质的东亚植物区系基础上,随着喜马拉雅的隆升,世界性和北温带植物区系成分在北部地区渗透、迅速形成大量物种,使北部地区演化成为现今以世界性和北温带分布的科、属占优势的温带植物区系;在南部地区,因印度支那地质板块向东南亚逃逸,热带亚洲成分渗透、发展,演化成为以热带亚洲成分为主的热带植物区系;云南中部地区第三纪东亚植物区系成分有更多的保持与承袭。对云南南部、中部和北部植物区系系统发育关系(系统发育结构和β多样性格局)的研究支持了植物区系地理学上的推论。此外,思茅-兰坪(印度支那)地质板块自晚始新世以来发生顺时针旋转可能导致了云南西北部与云南东南部一些物种对应分布格局的形成;云南南部与东南部热带地区的植物区系可能因具有不同的地质背景和演化历程而发生了显著的生物地理分异。在晚第三纪各地质事件的影响下,云南植物区系在一个热带、亚热带性质的第三纪东亚植物区系基础上发生了歧化,演化成为现今的南-北、东-西生物地理分异明显的植物区系。     

贵州西部早三叠世浅水碎屑岩相中微康奇虫(microconchids)化石的发现及其古生态意义*

微康奇虫(microconchids)是一种主要营水生固着生活的帚形动物, 在奥陶纪至侏罗纪的地层中均有广泛记录。本文报道了产自贵州遵义市播州剖面及六盘水市六枝剖面下三叠统夜郎组泥质岩中保存的微康奇虫的钙质栖管化石及印模化石。该组内的微康奇虫化石数量丰富, 保存精美, 电镜下可观察到其壳体特有的平行纤维薄层状微晶结构。本文共鉴定出微康奇虫化石共2科2属4种, 为该门类生物在华南早三叠世浅水碎屑岩中的首次报道。古生态上, 微康奇虫群落呈现出低分异度和高丰度的特征, 为早三叠世恶劣海洋环境中具有较强适应能力的典型生态灾难分子。     

新铺龙(爬行纲:海龙目)的分类(英文)

比较了已经描述的新铺龙(Xinpusaurus)的三个种,确定以往确立的种间鉴别特征是无效的。吻部比例以及齿骨形态都不能用来区分它们,戈氏种(X.kohi)的头后骨骼鉴别特征基础不牢,大多因标本保存欠佳不能明确其有效性。因此,建议废除巴毛林种(X.bamaolinensis)以及戈氏种,新铺龙属仅保留属型种——孙氏新铺龙(X.suni)——为有效种。文中还进一步阐明了本属种脑颅的形态。     

虔州豫俊兽(Yubaatarqianzhouensissp.nov.):江西赣州盆地首例晚白垩世哺乳动物化石*

本文报道了产自江西省赣州市上白垩统赣县河口组的一件多瘤齿兽类标本, 这是江西省报道的首例中生代哺乳动物化石。此标本头骨后部横向扩展, 额骨较小, 后端尖并构成眼眶的内侧边缘, M1具三列齿尖, 系统发育分析支持其归入纹齿兽超科。与河南晚白垩世的中原豫俊兽形态较为相似, 但是两者间也存在一些明显的区别, 因此建立一个豫俊兽属新种——虔州豫俊兽(Yubaatar qianzhouensis sp. nov.), 鉴定特征为: m1齿尖式为7︰6; M2齿尖式为1︰3︰3; m1颊侧后部存在一道小脊; 虔州豫俊兽m2和m1的长度比例小于中原豫俊兽; 冠状突呈楔状, 末端尖。虔州豫俊兽的发现不仅扩展了晚白垩世多瘤齿兽类在东亚地区的地理分布和物种多样性, 并且也扩展了中生代哺乳动物的地理分布。     

The Luoping biota: exceptional preservation, and new evidence on the Triassic recovery from end-Permian mass extinction

The timing and nature of biotic recovery from the devastating end-Permian mass extinction (252 Ma) are much debated. New studies in South China suggest that complex marine ecosystems did not become re-established until the middle–late Anisian (Middle Triassic), much later than had been proposed by some. The recently discovered exceptionally preserved Luoping biota from the Anisian Stage of the Middle Triassic, Yunnan Province and southwest China shows this final stage of community assembly on the continental shelf. The fossil assemblage is a mixture of marine animals, including abundant lightly sclerotized arthropods, associated with fishes, marine reptiles, bivalves, gastropods, belemnoids, ammonoids, echinoderms, brachiopods, conodonts and foraminifers, as well as plants and rare arthropods from nearby land. In some ways, the Luoping biota rebuilt the framework of the pre-extinction latest Permian marine ecosystem, but it differed too in profound ways. New trophic levels were introduced, most notably among top predators in the form of the diverse marine reptiles that had no evident analogues in the Late Permian. The Luoping biota is one of the most diverse Triassic marine fossil Lagerstätten in the world, providing a new and early window on recovery and radiation of Triassic marine ecosystems some 10 Myr after the end-Permian mass extinction.     

The marine diapsid reptile Endennasaurus from the Upper Triassic of Italy

Abstract:  The marine reptile Endennasaurus from the Upper Triassic Zorzino Limestone of northern Italy is redescribed and reassessed. New details of the skull and postcranial skeleton are revealed, confirming the attribution of this genus to the diapsid reptile clade Thalattosauriformes. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that Endennasaurus was related to the European genus Askeptosaurus and the Chinese Anshunsaurus . Despite a rather conservative postcranial morphology, Endennasaurus clearly occupied a highly specialized dietary niche as it combined a slender tapering premaxillary rostrum with a complete absence of either marginal or palatal teeth.     

The origin and early evolution of dinosaurs

The oldest unequivocal records of Dinosauria were unearthed from Late Triassic rocks (approximately 230 Ma) accumulated over extensional rift basins in southwestern Pangea. The better known of these are Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis, Pisanosaurus mertii, Eoraptor lunensis, and Panphagia protos from the Ischigualasto Formation, Argentina, and Staurikosaurus pricei and Saturnalia tupiniquim from the Santa Maria Formation, Brazil. No uncontroversial dinosaur body fossils are known from older strata, but the Middle Triassic origin of the lineage may be inferred from both the footprint record and its sister‐group relation to Ladinian basal dinosauromorphs. These include the typical Marasuchus lilloensis, more basal forms such as Lagerpeton and Dromomeron, as well as silesaurids: a possibly monophyletic group composed of Mid‐Late Triassic forms that may represent immediate sister taxa to dinosaurs. The first phylogenetic definition to fit the current understanding of Dinosauria as a node‐based taxon solely composed of mutually exclusive Saurischia and Ornithischia was given as “all descendants of the most recent common ancestor of birds and Triceratops”. Recent cladistic analyses of early dinosaurs agree that Pisanosaurus mertii is a basal ornithischian; that Herrerasaurus ischigualastensis and Staurikosaurus pricei belong in a monophyletic Herrerasauridae; that herrerasaurids, Eoraptor lunensis, and Guaibasaurus candelariensis are saurischians; that Saurischia includes two main groups, Sauropodomorpha and Theropoda; and that Saturnalia tupiniquim is a basal member of the sauropodomorph lineage. On the contrary, several aspects of basal dinosaur phylogeny remain controversial, including the position of herrerasaurids, E. lunensis, and G. candelariensis as basal theropods or basal saurischians, and the affinity and/or validity of more fragmentary taxa such as Agnosphitys cromhallensis, Alwalkeria maleriensis, Chindesaurus bryansmalli, Saltopus elginensis, and Spondylosoma absconditum. The identification of dinosaur apomorphies is jeopardized by the incompleteness of skeletal remains attributed to most basal dinosauromorphs, the skulls and forelimbs of which are particularly poorly known. Nonetheless, Dinosauria can be diagnosed by a suite of derived traits, most of which are related to the anatomy of the pelvic girdle and limb. Some of these are connected to the acquisition of a fully erect bipedal gait, which has been traditionally suggested to represent a key adaptation that allowed, or even promoted, dinosaur radiation during Late Triassic times. Yet, contrary to the classical “competitive” models, dinosaurs did not gradually replace other terrestrial tetrapods over the Late Triassic. In fact, the radiation of the group comprises at least three landmark moments, separated by controversial (Carnian‐Norian, Triassic‐Jurassic) extinction events. These are mainly characterized by early diversification in Carnian times, a Norian increase in diversity and (especially) abundance, and the occupation of new niches from the Early Jurassic onwards. Dinosaurs arose from fully bipedal ancestors, the diet of which may have been carnivorous or omnivorous. Whereas the oldest dinosaurs were geographically restricted to south Pangea, including rare ornithischians and more abundant basal members of the saurischian lineage, the group achieved a nearly global distribution by the latest Triassic, especially with the radiation of saurischian groups such as “prosauropods” and coelophysoids.     

Tooth implantation and replacement in Sauropterygia

Tooth replacement and implantation of Sauropterygia is described with special reference to the generaPlacodus andNothosaurus. Tooth replacement is horizontal, with the exception of the enlarged crushing tooth plates on the maxilla, palatine, and dentary ofPlacodus (placodonts), which are replaced vertically. Tooth implantation is thecodont, with variable ankylosis of the base of the root. Sauropterygia is unique compared to other reptiles in that replacement teeth are “alveolarized.” The alveolarization of replacement teeth adds to the evidence supporting of a monophyletic Sauropterygia (Placodontia plus Eosauropterygia).      

A New Genus of Rhynchonellid Brachiopod from the Lower Triassic of South China and Implications for Timing the Recovery of Brachiopoda After the End-Permian Mass Extinction

A new genus, Meishanorhynchia , is proposed based on new material from the Lower Triassic of the Meishan section, South China. It is of a late Griesbachian age based on both associated biozones (ammonoids and bivalves) and radiometric dates of the intercalated volcanic ash beds. Comparison with both Palaeozoic and Mesozoic–Cenozoic-related genera suggests that it may represent the first radiation of progenitor brachiopods in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction. The lowest brachiopod horizon that contains the genus is estimated to be about 250.1 ± 0.3 Ma. This implies that the initial stage of recovery of Brachiopoda in the Early Triassic was probably about 1.3 ± 0.3 myr after the major pulse of the end-Permian mass extinction (dated as 251.4 ± 0.3 Ma). This is in agreement with Hallam's expectancy that biotic recovery typically begins within one million years or so of major mass extinctions, in contrast to current views on the end-Permian extinction event which propose that the recovery of most if not all biotic groups in the Early Triassic was severely delayed and only began about five million years after the end-Permian extinction.     

Permian–Triassic Osteichthyes (bony fishes): diversity dynamics and body size evolution

The Permian and Triassic were key time intervals in the history of life on Earth. Both periods are marked by a series of biotic crises including the most catastrophic of such events, the end‐Permian mass extinction, which eventually led to a major turnover from typical Palaeozoic faunas and floras to those that are emblematic for the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Here we review patterns in Permian–Triassic bony fishes, a group whose evolutionary dynamics are understudied. Based on data from primary literature, we analyse changes in their taxonomic diversity and body size (as a proxy for trophic position) and explore their response to Permian–Triassic events. Diversity and body size are investigated separately for different groups of Osteichthyes (Dipnoi, Actinistia, ‘Palaeopterygii’, ‘Subholostei’, Holostei, Teleosteomorpha), within the marine and freshwater realms and on a global scale (total diversity) as well as across palaeolatitudinal belts. Diversity is also measured for different palaeogeographical provinces. Our results suggest a general trend from low osteichthyan diversity in the Permian to higher levels in the Triassic. Diversity dynamics in the Permian are marked by a decline in freshwater taxa during the Cisuralian. An extinction event during the end‐Guadalupian crisis is not evident from our data, but ‘palaeopterygians’ experienced a significant body size increase across the Guadalupian–Lopingian boundary and these fishes upheld their position as large, top predators from the Late Permian to the Late Triassic. Elevated turnover rates are documented at the Permian–Triassic boundary, and two distinct diversification events are noted in the wake of this biotic crisis, a first one during the Early Triassic (dipnoans, actinistians, ‘palaeopterygians’, ‘subholosteans’) and a second one during the Middle Triassic (‘subholosteans’, neopterygians). The origination of new, small taxa predominantly among these groups during the Middle Triassic event caused a significant reduction in osteichthyan body size. Neopterygii, the clade that encompasses the vast majority of extant fishes, underwent another diversification phase in the Late Triassic. The Triassic radiation of Osteichthyes, predominantly of Actinopterygii, which only occurred after severe extinctions among Chondrichthyes during the Middle–Late Permian, resulted in a profound change within global fish communities, from chondrichthyan‐rich faunas of the Permo‐Carboniferous to typical Mesozoic and Cenozoic associations dominated by actinopterygians. This turnover was not sudden but followed a stepwise pattern, with leaps during extinction events.     

The shallow marine placodont Cyamodus of the central European Germanic Basin: its evolution,paleobiogeography and paleoecology

The oldest record of Cyamodus is a skull of Cyamodus tarnowitzensis (Gürich 1884, Zt dt Geol Ges. 36:125–144) from Pelsonian shallow marine deposits. During the middle Illyrian, placodonts disappeared from the Germanic Basin. With renewed upper Illyrian transgression, Cyamodus rostratus (Münster 1839, Über einige ausgezeichnete fossile Fischzähne aus dem Muschelkalk bei Bayreuth. Birner, Bayreuth, p. 14) appeared which was found in terebratulid shell-rich shallow marine deposits. Abundant remains of Cyamodus muensteri (Agassiz 1839), traditionally referred to as Cyamodus hildegardis and here synonymised with C. muensteri, have been reported from the upper Illyrian/middle Fassanian. Skeletal remains of this species are from the Grenzbitumenzone of the Monte San Giorgio lagoons. The youngest species, Cyamodus kuhnschnyderi (Nosotti and Pinna 1993 Nosotti, S and Pinna, G. 1993. Cyamodus kuhnschnyderi n. sp. novelle espèce de Cyamodontidae (Reptilia, Placodontia) du Muschelkalk supérieur allemande. Compt Rend Acad Sci Paris, 317: 847–850.  [Google Scholar], Compt Rend Acad Sci Paris. 317:847–850), has been found in the upper Fassanian/lower Longobardian of the southern Germanic Basin or Burgundian Gate when marine facies in the Germanic Basin had nearly disappeared. These successive species provide evidence of monophylogenetic development with a trend towards anterior upper and lower jaw teeth reduction, along with a shortening of the rostrum, over an interval of five million years (243–238 Ma). This evolutionary trend most probably reflects adaptation to specialised feeding on seaplants. The Cyamodus osteoderm carapace was not fused to the vertebral column, and appears to have been primarily a body enhancement that produced neutral or negative buoyancy to facilitate long-period diving.