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。     

微康奇虫(Microconchids)——一种认识较少的疑难微体化石

微康奇虫(Microconchids)是一种形态上貌似现代海洋多毛类螺旋虫的后生动物,其化石在地质历史时期的地层记录相对常见。其主要保存形式包括具有实体的钙质管状壳体、印模和铸模三种。早期研究者将此类化石部分归为多毛类的螺旋虫或者小型腹足类。随着近年来的深入研究,研究者发现此类化石在介壳微细构造上与多毛类或腹足类明显不同,微康奇虫具原生方解石壳体及平行纤维状至层状显微结构,而多毛类或腹足类原生为方解石或文石壳体,后生成岩阶段转变为方解石壳体后呈颗粒状粗晶结构。因此,微康奇虫类动物可能被重新划归帚虫动物门(Phoronida)。目前的化石记录表明,微康奇虫动物最早出现于奥陶纪,并一直延续至侏罗纪,之后的微康奇虫才被形态相似的多毛类螺旋虫所取代,后者一直延续至今,在现代海洋中极为常见。微康奇虫类动物经历了几次重大的地质突变时期,特别是在二叠纪末大灭绝之后异常丰富。最新研究表明,大灭绝之后,微康奇虫占据了早三叠世海洋中几乎所有的生态空间,常常在双壳类化石的介壳表面、微生物岩的菌藻丛中、或者直接在硬底表面,甚至泥质软海底之上固着。它们广泛分布于泥质滨岸带、砂质浅海、碳酸盐台地的微生物岩生态系统...     

云南香格里拉上三叠统沉积混杂岩中的晚古生代和中三叠世放射虫及其地质意义

香格里拉地区位于义敦弧后盆地与中咱地块的过渡带,出露的地层主要为上三叠统哈工组、图姆沟组。其中,哈工组发育大量的沉积混杂岩。笔者从硅质混杂岩块中分离出保存完好的放射虫化石。这些放射虫化石分异度较高,主要有内射虫目、泡沫虫目、罩笼虫目和少量隐管虫目、阿尔拜虫目的放射虫。本文报道了其中的内射虫目、泡沫虫目、罩笼虫目和隐管虫目放射虫共计50种27属。这些放射虫的地质时代自中泥盆世至中三叠世。因为沉积混杂岩中的硅质岩块源自甘孜理塘构造带,这些保存较好的放射虫化石为解释甘孜理塘构造带的构造演化提供了必需的地质时代证据。根据这些放射虫组合所代表的深水环境,我们认为甘孜-理塘构造带所代表的沉积盆地自中泥盆世至中三叠世时期应为深水盆地,也即德格-中甸微板块在中泥盆世时期就已逐渐与扬子板块裂离。     

四川江油渔洞子剖面下三叠统飞仙关组底部龙介类的古生态意义

三叠系龙介类化石在欧洲早有报道。在我国四川江油渔洞子剖面下三叠统飞仙关组底部牙形刺Hindeodus pavus带微生物岩中首次发现环节动物龙介类化石Spirorbisphlyctaena,与以蓝菌为主的自养型底栖微生物群落共生,是早三叠世生物复苏的先驱者。     

川西昌台地区纳楞海剖面海燕蛤化石特征及生活方式分析

川西昌台地区纳楞海剖面的晚三叠世地层中存在Halobia yunnanensis-Halobia pluriradiata化石组合,化石保存较好,优势分子为Halobia yunnanensis和Halobia pluriradiata.化石主要分布于黑色钙质页岩和粉砂质板岩中,其生活环境主要为浅海下部至深海的深水环境...     

天山南部早三叠世植物化石初步研究

在我国,有关早三叠世植物化石的正式报道还是近十年的事,本文是新疆早三叠世植物化石的首次报道,也是继山西沁水盆地(王立新、解志民和王自强,1978)及海南岛九曲江(周志炎、厉宝贤,1979)之后有关我国早三叠世植物化石的又一个记录。标本发现于西部边陲,由于地理位置及生态环境的差异,组成成分与前两个产地均不相同,植物种类丰富,有苔藓类?、有节类、真蕨类、种子蕨类、苏铁类、银杏类及松柏类等。既包括冈瓦那达穆达和潘切特植物群的分子,也含有与中亚马迪根植物群相同或相似的属种,西欧斑砂统和壳灰统及粘土煤层和芦草砂岩的一些属种,在这里也有产出。另外,在这个植物群中还见到我国南北晚三叠世植物群的一些属种。因此,新疆南部植物化石的发现,不仅为我国早三叠世植物群增添了新的内容。     

广州市郊上三叠统小坪组昆虫

一、前言本文记述的3种化石昆虫采自广州市西北石井崩岗上三叠统小坪组含煤岩层,2种为(虫非)蠊盖翅:Triassoblatta tegmina sp.nov.,Triassoblatta opistodictyna sp.nov,属中生(虫非)蠊科三叠(虫非)蠊属;另一种为鞘翅目的鞘翅Shijingocoleus margacrispus gen.et sp.nov.,属裂鞘甲科的新属、新种。前二种(虫非)蠊类于粤中乃首次报道;后一种裂鞘甲不仅是我国的首次发现,也是世界上中生代地层中的首次发现,此科以往的地史记录是晚石炭世一晚二叠世,小坪组发现的这个科证明它存在时间可延续至晚三叠世。     

四川江油渔洞子下三叠统飞仙关组巨鲕灰岩中疑似蓝细菌及早三叠世疑似蓝细菌的双幕式爆发

二叠纪末海洋生态环境的恶化导致海洋底栖生物的大灭绝及早三叠世蓝细菌的爆发,有关这一时期我国华南蓝细菌化石的报道主要来自早三叠世早期的微生物岩。四川江油渔洞子剖面下三叠统飞仙关组下部巨鲕灰岩中首次发现有丰富的疑似蓝细菌,在种类和结构上与以往所报道的蓝细菌有着明显区别。疑似蓝细菌在巨鲕内和围岩中的富集,表明巨鲕灰岩的成因与疑似蓝细菌的活动有关,与飞仙关组底部微生物岩在成因上有着密切联系,显示早三叠世早期在这一地区发生了疑似蓝细菌的双幕式爆发,同时,暗示着这一地区二叠纪-三叠纪之交至少发生了两次海洋环境恶化及动物灭绝事件。疑似蓝细菌的爆发性生长,对于海洋生态环境的修复和海洋含氧条件的改善,进而为早三叠世末、中三叠世的生物全面复苏、辐射有着重要意义。     

海南岛琼海县九曲江早三叠世植物的初步研究

本文报道的海南岛琼海县的早三叠世埋藏植物群落,在我国是首次发现,其材料之丰富和种属之多仅次于著名的西欧斑砂岩植物群。本文研究报道了18属20余种,并讨论了其时代及和有关植物群的关系,对国内外早三叠世植物化石的地质地理分布作了简短的评述。     

埃迪卡拉纪晚期疑难化石Shaanxilithes在云南会泽朱家箐剖面的首现及其意义

陕西迹(Shaanxilithes)见证了埃迪卡拉纪–寒武纪之交生物演化及生态环境的变化,是埃迪卡拉纪末期标志性的疑难化石,具有全球对比意义。本文首次报道了云南曲靖会泽县大海乡朱家箐剖面灯影组旧城段泥质灰岩中新发现的宁强陕西迹(Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis Xing, Yue and Zhang, 1984)。所采集的标本整体形态上呈条带状,边缘呈锯齿状参差不齐,可见环状体分布。通过镜下观察,可发现散落圆盘状单元。将大海乡朱家箐剖面与晋宁六街镇王家湾剖面渔户村组旧城段所产出的Shaanxilithes化石对比后发现,朱家箐剖面的标本宽度更窄,长度更长,碎片化更加明显。通过微区X射线荧光光谱仪(μ-XRF)将朱家箐剖面和王家湾剖面的标本进行对比分析后可知,前者形态在Si、Al、K的元素分布图中显示清晰,而后者的形态主要体现在Fe元素的分布图上;前者化石和围岩中Ca元素的含量远远高于后者;S元素仅在前者存在微量的分布,在后者中未有信号显示。新的化石证据表明Shaanxilithes并非只产出自碎屑岩中,还可以在灰岩中保存。化石μ-XRF的面扫描和半定量分析表明Shaanxilithes可能为伊利石矿物交代,并且说明在不同岩相背景下,风化作用程度的强弱造成两个产地化石的差异性保存。随着研究区域不断扩大, Shaanxilithes相继在华南板块滇东地区、印度西北缘、纳米比亚、华北板块西南缘等地区晚埃迪卡拉世地层中被发现。此次在滇东会泽地区发现的Shaanxilithes,进一步表明该化石分布的广泛性,可作为全球晚埃迪卡拉世地层对比的标准化石。本文结合形态学分析和微区X射线荧光光谱分析,讨论了Shaanxilithes的埋藏学信息与亲缘关系,为探索埃迪卡拉纪–寒武纪过渡时期的生物和生态特征提供了更多视角。     

Microconchid encrusters colonizing land plants: the earliest North American record from the Early Devonian of Wyoming,USA

Caruso, JA. & Tomescu, AM.F. 2012: Microconchid encrusters colonizing land plants: the earliest North American record from the Early Devonian of Wyoming, USA. Lethaia, Vol. 45, pp. 490–494. Plant fossils in the Early Devonian Beartooth Butte Formation (Wyoming, USA) are colonized by microconchid encrusters which are found on several plant taxa, at two fossil localities in the formation, and whose tube coil diameters range from 230 to 1170 μm. Colonization is densest on broad Drepanophycus devonicus stems where microconchid individuals encompassing broad size ranges co‐occur in close vicinity. This indicates exposure to microconchid colonization and, therefore, submergence of the plant material for relatively extended periods of time prior to burial. For in situ preserved Drepanophycus, this suggests that the plants grew partially submerged and their submerged parts were colonized by microconchids while still alive. In turn, this indicates that by the Early Devonian microconchids were colonizing freshwater environments. The Beartooth Butte Formation provides the first record of plant colonization by microconchids in North America and, along with only one other Early Devonian record from Germany, the oldest evidence for microconchids colonizing plant substrates. □Devonian, encrusters, microconchid, vascular plants, Wyoming.     

New beetles (Insecta,Coleoptera) from the Lower Triassic of European Russia

Fossil remains of beetles are described from two Lower Triassic localities: Entala (Induan) and Tikhvinskoe (Olenekian). Only one beetle fossil was previously known from the Lower Triassic of Tikhvinskoe. The fossils are rather few and poorly preserved, but they are worth describing as finds rare for the Lower Triassic. Five fossils from Entala most probably belong to beetles of the same species of the formal genus Pseudochrysomelites. Beetles of this genus are especially abundant in deposits close to the Permian–Triassic boundary and can be considered “disaster taxa.” There are no known cases, either in the Permian or in the Middle–Upper Triassic, of a random sample of five specimens belonging to a single species. This suggests that in the Entala oryctocenosis the species diversity of beetles is extremely low. All three beetle fossils found in Tikhvinskoe belong to beetles of different species, showing that diversity had already started to increase. However, it remained low, and all fossils belong to the formal family Schizocoleidae, and two of the three belong to the same genus, Pseudochrysomelites. The Khei-Yaga locality, which immediately follows Tikhvinskoe in time (topmost Olenekian or early Anisian), already contains beetles of the families Asiocoleidae and Permosynidae. In the Lower Anisian of the Buntsandstein, such typical Mesozoic beetles as Cupedidae and Coptoclavidae have been recorded. The appearance of such advanced beetles as early as the Lower Anisian suggests that the famous Permian–Triassic crisis was not as deep as it is usually believed, and many beetles survived it, disappearing, however, from the fossil record in the Early Triassic.     

A new scanilepiform from the Lower Triassic of northern Gansu Province,China, and phylogenetic relationships of non‐teleostean Actinopterygii

A new scanilepiform, Beishanichthys brevicaudalis gen. et sp. nov. , is named and described based on fossils from the Lower Triassic lake deposits exposed in Beishan area, Gansu Province, China. The discovery documents a new record of this group, which is significantly older than other known scanilepiforms from China, and is slightly younger than Evenkia from the Lowest Triassic of Central Siberia. Although the Beishan beds were previously interpreted as Late Permian in age, based on megaplant fossils, this new discovery supports the reinterpretation of the deposits as Early Triassic in age, based on vertebrate fossils from the same locality and horizon. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted to resolve the relationships of Scanilepiformes with other actinopterygian clades, and the inter‐relationships within Scanilepiformes. Contrary to previous thought that scanilepiforms are closely related to the Amiidae, the phylogenetic results of this study recognize the Scanilepiformes as stem‐group neopterygians. Relationships of the Scanilepiformes and Australosomus with other neopterygians remain unresolved. With a characteristic long‐based dorsal fin, scanilepiforms represent a small group that emerged in Early Triassic freshwater environments, inhabited Eurasia and North America during the Middle–Late Triassic, briefly invaded the marine environment by the Late Triassic in Europe, and became extinct at the end of Triassic. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 161 , 595–612.     

Footprints pull origin and diversification of dinosaur stem lineage deep into Early Triassic

The ascent of dinosaurs in the Triassic is an exemplary evolutionary radiation, but the earliest phase of dinosaur history remains poorly understood. Body fossils of close dinosaur relatives are rare, but indicate that the dinosaur stem lineage (Dinosauromorpha) originated by the latest Anisian (ca 242-244 Ma). Here, we report footprints from the Early-Middle Triassic of Poland, stratigraphically well constrained and identified using a conservative synapomorphy-based approach, which shifts the origin of the dinosaur stem lineage back to the Early Olenekian (ca 249-251 Ma), approximately 5-9 Myr earlier than indicated by body fossils, earlier than demonstrated by previous footprint records, and just a few million years after the Permian/Triassic mass extinction (252.3 Ma). Dinosauromorph tracks are rare in all Polish assemblages, suggesting that these animals were minor faunal components. The oldest tracks are quadrupedal, a morphology uncommon among the earliest dinosauromorph body fossils, but bipedality and moderately large body size had arisen by the Early Anisian (ca 246 Ma). Integrating trace fossils and body fossils demonstrates that the rise of dinosaurs was a drawn-out affair, perhaps initiated during recovery from the Permo-Triassic extinction.     

New evidence of nearshore Mid-Triassic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Zoophycos</Emphasis>: morphological and paleoenvironmental characterization

Zoophycos is a well-known trace fossil common throughout the Phanerozoic. Paleozoic forms show important differences in morphology and habitat distribution with respect to the Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Cenozoic ones. Therefore, Early–Middle Triassic is considered a crucial time-span for the understanding of the evolution of this trace fossil. So far, Early Triassic Zoophycos is unknown and Middle Triassic forms were recorded only in deposits from Thuringia. The morphology and paleoenvironment of Zoophycos from the middle–upper Muschelkalk of the Iberian Range is herein described. The best-preserved trace fossils occur in a dolomicritic bed Ladinian in age, and are represented by small forms with a subcircular, slightly lobed outline and very little penetration depth. They were deposited in a very shallow, quiet-water environment with transition to supratidal/emerged areas. The low diversity of both trace fossils and skeletal remains point to stressful conditions related to strong salinity variations and/or poor water circulation. A comparison was made with Zoophycos from Anisian deposits of the Muschelkalk in Germany. This showed that both forms are quite simple and penetrate only the shallowest tiers, although they are different in whorl outline and lobe shape. This confirms that, notwithstanding the morphological variability of this group, Zoophycos still maintained a quite simple structure in the Triassic. A shallow-water environment was deduced for both localities, confirming that at least until the Early Jurassic Zoophycos had not definitively migrated toward deep-water areas.     

贵州盘县中三叠统混鱼龙类化石的初步研究

记述贵州省盘县新民乡羊圈村中三叠统关岭组上段的混鱼龙3种,其中有一新种:Mixosaurus mao-taiensis Young,1965,emend.nov.,Mixosaurus cornalianus(Bassani),1886和Mixosaurus yangjuanensis sp.nov.。与混鱼龙类化石同层产出的有真颌鱼类和龙鱼类化石,真颌鱼类的特征比意大利和瑞士边界地区安尼-拉丁期和拉丁期早期普罗山头组(Prosanto Formation)所产的始真颌鱼Eoeugnathus进步,混鱼龙新种也比意-瑞边界地区安尼-拉丁期过渡期的混鱼龙进步。因此,我们推测当前混鱼龙类化石的层位可能包括从下安尼阶上部到拉丁阶下部的一段地层,不是简单的一个化石层,此问题尚待进一步深入研究。     

浙江长兴煤山二叠纪末大灭绝化石记录的置信区间分析

化石的保存与采集普遍具有随机性,以至直接观察结果往往不能反映真实的生物分类单元延限以及生物事件,而必须对化石记录进行统计分析,从定量的角度发掘其可信内涵,。浙江长兴煤山财区二叠系－三叠系剖面的化石资料经过数十年采集研究,已提出多期生物群灭绝模式,文中运用置信区间作了分析,。说明了长兴期末生物大灭绝为突发性,灾难性事件。     

中生代鞘翅目扁甲总科化石的研究进展

扁甲总科隶属于鞘翅目多食亚目扁甲系,目前包含25个现生科和3个化石科,其中10个科仅分布于南半球,特别是澳大利亚、新西兰和南美。当前的分子系统发育学研究显示扁甲总科的起源时间为晚三叠世至早侏罗世,而冈瓦纳古陆与劳亚古陆的分离也发生在早侏罗世约1.8亿年前。因此对中生代扁甲总科化石的研究是解释扁甲总科如今分布格局的重要基础,也有助于研究扁甲总科的演化历史。本文简要回顾了现生扁甲总科的研究历史,并对其中生代的化石研究进行了概述,迄今在中生代地层发现有12科54种扁甲总科化石。     

The earliest post-paleozoic freshwater bivalves preserved in coprolites from the karoo basin, South Africa

Background

Several clades of bivalve molluscs have invaded freshwaters at various times throughout Phanerozoic history. The most successful freshwater clade in the modern world is the Unionoida. Unionoids arose in the Triassic Period, sometime after the major extinction event at the End-Permian boundary and are now widely distributed across all continents except Antarctica. Until now, no freshwater bivalves of any kind were known to exist in the Early Triassic.

Principal Findings

Here we report on a faunule of two small freshwater bivalve species preserved in vertebrate coprolites from the Olenekian (Lower Triassic) of the Burgersdorp Formation of the Karoo Basin, South Africa. Positive identification of these bivalves is not possible due to the limited material. Nevertheless they do show similarities with Unionoida although they fall below the size range of extant unionoids. Phylogenetic analysis is not possible with such limited material and consequently the assignment remains somewhat speculative.

Conclusions

Bivalve molluscs re-invaded freshwaters soon after the End-Permian extinction event, during the earliest part of the recovery phase during the Olenekian Stage of the Early Triassic. If the specimens do represent unionoids then these Early Triassic examples may be an example of the Lilliput effect. Since the oldest incontrovertible freshwater unionoids are also from sub-Saharan Africa, it is possible that this subcontinent hosted the initial freshwater radiation of the Unionoida. This find also demonstrates the importance of coprolites as microenvironments of exceptional preservation that contain fossils of organisms that would otherwise have left no trace.