First evidence of an ankylosaur (Dinosauria,Ornithischia) from the Jurassic Qigu Formation (Junggar Basin,NW China) and the early fossil record of Ankylosauria

The first evidence of an ankylosaur from the Late Jurassic Qigu Formation of the southern Junggar Basin (Xinjiang, northwestern China) is described, based on an isolated caudal vertebra that was discovered together with fragmentary remains of other dinosaurs, including stegosaurs, sauropods, and theropods. The caudal vertebra is characterized by the following features: (i) elliptical morphology of the centrum, being wider than high; (ii) short antero-posterior length of the centrum; (iii) pronounced transversely extending ventral groove; (iv) massive transverse process, that is longer than the centrum diameter; (v) transverse process meeting the centrum high at the dorsal half and at a relatively flat angle; (vi) transverse process making a broad contact with the neural arch without forming a proximo-dorsal projection; and (vii) notochordal prominence present in the centre of the anterior articular surface. The study specimen represents only the second record of an ankylosaur from the Jurassic of Asia — aside from the slightly older Tianchisaurus from the early Upper Jurassic Toutunhe Formation, equally from the Junggar Basin. It helps to fill a gap in our knowledge of the early evolution of these armoured dinosaurs. Additionally, this discovery highlights the potential of the southern Junggar Basin to yield a rich vertebrate fauna and thus to provide an important insight into Late Jurassic ecosystems of Central Asia.     

记新疆准噶尔盆地中侏罗世—新甲龙

一小的甲龙,作为甲龙科(Ankylosauridae)中一新属新种,明星天池龙(Tianchisaurus nedegoapeferima gen. et sp. nov.)被记述。化石是1974年,新疆大学地质地理系的师生在新疆阜康县三工河地区作野外实习时采得,其产地的地层层位经新疆石油管理局东疆石油指挥部彭希龄核对为中侏罗世头顿河组。化石包括破的头骨碎片,五个颈椎,六个背椎,一个完整荐部(由七个椎体组成),三个尾椎,和许多膜质的甲胄,甲板,以及一些四肢骨。标本编号:V.10614,新属新种的特征是:一个小的,原始的,体长约三米的甲龙;头骨较高,有小的膜质的甲片复盖;下颚高,外侧无甲片复盖,有纵的饰纹,环椎与枢椎不愈合;颈椎椎体短,双凹型;背椎椎体较长,双平型,横突与背肋不愈合;荐部由七个愈合脊椎组成:前两个是背椎,形成一个荐前棒(presacral rod),最后的一个是尾椎,四个荐椎的椎体是整个椎柱中最大的,荐椎的神经棘愈合,形成一个纵的板状脊,远端的尾椎愈合形成小的,扁的尾锤。股骨直,骨干上有饰纹,第四转子呈嵴状。蹠骨和趾骨为甲龙型,与晚期甲龙的蹠骨和趾骨比较显得瘦小。在肩部有一个由四对大的膜质的甲板愈合形成肩甲带,甲板厚有发育的中嵴。在身体覆盖着许多大小不同,形状各异的甲片。Tianchisaurus nedegoapeferima的种名是应著名科幻电影导演Steven Splelberg之约请赠送给大型科幻电影片-侏罗纪公园之明星们:Sam Naill, Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum, Richard Attenborough, Bob Peck和Martin Ferrsro.我们称之明星天池龙(Tianchisaurus nedegoapeferima gen. et sp. nov.)。Tianchisaurus nedegoapeferima是目前甲龙亚目在亚洲的最早纪录。它的发现将甲龙的化石记录推到中侏罗世。     

New remains of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Hungarosaurus tormai</Emphasis> (Ankylosauria,Dinosauria) from the Upper Cretaceous of Hungary: skeletal reconstruction and body mass estimation

Hungarosaurus tormai is a medium-sized nodosaurid ankylosaur that was described on the basis of four partial skeletons from the Santonian (Upper Cretaceous) of Hungary. In this paper, a new fifth skeleton and several isolated remains are described which greatly improve our knowledge of this primitive nodosaurid ankylosaur. Isolated cranial remains referred to juvenile individuals provide new information on the development of cranial ornamentation in nodosaurid ankylosaurs. Apart from both preserved mandibles with in situ dentition, the fifth partial skeleton contains several previously unknown limb elements (humerus, ulnae, radius) that indicate unusual limb proportions for Hungarosaurus compared with other ankylosaurs. On the basis of the five partial skeletons and the isolated remains, a skeletal and dermal armor reconstruction is attempted. Body mass calculations using three different methods yield an estimate of 650 kg for H. tormai.      

The Basal Nodosaurid Ankylosaur Europelta carbonensis n. gen., n. sp. from the Lower Cretaceous (Lower Albian) Escucha Formation of Northeastern Spain

Nodosaurids are poorly known from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe. Two associated ankylosaur skeletons excavated from the lower Albian carbonaceous member of the Escucha Formation near Ariño in northeastern Teruel, Spain reveal nearly all the diagnostic recognized character that define nodosaurid ankylosaurs. These new specimens comprise a new genus and species of nodosaurid ankylosaur and represent the single most complete taxon of ankylosaur from the Cretaceous of Europe. These two specimens were examined and compared to all other known ankylosaurs. Comparisons of these specimens document that Europelta carbonensis n. gen., n. sp. is a nodosaur and is the sister taxon to the Late Cretaceous nodosaurids Anoplosaurus, Hungarosaurus, and Struthiosaurus, defining a monophyletic clade of European nodosaurids– the Struthiosaurinae.     

Nubidites omarai n. g. n. sp., ein neuer ammonit aus dem nubischen sandstein Ägyptens

A loose ammonite from the Nubian Sandstone near Abu Darag, Eastern Desert, Egypt, is described asNubidites omarai n. g. n. sp. Since ammonites from the Nubian Sandstone (Carboniferous to Cretaceous) are extremely rare, the new form is of great importance. The specimen has been found in a Carboniferous section of the Sandstone, but since Jurassic and Cretaceous outcrops occur in the neighbourhood, also these ages have to be considered. An Upper Cretaceous age of the new genus, however, is suggested.     

A new Serpulid species in the Upper Jurassic of Rumania

A new Serpulid species,Mercierella (?) dacica n. sp. met with in the Upper Jurassic of Rumania, associated with Tintinnidae and Dasycladaceae, is described.     

Ankylosaur Remains from the Early Cretaceous (Valanginian) of Northwestern Germany

A fragmentary cervico-pectoral lateral spine and partial humerus of an ankylosaur from the Early Cretaceous (early Valanginian) of Gronau in Westfalen, northwestern Germany, are described. The spine shows closest morphological similarities to the characteristic cervical and pectoral spines of Hylaeosaurus armatus from the late Valanginian of England. An extensive comparison of distal humeri among thyreophoran dinosaurs supports systematic differences in the morphology of the distal condyli between Ankylosauria and Stegosauria and a referral of the Gronau specimen to the former. The humerus fragment indicates a rather small individual, probably in the size range of H. armatus, and both specimens are determined herein as ?Hylaeosaurus sp.. A short overview of other purported ankylosaur material from the Berriasian-Valanginian of northwest Germany shows that, aside from the material described herein, only tracks can be attributed to this clade with confidence at present.     

Small theropod teeth from the Upper Jurassic coal mine of Guimarota (Portugal)

Isolated teeth of small theropod dinosaurs from the Upper Jurassic lignite coal mine of Guimarota (near Leiria, Portugal) are described and illustrated. The well known Upper Jurassic theropods from Europe,Archaeopteryx andCompsognathus, are the most common taxa in the Guimarota assemblage. One morphotype is closely related to an allosaurid theropod. Six further morphotypes of theropod teeth are also described, which are closely related to Cretaceous theropods such as dromaeosaurids, troodontids, tyrannosaurids,Richardoestesia andParonychodon. A Late Jurassic origin of these groups of theropods, which is very often postulated, is discussed.     

Sunosuchus (Archosauria, Crocodyliformes) from the Toutunhe Formation (Middle Jurassic) of the Southern Junggar Basin (Xinjiang, NW-China)

A new specimen of the widespread Middle Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Asian gonipholidid crocodilian genus Sunosuchus is described on the basis of a partial skeleton from the Upper Toutunhe Formation (Middle Jurassic, ?Bathonian-Callovian) of Liuhonggou, SW of Urumqi, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, People’s Republic of China. The specimen is represented by a partial mandible, teeth, vertebrae, limb and girdle bones and osteoderms. It can be distinguished from other nominal species of the genus by a unique combination of characters: slightly heterodontous dentition, strongly sculptured posteroventral part of the mandible, short fenestra mandibularis, convex dorsal surface of the retroarticular process, keeled cervical vertebral centra and ventral osteoderms with a distinctive sculpture of wide pits and narrow ridges. The heterodontous dentition is a potential autapomorphy of this form. The new specimen is closest in morphology to material described recently from the Callovian of Kirghisia as Sunosuchus sp. It represents the second Middle Jurassic record of the genus, the first crocodile from the Toutunhe Formation, the first substantial crocodile find from the Mesozoic of the Southern Junggar Basin, and the first Middle Jurassic record of Sunosuchus from China. This extends both the paleobiogeographical distribution of the genus in Asia and its stratigraphic distribution in China considerably.     

First occurrences of non-neosauropod eusauropod procoelous caudal vertebrae in the Portuguese Upper Jurassic record

The Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin (Portugal) is particularly rich in sauropod fossil remains, with four established taxa: Dinheirosaurus, Lusotitan, Lourinhasaurus and Zby. The presence of sauropod caudal procoelous vertebrae is reported for the first time in the Upper Jurassic of Portugal, with specimens described from the localities of Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas, and Praia da Corva. The presence of slightly procoelous centra and fan-shaped caudal ribs with smooth prezygapophyseal centrodiapophyseal fossa in the more anterior caudal vertebrae allows for the assignment of these specimens to an indeterminate eusauropod, probably belonging to a non-neosauropod eusauropod form. The absence of several features in the Portuguese specimens that are common in diplodocids, mamenchisaurids and titanosaurs, prevents the establishment of sound relationships with these clades. The described specimens are almost identical to the anterior caudal vertebrae of the Iberian turiasaur Losillasaurus. During the Iberian Late Jurassic, Turiasauria is the only Iberian group of sauropods, which shares this type of morphology with the Baleal, Paimogo, Praia da Areia Branca, Porto das Barcas and Praia da Corva specimens. These specimens represent one of the four anterior caudal vertebral morphotypes recorded in the Upper Jurassic of the Lusitanian Basin and briefly described herein.     

On taxonomy and distribution of fossil Cerophytidae (Coleoptera: Elateriformia) with description of a new Mesozoic species of Necromera Martynov 1926

In this paper the data on fossils of the family Cerophytidae are reviewed. New synonymy on generic names Necromera Martynov 1926 (proposed in composition of the family Oedemeridae); Idiomerus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980, n. syn. (proposed in composition of Elateridae) and Leptocnemus Hong & Wang 1990, n. syn. (proposed without any family attribution) is established. New materials on this family from Mesozoic deposits of Asia are cited. As a result, it was established that this spreads in deposits of both Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. Mercata festira Lin 1986 described from Lower Jurassic as member of Silphidae and Abrotus reconditus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980 described from Upper Jurassic as a member of Elateridae are transferred to Cerophytidae. Diagnoses of the genus Necromera and family Cerophytidae in compression fossils are elaborated. Necromera admiranda n. sp. is described from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous in Liaoning, China. The historical development of the family from the Lower Jurassic is discussed.     

Jumping cockroaches (Blattaria,Skokidae fam. n.) from the Late Jurassic of Karatau in Kazakhstan

The jumping cockroach Skok svaba gen. et sp. n., characteristic of modern reproduction, is described from the Upper Jurassic Karabastau Formation in Kazakhstan, and attributed to a new family Skokidae. The finding demonstrates the immense plasticity of stem cockroaches from which eusocial termites and predatory mantises evolved.     

Partial hindlimb of Blikanasaurus cromptoni n. gen. and n. sp.,representing a new family of prosauropod dinosaurs from the upper triassic of South Africa

The holotype of the prosauropod dinosaur Blikanasaurus cromptoni n. gen. and n. sp., a partial hindlimb, is described from the lower Elliot Formation (= Red Beds) (upper Carnian or lower Norian; Upper Triassic) of Herschel district, Transkei, South Africa. The new prosauropod family Blikanasauridae is characterized by a hindlimb that is extremely stocky, especially the metatarsus, with the distal tarsals medially situated. Blikanasaurus was an early experiment in the direction of heavily-built, quadrupedal saurischians, but it was not on the evolutionary line that gave rise to the Sauropoda.     

Lacewings of the family Osmylidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Upper Jurassic of Asia

Three new genera and five new species of osmylid lacewings are described from the locality Karatau (Kazakhstan, Upper Jurassic): Jurosmylus parvulus sp. nov. (Protosmylinae), Ensiosmylus acutus gen. et sp. nov. (Spilosmylinae), Kolbasinella elongata gen. et sp. nov. (Gumillinae), Arbusella bella gen. et sp. nov. and Jurakempynus arcanus sp. nov. (Kempyninae). Another new osmylid species (Jurakempynus sublimis sp. nov.) is described from the Upper Jurassic of Mongolia (Shar-Teg locality). The quantitative compositions of the osmylid faunas of Karatau and Shar-Teg are discussed.     

Tripartichnus n. igen. — a new trace fossil from the Buntsandstein (Lower Triassic) and from the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones (Upper Jurassic), Germany

Two species of a new trace fossil genus (cubichnia) are described:Tripartichnus triassicus n. igen., n. isp. from the “Plattensandstein“ (Upper Buntsandstein, Röt-Folge, Lower Triassic) of Keltern-Dietlingen (Enzkreis, Baden-Württemberg, SW-Germany) andTripartichnus imbergi n. igen., n. isp. from the Solnhofen Lithographic Limestones (Upper Jurassic, Tithonian) from Waiting and Pfalzpaint (district of Eichstätt, Bavaria, SE Germany). Due to the characteristic shape of the new ichnotaxa the tracemakers can be named in all probability:Tripartichnus triassicus was most likely made byEuthycarcinus kessleri Handlirsch, 1914 andTripartichnus imbergi byPalinurina sp.     

Dobbertiniopteryx capniomimus gen. et sp. nov. die erste Steinfliege (Insecta: Plecoptera) aus dem europäischen Jura

From the Upper Liassic of Dobbertin (Mecklenburg, Germany) the first stoneflyDobbertiniopteryx capniomimus gen. et sp. nov. is described. It is probably a representative of the Capniidae (Plecoptera: Nemouroidea) or of its stemgroup. Slowly running fresh water streams and stagnant water bodies in coastal regions are considered an ecological cause of the rarity of Plecoptera in European Jurassic sediments.     

New Ephialtitidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) from the Jurassic Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia,China

Five new species are described from the Middle–Upper Jurassic Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China, and assigned to the genus Karataus Rasnitsyn, 1977 in the subfamily Symphytopterinae of Ephialtitidae. They are illustrated as Karataus daohugouensis n. sp., K. strenuus n. sp., K. vigoratus n. sp., K. exilis n. sp., and K. orientalis n. sp., and a key to species of Karataus is presented.     

A juvenile eurysternid turtle (Testudines: Eurysternidae) from the upper Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) of Nusplingen (SW Germany)

A juvenile turtle from the upper Kimmeridgian (Upper Jurassic) of Nusplingen is identified as an eurysternid turtle. It differs in plastral morphology from a juvenile eurysternid turtle from the latest Kimmerdigian of Kelheim described in the 19th century, which represents a comparably early developmental stage. Both juveniles have primordial ribs not yet transformed into costals and lack all other carapacial elements whereas the plastral elements are well developed. The new specimen from Nusplingen has a more robust plastron type when compared to the very gracile, bow- or arc-shaped plastron type of the formerly described juvenile. Both plastron types are also represented by yet undescribed additional juvenile, medium-sized and/or larger eurysternid specimens. The juvenile specimens thus likely document the presence of two morphologically very similar eurysternid taxa in the Upper Jurassic of southern Germany. Both plastron types are different from those described for Idiochelys and Solnhofia but may resemble plastron morphology of Eurysternum, which is, however, only incompletely known.     

Armored dinosaurs(Ornithischia: Ankylosauria)) from the Middle and Upper Jurassic of England

Hitherto the earliest positive record of ankylosaurs(armored dinosaurs) has been from beds well up in the Lower Cretaceous; in fact, however, specimens referable to the ankylosaurian family Nodosauridae are present in the Middle and Upper Jurassic of England: from the Middle Callovian [partial mandible Sarcolestes leedsiLydekker]], the Upper Oxfordian [femur Cryptodraco eumerus (Seeley)), maxilla Priodontognathus phillipsii (Seeley))], and the Upper Tithonian [caudal vertebra, tooth]. The Tithonian tooth and those of Priodontognathus are large and similar to those of the nodosaurids Priconodon and Sauropelta (Lower Cretaceous, U.S.A.). The incomplete mandible of Sarcolestes is similar to that of Sauropelta with a dermal scute fused to the lateral surface, and a tooth row extending to the anterior end of the jaw; an unusual feature is the caniniform first tooth. The quadrupedal ankylosaurs and stegosaurs probably represent separate evolutionary lines that extend back at least into the Lower Jurassic, and both lines probably evolved from ornithopod dinosaurs that were bipedal. Nodosaurid ankylosaurs occur in Europe from the Middle Jurassic to Late Cretaceous and probably reached North America via a filter route in the early Cretaceous.     

The first record of the family Cleridae (Coleoptera): Shartegopsis miranda gen. et sp. nov. in the mesozoic (Shar-Teg, Upper Jurassic, Southwestern Mongolia)

A new genus and species of the family Cleridae, Shartegopsis miranda gen. et sp. nov., is described from Shar-Teg (southwestern Mongolia, Upper Jurassic). Judging by the characters that can be examined, it can probably belong to the subfamily Tillinae, and it is the earliest known member of the family. Mathesius liaoningensis Kolíbac et Huang, 2011 is considered closely related to species of the paleoendemic family Parandrexidae.