张氏格格翼龙(Gegepterus changae)新材料及其重要骨骼特征的补充和修订(英文)

张氏格格翼龙正型标本(IVPPV 11981)是产自辽西北票四合屯义县组下部的一件保存不完整的梳颌翼龙类化石材料。本文记述的新材料IVPP V 11972与正型标本产出于同一地点的相同层位,具有正型标本的3个独有特征,即泪骨前突位于鼻骨之上,额骨前部和侧部边缘处有广泛蚀痕以及颈椎具有高的神经脊且背部有瘤状膨胀,据此将其归入张氏格格翼龙。通过对新材料V 11972和进一步修理的正型标本的形态观察,对张氏格格翼龙的特征进行了补充,增加一个属征:鼻骨背腹向具有两个小孔。这一特征在正型标本中同样被观察到,但在其他翼龙中都没有出现,仅在飞龙中观察到一个孔和一个凹陷。同时补充了张氏格格翼龙的椎体和肩带等的一些特征,如背椎没有完全愈合,荐椎数量为3～4枚,尾椎约9枚;肱骨三角嵴不是十分发育,三角嵴颈及其与肩胛乌喙骨相关联的关节窝不发育;具有前端呈扇形的前耻骨,耻骨闭孔有小骨片覆盖等。依据格格翼龙新的特征,将其与我国发现的归于梳颌翼龙科(Ctenochasmatidae)的华夏翼龙(Cathaypterus)、环河翼龙(Huanhepterus)及鸢翼龙(Elanodactylus)进行了对比。依据齿槽处的纵向沟、牙齿分布密度以及吻端的长度比例等,认为格格翼龙和华夏翼龙有一定区别,但亲缘关系较近,同属梳颌翼龙亚科(Ctenochasmaniae),并建议将华夏翼龙的鼻眶前孔较小的属征修订为其吻端较长。格格翼龙的个体远小于环河翼龙,依据牙齿数量和排列的差异推测它们的捕食方式和食物类型存在明显的区别,应不属于同一亚科。新材料与鸢翼龙的明显区别主要在肱骨上,前者肱骨的肩胛骨关节窝不发育,而后者的这一结构明显。由于鸢翼龙没有保存头骨,它的分类位置不是十分确定,同时鸢翼龙具有许多梳颌翼龙类所不具有的特征,如第一翼指骨短于第二和第三翼指骨,掌骨较短等。     

山西天镇晚白垩世一新鸭嘴龙超科恐龙（英文）

记述了山西天镇晚白垩世灰泉堡组发现的一鸭嘴龙超科恐龙新属种:天镇大同龙Datonglong tianzhenensis gen.et sp.nov.。标本为一保存较完好的右侧齿骨并带牙齿。与其他鸭嘴龙超科恐龙不同,大同龙每个齿槽有两个功能齿,而且舌面齿冠上嵴的发育也具有独特的特征组合(主嵴向远中方向偏移;次嵴发育;无其他附嵴;主嵴上半段略后弯)。对比研究发现,在较进步的非鸭嘴龙科鸭嘴龙超科类群中齿骨和牙齿的演化过程复杂,许多鸭嘴龙科的特征在这些类群中时而出现,如:巴克龙Bactrosaurus齿冠具有较大的高/宽比;吉尔摩龙Gilmoreosaurus齿冠上只有一个主嵴和纤弱的附嵴;张衡龙Zhanghenglong齿冠上主嵴中置;南宁龙Nanningosaurus下颌冠状突前倾;大同龙Datonglong每个齿槽有两个功能齿。这表明为了获得更有效的牙齿咀嚼方式,在鸭嘴龙科起源前它的姐妹群们曾进行过多种尝试;这也告诫我们,受大量趋同演化的影响,要厘清这些类群间的关系并非易事。     

中国早白垩世反鸟类一新科(Bohaiornithidae fam.nov.)（英文）

依据3件近乎完整的骨骼化石,记述了辽宁建昌早白垩世湖相地层九佛堂组反鸟类的两个新属种:马氏副渤海鸟(Parabohaiornis martini gen.et sp.nov.)和库氏长爪鸟(Longusunguis kurochkini gen.et sp.nov.)。这两个新属种与此前报道的渤海鸟(Bohaiornis)、神七鸟(Shenqiornis)、齿槽鸟(Sulcavis)和周鸟(Zhouornis)具有一些独特的形态特征,包括吻端粗壮、牙齿粗大并近似锥形、叉骨上升支的末端明显膨大、胸骨的后外侧突向外侧强烈偏转、跗蹠骨粗短、第三脚趾具有很长的爪子。对包含有大量中生代鸟类和形态特征的矩阵进行了系统发育分析,其结果显示这两个新属种与上述的这些反鸟构成了一个单系类群,基于此建立了一个新科——渤海鸟科。渤海鸟科包括6个属,代表了目前已知的反鸟类中多样性最丰富的一个类群,进一步增加了我们对于反鸟类高阶分类单元之间亲缘关系的认识。渤海鸟科强壮的吻端和脚爪表明其占据了不同于其他早白垩世反鸟的生态位。     

湖北上白垩统马家村组的鸭嘴龙超科新材料(英文)

报道和描述了一些在属级别上不确定的鸭嘴龙超科材料;标本发现于湖北省西北地区与河南交界的淅川盆地西南部的上白垩统马家村组中段。鸭嘴龙超科的骨骼化石和分散的恐龙蛋共存于同一层位,大部分的骨骼化石属于未离巢晚期和幼年早期的个体发育阶段。这一状况可以很好地解释为未离巢和幼年早期阶段的个体与更年老个体所组成的群体之间的地域分隔。通过直接的形态学对比研究,确信可以识别出至少两个鸭嘴龙超科的类群:其中一个类群可能代表了一个相对进步的基干鸭嘴龙类,而另一个类群则很可能归属于鸭嘴龙亚科。鉴于北美鸭嘴龙亚科最早出现的地层时代要更晚,中桑顿期马家村组中段的鸭嘴龙亚科化石材料提供了鸭嘴龙亚科乃至鸭嘴龙科亚洲起源的新证据。     

鹏鸟(Pengornis)一新材料及其对反鸟特征演化的指示意义（英文）

鹏鸟(Pengornis)是早白垩世已知体型最大的反鸟类,其骨骼兼有反鸟类和今鸟类的特征。报道了辽西九佛堂组新发现的一件鹏鸟的亚成年个体标本,代表了该属鸟类除侯氏鹏鸟(Pengornis houi)正型标本外的已知第二件标本,暂归入鹏鸟未定种(Pengornis sp.)。该标本头骨与头后骨骼近乎完整保存,并附有羽毛印痕,仅缺失部分右前肢和部分左后肢。新标本首次提供了鹏鸟胸骨与基干反鸟类原羽鸟(Protopteryx)及基干今鸟类古喙鸟(Archaeorhynchus)相似的形态特征,肯定了鹏鸟的基干位置,并讨论了其在鸟类胸骨演化中的意义。新标本对前肢和后肢(特别是脚趾)等的许多特征也有补充,表明其应当属于树栖生活的鸟类。     

新亚属Thainippononaia——对泰国和西班牙一些早白垩世非海相双壳类的修订（英文）北大核心CSCD

重新研究Kobayashi(1968)报道的来自泰国的Nippononaia carinata,以及Delvene和Munt(2011)报道的来自西班牙的Subnippononaia fordi标本;建立新亚属Nippononaia(Thainippononaia)Stiller and Chen,以及新种Nippononaia(Thainippononaia)hispaniensis Stiller and Chen,并认为新亚属代表Nippononaia属内的最早演化阶段,填补了Nippononaiidae科演化史的一个空白,即Eonippononaia阶段与Nippononaia(Arctonaia)阶段之间的空白。     

A new scaphognathid pterosaur from western Liaoning,China

A partial skeleton of a new pterosaur, Jianchangnathus robustus gen. et sp. nov. from western Liaoning, China, is described. The specimen (IVPP V16866) was collected near Linglongta, Jianchang County, whose deposits have a disputed age that range from Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous. The new species shares several features with the non-pterodactyloid Scaphognathus from the Late Jurassic deposits of southern Germany, such as a deep anterior end of the lower jaw, a piriform lower temporal fenestra with the ventral margin broader than the dorsal one and the interalveolar spacing of the maxillary teeth about three alveolar spaces, allowing its allocation to the Scaphognathidae. The main diagnostic features of J. robustus include the large maxillary process of the jugal, the convex alveolar margin of the lower jaw and the procumbent disposition of the first three pairs of dentary teeth. The new Chinese taxon also differs from Fenghuangopterus lii, which comes from the same deposit and is here regarded as Scaphognathidae incertae sedis, mainly by the lower number of teeth and several proportions of the wing elements. The discovery of J. robustus demonstrates a larger diversity in the pterosaur fauna of the Linglongta region so far dominated by the non-pterodactyloid clade Wukongopteridae.     

A new specimen of the pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus

A previously undescribed and near-complete specimen of the non-pterodactyloid pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus is briefly described. Although purchased in 1878 and held in a public collection in Dublin, Ireland ever since, this specimen has never been described and was not even mentioned in the literature until 2010.     

A new fossil silky lacewing genus (Neuroptera, Psychopsidae) from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China

A new genus and species, Undulopsychopsis alexigen. et sp. n., is described from the Early CretaceousYixian Formation of western Liaoning Province, China. This genus is probably most closely related to the Asian Cretaceous genus Kagapsychops Fujiyama, 1978. The family affinity of Undulopsychopsisgen. n. is discussed. The genus is preliminarily assigned to Psychopsidae, although it shares some character states with Osmylopsychopidae (e.g., crossveins are very scarce; Rs1 and 1A are multi-branched).     

A new non-pterodactyloid pterosaur from the Late Jurassic of southern Germany

Background

The ‘Solnhofen Limestone’ beds of the Southern Franconian Alb, Bavaria, southern Germany, have for centuries yielded important pterosaur specimens, most notably of the genera Pterodactylus and Rhamphorhynchus. Here we describe a new genus of non-pterodactyloid pterosaur based on an extremely well preserved fossil of a young juvenile: Bellubrunnus rothgaengeri (gen. et sp. nov.).

Methodology/Principal Findings

The specimen was examined firsthand by all authors. Additional investigation and photography under UV light to reveal details of the bones not easily seen under normal lighting regimes was completed.

Conclusions/Significance

This taxon heralds from a newly explored locality that is older than the classic Solnhofen beds. While similar to Rhamphorhynchus, the new taxon differs in the number of teeth, shape of the humerus and femur, and limb proportions. Unlike other derived non-pterodacytyloids, Bellubrunnus lacks elongate chevrons and zygapophyses in the tail, and unlike all other known pterosaurs, the wingtips are curved anteriorly, potentially giving it a unique flight profile.     

A new,well-preserved genus and species of fossil Glaphyridae (Coleoptera,Scarabaeoidea) from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation of Inner Mongolia,China

A new genus and species of fossil Glaphyridae, Cretohypna cristatagen. et sp. n., is described and illustrated from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation. This new genus is characterized by the large body; large and strong mandibles; short labrum; elytra without longitudinal carina; and male meso- and possible metatibia apically modified. A list of described fossil glaphyrids of the world is provided. This significant finding broadens the known diversity of Glaphyridae in the Mesozoic China.     

A revision of the genus Lomaantha, with the description of a new species

Lomaantha phragmitis sp. nov. is described and illustrated from a specimen collected on dead culms of Phragmites communis in southern China. The fungus differs from other described Lomaantha species in its conidiophores, conidiogenous cells and conidial appendages. Conidial morphology and presence or absence of percurrent proliferation of conidiogenous cells are the main characters distinguishing species within this genus. We provided a key and synoptic table of morphological characters of all three Lomaantha species.     

A new specimen of the azhdarchoid pterosaur Tapejara wellnhoferi

A new specimen of the Early Cretaceous azhdarchoid Tapejara wellnhoferi is described from the Romualdo Member of the Santana Formation, NE Brazil, providing the first detailed account of the postcranial skeleton. Although limited in its preservation, the osteology is typical of other azhdarchoid pterosaurs from these deposits and represents a juvenile animal with a relatively small wing span of < 1.5 m. The ratios of the pedal elements are identical to those noted for larger, indeterminate azhdarchoids of the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation, where the unguals of the pes are greatly enlarged relative to those of the ornithocheiroids that co-inhabited the Santana lagoon. The ratios of these elements suggest that, as part of a larger suite of characters, these animals were likely better adapted for life on the ground than their ornithocheiroid relatives.     

An unusual edentulous pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Romualdo Formation of Brazil

Numerous taxa make up the Early Cretaceous fauna of Brazil, including Ornithocheiroidea, Tapejaridae, Thalassodromidae, Chaoyangopteridae and a purported member of Azhdarchidae. Dsungaripteridae has only been tentatively assumed to be present in the form of ‘Santanadactylus’ spixi. New study of NMSG SAO 251093 (a specimen referred to Thalassodromeus sethi) suggests it is a previously unknown species of dsungaripterid, Banguela oberlii, tax. nov., differing from Thalassodromeus and other pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil by a unique combination of characters, including an upturned jaw tip, a short dorsal mandibular symphyseal shelf (dmss), and an autapomorphic thin crest placed halfway along the fused mandibular symphysis without a keel along the ventral margin of the jaw. B. oberlii, tax. nov., is referred to Dsungaripteridae based on a dmss no longer than the ventral shelf, U-shaped caudal margin of the ventral shelf and lateral margins of the mandibular symphysis concave in dorsal view. B. oberlii, tax. nov., is the youngest known dsungaripterid, and expands known morphological diversity in the clade as well as the Early Cretaceous pterosaur fauna of South America.     

Sinocarpus decussatus gen. et sp. nov., a new angiosperm with basally syncarpous fruits from the Yixian Formation of Northeast China

An Early Cretaceous angiosperm, Sinocarpus decussatus gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Yixian Formation in Liaoning, China, based on an infructescence fragment. It is probably ebracteate, consisting of one terminal fruit and two pairs of pedicellate lateral fruits arranged decussately. Carpels are probably borne on a small convex receptacle. There are no distinct remnants of a perianth although fragments observed at the base of immature fruits may represent perianth parts. No remnants of androecial parts have been observed, and it is unknown whether the flowers were unisexual or bisexual. The basally syncarpous ovary is superior and composed of 3 or 4 carpels. Each carpel contains about 10 anatropous ovules/seeds borne along the linear placentae. Seeds are flattened and embedded in a thick amorphous material. The character combination of Sinocarpus indicates a systematic position among the basal grade of eudicots or the basal core eudicots, and particularly shows similarities to extant Ranunculaceae, Buxaceae, and Myrothamnaceae, but based on the available data the fossil cannot unambiguously be placed in any modern family.