The craniofacial air sac system of Mesozoic birds (Aves)

Birds are characterized by pneumatization of their skeletons by epithelial diverticula from larger, air—filled cavities. The diverticula—or 'air sacs'—that invade the postcranium result from outgrowths of the lungs; postcranial pneumaticity has been very well studied. Much more poorly understood are the air sacs that pneumatize the skull. Study of craniofacial pneumaticity in modern birds (Neornithes) indicates the presence of two separate systems: nasal pneumaticity and tympanic pneumaticity. The lacrimal and maxillary bones are pneumatized by diverticula of the main paranasal cavity, the antorbital sinus. There are five tympanic diverticula in neornithines that pneumatic the quadrate, articulare and the bones of the braincase. The pneumatic features of the following six genera of Mesozoic birds are examined: Archaeopteryx, Enaliornis, Baptornis, Parahesperornis, Hesperornis and Ichthyornis. Despite the 'archaic' aspect of most of these birds, many of the pneumatic features of neornithines are found in Mesozoic birds and are considered primitive for Aves. The phylogenetic levels at which most of the avian pneumatic features arose within Archosauria are uncertain. Until the phylogenetic levels at which homologous pneumatic features arose are determined, it is unwise to use most pneumatic characters in the discussion of avian origins. Within avian phylogeny, Ornithurae and Neornithes are well–supported by pneumatic synapomorphies. There is a trend towards reduction of craniofacial pneumaticity within Hesperornithiformes. Within Neornithes, four derived pneumatic characters suggest that the Palaeognathae (ratites and tinamous) is monophyletic.     

Identification of a New Hesperornithiform from the Cretaceous Niobrara Chalk and Implications for Ecologic Diversity among Early Diving Birds

The Smoky Hill Member of the Niobrara Chalk in Kansas (USA) has yielded the remains of numerous members of the Hesperornithiformes, toothed diving birds from the late Early to Late Cretaceous. This study presents a new taxon of hesperornithiform from the Smoky Hill Member, Fumicollis hoffmani, the holotype of which is among the more complete hesperornithiform skeletons. Fumicollis has a unique combination of primitive (e.g. proximal and distal ends of femur not expanded, elongate pre-acetabular ilium, small and pyramidal patella) and derived (e.g. dorsal ridge on metatarsal IV, plantarly-projected curve in the distal shaft of phalanx III:1) hesperornithiform characters, suggesting it was more specialized than small hesperornithiforms like Baptornis advenus but not as highly derived as the larger Hesperornis regalis. The identification of Fumicollis highlights once again the significant diversity of hesperornithiforms that existed in the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway. This diversity points to the existence of a complex ecosystem, perhaps with a high degree of niche partitioning, as indicated by the varying degrees of diving specializations among these birds.     

OCTOCORALLIAN AND HYDROID FOSSILS FROM THE LOWER ORDOVICIAN OF WALES

Abstract:  Octocorallian and hydroid fossils are described from the Lower Ordovician (Arenig Series) of Wales. They include gorgoniids that are the earliest known fossils of this group: Petilavenula varifurcata gen. et sp. nov. and P. surculosa gen. et sp. nov. Pennalina crossi gen. et sp. nov. is probably also a gorgoniid but may be a hydroid. A new hydroid, Pontifennia gracilis gen. et sp. nov., is also described.     

HYBODONT SHARKS OF THE ENGLISH BATHONIAN AND CALLOVIAN (MIDDLE JURASSIC)

Abstract:  Recent bulk sampling and study of museum collections has revealed a high diversity of hybodont sharks from the English Bathonian, with 15 species being recognised. In addition, study of dental and skeletal material from the English Callovian has allowed the diagnosis of a new genus and species, Planohybodus peterboroughensis gen. et sp. nov., allowing the Bathonian species Hybodus grossiconus Agassiz to be referred to Planohybodus . Two additional new genera, Secarodus and Frangerodus , are erected for the Bathonian taxa Hybodus polyprion Agassiz and Strophodus lingualis Woodward, respectively. Egertonodus duffini sp. nov. is described and the diagnosis of Egertonodus based on dental material is discussed. The previously unrecorded Hybodus sp., Parvodus sp., and Lonchidion sp. are recognised but left in open nomenclature. Asteracanthus medius (Owen) is recorded in the British Bathonian for the first time, and the status of Bathonian nominal species of Asteracanthus are assessed. Bathonian hybodonts showed great diversity in trophic ecology and many of the species are specific to particular palaeoenvironments.     

THE VERTEBRATE FAUNA OF THE PRIMAEVA BEDS OF THE FRæNKELRYGGEN FORMATION OF VESTSPITSBERGEN AND ITS BIOSTRATI-GRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE

New occurrences of Traquairaspis sp., Oniscolepis? sp., Turinia sp., Cephalaspis (Zenaspis) cf. excellens Wängsjö, Nostolepis sp. and Ischna-canthidae gen. et sp. indet. are recorded from the primaeva Beds. Taken as a whole, the vertebrate fauna of these beds shows a general resemblance to those of the upper part of the symondsi zone and the lowermost part of the leathensis zone in the Welsh Borderland. For this and other reasons it is suggested that the Frænkelryggen Formation should be correlated approximately with the symondsi and leathensis zones of the British ‘Psammosteus’ Limestones Group and that the equivalent of the boundary between these zones should be placed either in, or just above, the primaeva Beds.     

AMMONOIDS AND THE TRIASSIC/JURASSIC BOUNDARY IN THE HIMALAYAS OF SOUTHERN TIBET

Abstract:  The sections of Germig in the Nyalam area, southern Tibet, provide a continuous exposure of ammonoid-bearing, uppermost Triassic and basal Jurassic strata. Eighteen species (three of them new) are described and illustrated: Choristoceras marshi Hauer , C. aff. marshi, C. cf. nobile Mojsisovics , C. nyalamense sp. nov., Eopsiloceras germigense sp. nov. , Pleuroacanthites aff. biformis (Sowerby) , Rhacophyllites sp., Nevadaphyllites cf. psilomorphus (Neumayr), Neophyllites sp. indet., Neophyllites cf. biptychus (Lange), Psiloceras tibeticum sp. nov., P. calliphyllum (Neumayr), Euphyllites cf. struckmanni (Neumayr), Discamphiceras pleuronotum (Canavari), Alsatites spp., Kammerkarites frigga , and K. sp. The ammonoid fauna shows a strong affinity to that of the Northern Calcareous Alps, although diversity in the Calliphyllum Zone is markedly lower. The ammonoid succession across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary is subdivided into four zones: the Rhaetian Marshi, the basal Hettangian Tibeticum, the lower Hettangian Calliphyllum, and the middle Hettangian Pleuronotum zones. It is the only known succession across the Triassic/Jurassic boundary in the Tethyan Realm that is not condensed. The Marshi and Calliphyllum zones are correlated with the same zones in the Northern Calcareous Alps. The Tibeticum Zone, a new local zone, is transitional between the Marshi and the Calliphyllum zones in that it yields both choristoceratids and psiloceratids. Its base is taken to mark the base of the Jurassic System in the eastern Tethys.     

DISCOVERY OF THE OLIGO-MIOCENE RODENTS FROM WEST JAPAN AND THEIR GEOLOGICAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

IutroduCtionTertiaryrodentfossilshavebeenrarelyfoundinJapan.TomidaandSetoguchi(l994)reportedninesPecimensfromtheEarlyMiocenesedimentsintheMisunamiandKhnibasins,GifuPrefecture,centralJapanwithabridreviewoftheTertiaryrodentsfromtheJapaneseIslands.Accordingtotheirreport,therodentfaunainthesebasinsiscomposedofthesPechoensreferredtoCastoridae,Eomyidaeandunidentifiedrodents.Amongthem,CastoridaeincludesYoungoNersinensis,acharacteristicChineseMiocenebeaver.TheoccurrenceofYoungofthersinensiss…     

滇池高背鲫和方正银鲫酯酶、乳酸脱氢酶同工酶的比较研究

本研究以方正银鲫(Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch)普通鲫(Carassius auratus)和滇池高背鲫(Carassius sp.)的各种组织器官为材料,进行酯酶(Esterase)和乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)同工酶电泳图谱的分析比较。结果表明:9种不同组织中酯酶同工酶谱带各不相同,有明显的组织特异性。滇池高背鲫的酯酶谱图有3种表型。方正银鲫和滇池高背鲫同一组织的LDH同工酶酶谱也有明显差异。等电聚焦凝胶电泳(T=7.5％,C=5％)的结果又表明这二种鱼的肝脏、脑、卵的酯酶同工酶酶谱及电泳扫描图亦有差异。这些结果揭示滇池高背鲫与方正银鲫至少在生化水平上已有明显的分化,很可能起源于不同的地区,由不同的祖先,独立演化而形成。滇池高背鲫与云南普通鲫的LDH酶谱较为接近,这说明滇池高背鲫最可能起源于云南本地的普通鲫。     

THE SUBEPIDERMAL FUNGI OF CEREAL GRAINS II. THE NATURE, IDENTITY AND ORIGIN OF THE MYCELIUM IN WHEAT

An internal fungal mycelium between the epidermis and cross-layer cells in normal wheat grains is shown to consist of extracellular septate hyphae forming a network on the inner surface of the epidermis, whose cells are occasionally penetrated. The mycelium, which is first observed at a comparatively late stage of maturation of the grain, usually remains as a loose network, although sclerotia and plate-like structures suggestive of drought forms are occasionally present. These appearances support the view, derived from comparison of the drying rates of grain under various climatic conditions, that the spread of the subepidermal mycelium is finally restricted by desiccation beneath the epidermis during the drying out of the ripening grain.
Cultures from surface-sterilized grains of Bersée wheat have shown that the most common subepidermal fungus is Alternaria tenuis (in 64.4% of the grains). Bacteria (28.8%), Mycogone sp. (?) (7.7%), Cladosporium herbarum (5.8%), Pullularia pullulans (4.8%), Fusarium sp. (1.9%), Botrytis cinerea (1.9%) and Stemphylium botryosum (0.9%) were also isolated.
The subepidermal mycelium apparently arises either from systemic infection of the wheat plant or from fungal spores and hyphae present on the outside of the developing grains and among the dead floral parts.     

VERTEBRATES FROM THE WOOD BAY GROUP AND THE POSITION OF THE EMSIAN-EIFELIAN BOUNDARY IN THE DEVONIAN OF VESTSPITSBERGEN

This paper deals with various vertebrates from the Verdalen Member of the Stjørdalen Formation of the Wood Bay Group, Vestspitsbergen, or layers presumably belonging to this member, including the thelodont scales Amaltheolepis winsnesi n.g., n.sp. (earlier known from a locality in Sørkapp Land), the heterostiid brachythoracid Herasmius granulatus n.g., n.sp. and the porolepiform crossopterygian Heimenia ensis n.g., n.sp., the latter with scales intermediate in some ways between those of Porolepis on the one hand, and the Holoptychiidae on the other. Amaltheolepis and Herasmius are not yet known to occur outside Vestspitsbergen; Heimenia is represented in a Devonian material from Anderson River, Northwestern Canada and perhaps also in the Placo-derm Sandstone of Poland. A critical appraisal of the arthrodire faunas of the Wood Bay Group shows that most of the earlier recorded occurrences of Homostius and Heterostius in these layers pertain to euleptas-pid brachythoracids, that the Heterostiidae and Homostiidae are also represented, but only in the Stjordalen Formation, and that the youngest member of the Euleptaspididae, occurring in the Stjordalen Formation, may be closely related to another euleptaspid in the Upper Emsian Heisdorf Beds of the Rhinish sequence (which occurs in association with Ohiolepis scales). The palaeontological evidence may indicate that the Wood Bay Group does not belong to the Lower Devonian in its entirety but includes Middle Devonian strata in its uppermost part.     

四川江油马角坝中、晚石炭世的(竹蜓)类

中、上石炭统在四川省境内分布范围较窄,除涪陵一带可能有中石炭统沉积外,只在西北部龙门山一带及松潘区(?)有零星出露。其中以江油马角坝附近发育比较完整,产化石较丰富。1961年,我所川北地层队在江油县马角坝附近张坝沟一个采石场测得中、上石炭统剖面一个,采集了(竹蜓)类及珊瑚类化石若干。剖面的层序自上而下为:     

河北阳原小长梁遗址哺乳类化石及其时代

小长梁遗址中的旧石器以小型石器为主,打制技术相当进步,其类型与欧洲某些更晚期的旧石器有某些相似之处,而与旧石器伴生的哺乳动物化石则是泥河湾早更新世的重要成员,古地磁初步测试结果接近167万年。     

中国菊科植物上拟盘梗霉属的新种和新组合

拟盘梗霉属(Bremiella G.W.Wilson)霜霉,全世界已报道2个种。本文报道寄生于我国菊科植物上的1个新种及2个新组合。新种是寄生于茼蒿上的Bremiella multiformis Tao et Y.Qin sp.nov.。新组合是欧茼蒿上的Bremiella chrysanthemi-coronarii(Sawada)Tao comb.nov。及黄花蒿上的Bremiella artemisiae-annuae(Ling et M. C.Tai)Tao comb.nov.。对新种作了汉文及拉丁文描述,并附有形态图,还讨论了新种和新组合与近似种之间的区别。     

中国菊科植物上拟盘梗霉属的新种和新组合*

拟盘梗霉属(Bremiella G.W.Wilson)霜霉,全世界已报道2个种。本文报道寄生于我国菊科植物上的1个新种及2个新组合。新种是寄生于茼蒿上的Bremiella multiformis Tao et Y.Qin sp.nov.。新组合是欧茼蒿上的Bremiella chrysanthemi-coronarii(Sawada)Tao comb.nov。及黄花蒿上的Bremiella artemisiae-annuae(Ling et M. C.Tai)Tao comb.nov.。对新种作了汉文及拉丁文描述,并附有形态图,还讨论了新种和新组合与近似种之间的区别。     

SHARKS OF THE ORDER CARCHARHINIFORMES FROM THE BRITISH CONIACIAN, SANTONIAN AND CAMPANIAN (UPPER CRETACEOUS)

Abstract: Bulk sampling of phosphate‐rich horizons within the British Coniacian to Campanian (Upper Cretaceous) yielded very large samples of shark and ray teeth. All of these samples yielded teeth of diverse members of the Carcharhiniformes, which commonly dominate the fauna. The following species are recorded and described: Pseudoscyliorhinus reussi ( Herman, 1977 ) comb. nov., Crassescyliorhinus germanicus ( Herman, 1982 ) gen. nov., Scyliorhinus elongatus ( Davis, 1887 ), Scyliorhinus brumarivulensis sp. nov., ?Palaeoscyllium sp., Prohaploblepharus riegrafi ( Müller, 1989 ) gen. nov., ?Cretascyliorhinus sp., Scyliorhinidae incertae sedis 1, Scyliorhinidae incertae sedis 2, Pteroscyllium hermani sp. nov., Protoscyliorhinus sp., Leptocharias cretaceus sp. nov., Palaeogaleus havreensis Herman, 1977 , Paratriakis subserratus sp. nov., Paratriakis tenuis sp. nov., Paratriakis sp. indet. and ?Loxodon sp. Taxa belonging to the families ?Proscylliidae, Leptochariidae and Carcharhinidae are described from the Cretaceous for the first time. The evolutionary and palaeoecological implications of these newly recognised faunas are discussed.     

TRACING BACK THE ORIGIN OF THE INDO-PACIFIC MOLLUSC FAUNA: BASAL TRIDACNINAE FROM THE OLIGOCENE AND MIOCENE OF THE SULTANATE OF OMAN

Abstract:  Two new tridacnine species are described from the Chattian and Aquitanian of the Arabian Peninsula. For these, the new names Omanidacna eos gen. et sp. nov. and Tridacna evae sp. nov. are erected. Omanidacna is interpreted as an Oligocene ancestor of Hippopus , being the oldest record of this tridacnine lineage. The Aquitanian Tridacna evae is the first occurrence of the genus Tridacna . These Arabian taxa imply that the modern tridacnine lineages are rooted in the Palaeogene and early Neogene of the East African-Arabian Province, although their Eocene ancestors, such as Byssocardium , are Western Tethyan taxa. During the Neogene they successfully settled the Indo-Polynesian Province and became typical elements of the entire Indo-West Pacific Region. The tridacnines are thus an example of a successive transformation and gradual eastward dispersal of an originally Tethyan element contributing to late Neogene diversity in the Indo-West Pacific.     

THE FATTY ACID AND STEROL COMPOSITION OF FIVE MARINE DINOFLAGELLATES

The fatty acid and sterol compositions of five species of marine dinoflagellates (Scrippsiella sp. Symbiodinium microadriaticum Freud, Gymnodinium sp., Gymnodinium sanguineum Hirasaki, and Fragilidium sp.) are reported. All contained the major fatty acids that are considered common in dinoflagellates, but the proportions were quite variable, and some species contained low contents of some polyunsaturated fatty acids. Concentration ranges for the major fatty acids were: 16:0 (9.0%–24.8%), 18:4(n-3) (2.5%–11.5%), 18:5(n-3) (7.0%–43.1%), 20:5(n-3) (EPA) (1.8%–20.9%), and 22:6(n-3) (DHA) (9.9%– 26.3%). Small amounts of novel very-long-chain highly unsaturated C₂₈ fatty acids occurred in all species. Each dinoflagellate contained a complex mixture of 4-methyl sterols and 4-desmethyl sterols. Four species contained cholesterol, although the amounts were highly variable (from 0.2% of total sterols in Scrippsiella sp. to 45.6% in Fragilidium sp.). All but G. sanguineum contained the 4-methyl sterol dinosterol, and all species contained sterols lacking a double bond in the ring system (i.e. stanols); in Scrippsiella sp. cholestanol composed 24.3% of the total sterols. Other common features of the 4-methylsterol profiles were the presence of 23,24-dimethyl alkylation and unsaturation at Δ²² in the side chain. In Scrippsiella sp., four steroidal ketones were identified: cholestanone, dinosterone, 4α,23,24-trimethyl-5α-cholest-8(14)-en-3-one, and dinostanone. The structures of these corresponded to the major sterols in this species, suggesting that the sterols and steroidal ketones are biosynthetically linked. Steroidal ketones were not detected in the other species. Although fatty acid profiles can be used to distinguish among algal classes, they were not useful for differentiating among dinoflagellate species. In contrast, whereas some taxonomic groupings of dinoflagellates display similar sterol patterns, others, such as the gymnodinoids studied here, clearly do not. The combination of fatty acid, sterol, and steroidal ketone profiles may be useful complementary chemotaxonomic tools for distinguishing morphologically similar species. The identification of steroidal ketones supports earlier suggestions that certain dinoflagellates might be a significant source of such components in marine environments.     

ZOSTEROGRAMMIDA, A NEW ORDER OF MILLIPEDES FROM THE MIDDLE SILURIAN OF SCOTLAND AND THE UPPER CARBONIFEROUS OF EURAMERICA

Abstract:  New Palaeozoic millipedes, Zosterogrammus stichostethus gen. et sp. nov. and Casiogrammus ichthyeros gen. and sp. nov., are described from the Francis Creek Shale Member of the Carbondale Formation (Upper Carboniferous: Pennsylvanian), Mazon Creek, Illinois, and the Hagshaw Hills Inlier (Middle Silurian: Wenlock) of the Midland Valley of Scotland, respectively. These millipedes, together with Purkynia lata Fritsch from the Upper Carboniferous (Westphalian D) of Nýřany, Czech Republic, are placed in the new family Zosterogrammidae within the new order Zosterogrammida. All of these millipedes have very broad terga with a microsculpture consisting of fine transverse terrace lines along the anterior of the terga and oblique terrace lines across the remainder. Zosterogrammida have a trunk-ring architecture consisting of an arched diplotergite, a pair of free ventral diplopleurites and a pair of free ventral sternites, indicating a relatively basal phylogenetic position within Chilognatha. Although the exact phylogenetic position is indeterminate, Zosterogrammus stichostethus has divided sternites, indicating a possible affinity with the Pentazonia. The Hagshaw Hills millipede contributes significantly to the high-rank diversity of Middle Silurian millipedes as all previously described taxa of this age belong to the Archipolypoda.     

NOTES ON THE NATURE AND ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE RECEPTACULITACEAE

Recent studies of representatives of the family Receptaculitaceae (Receptaculitidae) suggest that it comprises dasycladacean-like algae which flourished in warm shallow seas, perhaps largely confined to within 15° of the paleoequator. Ischadites (Neoischadites) n. subg. is erected. The type species is Ischadites (Neoischadites) struszi n. sp., from the Lower Devonian Garra Formation of central western New South Wales, Australia.     

贵州早、中寒武世斗篷海绵科(Choiidae)的发现

本文描述了贵州遵义下寒武统牛蹄塘组生物群和台江中寒武世凯里生物群中保存完整的斗篷海绵科(Choiidae)中斗篷海绵(Choia)和小斗篷海绵(Choiaella)化石标本,共计2属2种2未定种：Choia zunyiensis sp.nov.,Choia sp.,Choiaella avata sp.nov.和Choiaella sp.。Choia分布很广．在我国下寒武统澄江生物群及北美中寒武统的四大生物群中均有产出。Choiaella原仅产于我国澄江生物群,凯里生物群中Choiaella的发现使其时代上延至中寒武世。贵州早、中寒武世斗篷海绵科的发现及研究为海绵动物的早期演化及古地理学等方面的研究提供了重要的新材料。