The Enigmatic Marine Reptile Nanchangosaurus from the Lower Triassic of Hubei,China and the Phylogenetic Affinities of Hupehsuchia

The study of the holotype and of a new specimen of Nanchangosaurus suni (Reptilia; Diapsida; Hupehsuchia) revealed a suite of hitherto unrecognized characters. For example, Nanchangosaurus has bipartite neural spines and its vertebral count is nearly identical to that of Hupehsuchus. It differs from the latter in having poorly developed forelimbs despite the advanced ossification in the rest of the skeleton. Other differences all pertain to hupehsuchian plesiomorphies retained in Nanchangosaurus, such as low neural spines. The relationship of Hupehsuchia within Diapsida was analyzed based on a data matrix containing 41 taxa coded for 213 characters, of which 18 were identified as aquatic adaptations from functional inferences. These aquatic adaptations may be vulnerable to the argumentation of character homology because expectation for homoplasy is high. There is an apparent incongruence between phylogenetic signals from aquatic adaptations and the rest of the data, with aquatic adaptations favoring all marine reptiles but Helveticosaurus to form a super-clade. However, this super-clade does not obtain when aquatic adaptations were deleted, whereas individual marine reptile clades are all derived without them. We examined all possible combinations of the 18 aquatic adaptations (n = 262143) and found that four lineages of marine reptiles are recognized almost regardless of which of these features were included in the analysis: Hupehsuchia-Ichthyopterygia clade, Sauropterygia-Saurosphargidae clade, Thalattosauria, and Helveticosaurus. The interrelationships among these four depended on the combination of aquatic adaptations to be included, i.e., assumed to be homologous a priori by bypassing character argumentation. Hupehsuchia always appeared as the sister taxon of Ichthyopterygia.     

Some Paleozoic Relics from the Late Triassic in Western Hubei,China

This paper deals with a few fossil plants of the Jiuligang Formation found ill Jingmen-Dangyang Basin, western Hubei, China. Of which a few are related to paleozoic taxa, such as Compsopteris laxivenosa sp. nov. and C. xiheensis (Feng) comb. nov., Besides those, Paradrepanozamites dadaochangensis Chen, emend, nov. and P. minor sp. nov. are described. The geological age of the Jiuligang Formation is assigned to Carnic to early Noric.     

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.     

A new microphyllous plant from the Lower Devonian of Yunnan Province, China

Sterile and fertile shoots of a microphyllous vascular plant are described from the Lower Devonian Posongchong Formation (? upper Siegenian), Yunnan Province, southern China and placed in the new taxon Halleophyton zhichangense gen. et sp. nov. The sterile axes are characterized by conspicuous, contiguous swollen rhomboidal to hexagonal leaf bases and relatively broad spatulate laminae. The relief of the leaf bases is not so pronounced in the fertile areas, which bear numerous cauline sporangia with two equal valves. In vegetative characters the new fossils, although smaller and more fragmentary, resemble Drepanophycus gaspianus but in the absence of information on the fertile parts of the latter and because of the controversy surrounding the concept of the genus Drepanophycus, we decided to erect a new genus. Its relationship to the lycophytes sensu stricto is equivocal as exact details of the relationship of sporangium with leaf and sporangium vascularization remain unknown.     

New species of Thylacocephala (Arthropoda) from the Spathian (Lower Triassic) of Chaohu,Anhui Province of China

We describe a new species of Thylacocephala, Ankitokazocaris chaohuensis sp. nov., from the Upper Spathian (Early Triassic) of Chaohu, Anhui Province, China. It is diagnosed by its unique outline of the carapace, small size, and the narrow and asymmetrical anterior notch. Fine preservation reveals at least 14 posterior appendages, traces of gills and raptorial appendages, and remains of trunk segments and muscles in Ankitokazocaris for the first time. This is the first report of Thylacocephala from the Early Triassic of China, confirming the wide distribution of this group in the Tethys. The new species is closer to the type species of Ankitokazocaris, which is stratigraphically somewhat older, than to a recently described almost coeval species from Japan.     

Parafurnishius,an Induan (Lower Triassic) conodont new genus from northeastern Sichuan Province,southwest China and its evolutionary implications

A fundamental aspect of taxonomy at the generic level, critical to understand Early Triassic conodont evolution, is the composition of the multielement apparatus. In this paper, we document a platform-bearing new conodont genus, Parafurnishius n. gen., as well as its multielement apparatus from the Griesbachian Feixianguan Formation (Lower Triassic) in Xuanhan County, northeastern Sichuan Province, southwest China. The new conodont genus is characterized by numerous robust and irregularly distributed conical denticles with variable platform morphology that has a possible affinity with the P₁ elements of Furnishius. These genera have apparatuses similar to those of Ellisonia and are classified with the family Ellisoniidae. The strong intraspecific variation of P₁ elements and the growth series within the entire sample population suggest that Parafurnishius may have evolved from the Griesbachian Isarcicella by developing random denticle positioning away from the platform centre, and then possibly evolved into younger Triassic Furnishius by developing a stable blade configuration. This preferred interpretation implies an ellisonid apparatus for Isarcicella. Alternatively, Parafurnishius may have evolved from Ellisonia and developed a homeomorphic P₁ element with Isarcicella. This new taxon has strong intraspecific variation of denticle growth orientation during the Early Triassic.     

Dendroid graptolites from the Lower Ordovician (Tremadocian) of the Yichang area, Hubei, China

The Yichang area of Hubei Province, China provides important information on Lower to Middle Ordovician fossil faunas and is a center for research on Ordovician graptolites due to the sometimes excellent preservation of the copiously available material. New material collected during a research project on Lower to Middle Ordovician biota in the Yichang Region provided among others specimens a number of dendroid (benthic) graptolites of the genera Acanthograptus, Aspidograptus, Dendrograptus, and Koremagraptus showing unexpected and unknown structural features, useful for structural and evolutionary investigations.     

A new species of Leptocycas(Zamiaceae)from the Upper Triassic sediments of Liaoning Province,China

A new cycad,Leptocycas yangcaogouensis sp.nov.,was found in sediments from the Late Triassic in western Liaoning,China.The pinnately compound leaves(Pseudoctenis type)are screwed in a crown on the stem top.The leaflets are linear,with parallel veins and decurrent bases on the rachis.The leaf bases are persistent.The cataphylls intermix with the leaves.The female cone is ovoid in shape.The characteristics of the new plant are more similar to those of Leptocycas gracilis,a Triassic cycad from North America,but the new species differs from L.gracilis in the size of its stem(7-8 vs.3-5 cm in diameter,respectively),leaves(length × width 100 × 16 vs.30 × 7 cm,respectively)and leaf density along the stem(4-6 vs.1-2 bases/1 cm length,respectively).Both L.gracilis and L.yangcaogouensis,having leaves of the Pseudoctenis type,show a closer relationship to the extant Dioon of Zamiaceae.The present study provides evidence for the origin of the genus Dioon,which may have come from Leptocycas plants of the Triassic.It would be assumed that the extent cycads in Zamiaceae originate from the pteridosperms in the Late Paleozoic and have evolved through the stage of L.gracilis and L.yangcaogouensis in Late Triassic,and reaching the extant Dioon.     

A new species of Leptocycas (Zamiaceae) from the Upper Triassic sediments of Liaoning Province,China

A new cycad,Leptocycas yangcaogouensis sp.nov.,was found in sediments from the Late Triassic in western Liaoning,China.The pinnately compound leaves(Pseudoctenis type)are screwed in a crown on the stem top.The leaflets are linear,with parallel veins and decurrent bases on the rachis.The leaf bases are persistent.The cataphylls intermix with the leaves.The female cone is ovoid in shape.The characteristics of the new plant are more similar to those of Leptocycas gracilis,a Triassic cycad from North America,but the new species differs from L.gracilis in the size of its stem(7–8 vs.3–5 cm in diameter,respectively),leaves(length×width 100×16 vs.30×7 cm,respectively)and leaf density along the stem(4–6 vs.1–2 bases/1 cm length,respectively).Both L.gracilis and L.yangcaogouensis,having leaves of the Pseudoctenis type,show a closer relationship to the extant Dioon of Zamiaceae.The present study provides evidence for the origin of the genus Dioon,which may have come from Leptocycas plants of the Triassic.It would be assumed that the extent cycads in Zamiaceae originate from the pteridosperms in the Late Paleozoic and have evolved through the stage of L.gracilis and L.yangcaogouensis in Late Triassic,and reaching the extant Dioon.     

Lower Triassic stromatolites in Luodian County, Guizhou Province, South China: evidence for the protracted devastation of the marine environments

Stromatolites are one of the oldest and most intriguing organosedimentary deposits. In contrast to stromatolites of the Precambrian to Early Ordovician, Phanerozoic equivalents occurred episodically under specific conditions. A group of previously undescribed stromatolites in composition occur in the Lower Triassic (Olenekian) at the Dajiang section in the Luodian region of Guizhou Province, South China. We described the textures of these stromatolites with the aim of determining the genetic mechanisms and revealing the nature of interactions between micro-organisms and marine environments. Mesoscopic features show that the stromatolites consist of several sets of stacked slices, and that they are embedded in alternating beds of fine and coarse microsphere packstones that include aggregates of microspheres, forming grapestones and lumps. Microscopically, the stromatolites consist of spar- and dolomite-infilled microspheres (average diameter, 100 μm), micrites, peloids, small-sized pyrite framboids (average diameter, 5.8 μm) and fenestrae. Micrite-dominant intercalations accentuate laminated textures at a mesoscopic level and are laterally continuous with micrite-rich parts in surrounding interstromatolites, indicating the simultaneous, widespread deposition of these layers. The microspheres and associated micrites were the products of in situ microbial activity, probably sulphate-reducing or anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria, which led to the formation of these unusual stromatolites. Even during a protracted period of harsh marine conditions, the micrite-rich carpets were deposited intermittently on the stromatolites and their surroundings under severely anoxic/sulphidic conditions. The presence of Early Triassic stromatolites and their subtle but important vertical variations in texture provide a record of temporal changes in marine conditions during geobiologically critical intervals.     

Cuticular anatomy of Sphenobaiera huangii (Ginkgoales) from the Lower Jurassic of Hubei, China

Sphenobaiera huangii (Sze) Hsü is typical Early Mesozoic fossil foliage of Ginkgoales in China. It has been recorded from the Upper Triassic to the Lower Jurassic. The cuticular anatomy is investigated based on material from the type locality, Lower Jurassic Hsiangchi Formation, Zigui County, Hubei Province. The specimens are similar to S. huangii, but contain new information about leaf morphology and cuticular anatomy. Lower and upper cuticle is investigated using light and electron microscopy (LM, SEM, and TEM). Many features are described for the first time, including general structures of lower and upper cuticle, stomata, papillae, and cuticular ultrastructure. At the ultrastructural level, two layers have been distinguished in both lower and upper cuticle, including a homogeneous outer layer with granules and a heterogeneous inner layer with fibrils. Based on a literature comparison between S. huangii and other relevant species of Sphenobaiera, S. huangii may represent the best-known taxon in the genus Sphenobaiera in both leaf morphology and cuticular structures. This study provides the first detailed ultrastructural data on the leaf cuticle of Sphenobaiera, one of the oldest foliage taxa of Ginkgoales, and offers further evidence for potential discussion on the taxonomic relationships of S. huangii with other ginkgoalean taxa.     

湖北省牛山湖13种小型鱼类的能量密度

鱼类的能量密度(能值)是指单位重量(湿重或干重)鱼体所含能量的多少,其单位一般是kJ/g wet mass或kJ/g drymass,它能够反映鱼类的营养状态和储能水平,是鱼类生物能量学研究的关键参数之一;同时,在对水域生态系统食物网结构和能量流动的研究中,将鱼类种群的生物量由重量单位换算为能量单位,也必须建立在已知的特定鱼类能量密度之上。国内已有不少研究对主要养殖鱼类(如草鱼、团头鲂、鳜、乌鳢等)进行过能量密度的测定[1,2]。小型鱼类是长江中下游湖泊鱼类群落的重要组成部分,其种类数量在一个湖泊中一般为30—40种,超过鱼类总数的一半以上,资源蕴藏量相当丰富[3]。它们处于食物链的中间环节,一方面作为饵料鱼被食鱼性鱼类如鳜、乌鳢、翘嘴等所捕食,另一方面又和与其营养级相近的经济鱼类如鲢、鳙、鲤等争夺湖中的饵料资源,可见,小型鱼类在长江中下游湖泊生态系统的物质循环和能量流动中占有相当重要的生态地位,如何控制和利用湖中过剩的小型鱼类资源已成为渔业资源管理者和渔业生态学家所关注的焦点[4]。目前,已有对小型鱼类在长江中下游某些湖泊中的种群丰度和群落结构特征的初步调查[3,5];然而,有关湖泊野生小型鱼类能量密度的研...     

陕西鄂尔多斯盆地中三叠统一离片椎类牙齿化石

陕西省鄂尔多斯盆地渭北油田中三叠统铜川组发现一枚牙齿化石。该枚牙齿具有如下特征:牙齿细长,外形呈圆锥形,齿冠基部横截面为圆形,齿冠整体较直,沿长轴稍微向后缘弯曲,齿冠表面无齿脊和锯齿分布,发育纵向延伸的沟槽状纹饰。通过与鳄型类、蛇颈龙类和离片椎类的牙齿比较,该标本可以归入离片椎类。这枚牙齿化石为这一类群在中三叠统铜川组的首次发现,代表了离片椎类在华北板块最晚的化石记录。     

Lower Cretaceous Plants from Pingquan,Hebei Province and Beijing,China

The present paper describes the fossil plains found from Pingquan district, northern Hebei and Beijing. Those were collected from the Jiufotang formation of Pingquan include the following species: Acanthopteris gothani Sze, Acrostichopteris pingquan- ensis sp. nov., Acrostichopteris sp., Cladophlebis serrulata Samylina, Cladophlebis sp., Neozamites denticulatus (Kry. et Pry.) Vachrameev, Baiera gracilis Bunbury, whereas those were obtained from the Xinzhuang formation and Lushangfen formation of Tuoli group of Beijing are Condopteris bur ejensis (Zalessky) Seward, Onychiopsis elongata (Geyler) Yokoyama, Acrostichopteris sp., Ginkgo sibirica Heer and Podoza. mites rcinii Geyler. Thus, these formation (Jiufotang, Xinzhuang and Lushangfen) are believed to be of Early Cretaceous age.     

湖北省两栖类新纪录——淡肩角蟾、短肢角蟾

1983年和2006年分别在湖北省通山县老鸭尖和后河国家级自然保护区采集到两批标本,经鉴定其中包含有淡肩角蟾Megophrys boettgeri和短肢角蟾Megophrys brachykolos.这两种两栖类未见有在湖北省的分布报道,为湖北省新纪录.淡肩角蟾、短肢角蟾在分类上隶属两栖纲、无尾目、角蟾科、角蟾属.标本保存于华中师范大学动物学研究室.     

First procolophonid (Reptilia,Parareptilia) from the Lower Triassic of Madagascar

Lasasaurus beltanae nov. gen. nov. sp., a new procolophonid (Reptilia, Parareptilia) from the Lower Triassic of Madagascar, is represented by a single partial skeleton preserved in a ferro-calcareous nodule from the Middle Sakamena Formation, in the North of the island. This new taxon is unique in possessing peculiar, fine and dendritic crests running along the posterolateral side of the squamosal, widely spaced maxillary teeth, subparallel mesiodistal ridges connecting maxillary teeth to the tooth row, and a strongly acute anterior margin of the copula (hyoid bone). This well-preserved specimen belongs to a juvenile individual. The inclusion of L. beltanae nov. gen. nov. sp. in a phylogenetic analysis suggests that it is close to Theledectinae, Procolophoninae, and Leptopleurinae, though their respective relationships are uncertain. This specimen is the first procolophonid described from Madagascar and represents a minor terrestrial component of a coastal vertebrate assemblage dominated by amphibious to fully-aquatic taxa.     

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。     

A Re-evaluation of Small Tetrapods from the Middle Triassic Otter Sandstone Formation of Devon, England

Material of small sauropsids from the Otter Sandstone Formation of east Devon (Sherwood Sandstone Group; Middle Triassic; Anisian) includes remains that were formerly attributed to a primitive procolophonid. In the light of new specimens, this material is instead found to contain remains of a diapsid and a procolophonine procolophonid. Among these fossils, the medium-sized procolophonine, Kapes bentoni sp. nov., is the first record of this Russian genus in the British Triassic. Coartaredens isaaci gen. et sp. nov. is a small diapsid tentatively assigned to Lepidosauromorpha. The heterodont lower dentition of Coartaredens comprises a row of large, conical posterior teeth and tightly packed, procumbent incisiforms. Two additional specimens are distinguished on the basis of distinctive dentary remains. One of these is of possible procolophonid affinity, while the dentition of the second resembles that of the aberrant Early Triassic parareptilian genus Sclerosaurus .     

湖北省啮齿类新纪录——青毛硕鼠

2004年10月21日,在湖北省宜昌市五峰县后河国家级自然保护区后河村一农家农田边发现一体型较大的啮齿动物,经鉴定为青毛硕鼠Berylmys bowersi,为湖北省新纪录。这一发现对研究该区域啮齿类动物系统发育与演化以及啮齿动物在森林更新中的作用具有重要意义。     

湖北省两栖类种的新记录——仙琴水蛙

2006年9月16日—9月21日,在湖北省咸丰县二仙岩(海拔:1543m,29°43′72″N,108°47′98″E)采集到一批两栖类标本。经分类鉴定,发现其中采到的一标本(雌性)为湖北省新记录——仙琴水蛙(Hyiarana daunchina)。标本存放在华中师大生命科学学院生态研究室。主要鉴别特征:体长40mm,头长15mm,头宽15mm,眼间距5mm,上眼睑宽3mm。其头长宽相等,眼间距大于上眼睑宽,鼓膜、眼几等大;体背面皮肤光滑,背侧较窄,但两背侧褶的间距较宽,后肢胫部有明显的纵行肤褶。体背面颜色灰棕色,背正中有一条浅色脊线;两侧上颔上缘自鼻孔后缘至前肢基部相嵌有一条乳黄…