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.     

New basal eutherian mammal from the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota,Liaoning, China

A new genus and species of eutherian mammal, Acristatherium yanensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Early Cretaceous Jehol biota, China. The new taxon is based on a partial skull that is preserved in three dimensions from the Lujiatun bed of the Yixian Formation and dated 123.2±1.0 Ma. Its right upper and lower dentitions are nearly complete and it has a dental formula 4.1.5.3/3.1.5.3. The new mammal reveals several craniodental characteristics of Early Cretaceous eutherians previously unknown in fossil records of therians, such as a possible vestige of the septomaxilla. The craniodental features of the new taxon are compared with those of relevant Early Cretaceous eutherians and therians. Phylogenetic analyses based on a data matrix containing 70 taxa and 408 characters place A. yanensis as the most basal eutherian in the selected group. The morphological differences between Acristatherium and Eomaia indicate that eutherians already had a significant degree of generic diversification ca 125 Ma.     

Composition and age of the Daohugou hymenopteran (Insecta, Hymenoptera = Vespida) assemblage from Inner Mongolia, China

Hymenopteran fossils from Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China are assigned to 17 families. These include, in decreasing order of importance, Ephialtitidae, Xyelidae, Siricidae, Xyelydidae, Anaxyelidae, Karatavitidae s.l ., Mesoserphidae, Megalyridae and Praeaulacidae. Analysis of the taxonomic composition suggests that the assemblage is of Mid Jurassic age. The rather low abundance of Xyelidae suggests that the climate in Daohugou during the Mid Jurassic might have been thermally intermediate between that of peri-Baikal Siberia during the Early/Mid Jurassic transition and southern Kazakhstan during the early Late Jurassic. A new family, Protosiricidae fam. nov., is established herein and the family Gigasiricidae is reduced in rank to Gigasiricinae and referred to the Siricidae.     

Cranial anatomy of the stem salamander Kokartus honorarius (Amphibia: Caudata) from the Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan

The cranial anatomy of the stem salamander Kokartus honorarius, from the Middle Jurassic of Kyrgyzstan, is redescribed in detail on the basis of all available material using conventional methods and high‐resolution computed microtomography. In contrast to previous interpretations, the skull is characterized by posteriorly positioned external nostrils, the presence of an internarial fenestra between the premaxillae, the maxillae are not shortened, the overlapping of the frontal by the nasal and the parietal by the frontal, a dentate vomer, a dentate pterygoid with a long, strongly arcuate and anteromedially orientated anterior process, the absence of a fontanelle between frontals and pineal pit on the ventral surface of the frontals, and an inferred unique attachment of the adductor mandibulae internus to the lateral border and ventral ridge of the frontals and parietals. Kokartus is closely related to Karaurus and both these taxa constitute the monophyletic taxon Karauridae, which forms the sister group of crown‐group salamanders (Urodela). Karaurids were neotenic forms and neoteny was probably the ancestral life history strategy of salamanders. The morphological analysis of Kokartus supports the current phylogenetic hypothesis that Permian amphibamids (including branchiosaurids) are the closest relatives of salamanders amongst known non‐lissamphibian temnospondyls. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 161 , 816–838.     

Carbonic anhydrase and red blood cell anion exchange in the neotenic aquatic salamander, Necturus maculosus

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) activity in blood and other tissues and red blood cell (rbc) anion exchange were measured in the mud puppy, Necturus maculosus, in order to gain insight into the strategy for CO2 transport used by these neotenic salamanders and to further explore evolutionary relationships between rbc CA activity and anion exchange in nonmammalian vertebrates. CA activity was detectable in all of the tissues examined, but CA activity in blood was much lower than that in most vertebrates. There was no indication, however, that additional CA had been incorporated into the membrane fraction of other tissues to compensate for this low blood CA activity. In further contrast to most other animals, low levels of CA activity were also detectable in mud puppy plasma. Preliminary characterization of the rbc CA indicated that the Type II, fast-turnover enzyme was indeed present, but that there are a very low number of active sites in mud puppy rbc's. Further experiments showed that the rbc's were highly permeable to anions and that the relative rate of anion flux could be inhibited by 4, 4-diisothiocyanostilbene-2,2-disulphonic acid. Thus, the process of CO2 transport in the blood of mud puppies probably involves components of the Jacobs-Stewart cycle, as in most other vertebrates.     

Middle Jurassic Ginkgo leaves from the Daohugou area,Inner Mongolia,China and their implication for palaeo-CO2 reconstruction

Well-preserved Ginkgo leaves with cuticle were collected from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in the Daohugou area, Inner Mongolia, China, which form the common elements in the Daohugou flora. Three new species of Ginkgo are recognized and their leaf morphology and cuticular structure are described for the first time. Two different pCO₂ proxy models were applied to reconstruct palaeo-atmospheric CO₂ concentration by using these new Ginkgo material. NLE (nearest living equivalent) suggests a semi-quantitative pCO₂ estimate as 839 ± 99 ppmv with Carboniferous standardization and 419 ± 49 ppmv with Recent standardization. While Barclay’s revised SI-pCO₂ regression suggests the estimates as 405 ± 71 ppmv. The results show that the pCO₂ estimate is higher than today’s atmospheric CO₂ concentration but lower than most of the other results on the Jurassic Period. Combined with the floristic composition, the climate at 165 Ma in the Daohugou area is inferred to be warm temperate.     

Snipe flies (Diptera: Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation (Jurassic), Inner Mongolia,and the systematic position of related records in China

Abstract: Four new species referred to three new genera and one known genus of fossil snipe flies (Family Rhagionidae) from the Daohugou Formation of Chifeng City in Inner Mongolia, north‐eastern China, are described as Daohugorhagio elongatus gen. et sp. nov., Parachrysopilus jurassicus gen. et sp. nov., Sinorhagio sinuatus sp. nov. and Trichorhagio gregarius gen. et sp. nov. These taxa represent only a fraction of the rhagionid assemblage in the Daohugou biota. They contribute towards the high diversity and abundance of snipe flies during the latest Middle Jurassic – earliest Late Jurassic. The diagnosis of Sinorhagio K. Zhang, Yang and Ren, 2006 is revised based on the new results. Many genera and species from the Lower Cretaceous of China have been assigned to Rhagionidae. Most of these do not actually belong to this family: specifically Mesorhagiophryne incerta Hong and Wang, 1990, M. robusta Hong and Wang, 1990, Mesostratiomyia laiyangensis Hong and Wang, 1990, Stratiomyopsis robusta Hong and Wang, 1990, Longhuaia orientalis Hong, Wang and Sun, 1992, Basilorhagio venusius Ren, 1995. Pauromyia oresbia Ren, 1998 is transferred to an archisargid genus as Sharasargus oresbius (Ren, 1998) comb. nov.     

A new middle Miocene pliopithecid from Inner Mongolia, China

In addition to the new fragments of the Omo I skeleton, renewed fieldwork in the Kibish Formation along the lower reaches of the Omo River in southwestern Ethiopia has yielded new hominin finds from the Kibish Formation. The new finds include four heavily mineralized specimens: a partial left tibia and a fragment of a distal fibular diaphysis from Awoke's Hominid Site (AHS), a parietal fragment, and a portion of a juvenile occipital bone. The AHS tibia and fibula derive from Member I and are contemporaneous with Omo I and II. The other specimens derive from Chad's Hominid Site (CHS), and derive from either Member III or IV, which constrains their age between approximately 8.6 and approximately 104ka.     

Evidence of extreme habitat stability in a Southeast Asian biodiversity hotspot based on the evolutionary analysis of neotenic net-winged beetles

The diversification of neotenic beetle lineages has not been studied, despite the potential for defining biodiversity hotspots and elucidating the history of regional faunas. Additionally, neotenics may provide insight into the process of speciation in small populations with extremely low dispersal ability and a limited range. Here, we used two rDNA and three mtDNA markers to investigate the phylogeny of Scarelus, a neotenic lineage endemic to Southeast Asian rainforests. Most genetic differentiation was associated with Palaeogene geographical divisions, which remain distinct despite temporary connections. Dispersal events were rare, with only two inferred for Scarelus: from Borneo to the Philippines 28.3 million years ago (Ma) and from Sumatra to Java 13.9 Ma. We suggest that speciation resulted from allopatric range fragmentation, and Scarelus diversified readily when conditions were favourable; in this case, at different times in the eastern (19.3-39.1 Ma) and western (3.5-13.9 Ma) parts of Sundaland. The observed strong phenotypic similarity was preserved under speciation through complete allopatry. Neotenic Lycidae have survived for a long time in very stable habitats, and extremely low dispersal activity has not limited their persistence; however, the long-term diversification rate of neotenics is low and diversification is nonexistent under stable conditions. The modern ranges of neotenic lineages are indicative of ancient rainforest refugia and may be used in biodiversity conservation management. Most neotenics are at risk of extinction because of their small ranges and a low dispersal potential.     

Adrenergic innervation of the gills, pulmonary arterial plexus, and dorsal aorta in the neotenic salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum

The presence of adrenergic innervation was investigated in four different vascular segments of the neotenic tiger salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum, by histofluorescent staining for catecholamines. The segments were the respiratory section of the gill, the branchial shunt vessels, a vascular plexus in the pulmonary artery, and the dorsal aorta. No adrenergic fibers were detected in the respiratory section of the gill or the pulmonary arterial plexus. In contrast, the branchial shunt vessels contained both adrenergic varicosities and catecholamine-containing cell bodies. These cells resemble Type I cells of the mammalian carotid body and amphibian carotid labyrinth. Adrenergic innervation of the dorsal aorta was sparse and restricted to the adventitia. The results suggest that adrenergic nerves may directly regulate blood flow in the gill, and thus gas exchange, by controlling vascular resistance of the branchial shunts. The contractile state of the dorsal aorta may also be under adrenergic control. In addition, it is suggested that the adrenergic cells of the branchial shunts may serve a receptor function in being sensitive to arterial blood gases.     

内蒙古高原土壤中的暗色丝孢菌

从内蒙古高原及河套地区不同生境中,采集混合土样52份。分离获得51个暗色丝孢菌菌株,经鉴定分隶于18属27种。其中包括1个新种,贺兰山小镰孢Fusariella helanshanensis和1个中国新记录种,葫芦细基格孢Ulocladium cucurbitae。除新种具拉丁文特征集要和图示、对中国新记录种作简要描述和绘图外,25个国内已报道种附有分布和生境的引证。所有供研究标本(干制培养物)与活菌种,均保存于山东农业大学植物病理学标本室(HSAUP)。     

Histology and ultrastructure of the gut epithelium of the neotenic cave salamander, Proteus anguinus (Amphibia, Caudata)

Histological, histochemical, and ultrastructural features of the gut of the European endemic cave salamander Proteus anguinus were studied. The gut is a relatively undifferentiated muscular tube lined with a simple columnar epithelium containing numerous goblet cells. The mucosa and underlying lamina propria/submucosa are elevated into a number of high longitudinal folds projecting into the lumen. The enterocytes are covered apically with uniform microvilli. Irregularity in the arrangement of microvilli was observed. Occasionally, irregular protrusions of the cytoplasm appear between groups of microvilli. Pinocytotic activity occurs at the bases of the intermicrovillous space. Mitochondria are numerous in the apical cytoplasm and basally beneath the nuclei. The supranuclear cytoplasm contains most of the cell organelles. The lateral plasma membranes of adjacent cells interdigitate and are joined by junctional complexes. The periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction, indicating neutral mucosubstances, is positive only in the apical brush border of enterocytes and in goblet cells. The goblet cells also stained with Alcian blue (AB), at pH 2.5, thus revealing the presence of carboxylated glycosaminoglycans. Compact aggregations of AB- and PAS-negative cells are situated directly below the epithelium. Mitotic figures are present in individual clusters of cells. The fine structure of cells in these clusters indicated that these cells could be responsible for renewal of intestinal epithelium. Numerous endocrine-like cells could also be seen. The closely packed smooth muscle cells and amorphous extracellular material with collagen fibrils constitute a net-like structure under the basal lamina that is very closely associated with the epithelium. There are numerous acidophilic granular cells between epithelial cells, in the lamina propria/submucosa, and between cells aggregations. They seem to be associated with nematode infections and possibly constitute a humoral defense mechanism.     

内蒙古和林格尔县新店子墓地古代居民的身高研究

本文对内蒙古和林格尔县新店子墓地出土东周时期的长骨标本进行了观察和测量,并根据相关公式推测出该组居民的身高,研究结果表明,该组男性居民的身高在内蒙古长城地带同时期的人群中最低,而女性居民则最高,是一个男女两性居民身高差异较小的古代群体。     

A new Permian species of Paraconularia from Abaga Banner,Inner Mongolia

A new species Paraconularia abagaensis n. sp. is established, based on newly discovered conulariid fossils collected in Abaga Banner, Inner Mongolia, China. The periderm of the new species is characterized by equal faces, 12–26 transverse ribs per cm with nodes numbering from 4–6 per mm, adapertural spines in the interspaces, alternated ribs along the midline, and apical angle ranging approximately from 14° to 18°. The most similar species, P. salinensis, differs from P. abagaensis n. sp. in having a periderm with a significantly larger apical angle and a lower density of nodes. Co-occurring fossils (i.e., brachiopods, gastropods, bivalves, and plants) and U–Pb dates obtained in situ from detrital zircons suggest that the analyzed conulariid-bearing strata are Permian in age. Our study suggests that species previously established merely based on internal mold specimens may need further examination. The diagnosis of Paraconularia was revised and in the genus we identified three morphotypes, based on which we suggest that species whose midlines present ridges or grooves, and whose transverse ribs do not abruptly bend adaperturally at the edges of the corner grooves, be excluded from the genus Paraconularia.     

Collection of gametes from live axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, and standardization of in vitro fertilization

This study established the first protocol for collection of gametes from live axolotl, Ambystoma mexicanum, by gentle abdominal massage and in vitro fertilization. To stimulate spermiation and ovulation, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and Ovopel pellets, which are commercially used to stimulate spawning in fish, were tested. The hCG was more effective than Ovopel pellets and yielded a higher semen volume in the injected males and a shorter response time in the females. Collected semen by this method was already motile and fertile. Fertile eggs could be collected in 3-4 successive collection times after the female has started the typical spawning behaviour. The fertilization condition that yielded the highest hatching rate was mixing semen with eggs before the addition of a fertilization saline solution (20 mmol/l NaCl, 1 mmol/l KCl, 1 mmol/l Mg₂SO₄, 1 mmol Ca₂Cl, 3 mmol NaHCO₃, 10 mmol/l Tris, pH 8.5 - Osmolality = 65 mosmol/kg). When the pH of the fertilization solution was increased to ≥ 10, the hatching rate was significantly increased. The use of fertilization solutions with osmolalities of ≥ 150 and ≥ 182 were accompanied with a significant decrease in hatching rates and the appearance of deformed larvae, respectively. In conclusion, a reliable protocol for gamete collection from live axolotl is established as a laboratory model of in vitro fertilization for urodele amphibians. This protocol may be transferable to endangered urodeles.     

内蒙古被子植物分布新资料

报道了内蒙古1个新分布记录属:粟草属(Milium L.);2个新分布记录种:翅柄车前(Plantago komaroviiPavl.)和粟草(Milium effusum L.)。     

内蒙古根河市多孔菌调查(英文)

通过对内蒙古自治区根河市多孔菌调查采样,鉴定出隶属于46个属的81种多孔菌,其中大部分种类为该地区首次报道。文中列出其名录和寄主等采集信息。高山绚孔菌(Laetiporus montanus)为中国多孔菌一新记录种,文中根据所采集的材料对其进行了详细描述和显微结构绘图。