Vertebrate fossils from the Adamantina Formation (Late Cretaceous), Prata paleontological district, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

In this contribution is given a preliminary up-to-date annotated list of all fossil vertebrates from the Turonian-Santonian Adamantina Formation, Bauru Group where it occurs in the Prata paleontological district which is located 45 km to the west of Prata in Minas Gerais State, Brazil. The Adamantina Formation is a reddish sandstone in the Triângulo Mineiro region. These fluviolacustrine sediments were deposited in a semiarid environment. Three fossil vertebrate sites occur in the Prata paleontological district. The diversity of vertebrates in the Adamantina Formation is modest, and its components comprise a mixture of typical austral Gondwana taxa (such as abelisaurids, Aeolosaurus) and boreal Gondwana taxa (such as Carcharodontosauridae). The absence of Laurasian taxa in the upper part of the Bauru Group is noteworthy. Excepting some turtles, crocodylians, and one titanosaurid, most of the specimens discovered in this Group are based on fragmentary and isolated remains, which make it difficult to correctly identify the fossils. For this reason, many of the taxa have only been identified in a preliminary manner. Despite this drawback, the dinosaurs are typical Gondwana forms with no evidence of Laurasian affinities. This is concordant with the idea that the Laurasian dinosaurs entered South America at the end of the Late Cretaceous; i.e. after the Turonian-Santonian, the age of the Adamantina Formation.     

Plants of Leptostrobus Heer （Czekanowskiales） from the Early Cretaceous and Late Triassic of China, with Discussion of the Genus

Investigation of the Mesozoic seed plant Leptostrobus Heer from the Yangcaogou Formation of the Late Triassic and the Yixian Formation of the Early Cretaceous, Liaoning Province, China, provides new Insight Into Its general morphology and geographical distribution. The materials of L. cancer from the Yixian Formation described herein are later than all the past findings of this species and add to the record of L. cancer during the Early Cretaceous. Based on well-preserved specimens, the specific diagnosis Is slightly emended and the reconstructlon of L. cancer Is perfected. The materials from the Yangcaogou Formation of the Late Triassic are placed in L. spheericus, in addition, we review the history of investigation of the genus Leptostrobus since its establishment in 1876 and discuss the main characteristics of each species.     

A NEW AZHDARCHOID PTEROSAUR FROM THE CRATO FORMATION (LOWER CRETACEOUS,APTIAN?) OF BRAZIL

Abstract: A partial pterosaur skull from the Nova Olinda Member of the Crato Formation (Lower Cretaceous, Aptian?) represents a new edentulous pterodactyloid, Lacusovagus magnificens gen. et sp. nov. The absence of teeth and a large nasoantorbital fenestra suggest assignment to Azhdarchoidea, and the combination of a particularly short, crestless and shallow rostrum and laterally flared jaw margins distinguish it from other azhdarchoid taxa. The position of the new form within Azhdarchoidea is problematic: Lacusovagus is distinguished from Tapejaridae in its straight, as opposed to ventrally displaced, jaw tip and absence of a premaxillary crest; from thalassodromids by the absence of a premaxillary crest; and from Azhdarchidae by the short length of the rostrum and shallow posterodorsal extension of the premaxilla. Lacusovagus shares a shallow, crestless rostrum and a slender posterodorsal premaxillary extension with Jiufotang Formation azhdarchoids such as Chaoyangopterus and Jidapterus. The position of these genera within Azhdarchoidea is controversial, but the suite of plesiomorphic and derived azhdarchoid characters in each suggests a placement between Tapejaridae and Neoazhdarchia. Further research is required, however, to determine the relationships of these genera both to each other and to other azhdarchoids. The new taxon elevates the faunal similarity found between the roughly contemporaneous Jiufotang and Crato formations and continues the pattern of Crato Formation azhdarchoids being much larger than those from the Jehol Group. It also has jaws at least 67 and 55 per cent longer, respectively, than those of the largest azhdarchoids and ornithocheirids from the Crato pterosaur assemblage, making Lacusovagus the largest pterosaur known from this unit.     

New mammal remains from the Late Cretaceous Bostobe Formation (Northeast Aral Sea Region,Kazakhstan)

Four recently collected mammal specimens from the Upper Cretaceous (Santonian–?Campanian) Bostobe Formation in the northeastern Aral Sea Region, Kazakhstan are attributed to Asioryctitheria indet. (an edentulous dentary fragment) and the zhelestid Parazhelestes sp. cf. P. mynbulakensis (a maxillary fragment with a double-rooted canine, an M1, and a dentary fragment including m3). These new records double the known mammal fauna from this formation, which previously included the zhelestid Zhalmouzia bazhanovi and Zhelestidae indet. The taxonomic and ecological structure of the mammal assemblage from the Bostobe Formation can, on present evidence, be considered close to the other eutherian dominated Late Cretaceous mammal assemblages of Central Asia. This region is important in particular in the search for Late Cretaceous ancestors of crown-group eutherian mammal clades (Placentalia).     

新疆准噶尔盆地南缘覆盖区晚白垩世紫泥泉子组介形类动物群

在准噶尔盆地南缘覆盖区的紫泥泉子组普遍见到丰富的晚白垩世介形类化石,自西向东面貌一致,分布稳定,计有10属(包括1亚属)17种4比较种2未定种,可归为一个Talicypridea组合,是覆盖区划分和对比紫泥泉子组的重要标志。     

Oldest known non-marine diatoms (Aulacoseira) from the uppermost Cretaceous Deccan Intertrappean beds and Lameta Formation of India

Non-marine diatoms occur in the Deccan Intertrappean beds (Upper Cretaceous) of Mohgaon-Kalan, Chhindwara District, Madhya Pradesh and Pisdura, Lameta Formation (Upper Cretaceous), Maharashtra, India. This represents the oldest record of non-marine diatoms yet reported and the oldest from the Indian subcontinent. The diatoms were recovered from thin sections of chert and dinosaur coprolites by random fracturing. Solitary forms are the most common but colonial filaments up to five cells were also observed. Based on the morphological characters, the diatoms are identified as Aulacoseira Thwaites. The Lower Cretaceous marine diatom genus Archepyrgus Gersonde and Harwood also resembles Aulacoseira in general morphological characters and it seems that Aulacoseira evolved from Archepyrgus and migrated to the non-marine realm.     

江西萍乡地区晚白垩世副蜂窝蛋类一新蛋种

依据采自江西省萍乡地区上白垩统周田组的恐龙蛋化石,记述了蜂窝蛋科(Faveoloolithidae)副蜂窝蛋属(Parafaveoloolithus)一新蛋种。材料包括一枚较完整的蛋和若干破碎蛋壳。根据蛋壳弦切面呈蜂窝状结构,径切面蛋壳中、上部蛋壳局部呈现由6~10个以上壳单元成群聚集一起等特征,将其订为一新蛋种——萍乡副蜂窝蛋(Parafaveoloolithus pingxiangensis oosp.nov.)。     

浙江天台晚白垩世巨型长形蛋科一新属及巨型长形蛋科的分类订正

浙江天台盆地上白垩统赤城山组发现的巨型长形蛋类可鉴定为西峡巨型长形蛋(Macroelongatoolithusxi xiaensis)和一新蛋属、新蛋种——桥下巨型纺锤蛋(Megafusoolithus qiaoxiaensis oogen.etoosp.nov.)。西峡巨型长形蛋此前仅发现于河南西峡盆地,其特征为个体巨大(35cm),蛋壳外表面具瘤点状纹饰,蛋壳锥体层与柱状层界线明显,呈波浪形,锥体层与柱状层厚度之比为1:5—1:2。已记述的产自天台的张氏巨型长形蛋(M.zhangi)和产自河南西峡盆地的西峡长圆柱蛋(Longiteresoolithus xixiaensis)均为西峡巨型长形蛋的同物异名。桥下巨型纺锤蛋的特征包括蛋壳中部外表面具有棱脊状纹饰,蛋壳锥体层与柱状层界线不明显,二者厚度之比近1:3,这些特征区别于巨型长形蛋属。目前已知巨型长形蛋科仅包含巨型长形蛋属和巨型纺锤蛋属,订正的科征为:蛋化石巨大,长径大于35cm;蛋长形,两端大致对称,长宽之比约为3:1;蛋化石在蛋窝中一般两枚为一组,呈单层圆环状排列,蛋窝直径近3m;蛋壳外表面具瘤点状或棱脊状纹饰,蛋壳由锥体层与柱状层组成。这些特征明显区别于其他类型的蛋化石,因此它们代表了一个独立的蛋科:巨型长形蛋科(Macroelongatoolithidae)。     

浙江天台盆地晚白垩世恐龙蛋新类型(英文)

浙江天台盆地上白垩统赖家组和赤城山组是我国最重要的恐龙蛋化石产出地层之一。近年来,我们对天台盆地陆相红层中的恐龙蛋化石层位进行了详细厘定,对恐龙蛋类型进行了系统描述,并对前人报道的一些属种进行了分类订正。研究显示,天台恐龙蛋化石群基本上可分为7蛋科、12蛋属和15蛋种,代表了我国晚白垩世早期的恐龙蛋化石组合。本文简要报道了主要产自天台盆地赤城山组的双塘似蜂窝蛋(新蛋属、新修订种)、木鱼山半蜂窝蛋(新蛋属、新蛋种)、国清寺副蜂窝蛋(新修订种)、天台棱柱形蛋(新修订种)和张头槽马赛克蛋(新蛋属、新修订种)等3新蛋属、5新蛋种和修订种的主要鉴定特征,并建立一新蛋科——似蜂窝蛋科。     

山东平邑盆地晚白垩世介形类

山东平邑盆地固城组、卞桥组共发现介形类化石21属21种4比较种13未定种,本文记述了其中的17属16种4比较种9未定种。卞桥组一段下部的介形类可称为Talicypridea reticulata-Mongolocypris longa-Frambocythere fangjiaheensis介形类动物群,含化石地层的时代被确认为晚白垩世最晚期,即马斯特里赫特期的晚期。该动物群的发现,为平邑盆地白垩系/古近系界线的确定提供了十分重要的依据。     

Corimbatichnus fernandezi: A cluster of fossil bee cells from the late cretaceous‐early tertiary of Uruguay

Corimbatichnus fernandezi n.igen, n. isp. is a cluster of fossil bee cells from the Uruguayan Late Cretaceous‐early Tertiary Asencio Formation. It is composed of rows of small excavated cells contained in paleosol peds. Cells have inner surfaces somewhat rough and are closed with loose material. Separation among cells is very thin, and the cells are orientated uniformly, showing a great economy of space as in some halictine constructions. Corimbatichnus can be distinguished from Rosellichnus and Uruguay by its convex face, excavated cells and the spatial arrangement of them.     

A Primitive Late Triassic 'ictidosaur' from Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil

A primitive 'ictidosaur' from lower Norian beds of southern Brazil, Riograndia guaibensis gen. et sp. nov., represented by a fragmentary skull and a lower jaw bearing a complete dentition, shows a more generalized morphology than Chaliminia from the Upper Triassic of Argentina and Pachygenelus Diarthrognathus from the Lower Jurassic of South Africa, Canada and Greenland. The frontal bone borders the orbit, and ventrally contacts the dorsal process of the palatine. The secondary bony palate extends back to the last postcanine. I1 and i2 are reduced, whereas I2-3 and i1 are hypertrophied. Both PC 1–7 and pc 1–7 have blade-like crowns without cingula and with 5–9 small sharp cuspules. The upper postcanine crowns are semicircular in labial view with the cuspules around their margins. The lower postcanine crowns are asymmetrical with most of the cuspules dorsodistally distributed. The possible origin of this peculiar dentition is interpreted as the retention of the juvenile dentition of ancestors. The hypothesis that Riograndia guaibensis and the so-called 'ictidosaurs' might have been derived from gomphodont cynodonts is presented.