New Miocene scarabeid and hymenopterous nests and early miocene (santacrucian) paleoenvironments,patagonian Argentina

Three new trace fossils are described from Miocene paleosols of southern Argentina. Celliforma pinturensis, n. ichnosp. and Celliforma rosellii, n. ichnosp. are interpreted as cells of digging bees, possibly Anthophoridae, and Coprinisphaerafrenguellii, n. ichnosp. are brood balls of dung‐beetles. Both burrowing bees and dung‐beetles are common nesters in relatively open areas, confirming previous reconstructions of the paleoenvironment of the Pinturas Formation. A brief review of scarabeid and bee fossil nests from South America is presented, and we propose that constructed nests have a higher preservation potential than excavated nests. This fact explains their more common occurrences as trace fossils in paleosols. A new ethological category, calichnia, is proposed for hymenopterous and coleopterous traces, in which adult individuals make nests exclusively for larvae.     

Cretaceous small scavengers: feeding traces in tetrapod bones from Patagonia, Argentina

Ecological relationships among fossil vertebrate groups are interpreted based on evidence of modification features and paleopathologies on fossil bones. Here we describe an ichnological assemblage composed of trace fossils on reptile bones, mainly sphenodontids, crocodyliforms and maniraptoran theropods. They all come from La Buitrera, an early Late Cretaceous locality in the Candeleros Formation of northwestern Patagonia, Argentina. This locality is significant because of the abundance of small to medium-sized vertebrates. The abundant ichnological record includes traces on bones, most of them attributable to tetrapods. These latter traces include tooth marks that provde evidence of feeding activities made during the sub-aerial exposure of tetrapod carcasses. Other traces are attributable to arthropods or roots. The totality of evidence provides an uncommon insight into paleoecological aspects of a Late Cretaceous southern ecosystem.     

A LEAFCUTTER BEE TRACE FOSSIL FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE OF PATAGONIA, ARGENTINA, AND A REVIEW OF MEGACHILID (HYMENOPTERA) ICHNOLOGY

Abstract:  The ichnospecies Phagophytichnus pseudocircus isp. nov. is described to include trace fossils characterized by leaf-margin excisions showing eccentricity values of 0.35–0.65 and more than 270 degrees of an arc, a non cuspate margin and vein stringers or necrotic flaps of tissue along the margin. A method for determining ellipse eccentricity was performed on leaf discs obtained from the nests of the modern leafcutter bee Megachile rotundata (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae), which provided objectively obtained values comparable to the trace fossil from the middle Eocene of Argentina and other world-wide ichnological records, historically and subjectively considered to be 'circular' trace fossils and attributed to leafcutter bees. The material described herein represents the first evidence for fossil Megachilidae from the Southern Hemisphere.     

Crayfish burrows from Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous continental deposits of Patagonia: Argentina. Their palaeoecological,palaeoclimatic and palaeobiogeographical significance

The trace fossil, Loloichnus baqueroensis igen. and isp. nov., from Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous continental deposits of Patagonia, Argentina, includes thickly lined, mostly passively-filled, and Y-branched burrows. Other important features of this ichnofossil are the inner surface texture of lining showing transversal, elongated, and adjacent grooves, and less commonly, the pelletal filling of burrows. L. baqueroensis is recorded from the Bajo Grande, Bajo Tigre, Punta del Barco, and Laguna Palacios Formations, which were deposited in different volcaniclastic environments of the Deseado Massif and San Jorge Basin geological provinces, respectively. The described burrows are found in many levels of palaeosols developed in reworked piroclastic deposits, where they are the main component of the ichnofabrics, in association with meniscate and thinly lined burrows and a diffuse and complex boxwork of small diameter burrows. Root traces are also present, and in many cases, occur inside L. baqueroensis. Considering general morphology, surface texture, filling types, palaeoenvironments in which they occur, and comparisons with extant and fossil decapod burrows, the likely trace makers of L. baqueroensis were crayfishes (Decapoda: Astacidea), probably Parastacidae. The producers of L. baqueroensis inhabited soils, where their burrows probably reached the water table, and contained roots that were used for feeding. Considering climatic preferences of extant parastacids, it is proposed a temperate climate for central Patagonia during the deposition of the studied units. The widespread presence of crayfishes during Late Jurassic–Late Cretaceous times in central Patagonia, supports the monophyletic origin of this group during the Triassic, and suggests that the present restricted geographic distribution in southern South America is a relict of a broader one.     

Seventy-five-million-year-old tropical tetra-like fish from Canada tracks Cretaceous global warming

Newly discovered fossil fish material from the Cretaceous Dinosaur Park Formation of Alberta, Canada, documents the presence of a tropical fish in this northern area about 75 million years ago (Ma). The living relatives of this fossil fish, members of the Characiformes including the piranha and neon tetras, are restricted to tropical and subtropical regions, being limited in their distribution by colder temperatures. Although characiform fossils are known from Cretaceous through to Cenozoic deposits, none has been reported previously from North America. The modern distribution of characiforms in Mexico and southern Texas in the southernmost United States is believed to have been the result of a relatively recent colonization less than 12 Ma. The new Canadian fossils document the presence of these fish in North America in the Late Cretaceous, a time of significantly warmer global temperatures than now. Global cooling after this time apparently extirpated them from the northern areas and these fishes only survived in more southern climes. The lack of early Cenozoic characiform fossils in North America suggests that marine barriers prevented recolonization during warmer times, unlike in Europe where Eocene characiform fossils occur during times of global warmth.     

江汉盆地渔洋组上部的古新世孢粉组合

20世纪70至80年代,几乎所有关于江汉盆地跑马岗组和渔洋组的古生物文献都将其时代确定为晚白垩世。李伟同在深入地研究了跑马岗组标准剖面上的轮藻化石后提出跑马岗组大部分属于古新统。取自层位与跑马岗组相当的渔洋组上段上部的岩芯样品经分析后获得了丰富的孢粉化石。这一组合总的面貌与王大宁等获得的晚白垩世渔洋组的第三组合区别明显,而与古近纪的新沟嘴组的第四组合相似处很多。在该孢粉植物群中,常见于当地的晚白垩世分子,如希指蕨孢属、克拉梭粉属、江汉粉属、刺参粉属、鹰粉属等没有或极少见到。而在本组合常见的南岭粉属、五边粉属、漆树粉属等多出现在我国南方古新世地层中。因此,其时代很有可能为古新世。如果是这样,渔洋组上部有可能跨越了白垩系和古近系界线。从当前孢粉植物群含有很多亚热带成分以及麻黄粉属以及胡颓子粉属、忍冬粉属等看,它反映了江汉盆地当时偏干旱的亚热带气候。     

河南潭头、卢氏和灵宝盆地上白垩统一下第三系的划分

在这篇短文中,根据脊椎动物化石的发现,进一步叙述和讨论了豫西潭头、灵宝和卢氏三个盆地的中、新生代地层的划分问题。在这三个盆地的中、新生代堆积物中,属于晚白垩世的有潭头盆地秋扒组和灵宝盆地的南朝组,后一个盆地还可能存在着时代更早的白垩纪地层。在潭头盆地的高峪沟组和大章组中分别找到中古新世的阶齿兽、中兽科和晚古新世的牧兽科、假古猬科化石;在潭头组中发现原恐角兽类和古脊齿兽类化石,时代为早始新世。在灵宝盆地的项城群中尚未找到哺乳类化石,可能包括古新世和始新世早中期的堆积。卢氏盆地的卢氏组和锄钩峪组以及灵宝盆地的川口组和浑水河组的时代为晚始新世。卢氏组下部和川口组或许可延至中始新世。     

First Report: Trace Fossil Assemblage Ptychoplasma (P. excelsum,P. vagans), Dendroidichnites (D. irregulare), Ctenopholeus (?C. kutcheri) and Bergaueria (B. hemispherica) in the Cretaceous Rocks of Bagh Formation,Mainland Gujarat,India

Abstract

This report documents the discovery of repichnia trace fossils Ptychoplasma (P. excelsum and P. vagans) and Dendroidichnites (D. irregulare); the fodichnia traces ?Ctenopholeus (?C. kutcheri) and cubichnia traces Bergaueria (B. hemishperica) from silty limestones of the Cretaceous Bagh Formation. These trace fossils have significant implications for the depositional facies and the paleo-environmental interpretations of the Bagh Formation, which have long been debated. Previously identified traces of Protovirgularia were also found in association with the newly discovered trace fossils, indicating the coexistence of both wedge and cleft-foot bivalves. The western area of the mainland Gujarat is known for its abundance and diversity of trace fossils. The trace fossil bearing Cretaceous rocks in the region occur as thin irregular detached patches and linear outcrops. Previous studies documenting trace fossil assemblages from the Bagh Formation characterised them as a combination of dwelling, feeding and locomotion forms, with the stratigraphic unit becoming less fossiliferous westward. Trace fossils in this formation have been studied and described by many workers in the surrounding areas; however, ichnofossils described in this study are new to the Bagh Formation in this area. These trace fossils were observed on recently exposed outcrops along road cuts associated with new road construction from Khasra to Mogra village around Kadipani in Mainland Gujarat.     

Wing Shape of Four New Bee Fossils (Hymenoptera: Anthophila) Provides Insights to Bee Evolution

Bees (Anthophila) are one of the major groups of angiosperm-pollinating insects and accordingly are widely studied in both basic and applied research, for which it is essential to have a clear understanding of their phylogeny, and evolutionary history. Direct evidence of bee evolutionary history has been hindered by a dearth of available fossils needed to determine the timing and tempo of their diversification, as well as episodes of extinction. Here we describe four new compression fossils of bees from three different deposits (Miocene of la Cerdanya, Spain; Oligocene of Céreste, France; and Eocene of the Green River Formation, U.S.A.). We assess the similarity of the forewing shape of the new fossils with extant and fossil taxa using geometric morphometrics analyses. Predictive discriminant analyses show that three fossils share similar forewing shapes with the Apidae [one of uncertain tribal placement and perhaps near Euglossini, one definitive bumble bee (Bombini), and one digger bee (Anthophorini)], while one fossil is more similar to the Andrenidae. The corbiculate fossils are described as Euglossopteryx biesmeijeri De Meulemeester, Michez, & Engel, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Euglossopteryx Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) and Bombus cerdanyensis Dehon, De Meulemeester, & Engel, sp. nov. They provide new information on the distribution and timing of particular corbiculate groups, most notably the extension into North America of possible Eocene-Oligocene cooling-induced extinctions. Protohabropoda pauli De Meulemeester & Michez, gen. nov. sp. nov. (type species of Protohabropoda Dehon & Engel, n. gen.) reinforces previous hypotheses of anthophorine evolution in terms of ecological shifts by the Oligocene from tropical to mesic or xeric habitats. Lastly, a new fossil of the Andreninae, Andrena antoinei Michez & De Meulemeester, sp. nov., further documents the presence of the today widespread genus Andrena Fabricius in the Late Oligocene of France.     

河南西峡盆地含恐龙蛋地层中无脊椎动物化石的首次发现

河南省西南部西峡盆地以含有大量的恐龙蛋化石而著称。以往研究限于化石证据不足,使得对含恐龙蛋地层时代认识上存在较大分歧。本次研究在西峡盆地含恐龙蛋地层中首次发现了无脊椎动物化石,如双壳类、叶肢介、腹足类和介形类。从而确定含化石层位的时代为晚白垩世中期。     

A new sphenodontian (Lepidosauria: Rhynchocephalia) from the Late Triassic of Argentina and the early origin of the herbivore opisthodontians

Sphenodontians were a successful group of rhynchocephalian reptiles that dominated the fossil record of Lepidosauria during the Triassic and Jurassic. Although evidence of extinction is seen at the end of the Laurasian Early Cretaceous, they appeared to remain numerically abundant in South America until the end of the period. Most of the known Late Cretaceous record in South America is composed of opisthodontians, the herbivorous branch of Sphenodontia, whose oldest members were until recently reported to be from the Kimmeridgian–Tithonian (Late Jurassic). Here, we report a new sphenodontian, Sphenotitan leyesi gen. et sp. nov., collected from the Upper Triassic Quebrada del Barro Formation of northwestern Argentina. Phylogenetic analysis identifies Sphenotitan as a basal member of Opisthodontia, extending the known record of opisthodontians and the origin of herbivory in this group by 50 Myr.     

A new fossil flower from the Turonian of New Jersey: Dressiantha bicarpellata gen. et sp. nov. (Capparales)

Recent discoveries of fossil reproductive structures from deposits of the Raritan Formation in New Jersey (Turonian, Upper Cretaceous, ~90 million years BP) include a previously undescribed representative of the Order Capparales. The fossils are usually charcoalified with three-dimensional structure and excellent anatomical details. In the present contribution, we introduce a taxon represented by fossil flowers that have a combination of characters now found in the families of the Order Capparales sensu Cronquist. The fossil species is characterized by an unique suite of characters, such as the presence of a gynophore, arrangement of the sepals, unequal petal size, monothecal anthers, and a bicarpellate gynoecium, that are found in extant families of the Order Capparales. This new taxon constitutes an important addition to our understanding of Cretaceous angiosperm diversity and represents the oldest known fossil record for the Capparales. Heretofore, the oldest known capparalean was from the Late Tertiary sediments of North America.     

Mesofossils with platanaceous affinity from the Dakota Formation (Cretaceous) in Kansas, USA

The Platanaceae holds a basal position in the phylogeny of eudicots and therefore is of great interest to angiosperm systematists. The fossil record of the family is found in strata ranging from the Cretaceous to Recent in America, Europe and Asia. The research on the Platanaceae in the Dakota Formation can be traced back to 19th century; however, mesofossils of reproductive organs of the Platanaceae were never reported in the Midwest of North America before. This paper reports several specimens of Friisicarpus (Platanaceae) from the Dakota Formation in Kansas, USA. It complements the existing fossil records, and provides more information on reproductive biology of the family. The comparison with similar fossils from eastern North America and Europe provides some hints on biostratigraphy of the Cretaceous.     

壳斗科的地质历史及其系统学和植物地理学意义

在收集整理现有壳斗科化石资料的基础上,讨论了壳斗科及其各属的起源时间、地史分布和地史 演替过程以及这些化石资料在系统学和植物地理学上的意义。白垩纪尚无壳斗科可靠的大化石记录, 微化石需要进一步研究才能确定亲缘关系以及古新世壳斗科已经分化出两个类群。从以上这些事实推 论壳斗科起源于白垩纪晚期,而壳斗科现代各属出现的时间应不晚于古新世。最早发现的壳斗科化石和现代栗亚科和水青冈亚科在形态结构上非常相似,这一事实表明,壳斗科分为两个亚科的观点更接近客观事实。在水青冈亚科中,三棱栎类的化石最早出现;在栎属中,青冈亚属更接近祖先类群;在地史中全缘栎类较具齿栎类出现早,粗齿的落叶栎类出现最晚。三棱栎属、栲属和石栎属的化石在老第三纪出现于北美和欧洲的事实说明,北美、欧洲和东亚在老第三纪时有一个相通的壳斗科植物区系。南美的三棱栎是通过北美进入南美的。中国横断山、欧洲地中海沿岸和北美西北部有一类形态特征相似、亲缘关系相近的硬叶栎类,它们之间有相同的地质演替历史,它们现代分布边界可能就是古地中海的边界。美洲的栎类有两个来源,常绿硬叶栎类是通过古地中海沿岸而经北美-欧洲陆桥到达的,落叶栎类则是在中新世以后通过白令海峡到达的。     

内蒙古海拉尔盆地南部地区晚白垩世青元岗组介形类

内蒙古海拉尔盆地南部探井青元岗组红色碎屑岩中发现较丰富的介形类化石,即下段的Ahanicypris obesa-Talicypridea triangulata组合和上段的Chinocypridea augusta-Talicypridea qingyuangangensis组合,这些介形类化石地方性色彩强烈,表现为以具冠状壳喙类型的Ahanicypris,Talicypridea,Chinocypridea和网纹发育的Harbinia等属繁盛为特征,反映了中国东北地区晚白垩世晚期介形类动物群面貌。根据介形类化石组合特征及其分布规律,可以与松辽盆地晚白垩世四方台组的介形类动物群对比,时代为晚白垩世Maastrichtian期。     

Fossils of the Fagaceae and their implications in systematics and biogeography

The fossil history of the Fagaceae from China and its systematic and biogeographic implications are discussed based on revisionary studies of the fossil records. No creditable macrofossil record of the Fagaceae exists in the Cretaceous deposits and all the Cretaceous microfossil reports remain equivocal and require further study. The Paleocene fossils show the appearance and diversification of the two groups corresponding to the subfamilies Fagoideae and Castaneoideae sensu Nixon. By the Eocene, all modern genera had been present. The oldest fagaceous fossils represent subfamily Fagoideae with affinities to the extant genus Trigonobalanus. The leaf fossil genus Berryophyllum, with affinities to Quercus subg. Cyclobalanopsis, has been documented by the early Eocene and might have occurred earlier than other fossils assignable to Quercus. The appearance of evergreen sclerophyllous Ouercus with entire leaves might have occurred earlier than those with toothed leaves. Deciduous, urticoid-leaved oak fossils (Quercus subg. Quercus sect. Quercus) had not appeared until the Miocene. Fossil equivalents of Trigonobalanus, Castanopsis and Lithocarpus had occurred in Europe and North America by the early Tertiary, suggesting that continuous distributions were achieved via the northern hemisphere land bridges. Three groups of evergreen sclerophyllous oaks of apparent close phylogenetic relationships occurred in the Hengduan mountains, the Mediterranean area and northwestern North America. Their fossil forms have become dominant elements of those vegetation zones since the Miocene. A shared fossil history indicates a possible biogeographic boundary formed by the ancient Mediterranean. The evidence suggests that the oaks might arrive in North America during two distinct geologic periods: evergreen sclerophyllous entire-leaved oaks appeared by the Early Tertiary, whereas thedeciduous oaks with urticoid leaves appeared in the Late Tertiary.     

Parataxonomy and palaeobiogeographic significance of dinosaur eggshell fragments from the Upper Cretaceous strata of the Cauvery Basin,South India

Abstract

In the past, fossilised dinosaur eggshells have been extensively documented from the Upper Cretaceous Lameta Formation of Central India and as many as nine oospecies are known at present from this formation. Compared to this, only one dinosaur oospecies has been described from the Cretaceous succession of the Cauvery Basin. However, the first fossil egg from India, identified as a chelonian egg, was documented from the Aptian – Albian Karai Formation of the Cauvery Basin in 1957. Following this, a solitary titanosaurid dinosaur egg was described from the Upper Cretaceous (Lower Maastrichtian) Kallankuruchhi Formation, Cauvery Basin in 1996. More recently, we have recovered isolated eggshell fragments from the marine part of the Upper Cretaceous (Late Maastrichtian) Kallamedu Formation. Based on eggshell morphology, microstructure and ultrastructure, these eggshell fragments are assigned to the oospecies Fusioolithus baghensis. The new find from the Cauvery Basin is important from palaeobiogeographic point of view as the oofamily Fusioolithidae is found in the Upper Cretaceous strata of India, France, Argentina and Morocco. Based on the common occurrence of similar oospecies in South America, Africa, Europe and India, a Late Cretaceous palaeobiogeographic connection between India and South America as well as Europe via Africa is suggested.