希腊莱斯沃斯岛中新世木化石研究进展

希腊莱斯沃斯岛是世界上最为著名的木化石产地之一,出露有由中新世火山活动而形成的大规模矿化森林,保存有大量的植物以及部分动物化石。其中大多数木化石横卧或直立原地埋藏,并保留比较完整的根系,是目前保存最完整的新生代矿化森林生态系统。本文对莱斯沃斯岛已报道的木化石进行详细梳理分析,共计8科15属32种,包括裸子植物6科11属22种,被子植物2科4属10种,并着重介绍了发现自莱斯沃斯的代表性木化石特有类群系统古生物学属性。通过木化石反映的植物类群,初步恢复莱斯沃斯岛中新世属于北半球亚热带气候,总体比较温暖潮湿,有着明显的季节性变化特征。最后对莱斯沃斯岛木化石的埋藏环境进行了简要讨论,并对今后的研究进行了展望。     

鸭绿江香鱼耳石日轮与生长的研究

１９９２年对鸭绿江香鱼耳石日轮与生长进行了研究。人工受精卵胚胎发育后期和前仔鱼期连续剖察表明，受精后约９６小时胚体听囊内出现一对矢耳石，孵出后第２天耳石上出现第一个日轮，之后每天形成一轮。在光镜和扫描电镜下测定了幼、成鱼矢耳石的形态、直径、日轮数及其间距变化。耳石短径（ｖ， μｍ）与鱼体长（ｘ， ｍｍ）呈线性关系， ７５尾幼、成鱼的关系式为ｙ＝３．２８ｘ＋２４８．３０。以耳石日轮数推算其产卵孵化期与实地调查结果一致。耳石日轮数（Ｄ）可用孵化后日数（Ｎ）减１表示。日轮间距有规律性变化，与鱼体生长发育和生态条件密切有关。依据日龄和相关体长体重资料进行了香鱼生长特性研究，用生长方程描绘的生长速度曲线和生长拐点（位于２８３日龄）等均较客观地反映了其生长特点。     

植物对环境的响应——定量重建古气候的研究进展

生物演化的本质是生物遗传物质与外部环境的辩证统一。一方面,植物和环境的协调发展推动植物界自身的演化;另一方面,外部环境的改变在植物的形态结构、生理功能、繁衍机理,以至最终在遗传物质上留下痕迹,这就是植物对环境的响应。从长时间尺度上（可以达到上亿年）研究植物界的发生发展,是一个探讨和理解植物起源与演化的生命科学问题,也是从宏观角度认识生物演化和全球变化的相关关系的环境科学问题。目前,国际上对全球环境变化的研究,正在加大研究的时间尺度和提高研究的精确程度,即在距今百万年至数千万年,甚至更长的时间范围内,从定性到定量的研究和理解全球变化的过程、规律和机制,以便更有效地预测气候的未来变化。本文介绍了最近10年里,采用特有种气候分析法、共存分析法、叶相分析法、植物气孔参数与古大气CO2浓度变化的相关性,定量研究古环境和古气候方面所取得的进展。     

轮叶党参营养成分的研究

本文研究了轮叶党参的茎叶、去皮根及根皮中的营养成分氨基酸、维生素、微量元素的含量。结果显示,这三种营养成分都在根皮中最多,茎叶和去皮根中的含量也都多于一般蔬菜中的含量,为轮叶党参的合理应用提供了科学依据。     

鸭绿江香鱼耳石日轮与生产的研究

１９９２年对鸭绿江香鱼耳石日轮与生长进行了研究。人工受精孵胚胎发育后期和前仔鱼期连续剖察表明,受精后约９６小时胚体听囊内出现一对矢耳石,孵出后第２天耳石上出现第一个日轮,之后每天形成一轮。在当镜和扫描电镜下测定了幼、成鱼矢耳石的形态、直径、日轮数及其间距变化。耳石矩径与鱼体长呈线性关系,７５尾幼、成鱼的关系式为ｙ＝３＼２８ｘ＋２４８．３０     

底质营养盐负荷对轮叶黑藻生长和光合荧光特性的影响

在实验室条件下,研究了用不同营养盐负荷底泥作为底质培育的轮叶黑藻(Hydrilla verticillata(L.f)Royle)的生长的效应,结果表明,在上覆水TN/TP为20-50,TP变化范围在0.03-0.05mg/L内,底质磷相对释放速率为0.33mg/(m.2d)时培育的轮叶黑藻生长最好。轮叶黑藻对环境有较强的适应性,培育期间各组光合荧光参数Fv/Fm,qP,ETRmax随培养时间均明显的升高;在非最佳生长条件下轮叶黑藻能通过自身光合荧光参数qN的升高,耗散掉过剩的光能,来对自身进行保护。     

利用耳石日轮技术研究长江中游草鱼幼鱼的孵化期及生长

根据耳石日轮对2004年采自洞庭湖和新滩口江段的草鱼幼鱼进行日龄(D)鉴定,孵化时间推算以及生长的研究。草鱼幼鱼所有样品体长(BL,mm)生长方程为BL=-53.4195 3.1650D,体重(W,g)生长方程为W=0.9816 e0.0633D,体长体重相关方程为W=0.00001BL3.1003。孵化时间最早为5月14日,最晚为7月11日,主要集中在5月下旬和6月份。研究发现三峡大坝在139m水位运行后长江中游仍有草鱼产卵,最早繁殖时间稍晚于历史记录。     

轮叶党参根皮中微量元素溶出率的研究

为开发利用轮叶党参根皮,用５种不同溶液提取,用荧光法、原子吸收法测定Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ、Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｓｅ等微量元素含量,与原样品中的含量比较,求得各元素在各溶液中的溶出率。结果,Ｆｅ、Ｍｎ、Ｓｅ在酸溶液中,Ｚｎ、Ｃｕ在碱溶液中的溶出率最高,且比传统的水煎、醇提的还要高,值得应用。     

孢粉生态群模型(SEG)及其在古环境研究中的应用

介绍孢粉生态群(Sporomorph EcoGroup,简称SEG)模型的概念、方法及应用。孢粉生态群由荷兰学者Abbink等于1998年最早提出,定义了包括高地、低地、河流、先驱、海岸及潮汐六种SEG类型,并确立了相关古环境的指示参数。该模型成功应用于中生代非海相地层的高分辨率古环境重建、古气候波动及海平面变化等领域的分析与研究。与传统孢粉地层学相比,孢粉生态群模型的优势在于在对高分辨率孢粉记录进行半定量化研究的基础上,可以进行详细的古生态古环境解释,尤为重要的是可以反映出古气候、古环境的波动变化。该模型在中生代孢粉学中率先得到成功应用,涉及三叠纪—白垩纪地层及若干重要地质事件,为中生代非海相地层古环境重建研究提供了有效途径和成功范例,对于我国陆相中生代地层及古环境研究具有积极借鉴意义。     

Application of white cellulose acetate sheets on fossil wood investigation

Generally, transparent cellulose acetate sheets as a peel technique material are used in the identification of fossils, whereas white cellulose acetate sheets as a biochemistry technique material are applied in serum protein electrophoresis (SPE). Here we report the application of white cellulose acetate sheets for identifying a polished fossil wood from the Upper Mesozoic of West Liaoning, China. Based on the characters of transverse, radial, and tangential sections, the fossil wood is ascribed to a taxon of Protoglyptostroboxylon sp. Compared with transparent cellulose acetate sheets, white cellulose acetate sheets not only provide the similar information as that of the former, but also are more easily acquired in the Chinese market than the former. Because peel technique supported by white cellulose acetate sheets has the advantages of simple, time-saving, safe, reliable, and practical operation with lower material loss, it is a very good choice for the polished fossil wood investigation in labs, museums, geological parks, and handicraft shops. It is also a convenient approach to training students to learn the anatomic structure of fossil wood.     

Biogeographic analysis of Jurassic-Early Cretaceous wood assemblages from Gondwana

The terrestrial biogeography of Gondwana during Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times is poorly resolved, and the flora is usually considered to have been rather uniform. This is surprising given the size of Gondwana, which extended from the equator to the South Pole. Documenting Gondwanan terrestrial floristic provincialism in the Jurassic-Early Cretaceous times is important because it provides a historical biogeographic context in which to understand the tremendous evolutionary radiations that occurred during the mid-Cretaceous. In this paper, the distribution of Jurassic-Early Cretaceous fossil wood is analysed at generic level across the entire supercontinent. Specifically, wood assemblages are analyzed in terms of five climatic zones (summer wet, desert, winter wet, warm temperate, cool temperate) established on the basis of independent data. Results demonstrate that araucarian-like conifer wood was a dominant, cosmopolitan element, whereas other taxa showed a greater degree of provincialism. Indeed, several narrowly endemic morphogenera are recognizable from the data. Finally, comparisons with Laurasian wood assemblages indicate strong parallelism between the vegetation of both hemispheres.     

Effects of growth temperature and winter duration on leaf phenology of Erythronium japonicum,a forest spring geophyte

The effects of growth temperature and winter duration on the leaf phenology of Erythronium japonicum were examined in two experiments. Bulbs wintered in the field were cultivated at 10 and 20° C and the bulbs were cultivated at 15° C after chilling treatment at 3° C for 60 and 120 days and without chilling in winter. The plants cultivated at 20° C showed significantly earlier leaf emergence, a more rapid rate of leaf extension and shorter leaf longevity than those cultivated at 10° C. The decrease in the leaf longevity at 20° C resulted from the decreases in the durations of all of the developmental, mature, and senescent phases. The bulbs without chilling treatment did not sprout leaves and those with chilling treatment sprouted leaves. The increase in the length of chilling treatment from 60 to 120 days affected leaf phenology in same manner as the increase in the growth temperature from 10 to 20° C.     

Altered growth with blue rings: comparison of radial growth and wood anatomy between trampled and non-trampled Scots pine roots

Our understanding of wood anatomy and radial growth in tree roots remains very incomplete, particularly with respect to how ecological factors affect root growth at a relatively small spatial scale, i.e., within a single root system. Here, we compared root growth with and without trampling exposure on a hiking trail. We conducted a quantitative analysis of radial growth and wood anatomical changes, including compression wood (CW) and blue rings (BRs), of two adjacent Scots pine roots in high resolution. A total of 32 cross sections from two roots sampled every 25 cm at the same distance from the respective stem were compared. The buried root (B) was completely buried and had an unexposed segment on a hiking trail. In contrast, the exposed root (E) had an exposed segment that was trampled. 1706 growth rings were analysed for the common period 1954–2015.We found that the volume of the E root in the trampling zone exceeded ten times the volume of the B root. The root surface area of the exposed sections of the E root was on average 14 times larger than that of the unexposed B root section in the trampling zone. The highest number of missing rings was found in the B root. Root sections sampled at the shortest distance from the stem showed the highest coherence in radial growth pattern, which decreased with increasing distance from the stem.BRs were recognized for the first time in tree roots. In total 25 tree rings contained BRs, and their occurrence was restricted to cross sections of the exposed root. BRs were formed over the course of 25 calendar years, i.e., in 40% of tree rings from the common period 1954–2015. Mean monthly temperatures for the years with and without BRs formation showed that colder November (p = 0. 012) and, albeit only slightly, colder September (p = 0.051) temperatures favoured formation of BRs in Scots pine roots. In addition, mean monthly precipitation in July (p = 0.017) was significantly higher for BR years, suggesting an impact of moisture availability on the formation of BRs in Scots pine roots. The study highlights a high rate of growth discrepancies within a single root system. Further, altered growth of trampled roots with high proportions of BRs opens a new challenge for future dendroecological studies on tree roots.     

A report on biocompounds from palm fossil of India

The occurrence of a large number of fossil woods having resemblance in anatomical features with the modern palm genus, Phoenix L in Deccan Intertrappean fossil flora of Maastrichtian-Danian age (i. e. Late Cretaceous and Earliest Tertiary (65-67 my)) indicates the most primitive record of date palm. Present discovery of biocompounds from fossil wood of Phoenix collected from Deccan Intertrappean having affinity with the biocompounds known from modern plant further exemplify the earliest documentation of Phoenix in Indian peninsula.     

Hemiptelea mikii sp. nov. (Ulmaceae), fossil fruits and woods from the pleistocene of central Japan

A new fossil species,Hemiptelea mikii, is described on the basis of fruits from the Pleistocene of central Japan. It is distinguished fromH. davidii, the only extant species of the genus restricted to Korea and China, in having shorter fruits. Fossil woods discovered from the same horizon differ from the extant one in some anatomical characteristics, and are assigned to the new fossil species. Taken together with earlier records of fossil fruit occurrence in the early and the middle Pleistocene of central Japan, the latest finding of fossil fruits and woods from the last glacial sediments (ca. 50,000 years ago) at Kita-egota site of Tokyo suggests thatH. mikii was widespread in central Japan throughout the Pleistocene and survived until as late as the Last Glacial age.     

Computed tomography and biomechanical analysis of fossil long bones.

Computerized transverse axial scanning (computed tomography) is a relatively new radiographic technique designed to recover precise cross-sectional images (tomograms) of 3-dimensional objects. This highly sensitive process permits tissues of similar density to be separated and displayed unambiguously. These special features are, therefore, ideal for analyzing the cross-sectional geometry of intact fossil long bones, even when they are highly mineralized and their medullary cavities are occluded by matrix. In order to demonstrate the utility of this method in assessing the complex relationship between fossil structure and probable function, geometrical and biomechanical properties of midshaft tomograms of femora and tibiae have been analyzed for a comparative primate sample consisting of Megaladapis edwardsi (an extinct giant prosimian from Madagascar), Indri indri (the largest extant prosimian), and Homo sapiens.     

Effects of growth temperature and winter duration on leaf phenology of a spring ephemeral (Gagea lutea) and a summergreen forb (Maianthemum dilatatum)

Effects of growth temperature and winter duration on leaf longevity were compared between a spring ephemeral, Gagea lutea, and a forest summergreen forb, Maianthemum dilatatum. The plants were grown at day/night temperatures of 25/20°C and 15/10°C after a chilling treatment for variable periods at 2°C. The temperature regime of 25/20°C was much higher than the mean air temperatures for both species in their native habitats. Warm temperature of 25/20°C and/or long chilling treatment shortened leaf longevity in G. lutea, but not in M. dilatatum. The response of G. lutea was consistent with that reported for other spring ephemerals. Air temperature increases as the vegetative season progresses. The decrease in leaf longevity in G. lutea under warm temperature condition ensures leaf senescence in summer, an unfavorable season for its growth. This also implies that early leaf senescence could occur in years with early summers. Warm spring temperatures have been shown to accelerate the leafing-out of forest trees. The decrease in leaf longevity due to warm temperature helps synchronize the period of leaf senescence roughly with the time of the forest canopy leaf-out. Prolonged winter due to late snowmelt has been shown to shorten the vegetative period for spring ephemerals. The decrease in leaf longevity due to long chilling treatment would correspond with this shortened vegetative period.