云南昭通早泥盆世肉鳍鱼类—新属(英文)

记述了产于云南昭通早泥盆世布拉格期基干肺鱼形动物一新属、新种——多孔弓鱼(Arquatichthys porosus gen.et sp.nov.)。新材料包括一件较为完整的下颌和鳞片若干。与基干肺鱼形动物相近的特征有:第四下齿骨水平凹线呈"L"形;下颌表面可见许多不规则排列的感觉管开孔;具三块冠状骨;冠状骨侧部为宽阔的小齿带;侧联合齿骨附着区较小;颌收肌窝大;菱形鳞片具明显的前腹突。鉴别特征包括下颌背缘明显隆起,以及后缘具加长的被覆压区。多孔弓鱼的发现为探讨肉鳍鱼类的早期分化提供了新的资料,在早期肉鳍鱼类的系统发育关系框架下讨论了鳞片的特征演化序列。     

四足动物起源假说的回顾与现状

研究历史表明，导致四足动物亲缘关系的假说发生变化是现生或化石种类的发现，而不是新学说的出现。目前，四足动物与希望螈类（elpistostegids），以及这两个类群与骨鳞鱼类的姊妹群关系已被接受。通过比较肉鳍鱼类相互关系的最新假说，可以看出其中三种假说可能性最大，概率几乎相同，即肺鱼不是四足动物的近亲而与不同的肉鳍鱼类可能有亲缘关系。具新性状的基位肉鳍鱼类的发现或者性状状态极向的重新解释会有助于解决肺鱼类在支序图中的位置。     

生物发展史的大事件——鱼登上了陆地

在泥盆纪早期,距今约四亿年前后,硬骨鱼类已分化为两大类群:一群为肉鳍鱼类——它们的偶鳍为肉质型,可能还有肺,这一类群包括总鳍鱼类和肺鱼类;另一类群为辐鳍鱼类——包括现今还生存的大部分硬骨鱼类。肉鳍鱼类绝大部分已绝灭,仅在澳大利亚、非洲、南美保存了三个肺鱼属,在印度洋科摩罗群岛附近的深海中,保存了一个总鳍鱼类分支的后裔——矛尾鱼(拉蒂曼鱼)。鱼类是早期的脊椎动物,陆生脊椎动物是从具有肺及肉质偶鳍的鱼类进化来的,从水中生活的鱼类进化到陆地生活的四足类,涉及复     

肉鳍鱼类脑颅最新研究揭示硬骨鱼类崛起之路

正中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所朱敏团队卢静等人联合英国牛津大学、美国密歇根大学学者,对云南昭通早泥盆世布拉格期(约4.1亿年前)一新的基干肉鳍鱼类短耳褶纹鱼(Ptyctolepis brachynotus gen.et sp.nov.)的脑颅化石进行了详细研究,提取其中复杂而出乎意料的形态特征信息,显示斑鳞鱼类(斑鳞鱼、无孔鱼和鬼鱼)可能比过去所认为的更加原始,非常接近辐鳍鱼类和肉鳍鱼类共同的祖先。新研究在相当程度上推进了学界对最早期硬骨鱼类     

辽宁早白垩世今鸟类一新属种(Jianchangornis microdonta gen.et sp.nov.)(英文)

依据一近完整的相关节的骨骼化石,记述了辽宁建昌早白垩世九佛堂组原始今鸟类一新属种:小齿建昌鸟(Jianchangornis microdonta gen.et sp.nov.)。新鸟个体较大,但从骨化程度分析,正型标本可能属于一亚成年个体。具有一些进步特征,如胸骨及龙骨突加长,乌喙骨具有发育的前乌喙突以及和肩胛骨关联的关节窝,叉骨"U"字型,愈合荐椎包括9-10枚荐椎,尾综骨短小,第二、三掌骨远端愈合,跗跖骨完全愈合等,表明新属无疑属于今鸟类。在以下特征组合上很容易和已知的早白垩世今鸟类化石相区别:齿骨上至少有16枚细小牙齿,从齿骨前端向后沿齿骨大部密集排列;肩胛骨强烈弯曲;第一掌骨粗壮,较其他掌骨宽;第一指长并且远端延伸明显超过第二掌骨;肱骨+尺骨+第二掌骨与股骨+胫跗骨+跗跖骨的长度比例约为1.1。系统发育分析表明新属属于基干的今鸟类。新发现的材料第二、三掌骨远端愈合很好,但近端却未完全愈合,这一特征尚未见于其他已知鸟类,或许表明今鸟类腕掌骨的愈合和现生鸟类的跗跖骨一样是从远端开始的,不同于反鸟类和其他基干鸟类。建昌鸟的下颌还保存了一个前齿骨,这是继早白垩世红山鸟之后的另一例报道,可能进一步表明这一结构在今鸟类中曾普遍出现。新鸟肩带、胸骨和前肢的特征显示了和现代鸟类相近的飞行能力,其后肢、脚趾的比例以及趾爪的形态等显示和燕鸟、义县鸟等相似的地栖特征。保存于标本上的鱼类残骸可能显示了建昌鸟食鱼类的习性。今鸟类新属种的发现进一步表明,早白垩世这一进步鸟类类群的分化已不亚于反鸟类,湖滨环境在今鸟类的早期演化中确实扮演了重要的角色。     

云南沾益早泥盆世肺鱼类一新种

记述了云南沾益地区下泥盆统穿洞组肺鱼化石一新种——多脊混磨鱼(Tarachomylax multicostatus sp.nov.),归入标本包括一件左上齿板、一块B骨、一块可能是3骨的骨片和6个零散鳞片。主要特征:齿板内侧及后侧边缘被小齿(denticles)覆盖;齿脊11-12列,齿板中缘与最后一列齿脊夹角约135°;内翼骨侧凹不明显,后侧部窄小呈尖状;B骨和J骨上的前凹线沟相连;鳞片出露区与被覆压区之间有小齿瘤带。     

大山口低等四足类动物群中的两栖类：甘肃玉门晚二叠世脊椎动？…

首次记述了大山口低等四足类动物群中的两栖类,其中走廓泰齿螈（Ｉｎｇｅｎｔｉｄｅｎｓｃｏｒｒｉｄｏｒｉｃｕｓｇｅｎ．ｅｔｓｐ．ｎｏｖ）和祁连兄弟迟滞螈（Ｐｈｒａｔｏｃｈｒｏｎｉｓｑｉｌｉａｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｇｅｎ．ｅｔ．ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ）为石炭蜥目迟滞鳄科（Ａｎｔｈｒａｃｏｓａｕｒｉａ,Ｃｈｒｏｎｉｏｓｕｃｈｉｄａｅ）的新成员,前者个体较大,具为数众多的犬齿状齿和齿骨表面的齿骨沟,冠状骨无齿,下颌表面纹饰蜂     

变色树蜥骨骼系统的解剖

用透明骨骼标本染色法制作变色树蜥的骨骼标本,并对其骨骼系统进行了全面的描述.其骨骼可分为中轴骨骼(包括头骨、脊柱、胸骨、肋骨)和附肢骨骼(包括肩带、腰带、前肢骨、后肢骨).其头骨呈梨形,眼眶完整.颈椎8枚,胸椎4枚,腰椎11枚,荐椎2枚,尾椎多于34枚.有颈肋4对,胸肋4对,腰肋11对.表现出了一系列进化特征,如前颌骨愈合成1块,额骨也愈合成1块,颧骨消失,鳞骨变小,犁骨薄弱,下颌夹板骨与齿骨、冠状骨及隅骨之间的骨缝不明显,愈合程度较高.     

贵州三叠纪海龙类化石-新材料

记述了贵州关岭晚三叠世早期法郎组瓦窑段新的海龙标本一个基本完整的侧向挤压头骨及下颌(中国科学院古脊椎动物与古人类研究所标本编号V11860).根据图版,它与尹恭正等(2000)建立并归入鱼龙目Cymbospondylidae科的孙氏“新铺鱼龙”(Xinpusaurussuni)极为相似.但是由于从文章中得不到头部关键性状的描述,并且本文第一作者到贵阳也不被允许观察标本,目前只有依据与正模图版的对比将V11860标本暂定为孙氏新铺龙相似种(XinpusauruscfXsuni).由于系统分类位置的改变,建议将该属的中文名称由“新铺鱼龙”改为新铺龙.迄今为止,在所有海龙类头骨中此标本提供了最多可以观察到的性状,包括脑颅侧面的特征.这是一类小型的海龙,吻部中等长度,微微向腹面倾斜;上颌骨前端背向弯曲,此处牙齿扩大且向前平伏;头骨前部的牙齿(前颌骨、上颌骨前部、齿骨)圆锥形,较突出,而靠后部的牙齿可能较圆钝(保存不完整);前颌骨与上颌骨牙齿间无明显间隙;犁骨和翼骨具齿;下颌细长,齿骨联合部窄.长的齿骨大约占下颌长度的2/3.基于18个性状进行了初步的支序分析,结果表明新铺龙与北美的Nectosaurus关系最近.但受海龙类化石保存所限,提供性状较少,支序分析对此结果的支持较弱.目前只能说海龙类是一个化石发现尚少的广布类群.关岭动物群目前包括海龙类、鱼龙类及楯齿龙类.其中中国豆齿龙(Sinocyamodus)(李淳,2000)是中国第一个楯齿龙类,安顺龙(Anshunsaurus)(刘俊,1999)是海龙类在中国的首次发现.     

浅谈肺鱼

众所周知,鱼类通常用鳃呼吸,用鳔来调节身体的比重。但有些鱼类可以用鳔呼吸,如肺鱼、多鳍鱼、全骨鱼类、巨骨舌鱼、荫鱼、长颌鱼、脂鲤等。在此重点谈谈闻名世界的肺鱼类(Bipnoi)。肺鱼是一类与总鳍鱼有着类似历史的古老动物,它出现于早泥盆纪,并在二迭纪时繁盛起来。到了三迭纪时,肺鱼的种类和数量均大为减少。至今全世界现存肺鱼仅三属六种,且均生活在淡水中,学者们称之为“活化石”。这三个属是:澳大利亚肺鱼属(Neoceratodus),亦称“新角齿鱼”,是较原始的类群,如澳大利亚肺鱼[N.forsteri     

The postparietal shield of the Pragian dipnomorph Arquatichthys and its implications for the rhipidistian cranial anatomy

Rhipidistians comprise dipnomorphs (the lungfish lineage) and tetrapodomorphs (the tetrapod lineage). Arquatichthys porosus Lu and Zhu, 2008 is a Pragian dipnomorph from the Posongchong Formation of Zhaotong, Yunnan, South China (∼409 million years ago, Early Devonian), previously represented by a lower jaw and few scattered scales. Here we describe a newly-discovered postparietal shield of Arquatichthys by means of high-resolution computed tomography. The cranial morphology of Arquatichthys resembles that of the basal dipnomorph Powichthys in having more than two supratemporal bones each side, more than one row of openings for sensory canals on the marginal bones, and a straight posterior margin of the shield. An intricate occipital artery system is present between the skull roof and neurocranium, as in Youngolepis and the tetrapodomorph Eusthenopteron. The discovery of the postparietal shield of Arquatichthys adds new evidence in the cranial evolution of rhipidistians, and helps to improve our understanding of the character transformations during the early diversification of rhipidistians.     

江西池江盆地上古新统一种类似偶蹄类的古有蹄类

奇蹄类和偶蹄类是现代的主要有蹄动物,它们的起源一直是古哺乳动物学界关心的课题。近年来的发现表明,在早始新世奇蹄类出现之前,亚洲已有牙齿形态与奇蹄类相近的有蹄类存在。偶蹄类的情况可能也是如此,这里记述的古新世新村里赣蹄兽就是一个明证。新村里赣蹄兽(Ganungulatum xincunliense gen.et sp.nov.)化石产于江西大余青龙镇新村里附近的晚古新世池江组滥泥坑段,化石地点编号为72035(76)。在同一地点还发现南方古对锥兽Archaeoryctes notialis Zheng,1979和滥泥坑赣脊兽Ganolophus lanikenensis Zhang,1979。赣蹄兽材料为一对不完整的下颌骨,右下颌骨保存i2-3,c和p4-m3,左下颌骨存有p3-m3(IVPP V 14154)。其特征是下齿式为3?·1·4·3;i3与颊齿列平行,i2稍有些斜;犬齿小;p3有初始的跟座,p4三角座明显,跟座小;下臼齿为丘形齿,牙齿由m1向m3增大,三角座前后收缩,下前尖位于舌侧,并靠近下后尖,下后尖较下原尖靠后,m3有一增大的跟座,跟盆向舌侧开放。新村里赣蹄兽下颊齿低冠,呈丘形齿,下臼齿三角座前后收缩和m3下次小尖增大等特征,说明了赣蹄兽与亚洲古新世地层中常见的真兽类,例如(?)兽类、裂齿类、中兽类和全齿类不同,而与Prothero et al.(1988)提出的有蹄类(Ungulata)牙齿相似,表现出与某些有蹄类密切相关。与已知的晚白垩世和古新世有蹄类比较,赣蹄兽与"踝节类"("condylarths")中的豕齿类(hyopsodontids)和眛兽类(mioclaenids)比较相近。但从其下犬齿小,p4相对较大,臼齿化程度高,以及下臼齿下前尖在舌面位置和与下后尖接近等特征来看,赣蹄兽更接近mioclaenids。修仁古亚兽(Palasiodon siurensis)是亚洲仅有的mioclaenid,产于广东南雄盆地下古新统上湖组,但在牙齿形态上容易与这里记述的赣蹄兽区别,古亚兽下颊齿短宽,m3很退化。与其他已知的mioclaenids比较,赣蹄兽在大小上和牙齿形态上与北美Torrejonian的Litaletes disjunctus最接近,两者都有小的匙状的下犬齿,相对臼齿化的p4,下臼齿下前尖向舌侧位移,前、后齿带无或很弱,m3增大。但赣蹄兽明显不同于,J.disjunctus,前者p3更小,更简单,p4下前尖更小,跟座不成盆状,下臼齿下前尖较大,更加舌位,并与下后尖靠近,下后尖在下原尖的后侧,m3下内尖不明显。由此可见,赣蹄兽下颊齿和已知的"踝节类"是可以区别的,但更重要的区别点是在下颌骨的前面部分。在与arctocyonids、hyopsodontids和phenacodontids等"踝节类"对比时,我们发现赣蹄兽和"踝节类"之间的重大差异在于下门齿的排列上。这些"踝节类"的三个下门齿密集地排列在下颌骨的前端,呈圆弧状,与颊齿列斜交,而赣蹄兽的i3与颊齿列平行,i2稍斜。赣蹄兽下门齿的排列形式与早期偶蹄类Diacodexis pakistanensis相似,在亚洲始新世的Gobiohyus robuxtus和Lophiomeryx angarae也有类似的情况。赣蹄兽与Diacodexis、Gobiohyus和Wutuhyus等早期的偶蹄类的相似之处还在于下颌骨形态,较细长,较浅,下颌骨深度向前变浅,下臼齿向后增大,下前尖在舌面位置,下后尖在下原尖的后面,m1-2下次小尖在后缘上,m3下次小尖增大,并形成第三叶。但在p3-4形态上,赣蹄兽与这些早期偶蹄类不同,赣蹄兽明显比早期偶蹄类复杂,即臼齿化程度较高。赣蹄兽保留了像某些"踝节类"(如Litaletes)的p3-4,而它的下门齿排列却与早期偶蹄类相似。赣蹄兽下臼齿形态与早期偶蹄类具有相似性,因而不能归入"踝节目"已知科,很有可能代表与偶蹄类相关的一支古有蹄类。赣蹄兽的发现也为偶蹄类起源打开了新思路。     

Inflorescence and floral development in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trochodendron aralioides</Emphasis> (Trochodendraceae)

In the early development of Trochodendron aralioides (Trochodendraceae) inflorescences lateral flowers are initiated after the appearance of the floral pherophylls (subtending bracts). The terminal flower is preceded by metaxyphylls and is initiated earlier than the uppermost lateral flowers of the botryoid inflorescence. Small scales (interpreted as rudimentary perianth organs) precede the stamens. These scales are more distinct in the terminal flower than in the lateral flowers. In the radially symmetrical terminal flower, small scales (or metaxyphylls) and stamens are initiated in a spiral during early development. At anthesis, stamen phyllotaxis appears irregular or approximately whorled as a result of the rapid elongation and irregular slight curvature of the stamen filaments which distorts the originally regular pattern. Finally, the numerous carpels arise simultaneously in a single whorl. It takes about 9 months for flowers to develop and the 2-year reproductive cycle of T. aralioides is typical of many trees. The floral development of T. aralioides is compared with that of other basal eudicots. The bottle-shaped, unicellular stigmatic papillae and long, decurrent stigma of basally united carpels are similar to those of the Buxales¸ suggesting a close relationship.     

Brief communication: cutmarks on a plio-pleistocene hominid from Sterkfontein, South Africa

Cutmarks inflicted by a stone tool were observed on the right maxilla of Stw 53, an early hominid partial skull from Sterkfontein "Member 5" (South Africa). The morphology of the marks, their anatomical placement, and the lack of random striae on the specimen all support an interpretation of this linear damage as cutmarks. The location of the marks on the lateral aspect of the zygomatic process of the maxilla is consistent with that expected from slicing through the masseter muscle, presumably to remove the mandible from the cranium. Although radioisotopic dates are not available and relative faunal dating of the deposit from which Stw 53 derives is problematic, the morphology of the hominid skull suggests a Plio-Pleistocene age for the specimen. This therefore constitutes the earliest unambiguous evidence that hominids disarticulated the remains of one another.     

A NEW EARLY DEVONIAN THELODONT FROM CELTIBERIA (SPAIN), WITH A REVISION OF SPANISH THELODONTS

Abstract:  A revision of thelodont scales from the Lower Devonian of the Iberian Chains enables their grouping into two taxa: Turinia pagei and T. nachoi sp. nov. These taxa are clearly distinguishable by morphological and histological features; they also have a different stratigraphic range ( T. pagei is restricted to Lochkovian strata, whereas T. nachoi sp. nov. occurs within lower–middle Pragian rocks). The new species is represented by head, transitional (cephalopectoral) and trunk scales.     

沟角叶蜂属分类研究(膜翅目,叶蜂科)并记一新种

修订了沟角叶蜂属的属征,编制了已知种分种检索表.记述沟角叶蜂属3种,含1新种:红斑沟角叶蜂Casipteryx maculatina sp.nov.,新种触角窝上突、触角基部2节全部、第3节基半部、唇基端半部、上颚背侧大部、翅基片、腹部第3背板桔褐色,前翅翅痣下具烟色横带,2Rs室稍长于1R1 1Rs室之和,腹部背板具金属铜色光泽,单眼后区侧沟显著,触角鞭节长于头宽,第3节约等于其后2节之和,复眼下缘间距等宽于复眼高,体毛稍长于单眼直径等,与本属已知2种均明显不同;此外,新种中胸腹板具强腹刺突,侧板刻纹粗糙不平,无光滑间隙,小盾片尖锥型隆起,后头两侧显著收缩,唇基前缘两侧亚中部具1尖刺突,腹部第2背板两侧黑色,无白斑,前翅2M室长大于宽等与C.stigma Nie et Wei不同;上唇端部具弧形缺口,内眶背面观不明显突出于复眼之外等,与C.roborowskyi(Jakovlev)也不相同.新种模式标本保存于中南林业科技大学昆虫标本馆.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Abudefduf nigrimargo</Emphasis>, a new species of damselfish (Perciformes: Pomacentridae) from Taiwan

A new species of damselfish, Abudefduf nigrimargo (Pomacentridae), is described on the basis of six specimens (91.8–119.5 mm standard length; SL) from Taiwan. Although similar to A. caudobimaculatus Okada and Ikeda 1939, A. saxatilis (Linnaeus 1758), A. troschelii (Gill 1862) and A. vaigiensis (Quoy and Gaimard 1825) in having five dark bands on the lateral surface of the body with yellowish interspaces dorsally, the new species can be distinguished from the others by the following combination of characters: 18–19 (mode 19) pectoral-fin rays; 20–23 (22) tubed lateral-line scales; 7–8 (7)?+?14–16 (16)?=?21–24 (23) gill rakers; relatively greater body depth and longer pectoral-fin length [57.3–60.8% (mean 59.0%) of SL and 36.8–40.8% (38.5%) of SL, respectively]; 5 scale rows on cheek; scales on suborbit, usually continuous over basal area of lacrimal; many scales on anteroventral region of head; scale covering on preopercle and interopercle continuous; scales on dorsal and lateral body surfaces with blackish margin (indistinct in subadult), second and third black bands on body not extending dorsally onto membranes of spinous dorsal fin; anterior and upper margins of fourth black band usually level with sixth dorsal-fin soft ray base and not extending onto small scales on the dorsal-fin base, respectively; and caudal-fin base without black spots.     

Teruelia diezii gen. et sp. nov.: an early polysporangiophyte from the Lower Devonian of the Iberian Peninsula

A new basal land plant, Teruelia diezii gen. et sp. nov., is described from the shallow‐water marine deposits of the Lower Devonian (Lochkovian–Pragian) Nogueras Formation of the Iberian Peninsula (north Gondwana palaeocontinent). Teruelia is preserved as a compression fossil and consists of isotomously branched, robust stems terminated in large, fusiform, twisted sporangia. This morphology suggests that Teruelia is very probably equivalent to Aglaophyton, a permineralized early polysporangiophyte known up to now only from the Lower Devonian (early Pragian to ?earliest Emsian) Rhynie Chert in Scotland (Laurussia palaeocontinent), which represents an early terrestrial hot‐spring ecosystem. Accepted phylogenies identify Aglaophyton as sister to vascular plants. Our phylogeny‐based results identify the Aglaophyton/Teruelia biological entity (i.e. Aglaophyton anatomical characters plus Teruelia external morphology) as the most direct vascular plant precursor. It shows that at least one Rhynie Chert type plant had a much wider distribution than previously known and suggests that Aglaophyton was not restricted to hydrothermal environments, unlike other Rhynie Chert plants.     

Les relations isopedine - tissu osseux dans le post-temporal et les ecailJes de la ligne laterale de Latimeria chalumnae (Smith)

The scaly part of the posttemporal bone and the lateral-line scales have the same structure as other scales. However, the lateral line with its bony canal induces some local transformations in both structures. The posttemporal bone can be interpreted as a lateral-line scale whose "dermo"-component is extensively developed. With its composite structure, both osseous and scaly, the posttemporal bone affords an instance peculiarly well suited for studying the relationships between isopedine and bone. The observations demonstrate that isopedine whose superposed collagen layers make a double-twisted plywood, is a specialized structure which evolved from a bony tissue. The fibrous basal plate of a Latimeria scale is homologous to the osseous basal plate of a cosmoid scale.