Taphonomy and taphofacies models of the Pliocene deposits of Vejer de la Frontera (Cádiz, SW Spain)

A quantitative taphonomic analysis of the fossil assemblages, together with a sedimentary study of the Pliocene deposits of the Vejer Basin (Cádiz, Spain), has been carried out. This multidisciplinary analysis has allowed us to establish with great precision the palaeoenvironmental conditions under which these materials were formed. The Pliocene deposits can be divided into three units, named from bottom to top: Unit 1, Unit 2 and Unit 3. Unit 1 is formed of medium-to-coarse-grained sands at the base, corresponding to subtidal bar deposits. At the top, the sands become coarser, and beach and littoral dunes were formed. Within these sedimentological contexts, the fossil remains exhibit a strong degree of taphonomic destruction due to high hydrodynamic energy. Unit 2, consisting of clays, corresponds to deposits formed in a protected coastal bay. A low-energy environment allowed the fossils to maintain a good state of conservation and even thin-shelled bivalves with a delicate ornamentation are preserved. Unit 3 comprises highly bioclastic sands and calcarenites-calcirudites. This unit displays a shallowing upwards trend, passing from deposits generated under shallow subtidal conditions in the lower part to materials deposited on beaches and coastal dunes in the upper part. Under these conditions, the fossil remains show a high degree of taphonomic destruction. In Units 1 and 3, the fossils are mainly accumulated in horizontal beds, with extensive lateral continuity and with erosive bottoms and graded tops. These accumulations of fossils are interpreted as tempestites. As compared with the fossils preserved in surrounding sediments, the taphonomic attributes of these bioclasts suggest a superposition of the background and event processes. During normal conditions, the high energy of the littoral environments produced a strong degree of taphonomic destruction. During storm events, a mixture of taphonomic attributes was produced: high fragmentation and disarticulation and little abrasion and edge rounding of the fragments. This mixture was a consequence of sudden burial after storms, which prevented long periods of exposure of the bioclasts in the taphonomically active zone. Three taphofacies models are proposed, based on taphonomic attributes of fossils contained in the different units: inner-shelf taphofacies, protected shallow-lagoon taphofacies and storm bed taphofacies.     

云南腾冲上新统植物油丹Alseodaphne hainanensis Merr.表皮微细构造研究

研究的樟科植物化石油丹(Alseodaphne hainanensis Merr.)采于云南腾冲上新统芒棒组,它在滇西地区为首次发现。对其进行了大量的实验分析,揭示了其表皮微细构造特征。通过与现生油丹表皮构造和叶结构特征的对比分析,在宏观和微观两方面证实了该化石归属的正确性。现生Alseodaphne hainanensis Merr.分布范围的缩小显示滇西从上新世—现代气候逐渐变冷,上新世的气候比现在温暖。化石Alseodaphne hainanensis Merr.地理分布区的扩大和地质时代的延伸,为植物的发展演化和推论古气候提供了宝贵材料。     

四川德格上新蹄兔亚科(Pliohyracinae)一新属

以西藏后裂爪蹄兔 (PostschizotheriumtibetensisZongetal.,1 996)为基础 ,建立了上新蹄兔亚科 (PliohyracinaeOsborn ,1 899)一新属 :横断山蹄兔 (Hengduanshanhyraxgen .nov .)。它出现在四川甘孜德格的上上新统汪布顶组中。其主要特征是个体明显比Postschizotherium的小 ,吻部短而宽 ,脸部狭 ,齿隙在门齿之间、1 3和C之间以及在C和P1之间存在 ,颊齿从P1至M3紧密排列 ,上犬齿小、单根和前臼齿化不明显 ,前臼齿稍臼齿化 ,次尖小或不存在 ,P4具中附尖 ,上臼齿呈长方形 ,长大于宽 ,前附尖和中附尖发育 ,以及在臼齿的壁上存在少量的白垩质等等     

云南元谋盆地上新世甘棠组植物和孢粉组合及其古气候意义

云南元谋盆地湾堡甘棠组植物群的叶化石和孢粉化石合计107种类型,分属86属,47科。植物叶化石包括18科,24属,35种。除一种裸子植物外,其它均为被子植物。被子植物中,榆科、桦木科、豆科无论属种或者化石数量都是最多;杨柳科、槭科、蔷薇科次之;壳斗科、樟科、杨梅科、鼠李科、忍冬科、胡颓子科、杜鹃科、香蒲料、禾本科均有代表。甘棠组的孢粉植物群也相当丰富,合计97个类型,分属72属,44科。以松科、榆科、禾本科及蕨类植物的水龙骨科最为丰富,胡桃科、壳斗科、金缕梅科及蕨类植物的凤尾蕨属也很常见。被子植物花粉占孢粉总数的50%--60%,以禾本科和榆属花粉含量最高,多在10%以上。裸子植物绝大部分为松科花粉,占孢粉总数的20%-30%。孢子以水龙骨科和凤尾蕨属为主,二者各占孢粉总数的5%-10%。发现于元谋盆地湾堡甘棠组的植物叶化石以及孢子花粉组合在成分上都是混合的类群。组合中既有相当多的湿润亚热带常绿阔叶林成分,也有耐干旱的胡颓子、杨梅、旱蕨等灌木、小乔木或草本分子,同时还有含量很高的、在半干旱环境下也能生存的禾本科、榆科花粉。据此推测甘棠组的植物群和孢粉组合反映了上新世时元谋地区的植被已经分化,盆地的周围山地生长有松科、壳斗科、樟科、胡桃科、金缕梅科为主的常绿和落叶阔叶树木或林块,可能有少许杜鹃科小乔木混杂其中,属于地带性植被。而在盆地内则是以禾本科、蔷薇科等为主,杂以大戟科、豆科、忍冬科、杨梅科等灌木或草本植物以及榆科、桦木科等树木组成的稀树灌丛草原型植被。盆地内的植被所反映的气候和周边地区相比,显得明显干旱。因此推测元谋盆地在2-3百万年前的中晚上新世已经发育成为金沙江流域的干热河谷盆地之一。     

Mid-Pliocene deep-sea bottom-water temperatures based on ostracode Mg/Ca ratios

We studied magnesium:calcium (Mg/Ca) ratios in shells of the deep-sea ostracode genus Krithe from a short interval in the middle Pliocene between 3.29 and 2.97 Ma using deep-sea drilling sites in the North and South Atlantic in order to estimate bottom water temperatures (BWT) during a period of climatic warmth. Results from DSDP and ODP Sites 552A, 610A, 607, 658A, 659A, 661A and 704 for the period Ma reveal both depth and latitudinal gradients of mean Mg/Ca values. Shallower sites (552A, 610A and 607) have higher mean Mg/Ca ratios (10.3, 9.7, 10.1 mmol/mol) than deeper sites (661A, 6.3 mmol/mol), and high latitude North Atlantic sites (552A, 610A, 607) have higher Mg/Ca ratios than low latitude (658A: 9.8 mmol/mol, 659A: 7.7 mmol/mol, 661A: 6.3 mmol/mol) and Southern Ocean (704: 8.0 mmol/mol) sites. Converting Mg/Ca ratios into estimated temperatures using the calibration of Dwyer et al. (1995) [Dwyer, G.S., Cronin, T.M., Baker, P.A., Raymo, M.E., Buzas, J.S., Corrège, T., 1995. North Atlantic deepwater temperature change during late Pliocene and late Quaternary climatic cycles. Science 270, 1347–1351] suggests that mean middle Pliocene bottom water temperatures at the study sites in the deep Atlantic were about the same as modern temperatures. However, brief pulses of elevated BWT occurred several times between 3.29 and 2.97 Ma in both the North and South Atlantic Ocean suggesting short-term changes in deep ocean circulation.     

Was Australopithecus afarensis able to make the Lomekwian stone tools? Towards a realistic biomechanical simulation of hand force capability in fossil hominins and new insights on the role of the fifth digit

While no consensus allows explaining how and when human-like traits arose in fossil hominin hands, the recent discoveries of the Lomekwian stone tools (3.3 Ma) support the view that early hominins were able to use forceful grips in order to manipulate large-sized blocks for pounding activities. Then, assessing gripping abilities of contemporaneous hominin, i.e. Australopithecus afarensis, is necessary, particularly with regards to its unusual 5th ray morphology that has been deemed crucial to ensure forceful grips. Here, we present a musculoskeletal simulation based on the A. afarensis hand morphology that includes an original 5th carpometacarpal joint. Our first results suggest a limited influence of muscle parameters (e.g., PCSA) and support the value of simulations for studying extinct taxa even in absence of soft-tissue data. Given the inability for the pulp of the 5th ray to face the surface of a large-sized object, the A. afarensis hand would have had limited possibility to exert sufficient force to make the Lomekwian stone tools.     

Population genetic structure of New Zealand's endemic corophiid amphipods: evidence for allopatric speciation

Allozyme electrophoresis was used to examine population genetic structure at inter- and intraspecific levels for the New Zealand endemic corophiid amphipods, Paracorophium lucasi and P. excavatum. Individuals were collected from estuarine and freshwater habitats from North, South and Chatham Islands. Analyses of genetic structure among interspecific populations indicated clear allelic differentiation between the two Paracorophium species (Nei's genetic distance, D  = 1.62), as well as considerable intraspecific substructuring ( D  = 0.15–0.65). These levels of divergence are similar to interspecific levels for other amphipods and it is proposed that at least two groups from the P. lucasi complex and three from the P. excavatum complex correspond to sibling species. In most cases allopatry can account for the differentiation among the putative sibling species. For populations that share a common coastline we found low levels of differentiation and little or no correlation with geographical distance, suggesting that gene flow is adequate to maintain homogeneous population genetic structure. By contrast, populations on separate coastlines (i.e. isolated by land) showed moderate levels of geographical differentiation indicating restricted gene flow. The juxtaposition of population genetic and biogeographical data for Paracorophium in conjunction with the geological record infers past histories of glacial extirpation, and possible isolating effects of sea-level and landmass changes that have occurred throughout the Plio-Pleistocene.  © 2004 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2004, 81 , 119–133.     

New species of pinaceous fossil wood from the Pliocene of southern Primorye (Russian Far East)

New species of the Pinaceae, Abies chavchavadzeae and Piceoxylon ussuriense, are described on the basis of fossil woods from the Pliocene of the Pavlovka lignite field (southern Primorye). For the first time, fossil wood of Abies is reported from the Russian Far East.     

Biostratigraphy and sedimentary evolution of Late Miocene and Pliocene continental deposits of the Granada Basin (southern Spain)

The Late Miocene and Pliocene continental sediments in the Granada Basin (southern Spain) have yielded large amounts of fossil small mammals in 37 localities from 11 sections. The aim of this paper is to integrate faunistic, stratigraphic, and sedimentary criteria to unravel the geological history of the continental infilling of the basin. The palaeontological study has led to a detailed biozonation on the basis of rodents, which helps to correlate in detail the different sedimentary units found in the basin, and to follow the changes of the different sedimentary systems and their palaeogeographical evolution through time. Combination of the proposed biostratigraphy and the reinterpretation of the magnetostratigraphic analyses of the Barranco del Purcal section allows us to assign an absolute age slightly older than 5.23 Ma to the Turolian–Ruscinian boundary (MN13‐MN14).     

Hominid cranium from Omo: Description and taxonomy of Omo-323-1976-896

Omo-323-1976-896, a partial hominid cranium dated to ca. 2.1 from the Member G, Unit G-8 of the Shungura Formation, lower Omo Basin of Ethiopia, is described. It is suggested that the specimen is an adult male based on the well-developed and completely fused sagittal crest; heavily worn teeth; relatively large canine; and size of the articular eminence. Omo-323 consists of fragments of the frontal, both temporals, occipital, parietals, and the right maxilla, and is attributed to Australopithecus boisei, making it the oldest known cranium of this species. The specimen shares features with Australopithecus aethiopicus (KNM-WT 17000), thus supporting the existence of an evolving East African robust lineage between ca. 2.6-1.2 Ma. The morphology of Omo-323 increases our knowledge of the intraspecific variability of A.boisei.