Fossil Clusiaceae from the late Cretaceous (Turonian) of New Jersey and implications regarding the history of bee pollination

The Turonian flora from Sayreville New Jersey includes one of the world's most diverse assemblages of Cretaceous angiosperm flowers. This flora is made even more interesting by its association with a large insect fauna that is preserved by charcoalification as well as in amber. Floral diversity includes numerous representatives of Magnoliidae, Hamamelididae, Rosidae, Dilleniidae, and Asteridae (Ericales sensu lato). Included are hypogynous, five-merous flowers with uniseriate hairs on the pedicels and stamens in bundles most frequently borne opposite the petals. There is considerable variation in filament length, and some filaments are branched. On some anthers, strands of residue, suggesting the former presence of a liquid of unknown nature, partially occlude the apparent zone of dehiscence. In other cases, open anthers are fully occluded by an amorphous substance. pollen is rarely found associated with anthers, but is common on stigmatic surfaces. pollen is prolate and tricolporate with reticulate micromorphology. The superior syncarpous ovary is five-carpellate with axile/intruded parietal placentation and numerous anatropous ovules/carpel. Ovary partitions have closely spaced, parallel ascending channels (secretory canals?), and there are apparent secretory canals/cavities in receptacles, sepals, and petals. Individual stigmas are cuneiform with a central groove and eccentrically peltate. Styles are short and fused. In aggregate, the stigmas form a secondarily peltate stigma. Seeds have a reticulate sculpture pattern, a pronounced raphe, and funicular arils with sculpture similar to the seeds. phylogenetic analyses of several data matrices of extant taxa place this fossil in a monophyletic group with the modern genera Garcinia and Clusia within the Clusiaceae. As such, these fossils represent the earliest fossil evidence of the family Clusiaceae. Some modern Clusiaceae are notable, in particular, for their close relationship with meliponine and other highly derived bee pollinators; the fossil flowers share several characters that suggest a similar mode of pollination. This possibility is consistent with other floral and insect data from the same locality.     

Upper arm circumference development in Chinese children and adolescents: a pooled analysis

Background

Upper arm development in children is different in different ethnic groups. There have been few reports on upper arm circumference (UAC) at different stages of development in children and adolescents in China. The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for growth with weighted assessment of the overall level of development.

Methods

Using a pooled analysis, an authoritative journal database search and reports of UAC, we created a new database on developmental measures in children. In conducting a weighted analysis, we compared reference values for 0~60 months of development according to the World Health Organization (WHO) statistics considering gender and nationality and used Z values as interval values for the second sampling to obtain an exponential smooth curve to analyze the mean, standard deviation, and sites of attachment.

Results

Ten articles were included in the pooled analysis, and these articles included participants from different areas of China. The point of intersection with the WHO curve was 3.5 years with higher values at earlier ages and lower values at older ages. Boys curve was steeper after puberty. The curves in the studies had a merged line compatible. The Z values of exponential smoothing showed the curves were similar for body weight and had a right normal distribution.

Conclusions

The integrated index of UAC in Chinese children and adolescents indicated slightly variations with regions. Exponential curve smoothing was suitable for assessment at different developmental stages.     

New enantiornithine bird (Aves, Ornithothoraces) from the Late Cretaceous of NW Argentina

A new enantiornithine bird, Intiornis inexpectatus gen. et sp. nov, is described here. It is based on a partial hind limb found in beds of the Upper Cretaceous Las Curtiembres Formation (Campanian), North-West Argentina. The new taxon is referred to the family Avisauridae on the basis of its cranially convex third metatarsal. Several features suggest close relationships between Intiornis and the avisaurid Soroavisaurus, from the Lecho Formation (Maastrichtian; North-West Argentina). Intiornis was the size of a sparrow, thus representing the smallest Enantiornithes known from South America. The new species shows adaptations for a perching mode of life. Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to competitive interaction with birds is discussed. The new species shows adaptations for a perching mode of life. Moreover, the hypothesis suggesting that the flying pterosaur reptiles decrease in taxonomic diversity due to competitive interaction with birds is discussed.     

Ⅱ期经皮输尿管镜治疗输尿管上段结石梗阻致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭

目的:探讨经皮肾微造瘘术后Ⅱ期经皮输尿管镜治疗输尿管上段结石致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭的安全性与有效性。方法:从2004年7月～2009年5月,利用经皮肾微造瘘建立经皮肾通道,引流1周后肾功能明显好转,再行经皮肾输尿管镜碎石治疗孤立肾输尿管上段结石。结果:16例患者中,所有患者均为单通道取石,结石清除率例(81.2%),未出现高热、出血等并发症。术后1月复查13例无结石残留。结论:微创经皮输尿管镜分期治疗输尿管上段结石致孤立肾急性肾功能衰竭是安全、有效的,同传统经皮肾镜相比,具有对病人创伤小,易恢复等优点。     

First evidence of stegosaurian Deltapodus footprints in North Africa (Iouaridène Formation, Upper Jurassic, Morocco)

Abstract:  New findings of dinosaur footprints are described from the Upper Jurassic Iouaridène ichnosite of Morocco. On the top of two surfaces, stratigraphically close to that bearing the famous Breviparopus taghbaloutensis trackways, two footprints were excavated and assigned to the ichnogenus Deltapodus . This ichnogenus is well known from the Middle Jurassic of Yorkshire and also occurs in Upper Jurassic deposits from Iberia and the United States. This finding represents the first record of Deltapodus from Africa. These footprints, probably produced by stegosaurian dinosaurs, add new data on the distribution of this type of dinosaur and on the connection between the northern and southern margin of Tethys. 3D models have been generated to allow more detailed studies and to record these unique footprints.     

Late Jurassic decapod crustaceans from northeast Japan

Abstract: Astacidean and thalassinidean macrurans (Glyphea sp., ?Eryma sp. and Protaxius sp.) and a new longodromitid crab, Planoprosopon kashimaensis, are recorded from the Upper Jurassic (upper Kimmeridgian to lower Tithonian) of Fukushima Prefecture, northeast Japan. Material was collected from the Tatenosawa Sandstone Member of the Nakanosawa Formation, Somanakamura Group, from which abundant Tethyan‐type marine invertebrates are known. Planoprosopon kashimaensis sp. nov. closely resembles P. heydeni (von Meyer), a common form in the Upper Jurassic of the Tethyan realm in Europe, and represents the oldest record of a brachyuran from the circum‐Pacific region. Similarities to contemporaneous decapod assemblages in southern Germany indicate that closely comparable, parallel decapod faunas in the Tethyan realm, inclusive of brachyurans, had already been established in the western circum‐Pacific region by the Late Jurassic.     

BRYOZOAN MUD-MOUNDS FROM THE UPPER ORDOVICIAN JIFARAH (DJEFFARA) FORMATION OF TRIPOLITANIA, NORTH-WEST LIBYA

Abstract:  A bryozoan fauna from carbonate mud-mounds is described from subsurface well cores from the Upper Ordovician (Lower Ashgill) Jifarah (Djeffara) Formation of Tripolitania, north-west Libya. Among a diverse assemblage dominated by trepostomes, nine species of bryozoans are identified, including Jifarahpora libyensis gen. et sp. nov. Delicate and robust branching, encrusting and nodular bryozoan growth forms are all common. The bryozoan-rich limestones are mostly mudstones and wackestones, with bafflestone and floatstone textures, but the mounds apparently lack organic framework and microbial fabrics. Regional geophysical data indicate rapid thickness changes between wells, where mound complexes locally up to 100 m thick had limited topographic relief over the surrounding sea floor. The mounds formed in a high-latitude, cool-water carbonate belt that extended widely across the northern margin of Gondwana. Quaternary analogues from the Great Australian Bight suggest that these early Ashgill mounds may have developed in slope environments during an episode of glacial lowstand that preceded the late Ashgill, Hirnantian glacial event.     

A new pachyosteomorph arthrodire (Pisces: Placodermi) from the Upper Frasnian of the Central Devonian Field,Russia

A new genus and species of pachyosteomorph arthrodire, Omalosteus krutoensis gen. et sp. nov. from shallow-water marine deposits of the Evlanovo Regional Stage (Upper Frasnian, Upper Devonian) of the Central Devonian Field is described. It is tentatively referred to the family Trematosteidae Gross, 1932, which was earlier believed to be endemic to central Europe. The new genus is characterized by a rounded, dorsoventrally compressed cross section of the pectoral region and smooth head shield and postcranial membrane bones. The centrale is elongated, forming a narrow lateral lobe. The praeorbitale, postorbitale, and centrale come in contact in the center of the orbital region. The mediodorsale is wide, its carinal process projects considerably posteriorly. The anterior margin of the anterior ventrolaterale lacks articular facets for the interlaterale.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Scalaspira</Emphasis> (Gastropoda) from the Paleogene of the Transcaspian Region

The composition and distribution of the species of the genus Scalaspira Conrad, 1862 in the Eocene-Oligocene of western Kazakhstan are revised. Following Tembrock we assign this genus to Buccinidae and synonymize Aquilofusus Kautsky, 1925 with it. The stratigraphic interval studied contains at least eight species. Three species are new: S. alexeevi (Middle? and Upper Eocene, Chegan Formation), S. korobkovi, and S. kumsuatensis (Upper Oligocene, Karatomak Beds).