Middle Triassic conodont apparatus architecture revealed by synchrotron X-ray microtomography

The composition of conodont apparatuses is crucial for understanding the feeding mechanisms of these early vertebrates. However, the multielement apparatus reconstructions of most species remain equivocal because they have been inferred from loose element collections, guided by knowledge from rare articulated ‘bedding plane assemblages’ and fused clusters, often from distantly related taxa. Even these natural assemblages can be difficult to interpret because the component elements can be closely juxtaposed or embedded in matrix, making it hard to discern the morphology of each element and their relative positions within the architecture of the feeding apparatus. Here we report five exceptionally preserved conodont clusters from the Middle Triassic Luoping Biota, Yunnan Province, Southwest China. These materials were scanned using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy (SRXTM), revealing the morphology and positional homology of the component elements in the fused clusters. We confirm that the apparatus of Nicoraella was composed of eight types of elements, comprising a total of 15 elements. SRXTM reveals the positional homologies of the component elements, viz. a single alate element is located in the S₀ position, flanked successively abaxially by pairs of breviform digyrate S₁ and S₂ elements, bipennate S₃ and S₄ elements, and a pair of inwardly curved breviform digyrate M elements. Carminate elements occupy the P₁ and P₂ positions. The apparatus of Nicoraella is among the most completely characterised of all conodonts and serves as a template for the reconstruction of gondollellids.     

The Luoping biota: exceptional preservation, and new evidence on the Triassic recovery from end-Permian mass extinction

The timing and nature of biotic recovery from the devastating end-Permian mass extinction (252 Ma) are much debated. New studies in South China suggest that complex marine ecosystems did not become re-established until the middle–late Anisian (Middle Triassic), much later than had been proposed by some. The recently discovered exceptionally preserved Luoping biota from the Anisian Stage of the Middle Triassic, Yunnan Province and southwest China shows this final stage of community assembly on the continental shelf. The fossil assemblage is a mixture of marine animals, including abundant lightly sclerotized arthropods, associated with fishes, marine reptiles, bivalves, gastropods, belemnoids, ammonoids, echinoderms, brachiopods, conodonts and foraminifers, as well as plants and rare arthropods from nearby land. In some ways, the Luoping biota rebuilt the framework of the pre-extinction latest Permian marine ecosystem, but it differed too in profound ways. New trophic levels were introduced, most notably among top predators in the form of the diverse marine reptiles that had no evident analogues in the Late Permian. The Luoping biota is one of the most diverse Triassic marine fossil Lagerstätten in the world, providing a new and early window on recovery and radiation of Triassic marine ecosystems some 10 Myr after the end-Permian mass extinction.     

纤细滇美龙(Dianmeisaurus gracilis Shang & Li,2015)新材料

根据一件产自云南罗平中三叠世关岭组Ⅱ段的新标本并结合产自相同地点和地层中的模式标本对纤细滇美龙(Dianmeisaurus gracilis Shang & Li,2015)进行了详细研究.原模式标本暴露其腹而,而新标本暴露其背面,两者互相补充提供了更完整、精确的纤细滇美龙解剖学信息.新材料揭示该种具有非常短小的吻部,眶前区的长度不仅短于眶后区长度,甚至短于眼眶的长度;外鼻孔小且位置靠前,即鼻孔前区的长度短于鼻孔后缘与眼眶前缘之间的距离;由两额骨构成的眼眶间隔非常狭窄,宽度小于顶骨平台宽度的1/3;额骨前后两端均具渐尖的突起;顶骨后部不收缩,顶骨平台后缘呈深V型.补充了新信息和包含更多属种(如Dawazisaurus)后的系统发育学分析支持了之前滇美龙和滇东龙互为姊妹群的结论,同时它们和马家山龙、滇肿龙、贵州龙和大洼子龙一起构成了一个仅由中国的属种组成的单系类群.与欧洲肿肋龙类群(Dactylosaurus,Anarosaurus,Serpianosaurus和Neusticosaurus)相比,这一单系类群与幻龙类有更近的亲缘关系.     

云南东部中三叠世始鳍龙类—新属种(英文)

根据一保存完整的骨骼(包括头骨、下颌和全部头后骨骼)建立了鳍龙类的一新属新种——利齿滇东龙(Diandongosaurus acutidentatus gen.et sp.nov.)。标本采自云南省罗平县中三叠世安尼期关岭组上段。新属种既具有肿肋龙类(包括Dactylosaurus,Anarosaurus,Serpianosaurus和Neusticosaurus)吻部两侧不收缩、眶前区域长于眶后区域、眼眶大于上颞孔等典型特征,同时又具有幻龙类(包括Simosaurus和nothosaurians)前颌和下颌前部犬齿型齿发育、上颌具1或2个犬齿型齿等典型特征。新种的额骨和顶骨均愈合,额骨两后外侧支的末端后延超过上颞孔前缘,轭骨和鳞骨相交将眶后骨排除于下颞孔之外,方轭骨发育,锁骨前外侧缘具一突起,3对荐肋以及最前部尾肋的外侧端均未见明显收缩。这些特征也多表现出肿肋龙类和幻龙类的混合特征。此外,新种还具有一些较为独特的特征,包括前额骨和后额骨沿眼眶背缘相交,第3至第8对尾肋的长度超过荐肋,后肢末端发育异常膨大的爪趾骨。系统关系分析表明,滇东龙既不是肿肋龙类也不是幻龙类;它可能与由乌蒙龙、幻龙类和传统的肿肋龙类所构成的分支亲缘关系最近,为始鳍龙类基干类群。     

The oldest ionoscopiform from China sheds new light on the early evolution of halecomorph fishes

The Halecomorphi are a major subdivision of the ray-finned fishes. Although living halecomorphs are represented solely by the freshwater bowfin, Amia calva, this clade has a rich fossil history, and the resolution of interrelationships among extinct members is central to the problem of understanding the origin of the Teleostei, the largest clade of extant vertebrates. The Ionoscopiformes are extinct marine halecomorphs that were inferred to have originated in the Late Jurassic of Europe, and subsequently dispersed to the Early Cretaceous of the New World. Here, we report the discovery of a new ionoscopiform, Robustichthys luopingensis gen. et sp. nov., based on eight well-preserved specimens from the Anisian (242–247 Ma), Middle Triassic marine deposits of Luoping, eastern Yunnan Province, China. The new species documents the oldest known ionoscopiform, extending the stratigraphic range of this group by approximately 90 Ma, and the geographical distribution of this group into the Middle Triassic of South China, a part of eastern Palaeotethys Ocean. These new data provide a minimum estimate for the split of Ionoscopiformes from its sister clade Amiiformes and shed new light on the origin of ionoscopiform fishes.     

云南罗平中三叠世意外裸鱼的再研究

意外裸鱼(Gymnoichthys inopinatus)于2010年由Tintori等首次记述并归入基干新鳍鱼类。依据在云南省曲靖地区罗平县大凹子村中三叠世关岭组二段发现的新材料,对意外裸鱼进行了补充描述,并重新讨论了其系统发育关系。在意外裸鱼的新标本上,可见其续骨前端很可能与关节骨相关节,并有确切无疑的单一辅上颌骨,表明意外裸鱼应为鲱亚部(Halecomorphi)鱼类。此外,意外裸鱼的体表无鳞、椎体未骨化、髓棘和髓弓的结构和排列方式以及牙齿和尾脉棘的形状都与金尾鱼超科鱼类(caturoids)一致。系统发育分析结果表明意外裸鱼属于金尾鱼超科的基干类群。之前金尾鱼类主要见于欧洲和北美的侏罗系,现在公认的金尾鱼超科鱼类主要包括Liodesmidae中的Liodesmus属和金尾鱼科(Caturidae)中的Caturus和Amblysemius两属。意外裸鱼的发现不仅使金尾鱼类的出现提前了40Ma,而且填补了我国相关材料的空缺。     

记比耶鱼(Birgeria)在中国的首次发现

记述了采自云南罗平晚三叠世法郎组竹杆坡段的比耶鱼一新种──刘氏比耶鱼（Ｂｉｒｇｅｒｉａ ｌｉｕｉ ｓｐ． ｎｏｖ．）,这是比耶鱼化石在中国的首次发现。刘氏比耶鱼与产自瑞士圣乔治山中三叠世边境沥青层的史氏比耶鱼最为相近,两者仅在尾柄长高之比、尾鳍长短与上下叶外缘交角、背鳍和臀鳍辐状支鳍骨的数目、臀鳍辐状骨骨板的大小、以及侧线管骨化与否等特征上略有差异。比耶鱼与软骨硬鳞鱼超目的鲟形目最为接近,两者共有一系列特征,如除尾上叶外体侧裸露,副蝶骨末端伸达头后,鳃盖骨退化;但比耶鱼同时也具有不少的特有特征,代表了软骨硬鳞鱼超目的另一类群──比耶鱼目（Ｂｉｒｇｅｒｉｉｆｏｒｍｅｓ　ｏｒｄ． ｎｏｖ．）。刘氏比耶鱼的发现进一步表明华南扬子区中、晚三叠世鱼类化石与特提斯西部的鱼群具有密切的动物地理关系。     

云南中三叠世(安尼期)预言鱼目(全骨鱼类:近鲱形类)一新属种

预言鱼目是近鲱形类的一个绝灭支系,被认为是弓鳍鱼目的姐妹群.预言鱼目化石过去主要发现于欧洲的中三叠世拉丁期和晚侏罗世地层以及新大陆的早白垩世地层.近年来,在云南和贵州的中三叠世安尼期地层中分别发现了一种预言鱼目鱼类化石(强壮鱼和盘县鱼),代表了该目在中国的首次发现.根据产于云南罗平中三叠世安尼期(～244 Ma)海相地层中的6块保存良好的鱼化石,命名了预言鱼目一个新的属种,三叠复兴鱼(Subortichthys triassicus gen.et sp.nov.).三叠复兴鱼是罗平生物群中发现的第二种预言鱼目鱼类,代表了预言鱼目最古老的化石记录之一,为研究该目的起源和早期分异提供了重要信息.复兴鱼无疑可以归入近鲱形类,因为它具有近鲱形类两个共近裔性状,续骨与下颌关节以及上颌骨后缘具有凹缺.分支分析结果表明,复兴鱼位于预言鱼目的基部,因为它具有该目的重要鉴定特征,上颌骨具有感觉管,但它不具有其他预言鱼目鱼类的进步特征.特别的是,复兴鱼具有一些独特的性状,如额外肩胛骨3或4对、第三眶下骨特别宽大并与前鳃盖骨前缘相接等.复兴鱼的发现表明预言鱼目鱼类在华南地区(三叠纪时期位于古特提斯洋的东部)的早期分异至少发生在中三叠世早期(安尼期).