Distribution of surface soil mercury of Wuda old mining area,Inner Mongolia,China

In this study, mercury (Hg) concentrations in dustfall and topsoil were investigated. Three hundred forty-four samples were collected, including dustfall and topsoil samples, across an area of ～180 km² in Wuda, China. Dustfall Hg concentration in Wuda ranged from 10 to 6453 ng·g^?1_, with an average of 305 ng·g^?1, and topsoil Hg concentration ranged from 3 to 1537 ng·g^?1, with an average value of 135 ng·g^?1. The average dustfall Hg concentrations in the coalfield, industrial park, and urban areas were 289 ng·g^?1, 809 ng·g^?1, and 160 ng·g^?1, respectively, and the corresponding average topsoil Hg concentrations were 216 ng·g^?1, 242 ng·g^?1, and 91 ng·g^?1. Hg concentrations were significantly higher in the coalfield, industrial park, and urban areas compared with background values for Wuda and China tide soil. The coal Hg concentrations ranged from 273 to 346 ng·g^?1, with an average value of 317 ng·g^?1. Comparison of the Hg concentrations of Wuda coal with other regions and countries, indicated that Hg concentrations were significantly enriched in coal, highlighting that coal is the primary Hg source for Wuda District. While coal fires provided the primary source of Hg, some higher Hg values were caused by factors such as gangue hills and coalfield topography, the use of activated carbon with HgCl₂ as a catalyst in the industrial park, and several coal washeries in wasteland areas. In addition to atmospheric Hg, underground coal seam emissions served as another potential Hg source in the coalfield. The surface soil Hg in the coalfield and industrial park areas should be given closer attention in the future.     

A marattialean fern,Scolecopteris libera n. sp., from the Asselian (Permian) of Inner Mongolia,China

Scolecopteris libera n. sp. is established on partial three-dimensionally preserved materials containing both sterile and fertile fronds collected from the volcanic tuff at the top of the Taiyuan Formation at the Wuda Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China. It is characterized by tripinnate fronds with rachises over 200 mm in diameter; and long lanceolate or falciform pinnules with thick veins. Pinnules are of the pecopterid-type, with those at the base of the ultimate pinnae usually divided into small lobes. Eight to twelve circular synangia are arranged in two rows along the midvein. Synangia are borne on a short pedicel attached to the middle of lateral veins. A synangium is composed of 7–10 fusiform exannulate sporangia with pointed apices. The sporangia are free among each other beyond the base of synangia. In situ microspores of the Cyclogranisporites leopoldii type differ from all other in situ Paleozoic marattialean spores.     

内蒙古乌达地区下二叠统植物化石新属——拟楔羊齿属

描述了产于内蒙古乌达地区下二叠统山西组的东方拟楔羊齿Parasphenopteris orientalis Sun &; Deng (新属新种)。该植物以末二次羽片基部着生有"托叶"为特征, 区别于晚古生代其他已知植物。     

内蒙古乌达煤田早二叠世太原组拥挤始莲座蕨(新种) Eoangiopteris congestus sp. nov.

本文报道发现于内蒙古乌达煤田早二叠世太原组顶部火山凝灰岩层中的莲座蕨类植物一新种Eoangiopteris congestus sp. nov.,标本包含有机连生的辉木型茎干,栉羊齿型营养羽片和始莲座蕨型繁殖羽片。其中营养羽片为三次羽状复叶,末二次和末次羽片均为线形,小羽片栉羊齿型,卵圆形,中脉下延,侧脉分叉一次,属于东方栉羊齿Pecopteris orientalis (Schenk) Potonié类型。繁殖小羽片与营养小羽片同形;两侧对称的聚合囊成单列分布在中脉两侧,排列拥挤,由6–8个孢子囊组成,通过一个薄壁组织构成的聚合囊托与叶片相连;孢子囊呈纺锤形,无环带;孢子囊面向外的壁2–3层细胞厚,面向内的壁厚度仅1层细胞。原位孢子为三缝孢,椭圆形至圆形,表面具小刺状纹饰,可与分散孢子属Apiculatisporites对比。当前始莲座蕨属植物的发现代表其在华夏植物群目前最早的化石记录。此外,这些两侧对称的聚合囊明显区别于以往报道中与东方栉羊齿叶型化石连生的辐射对称聚合囊类型(星囊蕨Asterotheca),表明在古植物学研究中一种化石羽片类型可能对应多种繁殖器官类型。     

双性封印木孢子叶球在内蒙古乌达煤田下二叠统太原组凝灰岩层中的发现

封印木在石炭纪–二叠纪欧美植物群的沼泽森林中占据重要地位,化石记录十分丰富,在华夏植物群中的记录则较为稀少。已知这类植物的孢子叶球都是单性的。本文基于内蒙古乌达煤田下二叠统太原组凝灰岩中的化石材料,报道了一种石松类双性孢子叶球类型,与封印木茎干及叶保存于原位埋藏的火山凝灰岩植物群中,共同构成封印木树冠。该类孢子叶球呈圆柱形,基部具柄;孢子叶紧密螺旋排列,近轴部分为水平伸出的孢子叶柄,远轴部分为上翘的远端叶片,两者转折处具明显的踵;孢子囊单生于孢子叶柄近轴面,大孢子囊位于孢子叶球的中部-基部,小孢子囊位于中部-顶部。该类双性封印木孢子叶球的发现增加了封印木繁殖器官的多样性和复杂性,为进一步探讨这类植物的系统分类与演化提供了重要信息。     

Chansitheca wudaensis (Gleicheniaceae,fern) from the early Permian Wuda Tuff Flora,Inner Mongolia

A large number of specimens of Chansitheca wudaensis Deng, Sun et Li from the early Permian Wuda Tuff Flora allow an emendation of this species. Characters of the sporangial structure and in situ spores are examined for the first time. Sori are arranged on lateral veins of pinnule lobes, and are 0.61–0.69 mm long and 0.35–0.41 mm wide. Sporangia are sessile and surrounded by an annulus, which is composed of two rows of oblong thick-walled cells. Trilete, smooth in situ spores have diameters of 21.05–26.31 μm. Features of the reproductive organ indicate that this species is similar to Szea Yao et Taylor and some species of Oligocarpia Goeppert and belongs to the Gleicheniaceae. Based on a taphonomical analysis, C. wudaensis was an herbaceous element of the groundcover in the peat-forming coal swamp.