云南腾冲上新统Litsea cf.chunii的角质层微细构造特征

在云南省腾冲县上新统芒棒组发现了保存较好的被子植物压型化石高山木姜子(相似种)Litseacf.chunii Cheng.该化石叶片呈窄椭圆形,基部楔形,顶端短尖,叶全缘,中脉直,二级脉羽状,与中脉夹角为30°～50°,近叶边缘微弯曲,羽状脉。进一步分析了化石叶片的角质层微细构造,利用叶结构结合表皮特征的分析方法提高了对化石植物分类鉴定的准确性。化石叶片的角质层特征主要表现为:上表皮无气孔器,表皮细胞多为四或五边形,排列呈规则的网格状,垂周壁直或微弯,平周壁光滑,毛基较少;下表皮细胞排列同上表皮,具平列型气孔器,其长轴无定向性,气孔器由下陷的保卫细胞和两个上拱的副卫细胞组成,具有单细胞毛基,根部由5～6个辐射状的细胞组成。同现生高山木姜子Litseachunii相比,化石叶片具有更小的毛基密度,推测毛基的增加是由于气候变冷所致。由此通过化石和现生叶片角质层的对比分析推断滇西地区上新世气候比现在温暖湿润。     

云南景谷盆地及陇川盆地新生代生物群特征及环境地质意义

通过对云南景谷盆地及陇川盆地新生代生物群特征的对比,探讨了新生代两大盆地环境演变:早中新世到上新世为湖盆发展期→湖盆扩大→萎缩期,气候为早期的干燥→中新世早期的温暖湿润→中新世中晚期的寒冷阴湿→上新世的干燥,而中新世中晚期湖盆的扩大形成的半深湖-深湖环境为油气的形成提供了有利条件。尽管两大盆地在沉积环境的演化上大体一致,但气候和沉积环境的演变和差异决定了两大断陷盆地生物面貌上的差异,从而直接控制了化石燃料形成的类型和质量     

Juvenile hominoid cranium from the terminal Miocene of Yunnan, China

Fossil apes are known from several late Miocene localities in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, principally from Shihuiba (Lufeng) and the Yuanmou Basin, and represent three species of Lufengpithecus. They mostly comprise large samples of isolated teeth, but there are also several partial or complete adult crania from Shihuiba and a single juvenile cranium from Yuanmou. Here we describe a new, relatively complete and largely undistorted juvenile cranium from the terminal Miocene locality of Shuitangba, also in Yunnan. It is only the second ape juvenile cranium recovered from the Miocene of Eurasia and it is provisionally assigned to the species present at Shihuiba, Lufengpithecus lufengensis. Lufengpithecus has most often been linked to the extant orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, but recent studies of the crania from Shihuiba and Yuanmou have demonstrated that this is unlikely. The new cranium reinforces the view that Lufengpithecus represents a distinct, late surviving lineage of large apes in the late Miocene of East Asia that does not appear to be closely affiliated with any extant ape lineage. It substantially increases knowledge of cranial morphology in Lufengpithecus and demonstrates that species of this genus represent a morphologically diverse radiation of apes, which is consistent with the dynamic tectonic and biotic milieu of southwestern China in the late Miocene.     

Fossils of Quercus sect. Heterobalanus can help explain the uplift of the Himalayas

Using data from previous research on Quercus sect. Heterobalanus, the coexistence approach to Xix-abangma and Namling fossil sets, and altitudinal ranges of vegetation presented by fossil floras, a re-view and reevaluation have been made of existing theories on the uplift of the Himalayas, especially the palaeoaltitudes of Xixabangma and Namling in Tibet. The Xixabangma fossil set has a palaeoaltitude range of 2500―3500 m, and has risen 2200―3400 m since the Pliocene. The lower and upper assem-blages of the Miocene Namling had palaeoaltitudes of 2500―3000 m and 2800―3000 m, respectively. Therefore, Namling has risen at least 1300 m since the Miocene, thereby challenging some existing theories that suggest Namling has been static since the Miocene.     

The ecological sequence of Hipparion fauna in the middle reaches of the Yellow River during Neogene

The faunal ecological type and sequence in the Tertiary red clay indicate that Hipparion fauna during the period 7.4–6.1 Ma in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is composed mainly of dorcadoides and mixed types. This represents semiarid veld environment with small fluctuation. The fossil assemblages characterized by the abundance of gaudryi types and even the occurrence of some Hominoid and Chalicotherium indicate an obviously warm and humi period since 5.3 Ma. The fossil assemblages during 3.4 Ma show the typical steppe fauna representing dry climate. It is indicated by the changes of ecological sequence that the climatic conditions in Pliocene are drier than that in late Miocene. The clay-skin content of red clay, which has a synchronous change with faunal features, is a rather good replacing palaeoclimatic index.     

A mammalian fossil from the Dingqing Formation in the Lunpola Basin, northern Tibet, and its relevance to age and paleo-altimetry

The distal extremity of a rhinocerotid humerus from the upper part of the Dingqing Formation at the Lunbori locality in Baingoin County, northern Tibet, is the first mammalian fossil found in Cenozoic deposits of the Lunpola Basin. The medial condyle of the distal trochlea of the humerus specimen from Lunbori gradually contracts from medially to laterally. The margin of the medial surface of the medial condyle is not prominent, the well-developed medial epicondyle strongly extends posteriorly, and is divided from the articular facet of the medial condyle by a groove; all of which are characteristic for the Rhinocerotidae. The medial condyle is wide at the bottom and narrow at the top. The medial collateral ligament fossa is relatively shallow, and the medial collateral ligament tubercle is very weak. The medial part of the upper margin of the medial condyle smoothly connects to the bony surface above, but there is no clear boundary between them. All of these characteristics are identical with those of Plesiaceratherium. These comparisons imply that the Lunbori specimen is closest to Plesiaceratherium gracile in the Shanwang Fauna from Linqu, Shandong Province, in size and morphology. Thus, its age is suggested to be the late Early Miocene (Shanwangian Age), about 18?C16 Ma. Discovery of the rhinocerotid fossil suggests that the upper part of the Dingqing Formation deposited in the Neogene. While adjusting to paleo-temperatures of the Early Miocene, a paleo-ecosystem reconstruction indicates that the paleo-elevation was close to 3000 m in the Lunpola Basin during this time.     

越南槐与多叶越南槐的叶形态研究

【目的】为了快速准确鉴别越南槐(Sophora tonkinensis Gapnep.)与其变种多叶越南槐(Sophora tonkinensis Gapnep.var.polyphylla S.Z.Huang et Z.C.Zhou),对这两个物种的叶形态特征进行比较研究。【方法】通过性状鉴别法和显微鉴别法,对越南槐和多叶越南槐的叶形态进行观察和比较,并利用扫描电镜和体式显微镜分别对叶脉和叶片表皮进行显微观察和微形态研究。【结果】越南槐和多叶越南槐的叶形态可从叶片形状、叶片大小、叶片数目、叶被毛、叶脉的一级脉和二级脉、叶片表皮的蜡质和角质层等特征加以区别。【结论】叶片数目和叶被毛为首要分类性状,可快速鉴别越南槐和多叶越南槐的成年植株;叶脉和叶表皮的微形态可以作为较好的分类和鉴别依据,再结合其他形态特征可准确鉴别包括幼年植株在内的越南槐和多叶越南槐;本文结果支持《广西中药材标准》(1990年版)及《全国中草药汇编》(1996年版)中对中药材山豆根基源种越南槐和多叶越南槐的划分。     

Relationship between stomatal density and the changes of atmospheric CO2 concentrations

The relationship between the stomatal density of five woody plants endemic to China, i. e.Eucommia ulmoides, Quercus liaotungensis, Q. glandulifera var.brevipetiolata, Cyclocarya paliurus andFicus heteromorpha, and the atmospheric CO₂ concentrations was studied by observations on leaves of the herbarium-stored specimms(1920s–1990s). The results showed that the stomatal density inEucommia ulmoides, Quercus liaotungensis andQ. glandulifera var.brevipetiolata decreased significantly in response to the elevated atmospheric CO₂ concentrations, while inCyclocarya paliurus it decreased slightly and inFicus heteromorpha there were no responses.     

A Chengjiang-type fossil assemblage from the Hongjingshao Formation （Cambrian Stage 3） at Chenggong,Kunming, Yunnan

A new Chengjiang-type fossil assemblage is reported herein from the lower part of the Hongjingshao Formation at Xiazhuang village of Chenggong,Kunming,Yunnan.The fossil assemblage,named as Xiazhuang fossil assemblage,yields predominantly soft-bodied fossils,including arthropods,brachiopods,priapulids,lobopods and some problematic taxa,with arthropods being the most dominant group.Preservation and composition of the fossil assemblage are very similar to the typical Chengjiang biota,which is preserved in the middle Yu’anshan Formation in the large area of eastern Yunnan.The associated trilobites demonstrate that the soft-bodied fossil assemblage belongs to the late Qiongzhusian in age(Stage 3,Cambrian),suggesting that the Hongjingshao Formation is probably a diachronous lithostratigraphic unit ranging from the upper Qiongzhusian to the lower Canglangpuan stages in eastern Yunnan.The fossil assemblage from the Xiazhuang area fills up the missing link between the typical older Chengjiang biota and the younger Malong and Guanshan biotas,making eastern Yunnan a unique area in the world to reveal the early evolutionary history of animals and palaeocommunity dynamics during the‘‘Cambrian explosion’’.     

Molecular phylogeny of the specialized schizothoracine fishes （Teleostei： Cyprinidae）,with their implications for the uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Molecular phylogeny of three genera containing nine species and subspecies of the specialized schizothoracine fishes are investigated based on the complete nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. Meantime relationships between the main cladogenetic events of the specialized schizothoracine fishes and the stepwise uplift of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are also conducted using the molecular clock, which is calibrated by geological isolated events between the upper reaches of the Yellow River and the Qinghai Lake. Results indicated that the specialized schizothoracine fishes are not a monophyly. Five species and subspecies of Ptychobarbus form a monophyly. But three species of Gymnodiptychus do not form a monophyly. Gd.integrigymnatus is a sister taxon of the highly specialized schizothoracine fishes while Gdo pachycheilus has a close relation with Gd. dybowskii, and both of them are as a sister group of Diptychus maculatus. The specialized schizothoracines fishes might have originated during the Miocene(about 10 MaBP), and then the divergence of three genera happened during late Miocene (about 8 MaBP). Their main specialization occurred during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene (3.54-0.42 MaBP). The main cladogenetic events of the specialized schizothoracine fishes are mostly correlated with the geological tectonic events and intensive climate shift happened at 8, 3.6, 2.5 and 1.7 MaBP of the late Cenozoic.Molecular clock data do not support the hypothesis that the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau uplifted to near present or even higher elevations during the Oligocene or Miocene, and neither in agreement with the view that the plateau uplifting reached only to an altitude of 2000 m during the late Pliocene(about 2.6 MaBP).     

Two new carnivores from an unusual late Tertiary forest biota in eastern North America

Late Cenozoic terrestrial fossil records of North America are biased by a predominance of mid-latitude deposits, mostly in the western half of the continent. Consequently, the biological history of eastern North America, including the eastern deciduous forest, remains largely hidden. Unfortunately, vertebrate fossil sites from this vast region are rare, and few pertain to the critically important late Tertiary period, during which intensified global climatic changes took place. Moreover, strong phylogenetic affinities between the flora of eastern North America and eastern Asia clearly demonstrate formerly contiguous connections, but disparity among shared genera (eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunction) implies significant periods of separation since at least the Miocene epoch. Lacustrine sediments deposited within a former sinkhole in the southern Appalachian Mountains provide a rare example of a late Miocene to early Pliocene terrestrial biota from a forested ecosystem. Here we show that the vertebrate remains contained within this deposit represent a unique combination of North American and Eurasian taxa. A new genus and species of the red (lesser) panda (Pristinailurus bristoli), the earliest and most primitive so far known, was recovered. Also among the fauna are a new species of Eurasian badger (Arctomeles dimolodontus) and the largest concentration of fossil tapirs ever recorded. Cladistical analyses of the two new carnivores strongly suggest immigration events that were earlier than and distinct from previous records, and that the close faunal affinities between eastern North America and eastern Asia in the late Tertiary period are consistent with the contemporaneous botanical record.     

The ecological sequence of Hipparion fauna in the mid-dle reaches of the Yellow River during Neogene

The faunal ecological type and sequence in the Tertiary red clay indicate that Hipparion fauna during the period 7.4-6.1 Ma in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is composed mainly of dorcadoides and mixed types. This represents semiarid veld environment with small fluctuation. The fossil assemblages characterized by the abundance of gaudryi types and even the occurrence of some Hominoid and Chalicotherium indicate an obviously warm and humid period since 5.3 Ma. The fossil assemblages during 3.4 Ma show the typical steppe fauna representing dry climate. It is indicated by the changes of ecological sequence that the climatic conditions in Pliocene are drier than that in late Miocene. The clay-skin content of red clay, which has a synchronous change with faunal features, is a rather good replacing palaeoclimatic index.     

Solenites murrayana L.et H.在甘肃窑街煤田的发现及其地质意义

在甘肃窑街中侏罗统窑街组发现了银杏类植物化石的重要代表穆雷似管状叶Solenites murrayana L．et H．，其外形显示出不分叉的细线形叶片，宽度小于1mm．根据室内实验对其表皮构造进行了研究，主要特征是：上表皮稍厚，细胞较大，多呈矩形，纵向延伸，具毛基；下表皮较薄，细胞相对小于上表皮细胞，不规则多边形；气孔器双生型，气孔定向排列，但不相连成带状；副卫细胞角质化程度较强，毛基较发育．Solenites murrayana的气孔参数可与现存最近对应种Ginkgo biloba的气孔参数进行对比，并可用来推论中侏罗世的古大气CO2浓度．     

阿尔金山北麓晚新生代沉积物磁组构特征及其地质意义

阿尔金山北麓晚新生代沉积物比较敏感地记录了阿尔金山构造活动的历史.通过对若羌米兰河口剖面晚新生代沉积物沉积学和磁组构特征分析,发现中新世晚期以来该区地层沉积变化明显,岩石磁化率椭球体以压扁为主,磁面理发育,磁化率椭球体最小轴方向为NNE-SSW和NNW-SSE,推测阿尔金山晚新生代以来可能至少经历了中新世末-上新世初、晚上新世和中更新世三次重大构造活动历史.根据磁化率各向异性最小轴方向的变化,结合地层不整合关系、沉积物砾石成分和古水流方向变化以及区域研究成果,表明若羌一带地块晚上新世以来发生阶段性逆时针旋转,推断阿尔金断裂构造带的左走滑特征可能形成于晚上新世以后.     

Magnetostratigraphy and pavleo-environmental record of Tertiary deposits of Lanzhou Basin

The Tertiary deposits of the Yongdeng section, the Lanzhou Basin were studied by means of magnetostrati-graphy. The magnetostratigraphic sequences from Paleocene to Miocene were established, and the time scale for the corresponding stratigraphy and mammalian faunas was also established by referring to their correlation to the GPTS of BKSA95 (The geomagnetic polarity time scale which was thoroughly revised and updated by Berggreen et al. in 1995). In the end the paleoenvironmental records and their relationship with the uplifting of the Tibetan Plateau were discussed. The results are as follows. The top boundary of the Xiliugou Formation is dated to be 51 Ma, i.e. Eocene. TheYehucheng Formation covers the time span of 51-31.5 Ma, i.e. from late Early Eocene to early Early Oligocene. The Xianshuihe Formation covers the time span of 31.5-15 Ma, i.e. from Early Oligocene to Middle Miocene. The lower member of the Xianshuihe Formation spans from 31.5 to 20.0 Ma, i.e. from Early Oligocene to early Early Miocene. The middle member is from 20.0 to 16.5 Ma, i.e. in the middle Early Miocene.     

Combining sap flow meas- urement-based canopy stomatal conductance and ^13C discrimination to estimate forest carbon assimilation

The available methods for studying C uptake of forest and their problems in practices are reviewed, and a new approach to combining sap flow and ^13C techniques is proposed in this paper. This approach, obtained through strict mathematic derivation, combines sap flow measurement-based canopy stomatal conductance and ^13C discrimination to estimate instantaneous carbon assimilation rate of a forest. Namely the mean canopy stomatal conductance （gc） acquired from accurate measurement of sap flux density is integrated with the relationship between ^13C discrimination （A） and G/Ca （intercellular/ambient CO2 concentrations） and with that between Anet （net photosynthetic rate） and gco2 （stomatal conductance for CO2） so that a new relation between forest C uptake and A as well as gc is established. It is a new method of such kind for studying the C exchange between forest and atmosphere based on experimental ecology.     

A Miocene ostrich fossil from Gansu Province,northwest China

A pelvic skeleton, recognized as a large terrestrial bird in the field, was recently collected by our paleomammalo-gist colleagues from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontol-ogy and Paleoanthropology from the late Miocene sandy mudstones in the Linxia Basin in Gansu Province, north-west China. We have further referred this bird to as an early representative of ostrich. Ostrich fossils usually co-existed with the famous Hipparion Fauna from the Mio-cene to Pliocene. The Linxia Basin is we…     

Periodicity of Retzius lines in fossil <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pongo</Emphasis> from South China

Periodicity of Retzius lines is a key factor in dental development. In this study, we examined the periodicity of Retzius lines in fossil Pongo from South China using polarized light microscope observation of dental ground sections. The periodicities all of the 15 teeth were 9 d. Comparisons of periodicity were made with extant primates, fossil apes and hominins. Periodicity of fossil Pongo from South China was relatively long but fell within the variation of extant Pongo, Gorilla and modern human, and longer than periodicity of Pan and other extant primates. Fossil Pongo from South China was similar to Lufengpithecus and Sivapithecus, shorter than Gigantopithecus and longer than European and African fossil apes and most early hominins in periodicity. Generally, the periodicities of Asian large-body fossil apes were longer than the periodicities of European and African large-body fossil apes in Miocene. Difference among species and trend of evolution in periodicity were analyzed and discussed. We found that periodicity might gradually increase from Proconsul in early Miocene to several fossil apes in Miocene and then Gigantopithecus in Pleistocene. In addition, this study made correlate analysis between periodicity and body mass respectively in males and females of six extant apes and five fossil apes, and found that periodicity positively correlated with body mass.     

Two new Jurassic stoneflies （Insecta： Plecoptera） from Daohugou,Inner Mongolia,China

Two new genera and two new species of family Taeniopterygidae, Mengitaenioptera multiramis gen. et sp. nov. and Noviramonemoura trinervis gen. et sp. nov. are described. These fossils were collected from Daohugou Village （the Middle Jurassic）, Inner Mongolia, China. Hitherto, these fossil species from Daohugou are the oldest taeniopterygids. Both simple and complex venations simultaneously occurred in this group, which reveals that the early diversification of taeniopterids was well underway by the Middle Jurassic. Therefore, we prefer to adopt the Comstock＇s opinion that the venation of taeniopterids was derived from the simple venation of the older group （such as Palaeonemouridae） at much ancient geological time ago. Some of the descendants carried this simple venation; others evolved into complex venation with many additional crossveins and branches.     

A eudicot from the Early Cretaceous of China

The current molecular systematics of angiosperms recognizes the basal angiosperms and five major angiosperm lineages: the Chloranthaceae, the magnoliids, the monocots, Ceratophyllum and the eudicots, which consist of the basal eudicots and the core eudicots. The eudicots form the majority of the angiosperms in the world today. The flowering plants are of exceptional evolutionary interest because of their diversity of over 250,000 species and their abundance as the dominant vegetation in most terrestrial ecosystems, but little is known of their very early history. In this report we document an early presence of eudicots during the Early Cretaceous Period. Diagnostic characters of the eudicot fossil Leefructus gen. nov. include simple and deeply trilobate leaves clustered at the nodes in threes or fours, basal palinactinodromous primary venation, pinnate secondary venation, and a long axillary reproductive axis terminating in a flattened receptacle bearing five long, narrow pseudo-syncarpous carpels. These morphological characters suggest that its affinities are with the Ranunculaceae, a basal eudicot family. The fossil co-occurs with Archaefructus sinensis and Hyrcantha decussata whereas Archaefructus liaoningensis comes from more ancient sediments. Multiple radiometric dates of the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation place the bed yielding this fossil at 122.6-125.8 million years old. The earliest fossil records of eudicots are 127 to 125 million years old, on the basis of pollen. Thus, Leefructus gen. nov. suggests that the basal eudicots were already present and diverse by the latest Barremian and earliest Aptian.