Mammal teeth from the Cretaceous of Africa

We report here the discovery of two mammal teeth from the early Cretaceous of Cameroon. These, and some jaw fragments, all from Cameroon, are the only fossil evidence of mammalian evolution from Africa between late Jurassic and Paleocene, a span of at least 85 million years. A triangular upper tooth lacks the principal internal cusp of marsupials and placentals and is therefore of a similar evolutionary grade to most Jurassic and early Cretaceous therian mammals, but more primitive than the metatherian-eutherian grade. Early Cretaceous, or older, therian mammals are now known from all southern continents except Antarctica. The new find from Cameroon is consistent with the hypothesis that marsupials, the dominant living mammals of South America and Australia, were not present on any Gondwana continents until after the early Cretaceous separation of Africa by the opening of the South Atlantic.     

The earliest dromaeosaurid theropod from South America

The evolutionary history of Maniraptora, the clade of carnivorous dinosaurs that includes birds and the sickle-clawed Dromaeosauridae, has hitherto been largely restricted to Late Jurassic and Cretaceous deposits on northern continents. The stunning Early Cretaceous diversity of maniraptorans from Liaoning, China, coupled with a longevity implied by derived Late Jurassic forms such as Archaeopteryx, pushes the origins of maniraptoran lineages back to Pangaean times and engenders the possibility that such lineages existed in Gondwana. A few intriguing, but incomplete, maniraptoran specimens have been reported from South America, Africa and Madagascar. Their affinities remain contested, however, and they have been interpreted as biogeographic anomalies relative to other faunal components of these land-masses. Here we describe a near-complete, small dromaeosaurid that is both the most complete and the earliest member of the Maniraptora from South America, and which provides new evidence for a unique Gondwanan lineage of Dromaeosauridae with an origin predating the separation between northern and southern landmasses.     

A Jurassic mammal from South America

The Jurassic period is an important stage in early mammalian evolution, as it saw the first diversification of this group, leading to the stem lineages of monotremes and modern therian mammals. However, the fossil record of Jurassic mammals is extremely poor, particularly in the southern continents. Jurassic mammals from Gondwanaland are so far only known from Tanzania and Madagascar, and from trackway evidence from Argentina. Here we report a Jurassic mammal represented by a dentary, which is the first, to our knowledge, from South America. The tiny fossil from the Middle to Late Jurassic of Patagonia is a representative of the recently termed Australosphenida, a group of mammals from Gondwanaland that evolved tribosphenic molars convergently to the Northern Hemisphere Tribosphenida, and probably gave rise to the monotremes. Together with other mammalian evidence from the Southern Hemisphere, the discovery of this new mammal indicates that the Australosphenida had diversified and were widespread in Gondwanaland well before the end of the Jurassic, and that mammalian faunas from the Southern Hemisphere already showed a marked distinction from their northern counterparts by the Middle to Late Jurassic.     

Tribosphenic mammal from the North American Early Cretaceous

The main groups of living mammals, marsupials and eutherians, are presumed to have diverged in the Early Cretaceous, but their early history and biogeography are poorly understood. Dental remains have suggested that the eutherians may have originated in Asia, spreading to North America in the Late Cretaceous, where an endemic radiation of marsupials was already well underway. Here I describe a new tribosphenic mammal (a mammal with lower molar heels that are three-cusped and basined) from the Early Cretaceous of North America, based on an unusually complete specimen. The new taxon bears characteristics (molarized last premolar, reduction to three molars) otherwise known only for Eutheria among the tribosphenic mammals. Morphometric analysis and character comparisons show, however, that its molar structure is primitive (and thus phylogenetically uninformative), emphasizing the need for caution in interpretation of isolated teeth. The new mammal is approximately contemporaneous with the oldest known Eutheria from Asia. If it is a eutherian, as is indicated by the available evidence, then this group was far more widely distributed in the Early Cretaceous than previously appreciated. An early presence of Eutheria in North America offers a potential source for the continent's Late Cretaceous radiations, which have, in part, proven difficult to relate to contemporary taxa in Asia.     

Discovery of a pterodactylid pterosaur from the Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

A well-preserved pterosaur with nearly complete skull is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Sihetun in western Liaoning. It is characterized by a low and long crestless skull, slender and pointed teeth, long metacarpal, nearly equal length of metatarsals I–III and short pedal digit V. It is referred to a new genus and species of the family Pterodactylidae:Haopterus gracilis gen. et sp. nov. This is the first pterosaur with a nearly complete skull from the Jehol Biota; it also represents the first non-controversial fossil record of Pterodactylidae in Asia.Haopterus is more derived thanPterodactylus from the Late Jurassic Solnhofen in Germany. This discovery extends the distribution of the family Pterodactylidae from Europe and Africa to Asia and its latest occurrence from the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous. The discovery ofHaopterus gracilis provides further evidence for the study of the origin and radiation of the Jehol Biota; it also sheds new light on the evolution and distribution of pterosaurs in the late Mesozoic.     

A Chinese triconodont mammal and mosaic evolution of the mammalian skeleton

Here we describe a new triconodont mammal from the Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous period of Liaoning, China. This new mammal is represented by the best-preserved skeleton known so far for triconodonts which form one of the earliest Mesozoic mammalian groups with high diversity. The postcranial skeleton of this new triconodont shows a mosaic of characters, including a primitive pelvic girdle and hindlimb but a very derived pectoral girdle that is closely comparable to those of derived therians. Given the basal position of this taxon in mammalian phylogeny, its derived pectoral girdle indicates that homoplasies (similarities resulting from independent evolution among unrelated lineages) are as common in the postcranial skeleton as they are in the skull and dentition in the evolution of Mesozoic mammals. Limb structures of the new triconodont indicate that it was probably a ground-dwelling animal.     

Oxfordian (Jurassic) mayaitid (ammonite) dispersal in the Tibetan Himalaya as the first signal of the establishment of the Indo-Austral subrealm

New fossil collections in the Lanongla area, Tibetan Himalaya enables the establishment of the Upper Jurassic ammonoid succession. Middle Oxfordian ammonite-fauna is characterized by endemic epimayaitids with a marine deepening event, suggesting a high stand of sea level in the Tibetan Himalaya. Distribution of mayaitids around the Eastern Gondwana can be regarded as the first signal of the Indo-Austral Subrealm that was progressively established during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times.     

Oxfordian (Jurassic) mayaitid (ammonite) dispersal in the Tibetan Himalaya as the first signal of the establishment of the Indo-Austrai subrealm

New fossil collections in the Lanongla area, Tibetan Himalaya enables the establishment of the Upper Jurassic ammonoidsuccession. Middle Oxfordian ammonite-fauna is characterized by endemic epimayaittds with a marine deepening event, suggesling a high stand of sea Ievel in the Tibetan Himalaya. Distribution of mayaitids around the Eastern Gondwana can be regarded as the first signal of the Indo-AustraI Subrealm that was progressively established during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous times.     

Diverse transitional giant fleas from the Mesozoic era of China

Fleas are one of the major lineages of ectoparasitic insects and are now highly specialized for feeding on the blood of birds or mammals. This has isolated them among holometabolan insect orders, although they derive from the Antliophora (scorpionflies and true flies). Like most ectoparasitic lineages, their fossil record is meagre and confined to Cenozoic-era representatives of modern families, so that we lack evidence of the origins of fleas in the Mesozoic era. The origins of the first recognized Cretaceous stem-group flea, Tarwinia, remains highly controversial. Here we report fossils of the oldest definitive fleas--giant forms from the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous periods of China. They exhibit many defining features of fleas but retain primitive traits such as non-jumping hindlegs. More importantly, all have stout and elongate sucking siphons for piercing the hides of their hosts, implying that these fleas may be rooted among the pollinating 'long siphonate' scorpionflies of the Mesozoic. Their special morphology suggests that their earliest hosts were hairy or feathered 'reptilians', and that they radiated to mammalian and bird hosts later in the Cenozoic.     

鄂尔多斯盆地西缘差异抬升的裂变径迹证据

目的探讨鄂尔多斯盆地西缘从南至北不同地区的差异抬升时期及抬升速率。方法利用磷灰石和锆石裂变径迹年龄的综合分析,研究盆地西缘的构造差异抬升。结果西缘北部汝箕沟地区中生代以来有两次较大的抬升时期,分别为晚白垩世和始新世,抬升速率分别为29.5 m/Ma和46.5 m/Ma。中部石沟驿地区抬升时期较早,为晚侏罗世和晚白垩世,抬升速率分别为40.0m/Ma和21.9 m/Ma。南部的差异抬升最为强烈,最早的抬升时期为晚侏罗世,在炭山地区表现明显;早白垩世末—晚白垩世南部地区发生整体抬升;中新世末期六盘山地区发生快速抬升。罗山、炭山地区相对抬升速率和后期抬升速率为46.3 m/Ma和25 m/Ma,六盘山地区则分别为22.5m/Ma和283.3 m/Ma。结论在鄂尔多斯盆地西部,最早的抬升时期为晚侏罗世,晚三叠世并没有抬升事件,故西部前陆盆地的形态始显现于晚侏罗世。西部的差异抬升导致了不同地区前陆盆地构造发展的不平衡。     

中国中生代反鸟类研究概述

对发现于中国中生代地层中的反鸟类化石进行了简单的总结.化石的系统分析表明,从晚侏罗世到早白垩世存在的反鸟亚纲的成员不仅数量多,而且存在较大的分异,与今鸟类存在较大的差异.它们繁盛于早白垩世,灭绝于晚白垩世.     

辽西冀北晚中生代的化石蜥蜴类(爬行纲:有鳞目)

个蜥矢部部龙趾大具有辽西冀北晚中生代已记录的蜥蜴类化石共4属5种,及2个未命名属种。这些化石自下而上可划分4蜴类化石带：中侏罗世杨氏矢部龙带(Yabeinosaurus youngi Zone)、早白垩世早期长趾大凌河蜥-细小龙组合带(Dalinghosaurus longidigitus-Yabeinosaurus tenuis Assemblage Zone)、早白垩世早期细小矢带(Yabeinosaurus tenuis Zone)及早白垩世晚期炭德氏蜥带(Teilhardosaurus canbonarius Zone)凌河蜥-细小矢部龙组合带中的蜥蜴类属种最为丰富且分布较广,为研究早期蜥蜴类的地理地史分重要价值。布长等     

A pug-nosed crocodyliform from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar

Although the image of crocodyliforms as 'unchanged living fossils' is naive, several morphological features of the group are thought to have varied only within narrow limits during the course of evolution. These include an elongate snout with an array of conical teeth, a dorsoventrally flattened skull and a posteriorly positioned jaw articulation, which provides a powerful bite force. Here we report an exquisitely preserved specimen of a new taxon from the Late Cretaceous of Madagascar that deviates profoundly from this Bauplan, possessing an extremely blunt snout, a tall, rounded skull, an anteriorly shifted jaw joint and clove-shaped, multicusped teeth reminiscent of those of some ornithischian dinosaurs. This last feature implies that the diet of the new taxon may have been predominantly if not exclusively herbivorous. A close relationship with notosuchid crocodyliforms, particularly Uruguaysuchus (Late Cretaceous, Uruguay) is suggested by several shared derived features; this supports a biogeographical hypothesis that Madagascar and South America were linked during the Late Cretaceous.     

中生代焉耆盆地演化特征

目的探讨焉耆盆地中生代盆地的演化。方法通过盆地断裂活动特征、沉积演化特征探讨盆地演化阶段。结果盆地断裂活动分为3个阶段,中晚三叠世挤压断层发育阶段、侏罗纪—早白垩世伸展正断层发育阶段和晚白垩世挤压逆冲断层发育阶段;沉积演化分为两个阶段,中—晚三叠世挤压环境的辫状河—浅湖相沉积,早—中侏罗世伸展环境的辫状河—浅湖相沉积。结论焉耆盆地中生代的演化可分为中晚三叠世前陆盆地阶段、侏罗纪—早白垩世的伸展阶段和晚白垩世的挤压抬升阶段3个阶段。     

大港探区中生代原型盆地恢复及成盆模式

对大港探区中生代残留盆地进行原型盆地恢复．原型盆地可分为：早中侏罗世坳陷型盆地,晚侏罗至早白垩世断坳共存盆地及晚白垩世热坳陷盆地．中生代原型盆地分布方向为ＮＥ－ＮＮＥ向,分布范围有限,且沉积厚度较小,这与中生代中国东部受伊泽奈崎板块斜向俯冲和华北与扬子板块碰撞所致的挤压环境有关     

New fossil elaterid (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Elateridae) from Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

A new species of the elaterid genus Cryptocoelus Dolin and Nel, 2002 from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in the western Liaoning, China is described. Diagnosis of the genus is revised, and the systematic position of the genus is briefly discussed. Because the elaterids originated in the Early to Mid-Jurassic, this new material from the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous will enhance our understanding of the transition between ancient elaterids and extant ones, bridge the gap of cryptic relationships between the Mesozoic cupedids and elaterids, and expand our knowledge of their evolutionary history.     

New fossil elaterid (Coleoptera: Polyphaga: Elateridae) from Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

A new species of the elaterid genus Cryptocoelus Dolin and Nel, 2002 from the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation in the western Liaoning, China is described. Diagnosis of the genus is revised, and the systematic position of the genus is briefly discussed. Because the elaterids originated in the Early to Mid-Jurassic, this new material from the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous will enhance our understanding of the transition between ancient elaterids and extant ones, bridge the gap of cryptic relationships between the Mesozoic cupedids and elaterids, and expand our knowledge of their evolutionary history.     

北卡那封盆地沉积演化规律与烃源岩发育特征

以研究澳大利亚北卡那封盆地中生代沉积环境与烃源岩特征的关系为目的,根据盆地内400余口钻井及分析测试资料,首次系统开展了盆地中生代沉积演化规律研究,评价了北卡那封盆地有效烃源岩发育特征,深入探讨了沉积环境对烃源岩有机质发育的影响。研究认为,受构造活动的影响,北卡那封盆地中生代沉积格局发生多次转变：晚三叠世发育大型三角洲沉积,侏罗纪为隆拗相间的浅海、局限海沉积,早白垩世局部发育三角洲-海底扇沉积,晚白垩世为开阔海、半深海-深海沉积。盆地中生代发育两套优质烃源岩：上三叠统Mungaroo组三角洲平原沼泽环境倾气型烃源岩和上侏罗统Dingo组局限海环境倾油型烃源岩,其中Mungaroo组倾气型烃源岩为盆地主要的供烃层系。     

华北东部侏罗—白垩纪盆地演化及其对构造运动的响应

华北东部侏罗—白垩纪盆地演化的阶段性反映了燕山运动的幕式过程.在华北东部侏罗—白垩纪残留盆地分布、沉积充填特征研究的基础上,结合区域构造演化背景,恢复了晚中生代华北东部的原型盆地格局.结果表明:早—中侏罗世华北东部处于由古亚洲构造域向滨太平洋构造域演化的过渡阶段,早期发育一些小的山间沉积盆地群,表现为对印支期造成的低洼地区的充填,晚期表现为披覆式沉积;晚侏罗世进入中生代重要的构造转折期,华北东部构造演化受控于西太平洋区板块活动,晚侏罗—早白垩世伸展断陷盆地发育,盆地的展布具有明显的分区性,沉积充填受北东—北北东向和北西—北西西向断裂系统控制;晚白垩世,郯庐断裂带以西的华北东部地区持续隆升,仅局部洼陷有红色碎屑沉积充填.     

New evidence on deinonychosaurian dinosaurs from the Late Cretaceous of Patagonia

Most of what is known about the evolution of deinonychosaurs (that is, the group of theropods most closely related to birds) is based on discoveries from North America and Asia. Except for Unenlagia comahuensis and some fragmentary remains from northern Africa, no other evidence was available on deinonychosaurian diversity in Gondwana. Here we report a new, Late Cretaceous member of the clade, Neuquenraptor argentinus gen. et sp. nov., representing uncontroversial evidence of a deinonychosaurian theropod in the Southern Hemisphere. The new discovery demonstrates that Cretaceous theropod faunas from the southern continents shared greater similarity with those of the northern landmasses than previously thought. Available evidence suggests that deinonychosaurians were probably distributed worldwide at least by the beginning of the Cretaceous period. The phylogenetic position of the new deinonychosaur, as well as other Patagonian coelurosaurian theropods, is compatible with a vicariance model of diversification for some groups of Gondwanan and Laurasian dinosaurs.