Dual origin of tribosphenic mammals

Marsupials, placentals and their close therian relatives possess complex (tribosphenic) molars that are capable of versatile occlusal functions. This functional complex is widely thought to be a key to the early diversification and evolutionary success of extant therians and their close relatives (tribosphenidans). Long thought to have arisen on northern continents, tribosphenic mammals have recently been reported from southern landmasses. The great age and advanced morphology of these new mammals has led to the alternative suggestion of a Gondwanan origin for the group. Implicit in both biogeographic hypotheses is the assumption that tribosphenic molars evolved only once in mammalian evolutionary history. Phylogenetic and morphometric analyses including these newly discovered taxa suggest a different interpretation: that mammals with tribosphenic molars are not monophyletic. Tribosphenic molars evolved independently in two ancient (holotherian) mammalian groups with different geographic distributions during the Jurassic/Early Cretaceous: an australosphenidan clade endemic to Gondwanan landmasses, survived by extant monotremes; and a boreosphenidan clade of Laurasian continents, including extant marsupials, placentals and their relatives.     

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.     

Highly specialized mammalian skulls from the Late Cretaceous of South America

Dryolestoids are an extinct mammalian group belonging to the lineage leading to modern marsupials and placentals. Dryolestoids are known by teeth and jaws from the Jurassic period of North America and Europe, but they thrived in South America up to the end of the Mesozoic era and survived to the beginnings of the Cenozoic. Isolated teeth and jaws from the latest Cretaceous of South America provide mounting evidence that, at least in western Gondwana, dryolestoids developed into strongly endemic groups by the Late Cretaceous. However, the lack of pre-Late Cretaceous dryolestoid remains made study of their origin and early diversification intractable. Here we describe the first mammalian remains from the early Late Cretaceous of South America, including two partial skulls and jaws of a derived dryolestoid showing dental and cranial features unknown among any other group of Mesozoic mammals, such as single-rooted molars preceded by double-rooted premolars, combined with a very long muzzle, exceedingly long canines and evidence of highly specialized masticatory musculature. On one hand, the new mammal shares derived features of dryolestoids with forms from the Jurassic of Laurasia, whereas on the other hand, it is very specialized and highlights the endemic, diverse dryolestoid fauna from the Cretaceous of South America. Our specimens include only the second mammalian skull known for the Cretaceous of Gondwana, bridging a previous 60-million-year gap in the fossil record, and document the whole cranial morphology of a dryolestoid, revealing an unsuspected morphological and ecological diversity for non-tribosphenic mammals.     

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.     

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.     

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     

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     

Late Cretaceous relatives of rabbits, rodents, and other extant eutherian mammals.

Extant eutherian mammals and their most recent common ancestor constitute the crown group Placentalia. This taxon, plus all extinct taxa that share a more recent common ancestor with placentals than they do with Metatheria (including marsupials), constitute Eutheria. The oldest well documented eutherian-dominated fauna in the world is Dzharakuduk, Uzbekistan. Among eutherians that it yields is Kulbeckia, an 85-90-Myr-old member of Zalambdalestidae (a family of Late Cretaceous Asian eutherians). This extends Zalambdalestidae back by some 10 million years from sites in the Gobi Desert, Mongolia. A phylogenetic analysis of well described Late Cretaceous eutherians strongly supports Zalambdalestidae, less strongly supports 'Zhelestidae' (a Late Cretaceous clade related to Tertiary ungulates), but does not support Asioryctitheria (a group of Late Cretaceous Asian eutherians). A second analysis incorporating placentals from clades that include rodents (Tribosphenomys), lagomorphs (Mimotona) and archaic ungulates (Protungulatum and Oxyprimus) strongly supports Zalambdalestidae in a clade with Glires (rabbits, rodents and extinct relatives) and less strongly 'Zhelestidae' within a clade that includes archaic ungulates ('condylarths'). This argues that some Late Cretaceous eutherians belong within the crown group Placentalia. The ages of these taxa are in line with molecularly based estimates of 64-104 Myr ago (median 84 Myr ago) for the superordinal diversification of some placentals, but provide no support for a Late Cretaceous diversification of extant placental orders.     

山东侏罗 - 白垩纪地层划分与对比

山东中生代地层主要发育侏罗系和白垩系,沂沭断裂带以西的鲁西南、鲁中、鲁北地区发育侏罗纪至早白垩世地层,而断裂带以东的鲁东地区主要发育白垩纪地层。用古生物、火成岩年代分析结果对山东侏罗白垩系地层进行了划分和对比。将沂沭断裂带以西的坊子组归于早中侏罗世,三台组归于中侏罗世,分水岭组暂归于晚侏罗世至早白垩世,西洼组归于早白垩世;将沂沭断裂带以东的莱阳组和青山组归于早白垩世,王氏组归于晚白垩世。     

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.     

Sequences homologous to ZFY, a candidate human sex-determining gene, are autosomal in marsupials

Sexual differentiation in placental mammals results from the action of a testis-determining gene encoded by the Y chromosome. This gene causes the indifferent gonad to develop as a testis, thereby initiating a hormonal cascade which produces a male phenotype. Recently, a candidate for the testis-determining gene (ZFY, Y-borne zinc-finger protein) has been cloned. The ZFY probe detects a male-specific (Y-linked) sequence in DNA from a range of eutherian mammals, as well as an X-linked sequence (ZFX) which maps to the human X chromosome. In marsupials it is also the Y chromosome that seems to determine the fate of the gonad, but not all sexual dimorphisms. Using the ZFY probe we find, surprisingly, that the ZFY homologous sequences are not on either the X or the Y chromosome in marsupials, but map to the autosomes. This implies ZFY is not the primary sex-determining gene in marsupials. Either the genetic pathways of sex determination in marsupials and eutherians differ, or they are identical and ZFY is not the primary signal in human sex determination.     

新疆东部三塘湖盆地构造演化及其石油地质意义

三塘湖盆地形成于晚古生代以后,是一个构造演化复杂的中小型含油气盆地,经历了石炭纪到早二叠世盆地基底形成阶段、晚二叠世到白垩纪盆地发育阶段和第三纪以来的后期盆地改造阶段。在基底形成阶段,早石炭世为古准噶尔洋盆俯冲的活动大陆边缘时期,晚石炭世进入哈萨克斯坦板块和西伯利亚板块碰撞造山时期,早二叠世为碰撞后伸展转换时期。从晚二叠世以后,盆地进入发育阶段。晚二叠世为造山后伸展断陷时期,三叠纪末为挤压隆升时期,侏罗纪-早白垩世盆地进入拗陷时期,早白垩世末期为挤压逆冲时期。从第三纪以来,盆地进入了后期的改造阶段。在整个盆地演化过程中,晚二叠世盆地处于张性成盆环境,并沉积发育了上二叠统芦草沟组泥灰岩、上三叠统小泉沟群和下-中侏罗统水西沟群以暗色泥岩为主的三套烃源岩。受其区域性挤压构造背景影响,早白垩世末期和晚始新世是盆地两个油气成藏关键时刻,特别是新生代晚期盆地的改造对油气能否进入成熟生油阶段具有重要意义。     

北山盆地群侏罗、白垩系沉积体系及其分布、演化

通过地质调查并结合前人资料，研究了北山盆地群侏罗系与下白垩统的沉积体系类型及其分布、演化。结果表明：北山盆地群侏罗系及下白垩统为典型的内陆湖盆沉积，发育冲积扇、河流(以辫状河为主)、三角洲(包括扇三角洲、辫状河三角洲、曲流河三角洲)、湖泊等沉积体系；沉积体系的分布及演化主要受构造及古气候条件的影响，侏罗系及下白垩统属两个沉积旋回，每个沉积旋回大致可以划分为初始断陷期、强烈断陷期和断陷萎缩期3个沉积阶段；由于阿尔金断裂在侏罗纪时对北山地区南部影响较大，导致侏罗纪沉积呈现出一定的南北差异，表现为南部盆地断陷更为强烈．出现了较深湖相沉积，北部盆地断陷强度相对较弱，只出现滨浅湖沉积；早白垩世阿尔金断裂对本区影响不大，其沉积特征差异不明显。     

内蒙古赤峰盆地早白垩世地层和孢粉化石群

赤峰盆地是一个晚侏罗世晚期发展起来的陆相断陷盆地,主成盆期为早白垩世。盆地内沉积盖层包括了上侏罗统兴安岭群、下白垩统义县组、九佛堂组、沙海组、阜新组,以及孙家湾组。作者首次比较完整地介绍了赤峰盆地早白垩世岩石地层层序及孢粉化石组合序列,并对各地层单元的区域对比关系和地质时代归属进行了简要讨论。     

Convergent dental adaptations in pseudo-tribosphenic and tribosphenic mammals

Tribosphenic molars of basal marsupials and placentals are a major adaptation, with the protocone (pestle) of the upper molar crushing and grinding in the talonid basin (mortar) on the lower molar. The extinct pseudo-tribosphenic mammals have a reversed tribosphenic molar in which a pseudo-talonid is anterior to the trigonid, to receive the pseudo-protocone of the upper molar. The pseudo-protocone is analogous to the protocone, but the anteriorly placed pseudo-talonid is opposite to the posterior talonid basin of true tribosphenic mammals. Here we describe a mammal of the Middle Jurassic period with highly derived pseudo-tribosphenic molars but predominantly primitive mandibular and skeletal features, and place it in a basal position in mammal phylogeny. Its shoulder girdle and limbs show fossorial features similar to those of mammaliaforms and monotremes, but different compared with those of the earliest-known Laurasian tribosphenic (boreosphenid) mammals. The find reveals a much greater range of dental evolution in Mesozoic mammals than in their extant descendants, and strengthens the hypothesis of homoplasy of 'tribosphenic-like' molars among mammals.     

Large Cretaceous sphenodontian from Patagonia provides insight into lepidosaur evolution in Gondwana

Sphenodontian reptiles successfully radiated during Triassic and Jurassic times, but were driven almost to extinction during the Cretaceous period. The sparse Early Cretaceous record of sphenodontians has been interpreted as reflecting the decline of the group in favour of lizards, their suspected ecological successors. However, recent discoveries in Late Cretaceous beds in Patagonia partially modify this interpretation. Numerous skeletons of a new sphenodontian, Priosphenodon avelasi gen. et sp. nov., were collected from a single locality in the Cenomanian-Turonian Candeleros Formation, where it is more abundant than any other tetrapod group recorded in the quarry (for example, Crocodyliformes, Serpentes, Dinosauria and Mammalia). Adult specimens of Priosphenodon reached one metre in length, larger than any previously known terrestrial sphenodontian. Here we propose, using available evidence, that sphenodontians were not a minor component of the Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems of South America, and that their ecological replacement by squamates was delayed until the early Tertiary. The new discovery helps to bridge the considerable gap in the fossil record (around 120 million years) that separates the Early Cretaceous sphenodontians from their living relatives (Sphenodon).     

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。     

中非裂谷盆地构造演化差异性与构造动力学机制

分析了不同空间位置盆地的构造演化差异性，并结合区域构造事件探讨了中非裂谷盆地的构造动力学成因机制。中非裂谷盆地包括两个分支体系：西非裂谷系主要呈左旋走滑双断式结构；中非裂谷系主要表现为单断式右旋走滑结构。研究区内有走滑盆地和伸展盆地两种类型：前者位于走滑断裂带内部，近似平行于走滑断裂带展布，走滑作用强，构造反转明显；后者位于走滑断裂带端部，与走滑断裂带斜交，伸展作用强，构造反转较弱。中非裂谷盆地发育3期裂陷—拗陷构造旋回：早白垩世，中非盆地同时发生强烈的裂陷作用；晚白垩世，不同空间位置盆地的裂谷作用强度差异明显并且经历构造反转；古近纪，只有近NW-SE向盆地发生第三期裂谷作用，而其他盆地处于拗陷期。中非裂谷盆地是非洲陆缘板块构造运动在非洲陆内3个块体差异应力作用的陆内响应，3期裂谷作用的构造动力来源不同：早白垩世中大西洋扩张、晚白垩世南大西洋快速扩张和印度洋扩张双重作用、古近纪非洲板块与欧洲板块主要碰撞及西北印度洋中脊扩张影响。     

渤海湾盆地中、新生代构造演化研究

根据中生界上侏罗统和下白垩统地层和控盆断裂分布分析,中生代晚期晚侏罗—早白垩世郯庐断裂带的左旋走滑平移导致郯庐断裂带以西自北向南发育了3个北西向断堑系,即北部的渤海断堑系、中部的济阳断堑系和南部的鲁西南断堑系。从区域资料综合分析,渤海湾盆地的基本格局是早第三纪以来的新生代盆地格局。渤海湾盆地的形态、构造和沉积特征及热流值分布表明该盆地在新生代为拉分盆地。根据渤海湾盆地的各个坳陷内新生代各时期的地层分布、沉积厚度和控盆边界断裂在各时期的空间位置以及活动性质综合分析,恢复了盆地新生代以来的构造演化格局。中、新生代盆地构造和沉积分布特征表明渤海湾盆地是一个中、新生代叠合盆地。     

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.