Two Jurassic salamanders with stomach contents from Inner Mongolia,China

Conchostracans and corixids are part of the diet of extant salamanders,an ecologically important fact in a lacustrine environment. Here we report their discovery in the guts of the aquatic Jurassic salamanders Jeholotriton paradoxus and Chunerpeton tianyiensis, formerly abundant at Daohugou,Ningcheng County,Inner Mongolia,China.This reveals something of the ecology of this im- portant,ancient,vertebrate and invertebrate assemblage.The new fossil evidence indicates the highly selective feeding of these Jurassic salamanders;Jeholotriton preyed only on juveniles of the conchostracan Euestheria luanpingensis,and Chunerpeton only on the corixid Yanliaocorixa chinensis.We can infer the dietary differences as a consequence of different jaw and hyoid structures; and thus niche partitioning in Jurassic salamanders.     

Late Jurassic salamanders from northern China

With ten extant families, salamanders (urodeles) are one of the three major groups of modern amphibians (lissamphibians). Extant salamanders are often used as a model system to assess fundamental issues of developmental, morphological and biogeographical evolution. Unfortunately, our understanding of these issues has been hampered by the paucity of fossil evidence available to assess the early history of the group. Here we report the discovery of an extraordinary sample of salamander fossils, some with rare soft-tissue impressions, from the Upper Jurassic of China. With over 500 articulated specimens, this assemblage documents the morphological diversity of early urodeles and includes larvae and adults of both neotenic and metamorphosed taxa. Phylogenetic analysis confirms that these salamanders are primitive, and reveals that all basal salamander clades have Asian distributions. This is compelling evidence for an Asian origin of Recent salamanders, as well as for an extensive and early radiation of several major lineages. These discoveries show that the evolution of salamanders has involved phylogenetic and ecological diversification around a body plan that has remained fundamentally stable for over 150 million years.     

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.     

Post-Jurassic mammal-like reptile from the Palaeocene.

Mammal-like reptiles of the order Therapsida document the emergence of mammals from more primitive synapsids and are of unique zoological and palaeontological interest on that account. Therapsids, first appearing in the Early Permian, were thought to become extinct in the Middle Jurassic, soon after the Late Triassic origin of mammals. Here, however, we report the discovery of a therapsid from the late Palaeocene, 100 million years younger than the youngest previous occurrence of the order. This discovery nearly doubles the stratigraphic range of therapsids and furnishes their first record from the Cenozoic. The documenting fossils, an incomplete dentary containing three teeth, and four isolated teeth from other, conspecific individuals (Fig. 1), are from the Paskapoo Formation, at Cochrane, Alberta, Canada, from beds yielding a diverse mammalian fauna of early Tiffanian age. These specimens are catalogued in the collections of the University of Alberta Laboratory for Vertebrate Paleontology (UALVP) and provide the basis for a new taxon, as named and described below: (see text)     

A stem batrachian from the Early Permian of Texas and the origin of frogs and salamanders

The origin of extant amphibians (Lissamphibia: frogs, salamanders and caecilians) is one of the most controversial questions in vertebrate evolution, owing to large morphological and temporal gaps in the fossil record. Current discussions focus on three competing hypotheses: a monophyletic origin within either Temnospondyli or Lepospondyli, or a polyphyletic origin with frogs and salamanders arising among temnospondyls and caecilians among the lepospondyls. Recent molecular analyses are also controversial, with estimations for the batrachian (frog-salamander) divergence significantly older than the palaeontological evidence supports. Here we report the discovery of an amphibamid temnospondyl from the Early Permian of Texas that bridges the gap between other Palaeozoic amphibians and the earliest known salientians and caudatans from the Mesozoic. The presence of a mosaic of salientian and caudatan characters in this small fossil makes it a key taxon close to the batrachian (frog and salamander) divergence. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that the batrachian divergence occurred in the Middle Permian, rather than the late Carboniferous as recently estimated using molecular clocks, but the divergence with caecilians corresponds to the deep split between temnospondyls and lepospondyls, which is congruent with the molecular estimates.     

Discovery of the first Asian plethodontid salamander

Nearly 70% of the 535 species of salamanders in the world are members of a single family, the Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders. The centre of diversity for this clade is North and Middle America, where the vast majority (99%) of species are found. We report the discovery of the first Asian plethodontid salamander, from montane woodlands in southwestern Korea. The new species superficially resembles members of North American genera, in particular the morphologically conservative genus Plethodon. However, phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear encoded gene Rag-1 shows the new taxon to be widely divergent from Plethodon. The new salamander differs osteologically from putative relatives, especially with respect to the tongue (attached protrusible) and the derived tarsus. We place the species in a new genus on the basis of the morphological and molecular data. The distribution of the new salamander adds to the enigma of Old World plethodontids, which are otherwise restricted to the western Mediterranean region, suggesting a more extensive past distribution of the family.     

Earliest Asian discoglossid frog from western Liaoning

Based on a superbly preserved skeleton, a new anuran taxon has been named and described from the Yixian Formation (Upper Jurassic/Lower Cretaceous), Liaoning Province, northeastern China. This discovery documents the first discoglossid fossil from China, the earliest record of the group in Asia, and the only second Mesozoic discoglossid known from fully articulated material in the world. The family Discoglossidae is widely perceived as a primitive anuran group, but has no definite fossils found in collaboration with their recent distribution in Asia. The new discovery from Liaoning extends the temporal range of the group in Asia back at least 120 million years, and provides valuable fossil material for study of anatomical details of early discoglossids, as well as of historical distribution of this primitive anuran group.     

A Jurassic eutherian mammal and divergence of marsupials and placentals

Placentals are the most abundant mammals that have diversified into every niche for vertebrates and dominated the world's terrestrial biotas in the Cenozoic. A critical event in mammalian history is the divergence of eutherians, the clade inclusive of all living placentals, from the metatherian-marsupial clade. Here we report the discovery of a new eutherian of 160?Myr from the Jurassic of China, which extends the first appearance of the eutherian-placental clade by about 35?Myr from the previous record, reducing and resolving a discrepancy between the previous fossil record and the molecular estimate for the placental-marsupial divergence. This mammal has scansorial forelimb features, and provides the ancestral condition for dental and other anatomical features of eutherians.     

中侏罗世枫杨属果序化石的发现及意义

华北燕辽地区中侏罗世植物群中的一段枫杨属Ｐｔｅｒｏｃａｒｙａ果序化石，其形态、结构及习性，与现代枫杨属枫杨组Ｓｅｃｔ．Ｐｔｅｒｏｃａｒｙａ各种的果序酷似．这一事实表明：中侏罗世的枫杨属已具有现代水平，而自中侏罗世至现代，该属变异甚微；该属在中侏罗世之前已经过长期演化．这与研究同一侏罗纪化石植物群中的鼠李科植物时所见情况相同．显然，柔荑花序植物及木兰型植物在中侏罗世或更早的时代，已共生于中国北部，不能排除枫杨属，或连同胡桃科的其他属，曾于中生代之前起源于华北     

A bizarre Jurassic maniraptoran from China with elongate ribbon-like feathers

Recent coelurosaurian discoveries have greatly enriched our knowledge of the transition from dinosaurs to birds, but all reported taxa close to this transition are from relatively well known coelurosaurian groups. Here we report a new basal avialan, Epidexipteryx hui gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle to Late Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China. This new species is characterized by an unexpected combination of characters seen in several different theropod groups, particularly the Oviraptorosauria. Phylogenetic analysis shows it to be the sister taxon to Epidendrosaurus, forming a new clade at the base of Avialae. Epidexipteryx also possesses two pairs of elongate ribbon-like tail feathers, and its limbs lack contour feathers for flight. This finding shows that a member of the avialan lineage experimented with integumentary ornamentation as early as the Middle to Late Jurassic, and provides further evidence relating to this aspect of the transition from non-avian theropods to birds.     

陕南早中侏罗世勉县群植物组合面貌

勉县群为陕南勉县至紫阳一带早中侏罗世陆相含煤沉积；自下而上分为三个组，即洪水沟组、沔水组、堰河组．该群含有丰富的植物化石，该植物群是典型的南方型Ｐｔｉｌｏｐｈｙｌｌｕｍ—Ｃｏｎｉｏｐｔｅｒｉｓ植物群。根据沉积特征及植物化石分布规律分析，勉县群三个组的形成时代依次为：早侏罗世、早中侏罗世、中侏罗世。有趣的是，在沔水组中下部发现了有花植物中华木兰（Ｍａｇｎｏｌｉａｍｉｏｃｅｎｉｌａ），为研究被子植物早期起源历史提供了一份新的材料。     

A Middle Triassic stem-neopterygian fish from China sheds new light on the peltopleuriform phylogeny and internal fertilization

Internal fertilization and viviparity are easily observed and well studied in living neopterygian fishes (14 teleostean families), but they are difficult to identify in extinct taxa due to the limitation of the fossil record. The Peltopleuriformes from the Middle to Late Triassic of Europe and South China are a stem group of Neopterygii that may have first evolved internal fertilization and viviparity in this clade because they show a highly modified anal fin in presumed males resembling the intromittent organ in living viviparous teleosts. Until recently, Peltopleurus lissocephalus and P. rugosus from the Ladinian/Anisian boundary (~242 Ma) of Monte San Giorgio area in Switzerland and Italy represent the oldest record of Peltopleuriformes, and the phylogenetic interrelationships of this group remain controversial. Here, we report the discovery of a new peltopleuriform, Peltopleurus nitidus sp. nov., based on eleven well-preserved specimens from the early Middle Triassic (Pelsonian, Anisian, ~244 Ma) of Luoping, eastern Yunnan, China. The discovery documents the oldest convincing peltopleuriform, extending the geological range of this clade by proximately two million years. Results of the phylogenetic analysis recover P. nitidus at the base of Peltopleuridae, and provide robust support for the sister-group relationships of Peltopleuridae with Thoracopteridae within the Peltopleuriformes. The male anal fin of P. nitidus shows a primitive condition unknown in other peltopleuriforms. Comparative studies of the male anal fin in P. nitidus and other peltopleuriforms shed new light on the internal fertilization in this group.     

Earliest known simian primate found in Algeria.

The record of early fossil Simiiformes (Anthropoidea) from the Late Eocene and Early Oligocene of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula has increased dramatically in recent years. We report here the discovery of a new, diminutive and much older (Early or Middle Eocene) simian from an Algerian locality, Glib Zegdou. This species is smaller than any other living or fossil African simiiform. Derived similarities shared with Aegyptopithecus suggest that the new genus is more closely related to propliopithecines than to oligopithecines, implying that these two subfamilies differentiated during the Early Eocene. The new discovery confirms predictions about the great antiquity of Simiiformes and emphasizes a long and endemic African history for higher primates.     

中亚与中国西部侏罗纪沉积盆地的成因分析

通过对中亚与中国西部侏罗纪大地构造格局和侏罗系沉积特征的对比分析表明：早-中侏罗世本地区总体处于伸展构造背景之下,地壳向西南方向减薄,海水从西南向东北方向逐渐浸漫;在此背景下形成了两类侏罗纪沉积盆地,一类是被动大陆边缘近海开阔盆地,存在良好的侏罗系油气生储盖组合,另一类是山前先断后拗的陆相盆地,虽然也存在侏罗系烃源岩和储层,但往往缺乏好的盖层。     

中国南方大地构造演化及其对油气的控制

按照板块构造理论及活动论、阶段论的思想，大致以中晚三叠世为界，将中国南方自震旦纪以来大地构造演化历史划分成海相盆地演化阶段（Z－T2）及陆相盆地演化阶级（T3－Q）两大阶段；又可进一步细分为扬子克拉通及其周缘裂谷盆地（Z－1q)、裂谷－克拉通－被动大陆边缘盆地（1c-O1）、被动陆缘－克拉通－前陆盆地（O2－S）、加里东运动（S末）、裂谷－克拉通盆地（D－T1）、克拉通残留海盆－弧后（浊积）盆地（T2）、印支运动（T2－T3）、华北－华南板块焊合、古特提斯封闭与前陆盆地的形成（T3－J2）、压扭背景下的改造作用及拉分盆地的形成（J3－K1）、伸展－裂陷盆地的形成（K2－E）、喜马拉雅运动（E末－N初）及披盖性构造层的形成（N－Q）12个阶段。特别是对南方自中晚三叠世以来的大地构造演化及其对现存油气的控制作用进行了系统研究，提出了晚侏罗世－早白垩世燕山运动对南方中生界、古生界原生油气藏的保存与破坏起到了决定性作用及燕山、喜马拉雅运动控制了现今南方原生、次生及再生烃（二次生烃）油气藏分布的新观点。     

The largest known odonate in China: Hsiufua chaoi Zhang et Wang, gen. et sp. nov. from the middle jurassic of inner mongolia

A new genus and species, Hsiufua chaoi Zhang et Wang, is established based on a forewing from the Middle Jurassic Haifanggou Formation in Inner Mongolia, China and attributed to Campterophlebiidae, Isophlebioidea, Odonata. It is the largest odonate known in China and the fourth in the world in terms of forewing length. The maximum size (based on forewing length) of Odonata is smaller in the Permian than in the Mesozoic which is probably due to competition for prey between Odonata and Protodonata in the Permian. The reason that the maximum size of Jurassic odonates is larger than that of their extant relatives is most probably less competition and lower predation pressure from contemporary aerial vertebrates.     

An osmundaceous rhizome with sterile and fertile fronds and <Emphasis Type="Italic">in situ</Emphasis> spores from the Jurassic of western Liaoning

A well-preserved permineralized osmundaceous fern was discovered from the Middle Jurassic Tiaojishan Formation of Beipiao, Liaoning Province, China. The rhizome is about 50 cm high and 35–41 cm in diameter and can be attributed to the genus Ashicaulis on the basis of its anatomy. The sterile pinnae are referable to Cladophlebis, the fertile pinnules are of the Todites type with in situ spores of the Osmundacidites type. Osmundaceous rhizomes have been found all over the world including the Jurassic strata of western Liaoning, China. Until now, however, no rhizomes have been reported to be organically connected with leafy organs. Although impressions and compressions of isolated osmundaceous sterile and fertile fronds are common, they were described under separate organ- or morpho-generic names, such as Todites and Cladophlebis. The new discovery provides an opportunity to study an osmundaceous fern in ‘whole plant concept’ to learn more about its morphology and structure, and the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental requrirements of this group.     

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.     

中国的蜥脚类恐龙化石及其层位

文章对中国的蜥脚类恐龙化石及其层位、产地进行了较为系统的总结,划分出５个相关的蜥脚类恐龙动物群：（１）早侏罗世资中龙动物群（ＺｉｚｈｏｎｇｏｓａｕｒｕｓＦａｕｎａ）;（２）中侏罗世蜀龙－峨眉龙动物群（Ｓｈｕｎｏｓａｕｒｕｓ－ＯｍｅｉｓａｕｒｕｓＦａｕｎａ）;（３）晚侏罗世马门溪龙动物群（ＭａｍｅｎｃｈｉｓａｕｒｕｓＦａｕｎａ）;（４）早白垩世亚洲龙动物群（ＡｓｉａｔｏｓａｕｒｕｓＦａｕｎａ）;（５）晚白垩世纳摩盖吐龙动物群（ＮｅｍｅｇｔｏｓａｕｒｕｓＦａｕｎａ）。文章还对中国的蜥脚类恐龙的地理分布特征进行了探讨。