Palaeontology: pterosaur embryo from the Early Cretaceous

Dinosaur embryos have been discovered all over the world, but so far no pterosaur embryos have been reported. Here we describe a Chinese fossil from the Early Cretaceous period containing an embryo that is unambiguously a pterosaur. The embryonic skeleton, which is exquisitely preserved in its egg, is associated with eggshell fragments, wing membranes and skin imprints. This discovery confirms that pterosaurs were egg-layers and sheds new light on our understanding of pterosaur development.     

2017年古生物学热点回眸

 2017年国际古生物研究取得了一系列重要进展。本文介绍地球早期生命研究、最古老树木生长模式、生物宏演化、琥珀中的特异保存化石、三维翼龙胚胎、最早的智人等具体成果，希望由此反映国际古生物研究领域的前沿热点及中国古生物学界所做的突出贡献。     

A new pterosaur (Pterodactyloidea,Tapejaridae) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning,China and its implications for biostratigraphy

In this article we describe a new and exceptionally weel-preserved pterodactyloid pterosaur,Sinopterus dong gen.et sp.nov.from the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning Province of northeast China,The new species is referred to the family Tapejaridae,representing its first record outside Brazil.It also represents the earliest occurrence as well as the most complete sketeton of the famil.Some revisions are made about the family according to the mophological observations of the postcranial bones of Sinopterus.Two pterosaur assemblages appear to have existed in the Jehol Group,represented by the lower Yixian Formation and upper Jiufotang Formation,respectively,The lower pterosaur assemblage shows some resembalance to that of the Late Jurassic in Solnhofen (Tithonian)by sharing members of the Pterodactylidae and Anurognathidae.The upper one shows more resemblance to that to the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation (Aptian/Albian) by comprising only pterodactyloids such as the Tapejaridae,The age of the Yixian Formation is younger than that of the Solnhofen lihographic limestone ,and the age of the Jiufotang Formation (Aptian )is slightly older than the Santana Formation.     

Palaeobiology: Argentinian unhatched pterosaur fossil

Our knowledge of the eggs and embryos of pterosaurs, the Mesozoic flying reptiles, is sparse. Until now, the recent discovery of an ornithocheirid embryo from 121-million-year-old rocks in China constituted the only reliable evidence of an unhatched pterosaur. Here we describe an embryonic fossil of a different pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous lacustrine deposits of Loma del Pterodaustro (the Lagarcito Formation, which is about 100 million years old) in central Argentina. This new fossil provides insight into the eggshell morphology, early growth and nesting environments of pterosaurs.     

蛋清调配栀子粉对急性软组织损伤模型大鼠疗效的实验研究

目的明确蛋清调配栀子粉对急性软组织损伤模型大鼠的治疗作用,并探讨其作用机理。方法以重物锤击法制备SD大鼠急性软组织损伤动物模型,分组贴敷给药,每日换药1次,给药7 d,进行后肢肿胀度测量及组织病理学观察。结果与模型组比较,蛋清调配栀子粉中、高剂量组均可降低损伤局部组织肿胀情况,有显著性差异(P<0.05),在光镜下观察到治疗组肌纤维肿胀、肌组织内瘀血、水肿、出血灶明显减轻,炎症细胞浸润减少。结论蛋清调配栀子粉对急性软组织损伤SD模型大鼠具有良好的治疗和修复作用。     

Pterosaurs as part of a spinosaur diet

A remarkable specimen has been discovered of an Early Cretaceous pterosaur that has a tooth embedded in one of its cervical vertebrae: the tooth has been identified as one from a spinosaurid theropod dinosaur. This fossil is direct evidence that spinosaurs included items other than fish in their diet.     

A nearly completely articulated rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur with exceptionally well-preserved wing membranes and “hairs” from Inner Mongolia, northeast China

We report a new and nearly completely articulated rhamphorhynchoid pterosaur, Jeholopterus ningchengensis gen. et sp. nov., with excellently preserved fibres in the wing membrane and "hairs" in the neck, body and tail regions. Many of its characteristics such as a short neck, short metacarpals and distinctively long fifth pedal digit are characteristic of rhamphorhynchoids. The new species can be further referred to the 'strange' short-tailed rhamphorhynchoid family Anurognathidae. It is much more complete than the other known members of the family, namely, Anurognathus from Solnhofen, Germany, Batrachognathus from Karatau, Kazakhstan, and Dendrorhynchoides from Beipiao, Liaoning Province, China. The new pterosaur also shows that the wing membrane is attached to the ankle of the hind limb. The pedal digits are webbed. Furthermore, the "hair" of Jeholopterus bears some resemblance to the hair-like integumental structures of the feathered dinosaur Sinosauropteryx although there is yet no direct evidence to argue for or against their homology.     

Pterosaur diversity and faunal turnover in Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems in China

New specimens and an analysis of the Jehol pterosaur faunae of northeastern China show an unexpected diversity of flying reptile groups in terrestrial Cretaceous ecosystems. Here we report two new pterosaurs that are referred to European groups previously unknown in deposits of northeastern China. Feilongus youngi, from the Yixian Formation, is closely related to the Gallodactylidae and is distinguished by the presence of two independent sagittal crests and a protruding upper jaw. Nurhachius ignaciobritoi, from the Jiufotang Formation, has teeth formed by labiolingually compressed triangular crowns, only previously reported in Istiodactylus latidens from England. With these new discoveries, the Jehol pterosaurs show a wide range of groups including both primitive and derived forms that are not matched by any other deposit in the world. The discoveries also document the turnover of pterosaur faunae, with the primitive Anurognathidae and early archaeopterodactyloids being replaced by derived pterodactyloids. Furthermore, these deposits offer an opportunity to examine the interaction and competition between birds and pterosaurs--it indicates that the avian fauna during the Lower Cretaceous (and possibly most of the Mesozoic) dominated terrestrial, inland regions, whereas pterosaurs were more abundant in coastal areas.     

日本沼虾Macrobrachium nipponense（de Haan）卵子附着机制研究I．卵膜及卵子附着的扫描电镜观察

用扫描电镜技术观察了日本沼虾（Ｍａｃｒｏｂｒａｃｈｉｕｍｎｉｐｐｏｎｅｎｓｅ）成熟卵、人工授精卵及自然受精产出附着于腹肢上的卵。成熟卵只有初级卵膜，表面较光滑，上密布微孔，密度约１～２个／μｍ２；人工授精卵表面首先突起大小不同的颗粒，随后颗粒破裂并消失，同自然受精卵一样，卵表略光滑，呈波浪状起伏，微孔密度与未受精前大致相同；自然产出的受精卵，表面覆盖一层由雌体腹肢分泌的次级卵膜。次级卵膜具有保护、选择性渗透及隔离邻近受精卵的作用。腹肢不断摆动，受精卵在腹肢间滚动并形成卵与卵之间以及卵与刚毛之间两种“卵柄”，一种称为卵索（ｆｕｎｉｃｕｌｕｓ），不与刚毛相连。ｆｕｎｉｃｕｌｕｓ扁带状，与卵接触处较宽，约１４０～１５０μｍ，中间宽约３０～４０μｍ；另一种称为卵柄（ｅｇｇｓｔａｌｋ），由１～２根载卵刚毛（ｏｏｓｅ－ｔａｅ）插入次级卵膜形成，与卵接触处次级卵膜突起呈锥状，基部宽约１４０～１５０μｍ。非载卵刚毛起辅助抱卵作用。     

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.     

浅谈岩土工程勘察中钻探工艺的选取

在岩土工程勘察过程中,由于土层的性质不同,在实施工程地质钻探时所采取的工艺措施也不一样。通过对软弱粘性土、硬粘性土、砂及卵（碎）石的钻探工艺实践,在钻进方法的选择、钻具的选择方面进行了总结。     

泰和乌骨鸡种蛋主要物理性状分析

对泰和乌骨鸡种蛋的主要物理性状指标如蛋形指数、蛋壳厚度、蛋的各组成部分在总蛋质量中所占的比例以及蛋的密度等进行分析．结果表明：蛋质量与蛋黄质量、蛋密度与蛋壳比例、蛋壳厚度与蛋壳比例之间的相关系数为强正相关，且相关关系极显；蛋形指数与蛋壳厚度、蛋黄质量与蛋密度、蛋黄比例与蛋密度之间的相关系数为中等强度负相关，且相关关系显．     

六安市售品种鸡蛋与土鸡蛋营养成分的比较分析

分别测定20个品种鸡蛋和20个土鸡蛋的物理性质和化学成分,结果表明,土鸡蛋蛋白中的水分比品种鸡蛋低3.22%,差异不显著,而粗蛋白和粗脂肪的含量分别比品种鸡蛋高19.02%和3.33%;土鸡蛋和品种鸡蛋蛋黄的色泽指数分别为9.5和3.9;土鸡蛋蛋黄中粗脂肪的含量较品种鸡蛋低20.59%,磷的含量高9.26%;蛋黄中部分微量元素的含量差异不明显。结果显示出土鸡蛋的营养价值比品种鸡蛋高。     

藏鸡蛋与普通鸡蛋的营养成分比较研究

为了研究藏鸡蛋的营养成分,本实验测定了藏鸡蛋和普通鸡蛋的铁、锌、钙、镁、铜、锰、硒7种元素．粗蛋白和脂肪含量．结果表明藏鸡蛋中的铁、锌和钙元素含量比普通鸡蛋中的高,分别为11．10mg／kg、12．41mg／kg和393．67mg／kg．而藏鸡蛋的粗蛋白含量和粗脂肪含量分别为12．83％和8．91％,均比普通鸡蛋高．藏鸡蛋是天然绿色的保健食品．藏鸡蛋具有比普通鸡蛋更高的营养价值．     

Neuroanatomy of flying reptiles and implications for flight, posture and behaviour

Comparison of birds and pterosaurs, the two archosaurian flyers, sheds light on adaptation to an aerial lifestyle. The neurological basis of control holds particular interest in that flight demands on sensory integration, equilibrium, and muscular coordination are acute. Here we compare the brain and vestibular apparatus in two pterosaurs based on high-resolution computed tomographic (CT) scans from which we constructed digital endocasts. Although general neural organization resembles birds, pterosaurs had smaller brains relative to body mass than do birds. This difference probably has more to do with phylogeny than flight, in that birds evolved from nonavian theropods that had already established trends for greater encephalization. Orientation of the osseous labyrinth relative to the long axis of the skull was different in these two pterosaur species, suggesting very different head postures and reflecting differing behaviours. Their enlarged semicircular canals reflect a highly refined organ of equilibrium, which is concordant with pterosaurs being visually based, aerial predators. Their enormous cerebellar floccular lobes may suggest neural integration of extensive sensory information from the wing, further enhancing eye- and neck-based reflex mechanisms for stabilizing gaze.     

五唇兰受精过程中卵细胞的响应

五唇兰Doritis pulcherrima Lindl．受精过程中超微结构观察结果显示：精子到达胚囊前。卵细胞呈梨形；精子到达胚囊时，卵细胞呈典型的倒梨形；精核和卵核融合时，卵细胞坐长圆型。卯核凹陷，整个精核被卵核包围着。由此可见：五唇兰受精过程的顺利进行，不仅需要精细胞的主动参与，还要卵细胞的积极响应。     

以极低密度脂蛋白为指标选育低胆固醇蛋鸡品系

以血浆极低密度脂蛋白(VLDL)为间接选择指标,对蛋鸡血浆VLDL浓度进行双向选择.经过两个世代的选择,在测定第一和第二世代母鸡血浆VLDL浓度及各相关性状值的基础上,估计了部分性状间的相关系数.结果为：血浆高VLDL浓度组母鸡的腹脂重、腹脂含量、蛋黄重、蛋黄比例、全蛋胆固醇总量和全蛋胆固醇含量等虽略高于血浆低VLDL浓度组,但不同处理之间的差异未达到显著水平（p>0.05）.而血浆低VLDL浓度组母鸡的体重、蛋白重和蛋重则相应提高,其中蛋黄比例的差异在第一、第二世代分别达到显著（p<0.05）和极显著水平（p<0.01）.血浆VLDL浓度与蛋重、蛋白重呈负遗传相关,而与体重、腹脂重、蛋黄重、蛋黄比例、全蛋胆固醇总量和全蛋胆固醇含量呈正遗传相关.实验结果表明,血浆VLDL浓度作为间接性状对全蛋胆固醇含量进行选择,来培育生产低胆固醇蛋的蛋鸡品系具有可行性.     

川、滇、黔白蜡虫几个代表性地方种虫经济性状的比较研究

本文选择了四川、云南、贵州等几个有代表性的白蜡虫地方种虫,就虫囊含卵量、虫囊大小分配情况、100粒虫囊重量、性比、泌蜡量、泌蜡期等进行了比较研究,以期对于品种划分及在杂交育虫时,正确选择杂交组合等提供依据。     

超声波技术在咸蛋腌制中的应用及其机理初探

通过跟踪检测咸蛋腌制过程中蛋清氯化钠浓度的变化，观察到蛋清粘度对氯化钠进入蛋清的显著作用。利用超声波降低蛋清粘度的特性，把超声波技术应用于咸蛋的腌制，明显促进氯化钠的渗透与扩散，缩短了腌制时间。这一结果从粘度的角度初步揭示了超声波促进咸蛋腌制的机理，为超声技术在咸蛋生产中的应用提供了重要的理论依据。     

松针粉饲料喂养对鸡产蛋品质的影响

用含有5％松针粉和不含松针粉的饲料饲养海兰褐蛋鸡,对其所产鸡蛋进行品质对比研究.结果表明：松针鸡蛋在蛋重、蛋白重和蛋黄重等指标与普通鸡蛋相比有所增加,差异不显著（P＞0.05）;蛋壳重、蛋黄指数、水分含量有所下降,但差异不显著（P＞0.05）;蛋壳厚度、蛋形指数一致;在粗灰分和粗蛋白质含量上松针鸡蛋含量高,呈显著差异（P＜0.05）,特别是蛋黄颜色差异大,呈极显著差异（P＜0.01）,松针粉可以有效提高鸡蛋的品质和风味.