广西扶绥岩亮洞与巨猿伴生的鼠亚科及其动物群的层序对比

本文系统研究了产自广西扶绥岩亮洞与步氏巨猿下颌骨伴生的鼠亚科化石,包括：锡金小鼠（相似种）（Mus cf. M. pahari）、小巢鼠（Micromys minutus）、亚洲姬鼠（Apodemus asianicus）、细狨鼠（Hapalomys gracilis）、原始笔尾树鼠（Chiropodomys primitivus）、先社鼠（Niviventer preconfucianus）、安氏白腹鼠（Niviventer andersoni）、拟爱氏巨鼠（Leopoldamys edwardsioides）和始家鼠（相似种）（Rattus cf. R. pristinus）,共计8属9种,其中包括了6个绝灭种,鼠亚科绝灭种的比例高达67%。研究表明,岩亮洞鼠亚科动物群的性质比重庆巫山龙骨坡的相关鼠类显得稍进步,但比湖北建始龙骨洞以及广西崇左泊岳山巨猿洞和三合大洞的鼠亚科组合都要原始,因此推测其时代为早更新世早期（可能距今约200万年）。此外,依据主要属种的形态差异和演化水平,本文还初步建立了广西左江流域更新世鼠亚科动物群的层序,从早到晚依次为：扶绥岩亮洞（距今约200万年）—崇左泊岳山巨猿洞（距今约180万年）—崇左三合大洞（距今约160-120万年）—木榄山智人洞（距今约11万年）,这对于深入研究我国南方早更新世巨猿—中华乳齿象动物群的系统演化,以及探讨我国南方第四纪生物地层的划分具有积极的意义。     

广西崇左泊岳山巨猿洞早更新世的鼠科化石

最近在广西崇左泊岳山巨猿洞采集到大量步氏巨猿、猩猩、长臂猿等高等灵长类及伴生的属种丰富的哺乳动物化石。本文系统记述了该化石点小哺乳动物群中的优势群体——鼠科化石:似锡金小鼠(Mus cf.M.pahari)、似大林姬鼠(Apodemus cf.A.peninsulae)、细狨鼠(Hapalomys gracilis)、狭齿狨鼠(Hapalomys angustidens)、先社鼠(Niviventer preconfucianus)、安氏白腹鼠(Niviventer andersoni)、拟爱氏巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsioides)和似始家鼠(Rattus cf.R.pristinus)共6属8种,其中包括了5个绝灭种。研究表明,泊岳山巨猿洞鼠类主要属种的形态特征显然要比同地区的三合大洞显得原始,而较相似于重庆巫山龙骨坡的相关鼠类,因此推测其时代为早更新世早期,这与古地磁的测年结果(距今约180万年)相吻合。泊岳山巨猿洞的鼠类大部分均为东洋界成员以及树栖、半树栖及林地生活的种类,反映当时的自然景观为热带-亚热带的森林-林灌环境。泊岳山巨猿洞鼠科化石的研究丰富了我国南方早更新世巨猿-中华乳齿象动物群中小哺乳动物化石的记录,这对于探讨我国南方第四纪生物地层的划分将提供重要的信息。     

中国东部晚新生代堆积中的刺山鼠化石（英文）

描述了安徽繁昌和江苏泗洪新发现的晚新生代堆积物中的刺山鼠科化石。化石共有两属3种,即产自安徽、江苏的中华新来鼠(新种)(Neocometes sinensis sp.nov.)和产自安徽的大新来鼠(新种)(N.magna sp.nov.)及猪尾鼠未定种(Typhlomys sp.)。安徽繁昌的材料来自裂隙堆积,采样时未作分层处理,对单个化石属种很难进行准确的时代确定;但根据所采集化石的组分和上下层位保存的颜色与埋葬方式上的差异,推测Neocometes的时代为中新世,而Typhlomys可能较晚。Neocometes属的出现和典型中新世动物成员的存在,表明繁昌这一含古猿的裂隙堆积中含有大致与江苏泗洪动物群和山东山旺动物群相当、甚至可与泰国中新世动物群对比的啮齿动物组合。新种牙齿的形态特征显示,Neocometes属在亚洲经历了个体迅速增大,齿冠增高,齿脊增强,上臼齿外脊和下臼齿内脊逐渐发育的过程,与该属在欧洲的演化趋势有所不同。     

安徽繁昌晚新生代裂隙堆积中的松鼠类化石（英文）

描述了安徽繁昌癞痢山塘口晚新生代裂隙堆积物中发现的松鼠类材料。化石代表松鼠亚科的4个族,共有5属6种,其中包括一个新属和两个新种,即树松鼠族的Sciurus sp.,花鼠族的Tamias sp.和Plesiosciurus zhengi sp.nov.,旱獭族的Sciurotamias wangi Qiu,2002和S.teilhardi Zheng,1993,以及巨松鼠族的Pseudoratufa wanensis gen.et sp.nov.。所研究的材料系混合地采自同一裂隙堆积的4个不同层位,化石的组分可能代表从早中新世至更新世的不同时段。繁昌的这一松鼠组合具有中国中南部晚新生代松鼠动物群的特色,并含有稀奇的Pseudoratufa属。该新属的牙齿形态显示了其树栖松鼠的特征,而且可以归入甚为稀有的巨松鼠族。其遗骸具有与该地点发现的古猿、硅藻鼠和河狸类化石相似的石化和堆积过程,似乎表明这些动物属于时代相同或较接近的群体,它们的共存也说明了繁昌地区在中新世时有过相对湿润的森林生境。     

安徽繁昌早更新世人字洞古人类活动遗址及其哺乳动物群

1998年,在安徽繁昌县癞痢山发现了两处洞穴、裂隙堆积。在随后两年中对其中之一的人 字洞进行了系统发掘,采集到一定数量的石制品、骨制品和属种丰富、生态习性多样的大量脊 椎动物化石。人字洞发育于三叠纪灰岩中,洞穴堆积物厚约30米,可分为上下两个堆积单元, 脊椎动物化石和古人类遗物主要产于上堆积单元。经初步研究,人字洞动物群包含67种哺乳动 物,与我国南、北方第四纪早期的其它主要动物群相比,其绝灭属、种比例更高,动物群中主 要属种的形态特征更原始,然而该动物群中真马(Equus)的出现,表明其地质时代为早更新世 早期。这一动物群具有浓郁的北方色彩,显示出更新世初期我国境内有一次明显的降温事件,促 使北方动物大规模向南迁徒,在长江以南形成东洋界和古北界动物地理区系交错带的过渡区动 物群。人字洞动物群的发现为研究我国第四纪早期动物群的特征和动物地理区系演化及古气候 环境变迁提供了重要的信息。     

安徽繁昌人字洞及周边更新世遗址中出现的北方动物化石

正繁昌人字洞及相关遗址动物群的南北混杂现象安徽繁昌人字洞是世纪之交在我国发现的最重要的更新世早期哺乳动物化石点;该地点出土了70余种哺乳动物化石,包括头骨、牙齿和头后骨骼,还有几具近乎完整的动物骨架。笔者有幸于2000年11月在此参加了近一个月的野外发掘,后来又和邱占祥院士一起承担了动物群中奇蹄类化石的研究工作;因此,对这个地点的动物群有较多了解。     

安徽淮南晚新生代鬣狗类化石(英文)

记述了安徽淮南地区晚新生代洞穴、裂隙堆积中发现的鬣狗化行。材料系2003年至2006年间由本文作者之一(金昌柱)等在淮南市八公山区进行地层古生物调查时,于大居山老洞、西裂隙及大顶山裂隙的堆积物中采集到的。与鬣狗伴生的其他哺乳动物属种多样,并具有一定的地质断代意义。大居山老洞有Pliopentalagus huainanensis、Kowalskia sp.、Nan- nocricetus mongolicus等,西裂隙有Sericolagus sp.、Mimomys sp.、Equus sanmeniensis等,大顶山裂隙则有Lepus sp.、Ailuropoda sp.、Homotherium ultima等。所发现的鬣狗化石包括Adcrocuta extmta、Chasmaporthetes lunensis和Crocuta crocuta三种其中Crocuta crocuta至少包括三个个体;其他两种则只有一个个体。淮南的鬣狗种类跨越了晚中新世至晚更新世。Adcrocuta eximia为欧亚大陆晚中新世的特有种,为鬣狗科中朝食骨方向演化的类群;体型和前臼齿主尖与晚中新世较原始的属种(如Hyaenictitherium)相比,都有壮大的趋势。Chasmaporthetes地理分布最广,除欧亚大陆有多处化石记录外,还出现于北美洲的晚上新世至中更新世动物群中。修长的肢骨与尖利的颊齿表明了其擅长奔跑的能力和主动猎食的习性。该属在淮南的出现突出反映了一种相对开阔的古地理环境。Crocuta crocuta在大居山西裂隙与大顶山裂隙中都有发现。斑鬣狗分布于中国多处的中-晚更新世地点,包括台湾的澎湖列岛。在前臼齿的形态上,C.crocuta与Pachycrocuta相似,比A.eximia的宽大,具有更为进步的特征。这说明在早更新世晚期至中更新世早期,Crocuta极可能完全取代了Pachycrocuta。迄今在安徽Pachycrocuta仅发现于和县与繁昌的洞穴堆积中,由于目前确定高分辨率的洞、裂隙堆积物的地层年代较为困难,安徽的有关动物群足否记录了这个替代事件有待于进一步工作。淮南的鬣狗化石至少涉及了两个不同时期的动物群:一为Adcrocuta eximia所代表的晚中新世动物群,二为Crocuta所代表的晚上新世-更新世动物群。Chasma- porthetes lunensis的出现对于年代的确定并无太大帮助,但具有草原习性的Chasmaporthetes却为动物群的古生态环境分析和重建提供了一些证据。     

陕西洛南龙牙洞小哺乳动物化石新材料

描述了1995~1997年东秦岭山地洛南盆地龙牙南洞洞穴遗址中发掘出土的小哺乳动物化石,包括甘肃鼹Scapanulus oweni,峨眉鼩鼹Nasillus andersoni,鼩鼹(属种未定)Uropsilinae gen.et sp.indet.,长尾鼩鼱Soriculus sp.,似高山鼠兔Ochotona cf.O.alpina,偏皮氏毛耳飞鼠Belomys parapearsoni,艾克氏异仓鼠Allocricetus ehiki,沟牙田鼠Proedromys bedfordi,欧洲异费鼠Allophaiomys deucalion,始鼢鼠Eospalax sp.,先社鼠Niviventer preconfucianus,亚洲姬鼠Apodemus asianicus,姬鼠Apodemus sp.,马来豪猪(华南亚种)Hystrix brachyura subcristata,居氏大河狸Trogontherium cuvieri等。该动物群同时包括南方型和北方型动物,其动物组合具有明显的南北过渡地带的特征。其中峨眉鼩鼹和似高山鼠兔为新发现的化石种。新发现的小哺乳动物化石组合类似于龙牙北洞,显示出比较古老的性质,时代上多为早更新世晚期或中更新世早期,但龙牙南洞遗址含化石地层对应的热释光(TL)年龄结果分别为(356.6±17.8)ka BP,(273.9±13.7)ka BP和(210.5±10.5)ka BP,最近新的回授光释光(TT-OSL)测年数据进一步验证了热释光测年结果,获得的地层年代亦为距今40~20万年左右。     

广西崇左三合巨猿大洞新发现的鼠科化石

本文记述了广西崇左三合巨猿大洞新发现的鼠类化石, 共有7属11种, 包括了4个绝灭种, 占鼠类总数的40%。经系统比较研究显示, 三合大洞鼠类主要属种的形态特征显然要比重庆巫山龙骨坡的进步, 且较相似于湖北建始龙骨洞的相关鼠类; 古地磁的测年结果为距今在120—160万年, 其时代应是早更新世中期。三合大洞鼠类除了个别广布型外均为东洋界成员, 而且几乎都是树栖和半树栖以及林地生活的种类, 与大哺乳动物反映的生态特征基本一致, 当时的自然景观为气候温暖炎热, 森林茂盛的环境。三合大洞鼠类化石的研究填补了广西巨猿动物群缺少鼠类记载的空白, 这对于探讨其生态环境将提供重要的信息。     

广西崇左木榄山智人洞的鼠科化石

最近在广西崇左木榄山智人洞遗址采集到1件具有现代智人解剖特征初始状态的下颌骨和丰富的哺乳动物化石。啮齿类中的鼠科化石有锡金小鼠(Mus pahari)、中华姬鼠(Apodemus draco)、黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)、似德氏狨鼠(Hapalomys cf.H.delacouri)、笔尾树鼠(Chiropodomys gliroides)、社鼠(Niviventer confucianus)、针毛鼠(Niviventer fulvescens)、爱氏巨鼠(Leopoldamys edwardsi)、印度板齿鼠(Bandicota indica)、褐家鼠(Rattus norvegicus)和黄毛鼠(Rattus losea)共8属11种。这种全部由当地或邻近地区现生种类构成的组合显然比当地早更新世的三合大洞和川黔地区中更新世歌乐山期的鼠类组合进步, 而与广西田东雾云洞的鼠类组合相似, 其动物群的时代为晚更新世早期, 与不平衡铀系法得到的测年结果(距今约11万年)相吻合。智人洞鼠科动物的组合明显具有东洋界热带-亚热带动物群的特点, 其中林灌和草地型所占比例较大表明当时的森林面积可能减少、林灌和草地面积可能增加, 反映出当时的气候相对干旱。     

贵州剑河寒武系乌溜阶褶颊虫类三叶虫Eosoptychopariaguizhouensis的蜕壳研究*

1 中国地质大学(北京)地球科学与资源学院, 北京 100083; 2 生物地质与环境地质国家重点实验室, 中国地质大学(北京), 北京 100083 提要古病理学是一门新兴的交叉学科, 涉及病理学、生物学、体质人类学、考古学等领域。近年来, 中生代古脊椎动物的研究案例日益增加, 在化石骨骼上发现了破坏、体积变化、变形、增生和肿瘤, 其提供的信息愈发引起学术界关注。中国的中生代脊椎动物化石记录相当丰富, 已经在恐龙类(包括: 鸟类)、有鳞类、似哺乳爬行类中发现了骨折、划咬伤及感染、椎体融合、关节炎及牙病等疾病记录。具有古病理学特征的标本尚有较大的发现与研究空间。本文介绍了病理学的主要研究方法和国际研究进展, 并以已发现的中国中生代脊椎动物化石的骨骼古病理学实例为基础, 分析讨论这些病变的致病原理、潜在的行为学信息及其病变对动物生存和生态的影响, 展望了该交叉学科的发展方向, 包括: 利用病理研究古生物的形态功能、社会性行为等。     

中国中生代哺乳类化石

本文对迄今所知的中国中生代哺乳类的化石地点、层位、时代、化石材料和系统分类位置作了总结和讨论。     

虔州豫俊兽(Yubaatarqianzhouensissp.nov.):江西赣州盆地首例晚白垩世哺乳动物化石*

本文报道了产自江西省赣州市上白垩统赣县河口组的一件多瘤齿兽类标本, 这是江西省报道的首例中生代哺乳动物化石。此标本头骨后部横向扩展, 额骨较小, 后端尖并构成眼眶的内侧边缘, M1具三列齿尖, 系统发育分析支持其归入纹齿兽超科。与河南晚白垩世的中原豫俊兽形态较为相似, 但是两者间也存在一些明显的区别, 因此建立一个豫俊兽属新种——虔州豫俊兽(Yubaatar qianzhouensis sp. nov.), 鉴定特征为: m1齿尖式为7︰6; M2齿尖式为1︰3︰3; m1颊侧后部存在一道小脊; 虔州豫俊兽m2和m1的长度比例小于中原豫俊兽; 冠状突呈楔状, 末端尖。虔州豫俊兽的发现不仅扩展了晚白垩世多瘤齿兽类在东亚地区的地理分布和物种多样性, 并且也扩展了中生代哺乳动物的地理分布。     

Explaining large-scale patterns of vertebrate diversity

The major clades of vertebrates differ dramatically in their current species richness, from 2 to more than 32 000 species each, but the causes of this variation remain poorly understood. For example, a previous study noted that vertebrate clades differ in their diversification rates, but did not explain why they differ. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny and phylogenetic comparative methods, I show that most variation in diversification rates among 12 major vertebrate clades has a simple ecological explanation: predominantly terrestrial clades (i.e. birds, mammals, and lizards and snakes) have higher net diversification rates than predominantly aquatic clades (i.e. amphibians, crocodilians, turtles and all fish clades). These differences in diversification rates are then strongly related to patterns of species richness. Habitat may be more important than other potential explanations for richness patterns in vertebrates (such as climate and metabolic rates) and may also help explain patterns of species richness in many other groups of organisms.     

Insect-transmitted vertebrate viruses: Flaviviridae

Summary The Flaviviridae include almost 70 viruses, nearly half of which have been associated with human disease. These viruses are among the most important arthropod-borne viruses worldwide and include dengue, yellow fever, and Japanese encephalitis viruses. Morbidity and mortality caused by these viruses vary, but collectively they account for millions of encephalitis, hemorrhagic fever, arthralgia, rash, and fever cases per year. Most of the members of this family are transmitted between vertebrate hosts by arthropod vectors, most commonly mosquitoes or ticks. Transmission cycles can be simple or complex depending on the hosts, vectors, the virus, and the environmental factors affecting both hosts and viruses. Replication of virus in invertebrate hosts does not seem to result in any significant pathology, which suggests a close evolutionary relationship between virus and vector. Another example of this relationship is the ability of these viruses to grow in invertebrate cell culture, where replication usually results in a steady state, persistent infection, often without cytopathic effect. Yields of virus from insect cell culture vary but are generally similar to yields in vertebrate cells. Replication kinetics are comparable between insect and vertebrate cell lines, despite differences in incubation temperature. Both vertebrate and insect cell culture systems continue to play a significant role in flavivirus isolation and the diagnosis of disease caused by these agents. Additionally, these culture systems permit the study of flavivirus attachment, penetration, replication, and release from cells and have been instrumental in the production and characterization of live-attenuated vaccines. Both vertebrate and insect cell culture systems will continue to play a significant role in basic and applied flavivirus research in the future.     

Early vertebrate evolution

Debate over the origin and evolution of vertebrates has occupied biologists and palaeontologists alike for centuries. This debate has been refined by molecular phylogenetics, which has resolved the place of vertebrates among their invertebrate chordate relatives, and that of chordates among their deuterostome relatives. The origin of vertebrates is characterized by wide‐ranging genomic, embryologic and phenotypic evolutionary change. Analyses based on living lineages suggest dramatic shifts in the tempo of evolutionary change at the origin of vertebrates and gnathostomes, coincident with whole‐genome duplication events. However, the enriched perspective provided by the fossil record demonstrates that these apparent bursts of anatomical evolution and taxic richness are an artefact of the extinction of phylogenetic intermediates whose fossil remains evidence the gradual assembly of crown gnathostome characters in particular. A more refined understanding of the timing, tempo and mode of early vertebrate evolution rests with: (1) better genome assemblies for living cyclostomes; (2) a better understanding of the anatomical characteristics of key fossil groups, especially the anaspids, thelodonts, galeaspids and pituriaspids; (3) tests of the monophyly of traditional groups; and (4) the application of divergence time methods that integrate not just molecular data from living species, but also morphological data and extinct species. The resulting framework will provide for rigorous tests of rates of character evolution and diversification, and of hypotheses of long‐term trends in ecological evolution that themselves suffer for lack of quantitative functional tests. The fossil record has been silent on the nature of the transition from jawless vertebrates to the jawed vertebrates that have dominated communities since the middle Palaeozoic. Elucidation of this most formative of episodes likely rests with the overhaul of early vertebrate systematics that we propose, but perhaps more fundamentally with fossil grades that await discovery.     

iDNA screening: Disease vectors as vertebrate samplers

In the current context of global change and human‐induced biodiversity decline, there is an urgent need for developing sampling approaches able to accurately describe the state of biodiversity. Traditional surveys of vertebrate fauna involve time‐consuming and skill‐demanding field methods. Recently, the use of DNA derived from invertebrate parasites (leeches and blowflies) was suggested as a new tool for vertebrate diversity assessment. Bloodmeal analyses of arthropod disease vectors have long been performed to describe their feeding behaviour, for epidemiological purposes. On the other hand, this existing expertise has not yet been applied to investigate vertebrate fauna per se. Here, we evaluate the usefulness of hematophagous dipterans as vertebrate samplers. Blood‐fed sand flies and mosquitoes were collected in Amazonian forest sites and analysed using high‐throughput sequencing of short mitochondrial markers. Bloodmeal identifications highlighted contrasting ecological features and feeding behaviour among dipteran species, which allowed unveiling arboreal and terrestrial mammals of various body size, as well as birds, lizards and amphibians. Additionally, lower vertebrate diversity was found in sites undergoing higher levels of human‐induced perturbation. These results suggest that, in addition to providing precious information on disease vector host use, dipteran bloodmeal analyses may represent a useful tool in the study of vertebrate communities. Although further effort is required to validate the approach and consider its application to large‐scale studies, this first work opens up promising perspectives for biodiversity monitoring and eco‐epidemiology.     

Progress towards understanding disease mechanisms in small vertebrate models of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis

Model systems provide an invaluable tool for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying the NCLs, devastating neurodegenerative disorders that affect the relatively inaccessible tissues of the central nervous system. These models have enabled the assessment of behavioural, pathological, cellular, and molecular abnormalities, and also allow for development and evaluation of novel therapies. This review highlights the relative advantages of the two available small vertebrate species, the mouse and zebrafish, in modelling NCL disease, summarising how these have been useful in NCL research and their potential for the development and testing of prospective disease treatments. A panel of mouse mutants is available representing all the cloned NCL gene disorders (Cathepsin D, CLN1, CLN2, CLN3, CLN5, CLN6, CLN8). These NCL mice all have progressive neurodegenerative phenotypes that closely resemble the pathology of human NCL. The analysis of these models has highlighted several novel aspects underlying NCL pathogenesis including the selective nature of neurodegeneration, evidence for glial responses that precede neuronal loss and identification of the thalamus as an important pathological target early in disease progression. Studies in mice have also highlighted an unexpected heterogeneity underlying NCL phenotypes, and novel potential NCL-like mouse models have been described including mice with mutations in cathepsins, CLC chloride channels, and other lysosome-related genes. These new models are likely to provide significant new information on the spectrum of NCL disease. Information on NCL mice is available in the NCL Mouse Model Database (). There are homologs of most of the NCL genes in zebrafish, and NCL zebrafish models are currently in development. This model system provides additional advantages to those provided by NCL mouse models including high-throughput mutational, pharmacogenetic and therapeutic technique analyses. Mouse and zebrafish models are an important shared resource for NCL research, offering a unique possibility to dissect disease mechanisms and to develop therapeutic approaches.