中国辽宁义县早白垩世燕鸟一新种

辽宁锦州义县早白垩世义县组发现了一种新型燕鸟(Yanornis)化石.该新型化石具有燕鸟的典型特征,如齿骨直且约占头骨全长的2/3、每侧约含20枚牙齿,颈椎细长,异凹型.愈合荐椎包括9枚脊椎,前肢约为后肢长的1.1倍.近端脚趾较其它趾节长和粗壮.然而,该新型化石部分特征又不同于燕鸟的模式种——马氏燕鸟(Yanornis martini),如其肱骨三角肌脊强烈发育,约为肱骨长度的一半.尺骨、桡骨及手部近等长,均长于肱骨.耻骨联合部较短,与尾综骨等长,不到耻骨长度的1/6.腓骨较长,约为股骨长度的4/5,约为胫跗骨长度的2/3.跗跖骨较短并完全愈合,不及胫跗骨长度一半.根据该新型化石的独特性及其与义县鸟、松岭鸟和马氏燕鸟的特征对比,笔者建立了燕鸟一新种——国章燕鸟(Yanornis guozhangisp.nov.).此外,国章燕鸟(新种)颈部还保存有3条鱼化石,这一特殊现象为研究燕鸟的生活习性和发育模式提供了重要信息.     

甘肃酒泉盆地早白垩世植物化石及其古气候意义

首次较系统报道了产于甘肃酒泉盆地下白垩统的植物化石,分为两个植物组合。Athrotaxites-Solenites组合产于赤金堡组上段,有Solenites luanpingensis Wang,Pityocladus cf.i waianus(ishi)Chow,Pityocladus sp.,Athrotaxites berryi Bell等,时代大致为早白垩世早期,反映潮湿或半干旱半潮湿气候。Brachyphyllum-Pseudofrenelopsis组合见于中沟组上部,包括Sphenopterissp.,Pseudofrenelopsis dalatzensis(Chowet Tsao)Cao ex Zhou,Cupressinocladus elegans(Chow)Chow,Cupressinocladus sp.,Pagiophyllumyumenense sp.nov.,Pagiophyllumcompressum sp.nov.,Pagiophyllum sp.,Brachyphyllumningshiaense Chow et Tsao,Brachyphyllumobtusum Chow et Tsao,Elatocladus sp.,Podozamites sp.,Carpolithus sp.等12种,时代为Aptian-Albian期,反映干旱型气候。     

觉华鸟(新属)(Juehuaornis gen.nov.)——辽西早白垩世一今鸟型鸟类新发现

本文描述了产于中国辽宁凌源早白垩世九佛堂组地层的一件鸟类化石标本。该标本中等大小,具有许多原始今鸟型鸟类的共同衍征;同时该标本也具有一个区别与其他已知原始今鸟型鸟类的长吻:吻长超过整个头骨长的70%;前颌骨前端尖而下钩,向前超出下颌前端,下颌齿骨前端直,仅上颌骨和齿骨上具有牙齿,代表了原始今鸟型鸟类一个新的属种和一个新的生态类型,因此建立了一个今鸟型鸟类新属种——张氏觉华鸟(Juehuaornis zhangi gen.et sp.nov)。     

辽西早白垩世初鸟类——中华神州鸟(Shenzhouaptor sinensis)

本文对辽宁义县早白垩世九佛堂组的一件初鸟类(Avialae)化石——中华神州鸟(Shenzhouraptor sinensis)进行了详细描述和再研究。新发现的中华神州鸟嘴里无牙而是角质喙,前肢明显长于后肢,尾巴由25～27节尾椎组成,叉骨呈“U”字形,飞行羽毛超过了身体的长度。根据其肩带、腰带、     

甘肃永靖盐锅峡早白垩世翼龙足迹的发现及意义

甘肃永靖盐锅峡恐龙足迹1号化石点中保存有翼龙足迹, 该足迹是我国翼龙足迹的首次发现.翼龙足迹为四足行走, 行迹宽.前脚为不对称三趾型, 趾行式, 其中Ⅱ趾最短, Ⅳ趾最长, 足迹外偏, 偏角大, Ⅳ趾与行迹交角为160°~ 180°.后脚外形为近长方形, 四趾型, Ⅱ、Ⅲ趾较Ⅰ、Ⅳ趾长, 行式, 脚长为宽的3倍, 足迹外偏, 偏角30°.足迹特征表明该翼龙足迹属于一新种.沉积特征表明翼龙足迹产于湖岸环境.      

甘肃酒西盆地早白垩世两种Elatides化石微细构造

现已绝灭的古老松柏类植物似纵属Elatides在中生代北半球中高纬度植被组成研究上具有重要意义。甘肃酒西盆地早白垩世地层中发现了Elatides的营养枝和雌球果,并保存有较好的碳膜,对它们进行了详细的宏观形态和微细特征研究。根据营养枝、叶角质层、花粉、球果、苞鳞和种子的特征,鉴定这些化石为2个种：Elatides harrisii Chow和Elatides curvifolia (Dunker) Nathorst。其中：Elatides harrisii的突出特征是,花粉球形且具乳状小突起、表面光滑无纹饰,侧面观具褶皱;Elatides Curvifolia的显著特点为,着生于苞鳞腹面基部的种鳞先端三裂,具三枚胚珠。这些特征与现生杉木Cunninghamia非常相似,推论Elatides与现生Cunninghamia可能具有亲缘关系。通过对Elatides地质历史和地理分布的研究,发现该属的演化方向与中生代大陆漂移的方向具可比性,因而为板块构造学说提供了又一古生物学佐证。     

甘肃马鬃山地区早白垩世Carpolithus化石的研究

甘肃马鬃山地区早白垩世地层发育,富含植物化石,但研究程度相对较低.本文综合多种方法对甘肃马鬃山地区下白垩统赤金堡组所产出的裸子植物种子化石进行了详细的形态学及解剖学研究.利用体式显微镜及X射线断层扫描成像技术对其形态特征展开对比研究;利用光学显微镜,荧光显微镜和扫描电子显微镜对其表皮微细构造进行了细致观察对比.认为,当...     

中国甘肃省酒泉地区公婆泉盆地早白垩世恐龙化石

中国甘肃省酒泉地区公婆泉盆地下白垩统新民堡群的恐龙化石主要由1992年中日丝绸之路恐龙考察计划和1997~2000年中美马鬃山恐龙考察计划发掘和研究。先后发现的恐龙包括兽脚类、蜥脚类、禽龙类和新角龙类等。这一新的公婆泉恐龙组合的主要特征是同时包含了在晚白垩世占主导地位的几类恐龙的基干分子,如戈壁巨龙(Gobititan)是巨龙型类的基干分子,马鬃龙(Equijubus)是鸭嘴龙型类的基干分子,而古角龙(Archaeoceratops)和黎明角龙(Auroraceratops)是新角龙类的基干分子。公婆泉恐龙组合的另一特征是其某些成员的体型较大,如似鸟龙类和镰刀龙类恐龙是同期同类中最大的。比较研究发现,公婆泉盆地新民堡群的恐龙和辽西热河群的恐龙关系密切,但前者的整体来说要比后者进步。考虑到公婆泉盆地新民堡群的时代(Albian)较辽西热河群(Hauterivian晚期-Aptian早期)晚,公婆泉恐龙组合似应代表中国北方早白垩纪鹦鹉嘴龙恐龙动物群进化过程中较进步的一个阶段。     

甘肃永靖县盐锅峡早白垩世恐龙足迹1号点的最新发现

自 2 0 0 0年报道了甘肃省永靖县发现早白垩世恐龙足迹之后[1 ] ,在国家自然科学基金和甘肃省省长基金的支持下 ,笔者进一步组织了恐龙足迹的发掘、调查和研究 .目前盐锅峡一带约 2ｋｍ2 的区域内 ,发现 1 0个恐龙足迹化石点 ,并对其中 3个化石点进行了发掘 ,发现 2 6 8个足印 .其中恐龙足迹保存最好、发掘面积最大的是 1号点 ,发掘面积约 6 0 0ｍ2 ,保留恐龙足迹 1 7组 ,足印 1 87个 (图 1ａ) .2号化石点发掘面积约 70ｍ2 ,发现恐龙足迹 1 7组 ,足印化石 5 1个 .3号化石点发掘面积约 5 0ｍ2 ,发现足迹化石 2组 ,足印 4个 .其他 7个点未发掘…     

辽西早白垩世一反鸟类新属种的发现

新反鸟化石（Gracilornis jiufotangensis gen. et sp. nov.）产于辽宁省朝阳地区早白垩世九佛堂组。根据该反鸟的骨骼细弱、肢骨关节发达、胸骨与躯干相比较小（胸骨宽与躯干长比率约为0.11;胸骨长与躯干长比率约为0.13）等不同于其他已知反鸟的特征,建立一新属种,归于华夏鸟科（Cathayornithidae）。     

On a New Genus of Basal Neoceratopsian Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

1 Introduction The Mazongshan area in northwestern China yields a diverse dinosaur assemblage, including members of Theropoda, Sauropoda, Ankylosauridae, Euornithopoda, and Ceratopsia (Dong, 1997; You, 2002). This assemblage is characterized by several well-established taxa, such as the basal neoceratopsian Archaeoceratops oshimai (Dong and Azuma, 1997; You and Dodson, 2003), the basal hadrosauroid Equijubus normani (You et al., 2003a), and the basal titanosaurian Gobititan shenzhouensi…     

A Large Therizinosauroid （Dinosauria： Theropoda） from the Early Cretaceous of Northwestern China

We herein describe an associated partial postcranial skeleton of a theropod dinosaur discovered in the Lower Cretaceous Xinminpu Group of the Yujingzi Basin, in the Jiuquan area of Gausu Province, northwestern China. Features of its humerus, such as strongly expanded proximal and distal ends, a well developed medial tuberosity, distal condyles expressed on the humeral cranial surface, and a hypertrophied entepicondyle, definitively establish the therizinosauroid affinities of the specimen. It differs from other therizinosauroids in having a shallow, poorly demarcated glenoid fossa with a prominent rounded and striated tumescence on the dorsomedial surface of its scapular portion, and a pubis with a strongly concave cranial margin. It represents a new taxon, Suzhousaurus megatherioides gen. et sp. nov. Cladistic analysis recovers Suzhousaurus as the sister taxon of Nothronychus mckinleyi from the mid-Cretaceous of western North America; together, they are basal members of the Therizinosauroidea, more derived than the Early Cretaceous Falcarius and Beipiaosaurus but less derived than Alxasaurus and the Therizinosauridae. Along with ＂Nanshiungosaurus＂ bohlini from possibly coeval beds in the Mazongshan area of northern-most Gansu, Suzhousaurus represents one of the largest-known Early Cretaceous therizinosauroids, demonstrating that this clade attained considerable body size early in its evolutionary history.     

New Azhdarchid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Western Liaoning

A nearly complete skeleton with a lower jaw of pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of western Liaoning is described and assigned to a new genus, Eoazhdarcho gen. nov.. The new genus is characterized by a relatively small size,the ratio of the length to width of the middle series cervical vertebrae approximately 3.5 and the ratio of humeral length to femoral length approximately 0.96. The humerus of Eoazhdarcho shows great resemblances to that of previously described Azhdarchidae, so it is assigned to the family Azhdarchidae.     

A New Basal Titanosaur (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Early Cretaceous of China

A new dinosaur of Early Cretaceous age was recently discovered from the Mazongshan area of northwestern Gansu Province, China. The new dinosaur represents a new genus and species of Sauropoda, and is among the most basal members of Titanosauria. Its finding also suggests that titanosaurs might have originated in Asia no later than the Early Cretaceous.     

甘肃酒泉市天仓地区早白垩世介形类的发现及其地质意义

甘肃酒泉市天仓地区地层剖面发现丰富的介形类,计7属18余种,前人将该套地层划为上新统疏勒图组,本次结合化石时代和岩石组合,将其修订为早白垩世赤金堡组,并建立了2个介形类化石组合：下部Cypridea concina-Candona prona-Cypridea zhaobishanensis组合和上部Cypridea concina-Cypridea justa-Darwinulla leguminella组合,根据区域对比,将下部组合的时代厘定为早白垩世Hauterivian期,上部组合的时代厘定为早白垩世Barremian期。根据2个介形类组合的属种分布及化石形态特征的演化特征,对赤金堡组三段沉积期古生态、古气候进行讨论,认为湖盆在Barremian期较Hauterivian期更深广,气候具有变温暖湿润的趋势,这与全球早白垩世气候波动事件有良好的响应。     

Second species of enantiornithine bird from the Lower Cretaceous Changma Basin,northwestern China with implications for the taxonomic diversity of the Changma avifauna

We report on a new enantiornithine bird, Dunhuangia cuii, gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Xiagou Formation of the Changma Basin, northwestern China. Although the material is incomplete, Dunhuangia cuii preserves unique coracoidal and sternal morphologies that distinguish it from other known enantiornithines; this specimen represents only the second enantiornithine reported from the Changma Basin that is diagnostic at the species level. This study enriches our understanding of the enantiornithine component of this ornithuromorph-dominated, Early Cretaceous avifauna.     

A New Hadrosauriform Dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Gansu Province, China

A new basal hadrosauriform dinosaur, Xuwulong yueluni gen. et sp. nov., is reported based on an articulated specimen including a complete cranium, almost complete axial skeleton, and complete left pelvic girdle. The specimen is recovered from the Early Cretaceous Yujingzi Basin in the Jiuquan area, Gansu Province of northwestern China. Xuwulong is among the most basal members of hadrosauriform dinosaurs, and distinguished by its unique lower jaw in having a V-shaped rostral end of the dentary in lateral view and a mandibular articular surface which levels with mid-height of the dentary ramus, as well as an enlarged and downturned prepubic process. Including Xuwulong, three basal hadrosauriforms have been discovered from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Mazongshan area, making it an important area to study the origin and early evolution of duck-billed dinosaurs.     

A Dichocarpum-like Angiosperm from the Early Cretaceous of China

The Yixian Formation (the Early Cretaceous) of China has yielded a diverse group of early angiosperms, revealing the charm of angiosperms from the formation is far from finishing. Here we report a fossil angiosperm, Nothodichocarpum gen. et sp. nov, with physically connected female parts, male parts, branches, and leaves with pinnate reticulate venation from the Yixian Formation of Liaoning, China. In addition to the previous reports, this report underscores the diversity of angiosperms in the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation and earlier origin of angiosperms. The morphological variations in the reproductive parts in different stages allow us to infer the development of this early angiosperm. This fossil plant demonstrates a unique character assemblage that sheds new light on the origin and evolution of carpels.