宁波盆地白垩系古地磁特征兼论馆头组朝川组和方岩组的层位归属

浙东宁波盆地白垩纪陆相火山岩系,经古地磁研究表明,以往认为时代属于早白垩世早期的馆头组,晚期朝川组和晚白垩世早期的方岩组均呈正向磁化,平均磁化方向基本一致。据绝对年龄和古生物旁证,磁化时间属白垩纪中期正向极性超时。因此,馆头组的层位应作相应的提高,从白垩系下部上升到白垩系中部;朝川组随之位于其上。方岩组纳入白垩系中部,在馆头组之下还应有一套以正负极性交迭为特征的白垩纪早期沉积物。从而对以往所谓的上侏罗统磨石山群的时代提出疑问。从古地磁方向特征的规律,支持了白垩系三分说。     

Turanoceratops tardabilis—the first ceratopsid dinosaur from Asia

Turanoceratops tardabilis from the Upper Cretaceous (Turonian) Bissekty Formation of Dzharakuduk, Uzbekistan, represents the first definite ceratopsid dinosaur recorded from Asia. Reexamination of the original and study of newly collected material indicate that Turanoceratops has well-developed supraorbital horns and apparently lacks a nasal horn. Turanoceratops is more derived than the more or less coeval Zuniceratops from the Moreno Hill Formation of New Mexico in the presence of double-rooted teeth and of two or three teeth in each vertical dental file.     

Microbial Cretaceous park: biodiversity of microbial fossils entrapped in amber

Microorganisms are the most ancient cells on this planet and they include key phyla for understanding cell evolution and Earth history, but, unfortunately, their microbial records are scarce. Here, we present a critical review of fossilized prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms entrapped in Cretaceous ambers (but not exclusively from this geological period) obtained from deposits worldwide. Microbiota in ambers are rather diverse and include bacteria, fungi, and protists. We comment on the most important microbial records from the last 25 years, although it is not an exhaustive bibliographic compilation. The most frequently reported eukaryotic microfossils are shells of amoebae and protists with a cell wall or a complex cortex. Likewise, diverse dormant stages (palmeloid forms, resting cysts, spores, etc.) are abundant in ambers. Besides, viral and protist pathogens have been identified inside insects entrapped in amber. The situation regarding filamentous bacteria and fungi is quite confusing because in some cases, the same record was identified consecutively as a member of these phylogenetically distant groups. To avoid these identification errors in the future, we propose to apply a more resolute microscopic and analytical method in amber studies. Also, we discuss the most recent findings about ancient DNA repair and bacterial survival in remote substrates, which support the real possibility of ancient DNA amplification and bacterial resuscitation from Cretaceous resins.     

New material of the enigmatic reptile Khurendukhosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) from Mongolia

New material of the enigmatic diapsid Khurendukhosaurus is described from the Mongolian type locality, Khuren Dukh, providing additional data on the vertebral column, pelvis, and hind limb. It confirms the choristoderan status of the genus and permits a more detailed phylogenetic analysis that supports a relationship between Khurendukhosaurus and the long-necked Asian Hyphalosauridae. The existence of tall caudal neural spines implies that Khurendukhosaurus was a deep-tailed swimmer. This and the open sacral costocentral sutures suggest a primarily aquatic lifestyle. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. Institutional abbreviations  MNHN BL, Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France; MPC, Mongolian Paleontological Center; PIN, Paleontologicheski Institut, Akademii Nauk, Moscow; HMNS, Hayashibara Museum of Natural Sciences, Okayama, Japan.     

福建晚白垩世古土壤特征及其古环境意义

古土壤是重建古气候的重要手段,第四纪以前古土壤因受各种地质作用影响不易被识别.本研究以福建西部连城盆地晚白垩世红层 —— 冠豸山剖面为研究对象,通过野外观察、土壤微结构和地球化学元素迁移等方法识别和获得古土壤发育特征,并分析古土壤形成环境.冠豸山剖面共有10个薄层古土壤,主要为新成土和始成土两种类型,土壤发育较弱,没有明显的黏化层和钙结核层.沉积物颗粒和稀土元素分布特征显示剖面中含有一定的风积组分,风积物经短暂流水搬运再次沉积,形成沉积层理.红色碎屑颗粒在沉积之前已经历相当程度的风化,沉积后在干旱环境下成壤较弱,因此,对其古气候或古环境的认识需依据古土壤发育特征,这为研究类似红层提供了新的思路.     

对翼龙的几点新解释

在概述翼龙研究状况基础上根据所掌握资料提出：①翼龙发达的胸骨和肩带说明不但能滑翔而且能进行相当强度的动力飞行。②翼龙身覆皮毛显示其具有温血生理特征，其习性在某种程度上可能与鸟类相似，如筑巢、产卵、孵卵及哺雏等。③一些类似水禽的翼龙在足趾间可能长有划水用的蹼。     

雁荡山白垩纪破火山地质遗迹价值与全球对比

雁荡山地质遗迹为自垩纪复活型破火山。本文试从全球火山(岩)带同类地质遗迹的视域考量雁荡山地质遗迹的科学价值。雁荡山是亚洲大陆边缘巨型火山岩带中自垩纪破火山的典型代表，它涵盖了流纹质火山作用各类产物，是流纹质火山岩的天然博物馆，是研究亚洲大陆边缘构造与岩浆作用的天然窗口。杰出的科学价值与优秀奇特的自然美景与浓厚山水文化，三者融于雁荡山一体，实属世界罕见。     

A new azhdarchoid pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China and its implications for pterosaur phylogeny and evolution

Toothless pterosaurs played a key role in broadening the taxonomic, morphological and ecological diversity of Cretaceous pterosaurs. Here we report a complete, articulated skeleton of a 1.4-m-wingspan pterosaur from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Liaoning Province, China which is identified as a new genus and species, Shenzhoupterus chaoyangensis gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon is edentulous, with a relatively large skull and a remarkably large, tall nasoantorbital fenestra that extends well above the main part of the braincase. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Shenzhoupterus gen. nov. belongs in a distinct clade of azhdarchoid pterosaurs, formally recognised here as a new family, Chaoyangopteridae, that also includes Chaoyangopterus, Jidapterus and Eoazhdarcho from the Jiufotang Formation and Eopteranodon from the Yixian Formation. These new data clarify recent confusion surrounding the systematics of these Lower Cretaceous taxa and provide new insights into the evolutionary history of pterosaurs.     

Earliest zygodactyl bird feet: evidence from Early Cretaceous roadrunner-like tracks

Fossil footprints are important in understanding Cretaceous avian diversity because they constitute evidence of paleodiversity and paleoecology that is not always apparent from skeletal remains. Early Cretaceous bird tracks have demonstrated the existence of wading birds in East Asia, but some pedal morphotypes, such as zygodactyly, common in modern and earlier Cenozoic birds (Neornithes) were unknown in the Cretaceous. We, herein, discuss the implications of a recently reported, Early Cretaceous (120–110 million years old) trackway of a large, zygodactyl bird from China that predates skeletal evidence of this foot morphology by at least 50 million years and includes the only known fossil zygodactyl footprints. The tracks demonstrate the existence of a Cretaceous bird not currently represented in the body fossil record that occupied a roadrunner (Geococcyx)-like niche, indicating a previously unknown degree of Cretaceous avian morphological and behavioral diversity that presaged later Cenozoic patterns. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

河南内乡夏馆-高丘盆地的夏馆组及其时代

夏馆-高丘盆地的红层时代，根据目前已有恐龙蛋，孢粉，轮藻与盆地发展史及邻区同位素年龄资料综合分析。归属晚白垩世早期或中-早期比较合适，按照“中国地层指南”的规定，建议恢复和正式使用夏馆组一名，废弃高沟组，马家村组，桑坪组等名称，并不需再建新的岩石地层单位，河南西南部的众多盆地内的红层时代基本上属于晚白垩世。