粤北南雄盆地末代恐龙遗迹及其他

粤北南雄盆地是中生代末世和新生代初世的陆相沉积盆地。上白垩统富含末代恐龙、恐龙蛋和恐龙脚印化石。下第三系古新统则出现哺乳动物先驱化石。对研究恐龙的绝灭有重要科学意义。     

Triple tracks in CR-39 as the result of Pd–D Co-deposition: evidence of energetic neutrons

Since the announcement by Fleischmann and Pons that the excess enthalpy generated in the negatively polarized Pd–D-D₂O system was attributable to nuclear reactions occurring inside the Pd lattice, there have been reports of other manifestations of nuclear activities in this system. In particular, there have been reports of tritium and helium-4 production; emission of energetic particles, gamma or X-rays, and neutrons; as well as the transmutation of elements. In this communication, the results of Pd–D co-deposition experiments conducted with the cathode in close contact with CR-39, a solid-state nuclear etch detector, are reported. Among the solitary tracks due to individual energetic particles, triple tracks are observed. Microscopic examination of the bottom of the triple track pit shows that the three lobes of the track are splitting apart from a center point. The presence of three α-particle tracks outgoing from a single point is diagnostic of the ¹²C(n,n′)3α carbon breakup reaction and suggests that DT reactions that produce ≥9.6 MeV neutrons are occurring inside the Pd lattice. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the production of energetic (≥9.6 MeV) neutrons in the Pd–D system. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Epidemiologic study of tumors in dinosaurs

Occasional reports in isolated fragments of dinosaur bones have suggested that tumors might represent a population phenomenon. Previous study of humans has demonstrated that vertebral radiology is a powerful diagnostic tool for population screening. The epidemiology of tumors in dinosaurs was here investigated by fluoroscopically screening dinosaur vertebrae for evidence of tumors. Computerized tomography (CT) and cross-sections were obtained where appropriate. Among more than 10,000 specimens x-rayed, tumors were only found in Cretaceous hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs). These included hemangiomas and metastatic cancer (previously identified in dinosaurs), desmoplastic fibroma, and osteoblastoma. The epidemiology of tumors in dinosaurs seems to reflect a familial pattern. A genetic propensity or environmental mutagens are suspected.     

The last polar dinosaurs: high diversity of latest Cretaceous arctic dinosaurs in Russia

A latest Cretaceous (68 to 65 million years ago) vertebrate microfossil assemblage discovered at Kakanaut in northeastern Russia reveals that dinosaurs were still highly diversified in Arctic regions just before the Cretaceous–Tertiary mass extinction event. Dinosaur eggshell fragments, belonging to hadrosaurids and non-avian theropods, indicate that at least several latest Cretaceous dinosaur taxa could reproduce in polar region and were probably year-round residents of high latitudes. Palaeobotanical data suggest that these polar dinosaurs lived in a temperate climate (mean annual temperature about 10°C), but the climate was apparently too cold for amphibians and ectothermic reptiles. The high diversity of Late Maastrichtian dinosaurs in high latitudes, where ectotherms are absent, strongly questions hypotheses according to which dinosaur extinction was a result of temperature decline, caused or not by the Chicxulub impact.     

Bristle-like integumentary structures at the tail of the horned dinosaur Psittacosaurus

A specimen of the horned dinosaur Psittacosaurus from the early Cretaceous of China is described in which the integument is extraordinarily well-preserved. Most unusual is the presence of long bristle-like structures on the proximal part of tail. We interpret these structures as cylindrical and possibly tubular epidermal structures that were anchored deeply in the skin. They might have been used in display behavior and especially if one assumes that they were colored, they may have had a signal function. At present, there is no convincing evidence which shows these structures to be homologous to the structurally different integumentary filaments of theropod dinosaurs. Independent of their homology, however, the discovery of bristle-like structures in Psittacosaurus is of great evolutionary significance since it shows that the integumentary covering of at least some dinosaurs was much more complex than has ever been previously imagined.     

The oldest known tracks of web-footed birds from the Lower Cretaceous of South Korea

 We describe the oldest tracks of web-footed birds from the Early Cretaceous in South Korea. The tracks are characterized by a wide divarication angle and a long reversed hallux. The web is semipalmate and restricted to the proximal portion of the three forward digits. The tracks from the Early Cretaceous in South Korea are smaller than those of the Late Cretaceous, therefore confirming the trend of size increasing in the early evolution of birds as shown by skeletal fossils. The discovery of web-footed tracks with abundant non-web-footed tracks indicates that there was a considerable diversification of shore birds as early as the Early Cretaceous. Received: 4 November 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 28 February 2000     

Soil physical parameters and earthworm populations associated with opencast coal working and land restoration

A study of physical and biological soil parameters was undertaken on reinstated opencast coal sites of varying ages from final topsoil replacement. Earthworm population levels were determined at the same time as sampling of pH, particle size analysis and bulk density. The results indicated that the pH of a site was not limiting to earthworm activity, but that all the reinstated sites had zones of compaction which were remnants of the restoration practice and may be limiting to earthworm activity. Total earthworm populations reached levels similar to undisturbed adjacent controls within 10–20 years after topsoil replacement, although there were differences in species composition.     

A new maniraptoran dinosaur from China with long feathers on the metatarsus

The unusual presence of long pennaceous feathers on the feet of basal dromaeosaurid dinosaurs has recently been presented as strong evidence in support of the arboreal–gliding hypothesis for the origin of bird flight, but it could be a unique feature of dromaeosaurids and thus irrelevant to the theropod–bird transition. Here, we report a new eumaniraptoran theropod from China, with avian affinities, which also has long pennaceous feathers on its feet. This suggests that such morphology might represent a primitive adaptation close to the theropod–bird transition. The long metatarsus feathers are likely primitive for Eumaniraptora and might have played an important role in the origin of avian flight.Electronic Supplementary Material  Supplementary material is available for this article at     

Palaeoenvironmental controls on the distribution of Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs

Previous attempts to determine palaeoenvironmental preferences in dinosaurs have generally been qualitative assessments based upon data from restricted geographical areas. Here, we use a global database of Cretaceous herbivorous dinosaurs to identify significant associations between clades and broad palaeoenvironmental categories (‘terrestrial’, ‘coastal’, ‘marine’). Nodosaurid ankylosaurs and hadrosaurids show significant positive associations with marine sediments, while marginocephalians (Ceratopsia, Pachycephalosauria), saurischians (herbivorous theropods, Sauropoda) and ankylosaurid ankylosaurs are significantly positively associated with terrestrial sediments. These results provide quantitative support for the hypothesis that some clades (Nodosauridae, Hadrosauridae) were more abundant in coastal and/or fluvial environments, while others (e.g. Marginocephalia, Ankylosauridae) preferentially inhabited more distal environments. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. An erratum to this article can be found at     

黄土高原生态系统过渡带土地覆盖的时空变化分析

在全球气候变化及其生态环境效应研究中,生态系统过渡带作为气候变化和人类活动的敏感区域,其土地覆盖的时空变化分析逐渐成为土地利用科学研究的热点问题。基于GIS的时空分析方法,在对Holdridge生命地带模型的判别标准进行改进的基础上,构建了生态系统过渡带的时空分析模型。在建立土地覆盖正向和逆向转换规则的基础上,构建了土地覆盖正向和逆向转换指数模型。并以黄土高原为案例区,在定量识别生态系统过渡带类型及其空间格局的基础上,定量评价了各种生态系统过渡带类型土地覆盖的转换情况。模拟分析结果表明,黄土高原地区共有14种生态系统过渡带类型,其总面积占整个黄土高原的25.21%。在1985-2005年期间,黄土高原生态系统过渡带内的耕地面积平均每10 a减少0.93%,而湿地和水体、林地、草地的面积则平均每10 a分别增加3.47%、0.24%、0.06%。整个过渡带区域土地覆盖的转换率从28.53%降低到21.91%,且其正向转换和逆向转换面积总体上均呈减少的趋势。另外,黄土高原生态系统过渡带区域和非过渡带区域的土地覆盖转换率对比分析显示,过渡带区域土地覆盖的转换率高于非过渡带区域。     

First complete sauropod dinosaur skull from the Cretaceous of the Americas and the evolution of sauropod dentition

Sauropod dinosaur bones are common in Mesozoic terrestrial sediments, but sauropod skulls are exceedingly rare—cranial materials are known for less than one third of sauropod genera and even fewer are known from complete skulls. Here we describe the first complete sauropod skull from the Cretaceous of the Americas, Abydosaurus mcintoshi, n. gen., n. sp., known from 104.46 ± 0.95 Ma (megannum) sediments from Dinosaur National Monument, USA. Abydosaurus shares close ancestry with Brachiosaurus, which appeared in the fossil record ca. 45 million years earlier and had substantially broader teeth. A survey of tooth shape in sauropodomorphs demonstrates that sauropods evolved broad crowns during the Early Jurassic but did not evolve narrow crowns until the Late Jurassic, when they occupied their greatest range of crown breadths. During the Cretaceous, brachiosaurids and other lineages independently underwent a marked diminution in tooth breadth, and before the latest Cretaceous broad-crowned sauropods were extinct on all continental landmasses. Differential survival and diversification of narrow-crowned sauropods in the Late Cretaceous appears to be a directed trend that was not correlated with changes in plant diversity or abundance, but may signal a shift towards elevated tooth replacement rates and high-wear dentition. Sauropods lacked many of the complex herbivorous adaptations present within contemporaneous ornithischian herbivores, such as beaks, cheeks, kinesis, and heterodonty. The spartan design of sauropod skulls may be related to their remarkably small size—sauropod skulls account for only 1/200th of total body volume compared to 1/30th body volume in ornithopod dinosaurs.     

长江口滨岸潮滩动物体中PCBs和OCPs的分布

利用GC-ECD对长江口滨岸潮滩中动物进行研究,分析了PCBs和OCPs(DDTs和HCHs)的含量分布.结果表明PCBs含量水平为43.7～1260.4ng/g,均值为342.5ng/g;DDTs为1.5～159.4ng/g,均值为33.7ng/g;HCHs为0.9～77.0ng/g,均值为13.0ng/g.从空间上看,同种动物对不同污染物的累积和同种污染物在不同动物体内的累积均无明显的规律,但同属种样品则有雄性个体污染物含量高于雌性个体、小个体高于大个体的规律.对动物体内POPs污染进行了初步评价,结果显示:该区动物均不同程度地受到污染,污染已达中等水平.     

Evolution of birds: ichthyosaur integumental fibers conform to dromaeosaur protofeathers

Filamentous integumentary structures have been reported as protofeathers in dromaeosaurs (non-avian dinosaurs). This hypothesis is considered against data on the complex architecture of dermal and subdermal collagenous fibers widely prevalent in living and extinct animals. Ichthyosaur integumental fibers, as dromaeosaur "protofeathers", are the most external structures preserved. Marked similarities are shown in branching patterns of these fibers compared with those of the dromaeosaur Sinornithosaurus; hence distinguishing between aberrant and primary features is difficult. Analysis of a pterosaur specimen shows that bent and straight fibers on the wings have functional implications. The fibers conform to the twofold shape of collagen and contradict the notion that bent integumental structures in the dinosaur Sinosauropteryx indicate softness and pliability. A suggestion also concerning Sinosauropteryx is that integumental structures with darker edges, compared with the middle, imply that they were hollow. Investigation of a similar condition in an ichthyosaur shows that it is more likely a consequence of mineralization. Dermal collagen fibers in, for example, sharks, dolphins, snakes, and turtles are shown to be grouped in bundles of varying sizes. Degradation of the dermis results in the breakdown of the fiber bundles and formation of myriad patterns of the disrupted fibers, as noted in decomposed dolphin skin. The overall findings of the study are that the thesis of dinosaur "protofeathers" requires more substantial support than exists at present.     

Carbon budget of the Canadian forest product sector

Although many factors influencing the forest C cycle are beyond direct human control, decisions made in forestry and the forest product sector (FPS) can either mitigate or aggravate the net C balance of terrestrial ecosystems. The Canadian Budget Model of the Forest Product Sector (CBM-FPS) described here, was designed to work with a national scale model of forest ecosystem dynamics (the Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector, CBM-CFS). The CBM-FPS accounts for harvested forest biomass C from the time that it enters the manufacturing process until it is released into the atmosphere. It also accounts for the use and production of energy by the FPS, and emission of CO₂ during FPS processing. The CBM-FPS accounting framework uses the characteristics of different forest product types to estimate changes in the storage of C in forest products; it tracks C from the transportation of the harvested raw material through various processing steps in sawmills or pulp mills, to its final destination (product, pulp, landfill, atmosphere or recycled). Because not all harvested biomass C is released into the atmosphere in the year it is harvested, the model tracks C retained in various short- and long-lived products, and in landfills. Model results are in general agreement with available data from 1920–1989. Average changes in net C stocks in the FPS, estimated as the difference between harvest C input to the FPS and total losses from the forest product sector is estimated to be 23.5 Tg C yr⁻¹ for the 1985–1989 period. The total FPS pool size at the end of this period is estimated to be 837 Tg C, of which only a fraction (32%) is retained in Canada. The total FPS C stock is small compared to that in the forest ecosystems from which they derive (estimated to contain 86 Pg C in 1989). Nevertheless, the changes in these C stocks contribute significantly to a reduction of the total net atmospheric exchange of the total forest sector (ecosystem and product sector) for that period.     

天津市道路车流量特征分析

车流量是移动源和道路扬尘排放清单计算的一个重要参数,直接影响排放清单的不确定性.为了解天津市道路车流量特征,通过人工摄录法获取天津市一年四季5种不同类型共9条道路的车流量及车型分布信息,并对其特征进行分析.结果表明:天津市不同类型道路之间车流量总体上呈快速路（8 790辆/h）>主干道（4 077辆/h）>外环线（3 335辆/h）>次干道（2 461辆/h）>支路（1 507辆/h）的特征;冬季车流量最大,而春、夏两季相对较小.各类型道路车流量占比最大的车型均为轻型车（76.88%~90.71%）,中型车（5.31%~11.80%）次之,重型车（3.20%~11.31%）最少;快速路和外环线工作日的车流量大于非工作日,并且差异具有统计学意义,呈"周末效应".研究显示:次干道和支路车流量与主干道车流量呈线性相关,在后续进行道路扬尘和移动源清单编制时,可以考虑通过将主干道车流量与次干道、支路拟合的方式减小工作量;此外,主干道、次干道和支路的早高峰,上、下午平峰,中午和晚高峰的车流量差异不大,可将一天划分为白天、夜晚和凌晨3个时段进行统计,从而节约时间和成本.      

2013-2015年上海市霾污染事件潜在源区贡献分析

统计分析2013-2015年上海市每个月不同空气质量等级天数比重,根据HYSPLIT（Hybrid Single Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory）后向轨迹模型对3年内的12月份影响上海地区的污染气团进行了综合聚类分析和逐年聚类分析.在综合12次严重霾事件的后向轨迹基础上,结合上海实时公布的PM_2.5小时浓度资料,对潜在源贡献因子PSCF（Potential Source Contribution Function）和浓度权重轨迹CWT（Concentration-weighted Trajectory）进行分析与比较,研究重霾期间影响上海PM_2.5质量浓度的潜在源区及不同源区对PM_2.5质量浓度的贡献差异.结果显示,上海市3年期间12月份霾颗粒物外来源主要输送渠道为西北路径和北方路径,源自于西北方向的气团比重占总气团的50.4%,北方向的气团几乎都经过海洋后进入上海地区.影响上海地区PM_2.5质量浓度的潜在源区主要分布在安徽、江苏和山东地区,此外江西北部、浙江北部、河北南部及山西少部分地区也对重霾事件中的污染物颗粒有一定程度的贡献.     

Animal cooperation among unrelated individuals

The evolution of cooperation has long been a topic near and dear to the hearts of behavioral and evolutionary ecologists. Cooperative behaviors run the gamut from fairly simple to very complicated and there are a myriad of ways to study cooperation. Here I shall focus on three paths that have been delineated in the study of intraspecific cooperation among unrelated individuals: reciprocity, byproduct mutualism, and group selection. In each case, I attempt to delineate the theory underlying each of these paths and then provide examples from the empirical literature. In addition, I shall briefly touch upon some recent work that has attempted to examine (or re-examine) the role of cognition and phylogeny in the study of cooperative behavior. While empirical and theoretical work has made significant strides in the name of better understanding the evolution and maintenance of cooperative behavior in animals, much work remains for the future. From the point of view of the moralist, the animal world is on about the same level as the gladiator's show. The creatures are fairly well treated, and set to fight; whereby the strongest, the swiftest and the cunningest live to fight another day. The spectator has no need to turn his thumb down, as no quarter is given … the weakest and the stupidest went to the wall, while the toughest and the shrewdest, those who were best fitted to cope with their circumstances, but not the best in any other way, survived. Life was a continuous free fight, and … a war of each against all was the normal state of existence. (Huxley 1888)     

Audiogram, body mass, and basilar papilla length: correlations in birds and predictions for extinct archosaurs

The inner ear in the group of archosaurs (birds, crocodilians, and extinct dinosaurs) shows a high degree of structural similarity, enabling predictions of their function in extinct species based on relationships among similar variables in living birds. Behavioral audiograms and morphological data on the length of the auditory sensory epithelium (the basilar papilla) are available for many avian species. By bringing different data sets together, we show that body mass and the size of the basilar papilla are significantly correlated, and the most sensitive frequency in a given species is inversely related to the body mass and the length of the basilar papilla. We also demonstrate that the frequency of best hearing is correlated with the high-frequency limit of hearing. Small species with a short basilar papilla hear higher frequencies compared with larger species with a longer basilar papilla. Based on the regression analysis of two significant correlations in living archosaurs (best audiogram frequency vs body mass and best audiogram frequency vs papillar length), we suggest that hearing in large dinosaurs was restricted to low frequencies with a high-frequency limit below 3 kHz. Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and accessible for authorised users.     

Chicken-sized oviraptorid dinosaurs from central China and their ontogenetic implications

Oviraptorids are a group of specialized non-avian theropod dinosaurs that were generally one to 8 m in body length. New specimens of baby oviraptorids from the Late Cretaceous of Henan Province are some of the smallest individuals known. They include diagnostic characters such as the relative position of the antorbital fenestra and the external naris, distinct opening in the premaxilla anteroventral to the external naris, antorbital fossa partly bordered by premaxilla posterodorsally, lacrimal process of premaxilla does not contact the anterodorsal process of the lacrimal, parietal almost as long as frontal; in dorsal view, posterior margin forms a straight line between the postzygapophyses in each of the fourth and fifth cervicals; femur longer than ilium. They also elucidate the ontogenetic processes of oviraptorids, including fusion of cranial elements and changes in relative body proportions. Hind limb proportions are constant in oviraptorids, regardless of absolute body size or ontogenetic stage. This suggests a sedentary lifestyle that did not involve the pursuit of similar-sized prey. The functional implications for bite force and therefore dietary preferences are better understood through the study of such small animals. The comparison of the measurements of 115 skeletons indicates that oviraptorids maintain their hind limb proportions regardless of ontogenetic stage or absolute size, which is a pattern seen more commonly in herbivores than in carnivores. This may weakly support the hypothesis that oviraptorids are herbivores rather than active carnivores.     

新时代下中国自然资源安全的战略思考

中国特色社会主义进入新时代,经济处于转型升级的攻关期,自然资源安全保障被赋予了新的使命和要求。刚成立的自然资源部为新时代中国自然资源安全保障和综合管理的发展带来了新机遇。新时代是30 a以上的大尺度,其中长期战略安排需基于对自然资源历史变化的系统总结和对未来中长期的资源供需形势的战略研判。综合来看,未来中长期中国水资源需求仍将上升,耕地的粮食供应压力增大,直接影响民生福祉;矿产资源需求整体仍处于高位,不同矿种需求由“普涨”转向“结构性分异”;森林资源木材供给压力加重,关联着现代化经济体系的建设目标。以生态文明战略为统领,践行“绿水青山就是金山银山（两山）”的理念,坚持节约资源和保护环境,是保障中国自然资源安全的关键。为缓解中国整体资源安全压力,提高自然资源综合保障能力,以更有力地支撑中国“两个百年”战略目标的实现,建议：抓紧开展面向新时代的中国自然资源战略研究及顶层规划设计;实行严格的自然资源管理和环境保护制度;优化资源供给结构,加快资源开发利用的科技创新;立足国内,提高资源利用效率,促进循环利用,加强资源领域的国际合作。