The integument of Psittacosaurus from Liaoning Province, China: taphonomy, epidermal patterns and color of a ceratopsian dinosaur

Preserved skin of small dinosaurs is rare. Here, a specimen of the ceratopsian dinosaur, Psittacosaurus, presents some of the best preserved epidermal scales observed to date in a relatively small dinosaur, over wide areas extending from the head to the tail. We study the preserved epidermis of SMF R 4970, the different types of scales, color, and patterns, and their respective locations in the body. We use modern application of high-power digital imaging for close-up analysis of the tubercles and fragments of preserved color. Three types of scales are preserved, large plate-like scales, smaller polygonal scales or tubercles, and round pebble-like scales. The sizes of the plate-like scales vary in different parts of the body and vanish altogether posteriorly. Light and dark cryptic patterns are created by the associations of the tubercle and plate-like scales, and there is also evidence of countershading in the proximal caudal region, the body darker dorsally and lighter ventrally. Perhaps most impressive are the distinctive pigmented impressions of scales over most of the skeletal elements. The pigmentation follows the curvature of the bones implying that when it was deposited, the skin was still pliable and able to wrap around the visible parts of the elements. The present record of color is the first in a non-theropod dinosaur and only the second record in a non-avian dinosaur. Because of its resistance to degradation and ability to produce various color tones from yellows to blacks, we suggest that melanin was the dominant chemical involved in the coloration of Psittacosaurus. The data here enable us to reconstruct the colors of Psittacosaurus as predominantly black and amber/brown, in cryptic patterns, somewhat dull, but useful to a prey animal. Indeed, skin pigment within a partially degraded bone indicates that Psittacosaurus was scavenged shortly after death. The theropod dinosaur Sinosauropteryx has recently been reported to have naturally pigmented integumental structures, which the authors interpret as proof that they are protofeathers and not support fibers of collagen. Our findings in Psittacosaurus, on the other hand, indicate a more parsimonious and less profound alternative explanation, i.e., decomposition of the skin releases pigments that readily permeate underlying structures.     

A Middle Jurassic heterodontosaurid dinosaur from Patagonia and the evolution of heterodontosaurids

Heterodontosauridae is a morphologically divergent group of dinosaurs that has recently been interpreted as one of the most basal clades of Ornithischia. Heterodontosaurid remains were previously known from the Early Jurassic of southern Africa, but recent discoveries and studies have significantly increased the geographical and temporal range for this clade. Here, we report a new ornithischian dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic Ca?adón Asfalto Formation in central Patagonia, Argentina. This new taxon, Manidens condorensis gen. et sp. nov., includes well-preserved craniomandibular and postcranial remains and represents the only diagnostic ornithischian specimen yet discovered in the Jurassic of South America so far. Derived features of its anatomy indicate that Manidens belongs to Heterodontosauridae, as the sister taxon of Heterodontosaurus and other South African heterodontosaurids. The presence of posterior dentary teeth with high crowns but lacking extensive wear facets in Manidens suggests that this form represents an intermediate stage in the development of the remarkable adaptations to herbivory described for Heterodontosaurus. The dentition of Manidens condorensis also has autapomorphies, such as asymmetrically arranged denticles in posterior teeth and a mesially projected denticle in the posteriormost teeth. At an estimated total length of 60?C75?cm, Manidens furthermore confirms the small size of basal heterodontosaurids.     

The first record of a sauropod dinosaur from Antarctica

Sauropoda is one of the most diverse and geographically widespread clades of herbivorous dinosaurs, and until now, their remains have now been recovered from all continental landmasses except Antarctica. We report the first record of a sauropod dinosaur from Antarctica, represented by an incomplete caudal vertebra from the Late Cretaceous of James Ross Island. The size and morphology of the specimen allows its identification as a lithostrotian titanosaur. Our finding indicates that advanced titanosaurs achieved a global distribution at least by the Late Cretaceous.     

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     

New carnivorous dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of NW Patagonia and the evolution of abelisaurid theropods

A nearly complete skeleton of the new abelisaurid Skorpiovenator bustingorryi is reported here. The holotype was found in Late Cenomanian–Early Turonian outcrops of NW Patagonia, Argentina. This new taxon is deeply nested within a new clade of South American abelisaurids, named Brachyrostra. Within brachyrostrans, the skull shortening and hyperossification of the skull roof appear to be correlated with a progressive enclosure of the orbit, a set of features possibly related to shock-absorbing capabilities. Moreover, the development of horn-like structures and differential cranial thickening appear to be convergently acquired within Abelisauridae. Based on the similarities between Skorpiovenator and carcharodontosaurid tooth morphology, we suggest that isolated teeth originally referred as post-Cenomanian Carcharodontosauridae most probably belong to abelisaurids. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

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.     

江西赣州盆地恐龙化石赋存规律与埋藏特征

江西赣州盆地晚白垩世茅店组和河口组发现大量恐龙动物化石,且化石分布集中,大多保存完整,尤其蛋化石成窝性较好,排列较规整,属原地埋藏。文章论述了该盆地内恐龙化石赋存的地层、岩性、化石保存形式及埋藏特征等,认为该盆地内恐龙动物群聚集或恐龙化石集中分布在晚白垩世早期茅店组和晚白垩世晚期河口组;茅店组—河口组,恐龙动物化石保存形式具有"单类型→多类型组合共存"和"不同类型恐龙蛋共生→蛋与骨共生"的规律,甚至出现含胚胎恐龙蛋、恐龙骨骼和龟鳖类化石集群埋藏,为进一步探讨盆地演化和恐龙生存环境提供实际材料。     

First nonavian dinosaur from Lebanon: a brachiosaurid sauropod from the Lower Cretaceous of the Jezzine District

Two sauropod teeth from an Early Cretaceous (Neocomian) fluviodeltaic sandstone near Jezzine (Southern Lebanon) are the first nonavian dinosaur remains to be reported from Lebanon. Their distinctive character places them within Brachiosauridae. The sauropod teeth from Lebanon are a significant addition to the very scanty dinosaur record from the Levant, which hitherto consisted mainly of very poorly preserved and not easily identifiable specimens. The Basal Cretaceous Sandstone of Lebanon, thus, appears to be a potentially important source of fossil vertebrate material.     

Postautotomy tail activity in the Balearic lizard, Podarcis lilfordi

Caudal autotomy is an effective antipredator strategy widespread among lizards. The shed tail thrashes vigorously for long periods to distract the predator and facilitate the lizard's escape. This movement is maintained by energy supplied by the anaerobic conversion of glycogen into lactate. It has been suggested that lactate accumulation serves as an index for the vigor of tail thrashing. We made three predictions: (1) tail loss frequency should be higher under heavier predation regime, (2) the duration of postautotomy tail movement should be extended in populations under heavy predation pressure as an adaptation to the higher risk and the increased need for defense, and (3) as result, lactate in these tail tissues should be concentrated at higher levels. To eliminate the impact of phylogeny and environmental factors on the interpretation of our result, we focused exclusively on one species, the Balearic lizard (Podarcis lilfordi). We studied three populations under different predation pressure but sharing the same climatic conditions. We found no differences among the studied populations either in postautotomy duration of tail movement or in levels of final lactate accumulation while autotomy frequency was higher where predation pressure was more intense. Tail loss effectiveness is directly influenced by the level of predation, while secondary features of the trait appear to remain independent from the impact of environment.     

A new ceratopsian dinosaur from the Javelina Formation (Maastrichtian) of West Texas and implications for chasmosaurine phylogeny

Bravoceratops polyphemus gen. et sp. nov. is a large chasmosaurine ceratopsid from the lowermost part of the Javelina Formation (early Maastrichtian) of Big Bend National Park, TX, USA. B. polyphemus has a distinctive narrow snout, a long fenestrate frill, and a fan-shaped median parietal bar with a midline epiparietal on its posterior margin, as well as a symmetrical depression on its dorsal surface at the nexus of the parietal rami. This depression is interpreted to be the attachment point for a second midline epiparietal. This parietal morphology is distinct from that exhibited by Anchiceratops or Pentaceratops. The posterior midline epiparietal in B. polyphemus and its bifurcated quadratojugal–squamosal joint are features shared with the most derived chasmosaurines, Torosaurus and Triceratops. The combination of primitive and derived traits exhibited by B. polyphemus, and its stratigraphic position, is compatible with the gradual transition from basal, to intermediate, to derived chasmosaurines observed throughout the western interior of North America, and with phylogenetic analysis, which suggests that Bravoceratops may be closely related to Coahuilaceratops.     

黄磷尾气生产甲酸中尾气净化试验研究

通过综合研究试验筛选,研发专门适用以黄磷生产中外排废尾气为原料,匹配当今较先进的甲酸甲酯水解法(改进工艺)生产具有广泛用途和良好市场前景的环保型有机强酸———甲酸,完全满足优级甲酸生产的气体净化、提纯、提浓工艺技术,且安全可靠,经济合理。     

汽车尾气中含铂颗粒物的表面特征分析

采用扫描电镜(SEM)和等离子质谱技术(ICP-MS)对配有三元催化转化器的汽车尾气中的颗粒物进行分析.结果表明,尾气颗粒物中含有大量的Si和Al,平均浓度分别为30.88%和23.71%;≤2μm的颗粒物占64%,颗粒物颜色为深褐色或黑色.扫描电镜下观察颗粒物形状不规则,表面较粗糙,呈多孔状.汽车尾气颗粒物中铂含量为280±1ng/g,大气颗粒物(人民广场)中铂含量为27±0.5ng/g.     

盐生植物修复海水养殖尾水的研究现状与进展

随着我国海水养殖业的迅速发展,养殖尾水排放量日益增加,目前已超过了陆源入海污水的排放量,并带来了严重的海洋环境问题,因此对养殖尾水修复变得十分重要。本文介绍了盐生植物修复海水养殖尾水的研究现状,综述了其修复能力及修复机理,并总结了盐生植物在净化海水养殖尾水中需关注的问题,展望了该净化技术的发展前景。     

房地产项目中地下停车场汽车尾气对环境的影响分析

房地产开发项目的地下停车场集中排放的汽车尾气对环境产生影响,分析了地下停车场有害物的种类及危害,介绍了地下停车场的设计要点,汽车污染的控制.     

电化学技术对海水养殖尾水中无机氮的去除效果

为研究电化学技术对海水养殖尾水中氨氮和亚硝酸盐的去除作用,以天津市杨家泊镇某海水养殖工厂排放的养殖尾水为研究对象,选用DSA(dimensionally stable anodes)电极、间歇流的处理方式,考察电压、电极板间距、电化学处理时间对养殖尾水中氨氮和亚硝酸盐去除率的影响,并进行了能耗分析。结果表明:在电极板间距为2 cm,电压为3 V、电化学处理时间为5 min时,氨氮去除率达96.0%,此时能耗仅为0.79 kW·h/g;电极板间距为3 cm,电压为3 V,电化学处理时间为7 min时,亚硝酸盐去除率最高,为98.9%;去除亚硝酸盐的最低能耗为0.032 kW·h/g,此时去除率为75.2%;27组试验组中有14组经电化学处理后的养殖尾水总无机氮浓度达到SC/T 9103—2007《海水养殖水排放要求》一级排放标准。电化学技术对氨氮和亚硝酸盐均有很好的去除作用,不同试验条件下氨氮和亚硝酸盐去除率均较高,且能耗较低。     

汽车尾气对人精子运动能力影响探讨

采用［日］岛津AA－670型原子吸收分光光度计,四唑氮蓝（Nitro－BT）染色法,及图象分析仪（MIAS－300）分析了交通警察和男性师生两人群精液的精子运动能力参数和血铅水平。结果显示：与对照组比较,交警组精子活动能力降低（P＜0.05）,精子琥珀酸脱氢酶（SDH）活性明显抑制（P＜0.001）。而且SDH活性与血铅水平呈负相关。认为交警精子活动能力下降可能和铅干扰精子线粒体能量代谢有关。