The Homines Fossilization: Brief Review of Anthropocene

This article is an insight into our lifetime and the enduring capacity of the planet—especially regarding water and space, in face of the Homines population growth. This is and will be recorded in the geological time: once preserved as human fossils, we will be part of a chapter in Earth’s history. A brief taphonomic chronology is presented, from the emergence of humans to the domination of the environment and supremacy over other species, and also a concern on how much planet Earth can bear Homines neglects. The objective of this review is to show that the strata that contain human fossils change during the Anthropocene not only the human body but also its tools, resulting from its development. Four stages were identified as taphonomic phases: the first wave, when organic Homines fossils were preserved only with materials in natura, including natural artefacts. The second fossilization phase has occurred and still occurs with the urban Homines, a product of the proliferation of cities, including anthropogenic waste and diseases. The technology that we master today also belongs to our taphonomy: hydrocarbons, metals, plastic, radioactive elements—all fossilize together with the industrial Homines, representing the third fossilization phase, which is very close to the fourth fossilization phase, where our enlightened intelligence buries the technological Homines together with his world of digital waste and new viruses. How will we fossilize the future? This question makes us think about the behavior we assume today—who or what will go to the grave with us, which geological/environmental response will stop superpopulation, which extinction event will hold human proliferation? Which will be the mineral, human and waste components of our subsequent strata? How much water and space can we still use without causing a global environmental collapse?

pyIFPNI:A package for querying and downloading plant fossil data from the IFPNI

The International Fossil Plant Names Index(IFPNI,2014-onwards)not only serves as an online gateway to the fossil plant name registry for the global scientific community,but also serves as a comprehensive and dynamic archive of fossil plants(Doweld,2016,2022).Since its establishment in 2014,the IFPNI has accumulated more than 80,000 entries of fossil plant names,along with information on over 10,000 documents and over 6000 paleobotanists,all supported by exhaustive data,demonstrating the scope of the IFPNI's work(IFPNI,2014-onwards).

Megafossils of Betulaceae from the Oligocene of Qaidam Basin and their paleoenvironmental and phytogeographic implications

Understanding the paleoenvironment and phytogeographical history of the Tibetan Plateau,China relies on discovering new plant fossils.The Qaidam Basin has long been regarded as an ideal‘field laboratory’to investigate the paleoclimate and paleobiological evolution of the northern Tibetan Plateau.However,fossil angiosperms from the Qaidam Basin are rare,and our knowledge of its paleovegetation is poor.Here,we report fossil leaves and fruits of Betulaceae found from the Oligocene Shangganchaigou Formation of northwestern Qaidam Basin(Huatugou area).Comparative morphological analysis led us to assign the fruits to the Betula subgenus Betula and the leaves to Carpinus grandis.These findings,together with other reported fossil plants from the same locality,reveal a close floristic linkage between the Qaidam Basin and Europe during the Oligocene.The northern pathway of this floristic exchange may have crossed through the Qaidam Basin during the late Paleogene.This floristic linkage may have been facilitated by the continuous narrowing of the Turgai Strait and stronger westerlies,which transported moisture and provided favorable climatic conditions.Indeed,fossil plants collected from the Qaidam Basin suggest that during the Oligocene this region had warm and humid deciduous broad-leaf forest,which differs from the region’s modern vegetation and indicates that the Qaidam Basin may have been a suitable region for these plants to flourish and spread during the Oligocene.

Inner Ear of Miocene Fossil Ape Gives Clues to Evolution of Bipedalism

Anew study of a 7–8-million-year-old extinct fossil ape from China called Lufengpithecus offers new insights into the evolution of human bipedalism.The study,published in The Innovation,was conducted by a team from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology(IVPP)of the Chinese Academy of Sciences,the Yunnan Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology(YICRA),and New York University(NYU).

Coryphoid palms from the K-Pg boundary of central India and their biogeographical implications:Evidence from megafossil remains

Ten palm leaf impressions are documented from the latest Maastrichtian(late Cretaceous) to early Danian(earliest Paleocene) sediments(K-Pg,c.66-64 Ma) of the Mandla Lobe of the Deccan Intertrappean Beds,Madhya Pradesh,central India.The palmate leaf shape along with a definite wellpreserved costa support their placement in the subfamily Coryphoideae of the family Arecaceae.We place all recovered palm leaf specimens in the fossil genus Sabalites,report seven species of coryphoid palms and describe two new species namely,Sabalities umariaensis sp.nov.and Sabalites ghughuaensis sp.nov.The fossils indicate that coryphoid palms were highly diverse in central India by the latest Cretaceous.These and earlier reported coryphoid palm fossils from the same locality indicate that they experienced a warm and humid tropical environment during the time of deposition.These discoveries confirm the presence of a diversity of Coryphoideae in Gondwana prior to the India-Eurasia collision and provide information about coryphoid biogeographical history over geological time.Based on megafossil remains,we trace coryphoid palm migration pathways from India to mainland Southeast(SE) Asia and other parts of Asia after the docking of the Indian subcontinent with Eurasia early in the Paleogene.

Air Pollution, Global Warming and Difficulties to Replace Fossil Fuel with Renewable Energy

Since the Industrial Revolution, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have greatly increased with the increased use of fossil fuels, leading to air pollution and global warming. We present the researches on air pollution and the use of fossil fuels in north China, the economic zone of Changsha-Zhuzhou-Xiangtan and the economic zone of the Pearl River Delta region. Researches indicate that the use of fossil fuels has been the main source of air pollution in the three regions. We present researches on global mean surface temperature (GMST) with the rise of carbon dioxide concentration (CDC) and global fossil fuel consumption (GFFC);researches indicate that the rise in CDC can account for 91% of the rise in GMST, and GFFC can account for 90% of the rise in GMST. We analyse the factors that bring about air pollution and temperature rise, they are the use of fossil fuels and deforestation. It is critically important to replace fossil fuels with clean energy, but renewable energy has also disadvantages. The world faces difficulties in solving air pollution and global warming, so governments of the world should cooperate to solve the technologies of clean energy, and preserve the forests and the natural environment.

Direct transformation of fossil carbon into chemicals: A review

Despite the long tradition of fossil carbon(coal,char,and related carbon-based materials)for fueling mankind,the science of transforming them into chemicals is still demandingly progressing in the current energy scenario,especially when considering its responsibilities to the global climate change.Traditionally,there are four routes of preparing chemicals directly from fossil carbon,including hydrogasification,gasification,direct liquefaction,and oxidation,in the macroscope of gas-solid reaction(hydrogasification and gasification)and liquid-solid reaction(direct liquefaction and oxidation).When the study goes to microscale,the gas-solid reaction can be considered as the reaction between the severe condensed radicals and gas,while the liquid-solid reaction is the direct reaction between the radical and the activated-molecule.To have a full overview of the area,this review systematically summarizes the main factors in these processes and shows our own perspectives as follows,(ⅰ)stabilizing the free radicals generated from coal and then directly converting them has the highest efficiency in coal utilization;(ⅱ)the research on the self-catalytic process of coal structure will have a profound impact on the direct preparation of chemicals from fossil carbon.Further discussions are also proposed to guide the future study of the area into a more sustainable direction.

Latest Neogene Paleoclimate Variation in Yunnan,Southwest China,Revealed by Fossil Leaf Physiognomy

Yunnan Province,located in the southeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau,can provide important information on how climate change was influenced by global cooling.However,its variation patterns in temperature and precipitation during the latest Neogene are not well-understood.Based on the 357 specimens assigned to 31 morphotypes of plant fossils from the upper Pliocene Ciying Formation in Yiliang County,Yunnan Province,Southwest China,paleoclimate was estimated by Leaf Margin Analysis and Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program.Compared to the present climate,the mean annual temperature and coldest month temperature have not changed significantly since the late Pliocene,whereas the warmest month temperature has decreased significantly.All precipitation-related parameters have decreased,particularly winter precipitation.Combined with the climatic data of the same period in other areas of Yunnan,the western and eastern Yunnan has shown a similar pattern in temperature variation since the late Pliocene except for central Yunnan;whereas the variation in precipitation does not follow a common law except for a consistent decrease in winter precipitation.Our study reinforced the fact that under the background of global cooling and intensified monsoon systems,different areas of Yunnan exhibit different climatic responses to these changes because of their topographic heterogeneities.

Late Oligocene fossil acorns and nuts of Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis from the Nanning Basin,Guangxi,South China

Quercus is the largest genus within the Fagaceae and has a rich fossil record.Most of the fossil material is attributed to the subgenus Quercus based on leaves,pollen or rarely acorns and nuts.Fossil records of Q.section Cyclobalanopsis characterized by ring-cupped acorns are relatively few and especially those described based on nuts are scant.In this study,we described four new species of Quercus section Cyclobalanopsis based on mummified acorns and nuts:Q.paleodisciformis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.,Q.paleohui X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.,Q.nanningensis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.and Q.yongningensis X.Y.Liu et J.H.Jin sp.nov.These species closely resemble the extant species Q.disciformis,Q.hui,Q.kerrii,and Q.dinghuensis.The occurrence of Q.section Cyclobalanopsis in the Oligocene stratum of Guangxi,South China,suggests that the section has diversified within its extant distribution center since the Oligocene.By combining records from other areas,we propose that the section first appeared in the middle Eocene of East Asia(Sino-Japan),has diversified in situ with a few elements scattering into West Asia and southern Europe since the Oligocene and Pliocene,respectively,and finally became restricted in East Asia since the Pleistocene.This indicates that the section originated and diversified in East Asia,before spreading into West Asia no later than the Oligocene and into southern Europe by the Pliocene.Subsequently it disappeared from South Europe and West Asia due to the appearance of the(summer dry)Mediterranean climate and widespread cooling during the Pleistocene.

Recovery of greenhouse gas as cleaner fossil fuel contributes to carbon neutrality

Under the context of carbon neutrality of China,it is urgent to shift our energy supply towards cleaner fuels as well as to reduce the greenhouse gas emission.Currently,coal is the main fossil fuel energy source of China.The country is striving hard to replace it with methane,a cleaner fossil fuel.Although China has rich geological resources of methane as coal bed methane(CBM)reserves,it is quite challenging to utilize them due to low concentration.The CBM is however mainly emitted directly to atmosphere during coal mining,causing waste of the resource and huge contribution to greenhouse effect.The recent work by Yang et al.demonstrated a potential solution to extract low concentration methane selectively from CBM through using MOF materials as sorbents.Such kind of materials and associated separation technology are promising to reduce greenhouse gas emission and promote the methane production capability,which would contribute to carbon neutrality in dual pathways.

Physical Characterization and Evaluation of the Water Potential of the Watershed of the Ferlo Fossil Valley, Senegal: Louga Area

This study is an evaluation of the water potential of the Ferlo fossil valley in the Louga area in Senegal. It consisted in determining the volume of water that could be mobilized at the level of a confluence point of the waters according to the flow lines, where a dam would be placed to create a reservoir. This volume of mobilizable water was compared to the average water consumption of the area in order to evaluate its adequacy or not. To do this, a delineation, physical characterization and mapping of the Ferlo watershed was done using Google Earth, Global Mapper and Arc GIS softwares. A catchment area of 28,754 sq·km was obtained with a perimeter of 976 km, an average slope of 0.52% and a hydraulic length of 336 km. Then the decennial runoff of the watershed was calculated using the CIEH method, this flow is estimated at 1120 cm/s. On the basis of this flow, the annual volume of water that can be mobilized was estimated at 11,089,758 cm per year with a solid deposits of 93 cm per year. The conclusions reached are that there is a lack of mobilizable water resources in the area and that the entire fossil valley needs to be rewatered to provide a sustainable alternative water source.

胶莱盆地中部恐龙化石的新发现及埋藏环境研究

胶莱盆地内恐龙化石资源丰富,以往发现地集中分布于莱阳、诸城两地。近年来,在青岛地区新发现恐龙骨骼、恐龙蛋化石埋藏产地,有胶州安家沟恐龙(蛋)化石产地、莱西大高岚恐龙蛋化石产地、莱西涧沟恐龙蛋化石产地及即墨段泊岚—灵山恐龙化石产地。恐龙化石种类有真鸟脚类、兽脚类、鹦鹉嘴龙及鸭嘴龙类;恐龙蛋化石种类有树枝状恐龙蛋、棱形蛋、圆形蛋、椭圆形蛋及长形蛋等。该地区恐龙化石以原地埋藏为主,埋藏环境为河漫滩相及滨浅湖相,化石层常伴生有密集的虫迹、腹足类、植物类、介形类等生物化石,适合的沉积环境和丰富的食物来源是恐龙选择这些地区繁衍的重要原因;火山活动是导致恐龙聚集、死亡、埋藏的重要因素,而周期性的沉积环境变化、大规模的山体滑坡、洪水事件是化石埋藏的直接原因。

中更新世晚期许家窑人化石的研究进展

许家窑人类化石在1976-1979年发现于泥河湾盆地北部许家窑遗址(又名许家窑-侯家窑遗址)的74703地点。化石包括1件儿童左侧上颌骨、3颗游离臼齿、2块枕骨、1件上颌支残段和13块顶骨碎片,代表约16个个体,生存于中更新世晚期。对于许家窑人的演化地位,长期以来学者们一直持有不同观点,分别将其归入直立人、尼安德特人、早期智人或者未知人群。最新研究显示:许家窑人的牙齿、头盖骨和下颌骨的形态都具有原始与进步混合的特征;许家窑个体呈现有罕见的先天巨顶孔缺陷遗传疾病、暴力冲突产生的创伤愈合痕迹、因营养缺乏导致的牙齿釉质发育不良及适应潜水环境产生有耳圆枕结构;许家窑人的颅容量为1700 mL以上,其上颌骨内鼻底、颞骨内耳迷路和枕圆枕的形态类似尼安德特人,牙齿生长发育模式接近现代人。许家窑人特殊的形态特征,特别是低而宽的头盖部和巨大的颅容量,与许昌人头骨形态相近,二者可能代表中更新世晚期-晚更新世早期东亚境内生存的一种新型古老型人类——巨颅人,可能是欧洲先驱人或者尼安德特人的祖先向东亚扩散,与东亚直立人杂交的后代。

自贡荣县大树村古生物化石资源特征及保护建议

四川盆地中生代地层连续,盛产恐龙化石,而自贡更是出产恐龙化石的佼佼者。大树村青龙山作为自贡三大恐龙化石产地之一,已发现的化石数量与种类丰富。在野外系统调查的基础上,总结分析了大树村古生物化石种属特征、分布特征、赋存岩性特征,对古生物化石资源进行了评价,并提出了化石保护存在的问题及建议,为古生物化石资源的保护与开发利用提供了科学依据。

氨基化石墨烯电化学传感器在重金属离子检测中的运用分析

本研究旨在探讨氨基化石墨烯电化学传感器在重金属离子检测中的应用,特别是针对Cd^(2+)和Pb^(2+)的检测。研究内容主要包括氨基化石墨烯(NH_(2)-rGO)、壳聚糖(CS)和聚谷氨酸(Glu)复合材料修饰电极的制备,以及其在电化学检测中的性能评估。通过对不同修饰电极的表征与性能分析,本研究揭示了NH_(2)-rGO/CS/Glu复合材料修饰电极在提高检测灵敏度和选择性方面的显著效果。研究结果表明,相比于裸电极和单一材料修饰电极,NH_(2)-rGO/CS/Glu修饰电极对Cd^(2+)和Pb^(2+)展现出了更高的灵敏度和优异的选择性。此项研究为开发新型高效电化学传感器提供了有价值的参考,对于环境监测和重金属污染控制具有重要意义。

江苏沉积变质型磷矿带含磷岩系LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

江苏沉积变质型磷矿带位于大别—苏鲁造山带东段,锦屏岩组是带内唯一赋矿地层,因其遭受过多期强烈的变形变质作用改造,层序杂乱,勘查难度大,研究程度低,目前其形成时代尚无定论。本文应用LAICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年方法,对锦屏岩组各类岩性进行测试,获得绿色片岩类岩石原岩年龄为(956±7)Ma~(691±14)Ma,浅色片岩类岩石原岩年龄不早于(833±39)Ma,片麻岩类岩石原岩年龄不早于(772±31)Ma。结合成矿带内含磷岩系中古生物化石资料,将锦屏岩组原岩形成时代界定为新元古代,将磷矿原始沉积时间限定在震旦纪,为江苏磷矿勘查与研究提供了新的基础资料。

三金化石汤辅助输尿管软镜术治疗肾结石的效果

目的研究三金化石汤辅助输尿管软镜术(RIRS)治疗肾结石的临床效果,并分析其作用机制。方法选择2016年1月至2022年11月在河南中医药大学第一附属医院接受治疗的110例肾结石患者,按照随机数表法进行分组,对照组55例接受RIRS治疗,研究组55例接受RIRS、三金化石汤辅助治疗。比较两组结石清除率、肾功能[血肌酐(SCr)、胱抑素C(Cys-C)、尿素氮(BUN)、中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白(NGAL)]、炎症反应[肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)、白介素-1β(IL-1β)、白介素-6(IL-6)及C反应蛋白(CRP)]、生活质量及并发症。结果研究组治疗2周后结石清除率(98.18%)较对照组(85.45%)高(P<0.05);两组治疗2周后SCr、Cys-C、BUN、NGAL、TNF-α、IL-1β、IL-6、CRP均降低,且研究组更低(P<0.05);两组治疗2个月后世界卫生组织生活质量简表各项评分均升高,且研究组更高(P<0.05);两组并发症发生率相比(7.27%比3.64%),差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。结论三金化石汤辅助RIRS治疗肾结石效果确切,可有效提升结石清除率,促进肾功能恢复,改善生活质量,未增加并发症。

中国一次能源安全测度与评价--基于能源智能化转型的视角

选取能源供给安全、经济安全、消费安全、环境安全和智能安全5个维度构建中国能源安全评价指标体系,采用熵权TOPSIS模型对2005—2025年中国能源安全水平进行测度及评价,并利用灰色关联分析法探究影响中国能源安全水平的重要因素。结果表明:2005—2020年中国能源安全水平呈现先降低后升高的趋势,在2019年迎来拐点,能源安全在拐点后处于“较安全”等级,且2021—2025年能源安全水平有进一步的提升空间。提出在持续推进能源清洁化、绿色化转型的同时,还应加快能源产业的数字智能化发展,积极推进构建智慧能源体系。

希夏邦马峰高山栎类化石的再发现及其意义

本文报道了采集于希夏邦马峰的高山栎类(壳斗科栎属冬青栎组)叶片化石新材料。经过两次野外工作,探明该化石产地位于希夏邦马峰北坡海拔约5800m的达索普冰川南侧5号冰川冰舌前端,化石产于野博康加勒群下部砂砾岩为主的粉砂岩夹层中。这批新发现的化石具有壳斗科栎属高山栎类的典型特征,包括叶片椭圆形或长椭圆形,叶柄粗短,叶缘全缘或具齿,二级脉5~6对,与前人报道的希夏邦马峰高山栎类叶片形态完全一致。通过与高山栎类现生种和化石种形态的详细比较,并结合几何形态测量法进行定量分析,希夏邦马峰的高山栎类化石叶片定为古帽斗栎(Quercus preguajavifolia Tao)。高山栎类可能起源于青藏高原东南缘,伴随青藏高原的抬升而逐渐繁盛并扩散到高原周边地区。由于现今的高山栎类植物海拔分布范围大(900~4500m),且化石产地的地质年代尚不清楚,希夏邦马峰高山栎类的古海拔意义仍有待进一步完善。希夏邦马峰高山栎类化石的再次发现,不但有助于厘清化石产出的具体层位,还进一步丰富了该化石记录的形态特征并明确其分类学位置。相关认识将为进一步探究新生代喜马拉雅山脉中段的生物多样性演化与环境变化提供重要依据。

大型直流冷却火电厂用水特征分析

直流冷却火电厂是我国工业用水大户,随着水资源短缺问题日益严重、节水要求日益提高,开展直流冷却火电厂用水特征分析研究,为节水改造提供技术支撑,愈发紧迫。文章以中山嘉明电厂为例,对其开展水平衡测试工作,确定电厂用水结构,推演用水参数及各系统用水指标,进行节水潜力分析并提出节水措施。分析结果显示,直流冷却是该类电厂主要的用水、退水环节,电厂用水指标满足相关定额要求,但在除盐水回用等方面仍有一定的节水潜力。测试及分析的开展为大型直流冷却火电行业节水改造、节水企业创建提供了一定的参考和借鉴。