Microtubular metazoan fossils with multi-branches in Weng'an Biota

Microtubular metazoan fossils with multi- branches are found at least 4 times from the Sinian (Ediacarian) Doushantuo Formation at Weng’an, Guizhou, China. Their living mode should be the benthonic colony with higher ability of asexual re- production. The inner of the tube with cross-walls and chamber shows that these fossils are basal or stem- group cnidarians, similar to extinct tabulates. The multi-branching microtubular fossils are real meta- zoan found from Weng’an biota, which is very im- portant for studying the origin and evolvement of metazoan.

Geology and Mineral Deposits of Saraikistan (South Punjab, Koh Sulaiman Range) of Pakistan: A Tabular Review of Recently Discovered Biotas from Pakistan and Paleobiogeographic Link: Phylogeny and Hypodigm of Poripuchian Titanosaurs from Indo-Pakistan

Saraikistan (South Punjab and surrounding) area of Pakistan is located in the central Pakistan. This area represents Triassic-Jurassic to Recent sedimentary marine and terrestrial strata. Most of the Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic are represented by marine strata with rare terrestrial deposits, while the Late Cenozoic is represented by continental fluvial deposits. This area hosts significant mineral deposits and their development can play a significant role in the development of Saraikistan region and ultimately for Pakistan. The data of recently discovered biotas from Cambrian to Miocene age are tabulated for quick view. Mesozoic biotas show a prominent paleobiogeographic link with Gondwana and Cenozoic show Eurasian. Phylogeny and hypodigm of Poripuchian titanosaurs from India and Pakistan are hinted at here.

华北早白垩世古地貌动态演变及热河生物群东迁

早白垩世期间,华北地区东北部分布着极其重要的生物群——热河生物群,其繁盛期对应着华北克拉通破坏峰值时期(125 Ma)。华北克拉通破坏导致的古地貌和古气候等环境变化,可能是引起热河生物群分布时空发生变迁的重要外部驱动因素之一。然而,目前缺少对华北地区早白垩世古地貌动态演变过程的定量描述。因此,本研究主要通过构建古土壤风化指标(PWI、CFX_(Na))、碳酸盐同位素等数据库,重建了华北地区晚侏罗世—早白垩世之交(145 Ma)的古地形;并结合磷灰石/锆石裂变径迹、剥蚀厚度恢复、海平面变化等数据,利用Badlands软件定量化动态模拟了华北地区早白垩世古地貌演变过程。模拟结果表明,早白垩世期间,受控于古太平洋板块俯冲后撤的影响,华北克拉通经历了由“东高西低”变为“西高东低”的地形翘变和破坏过程,并伴随着自西向东的断陷盆地的迁移;大规模火山喷发与断陷盆地的出现共同控制了热河生物群的向东迁移,热河生物群在燕山地区的山间盆地兴起。

New Benthic Fossils from the Late Ediacaran Strata of Southwestern China

The Jiangchuan Biota from the Jiucheng Member(Mb.)of the Dengying Formation(Fm.),discovered in Jiangchuan,eastern Yunnan,China,is marked by copious macrofossils at the apex of the Ediacaran strata.This fauna features benthic algae with varied holdfasts and other fossils of indeterminate taxonomic affinity and is compositionally unique compared to the Shibantan and Gaojiashan biotas of the Dengying Fm.and the Miaohe and Wenghui biotas of the Doushantuo Fm.,elsewhere in China.One novel benthic saccular macroalgal fossil,named here Houjiashania yuxiensis gen.and sp.nov.,from the Jiangchuan Biota is based on fossils that are sausage-shaped,elongate,tubular,ranging from 0.3 to 4 cm in length,and up to 0.8 cm in diameter.One terminus is blunt and rounded to an obtuse angle,the other is bent with a spread-out surface resembling a holdfast,suggesting a three-dimensional thallus.Thin,stipe-shaped outgrowths,likely vestiges of sessile saccular life forms,are prevalent in macroalgal fossils of analogous size and shape,as well as present brown algae Scytosiphonaceae,such as Colpomenia and Dactylosiphon.The new findings augment the diversity of benthic algae,such as those known from the Early Neoproterozoic Longfengshan Biota in North China.The benthic algal macrofossils in the Jiucheng Mb.add to knowledge of Late Ediacaran metaphyte diversification and offer more clues about the evolutionary positioning of primitive macroalgae.The co-occurrence of numerous planktonic and benthic multicellular algae and planktonic microbes might have facilitated ecologically the more extensive later Cambrian explosion evidenced by the Chengjiang Biota in Yunnan.

生物样品中新污染物筛查:透析和凝胶渗透色谱联用净化方法

以河蚬为代表,建立了一种能有效去除生物样品中脂肪及其它内源性干扰物,并保留性质广泛的新污染物的净化方法。选择理化性质迥异的35种污染物(log Kow为-1.30~8.41),优化生物样品萃取、透析及凝胶渗透色谱(GPC)分离方法,并验证了方法可行性。优化的样品前处理方法为:样品先后采用正己烷、丙酮、二氯甲烷混合溶液(体积比2∶2∶1)和乙腈加速溶剂萃取,提取液经4次透析后再用GPC净化,目标物使用气相色谱-质谱和液相色谱-串联质谱进行分析。采用香兰素-磷酸法测定每一净化步骤后样品的脂肪含量,并结合色谱-质谱全扫描分析,检验干扰物的去除效率。结果表明,净化后河蚬提取物中残余的脂肪含量小于1.06%,GPC中待测分析物的流出时间为8~20 min,平均回收率为55.1%±13.0%,相对标准偏差为1.4%~9.2%。净化后的河蚬生物样品中脂肪和部分内源性物质被有效去除,宽泛程的目标物的回收率均达到环境样品痕量新污染物检测的要求,所建方法可用于生物样品非目标筛查的前处理。

使用RESRAD-BIOTA程序和ERICA程序计算某核电厂址附近水域中华鲟剂量的对比

根据某核电厂址附近水域的部分放射性核素浓度,使用美国能源部开发的RESRAD-BIOTA程序和欧洲原子能共同体开发的ERICA程序对该水域中的中华鲟进行剂量计算,同时使用蒙特卡罗方法进行了模拟计算,并将3种方法的计算参数和结果进行对比和分析。结果显示,ERICA程序的计算过程更符合实际情况,对于未知要素进行保守假设,其计算结果更具参考价值。

Antimony, Arsenic and Thallium Bioaccumulation in Asiatic Clam (Corbicula fluminea) Transplanted along the Manadas Creek, Laredo, Texas

Manadas Creek is an urban tributary of the Rio Grande that flows past a decommissioned antimony smelter and processing plant. This antimony plant is associated with heavy metal contamination in the creek and still poses a threat to the surrounding aquatic environment. Corbicula fluminea was used to determine bioaccumulation from the water column and sediments in Manadas Creek. The metals arsenic (As), antimony (Sb) and thallium (Tl) were analyzed in the water, sediments, gills, mantle, foot, digestive (DI) tract, gonads and shell of clams being monitored at eight sites between March and August 2013. Sediment, water, and dissected Corbicula fluminea samples from different sites in the Creek were acid-digested and analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy. High levels of antimony (25.88 ug/L;75.96 mg/kg) and arsenic (8.26 ug/L;6.41 mg/kg) in the water and sediments were observed at the site downstream from the smelter. There were no detectable concentrations of arsenic, antimony, or thallium in the shell of C. fluminea. Arsenic and antimony were detected in the tissues of C. fluminea but thallium was not detected. Based on the results, the organotropism for arsenic is DI tract > gills > gonads > foot > mantle > shell and the organotropism for antimony is gills > DI tract > gonads > mantle > foot > shell. This study shows that the Asiatic clam (Corbicula fluminea) is a useful bio-monitor to provide data on the status of metal pollution in Manadas Creek, Laredo, Texas.

贵州望谟地区新发现早三叠世化石库

望谟生物群是我国西南部贵州省望谟地区新发现的一个早三叠世化石库,化石主要产自下三叠统罗楼组一段的薄层状泥岩、微晶灰岩之中。该化石库以菊石和节肢动物为特色,伴有双壳、箭石、腕足、牙形类、鱼类、微康奇虫,以及一些分类不明的化石类型,其时代为早三叠世印度期迪纳尔晚期(Late Dienerian)至奥伦尼克期史密斯早期(Early Smithian)。该生物群化石保存精美、数量丰富,生物种类多样,显示经历了二叠纪末生物大绝灭事件后,望谟地区在早三叠世已经具有一个复杂的海洋生态系统,为我们更全面了解早三叠世海洋生物多样性和生物复苏提供了一个新的窗口。

锦鸡儿属灌木阻止干旱草地沙漠化生态过程

纵观全球沙漠化的研究进展,从宏观上研究沙漠化现状和后果的报道较多,对沙漠化内在过程的综合研究较少,灌木在阻止干旱区草原沙漠化中的生态作用缺乏研究。研究假设:在干旱地区,灌木的存在提高土壤营养水平,提升土壤保水能力,促进林下植物和土壤生物群落,进而减轻风蚀和固结土壤,这些相互联系的生态过程共同阻止了草原沙漠化。为了验证上述假设,我们以内蒙古阿拉善地区的荒漠化草原为样地,研究锦鸡儿属灌木的固土能力、提高土壤保水能力、改善土壤营养能力和促进生物群落能力,从生物、土壤、水分和沙物质运动等多过程来探讨锦鸡儿属灌木在阻止草原沙漠化中的作用。目的是弄清灌木阻止干旱草地沙漠化的生态过程。在阿拉善荒漠化草原区,锦鸡儿属灌木盖度大约为12.40%。在100 m^(2)的土地上现有灌木固土2.01 m^(3),固土效率为167 cm^(3)/g鲜重,每年灌木生长可以增加固土能力0.264 m^(3)/100 m^(2)土地。锦鸡儿属灌木提高了土壤湿度(灌丛效应SE=0.120)和土壤对雨水的保持能力(SE 0.155),改善了土壤营养(有机质SE 0.234、有效氮SE 0.338、有效磷SE 0.256和有效钾SE 0.089),增加了植物群落的物种丰度、多度、植株高度和生物量(SE 0.298)以及土壤生物(微生物和线虫)群落的物种丰度和多度(SE 0.302),提高了土壤酶活性(碱性磷酸酶、蔗糖酶、脲酶和过氧化氢酶,SE 0.191-0.365)。综合分析表明锦鸡儿属灌木通过保水(路径系数PC=0.43)、增肥(PC 0.39)、促进植物(PC 0.34)和土壤微生物群落(PC 0.20),以及它们共同导致的固土效应等多个相互联系的生态过程阻止干旱草原转变为沙漠。在防止沙漠化的不同过程中,5个锦鸡儿属灌木种各有优劣,这可能是这些种共存于荒漠区的原因之一。灌木作为极端干旱荒漠区的主要植被,在阻止干旱地区草地沙漠化中发挥着重要作用。

简析污水生物相对酿酒废水治理监控的指导作用

生化池系统依靠各种微生物去分解污水中的有机污染物,出水水质的好坏与微生物的活性息息相关。污水生物相观察诊断是监控污水运行的必备检测技术之一,能够及时准确地反映水质的变化和系统运行的好坏。通过对酿酒废水生化池系统中污水生物相的长期动态观察,分析指示性微生物的形态、种类、数量和优势度等与污水处理系统运行间的关系,能够及时对工艺系统做出相应优化与调整,指导污水处理厂高效稳定运行。

Kaili Biota: A Taphonomic Window on Diversification of Metazoans from the Basal Middle Cambrian: Guizhou, China

A Burgess Shale-type biota is, in part, characterized by a wide diversity of taxa and soft-part preservation. Each provides unique historical insights into early metazoan evolution. Among the more than 40 globally distributed biotas, the early Cambrian Chengjiang and Middle Cambrian Burgess-type biotas are the largest. The Kaili Biota, from the earliest Middle Cambrian of Guizhou, China, contains representatives of 110 metazoan genera belonging to 10 phyla. It contains many well-persevered soft-bodied specimens. This Chinese biota has become the third most taxonomically diverse Burgess Shale-type fauna. Because the Kaili Biota formed in an outer-shelf environment, its main faunal character is large numbers of eocrinoids and planktoic trilobites. The Kaili is younger than the Chengjiang Biota but older than the Canadian Burgess Shale Biota; it shares 30 genera with the Chengjiang and 38 genera with the Burgess Biota. The Kaili Biota displays a taphonomic window to the diversification and evolution of marine offshore organisms covering 5.13 million years between the Early and Middle Cambrian.

Guanling Biota: A Marker of Triassic Biotic Recovery from the end-Permian Extinction in the Ancient Guizhou Sea

After a slow recovery from the end-Permian extinction during the Early Triassic and rapid radiation in the Middle Triassic, evolution of organisms reached a new peak phase in the Late Triassic. The Guanling Biota from the Wayao Member （conodont Paragondolella polygnathiformis Zone）, Falang Formation, Xinpu, Guanling County, Guizhou Province, southwestern China corresponds to this peak that marks the full recovery from the end-Permian extinction of marine ecosystems. The biota is of high diversity, containing well preserved and completely articulated skeletons of vertebrates comprising marine reptiles, fishes, and invertebrates including crinoids, ammonites, bivalves, and other fossils, and is one of the best examples of marine ecosystem records in life history. The fossil marine reptiles and crinoids are most significant in this biota, especially the marine reptiles, which provide an important link between the Triassic Pacific and Tethys, and between Triassic basal forms and the Jurassic-Cretaceous marine top predators. The most remarkable fossils are the large completely articulated ichthyosaur skeletons up to and more than 10 m, and the first recorded thalattosaurs and placodonts in China. Following our review, of the 17 named reptilian taxa the eight listed here are considered to be valid： three ichthyosaurs （Qianichthyosaurus zhoui Li, 1999; Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae Cao and Luo in Yin et al., 2000, Guanlingsaurus liangae Yin in Yin et al., 2000）, three thalattosaurs （Anshunsaurus huangguoshuensis Liu, 1999, Xinpusaurus suni Yin in Yin et al., 2000, Xinpusaurus kohi Jiang et al., 2004）, and two placodonts （Sinocyamodus xinpuensis Li, 2000, Psephochelys polyosteoderma Li and Rieppel, 2002）. Mixosaurus guanlingensis Cao in Yin et al., 2000 might be a junior synonym of Qianichthyosaurus zhoui Li, 1999, and Cymbospondylus asiaticus Li and You, 2002 and Panjiangsaurus epicharis Chen and Cheng, 2003 might be junior synonyms of Guizhouichthyosaurus tangae Cao and Luo in Yin et al., 2000. It needs to re-describe the holotypes after a complete preparation for clarifying the taxonomic status of Typicusichthyosaurus tsaihuae Yu in Yin et al., 2000, Xinpusaurus bamaolinensis Cheng, 2003, Neosinosaurus hoangi （Zhou in Yin et al., 2000）, Wayaosaurus geei Zhou in Yin et al., 2000, Wayaosaurus bellus Zhou in Yin et al., 2000 and Placochelys ？ minutus Yin and Luo in Yin et al., 2000.

New Localities and Palaeoscolecid Worms from the Cambrian(Stage 4,Series 2)Guanshan Biota in Kunming,Yunnan,South China

The Guanshan Biota from the Cambrian Stage 4 Wulongqing Formation is a typical Burgess-shale type Lagerst？tte that had witnessed the Cambrian explosion. Here we report two new localities of the Guanshan Biota, which is located at Baimei village, south of Kunming and Xinglong village, Wuding County, Yunnan Province respectively. Both localities produce soft-body fossils and several new taxa, e.g. a new species of palaeoscolecidans （Palaeoscolex xinglongensis sp. nov.） reported herein. The comparative study of the new species with similar form not only indicates that there is a diversification of palaeoscolecid species in Guanshan Biota, but also strengthens the ties between the older Chengjiang Biota and the younger Kaili Biota （and also the coeval Burgess Shale community）. Three paleoecological features, including high diversity, little disparity and richness of palaeoscolecid worms, are summarized as a case study to represent the differences between Guanshan and Chengjiang Biota.

Neogene Paleoseismic Events and the Shanwang Biota's Burial in the Linqu Area,Shandong Province,China

Several paleoseismic events are recorded in the Neogene Linqu Group, exposed in the Linqu area, Shandong Province, China. The events were interpreted on the basis of fleldwork and laboratory analysis, which showed the presence of seismites with plastically deformed soft-sediment deformation structures in the Shanwang Formation, and of seismic volcanic rocks in the Yaoshan Formation which show brittle deformation. The earthquake-triggered soft-sediment deformations in the seismites include load structures, ball-and-pillow structures, flame structures, piUow-like beds, boudinage structures, slump folds, syn-depositional faults, veins of liquefied sand, and dikes of liquefied sandy lime-mud. The seismic activity is also reflected in what might be called ＇brittle seismites＇; these originated when, under the influence of seismic vibrations, semi-consolidated conglomerate was shattered. Moreover, volcanic activity is related to intense earthquakes that affected basalts intercalated with sand layers; these successions are known as ＇seismic volcanic rocks＇, which are characterized by veins of liquefied sand intruding the basalts. AH above traces of paleoseismic activity were left from one single time span of 4 Ma with active seismicity that took place 14-10 Ma. This time span is known as ＇the Linqu Neogene Paleoseismic Active Period＇, which is divided into four paleoseismic episodes, which were responses to tectonic extension and basin rifting in this area. It even includes the activity of the Yishu Fault Zone during the Miocene and the Neogene. The ratios of trace elements in the seismites, w（La）/w（Sc） and w （La）/w（Th） are higher than the average value of the upper crust, but w（Th）/w（Sc） is lower; this is geochemical evidence for the basin rifting that resulted in a high sedimentation rate. The intense and frequent paleo-earthquakes are held responsible for the rapid burial of the Shanwang Biota. Secondary earthquake-induced processes （e.g. slumping of a lake shore and the strongly increased lacustrine sedimentation rate） contributed to the rapid burial of the biota.

An Updated Review of the Middle-Late Jurassic Yanliao Biota: Chronology,Taphonomy,Paleontology and Paleoecology

The northeastern Chinese Yanliao Biota （sometimes called the Daohugou Biota） comprises numerous, frequently spectacular fossils of non-marine organisms, occurring in Middle-Upper Jurassic strata in western Liaoning, northern Hebei, and southeastern Inner Mongolia. The biota lasted for about 10 million years, divided into two phases： the Bathonian-Callovian Daohugou phase （about 168-164 million years ago） and the Oxfordian Linglongta phase （164-159 million years ago）. The Yanliao fossils are often taphonomically exceptional （many vertebrate skeletons, for example, are complete and accompanied by preserved integumentary features）, and not only are taxonomically diverse but also include the oldest known representatives of many groups of plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates. These fossils have provided significant new information regarding the origins and early evolution of such clades as fleas, birds, and mammals, in addition to the evolution of some major biological structures such as feathers, and have demonstrated the existence of a complex terrestrial ecosystem in northeast China around the time of the Middle-Late Jurassic boundary.

Solenites (Czekanowskiales) from the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota of Southeastern Jilin,China and its Paleoclimatic Implications

Situated at the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China, abundant fossils, including invertebrates, vertebrates and plants, were collected from the Early Cretaceous Yingzuilazi Formation of the Baishan Basin, southeastern Jilin. The faunal remains from this formation distinctly belong to the Early Cretaceous Lycoptera-Ephemeropsis-Eosestheria assemblage of the Jehol Biota. Based on the gross leaf morphology and epidermal structures, two new species and one indeterminate species of genus Solenites （Czekanowskiales）, S. baishanensis sp. nov., S. gracilis sp. nov. and S. sp. are described in this paper. This is the first fossil plant of Czekanowskiales reported from this new fossil locality of the easternmost area of the Late Mesozoic Jehol Biota, China. The new discovery contributes to improve our knowledge for understanding of leaf morphology, epidermal characters and diversity of this genus during the Early Cretaceous time, and extends geologic and geographic distribution of Solenites in northern China and Eurasia. Along with consideration of associated plant and faunal assemblages and sedimentology, we suggest that the regional climate was warm and moderately humid with seasonal temperature and precipitation variations in warm-temperate zone during the Early Cretaceous.

Dinomischus from the Middle Cambrian Kaili Biota, Guizhou, China

Dinomischus is a rare solitary epifaunal suspension feeder. The over-all morphology of Dinomischus consists of a conical calyx surrounded with elongate bracts and an elongate stem. Visceral mass and stomach sac are evident in the body cavity. Dinomischus is interpreted as a primative ancestor of living entoprocts based on similarities in morphology and mode of life. Previously, Dinomischus is only known in two localities： the mid-Middle Cambrian Burgess Shale Biota and the Early Cambrian Chengjiang Biota. A single specimen of Dinomischus cf. D. isolatus Cowry Morris, 1977 from the Kaili Biota, Guizhou, China is reported here. The discovery of Dinomischus in the Kaili Biota extends its geographical range and indicated that the rare Dinomischus could tolerate deeper water settings during the Middle Cambrian.

New Macroscopic Problematic Fossil from the Early Cambrian Yanjiahe Biota,Yichang,Hubei,China

Yanjiahella gen. nov., a distinctive fossil taxon from the Early Cambrian Yanjiahe Biota in Yichang, Hubei Province, is characterized by： 1） an overall body plan composed of a stalk and a calyx （also arms in some species）; 2） a stalk with closely spaced, transverse wrinkles and a medial, longitudinal ridge; and 3） a calyx preserved with three-dimensional radiating striations, as well as a probable madreporite in some specimens. Three species that can be assigned to this genus, which are Y. ancarpa sp. nov., Y. monocarpa sp. nov., and Y. biscarpa sp. nov. Yanjiahella is comparable to certain echinoderm taxa in terms of morphology and some biological structures, which might indicate the early evolution and diversification of ancestral echinoderm lineages from the early Early Cambrian Yangtze Platform. The discovery of putative echinoderms in the Yanjiahe Biota provides significant clues about the origination and evolution of the deuterostome phylum Echinodermata.

First report on Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Stage 4) at the stratotype area of Wulongqing Formation in Malong County, Eastern Yunnan, China

Exceptionally preserved fossils,such as those from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil-Lagerstatten are critical because of their unique contributions to knowledge of the phylogenetic radiation and palaeoecological expansion of metazoans during the Cambrian explosion.Critically,these deposits provide information that is usually unobtainable from shelly and skeletonized fossils alone.The Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Series 2,Stage 4)in the Yunnan Province of South China,has produced abundant and diverse,exquisitely preserved fossils that often retain soft tissues and organs.To date,most fossils from the Guanshan Biota have been collected from localities such as Gaoloufang and Gangtoucun,which have become inaccessible due to new urban expansions and constructions of residential buildings.Here we present the first report of soft bodied fossils from a new section at Kanfuqing,close to the Wulongqing village in Malong County,approximately 3 km east of the Wulongqing Formation stratotype section.Fossils retain soft morphology,and include brachiopods with delicate marginal setae,priapulids with well-preserved sclerites and vetulicolians with entire sections of body.In addition,this fauna includes rare occurrences of trilobites preserved with soft tissues replicated as pyrite pseudomorphs after weathering.This discovery represents an important palaeogeographical extension of soft-bodied fossils of the Guanshan fauna to the east of the Xiaojiang Fault(related to Tsinning tectonic movements ca.700 Ma).The fauna from the new Kanfuqing section is similar to that reported from the Wulongqing Formation west of the Xiaojiang Fault,and thus has significant implications for early Cambrian palaeogeography,faunal successions and palaeoenvironments of eastern Yunnan.

New Bivalved Arthropods from Mid-Cambrian Kaili Biota of Southeastern Guizhou,Southwest China

Bivalved arthropods are very important elements in Mid-Cambrian Kaili Biota.Three genera,Alicaris,Pseudoarctolepis,and Forfexicaris,are herein recorded for the first time,including three new species：Alicaris kailiensis sp.nov.,Forfexicaris reticulata sp.nov.,and Pseudoarctolepis semicircularis sp.nov.,of which Alicaris kailiensis sp.nov.could be assigned to crustaceomorphs;the other two forms are grouped as proschizoramians.These forms provide important information about the distribution and species diversity of a poorly-known element of Cambrian fauna,and also bridge the biotic evolutionary gap between Early Cambrian Chengjiang Biota in Southwest China and Mid-Cambrian burgess shale biota in North America.