Theropod assemblages and a new ichnotaxon Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp.nov.from the Jiaguan Formation,Lower Cretaceous of Guizhou Province,China

A newly discovered Jiaguan Formation(Lower Cretaceous) tracksite from the Linjiang region of Guizhou Province, China, reveals the first example of a Cretaceous track morphotype attributable to the non-avian theropod ichnogenus Gigandipus, here named Gigandipus chiappei ichnosp nov. The theropod dominated locality also reveals the second report of the avian theropod ichnogenus Wupus, one of the largest avian traces currently known from the Lower Cretaceous. The Linjiang site provides evidence to support previous interpretations of a distinctive Lower Cretaceous theropod-dominated ichnofauna that was widespread in China and East Asia and highlights the similarity between Lower Cretaceous theropod ichnotaxa in East Asia and those found in the Lower Jurassic both in East Asia and elsewhere. These similarities in turn create various ichnotaxonomic challenges familiar to researchers working on theropod tracks, and we recommend caution in the naming of new theropod ichnotaxa at the ichnogenus level.

Theropods, Mesoeucrocodiles and Pterosaurs Found from the Latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation of Balochistan, Pakistan;Description with Large Photographs and Comparison with Coeval Taxa from Indo-Pakistan Subcontinent

Theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaurs (along with titanosaurian sauropods) are found in two overbank flood deposited mottled muds/shale units (alternated by meandering river deposited sandstone unit) of the latest Maastrichtian (67 - 66 Ma) Vitakri Formation, Barkhan District, Balochistan, Pakistan. These vertebrates coexisted under the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary line of control and became extinct as mass extinction. Previously these taxa lack the detail description but here theropods, mesoeucrocodiles and pterosaur from Pakistan are being described well with large photographs which provide better understanding of fauna from Pakistan and comparison with coeval taxa from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent. These fauna with associated cranial and postcranial skeletons are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeography and phylogenetic studies.

A New Theropod Dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Lufeng,Yunnan,China

A new theropod dinosaur, Shidaisaurusjinae gen. et sp. nov., has been described on the basis of an incomplete skeleton. The specimen was found near the base of the Upper Lufeng Formation （early Middle Jurassic） in Yunnan, China. It is the first theropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Yunnan. Shidaisaurus jinae is distinguishable from other Jurassic theropods by certain features from the braincase, axis, and pelvic girdle. The absence of any pleurocoels in the axis or in any anterior dorsal vertebrae suggests that the new Lufeng theropod is relatively primitive and more plesiomorphic than most of the Middle to Late Jurassic theropods from China. Most Chinese taxa of Jurassic theropod dinosaurs have not been well described; a further detailed study will be necessary for us to determine their phylogenetic relationships with Shidaisaurusjinae.

<i>Vitakrisaurus saraiki</i>Theropod from South Asia

Vitakrisaurus saraiki abelisauroid theropod dinosaurs reported from Pakistan and extended distribution into India. Vitakrisaurus saraiki is medium to large sized theropod which is represented by associated vertebral and limb elements and especially hand elements. Out of 14 small to large bodied theropods from Indo-Pakistan subcontinent, only less than half of these are restricted to some common elements. Vitakrisaurus saraiki theropod of Pakistan is based on associated vertebral and limb elements especially hand including articulated carpals, metacarpals, phalanges and claws which are significant for Gondwanan paleobiogeographic link, comparisons and systematic.

A Vegetarian in the Meat-eating Theropod Family

A fossil theropod dinosaur discovered in China is thought to be vegetarian, in sharp contrast with its meat-eating cousins, according to research published in Nature on September 19,2002.……

New Data on Coal, Gypsum, Iron and Silica Sand Deposits and Geochemical Exploration (Pakistan): Revision of 25 Years History of Dinosaur Discoveries from Pakistan

Discoveries of many coal seams at depths by drilling carried by Geological Survey of Pakistan in Sor Range and Harnai Gochina, extended the coal seams at depth which is challenge for mine owners to exploit feasibly. Bed to bed gypsum samplings (and their chemical analyses) of huge gypsum deposits from Sulaiman foldbelt is a base for industrialist and also planers to develop cement and gypsum industries to increase export and foreign exchange for the development of area and Pakistan. Low and high grade sedimentary iron deposits, silica sand and uranium host rocks and their extensions in Sulaiman and Kirthar foldbelts are presented. Anomalies of a few base metals arise as a result of geochemical exploration carried at part of Loralai District of Balochistan. Theropod dinosaurs were frequent in India, while Poripuchian titanosaurs (Sauropoda, Dinosauria) were frequent in Pakistan. Besides some ichnotaxa, many bone taxa such as 1 titanosauriform, 14 titanosaurian sauropod (including one new titanosaur), and 3 theropod dinosaurs are established from Pakistan. Among these 12 titanosaur species and 3 theropod species are named in about 10 km2 area of Vitakri dome and 2 titanosaur species are named in about a few hundred square meter area of Mari Bohri (Kachi Bohri) which is about 10 km westward from Vitakri dome. Pakistan is a unique country which discoverd 14 diversified titanosaurs in a short area and also in a short period (67 - 66 million years ago/Ma). About 400 bones found from a few meter thick upper part of upper shale horizon of latest Maastrichtian Vitakri Formation which is base for titanosaur taxa. Cranial material is in low fraction (but include significant diverse snouts), caudal vertebrae are prominent, the cervicals, dorsals and sacrals have significant numbers, forelimb and hind limb bones have balanced fraction. Humeri, femora and tibiae are most common. To know the position of Pakistani titanosaurs among titanosaurs and sauropods, there is a need to extend list of characters for phylogenetic analyses. This broad feature list should include main characters of titanosaurs from Pakistan and also from global world.

The first theropod tracks from the Middle Jurassic of Gansu,Northwest China:new and rare evidence of quadrupedal progression in theropod dinosaurs

A new Middle Jurassic tracksite dominated by non-avian theropod footprints from the Wangjiashan Formation in Pingchuan District,Baojishan Basin,Gansu Province has yielded a unique trackway with four consecutive manus-pes sets.Only three previous examples,all Early Jurassic in age,of theropod trackways are known with convincing examples of manus tracks and in each case,only two tracks were recorded in association with pes tracks with metatarsal impressions and pelvic traces indicating crouching behavior.Thus,this is the first example of manus tracks registered while a theropod trackmaker was walking.This unique configuration is here designated as Grallator pingchuanensis ichnosp.nov.which shows the trackmaker forelimbs registering in a wide straddle gait,much wider than the pes trackway width.G.pingchuanensis confirms previous reports that theropods could occasionally register tridactyl,ectaxonic manus traces.In the case of the Pingchuan trackway,the short step indicates an animal moving at a slow speed,probably due to a soft substrate.

Late Triassic sauropodomorph and Middle Jurassic theropod tracks from the Xichang Basin,Sichuan Province,southwestern China:First report of the ichnogenus Carmelopodus

Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late Triassic footprint assemblage in China and the first discovery of diagnostic Triassic sauropodomorph tracks in this region. The tracks share a number of features in common with the ichnogenera Eosauropus(Late Triassic) and Liujianpus(Early Jurassic). The neighboring Bingtu tracksite is stratigraphically younger(Shaximiao Formation, Middle Jurassic) and preserves small tridactyl theropod tracks that represent the first occurrence of the ichnotaxon Carmelopodus in China and Asia. While these tracks are morphologically comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic type locality in North America, the specimens from China show the proximal margin of the digit IV impression in a more cranial position, which may indicate a trackmaker with a relatively short metatarsal IV. In addition to the skeletal record, the Carmelopodus footprints document the presence of small theropods in the dinosaur fauna of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation.

A new Early Cretaceous dinosaur track assemblage and the first definite non-avian theropod swim trackway from China

The trackway of a swimming theropod (ichnogenus Characichnos) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Feitianshan Formation of Sichuan, China. These swim tracks help confirm that non-avian theropods were capable of forging moderately deep bodies of water. The trackway occurs on the same surface as a typical walking trackway of a sauropod (ichnogenus Brontopodus). Both occurrences are the first reported from the Cretaceous of Sichuan, and the swim tracks are the first well-preserved example of a Characichnos trackway from China. Additionally, a theropod walking trackway and several ornithopod walking trackways (similar to the ichnogenus Caririchnium) occur in the same horizon. The ornithopod trackways show a parallel orientation, suggesting gregarious behavior of the trackmakers, which may have been iguanodontiforms and/or hadrosauriforms. The co-occurrence of theropod swim tracks and theropod walking tracks suggests a fluctuation of water depth within a distinct time span.

中国首次发现真正会飞的“恐龙”——中华神州鸟(新属新种)

记述了辽宁义县早白垩世九佛堂组的一件初鸟类(Avialae)化石,其嘴里无牙,前肢明显长于后肢,尾巴由20多节尾椎组成,叉骨呈U字形,飞行羽毛超过了身体的长度。各种特征表明,新发现的初鸟类真正具有了飞行能力,代表了恐龙向鸟类演化过程中的又一中间环节。正式将其命名为中华神州鸟(Shenzhouraptorsinensisgen.etsp.nov.)。

中国河南晚白垩世地层一枚可能属于重爪龙亚科(兽脚亚目:棘龙科)的牙齿化石(英文)

中国河南晚白垩世中段地层马家村组发现了一枚大型兽脚龙类牙齿。该牙牙体长,呈圆锥状,横断面卵圆形,沿长轴微向后缘弯曲,前后缘均有大量锯齿状突起,这些特征显示其很可能是重爪龙类牙齿。这可能代表了重爪龙类在亚洲地区的首次发现,也是该类恐龙在晚白垩世地层中的首现,由此表明重爪龙类在时间和地域分布上较之前研究观点更为广泛。综合棘龙科的化石形态学以及推知的生态学证据看,较之其他兽脚类,棘龙类化石记录很少,很可能意味该类动物数量确实稀少,造成这种现象的原因可能是其过分特化的身体形态。

A Review of the Tetrapod Track Record in China,with Special Reference to Type Ichnospecies:Implications for Ichnotaxonomy and Paleobiology

＂Splitting＂ and ＂lumping＂ are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting the dual problems of historical and dubious ichnotaxonomy. Chinese Mesozoic tetrapod track types have been placed into 63 ichnospecies （one Triassic, 28 Jurassic, and 34 Cretaceous）, exclusive of other, non-type ichnospecies or ichnotaxa identified from China. Fifty-two （~83%） of these 63 tetrapod ichnospecies were placed in monospecific ichnogenera. At the ichnogenus level, we prune---either by recognizing nomina dubia or by synonymy--17 from the list of 53 dinosaurian ichnogenera （a 32% reduction）, leaving 36 ichnotaxa that we consider valid. Most of the cuts affect Jurassic theropod ichnotaxa, which are reduced from 23 to only nine because most ichnogenera are subjective junior synonyms of Grallator and Eubrontes. Fewer Chinese Cretaceous ichnotaxa （only six of 21 ichnogenera） are obvious nomina dubia or subjective synonyms, suggesting greater east Asian endemism during this time. Because ichnospecies differences are subtle, we provisionally retain ichnospecies as valid pending detailed comparative analyses of congeneric ichnospecies. This synthesis is long overdue and is necessary to address problems of historical and provincial ichnotaxonomy, which severely hamper comparisons of tetrapod ichnofaunas in space and time.

四川盆地上三叠统最古老的兽脚类恐龙和似哺乳四足类动物足迹(英文)

四川盆地须家河组地层已发现了两处兽脚类恐龙足迹化石点,其大小分别与实雷龙足迹(Eubrontes)和跷脚龙足迹(Grallator)相仿。其中与实雷龙足迹大小相近的足迹包括了两个连续的后足迹,并构成行迹的一部分,已被命名为磁峰彭县足迹(Pengxianpus cifengensis)。与粗壮的实雷龙足迹相比,彭县足迹有着较细长的脚趾、保存尚清晰的趾垫、较宽的趾间角,这些特征都与晚三叠世–早侏罗世的卡岩塔足迹(Kayentapus)相似。目前尚不能证明彭县足迹和卡岩塔足迹属于同物异名,彭县足迹仍然被保留。两个足迹的部分区域都保存有皮肤纹理和多边形的鳞片印痕,其中最清晰的是第二个彭县足迹第四趾的跖趾垫处。与跷脚龙足迹大小相近的、较小的兽脚类恐龙足迹也组成不甚完整的行迹。它们表现出的较宽趾间角与卡岩塔足迹和彭县足迹相似,这里暂将其归入兽脚类足迹属种未定。彭县足迹的另一特别之处在于,岩板表面还有着小的前/后足迹,可归入似哺乳四足类动物足迹,其形态类似于北美和南非三叠系–侏罗系地层产出的同类足迹。这是亚洲东南部似哺乳类足迹的首次报道。

内蒙古鄂托克旗查布地区恐爪龙类足迹的发现及其意义

内蒙古查布地区下白垩统中保存大量的兽脚类和蜥脚类恐龙足迹以及鸟类足迹化石,2014年再次对内蒙古鄂托克旗野外地质遗迹博物馆(8A和8B化石点)周边的地层进行系统考察,发现两个恐爪龙类恐龙(Deinonychosauria)的二趾型兽脚类足迹,这在鄂托克地区是首次发现。经对比研究,将其归入奔驰龙足迹属(Dromaeosauripus)。与奔驰龙足迹一起发现的还有其他两种兽脚类足迹(Asianopodus robustus和Grallator),反映了恐爪龙类恐龙的生活习性。此类足迹的发现不仅填补了内蒙驰龙足迹(Dromaeopodidae)的空白,增加了世界二趾型足迹的记录,也为鄂托克地区古生态与地层对比提供了素材。

从新的古生物学及今生物学资料看羽毛的起源与早期演化(英文)

近年来关于羽毛和羽状皮肤衍生物的研究极大促进了我们对羽毛起源与早期演化的理解。结合最新的古生物学与今生物学资料,对一些保存了皮肤衍生物的非鸟恐龙标本进行观察研究,为这个重要的进化问题提供了新见解。推测羽毛的演化在鸟类起源之前就以下列顺序完成了5个主要的形态发生事件:1)丝状和管状结构的出现;2)羽囊及羽枝脊形成;3)羽轴的发生;4)羽平面的形成;5)羽状羽小支的产生。这些演化事件形成了多种曾存在于各类非鸟初龙类中的羽毛形态,但这些形态在鸟类演化过程中可能退化或丢失了;这些演化事件也产生了一些近似现代羽毛或者与现代羽毛完全相同的羽毛形态。非鸟恐龙身上的羽毛有一些现代羽毛具有的独特特征,但也有一些现生鸟羽没有的特征。尽管一些基于发育学资料建立的有关鸟类羽毛起源和早期演化的模型推测羽毛的起源是一个全新的演化事件,与爬行动物的鳞片无关,我们认为用来定义现代鸟羽的特征应该是逐步演化产生的,而不是突然出现。因此,对于羽毛演化而言,一个兼具逐步变化与完全创新的模型较为合理。从目前的证据推断,最早的羽毛既不是用来飞行也不是用来保暖,各种其他假说皆有可能,其中包括展示或者散热假说。展开整合性的研究有望为羽毛的起源问题提供更多思路。

重庆晚侏罗世两处兽脚类足迹组合与四川盆地侏罗纪地层(英文)

重庆市已报道了4处侏罗纪的恐龙足迹点,包括下侏罗统珍珠冲组的大足化石点,该地点发现了中国迄今最古老的蜥脚类行迹;另外两处化石点(南岸和金鸡)的层位曾被视为中或上侏罗统,这里首次将其确认为上侏罗统上沙溪庙组;第4处化石点(成渝), 本文全部作者目前都未曾观察,这里不做描述。南岸化石点是南岸重庆足迹(Chongqingpus nananensis)模式标本的所在地,位于重庆市中心,曾发现过大量兽脚类足迹,如今已消逝在城市化进程中。幸运的是,这批标本被保存于重庆自然博物馆,本文作者曾前后两次对其进行研究,并得出文中的结论。南岸重庆足迹为中型足迹(平均长约29 cm), 最可能被卡岩塔足迹(Kayentapus)所囊括,这批标本中有一些保存着边界不清的拇趾迹。该化石点的其他足迹被归于似异样龙足迹(cf. Anomoepus)。其他较小的、来自重庆市周边中侏罗统中部的足迹此前已被归于跷脚龙足迹(Grallator)。金鸡化石点保存了一条孤立的兽脚类行迹,因其粗壮的特征而被暂时归于似窄足龙足迹(cf. Therangospodus)。金鸡点的行迹也保存了非连续出现的拇趾迹。虽然重庆市和四川盆地及其周边更广泛地区之侏罗纪地层发现的兽脚类足迹日渐增多,但要明确其确切地质年龄及有效的足迹分类依然需要进一步工作。这是因为侏罗纪的恐龙足迹尽管丰富,但显示出连续变化的形态学特征,而保存状况的变化更使其难以在时间与空间上做出定义与鉴别。

中国西部准噶尔盆地侏罗纪石树沟组的巨型兽脚类恐龙(英文)

中国西部准噶尔盆地东北缘中侏罗世晚期到晚侏罗世早期沉积的石树沟组(Eberth et al.,2001)产出过巨型的蜥脚类恐龙化石(Russell and Zheng,1993),但产出的兽脚类恐龙个体则相对较小(Currie and Zhao,1993)。我们近年来在石树沟组中采集到大量脊椎动物化石(Clark et al.,2006),其中包括许多零散的骨骼和牙齿标本。本文报道一个产自石树沟组上部的兽脚类牙齿化石(IVPP V 15310),对于全面了解石树沟脊椎动物群具有一定意义。V 15310保存了一个近乎完整的上颌齿或下颌齿的齿冠。它具有典型兽脚类恐龙牙齿的特征:强烈侧扁,向后弯曲,前后缘有锯齿。齿冠有几种不同的磨蚀面:齿尖磨蚀成近圆形,靠近齿尖的齿冠前缘有一较大的平的磨蚀面,锯齿也受到不同程度的磨蚀。V 15310很大,相关的测量数据和一些白垩纪的巨型兽脚类恐龙牙齿的测量数据相近。依据我们定义的一个定量评估锯齿大小的指标(锯齿大小指数),得出V 15310的锯齿大小指数非常小,与霸王龙相似,这与锯齿和齿冠大小具有反比关系的结论是一致的(Farlow et al,1991)。V 15310的另外一些形态特征对于推断它在兽脚类中的系统位置也提供了帮助。这些特征包括后缘锯齿明显高于前缘锯齿以及齿冠的唇侧和舌侧都有微弱的釉质褶皱。根据牙齿大小、釉质褶皱的发育程度以及锯齿的形态(Sereno et al.,1996;Chure et al.,1999;Holtz,2004),V 15310被归入中国盗龙类。其中,后缘锯齿和前缘锯齿的基部长度近似,但前者明显高于后者这一特征组合可能是中国盗龙类的一个鉴定特征。这一特征组合也见于四川的中国盗龙类。相比而言,V 15310在已报道的侏罗纪兽脚类恐龙牙齿中尺寸最大(Smith,2005;Smith et al.,2005),大小接近白垩纪的一些巨型兽脚类恐龙牙齿。新材料的发现表明兽脚类至少在晚侏罗世早期就已演化出了这种巨型体型。

新疆恐龙足迹的最早记录（英文）

尽管新疆地域辽阔,但其四足动物足迹在不久前仍是寥寥。近几年,这种情况得以改变,来自侏罗纪和白垩纪的四足动物足迹陆续被报道和描述,其形态可归入鸟类、非鸟恐龙和翼龙足迹。这里报道了中国科学院南京地质古生物研究所保存的新疆下侏罗统地层发现的第一个恐龙足迹。该足迹是一个小型兽脚类足迹,也是中国西北目前已知的最古老的恐龙足迹。标本暂时归入似张北足迹未定种(cf.Changpeipus isp.),它类似于常见的跷脚龙-实雷龙足迹丛(Grallator-Eubrontes plexus),该种类的足迹主宰着早、中侏罗世的中国,乃至全球之四足动物足迹群。

中国新沂马陵山白垩纪恐龙足迹——从虎到肉食龙及由传说至古生物学（英文）

江苏省新沂市马陵山地区的4个神秘的印记,传统上被解释为“李存孝打虎处”的“虎爪印”和“人足迹”,重新将其解释为大盛群田家楼组恐龙足迹。这些足迹中只有一个最深的“虎爪印”保存了可识别的趾印,表明它是一个有着后内侧拇趾印的兽脚类恐龙左足迹,是一道单步约50cm的直线行迹的一部分;另一种解释是该足迹为小型蜥脚类恐龙的右后足迹,形成行迹的右侧部分,其左侧部分没有保存。马陵山足迹点提供了恐龙足迹如何影响中国民间传说的另一个案例。

记河北赤城上侏罗统-下白垩统土城子组窄足龙-巨齿龙(兽脚类恐龙)足迹组合及其古生态学意义(英文)

记述了河北省赤城县落凤沟化石点163个窄足龙足迹(Therangospodus isp.)。当该地区洪水泛滥时,同样的造迹者留下了5个游泳迹。一个异常大的足迹和一道疑似尾迹被归入巨齿龙足迹(Megalosauripus isp.)。土城子组7个主要足迹化石点表明,兽脚类的似鹬龙足迹型(Grallator morphotype)占据主导地位,这些足迹型的大小在各个足迹化石点都有着特定的范围。如果这些大小不同的足迹属于同一种造迹者,则暗示着同年龄的成员在特定年龄时会共同栖息在一起,在动物行为学上类似现生的一些蜥蜴和短吻鳄;如果这些足迹由不同的造迹者组成,则暗示着不同大小的种(主要表现在小型动物)可能拥有自己的领地,并特意避免与其他动物(特别是大型动物)相接触,在动物行为学上类似现生的肉食性哺乳动物。