The Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids in Eurasia

During the Late Miocene,numerous medium to large-sized herbivores,that resemble the living Ovibos in skeletal morphology,dispersed throughout the Holarctic realm and comprised eleven genera:Lantiantragus,Shaanxispira,Tsaidamotherium,Criotherium,Mesembriacerus,Hezhengia,Urmiatherium,Parurmiatherium,Plesiaddax,Sinotragus,and Prosinotragus.These genera are primarily found in eastern Asia,in which nine genera are found in northern China,as well as in countries in eastern Europe and western Asia.They are distinguished by unique characteristics,including a perpendicular braincase,specialized horn cores,and a robust basioccipital.Previous studies have often classified these‘ovibovin’bovids as part of the conventional subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,along with extant Ovibos.Nevertheless,an increasing number of studies do not support the monophyly of the subfamily/tribe Ovibovinae/Ovibovini,nor is a close relationship likely between these Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids and extant Ovibos.Among the eleven genera of‘ovibovin’bovids,Plesiaddax,Hezhengia,and Urmiatherium are often considered to have a very close relationship and conventionally form the tribe Urmiatheriini.However,previous phylogenetic analyses do not support the monophyly of Urmiatheriini.This paper presents a summary of the transmutation of the terms Ovibovidae/Ovibovinae/Ovibovini/Ovibovina,the temporal and spatial distribution of the Late Miocene‘ovibovin’bovids in Eurasia,the principal characteristics of these taxa,and the previous phylogenetic analyses.

Initiation and evolution of the South China Sea: an overview

Different models have been proposed for the formation and tectonic evolution of the South China Sea （SCS）, including extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula, backarc extension, two-stage opening, proto-SCS dragging, extension induced by a mantle plume, and integrated models that combine diverse factors. Among these, the extrusion model has gained the most attention. Based on simplified physical experiments, this model proposes that collision between the Indian and Eurasian Plates resulted in extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula, which in turn led to opening of the SCS. The extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula, however, should have led to preferential open- ing in the west side of the SCS, which is contrary to observations. Extensional models propose that the SCS was a backarc basin, rifted off the South China Block. Most of the backarc extension models, however, are not compatible with observations in terms of either age or subduction direction. The two-stage extension model is based on extensional basins surrounding the SCS. Recent dating results indeed show two-stage opening in the SCS, but the Southwest Subbasin of the SCS is much younger, which contradicts the two-stage extension model. Here we pro- pose a refined backarc extension model. There was a wide Neotethys Ocean between the Australian and Eurasian Plates before the Indian-Eurasian collision. The ocean floorstarted to subduct northward at ~ 125 Ma, causing backarc extension along the southem margin of the Eurasian Plate and the formation of the proto-SCS. The Neotethys sub- duction regime changed due to ridge subduction in the Late Cretaceous, resulting in fold-belts, uplifting, erosion, and widespread unconformities. It may also have led to the subduction of the proto-SCS. Flat subduction of the ridge may have reached further north and resulted in another backarc extension that formed the SCS. The rollback of the fiat subducting slab might have occurred ~ 90 Ma ago; the second backarc extension may have initiated between 50 and 45 Ma. The opening of the Southwest Subbasin is roughly simultaneous with a ridge jump in the East Sub- basin, which implies major tectonic changes in the sur- rounding regions, likely related to major changes in the extrusion of the Indochina Peninsula.

中欧班列的战略转型:以“渝新欧”为例

“渝新欧”是重庆市打造中国内陆开放高地的最重要战略之一，其战略转型的根本原因在于中欧班列市场竞争的加剧及城市自身谋求产业发展的双重驱动。“亚新欧”在由“向西”竞争转为“向东”突破的同时，以“互联互通”建设为内核，不断提升其影响力与辐射力，为重庆市的经济发展注入新的活力。当前，应以发展的视角分析“渝新欧”的战略转型，从“一带一路”建设以及欧亚大陆经济整合的长远目标考察中欧班列的开行及其相关问题。

Earliest fossil fruit record of the genus Paliurus(Rhamnaceae) in Eastern Asia

The genus Paliurus is characterized by its distinctive orbicular-winged fruits and a trilocular(or bilocular) ovary. Macrofossil records suggested this genus was distributed widely in North America, Europe, and Asia during the Paleogene and Neogene, before its present limitation to Eurasia. In this study, we describe some Paliurus fossil winged fruits from the lower part of Youganwo Formation(middle Eocene) and Huangniuling Formation(late Eocene) of the Maoming Basin, South China. These fruits are recognized as Paliurus favonii Unger based on a detailed study on the fossil morphology and cuticle characteristics. This represents the earliest occurrence of Paliurus fossil fruits in eastern Asia, and to date is the world's lowest latitude appearance for this genus. The most ancient records of Paliurus throughout the world are from the middle Eocene of North America and the late Eocene of Japan, leading some researchers to conclude the Paliurus may have originated in North America. Molecular data, however, do not support this hypothesis. The present Paliurus fossil fruits provide new evidence for the origin and phytogeographic history of this genus.