Enantionithine birds are the most blooming branch of early birds and have distinct diversities. A large number of enantionithine birds have been reported from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoni...Enantionithine birds are the most blooming branch of early birds and have distinct diversities. A large number of enantionithine birds have been reported from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, China. Recently, we discovered a new eoenantiornithid bird from the Jiufotang Formation in Dapingfang Town, western Liaoning. A new eoenantiornithid bird, Dapingfangornis sentisorhinus gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on this complete skeleton with a skull. The new bird is distinguished from other known Mesozoic birds in a medium to small size, a distinct thorn-like process on the nasals, a sternum with a long and a short lateral processes. The thorn-like process on the nasal has not been discovered among known fossil birds, thus the discovery also provides new materials on the diversities of early birds.展开更多
A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Liaoning Province of northeastern China, Shengjingornis yangi, gen. et sp. nov., is reported. This new bird possesses the following unique combination of features： a l...A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Liaoning Province of northeastern China, Shengjingornis yangi, gen. et sp. nov., is reported. This new bird possesses the following unique combination of features： a long rostrum, with some teeth in the front; short nasal; slender jugal; Y-shaped furcula, with expanded distal end of the hypocleidum; cake-like sternum, with a low and caudally distributed keel; strut-like and caudally concave coracoid. The derived features of the scapula and the wings suggest a powerful flapping flight capability.展开更多
Based on a new nearly complete postcranial skeleton of an adult specimen of Sinopterus from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China, the diagnosis of Sinopterus is amended. The revised diag...Based on a new nearly complete postcranial skeleton of an adult specimen of Sinopterus from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China, the diagnosis of Sinopterus is amended. The revised diagnosis of Sinopterus includes skull relatively elongate with weakly developed cranial crest; ratio of the length of Ph2d4 to that of Ph1d4 is approximately 0.73; ratio of the length of wing metacarpal to that of metatarsal 3 is 4.5; ratio of the length of mt3 to that of tibia is approximately 0.21, and wing phalanges 1 and 2 are straight. Comparison between the ratios of the limb bones between non-adult and adult individuals of Sinopterus indicates that during the ontogenetic process, some ratios between bones are constant, such as the first wing phalanx to the second wing phalanx, the wing metacarpal to the metatarsal 3, metatarsal 3 to the tibia, but others are not, such as humerus to wing metacarpal and femur to tibia, in which the former grows faster than the latter.展开更多
Two incomplete bones referred to ankylosaur scapulocoracoid and humerus are described, which were discovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Dachengzi Town, Kazuo County, Liaoning Province. Ankylosaur...Two incomplete bones referred to ankylosaur scapulocoracoid and humerus are described, which were discovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Dachengzi Town, Kazuo County, Liaoning Province. Ankylosaur dinosaurs have ever been found in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian, Fuxin and Sunjiawan Formations of western Liaoning. The occurrence of ankylosaurs within Jiufotang Formation improves our knowledge on the ankylosaur stratigraphic distribution. Based on the length of scapulocoracoid, the new dinosaur is estimated to exceed 6.0 meters long, representing the largest ankylosaur in western Liaoning.展开更多
Based on a new nearly naturally preserved skull and four cervical vertebrae of the pterosaur Feilongus sp. from the lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning province, northeastern China, the d...Based on a new nearly naturally preserved skull and four cervical vertebrae of the pterosaur Feilongus sp. from the lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning province, northeastern China, the diagnosis of Feilongus is amended. The revised diagnosis notes long, curved, needle-shaped teeth that are confined to the jaw far anterior to the nasoantorbital fenestra; posterior teeth that are slightly smaller than the anterior teeth; cervical vertebrae elongated with a ratio of length to width greater than 5; tooth number of about 78; and two cranial sagittal crests.展开更多
The Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning is the most important fossil production horizon of the Jehol Biota, which is widely distributed in the Mesozoic basins of western Liaoning. Due to the influ...The Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning is the most important fossil production horizon of the Jehol Biota, which is widely distributed in the Mesozoic basins of western Liaoning. Due to the influence of historical data, previous scholars believed that there was no volcanic activity in the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. In a field investigation in western Liaoning, the authors discovered basalt and andesite in the Hujiayingzi bed. In addition, a conformable boundary was found between the Yixian and the Jiufotang formations. It indicates that both the Jiufotang Formation and the Yixian Formation are strata containing volcanic-sedimentary rocks, only differing in strength of volcanic activity.展开更多
In this article we describe a new and excep-tionally well-preserved pterodactyloid pterosaur, Sinopterus dongi gen. et sp. nov. from the Jiufotang Formation in west-ern Liaoning Province of northeast China. The new sp...In this article we describe a new and excep-tionally well-preserved pterodactyloid pterosaur, Sinopterus dongi gen. et sp. nov. from the Jiufotang Formation in west-ern Liaoning Province of northeast China. The new species is referred to the family Tapejaridae, representing its first re-cord outside Brazil. It also represents the earliest occurrence as well as the most complete skeleton of the family. Some revisions are made about the family according to the mor-phological observations of the postcranial bones of Sinop-terus. Two pterosaur assemblages appear to have existed in the Jehol Group, represented by the lower Yixian Formation and upper Jiufotang Formation, respectively. The lower pterosaur assemblage shows some resemblance to that of the Late Jurassic in Solnhofen (Tithonian) by sharing members of the Pterodactylidae and Anurognathidae. The upper one shows more resemblance to that of the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation (Aptian/Albian) by comprising only pterodactyloids such as the Tapejaridae. The age of the Yixian Formation is younger than that of the Solnhofen lithographic limestone, and the age of the Jiufotang Forma-tion (Aptian) is slightly older than the Santana Formation.展开更多
文摘Enantionithine birds are the most blooming branch of early birds and have distinct diversities. A large number of enantionithine birds have been reported from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning, China. Recently, we discovered a new eoenantiornithid bird from the Jiufotang Formation in Dapingfang Town, western Liaoning. A new eoenantiornithid bird, Dapingfangornis sentisorhinus gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on this complete skeleton with a skull. The new bird is distinguished from other known Mesozoic birds in a medium to small size, a distinct thorn-like process on the nasals, a sternum with a long and a short lateral processes. The thorn-like process on the nasal has not been discovered among known fossil birds, thus the discovery also provides new materials on the diversities of early birds.
基金supported by the director founation item of experiment center of Shenyang Normal University (Grant No.sy201101)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41202014)
文摘A new Early Cretaceous enantiornithine bird from Liaoning Province of northeastern China, Shengjingornis yangi, gen. et sp. nov., is reported. This new bird possesses the following unique combination of features： a long rostrum, with some teeth in the front; short nasal; slender jugal; Y-shaped furcula, with expanded distal end of the hypocleidum; cake-like sternum, with a low and caudally distributed keel; strut-like and caudally concave coracoid. The derived features of the scapula and the wings suggest a powerful flapping flight capability.
文摘Based on a new nearly complete postcranial skeleton of an adult specimen of Sinopterus from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of western Liaoning, China, the diagnosis of Sinopterus is amended. The revised diagnosis of Sinopterus includes skull relatively elongate with weakly developed cranial crest; ratio of the length of Ph2d4 to that of Ph1d4 is approximately 0.73; ratio of the length of wing metacarpal to that of metatarsal 3 is 4.5; ratio of the length of mt3 to that of tibia is approximately 0.21, and wing phalanges 1 and 2 are straight. Comparison between the ratios of the limb bones between non-adult and adult individuals of Sinopterus indicates that during the ontogenetic process, some ratios between bones are constant, such as the first wing phalanx to the second wing phalanx, the wing metacarpal to the metatarsal 3, metatarsal 3 to the tibia, but others are not, such as humerus to wing metacarpal and femur to tibia, in which the former grows faster than the latter.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant no.41372026)the China Geological Survey(Grant no.1212011120139,1212011120005)to Ji Shu-anthe Administration Bureau of Fossil Resource Protection of Liaoning Province(LNZC20130900206)to Zhang Lijun
文摘Two incomplete bones referred to ankylosaur scapulocoracoid and humerus are described, which were discovered from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Dachengzi Town, Kazuo County, Liaoning Province. Ankylosaur dinosaurs have ever been found in the Lower Cretaceous Yixian, Fuxin and Sunjiawan Formations of western Liaoning. The occurrence of ankylosaurs within Jiufotang Formation improves our knowledge on the ankylosaur stratigraphic distribution. Based on the length of scapulocoracoid, the new dinosaur is estimated to exceed 6.0 meters long, representing the largest ankylosaur in western Liaoning.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Grant No. 41272022the Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences Grant No. J1206, J1308
文摘Based on a new nearly naturally preserved skull and four cervical vertebrae of the pterosaur Feilongus sp. from the lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation of Beipiao, western Liaoning province, northeastern China, the diagnosis of Feilongus is amended. The revised diagnosis notes long, curved, needle-shaped teeth that are confined to the jaw far anterior to the nasoantorbital fenestra; posterior teeth that are slightly smaller than the anterior teeth; cervical vertebrae elongated with a ratio of length to width greater than 5; tooth number of about 78; and two cranial sagittal crests.
文摘The Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning is the most important fossil production horizon of the Jehol Biota, which is widely distributed in the Mesozoic basins of western Liaoning. Due to the influence of historical data, previous scholars believed that there was no volcanic activity in the Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. In a field investigation in western Liaoning, the authors discovered basalt and andesite in the Hujiayingzi bed. In addition, a conformable boundary was found between the Yixian and the Jiufotang formations. It indicates that both the Jiufotang Formation and the Yixian Formation are strata containing volcanic-sedimentary rocks, only differing in strength of volcanic activity.
基金We thank all colleagues of the Liaoxi Project of the IVPP for assistance in the field Chang Meeman and Li Jinling for reading the manuscript Li Yutong for preparing the specimen and Gao Wei for photos. We are particularly in debt to Dong Zhiming f
文摘In this article we describe a new and excep-tionally well-preserved pterodactyloid pterosaur, Sinopterus dongi gen. et sp. nov. from the Jiufotang Formation in west-ern Liaoning Province of northeast China. The new species is referred to the family Tapejaridae, representing its first re-cord outside Brazil. It also represents the earliest occurrence as well as the most complete skeleton of the family. Some revisions are made about the family according to the mor-phological observations of the postcranial bones of Sinop-terus. Two pterosaur assemblages appear to have existed in the Jehol Group, represented by the lower Yixian Formation and upper Jiufotang Formation, respectively. The lower pterosaur assemblage shows some resemblance to that of the Late Jurassic in Solnhofen (Tithonian) by sharing members of the Pterodactylidae and Anurognathidae. The upper one shows more resemblance to that of the Early Cretaceous Santana Formation (Aptian/Albian) by comprising only pterodactyloids such as the Tapejaridae. The age of the Yixian Formation is younger than that of the Solnhofen lithographic limestone, and the age of the Jiufotang Forma-tion (Aptian) is slightly older than the Santana Formation.
