First Asian Paleocene pantolambdid pantodont(Mammalia)and its implications to intercontinental faunal exchange

Pantodonta was one of the first groups of eutherians to evolve at the beginning of Cenozoic era,including the largest herbivores at that time.Pantodonta shows considerable diversity during the Paleocene and Eocene,with most of the species having been discovered in Asia and North America.Here,we report on a new pantodont,represented by lower jaws with well-preserved dentition,discovered from the Middle Paleocene Nongshan Formation of the Nanxiong Basin,Guangdong Province,China.Its unique dental and mandibular characteristics distinguish it well from any known Asian pantodont,but are quite consistent with North American taxa,especially Pantolambda and Titanoides.The new specimen is identified as Nanxiongilambda yei gen.et sp.nov.,characterized by the combination of the following morphological features:thick and robust mandible with a conspicuous anteroexternal flange,high positioned condyloid process,posteriorly protruding angular process,robust but not elongated lower canines,double-rooted p1,small but distinct talonids on posterior lower premolars,talonids nearly as wide as trigonids on lower molars,and m3 with a well-developed hypoconulid and a distinct entoconid.The new discovery marks the first record of a pantolambdid pantodont outside of North America,suggesting a broader geographical distribution and intercontinental dispersal of this clade during the Paleocene.Considering the more primitive Pantolambda only found from Torrejonian to early Tiffanian NALMA(equivalent to middle-late Shanghuan to early Nongshanian ALMA),which is slightly earlier than Nanxiongilambda(early Nongshanian ALMA),pantolambdids have likely undergone a particular wave of migration from North America to Asia during the Early-Middle Paleocene.Previous researches have suggested that pantodonts had dispersed only from Asia to North America during the Early Paleocene,but our new specimen indicates the biotic dispersal may have occurred in the opposite direction.The new specimen also contributes to the renewal of the evolutionary history of pantodonts and provides further insights into the migration and dispersal of Paleocene mammals.

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.

Osteology of Turfanodon bogdaensis (Dicynodontia)

Within the dicynodont genus Turfanodon,there are two recognized species,T.bogdaensis and T.jiufengensis.Both species are known by relatively complete cranial materials,but the mandibles and most postcranial bones have been described only for T.jiufengensis.This paper reports new dicynodont specimens from Turpan,Xinjiang,referring them to T.bogdaensis.They can clearly be differentiated from T.jiufengensis by the flatter lateral surface of the snout region,a prominent swelling on the lateral dentary shelf,and the rounded femoral head.The diagnosis of Turfanodon is revised.The combination of a flat circumorbital rim,posterior portion of anterior pterygoid rami with converging ventral ridges,and a possible autapomorphy,a deep notch on scapula forming procoracoid foramen,are confirmed.It also differentiated from all dicynodonts other than Myosaurus,Kembawacela and Lystrosaurus by having accessory ridges lateral to the median palatal ridge.

High-resolution CT-scan data reveals the tooth replacement pattern of the Late Jurassic tyrannosauroid Guanlong wucaii (Dinosauria, Theropoda)

The Tyrannosauridae,which is characterized by specialized pachydont dentition and putative bone-cracking predatory strategies,is one of the most extensively studied theropod lineages.Although tooth replacement patterns,crucial for understanding feeding behaviors,have been thoroughly studied in this group,studies on non-tyrannosaurid tyrannosauroids are relatively scarce.This study utilizes high-resolution CT data to investigate the tooth replacement pattern in two specimens of Guanlong wucaii,a Late Jurassic tyrannosauroid,and provides insights into the evolution of tooth replacement across Tyrannosauroidea.Second-generation replacement teeth,a rarity observed mainly in giant predatory theropods(e.g.some tyrannosaurids),were detected in the dentary dentition of the juvenile Guanlong.Zahnreihen reconstructions display a consistent cephalad alternating tooth replacement pattern in the maxilla and the dentary of both of the examined individuals,with Z-spacing values exceeding 2.0.As Guanlong grows,the Z-spacing value in the maxillary dentition increases,resembling the ontogenetic changes documented in the Tyrannosauridae.Additionally,like Tarbosaurus,Guanlong also displays a discontinuity between the tooth replacement waves at the premaxilla-maxilla boundary.This study thus demonstrates that some tyrannosaurid-like tooth replacement patterns were acquired before the origin of the Tyrannosauridae.

A new small baurioid therocephalian from the Lower Triassic Jiucaiyuan Formation, Xinjiang, China

Several therocephalian species,mainly represented by cranial material from the late Permian,have been reported from China in recent years.Here we describe a tiny new baurioid therocephalian,Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus gen.et sp.nov.,from the Jiucaiyuan Formation,Xinjiang,China.The new taxon is represented by a partial snout with occluded partial lower jaw and two postcranial skeletons.Although juvenile in stage,the new species is diagnosed by the following features:round pit in middle of lateral surface of maxilla;lacrimal contact nasal;fossa for dentary tooth on the posterior end of the premaxilla,lateral to the anterior choana;two small vertical triangular ridges extending dorsally and ventrally on the vomerine anterior portion,and bordering a thin vomerine foramen laterally;anterior projection of the lateral part of the frontal on the nasal;symphyseal region of the dentary projected anteriorly;5 upper premaxillary teeth,upper and lower canines absent,diastema between the last premaxillary upper incisor and first maxillary tooth present,no diastema separating anterior from posterior dentition in the mandible,10 maxillary teeth and 12 dentary teeth,posterior postcanine expands mesiodistally,having a main large cusps and tiny anterior and posterior accessory cusps in line;neural arches of the atlas fused by the neural spine,neural spine of the axis projected posteriorly,procoracoid foramen lies between procoracoid and scapula.Features of the dentition resembles those of the small baurioid Ericiolacerta parva from South Africa and Silphedosuchus orenburgensis from Russia.The specimens provide the rare opportunity to know in detail the postcranial skeleton of baurioids.

Drishti Paint 3.2:a new open-source tool for both 2D and 3D segmentation

X-ray computed tomography(CT)has been an important technology in paleontology for several decades.It helps researchers to acquire detailed anatomical structures of fossils non-destructively.Despite its widespread application,developing an efficient and user-friendly method for segmenting CT data continues to be a formidable challenge in the field.Most CT data segmentation software operates on 2D interfaces,which limits flexibility for real-time adjustments in 3D segmentation.Here,we introduce Curves Mode in Drishti Paint 3.2,an open-source tool for CT data segmentation.Drishti Paint 3.2 allows users to manually or semi-automatically segment the CT data in both 2D and 3D environments,providing a novel solution for revisualizing CT data in paleontological studies.

Teffichthys wui sp. nov., a new perleidid fish from the Early Triassic of Jiangsu and Anhui, China

Perleididae is a group of stem neopterygian fishes known only from the Triassic.Here,we report the discovery of a new perleidid,Teffichthys wui sp.nov.,based on six well-preserved specimens from the late Smithian(Olenekian,Early Triassic)marine deposits of Jurong,Jiangsu and Chaohu,Anhui,China.This new discovery documents the third and youngest species of Teffichthys,which is slightly younger than the Dienerian(Induan)T.elegans from Guizhou and the early Smithian T.madagascariensis from Madagascar.The new species shows diagnostic features of Teffichthys(presence of a spiracular,38-41 lateral line scales,and no more than three epaxial rays in the caudal fin)but differs from T.madagascariensis and T.elegans in some autapomorphies(e.g.,a horizontal opercle/subopercle contact and smooth scales with a nearly straight posterior margin).The diagnostic features for the genus Teffichthys and the family Perleididae are emended based on detailed comparisons of the new taxon with other perleidids.The phylogenetic relationships of perleidids with other stem neopterygians are discussed using a cladistic approach,and the results provide new insights into the phylogeny and classification of main stem neopterygian clades.

A new genus of galeaspids(jawless stem-Gnathostomata)from the early Silurian Chongqing Lagerstätte,China

The early Silurian Chongqing Lagerstätte(middle Telychian)yields exceptionally preserved articulated jawless and jawed fishes.Here,we describe a new eugaleaspiform(Galeaspida,jawless stem-Gnathostomata),Miaojiaaspis dichotomus gen.et sp.nov.,from the Chongqing Lagerstätte in Xiushan,Chongqing,China.The new form resembles Tujiaaspis vividus in the short medial dorsal canal,and the presence of the branching ends of the lateral transverse canal.They differ in that T.vividus has highly developed subordinate branches of the sensory canals that form a reticulate sensory canal system,and the median dorsal opening is more elongated.Our phylogenetic analysis recovers M.dichotomus and T.vividus as a monophyletic clade(Tujiaaspidae fam.nov.),which is supported by two synapomorphies:the short medial dorsal canal,and the branching ends of the lateral transverse canal.Tujiaaspidae forms a trichotomy with Shuyuidae and a clade comprising Anjiaspis,Sinogaleaspidae,Yongdongaspidae,and the‘eugaleaspid cluster’.The sensory canal patterns in galeaspids are compared to show the transformation sequence of the sensory canal system in Eugaleaspiformes.

山西垣曲盆地中始新世的原翼齿兽(鬣齿兽科,肉齿目,哺乳纲)化石

记述了在山西省垣曲县王茅乡郭家村火石坡地点发现的原翼齿兽属一新种──童氏原翼齿兽(Ｄｒｏｐｔｅｒｏｄｏｎ ｔｏｎｇｉ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．)。新种比伊尔丁原翼齿兽(Ｐ．ｉｒｄｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ)个体小、下颌联合部靠前、下前臼齿之间有齿隙、ｍ３跟座小。新材料为垣曲盆地可能存在中始新世伊尔丁曼哈期地层提供了证据。

重庆奉节鱼复浦遗址七千多年前的陶片折射 三峡文明的曙光

中国考古大师苏秉琦先生说过:"我从考古学上探索中国文化和文明的起源是由彩陶和瓦鬲开始的。"三峡地区的文明始于何时?源于何地?这是考古学界关注的一个焦点。

龙口旧石器遗址调查简报

2010年春季,吉林大学边疆考古研究中心师生对位于湖北省丹江口市习家店镇龙口村的龙口旧石器遗址进行了发掘与调查。发掘的第一层与调查所得的石器包括石核、石片、断块及三类工具共计27件,这些石器以石英岩与片麻岩为主要原料,包括砍砸器、薄刃斧、手镐、手斧、刮削器及雕刻器等石器工具类型。这些遗物的发现与研究不仅是南水北调工程文物保护工作的重要组成部分,而且为这一地区旧石器时代文化传承、社会形态、生业方式、环境变迁、手斧的类型研究等提供了重要的资料佐证。