Spatial distribution and potential ecological and health risks associated with heavy metals in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria

Artisanal gold mining,a labor-intensive and antiquated technique,is a growing industry and the source of income for rural communities all over the world.However,artisanal gold mining has potential negative and long-term effects on economy,environment,and society.This study collected soil samples from 16 sample points including a control point to examine the pollution degrees and spatial distribution of heavy metals,as well as ecological and health risks associated with heavy metal pollution in the Ijero-Ekiti mining site,Nigeria.Geographical Information System(GIS)and remote sensing technologies were used to identify regions with high concentrations of heavy metals and assess the environmental impact of gold mining activities.The results show that the mean heavy metal concentrations of 16 soil pointa are 8.94(±5.97)mg/kg for As,0.18(±0.54)mg/kg for Cd,0.11(±1.06)mg/kg for Co,14.32(±3.43)mg/kg for Cr,6.89(±0.64)mg/kg for Cu,48.92(±11.77)mg/kg for Fe,135.81(±30.75)mg/kg for Mn,5.92(±0.96)mg/kg for Ni,5.72(±1.66)mg/kg for Pb,and 13.94(±1.38)mg/kg for Zn.The study reveals that heavy metal concentration in soils follows the order of Mn>Fe>Cr>Zn>As>Cu>Ni>Pb>Co>Cd.An analysis of soil samples indicates that 3 principal components(PCs)account for 70.008%of the total variance and there are strong positive correlations between various pairs of heavy metals.The total potential ecological risk index(309.599)in the study area is high.Non-carcinogenic risk suggests that there may be long-term health impacts on people who work in the mining areas due to chronic exposure to the environment.Based on the study,the hazard index of carcinogenic health risks associated with heavy metals through ingestion is 520.00×10^(–4).Dermal contact from As and Cr also increases the risk of cancer,with the highest hazard index value of 18.40×10^(–4).The lowest exposure pathway,with the hazard index value of 0.68×10^(–4),indicates that the inhalation of heavy metals has a comparatively low risk of cancer.This study recommends the formulation of policies to monitor the Ijero-Ekiti mining site and other regions in Nigeria where indiscriminate artisanal gold mining activities exist.

Cretaceous crown male ant reveals the rise of modern lineages

Most described Mesozoic ants belong to stem groups that existed only during the Cretaceous period.Previously,the earliest known crown ants were dated to the Turonian(Late Cretaceous,ca.94-90 million years ago(Ma))deposits found in the USA,Kazakhstan,and Botswana.However,the recent discovery of an alate male ant in Kachin amber from the earliest Cenomanian(ca.99 Ma),representing a new genus and species,Antiquiformica alata,revises the narrative on ant diversification.Antiquiformica can be distinctly differentiated from all known male stem ants by its geniculate antennae with elongated scape,extending far beyond the occipital margin of the head and half the length of the funiculus,as well as its partly reduced forewing venation.Furthermore,the combination of a one-segmented waist with a well-developed node,elongated scape extending beyond the occipital margin,and reduced forewing venation,particularly the completely reduced m-cu and rs-m crossveins and absence of rm and mcu closed cells,firmly places the fossil within the extant subfamily Formicinae.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)confirmed that the amber containing Antiquiformica alata originated from the Kachin mines in Myanmar.This discovery significantly revises our understanding of the early evolution of Formicinae.The presence of Antiquiformica in Cenomanian amber indicates that the subfamily Formicinae emerged at least by the start of the Late Cretaceous,with crown ants likely originating earlier during the earliest Cretaceous or possibly the Late Jurassic,although paleontological evidence is lacking to support the latter hypothesis.

裸子植物雄球花——纤细堆囊穗的修订(英文)

研究了采自中国东北晚三叠世羊草沟组的一种裸子植物雄球花——纤细堆囊穗。通过对新材料的研究,发现这种雄球花小孢子叶末端的裂片在形态上差异很大,这是原来没有发现的十分重要的特征。这些保存精美的化石对于纤细堆囊穗特征的阐明和修订以及物种复原很有帮助。将中国的标本与西伯利亚堆囊穗、小堆囊穗、乌尔马堆囊穗和被定为长叶拜拉的雄球花进行了比较,发现它们与纤细堆囊穗在特征上一致,故将它们处理为纤细堆囊穗的异名。修订后的纤细堆囊穗包括上面所提到的所有种。同时,也讨论了堆囊穗属可能的演化意义。它可能是银杏属的远祖,经过小孢子囊数目的减少和小孢子叶长度的缩短而演化到现在的银杏,而产自辽西早白垩世的辽宁银杏可能代表了堆囊穗和现代银杏在形态演化上的一个中间步骤。

The Earliest Ascidiate Carpel and Its Implications for Angiosperm Evolution

According to the classic doctrine of angiosperm evolution,the archetype carpel in angiosperms is of plicate form.However,this concept is facing increasing challenges from the systematics based on molecular data,which now takes ascidiate carpel as ancestral.This reorientation in evolutionary thinking cannot be fully achieved unless there is supporting fossil evidence.Here a fruit, named Liaoningfructus,is reported from the famous Yixian Formation(Early Cretaceous,125 Ma), which yielded several pioneer angiosperms in the past decades.The configuration of the fruit suggests that the carpel giving rise to the fruit is most likely ascidiate,favoring the above reorientation.There are two seeds in the fruit,and at least one of them is served by a vascular bundle arising from the bottom of the fruit,implying a basal placentation in the former carpel,which again is different from the classic thinking.This discovery not only enhances the diversity of angiosperms in the Yixian Formation,but also accelerates the on-going switching of thinking on angiosperm evolution.

Uppermost Permian Radiolarian Biostratigraphy ofSouthern Guizhou, Southwest China

With abundant deep-water upper Permian sediments, Guizhou is an ideal place for the research of radiolarian biostratigraphy of Upper Permian. The sections of Sidazhai and Lekang in southern Guizhou Province are studied. Lithology and biostratigraphy of the siliceous rock sequence of uppermost Permian in the two sections are introduced. Radiolarian assemblage zones, Neoalbaillella optima assemblage zone and Klaengspongus spinosus assemblage zone in ascending order are established for the topmost Permian of southern Guizhou. The Klaengspongus spinosus zone has been the topmost radiolarian assemblage zone of Permian, which is also correlated with former ones in a considerable depth.

Recently Ratified and Proposed Cambrian Global Standard Stratotype-section and Points

This paper briefly summarizes an officially ratified Global Standard Stratotype-section and Point （GSSP） and a proposed GSSP for global stages of the Cambrian System. The Luoyixi section near Luoyixi town, Guzhang, northwestern Hunan is ratified as the boundary stratotype for the base of the global Guzhangian Stage, which is the upmost stage of an unnamed series termed provisionally as Cambrian Series 3. The GSSP position lies 121.3 m above the base of the Huaqiao Formation in the section, coinciding with the first appearance of the cosmopolitan agnostoid trilobite Lejopyge leavigata.The Duibian B section at Duibian village, Jiangshan, western Zhejiang, is proposed as the boundary stratotype for the base of the proposed global Jiangshanian Stage that is the second stage of the Furongian Series. The proposed GSSP position lies 108.12 m above the base of the Huayansi Formation in the section, coinciding with the first appearance of the cosmopolitan agnostoid trilobite Agnostotes orientalius. This horizon is also with the first appearance of the cosmopolitan polymerid trilobite lrvingella angustilimbata.

Cenozoic plant diversity of Yunnan： A review

Yunnan in southwestern China is renowned for its high plant diversity.To understand how this modern botanical richness formed,it is critical to investigate the past biodiversity throughout the geological time.In this review,we present a summary on plant diversity,floristics and climates in the Cenozoic of Yunnan and document their changes,by compiling published palaeobotanical sources.Our review demonstrates that thus far a total of 386 fossil species of ferns,gymnosperms and angiosperms belonging to 170 genera within 66 families have been reported from the Cenozoic,particularly the Neogene,of Yunnan.Angiosperms display the highest richness represented by 353 species grouped into 155 genera within 60 families,with Fagaceae,Fabaceae,Lauraceae and Juglandaceae being the most diversified.Most of the families and genera recorded as fossils still occur in Yunnan,but seven genera have disappeared,including Berryophyllum,Cedrelospermum,Cedrus,Palaeocarya,Podocarpium,Sequoia and Wataria.The regional extinction of these genera is commonly referred to an aridification of the dry season associated with Asian monsoon development.Floristic analyses indicate that in the late Miocene,Yunnan had three floristic regions:a northern subtropical floristic region in the northeast,a subtropical floristic region in the east,and a tropical floristic region in the southwest.In the late Pliocene,Yunnan saw two kinds of floristic regions:a subalpine floristic region in the northwest,and two subtropical floristic regions separately in the southwest and the eastern center.These floristic concepts are verified by results from our areal type analyses which suggest that in the Miocene southwestern Yunnan supported the most Pantropic elements,while in the Pliocene southwestern Yunnan had abundant Tropical Asia(Indo e Malaysia)type and East Asia and North America disjunct type that were absent from northwestern Yunnan.From the late Miocene to late Pliocene through to the present,floristic composition and vegetation types changed markedly,presumably in response to altitude changes and coeval global cooling.An integration of palaeoclimate data suggests that during the Neogene Yunnan was warmer and wetter than today.Moreover,northern Yunnan witnessed a pronounced temperature decline,while southern Yunnan experienced only moderate temperature changes.Summer precipitation was consistently higher than winter precipitation,suggesting a rainfall seasonality.This summary on palaeoclimates helps us to understand under what conditions plant diversity occurred and evolved in Yunnan throughout the Cenozoic.

Cambrian Fossil Embryos from Western Hunan,South China

The exquisitely preserved fossil embryos of Markuelia recovered from the limestones of the Middle Cambrian Haoqiao Formation and Upper Cambrian Bitiao formation in western Hunan, South China are described and illustrated in detail for the first time. A new species Markuelia elegans sp. nov. is established based mainly on embryos from the Upper Cambrian. A few of animal＇s resting eggs, which are comparable with those of the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation, have been also found in the Upper Cambrian of western Hunan. The membrane of one egg from the uppermost Cambrian has been replaced by pyrite and the overgrowth of the pyrite crystals exhibits a unique inorganic pattern termed herein ＇Pseudoembryo＇. The taphonomic setting in deeper water with possible strong reducing conditions promoted the excellent preservation for the Markuelia specimens. The study of Markuelia provides not only constraint on the anatomy, affinity, embryonic development and phylogenetic significance of this wormlike animal and but also opens a new window onto the evolution and development of the earliest animals.

A New Mesopsychid (Mecoptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern China

The family Mesopsychidae Tillyard, 1917 presently consists of ten described genera from the Early Permian to the Early Cretaceous of Australia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, South Africa, Tajikistan, and Ukraine. Herein, a new genus and a new species of fossil mesopsyehid, Epicharmesopsyche pentavenulosa gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, supplementing the family-level diversity. The well-preserved, new material reveals many characters, including antennae, wing venation, shape and genitalia that increase our morphological understanding of the family, although unfortunately the mouthparts and most of the legs are not preserved. Diagnosis of the Mesopsychidae is emended to include a four- or five-branched MP in both the fore- and hind wings. This is the first documentation of a wing coupling structure in the Mesopsychidae, consisting of three to four frenula bristles on the humeral lobe at the base of the costal margin of both hind wings. Asymmetrical shape and size of the left and right wings on a specimen of E. pentavenulosa gen. et sp. nov., seems to be a common condition for mesopsychid taxa from northeastern China.

Microbiostratigraphy, microfacies and sequence stratigraphy of upper cretaceous and paleogene sediments, Hendijan oilfield, Northwest of Persian Gulf, Iran

Hendijan oilfield is located on Northwest of Pesian Gulf offshore of Iran and geologically in the Dezful embayment. In this study, the paleosedimentary depositional environment of the Early Cenomanian to Late Eocene deposits of the Sarvak, Ilam, Gurpi, Pabdeh and JahrumPabdeh Formations was evaluated using microbiostratigraphy, microfacies and D-INPEFA curves which are an accurate method in sequence stratigraphy in terms of regression and transgression of the sea. Also, we used limited elemental geochemical data of oxygen and carbon isotopes in compare with palaeontological data to infer the upper part, 10 m, of the Sarvak Formation. Statistical correlation analyses of geochemical data from upper part of the Sarvak Formation enable inference of differences in paleoconditions at this part and Sarvak Formation, and another Formation, Ilam, was distinguished. Palaentilogical analysis using planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils enables inference about time scale of each Formation. Petrographic data and different sediment textures support those inferences resulted from Gamma ray logs as D-INPEFA curves about different paleo-conditions that occurred during the development of the studied Formations. Synthesis of the analyses leads to the final interpretation that upper Cretaceous, Sarvak, Ilam and Gurpi Formations, at the Hendijan oil field were formed in a carbonate ramp that was likely closed to the open sea, where Gurpi Formation was deposited, by a shallow barrier that allowed seawater recharge into the basin and deep marine basin where Paleogene sediments, Pabdeh and Jahrum-Pabdeh, were deposited.

Comparative Osteology and Phylogenetic Relationship of Edmontosaurus and Shantungosaurus (Dinosauria:Hadrosauridae) from the Upper Cretaceous of North America and East Asia

The close affinity between Edmontosaurus and Shantungosaurus is corroborated on the basis of the following shared features：an occipital condyle deflected strongly posteroventrally; a posterodorsally reflected, lip-shaped oral margin of the premaxilla, with a deep, oval concavity at the anteromedial corner of the bone; a well-demarcated posterodorsal margin of the deeply excavated circumnarial fossa formed by a prominent arched ridge along the entire posterior half of the lateroventral border of the nasal; an anteroposteriorly broad jugal process of the postorbital; a strongly concave dorsal surface of the paired frontals; seven teeth per alveolus in the middle of the dentary tooth row; and a circular distal blade of the pubis that is much more expanded ventrally than dorsally. A revised phylogenetic analysis of Hadrosauroidea recovers a sister taxon relationship between Edmontosaurus and Shantungosaurus. Kerberosaurus is recovered as the sister taxon to the clade formed exclusively by these two genera. The clade Edmontosaurini could be defined as the least inclusive clade containing Kerberosaurus and Edmontosaurus, which is currently composed of the genera Kerberosaurus, Edmontosaurus, and Shantungosaurus. Zhuchengosaurus and Huaxiaosaurus,both from the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group in Zhucheng, are interpreted as junior synonyms of Shantungosaurus. Kundurosaurus is likewise considered a junior synonym of Kerberosaurus. The strict consensus tree together with biogeographic information indicates that the clade Edmontosaurini originated in Asia and subsequently dispersed into North America.

Review of Research on Early Cambrian Phosphatized Quadrapyrgites

The metazoan Quadrapyrgites consists, from proximal to distal ends, of an oral area, a cone, a collar, and an apex from the Early Cambrian Fortunian Stage in Xixiang Zhangjiagou section, southern Shaanxi Province, South China. Three morphological types of the apex, the most characteristic feature of the taxon, are identified from hundreds of Quadrapyrgites specimens. The Quadrapyrgites growth zone is situated at the oral end, where 12 terminal lobes are generated, uplifted, enlarged, and evaginated to form a crest; A one-by-one of crest number from 2 to 13 has been recognized. The unique growth pattern and ontogenetic sequence refute a cubozoan or cycloneuralian affinity for Olivooides and Quadrapyrgites, and instead defend a coronate scyphozoan hypothesis. An embryonic development and ontogenetic sequence with embryo and crest is constructed.

A Century of Spinosaurs-A Review and Revision of the Spinosauridae with Comments on Their Ecology

The spinosaurids represent an enigmatic and highly unusual form of large tetanuran theropods that were first identified in 1915. A recent flurry of discoveries and taxonomic revisions of this important and interesting clade has added greatly to our knowledge. Spinosaur body fossils are however generally rare and most species are known from only limited skeletal remains. Their unusual anatomical adaptations to the skull, limbs and axial column all differ from other large theropods and point to an unusual ecological niche and a lifestyle intimately linked to water.

EDXRF analysis of beach rock samples of Andaman Island

B Elemental contents of beach rock samples were analyzed using EDXRF.The samples were collected from three locations of Andaman Island.The Al,Ca,K,Fe,Ti,Si,V,Co,Cu,Ba,Zn,Pb,Cd and Mn contents were determined.The geochemical behavior of elements in the region is discussed.The elemental contents of beach rock samples from Andaman Island are much below the values of both earth crust and that of Tamilnadu region.However,content of the biogenic element Ca was the highest of all elements.This is due to the typical beach rock formation.

Enigmatic ribbon-like fossil from Early Cambrian of Yunnan, China

During the Late Neoproterozoic and Early Cambrian,a series of paleogeographic and paleoecological events occurred associated with deglaciations and the evolution of life.The appearance of fossils representing diverse phyla,novel body plans and complex ecologies in Ediacaran and Cambrian sedimentary successions has sparked diverse hypotheses about potential drivers for the radiation of early animals during this interval.Recently,new macroscopic fossils of carbonaceous compressions with unique features have been found in Anning,Yunnan,China.The fossils’bodies are ribbon-shaped and bilaterally symmetric,with dense longitudinal features and transversal features.The fossils occur 0.68 m below a bentonite interlayer which has been dated 535.2±1.7 Ma by Ri-xiang Zhu and his team in 2009.The relatively simply morphology of these fossils,coupled with a lack of preserved internal structures challenge efforts taxonomically identify the precursor organism and definitively ally it to a living group.However,the symmetry and unusual features of the body are analogous to members of Platyzoa.The presence of ribbon-shaped fossils in the Zhongyicun Member in Anning indicates that these organisms were at least a locally significant component of Cambrian seafloor ecosystems,and may hold important implications for our understanding of the early evolution of Bilateria.

Strenulagus(Mammalia: Lagomorpha) from the Middle Eocene Irdin Manha Formation of the Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China

New material of Strenulagus solaris, a stem lagomorph, from the lower part of the Middle Eocene Irdin Manha Formation at the Irdin Manha and Huheboerhe localities, Erlian Basin, Nei Mongol, China includes remains of isolated cheek teeth, fragmentary upper incisors （dI2） and postcranial elements, reported from the species for the first time. The tarsal bones display advanced features, such as a wide calcaneofibular articulation surface and, along with an increase in hypsodonty, the new data document the early stage of lagomorph evolution in the Middle Eocene of the Erlian Basin. This finding is stratigraphically well constrained and probably predates that of the type material of S. solaris from the Khaychin Formation, Bugin-Tsav Basin, Mongolia.

A wide hybrid zone mediated by precipitation contributed to confused geographical structure of Scutiger boulengeri

Confused geographical structure of a population and mitonuclear discordance are shaped by a combination of rapid changes in population demographics and shifts in ecology.In this study,we generated a time-calibrated phylogeny of Scutiger boulengeri,an endemic Xizang alpine toad occurring in mountain streams on the Qinghai-Xizang(Tibet)Plateau(QTP).Based on three mitochondrial DNA(mt DNA)genes,eight clades were assigned to three deeply divergent lineages.Analysis of nuclear DNA(nu DNA)genes revealed three distinct clusters without geographic structure,indicating significantly high rates of gene flow.Coalescent theory framework analysis(approximate Bayesian computation model DIYABC and Migrate-N)suggested that divergence of the main intraspecific clusters was the result of hybridization after secondary contact in the Holocene around 0.59 million years ago(Ma).The ratio of mt DNA FST(fixation index)to nu DNA FST was 2.3,thus failing to show male-biased dispersal.Geographic cline analysis showed that a wide hybrid zone was initially established in southwestern China,without significant reproductive isolation but with strong introgression in S.boulengeri,suggesting high hybrid fitness.Furthermore,mt DNA genes exhibited isolation by distance(IBD)while nu DNA genes exhibited significant isolation by environment(IBE).Results suggested that mitonuclear discordance may have initially been caused by geographic isolation,followed by precipitation-mediated hybridization,producing a wide hybrid zone and geographic structure confusion of nu DNA genes in S.boulengeri.This study indicated that complicated historical processes may have led to specific genetic patterns,with a specific climate factor facilitating gene flow in the system.

Long-term trends in a forest ungulate community: park establishment increases numbers, but poaching is a constant threat

DEAR EDITOR Deforestation represents one of the greatest threats to tropical forest mammals, and the situation is greatly exacerbated by bushmeat hunting. To construct informed conservation plans,information must be gathered about responses to habitat degradation, regeneration, and hunting over a sufficiently long period to allow demographic responses.

New fossil seeds of Eurya （Theaceae） from East Asia and their paleobiogeographic implications

Eurya has an excellent fossil record in Europe, but it has only a few fossil occurrences in East Asia though this vast area houses the highest modern diversity of the genus. In this study, three-dimensionally preserved fossil seeds of Eurya stigrnosa （Ludwig） Mai from the late Pliocene of northwestern Yunnan, southwestern China are described. The seeds are compressed and flattened, slightly campylotropous, and nearly circular to slightly angular in shape. The surface of the seeds is sculptured by a distinctive foveolate pattern, consisting of funnel-shaped and finely pitted cells. Each seed valve contains a reniform or horseshoe-shaped embryo cavity, a characteristic condyle structure and an internal raphe. These fossil seeds represent one of the few fossil records of Eurya in East Asia. This new finding therefore largely extends the distributional ranges of Eurya during Neogene. Fossil records summarized here show that Eurya persisted in Europe until the early Pleistocene, but disappeared thereafter. The genus might have first appeared in East Asia no later than the late Oligocene, and dispersed widely in regions such as Japan, Nepal, and southwestern China.

Reassessment of Prejanopterus curvirostris, a Basal Pterodactyloid Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Spain

Prejanopterus curvirostra, from the Early Cretaceous of La Rioja province, was the first pterosaur genus and species described from Spain. The material comprises disarticulated cranial and postcranial remains from several individuals. The fossil-bearing bed is assigned to the lacustrine Leza Formation （eastern Cameros Basin, NW margin of the Iberian Range）. This unit is regarded as either Berriasian-Valanginian or Barremian-Aptian. Prejanopterus curvirostris （specific name emended） was originally diagnosed on the basis of several characters of which the most significant was a lateral curvature of the rostrum. Re-examination of the holotype （rostrum） and paratype （partial rostrum with teeth） indicates that there is no genuine sideways bend of the preserved premaxilla-maxilla segments, but a slight dorsal curvature. Prejanopterus is characterized by a unique combination of characters： an emended diagnosis is provided. In contrast with previous estimates, the wing span of Prejanopterus was probably not much （if ever） in excess of 2 m. A phylogenetic analysis suggests that Prejanopterus is a basal pterodactyloid positioned between Pterodactylus and Cycnorhamphus- Gallodactylus. Prejanopterus represents the first evidence of Pterodactylidae in the Early Cretaceous of the Iberian Peninsula.