Table of Content

15 June 2004, Volume 43 Issue 02

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EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FISHES ( ACANTHODIAN, ACTINOPTERYGIANS AND CHONDRICHTHYES) FROM THE EAST SECTOR OF NORTH QILIAN MOUNTAIN, CHINA ———Carboniferous fish sequence from the east sector of north Qilian Mountain ( 1)

WANG NianZhong, JIN Fan, WANG Wei

2004, 43(02):  89-110. 

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Carboniferous fishes have been found from localities of the east sector of north Qilian Mountain, north China, the majority in Jingyuan County, Gansu Province. The Carboniferous of the east sector of north Qilian Mountain, typical marine alternating with non2marine facies, has been subdivided lithologically into Qianheishan (Tournaisian-Visean), Chouniugou (Visean), Jingyuan (Serpukhovian), Hongtuwa (Bashkirian), Yanghukou (Bashkiri2 an, Moscovian and Kazimovian) and Jingci (Gzhelian) Formations (Li et al.，1974; Wu et al., 1987; Yang et al., 1997). In this paper we examine in detail the Lower Carboniferous microvertebrate fossils from Heishan area of Nei Mongol and Jingyuan, Gansu Province, and give the fish assemblage sequence in Qianheishan, Chouniugou and Jingyuan formations (Early Carboniferous). The early Carboniferous Actinopterygians and Elasmobranchians: Xenacanthida and Hybodontiformes are the first record from China. The material described here is housed in the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences.

A NEW DROMAEOSAUR (DINOSAURIA : THEROPODA) FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS YIXIAN FORMATION OF WESTERN LIAONING

XU Xing, WANG XiaoLin

2004, 43(02):  111-119. 

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A specimen collected from the Early Cretaceous lowest part of Yixian Formation of Liaoning, northeastern China, represents a new genus and species of dromaeosaurid theropod. It comprises a fragmentary maxilla with some teeth, a few caudals, almost complete fore limbs, and partial hind limbs and is here named Graciliraptor lujiatunensis gen. et sp. nov. Distinctive characteristics of the new species include a laminal structure connecting the postzygapophyses of middle caudals, middle caudals extremely long and slender, small manual ungual I, proximal end of metacarpal III strongly expanded, proximal tibiotarsus shaft rectangular in cross section, astragalar medial condyle significantly expanded posteriorly, metatarsal II distally much wider than the other metatarsals and long and slender pedal phalanx III-1. Being the earliest definitive dromaeosaurid species known to date, G. lujiatunensis provides new information important for understanding the early evolution of the group. On one hand, G. lujiatunensis displays a few features similar to those of basal birds, such as caudals significantly elongated, semilunate carpal small and primarily contacting metacarpal II, and manual digit I short, providing further evidence for a close relationship between the Dromaeosauridae and the Aves; on the other hand, it is similar to troodontids in some features on the caudals. The discovery of G. lujiatunensis also indicates a high diversity of the Dromaeosauridae in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Combined with other lines of evidence, it is inferred that the Dromaeosauridae rapidly diversified taxonomically but remained relatively stable morphologically in the early evolution of the group. Key words W

A NEARLY COMPLETE SKELETON OF I KECHOSAURUS PIJ IAGOUENSIS SP. NOV. ( REPTILIA : CHORISTODERA) FROM THE JIUFOTANG FORMATION ( LOWER CRETACEOUS) OF LIAONING, CHINA

LIU Jun

2004, 43(02):  120-129. 

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A nearly complete skeleton of a choristodere is described and Ikechosaurus pijiagouensis sp. nov. is erected on the basis of this specimen. This new species is distinguished from other species of the genus Ikechosaurus by the following features : the jugal extends anteriorly to about the middle of the lacrymal ; the interorbital bar is narrower than the diameter of the orbit ; the postorbital separated from the postfrontal ; the anterior process of the iliac blade is less pronounced ; there is no distinct neck region between the acetabulum and iliac blade ; the ratio of epipodials to the propodials are relatively small. The morphology of this specimen reveals that certain characters like the fusion of the postfrontal and postorbital and the lack of a prominent postorbital process of the jugal cannot be used to diagnose the Simoedosaridae and Champsosauridae. Comparison with other choristoderes suggests that Ikechosaurus is more closely re2 lated to Tchoiria than with Champsosaurus and Simoedosaurus.

DISCOVERY OF EARLY OLIGOCENE MAMMALIAN FOSSILS FROM DANGHE AREA , GANSU, CHINA

Wang BanYue, QIU ZhanXiang

2004, 43(02):  130-143. 

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The lower reach of the Danghe River [ = Taben2buluk area of Bohlin (1942) ] is one of the classic areas of late Oligocene in the Asian Paleogene biostratigraphy (Bohlin , 1942 , 1946) . In 1999 and 2001 a joint team of Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IVPP) , Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, Gansu, and Provincial Museum of Gansu made a geologic survey of the Danghe area. During the survey some new mammalian fossils of early Oligocene were found. The new find indicates that the Danghe Basin received its Cenozoic deposits from early Oligocene rather than late Oligocene as previously thought. All of the specimens described here are collected from the lower part of the Paoniuquan Formation in the Tiejianggou valley, Aksay Kazak Autonomous County, Gansu Province.

NEW MATERIALS OF TUNGURICTIS (HYAENIDAE, CARNIVORA) FROM TUNGGUR FORMATION, NEI MONGOL

WANG XiaoMing

2004, 43(02):  144-153. 

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New materials of Tungurictis spocki, a basal hyaenid (Hyaenidae, Carnivora), from the Tairum Nor locality in Tunggur Formation is described. For the first time, associated upper and lower teeth are available for this species, which is previously established on a single skull. The newly available lower molars corroborate current believes that Tungurictis is a primitive hyaenid. A relatively low metaconid and an equal height for m1 hypoconid and entoconid further establish its difference from hypocarnivorous forms such as Plioviverrops. Tungurictis spocki is probably closely related to European and western Asian Protictitherium gaillardi.

A NEW EUBRACHYTHORACID ARTHRODIRE FROM THE UPPER DEVONIAN OF HUNAN, CHINA

WANG JunQing, ZHU Min

2004, 43(02):  154-161. 

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A new eubrachythoracid arthrodire, Phymosteus liui gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Upper Devonian (Early Famennian) Xiejingshi Formation of Shimen County, Hunan, central China. The specimen under study, a nearly complete nuchal plate, was collected from the upper part of the formation in association with plant fossils , such as Leptophloeum guanzhuangense and Cyclostigma hunanense, by Dr. Gen Baoyin of Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1990s. The new form is at the pachyosteomorph level of organization having a large nuchal gap and possibly referred to the Selenosteidae of aspinothoracid arthrodires. It is the first record of the aspinothroacid arthrodires from China , but whether it widens the distribution of the Selenosteidae from Europe and North America to Asia needs further fossil materials.

A new species of Omeisaurus from the Middle Jurassic of Zigong, Sichuan

JIANG Shan, LI Fei PENG, Guang Zhao, YE Yong

2004, 43(02):  162-165. 

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Omeisaurus jiaoi, a new species of giant sauropod is described in this paper. The specimen (ZDM 5050) was discovered from the Xiashaximiao Formation of the Middle Jurassic of Zigong Dinosaur museum, Sichuan ZDM 5050 is a nearly complete skeleton. Its main features can be summarized as follows: dorsal vertebrae are tall and large. The anterior dorsal vertebrae (dorsals 1 to 6) are opisthocoelous. The pleurocoels of the dorsal vertebrate are well developed except on the 1st dorsal. The neural spines are club-like and the neural spines of the anterior dorsal vertebrae are not bifurcated. Caudal vertebrae are relatively short and thick. The anterior caudal vertebrae are slightly amphicoelous. The chevron of the 1st caudal vertebrae is connected with the 1st caudal is shallow and small. Whereas the 1 caudal vertebrae of Omeisaurus tianfuensis have no chevron. The rib of the 1" caudal vertebrae are laterally directed, while the first caudal rib of the other species of Omeisaurus are prominently enlarged distally, being slightly fan-shaped Humerus is long and straight, with slightly expanded proximal end and greatly expanded distal end. The deltopectoral crest is well-developed and relatively low. Femur is slender in shape, with greatly expanded proximal and distal ends. The fourth trochanter is well-developed. The ratio of the humerus to femur length is approximately 0. 83, the ratio of the ulna to humerus length is approximately 0. 72, and the ratio of the tibia to femur length is approximately 0. 63.

A NEW OOSPECIES OF THE DINOSAUR EGGS (DICTYOOLITHUS) FROM LAIYANG, SHANDONG PROVINCE

LIU JinYuan, ZHAO ZiKui

2004, 43(02):  166-170. 

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A new oospecies of dinosaur eggs , Dictyoolithus jiangi oosp. nov. , is briefly described in the present paper. The material was collected in the Upper Cretaceous Jiangjunding Formation of Laiyang , Shandong Province in 1973.

FOSSIL LIZARDS OF QINLING MOUNTAINS

LI YongXiang, XUE XiangXu, LIU HuJun

2004, 43(02):  171-176. 

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The present paper reports three lizard fossils from the Middle Pleistocene (493 ±55 ka B. P. ) Qinling caves in Luonan County , Shaanxi , China. Two lacertids reported here , Eumeces sp. (Fig.1 , 3～6) and Eremias sp. (Fig. 1 , 7～8) document the geologically first record of the fossil genus from China , and suggested that they are ancestors of modern genus and species in this area. The specimen of Conicodontosaurus is documented a new species : Conicodontosaurus qinlingensis sp. nov. (Fig. 1 , 1～2) .