Table of Content

15 March 2010, Volume 48 Issue 1

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A NEW SKELETON OF MIODENTOSAURUS BREVIS(DIAPSIDA: THALATTOSAURIA) WITH A FURTHER STUDY OF THE TAXON 

ZHAO Li-Jun, SATO Tamaki, LIU Jun, LI Chun, WU Xiao-Chun

2010, 48(1):  1-10. 

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A new thalattosaurian skeleton from the Upper Triassic Wayao member of the Falang Formation, Guanling area, Guizhou Province, China can be referred to Miodentosaurus brevis. The postcranial skeleton of the specimen is well-preserved and so complete that it is worthy to be described. This new specimen provides a full knowledge of the osteology of the thalattosaurian, especially the anatomies of the pectoral girdle and both the fore- and hind-limbs.The presence of a few teeth restricted to the anterior ends of both the upper and lower jaws and dorsoventrally flattened ungual phalanges indicate that M. brevisis not a pure carnivore. With new information, some individual variations are recognized and the digital formula (2-3-4-5-5) of the pes can be identified as one of the diagnostic features for the thalattosaurian.

A NEW OVIRAPTORID DINOSAUR (THEROPODA: OVIRAPTOROSAURIA) FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF CHINA

XU Xing, HAN Feng-Lu

2010, 48(1):  11-18. 

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 Here we report a new oviraptorid taxon based on a specimen possibly collected from the Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China. This new taxon is distinguishable from other species based on the following features: a crest formed by the premaxillae and nasals having a step-wise posterior end and bearing two longitudinal grooves and numerous oblique striations on each of its lateral surfaces, an extremely elongate external naris that is posteriorly situated and close to the orbit, a deep fossa on the dorsal surface of the palatal ramus of the pterygoid, several longitudinal grooves along the posterior part of the dorsal margin of the dentary, and several tubercles along the lateral shelf at the dorsal margin of the surangular. This new taxon possesses some palatal and mandibular features not seen in other oviraptorids but similar to those in more basal oviraptorosaurs, suggesting a relatively basal position for this taxon within the Oviraptoridae. This systematic hypothesis is supported by a numerical cladistic analysis. This discovery not only adds to the known diversity of Late Cretaceous oviraptorids, but provides significant new information on the evolution of some oviraptorid features.

A PROBABLE BARYONYCHINE (THEROPODA: SPINOSAURIDAE) TOOTH FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF HENAN PROVINCE, CHINA

David W. E. HONE, XU Xing, WANG De-You

2010, 48(1):  19-26. 

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 A single large theropod tooth was recovered from the middle Upper Cretaceous Majiacun Formation, Henan Province, China. The morphology of the tooth strongly suggests that it belongs to a baryonychine spinosaurid theropod based on the following features: long, conical tooth with a sub-circular cross-section, slight recurvature along the length of the tooth and numerous fine denticles on both anterior and posterior carinae. This tooth therefore may represent the first record of the baryonychines in Asia, and the first in the Late Cretaceous. This suggests that the baryonychines were more widely distributed both geographically and temporally than previously thought. Based on the gross morphology and inferred ecology of spinosaurids as a whole, we note that these animals are surprisingly rare in the fossil record compared to other theropod clades. This suggests that in life they may have been genuinely rare animals, perhaps as a result of their extreme morphological specialisation.

CRICETID RODENTS FROM THE EARLY MIOCENE XIACAOWAN FORMATION, SIHONG, JIANGSU

QIU Zhu-Ding

2010, 48(1):  27-47. 

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This paper describes the cricetid material collected from the Xiacaowan Formation at Sihong, Jiangsu Province in the 1980s. The cricetid assemblage consists of 5 species and 5 genera, including 1 new genus and 4 new species. These hamsters are assigned to 4 subfamilies of Cricetidae, e.g. Alloeumyarion sihongensis gen. et sp. nov. of Eumyarioninae, Cricetodon wanhei sp. nov. of Cricetodontinae, Primus pusillus sp. nov. and Democricetodon suensis sp. nov. of Copemyinae, and Megacricetodon sinensis Qiu et al., 1981 of Megacricetodontinae. The assemblage represents the most diverse and abundant group of mammals in the Sihong Fauna, having 3 genera (Cricetodon,Democricetodon and Megacricetodon) in common with some Early/Middle Miocene faunas of northern China, as well as Europe and West Asia, sharingPrimus, Democricetodon and Megacricetodon with Early/Middle faunas from Indian Subcontinent. The new genus Alloeumyarion shows affinities withEumyarion of Europe and western Asia. The cricetid community, occurring in the modern “Transitional Zone” of zoogeographic regions between the Oriental Region and the Palaearctic Region, provides evidence for the study of Miocene zoogeographic provinces. This association argues for an age of Early Miocene for the Xiacaowan Formation, corresponding to Shanwangian of Chinese Land Mammal Age, or correlated, in European terms, with MN4.

PARARHIZOMYS (RODENTIA, MAMMALIA) FROM THE LATE MIOCENE OF BAOGEDA ULA, CENTRAL NEIMONGOL

LI Qiang

2010, 48(1):  48-62. 

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New material of Pararhizomys from the Late Miocene Baogeda Ula Formation of central Nei Mongol are described, which is referred to P. hipparionumTeilhard de Chardin & Young, 1931 based on the size, morphology and dentine tract height of teeth. Pararhizomys are scarcely known from the area around the Mongolian Plateau chronologically from the early Late Miocene throughout Middle Pliocene. The genus is similar to Brachyrhizomys, Rhizomys and Tachyoryctoides in having a simple dental pattern, but can be distinguished from them by its absence of mesoloph(id)s and having only 2−3 reentrants on the molars. For expediently judging and comparing of this genus with others, an “H” index has been set for measuring the height of dentine tract of molars, and the lower incisor of P. hipparionum from Baogeda Ula was sectioned to observe the enamel microstructure. The dentine tract of Pararhizomys seems to have the gradually heightening and undulating tendency in its evolution, as the same in siphneids and arvicolids. The enamel microstructure of lower incisor of P. hipparionum is remarkably different from those of the rhizomyines Brachyrhizomys and Rhizomys and tachyoryctoididTachyoryctoides by the very thick inner portion of enamel and arrangement of prisms and interprismatic matrix. According to the morphology of cheek teeth and enamel microstructure of incisor, it seems that Pararhizomys could not be included in Rhizomyidae, and possibly represents a separate lineage. Pararhizomys andTachyoryctoides, restricted biogeographically within the Palaearctic Region appears to be adapted for temperate, arid and steppe environment, whereas Brachyrhizomysand Rhizomys are the typical factors of the Oriental Realm, living in a warmer, more humid and forested environment.

A NEW SPECIES OF LEPUS (LAGOMORPHA, MAMMALIA) FROM THE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE OF THE LIUJIANG BASIN IN QINHUANGDAO OF HEBEI PROVINCE, CHINA

WANG Wei  ZHANG Yun-Xiang  LI Yong-Xiang  GONG Hu-Jun

2010, 48(1):  63-70. 

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 Abundant lagomorph fossils were collected in 2004 from the Shanyangzhai cave deposits of Liujiang Basin, Qinhuangdao of Hebei Province, and a new species, Lepus qinhuangdaoensis, is named herein. The jaw and teeth of the new species are similar to the characteristics of Lepus. The length of the upper tooth row (P2−M3) is 10.9 mm, and that of the lower tooth row (p3−m3) is 10.6 mm. L. qinhuangdaoensis sp. nov. is the smallest species of Lepus. The P2 has three anterior reentrants and p3 has one or two AR, some of the specimens have enamel islands or calcite druse on the occlusal surface. There are two kinds of patterns on p3. One is the PER trans-occlusal surface, and the other is PER extending to lingual border. Besides the pattern of PER on p3, other features are similar to hares, such as p3 with clear AR, AIR not obvious or disappear. It is a representative of more primitive types of Lepus in China, whose relationship with Alilepus, especially withTrischizolagus is closer than other species of Lepus. Based on the numerous mammalian fossils, the biostratigraphical analysis indicates that the Shanyangzhai fauna can be compared with both the Zhoukoudian and the Jinniushan faunas, and demonstrates the feature of the Mid-Pleistocene.

A NEW OOSPECIES OF OVALOOLITHIDS FROMTURPAN BASIN IN XINJIANG, CHINA

ZHANG Shu-Kang, WANG Qiang

2010, 48(1):  71-75. 

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The two dinosaur eggs studied in this paper are from Turpan Basin in Xinjiang Autonomous Region, China, collected by an expedition team of IVPP in 1960s. The specimens were collected in Subashi Formation, Upper Cretaceous. The locality is approximately 48 km south of Shisanjianfang railway station(Zhai et al.,1978). Zhao (1979) made an observation on these specimens, and believed that they represent a new form of Ovaloolithus, but did not give any description at that time. In this paper,a brief description of these materials will be given.

PRIMITIVE RHINOCEROTID FOSSIL FROM THE MIDDLE EOCENE OF YUANQU BASIN, SHANXI

HUANG Xue-Shi

2010, 48(1):  76-78. 

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Prohyracodon cf. P. meridionale, represented by a fragmentary upper jaw with M1−M3(IVPP V 13101), is briefly described in the present paper. The fossil was found at Huoshipo near Guojia Village, WangmaoTown, Yuanqu County. The upper molars of V 13101 resemble those of P. meridionale in general tooth morphology and in size, but differ mainly in lacking distinct antecrochet. The age of the fossil-bearing bed may be of Middle Eocene Irdinmamhan as revealed by associated fossil mammals. 

AGEITONOMYS NEIMONGOLENSIS GEN. ET SP. NOV. (CTENODACTYLOIDEA, RODENTIA, MAMMALIA) FROM EARLY OLIGOCENE OF NEIMONGOL, CHINA

WANG Ban-Yue

2010, 48(1):  79-83. 

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Some specimens,collected from the Lower Oligocene of Nei Mongol,represent a new genus and species of the ctenodactyloids, and are described here.