[PaleoOrnithology • 2025] Shuilingornis angelai • A New gansuid bird (Avialae: Euornithes) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Jiufotang Formation of Jianchang, western Liaoning, China

 

  Shuilingornis angelai

Wang, Cau, Wang, Kundrát, Zhang, Liu & Chiappe, 2025

 DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106014 

Abstract

The study of the Cretaceous birds closest to the living euornithine species has mainly focused on the evolutionary patterns leading to the modern group. Yet, the morphological and ecological diversity of the euornithine branches not directly ancestral to the crown-group is probably underestimated. A new euornithine bird, Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on a nearly complete skeletal material from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Jehol Biota in western Liaoning, China. The new taxon is similar to the penecontemporary gansuids, yet it differs in the smaller body size and in the retention of plesiomorphic features widespread among non-gansuid euornithines. The osteohistological analysis indicates that Shuilingornis gen. nov. represents an early adult stage at the time of death. The phylogenetic analysis robustly supports the referral of Shuilingornis gen. nov. to Gansuidae. Except for the controversial Hollanda, the gansuids have been uncovered from four Aptian basins deposited under similar paleoclimatic conditions. Gansuid success in the middle part of the Cretaceous demonstrates that the exploration of semi-aquatic ecologies was a consistent euornithine pattern which preceded the later ornithurine radiation.

  Photo (A) and line drawing (B) of skull of  Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov (LY2022JZ3002).

 Abbreviations: an, angular; ar, articula; cv, cervical vertebrae; de, dentary; det, dentary teeth; fr, frontal; ju, jugal; la, lacrimal; ma, maxilla; mat, maxillary teeth; na, nasal; pa, parietal; po, postorbital; prd, predentary; prm, premaxilla; qj, quadjugal; qu, quadrate. 

Scale bar = 2 cm.

 Holotype of Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov. (LY2022JZ3002).

 Abbreviations: ca, carpals; ce, cervical vertebrae; fu, furcula; fv, fused vertebrae il, ilium; lfe, left femur; lfi, left fibula; lhu, left humerus; lra, left radius; lsc, left scapula; ltm, left tarsometatarsus; lul, left ulna; mc, metacarpals; md, manual digits; pu, pubis; rco, right coracoid; rfi, right fibula; rti, right tibiotarsus; rtm, right tarsometatarsus; sk, skull; st, sternum; Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ, pedal digit Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ. 

Scale bar = 2 cm.

Avialae Gauthier, 1986

Pygostylia Chiappe, 2002

Euornithes Sereno, 1998

Gansuidae Hou and Liu, 1984

Definition (new). The most inclusive clade containing Gansus yumenensis but not Hesperornis regalis, Hongshanornis longicresta, Patagopteryx deferrariisi, Songlingornis linghensis, Vultur gryphus or Yanornis martini.

Included taxa. Based on the result of our phylogenetic analysis, Gansuidae includes the genera Changzuiornis, Gansus, Khinganornis, Iteravis, and Shuilingornis gen. nov. Although supported by the phylogenetic analysis, the placement in this clade of the fragmentary Hollanda from the Upper Cretaceous of Mongolia (Bell et al., 2010) is considered as tentative.

Shuilingornis angelai gen. et sp. nov.

Holotype. LY2022JZ3002, a nearly complete and articulated skeleton preserved in a single slab (Fig. 2) and housed at Shandong Laiyang Cretaceous National Geological Park.

Locality and horizon. Lamadong locality, Jianchang County, Huludao City, Liaoning Province, China; Jiufotang Formation, Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) (Yu et al., 2021).

Diagnosis. Small euornithine bird with the unique combination of characteristics that can be distinguished from other Mesozoic birds: acuminate edentulous premaxilla longer than preantorbital ramus of maxilla; nasal with large subnarial process; procumbent maxillary teeth restricted to rostral end of bone which are much larger than the underlying dentary teeth (autapomorphy); humerus with robust shaft and elongate and gently curved deltopectoral crest; gracile alular digit less than half radius shaft width; large “U-shaped” furcula contacts the triangular apex of sternum; laterodistal end of coracoid does not define a distinct process, describing an acuminate 45° corner; manual phalangeal formula 2-3-2, with first phalanx of minor digit more than four times longer than the second phalanx.

Etymology. The genus name is composed of Chinese “Shuiling” (“pretty and vivid”) and Greek “ornis” (bird). The species name honors the Italian journalist and science writer Piero Angela (1928–2022) for his extraordinary contribution to the popularization of scientific knowledge and the promotion of rational thinking.

Xuri Wang, Andrea Cau, Yinuo Wang, Martin Kundrát, Guili Zhang, Yichuan Liu and Luis M. Chiappe. 2025. A New gansuid bird (Avialae, Euornithes) from the Lower Cretaceous (Aptian) Jiufotang Formation of Jianchang, western Liaoning, China. Cretaceous Research.  106014; In Press. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.cretres.2024.106014 

[Paleontology • 2024] Extremely rapid, yet noncatastrophic, Preservation of the Flattened-feathered and 3D Dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous of China

  

 Extremely rapid preservation of the flattened-feathered and 3D Dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous, Yixian Formation in China

in MacLennan, Sha, Olsen, Kinney, Chang, Fang, Liu, Slibeck, Chen et Schoene, 2024.

DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2322875121

Significance: 

Traditionally, the spectacular preservation of fossils of feathered dinosaurs and early birds and other animals found in sedimentary strata of the Yixian Formation in northeast China has been attributed to Pompeii-like volcanic catastrophes. We provide high-resolution geochronology and sedimentological analysis challenging this model and show that these strata instead record normal life and death processes preserved in a succession of depositional environments that span less than 100 thousand years.

Abstract

Northeast China’s Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation preserves spectacular fossils that have proved extraordinarily important in testing evolutionary hypotheses involving the origin of birds and the distribution of feathers among nonavian dinosaurs. These fossils occur either flattened with soft tissue preservation (including feathers and color) in laminated lacustrine strata or as three-dimensional (3D) skeletons in “life-like” postures in more massive deposits. The relationships of these deposits to each other, their absolute ages, and the origin of the extraordinary fossil preservation have been vigorously debated for nearly a half century, with the prevailing view being that preservation was linked to violent volcanic eruptions or lahars, similar to processes that preserved human remains at Pompeii. We present high-precision zircon U-Pb geochronology from cores and outcrops, demonstrating that Yixian Formation accumulation rates are more than an order of magnitude higher than usually estimated. Additionally, we provide zircon provenance and sedimentological data from 3D dinosaur fossils, which imply that their death and burial occurred in collapsed burrows, rather than via a catastrophic volcanogenic mechanism. In the studied area, the three principal fossil-rich intervals of the Yixian occur as a cyclic sequence that correspond to periods of high precipitation. Using Bayesian–Markov Chain Monte Carlo approaches, we constrain the total duration of the sequence to less than ~93,000 y and suggest that climatic precession paced the expression of these cyclic sediments. Rather than representing multiple, Pompeii-like catastrophes, the Yixian Formation is instead a brief snapshot of normal life and death in an Early Cretaceous continental community.

Two perfectly articulated skeletons of the sheep-size dinosaur Psittacosaurus, found in China's Yixian Formation. New research suggests they died in burrow collapses, not via volcanism, as previously thought.

by Jun Liu, IVPP, Chinese Academy of Sciences

Artist's rendition of a Psittacosaurus dinosaur with babies being hunted by Repenomamus, a mammal. One fossil assemblage from the Yixian Formation preserved the remains of these species in mortal combat, frozen in mid-action. The dinosaur here is shown with bristly proto-feathers on its tail.

artwork by Alex Boersma

 Scott A. MacLennan, Jingeng Sha, Paul E. Olsen, Sean T. Kinney, Clara Chang, Yanan Fang, Jun Liu, Bennett B. Slibeck, Elaine Chen, and Blair Schoene. 2024. Extremely rapid, yet noncatastrophic, Preservation of the Flattened-feathered and 3D Dinosaurs of the Early Cretaceous of China. PNAS. 121 (47) e2322875121. DOI: doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2322875121

[PaleoOrnithology • 2024] Imparavis attenboroughi • First Edentulous Enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Avifauna

Imparavis attenboroughi

  Wang, Clark, O'Connor, Zhang, Wang, Zheng & Zhou, 2024

DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105867

Artwork: Ville Sinkkonen.

Abstract

Among Mesozoic birds, enantiornithines exhibit great morphological variation, which likely reflects their species diversity, range, and overall success throughout the Cretaceous. The majority of enantiornithines come from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol deposits (130–120 Ma) in northeastern China. In contrast to living birds, most enantiornithines were fully toothed. However, the rostral lengths, appendicular proportions, and pedal morphologies of extant birds can still inform on possible diet, flight mode, and ecology. Both partial (e.g., Longipterygidae) and complete tooth loss (e.g., Yuornis, Gobipteryx) are observed among enantiornithines, with edentulous rostra previously restricted to Upper Cretaceous taxa. Here, we describe the first edentulous enantiornithine from the Lower Cretaceous, Imparavis attenboroughi gen. et sp. nov., indicating a toothless beak evolved in this group 48 Ma earlier than previously recognized. Additionally, we reinterpret Chiappeavis as edentulous which together with the discovery of Imparavis indicates the complete loss of teeth in enantiornithines was not uncommon although still less frequent than observed in ornithuromorphs. The absence of gastroliths in all known enantiornithines suggests that the loss of teeth evolved under different pressures in these two ornithothoracine clades. Differences in rostral occlusion between Imparavis and Chiappeavis suggest they utilized different foraging strategies and possibly diet. Appendicular morphology in Imparavis suggest the capacity for relatively high wing beat frequency and powerful take-off capabilities. Together with the morphology of the hindlimb, we suggest Imparavis was primarily a terrestrial forager that could utilize sudden bursts of flight to escape into arboreal settings as a prey evasion strategy.

Illustration showing the fossil skeleton of Imparavis attenboroughi, alongside a reconstruction of the bird in life.

Artwork: Ville Sinkkonen.

Systematic paleontology

Aves Linnaeus, 1758

Pygostylia Chiappe, 2002

Ornithothoraces Chiappe, 1995

Enantiornithes Walker, 1981

Imparavis attenboroughi gen. et sp. nov.

Locality and horizon. Collected near the village of Toudaoyingzi, Jianchang County, Liaoning Province, PR China; Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation, 120 Ma (Lower Aptian) (He et al., 2004; Pan et al., 2013).

Conclusions: 

Imparavis attenboroughi represents the first known edentulous enantiornithine from the Lower Cretaceous. The discovery of this taxon contributes to the multiple independent evolutionary occurrences of complete tooth loss among Mesozoic birds. The loss of teeth in enantiornithines may be linked to shifts in feeding behavior; however, as yet there is no evidence that this shift was driven by herbivory as is suggested for ornithuromorphs and non-avian dinosaurs. Rostral occlusion in Imparavis ....

Xiaoli Wang, Alexander D. Clark, Jingmai K. O'Connor, Xiangyu Zhang, Xing Wang, Xiaoting Zheng and Zhonghe Zhou. 2024. First Edentulous Enantiornithine (Aves: Ornithothoraces) from the Lower Cretaceous Jehol Avifauna. Cretaceous Research. 159, 105867. DOI: 10.1016/j.cretres.2024.105867

 

[Paleontology • 2023] Meilifeilong youhao • A New toothless Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota with Comments on the Chaoyangopteridae

 Meilifeilong youhao  

Wang, Kellner, Jiang, Chen, Costa, Cheng, Zhang, Vila Nova, de Almeida Campos, Sayão, Rodrigues, Bantim, Saraiva & Zhou, 2023

DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48076-7 

twitter.com/paleoTaissa

artwork by Maurilio Oliveira

Abstract

The Chaoyangopteridae is a clade of azhdarchoid pterosaurs that stands out in China, particularly in the Jehol Biota, as a Cretaceous group of medium-sized and high-crested pterosaurs. Herein, we describe a new species, Meilifeilong youhao gen. et sp. nov., based on two specimens, one tentatively referred to this taxon. This new species represents the most complete and well-preserved chaoyangopterid recorded to date. Along with a set of characters (low premaxillary crest above the nasoantorbital fenestra extending posteriorly, posterior premaxillary process arched and curving posteriorly, a slightly convex sternal articulation surface of coracoid, and a fibular shaft close to proximal articulation strongly arched posteriorly), this species also provides new information both on the unknown palatal region of this clade, and on the rarely preserved (in place) ear portion with stapes. Moreover, M. youhao sheds light on paleoecological aspects, while also giving new information about the taxonomic diversity of this peculiar group of Jiufotang pterosaurs.

Systematic Paleontology

Pterosauria Kaup, 1834

Pterodactyloidea Plieninger, 1901

Dsungaripteroidea Young, 1964 sensu Kellner 2001, 2003

Azhdarchoidea Nessov 1984, sensu Kellner 2001, 2003

Chaoyangopteridae Lü et al. 2008

Photo (A) and line drawing (B) of the holotype (IVPP V 16059) of Meilifeilong youhao gen. et sp. nov. Arrows indicate preserved soft tissue.
 Abbreviations: at-ax, atlas-axis; cdv, caudal vertebra; cv, cervical vertebra; dca, distal syncarpal; dv, dorsal vertebrae; fe, femur; fi, fibula; gas, gastralia; hu, humerus; il, ilium; isc, ischium; man, mandible; mcI-IV, metacarpal I-IV; mt, metatarsal; obfo, obturator foramen.; paca, preaxial carpal; ph1-3d4, first to third phalanx of manual digit IV; phd 1–3, phalanx of the manual digit IIII; pphd, phalanx of the pedal digit; ppu, prepubis; prca, proximal syncarpal; ptd, pteroid; pu, pubis; ra, radius; ri, rib; sca-cor; scapulocoracoid; sk, skull; sv sacral vertebra; st, sternum; ta, tarsal; ti, tibia; ul, ulna; l, left; r, right.

 Meilifeilong youhao gen. et sp. nov.
Photo (A) and line drawing (B) of the cranial elements of the holotype (IVPP V 16059) 

Meilifeilong gen. nov.

Type species. Meilifeilong youhao.

Etymology. From the Chinese expressions meili—beautiful, fei—fly, and long—dragon, meaning beautiful flying dragon in allusion to the magnificent preservation of the holotype, IVPP V 16059.

Included species. Meilifeilong sanyainus comb. nov.

Diagnosis. Chaoyangopterid with low premaxillary crest above the nasoantorbital fenestra that extends posteriorly; posterior premaxillary process arched and curving posteriorly; humerus about 20% longer than third phalanx of the wing finger (hu/ph1d4 ~ 1.20).

Meilifeilong youhao sp. nov.

Etymology. Youhao, meaning friendship in mandarin, to celebrate the two-decade continuous collaboration between Chinese and Brazilian paleontologists in pterosaur research since 2003.

Holotype. IVPP V 16059, an almost complete skeleton housed at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP), Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,

Horizon and locality. Xiaotaizi, Jianchang, Huludao City, western Liaoning China; Jiufotang Formation, Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian).

Diagnosis. Chaoyangopterid pterosaur exhibiting the following autapomorphies: sternal articulation surface of coracoid slightly convex; fibular shaft close to proximal articulation strongly arched posteriorly. The new species can be further distinguished from Meilifeilong sanyainus by the following features: posterior premaxillary process more arched; jugal with lacrimal and postorbital processes at a narrower angle (~ 45° contra ~ 55° in Meilifeilong sanyainus); deeper mandibular symphysis; cervical vertebrae 5 slightly longer than cervical 4; rectangular sternum that is wider than long (square in Meilifeilong sanyainus); scapula comparatively longer relative to the coracoid, metatarsal III and IV proportionally shorter than metatarsals I and II.

 Meilifeilong youhao gen. et sp. nov.

artwork: Maurilio Oliveira

 

Xiaolin Wang, Alexander W. A. Kellner, Shunxing Jiang, He Chen, Fabiana R. Costa, Xin Cheng, Xinjun Zhang, Bruno C. Vila Nova, Diogenes de Almeida Campos, Juliana M. Sayão, Taissa Rodrigues, Renan A. M. Bantim, Antônio A. F. Saraiva and Zhonghe Zhou. 2023. A New toothless Pterosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota with Comments on the Chaoyangopteridae. Scientific Reports. 3, 22642. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-48076-7

 twitter.com/paleoTaissa/status/1737866080184307713

[Arachnida • 2023] Pholcus xiuyan • Pholcid Spiders of the Pholcus phungiformes Species-group (Araneae: Pholcidae) from Liaoning Province, China: An Overview, with Description of A New Species

 

Pholcus xiuyan Zhao, Zheng & Yao,

in Zhao, Jiang, Yang, He, Zheng et Yao, 2023. 

 DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.1156.98331

Abstract

Species of the Pholcus phungiformes group exhibit high diversity in Liaoning Province of northeastern China. This paper summarizes the current knowledge on this species-group from this area. A checklist of 22 species recorded from this province is given, accompanied with a distribution map of the species. Pholcus xiuyan Zhao, Zheng & Yao, sp. nov. (♂♀) is described as new to science, and P. yuhuangshan Yao & Li, 2021 is reported from Liaoning for the first time.

Keywords: Biodiversity, daddy-long-legs spider, morphology, Northeast Asia, taxonomy

Pholcus xiuyan sp. nov., living specimens and habitat
A, B females and juveniles on rock walls C habitat, arrow indicates collecting site.

 Pholcus xiuyan Zhao, Zheng & Yao, sp. nov.

 

Remarks: This new species is assigned to the phungiformes group by the following combination of characters: the male chelicerae with frontal apophyses (arrow fa in Fig. 4D), the male palpal tibia with a prolatero-ventral projection (Fig. 3A), the procursus with dorsal spines (arrows in Fig. 3D), the uncus with a “pseudo-appendix” (arrow 2 in Fig. 4C), and the epigyne with a knob (Fig. 4A).

 Fangyu Zhao, Tian Jiang, Lan Yang, Qiaoqiao He, Guo Zheng and Zhiyuan Yao. 2023. Pholcid Spiders of the Pholcus phungiformes Species-group (Araneae, Pholcidae) from Liaoning Province, China: An Overview, with Description of A New Species. ZooKeys. 1156: 1-14. DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.1156.98331

[Paleontology • 2023] Wulong bohaiensis • Iridescent Plumage in A juvenile dromaeosaurid Theropod Dinosaur

Wulong bohaiensis  Poust, Gao, Varricchio, Wu & Zhang, 2020

in Croudace, Shen, Lü, Brusatte et Vinther, 2023. 

   pan.pl/article/item/app010042022.html

Artwork by Robert Nicholls (Bob Nicholls Art).

Colour reconstructions have provided new insights into the lives of dinosaurs and other extinct animals, by predicting colouration patterns from fossilised pigment-bearing organelles called melanosomes. Although these methods have become increasingly popular, only a small number of dinosaurs have been studied using these techniques, which require exceptional preservation of fossil feathers, leaving open key questions such as whether dinosaurs changed their plumage patterns during ontogeny. Here we reconstruct the feather colouration of an approximately one-year-old individual of the Early Cretaceous dromaeosaurid theropod Wulong bohaiensis, which to our knowledge is the first unequivocal juvenile paravian for which aspects of the original colour has been predicted. Using quadratic discriminant analysis (QDA) and multinomial logistic regression (MLR) on the most comprehensive available datasets, we find strong evidence for iridescent plumage of the forelimb and hindlimb remiges and grey plumage on other portions of the body. This suggests that some juvenile paravians used shiny iridescent feathers for signalling purposes, possibly even before reaching somatic or sexual maturity, and thus we can conclude that this paravian used iridescent signalling for intraspecific communication other than sexual signalling. Finally, our results show that when analysing fossil datasets that are entirely comprised of solid and cylindrical melanosomes QDA consistently outperforms MLR, providing more accurate and higher classification probability colour predictions.

Key words: Dinosauria, Dromaeosauridae, Paraves, Wulong bohaiensis , iridescence, melanosome, palaeocolour, juvenile, colour reconstruction, Cretaceous, China.

Reconstruction of the dromaeosaurid dinosaur Wulong bohaiensis Poust, Gao, Varricchio, Wu, and Zhang, 2020 (DNHM D2933),
from Shangheshou, Chaoyang, Liaoning, China, Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation with a minimum age of 120.3Ma.
This illustration broadly depicts iridescent plumage on the limbs and grey feathers on the body. It should be noted that the full extent of the iridescence has been extrapolated in the creation of this illustration, based on the evidence provided by a small but significant distribution of iridescent samples across several limbs of the fossil.

Artwork by Robert Nicholls (Bob Nicholls Art).

 

Angus D. Croudace, Caizhi Shen, Junchang Lü, Stephen L. Brusatte and Jakob Vinther. 2023. Iridescent Plumage in A juvenile dromaeosaurid Theropod Dinosaur. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica.  in press. https://app.pan.pl/article/item/app010042022.html

DOI: 10.4202/app.01004.2022

[Paleontology • 2022] Reappraisal of the largest ctenochasmatid Moganopterus zhuiana Lü et al. 2012 (Pterosauria: Ctenochasmatidae)

Moganopterus zhuiana Lü et al., 2012 

in Gao, Jiang, Xu, et al., 2022. 

 vertpala.ac.cn 

Moganopterus zhuiana Lü et al., 2012 was erected as a member of the Boreopteridae, which was questioned by different researchers shortly after the publication. Although the new assignment to the Ctenochasmatidae is widely accepted by pterosaur researchers, some characteristics still require a detailed description. Here, the holotype of this taxon is restudied, and some ambiguous characteristics are re-identified. The diagnosis of this taxon has been revised as the following: a large ctenochasmatid pterosaur, which can be distinguished from other members of this clade by a single autapomorphy: an elongated rod-like parietal crest that extends posterodorsally, forming an angle of about 15° with the ventral margin of the skull. This taxon can be further distinguished from other ctenochasmatids on the basis of the following combination of characteristics: straight occlusal surfaces of the upper and low jaws; presence of a low premaxillary crest confined anterior to the nasoantorbital fenestra; rostrum about two thirds of the skull length; nasoantorbital fenestra occupying slightly more than 20% of the skull length; about 100 slender teeth; and a mid-cervical length/width ratio of about 7. The wingspan of M. zhuiana has been re-estimated according to a simple regression equation for wingspan versus skull length in ctenochasmatids. It confirms that M. zhuiana, although smaller than previous thought, is still the largest known ctenochasmatid. When comparing the sizes of ctenochasmatids in the Jurassic and Cretaceous, ctenochasmatids showed a rough tendency to increase their sizes.

Key words: Liaoning, Jiufotang Formation, Moganopterus zhuiana, largest ctenochasmatid

Photographs and reconstruction of the holotype of Moganopterus zhuiana (HGM 41HIII-0419) from Jianchang, Liaoning
A. slab A; B. slab B; C. the reconstruction of the upper and lower jaws.

GAO Dian-Song, JIANG Shun-Xing, XU Li, CHENG Xin, YANG Li-Li, JIA Song-Hai and WANG Xiao-Lin. 2022. Reappraisal of the largest ctenochasmatid Moganopterus zhuiana Lü et al., 2012. VERTEBRATA PALASIATICA. 60(3); 197-211. vertpala.ac.cn/EN/10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.220111

 DOI: 10.19615/j.cnki.2096-9899.220111

http://www.vertpala.ac.cn/EN/2096-9899/home.shtml

   

摘要：朱氏莫干翼龙(Moganopterus zhuiana)由吕君昌等于2012年建立,并将其归入北方翼龙科(Boreopteridae), 这一分类在发表后不久就受到了不同研究者的质疑。之后,尽管关于莫干翼龙归入梳颌翼龙科(Ctenochasmatidae)的观点已被大部分翼龙研究者所接受,但是很多特征还需要详细的描述。通过对朱氏莫干翼龙的正型标本进行详细观察,对一些较为模糊的特征进行了重新确认。将其鉴定特征修改为：一种大型的梳颌翼龙类成员,具有一个与其他成员不同的自有裔征——一长棍状额骨嵴向后背侧延伸,并与头骨腹面形成15°夹角。同时莫干翼龙还具有以下的特征组合可以区别于其他梳颌翼龙类成员：平直的上下颌咬合面;低矮的前上颌骨嵴位于鼻眶前孔之前;吻端约占头骨长度的2/3; 鼻眶前孔占头骨长度略大于20%; 100枚细长的牙齿;中部颈椎的长宽比约为7。依据梳颌翼龙类翼展和头骨长度的线性关系,重新推测了莫干翼龙的翼展。新的推测结果证实,虽然比最初推测的小了很多,但莫干翼龙仍然是已知的个体最大的梳颌翼龙类成员。对比侏罗纪和白垩纪的梳颌翼龙类,这一种类的体型大致存在一个增大的趋势。

关键词: 辽宁, 九佛堂组, 朱氏莫干翼龙, 最大的梳颌翼龙类

Lü Junchang; Pu Hanyong; Xu Li; Wu Yanhua; Wei Xuefang (2012). "Largest Toothed Pterosaur Skull from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Western Liaoning, China, with Comments On the Family Boreopteridae". Acta Geologica Sinica. 86 (2): 287–293. DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-6724.2012.00658.x

[PaleoOrnithology • 2021] Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus • Novel Evolution of A Hyper-elongated Tongue in A Cretaceous Enantiornithine from China and the Evolution of the Hyolingual Apparatus and Feeding in Birds

Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus

Li, Wang, Stidham, Zhou & Clarke, 2021

DOI: 10.1111/joa.13588

 

Abstract

The globally distributed extinct clade Enantiornithes comprises the most diverse early radiation of birds in the Mesozoic with species exhibiting a wide range of body sizes, morphologies, and ecologies. The fossil of a new enantiornithine bird, Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus gen. et sp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, preserves a few important skeletal features previously unknown among early stem and extant birds, including an extremely elongate bony hyoid element (only slightly shorter than the skull), combined with a short cranial rostrum. The long hyoid provides direct evidence for the evolution of specialized feeding in this extinct species, and appears similar to the highly mobile tongue that is mobilized by the paired epibranchials present in living hummingbirds, honeyeaters, and woodpeckers. The likely linkage between food acquisition and tongue protrusion might have been a key factor in the independent evolution of particularly elongate hyobranchials in early birds.

Aves Linnaeus, 1758. 

Enantiornithes Walker, 1981. 

Photograph and line drawing of the skull of the holotype specimen of  Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus (IVPP V13266).

Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus gen. et sp. nov. 

Etymology: The genus name refers to its short rostrum (and bird), and the specific epithet refers to the particularly long hyoid apparatus. 

Locality and horizon: Xiaotaizi Village, Jianchang County, Liaoning Province, China; Jiufotang Formation, Lower Cretaceous. Age approximately 120 Ma (He et al., 2004).

 Brevirostruavis macrohyoideus with its mouth open to show its long tongue that was used to catch insects or obtain nectar from cone-bearing plants

Zhiheng Li, Min Wang, Thomas A. Stidham, Zhonghe Zhou and Julia Clarke. 2021. Novel Evolution of A Hyper-elongated Tongue in A Cretaceous Enantiornithine from China and the Evolution of the Hyolingual Apparatus and Feeding in Birds. Journal of Anatomy. DOI: 10.1111/joa.13588

 english.cas.cn/newsroom/research_news/life/202112/t20211215_294071.shtml

[PaleoOrnithology • 2021] A Juvenile Specimen of Archaeorhynchus Sheds New Light on the Ontogeny of Basal Euornithines

Archaeorhynchus spathula Zhou & Zhang, 2006

in Foth, Wang, ... et Yang, 2021. 

DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.604520 

Illustration: Frederik Spindler facebook.com/FrederikSpindler7

The ontogenetic development of extant birds is characterized by rapid growth, bone fusion and an early onset of flight ability. In contrast, little is known about how these ontogenetic traits evolved in the bird stem lineage, and the available data pertains primarily to Enantiornithes. Here, we describe an almost complete skeleton of a juvenile euornithine bird (LNTU-WLMP-18) from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation (Aptian), which was discovered near Lamadong Town (Jianchang County, Liaoning, China). Despite its completeness, bone preservation is rather poor. Thus, to increase the contrast between bone tissue and matrix, we used cyan-red-based autofluorescence photography. The specimen is more or less articulated and exposed in ventral aspect. The jaws are edentulous, the coracoid bears a procoracoid process, and the ischium lacks a proximodorsal process. The pedal unguals are short and barely curved, indicating a ground-dwelling lifestyle. Feathers, including long primaries, are present as carbonized traces. Several characters indicate that LNTU-WLMP-18 is a juvenile: the bone surface has a coarsely striated texture and no fusion is evident between the carpals and metacarpals, between the tibia and the astragalus and calcaneum, or among the metatarsals. Although juvenile characters have the potential to impede accurate identification of the specimen, morphological comparisons and cladistic analysis identify LNTU-WLMP-18 as most likely referable to the basal euornithine Archaeorhynchus, which would make the specimen the first juvenile bird from the Jehol Group that could be assigned to a specific taxon. Based on its size and the incomplete ossification of the bone surface, LNTU-WLMP-18 represents the smallest and therefore youngest known individual of this genus. A statistical comparison of limb proportions shows that the forelimbs of LNTU-WLMP-18 are significantly shorter than the hindlimbs, while the forelimbs are longer than the hindlimbs in subadult and adult individuals. This is different from the situation in some Enantiornithes, in which the forelimbs exceed the length of the hindlimbs even in hatchlings. Similar to Enantiornithes, Archaeorhynchus probably exhibit an early onset of flight ability, as indicated by the extensive wing plumage in LNTU-WLMP-18. Finally, the lack of gastroliths in the visceral cavity might indicate a dietary shift in Archaeorhynchus during ontogeny. As a small-bodied, ground-dwelling, seed-eating bird with a precocial ontogeny, Archaeorhynchus filled an ecological niche that later allowed early crown birds to survive the K-Pg mass extinction.

Keywords: Euornithes, ontogeny, Early Cretaceous, China, bird evolution

FIGURE 2. Overview of the skeleton of LNTU-WLMP-18.
 (A) LNTU-WLMP-18 under normal light. (B) LNTU-WLMP-18 under cyan-red autofluorescence. (C) Explanatory drawing of LNTU-WLMP-18.

 Anatomical abbreviations: cv cervicals; do dorsals; gc gastric content; lco left coracoid; lfe left femur; lhu left humerus; lil left ilium; lis left ischium; lma left metacarpus; lmt left metatarsus; lpd left pedal digits; lpu left pubis; lra left radius; lre left remiges; lsc left scapula; lti left tibia; lul left ulna; rfe right femur; rhu right humerus; ril right ilium; ris right ischium; rpd right pedal digits; rpu right pubis; rra right radius; rre right remiges; rsc right scapula; rti right tibia; rul right ulna; sac sacrum; sk skull. Scale bar 10 mm.

 

 Christian Foth, Shiying Wang, Frederik Spindler, Youhai Lin and Rui Yang. 2021. A Juvenile Specimen of Archaeorhynchus Sheds New Light on the Ontogeny of Basal Euornithines. Front. Earth Sci.  9:604520. DOI: 10.3389/feart.2021.604520

  facebook.com/FrederikSpindler7/posts/3917366061666504

[PaleoMammalogy • 2021] Fossiomanus sinensis & Jueconodon cheni • Fossoriality and Evolutionary Development in Two Cretaceous Mammaliamorphs

Fossiomanus sinensis & Jueconodon cheni 

Mao, Zhang, Liu & Meng, 2021

 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03433-2

Abstract

Mammaliamorpha comprises the last common ancestor of Tritylodontidae and Mammalia plus all its descendants. Tritylodontids are nonmammaliaform herbivorous cynodonts that originated in the Late Triassic epoch, diversified in the Jurassic period and survived into the Early Cretaceous epoch. Eutriconodontans have generally been considered to be an extinct mammalian group, although different views exist. Here we report a newly discovered tritylodontid and eutriconodontan from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of China. Eutriconodontans are common in this biota, but it was not previously known to contain tritylodontids. The two distantly related species show convergent features that are adapted for fossorial life, and are the first ‘scratch-diggers’ known from this biota. Both species also show an increased number of presacral vertebrae, relative to the ancestral state in synapsids or mammals, that display meristic and homeotic changes. These fossils shed light on the evolutionary development of the axial skeleton in mammaliamorphs, which has been the focus of numerous studies in vertebrate evolution and developmental biology. The phenotypes recorded by these fossils indicate that developmental plasticity in somitogenesis and HOX gene expression in the axial skeleton—similar to that observed in extant mammals—was already in place in stem mammaliamorphs. The interaction of these developmental mechanisms with natural selection may have underpinned the diverse phenotypes of body plan that evolved independently in various clades of mammaliamorph.

Holotypes of Fossiomanus sinensis (JZMP-2107500093) 

 Systematic palaeontology

Synapsida Osborn, 1903

Cynodontia Owen, 1861

Mammaliamorpha Rowe, 1988

Tritylodontidae Cope, 1844

Fossiomanus sinensis gen. et sp. nov.

Holotype. A skeleton with broken skull and partial dentition (accessioned as Jinzhou Paleontological Museum (JZMP)-2107500093).

Locality and horizon. Jiufotang Formation at Lamadong, Jianchang (Liaoning province, China); Aptian stage (about 120 million years old) (Supplementary Information).

Etymology. Fossio, ‘digging’ and manus ‘hand’; sinensis, ‘from China’ (Latin).

The dioramic landscape illustrates the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota with emphasis on mammaliamorphs.

Illustration: Chuang Zhao

Mammaliaformes Rowe, 1988

Mammalia Linnaeus, 1758

Eutriconodonta Kermack, Mussett and Rigney, 1973

Jueconodon cheni gen. et sp. nov.

Holotype. A nearly complete skeleton with dentition (accessioned at the Beipiao Pterosaur Museum of China, catalogue number ZGY0052) (Figs. 1, 2, Extended Data Figs. 5–8).

Locality and horizon. Yixian Formation at Jianshangou, Beipiao (Liaoning province, China); Early Barremian to Early Aptian stage (Supplementary Information).

Etymology. Jue, digging (Chinese pinyin); conodon, cuspate tooth (Latin); the specific name is for Y. Chen, who collected the holotype.

Fangyuan Mao, Chi Zhang, Cunyu Liu and Jin Meng. 2021. Fossoriality and Evolutionary Development in Two Cretaceous Mammaliamorphs. Nature.  DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03433-2

 

Dig This: Two New Burrowing Mammal Ancestors Discovered

 amnh.org/explore/news-blogs/research-posts/burrowing-mammal-ancestors-discovered

Scientists discover two new species of ancient, burrowing mammal ancestors

 phys.org/news/2021-04-scientists-species-ancient-burrowing-mammal.html

[Paleontology • 2020] Changmiania liaoningensis • A New Basal Ornithopod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China

Changmiania liaoningensis 

Yang, Wu, Dieudonné & Godefroit,. 2020

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9832  

 naturalsciences.be

A new basal ornithopod dinosaur, based on two nearly complete articulated skeletons, is reported from the Lujiatun Beds (Yixian Fm, Lower Cretaceous) of western Liaoning Province (China). Some of the diagnostic features of Changmiania liaoningensis nov. gen., nov. sp. are tentatively interpreted as adaptations to a fossorial behavior, including: fused premaxillae; nasal laterally expanded, overhanging the maxilla; shortened neck formed by only six cervical vertebrae; neural spines of the sacral vertebrae completely fused together, forming a craniocaudally-elongated continuous bar; fused scapulocoracoid with prominent scapular spine; and paired ilia symmetrically inclined dorsomedially, partially covering the sacrum in dorsal view. A phylogenetic analysis places Changmiania liaoningensis as the most basal ornithopod dinosaur described so far. It is tentatively hypothesized that both Changmiania liaoningensis specimens were suddenly entrapped in a collapsed underground burrow while they were resting, which would explain their perfect lifelike postures and the complete absence of weathering and scavenging traces. However, further behavioural inference remains problematic, because those specimens lack extensive sedimentological and taphonomic data, as it is also the case for most specimens collected in the Lujiatun Beds so far.

Figure 1: Changmiania liaoningensis, an ornithopod dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of Lujiatun (Liaoning Province, China). 

(A) Holotype PMOL AD00114 in dorsal view; (B) anterior part of the holotype PMOL AD00114 in caudolateral view; (C) referred specimen PMOL LFV022 in dorsal view. Red arrows indicate the emplacement of the gastrolith clusters.

Figure 2: Changmiania liaoningensis.
 Skull of PMOL AD00114 in right lateral view. (A) Photograph; (B) line drawing.

      

Systematic Paleontology

Dinosauria Owen (1842)

Ornithischia Seeley (1887)

Neornithischia Cooper (1985)

Ornithopoda Marsh (1881)

Changmiania liaoningensis nov. gen., nov. sp.

Etymology — Changmian: eternal sleep, in Chinese Pinyin; liaoningensis: from Liaoning.

Holotype — PMOL AD00114, a nearly complete articulated skeleton (Figs. 1A and 1B)

Referred specimen — PMOL LFV022, another nearly complete skeleton, in dorsal view (Fig. 1C).

Locality and Horizon — Lujiatun, Shangyuan, Beipiao City, western Liaoning, China; Lujiatun Beds, lowest beds of Yixian Formation, Barremian, Lower Cretaceous.

Diagnosis (autapomorphies preceded by an asterisk): Fused premaxillae; nasal laterally expanded, overhanging the maxilla; long and straight posterior process of supraorbital, nearly contacting the postorbital; *rostrocaudally elongated frontals: maximum length to width ratio >4; *no sagittal crest on parietal; infratemporal fenestra triangular in lateral view, wider dorsally than ventrally; jugal process of postorbital rostrocaudally narrow along its whole height; *rostral process of squamosal straight and rostrocaudally elongated; *prominent caudal boss at the dorsolateral corner of the squamosal; *ventral border of dentary convex and ventral border of angular deeply concave, so that the lower jaw looks sigmoidal in lateral view; six cervical vertebrae; *neural spines of the sacral vertebrae completely fused together, forming a craniocaudally-elongated continuous bar; fused scapulocoracoid; *scapular blade asymmetrically expanded both ventrally and dorsally; *paired ilia symmetrically inclined dorsomedially, partially covering the sacrum in dorsal view; dorsal margin of ilium regularly convex along the whole length of the bone; *proximal half of fibula as robust as the corresponding portion of the tibia.

     

....

Conclusions: 

Changmiania liaoningensis nov. gen., nov. sp., from the Lower Cretaceous Lujiatun Beds of western Liaoning Province (China), is placed at the base of the clade Ornithopoda. The perfect preservation of the skeleton of both its holotype and referred specimen in a lifelike posture implies that the animals were rapidly entombed while they were still alive. Although its hindlimb proportions indicate that Changmiania was an efficient cursorial dinosaur, some of is diagnostic features are tentatively interpreted as adaptations to a fossorial behavior. It is therefore tentatively hypothesized that both Changmiania specimens were suddenly entrapped in a collapsed underground burrow while they were resting.

 

Yuqing Yang, Wenhao Wu, Paul-Emile Dieudonné and Pascal Godefroit​. 2020. A New Basal Ornithopod Dinosaur from the Lower Cretaceous of China. PeerJ. 8:e9832 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9832

Eternal Sleep: Dinosaurs Died Underground, Fossils Perfectly Preserved

 naturalsciences.be/en/news/item/19274

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