Recently, Assistant Professor WEI Xin and other colleagues of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), conducted systematic study on the shallow-water trilobites of the Koumenzi Formation (Katian) in the Qilian area.The North Qilian Mountains area is a key region of the Qilian Orogenic Belt, located between the Hexi Corridor area and the Qilian terrane. During the past few decades, trilobites of the Koumenzi Formation have been documented from the relatively deeper-water settings, but the shallow-water trilobites of similar horizons were poorly known. However, shallow-water trilobites not only display strong endemism but also provide greater biogeographical information.Recently, Assistant Professor WEI Xin and other colleagues of the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), conducted systematic study on the shallow-water trilobites of the Koumenzi Formation (Katian) in the Qilian area.A low diversity (seven species of six genera) trilobite fauna is recognized as the Pliomerina Association. Of these, Dulanaspis and Amphilichas are reported for the first time in the North Qilian Mountains. The shallow-water Pliomerina and relatively deep-water Birmanites-Sinocybele associations were found to occur in the Qilian and Menyuan areas, respectively, during the Katian. They exhibit a distinctive ecological differentiation with water depth from inner shelf to out shelf environments. The Pliomerina Association of the Qilian area clearly belongs to the Pliomerina and/or Sinocybele Province of the Proto-Tethys Archipelagic Ocean.Faunal evidence indicates that the palaeogeographical position of the North Qilian Mountains area was situated closer to the Kazakh terranes during the Katian, particularly to the Chu-Ili and Chingiz-Tarbagatai terranes. For example, Dulanaspis levis was reported from the Dulankara Formation (Katian 1) of the Chu-Ili terrane; Remopleurides cf. sibiricus was found in the Karagach Formation (Katian 1) of the Chingiz-Tarbagatai terrane. Two species of Pliomerina, P. cf. longhuangensis and P. sp., appear to be endemic to the North Qilian Mountains.The research result was published in Palaeoworld. This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2023YFF0803602), the National Science Foundation of China (42472018) and the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (20231101, E226030037).Reference: Xin Wei, Yu-Chen Zhang, Ren-Bin Zhan, Yi Wang, Peng Tang, Yong Wang, Ya-Tao Zhang, Jia-Qi Song. 2025. Shallow-water trilobites from the Koumenzi Formation (Katian, Upper Ordovician) of Qilian, northeastern Qinghai, China: Biogeographical links with Kazakh terranes. Palaeoworld 34, 200940. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2025.200940.Pliomerina cf. longhuangensis (A-E), Pliomerina sp. (F-H), asaphid gen. et sp. indet. (I)Trilobites from the Koumenzi Formation in the North Qilian Mountains (Qilian area); Pliomerina cf. longhuangensis (A-E), Pliomerina sp. (F-H), asaphid gen. et sp. indet. (I)Ecological distribution of the Pliomerina Association (Qilian area) and Birmanites-Sinocybele Association (Menyuan area) from the Koumenzi Formation in the North Qilian Mountains.Palaeogeographical map of the Proto-Tethys Archipelagic Ocean (PTAO) and the low-latitude Gondwana during the Katian (Late Ordovician), showing known occurrences of the key genera and species reported from the Koumenzi Formation.
Recently, the Early Palaeozoic research team at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) and researchers from other institutions studied middle Katian cephalopods from the Anti-Atlas and Qilian Mountains. The related results were recently published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology and Palaeoworld.As important predators in the Palaeozoic marine ecosystem, cephalopods evolved complex shell structures and forms during the Ordovician. The Katian Stage, a critical period at the peak of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event, also yielded numerous cephalopod fossils. Previous research on middle Katian cephalopods has primarily focused on documenting occurrences and systematic descriptions, lacking comprehensive overviews and syntheses.Recently, the Early Palaeozoic research team at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) and researchers from other institutions studied middle Katian cephalopods from the Anti-Atlas and Qilian Mountains. The related results were recently published in the Swiss Journal of Palaeontology and Palaeoworld.Ⅰ. Based on new cephalopod collections from the Eastern Anti-Atlas and Northern Qilian Mountains, more cephalopod genera and species have been reported, including Tafadnatoceras elfechtense, Paradnatoceras nyalamense, Isorthoceras sp., Anaspyroceras sp., Geisonocerina? sp., enriching the composition of the middle Katian cephalopods.Ⅱ. In general, middle Katian cephalopods flourished in low-latitude regions but declined in high-latitude regions. This biodiversity pattern aligns with changes in the latitudinal diversity gradient during the Ordovician.Ⅲ. Cluster analysis and weighted network analysis of global occurrences suggest cephalopod provincialism during the middle Katian Stage. Two provinces were recognized for cephalopods: the Mid–Low Latitude Province and the High Latitude Province, with global palaeoceanographic currents identified as a potential driver for this faunal differentiation.This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, and the Foreign Aid Project of the Ministry of Commerce of the People’s Republic of China. This is a contribution to IGCP Project 735 (Rocks and the Rise of Ordovician Life).Reference:Fang, X.*, Kröger, B., Liang, K., Chen, Q., Song, J.Q., Jiang, L., He, Y.Y., Wang, C.G., Zeng, X.W., Liu, H., Wei, K., Wu, F.F., Qie, W.K., 2025. Late Ordovician cephalopods from Morocco and their implications. Swiss Journal of Palaeontology 144, 37. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13358-025-00374-5.Song, J.Q., Fang, X.*, Zhang, Y.C., Wei, X., Zhang, Y.T., Wang, Y., Zhan, R.B., 2025. Cephalopods from the Upper Ordovician of the North Qilian Mountains region: Implications for palaeobiogeography. Palaeoworld 35, 2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2025.201048.Geographical location of study areas and sections (Left: Anti-Atlas; Right: Qilian)Middle Katian cephalopod collections from the Anti-Atlas and Qilian MountainsResults of quantitative analyses based on the middle Katian cephalopod occurrences
Stromatoporoid sponge communities from the early Silurian on the Tibetan Plateau has long been poorly represented in the fossil record, hindering the assessment of the region’s role in global Paleozoic marine evolution. Recent investigation by a research team from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), and Korea University on the early Silurian stromatoporoids from Baingoin, central Tibet have significantly improved this situation. The team has systematically documented an early Silurian (Aeronian) stromatoporoid assemblage from shallow-marine carbonate strata of the lower Dongka Group, with findings published in the Journal of Palaeogeography.Stromatoporoid sponge communities from the early Silurian on the Tibetan Plateau has long been poorly represented in the fossil record, hindering the assessment of the region’s role in global Paleozoic marine evolution. Recent investigation by a research team from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), and Korea University on the early Silurian stromatoporoids from Baingoin, central Tibet have significantly improved this situation. The team has systematically documented an early Silurian (Aeronian) stromatoporoid assemblage from shallow-marine carbonate strata of the lower Dongka Group, with findings published in the Journal of Palaeogeography.Three representative stromatoporoid species were identified in this study. The newly established species Cystostroma dongkaense sp. nov. is named after the Dongka locality where the material was collected. Another new species, Ecclimadictyon gejingae sp. nov., is dedicated to Ms. Ge Jing for her essential support during the field investigations in the high-altitude areas of Tibet. In addition, the known species Clathrodictyon shiqianense Dong and Yang, 1978 is also recorded from the same succession. The assemblage is dominated by clathrodictyid-type stromatoporoids, reflecting a characteristic post-extinction recovery community structure of the early Silurian.Taxonomic comparison indicates notable affinities between the Baingoin assemblage and coeval stromatoporoid faunas from South China. This similarity suggests that during the early Silurian the Lhasa terrane occupied warm, shallow-marine latitudes favourable for hypercalcified sponge growth and that faunal exchange likely occurred between the two regions. Thus, the Baingoin stromatoporoids not only document reef ecosystem re-establishment folloowing the end-Ordovician mass extinction but also provide new constraints on early Silurian palaeogeography and the early evolution of the Tethyan realm.Overall, this study advances the documentation of regional fossils, improves understanding of post-extinction reef recovery, and refines reconstruction of early Silurian palaeogeography. Future work integrating refined stratigraphic correlation and geochemical analyses is expected to further clarify environmental evolution and spatial dynamics of early Silurian reef ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau.Reference: Jeon, J., Chen, Z.Y., Wang, G.X., Zhang, Y.D., 2026. Middle Llandovery (Silurian) stromatoporoids from Baingoin, Xizang (Tibet), China. Journal of Palaeogeography, 15(2), 100336. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jop.2026.100336.Ecclimadictyon gejingae sp. nov.Clathrodictyon shiqianense
Recently, Prof. WANG Guangxu, from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), published his English monograph Systematics and Evolution of Cyathophylloidid and Stauriid Rugose Corals (Late Ordovician–mid-Silurian) in Fossils and Strata. The volume, 195 pages in length and illustrated with 102 figures, provides a comprehensive synthesis of the taxonomy and evolutionary history of two major rugose coral families during the Late Ordovician to mid-Silurian interval. This work resolves long-standing taxonomic uncertainties and offers new insights into the evolution of Early Palaeozoic marine ecosystems.Recently, Prof. WANG Guangxu, from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), published his English monograph Systematics and Evolution of Cyathophylloidid and Stauriid Rugose Corals (Late Ordovician–mid-Silurian) in Fossils and Strata. The volume, 195 pages in length and illustrated with 102 figures, provides a comprehensive synthesis of the taxonomy and evolutionary history of two major rugose coral families during the Late Ordovician to mid-Silurian interval. This work resolves long-standing taxonomic uncertainties and offers new insights into the evolution of Early Palaeozoic marine ecosystems.For more than two centuries, Cyathophylloididae and Stauriidae have often been broadly grouped together under the Stauriidae sensu lato, ever since Linnaeus first described Stauria favosa in 1758. However, many taxa, especially those established since the mid-20th century, have remained inadequately described and illustrated, leaving their validity in doubt and hindering reliable analyses of their origin and evolutionary trajectory. To address this issue, Wang’s study re-examines a large number of published specimens, particularly type material housed in palaeontological institutions in China and Estonia, supplemented by newly collected fossils, and undertakes a systematic revision of these coral groups.The research introduces a new framework for parricidal increase in rugose corals, distinguishing between septal parricidal increase (where new walls are formed from pre-existing septa) and aseptal parricidal increase (where septa are not involved). Wang argues that the traditional division into “peripheral” and “axial” increase, based solely on the position of new individuals, fails to capture the essential differences between typical stauriid rugose corals and other groups, and has led to considerable confusion. On this basis, the study redefines the scope of Cyathophylloididae and Stauriidae, and within the latter recognizes three subfamilies based on distinct septal increase modes (KLAC, KAC, and KA). Two new subfamilies, Paraceriasterinae and Heininae, are established, along with two new genera, Heina and Yuina. Furthermore, the monograph provides a detailed stratigraphic and geographic synthesis of the distribution of these corals within a high-resolution framework, tracing their origins, diversification, and extinction patterns.This research was financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (LPS).Reference: Wang, G.X. 2026. Systematics and evolution of cyathophylloidid and stauriid rugose corals (Late Ordovician–mid-Silurian). Fossils and Strata, 73, 1–195. https://www.scup.com/doi/book/10.18261/9788294167210-2026.cover page of the monograph
Around 540 million years ago, Earth’s biosphere underwent a pivotal transformation, shifting from a microbe-dominated world to one teeming with animal life, as nearly all major animal phyla appeared abruptly in the fossil record over a very short geological time interval. This landmark evolutionary event is known as the Cambrian Explosion. However, this surge in animal diversity was cut short around 513 million years ago by the Phanerozoic eon’s first mass extinction, the Sinsk Event—with an extinction rate on par with the planet’s five most severe mass extinctions, the so-called “Big Five.” In its aftermath, global biodiversity remained low for around 50 million years, until the onset of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.Around 540 million years ago, Earth’s biosphere underwent a pivotal transformation, shifting from a microbe-dominated world to one teeming with animal life, as nearly all major animal phyla appeared abruptly in the fossil record over a very short geological time interval. This landmark evolutionary event is known as the Cambrian Explosion. However, this surge in animal diversity was cut short around 513 million years ago by the Phanerozoic eon’s first mass extinction, the Sinsk Event—with an extinction rate on par with the planet’s five most severe mass extinctions, the so-called “Big Five.” In its aftermath, global biodiversity remained low for around 50 million years, until the onset of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.For decades, scientific understanding of the Sinsk Event has been hampered by gaps in the shelly fossil record across the extinction boundary, where existing fossils preserve only the skeletonized parts of ancient organisms. By contrast, rare soft-bodied fossil deposits offer a far more complete snapshot of ancient ecosystems.While paleontologists have uncovered dozens of such Cambrian soft-bodied fossil sites—including China’s early Cambrian Chengjiang biota in Yunnan and Canada’s middle Cambrian Burgess Shale biota, the most famous examples of their kind—no equivalent top-tier soft-bodied fossil deposit had ever been found from the critical post-Sinsk Event time interval.That changed over the past five years, however, with the discovery of the Huayuan biota—a world-class soft-bodied fossil deposit dating to shortly after the Sinsk Event. The deposit, located in Huayuan County, Hunan Province, was identified by a research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), whose findings were published in Nature on January 28.The researchers have collected more than 50,000 specimens from a single fossil quarry and formally classified 8,681 specimens. Of these, 153 animal species have been documented, belonging to 16 phylum-level groups—with 59% of these species representing newly described taxa.Numerous fossils from the Huayuan biota exhibit exquisitely preserved soft-bodied anatomical structures, including digestive, respiratory, and nervous systems. The presence of diverse active predators and abundant pelagic tunicates points to a deep-water faunal community with a complex food web and fully functional biological carbon pump mechanisms.The Huayuan biota boasts an extraordinary abundance and diversity of soft-bodied fossils, exceptional fidelity of soft-tissue preservation, and complex ecosystem structures, establishing it as a top-rank Burgess Shale-type fossil deposit, rivaling China’s Chengjiang biota and Canada’s Burgess Shale biota.Dating to the critical post-extinction interval following the Phanerozoic’s first mass die-off, the Huayuan biota provides crucial insights into the processes and consequences of this early extinction crisis. Notably, the biota contains unexpected representatives of taxa known from the Burgess Shale biota—fossils that evidence transoceanic dispersal events in the aftermath of the extinction and highlight the role of ocean currents in shaping the biogeographic patterns of early marine animals.Furthermore, the research team compiled a comprehensive global dataset of Cambrian soft-bodied biotas and conducted quantitative comparative analyses between the Huayuan biota and other major fossil deposits. These analyses reveal a fundamental reorganization of global marine communities across the Sinsk Event extinction boundary. The findings further suggest that deep-water outer shelf environments acted as critical refugia for faunal migration, biological survival, and evolutionary innovation during this pivotal post-extinction transition.The research was led by CAS academician Prof. ZHU Maoyan, in collaboration with researchers from the Hunan Museum, the Chengdu Center of China Geological Survey, Nanjing University, Guizhou University, and Linyi University.The study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China, among other sources.Reference: Zeng, H.#, Liu, Q.#, Zhao, F.C.*, Luo, C., Wang, D.Z., Zhu, Y.Y., Liu, Y., Chen, K., Sun, Z.X., Hong, Y.J., Miao, L.Y., Hu, C.L., Sun, H.J., Pan, B., Zhao, J.L., Yin, Z.J., Li, G.X., Yang, X.L., Yang, A.H., Hu, S.X., Zhu, M.Y.* 2026. A Cambrian soft-bodied biota after the first Phanerozoic mass extinction. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-10030-0.Fossil excavation in the fieldSoft-bodied fossils from the Huayuan biotaArtistic reconstruction of the Huayuan biota (by YANG Dinghua & Scientific Visualization Team at ScienceNet.cn)
Recently, the Early Land Plant Evolution working group of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), led by Prof. XU Honghe, made new progress in a systematic study on plant fossils from the Pridoli of western Junggar, Xinjiang. The evolutionary patterns of species diversity and morphological disparity in the globally distributed early land plant genus Zosterophyllum was also quantitatively analyzed in this study. The research result was published in the international botanical journal Annals of Botany.The Silurian is the key period for the origin and evolution of early vascular plants, witnessing initial plant diversification and phytogeographic zonation. As an important group of early land plants, the Zosterophyllopsida, first appeared with Euphyllophytopsida in South China, Australia, Kazakhstan and Canada during the Silurian. Zosterophyllopsida is represented by its type genus Zosterophyllum, which definitive fossil records begin in the late Silurian (Pridoli), and the genus experienced appearance, expansion, and eventual extinction during the Early Devonian, leaving a widespread fossil record globally.Recently, the Early Land Plant Evolution working group of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), led by Prof. XU Honghe, made new progress in a systematic study on plant fossils from the Pridoli of western Junggar, Xinjiang. The evolutionary patterns of species diversity and morphological disparity in the globally distributed early land plant genus Zosterophyllum was also quantitatively analyzed in this study. The research result was published in the international botanical journal Annals of Botany.The research team discovered a new species of Zosterophyllum from the Wutubulake Formation in the western Junggar, naming it Zosterophyllum mangkeluense. This plant exhibits a tufted habit characterized by H- or K-shaped branching in the basal part, with smooth erect axes terminating in relatively compact spikes composed of helically arranged, unequal-valved sporangia. The discovery of this new species enriches the composition of the late Silurian flora in this region and represents one of the earliest global fossil records for the genus Zosterophyllum.Furthermore, the team collected global fossil occurrence data of Zosterophyllum and morphological data from 18 Zosterophyllum species. Using methods such as morphospace and disparity analyses, diversity estimation etc., we traced the evolutionary trajectory of the genus from the Pridoli to the Emsian. The study found that while the species diversity of Zosterophyllum peaked during the Pragian of the Early Devonian, the principal expansion of its morphospace occurred earlier from the Pridoli to the Lochkovian. This reveals a decoupled evolutionary pattern between species diversity and the whole-plant morphological disparity, suggesting that morphological innovations serve as a key factor promoting species diversification in early vascular plants.In this study, the research group recognizes a new Zosterophyllum species and introduces qualitative description with quantitative statistical methods, revealing the uncoupling of species diversity and morphological disparity in Zosterophyllum during early land plant evolution. It provides a clearer depiction of the evolutionary trajectory of this group and offers new evidence for understanding Silurian–Devonian plant evolution.The research was supported by National Key R&D Program of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation, and the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (NIGP, CAS).Reference: Wang Y.†, Liu B.C.†, Zong R.W., Wang K., Wang Y., Xu H.H.*. 2025. Uncoupling of morphological disparity and species diversity in Zosterophyllum, with its new species from the Pridoli (Silurian) of West Junggar, Xinjiang, China. Annals of Botany. https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf337.Fig.1 Reconstruction of Zosterophyllum mangkeluense sp. nov. Scale bars: 10 mm.Fig.2 Diversity and morphological disparity of all Zosterophyllum species.Fig.3 Morphological analysis of all species of the genus Zosterophyllum.
Recently, an interdisciplinary team composed of Prof. WANG Bo from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), Prof. WU Jianing from Sun Yat-sen University, and Prof. ZHAO Jieliang from Beijing Institute of Technology provided a new explanation for the foraging division of labor mechanism in bumblebees from the perspectives of fluid dynamics, morphology, and ecology. The study revealed that subtle variations in the microstructure of functional organs can influence division of labor at the colony level. The paper was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 12, 2026.Social insects exhibit distinct caste differentiation and division of labor. Understanding how social insects develop diverse morphological, behavioral, and life history traits has long been a key goal in paleontology, evolutionary biology, and developmental biology. Bumblebees, as semi-social insects occupying an intermediate stage between solitary and eusocial life, are ideal organisms for studying this question.Recently, an interdisciplinary team composed of Prof. WANG Bo from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), Prof. WU Jianing from Sun Yat-sen University, and Prof. ZHAO Jieliang from Beijing Institute of Technology provided a new explanation for the foraging division of labor mechanism in bumblebees from the perspectives of fluid dynamics, morphology, and ecology. The study revealed that subtle variations in the microstructure of functional organs can influence division of labor at the colony level. The paper was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on January 12, 2026.Bumblebees have evolved a unique mouthpart. During nectar collection, its glossa performs rapid back-and-forth movements to continuously capture and transport nectar into the mouth. The glossa is densely covered with thousands of slender hairs, which spread out as the glossa extends and are crucial microstructures for nectar collection. The research team conducted detailed morphological characterization of the glossa using scanning electron microscopy. Based on the dissection of 99 bumblebees, the glossa length ranges approximately from 4 to 10 mm. Larger bumblebees possess longer glossae and wider hair spacing. Meanwhile, as the queen is the highest-ranking and largest individual in the colony, representing the extreme state of morphological data, the hair spacing on the queen's glossa remains relatively constant at 40–50 μm regardless of body size, whereas in workers, hair spacing varies between 15 and 45 μm depending on body size.The research team simulated nectar by preparing sucrose solutions with varying sugar concentrations and injected them into glass capillaries with a diameter of 1 mm to mimic natural corolla scenarios for bumblebees to collect. Using high-speed microphotography, they quantitatively measured the volume of nectar ingested per glossa reciprocation. The study found that as individual body size increases, the volume ingested per reciprocation generally increases, but this growth is significantly slower than the rate at which the internal available space of the glossa increases with body size. Larger bumblebees do not proportionally gain higher effective intake. Particularly for queens, even with body sizes similar to workers, due to their wider hair spacing, the nectar fill rate of their glossa is lower than that of workers. In summary, larger bumblebees with wider hair spacing find it more difficult to effectively utilize the internal space of their glossa for nectar storage.Based on high-speed microimaging, the research team discovered that when the glossa retracts, adjacent hairs form curved air-liquid interfaces, providing an additional capillary pressure gradient that enhances the entrainment of viscous nectar. This additional capillary pressure balances hydrostatic pressure. When hair spacing widens or glossa length increases, the liquid-carrying capacity of the glossa decreases. Besides the surface tension of the liquid, viscosity also plays a role in nectar capture. Due to growth constraints of the glossa structure, under natural conditions when bumblebee body size increases, their mouthparts cannot meet the optimal scaling relationship, causing gravity to dominate and thereby reducing the nectar fill rate.This study, through multidisciplinary evidence, reveals the allometric growth pattern of the bumblebee glossa structure. This scaling relationship leads to a decrease in nectar fill rate, physically limiting the nectar collection efficiency of larger bumblebees and providing an explanation for the scientific question, "Why do queens stop foraging?" At the engineering level, this research offers inspiration for bioinspired interfaces and liquid transport systems, potentially aiding in the design of tools for micro-liquid sample collection and detection.This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Reference：Huang Zexiang, Wu Shumeng, Wu Qinglin, Mai Tianyu, Zhao Jieliang, Wang Bo, Wu Jianing (2026) Tongue microstructure physically constrains division of labor in bumblebee foraging. PNAS, 123: e2527391123. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2527391123.Fig.1 Bumblebee worker (left) and queen (right) feeding on artificial nectar in the laboratoryFig.2 High-speed microphotography of bumblebee collecting artificial nectarFig.3 Scanning electron microscope image and schematic diagram of the glossaFig.4 Comparison of nectar collection efficiency between workers and queensFig.5 Schematic diagram of the viscous-capillary entrainment principleFig.6 Theoretical framework for nectar uptake
Recently, an international research team consisting of Dr. HAN Meiling, Prof. LI Gang from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), alongside Prof. Jörg Mutterlose from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, Prof. Ulrich Heimhofer from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and Dr. Alexander Wheeler from Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Germany, conducted a systematic investigation into mid-Cretaceous stable isotope records and diagenetic overprints in southern Tibet. Focusing on the Qiangdong section in the Gamba area, the team integrated carbon and oxygen isotope analyses with mineralogical data, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and palynofacies analysis to evaluate the reliability of carbonate carbon isotope records and to assess how diagenetic processes constrain the identification of Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). This study has been published in the international journal “Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology”.The mid-Cretaceous (Albian–Turonian) interval was a time window characterized by extreme climatic conditions, marked by high production rates of oceanic crust and the formation of large igneous provinces (LIPs), which promoted CO2 emissions to the ocean-atmosphere system, leading to a pronounced greenhouse climate. Under these conditions, enhanced continental weathering and increased nutrient input to the oceans promoted widespread marine oxygen depletion, resulting in a series of globally significant Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). Among them, the late Albian OAE 1d and OAE 2 spanning the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary (CTB) are characterized by the widespread deposition of organic-rich sediments and pronounced positive carbon isotope excursions, making them key time windows for investigating mid-Cretaceous carbon cycle perturbations and palaeoceanographic evolution.Recently, an international research team consisting of Dr. HAN Meiling, Prof. LI Gang from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), alongside Prof. Jörg Mutterlose from Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, Prof. Ulrich Heimhofer from Leibniz University Hannover, Germany, and Dr. Alexander Wheeler from Geological Institute, RWTH Aachen University, Germany, conducted a systematic investigation into mid-Cretaceous stable isotope records and diagenetic overprints in southern Tibet. Focusing on the Qiangdong section in the Gamba area, the team integrated carbon and oxygen isotope analyses with mineralogical data, Rock-Eval pyrolysis, and palynofacies analysis to evaluate the reliability of carbonate carbon isotope records and to assess how diagenetic processes constrain the identification of Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). This study has been published in the international journal “Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology”.In this study, the first continuous record of carbon and oxygen stable isotopes spanning the late Albian to early Turonian from the Qiangdong section in the Gamba area, southern Tibet, and systematically evaluates the impact of diagenesis on carbonate carbon isotope signals. A high-resolution δ13Ccarb record reveals an approximately 1.5‰ positive carbon isotope excursion within the calcareous nannofossil UC0 Zone, allowing the first identification of OAE 1d in this region and enabling detailed correlation with coeval records from multiple global oceanic realms.This study presents the first continuous late Albian–early Turonian carbon and oxygen stable isotope record from the Qiangdong section (Gamba area, southern Tibet) and evaluates the effects of diagenesis on carbonate carbon isotope signals. An approximately 1.5‰ positive δ¹³Ccarb excursion within the calcareous nannofossil UC0 zone allows the first recognition of OAE 1d in this region and facilitates global chemostratigraphic correlation. Extremely low δ18Ocarb values, coupled with δ13Ccarb–δ18Ocarb covariation, illite-rich clay mineral assemblages, elevated Tmax values (432–560°C) and TAI indices, and selective dissolution of calcareous nannofossils collectively indicate that the Qiangdong section has undergone intense burial diagenesis and thermal alteration. These effects are particularly pronounced in intervals characterized by enhanced detrital input and reduced carbonate content, where δ13Ccarb signals are more susceptible to diagenetic modification.This study provides critical new data and geochemical constraints for carbon isotope chemostratigraphic correlation across the late Albian to early Turonian in the eastern Tethys. The results demonstrate that, under conditions of strong diagenetic overprint and diminished carbonate content, the characteristic positive carbon isotope excursion of OAE 2 near the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary may be significantly attenuated or even obscured in the Qiangdong section. These findings highlight the necessity of rigorous diagenetic screening when interpreting δ13Ccarb records, to ensure the reliability of carbon isotope-based chemostratigraphic correlations.This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Reference: Han, M., Li, G.*, Wheeler, A., Heimhofer, U., Mutterlose, J., 2026. A mid-Cretaceous (Late Albian–Early Turonian) stable isotope record from southern Tibet–Pristine or diagenetically altered?. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 113552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2026.113552.Fig.1 (A) Palaeogeographic map for the late Albian (~100 Ma); (B) Simplified geological map of South Tibet showing the Qiangdong section.Fig.2 Correlation of δ13Ccarb records within the Albian/Cenomanian boundary interval, including the OAE 1d.Fig.3 Correlation of the δ13Ccarb records in the Cenomanian/Turonian boundary interval.
In a major step forward, Dr. LIU Qian, a postdoctoral researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), has joined forces with Dr. Michelle Taylor (University of Essex), Prof. Alex Rogers (National Oceanography Centre, UK), and Prof. Carlos Duarte (KAUST). Leading a consortium of 34 deep-sea experts from 13 nations, including the UK, USA, Canada, and Spain, the team published a landmark review in the journal Restoration Ecology. The study systematically identifies critical scientific bottlenecks and outlines a prioritized global action plan for the next decade.Cold-water coral ecosystems, recognized as biodiversity hotspots in the deep ocean, are currently facing dual threats from climate change and human activity. However, a critical lack of fundamental scientific knowledge has long hindered effective conservation and restoration efforts.In a major step forward, Dr. LIU Qian, a postdoctoral researcher at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), has joined forces with Dr. Michelle Taylor (University of Essex), Prof. Alex Rogers (National Oceanography Centre, UK), and Prof. Carlos Duarte (KAUST). Leading a consortium of 34 deep-sea experts from 13 nations, including the UK, USA, Canada, and Spain, the team published a landmark review in the journal Restoration Ecology. The study systematically identifies critical scientific bottlenecks and outlines a prioritized global action plan for the next decade.Redefining the "Hidden" Coral WorldPublic perception of corals is often limited to the sun-drenched, reef-building species found in tropical shallow waters (warm-water corals). Unlike their tropical counterparts, cold-water corals (CWCs) have evolved a survival strategy completely independent of sunlight.Detached from the reliance on photosynthesis, CWCs thrive beyond the photic zone, inhabiting a vast range of environments from polar shallows to abyssal depths of several thousand meters. As heterotrophs, they survive by capturing plankton and organic particles in the dark, cold depths.While also referred to as "deep-sea corals," the study advocates for the standardized term "Cold-Water Coral" to better encompass their ecological diversity. The paper provides a unified definition: Cold-water corals refer to coral taxa that are azooxanthellate (do not rely on symbiotic algae for photosynthesis) or are only facultatively symbiotic.Stemming from a specialist workshop held in Norway, the study underscores the irreplaceable ecological role of CWCs. The complex three-dimensional structures built by corals and sponges serve as essential nurseries, feeding grounds, and refugia for crustaceans, echinoderms, and deep-sea fish. Furthermore, they play a vital role in regulating the ocean carbon cycle.Despite being designated by the UN as "Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems" (VMEs), effective protection is lack due to knowledge gaps in five key areas:1.Biogeography: Distribution data is heavily biased towards the Northern Hemisphere, with severe gaps in the Southern Hemisphere, West Pacific, and Indian Ocean, limiting the accuracy of habitat suitability models.2.Taxonomy & Community Assembly: High morphological plasticity leads to taxonomic confusion, hindering accurate assessments of biodiversity and succession.3.Early Life History: Knowledge regarding gametogenesis, larval behavior, and settlement mechanisms is extremely limited, directly constraining the development of active restoration techniques.4.Population Connectivity: A lack of quantified genetic flow data between populations makes it difficult to scientifically design networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).5.Growth & Trophic Dynamics: In the face of ocean acidification and warming, current understanding of biomineralization and energy budgets is insufficient to assess climate resilience.To bridge these gaps, the 34-expert team proposed a strategic roadmap for the next decade, highlighting five priority actions:1.Fill Geographic Blanks: Conduct systematic baseline surveys in unexplored deep-sea regions (West Pacific, South Pacific, Indian Ocean) to correct global distribution models.2.Strengthen Fundamental Biology: Prioritize research on taxonomy, reproduction, connectivity, and metabolic dynamics to provide a theoretical foundation for science-based conservation.3.Revolutionize Funding and Monitoring: Given the extremely slow growth rates of CWCs, the authors urge funding agencies to move beyond short-term project cycles and establish multi-decadal ecological monitoring systems (20–50 years) to objectively evaluate restoration success.4.Promote Open Data: Establish standardized mechanisms for deep-sea data sharing, transforming "dark data" trapped in individual labs into global public assets for scientists and policymakers.5.Bridge Science and Policy: Integrate CWC conservation into the agendas of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to drive the scientific designation of high-seas protected areas.This work was supported by the National Key Research, Development Program of China and China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, and Coral Research and Development Acceleration Platform (CORDAP).Reference: Liu, Q., Rogers, A.D., Roch, C., Gordon, J.D., Duarte, C.M., Robinson, L.F., Waller, R.G., Ferrier-Pagès, C., Brooke, S., Carreiro-Silva, M., Benson, K., Du Preez, C., Banks, S., Barry, J.P., Cordeiro, R.T.S., Cordes, E., Hennige, S., Hourigan, T.F., Kitahara, M.V., Kutti, T., Larsson, A.I., Lauretta, D.M., Matsumoto, A.K., Ross, R.E., Ramirez-Llodra, E., Yánez-Suárez, A.-B., Metaxas, A., Edinger, E., Filander, Z.N.P., Hendy, E., Montseny, M., Buglass, S., de Carvalho Ferreira, M.L., Taylor, M.L. 2025. Critical knowledge gaps in the conservation and restoration of cold-water corals. Restoration Ecology. e70286. https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.70286.Cold-water coral distribution
Recently, an international research team led by Prof. WAGN Yongdong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) in collaboration with scholars from Germany, France and Ireland, has made new progress in the systematics and diversity evolution of Mesozoic ginkgophytes. The team conducted a systematic taxonomic investigations on the ginkgoalean fossils discovered in the Jurassic strata of the Qaidam Basin in northwestern China. Their work reveals the diversity characteristics of these plants and their responses to paleoenvironmental changes, providing a crucial comparative archive for studying the evolutionary history of Jurassic vegetation and climatic changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The research findings have been published in Papers in Palaeontology, an international journal of palaeontology.The Ginkgoales are rare living fossils and important members of the global terrestrial flora during the Mesozoic Era, once widely distributed across the world. Since the Triassic Period, they have exhibited unique evolutionary stasis and environmental adaptability, with their macromorphology and microstructure remaining relatively stable over an extended geological timescale. This long-term evolutionary continuity has emerged as a critical indicator for exploring palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental changes. In this context, in-depth studies on the systematics and diversity dynamics of fossil ginkgophytes are of great significance for revealing variations in palaeoclimate and palaeoatmospheric CO2 concentrations.Recently, an international research team led by Prof. WAGN Yongdong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) in collaboration with scholars from Germany, France and Ireland, has made new progress in the systematics and diversity evolution of Mesozoic ginkgophytes. The team conducted a systematic taxonomic investigations on the ginkgoalean fossils discovered in the Jurassic strata of the Qaidam Basin in northwestern China. Their work reveals the diversity characteristics of these plants and their responses to paleoenvironmental changes, providing a crucial comparative archive for studying the evolutionary history of Jurassic vegetation and climatic changes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The research findings have been published in Papers in Palaeontology, an international journal of palaeontology.This study focuses on ginkgoales, a key fossil plant group, from the Early–Middle Jurassic of the Qaidam Basin in Qinghai Province. A total of 128 fossil specimens were systematically collected and analyzed from 8 consecutive fossil-bearing layers. Comprehensive investigations were conducted by integrating macromorphological traits (e.g., leaf shape and venation patterns) with micromorphological cuticular features (e.g., stomatal distribution and subsidiary cell structure). Through rigorous taxonomic identification, 10 species belonging to 3 genera, i.e. Ginkgoites, Baiera and Sphenobaiera, were recognized. Among these, Ginkgoites was the dominant genus, comprising 6 species, which reflects the high diversity of ginkgoales during this period. In addition, the diagnostic characteristics of two species, G. qaidamensis and S. ginkgooides, were revised with supplementary micromorphological cuticular data, thereby refining their taxonomic delimitations. Furthermore, two new records attributable to Baiera and Sphenobaiera were reported for the first time in the Qaidam Basin. These findings enrich the composition of the ginkgo flora in the study area and provide novel materials for cross-regional floral comparisons.The research team innovatively adopted the Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) method, which effectively integrated macromorphological and micromorphological data, and fully confirmed the complementary value and synergistic effect of macro- and micro-characteristics in the taxonomic classification of fossil ginkgoes. Furthermore, it was found that some species, including Ginkgoites qaidamensis and Ginkgoites longifolius, maintained stable morphological traits despite spanning the Early–Middle Jurassic strata. This finding provides critical fossil evidence and theoretical support for deepening our understanding of the evolutionary resilience of ginkgoales, their adaptive strategies in the face of Mesozoic environmental fluctuations, and the accurate reconstruction of the palaeoclimatic and palaeoecological patterns of the Early–Middle Jurassic in the Qaidam Basin and even the northeastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.The study demonstrates that, despite the Qaidam Basin undergoing significant climatic changes over a temporal span of approximately 20 million years during the Early–Middle Jurassic, representative ginkgoalean still exhibited relative stability in leaf morphology and anatomical structures. This indicates that ginkgoales possessed the dual characteristics of morphological variability and ecological adaptability throughout their long-term evolutionary process. These findings deepen our understanding of the evolutionary history and adaptive capacity of ginkgoales, and provide a new perspective for elucidating the environmental adaptability of plants during this geological period.Dr. ZHANG Li, a postdoctoral researcher from NIGPAS, is the first author of this paper, while Prof. WANG Yongdong serves as the corresponding author. Researchers from NIGPAS, the Nanjing Center of China Geological Survey, Chengdu University of Technology, as well as from the University of Lyon 1 (France), University College Dublin (Ireland), and the Senckenberg Research Institute (Germany) contributed to this study.This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Basic Research Program of Jiangsu Province, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, the China Scholarship Council and other funding sources.Reference: ZHANG Li, WANG Yongdong*, CHEN Hongyu, ZHU Yanbin, XIE Aowei, AN Pengcheng, GUIGNARD Gaëtan, RUHL Micha, 2025. Early to Middle Jurassic Ginkgoales from the Qaidam Basin, northwest China. Papers in Palaeontology, 11: e70054. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70054.Fig.1 Representative leaf fossil specimens of Ginkgoites qaidamensis with cuticular structure.Fig.2 Representative leaf fossil specimens of Ginkgoites longifolius with cuticular structure.Fig.3 Presentative leaf fossil specimens of Baiera concinna with cuticular structure and associated pollen grains.Fig.4 Results of factorial analysis of mixed data (FAMD) performed on Early–Middle Jurassic fossil Ginkgoales specimens from the Qaidam BasinFig.5 Variations in fossil Ginkgoales across the Early to Middle Jurassic in the Qaidam Basin, China.
