Under the supervision of Prof. WANG Yongdong of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), the Ph.D. student CHEN Hongyu at NIGPAS, in collaboration with Prof. Dieter Uhl and Dr. XIE Aowei from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Germany, Dr. ZHANG Li from NIGPAS, as well as colleagues from Nanjing Center of China Geological Survey, Chengdu University of Technology has performed investigations of Ixostrobus male cones based on new material from the Qaidam Basin, NW China. This work provides a taxonomic revision based on the global fossil record, explores the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the genus, and achieves insights into the morphological characteristics. The findings have been published in the international journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.Gymnosperms are one of the most significant taxa of the Mesozoic flora worldwide. Reproductive organs, which often exhibit relatively stable morphological characteristics, provide valuable materials for investigating the taxonomic relationships and evolutionary patterns of this plant group. Ixostrobus Raciborski, a form genus, is considered as the male cone of Czekanowskiales, widely reported from the Mesozoic flora. However, because of the usually poor preservation, especially the male reproductive organs heavily affected by phenology, the understanding of their key morphological characteristics remains limited. Besides, the reports on Ixostrobus are rather scattered in literature in different languages and regions, presenting some difficulties for a comprehensive comparison of these fossil records.Under the supervision of Prof. WANG Yongdong of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), the Ph.D. student CHEN Hongyu at NIGPAS, in collaboration with Prof. Dieter Uhl and Dr. XIE Aowei from the Senckenberg Research Institute and Natural History Museum, Germany, Dr. ZHANG Li from NIGPAS, as well as colleagues from Nanjing Center of China Geological Survey, Chengdu University of Technology has performed investigations of Ixostrobus male cones based on new material from the Qaidam Basin, NW China. This work provides a taxonomic revision based on the global fossil record, explores the spatio-temporal distribution patterns of the genus, and achieves insights into the morphological characteristics. The findings have been published in the international journal Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.Recently, well-preserved fossil specimens of Ixostrobus have been collected from the Lower Jurassic Tianshuigou and Yinmagou formations in the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin, Qinghai Province. Based on this, the researchers conduct in-depth and detailed investigations on systematic morphology, and formally revised its generic diagnosis to clarify the key diagnostic traits and improve the accuracy of morphological descriptions.This study clarifies that the main diagnostic characteristics of Ixostrobus are represented by an axis bearing only microsporophylls without any bracts or other appendages, with pollen sacs and scales at the distal end of microsporophyll, and the pollen sacs borne on the adaxial side of microsporophyll.Based on investigations on newly collected fossil specimens of Ixostrobus cones from the Qaidam Basin in China and examination of all reported taxa, several previously assigned specimens are revised (Figs.1, 2), a new record of I. heeri is documented from the local flora (Fig.3), and a new species, I. bilobus Chen, Wang et Zhang sp. nov., distinguished by its bilobed scale, is recognized (Fig.4).A comprehensive re-appraisal of previously reported global species is conducted through direct examination of specimens and assessment of the original fossil records. Among the 18 species documented as Ixostrobus so far, 13 species are proposed to be valid, i.e., I. bilobus, I. daohugouensis, I. grandis, I. groenlandicus, I. heeri, I. laxus, I. longicalcaratus, I. longus, I. punctatus, I. schmidtianus, I. siemiradzkii, I. tunguscanum, I. whitbiensis. Among the valid species, 5 species, i.e., I. grandis, I. laxus, I. longus, I. punctatus, and I. tunguscanum, are indeed poorly preserved, which require more collections and further investigation.Geologically, Ixostrobus ranges from the Early Triassic to the Early Cretaceous, with peak in species diversity during the Early Jurassic period (Fig. 5). Geographically, Ixostrobus are widely distributed across the Northern Hemisphere, with significant occurrences in Europe (Poland, Hungary, UK, Greenland), Russia, Iran, Afghanistan, as well as Central and East Asia, indicating a primary occurrence within the warm temperate zone of eastern Laurasia at middle to high latitudes (Fig. 5).This represents the first re-appraisal of the genus Ixostrobus, and substantially advances our understanding of the Mesozoic gymnosperm diversity evolution. These findings elevate Ixostrobus to a pivotal reference taxon for reconstructing the systematics, diversification dynamics, and extinction patterns of Mesozoic gymnosperms.This study is co-sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Deep Earth Probe and Mineral Resources Exploration-National Science and Technology Major Project of China, the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, the Basic Research Program of Jiangsu, the China Scholarship Council, and the Government of Ireland Postdoctoral Fellowship Programme.Reference information: Chen, H.Y. (陈泓宇), Wang, Y.D.* (王永栋), Zhang, L., Zhu, Y.B., Xie, A.W., An, P.C., Uhl, D., 2026. Re-appraisal of the Mesozoic male cone Ixostrobus Raciborski (Czekanowskiales) based on new material from the Qaidam Basin, NW China: New insights into systematics, diversity and spatio-temporal distribution. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 352, 105605. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.revpalbo.2026.105605.Fig.1 Ixostrobus siemiradzkii from the Qaidam Basin, and the illustration of holotype.Fig.2 Ixostrobus groenlandicus from the Qaidam Basin, and the illustration of holotype.Fig.3 Ixostrobus heeri from the Qaidam Basin, and the illustration of holotype.Fig.4 Ixostrobus bilobus sp. nov. from the Qaidam Basin.Fig.5 Global stratigraphic ranges and palaeogeographic distributions of the valid Ixostrobus species.
Recently, PhD candidate XUAN Qiang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), under the supervision of Prof. HUANG Diying (NIGPAS), together with Prof. ZHANG Zhiqiang (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand), reported evidence of queueing behaviour in larval mites from the Cretaceous Burmese amber. In this study, adjacent individuals within the queue are connected by fine silk threads, thereby physically reinforcing the queue structure, revealing a previously unknown silk-mediated mechanism of group alignment. The mites were identified as a new genus and species within the family Erythraeidae, named Protofilum ordinatum gen. et sp. nov. The scientific results were recently published online in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.In arthropods, queueing behaviour represents a stereotypical and visually striking form of collective locomotion. This behaviour is most commonly observed in highly social insects, such as ants, termites, and lepidopteran larvae. Additionally, some non-social or sub-social arthropods can also form queues under specific ecological conditions, for example, migratory spiny lobsters in autumn and juvenile tarantulas when dispersing from their burrows. However, the fossil record of queueing behaviour in arthropods is extremely sparse. Only a few Palaeozoic marine arthropod fossils have been interpreted as possible “queues”, such as the Cambrian putative crustacean Synophalos and Ordovician and Devonian trilobites, but little is known about their function and formation mechanism. In terrestrial ecosystems, no analogous fossil record has been discovered to date, leaving the early evolution of queueing behaviour in terrestrial arthropods completely unexplored.Recently, PhD candidate XUAN Qiang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences), under the supervision of Prof. HUANG Diying (NIGPAS), together with Prof. ZHANG Zhiqiang (Manaaki Whenua – Landcare Research, New Zealand), reported evidence of queueing behaviour in larval mites from the Cretaceous Burmese amber. In this study, adjacent individuals within the queue are connected by fine silk threads, thereby physically reinforcing the queue structure, revealing a previously unknown silk-mediated mechanism of group alignment. The mites were identified as a new genus and species within the family Erythraeidae, named Protofilum ordinatum gen. et sp. nov. The scientific results were recently published online in Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.In this fingernail-sized piece of amber, 13 larval mites are aligned head-to-tail, with the body axis of all individuals pointing in the same direction, forming an almost straight queue with only minor local deflections. These mites all possess extremely long legs, and leg-to-leg contact between adjacent individuals suggests that tactile feedback played an important role in maintaining the queue. Furthermore, the research team discovered fine thread-like structures, only 1–3 micrometres in diameter, preserved on the legs of the individuals. These threads form physical connections between adjacent individuals and may have functioned as mechanical “tethers”: when direct contact was temporarily interrupted, the silk connections could enhance cohesion between individuals, thereby stabilising the structure of the moving queue.Even more remarkably, one mite was captured in the act of spinning silk. Using high-resolution laser confocal microscopy, the team identified the silk-producing organ located on the mid-dorsal region of the cheliceral base. An elliptical glandular opening with distinctly sclerotised margins is visible, and residual filamentous secretions are preserved at the opening in some individuals. This study represents the first fossil evidence of silk utilisation in mites.The research team suggests that the queueing migratory behaviour of the fossil mites might have facilitated the superparasitism of larval mites and subsequent mate-finding in adults. Superparasitism refers to the common phenomenon where multiple larval mites parasitise the same arthropod host. Because mites have limited locomotory abilities and rely primarily on host-mediated dispersal, the establishment of a new population largely depends on the chance of encountering a mating partner. If only a single larva is transported to a new area, the probability of encountering a mate after moulting is extremely low. In contrast, superparasitism allows multiple conspecific larvae to disperse together via the same host, significantly increasing their mating opportunities after metamorphosis. In this context, queueing migration may have facilitated the coordinated location of hosts by larval mites, allowing multiple individuals to simultaneously reach and attach to the same host. The silk threads could then have acted as “safety lines”, reducing the risk of being dislodged during parasitism and host movement. This behaviour may have increased the likelihood of conspecific larval co-dispersal, thereby enhancing reproductive success and population persistence. This interpretation is further supported by another amber specimen, in which three conspecific larval mites are preserved in a linear arrangement together with a dipteran host.This paper reports queueing migratory behaviour in mite larvae from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. This discovery not only represents the first fossil evidence of such behaviour from the Mesozoic, but also the earliest known fossil evidence of queueing migratory behaviour in terrestrial arthropods. This finding pushes back the evolutionary origin of queueing behaviour in terrestrial arthropods by nearly 100 million years, while also revealing unexpected behavioural complexity in early small-bodied arthropods. Together with previously reported fossil queues, this study demonstrates that queueing behaviour has evolved independently in both marine and terrestrial ecosystems in response to different ecological pressures, highlighting its adaptive significance in the evolutionary history of arthropods.This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2024YFF0807601) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42288201).Reference: Xuan, Q., Zhang, Z.-Q., Cai, C., Li, S., & Huang, D. 2026. Silk-mediated queueing migration in Cretaceous mites. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 293: 20260271. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2026.0271.Fig. 1 Migratory queue of fossil larval mites from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber.Fig. 2 Silk-mediated connections between adjacent mites and the silk-producing apparatus.Fig. 3 Morphological details in P. ordinatum gen. et sp. nov.Fig. 4 Queueing behaviour in fossil and extant arthropods
On the Moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface processes in the space environment.On the Moon, the lack of atmosphere and accompanying features such as biological activity, oxygen-rich air, flowing water and rain, wind, and most erosion allows the lunar regolith to preserve a long-term record of surface processes in the space environment.Such processes, which have a major effect on airless bodies such as the Moon, Mercury, and asteroids, include solar wind irradiation, micrometeorite bombardment, impact melting, sputter deposition, and rapid quenching—all of which continuously alter the structure, composition, and optical properties of surface materials.Understanding these processes at the micro- and nanoscale is essential for interpreting lunar space weathering, remote-sensing spectra, and the form and distribution of surface resources.To enhance this understanding, a collaborative team jointly led by Prof. YIN Zongjun from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), together with Profs. SHEN Bing and ZHOU Jihan from Peking University, has conducted systematic studies of impact-glass particles associated with Chang’e-5 lunar regolith grains.The findings were published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets and PNAS. Together, these studies focus on the same type of Chang’e-5 impact glass, revealing the nanoscale evolution of lunar surface materials through two complementary processes: impact-induced silicate phase separation and the formation of nanophase metallic iron.In the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets study, the researchers examined Chang’e-5 impact glass using aberration-corrected transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, and spectroscopic analyses.They identified Fe-rich nanodroplets within Si-rich glass, as well as Si-rich nanodroplets within Fe-rich glass. The nanodroplets were amorphous, i.e., lacked a regular crystal structure, and were found in clusters that had partially merged and grown. The results suggest that micrometeorite impacts not only induce local melting of lunar regolith, but can also trigger silicate liquid immiscibility on extremely short timescales, with rapid quenching preserving the transient phase-separated structures in impact glass where different materials separated from one another.Building on this work, the PNAS study examined nanophase metallic iron (nanophase Fe0, npFe0) in the impact glass, which is a major product of lunar space weathering. It also plays a key role in modifying the reflectance spectra of lunar soils.Using electron tomography alongside energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and electron energy-loss spectroscopy, the researchers directly resolved the three-dimensional distribution, morphology, local abundance, and iron valence states of npFe0 at the nanometer scale.In one reconstructed volume, 1,506 npFe0 particles were identified, with an average diameter of approximately 3.4 nm and a median diameter of approximately 2.9 nm. Different layers showed distinct particle sizes, number densities, and Fe⁰ volume fractions, with the Fe⁰ volume fraction in a local large-particle layer reaching up to 30 vol%.To determine how the nanoparticles formed in different regions, the researchers combined structural reconstructions with elemental and iron valence-state analyses. They also introduced a parameter, ξ, to evaluate the contribution of external electrons during iron reduction.The study showed that the sulfur-rich layer containing irregular large particles mainly originated from iron sulfide decomposition. It also showed that several layers with high concentrations of small particles were dominated by Fe2+ disproportionation—a process in which Fe2+ is simultaneously oxidized and reduced. The near-surface region exhibited evidence of later modification due to solar wind irradiation, promoting glass-structure modification and npFe0 particle ripening.The researchers further estimated that metallic iron in mature impact-glass domains could reach 7.1 wt%, substantially exceeding previous bulk-soil estimates for Chang’e-5 samples. This result highlights significant microscale heterogeneity in the distribution of npFe0 in lunar regolith.Together, the two studies demonstrate that Chang’e-5 impact glass simultaneously records several related processes—impact melting, silicate liquid immiscibility, redox reactions, sulfide decomposition, and solar wind modification. Using electron tomography and high-resolution spectroscopic techniques, the researchers were able to overcome the limitations of conventional two-dimensional imaging and quantitatively reconstruct nanoscale structures and their formation histories in three dimensions.The findings provide new sample-based insights into the spectral evolution of the Moon and other airless bodies, the processes responsible for forming lunar impact glass, and the distribution and physical state of iron resources on the lunar surface.Reference:Y. Dai, Z. Li, T. Jia, Z. Xie, R. Wang, Z. Yin, B. Shen, & J. Zhou, (2026). 3D insights into the multiorigins of nanophase Fe0 in the Moon surface, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 123 (22) e2528977123, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2528977123.Dai, Y., Xie, Z., Li, Z., Jia, T., Wang, R., Yin, Z., et al. (2025). Conjugated silicate nanodroplets in lunar regolith: Unraveling impact-driven phase separation. Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 130, e2025JE009028. https://doi.org/10.1029/2025JE009028.Fig.1 Characterization of the chemical composition and atomic structure of Si-rich and Fe-rich silicate nanodroplets in impact glass.Fig.2 The schematic of ET experiment for tip samples and the 3D reconstruction results of Tomo-1.Fig.3 3D spatial distribution and size statistics of npFe0 particles in Tomo-1, and the calculation of the amounts of extra electrons.Fig.4 Formation mechanism of multilayered structure containing npFe0 particles.
Recently, Professor CAI Chenyang from the Center for Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), collaborating with colleagues from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Spain, discovered multiple amber specimens demonstrating insect pollination from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber dating back approximately 100 million years. This discovery reveals direct evidence of multiple insect groups participating in pollination, including beetles pollinating extinct gymnosperms, as well as behaviors suggesting that beetles and thrips may have pollinated early angiosperms and gymnosperms, respectively. These findings uncover a complex and diverse pollination ecological network during the mid-Cretaceous. The related results were recently published in international journals, including Proceedings of the Royal Society B, BMC Biology, Insect Systematics and Diversity, and Annals of the Entomological Society of America.The radiation of angiosperms (flowering plants) from the mid-Cretaceous to the early Paleogene drove major ecological transitions in Mesozoic terrestrial ecosystems. As one of the most important and abundant ecological interactions in nature, the insect-plant pollination relationship is believed to have played a crucial role in this evolutionary process. However, direct fossil evidence of Cretaceous insect pollination remains highly scarce.Recently, Professor CAI Chenyang from the Center for Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), collaborating with colleagues from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Spain, discovered multiple amber specimens demonstrating insect pollination from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber dating back approximately 100 million years. This discovery reveals direct evidence of multiple insect groups participating in pollination, including beetles pollinating extinct gymnosperms, as well as behaviors suggesting that beetles and thrips may have pollinated early angiosperms and gymnosperms, respectively. These findings uncover a complex and diverse pollination ecological network during the mid-Cretaceous. The related results were recently published in international journals, including Proceedings of the Royal Society B, BMC Biology, Insect Systematics and Diversity, and Annals of the Entomological Society of America.Through precise sectioning and ultrastructural observations of pollen grain fossils within the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber, researchers discovered large quantities of Eucommiidites pollen directly coating and adhering to the body surfaces of two beetles belonging to the superfamily Nitiduloidea. These beetles were identified as a new short-winged flower beetle species, Furcalabratum pollinitaferum (family Kateretidae), and an undetermined species of sap beetle (family Nitidulidae). As a type of pollen widely distributed during the Mesozoic but extinct by the Late Cretaceous, Eucommiidites has been extensively reported within the reproductive structures of the extinct gymnosperm order Erdtmanithecales. Combining the ecological habits of modern related taxa with the exceptional preservation state of numerous pollen grains directly attached to the insect bodies, these specimens constitute rare and textbook direct evidence of insect pollination. Furthermore, based on the distinct boundary between a pollen clump located near the abdomen of the short-winged flower beetle and the surrounding scattered pollen, alongside the deformed and consistently oriented pollen within the clump, researchers suggest that this pollen mass may be a beetle coprolite (fossilized feces), implying that the beetle likely had pollen-feeding habits. Notably, a thrips belonging to the genus Aspistothrips was also preserved near the short-winged flower beetle, with Eucommiidites pollen similarly scattered around and on its body. This reveals that Cretaceous thrips may not have been restricted to pollinating cycads but might have also pollinated Erdtmanithecales plants, while preliminarily reflecting that a certain pollination ecological commonality between thrips and beetles may have already formed during the Cretaceous.The researchers also re-evaluated the taxonomic status of the tumbling flower beetle (family Mordellidae) Angimordella burmitina, which was previously considered a "specialized pollinator of early angiosperms." They shifted its placement from the crown-group subfamily Mordellinae to the stem-group subfamily Apotomourinae. More importantly, plant pollen was also found adhering to the body surface of a thrips co-occurring with this pollinating tumbling flower beetle. This pollen matched the type found on and around the beetle, marking the first reported association between thrips and putative angiosperm pollen. This phenomenon of co-occurrence among tumbling flower beetles, thrips, and pollen suggests that the ecological niche of primitive Cretaceous tumbling flower beetles leaned toward a generalized or transitional type rather than that of highly specialized plant pollinators.Extant short-winged flower beetles with specialized antennal structures are quite rare, yet this type exhibited high diversity within Cretaceous amber biota. Through comparative observations of the morphology of the antennal scape and principal component analysis, the researchers concluded that this specialized structure carries high taxonomic significance, preliminarily suggesting its function may relate to bisexual communication. Concurrently, a large volume of Asteropollis pollen, likely belonging to the angiosperm family Chloranthaceae, along with closely associated plant residual structures, was discovered around the beetle fossil Protokateretes ensifer, which possesses a specialized antennal scape. This suggests that the species may have already established a pollination relationship with early angiosperms.In addition, the identification of pollen associated with the Cretaceous pollinating beetle Pelretes vivificus was revised. Near a male specimen of Pelretes bicolor, which features a specialized mandible, researchers discovered a thrips belonging to the genus Parallelothrips, with pollen adhering to its body surface that was previously thought to be dispersed by P. vivificus. Through comparative observations of pollen morphology across new and old specimens, combined with the similarity in ecological habits among species of the same genus, the researchers revised the pollen type associated with P. vivificus from the angiosperm pollen genus Tricolpopollenites to the gymnosperm pollen Eucommiidites. This redefines the pollination target of this beetle and further enriches the fossil record of thrips pollination and joint pollination by beetles and thrips.Integrating the available fossil evidence, these studies indicate that a generalized pollination system between insects and plants may have already formed during the Cretaceous period: a single insect species could pollinate multiple plant groups, while the same plant species could be co-pollinated by multiple insect groups. Furthermore, the phenomenon of joint pollination by beetles and thrips, common in modern ecosystems, may have emerged as early as 100 million years ago. Meanwhile, our understanding of plant hosts within Cretaceous pollination networks has been further expanded. In addition to cycads, plants of the order Erdtmanithecales were very likely key insect-pollinated gymnosperm hosts during the Cretaceous. Regarding angiosperms, besides Nymphaeaceae (water lilies), Chloranthaceae may also represent a crucial component of early insect-pollinated flowering plants. These key lines of evidence preserved in amber fossils provide an invaluable window into understanding the diversity of Cretaceous insect pollination modes and the evolution of early terrestrial ecosystems.This research was funded by the National Key R&D Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Reference:1. Zhao, Q., Liu, J., Wang, Y., Engel, M.S., Myint, T.A., Huang, D., Cai, C.*, 2026. Beetle pollination of Erdtmanithecales, an extinct lineage of Mesozoic gymnosperms. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 293, 20260060.2. Li, Y.D.*, Peris, D., Peña-Kairath, C., Zhao, Q., Huang, D., Cai, C.*, 2026. Revisiting early angiosperm pollination: a reassessment of Angimordella beetle and co-occurring thrips from mid-Cretaceous amber. BMC Biology 4, 11.3. Zhao, Q., Sun, Y., Liu, J., Slipinski, A., Fu, Y., Huang, D., Engel, M.S., Emlen, D.J., Cai, C.*, 2026. Antennal extremes in amber: possible beetle pollination of Chloranthaceae in the Cretaceous. Insect Systematics and Diversity 10(1), ixaf059.4. Zhao, Q., Huang, D., Cai, C.*, 2026. Dual pollination of Cretaceous Erdtmanithecales by thrips and beetles. Annals of the Entomological Society of America, saag017. https://doi.org/10.1093/aesa/saag017.Fig.1 Two Nitiduloidea specimens covered with Eucommiidites pollen. A and B show the new fossil species of short-winged flower beetle, Furcalabratum pollinitaferum; C and D show an undetermined species of the family Nitidulidae; E and F show putative coprolites.Fig.2 Eucommiidites pollen preserved in co-occurrence with pollinating beetles in Burmese amber. A–G show pollen co-occurring with Furcalabratum pollinitaferum; H–O show pollen co-occurring with the undetermined Nitidulidae species.Fig.3 Aspistothrips thrips co-occurring with Furcalabratum pollinitaferum. C and D provide general dorsal and ventral views of the new Aspistothrips specimen; red circles in E–G indicate scattered pollen grains.Fig.4 A thrips co-occurring with the primitive tumbling flower beetle Angimordella burmitina, along with putative angiosperm pollen adhering to its body surface. A illustrates the co-occurrence of the tumbling flower beetle and the thrips; B provides a magnified view of the thrips and the pollen on its body, with arrows indicating the sampling positions for the close-up pollen images.Fig.5 Asteropollis pollen co-occurring with Protokateretes ensifer. A shows the overall view of the amber specimen; B displays plant residual structures that potentially produced the pollen; C–G provide close-up, magnified views of the Asteropollis pollen.Fig.6 Parallelothrips specimens co-occurring with a male specimen of Pelretes bicolor. B shows the newly discovered male specimen of Pelretes bicolor; C highlights a Parallelothrips individual with three pollen grains directly adhering to its fringed wing; D and E show two additional Parallelothrips specimens.Fig.7 Parallelothrips and the Eucommiidites pollen attached to its body surface. A and B provide magnified general views of the Parallelothrips with adhering pollen; C illustrates the key diagnostic features of the thrips’ antennae; D shows a fringed wing with attached pollen; E presents close-up details of three pollen grains.
Recently, PhD candidate FJELD Alyssa (Monash University, Australia), under the supervision of Prof. ZHANG Zhiliang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Prof. BROCK Glenn (Macquarie University, Australia), together with Prof. PATERSON John, Dr. BETTS Marissa (University of New England, Australia), and Dr. HOLMES James (Uppsala University, Sweden), systematically analysed the phylogenetic relationships between early Cambrian tommotiids and stem-group brachiopods from the perspectives of skeletal fusion, ultrastructure, and surface ornamentation. This work revealed the synapomorphy characters and homologies of eccentrothecimorph tommotiids. The scientific results were recently published in Palaeontology.Tommotiids are an enigmatic group of early Cambrian lophotrochozoans, and an important component of the Cambrian Small Shelly fossils (SSFs). They are known exclusively from Cambrian strata and exhibit diverse morphological types (e.g., mitral-, plate-, cap-, and sallate-shaped), representing bizarre body plans that emerged during the Cambrian explosion. Owing to the lack of completely articulated scleritome fossils, tommotiids have long been regarded as a problematic group of uncertain phylogenetic affinity. Studying articulated tommotiids can therefore provide key fossil evidence for exploring the origin and early evolution of key lophotrochozoans, like brachiopods and phoronids.Recently, PhD candidate FJELD Alyssa (Monash University, Australia), under the supervision of Prof. ZHANG Zhiliang (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and Prof. BROCK Glenn (Macquarie University, Australia), together with Prof. PATERSON John, Dr. BETTS Marissa (University of New England, Australia), and Dr. HOLMES James (Uppsala University, Sweden), systematically analysed the phylogenetic relationships between early Cambrian tommotiids and stem-group brachiopods from the perspectives of skeletal fusion, ultrastructure, and surface ornamentation. This work revealed the synapomorphy characters and homologies of eccentrothecimorph tommotiids. The scientific results were recently published in Palaeontology.The study focused on the early Cambrian strata of the Arrowie Basin in South Australia (Fig. 1). Limestone samples were systematically collected from the Wilkawillina Limestone, Ajax Limestone, and Mernmerna formations, yielding a total of 36 well-preserved specimens, including tommotiids with articulated sclerites (Eccentrotheca helenia, Kulparina rostrata, Paterimitra pyramidalis) and stem-group brachiopods (Askepasma saproconcha, A. toddense). Detailed investigations of the internal ultrastructure and surface ornamentation were carried out on the partly fused scleritomes of Eccentrotheca, Kulparina, and Paterimitra (Fig. 2). These structures were also compared with those of the coeval stem-group brachiopod Askepasma. Articulated sclerites of Kulparina rostrata were discovered for the first time, revealing that its main tubiform scleritome was constructed by the upward stacking of L-type sclerites. Comparative analyses further demonstrate that the early Cambrian eccentrothecimorph tommotiids from South Australia all possess a organo-phosphatic tubiform body plan formed by the fusion of multi-element sclerites, reflecting an adaptation to a sessile epifaunal filter-feeding life habit (Fig. 3).The investigation of ultrastructural reveals that Eccentrotheca helenia and Kulparina rostrata share identical interlocking dome and saddle structures (IDS), which fuse L-type sclerites into a conical tube via initially stacked sclerite rings. Furthermore, all eccentrothecimorph tommotiids share distinctive penetrative polygonal ultrastructures (PPS), typically in the form of closely packed columns (in longitudinal section) composed of alternating microlaminae.In cross-section, the PPS form distinctive hexagonal honeycomb structures within second-order lamellar sets. This study introduces and describes new terminology for shell ornament features, including ordered triangular scales, wrinkled texture, reticulate networks (related to disposition of PPS), bulbous ornament and granular spherulitic texture on the inner surface of tubes.The surface micro-ornament of eccentrothecimorph tommotiids varies with different biomineral accretion modes, and the position of first-order laminate may influence the expression and type of shell ornamentation. A uniform narrow band of ordered and flattened to inflated triangular scales is also a synapomorphy of eccentrothecimorph tommotiids. Through this integrated study of sclerite fusion, ultrastructure, and micro-ornament, the phylogenetic hypothesis of the problematic tommotiid fossils is refined, demonstrating that eccentrothecimorph tommotiids are closely related to stem-group brachiopods and constitute a sister group with linguliform brachiopods (Fig. 4).This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China.Reference: Fjeld, A.K.*, Zhang, Z.L.*, Betts, M.J., Holmes, J.D., Paterson, J.R. and Brock, G.A.* Sclerite fusion, ultrastructure, micro-ornament and homology in early Cambrian eccentrothecimorph tommotiids. Palaeontology, 2026, 69: e70060. https://doi.org/10.1111/pala.70060.Fig.1 Early Cambrian fossil localities and tommotiid fossils from South Australia.Fig.2 Shell ultrastructure of articulated Eccentrotheca heleniaFig.3 Scleritome reconstruction of eccentrothecimorph tommotiids, showing the multi-element scleritomes.Fig.4 Hypothetical phylogenetic relationships among the key lophophorate groups from the early Cambrian.
Recently, Prof. HUANG Bing and his team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) have conducted a series of studies focusing on the recovery and re-radiation of brachiopods post-LOME. The relevant results indicate that post-LOME brachiopod radiation was not merely a simple rebound in diversity, but was accompanied by ecospace expansion, global paleogeographic distribution expansion, asynchronous replacement of dominant taxa, and community succession under the control of regional environments. These insights provide new evidence for understanding the mechanisms of ecosystem reconstruction following mass extinctions.Following the Late Ordovician Mass Extinction (LOME), global climate warmed and sea levels rose, leading to the rapid recovery and re-radiation of benthic organisms such as brachiopods. Previous studies largely considered that the recovery of Early Silurian brachiopods post-LOME was mainly manifested as the restoration of diversity in shallow-marine environments. However, understanding remains relatively limited regarding key questions such as whether their ecospace expanded, how community structures turned over, and how paleobiogeographic patterns were reorganized.Recently, Prof. HUANG Bing and his team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) have conducted a series of studies focusing on the recovery and re-radiation of brachiopods post-LOME. The relevant results indicate that post-LOME brachiopod radiation was not merely a simple rebound in diversity, but was accompanied by ecospace expansion, global paleogeographic distribution expansion, asynchronous replacement of dominant taxa, and community succession under the control of regional environments. These insights provide new evidence for understanding the mechanisms of ecosystem reconstruction following mass extinctions.The related findings have been published in journals such as Journal of Paleontology, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, and Alcheringa.(1) First Discovery of a Deep-Water Brachiopod Fauna in the Telychian of South ChinaThe Early Silurian Telychian brachiopod record in South China is abundant, among which the Xiushan brachiopod Fauna has long been considered to be distributed in shallow-water environments. Researchers conducted a systematic study on the brachiopod fauna from the lower–middle Telychian Ningqiang Formation at the Bifengguan section in Guangyuan, Sichuan. A total of 21 species and 20 genera of brachiopods were identified. Using methods including NMDS, network analysis, and abundance heatmaps, three continuously succeeding brachiopod assemblages were delineated. Among them, the lowermost Aegiria–Epitomyonia assemblage is characterized by the relative abundance of the deep-water indicator genus Epitomyonia, representing the first explicitly discovered Benthic Assemblage 4 (BA4) deep-water community within the Xiushan brachiopod Fauna in South China. The subsequent Aegiria–Megaspinochonetes assemblage and Fardenia–Striispirifer assemblage indicate a gradual shallowing of the environment from BA4 to lower–upper BA3, forming a complete shallowing-upward sequence.This discovery indicates that the ecological range of post-LOME brachiopod radiation in South China is broader than previously recognized, and the Xiushan brachiopod Fauna was not restricted to shallow-water environments but had expanded into deeper-water ecospaces. The study further points out that this section is located on the northern margin of the Yangtze Platform, and its unique paleogeographic position may have provided a relatively stable habitat for the deep-water brachiopod fauna. This result not only supplements the record of Telychian deep-water benthic communities in South China, but also reveals the important role of local paleogeographic conditions in post-LOME ecosystem reconstruction.(2) Revealing Paleobiogeographic and Taxonomic Reorganization of Post-LOME Brachiopod Radiation at a Global ScaleTo understand the recovery and re-radiation of post-LOME brachiopods at a macroevolutionary scale, researchers compiled global generic level occurrence data of brachiopods across 6 time intervals spanning the Rhuddanian, Aeronian, and Telychian (with each stage subdivided into early and late). Methods including bootstrap diversity estimation, piecewise regression, Generalized Additive Models (GAM), NMDS, and network analysis were utilized to systematically analyze the changes in diversity, spatial distribution, and community structure of Early Silurian brachiopods. The study found that brachiopod diversity rose rapidly from the Rhuddanian to the Aeronian, reaching a relatively high level in the late Aeronian, after which it remained generally stable with slight fluctuations during the Telychian. More importantly, the brachiopod radiation process was reflected not only in increased diversity, but also in significant geographic expansion, weakened paleobiogeographic provincialism, and asynchronous replacement of dominant brachiopod taxa across different paleoplates. Overall, the composition of brachiopod faunas gradually transitioned from types with more Ordovician characteristics to more typical Silurian-type assemblages. This result emphasizes that relying solely on diversity curves is insufficient to fully reveal the macroevolutionary processes following a mass extinction. Geographic distribution expansion, community structure changes, and dominant taxa turnover are the key indicators for understanding the re-radiation of brachiopods post-LOME.(3) Telychian Brachiopod Community Turnover in South China Reveals the Controlling Role of Regional EnvironmentsResearchers also conducted systematic sampling and quantitative analysis of the brachiopod fauna from the Daluzhai Formation at the Wuke section in the Butuo area of southern Sichuan. The fauna, collected from 14 fossil horizons, comprises 18 species and 17 genera, consisting mainly of atrypides, strophomenides, rhynchonellides, and spiriferides, displaying typical characteristics of a Silurian brachiopod fauna. The study identified two brachiopod assemblages: the lower Nalivkinia elongata–Megaspinochonetes subrectangularis assemblage, and the upper Nalivkinia magna–Howellella shiqianensis assemblage. This community turnover reflects a gradual shallowing of the local marine environment, which is likely related to the regional uplift of the Yangtze Platform. The research demonstrates that post-LOME brachiopod radiation exhibits obvious heterogeneity at the regional scale, where tectonic setting, sea-level changes, and local water depth jointly influenced the composition and succession of benthic communities.The series of studies described above collectively demonstrate from both global and regional scales that the recovery and re-radiation of brachiopods post-LOME was a complex process: at the global scale, it manifested as geographic expansion and taxonomic reorganization; at the regional scale, it manifested as deep-water ecospace expansion and community turnover controlled by the paleogeographic setting. These results deepen the understanding of ecosystem reconstruction mechanisms following mass extinctions and provide new fossil evidence for understanding the recovery process of Early Silurian marine ecosystems.The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the National Key Research and Development Program of China.References:Huang B, Chen D, Pan F, Shi K. 2026. First record of a deep-water brachiopod fauna in the Telychian of South China and its paleoecological implications. Journal of Paleontology. 99(6):1293-1302. https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2025.10200.Huang, B., Chen, D., & Shi, K. 2025. Characterizing the biogeographic and taxonomic patterns of post-LOME (early Silurian) diversification of brachiopods. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 675, 113105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113105.Huang, B., Chen, D., & Candela, Y. 2025. A new brachiopod fauna from the Telychian (early Silurian) of Southwest China and its palaeoecological significance. Alcheringa: An Australasian Journal of Palaeontology, 49(1), 30–39. https://doi.org/10.1080/03115518.2024.2431912.Fig1. Succession of brachiopod assemblages and diversity changes in the Ningqiang Formation at the Bifengguan section, Guangyuan, Sichuan.Fig2. Piecewise regression and Generalized Additive Models (GAM) reveal that the global brachiopod diversification process began to stagnate during the Telychian.Fig3. Genus-level bubble charts of brachiopods across several major global paleoplates during the post-LOME radiation period showing the asynchronous replacement of dominant brachiopod taxa.Fig4. Brachiopod assemblages and diversity changes in the Daluzhai Formation at the Wuke section.Fig5. Representative brachiopods from the Bifengguan and Wuke sections and photographs of their latex casts.
Recently, Associate Professor WAGN Yaqiong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), in collaboration with Senior Researcher Byung-Do Choi from the Daegu National Science Museum, conducted a systematic study of non-marine ostracods from the Lower Cretaceous Cangxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin. Through detailed ostracod biostratigraphic analysis, the research team precisely constrained the geological age of the Cangxi Formation, and identified the timing of the faunal transition from non-Cypridea assemblages to Cypridea-dominated assemblages in the Early Cretaceous of the basin for the first time. In addition, the study reveals that climatic zonation may have been a key factor controlling ostracod palaeobiogeographic distribution.The Sichuan Basin is one of the most representative large Mesozoic sedimentary basins in China, where the Cretaceous strata are dominated by red-bed deposits. Due to the scarcity of fossils and the lack of materials suitable for absolute age determination within these red beds, their precise chronology has long remained poorly constrained and subject to debate. Ostracods are the most common fossil group in the Cretaceous red beds of the Sichuan Basin and serve as key index fossils for non-marine biostratigraphic subdivision and correlation of the Cretaceous, thus providing critical clues for resolving this issue.Recently, Associate Professor WAGN Yaqiong from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), in collaboration with Senior Researcher Byung-Do Choi from the Daegu National Science Museum, conducted a systematic study of non-marine ostracods from the Lower Cretaceous Cangxi Formation in the Sichuan Basin. Through detailed ostracod biostratigraphic analysis, the research team precisely constrained the geological age of the Cangxi Formation, and identified the timing of the faunal transition from non-Cypridea assemblages to Cypridea-dominated assemblages in the Early Cretaceous of the basin for the first time. In addition, the study reveals that climatic zonation may have been a key factor controlling ostracod palaeobiogeographic distribution.A total of 20 non-marine ostracod species belonging to 7 genera were identified from the Cangxi Formation, including one new species, Deyangia rhodopetra sp. nov. Notably, the genus Cypridea was discovered for the first time near the top of the formation (Fig. 1). Based on ostracod assemblages and biostratigraphic correlation, the age of the Cangxi Formation is constrained to the Valanginian–Hauterivian stages, providing an important chronological framework for stratigraphic subdivision and regional correlation of the Lower Cretaceous in the Sichuan Basin.The study further demonstrates that ostracod faunas in northern and southern China followed broadly consistent evolutionary pathways during the early Early Cretaceous, both undergoing a transition from “non-Cypridea assemblages” to “Cypridea-dominated assemblages.” However, differences are evident in the dominant genera during the early stage of this transition. In South China (e.g., the Sichuan Basin and the Lanping-Simao Basin), assemblages are characterized by Jingguella and Deyangia, whereas in North China, Luanpingella is the characteristic genus (Fig. 2).Extensive comparisons indicate that the ostracod assemblages dominated by Jingguella and Deyangia in the Sichuan Basin closely resemble those from several basins along the eastern Tethyan margin, including the Lanping-Simao Basin in Yunnan, the Xining-Lanzhou Basin in Qinghai and Gansu, and the Kuqa Basin in Xinjiang (Fig. 3). This suggests that these regions may have belonged to the same non-marine ostracod palaeobiogeographic province during the early Early Cretaceous, potentially extending westward to the Fergana Basin in Kyrgyzstan, although its exact extent requires further investigation.Combined with previously published palynological palaeobiogeographic data, the study indicates that both non-marine ostracods and spore-pollen assemblages reveal the existence of a distinctive palaeobiogeographic province along the eastern Tethyan margin during the early Early Cretaceous (Fig. 3). This province likely corresponded to a relatively arid climatic regime, with Jingguella and Deyangia serving as potential indicators of arid conditions.By integrating ostracod and palynological evidence, this study further supports the existence of an arid climatic belt along the Tethyan margin and highlights significant differences in vegetation and invertebrate assemblages compared to those in the Pacific coastal regions. This study also suggests that the Tethys Ocean may have played a key role in shaping the climatic pattern of East Asia during the Early Cretaceous. Similar to how modern oceans influence global climate through heat transport, ocean circulation, and ocean-atmosphere interactions, the Tethys Ocean may have regulated regional climatic zonation and biogeographic patterns through complex ocean–atmosphere–land interactions.This work not only provides new palaeontological evidence for reconstructing the Early Cretaceous palaeoclimate of East Asia, but also offers important insights into the role of oceans in regulating climate systems under greenhouse conditions. With the development of high-resolution palaeoclimate models, future studies are expected to further elucidate the mechanisms by which the Tethys Ocean influenced the palaeoclimate of East Asia.The result was published in “Papers in Palaeontology”. This research was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.Reference: Byung-Do Choi#, Yaqiong Wang#*, 2026. Ostracod fauna from the Lower Cretaceous Cangxi Formation of the Sichuan Basin, southwestern China: Taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeography. Papers in Palaeontology, 12(2): e70083. https://doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70083.Fig.1 Selected ostracods from the Cangxi Formation, A–C, Deyangia deyangensis Li 1984b; D–L, Deyangia rhodopetra sp. nov. All scale bars represent 100 μm.Fig.2 Stratigraphic ranges of the ostracod species present in our samples from the Cangxi Formation, and some key events of the non-marine ostracod evolution timeline during the Middle Jurassic to Cretaceous interval.Fig.3 The distribution pattern of the genera Jingguella and Deyangia during the Early Cretaceous. Red solid line indicates the non-marine ostracod palaeo-province boundary around the Tethys Ocean and the dashed line indicates the possible palaeo-province boundary.
n international research team led by Prof. WANG Bo from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), together with Dr. ZHANG Qianqi from Shenyang Normal University and other collaborators, has discovered a diverse fossil insect assemblage from the Lower Jurassic Xiaomeigou Formation in Dachaidan Town, Qinghai Province. Named the Dachaidan Entomofauna, this finding provides critical insights into the evolution of Mesozoic insects on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results have been published online in Fundamental Research, a journal supervised and sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.An international research team led by Prof. WANG Bo from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), together with Dr. ZHANG Qianqi from Shenyang Normal University and other collaborators, has discovered a diverse fossil insect assemblage from the Lower Jurassic Xiaomeigou Formation in Dachaidan Town, Qinghai Province. Named the Dachaidan Entomofauna, this finding provides critical insights into the evolution of Mesozoic insects on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The results have been published online in Fundamental Research, a journal supervised and sponsored by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, known as the “Roof of the World”, is a global hotspot for geological research. Although Cenozoic insect fossils have been relatively well documented, the evolutionary history of insects on the plateau during the Mesozoic has remained largely unknown.The Dachaidan Entomofauna is dominated by beetles (Coleoptera, 48%), followed by cockroaches (Blattodea, 26%), stoneflies (Plecoptera, 12%), and bugs (Hemiptera, 6%). Among these, the beetles are mainly archostematans and polyphagans, with some specimens preserving exquisite microstructural details. The presence of both terrestrial insects (beetles, cockroaches, and bugs) and aquatic stoneflies (adults and nymphs) indicates that these insects inhabited a swamp environment, consistent with the coal-bearing fluvial sequences of the Xiaomeigou Formation.The stoneflies belong to the extinct family Perlariopseidae, a key group for Jurassic–Cretaceous stratigraphic and palaeoecological correlation across Asia. Notably, the aquatic insect assemblage from Dachaidan represents a unique hypotrophic ecosystem, characterized by a detritivore-based aquatic food web, where primary production consisted largely of terrestrial organic detritus and dead benthic algae. Previously, such ecosystems were thought to be restricted to the Early Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of southern Siberia, western Mongolia, and northern Kazakhstan. The Dachaidan Entomofauna thus marks the first record of this ecosystem type in China.Compared with other Early Jurassic entomofaunas in China, the Dachaidan assemblage exhibits distinctly different taxonomic compositions and palaeoecological features, highlighting significant regional differences among Early Jurassic insect faunas on different tectonic plates in China. This discovery provides direct evidence for reconstructing the palaeogeographic distribution of Jurassic insect assemblages and offers a new window into the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau during the early Mesozoic. It further underscores the plateau’s immense potential as a fossil treasure trove.The study was jointly supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research, and the Doctoral Research Start-up Foundation of Liaoning Province.Reference: Zhang Qianqi, Chen Jun, Li Jiahao, Xu Chunpeng, Song Zhenyu, Fang Yan, Zheng Daran, Jarzembowski E.A., Zhang Haichun, Wang Bo*. 2026. First Mesozoic entomofauna from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Fundamental Research, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fmre.2026.04.013.(a) Region of the Qaidam Basin (green colour), red star showing study site; (b) General geography and roads in rectangle in (A); (c, d) Outcrop at the Hongshankuangou section; (e) Lithostratigraphic column of section with sampling horizon.Representative fossils from Dachaidan Entomofauna (a) stonefly (Plecoptera: Perlariopseidae Sinitshenkova, 1985); (b) cockroach (Blattodea: Caloblattinidae Vršanský & Ansorge, 2000); (c) beetle (Coleoptera: Zygadenia Handlirsch, 1906); (d) cockroach (Blattodea: Caloblattinidae Vršanský & Ansorge, 2000); (e, f) beetle (Coleoptera: Zygadenia Handlirsch, 1906); (g, h) stonefly nymphs (Plecoptera).
Recently, Dr. WANG Kai, together with Prof. XU Honghe, Dr. LIU Bingcai and Prof. WAGN Yi at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), reviewed the global fossil records of cryptospores that have been accumulated since the relevant research was initiated in 1971. Their work presents a systematic overview of this fossil group in terms of morphology, classification, biological relationships, biogeography and evolutionary significance. Using methods such as Chao2 estimator, Generalized Additive Model, Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS), Network and SIMPER analysis, they comprehensively studied the diversity changes of cryptospores over a long time scale and the paleogeographic differentiation of early spore assemblages. The results were recently published in Earth-Science Reviews.Plant terrestrialization is one of the major events in the evolutionary history of life on Earth, signifying the transition of the primary productivity base of early terrestrial ecosystems from biocrust (composed of organisms such as bacteria, algae, and lichens) to green vegetation (dominated by land plants). This process has had a profound impact on the formation of the modern Earth's habitable environment. However, for a long time, the lack of an in-depth research system has led to a significant deficiency in the understanding of the early history of plant terrestrialization.The early history of plant terrestrialization is preserved in the form of organic-walled microfossils in the Early Paleozoic-Early Devonian rocks. These microfossils serve as the important physical remains for relevant research. Compared with other microfossils of early land plants, cryptospores appeared earlier in the strata, with a longer evolutionary history and a wider spatial distribution, making them a key research object for exploring the plant terrestrialization.Recently, Dr. WANG Kai, together with Prof. XU Honghe, Dr. LIU Bingcai and Prof. WAGN Yi at the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), reviewed the global fossil records of cryptospores that have been accumulated since the relevant research was initiated in 1971. Their work presents a systematic overview of this fossil group in terms of morphology, classification, biological relationships, biogeography and evolutionary significance. Using methods such as Chao2 estimator, Generalized Additive Model, Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling (NMDS), Network and SIMPER analysis, they comprehensively studied the diversity changes of cryptospores over a long time scale and the paleogeographic differentiation of early spore assemblages. The results were recently published in Earth-Science Reviews.To date, two distinct definitions of cryptospores, sensu stricto and sensu lato, have been proposed. The former defines cryptospores as exclusively derived from embryophytes, while the latter includes spore-like microfossils from streptophyte algae as well (the records are only known from the Cambrian strata of the United States and China, as well as the Lower Ordovician of Australia). Up to now, 36 genera and 102 species of cryptospores s.l. have been discovered worldwide. The current classification scheme is mainly based on the morphological characters including the number of spore bodies, membrane, ornament and configuration. The in-situ preserved spores of eophytes in the upper Silurian-Lower Devonian indicate that the parent plants of cryptospores might be the basal stem group of vascular plants. However, considering the older dispersed spore records in the Ordovician, it is not possible to completely rule out the possibility that these minute plants occurred as a stem group of embryophytes.The research suggests that the Late Ordovician was the first radiation time window for the early land plant evolution. By the early Silurian, the global land plant communities began to show geographical differentiation. With the emergence and diversification of early trilete spores, this geographical differentiation became more pronounced in the middle and late Silurian, while cryptospores do not show further diversification during this period. Although representing a late phase of cryptospore evolution, the Early Devonian was still an important flourishing period for the cryptospore-producing plants.The geographical distribution pattern of cryptospores suggests that the earliest land plants had strong ecological adaptability, occurring in both tropical and high-latitude climate zones. Also, this adaptability seems to persist throughout the process of plant terrestrialization from the Middle Ordovician to the Early Devonian. However, following the Middle Devonian, cryptospores are seldom recorded, even in the spore assemblages with high abundance and diversity. Future efforts involving more extensive exploration and analysis of the fossil record, together with interdisciplinary integration, are likely to further develop and refine existing theories of plant terrestrialization, thereby helping to decipher more mysteries about its evolutionary history.This work provides panoramic evidence of microfossil records for understanding the early history of plant terrestrialization and builds a multi-level framework for future microfossil research on early land plants. Moreover, this work is expected to be of value as a reference resource for fossil enthusiasts interested in plant terrestrialization, as well as for specialists and interdisciplinary collaborators.This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Program of China.Reference:Wang, K., Xu, H.H.*, Liu, B.C., Wang, Y. (2026). Dynamic evolution of cryptospores: The origin and rise of the land flora. Earth-Science Reviews, 105476. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2026.105476Wang, K., Xu, H.H.*, Yin, L.M. (2026). Cryptospores from the Shipai Formation (Cambrian Series 2, Stage 4) of Yichang, southern China. Palynology. https://doi.org/10.1080/01916122.2025.2589185Morphological diversity of representative cryptosporesSankey diagram showing the morphological classification and diversity of cryptospore generaDiversity curves (left) and stratigraphic ranges (right) of cryptosporesPaleogeographic distribution of cryptospores (left) and related results of non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) and SIMPER analysis
A research team of scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), Virginia Tech, LMU Munich, and First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources have reported the discovery of the earliest Cambrian (ca. 535 million years ago, or Ma) microfossils interpreted as annelids (ringed worms), a group of animals that include bristle worms, earthworms, leeches, peanut worms, and many other creatures.A research team of scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), Virginia Tech, LMU Munich, and First Institute of Oceanography of the Ministry of Natural Resources have reported the discovery of the earliest Cambrian (ca. 535 million years ago, or Ma) microfossils interpreted as annelids (ringed worms), a group of animals that include bristle worms, earthworms, leeches, peanut worms, and many other creatures.The discovery adds fresh insights into the origin and early evolution of the Annelida.The study was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on April 21th.The Annelida represents one of the most speciose and ecologically widespread animal phyla. Traditionally, it is divided into Polychaeta (bristle worms), Oligochaeta (earthworms and their kin), and Hirudinea (leeches and their relatives), with the latter two constituting Clitellata. Phylogenetic analyses, however, indicate that the Clitellata is nested within the paraphyletic Polychaeta and that several groups previously regarded as separate phyla (Echiura, Sipuncula, Orthonectida, Pogonophora, and Vestimentifera) are actually members of the Annelida.Several Ediacaran fossils, including Yilingia and cloudinids, have been tentatively interpreted as annelids. However, the widely accepted annelid fossils are sipunculans and polychaetes reported exclusively from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil assemblages (<521 Ma), preserved as flattened macrofossils. Thus, the research team decided to explore Orsten-type fossil localities in the earliest Cambrian Period to fill a fossil gap and to complement the lack of earliest Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil localities.The research team discovered seven phosphatized and millimeter-sized specimens (Fig. 1) from the early Fortunian Kuanchuanpu Formation (ca. 535 Ma) of China. These specimens are preserved as endocasts of the trunk parts, replicating the space surrounded by the integument and lacking information on their heads and tails as well as their integumental structures. The trunk is segmented, and each segment has a pair of lateral or ventrolateral appendages. Appendages may be shorter or longer than width of corresponding segment. Accordingly, two new genera and species are established, i.e., Kuanchuanpivermis brevicruris (Fig. 1A–C; Movie 1) and Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris (Fig. 1D–F; Movie 2). Each appendage terminates in a bifurcation into two lobes of equal, subequal, or even unequal size and morphology.After careful comparison, the researchers rule out possible affiliations of the current fossils with algae, gut (midgut with cecae), lobopodians, tardigrades, onychophorans, and arthropods. Instead, they suggest that they are most likely to be polychaete annelids. The appendages of the current specimens are comparable with biramous parapodia of polychaete annelids. In particular, the appendages of Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris show striking similarities with the parapodia of living tomopterids (Fig. 2). Accordingly, the two distal lobes on the appendages are comparable with notopodium and neuropodium.Trunk segments and biramous parapodia may have been present prior to the last common ancestor of living annelid worms. Therefore, Kuanchuanpivermis brevicruris and Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris are interpreted as annelids.Kuanchuanpivermis brevicruris has relatively short appendages and may be benthic, as modern nereids. Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris has relatively long appendages similar to modern tomopterids (Fig. 2) and may be pelagic. If so, Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris represents the earliest known pelagic annelid. However, they probably moved much slower than modern nereids and tomopterids, given their small body size and the low Reynolds numbers of the surrounding water.This study reports annelid body fossils for the first time from Cambrian Orsten-type fossil localities. It indicates that early annelids are polychaetes and thus supports that polychaete morphologies are primitive among annelids. It shows that early members of annelids had evolved benthic and pelagic lifestyles in the early Fortunian, extending the fossil record of pelagic annelids to ca. 535 Ma. It supports the phylogenetic analyses that resolve polychaetes as a paraphyletic group and implies that total-group annelids may have had an evolutionary history prior to the Cambrian explosion.This research was jointly funded by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the National Science Foundation of the United States.Reference: Xian, X., Zhang, H.*, Xiao, S.*, Waloszek, D., Maas, A., Duan, B., 2026. Polychaete annelids from the earliest Cambrian Period. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2538071123.Fig. 1. Cambrian Fortunian annelids. A–C, Kuanchuanpivermis brevicruris, holotype; B–D, Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris, holotype. (credit to Huaqiao Zhang, NIGPAS)Fig. 2. Comparison between Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris and Tomopteris. A–D, F, Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris, holotype; E, G, Tomopteris. (credit to Huaqiao Zhang, NIGPAS)Movie 1. Kuanchuanpivermis brevicruris, holotype. (credit to Huaqiao Zhang, NIGPAS)Movie 2. Zhangjiagoivermis longicruris, holotype. (credit to Huaqiao Zhang, NIGPAS)
