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First Discovery of Silurian Gastropod Pterotheca in ChinaPterothecaSalter,1853isamorphologicallyhighlyunusualgastropodgenuswidelydistributedintheUpperOrdovicianandLlandoverySeries(LowerSilurian)ofNorthAmericaandEurope.Itsdistinctivemorphologicalfeatures,includingabilaterallysymmetricalshellshape,flattenedshell,andauniqueinternaltriangularseptum,initiallyledtotaxonomicconfusionamongearlyresearchers,whomisidentifieditasabrachiopod,hyolith,pteropod,orcephalopod(operculum).Duetoitshighlyspecializedshellstructureandstrikingmorphology,whichmakeiteasilyrecognizable,thephylogeneticcharacteristicsandpaleoecologicalpatternsofPterothecahavelongbeenaresearchfocusinpaleontology.However,asitsfossilrecordhassofaronlybeenfoundinEuropeandNorthAmerica,withnoreportsfromotherregions,thereremainscontroversywithintheacademiccommunityregardingitspaleogeographicdistributionpattern.Recently,AssistantResearcherLiWenjiefromtheNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPalaeontology,ChineseAcademyofSciences,collaboratingwithmultipleteammembers,discoveredPterothecafossilsforthefirsttimeintheXiushanFormation(mid-Telychian,LlandoveryEpoch)ofYongshunCounty,HunanProvince,China.Thisdiscoveryrepresentsthefirstrecordofthegenusinthelow-latitudeperi-Gondwananregion.BasedonthesenewspecimensfromtheSouthChinaBlock,researchersidentifiedtwonewspeciesaccordingtothemorphologicalcharacteristicsofthePterothecafossils:Pterothecayongshunensisn.sp.andPterothecaxiushanensisn.sp.ThemorphologicanalysissuggeststhatcloserelativesofthesenewspeciesmaybePterothecaspeciesfromtheTelychianofScotland.Thenewspeciesshowcontinuousvariationsofmarginalapextosubmarginalapex,implyingthatoneofthePterothecaspeciesmaybeancestraltotheDevonianAspidothecaSpriesterbach,1919.SedimentologicalandpaleoecologicalanalysessuggestthatthePterothecaspeciesfromtheSilurianofSouthChinalikelylivedonsoftsilt-mudsubstrates,crawlingslowlyandfeedingonalgaeand/ororganicdetrituswithinthesediment.Theywereadaptedtoshallowmarineenvironmentswithsubstantialterrigenousinput(BenthicAssemblage2–3).GiventhatmanylocalitiesyieldingSilurianPterothecafossils(includingSouthChinaandSpain)lackrecordsofOrdovicianPterotheca,andconsideringthatallknownSilurianPterothecafossilsoccurinfine-grainedsiliciclasticrocks,withmostsedimentaryfeaturesrepresentingperiodsofsea-levelfallandlowstand,itishypothesizedthatgeographicisolationandenhancedoceaniccirculationduringtheglobalsea-levelfallintheearlySilurianpromotedspeciationofPterothecaindifferentregionsworldwide.Conversely,theconnectionofsearoutesduringtheRhuddaniantransgressionfollowingtheend-OrdovicianglaciationmayhavefacilitatedtheinitialdispersalofSilurianPterotheca.TheresearchfindingswererecentlypublishedintheinternationalpaleontologicaljournalJournalofPaleontology.TherelatedresearchreceivedsupportfromMinistryofScienceandTechnologyandNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina.ThisstudyisacontributiontoIGCPproject735“RocksandtheriseofOrdovicianlife”.Reference:Li,W.J.*,Fang,X.,Song,J.,Zhang,Y.D.,2024.Pterotheca(Gastropoda)fromtheTelychian(Silurian)XiushanFormationofSouthChina:taxonomy,paleoecology,andpaleogeography.JournalofPaleontology98,981–995.https://doi.org/10.1017/jpa.2024.49.Pterothecayongshunensisn.sp.fromtheXiushanFormationPterothecaxiushanensisn.sp.fromtheXiushanFormation2025-06-09
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The Permian Fusuline Fauna in Exotic Limestone Blocks of the Western Yarlung Tsangpo Suture Zone: Insights into the Early Evolution of the Neo-Tethys Ocean
AstheyoungestoceanwithintheTethyanOrogen,theopeningtimeoftheNeo-TethysOceanhasremainedasubjectofdebatewithdifferentopinionssuchaspriortoMiddlePermian,EarlyTriassic,orLateTriassic.ResolvingthisissueisofgreatsignificanceforunderstandingthegeodynamicevolutionoftheTethyanOrogen.Concurrently,astheremnantsoftheNeo-TethysOcean,theYarlungTsangpoSutureZone(YTSZ)exhibitsacomplexstructuralbackground.IntheeastofSaga,itischaracterizedbyasingleophiolitezone,butsplitsintonorthernandsouthernsubzoneswestofSage,withtheZhongba-Zhadamicrocontinentsandwichingbetweenthem.Thefundamentalquestionofwhetherbothsubzonesrepresentasinglesutureordistinctsuturesrepresentingdifferentoceanshasremainedaconsiderabledebate.RecentresearchershaveincreasinglyfocusedonabundantexoticlimestoneblockspreservedinthemélangeoftheYTSZ.Muchattentionhasbeenpaidonthegeochemistryandpaleomagnetismoftheassociatedbasalt.However,thestudyonthebiostratigraphyandpaleobiogeographyoftheseexoticlimestoneblocksremainsscarce,withlimitedstudiesintheGyanyimaarea,PurangCounty.WiththeSecondTibetanPlateauScientificExpeditionandotherresearchfunding,aresearchteamleadbyProf.YichunZhangconductedfieldworksin2022and2024.TheworksinthefielddiscoverednumerousexoticlimestoneblockswithinthemélangesonbothsidesoftheZhongba-Zhadamicrocontinent.Theexoticlimestoneblocksinthesouthernsubzonesufferslightmetamorphism,preservingdiversefusulineandcoralfossils,butthoseinthenorthernsubzonewerestronglymetamorphosed,leavinglimitedPermianforaminifers.TheresearchteamhasrecentlyconductedasystematicstudyonfusulinesfromtheexoticlimestoneblocksintheYarlungTsangpoSutureZone,focusingonfusulinefossilsinthelimestoneblocksofthesouthernsubzone.TheGyanyimasectioninPurangCountycontainsafusulinefaunadominatedbyNeoschwagerina,Kahlerina,andYangchienia,withsomespeciesofVerbeekina,Chusenella,Colania,andCodonofusiella,indicatingaWordian-Capitanianage.Inaddition,theZhalairiareainthesouthofZhongbaCountyischaracterizedbyanassemblagerichinCodonofusiellaandLantschichites,accompaniedbyminorNeoschwagerina,Yangchienia,andChenella,suggestingalateCapitanianage.Paleobiogeographicanalysisrevealsthatthesefusulineassemblagesexhibithighabundancebutlowdiversity,conspicuouslylackingadvancedgenera(e.g.,Sumatrina,Yabeina,Lepidoliolina).ThepaleobiogeographicaffinitiesofthefaunasindicatethattheseexoticlimestoneblockswereformedinapositionbetweenthenorthernLhasaBlockandthesouthernIndianPlateduringtheMiddlePermian.Additionally,thelimestoneblockslackterrigenousclasticbutassociatedwithbasalt,stronglysuggestinganoriginoftheseamountsintheNeo-TethysOcean.Itdeservesnotethattheoccurrenceofwarm-waterfusuline-containinglimestoneswasinthesouthoftheZhongba-Zhadamicrocontinentwithtypicalcold-waterfaunas.Thisphenomenastronglysupportsthatthesouthernsubzonewasnotinsitubutoriginatedfromthenorthernsubzone.ThesouthernandnorthernsubzonesoftheYTSZbelongtoasameophiolitebelt,bothrepresentingtheremnantsoftheNeo-TethysOcean.Inconclusion,thisstudyconfirmsthattheNeo-TethysOceanopenedinthelateEarlyPermian,andsubsequentlydevelopedseriesofseamountsintheoceanbasinbytheMiddlePermian.DuringthecollisionbetweenIndiaandEurasia,theophiolitesobductedandtransportedthemélangeandlimestoneblockstoformthesouthernsubzone.Thoselimestoneblockswithinthenorthernsubzone,however,sufferedfromstrongmetamorphism.ThisstudyprovidessignificantevidenceinunderstandingtheearlyevolutionoftheNeo-TethysOceanandthetectonicaffinityofthesubzonesoftheYTSZ.ThisresearchwassupportedbytheSecondTibetanPlateauScientificExpeditionandtheNationalScienceFoundationofChina.Reference:Hong-fuZhou,Yi-chunZhang*,MaoLuo,XinLi,HuaZhang,Hai-pengXu,Ruo-lanLiao,QiJu,Xiao-HuiCui,Jun-jieLiu,Yao-fengCai,Shu-zhongShen,2025.DismemberedGuadalupian(MiddlePermian)seamountswithintheYarlung-TsangpoSutureZone:ImplicationsfortheopeningtimeoftheNeo-TethysOcean.Palaeogeography,Palaeoclimatology,Palaeoecology,675:113063.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113063.TheexoticlimestoneintheophiolitemélangeoftheYarlung-TsangpoSutureZone.(A,FullviewoftheexoticlimestoneblocksintheZhalairiarea;B,TheexoticlimestoneintheZLR1section;C,TheexoticlimestoneintheZLR3section;D,TheBijiulasection;E,TheexoticlimestoneintheJYM2section;F,TheinterlayeredbasaltsintheJYM2section.)ThecartoonshowingtheformationoftheseamountswithintheNeo-TethysOceananditsobductiontothesouthoftheZhongba-ZhadamicrocontinentduringthecollisionbetweentheTethysHimalayaTerraneandtheLhasaBlock2025-06-04 -
Chinese scientists reported the the earliest known fossil record of blue-stain fungusInarecentreportpublishedinNationalScienceReview,aChineseteamofscientistshighlightsthediscoveryofwell-preservedblue-stainfungalhyphaewithinaJurassicfossilwoodfromnortheasternChina,whichpushesbacktheearliestknownfossilrecordofthisfungalgroupbyapproximately80millionyears.Thenewfindingprovidescrucialfossilevidenceforstudyingtheoriginandearlyevolutionofblue-stainfungiandoffersfreshinsightsintounderstandingtheecologicalrelationshipsbetweentheblue-stainfungi,plants,andinsectsduringtheJurassicperiod.Blue-stainfungiconstituteadistinctivegroupofwood-colonizingfungiwhichlacktheabilitytodecomposewoodlignocellulose,yetarecapableofcausingsignificantwooddiscoloration.Thoughthesefungiaregenerallynonfataltotheirhosts,theyoftenacceleratetreemortalitywhenassociatedwithwood-boringinsects.Molecularphylogeneticanalysessuggestthatblue-stainfungishouldbeanoldfungalgroup,whichmightoriginateduringtheLatePaleozoicorearlyMesozoic.However,hardlyanythingisknownaboutthegeologicaloccurrencesofblue-stainfungi.Notuntil2022,thefirstcrediblefossilrecordofblue-stainfungiwasreportedfromtheCretaceousinSouthAfricawithanageofapproximately80millionyears.ThisresearchteamwasledbyProf.NingTianfromShenyangNormalUniversity(SNU)andProf.YongdongWangfromNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPalaenology,CAS(NIGPAS),andwasjointlystudiedbyProf.ZikunJiangfromtheChineseAcademyofGeologicalSciencesinBeijingaswellasotherscholarsfromSNU.Theyfoundwell-preservedfossilfungalhyphaepreservedwithinaJurassicpetrifiedwoodfromnortheasternChina,dated160millionyearsago.Microscopicexaminationrevealsthefossilhyphaearedarkincolour,whichisindicativeofpigmentation,ahallmarkofcontemporaryblue-stainfungiwhichresultsinthediscolorationofwoods.Ofinterest,whenpenetratingthewoodcellwall,thehyphaecommonlyformaveryspecializedstructurecalled“penetrationpeg”.Thatistosaywhenpushingthroughthewood'scellwalls,thehyphaecommonlyslimdowninsize,makingiteasiertopiercethroughthetoughbarrier.Thediscoveryofthepenetrationpegenablestheteamtoensurethatthefossilfungusthattheyfoundbelongstotheblue-stainfungi.Unlikewood-decayfungi,whichdegradewoodcellwallsthroughenzymaticsecretion,theblue-stainfungilacktheenzymaticcapacitytodecomposewoodstructures.Instead,theirhyphaemechanicallybreachwoodcellwallsviathepenetrationpegs.ThefindingofJurassicblue-stainfungifromChinapushesbacktheearliestknownfossilrecordofthisfungalgroupbyapproximately80millionyears,providingcrucialfossilevidenceforfurtherunderstandingtheoriginandearlyevolutionofblue-stainfungi.Additionally,itoffersfreshinsightsintounderstandingtheecologicalrelationshipsbetweentheblue-stainfungi,plants,andinsectsduringtheJurassicperiod.ThebarkbeetlesubfamilyScolytinaeisconsideredasoneofthemajorsporedispersalagentsforextantblue-stain.However,bothmolecularbiologicalandfossilevidenceproposedthattheorigintimeofScolytinaedatesbacknoearlierthantheEarlyCretaceous.GiventheJurassicageofpresentfossilfungus,itishypothesizedthatitssporedispersalvectorwasnotScolytinaebutratherotherwood-colonizinginsectsprevalentduringthatperiod.ThisstudywasfundedbytheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChinaandtheLiaoningRevitalizationTalentsProgram.Articleinformation:TianNing*,WangYongdong*,LiFangyu,JiangZikun,TanXiao,2025.Blue-stainfungusfromtheJurassicprovidesnewinsightsintoearlyevolutionandecologicalinteractions.NationalScienceReview,12(6):nwaf160.https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwaf160.Figure1Anatomicaldetailsofthefungus-bearingwoodXenoxylonphyllocladoidesGothanfromtheJurassicofwesternLiaoning,NEChina(a)Transversesection,ainsect-boringhole.(b,c)Transversesection,distinctgrowthringswithcollapsedearlywood.(d-e)Radialsection,uniseriatedistantborderedpits.(f,g)Radialsection,window-likecross-fieldpits.Bars:(a)500μm;(b)200μm;(c)100μm;(d-g)50μm.Figure2.Blue-stainfungusinwoodtissuesofXenoxylonphyllocladoidesGothanfromtheJurassicofwesternLiaoningProvince,NEChina.(a–c)Hyphaewithsepta(whitearrowheads).(d)Hyphaegrowinginthecross-fieldzone.(e,h)Hyphaepenetratingtracheidwallswithappressorium-likestructuresanddistincthyphalpegs(whitearrowheads).(f)Colonizationofrayparenchymacellsbyhyphae.(g,i–j,l)Hyphaehorizontallypenetratingthetracheidwallswithappressorium-likestructures.(k)Hyphaecolonizinginthetracheidlumen,andpassingthroughtheborderedpits.(m–o)Slenderhyphaewithintracheidlumenwithchlamydosporelikestructures(whitearrowheads).Bars:(a–d,f–n)50μm;(e)25μm.2025-05-30 -
Research Links Trilobite Body Size Changes in Early Paleozoic with Marine Oxygen LevelsExploring macroevolutionary patterns and processes using fossil records is vital to understanding how developmental drivers and ecological pressures shape biodiversity. Size is one of the most conspicuous organismal traits and serves as a crucial factor in determining how organisms interact with their environment, making patterns of animal body size evolution a focus of macroevolutionary research. Nevertheless, the macroevolutionary patterns of body size across numerous major metazoan clades and their constraining mechanisms remain enigmatic. Recently, Dr. SUN Zhixin, supervised by Professors ZHAO Fangchen and ZHU Maoyan from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), collaborated with Dr. ZENG Han (NIGPAS) and Pro. Douglas H. Erwin from the Santa Fe Institute to conduct a comprehensive study on body size evolution in trilobites, a highly representative group of fossil invertebrates. This research was published in Science Advances on May 2th, 2025.2025-05-03 -
Jurassic Fossil Sheds Light on Evolutionary Origins of Thorny-Headed WormsA research team from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified a fossil acanthocephalan, Juracanthocephalus, from the 160-million-year-old Daohugou Biota in Inner Mongolia, China. This finding was published in Nature.2025-04-09 -
The Oldest Known Phosphatic Stromatoporoid Sponge Discovered in South ChinaInternationalscientistshaveuncoveredtheoldestknownphosphaticstromatoporoidsponge,datingbackapproximately480millionyearstotheEarlyOrdovician,inSouthChina.StromatoporoidspongeswerekeyreefbuildersduringthePalaeozoicera,playingacrucialroleinconstructingbiologicalframeworks—similartotheroleofmoderncorals.TheywereespeciallyimportantduringthemiddlePaleozoicera(fromthelateMiddleOrdoviciantoDevonian),atimemarkedbyamajortransitionfrommicrobial-dominatedtoskeletal-dominatedreefecosystems.Previously,stromatoporoidreefswerethoughttohaveemergedsuddenlyinthelateDarriwilianperiod(around460millionyearsago),leadingtoquestionsabouttheiroriginsandearlyevolutionaryhistory.Recently,aninternationalresearchteamledbyscientistsfromtheNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPalaeontologyoftheChineseAcademyofSciencesdiscoveredanexceptionallypreservedphosphaticstromatoporoidspongefromtheEarlyOrdovician,datingbackabout480millionyears,inYuan’an,Yichang,SouthChina.Thisnewlyidentifiedstromatoporoid,Lophiostromaleizunia,notonlyextendsthefossilrecordofstromatoporoidreefsbyabout20millionyearsbutalsoprovidesvaluableinsightsintotheearlybiomineralizationstrategiesofancientanimals.SouthChinaisrenownedforitsexceptionalfossilpreservationanditsdiverseEarlyPaleozoicmarineecosystems.ResearchershaveextensivelystudiedtheOrdovicianstratainthisregion,documentingtheearlydiversificationofmarinelifeduringtheGreatOrdovicianBiodiversificationEvent(GOBE)—acriticalperiodmarkedbydramaticincreasesinmarinebiodiversity.Lophiostromaleizuniaisuniqueamongallknownspongesforconstructingitsskeletonusingfluorapatite,aphosphatemineral.ThisfindingestablishesthephylumPorifera(sponges)asthefirstanimalgroupknowntoutilizeallthreeprincipalbiominerals:silica,calciumcarbonate,andcalciumphosphate.Thisdistinctiveskeletalcompositionsuggeststhatearlyspongeshadthegeneticcapacitytoemploydiversebiomineralizationstrategies.FossilevidenceindicatesthatLophiostromaleizuniaformedcomplexreefstructuresandplayedacrucialroleinframeworkconstruction,bindingtogetherotherreefcomponents,includingcalcimicrobes,lithistidsponges,Calathium,andechinoderms.Thesereefecosystemsexhibitremarkableecologicalcomplexity—comparabletothosefoundinlaterreefsystems.ThisstudywassupportedbytheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina,theNationalResearchFoundationofKorea,andtheKoreaPolarResearchInstituteproject.Thisstudyenhancesourunderstandingofearlyreefecosystemsandtheevolutionofbiomineralizationacrosstheanimalkingdom,providingnewinsightsintohowenvironmentalfactorsinfluencedbiologicalevolutionduringthiscriticalperiodinEarth’shistory.Figure1.ThinsectionphotographsofLophiostromaleizuniaFigure2.Mineralogicalandmicro-scaledfeaturesofLophiostromaleizuniaFigure3.Stromatoporoid-echinodermreeftype2025-04-01 -
Microfossils in Chert Provide New Evidence for the Cambrian ExplosionTheCambrianexplosion,whichoccurredfromthelateEdiacarantotheearlyCambrian,standsasoneofthemostpivotalevolutionaryeventsinEarth’shistory.AcrosstheEdiacaran-Cambrianboundary(ECB),theonce-thrivingEdiacara-typebiotavanished,whilemetazoansforgedaPhanerozoic-typeecosystemwithinapproximately18millionyears(539–521Ma).Ourpreviousunderstandingofthiscriticalevolutionarytransitionreliedonrelativelycontinuousrecordsofsmallshellyfossilsfromshallow-watercarbonatesandphosphaticdeposits,alongsideEdiacara-typemacrofossilsandtracefossilsmainlypreservedinsiliciclasticrocks.However,thewidelydevelopedsedimentarydiscontinuitiesneartheECBinshallow-watersettingshinderedacomprehensiveunderstandingofthebiologicalprocessesduringthisturningpoint.Recently,theresearchteamledbyProf.MaoyanZhufromtheNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPalaeontology,ChineseAcademyofSciences(NIGPAS),proposedthatchertdepositsacrosstheECBofferanewwindowintothisbiologicalrevolution.Thestudy,withDr.CuiLuoasthefirstauthor,waspublishedonlineonMarch10,2025,inGeology.Cherts,beingabletoexquisitelypreservenon-mineralizedorganismsandtheiranatomicaldetails,havebeenexceptionaltaphonomicwindowssincetheArchean.TheEdiacaran-CambrianchertsofSouthChinahavebeeninvestigatedbyChinesepaleontologistssincethe1990s,withdozensofmicroalgalgenerarecognized.Builtonthisbasis,theteamexaminedchertsfromeightECBsectionsacrossSouthChinaanddelineatedtwodistinctfossilassemblagesthroughintegratedpaleontologicalandcarbonisotopestratigraphicanalyses.TheterminalEdiacaranfossilassemblage(550–539Ma)isdominatedbyenigmaticstring-andstrap-likeformsofuncertainaffinity,withHorodyskia(bead-likestrings)andNenoxites(crescent-segmentedstrings)beingparticularlycommon.Thesefossilsarepreservedprimarilyasclay-mineralcasts,differingfromthecarbonaceousorpermineralizedpreservationtypicalofotherchertLagerstätten.Incontrast,earlyCambriancherts(539–521Ma)revealahighlydiverseassemblagewithfinelypreservedanatomicaldetails,encompassingacritarchs,algalmicrofossils,mineralizedanimalskeletons,andcarbonaceousfossilsofuncertainaffinity.AlargeacanthomorphicacritarchfromtheLuxishaosectionechoesformsfromtheearlyEdiacaran,suggestingthatsomeancienttaxamayhavepersistedintotheCambrian.SpongespiculesinchertsextendbelowthenadirofthebasalCambriancarbonisotopeexcursion(BACE),indicatingthatbiomineralizationinsponges,likethatofsmallshellyfossilssuchasAnabarites,originatedpriortotheCambrian.EspeciallynoteworthyarethecomplexcarbonaceousfilmyfossilsuniquetotheCambrianassemblage,whicharedistinctfromalgalremainsandabsentinPrecambriancherts.Thesefossils,potentiallyrepresentinganimalcuticles,indicateaninnovationinsoft-tissuestructuresamongmulticellulareukaryotesatthedawnoftheCambrian.Thesefindingsalignwithpriorinsightsfromothertaphonomicwindows,confirmingarapidbiosphericshiftneartheECB;afewEdiacaranformspersistedintotheCambrian,whileCambrian-specificskeletalfossilsextendbelowtheBACEnadir.ThisconsistencyreinforcespreviousconclusionswhilehighlightingthepotentialofchertfossilrecordsasanewwindowforexploringECBbiologicalchanges.Thebroaddistributionofchertsacrossvaryingwaterdepthsandtheircapabilityofpreservingdelicatenon-mineralizedtissuescouldprovidegoodcomplementstotheskeletalfossildatafromshallow-watersettings.Assuch,thisavenueofresearchmeritsheightenedattentioninfuturestudies.ThestudyalsoshowsthatrepresentativemembersofbothassemblagesarewidespreadacrosstheYangtzecraton,fromwesttoeast(YunnantoAnhui)andfromproximalshelftodistalupperslopefacies.However,verticaloverlapbetweenthetwoassemblagesisrare,withonlyonepriorreportnotingtheirco-occurrence.Futureinvestigationsarerequiredtotestwhethertheseassemblagedifferencesstemfromtaphonomicbiasorsedimentaryhiatus.ThisstudywassupportedbytheNationalKeyResearchandDevelopmentProgramandtheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina.Numerousteammembersofferedhelpintheextensivefieldwork.Dr.Soo-YeunAhncontributedsignificantlytothematerialcollectionduringherpostdoctoralproject.Fig.1InvestigatedsectionsandtheirdistributionintheTerreneuvianlithofaciespaleogeographicalmap.Fig.2ThecontrastingcharacteristicsbetweentheterminalEdiacaran(A–F)andtheearlyCambrianfossilassemblages(G–O).Fig.3SomeofthecarbonaceousfilmyfossilsintheCambriancherts.Fig.4(A)TemporaldistributionofchertLagerstättenandothertaphonomicwindowsacrosstheEdiacaran-Cambriantransition,alongwithrepresentativefossilsineachwindow.(B)SpatialdistributionoffossilsinchertsacrosstheEdiacaran-Cambriantransition.2025-03-28 -
The Sole Jurassic Amber Insect Discovered in Northern LebanonAmber,knownasnature’s“timecapsule,”providesauniquewindowintoEarth’shistoryandtheevolutionoflife.Itnotonlypreservesthemorphologyofancientorganismsbutalsorecordsenvironmentalinformationfromprehistorictimes,makingitacrucialmediumforpaleontologicalresearch.Currently,theoldestknownambercontainingbiologicalinclusionscomesfromtheTriassicstrataofItaly,whileallotheramberwithbiologicalinclusionsdatestotheCretaceousorlater,suchasCretaceousBurmeseamber,EoceneFushunamber,andMioceneDominicanamber.Jurassicamberhaslongremainedagapinresearch.Recently,aresearchteamledbyProfessorDanyAzarfromtheNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPaleontology,ChineseAcademyofSciences,discoveredapreciousJurassicinsectfossilinamberfromtheLateJurassic(Kimmeridgian)inAintourine,northernLebanon.ThisdiscoverynotonlyfillsthegapintheMesozoicamberfossilrecordbutalsoprovidesimportantcluesforstudyinginsectevolutionaryhistory.Thefossil,namedJankotejacoccuslibanogloria,istheearliestknownJurassicamberinsectinclusion,revealingthatmalecharacteristicsofscaleinsectsappearedintheearlystagesofevolution.Lebanonisrenownedinpaleontologyforitsrichamberdeposits.UndertheleadershipofDanyAzar,researchershaveidentifiedover500amberoutcropsfromtheEarlyCretaceousinLebanon,31ofwhichcontainbiologicalinclusions,alongwith19outcropsfromtheLateJurassic.Thisperiodiscrucialinthestudyofterrestrialecosystemevolution,asitmarkstheemergenceofangiospermsandtheco-evolutionaryrelationshipbetweenplantsandpollinatinginsects.ThenewlydiscoveredJankotejacoccuslibanogloriaisaherbivorousadultmalescaleinsect,significantlydifferentfromallotherscaleinsects,andhasbeenclassifiedintoanewfamily.Thefossilrevealsthatmalecharacteristicsofscaleinsects,includingmorphologicalandbehavioraltransformations,appearedearlyintheirevolution.TheLateJurassicprimitivemalescaleinsectfossilsaremorphologicallyrelatedtomoderngroupsandcoexistedwiththedominantgymnospermsofthetime.AssociatedmarinefossilsandzirconanalysissupportitsageasKimmeridgian.TheAintourineamberisproventooriginatefromthegymnospermfamilyCheirolepidiaceae.Thesemi-angularmorphologyofthesediment-amberboundarysuggeststhatthelowviscosityoftheresinmayhavecontributedtotherarityofbiologicalpreservationinsuchamber,althoughotherfactors(e.g.,resinflowortaphonomicprocesses)mayalsohaveplayedarole.AssociatedplantmaterialsintheamberincludeProtopodocarpoxylon,Brachyphyllum,Classostrobus,andClassopolispollenfromtheCheirolepidiaceae.Thepaleoenvironmenthasbeenreconstructedasaforestedtemporaryswamphabitat,withtallaraucarias,ginkgoes,shrubferns,treeferns,andaquaticferns.Theamberistypicallytransparent,containingfungalspores,minerals,andorganicdebris(charcoal,leaves,wood,andfungi).Thereisnoevidenceoflong-distancetransportorredeposition,suggestingthedepositionalenvironmentwasneartheamber-producingtrees.However,whetherthesetreesdominatedtheforestremainsuncertain,astheymayhavecoexistedwithotherspecies.Thisdiscoverynotonlyprovidesnewinsightsintotheoriginsofamberforestecosystemsbutalsopavesthewayforfurtherresearchonevolutionandbiodiversity.FuturestudiesonLebaneseamberdepositsandfindingsareexpectedtoenhanceourunderstandingoftheearlydevelopmentofmodernecosystemsandoffermoreinsightsintothebiodiversityandterrestrialevolutionofthemid-Mesozoic.ThisresearchwassupportedbytheChineseAcademyofSciencesHundredTalentsProgram(CategoryA).ArticleInformation:PeterVršanský*,HemenSendi,JúliaKotulová,JacekSzwedo,MartinaHavelcová,HelenaPalková,LuciaVršanská,JakubSakala,L'ubicaPuškelová,MariánGolej,AdrianBiroň,DanielPeyrot,DonaldQuicke,DidierNéraudeau,PavelUher,SibelleMaksoud,DanyAzar*,2025.JurassicParkapproached:acoccidfromKimmeridgiancheirolepidiaceanAintourineLebaneseamber.NationalScienceReview,Volume12:nwae200,https://doi.org/10.1093/nsr/nwae200ReconstructionoftheJurassicamberecosysteminAintourine,northernLebanon(Imageby:JúliaKáčerová).JurassicamberforestofAintourineandfossilevidencefromtheperspectiveofdinosaurs(Imageby:JúliaKáčerová).MalescaleinsectJankotejacoccuslibanogloriafromJurassicamberinLebanon.2025-03-18 -
Discovery of a Terrestrial "Noah's Ark" During the End-Permian Mass Extinction in Xinjiang, ChinaSince 2019, Dr. Peng Huiping from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, under the guidance of his supervisor Prof. Feng Liu, has collaborated with Prof. Mingli Wan from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Prof. Wan Yang from Missouri University of Science and Technology, and Prof. Jun Liu from the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, to conduct detailed research on palynomorphs from the well-dated South Taodonggou section exposed on the western margin of the Turpan-Hami Basin in Xinjiang, China. This research provides new fossil evidence for understanding the evolution of terrestrial vegetation in the Turpan-Hami Basin during the end-Permian mass extinction, with findings recently published in Science Advances.2025-03-13 -
A Jurassic conifer wood first reported from northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateauchallenges Gondwanan biogeography
LocatedatthenortheasternmarginoftheQinghai-Xizang(Tibetan)Plateau,theQaidamBasinservesasakeyregionforstudyingMesozoicterrestrialecosystemevolutionandexplorationoffossilenergyresources.Sincethe1950s,abundantpaleobotanicalandpalynologicalfindingshavebeenaccumulatedfromtheLower-MiddleJurassicinthisregion.However,asacrucialproxyofpaleobotanicalresearch,fossilwoodshaverarelybeendocumentedintheJurassicstrataoftheQaidamBasin,andthesystematicstudiesremaininsufficient.ThisknowledgegaphashinderedcomprehensiveanalysisofMesozoicpaleovegetationevolutionandclimaticandenvironmentalchangesinthearea.Recently,aSino-Germanjointresearchteamonpaleobotany,ledbyProfessorWangYongdongfromtheNanjingInstituteofGeologyandPalaeontology,ChineseAcademyofSciences(NIGPAS),Dr.XieAoweifromSenckenbergResearchInstitute,Germany(SRI),andProf.TianNingfromtheCollegeofPaleontologyofShenyangNormalUniversity(CPSNU)discoveredanewtypeofexceptionallywell-preservedfossilwoodmaterialintheEarlyJurassicstratadatingbackabout186millionyearsagoonthenortheasternmarginoftheQaidamBasin.Theycarriedoutsystematicanatomicalstudies,confirmeditstaxonomicattributesandrevealeditssignificanceforpaleobiogeographyandpaleoclimateresearch.Anatomicalstudieshaveshownthatfossilexhibitsaraucarianradialtracheidpits,eachcross-fieldusuallybearing1–2podocarpoidpits,taxodioidpitsoroopores,abundantseptaintracheids,andallraycellwallsthinandunpitted.ThesemorphologicalfeaturessupportitsclassificationintotheextinctconiferplantgenusMetapodocarpoxylonDupéron-LaudoueneixetPons.Since1985,thegenusMetapodocarpoxylonhasbeenestablishedforover40years.PreviouslyrecordsofthisgenusarerestrictedtothenorthernGondwanaduringtheMesozoic,andtheirlocalitiesaredocumentedinover40localitiesformingadistinctivelatitudinalbeltextendingwestwardsfromLebanontoPeruintheJurassicandCretaceoussediments.ThecurrentdiscoverynotonlyrepresentsitsfirstrecordinLaurasiabutalsoexpandsitsbiogeographicrangefromnorthernGondwanatoLaurasia,defyingconventionalbiogeographicboundaries.ThisreporthasbrokenthroughthetraditionalunderstandingofgeographicaldistributionofMetapodocarpoxylon,andcontributestoadeeperunderstandingofthemigrationandevolutionpatternsofthisplantsinthegeologicalhistory.FossilrecordsshowsthatMetapodocarpoxylonmainlyappearedfromtheMiddleJurassictotheCretaceousperiod.ThisstudyrevealsthatthegenusmighthaveoriginatedinLaurasiaduringtheEarlyJurassicandthenmigratedtotheGondwanaregionundertheinfluenceofclimatechange.ThenewfossilmaterialsdiscoveredintheQaidamBasinhavepushedthefossilrecordofthisgenusbackfromthepreviouslyknownMiddleJurassictotheEarlyJurassic(about20millionyearsearlier).ThefossilwoodofMetapodocarpoxylondisplaysdistinctgrowthrings,withabundant,well-formedearlywoodandnarrowlatewood,aswellasabrupttransitionsbetweenearlywoodandlatewood.Thisobservation,alongwithpreviousinterpretationsbasedonmacroflora,palynofloraandsedimentologicaldata,suggeststhatawarmandhumidclimateconditionwithmildseasonalityprevailedintheregionduringtheEarlyJurassic.IntegratedanalysisofpalaeobotanicalandsedimentologicaldatafurtherindicatesthattheQaidamBasinexperiencedawarm-humidclimatewithmildseasonalprecipitationdisparities,providingoptimalconditionsfordenseconiferousforests.Thisconclusionalignswithpalaeobotanicalandpalynologicalevidencesupportinga"conifer-dominatedtemperatehumidclimate,"therebyfurnishingcriticalevidenceforreconstructingpalaeovegetationandrefiningEarlyJurassicclimaticmodelsinEastAsia.ThisresearchhasbeenpublishedintheCambridgeUniversityinternationaljournalGeologicalMagazine.Prof.YongdongWangfromNIGPAS,Dr.AoweiXiefromSRIandProf.NingTianCPSNUservedasco-correspondingauthors.TheinternationalcollaborativeteamincludedProf.Dr.DieterUhl(SenckenbergResearchInstitute),Dr.MinXu,Dr.YanbinZhu,Dr.LiZhang,Dr.XiaoTeng,anddoctoralstudentHongyuChenfromNIGPAS.ThisresearchreceivedjointsupportfromtheNationalNaturalScienceFoundationofChina,theStrategicPriorityResearchPrograms(CategoryB)ofChineseAcademyofSciences,andtheStateKeyLaboratoryofPalaeobiologyandStratigraphy.Reference:Xie,A.*,Chen,H.,Wang,Y.*,Tian,N.*,Xu,M.,Zhu,Y.,Zhang,L.,Teng,X.,Uhl,D.2024.AnexceptionallypreservedconiferwoodMetapodocarpoxylonfromtheJurassicofnortheasternQinghai-Xizang(Tibetan)Plateau,anditspalaeobiogeographicandpalaeoclimaticsignificances.GeologicalMagazine,162(e7):1–10.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756824000451Fig.1AnatomicalcharactersofMetapodocarpoxylonwoodfromtheLowerJurassicintheQaidamBasin.(a–c),crosssections;(d–h),radialsections.Fig.2AnatomicalcharactersofMetapodocarpoxylonwoodfromtheLowerJurassicintheQaidamBasin.(a–d),radialsections;(e–i),tangentialsections.Fig.3Palaeobiogeographicmapshowingthespatio-temporaldistributionofMetapodocarpoxylonworldwide2025-03-10