Although the Darwinism has deeply rooted in the mind of public, how the flowers evolved has been a puzzle for evolutionary biologists over centuries. Science listed the evolution of flowers a one of the 125 worldwide scientific questions.
From Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary in eastern China, a large number of inland saline oil and gas basins developed, such as Shengli Oilfield, Zhongyuan Oilfield, Jiangsu Oilfield and Jianghan Oilfield. Since the discovery of marine calcium algae and ostracod fossils in Shengli Oilfield in 1979, whether marine transgression has occurred in eastern China has become the focus of petroleum academic debate. The horizon where transgression occurs often enriches evaporite and main source rock. Therefore, this problem has caused academic debate for more than 40 years.
Ediacara-type organisms are an assemblage of macroscopic, soft-bodied eukaryotes that are prosperous in the late Ediacaran (~571–539 Ma). They constitute a unique macroscopic fossil biota prior to the Cambrian explosion—the Ediacara biota, representing a landmark in the evolution of early macroscopic organisms.
As enigmatic stem-group euarthropods and some of the earliest apex predators, the radiodonts are iconic animals of the Cambrian Explosion. Distinctive features of this group include a head with a pair of frontal appendages and a radial oral cone, and a trunk with swimming flaps and setal structures. As one of the two main lineages of radiodonts, the hurdiids are characterized by a tripartite cephalic carapace composed of a dorsal central element and paired lateral elements, a pair of frontal appendages bearing elongate blade-shaped endites and a tetraradial oral cone.
The Baoshan region (Sibumasu Terrane) of Yunnan Province, SW China, is one of the best locations to study the Wenlock to Pridoli conodonts in China. Conodont fauna of the “Lichaiba” and Niushiping formations were preliminarily reported during the IGCP 591 Field Meeting in 2014.
Among the earliest fossil ants known, haidomyrmecine ‘hell ants’ from Cretaceous amber reveal an ancient and dramatic early burst radiation of adaptive forms. These eusocial Cretaceous taxa diverged from extant lineages prior to the most recent common ancestor of all living ants and possessed bizarre scythe-like mouthparts along with a striking array of horn-like cephalic projections. Despite the morphological breadth of the fifteen thousand known extant ant species, phenotypic syndromes found in the Cretaceous are without parallel and the evolutionary drivers of extinct diversity are unknown.
Known as the third pole of the earth, the magnificent Qinghai-Xizang plateau used to be a vast ocean millions of years ago and its vicissitudes have become one of the hotspots of the geological research. Stratigraphy is the basis for diachronic reconstruction of this process, with biostratigraphy the most fundamental method and fossils often the most reliable evidence for the age of strata. However, due to extreme natural conditions and intense tectonic deformation and metamorphism, fossil collection and biostratigraphic research in the Qinghai-Xizang plateau are very difficult and the progress has been very slow. The Neo-Tethys realm in southern Xizang, as represented by the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone, is such a prominent sample where the Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata bear many problems and arguments, which has already become a restrict to other researches.
Reefs are the most complicated and diverse ecosystems in the ocean, with highest levels of species diversity, habitat diversity, community structure and functional diversity. Therefore, they represent one of the most significant genetic treasures in the evolution of Earth life. Metazoan reef ecosystem reached its Phanerozoic acme in Givetian (Middle Devonian), however, detailed studies on the reef biodiversity, ecological interactions and community composition of Givetian reefs are still lacking, limiting our further understanding of the palaeobiodiversity change pattern and evolutionary model of reef ecosystem in critical geological time intervals.
The Sichuan Basin is one of the most gas-productive continental basins in China, especially with the giant gas fields recently discovered in Puguang and Guang’an regions in the Sichuan Province. The terrestrial coals and mudstones of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation and the Lower Jurassic Zhenzhuchong Formation represent one of the most significant hydrocarbon source rocks within the basin, especially in the western, central, and southern Sichuan Basin. In the northeastern Sichuan Basin, diverse and abundant fossils have been reported from the Xujiahe and Zhenzhuchong Formations, however, paleoenvironment and hydrocarbon significances of these fossils are still less documented, and petroleum studies and exploration of these successions remain limited.
The Triassic–Jurassic (T–J) transition interval (ca. 200 Ma) is characterized by a major mass extinction, one of the five largest Phanerozoic extinctions in Earth history. Major biotic turnover occurred in both marine and terrestrial realms. Much emphasis has been placed on the marine Triassic–Jurassic successions, however, studies on the terrestrial response to this event is still limited, especially in the eastern Tethys region of eastern Asia. In the northeastern Sichuan Basin of South China, the Upper Triassic and the Lower Jurassic successions are well exposed and continuously developed, yielding diverse fossil plant remains, providing important material for exploring the continental ecosystem conditions across the T–J transition in the eastern Tethys.
Dinganthus sheds new light on the evolution of flowersAlthough the Darwinism has deeply rooted in the mind of public, how the flowers evolved has been a puzzle for evolutionary biologists over centuries. Science listed the evolution of flowers a one of the 125 worldwide scientific questions.2020-09-14
Fluid inclusions in halite reveal signs of tertiary transgression in eastern ChinaFrom Late Cretaceous to early Tertiary in eastern China, a large number of inland saline oil and gas basins developed, such as Shengli Oilfield, Zhongyuan Oilfield, Jiangsu Oilfield and Jianghan Oilfield. Since the discovery of marine calcium algae and ostracod fossils in Shengli Oilfield in 1979, whether marine transgression has occurred in eastern China has become the focus of petroleum academic debate. The horizon where transgression occurs often enriches evaporite and main source rock. Therefore, this problem has caused academic debate for more than 40 years.2020-09-04
New Ediacaran fronds from the Yangtze Gorges areaEdiacara-type organisms are an assemblage of macroscopic, soft-bodied eukaryotes that are prosperous in the late Ediacaran (~571–539 Ma). They constitute a unique macroscopic fossil biota prior to the Cambrian explosion—the Ediacara biota, representing a landmark in the evolution of early macroscopic organisms.2020-08-25
Discoveries of middle Cambrian hurdiid radiodonts from North ChinaAs enigmatic stem-group euarthropods and some of the earliest apex predators, the radiodonts are iconic animals of the Cambrian Explosion. Distinctive features of this group include a head with a pair of frontal appendages and a radial oral cone, and a trunk with swimming flaps and setal structures. As one of the two main lineages of radiodonts, the hurdiids are characterized by a tripartite cephalic carapace composed of a dorsal central element and paired lateral elements, a pair of frontal appendages bearing elongate blade-shaped endites and a tetraradial oral cone.2020-08-21
New progress on the Silurian conodonts from Baoshan, Yunnan, SW ChinaThe Baoshan region (Sibumasu Terrane) of Yunnan Province, SW China, is one of the best locations to study the Wenlock to Pridoli conodonts in China. Conodont fauna of the “Lichaiba” and Niushiping formations were preliminarily reported during the IGCP 591 Field Meeting in 2014.2020-08-21
New Study Sheds Light on Evolution of Hell Ants from 100 Million Years AgoAmong the earliest fossil ants known, haidomyrmecine ‘hell ants’ from Cretaceous amber reveal an ancient and dramatic early burst radiation of adaptive forms. These eusocial Cretaceous taxa diverged from extant lineages prior to the most recent common ancestor of all living ants and possessed bizarre scythe-like mouthparts along with a striking array of horn-like cephalic projections. Despite the morphological breadth of the fifteen thousand known extant ant species, phenotypic syndromes found in the Cretaceous are without parallel and the evolutionary drivers of extinct diversity are unknown.2020-08-18
New biostratigraphic framework for the Triassic-Paleogene in Qinghai-Xizang plateauKnown as the third pole of the earth, the magnificent Qinghai-Xizang plateau used to be a vast ocean millions of years ago and its vicissitudes have become one of the hotspots of the geological research. Stratigraphy is the basis for diachronic reconstruction of this process, with biostratigraphy the most fundamental method and fossils often the most reliable evidence for the age of strata. However, due to extreme natural conditions and intense tectonic deformation and metamorphism, fossil collection and biostratigraphic research in the Qinghai-Xizang plateau are very difficult and the progress has been very slow. The Neo-Tethys realm in southern Xizang, as represented by the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone, is such a prominent sample where the Mesozoic and Cenozoic strata bear many problems and arguments, which has already become a restrict to other researches.2020-08-17
The Middle Devonian Jiwozhai patch reef in Dushan of South China: A palaeobiodiversity hotspot in deep timeReefs are the most complicated and diverse ecosystems in the ocean, with highest levels of species diversity, habitat diversity, community structure and functional diversity. Therefore, they represent one of the most significant genetic treasures in the evolution of Earth life. Metazoan reef ecosystem reached its Phanerozoic acme in Givetian (Middle Devonian), however, detailed studies on the reef biodiversity, ecological interactions and community composition of Givetian reefs are still lacking, limiting our further understanding of the palaeobiodiversity change pattern and evolutionary model of reef ecosystem in critical geological time intervals.2020-08-11
Palynofacies analysis reveals paleoenvironment and hydrocarbon potential for the Early Mesozoic deposit in the Sichuan Basin, South ChinaThe Sichuan Basin is one of the most gas-productive continental basins in China, especially with the giant gas fields recently discovered in Puguang and Guang’an regions in the Sichuan Province. The terrestrial coals and mudstones of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation and the Lower Jurassic Zhenzhuchong Formation represent one of the most significant hydrocarbon source rocks within the basin, especially in the western, central, and southern Sichuan Basin. In the northeastern Sichuan Basin, diverse and abundant fossils have been reported from the Xujiahe and Zhenzhuchong Formations, however, paleoenvironment and hydrocarbon significances of these fossils are still less documented, and petroleum studies and exploration of these successions remain limited.2020-08-04
Palynological study reveals palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate changes across the Triassic-Jurassic transition in south ChinaThe Triassic–Jurassic (T–J) transition interval (ca. 200 Ma) is characterized by a major mass extinction, one of the five largest Phanerozoic extinctions in Earth history. Major biotic turnover occurred in both marine and terrestrial realms. Much emphasis has been placed on the marine Triassic–Jurassic successions, however, studies on the terrestrial response to this event is still limited, especially in the eastern Tethys region of eastern Asia. In the northeastern Sichuan Basin of South China, the Upper Triassic and the Lower Jurassic successions are well exposed and continuously developed, yielding diverse fossil plant remains, providing important material for exploring the continental ecosystem conditions across the T–J transition in the eastern Tethys.2020-07-30