Many animals care for and protect their offspring to increase their survival and fitness. Insects care for their young using a range of strategies: some dig underground chambers for their young, whilst others carry their brood around on their own bodies. However, it was unclear when these strategies first evolved in insects. Professor ZHANG Haichun from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his team, reported the earliest fossil evidence of an insect caring for its young, in the form of a female insect preserved with her brood in a specimen of ancient amber. The amber comes from northern Myanmar, where amber deposits are around 95–105 million years old. The fossilised insect is an adult female scale insect with a cluster of around 60 eggs on her abdomen. Six young scale insect nymphs are also preserved in the same piece of amber. They named this newly discovered species Wathondara kotejai, after an earth goddess in South-East Asian Buddhist mythology and the late Polish entomologist Jan Koteja. Most scale insect fossils found to date have been males. Fossilised adult females are scarcer, most likely because female scale insects are wingless and less mobile and therefore less prone to accidental burial. The fossil is therefore a rare find, and it is also sufficiently well preserved to reveal that the female’s eggs are contained within a wax-coated egg sac. Today there are many species of scale insects, most of which are parasites of plants and many are economically important pests of trees and shrubs. In living relatives of W. kotejai, females use a similar wax coating to protect themselves and their offspring: young nymphs hatch inside the egg sac and remain there for a few days before emerging into the outside world. This new fossil provides a unique insight into the anatomy and life cycle of a long-extinct insect; it also demonstrates that brood care in insects is an ancient trait that dates back to at least around 100 million years ago at the height of the age of the dinosaurs. This research was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Basic Research Program of China, and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (NIGPAS), and Alexander von Humboldt-Foundation. The paper was published in eLife (Wang Bo, Xia Fangyuan, Wappler T., Simon E., Zhang Haichun, Jarzembowski E.A., Szwedo J. (2015) Brood care in a 100-million-year-old scale insect. eLife, 4: e05447). The fossilied insect and the six young scale insect
Hitherto there is no record of typical flower in the pre-Cretaceous all over the world. Previously, the earliest typical flower is Callianthus dilae from the 125 million-year-old Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation. Recently, Professor LIU Zhongjian from National Orchid Conservation Center of China and Professor WANG Xin from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences reported their discovery of a typical flower, Euanthus panii, from the 162 million-year-old Jurassic stratum in western Liaoning, China in online published Historical Biology. Euanthus panii has all the flowers parts required for a typical flower, including calyx, corolla, androecium, and gynoecium. Its sepals and petals are well-differentiated, its anthers are tetrasporangiate, and its gynoecium includes a style and an unilocular half-inferior ovary. Several unitegmic ovules are enclosed inside the ovary. These characters make Euanthus panii the currently earliest Jurassic typical flower. The discovery of Euanthus panii opens a door for the research on origin of angiosperms. Liu Z.-J., Wang X*. A perfect flower from the Jurassic of China. Historical Biology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2015.1020423
Left, the holotype of Euanthus panii; Right, the reconstruction of Euanthus panii.
A scanning electronic microscope image of the 600 million-year-old sponge-like animal fossil On March 9, 2015, Prof. ZHU Maoyan, Dr. YIN Zongjun and Dr. ZHAO Fangchen from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and their international colleagues described a 600 million-year-old body fossil with sponge-like characteristics that predates the Cambrian period by 60 million years. This study has been published online in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences as PNAS plus. Phylogenetic studies have suggested that sponges and eumetazoan animals may have shared a common ancestor more than 200 million years before the onset of the Cambrian period 541 million years ago, although unequivocal fossil evidence of such an ancestor is scant. ZHU Maoyan and colleagues analyzed a well-preserved 600 million-year-old fossil displaying multiple characteristics of modern sponges. Flat tile-like features on the external surface, punctuated with small pores, resemble pinacocytes on modern sponges. The authors report that the inner surface is covered with a regular pattern of uniform pits, with many pits surrounded by collars, similar to sponge choanocytes. Discovery of additional specimen would confirm that the fossil represents a Precambrian sponge, yet features of the fossil are consistent with sponge anatomy, including a basal anchor similar to a sponge holdfast and orifices for water inflow and outflow. The results suggest that advanced forms of sponges were likely extant 60 million years before the Cambrian period, and that fossils of similarly advanced eumetazoans may yet lie in the fossil record. This research was supported by National Basic Research Program of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (NIGPAS). Related information of this paper:Yin ZJ, Zhu MY, Davidson EH, Bottjer DJ, Zhao FC, Tafforeau P. Sponge grade body fossil with cellular resolution dating 60 Myr before the Cambrian. PNAS. Overall anatomy of the specimen (a, b) and flattened surface cells and base or holdfast (c, d, e, f, g, h).
Rhyniophytoids are thought to be one of the most original vascular plant groups which were firstly found from the Rhynie chert Lagerst?tte, Aberdeenshire, Scotland and from then, this group was rarely found elsewhere. Recently, study by Prof. XU Honghe from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleagues discovered the fertile structure showing rhyniophytoid’s affinities through re-examinations to specimens assigned to zosterophylls from the Lower Devonian of Guangxi, southwestern China. Newly-discovered plant is small-sized, dichotomous branched, with terminal single sporangium, showing similar to the genus Aberlemnia Gonezet Gerrienne and being also comparable to some mesofossil morphotypes of early land plants from the Early Devonian (Lochkovian) Old Red Sandstone floras. This study adds new data to the generally zosterophyll-dominated Early Devonian floras of South China and sheds some lights on the palaeophytogeography of rhyniophytoids. This work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (NIGPAS). It is published as: Xu H-H, Xue J-Z, Wang Q. 2015. Notes on a fertile rhyniophytoid from the Lower Devonian of Guangxi, southwestern China. Historical Biology: An International Journal of Paleobiology. 27, 294-298.
Rhyniophytoid from the Lower Devonian of Guangxi, South China
The robust spines and sclerites of the early to middle Cambrian ‘mollusc’ Wiwaxia are ubiquitous in suitably preserved deposits, but are strikingly absent from the Chengjiang Lagerst？tte (Cambrian Stage 3, Yunnan Province, SW China). Recently, Dr. ZHAO Fangchen and colleagues from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, with Dr. Smith Martin from Cambridge University, report the first record of Wiwaxia sclerites from the Chengjiang deposit, published in Geological Magazine, extending the record of the genus to the earliest Cambrian Series 2. This reinforces the cosmopolitan distribution of this iconic Cambrian lophotrochozoan and demonstrates the strong faunal continuity that unites distant Cambrian Lagerst？tten. This research was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Basic Research Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Related information of this paper: Zhao, F.*, Smith, M. R., Yin, Z., Zeng, H., Hu, S., Li, G., Zhu, M., 2015. First report of Wiwaxia from the Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerst？tte. Geological Magazine, 152 (2): 378–382. Sclerites of Wiwaxia. (a–d) from the lower Cambrian Chengjiang biota, and (e) from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale biota Distribution of Wiwaxia. (a) Stratigraphic distribution. (b) Palaeogeographic distribution
The Devonian-Carboniferous transition was a period of major biotic and paleoenvironmental change characterized by one of the biggest Phanerozoic mass extinction events, the Hangenberg mass extinction. This event eliminated all the Paleozoic stromatoporoids from the ocean, leading to the demise of metazoan reef and changes of marine community. It was also accompanied by a distinct perturbation to the global carbon cycle recorded by positive excursions in δ13Ccarb and δ13Corg. To better understand paleoenvironmental changes and controls on δ13Ccarb variation during this critical interval, an integrated study of the litho-, bio-, and chemostratigraphy of the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary at four sections (Qilinzhai, Malanbian, Gedongguan and Long’an) in South China was undertaken by Dr. QIE Wenkun and his colleagues from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Sedimentological data record a major regression in the Middle Siphonodella praesulcata Zone, which coincided with the Hangenberg Extinction (HE) in South China. Their new δ13Ccarb data document a negative δ13Ccarb shift near the base of the Middle Si. praesulcata zone, which may have been related to the HE. Prior to and during the HE, respiration of organic matter contributed abundant 12C-enriched dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) to the restricted Nanning carbonate platform, resulting in a negative vertical δ13CDIC gradient in the study area. In the Upper Si.praesulcata Zone, all four sections exhibit a positive δ13Ccarb shift, suggesting that a vigorous biological pump existed in the aftermath of the latest Devonian glaciation. However, peak δ13Ccarb values differ markedly among the study sections, suggesting that local carbon cycling processes (e.g. input of terrestrial organic matters and nutrients, remineralization of organic matters) played an important role during the initial post-glacial transgression.
The paper was published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, and financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
Reference: Qie, W.K., Liu, J.S., Chen, J.T., Wang, X.D., Mii, H.S., Zhang, X.H., Huang, X., Yao, L., Algeo, T.J., Luo, G.M., 2015, Local overprints on the global carbonate δ13C signal in Devonian-Carboniferous boundary successions of South China. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 418, 290-303. (a) Early Tournaisian global paleogeographic reconstruction (base map courtesy of Ron Blakey, http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~rcb7/). (b) Early Tournaisian paleogeographic map of South China craton showing study section localities. (c) Generalized stratigraphy of the Devonian–Carboniferous succession in South China Correlation of the δ13Ccarb profiles of the four study sections in South China
The gigantic Gigantoproductus-bearing brachiopod fauna is one of the most distinct marine benthic faunas in the Early Carboniferous in terms of its huge size, extremely thick shell, and delicate costation. The fauna is among the most characteristic taxon that marked the middle and late Mississippian and of much usefulness in stratigraphy and palaeobiogeography. In a recent paper, Dr. QIAO Li and Prof. SHEN Shuzhong from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Science have conducted a research on the stratigraphic and paleogeographic distributions of the Gigantoproductus fauna, along with its diversity change and discussed the evolutionary turnover of the Gigantoproductus faunas in association with the global tectonic and paleoclimatic changes. The investigation into the spatial and temporal distributions indicates that Gigantoproductus was originated and migrated mainly in the circum Paleotethys region in the tropical and subtropical zones, and favored a relatively shallow shelf environment with high energy and warm water condition with little thermal tolerance. The waxes and wanes of the Gigantoproductus faunas temporally coincided with the paleoclimatic shift from greenhouse to icehouse stage in the late Visean and early Serpukhovian. And the final extinction of these gigantic brachiopods in the late Serpukhovian implies tropical cooling towards the late Serpukhovian by the expansion of the LPIA glaciers. This research is supported by the National Nature Science Foundation of China. Reference: Li Qiao, Shu-Zhong Shen, 2015. A global review of the Late Mississippian (Carboniferous) Gigantoproductus (Brachiopoda) faunas and their paleogeographical, paleoecological, and paleoclimatic implications. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 420: 128–137. Specimens of Gigantoproductus collected from South China. Fossil localities of Gigantoproductus (upper) and palaeogeographic map showing the genus distributions (340 Ma) (lower).
Volcanism and impact scenarios are two of the most plausible ways of interpreting the causes of the largest biological mass extinction at the end-Permian. Microspherules have previously been widely reported from tens of different Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) sections in South China and some other regions. These microspherules have been interpreted either as the product of volcanic eruptions or an impact event. In order to test these scenarios, Dr. ZHANG Hua and colleagues, from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, collected 60 samples from 12 intensively-studied PTB sections in South China. In addition, four soil samples close to these PTB layers were also collected for comparison. Their investigation indicates that no evidence supports the contention that microspherules from the PTB beds in South China are of impact origin. No accompanying minerals with impact planar deformation features have thus far been found in the PTB beds in South China. The microspherules from the PTB beds are of multiple origins. Among them, most of iron and magnetite–silicate microspherules are modern fly ashes rather than of volcanic origin or impact event. The pyrite microspherules and framboidal pyrite are of depositional or/and diagenetic origins. The calcareous microspherules and the hollow organic microspherules are of biological origin. This research was published in Lithos. It was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Reference: Zhang Hua, Shen Shu-zhong, Cao Chang-qun, Zheng Quan-feng, 2014. Origins of microspherules from the Permian–Triassic boundary event layers in South China. Lithos 204, 246-257. Microspherules recovered from the Meishan sections Microspherules recovered from soil sample at the Meishan D section Microspherules recovered from soil sample near the Ermen section, Huangshi, Hubei province
As a beautiful and mystical substance that is suitable for making jewelry and handiwork, amber is very popular in the world. It has been recognized for a long history that amber was produced by ancient trees. In the Tang Dynasty of China (618-907 A.D), the poet WEI Yingwu suggested that amber was derived from ancient conifers in his poem ‘Amber’. However, the plants from which amber was probably produced are far more than conifers. Biomarker studies shows that terpenoids in resins are often diagnostic for certain plant groups. Albeit various chemical transformations during burial, the terpenoids in fossil resins often retain their characteristic basic structural skeletons and can thus be used as biomarkers for botanical origins of the amber. Based on compositions of terpenoids, the plant families that have been suggested as producer of amber include Pinaceae (Burmese amber), Cupressaceae (Fushun amber), Sciadopityaceae (Baltic amber), Araucariaceae, Leguminosae (Dominica amber), Dipterocarpaceae (Cambay amber), Burseraceae, Hamamelidaceae, Combretaceae and the extinct conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae (Lebanese amber). In a recent research, Dr. SHI Gongle and Dr. WANG Bo from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and colleagues from Indian Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai and Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences studied the terpenoid compositions of the Late Cretaceous Xixia amber from Central China and the middle Miocene Zhangpu amber from Southeast China using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The results indicate the Xixia amber is most likely derived by the conifer family Araucariaceae but a contribution from Cheirolepidiaceae cannot be excluded. The Zhangpu amber is suggested as contributed by the tropical angiosperm family Dipterocarpaceae. The occurrence of fossil winged fruits of Dipterocarpaceae in the Fotan Group of Zhangpu confirms a Dipterocarpaceae origin of the Zhangpu amber. This work was recently published in PLoS ONE and it was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy. References: Shi G., Dutta S., Paul S., Wang B., Jacques F.M.B., 2014. Terpenoid compositions and botanical origin of Late Cretaceous and Miocene amber from China. PLoS ONE, 9(10), e111303. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0111303 Shi G., Jacques F.M.B., Li H., 2014. Winged fruits of Shorea (Dipterocarpaceae) from the Miocene of Southeast China: Evidence for the northward extension of dipterocarps during the Mid-Miocene Climatic Optimum. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 200, 97-107.
The genus Cunninghamia (Chinese fir) is endemic to East Asia with only two extant species commonly found in South China. Molecular phylogenetics resolves Cunninghamia as the sister group to all other extant Cupressaceae sensu lato. An early divergence of extant Cunninghamia is consistent with the early appearance of Cunninghamia-like fossils in the paleobotanical record. Ancient fossil Cupressaceae e.g. Elatides, Sewardiodendron from the Middle Jurassic are similar to extant Cunninghamia in overall morphology. However, an important question is whether these early Cunninghamia-like taxa represent a grade of early Cupressaceae or monophyletic group. In a recent study, Dr. SHI Gongle from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) and colleagues from the US, Mongolia, Japan and Germany described and whole-plant reconstructed a new species of Cunninghamia-like fossils (Elatides zhoui sp. nov.) from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. Material of E. zhoui is abundant and consists of well-preserved lignified foliage with organically attahced pollen cones and seed cones. The new species was named after Professor ZHOU Zhiyan in honor of his landmark contributions to understanding Mesozoic gymnosperms. Cladistic analyses based on 22 morphological characters for 22 fossil and extant Cupressaceae species resolve an expanded Cunninghamioideae clade that are composed of extant Cunninghamia and Cunninghamia-like fossils as the sister group to all other Cupressaceae. The phylogenetic analyses confirm the early divergence of Cunninghamia in the Middle Jurassic (ca. 170 Myr) or earlier. In the age of dinosaur, the progenitors of the Chinese fir were distributed throughout the North Hemisphere and were morphologically and ecologically more diverse in the past than today. This research was published as cover paper in International Journal of Plant Sciences. It was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and a grant for new method and technique in Paleontology from the NIGPAS. Reference: Shi G., Leslie A.B., Herendeen P.S., Ichinnorov N., Takahashi M., Knopf P., Crane P.R., 2014. Whole-plant reconstruction and phylogenetic relationship of Elatides zhoui sp. nov. (Cupressaceae) from the Early Cretaceous of Mongolia. International Journal of Plant Sciences 175, 911–930.
Seed cone of Elatides zhoui
Reconstructed phylogeny for living and fossil Cupressaceae.
