Oxyporinae is one of the most peculiar and distinguishable groups of the megadiverse family Staphylinidae, and it includes only one extant genus Oxyporus and nearly 100 extant species widely distributed in the Northern Hemisphere. Members of Oxyporus exhibit an obligate association with mature Agaricales (gilled), Boletales (bolete) and Polyporales (polypore) mushrooms, and both larvae and adults feed on the spore-producing layer of the mushrooms. Mesozoic record of Oxyporinae is very limited, with only one Oxyporus species described from the Yixian Formation at Beipiao, Liaoning Province. Recently, a PhD student Mr. CAI Chenyang and Prof. HUANG Diying from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences reported two distinctly different oxyporine rove beetles (Fig. 1) from the Yixian Formation (ca. 125 Ma) at Liutiaogou, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia and Huangbanjigou, Beipiao, Liaoning Province China. Based on detailed morphological study, including the application of SEM, remarkable differences are found between the extinct and extant oxyporines, and two new genera and species, Protoxyporus grandis and Cretoxyporus extraneus, were established. Protoxyporus differs from extant Oxyporus in retaining several plesiomorphic features: relatively narrowly separated mesocoxae, less developed metaventral anterior process, and long infraorbital ridges. Cretoxyporus is morphologically very similar to Oxyporus, but retains distinct elongate infraorbital ridges. Extant oxyporines are fed on some derived fungi (Fig. 2), and fungi were already differentiated and diverse in the Cretaceous; it is possible that the new oxyporines were lived on early mushrooms. It also suggests that the early oxyporines were more diverse and their evolutionary history more complicated than previously documented. This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China, Outstanding Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Related information of the paper: Chenyang Cai, Diying Huang (2014) Diverse oxyporine rove beetles from the Early Cretaceous of China (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae). Systematic Entomology, DOI: 10.1111/syen.12069.
Fig. 1. Cretaceous oxyporine rove beetles (upper) and the abdominal intersegmental “brick-wall” pattern (lower)
Fig. 2. Representatives of modern oxyporine rove beetles
Plant cytoplasm fossil is a rarely touched topic in palaeontology although there are increasing reports on it in other countries. After careful studying, plant cytoplasm that formerly was thought impossible to preserve has now turned out to a possibility in palaeontology. Although there have been some reports of plant cytoplasm fossils in China, chloroplast, which is the largest organelle in plant cells, has been missing in Asia hitherto. After years of intensive cooperative investigation with colleagues from other universities, Professor WANG Xin from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his team reported the ultrastructures of chloroplasts in a Nelumbo leaf recovered from the Eocene of Changchang Basin, Hainan Island, China. Similar reports have been made in America and Europe before, but in Asia this report is the first one. Previous research has indicated that various parts of fossil Nelumbo have been preserved autochthonously in the Changchang Basin of Hainan. To deepen the understanding of the fossil plant, the research team integrated the expertise of its members, sampled from a fossil Nelumbo leaf, performed light microscopic, scanning and transmission electron microscopic observations. After overcoming various difficulties, they confirmed the existence of starch grains and grana with stacked thylakoid membranes, which are characteristic of chloroplasts, in the fossil plant tissues. The paper is published online recently in Plant Systematics and Evolution. Related information: Wang X, Liu W, Du K, He X, Jin J: Ultrastructure of chloroplasts in fossil Nelumbo from the Eocene of Hainan Island, South China. Plant Systematics and Evolution 2014. DOI: 10.1007/s00606-014-1056-2
Staphylinidae (or rove beetles), belonging to Coleoptera of Insecta, is one the largest families of animals on the planet. With more than 58,000 described species, the family includes 1 extinct and 32 extant subfamilies. Olisthaerinae is one of the smallest subfamilies of rove beetles, containing only 2 modern and one fossil species. Jurassic rove beetles were mainly reported from the Upper Jurassic of Karatau, Kazakhstan, while very few were known from China. Recently, a PhD student Mr. CAI Chenyang, Prof. HUANG Diying from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences together with Dr. Robert Beattie from Australia, reported two new olisthaerine rove beetles from the Middle Jurassic at Daohuhou Village, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia and the Upper Jurassic Talbragar fish beds in New South Wales, Australia. Compared with one species of the sole extant olisthaerine genus Olisthaerus, the fossil olisthaerine from Daohugou (Protolisthaerus jurassicus Cai et al., 2014) displays a remarkably similar appearance to the Recent species O. substriatus Paykull (Fig. 2), and they can be only distinguished from each other by very slight differences. Recent Olisthaerus speceis have very peculiar life-style; they live beneath the bark of coniferous trees. The remarkable morphological similarities between them probably suggest that Protolisthaerus jurassicus had the same subcortical lifestyle as its modern counterparts. The presence of abudant fossil conifers from Daohugou, such as Pityocladus and Yanliaoa, supports this hypothesis. The continuous presence of coniferous trees and the specific subcortical lifestyle are probably responsible for the long time morphological stasis in Olisthaerinae. In addition, the Recent olisthaerines are distributed in the northern temperate zone, including northern and central Europe, Asian Russia, Mongolia, and North America, while the discovery of an olisthaerine beetle from Australia greatly extends the geographical distribution of the small family (Fig. 2). Olisthaerinae was much more widespread and diverse in the Jurassic than previously assumed. This research was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China, Outstanding Youth Foundation of Jiangsu Province, and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Related information of the paper: Chenyang Cai, Robert Beattie, Diying Huang (2014) Jurassic olisthaerine rove beetles (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae): 165 million years of morphological and probably behavioral stasis. Gondwana Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gr.2014.03.007
Fig. 1. Detailed comparison between the Middle Jurassic and Recent olisthaerines.
Fig. 2. Global palaeogeographic reconstruction of the Late Jurassic, showing three Olisthaerinae-yielding localities.
Abundant, well-preserved Mid Devonian plants were reported from the Hujiersite Formation, West Junggar, Xinjiang, northwest China. However, on account of active tectonic in the Devonian West Junggar, most Devonian sections are not continuous. In the resent study by Professor XU Honghe from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleagues, Devonian spores were systematically studied from four sections (251 Hill, G217 Highway, Hujiersite and Gannaren) in West Junggar, North Xinjiang, China. All four sections belong to, or are equivalent to, the Upper Member of the Hujiersite Formation, from which abundant plant macrofossils have also been reported. These spores enable us, for the first time, to date these fossil plant beds as from late Emsian to Frasnian in age. The plant localities are all from a Devonian volcanic terrain and have a lycopsid-dominant flora. These lycopsid plants have near global Devonian distributions and are hence the most mobile elements among the contemporary floras. The West Junggar shows a different palynological assemblage from that of the East Junggar and is palaeogeographically significant. The paper was published in Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology (Xu, H.-H., Marshall, J.E.A., Wang, Y., Zhu, H.-C., Berry, C.M., Wellman, C.H. 2014. Devonian spores from an intra-oceanic volcanic arc, West Junggar (Xinjiang, China) and the palaeogeographical significance of the associated fossil plant beds. Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 206: 10-22).
In the Jiuquan Basin, Gansu Province, northwestern China, the Lower Cretaceous Xinminpu (Xinminbao) Group consists of the Chijinpu (Chijinbao), the Xiagou and the Zhonggou formations in ascending order. Abundant insect fossils have been discovered in these strata since 1947 when the giant mayfly Ephemeropsis trisetalis Eichwald was discovered in the Jiuquan Basin. Typical components of the Jehol Biota have been reported from this basin, including Coptoclava longipoda, E. trisetalis and Lycoptera. Although these strata have been studied for a long time, their age is still in dispute. During the past ten years, Professor ZHANG Haichun and his research group from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences have investigated these strata in Jiuquan and collected abundant insect fossils from the Xiagou and Zhonggou formations. Recently, under the guidance of Professor ZHANG Haichun, Mr. ZHENG Daran firstly reported several caddisfly cases and abundant adults of the dragonfly Hemeroscopus baissicus Pritykina in the Zhonggou Formation. Wings of dragonfly H. baissicus are different from those from other localities in two aspects: the oblique crossvein ‘O’ is 3 or 4 cells distal of the subnodus; the wing size is much smaller (30–42 mm in length for forewings). These differences are considered to be intraspecific variations, based on which diagnoses of the genus Hemeroscopus and the family Hemeroscopidae are revised. The dragonfly H. baissicus was widely distributed in the Lower Cretaceous of eastern Asia, and has been recovered from the Zaza Formation of Baissa in Transbaikalia, Russia, the Dzun-Bain Formation of Bon-Tsagaan in western Mongolia, the Lushangfen Formation of western Beijing and the Zhonggou Formation of Jiuquan in China, and the Dongmyeong Formation of Banryong-ri in southern Korea. Based on the existing records of H. baissicus, a possible migration path of the dragonfly is indicated that it initially appeared in Transbaikalia in the Aptian, migrated southwestwards to Mongolia in the Aptian or early Albian, and then southwestwards to northwest China, southeastwards to northeast China, and southern Korea in the early Albian. This research was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Basic Research Program and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The paper was published in Cretaceous Research (Zheng Daran, Zhang Haichun, Zhang Qi, Li Sha, Wang He, Fang Yan, Liu Qing, Jarzembowski E.A., Wang Bo, 2014. The discovery of an Early Cretaceous dragonfly Hemeroscopus baissicus Pritykina, 1977 (Hemeroscopidae) in Jiuquan, Northwest China, and its stratigraphic implications. Cretaceous Research. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2014.02.020).
Outcrop and insect fossils from the Jiuquan Basin.
Distribution and suggested spread of Hemeroscopus baissicus Pritykina in the Early Cretaceous.
The Helmetiids is a group of weakly sclerotized Cambrian arthropods that have aroused interest on account of their trilobite affinities. Because of edge-to-edge tergite articulations and the supposed shared derived character of dorsoventral mismatch, they are considered closely related with trilobites as their possible sister taxon. The first species to be described was Helmetia expansa Walcott, 1918 from the middle Cambrian Burgess Shale Biota, but details of the ventral morphology of this species are still poorly known. Among exceptionally well-preserved arthropods from the Chengjiang Biota, Helmetiids are represented with five species: Kuamaia lata Hou, 1987; Kuamaia muricata Hou and Bergstr？m, 1997; Rhombicalvaria acanthi Hou, 1987; Saperion glumaceum Hou, Ramsk？ld and Bergstr？m, 1991, and Skioldia aldna Hou and Bergstr？m, 1997. Together these six species comprise a substantial proportion of the taxon Helmetiida. Recently, Dr. ZHAO Fangchen from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleagues described a new helmetiid arthropod, Haifengella corona n. gen. n. sp., from the Chengjiang Lagerst？tte in Journal of Paleontology. The discovery provides new materials for the evolution and species diversity of helmetiids. 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 Fangchen, Hu Shixue, Zeng Han, Zhu Maoyan. 2014. A new helmetiid arthropod from the early Cambrian Chengjiang Lagerst？tte, Southwest China. Journal of Paleontology, 88(2): 367-370.
Haifengella corona
Haifengella corona and the other five species of Helmetiids
Microbialites and microbial carbonates, formed during growth of microbes by their calcification and binding of detrital sediment, have become one of the most popular geological topics recently. They occur throughout the entire geological history, and especially flourished during the Meso- to Neoproterozoic, Cambrian–Ordovician, Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous, and Early Triassic. Flourish and decline of microbialites and microbial carbonates are closely related to major geological events, paleoclimate, and paleoceanography. Therefore, studies on these microbial-induced sediments are important with respect to revealing paleoceanographic, paleoclimatic, and paleoecological conditions. They also bear important economic significances due to their complex structures and biogenic origins. Recently, Dr. CHEN Jitao from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and his colleague provide review and present new views on current progress and problems in the study of microbialites and microbial carbonates, based on literature investigations and their recent researches. The proposed that microbial carbonates can be classified into two categories: stabilized microbial carbonates (i.e., carbonate microbialites, such as stromatolites and thrombolites) and mobilized microbial carbonates (i.e., microbial carbonate grains, such as oncoids and microbial lumps). Various texture, structures, and morphologies of microbialites and microbial carbonates hamper the systematic description and classification. They also provide a practical classification on various structures of microbialites. Moreover, complex calcification pathways (mostly extracellular) and diagenetic modifications further obscure the origin of some microbialites and microbial carbonates. Recent findings of abundant sponge spicules in previously identified “microbialites” challenge the traditional views about the origins of these “microbialites” and their implications to reef evolution. On the other hand, microbialites and microbial carbonates are not always flourished in the aftermath of extinction events, which, together with other evidences, suggests that they are affected not only by metazoans but also by other geological factors. Their growth, development, and demise are also closely related to sea-level changes, due to their dependence on water depth, clarity, nutrient, and sunlight. Detailed studies on microbialites and microbial carbonates throughout geological history would certainly help understand causes and effects of major geological events as well as the co-evolution of life and environment. Related information of this paper: Chen Jitao, Lee Jeong-Hyun, 2014. Current progress on the geological record of microbialites and microbial carbonates. Acta Geologica Sinica (English Edition), 88 (1), 260–275.
Representative photographs of various microbialites and microbial carbonates. (a) Irregular to domal stromatolite, Cambrian Series 2, Laiwu region, Shandong, China. (b) Thrombolite with irregular, dark-gray microbial clots, Cambrian Series 3, Jinan region, Shandong, China. (c) Dendrolite with bush-like structures, Cambrian Series 3, Jining region, Shandong, China. (d) Leiolite with aphanitic texure, Cambrian Series 3, Laiwu region, Shandong, China, which was firstly recognized by Woo (2009). (e) Microbial laminites with desiccation crack, Cambrian Series 3, Linyi region, Shandong, China. (f) Oncoid with spheroidal shapes and crudely-laminated cortex, Cambrian Series 3, Jinan region, Shandong, China.
Different scales of microbialite structures and morphology. (a) The four investigation scales of microbialites (modified after Shapiro, 2000). (b) Amended investigation scales of microbial structures and morpholog
The Progymnospermopsida, being characterized by pteridophytic free-sporing reproduction but gymnospermous secondary vascular tissues, is subdivided into three orders: Aneurophytales, Archaeopteridales and Protopityales. Among them Aneurophytales is thought to be the most primitive. Genera in Aneurophytales established based on both morphological and anatomical characters include Tetraxylopteris Beck 1957, Rellimia (Dawson) Leclercqet Bonamo 1973, and Aneurophyton Kr？usel et Weyland 1923. The diagnostic characters of Aneurophyton come mainly from the type species, A. germanicum Kr？uselet Weyland 1923, widely reported from the Middle Devonian of Euramerica (e.g. Serlin and Banks 1978; Schweitzer and Matten 1982). Recently, Dr. JIANG Qing and her colleagues from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences described a new species Aneurophytondouisp. nov. (Aneurophytales, Progymnospermopsida) from the late Middle Devonian Hujiersite Formation of Hoxtolgay, Xinjiang, northwest China, as a plant with at least four orders of axes and ultimate units (vegetative appendages/fertile organs). Spines cover the surface of all orders of axesand ultimate units. The second-order axes and the vegetative appendages are closely inserted in pairs and helically arranged. From the second order, axes of subsequent orders are produced by bifurcation. The vegetative appendages are unwebbed and up to three times dichotomous. The fertile organ is pinnate, and thefertile organ axes are opposite or subopposite with adaxial, elliptical sporangia. This is the first formal report of Aneurophyton beyond the coasts of the Rheic Ocean. West Junggar, the locality of present species of Aneurophyton, played a key role in the dispersal of Aneurophytales in the Middle Devonian. The paper was published in International Journal of Plant Sciences. Related information of this paper: Jiang Q, Wang Y, Xu H-H*, Feng J. 2013.A new species of Aneurophyton(Progymnospermopsida) from the Middle Devonian of West Junggar, Xinjiang, China, and its paleophytogeographical significance.International Journal of Plant Sciences. 174: 1182-1200)
The Ediacara biota (580–541million years old) marks the first appearance of macroscopic and architecturally complex organisms in Earth history. Although Ediacara fossils have been known from nearly 30 localities on all major continents except Antarctica, they are almost exclusively preserved in sandstones. A new discovery, announced recently in Scientific Reportsby scientists from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Department of Geosciences at Virginia Tech, shows that some classical elements of the Ediacarabiota could live in carbonate environments and can be preserved in marine limestones. The new fossils will fundamentally change the ecology and preservation of Ediacara fossils. Ediacara fossils predate the massive radiation of animals during the Cambrian Explosion (541–520 million years ago). Thus, they have the potential to illuminate the prelude to the Cambrian Explosion. However, these fossils are open to wide speculations. Some scientists believe that the Ediacara biota includes marine animals representing the precursors to the Cambrian Explosion, whereas others see Ediacara fossils as lichens living on land. The new fossils were discovered from the ~550 million-year-old Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area, and include several widespread Ediacara elements such as Hiemalora, Pteridinium, Rangea, and Charniodiscus, as well as a new annulated tubular fossil that was named Wutubusannularis after Wuhe, a village close to the fossil discovery site. The new fossils significantly expand the geographic, stratigraphic, environmental, and taphonomic distribution of some key Ediacara elements. Their occurrence in marine limestone of the Dengying Formation also suggests that these Ediacara taxa were not lichens living on land. Instead, they were marine organisms living a subaqueous life. Whether they are animals, animal precursors, or distant relatives of animals is still unknown. This research was supported by Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and U.S. National Science Foundation. Related information of this paper: Zhe Chen, Chuanming Zhou, Shuhai Xiao, Wei Wang, Chengguo Guan, Hong Hua, Xunlai Yuan, 2014, New Ediacara fossils preserved in marine limestone and their ecological implications. Scientific Reports, 4: 4180. DOI: 10.1038/srep04180
Ediacara fossils from Dengying Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area
Palaeoscolecdians are common worm fossils from Cambrian and Ordovician. Most scientists believe palaeoscolecdian worms can be assigned within the phylum Priapulida. Most research on palaeoscolecdians focus on taxonomy but their lifestyle were poorly-known. Some authors suggested an epifaunal lifestyle for these worms but others believe they are in faunal animals. However, the burrowing evidence is poorly-known to date except limited information from the Chengjiang fauna. Professor HUANG Diying from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences first suggested a burrow dwelling behavior of palaeoscolecdians in his Ph. D thesis since 2005. Some authors suggested a similar behaviour of Maotianshania cylindrical from the Chengjiang fauna in the later publication. After carefully re-examination on the type material, the previous so-called Maotianshania cylindrical are in fact Cricocosmia jinningensis and Mafangscolex sinensis. These three forms are the most abundant worms in the Chengjiang fauna but displayed different distributions. The present study indicates different morphology of burrows on Cricocosmia jinningensis and Mafangscolex sinensis on the basis of numerous specimens from various fossil localities. The potential mode of construction and taphonomy is also supposed. A similar burrow dwelling behavior is still present in modern priapulid worms namely Maccabeus. In additional, the locomotion of Cricocosmia jinningensis and Mafangscolex sinensis are also suggested. This project was supported by Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Basic Research Program of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The research results have been published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (HUANG Diying, CHEN Junyuan, ZHU Maoyan, ZHAO Fangchen, 2013: The burrow dwelling behavior and locomotion of palaeoscolecidian worms: New fossil evidence from the Cambrian Chengjiang fauna. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 398: 154-164).
