Table of Content

15 December 1995, Volume 33 Issue 04

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THE ORIGIN OF TETRAPODS-PAST AND PRESENT HYPOTHESES

Hans-Peter Schultze

1995, 33(04):  249-260. 

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Discoveries of new extant or fossil forms have historically changed the hypotheses of relationship of tetrapods, not the appearance of new theories. At present a sister group relationship between tetrapods and elpistostegids and that of these two groups to osteolepiforms is accepted. A comparison of recent hypotheses on the interrelationships of sarcopterygians demonstrates that three hypotheses of the relationship of lungfishes to sarcopterygians except close to tetrapods nearly have the same probability. New basal sarcopterygians with new characters or new interpretations of the polarization of character states may solve the placement of lungfishes.

INTRODUCTION TO MESOZOIC BIRDS FROM LIAONING, CHINA

Hou Lianhai, Zhou Zhonghe, Gu Yucai, Sun Yutie

1995, 33(04):  261-271. 

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This paper summarizes the recent discoveries of Mesozoic birds from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous in Liaoning, China. Most of these fossils can be refered to the avian subclass: Sauriurae, only Chaoyangia to Ornithurae. The earliest diversification and big development of birds from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous as well as the peculiar geological background and depositional environment in Western Liaoning constitute the main reasons for the appearance of abundant Mesozoic bird fossils in this area. In this region, the continental Jurassic- Cretaceous boundary being put between the Confuciusornis bearing Yixian Formation and the Cathayornis and Chaoyangia bearing Jiufotang Formation is proposed.

NEOGENE MAMMALIAN BIOSTRATIGRAPHY IN CHINA: PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE

Richard H. Tedford

1995, 33(04):  272-289. 

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Research in the biostratigraphy of Cenozoic terrestrial deposits was one of the first organized programs in paleontology of the Geological Survey of China. Neogene fossil occurrences were placed in relative temporal order through a unique union of geomorphological and paleontological research. By the end of the 1930 's the broad outline of late Neogene physical and biological events in north China and their correlation through the fossil record with the International Geological Time Scale had been effected. Extension of these methodologies into other parts of China were confounded by local conditions, and by mid-century this research program was discontinued. The past two decades have seen a resurgence of efforts to establish the temporal sequence of Cenozoic faunas in China and their calibration by correlation with established biochronologies in Europe. Great distance and spans of marked endemism of the Chinese fauna have limited such comparisons, thereby necessitating consideration of other chronological strategies. The rarety of materials for radioisotopic dating in the continental Cenozoic strata of China has shifted attention to magnetostratigraphy as a practical tool in local and regional correlation and, aided by biochronology, as a means of calibration through reference to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale (GPTS). Examples are provided of the methodology as applied to the biostratigraphy of latest Miocene through Pliocene sediments of the Yushe Basin, central Shanxi. The methodology shows considerable promise in future application to older Neogene (and Paleogene) strata yielding more precisely delimited biochronologies and age determinations for the containing strata.

CENOZOIC MAMMAL AGES OF CHINA

Tong Yongsheng, Zheng Shaohua, Qiu Zhuding

1995, 33(04):  290-314. 

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Up to now about 1500 forms of mammals have been recognized in the Cenozoic deposits of different ages, ranging from Paleocene to Holocene. Studies of in taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, and other aspects regarding these mammals are carred on actively in this country. This contribution aims to briefly: summarize and update the mammal ages for the Chinese Cenozoic records. Although systematic faunal succession and biochronology for all Chinese Cenozoic records have not been established, time units employed as land mammal ages have been introduced in the past years ( Romer, 1966; Li & Ding, 1983; Tong, 1989; Wang, 1992; Li et al. , 1984; Qiu & Qiu, 1990; -Zheng & Han, 1991 ). On the basis of nature and magnitude of the faunal changes, 18 mammal ages can be recognized. They are the Shanghuan and Nongshanian of the Paleocene; Lingchan, Arshantan, Irdinmanhan, Sharamurunian and Naduan of the Eocene; Ulangochuian, Ulantatalian and Tabenbulukian of the Oligocene; Xiejian, Shanwangian, Tunggurian and Baodean of the Miocene; Yushean, Nihewanian, Zhoukoudianian and Salawusuan of the Pliocene and Pleistocene (Tabs. I — 6).

DISCOVERY OF THE OLIGO-MIOCENE RODENTS FROM WEST JAPAN AND THEIR GEOLOGICAL AND PALEONTOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

TAKAFUMI KATO, HIROYUKI OTSUKA

1995, 33(04):  315-329. 

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New rodent fossils found in the Oligo-Miocene sediments in Kyushu, West Japan, are identified to the following four taxa: l) Castoridae gen. et sp. indet. A; 2) Steneofiber sp. from the Late Oligocene Sasebo Group; 3) Castoridae gen. et sp. indet. B; 4) Diatonys shantungensis from the Early to Middle Miocene Nojima Group. Studies of two specimens identified to the family Castoridae gen. et sp. indet. A and B indicate that they are large beavers with the skull of nearly same size as Trogontherium that holds enamel of longitudinally grooved incisors. Resemblance in size and features of the incisor enamel indicates that these specimens could be of the same genus. Furthermore, it is known that Steneofiber is a cosmopolitan genus, however, it has not been found in the Late Oligocene in East Asia. The occurrence of Diatonys shantungensis, on the other hand, strongly suggests that the late Early Miocene mammals from Japan and the East China• belong to the same province in East Asian margin.