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Vertebrata Palasiatica ›› 1998, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (02): 159-172.

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A NEW URODELE (LIAOXITRITON ZHONGJIANI GEN. ET SP. NOV.) FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF WESTERN LIAONING PROVINCE, CHINA

DONG Zhiming, WANG Yuan   

  • Online:1998-06-15 Published:1998-06-15

辽宁西部早白垩世一新的有尾两栖类(Liaoxitriton zhongjiani)

董枝明, 王原   

Abstract: The salamander fossils have been especially scarce in Mesozoic deposits (Estes, 1981). In China, there was only one reported fossil salamander, Procynops miocenicus, from the upper Miocene Shanwang Series in Shandong Province (Young, 1965). The age of Shanwang Series later was revised as early middle Miocene by Li et al. (1984). The herein described fossil salamander was found in Sajiaocheng, Huludao City, Liaoning Province, collected by geologist Mr. Chang Zhenglu from the Coal and Geological Bureau of Fuxin City. The collector provided the horizon of this salamander as Jiufotang Formation, which is accepted as Early Cretaceous in age (Hao et al., 1982; Jin, 1996). Some other fossil salamanders also have been found from the Mesozoic deposits in the western area of Liaoning Province and the northern area of Hebei Province, neither were reported nor described. This is the first described Mesozoic caudate amphibian in northeastern China. The herein described fossils are preserved on more than 30 slabs of shale, representing more than 20 individuals. The terminology of urodele osteology follows that of Duellman and Trueb (1986) and Estes (1978).

摘要: 辽宁葫芦岛市九佛堂组发现一批有尾两栖类化石。经初步研究建立一新属种:钟健辽西螈Liaoxitriton zhongjiani gen. et sp. nov.。辽西螈是东亚中生代有尾两栖类的首次发现,也是中国除早中中新世中新原螈外有尾两栖类化石的唯一报道。它代表一类小型的较原始的有尾两栖类。其头骨特征、犁骨齿列形态等与小鲵科的Batrachuperus比较相似。辽西螈的深入研究将对有尾两栖类的起源、早期演化,及其地理迁徙提供重要的信息。