Article
Entomology
Xiaotian Liu, Dong Ren, Chungkun Shih, Yongjie Wang
Summary: This paper describes a new genus with four new species of lacewings discovered in the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia in China. These insects have a forewing length of approximately 10 mm and are named Minipsychops spasulus gen. et sp. nov., Minipsychops polychotomus sp. nov., Minipsychops densus sp. nov., and Minipsychops unicus sp. nov. They belong to the Osmylopsychopidae family and can be distinguished from known osmylopsychopids by their distinctive configuration of costal space and the venations of RP1 and Cu. These newly discovered lacewings, belonging to a particularly miniaturized lineage, not only add to the species diversity of Osmylopsychopidae but also enhance our understanding of their historical evolution.
Article
Biology
Wei Gao, Yifan Xu, Chungkun Shih, Dong Ren, Yongjie Wang
Summary: Two new genera and species of Ithonidae, Stictopolystoechotes sparsulus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov. and Pycnopolystoechotes striatus Gao, Xu et Wang gen. et sp. nov., were discovered in the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation, Inner Mongolia, China. They are assigned to the Polystoechotes genus-group of Ithonidae based on their elongated forewing, fused distal Sc and RA, sparse crossveins in the radial sector, and simple CuP branches. The study outlines the known wing markings of the Jurassic Polystoechotes genus-group and suggests a positive association between wing marking diversification and species radiation during the period. A key to fossil genera of the Polystoechotes genus-group is also provided.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jia Jia, Jason S. Anderson, Ke-Qin Gao
Summary: A newly referred specimen to the stem hynobiid, named Neimengtriton daohugouensis, was reported and found to predate the previously estimated origination time of Hynobiidae by at least 8 million years. This new species is interpreted as semiaquatic at the adult stage, revealing an unknown association between caudosacral vertebrae and fertilization modes in early urodele evolution. Cladistic analyses based on morphological characters identified several stem hynobiids and established Panhynobia nomen cladinovum for the total-group hynobiids, shedding light on the sequential evolution of morphological features in this primitive urodele clade.
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Yifei Sun, Xuheng Du, Jiajia Cao, Hong Pang, Tong Bao
Summary: Juramordella asperula gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Tenebrionoidea) is a newly described beetle species from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota, Nincheng County, Inner Mongolia of China. It is distinguished from other Praemordellinae by its roughly punctate elytra, absence of subapical or lateral ridges on all tibiae and tarsi, simple, not bilobed protarsi and mesocoxa distant from procoxa, epicoxa not anterior to metacoxa, well-developed metafemur, and absence of elongated pygidium. The morphology of Juramordella asperula suggests that early mordellid-like beetles had adopted their body shape and way of movement since the Middle Jurassic, long before their flower-visiting behavior evolved.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yong Yang, Zhi Yang, Longbiao Lin, Yingwei Wang, David Kay Ferguson
Summary: Macrofossil evidence shows the first radiation of gnetophytes in the Early Cretaceous. However, the origin and diversity of gnetophytes are still unclear due to the scarcity of gnetalean macrofossils from pre-Cretaceous strata. In this study, we report a new putative gnetalean macrofossil reproductive shoot, which exhibits distinct morphological characteristics and provides additional evidence on the origin and early evolution of female reproductive organs in gnetophytes. We name this new macrofossil reproductive shoot Daohugoucladus sinensis gen. et sp. nov.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yuling Na, Chunlin Sun, Hongshan Wang, Timothy Huang, Joseph Bevitt, Yunfeng Li, Tao Li, Yingli Zhao, Ning Li
Summary: This study introduces a new and undetermined species of cone-producing gymnosperms from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou locality in Inner Mongolia, China, using neutron tomography (NT) for detailed examination of the cone's structure. The distribution of organic material in the cone indicates differentiation of various cell types during preservation and burial processes. This application of NT has the potential to provide valuable insights into the morphological features and preservation of organic materials in fossil plants.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
(2021)
Article
Biology
Xuheng Du, Kecheng Niu, Tong Bao
Summary: This study describes the earliest known fossil larvae of a neuropteran insect from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Beds in China. The larvae, belonging to the Nevrorthidae family, have large and elongated bodies, straight stylets with curved apices, an extremely elongated cervix, and an extended anterior lobe of pronotum. The paleoenvironment of these larvae suggests that Nevrorthidae larvae have exhibited stable aquatic ecology since the Middle Jurassic and possibly shifted from lakes to more lotic yet constricted modern mountain rivulet habitats over time.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yuling Li, Su-Chin Chang, Haichun Zhang, Jun Wang, Rui Pei, Daran Zheng, Yan Fang, Sidney R. Hemming
Summary: The terrestrial Yanliao Biota in northeastern China is an important hotspot for Jurassic biodiversity, providing valuable insights into the forest ecosystem and climate during that time. This study focuses on improving our understanding of the timing of diversification of early salamanders through the dating of fossil beds in the Reshuitang area. The findings contribute to our knowledge of the Jurassic world and its climatic changes.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Chong Dong, Gongle Shi, Xiaoqing Zhang, Zixi Wang, Yongdong Wang
Summary: Umaltolepis seed-bearing structures and Pseudotorellia leaves are determined to be produced by the same plant based on their consistent association and similarities in cuticular structures. These fossils provide new evidence for the close relationship between the Mesozoic Umaltolepis-Pseudotorellia plant and living Ginkgo.
REVIEW OF PALAEOBOTANY AND PALYNOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Zoology
Yifan Xu, Bingyu Zheng, Hui Fang, Chungkun Shih, Dong Ren, Yongjie Wang
Summary: Two new genus and species of ithonidae, Fuscopolystoechotes reticulatus Xu, Zheng, Shih & Wang, gen. et sp. nov. and Lichenipolystoechotes fenestratus Xu, Fang, Shih & Wang, sp. nov., are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Inner Mongolia, China. The new species are differentiated by specialized markings on the forewings and considered to be adapted for specific Mesozoic environments.
Article
Biology
Yan Zheng, Haichun Zhang, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn
Summary: This study documents two new fossil species, Novoxyela bella and Platyxyela elegans, found in the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Beds of Inner Mongolia, China. Novoxyela bella differs from other fossil species due to its large head and unique wing venation traits, while Platyxyela elegans exhibits previously unknown characteristics such as medium-sized pterostigma and completely sclerotised ovipositor sheaths. These findings contribute to the diversity of Liadoxyelini fossil species and provide new features and classification criteria for Platyxyela.
HISTORICAL BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Entomology
Yan-Da Li, Erik Tihelka, Hong Pang, Di-Ying Huang, Chen-Yang Cai
Summary: The archostematan beetle family Ommatidae reached high diversity during the Mesozoic, but many Mesozoic ommatid taxa remain poorly understood due to limited preservation. A new well-preserved fossil of a new ommatid genus and species was reported from the mid-Jurassic Daohugou Lagerstatte in Northeast China, with distinct characteristics discussed in comparison to other genera and taxonomic relationships.
DEUTSCHE ENTOMOLOGISCHE ZEITSCHRIFT
(2021)
Article
Paleontology
Ying Wang, Junhui Liang, Chungkun Shih, Dong Ren
Summary: The diagnosis of the genus Eoiocossus has been emended based on new material of Eoiocossus conchatus comb. nov. from an outcrop in Inner Mongolia, China. This new material includes complete fore- and hind wings, providing previously unknown hind wing characters for the genus.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yan Zheng, Haiyan Hu, Dong Chen, Jun Chen, Haichun Zhang, Alexandr P. Rasnitsyn
Summary: This study describes and illustrates a new genus and two new species of Xyelidae from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Beds in Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia, China. The findings enrich our understanding of the diversity of Xyelidae in the Mesozoic and provide insights into the early evolution of Hymenoptera.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF TAXONOMY
(2021)
Article
Anatomy & Morphology
Liang Bao, Lan Li, Kecheng Niu, Niya Wang, David M. M. Kroeck, Tong Bao
Summary: A new beetle species, Tigrivia baii gen. et sp. nov., is described and named based on a fossil specimen from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou Biota in Inner Mongolia, China. It is similar to Coptoclava longipoda but differs in the arrangement of the procoxae and mesocoxae. This new fossil expands our knowledge of the Middle Jurassic Coptoclavid beetles and improves our understanding of their paleoecological significance.
ANATOMICAL RECORD-ADVANCES IN INTEGRATIVE ANATOMY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2023)
