Article
Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Yahong Guo, Hongxia Liu, Jiantong Feng, Jiji Li, Yingying Ye, Baoying Guo, Chengkai Qu
Summary: In this study, mitogenomes of Trachypenaeus curvirostris and Parapenaeus fissuroides were sequenced, revealing their genetic differences and close relation to Penaeidae. The phylogenetic analyses also unveiled the relationships within Penaeidae, with Sicyoniidae deeply nested within the family and the close relation of T. curvirostris and P. fissuroides to specific genera.
Article
Zoology
Guang-Hui Xu, Xin-Ying Ma
Summary: A new fossil ginglymodian, Diandongichthys ocellatus gen. et sp. nov., is described based on well-preserved specimens from the Early-Middle Triassic marine deposits in China. It is one of the oldest and smallest ginglymodians discovered from the Middle Triassic and provides new insights into the origin and early diversification of this group.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Shunling Wu, Chen Han, Martyn L. Golding, Zhong-Qiang Chen, Zhengyi Lyu, Laishi Zhao
Summary: This study presents integrated conodont biostratigraphy and carbon isotope analysis of the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) beds and Lower Triassic succession in the Baoshan block. The dominant conodont faunas in the dolomitized Hewanjie Formation are Hindeodus and Isarcicella species, along with Eurygnathodus and the Ellisoniidae. The conodont zones and carbon isotope profile are consistent with those from other well-documented sections worldwide. The study also indicates a shallow water-depth based on conodont biofacies analysis.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Geography, Physical
Yuangeng Huang, Zhong-Qiang Chen, Siqi Wu, Xueqian Feng
Summary: This study documents new stromatolite deposits in the Boyun section of eastern Yunnan Province, China. The stromatolites are characterized by undulating laminations and indicate a different environment compared to the Lower Triassic stromatolites. The study also reveals a possible link between the diameter of cyanobacteria filament and marine deoxygenation in the Triassic.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Microbiology
Jing Si, Yi-Zhe Zhang, Jia-Qi Liang, Hai-Jiao Li
Summary: In this study, Podoscypha was taxonomically and phylogenetically evaluated based on morphological observations and phylogenetic analyses. Five specimens were collected from Yunnan Province in Southwest China, leading to the discovery of two new species and one new subspecies, namely Podoscypha subinvoluta, P. tropica, and P. petalodes subsp. cystidiata. Detailed descriptions of these new taxa were provided, along with the discussion of the main morphological differences between related species.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Lihao Zheng, Jun Chen
Summary: This work presents taxonomic data on four species of oribatid mites of the family Otocepheidae from Yunnan, China, including the description of two new species. The new species are distinguished from related species based on morphological characteristics. Additionally, two species are reported for the first time in China.
Article
Zoology
Guang-Hui Xu
Summary: The new ray-finned fish Louwoichthys is described as a small-sized stem-neopterygian with long teeth, belonging to the order Louwoichthyiformes. It is inferred to be a scavenger that might use its long teeth to grasp and tear prey.
ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Xuankong Jiang, Jiajun Zhou, Jianguo Wang, Wenlong Chen, Huiming Chen
Summary: Sinodina Liang & Cai, 1999 is an endemic genus of atyid shrimp in China, found only in the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. In this study, we describe thirteen species of Sinodina and report the first cave-dwelling species of the genus, Sinodina ashima sp. nov., collected from a limestone cave in Shilin County, Yunnan Province. Phylogenetic analysis shows that this new species is closely clustered with the type species of the genus, Sinodina gregoriana (Kemp, 1923), supporting its generic status.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guang-Hui Xu, Qing-Hua Shang, Wei Wang, Yi Ren, Hong Lei, Jun-Ling Liao, Li-Jun Zhao, Chun Li
Summary: A new pachypleurosaurid, Luopingosaurus, with a long snout and hyperphalangy in the manus, is discovered in China, providing new insights into the evolution and biogeography of this group. The reduction of hyoid length to mandibular length ratio and the increase of snout length in pachypleurosauroids suggest a gradual recession of suction feeding. Phylogenetic analysis supports a western Tethyan origin for this family.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Shuping Yin, Hongrui Zhang, Yeke Bian
Summary: In this study, the geological, geochemical, and geochronological characteristics of the andesitic rocks in the Cuiyibi Formation in Weixi area, southwest China were investigated. The rocks were found to consist of basalt, andesite, and rhyolite, contrary to the previously believed bimodal composition. The andesitic rocks were formed at 245-242 Ma according to zircon U-Pb dating analysis. Geochemical data suggest that these rocks were derived from an enriched mantle source and share similarities with rocks formed in a continental arc setting.
Article
Plant Sciences
Ting-Ting Wang, Zeng-Yan Dang, Feng Yang, Huan-Chong Wang
Summary: Campanula luzhijiangensis is a new species of Campanula described and illustrated from Yunnan, China. It is characterized by its slender stems, small leaves, and small flowers and fruits compared to other Chinese Campanula species. The species is currently known to exist in only one location in Yunnan, typically found in rock crevices, xerophilous scrubs or grasslands. The paper includes a table comparing the morphological characters of the new species with its closest relatives, a key to Campanula species in Yunnan Province, and a preliminary conservation assessment.
Article
Plant Sciences
Shao-Yun Liu, Zheng-Tao Ren, Chang-You Zhao, Chun-Xiang Hu, Huan-Chong Wang
Summary: In this paper, Hemilophia cardiocarpa, the sixth species of the Chinese endemic genus Hemilophia, is described and illustrated. It is found in the Jiaozishan Mountains in Dongchuan District, northern Yunnan, southwest China. The plant shows morphological similarities with H. rockii and H. pulchella, but differs in various characteristics such as leaf shape and size, inflorescence, flower size, shape of fruit, and length of its pedicel. An updated key to the taxa of Hemilophia is provided.
Article
Plant Sciences
Jin-Li Liu, Shi-Gang Li, Feng Yang, Huan-Chong Wang
Summary: A new species of the Fabaceae family, Indigofera vallicola, is described and illustrated in this paper. It is found only in two localities in the central Yunnan Province, southwest China. The plant is characterized by its prostrate habit, usually 13-17-foliolate leaves, and relatively small flowers (3-5 mm long). Morphological comparisons with its closest relatives, I. rigioclada, I. franchetii, I. chaetodonta, and I. henryi, are also provided.
Article
Plant Sciences
Feng Yang, Ping-Ping Li, Jin-Li Liu, Qiu-Ping Wang, Huan-Chong Wang
Summary: Breynia pseudorostrata, a new species in Phyllanthaceae, is described and illustrated in this paper. It shows morphological resemblance to B. rostrata, but can be clearly distinguished by its leaf blades, styles, stigmas, and capsule apex.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Guang-Hui Xu, Yi Ren, Li-Jun Zhao, Jun-Ling Liao, Dong-Hao Feng
Summary: In this study, a new pachypleurosaurid species, Honghesaurus longicaudalis, from Yunnan, China is reported. This discovery fills the morphological gap in pachypleurosaurs and provides new evidence and insights into this group. The study also reveals the role of the Tethys Ocean in the dispersal of pachypleurosaurs from Europe to South China.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Michael A. A. Taylor, Michael J. J. Benton
Summary: This article presents a previously unpublished anonymous manuscript memoir of Mary Anning's life, written by George Roberts. The evidence suggests that Roberts wrote the obituary of Anning and also painted her portrait. It is also mentioned that Henry De la Beche published another obituary of Anning.
JOURNAL OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael J. Benton
Summary: A recent study reveals that top predators in Southern Africa underwent successive replacement during the late Permian period, indicating that ecological crisis preceded the mass extinction.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Mao Luo, Zhen Li, Mu Su, Geoffrey Michael Gadd, Zongjun Yin, Michael J. Benton, Yanhong Pan, Daran Zheng, Tao Zhao, Zibo Li, Yuxuan Chen
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yuangeng Huang, Zhong-Qiang Chen, Peter D. Roopnarine, Michael J. Benton, Laishi Zhao, Xueqian Feng, Zhenhua Li
Summary: The history of Earth's biodiversity has been marked by periodic mass extinctions, with major declines in species richness. However, the accompanying ecological collapse has seldom been quantitatively evaluated. The Permian-Triassic mass extinction, as the largest known extinction event, permanently changed marine ecosystems and facilitated the transition from the Paleozoic to Mesozoic faunas. This extinction event provides insight into the relationship between species richness and ecological dynamics during severe extinctions, but the ecological collapse during this event has not been thoroughly examined.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Shenyuan Peng, Jian Liu, Michael J. Benton, Xin Jin, Zhiqiang Shi
Summary: Abundant new dinosaur tracks were discovered at the Tianquan track site in the western Sichuan Basin, China, providing valuable information about dinosaurs from the Late Triassic. The tracks belong to small theropod dinosaurs and are dated to the mid-Norian age of 218.4 +/- 4.7 million years ago.
Article
Geography, Physical
Wen Wen, Qiyue Zhang, Juergen Kriwet, Shixue Hu, Changyong Zhou, Jinyuan Huang, Xindong Cui, Xiao Min, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Hybodont sharks were successful chondrichthyan lineages that existed from the Devonian to the Late Cretaceous. The article describes three taxa of hybodontid sharks and provides information on the tooth replacement rate in the Mesozoic of China.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Paleontology
Susana Gutarra, Thomas L. Stubbs, Benjamin C. Moon, Beatrice H. Heighton, Michael J. Benton
Summary: The evolution of locomotion in Mesozoic marine reptiles is characterized by two divergent paths, with a gradual increase in locomotory disparity throughout the Mesozoic. Aquatic specialization is observed in early ichthyosauromorphs, and there is overlap in morphospace between mosasauroids and ichthyosauromorphs.
Article
Paleontology
Thitiwoot Sethapanichsakul, Robert A. Coram, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Rhynchosaurs were dominant herbivores in the Middle and Late Triassic, and their successful ecological expansion and global extinction were influenced by their unique dentition. The CT scanning of Bentonyx sidensis skull revealed concealed details of their teeth, allowing us to study the tooth replacement process and understand the changes in dentition and jaw morphology as they aged.
Article
Geology
James Tayler, Christopher J. Duffin, Claudia Hildebrandt, Adam Parker, Michael J. Benton
Summary: The Rhaetian succession of Doniford Bay, North Somerset, a site of fossils for over 200 years, has not been described in detail. There are two bone beds, with significant differences in sedimentary and paleontological characteristics. The upper bone bed shows rich organic matter and an absence of calcite, suggesting a deeper location of deposition and differing faunal composition compared to the lower bone bed.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE GEOLOGISTS ASSOCIATION
(2023)
Editorial Material
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Sukuan Hou, Qinqin Shi, Michael J. Benton, Nikos Solounias
Summary: Wang et al. (Research Articles, 3 June 2022, eabl8316) reported on a fossil of an early Miocene animal that displayed head-butting behavior, suggesting that sexual selection drove the evolution of head-neck structures in giraffoids. However, we argue that this animal is not a giraffoid, thus weakening the support for the hypothesis of sexual selection in giraffoid head-neck evolution.
Article
Ecology
Baoyu Jiang, Yiming He, Armin Elsler, Shengyu Wang, Joseph N. N. Keating, Junyi Song, Stuart L. L. Kearns, Michael J. J. Benton
Summary: The authors discovered an oviparous choristodere from the Lower Cretaceous period in northeast China, confirming the basal archosauromorph affiliation of choristoderes. Phylogenetic analyses on this specimen and other extinct and extant amniotes suggest that the ancestral amniote displayed extended embryo retention, including viviparity. The discovery of oviparity in this assumed viviparous extinct clade supports the hypothesis that extended embryo retention was the primitive reproductive mode in basal archosauromorphs.
NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zichuan Qin, Chun-Chi Liao, Michael J. Benton, Emily J. Rayfield
Summary: This study investigates the functions and formation process of the hand claws of early-branching maniraptoran dinosaurs using finite element analysis and functional-space analysis. The results show distinct functional divergence among the hand claws, with early-branching ones being used for digging and late-branching ones for display. The study also confirms that most therizinosaurians were herbivores.
COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Zixiao Yang, Baoyu Jiang, Michael J. J. Benton, Xing Xu, Maria E. E. McNamara, David W. E. Hone
Summary: Pterosaurs displayed a wide range of body sizes, with some reaching sizes comparable to small airplanes. The growth strategies that allowed these giant pterosaurs to attain their large adult sizes are largely unknown. This study examines the wing development and performance of different pterosaur species, revealing differences in growth patterns and suggesting a shift towards enhanced parental care as a possible factor in allowing the evolution of large body sizes.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Zhen Guo, Joseph T. Flannery-Sutherland, Michael J. Benton, Zhong-Qiang Chen
Summary: Using Bayesian analyses, this study finds that brachiopods and bivalves displayed similar large-scale trends of diversification before the Jurassic period. The extinction of major brachiopod clades during the Permian-Triassic mass extinction set the stage for the switch from brachiopods to bivalves, with high ocean temperatures post-extinction further facilitating the displacement of brachiopods by bivalves.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Antonio Ballell, Bohao Mai, Michael J. Benton
Summary: Ankylosaurs were important megaherbivores in Jurassic and Cretaceous ecosystems. This study investigated the skull biomechanics and feeding function of ankylosaurs, revealing diet partitioning between different ankylosaur clades and divergent evolutionary pathways in skull biomechanics.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2023)