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A new enantiornithine bird is described on the basis of a well preserved partial skeleton from the Upper Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Henan Province (central China). It provides new evidence about the osteology of Late Cretaceous enantiornithines, which are mainly known from isolated bones; in contrast, Early Cretaceous forms are often represented by complete skeletons. While the postcranial skeleton shows the usual distinctive characters of enantiornithines, the skull displays several features, including confluence of the antorbital fenestra and the orbit and loss of the postorbital, evolved convergently with modern birds. Although some enantiornithines retained primitive cranial morphologies into the latest Cretaceous Period, at least one lineage evolved cranial modifications that parallel those in modern birds.

Tooth replacement rate is an important feature related to feeding mechanics and food choices for dinosaurs. However, only a few data points are available for sauropod dinosaurs, partially due to rarity of relevant fossil material. Four somphospondylan sauropod species have been recovered from the Lower Cretaceous Aptian–Albian Haoling Formation in the Ruyang Basin, Henan Province of central China, but no cranial material has been reported except for a single crown. Here we report the discovery of the rostral portion of a left dentary with replacement teeth in its first five alveoli. Comparative anatomical study shows the partial dentary can be assigned to a member of early diverging somphospondylans. The non-destructive tooth length-based approach to estimating tooth formation time and replacement rate is adopted here. The estimated tooth replacement rate is 76 days, faster than that of Brachiosaurus (83 days) and much lower than typical late diverging lithostrotian titanosaurians (20 days). Thus, this discovery adds an intermediate tooth replacement rate in the evolution of titanosauriform sauropods and supports the idea that evolution of tooth replacement rate is clade-specific. This discovery also provides more information to understand the Ruyang sauropod assemblage, which includes one of the most giant dinosaurs to have walked our Earth (Ruyangosaurus giganteus).

An alvarezsaurid dinosaur skeleton was discovered from the Late Cretaceous Qiupa Formation of Luanchuan, Henan Province of central China. It represents a new alvarezsaurid dinosaur Qiupanykus zhangi gen. et sp. nov. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Qiupanykus nested within the unresolved clade, which includes Asian and north American taxa. The skeleton of the new specimen is preserved in association with eggshells. The eggshell morphologies show that these eggs belong to oviraptorid eggs, skeletal remains of which were discovered from the same area. The alvarezsaurid skeleton associated with eggshell fragments may indicate that these eggs were broken by the strong thumb-claws of the former and that alvarezsaurid dinosaurs may be egg-eaters.

Simple Summary A new false click-beetle (Eucnemidae) belonging to subfamily Anischiinae, formerly not known as fossils, extends the age of this small extant group 125 million years back. The structural specializations of the false click-beetle larvae are discussed. On the basis of this new piece of paleontological evidence, it is shown that these insects have changed their host preference from gymnosperms to angiosperms at least twice. It also indicates that the beetle larvae can switch their favored development substrate by adapting in different ways, either with or without morphological specialization. Rheanischia new genus, type species Rheanischia brevicornis new species (Eucnemidae, Anischiinae) is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning, China. The presence of this species in early Cretaceous deposits provides new insight into the evolution of basal lignicolous Eucnemidae clades. Both Anischiinae and Palaeoxeninae species diversified in a world dominated by gymnosperms, before the main radiation of angiosperms. More than 95% of modern eucnemid larvae have a Palaeoxenus-type highly modified head structure, but contrary to the Palaeoxenus larva, they develop in angiosperm wood. Anischiinae utilize angiosperms as well, but their head capsule shows no such modifications. These facts prove that highly specialized morphological features do not offer definite proof of similar way of life in the distant past, nor should non-modified structures be taken as proof for another kind of substrate choice. Eucnemidae have invaded angiosperms with two quite different morphological adaptations. This fact may have implications for the evolution of all clicking elateroids.

A new genus and species Platycteniopus diversoculatus is described from the Lower Cretaceous (Yixian Formation, Laoning, China). The new genus belongs to the tribe Cteniopodini as shown by six visible abdominal ventrites (ventrite 6 is sternite VIII), in comparison with other Alleculinae which have five abdominal ventrites; epistomal canthus of eyes not emarginate; anterior margin of first abdominal ventrite not bordered. On the other hand, Platycteniopus diversoculatus has some characters not typical for Cteniopodini: bifid mandibles and serrate antennae. The oldest representative of the tribe has combination of characters of tribes Alleculini and Cteniopodini. Recent representatives of Cteniopodini are associated with flowers of angiosperms, while other groups of Alleculinae, especially Gonoderini and Alleculini are mainly saprophagous and lichenophagous. Age of Platycteniopus finding coincides with the beginning of the angiosperms heyday.

The analysis of 3D medical images becomes necessary since the 3D imaging techniques have been more and more widely applied in medical applications. This paper introduces a novel segmentation method for extracting objects of interest (OOI) in 3D ultrasound images. In the proposed method, a bilateral filtering model is first applied to a 3D ultrasound volume data set for speckle reduction. We then take advantage of graph theory to construct a 3D graph, and merge sub-graphs into larger one during the segmentation process. Therefore, the proposed method can be called a 3D graph-based segmentation algorithm. After the mergence of sub-graphs, a set of minimum spanning trees each of which corresponds to a 3D sub-region is generated. In terms of segmentation accuracy, the experiments using an ultrasound fetus phantom, a resolution phantom and human fingers demonstrate that the proposed method outperforms the 3D Snake and Fuzzy C means clustering methods, indicating improved performance for potential clinical applications.

Four carcharodontosaurid teeth from the Cretaceous deposits of Ruyang County, Henan Province of central China are described in detail. The discovery of these large teeth indicates that some of the ...

A new long-necked sauropod dinosaur, Yunmenglong ruyangensis gen. et sp. nov., is erected on the basis of an incomplete skeleton from the late Early Cretaceous Haoling Formation of the Ruyang Basin, Henan Province. The characters of the anterior cervical vertebrae, the shape of the neural canal of the dorsal vertebra and the ball-shaped distal end of the neural spine of caudal vertebrae with coarse surfaces differ from other long-necked sauropod dinosaurs. The new genus has characters in common with both Euhelopus and Erketu; it represents the first long-necked sauropod dinosaur recorded from central China to date. The rod-like, well-developed epipophyses and the pleurocoels on the cervical vertebrae indicate that it may be close to Euhelopus, an observation also confirmed by a phylogenetic analysis, which shows that Erketu, Yunmenglong and Qiaowanlong form a clade, and are more derived than Euhelopus.

The discovery of an extremely well preserved new juvenile specimen of Sapeornis provides more anatomical information about this basal avian, and documents the first avian specimen from the Jehol Biota with detailed foot-pad integument preserved. This is the first Sapeornis specimen with a well preserved carpal X, astragalus and calcaneum. Seven major skeletal components from five well preserved juvenile and adult skeletons of Sapeornis were measured. The allometric differences associated with growth are shown to be distinct; all linear regressions resulted in high correlation coefficients consistent with a single growth series. The number of sacral vertebrae and free caudal vertebrae vary during ontogeny, and this may indicate that all the specimens can be assigned to a single species: Sapeornis chaoyangensis.

One new genus and two new species of fossil Cerophytidae, Baissophytum convexus gen. et. sp. nov. and Baissophytum amplus sp. nov. are described and illustrated from Zaza Formation (Lower Cretaceous), Eravnensky (Bauntovsky) District, Buriatskay Autonomous Republic (Transbaikalia), Russia. 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new species of Darwinopterus, D. robustodens sp. nov. is described and named. Based on the new specimen, the diagnostic characters of Darwinopterus are amended and include: rostral dentition composed of well-spaced, spike-like teeth; the longest teeth are confined to the anterior half of the tooth row; tooth alveoli have raised margins; nasoantorbital fenestra confluent; inclined quadrate; elongate cervical vertebrae with low neural spine and reduced or absent ribs; long tail of more than 20 caudals partially enclosed by filiform extensions of the pre- and postzygapophyses; short metacarpus less than 60 per cent length of humerus, fifth toe with two elongate phalanges and curved second pedal phalanx of the fifth toe with the angle between the proximal and distal segments about 130 degrees. The complete specimen of the new pterosaur D. robustodens sp. nov. provides much more osteological information. The differences in tooth morphologies between Darwinopterus modularis and D. robustodens sp. nov. suggest that they filled different ecological niches. The hard integument-bearing Coleoptera may have been the main food source of Darwinopterus robustodens.

In this paper the data on fossils of the family Cerophytidae are reviewed. New synonymy on generic names Necromera Martynov 1926 (proposed in composition of the family Oedemeridae); Idiomerus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980, n. syn. (proposed in composition of Elateridae) and Leptocnemus Hong & Wang 1990, n. syn. (proposed without any family attribution) is established. New materials on this family from Mesozoic deposits of Asia are cited. As a result, it was established that this spreads in deposits of both Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. Mercata festira Lin 1986 described from Lower Jurassic as member of Silphidae and Abrotus reconditus Dolin in Dolin et al. 1980 described from Upper Jurassic as a member of Elateridae are transferred to Cerophytidae. Diagnoses of the genus Necromera and family Cerophytidae in compression fossils are elaborated. Necromera admiranda n. sp. is described from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous in Liaoning, China. The historical development of the family from the L...

Three new genera and six new species of fossil elaterids of the tribe Desmatini Dolin, 1975 from second Bed of the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation in Huangbanjigou, Liaoning Province, China are described: Paradesmatus dilatatus sp. nov., Desmatinus cognatus gen. et sp. nov., Apoclion clavatus gen. et sp. nov., A. dolini gen. et sp. nov., A. antennatus gen. et sp. nov. and Anoixis complanus, gen. et sp. nov. This tribe demonstrates some characters similar to those in Throscidae and Eucnemidae, elucidating the evolutionary process of the Elateroidea. New materials make clear the distinctness of the genera related to DesmatusDolin, 1975 (tribe Desmatini) from all other Elateridae. Tetraraphes ebersiniIablokoff-Khnzorian, 1961 could be regarded somewhat nearby the subfamily Protagrypninae; however, this species seems to be similar to some Cenozoic groups rather than any of Mesozoic groups.

Lasiosynidae n. fam. is proposed for the genera Lasiosyne Tan, Ren & Chih 2007 (transferred from Archostemata to Polyphaga), Anacapitis Yan 2009 Tarsomegamerus Zhang 2005 (proposed in the superfamily Chrysomeloidea) and Bupredactyla n. gen. The new family is regarded in composition of the infraorder Elateriformia without a more detailed attribution, because it demonstrates a mixture of characters of different families and superfamilies, i.e. somehow an intermediate position between the superfamilies Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Buprestoidea and Byrrhoidea with most resemblance to Dascillidae, Schizopodidae, Eulichadidae, Ptilodactylidae and Callirrhipidae and probable more close relationship to the last three families. Four new fossil species of the genus Lasiosyne: L. daohugouensis n. sp., L. fedorenkoi n. sp., L. gratiosa n. sp., L. quadricollis n. sp., and also Bupredactyla magna n. sp. are described from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of eastern Inner Mongolia, China. A probable generic composition of the new family is considered. The synonymy of generic names Anacapitis Yan 2009 and Brachysyne Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. as well as synonymy of species names Lasiosyne euglyphea Tan, Ren & Chih 2007, Pappisyne eucallus Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. and Pappisyne spathulata Tan & Ren 2009, n. syn. are proposed. Resume. La nouvelle famille Lasiosynidae paleoendemique du Mesozoique (Coleoptera : Polyphaga : Elateriformia). La nouvelle famille Lasiosynidae est proposee pour les genres Lasiosyne Tan, Ren & Chih 2007 (transfere des Archostemata vers les Polyphaga), Anacapitis Yan 2009 et Tarsomegamerus Zhang 2005 (anterieurement dans les Chrysomeloidea) and Bupredactyla n. gen. La nouvelle famille est consideree comme appartenant a l'infraordre Elateriformia sans plus de precision, car elle montre un melange de caracteres de differentes familles et superfamilles, c'est a dire «intermediaire» entre les superfamilles Dascilloidea, Elateroidea, Buprestoidea et Byrrhoidea avec une plus forte ressemblance avec les Dascillidae, Schizopodidae, Eulichadidae, Ptilodactylidae et Callirrhipidae et une plus forte affi nitee probable avec les trois dernieres familles. Quatre nouvelles especes fossiles de Lasiosyne : L. daohugouensis n. sp., L. fedorenkoi n. sp., L. gratiosa n. sp., L. quadricollis n. sp., ainsi que Bupredactyla magna n. sp. sont decrites du Jurassique moyen de la formation Jiulongshan de la Mongolie interieure, Chine. La composition generique de la nouvelle famille est discutee. Les mises en synonymie des genres Anacapitis Yan 2009 et Brachysyne Tan & Ren 2009 n. syn. ainsi que des especes Lasiosyne euglyphea Tan, Ren & Chih 2007, Pappisyne eucallus Tan & Ren 2009 n. syn. et Pappisyne spathulata Tan & Ren 2009 n. syn. sont proposees.

A new genus with a new species of fossil elaterid, Paraprotagrypnus superbus gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation in Daohugou Village (N41°18.979′, E119°14.318′), Shantou Township, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia, China is described and illustrated. The genus Paraprotagrypnus belongs to the family of Elateridae, subfamily of Protagrypninae and tribe of Protagrypnini. Some primitive characters of the new genus and new species shed light on the ages between the Jiulongshan Formation in Inner Mongolia and the Yixian Formation in the western Liaoning Province of China. The habitat of the new species is briefly discussed.

A new genus with two new species and one new species of fossil elaterids are described: Paradesmatus baiae sp. nov., Paradesmatus ponomarenkoi sp. nov., Protagrypnus robustus sp. nov. These findings document the fossils from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Fossil elaterids of Mesozoic with large triangular plates of metacoxae have been discovered only from the Upper Jurassic strata of Karatau so far, Paradesmatus baiae with the unique feature will expand our knowledge on the early diversification of elaterids.

Compared to pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous from China, Late Jurassic pterosaurs are relatively rare. A new rhamphorhynchid pterosaur, Orientognathus chaoyngensis gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on an incomplete skeleton from the Upper Jurassic Tuchengzi Formation of Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, China. It is identified by the following characters: the toothless tip of the lower jaw is slightly pointed; the length ratio of wing metacarpal to humerus is 0.38, the ulna is shorter than each wing phalanx and the tibia is nearly equal to femur in length. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Orientognathus chaoyngensis as a rhamphorhynchid pterosaur. Orientognathus chaoyngensis is perhaps the youngest Jurassic pterosaur from western Liaoning Province of China.

The Ganzhou area of Jiangxi Province, southern China is becoming one of the most productive oviraptorosaurian localities in the world. A new oviraptorid dinosaur was unearthed from the uppermost Upper Cretaceous Nanxiong Formation of Ganzhou area. It is characterized by an anterodorsally sloping occiput and quadrate (a feature shared with Citipati), a circular supratemporal fenestra that is much smaller than the lower temporal fenestra and a dentary in which the dorsal margin above the external mandibular fenestra is strongly concave ventrally. The position of the anteroventral corner of the external naris in relation to the posterodorsal corner of the antorbital fenestra provides new insight into the craniofacial evolution of oviraptorosaurid dinosaurs. A phylogenetic analysis recovers the new taxon as closely related to the Mongolian Citipati. Six oviraptorid dinosaurs from the Nanxiong Formation (Ganzhou and Nanxiong) are distributed within three clades of the family. Each of the three clades from the Nanxiong Formation has close relatives in Inner Mongolia and Mongolia and in both places each clade may have had a specific diet or occupied a different ecological niche. Oviraptorid dinosaurs were geographically widespread across Asia in the latest Cretaceous and were an important component of terrestrial ecosystems during this time.

A new genus and species of fossil trachypachid Fortiseode pervalimand Jia & Ren gen. et sp. nov., is described and illustrated. The new fossil with large and strong mandibles, short and robust legs, and pronotum widest near apical angle differs from other members of Eodromeinae. It is the first record of fossil trachypachid from the Mesozoic Yixian Formation of Huangbanjigou, Liaoning, China.

A new genus with three new species of fossil Buprestidae, Sinoparathyrea bimaculata gen. et sp. nov., S. gracilenta sp. nov., and S. robusta sp. nov., from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, China, are described. This is the earliest fossil record of buprestids in China and it is also the first record of buprestids from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of China.

Compared to pterosaurs from the Early Cretaceous from China, Late Jurassic pterosaurs are relatively rare. A new rhamphorhynchid pterosaur, Orientognathus chaoyngensis gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on an incomplete skeleton from the Upper Jurassic Tuchengzi Formation of Chaoyang, Liaoning Province, China. It is identified by the following characters: the toothless tip of the lower jaw is slightly pointed; the length ratio of wing metacarpal to humerus is 0.38, the ulna is shorter than each wing phalanx and the tibia is nearly equal to femur in length. A phylogenetic analysis recovers Orientognathus chaoyngensis as a rhamphorhynchid pterosaur. Orientognathus chaoyngensis is perhaps the youngest Jurassic pterosaur from western Liaoning Province of China.

A new genus and two new species of fossil Elateridae are described and illustrated: Paralithomerus gen. nov., P. exquisitus sp. nov, and P. parallelus sp. nov. Both species were collected from the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. Fossil elaterids expressing a sutured mesoventrite have been otherwise discovered only from the Upper Jurassic strata of Karatau.