A new species of Baiera from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota of southeastern Jilin, China

Flying reptiles from Australia are very rare, represented mostly by isolated bones coming from the Early Cretaceous (Albian) Toolebuc Formation, which crops out in western Queensland. Among the first pterosaur specimens discovered from this deposit is a mandibular symphysis that some authors thought to have a particular affinity to species found in the Cambridge Greensand (Cenomanian) of England. It was further referred as a member of or closely related to one of the genera Ornithocheirus, Lonchodectes or Anhanguera. Here we redescribe this specimen, showing that it cannot be referred to the aforementioned genera, but represents a new species of Pteranodontoid (sensu Kellner 2003), here named Aussiedraco molnari gen. et sp. nov. It is the second named pterosaur from Australia and confirms that the Toolebuc deposits are so far the most important for our understanding of the flying reptile fauna of this country.

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A new species from an ornithuromorph (Aves: Ornithothoraces) dominated locality of the Jehol Biota

Chinese Science Bulletin ◽

10.1007/s11434-014-0669-8 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 59 (36) ◽

pp. 5366-5378 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Shuang Zhou ◽

Jingmai K. O’Connor ◽

Min Wang

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Jehol Biota ◽

A New Species

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Reinterpretation of a previously described Jehol bird clarifies early trophic evolution in the Ornithuromorpha

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2017.2494 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 285 (1871) ◽

pp. 20172494 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

Xiaoting Zheng ◽

Jingmai K. O'Connor ◽

Xiaoli Wang ◽

Yan Wang ◽

Zhonghe Zhou

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Early Cretaceous ◽

Tooth Loss ◽

Direct Evidence ◽

New Taxon ◽

Gastric Mill ◽

Ecological Inference ◽

Close Inspection ◽

Apparent Loss ◽

A New Species

STM35-3 from the Yixian Formation is the only Early Cretaceous ornithuromorph preserving direct evidence of granivory. The crop contains numerous seeds and the preservation of gastroliths presumably within the ventriculus indicates this diet was paired with the presence of a gastric mill as in living granivorous birds. STM35-3 was originally referred to Hongshanornis longicresta , member of a diverse clade of small, basal ornithuromorphs with elongate hindlimbs known as the Hongshanornithidae. Hindlimb proportions suggest that hongshanornithids were wading birds, an ecological inference somewhat in conflict with direct evidence suggesting Hongshanornis fed on seeds. However, close inspection of STM35-3 reveals that the specimen represents a new species not closely related to hongshanornithids, distinguished by large forelimbs that exceed the length of the hindlimbs, robust and narrow coracoids, and a delicate edentulous rostrum. By contrast, all hongshanornithids have hindlimbs that far exceed the length of the forelimbs, coracoids with wide sternal margins, and small teeth throughout the upper and lower jaws. Reinterpretation of this new taxon, Eogranivora edentulata gen. et sp. nov, helps to clarify trophic driven patterns of tooth loss within the Ornithuromorpha. Apparent loss of the hallux may represent the first such occurrence in a Mesozoic bird and suggests a highly terrestrial lifestyle.

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A new species of Hesterniasca (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Tachyporinae) from the Early Cretaceous of China with discussion of its systematic position

Insect Systematics & Evolution ◽

10.1163/187631211x574374 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 42 (2) ◽

pp. 213-220 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Alexey Solodovnikov ◽

Diying Huang ◽

Chenyang Cai

Keyword(s):

New Species ◽

Early Cretaceous ◽

Type Species ◽

Eastern China ◽

Systematic Position ◽

Northeastern China ◽

Liaoning Province ◽

Rove Beetle ◽

A New Species ◽

Better Than

AbstractA new species of the extinct rove beetle genus Hesterniasca Zhang, Wang & Xu, 1992 is described and illustrated on the basis of a well-preserved specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Huangbanjigou of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, Northeastern China. Based on the examination of this new species that is preserved better than the type species of the genus, Hesterniasca is firmly placed in the recent subfamily Tachyporinae, tentatively in the recent tribe Tachyporini MacLeay, 1825. Arguments for the Early Cretaceous age of the Laiyang Formation in Shandong Province, Eastern China, from where the type species of the genus, Hesterniasca obesa Zhang, Wang & Xu, 1992, has been discovered are provided.

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