scholarly journals Postcranial osteology of Beipiaosaurus inexpectus (Theropoda: Therizinosauria)

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (9) ◽  
pp. e0257913
Author(s):  
Chun-Chi Liao ◽  
Lindsay E. Zanno ◽  
Shiying Wang ◽  
Xing Xu
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
Evolutionary Trends ◽  
Postcranial Skeleton ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Holotype Specimen ◽  
Anterior Half ◽  
Recent Diagnosis

Beipiaosaurus inexpectus, from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Sihetun locality, near Beipiao), Liaoning, China, is a key taxon for understanding the early evolution of therizinosaurians. Since initial publication in 1999, only the cranial elements of this taxon have been described in detail. Here we present a detailed description of the postcranial skeletal anatomy of the holotype specimen of B. inexpectus, including two never before described dorsal vertebrae from the anterior half of the series. Based on these observations, and comparisons with the postcranial skeleton of therizinosaurian taxa named since the most recent diagnosis, we revised the diagnostic features for B. inexpectus adding three new possible autapomorphies (PII-3 shorter than PIII-4, subequal length of the pre- and postacetabular portions of the ilium, and equidimensional pubic peduncle of ilium). Additionally, we also propose three possible synapomorphies for more inclusive taxa (Therizinosauroidea and Therizinosauridae) and discuss implications for evolutionary trends within Therizinosauria. The newly acquired data from the postcranial osteology of the holotype specimen of B. inexpectus sheds light on our understanding of postcranial skeletal evolution and identification of therizinosaurians.

The postcranial skeleton of the iguanodontian ornithopod Jinzhousaurus yangi from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China

2010 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 135-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaolin Wang ◽  
Rui Pan ◽  
Richard J. Butler ◽  
Paul M. Barrett
Keyword(s):  
New Taxa ◽  
Early Cretaceous ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Northeast China ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Middle Part ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
Liaoning Province ◽  
Postcranial Skeleton ◽  
Lower Aptian

ABSTRACTNon-hadrosaurid iguanodontians were the most diverse and abundant group of large-bodied herbivorous dinosaurs during the Early Cretaceous, and were a particularly important component of Laurasian ecosystems. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in our knowledge of the diversity of this group, with multiple new taxa being described from northeast China. The most complete of these Chinese non-hadrosaurid iguanodontians is Jinzhousaurus yangi, from the middle part of the Yixian Formation (Lower Cretaceous: lower Aptian) of Liaoning Province. Here, we provide the first description of the relatively complete and partially articulated postcranial skeleton of the holotype of Jinzhousaurus, and provide detailed comparisons to closely related taxa. We document additional autapomorphies of Jinzhousaurus that provide strong support for the validity of this taxon.

The tale of the headless turtle

Zootaxa ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4200 (2) ◽  
pp. 327 ◽  
Author(s):  
PEDRO S. R. ROMANO
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Phenotypic Plasticity ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Fossil Record ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Fossil Species ◽  
The Past ◽  
Early Paleocene ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses ◽  
A New Species

Pelomedusoides is the most diverse clade of side-necked turtles and there is an extensive fossil record (de Broin, 1988; Lapparent de Broin, 2000; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011) that dates back at least to the Barremian (Lower Cretaceous) (Romano et al., 2014). Its large fossil record evidences a greater diversity in the past, particularly at the end of the Mesozoic, and exhibits a good sampling of species that are represented by skull material (Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). As a consequence, the most complete and recent phylogenetic hypotheses for this clade (e.g. Romano et al., 2014; Cadena, 2015) are based on matrices comprising a great amount of cranial characters derived largely from Gaffney et al. (2006, 2011). In addition, it is well established that shell characters show a lot of phenotypic plasticity, even in the fossil species (Romano, 2008; Gaffney et al., 2006, 2011). In most cases it consequently is not justified to rely on “diagnostic features” of poorly informative shell-only material for describing a new species. Because of that, most authors remark new morphotypes in the literature when such aberrant specimens are recovered, but do not make any nomenclatural act by proposing a new yet poorly supported species (e.g. Romano et al., 2013; Ferreira & Langer, 2013; Menegazzo et al., 2015). Unfortunately, such a supposedly new bothremydid turtle (Pleurodira: Bothremydidae) from the Early Paleocene of Brazil was recently described based on poorly diagnostic remains (Carvalho et al., 2016; hereafter CGB, for the authors initials) and a correction of this unfounded nomenclatural act is required. In addition I present some comments on shell only material from Brazil in order to guide splitter-taxonomists to stop describing poorly preserved fossil specimens as new species. 

scholarly journals Completely preserved cockroaches of the family Mesoblattinidae from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation (Liaoning Province, NE China)

2013 ◽  
Vol 64 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dandan Wei ◽  
Dong Ren
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Hind Wing ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Morphological Characters ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
Liaoning Province ◽  
Tergal Glands ◽  
The Family ◽  
Left And Right ◽  
First Time

Abstract Although cockroaches were the dominant insects in various Paleozoic and Mesozoic insect assemblages, their general morphology was extremely conservative. One of the most common of them, the Jurassic-Cretaceous family Mesoblattinidae, is described here for the first time on the basis of completely preserved specimens. Ninety-two specimens of Perlucipecta aurea gen. et sp. n. reveal details of head, mandible, male tergal glands and terminal hook; cercal, leg and antennal sensilla. Its congener, P. vrsanskyi is described from the same sediments of the Yixian Formation (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous). The forewing venation variability of P. aurea, analysed for the first time in this family is nearly identical (CV = 6.23 %) with variability of two species of family Blattulidae that occur at the same locality (CV = 6.22 %; 5.72 %). The transitional nature of morphological characters represented by asymmetry between left and right wings (simple/branched forewing SC and hind wing M) in P. aurea documents the phylogenetic relation between the families Mesoblattinidae and Ectobiidae

Telmaeshna paradoxica gen. et sp. nov., a new fossil dragonfly (Insecta: Odonata: Anisoptera) from the Yixian Formation, Liaoning, China

Zootaxa ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 1681 (1) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
BINGLAN ZHANG ◽  
DONG REN ◽  
HONG PANG
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Relationships ◽  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
Liaoning Province ◽  
New Family

Telmaeshna paradoxica gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, near Chaomidian Village, Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, China. It is included in the Anisoptera: Aeshnoptera: Aeshnomorpha: Panaeshnida, on the basis of the following characters: strongly elongated pterostigma; well-defined anal loop and Rspl; undulated RP2, RP3/4 and MA; divided hypertriangle and discoidal triangle; and prolonged gaff. It cannot be assigned to any described extant or extinct family of Panaeshnida, but we refrain from erecting a new family to accommodate it until more features (forewing, body characters) are known. Consequently, this new genus is provisionally retained as family uncertain. Its phylogenetic relationships within Anisoptera are discussed.

scholarly journals New material of Longipteryx (Aves: Enantiornithes) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of China with the first recognized avian tooth crenulations

Zootaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 3941 (4) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
Author(s):  
XURI WANG ◽  
CAIZHI SHEN ◽  
SIZHAO LIU ◽  
CHUNLING GAO ◽  
XIAODONG CHENG ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
New Material

New protodiplatyids (Insecta: Dermaptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of northeastern China

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 ◽  
pp. 59-66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changyue Xing ◽  
Chungkun Shih ◽  
Yunyun Zhao ◽  
Dong Ren
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Northeastern China ◽  
Yixian Formation

Glabrimycetoporus amoenus, a new tachyporine genus and species of Mesozoic Staphylinidae (Coleoptera) from Liaoning, China

Zootaxa ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 2225 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
YANLI YUE ◽  
YUNYUN ZHAO ◽  
DONG REN
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Abdominal Tergite ◽  
Upper Jurassic ◽  
Yixian Formation ◽  
Liaoning Province ◽  
New Genus And Species ◽  
Ne China

A new genus and species of well-preserved fossil Staphylinidae is described and illustrated. Glabrimycetoporus amoenus Yue, Zhao & Ren, gen. et sp. nov. is assigned to the tribe Mycetoporini in the subfamily Tachyporinae based on the following characters: head more or less inserted into prothorox, the tenth abdominal tergite broad and oblong; antennal insertions exposed and located anterior to a line drawn between anterior edges of eyes; body strongly tapered to the narrow head and abdominal apex. The specimen was discovered in the Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, NE China.

New Aetheogrammatidae (Insecta: Neuroptera) from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation, China

2015 ◽  
Vol 55 ◽  
pp. 25-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Yang ◽  
Vladimir N. Makarkin ◽  
Chungkun Shih ◽  
Dong Ren
Keyword(s):  
Lower Cretaceous ◽  
Yixian Formation
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