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Inner Mongolia (inner + mongolia)
Selected AbstractsUpper Pleistocene-Holocene geomorphic changes dictating sedimentation rates and historical land use in the valley system of the Chifeng region, Inner Mongolia, northern ChinaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 11 2010Y. Avni Abstract This study focuses on the late Quaternary landscape evolution in the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia, China, its relations to the history of the Pleistocene-Holocene loess accumulation, erosion and redeposition, and their impact on human occupation. Based on 57 optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) ages of loess sediments, fluvial sand and floodplain deposits accumulated on the hill slopes and floodplains, we conclude that during most of the Pleistocene period the region was blanketed by a thick layer of aeolian loess, as well as by alluvial and fluvial deposits. The loess section is divided into two main units that are separated by unconformity. The OSL ages at the top of the lower reddish loess unit yielded an approximate age of 193,ka, roughly corresponding to the transition from MIS 7 to 6, though they could be older. The upper gray loess unit accumulated during the upper Pleistocene glacial phase (MIS 4,3) at a mean accumulation rate of 0·22,m/ka. Parallel to the loess accumulation on top of the hilly topography, active fans were operating during MIS 4,2 at the outlet of large gullies surrounding the major valley at a mean accumulation rate of 0·24,m/ka. This co-accumulation indicates that gullies have been a long-term geomorphic feature at the margins of the Gobi Desert since at least the middle Pleistocene. During the Holocene, the erosion of the Pleistocene loess on the hills led to the burial of the valley floors by the redeposited sediments at a rate that decreases from 3·2,m/ka near the hills to 1,0·4,m/ka1 in the central part of the Chifeng Valley. This rapid accumulation and the frequent shifts of the courses of the river prevented the construction of permanent settlements in the valley floors, a situation which changed only with improved man-made control of the local rivers from the tenth century AD. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A Rb/Sr record of catchment weathering response to Holocene climate change in Inner MongoliaEARTH SURFACE PROCESSES AND LANDFORMS, Issue 3 2006Zhangdong Jin Abstract Variation in the rubidium to strontium (Rb/Sr) ratio of the loess,palaeosol sequences has been proposed to reflect the degree of pedogenesis and weathering in the northwestern region of China. To characterize the Rb/Sr ratio of the dissolved loads of a single catchment, we analysed a 12·08 m sediment core from Daihai Lake in Inner Mongolia, north China. Dating control was provided by 210Pb, 137Cs and AMS- 14C. Sequential extraction experiments were conducted to investigate the concentrations of Rb and Sr on various chemical fractions in the lake sediments. Down-core variation in the Rb/Sr ratios provides a record of Holocene weathering history. From 9 to 3·5 ka bp, accelerated chemical weathering was experienced throughout the Daihai catchment under mainly warm and humid conditions, and this reached a maximum at c. 5 ka bp. However, weathering was reduced between c. 8·25 and 7·90 ka bp, which may reflect the global 8·2 ka cooling event. After c. 2·5 ka bp, increased Rb/Sr ratios with higher frequency of fluctuations indicate reduced weathering within the Daihai catchment. The highest Rb/Sr ratios in the Little Ice Age lake sediments indicate the weakest phase of Holocene chemical weathering, resulting from a marked reduction in Sr flux into the basin. The Rb/Sr record also shows an enhancement of chemical weathering under today's climate, but its intensity is less than that of the Medieval Warm Period. Increased Rb/Sr in lake sediment corresponding to reduced catchment weathering is in striking contrast to Rb/Sr decrease in the glacial loess layers in the loess,palaeosol sequence. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] The climate learning ladder.ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND GOVERNANCE, Issue 1 2010A pragmatic procedure to support climate adaptation Abstract We introduce a new pragmatic procedure called the ,climate learning ladder' to structure policy analysis, support reflection and identify critical decisions to support climate adaptation. This tool is the result of the reflexive learning process that occurred while developing innovative appraisal methods in the Alxa League of Inner Mongolia, China, and in the Guadiana river basin in the European Union. Building capacities to cope with climate change requires going beyond simply providing ,more knowledge' on climate impacts to policy makers. Instead, climate adaptation can be understood as a multi-step social process in which individuals and organizations need to learn how to (1) manage different framings of the issues at stake while raising awareness of climate risks and opportunities, (2) understand different motives for, and generate adequate incentives or sanctions to ensure, action, (3) develop feasible options and resources for individual and collective transformation and collaboration and (4) institutionalize new rights, responsibilities and feedback learning processes for climate adaptation in the long term. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment. [source] Tradeoffs and thresholds in the effects of nitrogen addition on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: evidence from inner Mongolia GrasslandsGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2010YONGFEI BAI Abstract Nitrogen (N) deposition is widely considered an environmental problem that leads to biodiversity loss and reduced ecosystem resilience; but, N fertilization has also been used as a management tool for enhancing primary production and ground cover, thereby promoting the restoration of degraded lands. However, empirical evaluation of these contrasting impacts is lacking. We tested the dual effects of N enrichment on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning at different organizational levels (i.e., plant species, functional groups, and community) by adding N at 0, 1.75, 5.25, 10.5, 17.5, and 28.0 g N m,2 yr,1 for four years in two contrasting field sites in Inner Mongolia: an undisturbed mature grassland and a nearby degraded grassland of the same type. N addition had both quantitatively and qualitatively different effects on the two communities. In the mature community, N addition led to a large reduction in species richness, accompanied by increased dominance of early successional annuals and loss of perennial grasses and forbs at all N input rates. In the degraded community, however, N addition increased the productivity and dominance of perennial rhizomatous grasses, with only a slight reduction in species richness and no significant change in annual abundance. The mature grassland was much more sensitive to N-induced changes in community structure, likely as a result of higher soil moisture accentuating limitation by N alone. Our findings suggest that the critical threshold for N-induced species loss to mature Eurasian grasslands is below 1.75 g N m,2 yr,1, and that changes in aboveground biomass, species richness, and plant functional group composition to both mature and degraded ecosystems saturate at N addition rates of approximately 10.5 g N m,2 yr,1. This work highlights the tradeoffs that exist in assessing the total impact of N deposition on ecosystem function. [source] Soil organic carbon stocks in China and changes from 1980s to 2000sGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2007ZUBIN XIE Abstract The estimation of the size and changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks is of great importance for decision makers to adopt proper measures to protect soils and to develop strategies for mitigation of greenhouse gases. In this paper, soil data from the Second State Soil Survey of China (SSSSC) conducted in the early 1980s and data published in the last 5 years were used to estimate the size of SOC stocks over the whole profile and their changes in China in last 20 years. Soils were identified as paddy, upland, forest, grassland or waste-land soils and an improved soil bulk density estimation method was used to estimate missing bulk density data. In the early 1980s, total SOC stocks were estimated at 89.61 Pg (1 Pg=103 Tg=1015 g) in China's 870.94 Mha terrestrial areas covered by 2473 soil series. In the paddy, upland, forest and grassland soils the respective total SOC stocks were 2.91 Pg on 29.87 Mha, 10.07 Pg on 125.89 Mha, 34.23 Pg on 249.32 Mha and 37.71 Pg on 278.51 Mha, respectively. The SOC density of the surface layer ranged from 3.5 Mg ha,1 in Gray Desery grassland soils to 252.6 Mg ha,1 in Mountain Meadow forest soils. The average area-weighted total SOC density in paddy soils (97.6 Mg ha,1) was higher than that in upland soils (80 Mg ha,1). Soils under forest (137.3 Mg ha,1) had a similar average area-weighted total SOC density as those under grassland (135.4 Mg ha,1). The annual estimated SOC accumulation rates in farmland and forest soils in the last 20 years were 23.61 and 11.72 Tg, respectively, leading to increases of 0.472 and 0.234 Pg SOC in farmland and forest areas, respectively. In contrast, SOC under grassland declined by 3.56 Pg due to the grassland degradation over this period. The resulting estimated net SOC loss in China's soils over the last 20 years was 2.86 Pg. The documented SOC accumulation in farmland and forest soils could thus not compensate for the loss of SOC in grassland soils in the last 20 years. There were, however, large regional differences: Soils in China's South and Eastern parts acted mainly as C sinks, increasing their average topsoil SOC by 132 and 145 Tg, respectively. In contrast, in the Northwest, Northeast, Inner Mongolia and Tibet significant losses of 1.38, 0.21, 0.49 and 1.01 Pg of SOC, respectively, were estimated over the last 20 years. These results highlight the importance to take measures to protect grassland and to improve management practices to increase C sequestration in farmland and forest soils. [source] Floristic composition and plant biomass production of steppe communities in the vicinity of Kharkiv, UkraineGRASSLAND SCIENCE, Issue 3 2005Kiyokazu Kawada Abstract In grassland in the vicinity of Kharkiv, Ukraine, we determined the floristic composition of the plant communities, v -values of the species and above-ground plant biomass. The plant communities in Kharkiv were dominated by Stipa capillata L., Medicago romanica Prodan, Inula ensifolia L. and Poa angustifolia L. There were 46 species in eight 1-m2 quadrates and the above-ground plant biomass was 245 g m,2 in the Stipa capillata stand. In the Medicago romanica stand, the number of species and above-ground plant biomass were 37 per 10 quadrates of 1 m2 and 195 g m,2, respectively. The numbers of species in the stands were 40 in Poa angustifolia and 45 in Inula ensifolia. The plant biomass of the Poa angustifoia stand was 380 g m,2. These values were similar to those from Inner Mongolia. The species diversity of the stand (H) was calculated as: H = ,,pi log2 pi. The species diversity of the two stands was 2.98 for the Stipa capillata stand and 2.66 in the Medicago romanica stand. The stand changed by various human impacts, such as grazing and cultivation. Plantago schwarzenbergiana Schur. seemed to become established after the exposure of Stipa capillata stands to grazing, while Inula ensifolia stands became established in an abandoned field. The species composition in Kharkiv was different from that of Inner Mongolia, though the genus of plants was similar. [source] Thermal-contraction-crack networks as evidence for late-Pleistocene permafrost in Inner Mongolia, ChinaPERMAFROST AND PERIGLACIAL PROCESSES, Issue 1 2004J. Vandenberghe Abstract Numerous wedges on the Ordos Plateau show typical characteristics of periglacial sand wedges that enable them to be distinguished from desiccation cracks in clayey illuviation soil horizons. The sand wedges are organized in two generations of polygonal networks. The older generation is a large-scale network with a diameter of 8 to 9,m and wedge depths up to more than 2,m. The younger generation has a mean diameter of 3 to 4,m and is formed within the large networks. It consists of shallow (0.6 to 1,m deep) but relatively wide wedges. In contrast to the typical sand wedges that form within continuous permafrost, the shallow wedges formed probably as ,ground wedges' by seasonal freezing. Ice wedges and cryoturbations developed only rarely, and exclusively in the most humid areas. Thermal-contraction cracking occurred mainly between 26 and 20,ka BP, indicating mean annual temperatures at least 13°C lower than present. Before and after that period mean annual temperatures were at least 7 to 8.5° lower than today. The presence of these periglacial phenomena show that the southern limit of continuous permafrost in Inner Mongolia occurred south of 38°N during the Last Glacial Maximum. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Ancient DNA analysis of human remains from the upper capital city of Kublai KhanAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Yuqin Fu Abstract Analysis of DNA from human archaeological remains is a powerful tool for reconstructing ancient events in human history. To help understand the origin of the inhabitants of Kublai Khan's Upper Capital in Inner Mongolia, we analyzed mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) polymorphisms in 21 ancient individuals buried in the Zhenzishan cemetery of the Upper Capital. MtDNA coding and noncoding region polymorphisms identified in the ancient individuals were characteristic of the Asian mtDNA haplogroups A, B, N9a, C, D, Z, M7b, and M. Phylogenetic analysis of the ancient mtDNA sequences, and comparison with extant reference populations, revealed that the maternal lineages of the population buried in the Zhenzishan cemetery are of Asian origin and typical of present-day Han Chinese, despite the presence of typical European morphological features in several of the skeletons. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Geo,tectonic Position of Tin Polymetallic Mineralization Zone in the Southern Da Hinggan Mountains Area, Inner Mongolia, China: An Introduction to This Special IssueRESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2001Shihua SUN Abstract: As a part of the main activities of Japan-China technical cooperation project, a test survey area, approximately 5,000 km2, was established for the implement of its geological and geochemical research program. A major mineralization zone called Huanggang,Ganzhuermiao,Wulanhaote Sn-Cu polymetallic mineralization zone is recognized in the southern Da Hinggan Mountains area. The southern half of this zone is known as the sole Sn-mineralization zone in North China. The survey area lies in this prominent zone. As the most of the papers presented in this issue have concerns to the geology and mineralization in this survey area, this report was prepared to introduce geo-tectonic situation of the Sn-Cu polymetallic mineralization zone in the Inner Mongolia orogenic belt. The belt is divided into four tectonic facies (from NW to SE); I: Wuliyasitai volcano-plutonic zone, II: Hegenshan ophiolite mélange zone, III: Sunitezuoqi volcano-plutonic zone, IV: Wenduermiao ophiolite mélange zone. The subject Sn-Cu polymetallic mineralization zone is situated in the southeastern part of the Sunitezuoqi magmatic zone. About this Sunitezuoqi magmatic zone, three geo-tectonic characteristics are pointed out. In late Carboniferous to early Permian period, subduction of Hegenshan oceanic crust occurred, which accelerated volcano-plutonic activities and brought about basic to intermediate volcanic rocks of tholeiitic to calc-alkaline series represented by Dashizhai Group in the Sunitezuoqi magmatic zone. Late Jurassic to early Cretaceous acidic rocks representing the most culminated volcanism and plutonism in Mesozoic era in the Da Hinggan Moutains area are distributed very extensively in and around the Sn-Cu polymetallic mineralization zone. The Proterozoic metamorphic basement rocks called Xilinhaote complex are distributed close to the mineralized area in the Sunitezuoqi magmatic zone. Although the real mineralization was known associated with Mesozoic acidic to intermediate volcano-plutonic activities, it is thought that the lower Permian Dashizhai volcanic rocks and pre-Cambrian basement rocks might have played certain significant role in the process respectively of extraction of elements and formation of the magma favorable for such mineralization in the Sunitezuoqi magmatic zone. It would be necessary to give further considerations to these three geological units in relation to the Sn-Cu polymetallic mineralization. [source] Stable Isotope Study of the Langshan Polymetallic Mineral District, Inner Mongolia, ChinaRESOURCE GEOLOGY, Issue 1 2000Ping DING The lead isotope study shows that these deposits were probably formed from 2. 0 to 1. 5 Ga, and were deformed and metamorphosed 1. 45 Ga. Ore lead could be a mixture of mantle lead and crustal lead. The C and S isotope results indicate that these deposits were precipitated in closed or semi-closed rift basins, and the source of sulfur might be Proterozoic ocean sulfate. The H and O isotope results indicate that the ,D and ,18O values of rocks were changed by water-rock interaction during metamorphism and hydrothermal alteration. The scale of ,D and ,18O shift of rocks reflects the grade of metamorphism and alteration as well as the water-rock ratios. However, the water-rock ratios in the metamorphic processes of Langshan mineral district were relatively low, and the source of water during metamorphism is suggested to be ancient meteoric water. Based on isotopic results and the geological background, it is concluded that these deposits may belong to Proterozoic sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) type. [source] The Influence of Historical Land Use and Water Availability on Grassland RestorationRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2010Zhuwen Xu The ecological role of historical land use has rarely been explored in the context of grassland restoration. We conducted a 4-year field experiment in a steppe and an old field in Inner Mongolia in northern China to examine the influence of historical land use and water availability on ecosystem restoration. Species richness, evenness, and plant cover were higher in the steppe than in the old field. The steppe was more temporally stable compared with the old field in terms of species richness, evenness, plant density, and cover. Water addition increased peak aboveground biomass, belowground net primary productivity, species richness, plant density, and cover in both the steppe and the old field. Water addition also enhanced the stability of ecosystems and the restoration of grassland. Our findings suggested that historical land use determines community structure and influences the process of grassland restoration. Converting grasslands to farmland in semiarid areas can cause the long-term loss of biodiversity and instability of ecosystem with consequent impacts on ecosystem services. The amendment of limited resources is an effective practice to increase the success of ecosystem restoration. [source] Multiple maternal origins of native modern and ancient horse populations in ChinaANIMAL GENETICS, Issue 6 2009C. Z. Lei Summary To obtain more knowledge of the origin and genetic diversity of domestic horses in China, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequence diversity from nine horse breeds in China in conjunction with ancient DNA data and evidence from archaeological and historical records. A 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequence from 182 modern samples revealed a total of 70 haplotypes with a high level of genetic diversity. Seven major mtDNA haplogroups (A,G) and 16 clusters were identified for the 182 Chinese modern horses. In the present study, nine 247-bp mitochondrial D-loop sequences of ancient remains of Bronze Age horse from the Chifeng region of Inner Mongolia in China (c. 4000,2000a bp) were used to explore the origin and diversity of Chinese modern horses and the phylogenetic relationship between ancient and modern horses. The nine ancient horses carried seven haplotypes with rich genetic diversity, which were clustered together with modern individuals among haplogroups A, E and F. Modern domestic horse and ancient horse data support the multiple origins of domestic horses in China. This study supports the argument that multiple successful events of horse domestication, including separate introductions of wild mares into the domestic herds, may have occurred in antiquity, and that China cannot be excluded from these events. Indeed, the association of Far Eastern mtDNA types to haplogroup F was highly significant using Fisher's exact test of independence (P = 0.00002), lending support for Chinese domestication of this haplogroup. High diversity and all seven mtDNA haplogroups (A,G) with 16 clusters also suggest that further work is necessary to shed more light on horse domestication in China. [source] Effects of watering regime and depth of burial on seedling emergence of four dominant psammophytes in the Mu Us sandy land, Inner Mongolia, China, and relevance to revegetation of a desertified regionANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009M.Q. Zheng Abstract Four dominant psammophyte species are air-seeded in attempts to revegetate the Mu Us sandy land in Inner Mongolia, but seedling emergence is low. This study sought to clarify the behaviour of seedling emergence under different water supply and sand burial regimes to improve the technology of air seeding. Seeds were buried in sand at depths of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3 and 5 cm and supplied one time with 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15, 20, 30 or 40 mm of water or with 2.5 mm once every 3 days for 30 days. Our study showed that a 0.5-cm burial depth and under 10- to 20-mm single-watering regimes resulted in highest seedling emergence percentage and rate of these four species. All emerged seedlings of Caragana korshinskii, Hedysarum laeve and Artemisia ordosica died under 2.5, 5 and 7.5 mm of watering, respectively, but seedling mortality was <50% when the single-watering regime was >10 mm. In the field, germination of the four species increased from the top of the dune to the middle of the leeward side and then to the bottom. Based on precipitation pattern in the Mu Us sandy land, our study indicates that 0.5-cm burial depth and a single-watering regime of >7.5 mm is the threshold condition for seedling emergence. [source] Middle Jurassic Coptoclavidae (Insecta: Coleoptera: Dytiscoidea) from China: a Good Example of Mosaic EvolutionACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 4 2010WANG Bo Abstract: Adults of the aquatic coptoclavid beetles (Coleoptera: Adephaga: Dytiscoidea), described from four Middle Jurassic fossil localities in Inner Mongolia and Liaoning in northeastern China, are attributed to Daohugounectes primitives Wang, Ponomarenko and Zhang, 2009, which was previously proposed after study of larvae. The generic name Timarchopsis Brauer, Redtenbacher and Ganglbauer, 1889 is proposed as a substitute for the preoccupied and junior homonym Necronectes Ponomarenko, 1977, non Milne-Edwards, 1881. Furthermore, the subfamily name Necronectinae Ponomarenko, 1977 is substituted by the available name Timarchopsinae. Daohugounectes is placed into Timarchopsinae because its adults have long, slightly apically widened tibiae and small femoral plates. The adults of this genus differ from those of other Timarchopsinae in the following features: antennae short and widened in the middle part; basal segments of protarsi not cut apically; metaventrite with a triangular plate. The larvae look like somewhat primitive forms in the subfamily Timarchopsinae. In contrast to these primitive larvae, the adults with some advanced characters can be regarded as among the most advanced forms in the subfamily Timarchopsinae, and probably represent a transition between the Timarchopsinae and Charanoscaphinae. Such mosaic evolution within Daohugounectes indicates that the evolutionary process of aquatic beetles is far more complex than previously thought. [source] New Mesozoic Mesopsychidae (Mecoptera) from Northeastern ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 4 2010REN Dong Abstract: The Mesozoic family Mesopsychidae Tillyard, 1917 presently consists of seven described genera and 13 species from the mid-Triassic to the Early Cretaceous of Australia, South Africa and Eurasia. In the present paper one new genus and three new species of fossil mesopsychids are described that add significant distributional and stratigraphic extensions to the family. This finding documents the first formal record of fossil Mesopsychidae in China. Both Lichnomesopsyche gloriae gen. et sp. nov. and L. daohugouensis gen. et sp. nov. were found from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Inner Mongolia, whereas Vitimopsyche kozlovi sp. nov., of mid Early Cretaceous age, was collected from the Jehol Biota of northern Hebei Province. This new, well-preserved material from China reveals complete and previously unknown body features, including head, antennae, mouthparts, legs and abdomen. The delicate and long proboscides of these new taxa indicate that they were feeding on externally exposed, nutrient-rich fluids of gymnospermous ovulate fructifications, and incapable of piercing surface epidermis , attributable principally to the absence of stylets. These proboscides originated, perhaps multiply, among basal Mecoptera and are functionally and structurally convergent with equivalent mouthparts borne by fossil and extant Diptera, Lepidoptera, Neuroptera and Coleoptera. [source] Current Knowledge of Mesozoic Coleoptera from Daohugou and Liaoning (Northeast China)ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 4 2010Alexander G. KIREJTSHUK Abstract: The present paper is devoted to an overview on fossil Coleoptera studied from Inner Mongolia, Daohugou (Middle Jurassic, Jiulongshan Formation) and Liaoning (Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous, Yixian Formation) deposited in Chinese collections. As a result, species of the tribe Sperchopsini and Hydrophilini from Hydrophilidae, families and subfamilies Silphidae, Syndesinae from Lucanidae, Pleocomidae, Trogidae, Trogissitidae, Pyrochroidae, Diaperinae from Tenebrionidae, and Cerambycidae were first registered in the Mesozoic and some families were defined as new. It was shown that many superfamilies represented in the Recent Fauna were formed within the Middle Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous. The materials examined confirm the hypothesis that Cucujiformian beetles are a younger group than other infraordera of Polyphaga (Staphyliniformia and Elateriformia) and, therefore, they appeared in the fossil record only in the late Mesozoic. It was shown and confirmed that most superfamilies appeared in the fossil records before Cucujoidea. The synonymy of Notocupes Ponomarenko, 1964; Sinocupes Lin, 1976, syn. nov.; Amblomma Tan, Ren et Liu 2005, syn. nov.; Euryomma Tan, Ren et Shih, 2006, syn. nov., non Stein, 1899 and Ovatocupes Tan et Ren, 2006, syn. nov.; synonymy of Tetraphalerus Waterhouse, 1901 and Odontomma Tan, Ren et Ge 2006, syn. nov.; and synonymy of Priacmopsis Ponomarenko, 1966 and Latocupes Tan et Ren, 2006, syn. nov. are proposed. Sinorhombocoleus papposus Tan et Ren, 2009 is transferred from the family Rhombocoleidae to Schizophoridae. Cervicatinius complanus Tan, Ren et Shih, 2007 and Forticatinius elegans Tan, Ren et Shih, 2007 are transferred from the family Catiniidae (suborder Archostemata) to superfamily Cleroidea (suborder Polyphaga: first among the family Peltidae and second as a closely related group to the latter family). The family Parandrexidae is transferred from the superfamily Cucujoidea to Cleroidea. The ecological circumstances of the past ecosystems and hypotheses of historical development of the order Coleoptera are discussed. The age of faunas examined is considered. The list of the taxa described from Daohugou and Liaoning is compiled. [source] Early Evolution of Apocrita (Insecta, Hymenoptera) as Indicated by New Findings in the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Northeast ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 4 2010Alexandr P. RASNTTSYN Abstract: The classification and phylogeny of the basal Vespina (= Orussoidea + Apocrita) are reconsidered based primarily on rich and well preserved material from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou in Inner Mongolia, China. Comparatively smooth morphological transitions are traced from a Xiphydriidae-like ancestor toward Orussoidea via the Jurassic family Karatavitidae, and through Karatavitidae and the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous family Ephialtitidae independently to Stephanidae, to Evanioidea, and, via the extinct Jurassic Kuafuidae fam. nov. to the remaining Apocrita. New hypothesis is proposed concerning development of the characteristic wasp-waist of Apocrita, which is supposed to appear independently and in different ways in Evanioidea and in the rest of Apocrita. As a result, six infraorders are proposed for the suborder Vespina with the following taxonomic structure: infraorder Orussomorpha including the only superfamily Orussoidea (Karatavitidae + Paroryssidae + Orussidae), infraorder Stephanomorpha with the only superfamily Stephanoidea (Ephialtitidae + Stephanidae), infraorder Evaniomorpha with the only superfamily Evanioidea of traditional composition, infraorder Ceraphronomorpha with the superfamilies Ceraphronoidea s. str. and monotypical Megalyroidea and Trigonaloidea, and the infraorders Proctotrupomorpha, Ichneumonomorpha, and Vespomorpha of traditional composition. The family Kuafuidae is unplaced to infraorder because it is putatively paraphyletic with respect to Ceraphronomorpha, Proctotrupomorpha, Ichneumonomorpha and Vespomorpha. Described as new are Karatavites junfengi sp. nov., Praeratavites wuhuaensis sp. nov., P. perspicuus sp. nov., Postxiphydria daohugouensis gen. et sp. nov., P. ningchengensis gen. et sp. nov., Postxiphydroides strenuus gen. et sp. nov., Praeratavitoides amabilis gen. et sp. nov., Proapocritus densipediculus sp. nov., P. sculptus sp. nov., P. longantennatus sp. nov., P. formosus sp. nov., P. atropus sp. nov., P. elegans sp. nov., Stephanogaster pristinus sp. nov., Asiephialtites lini sp. nov., Praeproapocritus vulgatus gen. et sp. nov., Sinaulacogastrinus solidus gen. et sp. nov., Sinevania speciosa gen. et sp. nov., Eonevania robusta gen. et sp. nov., Kuafua polyneura gen. et sp. nov. (all from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou), as well as Kuafuidae fam. nov. including Kuafua gen. nov. as well as Arthrogaster Rasnitsyn, 1975, and Leptogastrella Rasnitsyn, 1975 from the Upper Jurassic of Karatau in Kazakhstan. [source] Paleogeographical Distribution of Mesozoic Palaeontinidae (Insecta, Hemiptera) in China with Description of New TaxaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2010Bo WANG Abstract: Until now, all Chinese palaeontinids have come from northern China and are more diverse than any other hemipterous insects in the Mesozoic. Most palaeontinids have been discovered from the area encompassing northern Hebei, the Ningcheng area of Inner Mongolia and western Liaoning. The difference in ubiquity of fossil records between northern and southern China is probably related to taphonomical and collecting bias. Records of Early and Late Jurassic palaeontinids are very scarce. The highest diversity of palaeontinid species occurs in the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou Lagerstätte. Early Cretaceous palaeontinids of China are restricted to the typical distribution of Jehol Biota. Palaeontinodes sp. is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of Yangshuwanzi, Inner Mongolia and is the only Palaeontinodes specimen from the Cretaceous. Plachutella exculpta Zhang, 1997 from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation of Karamai, Xinjiang is re-described and some previously reported species of this genus are discussed. [source] Late Mesozoic Chresmodids with Forewing from Inner Mongolia, China (Polyneoptera: Archaeorthoptera)ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2010Xinwen ZHANG Abstract: Three new species of Chresmodidae are described. They belong to two different genera: Chresmoda multinervis sp. nov., Chresmoda shihi sp. nov. and Jurachresmoda sanyica sp. nov. A study of the forewing venation is provided. Longitudinal veins are mostly parallel; costal area is broad at the basal and narrowing distally; ScP is probably extending close to the wing apex; R is parallel at length to ScP; MA is running close to R, with two long parallel branches; MA branched-off basally; while MP is not branched until the middle of the wing. However, the important basal part of MP and CuP is poorly preserved. In addition, unique fringing hairs on the mid legs of C. shihi sp. nov. and J. sanyica sp. nov. are described and compared with Jurachresmoda gaskelli Zhang, Ren and Shih, 2008. [source] Mantle Branch Structure in the South-Central Segment of the Da Hinggan Mts., Inner Mongolia and Its Ore-controlling RoleACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 6 2009NIU Shuyin Abstract: Mantle branch structure is the third tectonic unit of multiple evolution of a mantle branch. It is not only the main mechanism of intercontinental orogeny, but also an important ore-forming and ore-control structure. Studies on geotectonic evolution, regional geological characteristics and oreforming and ore-control structures have shown that since the Mesozoic the Da Hinggan Mts. region has entered a typical intercontinental orogenic stage, and it is closely related to mantle branch activities. The south-central segment of the Da Hinggan Mts. is a typical mantle branch structure and possesses obvious magmatic-metamorphic complexes in the core, detachment slip beds in the periphery and overlapped fault depression basins. Moreover, all of these are the principal factors leading to ore formation and ore control in the region. This paper also further explores the mechanism of mineralization in the south-central segment of the Da Hinggan, summaries the rules of mineralization, puts forward the models of mineralization and points out future ore-exploring orientation. [source] Permian High Ba-Sr Granitoids: Geochemistry, Age and Tectonic Implications of Erlangshan Pluton, Urad Zhongqi, Inner MongoliaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 3 2009Hongling LUO Abstract: Erlangshan Pluton from Urad Zhongqi, central Inner Mongolia, is located in the middle segment of the northern margin of the North China Plate. The rocks consist mainly of diorites with gneissic structure. Petrochemical characteristics reveal that the diorites belong to metaluminous, high-potassium calc-alkaline series, with chemical signatures of I-type granites. They are characterized by low SiO2 contents (56.63%,58.53%) and A/CNK (0.90,0.96), high Al2O3 contents (17.30%,17.96%) and Na2O/K2O ratios (1.20,1.70), enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE, e.g., Ba=556,915 ppm, Sr=463,595 ppm), and relative depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE, e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti) in primitive mantle-normalized spidergram, and right-declined rare earth element patterns with slightly negative Eu anomalies (,Eu=0.72,0.90). They have Sr/Y ratios (20,25) evidently less than Kebu Pluton (49,75) to its east. Sensitive high resolution ion micro-probe U-Pb zircon dating of the diorites has yielded an intrusive age of 270±8 Ma. This leads us to conclude that Erlangshan diorites were formed by mixing between the middle or lower crustal-derived magma and minor mantle-derived mafic magma, followed by fractional crystallization, which was trigged by crustal extension and fault activity in post-collisional setting. [source] New Fossils of Eoptychopteridae (Diptera) from the Middle Jurassic of Northeastern ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 2 2009Jianying HAO Abstract: Three new species of the extinct genus of Eoptychopterina from the Eoptychopteridae family, Eoptychopterina antica sp. nov., Eoptychopterina adnexa sp. nov., and Eoptychopterina mediata sp. nov., are described and illustrated. These three new species are established based on fossil specimens with bodies and complete wings. All were collected from the Middle Jurassic Jiulongshan Formation of Daohugou in eastern Inner Mongolia, China. Based on the new materials, the name of two species in Eoptychopterina from China,Eoptychopterina elenae Ren and Krzeminski and Eoptychopterina gigantea Zhang,is sysnonymum Junius. [source] A Baby Pterodactyloid Pterosaur from the Yixian Formation of Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia, ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2009Junchang LÜ Abstract: A new baby pterodactyloid pterosaur with soft tissue preserved, Ningchengopterus liuae gen. et sp. nov., is erected based on a nearly complete skeleton with a skull. It was characterized by the skull, slightly longer than the combined length of the dorsal and sacral vertebrae; 50 teeth (including upper and lower jaws); short mid-cervical vertebrae; the humerus and the scapula, equal to that of the wing metacarpal in length; the ulna and the femur, equal to that of the first and third wing phalanx in length, respectively. The similar ratio of the wing phalanx 2 to wing phalanx 1 of Ningchengopterus and Eosipterus implies that Ningchengopterus may be close to the ctenochasmatid pterosaur. However, it may also imply that the isometrically growing of the first two wing phalanges exists among some pterosaurs. [source] New Fossil Palaeontinids from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China (Insecta, Hemiptera)ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2009Ying WANG Abstract: Two new genera and species of fossil Palaeontinidae are described from Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China: Cladocossus undulatus gen. et sp. nov. and Cricocossus paradoxus gen. et sp. nov. Both new genera are described based on well-preserved forewings. This discovery confirms the high diversity of palaeontinids during the Middle Jurassic. Both specimens have interesting modal structures which are new to Palaeontinidae: M five-branched and M3 with two branches. Based on this character, wing structural characteristic is discussed. [source] Revision of the Clam Shrimp Genus Magumbonia from the Upper Jurassic of the Luanping Basin, Hebei, Northern ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2009Gang LI Abstract: The diverse clam shrimp Nestoria-Keratestheria fauna is widely distributed in the Dabeigou Formation in northern Hebei and eastern Inner Mongolia of China. Its important component genus Magumbonia from the Dabeigou Formation in the Luanping Basin, northern Hebei, China, is revised on the basis of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination of the type species M. jingshangensis Wang, 1984, which revealed morphological features not recognized previously. These include coarse reticulation on the umbo and prominent growth lines ornamented with densely spaced, small tubercles and fine lirae. [source] New Isophlebioid Dragonflies from the Middle Jurassic of Inner Mongolia, China (Insecta: Odonata: Isophlebioptera: Campterophlebiidae)ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 6 2008ZHANG Binglan Abstract: Three new species of fossil dragonflies assigned to Sinokaratawia Nel, Huang and Lin in family Campterophlebiidae, i.e. S. daohugouica sp. nov., S. magica sp. nov. and S. gloriosa sp. nov., and new materials of male S. prokopi Nel, Huang and Lin, 2007 are described from the Middle Jurassic of Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China. An emended diagnosis of genus Sinokaratawia was proposed. [source] A New Species of Cathayornis from the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia, China and Its Stratigraphic SignificanceACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 6 2008LI Jianjun Abstract: An incomplete postcranial avian skeleton is described from the Lower Cretaceous Jingchuan Formation of Otog Banner of western Inner Mongolia and referred to a new species of Cathayornis, C. chabuensis sp. nov. This is the first report of a Cathayornis from outside Liaoning Province. The new discovery indicates that Cathayornis coexisted with Otogornis genghisi, and a more detailed comparison between these two enantiornithine genera shows that Otogornis represents a more primitive genus than Cathayornis. Our analyses further indicate that Cathayornis is an arboreal bird. The discovery of a Cathayornis from this region also confirms that the avian fossil-bearing Jingchuan Formation is comparable to the Jiufotang Formation of the upper Jehol Group in western Liaoning, and should be referred to the middle-late Early Cretaceous. [source] A New Family of Moths from the Middle Jurassic (Insecta: Lepidoptera)ACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 4 2010HUANG Diying Abstract: Three lepidopteran species, from the Middle Jurassic Daohugou beds (inner Mongolia, China), are described in a new family, Mesokristenseniidae, and new genus, Mesokristensenia, which could represent the sister group of the Micropterigidae. Mesokristensenia differs from all extant Lepidoptera, but one genus (Agathiphaga, Agathiphagidae), in retaining four median veins in the forewing, a plesiomorphy also present in many Trichoptera. Evidence for placing Mesokristensenia in the Lepidoptera includes four traits, notably a previously unrecorded autapomorphy of this insect order: beyond stem M1+2, vein M1 is bent and connected to cross-vein r-m (in both wing pairs). Among 24 characters taken into account to assess the systematic position of Mesokristensenia, 12 are considered informative for a cladistic analysis involving this fossil taxon and the four suborders recognized in present-day Lepidoptera (Zeugloptera, Aglossata, Heterobathmiina, and Glossata). [source] | ||||||||||||||||