Wang Xiaofeng

Tremadocian (Ordovician) graptolite diversification events in China

Study of the taxonomy, evolution and distribution of Tremadoc graptolites and their sequences in China and other representative sections around the world indicates that five graptolite diversity events can be recognised during the Tremadoc interval. The taxonomic validity of the suborder Graptodendroidina is advocated.

A New Triassic Primitive Ichthyosaur from Yuanan, South China

: n nBased on the systematic study of two fossil skeleton specimens collected from the top of the third member of the marine Lower Triassic Jialingjiang Formation of Yuanan, Hubei Province, South China, a new Early Triassic primitive ichthyosaur Chaohusaurus zhangjiawanensis sp. nov. is reported and described. The beds yielding the type material are correlated with the Neospathodus homeri–N. triangularis Conodont zone. The new taxon is most similar to Chaohusaurus geishanensis Young and Dong, 1972 in the shape and configuration of the scapula, forefin, pelvic girdle and hindfin, presacral vertebral count and well-developed caudal peak, but distinguished from the latter by its larger size, the position of the pineal foramen in the centre of the parietal, the occurrence of a larger calcaneum in hindfin and the first sacral rib with distal expansion. The new species exhibits common features of primitive ichthyosaurs such as: (1) the prefrontal has an antero-dorsal shelf projecting towards the orbit; (2) the upper temporal fenestra is small; (3) the postorbital and the squamosal meet laterally to the upper temporal fenestra; and (4) cylindrical centra. However, more derived ichthyosaur characters are seen with the frontal separated from the orbital dorsal margin by the contact of the prefrontal and postfrontal, which offer new clues to the early radiation of ichthyosaurs.

Taxonomy, Zonation and Correlation of the Graptolite Fauna across the Lower/Middle Ordovician Boundary Interval in the Yangtze Gorges Area, South China

The graptolite fauna across the Lower and Middle Ordovician boundary at the Huanghuachang GSSP section, Yichang and the Jianyangping section, Xingshan County is described. The taxonomy of the pendent didymograptids, the graptolite zonations across the base of Middle Ordovician and their correlations are discussed in this paper. The two revised graptolite zones, the Didymograptellus bifidus Zone and the Azygograptus suecicus Zone, can be well correlated to their equivalents elsewhere in the world.