https://mapress.com/mz/issue/feedMesozoic2024-06-26T15:26:58+12:00Diying Huangdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cnOpen Journal Systems<p><em><strong>Mesozoic</strong></em> is an international peer-reviewed scientific journal, which publishes high quality, original research contributions as well as review papers. Papers are published in English and they cover a wide spectrum of topics in palaeoentomology, fossil terrestrial arthropods and amber research, i.e. systematic palaeontology, morphology, diversity, palaeogeography, palaeoecology, palaeobehavior, evolutionary and phylogenetic studies on fossil insects and terrestrial arthropods, biostratigraphy, taphonomy, and amber (deposits, inclusions, geochemistry, curation). Descriptions of new methods (analytical, instrumental or numerical) should be relevant to the broad scope of the journal.</p>https://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.3<p><strong>Pristification: Defining the convergent evolution of saws in sharks and rays (Chondrichthyes, Neoselachii)</strong></p>2024-06-17T10:58:24+12:00TYLER GREENFIELDtgreenfield999@gmail.com<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #05050a;">Convergent evolution is the development of analogous structures or bauplans in at least two independent lineages of organisms. Convergence is driven by the occupation of similar ecological niches and by various physical and phylogenetic constraints (McGhee, 2011). Despite the wide recognition of this phenomenon in evolutionary biology, formal terms and definitions for specific examples are rare. The most notable is carcinisation, which refers to the appearances of a crab-like bauplan among crustaceans (Keiler </span><span style="color: #05050a;"><em>et al</em></span><span style="color: #05050a;">., 2017). Here the term ‘pristification’ is proposed for the convergence of saws in sharks and rays. It was coined previously in a preliminary publication (Greenfield, 2021a) but is formally defined for the first time. Not only does it highlight a remarkable convergent structure, but it also serves as a template for future terminology.</span></span></span></span></p>2024-06-24T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.4<p><strong>Morphological features of the Upper Cretaceous planthopper <em>Mimaeurypterus burmiticus</em> suggest specialization for cryptic camouflage on tree bark</strong></p>2024-05-24T12:11:06+12:00DOLEV FABRIKANTDolev.fabrikant@gmail.comDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cnCAROLIN HAUGchaug@bio.lmu.deJOACHIM T. HAUGjoachim.haug@palaeo-evo-devo.infoYAN-ZHE FUyzfu@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The extinct planthopper family Mimarachnidae is widely known in the Cretaceous of Eurasia. Two new specimens of the monotypic genus <em>Mimaeurypterus</em> Fu & Huang, 2021, from the early Upper Cretaceous of northern Myanmar are described. The intraspecific variation is assessed, and the description supplemented morphology of the head, pronotum, legs, and abdomen is provided. The flattened pronotum and broad forewings are interpreted as adaptations for the reduction of shadows at body margins, thus blurring the body outline of the insect and facilitating crypsis.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-24T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.5<p><strong>A new species of the family Praeaulacidae (Hymenoptera: Evanioidea) from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber</strong></p>2024-05-15T19:10:12+12:00CORENTIN JOUAULTjouaultc0@gmail.comDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A new praeaulacid species, <em>Habraulacus</em> <em>splendidus</em> <strong>sp. nov.</strong>, is described and illustrated based on a male specimen from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber. This newly discovered taxon is, <em>inter alia</em>, characterised by its relatively low number of antennomeres (about 28) and its complex forewing venation (<em>i</em>.<em>e</em>., with both 2rs-m and 3rs-m present). Together with the recent discoveries of praeaulacid wasps from Kachin amber, this new species lets us assume that the family Praeaulacidae was well-diversified in Cretaceous forests. The subsequent decline of this family likely occurred either in the Late Cretaceous or, in a more optimistic scenario, during the Cenozoic era.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-24T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.6<p><strong>A new species of <em>Mesosticta</em> in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Odonata: Platystictidae)</strong></p>2024-06-10T11:06:12+12:00ANDRÉ NELanel@mnhn.frCORENTIN JOUAULTjouaultc0@gmail.comDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><em>Mesosticta additicta</em> <strong>sp. nov.</strong>, fourth species of this platystictid genus, is described from the mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber, suggesting its endemic diversification in the West Burma Block (WBB), possibly in relation to the geographic isolation of this area during the formation of mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-24T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.7<p><strong>A new genus of Mesopsychidae from the late Middle Triassic Tongchuan entomofauna and its taxonomic and palaeogeographic implications</strong></p>2024-06-21T15:53:50+12:00XIN-NENG LIANlianxinneng@stu.ynu.edu.cnYONG ZHANGyzhang@nigpas.ac.cnCHEN-YANG CAIcycai@nigpas.ac.cnZHUO FENGzhuofeng@ynu.edu.cnDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #040408;">Mesopsychids, a long-proboscid mecopteran group, are presumably associated with the pollination of Mesozoic gymnosperms. Despite over 100 years of study on the genus </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;">, only isolated wings have been discovered. </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> is now redefined as a monotypic genus with </span><span style="color: #040408;">only one species, </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>triareolata</em></span><span style="color: #040408;">. The other species</span><span style="color: #040408;"> previously classified within </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> are have been assigned to the newly established genus </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang,</strong></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>gen. nov.</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;">, distinguished by its three-branched Sc, in contrast to the numerous Sc branches of </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;">. Herein, we present descriptions and illustrations of new </span><span style="color: #040408;">material from the middle part (late Ladinian) of the Middle–</span><span style="color: #040408;">Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation. We assigned these specimens to the newly erected genus, </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. nov.</strong></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>tongchuanensis</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> (Hong, 2007) </span><span style="color: #040408;"><strong>comb. nov.</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;">, the first reported </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> (</span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;">) from the Tongchuan entomofauna, is revised based on a new specimen. Additionally, we erecte three new </span><span style="color: #040408;">species of </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. nov.</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;"> based on their wing size, shape, and especially the coloured patterns. </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>orientalis</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. et sp. nov.</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;"> is characterised by the distinctly shrunken wing base and dense </span><span style="color: #040408;">coloured markings along anterior wing. </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>sparsanota</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. et sp. nov.</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;"> is distinguished by its relatively larger wing size and sparse coloured spots situated at the forks, crossveins, and apical longitudinal veins. </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><em>hongi</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. et sp. nov</strong></span><span style="color: #040408;">. is characterised by a relatively small wing size and sparser striped coloured markings. Although hindwings of </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span> <span style="color: #040408;"><strong>Lian & Huang, gen. nov. </strong></span><span style="color: #040408;">are described and illustrated, they are not assigned to any species. Species of both </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Mesopsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> and </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> are discussed in detail. The wing coloured patterns of </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> exhibit regional differentiation, with numerous coloured spots or spots fused into striped coloured markings observed in China, transparency in Kyrgyzstan, and full pigmentation in Ukraine. Based on previous palaeomagnetic research conducted in Tongchuan area, we derive a palaeolatitude of 21° in the Middle Triassic. </span><span style="color: #040408;"><em>Turbidapsyche</em></span><span style="color: #040408;"> was distributed </span><span style="color: #040408;">along the northern Palaeotethys, near a similar palaeolatitude,</span><span style="color: #040408;"> suggesting it inhabited comparable climates and perhaps had specific ecological requirements or limited dispersal capabilities.</span></span></span></span></p>2024-06-27T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.8<p><strong>Newly identified late Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks in the Beixiangshan area, Lower Yangtze River Belt, South China and its implications</strong></p>2024-06-21T15:36:09+12:00HAI-LONG GAOcugloong@163.comYONG ZHANGyzhang@nigpas.ac.cnYI-TONG SUytsu@nigpas.ac.cnLIN-WEI SHEN1042203791@qq.comHUAN-YU LIAOhyliao@ynu.edu.cnXIAO-MEI NIExiaomeinie2013@126.comDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The magmatic events in the Lower Yangtze River Belt could be divided into four stages: 148–133 Ma, 131–127 Ma, 127–121 Ma, and 109–100 Ma. The final episode is represented by the intrusions in the Ningzhen area, however no contemporaneous volcanic rocks have been reported. In this study, we present an integrated analysis of petrology, zircon U-Pb ages, and whole rock major-trace elements for newly identified volcanic rocks in the Beixiangshan area. Zircon U-Pb dating yields an eruption age of 106.3 ± 0.4 Ma, indicating that these rocks likely belong to the lower part of the Pukou Formation. The volcanic rocks exhibit arc-like geochemical features, distinct from those of the intrusions in the Ningzhen area. The volcanic rocks may be formed during a tectonic transition phase from compression to extension, due to the direction changes of plate convergence. The widespread angular unconformity around the volcanic rocks may represent episode C of the Yanshanian tectonic event, based on the dating work on volcanic rocks, its minimum age should be <em>ca</em>. 106 Ma.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-27T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.1<strong>The 9th International Conference on Fossil Insects, Arthropods and Amber held in Xi’an, China</strong>2024-05-24T10:42:41+12:00DI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cnCHEN-YANG CAIcycai@nigpas.ac.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #040409;">At the 8</span><span style="color: #040409;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: #040409;"> International Conference on Fossil Insects, Arthropods and Amber (Fossil×3) held in 2019 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Professor Diying Huang, from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS), won the bid to host the 9</span><span style="color: #040409;"><sup>th</sup></span><span style="color: #040409;"> Fossil×3 conference in Xi’an, China. Due to the pandemic, the conference was postponed twice and was finally successfully held in the ancient city of Xi’an from April 18–25, 2024.</span></span></span></span></p>2024-05-31T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.2<p><strong>The 6th International Conference of Palaeogeography held in Nanjing, China</strong></p>2024-06-06T12:52:28+12:00XIANG FANGuser@mapress.com<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The 6<sup>th</sup> International Conference on Palaeogeography (ICP6), which took place in China’s Nanjing from the 17<sup>th</sup> to the 20<sup>th</sup> of May, 2024, was a great success. This prestigious conference was jointly sponsored by the International Society of Palaeogeography, the Palaeontological Society of China, and China University of Petroleum (Beijing), and the periodical <em>Journal of </em><em>Palaeogeography</em> (English version) and was organised by Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-14T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.9<p><strong>Checklist of the Triassic wood (updated June 2024)</strong></p>2024-06-25T13:02:25+12:00XU-DONG GOUgouxudong@kmu.edu.cnZHUO FENGzhuofeng@ynu.edu.cn<p lang="en-US" align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A list of all known fossil wood taxa recorded from the Triassic, up to June of 2024, is provided. The list contains 50 genera and 130 species of gymnospermous wood taxa documented from 16 countries across seven continents. Specifically, 17 genera and 27 species were reported from Asia, 10 genera and 39 species from Europe, 3 genera and 3 species from Africa, 5 genera and 6 species from North America, 21 genera and 43 species from South America, 9 genera and 16 species from Australia and 4 genera and 7 species Antarctica. Taxonomically, 7 genera and 8 species were documented from the Lower Triassic, 7 genera and 8 species from the Middle Triassic, and 37 genera and 98 species from the Upper Triassic. Systematically, 5 genera and 7 species belong to Cycadales, 1 monotypic genus belongs to Bennettitales, 2 genera and 3 species belong to Ginkgoales, 30 genera and 97 species of Coniferales, 7 genera and 12 species belong to Pteridosperms, 3 genera and 4 species belong to Cordaitales, and 3 genera and 6 species are <em>incertae sedis</em>.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-27T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.10<p><strong>Occurrence of Early Cretaceous <em>Shimakuroxylon</em> wood in southeastern China, and its palaeobiogeographic significance</strong></p>2024-06-22T03:25:12+12:00MENG-YU CHENmychenpaleo@163.comAO-WEI XIExieaowei@126.comMIN XUminxu@nigpas.ac.cnHAO WUmason007343@163.comNING TIANtianning84@163.com<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Mesozoic gymnosperm genus <em>Shimakuroxylon </em>Philippe, Boura, Oh et Pons is a peculiar petrified wood taxon which was exclusively recorded from the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous interval in eastern Asia. To date, ten occurrences of this genus were documented in Japan, Indochina and Tibet (southwestern China). However, little is known about the record of <em>Shimakuroxylon </em>in eastern China. Here, we describe a new fossil wood specimen from the Lower Cretaceous Laocun Formation in Longyou County of Quzhou City, Zhejiang Province, southeastern China. This fossil specimen exhibits typical <em>Shimakuroxylon </em>anatomy with <em>japonicum</em>-type (shimakurean) radial tracheid pitting and araucarioid cross-field pitting, representing a new record of <em>Shimakuroxylon </em>in eastern Asia. This new finding contributes to our understanding of the fossil wood diversity of the Early Cretaceous xyloflora in southern China, and provides additional data that furthers our knowledge of the palaeobiogeographical distribution of <em>Shimakuroxylon</em>. <em>Shimakuroxylon </em>is commonly suggested as an indicator of warm and wet climates based on its palaeobiogeographical distribution pattern. However, evidence from plant megafossils and sporopollen suggests the local climate of the study area was warm and arid to semiarid during the Early Cretaceous. It is tentatively suggested that the wood plant might have lived in a warm and humid basin margin with relatively sufficient water supply, though the general environmental background might have been arid to semiarid.</span></span></span></p>2024-06-27T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limitedhttps://mapress.com/mz/article/view/mesozoic.1.2.11<p><strong>Discussion on the age of the Early Cretaceous amber from the Hailar Basin, NE China</strong></p>2024-06-26T15:26:58+12:00HAI-LONG GAOcugloong@163.comYI-TONG SUytsu@nigpas.ac.cnCHEN-YANG CAIcycai@nigpas.ac.cnDANY AZARdanyazar@ul.edu.lbXIANG-BO SONGxbsong@nigpas.ac.cnXIN-NENG LIANlianxinneng@stu.ynu.edu.cnDI-YING HUANGdyhuang@nigpas.ac.cn<p align="justify"><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #040407;">Amber in China is predominantly found from the Cenozoic era, with the oldest-known amber originating from the Middle Triassic Qingyan biota in Guiyang, Guizhou. Chinese Cretaceous amber has been known from Xixia and Neixiang (Henan Province), Guangzhou (Guangdong Province), and the Buir Lake area (Inner Mongolia). Some previous studies </span><span style="color: #040407;">have suggested that the amber found at the base of the Yimin </span><span style="color: #040407;">Formation in the Yimin Coal Mine in the Hailar Basin (130.9 ± 2.8 Ma, as constrained by detrital zircon U-Pb dating in the original paper) represents the oldest known amber in China at that time. In this paper, detrital zircon U-Pb dating was conducted on the clastic rocks from the Damoguaihe Formation of the Zhalainuoer Coal Mine, Hailar Basin to contest the age of the Buir Lake amber. Our results suggest that the upper part of the Damoguaihe Formation was deposited earlier than 116 Ma (late Aptian), consistent with biostratigraphy and isotopic chronology. Therefore, the age of the amber-bearing Damoguaihe Formation in Hailar Basin should be slightly older than 116 Ma. Amber from the Yimin Formation was discovered from two layers, with the lower layer (the first coal seam) likely near the Aptian–Albian boundary and the upper layer slightly later than 111.7 Ma. Our analyses further confirm that Buir Lake ambers are from the upper Lower Cretaceous Damoguaihe Formation and Yimin Formation, dating to the Aptian–Albian.</span></span></span></span></p>2024-06-27T00:00:00+12:00Copyright (c) 2024 Magnolia press limited