Mesozoic

Mesozoic: Inaugural editorial

2024-03-27T13:20:26+13:00

I am pleased to be invited to be the honorary editor-in-chief of the new, free, and open access journal Mesozoic published by Magnolia Press.

Mesozoic: A new interdisciplinary journal for Mesozoic Earth and life evolution

2024-03-27T13:20:43+13:00

Mesozoic is an interdisciplinary journal dedicated to the study of Earth and life evolution during the Mesozoic Era. Its scope within the geosciences is broad, encompassing disciplines such as stratigraphy, palaeontology, palaeogeography, palaeoclimate, palaeoenvironment, geochronology, sedimentology, geochemistry, palaeomagnetism, and tectonic geology. We encourage interdisciplinary collaboration to explore the deep relationships between biotic evolution and Earth’s surface processes.

Checklist of the Jurassic wood (updated March 2024)

2024-03-27T13:26:14+13:00

A list of all known fossil wood taxa reported from the Jurassic, up to March of 2024, is given. The list contains 54 genera and 203 species of gymnospermous wood taxa described from 36 countries across seven continents. 35 genera and 98 species were reported from Asia, 25 genera and 58 species from Europe, 10 genera and 15 species from Africa, 7 genera and 11 species from North America, 12 genera and 28 species from South America, and 4 genera and 5 species from Australia and Antarctica. 23 genera and 44 species were documented from the Lower Jurassic, 36 genera and 82 species from the Middle Jurassic, and 24 genera and 67 species from the Upper Jurassic. Systematically: two genera and two species belong to Cycadales; one monotypic genus belongs to Bennettitales; four genera and seven species belong to Ginkgoales; 45 genera and 191 species of Coniferales; and two genera and two species are of Incertae sedis.

Complete checklist of Burmese (Myanmar) amber taxa 2023

2024-03-27T13:26:34+13:00

This is a list of all known taxa described or recorded from Burmese (Myanmar) amber from the published literature up to the end of 2023. Data from previously published checklists have been merged, the higher taxonomy has been updated and the total numbers of taxa have been checked and corrected. A total of 2,805 species have been described or recorded from Cretaceous amber of Myanmar.

Clam shrimp assemblage from Daohugou: A link correlating northern Hebei and western Liaoning

2024-03-27T13:26:53+13:00

The clam shrimp species, Triglypta pingquanensis Wang, 1984, is reported in the Middle Jurassic Daohugou beds from two localities in Inner Mongolia. The species is predominant in the Middle Jurassic Longmen Formation in Yingzi Village, Pingquan City, northern Hebei. This discovery significantly strengthens the correlation between the Haifanggou and Longmen formations. The clam shrimp of the Haifanggou and Longmen formations are dominated by T. haifanggouensis Chen, 1976 and T. pingquanensis, respectively. The clam shrimp assemblage from the Daohugou beds serves as a crucial link for correlating the Middle Jurassic in northern Hebei and western Liaoning, and it represents the early assemblage of the Yanliao biota. Moreover, a new species, T. hebeiensis Liao & Huang sp. nov., is described in the uppermost layer of the Longmen Formation in this study.

Two new species of Siphonorhinidae (Myriapoda: Diplopoda: Siphonophorida) from mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber

2024-03-27T13:27:21+13:00

Two new species of the millipede family Siphonorhinidae, Siphonorhinus globosus sp. nov. and Siphonorhinus peculiaris sp. nov., are described from the mid-Cretaceous Burmese amber. Detailed morphological characters are provided on the basis of 22 specimens, mainly using confocal laser scanning microscopy. The new species can be confidently placed in the extant genus Siphonorhinus based on the head lacking a beak-like rostrum, antennae stout and elbowed; antennomeres 5 and 6 each with a field of basiconic sensilla, and gonopods leg-like, with apical podomere of posterior gonopod divided to two branches. A detailed comparison between the new and extant species is given.

Tannoura: A new early Barremian fossiliferous amber outcrop from South Lebanon

2024-03-27T13:27:58+13:00

A fossiliferous amber outcrop in Tannoura (Rashayya District, Southern Lebanon) is described. This new discovery constitutes the 30^th amber outcrop with biological inclusions in Lebanon and enriches and improves our knowledge about the palaeobiodiversity and palaeoenvironment of the North-Eastern coast of Gondwana during the early Barremian. Also, an infrared spectrum of the amber from Tannoura is given and discussed.

Ripidinelia daiboyui sp. nov. from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber (Coleoptera: Ripiphoridae)

2024-03-27T13:28:27+13:00

The second species of the ripidiine genus Ripidinelia Batelka & Prokop, R. daiboyui Li & Cai sp. nov., is reported from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. Ripidinelia daiboyui is distinguishable from R. burmiticola Batelka & Prokop by having 5-5-4 tarsi. The apically dentate pretarsal claws found in R. daiboyui are rarely present in Ripidiinae. Together with previous studies, our discovery emphasizes the palaeodiversity of Ripiphoridae during the late Mesozoic.