A primitive odobenine walrus of Early Pliocene age from Japan     

Hideo  Horikawa 《Island Arc》1994,3(4):309-328

Abstract The well preserved cranium of Protodobenus japonicus, a new genus and species of odobenine walrus, is from the lower part of the Tamugigawa Formation at Ooshima-mura, Higashi Kubiki-gun, Niigata Prefecture, central Japan. The lower part of the formation that yielded P. japonicus is Early Pliocene, dating approximately from 5.0 to 4.9 Ma. The skull of P. japonicus is generally shaped like that of the modern walrus, Odobenus rosmarus (Linnaeus, 1758), but is much more primitive, especially in the dentition. Protodobenus japonicus is derived from the Imagotariinae. It is similar to such primitive fossil walruses as Prorosmarus alleni from the Western Atlantic and Aivukus cedrosensis from Baja California, and has some similarities as well as significant differences from them. Protodobenus japonicus could have evolved directly into Odobenus in the North Pacific Ocean, and could have dispersed directly to the Arctic Ocean. This is contrary to the scenario proposed by Repenning and Tedford, in which primitive odobenids, like Aivukus cedrosensis, migrated to the Atlantic Ocean through the Central American Seaway and returned to the North Pacific Ocean as O rosmarus via the Arctic about 0.6 Ma. Regarding the first lower premolar of the living walrus, Fay concluded after studying fetal O. rosmarus that the first premolar (P₁) of the mandible is absent, and that the lower tooth row consists of: C₁ P₂, P₃, P₄. Protodobenus japonicus has in its mandible I _1-2 C₁ P₂, P₃, P₄, and this is the primitive pinniped formula. Pinnipeds typically lose the molars, not the anterior premolars, and the present author believes that the correct tooth formula for O rosmarus is C₁ P₁, P₂, P₃. Its skull, palate, and mandible suggest that P. japonicus had morphology pre-adapted to an early stage of benthic suction feeding, but it probably was unable to rely on that method of feeding. The discovery of P. japonicus demonstrates that the odobenine lineage (true walruses) goes back in time at least 5 Ma. Other more aberrant odobenine walruses, such as Aivukus and Prorosmarus, and pseudo-walruses of the subfamily Dusignathinae, are more distantly removed from the lineage leading to living walruses than has previously been suspected.  相似文献   

Miocene pinnipeds of the otariid subfamily Allodesminae in the North Pacific Ocean: Systematics and relationships   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Lawrence G.  Barnes Kiyoharu  Hirota 《Island Arc》1994,3(4):329-360

Abstract Fossil pinnipeds in the extinct otariid subfamily Allodesminae are large, relatively highly evolved marine carnivores that became abundant and diverse in Middle Miocene time and were restricted to the North Pacific Ocean. Their record extends from early Middle Miocene through Late Miocene, with records from California, Oregon, Washington, Baja California and Japan. Allodesmines are characterized by extreme sexual dimorphism, a large orbit, retracted orbital margin of the zygomatic arch, a deeply mortised jugal-squamosal junction, wide palate, bulbous cheek tooth crowns, nearly flat tympanic bulla with wrinkled ventral surface, a large tympanohyal fossa, large ear ossicles and deep mandible. Eleven allodesmine species are known (eight of which are named), in at least four genera, and most belong to the typical genus Allodesmus Kellogg, 1922. The earliest and most generalized allodesmine known is from the early Middle Miocene (ca 16 Ma) Astoria Formation in coastal Oregon. The last known records are from Late Miocene rocks (ca 10 Ma) in California and Washington. New taxa proposed here are: the genus Brachyallodesmus Barnes and Hirota, to contain Allodesmus packardi Barnes, 1972; the genus Megagomphos Hirota and Barnes, to contain Allodesmus sinanoensis (Nagao, 1941); the species Allodesmus sadoensis Hirota, (Middle Miocene, Japan); the species Allodesmus megallos Hirota (Middle Miocene, Japan); and the species Allodesmus gracilis Barnes (Middle Miocene, California). Additionally, the genus Atopotarus Downs, 1956, and the species Allodesmus kelloggi Mitchell, 1966, are resurrected. Allodesmines were apparently a rapidly evolving group, and most appear to have been adapted to roles later filled by otariine, dusignathine and imagotariine otariids, and the Phocidae (true seals). They became extinct in Late Miocene time and left no living descendants. Although some of their characters evolved convergently with various living species of the pinniped family Phocidae, Allodesminae are an otariid group and not part of the evolutionary history of Phocidae.  相似文献   

Summary of the fossil record of pinnipeds of Japan, and comparisons with that from the eastern North Pacific     

Shigeo  Miyazah Hideo  Horkawa Naoki  Kohno Kiyoharu  Hirota Masaichi  Kimura Yoshkazu  Hasegawa Yukimitsu  Tomida Lawrence G.  Barnes Clayton E.  Ray 《Island Arc》1994,3(4):361-372

Abstract The fossil pinniped record of the North Pacific Ocean includes both Phocidae and Otariidae ( sensu lato ), extends from the Late Oligocene to the Late Pleistocene, is taxonomically diverse, and is constantly becoming more complete owing to additional important discoveries. The earliest and most diverse fossil pinnipeds in the North Pacific are otariids, the phocids not appearing until the latest Pliocene. The theoretical center of otariid pinniped evolutionary history has been considered by some to be in the eastern North Pacific. New materials from the western North Pacific, however, including representatives of the subfamilies Enaliarctinae, Imagotariinae, Odobeninae and Otariinae, indicate that pinniped evolutionary patterns were basin-wide phenomena, and that a more complete record undoubtedly would reveal numerous trans-Pacific distributions. This would be expected considering the distributions of living species. The paucity of fossil Phocidae and their absence from pre-Pliocene deposits are consistent with theories that the family primarily evolved outside the North Pacific.  相似文献   

General aspects of the evolutionary history of whales and dolphins     

R. Ewan  Fordyce Lawrence G.  Barnes Nobuyuki  Miyazah 《Island Arc》1994,3(4):373-391

Abstract The Cetacea are the most diverse and highly aquatically adapted group of mammals. Their fossil record extends back at least to the Middle Eocene ( ca 50 Ma), and they will possibly be found earlier, judging by the relatively highly evolved nature of the earliest known whales. The most likely terrestrial ancestors of whales are the mesonychids, primitive hoofed mammals with omnivorous diets. Recently discovered archaeocetes with large, mesonychid-like heads and dentitions and functional hind limbs reconfirm earlier ideas about the mesonychid origin of cetaceans and the amphibious nature of the earliest transitional forms. Fossil cetaceans are relatively abundant and diverse thoughout the world, and are now known from every continent, including Antarctica. Odontocetes evolved echolocation to locate food. Mysticetes developed bulk feeding adaptations. Both undoubtedly evolved from archaeocetes, and the monophyly of Cetacea is the most parsimonious present hypothesis. Chromosomal and molecular evidence has taken an increasingly important role in determining cetacean relationships, but fossils and classical comparative morphological studies remain a necessary and pivotal source of information about cetacean phylogeny.  相似文献   

Classification and distribution of Oligocene Aetiocetidae (Mammalia; Cetacea; Mysticeti) from western North America and Japan     

Lawrence G.  Barnes  Masaichi  Kimura Hitoshi  Furusawa Hiroshi  Sawamura 《Island Arc》1994,3(4):392-431

Abstract Fossil whales in the very rare, primitive, extinct cetacean family Aetiocetidae are small, relict, toothed mysticetes that persisted into Late Oligocene time after more highly derived baleen-bearing mysticetes had already evolved. No known aetiocetid could be ancestral to baleen-bearing mysticetes, but aetiocetid morphology is in many ways intermediate between archaeocetes and baleen-bearing mysticetes, demonstrating the probable transitional steps passed through in the evolution of baleen-bearing mysticetes. Their discovery indicates that mysticetes evolved from Archaeocetes, and supports theories of the monophyly of Cetacea. Late Oligocene aetiocetids have been found on both sides of the North Pacific Ocean: on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada; in Oregon and Washington, USA; in Baja California Sur, México; and the islands of Kyushu and Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive North American aetiocetid, Chonecetus sookensis Russell, 1968, is from the early Late Oligocene Hesquiat Formation on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. A more derived, Late Oligocene species, Chonecetus goedertorum Barnes and Furusawa, new species, from the Late Oligocene Pysht Formation, Olympic Peninsula, Washington, has the primitive placental mammalian tooth count of 11/11. The type genus of the family, Aetiocetus Emlong, 1966, has as its type species, A. cotylalveus Emlong, 1966, known only from the Late Oligocene Yaquina Formation on the coast of Oregon. It has 11 upper teeth on each side of the rostrum. A more derived species, Aetiocetus weltoni Barnes and Kimura, new species, from a higher stratigraphic level in the Yaquina Formation, has a more posteriorly positioned cranial vertex and a tooth count of 11/12. We describe four new species of aetiocetids in three genera from the Late Oligocene Morawan Formation near Ashoro, Hokkaido, Japan. The most primitive, Ashorocetus eguchii Barnes and Kimura, new genus and species, has a primitive stage of cranial telescoping, and is closely related to Chonecetus Russell, 1968. Another, Morawanocetus yabukii Kimura and Barnes, new genus and species, in some ways intermediate between Chonecetus and Aetiocetus, has a suite of unique derived characters, including a much foreshortened brain case. The third, Aetiocetus tomitai Kimura and Barnes, new species, is the most primitive species of Aetiocetus yet discovered. The fourth, Aetiocetus polydentatus Sawamura, new species, the most derived species of Aetiocetus known, has a highly telescoped cranium, homodonty, polydonty and a dental count of 13–14/14–15. The fossil record now indicates considerable diversity in the family, with several different contemporaneous lineages in three new subfamilies: Chonecetinae, Morawanocetinae and Aetiocetinae. Aetiocetids are not known outside the North Pacific. Many Recent mysticetes are essentially cosmopolitan, and aetiocetids might have also been relatively widely dispersed. We suspect that with time their remains will be found around other ocean basins also. If so, then they may be potentially useful in trans-oceanic geological correlations.  相似文献   

淮北煤田早二叠世化石植物古生态     

杜美利 《中国煤田地质》1994,6(4):21-25

淮北煤田早二叠世化石植物丰富，其形成于炎热多雨的热带滨海三角洲沉积体系中。下三角洲平原是该区化石植物最宜生长的地方。早二叠世该区化石植物常形成四类植物群落：森林沼泽植物群落、沿岸水生植物群落、高地植物群落、三角洲平原真蕨及种子蕨混生植物群落（早期）、树蕨－大羽羊齿类雨林植物群落（晚期）。随着时间的推移，这四类植物群落的结构及面貌发生着不断的变化；其演替显示，早二叠世晚期该区气侯更加湿热，雨林气侯更为普遍。  相似文献   

Variation among fossil chironomid assemblages in surficial sediments of Bodensee-Untersee (SW-Germany): implications for paleolimnological interpretation     

Alexandra Schmäh 《Journal of Paleolimnology》1993,9(2):99-108

In paleolimnology, subfossil head capsules of chironomids play an important role as ecological indicators of lake history. It is important to determine, therefore, whether fossil assemblages are representative of former biocoenoses. There is evidence that headcapsules washed in from other places can make up a significant percentage of the total. As interpretations are usually drawn from the examination of a single core, it is of special interest to know whether a fossil assemblage of a single site properly reflects limnological conditions of the whole lake. This study examined the taxonomic distribution of subfossil chironomids in the surficial sediments of the Bodensee-Untersee, with the aim of assessing the variability in chironomid assemblages. Apparently, most of the head capsules of the profundal fossil assemblages in the Untersee had been washed in from the littoral zone or from the slope. Although the Bodensee-Untersee is a rather large lake, variability is surprisingly low among all samples. Therefore a correct interpretation from a single core may be possible.  相似文献   

北京西山宏观藻类化石的发现   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3       下载免费PDF全文

萧宗正 《地质科学》1990,(4):403-407

1980年,作者于北京西山青白口系的命名地点——青白口村西,发现了宏观藻类化石。这些化石呈椭圆形、卵形、肾形及鞋底形等多种形态,有的带有拟茎构造。它们与广泛出现在我国东部前寒武系相当地层中的宏观藻类可以对比。  相似文献   

西藏申扎永珠乡晚石炭世和早二叠世的腕足动物化石     

刘发 《吉林大学学报(地球科学版)》1991,(3)

申扎地区石炭二叠系发育良好,化石丰富。本文描述的化石采自上下两个层位,下部化石少,以石燕贝类为主, 其组合特征反映了石炭纪腕足类的特点与改则县玛米雪山地区上石炭统所产相似;上部化石丰富,以石燕贝类的Spiriferella和Syrin-gothyris的出现为特征,共生还有长身贝类的Chonetinella,Echinauris,Tylo-pecta等。这个化石组合与西藏其他地区相同时代的化石组合不同。特别是Syringothy-ris在下二叠统的发现具有重要意义。  相似文献   

Definition of subfossil meandering palaeochannels     

Karol Rotnicki  Ryszard K. Borwka 《地球表面变化过程与地形》1985,10(3):215-225

The determination of the bottom of a subfossil meandering palaeochannel is important for investigations of the palaeohydrology of valley bottoms, and crucial for the quantitative estimation of past river discharges. The authors present a procedure on the basis of which the bottom of a palaeochannel can be precisely determined. It is based on an analysis of the stratigraphic variability of such features of deposits as: mean diameter, standard deviation of the grain-size composition, the percentage of sand, and ignition loss.  相似文献