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New evidence of the emergence of the East Asian monsoon in the early Palaeogene
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Previous palaeoenvironmental reconstructions have implied that East Asia was dominated by a zonal climate pattern during the Eocene, with an almost latitudinal arid/semiarid band at ~ 30° N. However, this long-standing model has recently been challenged by growing body of multidisciplinary evidence. Some studies indicated that central China was characterized by climatic fluctuations between humid and drier conditions during the Early Eocene, akin to the present East Asian monsoon (EAM) regime. Using palynological assemblages in the Tantou Basin, central China, we quantitatively reconstructed climate changes from the Late Palaeocene to Early Eocene to better understand climate change in central China. Palynological assemblages revealed that the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in this area received no less than 800 mm of annual precipitation and experienced a climate change from warm and wet to relatively cool and dry. According to palaeoclimate curves, a sudden climate change occurred in the Early Eocene, with the mean annual temperature and precipitation decreasing by 5.1 °C and 214.8 mm, respectively, and the climate became very similar to the present climate, which is controlled by the monsoon. Therefore, this significant climate change during the Early Eocene may signal the emergence of the EAM in East Asia.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022 OA
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New fossils of Hyaenodonta (Mammalia) from the Eocene localities of Chambi (Tunisia) and Bir el Ater (Algeria), and the evolution of the earliest African hyaenodonts
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We present and describe new fossils from the Eocene North African localities of Chambi (Tunisia; late Ypresian or early Lutetian) and Bir el Ater (Algeria; latest Bartonian or earliest Priabonian). The specimens from Chambi allow recognizing two recently described hyainailourines: Furodon crocheti and Parvavorodon gheerbranti; these taxa were previously known from the Gour Lazib area (Algeria; late Ypresian or early Lutetian). The new material from Tunisia includes a fragmentary dentary of Parvavorodon that substantially supports the hyainailourine status of this genus and represents the oldest dentary fragment presently known for a juvenile of Hyaenodonta in Africa. The presence of Furodon and Parvavorodon in Chambi strengthens support for the hypothesis of contemporaneity of the Eocene Gour Lazib and Chambi mammalbearing localities. In addition, the find of a typical teratodontine fourth premolar in Chambi testifies to the presence of a small representative of this group. The fossil record in Bir el Ater is scarcer than in Chambi. However, we recognize specimens attributable to a hyainailourine and a teratodontine. The latter is referred as Masrasector cf. ligabuei, and is the oldest record for this genus. We tentatively identify a modification of the hyaenodont fauna in the Maghreb after the “Early Eocene Climatic Optimum” (EECO). This faunal change might be related to the decrease of the global temperature after the EECO event. It appears contemporaneous of a drastic replacement in the composition of the mammal faunas in Africa. Finally, the end of the Eocene (Priabonian) shows an increase in the subfamilial richness amongst hyaenodonts.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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New hadrosaurid dinosaurs from the uppermost Cretaceous of north-eastern China
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Several hundred disarticulated dinosaur bones have been recovered from a large quarry at Wulaga (Heilongjiang Province, China), in the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Yuliangze Formation. The Wulaga quarry can be regarded as a monodominant bonebed: more than 80% of the bones belong to a new lambeosaurine hadrosaurid, Sahaliyania elunchunorum gen. et sp. nov. This taxon is characterised by long and slender paroccipital processes, a prominent lateral depression on the dorsal surface of the frontal, a quadratojugal notch that is displaced ventrally on the quadrate, and a prepubic blade that is asymmetrically expanded, with an important emphasis to the dorsal side. Phylogenetic analysis shows that Sahaliyania is a derived lambeosaurine that forms a monophyletic group with the corythosaur and parasauroloph clades. Nevertheless, the exact position of Sahaliyania within this clade cannot be resolved on the basis of the available material. Besides Sahaliyania, other isolated bones display a typical hadrosaurine morphology and are referred to Wulagasaurus dongi gen. et sp. nov., a new taxon characterised by the maxilla pierced by a single foramen below the jugal process, a very slender dentary not pierced by foramina, and by the deltopectoral crest (on the humerus) oriented cranially. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that Wulagasaurus is the most basal hadrosaurine known to date. Phylogeographic data suggests that the hadrosaurines, and thus all hadrosaurids, are of Asian origin, which implies a relatively long ghost lineage of approximately 13 million years for basal hadrosaurines in Asia.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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New Holothuria species from Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuriidae), with comments on the origin of deep and cool holothuriids.
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Two aspidochirotid species, new to science, from the continental slope of southern Australia are described: Holothuria (Panningothuria) austrinabassa O’Loughlin sp. nov. and Holothuria (Halodeima) nigralutea O’Loughlin sp. nov. The first represents the southernmost documented holothuriid, and is the sister species of the northernmost holothuriid species Holothuria (Panningothuria) forskali Delle Chiaje. The second is a very recent offshoot of the wide-ranging Indo- west Pacific Holothuria (Halodeima) edulis Lesson. Morphological and molecular genetic differences between these species pairs are detailed. Holothuria (Halodeima) signata Ludwig is raised out of synonymy with H. edulis.A lectotype for Holothuria (Halodeima) signata Ludwig is designated, The status of the subgenera Panningothuria Rowe and Halodeima Pearson is discussed. The occurrence of multiple madreporites in Halodeima is discussed.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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New insight in lymnaeid snails (Mollusca, Gastropoda) as intermediate hosts of Fasciola hepatica (Trematoda, Digenea) in Belgium and Luxembourg
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RBINS Staff Publications
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New insights on Tournaisian–Visean (Carboniferous, Mississippian) athyridide, orthotetide, rhynchonellide, and strophomenide brachiopods from southern Belgium
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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New insights on Uppermost Famennian brachiopods from north-western France (Avesnois)
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RBINS Staff Publications
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New insights on Uppermost Famennian brachiopods from north-western France (Avesnois).
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RBINS Staff Publications
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New linguliformean brachiopods from the lower Tremadocian (Ordovician) of the Brabant Massif, Belgium, with comments on contemporaneous faunas from the Stavelot–Venn Massif.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2021
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New lissamphibians and squamates from the Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of the Haţeg Basin (Romania)
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Numerous remains of amphibians and squamates were discovered in the continental sediments of theMaastrichtian Sânpetru Formation, south of Pui Village (Haţeg Basin, western Romania). The lissamphibians are represented by a salamander−like allocaudatan (Albanerpeton sp.) and at least two discoglossid frogs (cf. Eodiscoglossus sp. and cf. Paradiscoglossus sp.). The numerous lizards are represented by, e.g., the teiid Bicuspidon hatzegiensis sp. nov., and for the first time in a Late Cretaceous site, by two species of the paramacellodid Becklesius (Becklesius nopcsai sp. nov. and Becklesius cf. B. hoffstetteri). Snakes are also present in this site by an indeterminante madtsoiid, which represents the first occurrence of this family in eastern Europe. The presence of Albanerpeton in this site confirms that this genus appeared in Europe by at least the Late Cretaceous instead of Miocene as previously thought. The presence of both Albanerpeton and Bicuspidon in Haţeg Basin suggests a North American influence on eastern European amphibian and lacertilian faunas by Maastrichtian times.
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RBINS Staff Publications