[PaleoIchthyology • 2022] Dianodipterus huizeensis • A New dipnoan Genus (Sarcopterygii: Dipnoi) from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China

Dianodipterus huizeensis

Luo, Cui, Qiao & Zhu, 2022

DOI: doi.org/0.1080/14772019.2022.2042409 

 Researchgate.net/publication/359575707

 

Abstract

A new genus and species of tooth-plated lungfishes, Dianodipterus huizeensis gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Qujing Formation (late Eifelian, Middle Devonian) of Huize County, Qujing, north-eastern Yunnan, China. It differs from other lungfishes in the small proportion of the tooth-bearing part on the pterygoid (less than one-quarter), the extensively developed anteromedial edentulous portion of the pterygoid, and tooth rows few in number (only four). Phylogenetic analysis reveals that Dianodipterus is more plesiomorphic than Dipterus, yet crownward of Melanognathus. As the ninth Devonian lungfish genus from China, the new taxon displays a novel schema of lungfish dentition and increases the diversity of early lungfishes.

Keywords: Dipnoi, Middle Devonian, dentition, vomer, phylogeny, China

Dianodipterus huizeensis gen. et sp. nov.

Yanchao Luo, Xindong Cui, Tuo Qiao and Min Zhu. 2022. A New dipnoan Genus from the Middle Devonian of Huize, Yunnan, China. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 19(18); 1303-1315 DOI: doi.org/0.1080/14772019.2022.2042409 [29 Mar 2022]

 Researchgate.net/publication/359575707_A_new_dipnoan_genus_from_the_Middle_Devonian_of_Huize_Yunnan_China

x.com/ChinaScience/status/1514136308083412994

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Talentichthys kuragh • A new Devonian lungfish (Dipnoi: Holodontidae) from the western Karakoram of northern Pakistan

Talentichthys kuragh 

Young & Lu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2026.201130  

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn 

Abstract

A well-preserved sarcopterygian fish skull from the Famennian (Upper Devonian) Shogrãm Formation, of the Chitral region, northern Pakistan, is described. Collected as a calcareous nodule by J.A. Talent and colleagues, it has been investigated using high-resolution computed tomography to reveal the internal cranial architecture. It represents a new genus and species of tooth-plated, cosmine-covered dipnoan (lungfish), Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp., distinguished from all previously described Devonian dipnoans by its deep nasal notches, elongate narrow subnasal ridge, and uniquely shaped olfactory cavities. Additional specimens from the type locality, showing additional aspects of morphology, will be necessary to clarify the phylogenetic position of the new form within the Dipnoi.

Keywords: Devonian lungfish; Dipnoi; Talentichthys; Famennian; northern Pakistan

ANU V3736, holotype of Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp., the anterior portion of a lungfish skull preserved in calcareous matrix.
(A) Dorsal view. (B) Ventral view. (C) Anterior view.

ioc, infraorbital sensory canal; ri, dentine ridge; ?ri, broken possible lateral dentine ridge; snr, subnasal ridge; soc, supraorbital sensory canal; t, tooth; TP, tooth-plate.

Systematic palaeontology

Class Osteichthyes Huxley, 1880

Subclass Sarcopterygii Romer, 1955

Superdivision Dipnomorpha Ahlberg, 1991

Division Dipnoi Müller, 1845

Family Holodontidae Gorizdro-Kulczyzka, 1950

Genus Talentichthys n. gen.

Etymology: The generic name commemorates Professor John Talent, with -ichthys (Gk) for fish.

 

Diagnosis: A tooth-plated, cosmine-covered dipnoan with deep notches for the anterior (incurrent) nares, elongate subnasal ridges, and the nasal cavity subdivided dorsally into a posteromesial reniform recess, and an anterolateral subdivision elongated rostrocaudally that extends as a groove to the nasal notch.

Remarks: The new taxon is represented by only one incomplete anterior skull portion, which displays nasal notches in the upper mouth margin, a long and deep nasal groove, prominent subnasal ridge and a pterygoid tooth plate. These features demonstrate dipnoan affinity, and are not consistent with porolepiforms, the other major dipnomorph subgroup, in which cosmine-covered forms are predominantly of Early Devonian age. We provisionally refer Talentichthys n. gen. to the family Holodontidae, based on the updated diagnosis and comprehensive review of the family provided by Long (2010). Although very incomplete, our new taxon displays features not shown in any previously described dipnoan. Further material from the Karakoram type area (currently inaccessible) will clarify the relationships of the new taxon.

Talentichthys kuragh n. gen. n. sp.

Etymology: The specific epithet is the local term ‘Kurãgh’ from the name of the stratigraphic section of Talent et al. (1999) which produced the specimen.

 

Locality and horizon: Collected from about 63 m above the base of the Kurãgh Spur stratigraphic section of Talent et al. (1999), about 55 km northeast of Chitral, northern Pakistan (Fig. 1), within the Upper Devonian (Famennian) Shogrãm Formation.

Holotype: ANU V3736, the only known specimen (ANU Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics, Canberra).

 Gavin C. Young and Jing Lu. 2026. A new Devonian lungfish from the western Karakoram of northern Pakistan. Palaeoworld. 35(5): 201130. DOI: doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2026.201130  [2026-10-09]

“喜马拉雅化石骗局”的回响——西喀喇昆仑泥盆纪肺鱼新知

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn/xwdt/kyjz/202610/t20261007_8289394.html

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Yipetalichthys maxiongensis • A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China

 

 Yipetalichthys maxiongensis

 Pan, Dupret, Ahlberg, Zhao, Wang, Wang & Zhu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124  

 www.IVPP.ac.cn 

Abstract

We describe Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov., a quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Eifelian Shangshuanghe Formation (Qujing, Yunnan, China). High-resolution micro-CT reveals an endocranium bearing cranial nerve grooves and inner ear structures. The dermal neck joint permits a quantitative character, the angle between the ventral laminar ridge (v.l.r) and the skull-roof midline. Current specimens yield two non-overlapping bins (state 0: ≤15°; state 1: ≥28°), separating Macropetalichthyidae and Quasipetalichthyidae; the 15–28° interval is unsampled and the threshold remains testable with new material. Expanded parsimony analysis, adding Yipetalichthys and six additional ptyctodont taxa, recovers Petalichthyida as sister to Ptyctodontida and places Yipetalichthys within Quasipetalichthyidae. The diagnosis includes large unenclosed elliptical orbits, slender unbifid postorbital processes, an elongate occipital region, and a shallow posterolateral vagus canal. Yipetalichthys shows a high v.l.r angle, supporting its quasipetalichthyid placement and providing a reproducible metric for future comparisons across articulated specimens. Our analysis of the neck joint helps to clarify petalichthyid phylogeny and identifies distinct, recurring architectures among major placoderm groups: in Antiarcha, a reverse sliding joint; in Petalichthyida, an elaborate sliding joint guided by the ventral laminar ridge with laminar cranial articular facets forming a longitudinal sliding track opposing the articular flanges of the anterior dorsolateral plate (ADL); in Ptyctodontida, a sliding joint with spoon-shaped cranial articular facets opposing ADL articular flanges; in Actinolepidoidei, a simple sliding condition; in Brachythoraci, a ginglymoid joint. These distinct neck joint architectures demonstrate the high evolutionary plasticity of this structure and its multiple, independent pathways toward cranial mobility in placoderms.

Yipetalichthys maxiongensis gen. et sp. nov.

 

Zhaohui Pan, Vincent Dupret, Per E. Ahlberg, Wenjin Zhao, Jianhua Wang, Mengjun Wang and Min Zhu. 2026. A New quasipetalichthyid placoderm from the Middle Devonian of China. Papers in Palaeontology. DOI: doi.org/10.1002/spp2.70124 [24 September 2026] 

DeepBone团队发现瓣甲鱼新属种，揭示颈胸关节演化新线索

https://www.IVPP.ac.cn/xwdt/kyjz/202609/t20260928_8287312.html

[PaleoMammalogy • 2024] Dianoconodon youngi • Fossils document Evolutionary Changes of jaw joint to mammalian middle ear

 

Dianoconodon youngi 

Mao, C. Zhang, Ren, T. Wang, G. Wang, F. Zhang, Rich, Vickers-Rich & Meng, 2024

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07235-0  

 Researchgate.net/publication/379540254

Reconstruction by Chuang Zhao

Abstract

The dual jaw joint of Morganucodon consists of the dentary–squamosal joint laterally and the articular–quadrate one medially. The articular–quadrate joint and its associated post-dentary bones constitute the precursor of the mammalian middle ear. Fossils documenting the transition from such a precursor to the mammalian middle ear are poor, resulting in inconsistent interpretations of this hallmark apparatus in the earliest stage of mammaliaform evolution. Here we report mandibular middle ears from two Jurassic mammaliaforms: a new morganucodontan-like species and a pseudotribosphenic shuotheriid species. The morganucodontan-like species shows many previously unknown post-dentary bone morphologies and exhibits features that suggest a loss of load-bearing function in its articular–quadrate joint. The middle ear of the shuotheriid approaches the mammalian condition in that it has features that are suitable for an exclusively auditory function, although the post-dentary bones are still attached to the dentary. With size reduction of the jaw-joint bones, the quadrate shifts medially at different degrees in relation to the articular in the two mammaliaforms. These changes provide evidence of a gradual loss of load-bearing function in the articular–quadrate jaw joint—a prerequisite for the detachment of the post-dentary bones from the dentary and the eventual breakdown of the Meckel’s cartilage during the evolution of mammaliaforms.

Reconstruction of the newly described species Dianoconodon youngi.

illustration by Chuang Zhao 

Mammaliaformes Rowe, 1988

Dianoconodon youngi gen. et. sp. nov.

Holotype. A complete skull with associated dentitions and partialpostcranial skeleton (IVPP V4257, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontologyand Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing) (Figs. 1and 2; Methods and Extended Data Figs. 1–6).

Etymology. Dian, the short form (Chinese phonetic Pinyin) of Yunnan Province, where the Lufeng fossil site is located; konos, Greek ‘cone’ or ‘cusp’; odon, Greek ‘tooth’. The specific name honours C. C. Young, who initiated the study of mammaliamorphs in Lufeng.  

Mandibular middle ears and transformation of the articular-quadrate joints in mammaliaforms. 

Fangyuan Mao, Chi Zhang, Jicheng Ren, Tao Wang, Guofu Wang, Fakui Zhang, Thomas Rich, Patricia Vickers-Rich and Jin Meng. 2024. Fossils document Evolutionary Changes of jaw joint to mammalian middle ear. Nature. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-024-07235-0 [03 April 2024]

 Researchgate.net/publication/379540254_Fossils_document_evolutionary_changes_of_jaw_joint_to_mammalian_middle_ear

 

[Paleontology • 2026] Kayrasaurus changliensi • A New therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and ecomorphological patterns among early therizinosaurians

 

Kayrasaurus changliensis  Liao, Freimuth, Zanno & Xu, 2026;

Beipiaosaurus inexpectus; Jianchangosaurus yixianensis; Lingyuanosaurus sihedangensis

DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2710287 

Artwork by Kōhei Futaka. x.com/_HETAKA

 

Abstract

Therizinosauria is a highly specialized clade of maniraptoran theropods, notable for a suite of unusual traits in late-branching taxa. These paradoxical anatomical features contributed to the complex taxonomic history of the clade, which remained unresolved until the discovery of early branching taxa. Here, we describe a new early branching species, Kayrasaurus changliensis, based on a nearly complete, skeletally immature specimen (IVPP V 18597) recovered from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. This taxon is notably larger than other penecontemporaneous Jehol therizinosaurians (at least 1.6 times larger than the second-largest taxon, Beipiaosaurus inexpectus) and exhibits a unique combination of features (e.g. extremely small and densely packed teeth, cervical centra markedly longer than dorsal centra, and a dorsally extended ‘lip’ on manual ungual IV). We evaluate the phylogenetic position of K. changliensis using an expanded dataset with increased character and taxon sampling. Our results allow us to revise the diagnosis of B. inexpectus and provide new insights into therizinosaurian evolution, provisionally recovering two subclades within Therizinosauridae that are differentiated by their manual ungual morphology. By integrating morphological traits, body mass estimates, and biomechanical data, we infer the possibility of at least two distinct ecological niches among Jehol therizinosaurians. One ecological group, represented by B. inexpectus and possibly K. changliensis, exhibits features indicative of enhanced bite force and a more robust, less cursorial body plan. In contrast, Jianchangosaurus yixianensis and Lingyuanosaurus sihedangensis display traits associated with greater cursoriality and a reliance on forelimb-based foraging. Kayrasaurus changliensis, together with the results of our phylogenetic analysis, provides new insights into the morphological evolution and ecological adaptations of therizinosaurians in the Jehol Biota. However, further analyses and the discovery of more complete, well-preserved specimens are essential to rigorously test and refine these hypotheses. 

Keywords: Early Cretaceous, Liaoning, maniraptoran, morphology, taxonomy

four species of therizinosaurids from the Jehol Biota, China: 
Kayrasaurus changliensis; Beipiaosaurus inexpectus;
Jianchangosaurus yixianensis; Lingyuanosaurus sihedangensis

Artwork by Kōhei Futaka.  x.com/_HETAKA

Systematic palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen, 1842

Theropoda Marsh, 1881

Coelurosauria sensu Gauthier, 1986

Therizinosauria Russell and Dong, 1993

Kayrasaurus changliensis gen. et sp. nov.

Etymology. Kayra, the god of creation in Turkic Shamanism, is the father of Erlik, the god of death, symbolizing its phylogenetic connection to Erlikosaurus; saurus, Greek for lizard. The specific name changliensis is derived from Changli, a historical place name from the Three Kingdoms period, referring to the provenance of the fossil.

Horizon and locality. Dabangou village, Sihetun Area, near Beipiao City, Liaoning Province, P. R. China; Lower Cretaceous (Barremian–Aptian) Yixian Formation (Chang et al., 2017).

Chun-Chi Liao, William J. Freimuth, Lindsay E. Zanno and Xing Xu. 2026. A New therizinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota and ecomorphological patterns among early therizinosaurians. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 24(2); 2710287. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2026.2710287 [10 Sep 2026]  

x.com/_HETAKA/status/2098404378852102507

[Paleontology • 2026] Austronaga minuta • Highly aquatic marine stem Archosaur with soft tissue preservation

Austronaga minuta Wang, Lei & Li, 2023

 

in Wang, Fraser, Spiekman, Z. Li, et C. Li, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7528 

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto

 

Abstract

Archosauromorpha is a dominant reptile clade that primarily occupied terrestrial ecosystems with limited secondarily aquatic invasions that are poorly known. Here we report on a well-preserved Triassic reptile representing the earliest stem-archosaur to evolve unequivocal aquatic specializations. This taxon exhibits a suite of aquatic adaptations previously unknown in stem-archosaurs, such as hyperphalangy, enhanced paddle-like forelimbs, and a loss of articulation between the sacrum and pelvis, indicating an advanced aquatic lifestyle. The fossil exhibits the oldest known stomach, liver, and intestinal preservations in reptiles. Our findings provide unexpected insights into the early aquatic diversification of Archosauromorpha during the Triassic marine ecosystem recovery and highlight a conservative gastrointestinal system in an early Mesozoic vertebrate. In the absence of clear terrestrial members of the other major Mesozoic marine reptile lineages (e.g., ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians), this discovery provides an unambiguous example of such a lineage including both decidedly terrestrial and extensively marine forms, providing tantalizing evidence for the land-to-sea transition in Triassic reptiles.

Systematic paleontology

Diapsida, Osborn, 1903.

Archosauromorpha, von Huene, 1946.

Tanysauria, Spiekman et al., 2024.

Trachelosauridae, Abel 1919 (sensu Spiekman et al., 2024).

Skeleton of the holotype of Austronaga minuta (IVPP V18579). Abbreviations are in the Supplementary Materials. Scale bars, 2 cm (A) and 1 cm (B to D).

Austronaga minuta, Wang et al., 2023.

Type specimen: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) V18579, a complete articulated skeleton preserved on two slabs (Fig. 1).

Locality and horizon: Waina Village, Luoping County, Yunnan Province, China; Member II of Guanling Formation, middle Anisian (Pelsonian), Middle Triassic.

Emended diagnosis: A tanysaur with the following features: quadrate anteroposteriorly broad and plate-like in lateral view with concave posterior margin; 18 cervical, 24 dorsal vertebrae; tall axe-shaped neural spine on axis; cervical neural spines prominent, with convex dorsal margin and without anterodorsal or posterodorsal projections; chevrons of mid-caudal region hatchet-shaped, with prominent distal expansion and a notch at the midpoint of its ventral margin; forelimb distinctly longer than hindlimb with humerus to femur length ratio over two; hyperphalangy present in both manus and pes.

Reconstruction of the long-necked marine reptile Austronaga minuta.

Artwork by Gabriel Ugueto

Wei Wang, Nicholas C. Fraser, Stephan N. F. Spiekman, Zhiheng Li, Olivier Rieppel, Hong Lei, Torsten M. Scheyer and Chun Li. 2026. Highly aquatic marine stem Archosaur with soft tissue preservation. Science Advances. 12(31); DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb7528 [29 Jul 2026]

[Paleontology • 2026] Zhengheornis buyu • Jurassic Avialan reveals stepwise Evolution of Bony Tail in Birds

Zhengheornis buyu

Wang, Tang, Deng, Dong, L. Xu, X. Xu, M. Lin,  Du, G. Lin, Chen, Zhang & Zhou, 2026 

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb5202 

Abstract

The evolutionary assembly of the flight-adapted bird body plan encompasses some of the most profound morphological changes in terrestrial vertebrate history. Beyond feathered wings, the short pygostyle-bearing tail has been pivotal to the clade’s ecological success. However, transition from the long bony tail to the short pygostyle-bearing tail remains a mystery, hindered by the scarcity of early branching avialans with transitional morphologies. Here, we report on a new avialan, Zhengheornis buyu, gen. et sp. nov., from the Upper Jurassic of southeastern China, suggesting that the vertebral reduction and shortening preceded pygostyle fusion in early avialan evolution, providing critical evidence for the stepwise evolution of the bird tail. Z. buyu is smaller than all known non-pygostylian paravians, expanding the species and body size diversity of stemward taxa.

Systematics

Theropoda Marsh, 1881  

Maniraptora Gauthier, 1986  

Avialae Gauthier, 1986 

Zhengheornis buyu gen. et sp. nov. 

Etymology: “Zhenghe” (Mandarin), referring to Zhenghe Country, where the holotype specimen was found; “ornis,” bird (Greek); “buyu,” unexpected (Mandarin), from the ancient Chinese book Guoyu, referring to the unique tail and pelvic morphologies preserved in this species. 

Holotype: Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology (IVPP) V34168, an articulated and partially complete skeleton (most limb bones are preserved as molds) with feathers preserved on a slab and counter slab (Fig. 1, figs. S1 and S2, and table S1). 

Locality and horizon: Near Yangyuan Village, Zhenghe Country, Nanping City, Fujian Province; Upper Jurassic, Nanyuan Formation [Tithonian stage]. 

Diagnosis: IVPP V34168 is distinguishable from all other paravians in the following combination of characters (*denotes probable autapomorphy): short tail comprising 15 vertebrae that is shorter than the hindlimb (combined length of femur, tibia, and metatarsal III)*; middle and posterior caudal vertebrae less elongate (opposite to the condition in other long tailed avialans); final two caudal vertebrae box-like*; manual phalanx III-1 shorter than III-2, opposite to the condition in Archaeopteryx and Fujianvenator [the three manual digits of maniraptorans are here identified as I, II, and III, as in (Tamura, et al. 2011)]; manual phalanx III-3 50% longer than III-2 (the length ratio greater than 2 in Anchiornis and Archaeopteryx); slender ischium that has a knob-like, distally located obturator process and lacks the posterior process*; short fibula that terminates far proximal to the ankle; metatarsal I that articulates at the distal third of metatarsal II; metatarsal II that ends far proximal to metatarsal III trochlea; short hallux with an ungual that is smaller than that of other pedal digits; and robust digit II that has the longest non-ungual (II-2) and ungual pedal phalanges.

 

Min Wang, Jianrong Tang, Ke Deng, Liping Dong, Liming Xu, Xing Xu, Min Lin, Honggang Du, Ganmin Lin, Runsheng Chen, Chi Zhang and Zhonghe Zhou. 2026. Jurassic Avialan reveals stepwise Evolution of Bony Tail in Birds. Science Advances. 12(27); DOI: doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aeb5202 [1 Jul 2026]

[PaleoIchthyology • 2026] Eosteus chongqingensis • The Oldest articulated Bony Fish from the early Silurian period

 

 Eosteus chongqingensis

Y.-A. Zhu, Chen, Li, Zhao, Zhou, Jia, Y.-L. Yu, H.-X. Yu, Wei, Ahlberg, Lu & M. Zhu, 2026

DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10125-2

Life reconstruction by NICE PaleoVislab, IVPP

Abstract

Osteichthyans, comprising sarcopterygians and actinopterygians, dominate modern vertebrate biodiversity, yet their pre-Devonian fossil record remains scarce and fragmentary. The oldest articulated sarcopterygian and stem osteichthyan date to the late Silurian, whereas undisputed actinopterygian fossils in articulation appear only in the Middle Devonian. Here we report an articulated, near-complete osteichthyan from the early Silurian Chongqing Lagerstätte (approximately 436 million years ago), representing the oldest osteichthyan occurrence including microfossils. This tiny fish exhibits a fusiform, generalized osteichthyan body outline, with plesiomorphic osteichthyan characters, including the lack of lepidotrichia and the presence of serial median dorsal plates, pectoral and dorsal fin spines and an anal fin spine reported previously exclusively in stem chondrichthyans and one placoderm. It also displays features, such as a single dorsal fin and caudal fulcra, seen commonly in actinopterygians. Bayesian inference and the 50% majority rule consensus of the maximum-parsimony analysis place the new fish on the osteichthyan stem, whereas the strict consensus leaves its position unresolved within osteichthyans. This discovery increases Silurian osteichthyan diversity and further populates the osteichthyan stem group. The morphological disparity among early osteichthyans implies a more extensive Silurian to Early Devonian radiation of bony fishes than previous lines of evidence suggested.

Morphological evolution of early jawed vertebrates, showing the position of Eosteus and Megamastax among stem bony fishes. 

Eosteus chongqingensis

Life reconstruction of the oldest osteichthyan Eosteus chongqingensis.

 Credit: NICE PaleoVislab, IVPP

Life reconstruction of the biggest Silurian vertebrate Megamastax amblyodus.

Credit: Image by NICE PaleoVislab, IVPP

 

You-An Zhu, Yang Chen, Qiang Li, Wen-Jin Zhao, Zheng-Da Zhou, Lian-Tao Jia, Yi-Lun Yu, Han-Xin Yu, Guang-Biao Wei, Per E. Ahlberg, Jing Lu and Min Zhu. 2026. The Oldest articulated Bony Fish from the early Silurian period. Nature. 651; 128–134. DOI: doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10125-2 [04 March 2026]

[PaleoIchthyology • 2024] Diandongichthys ocellatus • A New basal ginglymodian Fish (Neopterygii: Holostei: Ginglymodi) from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Luoping Biota, Yunnan, China

 Diandongichthys ocellatus 

Xu & Ma, 2024

DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad144

Abstract

Ginglymodians (e.g. gars) are a group of holostean fishes with a rich fossil history in the Mesozoic. The resolution of interrelationships among extinct ginglymodians is central to the problem of understanding the origin of this clade. Here, a new fossil ginglymodian, Diandongichthys ocellatus gen. et sp. nov., is described based on 13 well-preserved specimens from the Early-Middle Triassic (Anisian) marine deposits exposed in Luoping, eastern Yunnan, China. The discovery documents one of the oldest and smallest ginglymodians hitherto known from the Middle Triassic, with a maximum standard length of 41 mm. Diandongichthys, although displaying several synapomorphies of ginglymodians, retains some primitive states with respect to other early ginglymodians (e.g. a short snout without anterior infraorbitals, a maxilla ending below the orbit, and a median gular); consequently, it is nested at the base of the Ginglymodi in this phylogenetic study. Besides body shape, some autapomorphies on the cranial bones and caudal fin easily distinguish Diandongichthys from other members of this clade. The discovery provides new insights into the origin and early diversification of ginglymodian fishes.

China, Middle Triassic, neopterygian, osteology, phylogeny

 Diandongichthys ocellatus gen. et sp. nov., holotype (IVPP V25610).  

Systematic palaeontology

Actinopterygii Cope, 1887,

Neopterygii Regan, 1923,

Holostei Müller, 1844 (sensuGrande, 2010)

Ginglymodi Cope, 1872 (sensuGrande, 2010)

Diandongichthys gen. nov.

 

Etymology: The generic epithet ‘Diandong’, the Chinese Pingyin for the eastern Yunnan, and the Greek suffix ‘ιχθύς’, ichthys, fish.

Geographical distribution and age: Luoping, Yunnan, China; Pelsonian, Anisian, Middle Triassic.

 

Diandongichthys ocellatus sp. nov. 

Etymology: The specific epithet ‘cyclotus’ refers to the nearly rounded profile of the caudal fin.

 

Locality and horizon: Luoping, Yunnan, China; Second (Upper) Member of Guanling Formation, Pelsonian (∼244 Mya), Anisian, Middle Triassic (Zhang et al. 2009).

Diagnosis: A small-sized ginglymodian distinguished from other members of the clade by the following combination of features (autapomorphies, those unique among ginglymodians, identified with an asterisk): frontal about three times as long as parietal; parietal nearly square; large pores for supraorbital sensory canal in frontal situated very close to lateral margin of this bone (*); three supraorbitals; eight infraorbitals; three suborbitals; quadrate exposed in lateral view (uncovered by cheek bones); operclular length nearly equal to ...

 

Guang-Hui Xu and Xin-Ying Ma. 2024. A New basal ginglymodian Fish (Holostei: Neopterygii) from the Middle Triassic (Anisian) Luoping Biota, Yunnan, China. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 201(3) zlad144. DOI: doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlad144 [16 October 2023] 

https://www.ivpp.ac.cn/xwdt/tpxw/202311/t20231114_6932882.html

http://english.ivpp.cas.cn/multimedia

[PaleoMammalogy • 2025] Qilin tungurensis • A New Giraffe Ossicone from Wolf Camp, Tunggur Formation, Inner Mongolia suggests A New Genus in Bohlinini (Artiodactyla: Giraffidae)

  

Qilin new genus
Qilin tungurensis Colbert, 1936.

Artist reconstructions of Qilin tungurensis:

An adult male (right) and younger males (middle and left) with less developed ossicones. Note females did not have ossicones in the early-middle Miocene. 

in Wang, Solounias, Hou, Li et Tomida, 2025. 

   DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328405

Art by Ville Sinkkonen.

Abstract

The classic Middle Miocene Wolf Camp locality discovered in 1930 by the Third Asiatic Expeditions of the American Museum of Natural History has been long known to produce an extinct giraffe, Palaeotragus tungurensis Colbert, 1936. Its dental and limb morphology offers tantalizing clues to a close relationship to the living giraffe, Giraffa. Its ossicone, a key part of the giraffe anatomy, is unknown since its initial description. Our discovery, in 2011, of an almost perfectly preserved ossicone from Wolf Camp thus fills this void and is described herein. Novel morphology of the ossicone, unlike any known so far, warrants a new generic name, Qilin, and Q. tungurensis adds important evidence that this Middle Miocene record from Inner Mongolia represents a key taxon in the evolution of the subfamily Giraffinae. Ossicone morphology is fundamentally similar to that of living Giraffa as well as members of Bohlinini. Dentally, Q. tungurensis also strongly supports its membership within Bohlinini with a unique shared derived character of P2-3 para- and metastyles bending inward to mesostyle. Q. tungurensis possesses a slender limb and a modestly deep trough on the posterior surface of the metacarpals that also suggest membership in Bohlinini. Combined with knowledge about its dental and limb morphology, the new Wolf Camp ossicone indicates an important stage of giraffine evolution, and contributes to a better understanding of its chronology and zoogeography.

Systematic paleontology

Order Artiodactyla Owen, 1848  

Suborder Ruminantia Scopoli, 1777  

Infraorder Pecora Linnaeus, 1758 

Superfamily Giraffoidea Gray, 1821

Family Giraffidae Gray, 1821 

Subfamily Giraffinae Gray, 1821  

Included tribes: Giraffini Gray, 1821 (living giraffe and its relatives) and extinct Bohlinini Solounias, 2007.

Qilin tungurensis, IVPP V 33851, right juvenile male ossicone from IVPP locality IM1118, lower part of Wolf Camp section.
 (A) right lateral view; (B) medial view, black arrows indicating natural break before the ossicones were glued back together (see D); (C) ventral (proximal) view; and (D) dorsal view before the upper shaft was glued (black arrows in A and B showing location of the break), showing oval cross-section at mid shaft.

Artist reconstructions of Qilin tungurensis:
An adult male (right) and younger males (middle and left) with less developed ossicones. Note females did not have ossicones in the early-middle Miocene. Art by Ville Sinkkonen.

Qilin new genus

Type species: Palaeotragus tungurensis Colbert, 1936.

Included species: Type species and an undescribed species from the Siwaliks of Pakistan [Solounias & Danowitz, 2025].

Diagnosis: Thin and slender metacarpal with a deep posterior groove; premolar parastyles and metastyles prominent and bending inward; ossicone with an upright shaft, curving inward (medially), expanded tip and a slight constriction below the tip, and a greatly expanded posterior flange with surface bumps.

Etymology: Qilin, Chinese Pinyin spelling for 麒麟, a mythical creature in ancient Chinese texts with a deer body, cow tail, and single (or paired) antler with fleshy tip; Qilin was invoked as an approximate transliteration for Somali word “geri” for giraffe when the Ming dynasty maritime expedition to Africa brought two giraffes to Beijing in 1414 A.D. 麒麟 as giraffe is still used in Korean Hanja and Japanese Kanji writing systems, as well as in early Chinese scientific literatures as a common name for “giraffe deer family” (麒麟鹿科), such as in the Chinese abstract of Bohlin [Bohlin, 1927].

 

Xiaoming Wang, Nikos Solounias, Su-kuan Hou, Lu Li and Yukimitsu Tomida. 2025.  A New Giraffe Ossicone from Wolf Camp, Tunggur Formation, Inner Mongolia suggests A New Genus in Bohlinini (Artiodactyla, Giraffidae). PLoS One. 20(8): e0328405. DOI: doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328405

[Paleontology • 2025] Darwinopterus camposi • A New Species of Darwinopterus (Pterosauria: Wukongopteridae) from western Liaoning provides some new information on the Ontogeny of this clade

 

Darwinopterus camposi

Cheng, Jiang, Bantim, Sayão, Saraiva, Meng, Kellner & Wang, 2025

 

DOI: doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202520240707 

Researchgate.net/publication/389307719

Abstract

The Wukongopteridae is an important pterosaur clade from the Yanliao Biota, combining features of basal and derived pterosaurs. So far, the Wukongopteridae consists of five species divided into three genera: Wukongopterus lii, Darwinopterus modularis, Darwinopterus linglongtaensis, Darwinopterus robustodens, and Kunpengopterus sinensis. Here we report a new species, Darwinopterus camposi sp. nov., based on an almost complete skeleton (IVPP V 17957). The new species is referred to Darwinopterus due to the presence of an elongated posterior region of the skull and the bony premaxillary crest that starts about the anterior margin of the nasoantorbital fenestra. It differs from all other wukongopterids by having the dorsal margin of the premaxillary crest straight, without an extensive dorsal projection and presenting a smooth lateral surface. Furthermore, D. camposi sp. nov. has eighteen and fourteen teeth on each side of the upper and lower jaws, respectively, and the fourth phalanx of the wing finger shorter than the first. IVPP V 17957 shows some fused postcranial bones, like the extensor tendon process to the first wing finger phalanx, but also has unfused premaxilla and frontal, which provides further information about wukongopterid ontogeny.

Key words: Pterosauria; Wukongopteridae; ontogeny; Yanliao Biota; Middle-Late Jurassic; China

SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY

Pterosauria Kaup 1834

Wukongopteridae Wang, Kellner, Jiang and Meng 2009

Darwinopterus Lü, Unwin, Jin, Liu and Ji 2010

Darwinopterus camposi sp. nov.

 Holotype: Almost complete skeleton lacking the distal end of the tail and hindlimbs, housed at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, under the number IVPP V 17957 (Figs. 1-Fig. 4).

Etymology: In honor to Dr. Diogenes de Almeida Campos, an important geologist and vertebrate paleontologist who has contributed to pterosaur research and the cooperation between Brazilian and Chinese paleontologists.

 

Cheng, X.; Jiang, S.; Bantim, R. A. M.; Sayão, J. M.; Saraiva, A. Á. F.; Meng, X.; Kellner, A. W. A.; Wang, X. 2025. A New Species of Darwinopterus (Wukongopteridae, Pterosauria) from western Liaoning provides some new information on the Ontogeny of this clade. Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências. 97 (Suppl. 1). e20240707. DOI: doi.org/10.1590/0001-3765202520240707

 Researchgate.net/publication/389307719_A_new_species_of_Darwinopterus_from_Liaoning_CHINA