In this paper two new species of fossil Pseudopolycentropus Handlirsch, 1906 are described: Pseudopolycentropus janeannae sp. nov. and P. novokshonovi, sp. nov. All of them were recovered from the Middle Jurassic non-marine sedimentary strata of northeastern China. The new material from China reveals that the early diversification of pseudopolycentropodids was well underway by the Middle Jurassic.
Lacustrine deposits exposed at Daohugou, Inner Mongolia, China, have yielded superbly preserved vertebrate fossils. The fossil beds were first misinterpreted as of Early Cretaceous age, based on alleged occurrences of key fossils of the Jehol Biota. Compelling evidence revealed by more rigorous research involving regional biostratigraphy, radiometric dating, and paleontology supports the Middle Jurassic age of the fossil beds. Despite the awesome evidence for the Middle Jurassic age of the Daohugou beds, the age dispute has been resurrected recently by invoking an overturned stratigraphic sequence. A careful review of the data, however, found no evidence that this sequence has been overturned. In addition, many of the assumptions, on which the conjecture of the fossil beds being post- Middle Jurassic is imprudently based, are self-contradictory or otherwise misleading. Thus, the post- Middle Jurassic age of the Daohugou beds as an unfounded conclusion can readily be dismissed.
Three new species of fossil Palaeontinidae are described from Daohugou Village, Inner Mongolia, China: Daohugoucossus shii sp. nov., D. parallelivenius sp. nov., D. lii sp. nov. The diagnosis of Dao- hugoucossus Wang, Zhang and Fang, 2006 is revised. These materials are the first complete fossil palaeontinids in the Middle Jurassic of the world. Based on observation of these new specimens, Sc of this new genus has the following combined characters: joined with R at base, diverged near M separa- tion, coalesced with R before the nodal line, extended beyond the nodal line and fused with R1 before distal end. Due to the Sc characteristics mentioned above, the genus Liaocossus Ren, Yin and Dou, 1998 can be well distinguished from “Ilerdocossus-complex”.
Lower brachyceran flies are abundant in the Late Mesozoic of China.Many extant and extinct members of that have been found in Inner Mongolia,Liaoning,Hebei and Shandong provinces. A new family,Origoasilidae fam.nov.,belonging to the lower Brachycera,is built based on a new specimen from the Yixian Formation and is a representative of the Jehol Biota.The new endemic Mesozoic family possesses several unique characters in the wing.The relationship among the Origoasilidae fam.nov.and relative known lower bra...
Two well-preserved fossil dragonflies from the Late Mesozoic Yixian Formation, Liaoning Province, China are described and assigned to a new genus, Sopholibellula gen. nov. in Araripelibellulidae Bechly, 1996, closely related to the type genus Araripelibellula. This new genus differs from Araripelibellula in the following characters: origins of RP and MA distinctly separated at arculus in both pairs of wings; anal loop wider and shorter, with Y-shaped veins inside; MA and IR2 not zigzag; several small intercalary veins present in the postdiscoidal area of hindwing; cells smaller and much more dense, especially in the apex and hind margin; bigger in size. Structures, including head, abdomen and parts of legs, were first described in details of this family.
A new genus with one new species and five new species of genus Amblomma of fossil ommatids are described and illustrated: Euryomma tylodes gen. et sp. nov., Amblomma cyclodonta sp. nov., Amblomma miniscula sp. nov., Amblomma porrecta sp. nov., Amblomma eumeura sp. nov., and Amblomma protensa sp. nov. All of them were collected from the Upper Jurassic or Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of western Liaoning, China. A key to the species of Amblomma is given. The wide epipleural space shows that Euryomma may be a primitive genus in Ommatidae. Many different species of Amblomma occurred within the same sedimentary horizon in this area could be environmental changes caused by frequent volcanic activities during the deposition of the Yixian Formation.
