• Reappraisal of Endotherium niinomii Shikama, 1947, a eutherian mammal from the Lower Cretaceous Fuxin Formation, Fuxin-Jinzhou Basin, Liaoning, China

    分类: 地球科学 >> 地质学 提交时间: 2018-02-26 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》

    摘要: Reinvestigation of the Early Cretaceous eutherian mammal Endotherium niinomii Shikama, 1947, based on the impressions of the type specimen, casts made from the impressions, and the original description, indicates that E. niinomii is characterized by the following characters: decrease in size from the m1 to the m3; a moderate height difference between the trigonid and talonid of lower molars; blunt lower molar cusps; the protoconid being the largest among the trigonid cusps; the paraconid being as tall as the metaconid; the p3 not being obviously reduced; and possible possession of five lower premolars. These characteristics clearly distinguish E. niinomii from other known Cretaceous eutherians, and support its taxonomic identity as a valid taxon.

  • Introduction to terminologies of tooth enamel microstructures and a proposal for their standard Chinese translations

    分类: 地球科学 >> 地质学 提交时间: 2017-09-28 合作期刊: 《古脊椎动物学报》

    摘要: Tooth enamel is composed of elongated, hexagonal crystallites of hydroxyapatite. Some crystallites are arranged into various regual structures and futher formed a composite structure in a hierarchical manner. The hierarchical system can provide a basis for analysis different levels of structural complexity from varitaiton of particular crystallite strucutes to variation of structural types throughout a individual’s dentition. The size, orientation, distribution and the packing patterns of crystallites are gene-comtrolled and have limited range of intraspecific variability. Thus, these microstructures provide considerable and reliable morphological characters that help understanding of external dental morphology in context of both phylogeny and function in vertebrates. Because teeth are highly resistant to weathering, mainly owing to their enamel covering, so that they were commonly preserved as fossils. This organic system, particularly their microstructures, has attracted more and more attention from vertebrate paleontologists and other morphologists. However, as already recognized by many previous studies, some terminologies of the enamel microstructures have been complex and used inconsistently. Although considerable effort has been made to study enamel microstructures in China during the last few decades, a standard terminology of enamel microstructures in Chinese has not be formally brought into line with that in English literatures. Here we intend to introduce and systematize the relevant terminology used in the study of enamel microstructures and translate them into Chinese, in hoping that this systematic effort will enhance researches of enamel microstructures in China. 脊椎动物牙齿釉质显微结构具丰富的形态学特征,承载着系统发育和生物力学等方面的信息。本文在前人的研究基础上,试图系统地介绍牙釉质显微结构的基本内容,提出牙釉质研究中相关术语的中文译名建议,并对一些重要术语做了简要解释,供相关研究者参考,以期促进牙釉质显微结构研究的进一步发展。