Table of Contents

Preface INTRODUCTION Political divisions of China Geological setting Vertebrate biochronology Some features of this book 2 HISTORY OF VERTEBRATE PALEONTOLOGICAL STUDIES Basalla's model Ancient Chinese observations on fossil vertebrates Dragon bones: Nineteenth century western paleontology and China's vertebrate fossils Johan Gunnar Andersson and the Lagrelius Collection Otto Zdansky Black, Bohlin and Zhoukoudian End of the Sino-Swedish paleontological program The Central Asiatic Expeditions The 1920s-1930s: Foreign vertebrate paleontologists living in China C.C. Young and Minchen Chow The IVPP New collaboration The three-stage model 3 CAMBRIAN-SILURIAN Silurian vertebrate-producing strata Early Silurian - Dayongaspis biochron Early middle Silurian - Hanyangaspis biochron Late middle Silurian - Sinogalaeaspis biochron Late Silurian - Nostolepis biochron China's oldest vertebrates Silurian vertebrate biochronology Silurian vertebrate paleobiogeography 4 DEVONIAN Devonian vertebrate-producing strata Early Devonian - Yunnanolepis biochron Early Devonian paleocommunities Middle Devonian - Bothriolepis biochron Late Devonian - Remigolepis biochron Systematics of Devonian agnathans Diabolepis and lungfish phylogeny Devonian vertebrate biogeography 5 CARBONIFEROUS Carboniferous vertebrate occurrences Acanthodes Chondrichthyans Heliocoprionid from Xinjiang Prospectus 6 PERMIAN Permian nonmarine strata in the Junggur and Ordos basins Urumqia Turfania and Yaomoshania The Dashankou locality Pareiasaur fauna Dicynodon fauna The Dicyodon biochron 7 TRIASSIC Junggur basin Ordos basin Jimsarian vertebrates Fuguan vertebrates Ordosian vertebrates Ningwuan vertebrates Fukang fauna Chinese Triassic dicynodonts The "Nine-dragon Wall" Lotosaurus Triassic fishes Triassic marine reptiles Chinese Triassic tetrapods, Pangea and facies 8 JURASSIC Sichuan basin Other Jurassic basins Dawan vertebrates Global correlation of the Dawan Dashanpuan vertebrates Tuojiangian vertebrates Ningjiagouan vertebrates Jurassic fishes Jurassic dinosaur footprints Chinese tritylodontids Chinese Jurassic mammals Chinese Jurassic dinosaurs 9 CRETACEOUS Vertebrate-bearing strata Land-vertebrate faunachrons Tsagantsabian vertebrates The Psittacosaurus biochron Khukhtekian vertebrates Age of the Liaoning birds Chinese Early Cretaceous birds and avian origins Baynshirenian vertebrates Djadokhtan vertebrates Nemegtian vertebrates Cretaceous fishes Ceratopsian evolution Chinese Cretaceous dinosaur eggs Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary and extinctions Two vertebrate faunas 10 PALEOGENE Paleogene vertebrate-bearing deposits Paleogene land-mammal "ages" Shanghuan mammals Nongshanian mammals Bumbanian mammals Arshantan and Irdinmanhan mammals Sharamurunian mammals Ergilian mammals Shandgolian mammals Tabenbulukian mammals Paleogene rodent evolution Indricothere evolution Paleogene lower vertebrates Paleogene birds Paleoplacentals and neoplacentals 11 MIOCENE-PLIOCENE Miocene-Pliocene vertebrate-bearing strata Miocene-Pliocene land-mammal "ages" Xiejian mammals Shanwangian mammals Tunggurian mammals Bahean mammals Baodean mammals Jinglean mammals Youhean mammals Forest and steppe faunas Proboscidean evolution Hipparion first-appearance datum Chinese Miocene-Pliocene apes Miocene-Pliocene lower vertebrates Miocene-Pliocene birds Paleozoogeography 12 PLEISTOCENE Pleistocene vertebrate-bearing deposits Nihewanian land-mammal "age" Pleistocene mammals of northern China Pleistocene mammals of southern China Pleistocene mammals of the transition zone Gigantopithecus Fossil Homo Zhoukoudian Pleistocene mammoths Pleistocene lower vertebrates Pleistocene birds Origin of China's extant vertebrates 13 SUMMARY History of vertebrate paleontology in China Cambrian-Ordovician Silurian Devonian Carboniferous Permian Triassic Jurassic Cretaceous Paleogene Miocene-Pliocene Pleistocene 14 REFERENCES

About the Author

Spencer Lucas is curator of paleontology at the New Mexico Museum of Natural History.

Reviews

"...one of the most important paleontology books produced in recent years." -- Fossil News "An important contribution." -- Choice