Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus: A new species of Baurioid Therocephalian from the Eartly Triassic of Xinjiang Province, China.

The Bogda Mountains of northeastern Xinjiang Province, China, preserve a Permian-Triassic sequence which has produced a broad range of terrestrial Vertebrates, including non-Mammalian Therapsids such as Dicynodonts, Gorgonopsians, and Therocephalians. Two Therocephalians have been described from this sequence to date, Urumchia lii from the Early Triassic Jiucaiyuan Formation, and Dalongkoua fuae from the Late Permian Guodikeng Formation, although several other species are known from elsewhere in North China, including Shiguignathus wangi, Jiufengia jiai, Euchambersia liuyudongi, and Caodeyao liuyufengi from the Late Permian Naobaogou Formation of Inner Mongolia, Moschowhaitsia lidaqingi from the Late Permian Wufoshi Formation of Gansu Province, Hazhenia concava from the Early Triassic Heshanggou Formation of Inner Mongolia, Ordosiodon lincheyuensis, Ordosiodon youngi and Nothogomphodon sanjiaoensis from the Early Triassic Ermaying Formation of Shanxi Province, Yikezhaogia megafenestrala. from the Early Triassic Ermaying Formation of Inner Mongolia, and Traversodontoides wangwuensis from the Middle Tirassic Ermaying Formation of Henan Province.

In a paper published in the journal Vertebrata PalAsiatica on 20 July 2024, Lui Jun of the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the College of Earth and Planetary Sciences of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Fernando Abdala of the Área de Paleontología at Unidad Ejecutora Lillo and the Evolutionary Studies Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand, describe a new species of Baurioid Therocephalian from the Early Triassic Jiucaiyuan Formation of Jimsar County in Xinjiang Province, China.

The new species is described from a slab on which a partial snout and several postcranial skeletal elements were visible on the surface. When X-ray microcomputed tomography was applied to this slab it was discovered that two largely disarticulated partial skeletons were present within. The partial skeleton is designated as the holotype of the new species (in taxonomy, a specimen is named as the holotype when an new species is discovered, and any other specimens are deemed to belong to that specie species if the can be shown to belong to the same species as the holotype), which is given the name Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus, where 'Jiucaiyuangnathus' means 'Jiucaiyuan-jaw', in reference to the Jiucaiyuan Formation, and 'confusus' means 'confusing' in reference to the difficulty had deciphering the specimens. It is thought that the snout is derived from one of the post-cranial skeletons, but it is impossible to tell which.

Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus (IVPP V32945, holotype) from Jimsar, Xinjiang. (A)–(C) photo (A) and 3D rendering (B) of the left side of the snout in lateral and 3D rendering of the medial view of the left side of the snout (C); (D). 3D rendering of the snout in posterior view showing the bones as preserved. Abbreviations: afo. anteriormost foramen; cc. christa choanalis; F. frontal; L. lacrimal; l.c. lacrimal canal; M. maxilla; m. maxillary tooth; m.a. maxillary antrum; msf. maxillo-septomaxillary foramen; pdl. dorsal layer of palatine; pit. maxillary round pit; PL. palatine; PM. premaxilla; pml. medial layer of palatine; sH, sinus Highmore; SM. septomaxilla; V. vomer. Lui & Abdala (2024).

The preserved portion of the jaws has five surviving incisors and lacks canines. There is a diastema (gap) between the last incisor in the upper jaw and the first maxillary tooth, but no equivalent gap is present in the dentition of the lower jaw, traits consistent with Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus being a Baurioid Therocephalian.

3D rendering of Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus (IVPP V32945, holotype) from Jimsar, Xinjiang . (A) The preserved snout in ventral view; (B), (C) vomer in dorsal (B) and ventral (C) views, vomer is reconstructed in the natural position in (C); (D) left dentary in lateral view; (E), (F) mandibles in dorsal (E) and ventral (F) views. Abbreviations: 1st ic. first incisor; ch. choana; D. dentary; d. dentary tooth; F. frontal; for vn. place for vomeronasal organ; M. maxilla; N. nasal; PL. palatine; PM. premaxilla; SP. splenial; V. vomer; v.f. vomerine foramen. Lui & Abdala (2024).

The two partial skeletons are given the designations IVPP V32946-1 (which is marginally the smaller of the two) and IVPP V32946-2 (which is marginally the larger). While both are largely disarticulated, most of the bones are close to their original positions, making it possible to assign them to one of the two skeletons wirh confidence. In both skeletons, the neural arches are separate from the centra of the vertebrae, making it likely that they were juveniles at the time of death.

Posterior skeletons of Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus (IVPP V32946) from Jimsar, Xinjiang  (A), (B) photo of the slab; (C), (D) 3D rendering of bones. Gray (IVPP V32946-1) and light purple (IVPP V32946-2) are bones of each specimen. Light blue uncertain. Lui & Abdala (2024).

Specimen IVPP V32946-1 has ten presacral vertebrae preserved, the the atlas and axis, five thoracics, and three lumbars, as well as three sacral vertebrae and a series of at least 11 caudal vertebrae, five of them being rod-like. There are three short, curved cervical vertebrae, and five incomplete ribs on the left side and seven nearly complete ribs on the right side of the thoracic vertebrae. An almost complete pelvic girdle lacks only the left ischium. A right femur, lacking a proximal end and with an incomplete distal end, probably belongs to this skeleton.

3D rendering of Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus  (IVPP V32946-1) from Jimsar, Xinjiang.  (A), (B) The preserved skeleton in dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views; (C) right femur in distal view; (D)–(F) atlas and axis in anterior (D), left (E), and right (F) lateral views; (G) four thoracic vertebrae in right lateral view; (H), (I) sacral region in lateral (H) and dorsal (I) views; (J) caudal vertebrae Abbreviations: aic. atlas intercentrum; cdr. caudal rib; cdv. caudal vertebra; cr. cervical rib; FE. femur; lv. lumbar vertebra; ns. neural spine; sr. sacral rib; sv. sacral vertebra; tp. transverse process; tr. thoracic rib; tv. thoracic vertebra. Lui & Abdala (2024).

Specimen IVPP V32946-2 has ten continuous vertebrae, interpreted as thoracics, as well as 13 complete long left thoracic ribs and the proximal side of eight right thoracic ribs. The head of the first sacral rib is considerably expanded dorsoventrally with a short, stout shaft curving ventrally and a very expanded distal end to contact the ilium. This specimen has a nearly complete left scapula and the dorsal portion of the right scapula, as well as a separated procoracoid, which lies close to the ventral side of the scapula. An incomplete interclavicle appears as a broad flat bone that gently curves ventrally, and the sternum is preserved as a large, thin, longer than wide flat plate. Again, the pelvic girdle is almost complete, in this case lacking the left pubis. The proximal parts of both femurs are preserved, with the right being more complete.

3D rendering of Jiucaiyuangnathus confusus (IVPP V32946-2) from Jimsar, Xinjiang. (A), (B) Skeleton in dorsal (A) and ventral (B) views; (C) part of thoracic vertebrae in left lateral view; (D) two sacral and three anterior caudal ribs; (E)–(H) sacral ribs of (D) in dorsal (E), (G) and ventral (F), (H) views; (I)–(L) two smaller sacral ribs in dorsal (I), (K) and ventral (J), (L) views Abbreviations: cdr. caudal rib; mt. metatarsal; sr. sacral rib. Liu & Abdala (2024).

Neither of the skeletons has neural arches fused to the centra, suggesting that they were both juveniles when they died, but the neural arches of the smaller skeleton are more distant from the centra than in the larger, possibly suggesting that it was younger and less developed. There are also differing degrees of ossification in the bones of the pelvic girdle of the two skeletons, which again suggest different levels of development. 

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Understanding the orientation of graves in the Bronze Age Gumugou Cemetery of Xinjiang Province, China.

Many cultures bury their dead with a preferred orientation, and understanding how this is chosen can tell us a great deal about the beliefs of a culture. The orientation of graves has been extensively studied for ancient European and Mediterranean cultures, demonstrating that burials were often aligned with both terrestrial and celestial objects of importance by ancient peoples, but has been less well studied in other parts of the world.

In a paper published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports on 17 February 2024, Jingjing Li of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, Jarken Esimbek, also of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, and of the University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Yingxiu Ma, again of the Xinjiang Astronomical Observatory, examine the orientation of graves in the Bronze Age Gumugou Cemetery of Xinjiang Province, China.

The Gumugou Cemetery is located on the eastern fringe of the Taklimakan Desert, in the Tarim Basin, to the north of the now dry Kongque (Peacock) River and about 70 km to the west of the Lop Nor Salt Lake. The cemetery has been dated to between 3800 and 3400 years before the present, and along with a series of related sites within the region between Lop Nor and the Taklimakan Desert, is considered representative of one of the oldest known Bronze Age cultures within Xinjiang Province.

Location of the Gumugou Cemetery and other archaeology sites in the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang. Li et al. (2024).

The Gumugou Cemetery site was excavated in the winter of 1979 by an expedition from the Xinjiang Institute of Archaeology under the leadership of Binghua Wang. A total of 42 burials were discovered and excavated, all within an area of 1600 m³. The burials could be divided into two types, with six Type I burials forming an upper layer, and 36 Type II burials forming a lower layer. 

The Type I burials are quite often placed above Type II burials, and are surrounded by seven rounds of timber posts. These Type I burials apparently contained wooded coffins, which have long decayed away, leaving the (well preserved) Human remains exposed. A small amount of grave goods were present. 

Surface of Type I burials of the Gumugou site. Li et al. (2024).

Type II burials form a lower layer and each contain a single body placed within a boat-shaped coffin between two posts, one at the head of the coffin and one at the feet. These contained more numerous grave goods, including pointed felt hats, leather, woollen capes, grass woven baskets, bone and stone artifacts, wheat grains, and Ephedra twigs. While grave goods were more numerous in the Type II burials than the Type I burials, there was otherwise little to differentiate them, and they are presumed to have come from the same culture.

Part of Type II burials of Gumugou Cemetery. Binghua Wang in Li et al. (2024).

The tombs are aligned roughly along an east-west axis, with their heads to the east, which, combined with the posts surrounding the Type I burials, which resemble solar rays, was taken as evidence of sun-worship by the people who used the cemetery.

However, Wang took care to record every detail about the graves, including the azimuth of each burial (the azimuth is an orientation relative to true north, where north is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180°, etc.). Li et al. collated this data, and compared it to a calculated solar arc for sunrises at the site. A solar arc of sunrises is made up of the azimuth of the sunrise throughout the year, giving an arc (in the Northern Hemisphere) with the Summer Solstice to the north and the Winter Solstice to the south. At the Gumugou Cemetery the sunrise azimuth is 57.7° on the summer solstice and 120.8° on the winter solstice, while the graves have azimuths of between 102° and 58°.

Orientations of the grave in Gumugou cemetery. Li et al. (2024).

The region where the Gumugou Cemetery is located has an arid desert climate with temperatures reaching as high as 40°C in the summer and falling as low as -20°C in the winter, and strong winds in spring and autumn leading to dust storms which can cause potentially lethal respiratory illnesses. The graves in the cemetery contain men and women, adults and children, with no apparent connection between age and/or gender of the occupant and the type of burial, the amount of grave goods, or the orientation of the grave. 

The graves vary in orientation, but are clustered around azimuth directions of 90° and slightly north of this. If the graves were orientated in line with the orientation of the sun at the time of burial, as Li et al. suspect, then the overwhelming majority of the dead would have been buried at or around the Spring and/or Autumn Equinoxes. Since it is unlikely that people were only dying at these times of year, Li et al. instead suggest that the graves represent secondary burials, with the dead being stored elsewhere until the favoured season of funerals.

Histogram of aligned skeletons. Li et al. (2024).

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Magnitude 7.1 Earthquake on the border between China and Kyrgyzstan.

The China Earthquake Networks Center recorded a Magnitude 7.2 Earthquake at a depth of 22 km beneath Wushi County in western Xinjiang Province, China, close to the border with Kyrgyzstan slightly before 2.10 am local time on Tuesday 23 January 2024 (slightly before 6.10 pm on Monday 22 January, GMT). The are no reports of any damage or injuries associated with this event at the time of writing, although people have reported feeling it across much of eastern Kyrgystan.

The approximate location of the 23 January 2024 Xinjiang/Kyrgyzstan border region Earthquake. USGS.

The Tian Shan Mountains stretch for 2500 km across Xinjiang, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The Tian Shan are part of the Himalayan Orogenic Belt, mountains in Central Asia pushed upwards by the collision of India and Asia. The Indian Plate is currently pushing into the Eurasian Plate from the south at a rate of 3 cm per year. Since both are continental plates, which do not subduct, the Eurasian Plate is folding and buckling, causing uplift in the Himalayas and other mountains of Central Asia. This is not a smooth process, the rocks will remain effectively stationary for log periods of time while pressure builds up, then give suddenly, releasing large amounts of energy in the form of Earthquakes.

The movement of India relative to Asia, and the blocks within the eastern part if the Eurasian Plate. University of Wollongong.

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Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake to the northeast of Herat, Afghanistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake at a depth of 9 km, roughly 28 km to the northeast of the city of Herat in northeast Afghanistan, slightly after 5.10 am local time (slightly after 12. 40 am GMT) on Wednesday 11 October 2023. The event is reported to have led to at least one death and 150 injuries, and occurred only four days after another Earthquake of similar Magnitude to the northeast of Herat, which is now known to have killed over 2000 people, and which has left hospital supplies in the region dangerously low. Building collapses are a particular danger in Afghanistan as many buildings are made of mud bricks, which can liquify in Earthquakes, forming a fine dust which asphyxiates people trapped beneath fallen structures.

The approximate location of the 11 October 2023 Herat Earthquake. USGS.

The boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates runs close to northern Afghanistan. The Indian Plate is moving northward relative to the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift along this boundary, which has led to the formation of the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the other mountain ranges of Central Asia., and which makes the nations in this boundary zone prone to Earthquakes.

Plate boundaries and movements beneath southern Pakistan, Iran and the Arabian Sea. University of Southampton.

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More than 2000 dead following Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake in northeastern Afghanistan.

The United States Geological Survey recorded a Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake at a depth of 10.0 km, roughly 40 km to the northeast of the city of Herat in northeast Afghanistan, slightly after 11.40 am local time (slightly after 7.10 m GMT) on Saturday 7 October 2023. Six villages are reported to have been more-or-less completely destroyed, with 2053 people currently reported dead, and 9240 injured, with 1329 buildings destroyed or damaged, making the event most deadly Earthquake in Afghanistan for more than two decades. Building collapses are a particular danger in Afghanistan as many buildings are made of mud bricks, which can liquify in Earthquakes, forming a fine dust which asphyxiates people trapped beneath fallen structures. The initial Earthquake has been followed by several large aftershocks, at least three of which have had Magnitudes in excess of 5.0.

Local people searching for survivors in the village of Sarbuland in Herat Province, Afghanistan, following a Magnitude 6.3 Earthquake on 7 October 2023. AFP/Getty Images.

The boundary between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates runs close to northern Afghanistan. The Indian Plate is moving northward relative to the Eurasian Plate, causing folding and uplift along this boundary, which has led to the formation of the Hindu Kush Mountains of Afghanistan, the Himalayas and the other mountain ranges of Central Asia., and which makes the nations in this boundary zone prone to Earthquakes.

Plate boundaries and movements beneath southern Pakistan, Iran and the Arabian Sea. University of Southampton.

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