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Cited by 6Paleontology and Stratigraphy of FossilsGeology and Paleoclimatology ResearchEvolution and Paleontology Studies

Climate-change-enhanced habitat diversification for the Middle Jurassic Yanliao Biota in East Asia

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Hao, Wenxing, Yang, Jianghai, Wang, Haibing, Mitchell, Ross N, Zhang, Chunxia, Qiu, Ruoyuan, Guo, Jiaqi, Zhang, Wang +8 more·2025·National Science Review
DOI 10.1093/nsr/nwaf194PMC PMC12258141
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Abstract

The Jurassic Period was characterized by the dominance of dinosaurs and the rise of early mammals, with the Yanliao Biota (∼167–157 Ma) in East Asia notable for its exceptional fossil preservation and diverse life forms. However, the drivers of the flourishing of the Yanliao Biota remain unclear. Here, we reconstruct the palaeoclimate and habitat characteristics of the Yanliao Biota by using sedimentary facies analysis, organic carbon-isotope data, palynological records, source weathering trends and climate simulations from the Community Earth System Model CESM 1.2.2. The studied sedimentary successions are well constrained to the Middle Jurassic based on carbon-isotope stratigraphic correlation and published tuff zircon U–Pb ages. Our findings reveal a regional climate shift in the late Bathonian, transitioning from wet to sub-humid conditions, as evidenced by an increase in gymnosperm pollen, a marked decline in coal seams and reduced weathering intensity. Sedimentological evidence further supports a synchronous facies change from ever-wet fluvial-delta systems to seasonally active alluvial plains. This climate shift aligns with simulation results and coincides temporally with the initial flourishing of the Yanliao Biota. We propose that this shift, associated with lithospheric extension in the Yanliao region, increased landscape heterogeneity and habitat diversity, fostering biological evolution through ecological isolation and allopatric speciation, ultimately driving the diversification of the Yanliao Biota.

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  • Archaeopteryx lived in a semiarid, seasonally wet environment most likely dominated by bushy conifers.

    “Archaeopteryx lived in a semiarid, seasonally wet environment most likely dominated by bushy conifers”

    From The ecology of Archaeopteryx (2026) · cites this paper as [7]

    The Results and Discussion sections describe a shift to sub-humid conditions and seasonally active alluvial plains in the Middle Jurassic Yanliao region, with increased conifer pollen. Searches for Archaeopteryx, semiarid conditions, and bushy conifers found no passage describing Archaeopteryx’s habitat or supporting the specific vegetation claim; the paper’s reference to an Archaeopteryx-like theropod does not establish it. (LLM, conf=0.76)

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Authors
Hao, W., Yang, J., Wang, H., Mitchell, R. N., Zhang, C., Qiu, R., Guo, J., Zhang, W., Bao, X., Deng, C., Wang, X., Hu, Y., Yang, J.-H., Zhu, G., Zhou, Z., & Zhu, R.
Affiliations
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
  • Peking University (CN)
  • School of Resource and Environmental Engineering, Hefei University of Technology , Hefei 230009 ,
  • State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100029 ,
Corresponding author
  • Hao, Wenxing
  • Yang, Jianghai
ORCID
Venue
National Science Review
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2025-05-16
Volume
12
Issue
7
Pages
nwaf194-nwaf194
ISSN
  • 2053-714X (ISSN-L)
  • 2095-5138
DOI
10.1093/nsr/nwaf194
PMC
PMC12258141
OpenAlex
W4410429811
Cited by
6
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 5 · 2025: 1
FWCI
4.21
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • National Science Review (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (42288201, 42122015, 42488201, 42272017)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Atmospheric Science › Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
  • Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Evolution and Paleontology Studies
Keywords
Yanliao Biota, Middle Jurassic, climate change, habitat diversification, paleoclimate reconstruction, Bathonian, gymnosperm pollen, organic carbon isotopes, palynology, sedimentary facies, lithospheric extension, landscape heterogeneity, allopatric speciation, habitat isolation, early mammals, dinosaur diversity, East Asia

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