Purpose-Temperature is an important load for a ballastless track.However,little research has been conducted on the dynamic responses when a train travels on a ballastless track under the temperature gradient.The dynam...Purpose-Temperature is an important load for a ballastless track.However,little research has been conducted on the dynamic responses when a train travels on a ballastless track under the temperature gradient.The dynamic responses under different temperature gradients of the slab are theoretically investigated in this work.Design/methodology/approach-Considering the moving train,the temperature gradient of the slab,and the gravity of the slab track,a dynamic model for a high-speed train that runs along the CRTS Ⅲ slab track on subgrade is developed by a nonlinear coupled way in Abaqus.Findings-The results are as follows:(1)The upward transmission of the periodic deformation of the slab causes periodic track irregularity.(2)Because of the geometric constraint of limiting structures,the maximum bending stresses of the slab occur near the end of the slab under positive temperature gradients,but in the middle of the slab under negative temperature gradients.(3)The periodic deformation of the slab can induce periodic changes in the interlayer stiffness and contact status,leading to a large vibration of the slab.Because of the vibration-reduction capacity of the fastener and the larger mass of the concrete base,the accelerations of both the slab and concrete base are far less than the acceleration of the rail.Originality/value-This study reveals the influence mechanism of temperature gradient-induced periodic deformation in the dynamic responses of the train-track system,and it also provides a guide for the safe service of CRTS Ⅲ slab track.展开更多
In order to clarify the fatigue damage evolution of concrete exposed to flexural fatigue loads,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV),impact-echo technology and surface electrical resistance(SR) method were used.Damage variab...In order to clarify the fatigue damage evolution of concrete exposed to flexural fatigue loads,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV),impact-echo technology and surface electrical resistance(SR) method were used.Damage variable based on the change of velocity of ultrasonic pulse(Du) and impact elastic wave(Di)were defined according to the classical damage theory.The influences of stress level,loading frequency and concrete strength on damage variable were measured.The experimental results show that Du and Di both present a three-stages trend for concrete exposed to fatigue loads.Since impact elastic wave is more sensitive to the microstructure damage in stage Ⅲ,the critical damage variable,i e,the damage variable before the final fracture of concrete of Di is slightly higher than that of Du.Meanwhile,the evolution of SR of concrete exposed to fatigue loads were analyzed and the relationship between SR and Du,SR and Di of concrete exposed to fatigue loads were established.It is found that the SR of concrete was decreased with the increasing fatigue cycles,indicating that surface electrical resistance method can also be applied to describe the damage of ballastless track concrete exposed to fatigue loads.展开更多
Traditional track dynamic geometric state(TDGS)simulation incurs substantial computational burdens,posing challenges for developing reliability assessment approach that accounts for TDGS.To overcome these,firstly,a si...Traditional track dynamic geometric state(TDGS)simulation incurs substantial computational burdens,posing challenges for developing reliability assessment approach that accounts for TDGS.To overcome these,firstly,a simulation-based TDGS model is established,and a surrogate-based model,grid search algorithm-particle swarm optimization-genetic algorithm-multi-output least squares support vector regression,is established.Among them,hyperparameter optimization algorithm’s effectiveness is confirmed through test functions.Subsequently,an adaptive surrogate-based probability density evolution method(PDEM)considering random track geometry irregularity(TGI)is developed.Finally,taking curved train-steel spring floating slab track-U beam as case study,the surrogate-based model trained on simulation datasets not only shows accuracy in both time and frequency domains,but also surpasses existing models.Additionally,the adaptive surrogate-based PDEM shows high accuracy and efficiency,outperforming Monte Carlo simulation and simulation-based PDEM.The reliability assessment shows that the TDGS part peak management indexes,left/right vertical dynamic irregularity,right alignment dynamic irregularity,and track twist,have reliability values of 0.9648,0.9918,0.9978,and 0.9901,respectively.The TDGS mean management index,i.e.,track quality index,has reliability value of 0.9950.These findings show that the proposed framework can accurately and efficiently assess the reliability of curved low-stiffness track-viaducts,providing a theoretical basis for the TGI maintenance.展开更多
This paper aims to clarify the influence of system spatial variability on train–track interaction from perspectives of stochastic analysis and statistics.Considering the spatial randomness of system properties in geo...This paper aims to clarify the influence of system spatial variability on train–track interaction from perspectives of stochastic analysis and statistics.Considering the spatial randomness of system properties in geometry,physics and mechanics,the primary work is therefore simulating the uncertainties realistically,representatively and efficiently.With regard to the track irregularity simulation,a model is newly developed to obtain random sample sets of track irregularities by transforming its power spectral density function into the equivalent track quality index for representation based on the discrete Parseval theorem,where the correlation between various types of track irregularities is accounted for.To statistically clarify the uncertainty of track properties in physics and mechanics in space,a model combining discrete element method and finite element method is developed to obtain the spatially varied track parametric characteristics,e.g.track stiffness and density,through which the highly expensive experiments in situ can be avoided.Finally a train–track stochastic analysis model is formulated by integrating the system uncertainties into the dynamics model.Numerical examples have validated the accuracy and efficiency of this model and illustrated the effects of system spatial variability on train–track vibrations comprehensively.展开更多
Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway...Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper,and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples.Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways,namely the CRTS I,the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks,the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track,the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways.Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed,including the real bogie loading,multi-point loading and the impact loading.Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement,acceleration,pressure,structural strain and deformation,etc.Utilizing this test platform,both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated,being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways.As examples,three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways.Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform,which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.展开更多
Laying the under-sleeper pad(USP)is one of the effective measures commonly used to delay ballast degradation and reduce maintenance workload.To explore the impact of application of the USP on the dynamic and static me...Laying the under-sleeper pad(USP)is one of the effective measures commonly used to delay ballast degradation and reduce maintenance workload.To explore the impact of application of the USP on the dynamic and static mechanical behavior of the ballast track in the heavy-haul railway system,numerical simulation models of the ballast bed with USP and without USP are presented in this paper by using the discrete element method(DEM)-multi-flexible body dynamic(MFBD)coupling analysis method.The ballast bed support stiffness test and dynamic displacement tests were carried out on the actual operation of a heavy-haul railway line to verify the validity of the models.The results show that using the USP results in a 43.01%reduction in the ballast bed support stiffness and achieves a more uniform distribution of track loads on the sleepers.It effectively reduces the load borne by the sleeper directly under the wheel load,with a 7.89%reduction in the pressure on the sleeper.Furthermore,the laying of the USP changes the lateral resistance sharing ratio of the ballast bed,significantly reducing the stress level of the ballast bed under train loads,with an average stress reduction of 42.19 kPa.It also reduces the plastic displacement of ballast particles and lowers the peak value of rotational angular velocity by about 50%to 70%,which is conducive to slowing down ballast bed settlement deformation and reducing maintenance costs.In summary,laying the USP has a potential value in enhancing the stability and extending the lifespan of the ballast bed in heavy-haul railway systems.展开更多
Due to the fact that ballastless tracks in highspeed railways are not only subjected to repeated train–track dynamic interaction loads,but also suffer from complex environmental loads,the fundamental understanding of...Due to the fact that ballastless tracks in highspeed railways are not only subjected to repeated train–track dynamic interaction loads,but also suffer from complex environmental loads,the fundamental understanding of mechanical performance of ballastless tracks under sophisticated service conditions is an increasingly demanding and challenging issue in high-speed railway networks.This work aims to reveal the effect of train–track interaction and environment loads on the mechanical characteristic variation of ballastless tracks in high-speed railways,particularly focusing on the typical interface damage evolution between track layers.To this end,a finite element model of a double-block ballastless track involving the cohesive zone model for the track interface is first established to analyze the mechanical properties of the track interface under the loading–unloading processes of the negative temperature gradient load(TGL)followed by the same cycle of the positive TGL.Subsequently,the effect of wheel–rail longitudinal interactions on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the track interface is investigated by using a vehicle-slab track vertical-longitudinal coupled dynamics model.Finally,the influence of dynamic water pressure induced by vehicle dynamic load on the mechanical characteristics and damage evolution of the track interface is elucidated using a fluid–solid coupling method.Results show that the loading history of the positive and negative TGLs has a great impact on the nonlinear development and distribution of the track interface stress and damage;the interface damage could be induced by the wheel–rail longitudinal vibrations at a high vehicle running speed owing to the dynamic amplification effect caused by short wave irregularities;the vehicle dynamic load could produce considerable water pressure that presents nonlinear spatial–temporal characteristics at the track interface,which would lead to the interface failure under a certain condition due to the coupled dynamic effect of vehicle load and water pressure.展开更多
To improve the low-frequency vibration reduction effect of a steel spring floating slab track(FST),nonlinear quasizero-stiffness(QZS)vibration isolators composed of positive stiffness elements(PSEs)and negative stiffn...To improve the low-frequency vibration reduction effect of a steel spring floating slab track(FST),nonlinear quasizero-stiffness(QZS)vibration isolators composed of positive stiffness elements(PSEs)and negative stiffness elements(NSEs)were used to support the FST.First,considering the mechanical characteristics of the nonlinear QZS vibration isolators and the dynamic displacement limit(3 mm)of the FST,the feasible parameter groups were studied with the nonlinear stiffness variation range and bearing capacity as evaluation indices.A vertical vehicle quasi-zero-stiffness floating slab track(QZS-FST)coupled dynamic model was then established.To obtain a reasonable nonlinear stiffness within a few millimeters,the original length of the NSEs must be analyzed first,because it chiefly determines the stiffness nonlinearity level.The compression length of the NSEs at the equilibrium position must be determined to obtain the low stiffness of the floating slab without vehicle load.Meanwhile,to meet the dynamic displacement limit of the FST,the PSE stiffness must be increased to obtain a higher stiffness at the critical dynamic displacement.Various stiffness groups for the PSEs and NSEs can provide the same dynamic bearing capacity and yet have a significantly different vibration reduction effect.Excessive stiffness nonlinearity levels cannot effectively improve the vibration reduction effect at the natural frequency.Furthermore,they also significantly amplify the vibrations above the natural frequency.In this paper,the vertical vibration acceleration level(VAL)of the floating slab and the supporting force of the FST can be decreased by 6.9 dB and 55%,respectively,at the resonance frequency.展开更多
The deterioration of the sleeper support on the ballasted track begins with the accumulation of sleeper voids.The increased dynamic loading in the voided zone and the ballast contact conditions cause the accelerated g...The deterioration of the sleeper support on the ballasted track begins with the accumulation of sleeper voids.The increased dynamic loading in the voided zone and the ballast contact conditions cause the accelerated growth of the settlements in the voided zones,which results in the appearance of local instabilities like ballast breakdown,white spots,subgrade defects,etc.The recent detection and quantification of the sleeper voids with track-side and onboard monitoring can help to avoid or delay the development of local instabilities.The present paper is devoted to the study of the dynamic behavior of railway track with sleeper voids in the ballast breakdown zone.The result of the experimental track-side measurements of rail acceleration and deflection is presented.The analysis shows the existence of the dynamic impact during wheel entry in the voided zone.However,the measured dynamic impact is subjected to the bias of the track-side measurement method.Both the mechanism of the impact and the measurement aspects are explained by using the one-beam model on viscoelastic foundation.The void features in the dynamic behavior are analyzed for the purpose of track-side and onboard monitoring.A practical method of the void parameter quantification is proposed.展开更多
Space Technology Experiment and Climate Exploration (STECE) is a small satellite mis- sion of China for space technology experiment and climate exploration. A new test star tracker and one ASTRO 10 star tracker have...Space Technology Experiment and Climate Exploration (STECE) is a small satellite mis- sion of China for space technology experiment and climate exploration. A new test star tracker and one ASTRO 10 star tracker have been loaded on the STECE satellite to test the new star tracker's measurement performance. However, there is no autonomous precession nutation correction func- tion for the test star tracker, which causes an apparent periodic deflection in the inter-boresight angle between the two star trackers with respect to each other of up to - 500 arcsec, so the preces- sion and nutation effect needs to be considered while assessing the test star tracker. This paper researches on the precession-nutation correction for the test star traeker's attitude measurement and presents a precession-nutation correction method based on attitude quaternion data. The peri- odic deflection of the inter-boresight angle between the two star trackers has been greatly eliminated after the precession and nutation of the test star tracker's attitude data have been corrected by the proposed method and the validity of the proposed algorithm has been demonstrated. The in-flight accuracy of the test star tracker has been assessed like attitude noise and low-frequency errors after the precession-nutation correction.展开更多
The aim of this study is to develop coupled matrix formulations to characterize the dynamic interaction between the vehicle,track,and tunnel.The vehicle–track coupled system is established in light of vehicle–track ...The aim of this study is to develop coupled matrix formulations to characterize the dynamic interaction between the vehicle,track,and tunnel.The vehicle–track coupled system is established in light of vehicle–track coupled dynamics theory.The physical characteristics and mechanical behavior of tunnel segments and rings are modeled by the finite element method,while the soil layers of the vehicle–track–tunnel(VTT)system are modeled as an assemblage of 3-D mapping infinite elements by satisfying the boundary conditions at the infinite area.With novelty,the tunnel components,such as rings and segments,have been coupled to the vehicle–track systems using a matrix coupling method for finite elements.The responses of sub-systems included in the VTT interaction are obtained simultaneously to guarantee the solution accuracy.To relieve the computer storage and save the CPU time for the large-scale VTT dynamics system with high degrees of freedoms,a cyclic calculation method is introduced.Apart from model validations,the necessity of considering the tunnel substructures such as rings and segments is demonstrated.In addition,the maximum number of elements in the tunnel segment is confirmed by numerical simulations.展开更多
In this work,a method is put forward to obtain the dynamic solution efficiently and accurately for a large-scale train-track-substructure(TTS)system.It is called implicit-explicit integration and multi-time-step solut...In this work,a method is put forward to obtain the dynamic solution efficiently and accurately for a large-scale train-track-substructure(TTS)system.It is called implicit-explicit integration and multi-time-step solution method(abbreviated as mI-nE-MTS method).The TTS system is divided into train-track subsystem and substruc-ture subsystem.Considering that the root cause of low effi-ciency of obtaining TTS solution lies in solving the alge-braic equation of the substructures,the high-efficient Zhai method,an explicit integration scheme,can be introduced to avoid matrix inversion process.The train-track system is solved by implicitly Park method.Moreover,it is known that the requirement of time step size differs for different sub-systems,integration methods and structural frequency response characteristics.A multi-time-step solution is pro-posed,in which time step size for the train-track subsystem and the substructure subsystem can be arbitrarily chosen once satisfying stability and precision demand,namely the time spent for m implicit integral steps is equal to n explicit integral steps,i.e.,mI=nE as mentioned above.The numeri-cal examples show the accuracy,efficiency,and engineering practicality of the proposed method.展开更多
A large track site with multiple, well-preserved trackways of an Early Jurassic quadrupedal ornithischian dinosaur is the first report of Moyenisauripus-like trackways from Asia, herein named Shenmuichnus youngteilhar...A large track site with multiple, well-preserved trackways of an Early Jurassic quadrupedal ornithischian dinosaur is the first report of Moyenisauripus-like trackways from Asia, herein named Shenmuichnus youngteilhardorum. The tracks occur in a clastic fluvial sequence in the Fuxian Formation in Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province, which is in the same general region as the discovery site of Sinoichnites, the first dinosaur track reported from China. Based on size and morphology, it is likely that Sinoichnites, which is now lost, also represents an ornithischian. The Shenmuichnus youngteilhardorum trackways show two modes of preservation: the first representing deeper tracks, with sediment rims, results in Deltapodus-like tracks, with indistinct pes digit traces and sub-circular manus traces, the second produces Moyenosauripus-like tracks, with clear tridactyl and pentadactyl digit traces in the pes and manus respectively. Thus the Shenmu trackways play a key role in resolving globally significant ichnotaxonomic problems surrounding the nomenclature of Sinoichnites, Moyenosauripus, Deltapodus and other named (Ravatichnus) and unnamed trackways from Asia, Africa and Europe. In addition they shed important light on the paleogeographical and paleoecological distribution of quadrupedal ornithischians in the Early Mesozoic. The track site has been the focus of a major excavation to transfer the trackways from their original remote location to the new Shenmu Museum, in Shenmu City. Other tracksites in the area which reveal Anomoepus, Grallator and the Deltapodus morphotype, together with Shenmuichnus and plant fossil evidence, suggest an Early Jurassic age for the tracksite.展开更多
Objective Despite a large number of bird fossils in the Jehol Biota, Mesozoic bird records from other parts of China are dominated by tracks. Late Cretaceous bird tracks are rarely found in China. Reliable reports so...Objective Despite a large number of bird fossils in the Jehol Biota, Mesozoic bird records from other parts of China are dominated by tracks. Late Cretaceous bird tracks are rarely found in China. Reliable reports so far include a Dongyangornipes and Koreanaornis assemblage of early Late Cretaceous age from Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, China (Azuma et al., 2013). Buckley et al. (2016) consider Dongyangornipes sinensis a subjective junior synonym of Uhangrichnus chuni. Type Uhangrichnus chuni (Yang et al. 1995; Lockley et al., 2012) from the Uhangri Formation, Hwangsan Basin of South Korea is Late Cretaceous in age, and the trackrnaker was a web-footed avian.展开更多
In this paper, we proposed an optimized real-time hybrid cooperative multi-camera tracking system for large-scale au-tomate surveillance based on embedded smart cameras including stationary cameras and moving pan/tilt...In this paper, we proposed an optimized real-time hybrid cooperative multi-camera tracking system for large-scale au-tomate surveillance based on embedded smart cameras including stationary cameras and moving pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras embedded with TI DSP TMS320DM6446 for intelligent visual analysis. Firstly, the overlapping areas and projection relations between adjacent cameras' field of view (FOV) is calculated. Based on the relations of FOV ob-tained and tracking information of each single camera, a homography based target handover procedure is done for long-term multi-camera tracking. After that, we fully implemented the tracking system on the embedded platform de-veloped by our group. Finally, to reduce the huge computational complexity, a novel hierarchical optimization method is proposed. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness and real-time efficiency in dynamic real-world environ-ments and the computational burden is significantly reduced by 98.84%. Our results demonstrate that our proposed sys-tem is capable of tracking targets effectively and achieve large-scale surveillance with clear detailed close-up visual features capturing and recording in dynamic real-life environments.展开更多
The development of analysis on train-induced ground vibration is briefly summarized. A train-track- ground integrated dynamic model is introduced in the paper to predict the ground vibration induced by high-speed trai...The development of analysis on train-induced ground vibration is briefly summarized. A train-track- ground integrated dynamic model is introduced in the paper to predict the ground vibration induced by high-speed trains. Representative dynamic responses of the train-track-ground system predicted by the model are presented. Some major results measured from two field tests on the ground vibration induced by two high-speed trains are reported. Numerical prediction with the proposed train-track-ground model is validated by the high-speed train running experiments. Research results show that the wheel/rail dynamic interaction caused by track irregularities has a significant influence on the ground acceleration and little influence on the ground displacement. The main frequencies of the ground vibration induced by high-speed trains are usually below 80 Hz. Compared with the ballasted track, the ballastless track structure can produce much larger train-induced ground vibration at frequencies above 40 Hz. The vertical ground vibration is much larger than the lateral and longitudinal components.展开更多
"Splitting" and "lumping" are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting ..."Splitting" and "lumping" are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting the dual problems of historical and dubious ichnotaxonomy. Chinese Mesozoic tetrapod track types have been placed into 63 ichnospecies (one Triassic, 28 Jurassic, and 34 Cretaceous), exclusive of other, non-type ichnospecies or ichnotaxa identified from China. Fifty-two (~83%) of these 63 tetrapod ichnospecies were placed in monospecific ichnogenera. At the ichnogenus level, we prune---either by recognizing nomina dubia or by synonymy--17 from the list of 53 dinosaurian ichnogenera (a 32% reduction), leaving 36 ichnotaxa that we consider valid. Most of the cuts affect Jurassic theropod ichnotaxa, which are reduced from 23 to only nine because most ichnogenera are subjective junior synonyms of Grallator and Eubrontes. Fewer Chinese Cretaceous ichnotaxa (only six of 21 ichnogenera) are obvious nomina dubia or subjective synonyms, suggesting greater east Asian endemism during this time. Because ichnospecies differences are subtle, we provisionally retain ichnospecies as valid pending detailed comparative analyses of congeneric ichnospecies. This synthesis is long overdue and is necessary to address problems of historical and provincial ichnotaxonomy, which severely hamper comparisons of tetrapod ichnofaunas in space and time.展开更多
Expansion joints silicone sealants used in high speed railway construction suffer from ultraviolet radiation(UV), high temperature combined with the alkaline environment. To evaluate the durability and analyse the a...Expansion joints silicone sealants used in high speed railway construction suffer from ultraviolet radiation(UV), high temperature combined with the alkaline environment. To evaluate the durability and analyse the ageing mechanism, six one-component silicone sealants from different companies were selected and subjected to accelerated ageing tests including UV, thermal and alkali ageing treatments. The ageing effects on the performance of the sealants were evaluated via the appearance and the mechanical property changes. The changes in molecular structure were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermogravimetry(TG). This study revealed that different materials displayed different sensibilities to the ageing methods, in which 15 %-20 % decreases of mechanical properties could be observed under UV radiation test, owning the most significant effects. Structure analysis showed that the physical changes of aggregative states were the principal factors to the performance, along with the chemical slight changes. The glossiness dropped significantly in ageing test, which could be used as one of the effective evaluation parameters for ageing conditions in the field.展开更多
A pterosaur-bird track assemblage from a sandstone-siltstone-mudstone sequence of the Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group of Xinjiang comprises the first pterosaur track record from this province and the largest specimen th...A pterosaur-bird track assemblage from a sandstone-siltstone-mudstone sequence of the Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group of Xinjiang comprises the first pterosaur track record from this province and the largest specimen thus far known from China.The pterosaur tracks are assigned to the ichnogenus Pteraichnus based on the triangular overall-shape,the four elongate digit traces and the robust manual digit trace Ⅲ.Supposed trackmakers were dsungaripterid pterodactyloids whose skeletal remains are well known from the Tugulu Group.The bird tracks that occur on the same surface,are those of typical shorebirds,known from different other localities in southeast Asia.The congruence with Koreanaornis dodsoni described from the same stratigraphic level justifies an assignment to this ichnospecies.This is a further evidence of the co-occurrence of pterosaurs and birds in a typical iakeshore environment with possible seasonal alteration of water supply and aerial exposure indicated by wave ripples,mudcracks and repeated cycles of coarse to fine sediment.Pterosaurs and birds frequented the shoreline and may have fed also on the numerous invertebrates such as the Scoyenia tracemaker that left abundant burrows.展开更多
The southern of the Iberian Peninsula preserves a diverse ichnological record of vertebrates from the late Neogene-Quaternary.While the ages of several tracksites,such as those from the Miocene-Pliocene transition and...The southern of the Iberian Peninsula preserves a diverse ichnological record of vertebrates from the late Neogene-Quaternary.While the ages of several tracksites,such as those from the Miocene-Pliocene transition and the middle-late Pleistocene,are well-established,others remain undated or have unknown ages.This paper reports the discovery of the southernmost tracksite in the Iberian Peninsula and continental Europe on the Island of Tarifa(C adiz).The tracksite contains over 600 vertebrate footprints from the early Pleistocene that are grouped in four morphotypes.Morphotypes 1,2 and 3(M1,M2 and M3)are predominantly didactyl-shaped,rounded to ovoid and elongated,and associated with tracks left by artiodactyls.Morphotype4(M4),suboval to subcircular in outline,is the largest and is probably related to the imprint left by proboscideans.We also document the progressive transition from morphotype 2 with isolated,rounded footprints to morphotype 3 with elongated tracks formed by overlapping two tracks of the same animal which is observed.The consistency of the substrate,together with the trackmaker limb dynamics,conditioned the final morphology of the tracks,which were produced in a very soft clay-rich substrate of late Oligocene,that was folded and tilted in the latest Pliocene.This relief configuration gave rise to a narrow,partially or totally flooded corridor through which the trackmaker animals passed continuously,simultaneously,and in opposite ways.This discovery from the southernmost tip of continental Europe is the first one from the early Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula and a rare example from the Mediterranean region.展开更多
基金supported by National Key R&D Program of China[Grant No.2022YFB2603400]R&D Project of China State Railway Group Corporation Limited[Grant No.P2021G053]R&D Project of China Academy of Railway Science Corporation Limited[Grant No.2023YJ200].
文摘Purpose-Temperature is an important load for a ballastless track.However,little research has been conducted on the dynamic responses when a train travels on a ballastless track under the temperature gradient.The dynamic responses under different temperature gradients of the slab are theoretically investigated in this work.Design/methodology/approach-Considering the moving train,the temperature gradient of the slab,and the gravity of the slab track,a dynamic model for a high-speed train that runs along the CRTS Ⅲ slab track on subgrade is developed by a nonlinear coupled way in Abaqus.Findings-The results are as follows:(1)The upward transmission of the periodic deformation of the slab causes periodic track irregularity.(2)Because of the geometric constraint of limiting structures,the maximum bending stresses of the slab occur near the end of the slab under positive temperature gradients,but in the middle of the slab under negative temperature gradients.(3)The periodic deformation of the slab can induce periodic changes in the interlayer stiffness and contact status,leading to a large vibration of the slab.Because of the vibration-reduction capacity of the fastener and the larger mass of the concrete base,the accelerations of both the slab and concrete base are far less than the acceleration of the rail.Originality/value-This study reveals the influence mechanism of temperature gradient-induced periodic deformation in the dynamic responses of the train-track system,and it also provides a guide for the safe service of CRTS Ⅲ slab track.
基金Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.U1934206,52208299,and 52108260)the 2021 Tencent XPLORER PRIZE。
文摘In order to clarify the fatigue damage evolution of concrete exposed to flexural fatigue loads,ultrasonic pulse velocity(UPV),impact-echo technology and surface electrical resistance(SR) method were used.Damage variable based on the change of velocity of ultrasonic pulse(Du) and impact elastic wave(Di)were defined according to the classical damage theory.The influences of stress level,loading frequency and concrete strength on damage variable were measured.The experimental results show that Du and Di both present a three-stages trend for concrete exposed to fatigue loads.Since impact elastic wave is more sensitive to the microstructure damage in stage Ⅲ,the critical damage variable,i e,the damage variable before the final fracture of concrete of Di is slightly higher than that of Du.Meanwhile,the evolution of SR of concrete exposed to fatigue loads were analyzed and the relationship between SR and Du,SR and Di of concrete exposed to fatigue loads were established.It is found that the SR of concrete was decreased with the increasing fatigue cycles,indicating that surface electrical resistance method can also be applied to describe the damage of ballastless track concrete exposed to fatigue loads.
基金Project(52072412)supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China。
文摘Traditional track dynamic geometric state(TDGS)simulation incurs substantial computational burdens,posing challenges for developing reliability assessment approach that accounts for TDGS.To overcome these,firstly,a simulation-based TDGS model is established,and a surrogate-based model,grid search algorithm-particle swarm optimization-genetic algorithm-multi-output least squares support vector regression,is established.Among them,hyperparameter optimization algorithm’s effectiveness is confirmed through test functions.Subsequently,an adaptive surrogate-based probability density evolution method(PDEM)considering random track geometry irregularity(TGI)is developed.Finally,taking curved train-steel spring floating slab track-U beam as case study,the surrogate-based model trained on simulation datasets not only shows accuracy in both time and frequency domains,but also surpasses existing models.Additionally,the adaptive surrogate-based PDEM shows high accuracy and efficiency,outperforming Monte Carlo simulation and simulation-based PDEM.The reliability assessment shows that the TDGS part peak management indexes,left/right vertical dynamic irregularity,right alignment dynamic irregularity,and track twist,have reliability values of 0.9648,0.9918,0.9978,and 0.9901,respectively.The TDGS mean management index,i.e.,track quality index,has reliability value of 0.9950.These findings show that the proposed framework can accurately and efficiently assess the reliability of curved low-stiffness track-viaducts,providing a theoretical basis for the TGI maintenance.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) under Grant Nos. 51735012 and 11790283
文摘This paper aims to clarify the influence of system spatial variability on train–track interaction from perspectives of stochastic analysis and statistics.Considering the spatial randomness of system properties in geometry,physics and mechanics,the primary work is therefore simulating the uncertainties realistically,representatively and efficiently.With regard to the track irregularity simulation,a model is newly developed to obtain random sample sets of track irregularities by transforming its power spectral density function into the equivalent track quality index for representation based on the discrete Parseval theorem,where the correlation between various types of track irregularities is accounted for.To statistically clarify the uncertainty of track properties in physics and mechanics in space,a model combining discrete element method and finite element method is developed to obtain the spatially varied track parametric characteristics,e.g.track stiffness and density,through which the highly expensive experiments in situ can be avoided.Finally a train–track stochastic analysis model is formulated by integrating the system uncertainties into the dynamics model.Numerical examples have validated the accuracy and efficiency of this model and illustrated the effects of system spatial variability on train–track vibrations comprehensively.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China[Grant Nos.11790283,51978587,51708457]the Program of Introducing Talents of Discipline to Universities(111 Project)[Grant No.B16041].
文摘Motivated by the huge practical engineering demand for the fundamental understanding of mechanical characteristics of high-speed railway infrastructure,a fullscale multi-functional test platform for high-speed railway track–subgrade system is developed in this paper,and its main functions for investigating the mechanical performance of track–subgrade systems are elaborated with three typical experimental examples.Comprising the full-scale subgrade structure and all the five types of track structures adopted in Chinese high-speed railways,namely the CRTS I,the CRTS II and the CRTS III ballastless tracks,the double-block ballastless track and the ballasted track,the test platform is established strictly according to the construction standard of Chinese high-speed railways.Three kinds of effective loading methods are employed,including the real bogie loading,multi-point loading and the impact loading.Various types of sensors are adopted in different components of the five types of track–subgrade systems to measure the displacement,acceleration,pressure,structural strain and deformation,etc.Utilizing this test platform,both dynamic characteristics and long-term performance evolution of high-speed railway track–subgrade systems can be investigated,being able to satisfy the actual demand for large-scale operation of Chinese high-speed railways.As examples,three typical experimental studies are presented to elucidate the comprehensive functionalities of the full-scale multi-functional test platform for exploring the dynamic performance and its long-term evolution of ballastless track systems and for studying the long-term accumulative settlement of the ballasted track–subgrade system in high-speed railways.Some interesting phenomena and meaningful results are captured by the developed test platform,which provide a useful guidance for the scientific operation and maintenance of high-speed railway infrastructure.
基金the project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52372425)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(Science and technology leading talent team project)(Grant No.2022JBXT010).
文摘Laying the under-sleeper pad(USP)is one of the effective measures commonly used to delay ballast degradation and reduce maintenance workload.To explore the impact of application of the USP on the dynamic and static mechanical behavior of the ballast track in the heavy-haul railway system,numerical simulation models of the ballast bed with USP and without USP are presented in this paper by using the discrete element method(DEM)-multi-flexible body dynamic(MFBD)coupling analysis method.The ballast bed support stiffness test and dynamic displacement tests were carried out on the actual operation of a heavy-haul railway line to verify the validity of the models.The results show that using the USP results in a 43.01%reduction in the ballast bed support stiffness and achieves a more uniform distribution of track loads on the sleepers.It effectively reduces the load borne by the sleeper directly under the wheel load,with a 7.89%reduction in the pressure on the sleeper.Furthermore,the laying of the USP changes the lateral resistance sharing ratio of the ballast bed,significantly reducing the stress level of the ballast bed under train loads,with an average stress reduction of 42.19 kPa.It also reduces the plastic displacement of ballast particles and lowers the peak value of rotational angular velocity by about 50%to 70%,which is conducive to slowing down ballast bed settlement deformation and reducing maintenance costs.In summary,laying the USP has a potential value in enhancing the stability and extending the lifespan of the ballast bed in heavy-haul railway systems.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51708457,11790283,and 51978587)the Fund from State Key Laboratory of Traction Power(2019TPL-T16)+1 种基金the Young Elite Scientists Sponsorship Program by CAST(2018QNRC001)the 111 Project(Grant No.B16041)。
文摘Due to the fact that ballastless tracks in highspeed railways are not only subjected to repeated train–track dynamic interaction loads,but also suffer from complex environmental loads,the fundamental understanding of mechanical performance of ballastless tracks under sophisticated service conditions is an increasingly demanding and challenging issue in high-speed railway networks.This work aims to reveal the effect of train–track interaction and environment loads on the mechanical characteristic variation of ballastless tracks in high-speed railways,particularly focusing on the typical interface damage evolution between track layers.To this end,a finite element model of a double-block ballastless track involving the cohesive zone model for the track interface is first established to analyze the mechanical properties of the track interface under the loading–unloading processes of the negative temperature gradient load(TGL)followed by the same cycle of the positive TGL.Subsequently,the effect of wheel–rail longitudinal interactions on the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the track interface is investigated by using a vehicle-slab track vertical-longitudinal coupled dynamics model.Finally,the influence of dynamic water pressure induced by vehicle dynamic load on the mechanical characteristics and damage evolution of the track interface is elucidated using a fluid–solid coupling method.Results show that the loading history of the positive and negative TGLs has a great impact on the nonlinear development and distribution of the track interface stress and damage;the interface damage could be induced by the wheel–rail longitudinal vibrations at a high vehicle running speed owing to the dynamic amplification effect caused by short wave irregularities;the vehicle dynamic load could produce considerable water pressure that presents nonlinear spatial–temporal characteristics at the track interface,which would lead to the interface failure under a certain condition due to the coupled dynamic effect of vehicle load and water pressure.
基金Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.5197858351425804+2 种基金51578468and 51608460)the Open Foundation of State Key Laboratory for Track Technology of High-speed Railway(No.2018YJ180)。
文摘To improve the low-frequency vibration reduction effect of a steel spring floating slab track(FST),nonlinear quasizero-stiffness(QZS)vibration isolators composed of positive stiffness elements(PSEs)and negative stiffness elements(NSEs)were used to support the FST.First,considering the mechanical characteristics of the nonlinear QZS vibration isolators and the dynamic displacement limit(3 mm)of the FST,the feasible parameter groups were studied with the nonlinear stiffness variation range and bearing capacity as evaluation indices.A vertical vehicle quasi-zero-stiffness floating slab track(QZS-FST)coupled dynamic model was then established.To obtain a reasonable nonlinear stiffness within a few millimeters,the original length of the NSEs must be analyzed first,because it chiefly determines the stiffness nonlinearity level.The compression length of the NSEs at the equilibrium position must be determined to obtain the low stiffness of the floating slab without vehicle load.Meanwhile,to meet the dynamic displacement limit of the FST,the PSE stiffness must be increased to obtain a higher stiffness at the critical dynamic displacement.Various stiffness groups for the PSEs and NSEs can provide the same dynamic bearing capacity and yet have a significantly different vibration reduction effect.Excessive stiffness nonlinearity levels cannot effectively improve the vibration reduction effect at the natural frequency.Furthermore,they also significantly amplify the vibrations above the natural frequency.In this paper,the vertical vibration acceleration level(VAL)of the floating slab and the supporting force of the FST can be decreased by 6.9 dB and 55%,respectively,at the resonance frequency.
基金The authors acknowledge the support of Swiss Federal Railways with the experimental measurements.
文摘The deterioration of the sleeper support on the ballasted track begins with the accumulation of sleeper voids.The increased dynamic loading in the voided zone and the ballast contact conditions cause the accelerated growth of the settlements in the voided zones,which results in the appearance of local instabilities like ballast breakdown,white spots,subgrade defects,etc.The recent detection and quantification of the sleeper voids with track-side and onboard monitoring can help to avoid or delay the development of local instabilities.The present paper is devoted to the study of the dynamic behavior of railway track with sleeper voids in the ballast breakdown zone.The result of the experimental track-side measurements of rail acceleration and deflection is presented.The analysis shows the existence of the dynamic impact during wheel entry in the voided zone.However,the measured dynamic impact is subjected to the bias of the track-side measurement method.Both the mechanism of the impact and the measurement aspects are explained by using the one-beam model on viscoelastic foundation.The void features in the dynamic behavior are analyzed for the purpose of track-side and onboard monitoring.A practical method of the void parameter quantification is proposed.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 61002033,61370013)
文摘Space Technology Experiment and Climate Exploration (STECE) is a small satellite mis- sion of China for space technology experiment and climate exploration. A new test star tracker and one ASTRO 10 star tracker have been loaded on the STECE satellite to test the new star tracker's measurement performance. However, there is no autonomous precession nutation correction func- tion for the test star tracker, which causes an apparent periodic deflection in the inter-boresight angle between the two star trackers with respect to each other of up to - 500 arcsec, so the preces- sion and nutation effect needs to be considered while assessing the test star tracker. This paper researches on the precession-nutation correction for the test star traeker's attitude measurement and presents a precession-nutation correction method based on attitude quaternion data. The peri- odic deflection of the inter-boresight angle between the two star trackers has been greatly eliminated after the precession and nutation of the test star tracker's attitude data have been corrected by the proposed method and the validity of the proposed algorithm has been demonstrated. The in-flight accuracy of the test star tracker has been assessed like attitude noise and low-frequency errors after the precession-nutation correction.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52008404,11790283,and 51735012).
文摘The aim of this study is to develop coupled matrix formulations to characterize the dynamic interaction between the vehicle,track,and tunnel.The vehicle–track coupled system is established in light of vehicle–track coupled dynamics theory.The physical characteristics and mechanical behavior of tunnel segments and rings are modeled by the finite element method,while the soil layers of the vehicle–track–tunnel(VTT)system are modeled as an assemblage of 3-D mapping infinite elements by satisfying the boundary conditions at the infinite area.With novelty,the tunnel components,such as rings and segments,have been coupled to the vehicle–track systems using a matrix coupling method for finite elements.The responses of sub-systems included in the VTT interaction are obtained simultaneously to guarantee the solution accuracy.To relieve the computer storage and save the CPU time for the large-scale VTT dynamics system with high degrees of freedoms,a cyclic calculation method is introduced.Apart from model validations,the necessity of considering the tunnel substructures such as rings and segments is demonstrated.In addition,the maximum number of elements in the tunnel segment is confirmed by numerical simulations.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.52008404,U1934217 and 11790283)Science and Technology Research and Development Program Project of China Railway Group Limited(Major Special Project,No.2020-Special-02)the National Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province(Grant No.2021JJ30850).
文摘In this work,a method is put forward to obtain the dynamic solution efficiently and accurately for a large-scale train-track-substructure(TTS)system.It is called implicit-explicit integration and multi-time-step solution method(abbreviated as mI-nE-MTS method).The TTS system is divided into train-track subsystem and substruc-ture subsystem.Considering that the root cause of low effi-ciency of obtaining TTS solution lies in solving the alge-braic equation of the substructures,the high-efficient Zhai method,an explicit integration scheme,can be introduced to avoid matrix inversion process.The train-track system is solved by implicitly Park method.Moreover,it is known that the requirement of time step size differs for different sub-systems,integration methods and structural frequency response characteristics.A multi-time-step solution is pro-posed,in which time step size for the train-track subsystem and the substructure subsystem can be arbitrarily chosen once satisfying stability and precision demand,namely the time spent for m implicit integral steps is equal to n explicit integral steps,i.e.,mI=nE as mentioned above.The numeri-cal examples show the accuracy,efficiency,and engineering practicality of the proposed method.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(no.40872005)
文摘A large track site with multiple, well-preserved trackways of an Early Jurassic quadrupedal ornithischian dinosaur is the first report of Moyenisauripus-like trackways from Asia, herein named Shenmuichnus youngteilhardorum. The tracks occur in a clastic fluvial sequence in the Fuxian Formation in Shenmu County, Shaanxi Province, which is in the same general region as the discovery site of Sinoichnites, the first dinosaur track reported from China. Based on size and morphology, it is likely that Sinoichnites, which is now lost, also represents an ornithischian. The Shenmuichnus youngteilhardorum trackways show two modes of preservation: the first representing deeper tracks, with sediment rims, results in Deltapodus-like tracks, with indistinct pes digit traces and sub-circular manus traces, the second produces Moyenosauripus-like tracks, with clear tridactyl and pentadactyl digit traces in the pes and manus respectively. Thus the Shenmu trackways play a key role in resolving globally significant ichnotaxonomic problems surrounding the nomenclature of Sinoichnites, Moyenosauripus, Deltapodus and other named (Ravatichnus) and unnamed trackways from Asia, Africa and Europe. In addition they shed important light on the paleogeographical and paleoecological distribution of quadrupedal ornithischians in the Early Mesozoic. The track site has been the focus of a major excavation to transfer the trackways from their original remote location to the new Shenmu Museum, in Shenmu City. Other tracksites in the area which reveal Anomoepus, Grallator and the Deltapodus morphotype, together with Shenmuichnus and plant fossil evidence, suggest an Early Jurassic age for the tracksite.
基金supported by State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS) (No.173127)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No.2652017215)
文摘Objective Despite a large number of bird fossils in the Jehol Biota, Mesozoic bird records from other parts of China are dominated by tracks. Late Cretaceous bird tracks are rarely found in China. Reliable reports so far include a Dongyangornipes and Koreanaornis assemblage of early Late Cretaceous age from Dongyang City, Zhejiang Province, China (Azuma et al., 2013). Buckley et al. (2016) consider Dongyangornipes sinensis a subjective junior synonym of Uhangrichnus chuni. Type Uhangrichnus chuni (Yang et al. 1995; Lockley et al., 2012) from the Uhangri Formation, Hwangsan Basin of South Korea is Late Cretaceous in age, and the trackrnaker was a web-footed avian.
文摘In this paper, we proposed an optimized real-time hybrid cooperative multi-camera tracking system for large-scale au-tomate surveillance based on embedded smart cameras including stationary cameras and moving pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras embedded with TI DSP TMS320DM6446 for intelligent visual analysis. Firstly, the overlapping areas and projection relations between adjacent cameras' field of view (FOV) is calculated. Based on the relations of FOV ob-tained and tracking information of each single camera, a homography based target handover procedure is done for long-term multi-camera tracking. After that, we fully implemented the tracking system on the embedded platform de-veloped by our group. Finally, to reduce the huge computational complexity, a novel hierarchical optimization method is proposed. Experimental results demonstrate the robustness and real-time efficiency in dynamic real-world environ-ments and the computational burden is significantly reduced by 98.84%. Our results demonstrate that our proposed sys-tem is capable of tracking targets effectively and achieve large-scale surveillance with clear detailed close-up visual features capturing and recording in dynamic real-life environments.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China Under Grant No. 50838006 and No. 50823004the Traction Power State Key Laboratory of Southwest Jiaotong University Under Grant No. 2008TPL-Z05the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province
文摘The development of analysis on train-induced ground vibration is briefly summarized. A train-track- ground integrated dynamic model is introduced in the paper to predict the ground vibration induced by high-speed trains. Representative dynamic responses of the train-track-ground system predicted by the model are presented. Some major results measured from two field tests on the ground vibration induced by two high-speed trains are reported. Numerical prediction with the proposed train-track-ground model is validated by the high-speed train running experiments. Research results show that the wheel/rail dynamic interaction caused by track irregularities has a significant influence on the ground acceleration and little influence on the ground displacement. The main frequencies of the ground vibration induced by high-speed trains are usually below 80 Hz. Compared with the ballasted track, the ballastless track structure can produce much larger train-induced ground vibration at frequencies above 40 Hz. The vertical ground vibration is much larger than the lateral and longitudinal components.
基金supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science(to Masaki Matsukawa,no.1183303,1999-2000)the Grant-in Aid for University and Society Collaboration of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Science,Sports and Culture(to Masaki Matsukawa,no. 11791012,1999-2001)+2 种基金The Shandong portion of this study was supported financially,in part,by the National Natural Science Foundation of China grant no.40972005 to Rihui LiThe Nei Mongol portion of this study was supported by a grant from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(40872005) to Jianjun Lithe Beijing Museum of Natural History,with supplemental support from the Dinosaur Tracks Museum,University of Colorado Denver
文摘"Splitting" and "lumping" are perpetual problems in vertebrate, especially dinosaur, ichnotaxonomy. Chinese dinosaur ichnotaxonomy, which began in 1940, provides a series of interesting case studies, highlighting the dual problems of historical and dubious ichnotaxonomy. Chinese Mesozoic tetrapod track types have been placed into 63 ichnospecies (one Triassic, 28 Jurassic, and 34 Cretaceous), exclusive of other, non-type ichnospecies or ichnotaxa identified from China. Fifty-two (~83%) of these 63 tetrapod ichnospecies were placed in monospecific ichnogenera. At the ichnogenus level, we prune---either by recognizing nomina dubia or by synonymy--17 from the list of 53 dinosaurian ichnogenera (a 32% reduction), leaving 36 ichnotaxa that we consider valid. Most of the cuts affect Jurassic theropod ichnotaxa, which are reduced from 23 to only nine because most ichnogenera are subjective junior synonyms of Grallator and Eubrontes. Fewer Chinese Cretaceous ichnotaxa (only six of 21 ichnogenera) are obvious nomina dubia or subjective synonyms, suggesting greater east Asian endemism during this time. Because ichnospecies differences are subtle, we provisionally retain ichnospecies as valid pending detailed comparative analyses of congeneric ichnospecies. This synthesis is long overdue and is necessary to address problems of historical and provincial ichnotaxonomy, which severely hamper comparisons of tetrapod ichnofaunas in space and time.
基金Funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.51578545,51378499 and 51708557)Technological Research and Development Programs of China Railways Corporation(Nos.2008G031-N,2013G008-A-3)Technological Research and Development Programs of China Academy of Railways Sciences(Nos.2012YJ025,2016YJ047)
文摘Expansion joints silicone sealants used in high speed railway construction suffer from ultraviolet radiation(UV), high temperature combined with the alkaline environment. To evaluate the durability and analyse the ageing mechanism, six one-component silicone sealants from different companies were selected and subjected to accelerated ageing tests including UV, thermal and alkali ageing treatments. The ageing effects on the performance of the sealants were evaluated via the appearance and the mechanical property changes. The changes in molecular structure were studied by means of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC) and thermogravimetry(TG). This study revealed that different materials displayed different sensibilities to the ageing methods, in which 15 %-20 % decreases of mechanical properties could be observed under UV radiation test, owning the most significant effects. Structure analysis showed that the physical changes of aggregative states were the principal factors to the performance, along with the chemical slight changes. The glossiness dropped significantly in ageing test, which could be used as one of the effective evaluation parameters for ageing conditions in the field.
基金supported by Key Laboratory of Evolutionary Systematics of Vertebrates, CAS (2011LESV008)the Xinjiang Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration
文摘A pterosaur-bird track assemblage from a sandstone-siltstone-mudstone sequence of the Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group of Xinjiang comprises the first pterosaur track record from this province and the largest specimen thus far known from China.The pterosaur tracks are assigned to the ichnogenus Pteraichnus based on the triangular overall-shape,the four elongate digit traces and the robust manual digit trace Ⅲ.Supposed trackmakers were dsungaripterid pterodactyloids whose skeletal remains are well known from the Tugulu Group.The bird tracks that occur on the same surface,are those of typical shorebirds,known from different other localities in southeast Asia.The congruence with Koreanaornis dodsoni described from the same stratigraphic level justifies an assignment to this ichnospecies.This is a further evidence of the co-occurrence of pterosaurs and birds in a typical iakeshore environment with possible seasonal alteration of water supply and aerial exposure indicated by wave ripples,mudcracks and repeated cycles of coarse to fine sediment.Pterosaurs and birds frequented the shoreline and may have fed also on the numerous invertebrates such as the Scoyenia tracemaker that left abundant burrows.
基金supported by the R+D+i Project PCM-00096,the Project PID2019-104625RB-100funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033+1 种基金the grants to the Research Group RNM276(Junta de Andalucía)the CCTH from University of Huelva。
文摘The southern of the Iberian Peninsula preserves a diverse ichnological record of vertebrates from the late Neogene-Quaternary.While the ages of several tracksites,such as those from the Miocene-Pliocene transition and the middle-late Pleistocene,are well-established,others remain undated or have unknown ages.This paper reports the discovery of the southernmost tracksite in the Iberian Peninsula and continental Europe on the Island of Tarifa(C adiz).The tracksite contains over 600 vertebrate footprints from the early Pleistocene that are grouped in four morphotypes.Morphotypes 1,2 and 3(M1,M2 and M3)are predominantly didactyl-shaped,rounded to ovoid and elongated,and associated with tracks left by artiodactyls.Morphotype4(M4),suboval to subcircular in outline,is the largest and is probably related to the imprint left by proboscideans.We also document the progressive transition from morphotype 2 with isolated,rounded footprints to morphotype 3 with elongated tracks formed by overlapping two tracks of the same animal which is observed.The consistency of the substrate,together with the trackmaker limb dynamics,conditioned the final morphology of the tracks,which were produced in a very soft clay-rich substrate of late Oligocene,that was folded and tilted in the latest Pliocene.This relief configuration gave rise to a narrow,partially or totally flooded corridor through which the trackmaker animals passed continuously,simultaneously,and in opposite ways.This discovery from the southernmost tip of continental Europe is the first one from the early Pleistocene in the Iberian Peninsula and a rare example from the Mediterranean region.