胃(肠)容物是一类稀有的化石记录, 可以为古食谱研究提供直接证据。1909 年以来, 仅有十几例植食性非鸟恐龙的胃(肠)容物报道, 标本涵盖蜥脚类(Sauropoda)、兽脚类(Theropoda)、鸭嘴龙科(Hadrosauridae)、有甲类 (Thyreophora)四个主要类群。对胃(肠)容物中植物材料的形态学、分类学鉴定, 辅以孢粉学和地球化学分析, 可以揭示死亡个体的最后一餐, 并为植食性恐龙的消化系统、取食行为以及它们与中生代植物之间的协同演化提供证据。但植物材料的来源(如是否通过流水引入)往往不易判断, 使一部分标本存在争议。此外, 鉴于其特异保存能力, 中国东北热河、燕辽两个生物群的标本值得格外关注。文中回顾了植食性恐龙胃(肠)容物的研究进展和方法学, 并阐述了该材料所蕴含的演化生物学、古环境学及古生态学意义。

Cololites, fossilized stomach or gut contents, are rare and they contain direct evidence for dietary information of ancient animals. Within herbivorous (non-avian) dinosaurs, only 10 records of putative cololites, attributed to four major groups: Sauropoda, Theropoda, Hadrosauridae (Ornithopoda) and Thyreophora, have been reported since 1909. The last meal of the individual could be revealed by studying the morphology and taxonomy of the plant materials in the colo-lites, supplemented by palynological and geochemical analyses. But in some cases, it’s hard to decide whether the plantmaterials are autochthonous or allochthonous (e.g., being brought in by flowing water), which makes interpretations controversial. Furthermore, cololites could be a potential evidence for digestive system and feeding behaviour of herbivorous dinosaurs, and their co-evolution with the Mesozoic plants. Notably, greater emphasis should be placed on the Jehol Biota and the Yanliao Biota in northeastern China, considering the exceptional preservation of the fossils. This paper reviews the research progress on putative cololites of herbivorous dinosaurs, as well as their evolutionary, paleoenvironmental and paleoecological implications.

中国科学院战略性先导科技专项(XDB26000000)、国家重点基础研究发展计划(2015CB953800)、国家自然科学基金(41730319, 41772371, 41888101)和中国科学院青年创新促进会(2018099)联合资助