Hippotherium Datum implies Miocene palaeoecological pattern.

Here, we report well-preserved skulls and postcranial specimens of genus Hippotherium from the Linxia Basin, Gansu, China. Based on morphological comparison, the species of Hippotherium in China, Hippotherium weihoense and Hippotherium chiai, should be ascribed to the same species, H. weihoense. We also reviewe other Old World hipparion species in the very early Late Miocene and figure out two evolutionary routes: the Hippotherium and Cormohipparion lineages. Analysis of locomotive ability indicates that H. weihoense likely lived in an open habitat, whereas other species of Hippotherium likely lived in closed habitats. This result shows a palaeoecological pattern in the early Late Miocene in Eurasia influenced by a series of geological events as aridification of mid-latitude Asia progressed, whereas Europe and North Africa remained relatively humid. As the genus originated from East Asia, hipparion horses divided rapidly into different groups with differing functional morphology to occupy diverse niches.

An Oligocene giant rhino provides insights into Paraceratherium evolution.

As one of the largest land mammals, the origin and evolution of the giant rhino Paraceratherium bugtiense in Pakistan have been unclear. We report a new species Paraceratherium linxiaense sp. nov. from northwestern China with an age of 26.5 Ma. Morphology and phylogeny reveal that P. linxiaense is the highly derived species of the genus Paraceratherium, and its clade with P. lepidum has a tight relationship to P. bugtiense. Based on the paleogeographical literature, P. bugtiense represents a range expansion of Paraceratherium from Central Asia via the Tibetan region. By the late Oligocene, P. lepidum and P. linxiaense were found in the north side of the Tibetan Plateau. The Tibetan region likely hosted some areas with low elevation, possibly under 2000 m during Oligocene, and the lineage of giant rhinos could have dispersed freely along the eastern coast of the Tethys Ocean and perhaps through some lowlands of this region.

A new species of Shaanxispira (Bovidae, Artiodactyla) from the upper Miocene of China.

A new species of the bovid Shaanxispira, from the upper Miocene deposits of the Linxia Basin, Gansu Province, China, is described here. Shaanxispira is endemic to Northern China and was previously known only from the Lantian area, Shaanxi Province, by two species, S. chowi and S. baheensis. The new species, S. linxiaensis nov. sp., is of early Bahean in age, slightly older than the species from the Lantian area. The horn-cores of the new species are more derived, with large wing-shaped antero-medial keels, suggesting the occurrence of a different lineage of Shaanxispira in the Linxia Basin. Although Shaanxispira has homonymously twisted horn-cores, it is not closely related to other late Miocene bovids with homonymously twisted horn-cores, like Oioceros and Samotragus. Its phylogenetic status is still in debate, but might be more closely related to the late Miocene "ovibovines." 

[Impact of preservation of distal prostatic capsula and seminal vesicle on functions of orthotopic ideal neobladder and erectile function of bladder cancer patients].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Radical cystectomy is the main treatment for invasive bladder cancer. Using ileal neobladder to reconstruct the low urinary tract is commonly applied as urine diversion in recent years. This study was to assess the impact of preservation of distal prostatic capsula and seminal vesicle during modified radical cystectomy on the functions of orthotopic ideal neobladder and erectile function of bladder cancer patients. METHODS: Clinical data of 36 bladder cancer patients, treated from Jan. 2000 to Dec. 2006, were analyzed. Of the 36 patients, 27 underwent modified cystectomy, and 9 underwent classical cystectomy. The distal prostatic capsula and seminal vesicle were retained in modified cystectomy group. The postoperative complications, functions of the neobladder (storage, continence, voiding) and erectile function of the 2 groups were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for 3 to 84 months. At 6 months after operation, the differences in the capacity of the neobladder [(385+/-68) mL vs. (388+/-71) mL] and maximal filling pressure [(24+/-16) cmH2O vs. (25+/-15) cmH2O] between modified cystectomy group and classical cystectomy group were not significant (P>0.05); while the differences in maximal urine flow rate (Qmax) [(18+/-5) mL/s vs. (14+/-7) mL/s], residual urine volume [(35+/-16) mL vs. (97+/-35) mL], the occurrence of complete urinary continence [(24/27) vs. (3/9)], nocturnal incontinence [(3/27) vs. (6/9)], anastomotic stenosis [(4/27) vs. (3/9)], and erectile function preservation [(19/23) vs. (3/7)] between the 2 groups were significant (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Preserving distal prostatic capsula and seminal vesicle can improve the continence and voiding functions of the orthotopic neobladder, preserve the erectile function, and prevent the occurrence of neovesicourethral anastomotic stenosis.