Paleo-environments and tectonic setting of the Mesozoic Thung Yai Group in Peninsular Thailand,with a new record of Parvamussium donaiense Mansuy, 1914

The Thung Yai Group extends over a large area of peninsular Thailand, along the eastern margin of the Shan Thai block. Bound by angular unconformities 300 m thick dominantly detritic brackish to non-marine deposits with few intercalated limestone beds between Triassic marine and Tertiary non-marine sediments, represent the Thung Yai Group that comprises four formations: Khlong Min, Lam Thap, Sam Chom, and Phun Phin Formations. In the Ao Luk–Plai Phraya (ALPP) area, the Khlong Min and Lam Thap formations yield marine, brackish-water and non-marine fossil assemblages. These include trace fossils and for the first time in peninsular southern Thailand, the bivalve Parvamussium donaiense Mansuy, 1914. Based on fossil determinations, the Thung Yai Group has a late Early Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age.Our new observations help unravel the tectonic history of Mesozoic Peninsular Thailand. After the complete closure of the Paleotethys in the Late Triassic, renewed inundation, from the late Early Jurassic to the early Middle Jurassic, brought a regime of shallow to open marine and lagoon sedimentation over northwestern, western and southern peninsular Thailand, in the eastern part of Sundaland bordering the Mesotethys to the west.     

Remarkable preservation of microbial mats in Neoproterozoic siliciclastic settings: Implications for Ediacaran taphonomic models

It is beyond doubt that the appearance of infaunal bioturbation and metazoan biomineralization across the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition irreversibly affected the nature of marine sediment architecture and biogeochemistry. Here we review those changes in relation to their likely effect upon the processes of fossil preservation, especially within siliciclastic sediments. Processes of soft-tissue preservation in siliciclastic settings from the Ediacaran Period, including microbes and microbial mats as well as Ediacaran macrofossils, are here reviewed within this context. Highlighted examples include the exceptional preservation of microbes found in association with wrinkle structures and Ediacaran macrofossils in England and Newfoundland (replicated by silicate minerals) and in the White Sea region of Russia (replicated by iron sulphide). These occurrences show that soft-tissue preservation in siliciclastic settings went well beyond that typical for Ediacaran macrofossils alone and also extended to similar modes of preservation in associated microbes. Using these new observations it can be argued that several existing explanations for Ediacaran fossil preservation can be united within a biogeochemical model that involves evolution of the sediment mixed layer across this transition.     

Potassic salts in Phanerozoic evaporite basins and specific features of salt deposition at the final stage of halogenesis

The study of the final stage of halogenesis is one of the most topical problems of evaporite sedimentation and formation of fossil salt deposits. The spatiotemporal distribution of various sulfate, sulfate-chloride, and chloride mineral assemblages of the final stage of Phanerozoic halogenic basins and the compositional trends of marine sulfate and chloride solutions indicate that crystallization of minerals followed a stable trend, while the metastable (“solar”) trend was typical only when the composition of ancient marine solutions fitted that of the condensed oceanic water. The formation of potassic and potassic-magnesian deposits of the sulfate and chloride types is related to the final stage of halogenesis, whereas magnesian and calcium chlorides are deposited at the eutonic stage. The difference between mineral assemblages of potassic and potassic-magnesian deposits in the Phanerozoic section was controlled by the evolution of marine solutions and the heterogeneity of hydrochemical environment in each halogenic basin.     

Taxonomic composition,paleoecology and biostratigraphy of Late Cretaceous diatoms from Devon Island,Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic

Upper Cretaceous sediments of the Kanguk Formation exposed in Eidsbotn and Viks Fiord grabens on Devon Island, Nunavut, Canadian High Arctic, yielded 91 fossil marine diatom species and varieties (including indeterminate taxa), representing 41 genera. Excellent preservation of the assemblages was aided by shallow burial, protection in downfaulted linear grabens, and the presence of abundant volcanic material. Planktonic species and resting spores comprise nearly 70% of the diatom assemblage, and provided abundant food resources for the Late Cretaceous Arctic ecosystem. Deposition of the approximately 225 m-thick stratigraphic sequence was predominantly in a shallow marine neritic setting, with an upward progression to interbedded terrestrial deposits of the Expedition Fiord Formation, reflecting a regression and eventual persistence of terrestrial facies into the Early Cenozoic. The Kanguk Formation is widespread across the Canadian Arctic, and diatom biostratigraphy indicates a Santonian–Campanian age for the sequences reported herein, based on the presence of Gladius antiquus in the lowermost strata and occurrence of Costopyxis antiqua throughout the succession. However, Amblypyrgus sp. A and Archepyrgus sp. aff. A. melosiroides, encountered in the lower part of the succession, are known exclusively from the Lower Cretaceous. This may suggest a slightly older age. New information on shallow shelf diatom assemblages from this study is compared to reports on two other Late Cretacous Arctic diatom assemblages. These three sites represent an environmental transect from shallow to distal shelf settings and into the oceanic realm.     

Amino acid racemization dating of quaternary deposits of central and Southern Italy

Results are discussed of amino acid racemization dating of numerous samples of bones, teeth, tooth enamel and fossil shells. Racemization dating proved to be a very useful tool to date non-marine and marine deposits which are a few hundred thousand years old, as well as to correlate and chronologically classify even more ancient marine deposits. Aspartic acid racemization was used to date samples aged less than 80,000–100,000 yr; for more ancient samples, isoleucine epimerization, instead, was resorted to.In this work, dates were established for some important fragments of human bones and of large-mammalian fauna weighing a few grams, which would have been impossible to date with the ¹⁴C technique, requiring a large amount of bone material.The extent of isoleucine epimerization was measured in Glycymeris genera to estimate the age of numerous marine deposits of the Tyrrhenian coast of Centra-Southern Italy and of Sardinia. In the Tarquinia area (Latium) three marine terraces were identified, which were estimated to be approx. 120,000, 200,000 and 350,000 yr old. In Sardinia, five marine horizons were identified; the youngest deposit (Neotyrrhenian) proved to be present at Punta tramontana and Santa Reparata, while, at Riola and Stagno di Sassu, the most ancient marine deposits of Sardinia were found. In the Rome area, the Monte Mario Formation was estimated to be coeval with Monte delle Piche Formation. Finally, from the terraced coastal deposits of Capo Milaazzo (Sicily), Panarea (Eolian archipelago), Archi (Calabria) and Gallipoli (Apulia), a Tyrrhenian age range of 100,000–120,000 yr was obtained.     

非海相白垩纪沟鞭藻生物地层学

现代沟鞭藻可以在淡水中生存,在1995年美国报道了中新世淡水多甲藻类沟鞭藻后,证实了有淡水沟鞭藻化石的存在。白垩纪非海相沟鞭藻最早发现于英格兰南部,之后在澳大利亚西南端以及中国的很多陆相沉积盆地中陆续被报道。本文在了解白垩纪非海相沟鞭藻的组合面貌和它们的地质时代以及地层对比关系的基础上,讨论淡水沟鞭藻的生物地层和古环境意义。中国白垩纪沟鞭藻组合面貌如下:早白垩世时松辽盆地的非海相沟鞭藻组合自下而上为:沙河子组和营城组的Vesperopsis-Balmula组合、登楼库组的Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)zhaodongensis组合、泉头组三、四段的Quantouendinium dictyophorum-Operculodinium组合、青山口组的Kiokansium-Tetrachacysta tuberculata组合、姚家组二、三段的Dinogymniopsis daqingensis组合、嫩江组一、二段的Cleistosphaeridium-Dinogymniopsis minor组合、嫩江组三、四段的Nenjiangella granulata-Valensiella dictyophora组合、四方台组中的Pediastrum-Aquadulcum组合和明水组中的Tetranguladinium组合。黑龙江省三江盆地的非海相沟鞭藻组合自下而上为:城子河组的Nyktericysta(Nyktericysta)puyangensis-Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)sanjiangensis组合、Oligosphaeridium-Nyktericysta-Vesperopsis组合、Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)sanjiangensis组合、Nyktericysta(Nyktericysta)puyangensis-Lecaniella proteiformis组合和Vesperopsi,(Ves-peropsis)jixianensis-Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)suibinensis组合、穆棱组的Quantouendinium cf.dictyophorum组合。黑龙江省鸡西盆地滴道组有Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)didaoensis-Lagenorhytis granorugosa非海相沟鞭藻组合。吉林省延吉盆地有铜佛寺组二段的Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)cf.zhaodongensis-Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)yanjiensis非海相沟鞭藻组合和铜佛寺组三段的Filisphaeridium-Sentusidinium非海相沟鞭藻组合;大砬子组中有零星非海相沟鞭藻出现,未能建组合。辽宁省阜新盆地阜新组产Australisphaera fragilis-Ripea sussexensis非海相沟鞭藻组合。内蒙古开鲁盆地非海相沟鞭藻共自下而上分为5个组合:九佛堂组沙海组Quantouendinium cf.microreticulata-Vesperopsis(Vesperopsis)suibinensis组合、阜新组Vesperosis(V.)sp.2-Quantouendinium cf.dictyophorum组合、姚家组Concentricystes组合、嫩江组Leiosphaeridia组合、四方台组Subtilisphaera-Pediastrum组合。内蒙古海拉尔盆地非海相沟鞭藻自下而上可分为5个组合:南屯组Protoellisodinium fibratum-Dinogymniopsis daqingensis组合、大磨拐河组一段上部至二段Versperopsis(Contrangularia)granulata-Vesperopsis(Contrangularia)reticulata组合、大磨拐河组三段Nyktericysta(Nyktericysta)reticulata组合、大磨拐河组四段Palaeoperidinium-Pareodinia组合和伊敏组一段Nyktericysta(Hailaera)hailaerensis组合。内蒙古二连盆地非海相沟鞭藻自下而上2个组合:赛汗塔拉组三段Parabohaidina-Fromea-Quantouendinium-Vesperopsis组合和哈达图组Porusphaeraerenensis组合。江苏省淮安地区泰州组有Palaeoperidinium-Laciniadinium非海相沟鞭藻组合。晚白垩世时广东省三水盆地大塱山组含两个非海相沟鞭藻组合(自下而上):Palaeostomocystis-Campenia组合和Saeptodinium-Laciniadinium组合;湖北省江汉盆地渔洋组有Saeptodinium-Laciniadinium非海相沟鞭藻组合;海南省乐东地区鹿母湾组有Laciniadinium granulatum-Granodiscusgranulatus非海相沟鞭藻组合。国外已报道的非海相沟鞭藻有英格兰Wessex-Weald盆地Weald Clay群Wessex组和Vectis组的Australisphaerafragilis-Ripea sussexensis组合;澳大利亚西南部Perth盆地Parmelia组的Fusiformacystatumida组合带。这些组合中所含沟鞭藻大多为地方性属种,能进行洲际地层对比的属种较少,因此它们的地质时代的确定有时还要依靠其他生物门类和手段。非海相沟鞭藻组合有一些共同的特征,如分异度通常都较低,但丰度可变;沟鞭藻囊孢的形态与海相的相比形态和纹饰都较简单等。一些非海相的属如Nyktericysta和Vesperopsis可视作早白垩世的标准化石,但白垩纪非海相沟鞭藻组合中的多数种都是地方性的,这些组合之间很难直接对比,也不能与海相组合作种级的对比,因此确定它们的地质时代经常需要依靠其他化石。非海相沟鞭藻组合中不同组成分子可以指示古盐度的变化,如角藻类囊孢占主导时,表示接近于淡水,而膝沟藻类囊孢占主导时,则为微咸水或半咸水。古盐度的变化可能是盆地附近海平面变化和古气候变化的结果。一些淡水和微咸水的其他藻类与沟鞭藻的共同存在,如Pediastrum,Scenedesmus和Botryococcus等,是指示古环境的证据之一。虽然非海相沟鞭藻的发现颠覆了传统认为沟鞭藻是海相的观念,但是并不意味着它们不能指示古环境,因为非海相与海相沟鞭藻组合是可以区分开来的。     

Genesis of Permian copper deposits in Poland

Varying correlations of Triassic continental deposits are the chief cause of the differences in biogeographic zonation of the Triassic continents. In order to correlate the continental deposits of Triassic age on the basis of their plant fossils, one must appraise the stratlgraphic significance of the most important foral assemblages in Triassic deposits. Within the Triassic system there are plant fossil assemblages associated with marine deposits, which can be dated directly. Age of the plant assemblages In the German basin can be determined by correlation with the Alpine section. The age of the homotaxic plant fossil assemblages of Europe and Asia can be established on the basis of a comparison with the above-mentioned standard assemblages. Four phytostratigraphic horizons (the Indian, Olenekian-Anisian, Ladinian-Carnian, and Norian-Rhaetian) can be distinguished in Eurasia. Biogeographic zonation is considered separately for the time interval represented by each of these horizons. Correlation of the fossil floral assemblages of North America and Gondwana with those of Eurasia is based on different paleontological data (tetrapod fossils playing the leading part in North America). Maps of the biogeographic zonation of the continental Triassic were prepared for the Oleneklan-Anisian and the Ladinian- Carnian intervals of time; for the southern hemisphere these are based on the mobilist concept. —Author.     

中国西北地区第四纪盐湖沉积中钙质超微化石的发现及其古环境意义

报导了中国西北地区的甘肃、青海、新疆等地陆相第四纪盐湖沉积中发现的钙质超微化石,它们主要是：Ｇｅｐｈｙｒｏｃａｐｓａｏｃｅａｎｉｃａ,Ｃｏｃｏｌｉｔｈｕｓｐｅｌａｇｉｃｕｓ,Ｃａｌｃｉｄｉｓｃｕｓｌｅｐｔｏｐｏｒｕｓ,Ｃ．ｍａｃｉｎｔｙｒｅｉ,Ｒｅｔｉｃｕｌｏｆｅｎｅｓｔｒａｍｉｎｕｔｕｌａ等。上述钙质超微化石群具有以下特征：（１）化石丰度中等,属、种分异度低,化石保存差;（２）赋存化石的层位均为富含石膏盐层的微咸水咸水的沉积物,或为盐湖沉积;（３）产出化石地点远距该地质时期时的古海岸线。它们与古海域既无通道相连,亦非残留海。中国西北地区盐湖沉积中钙质超微化石的发现说明了中国东部地区第三纪沙河街组某些层位中的钙质超微化石不能作为“海相生物”的标志,否定了这些化石层位与“海侵”或“海泛”的关联。     

Diminutive trace fossils in the Chengjiang Lagerstätte

Diminutive trace fossils described here have been well preserved in connection with certain pliable carapaces or skeletons of the Chengjiang animals. Taphonomic evidence suggests that these traces were formed in situ. The peculiar preservation indicates that some bilaterians of uncertain affinities seem to have been active at the burial site, constituting an important group of the hidden majority of Cambrian marine community. This may be an essential feature closely associated with the palaeoecology and exceptional preservation of the Cambrian fossil Lagerstätten. The rare preservation of such millimetre‐sized trace fossils raises further doubts about the timing of the initial benthic bilaterians by applying trace fossil evidence.     

北祁连清水沟－白柳沟地区铜、多金属成矿地质条件的分析

笔者在该文中着重表达了３方面研究成果：在陈述清水沟－白柳沟地区成矿地质背景基础上，描述了已知工业矿床的基本特征，并将其类比为两类矿床，其一为Ｚｎ－Ｐｂ－Ｃｕ型小铁山式矿床，以展布于郭密寺北火山穹隆北东和南西两侧的下柳沟、弯阳河、下沟及郭密寺矿床为代表；其二为Ｃｕ（－Ｚｎ）型白银厂式矿床，以出露在黑河古火山穹隆北翼近核部的香子沟矿床为实例。成矿前期、成矿时期，以及成矿后期地质条件的分析与概括表明，该地区与白银厂地区在海相火山岩的成岩环境─—裂谷岛弧、火山岩组合──双峰式、古火山机构类型──古火山穹隆，以及成矿机制──海底热液对流循环成矿等诸多方面都具相似性，是寻找铜多金属硫化物矿床的良好地段。提出了该区此类矿床的综合成矿模式，相信它在本地区扩大寻找小铁山式矿床和突破性寻找白银厂式矿床中具有重要指导意义和实际操作意义．     

Late Cretaceous chronostratigraphy （Turonian-Maastrichtian）： SK1 core Songliao Basin, China

Non-marine ostracodes,charophytes and palynomorphs are abundant in most Cretaceous lacustrine basins of East Asia.However,their ranges are not directly integrated with marine biota that defines the Cre...     

Cenomanian vertebrate assemblages from southwestern France: a new insight into the European mid-Cretaceous continental fauna

Cenomanian paralic deposits of Charentes (southwestern France) have yielded abundant vertebrate microremains, including rather diversified continental taxa (e.g., frogs, turtles, crocodilians, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, lizards, and mammals). In this short report, the succession of faunal assemblages observed is briefly described in relation to palaeoenvironmental change resulting from the Cenomanian-early Turonian transgressive episode. Continental forms occur commonly in estuarine and shallow marine rocks of the lower part of the Cenomanian stage, but seem to be lacking in younger strata deposited in more open marine settings. Among an unexpected biodiversity, several non-marine groups (e.g., ziphodont crocodilians, carcharodontosaurid and troodontid dinosaurs, marsupial-like mammals) are recorded for the first time in the lower Upper Cretaceous of Europe, thus providing new palaeobiogeographical indications for this poorly documented part of the world.     

Late Mesozoic bivalve faunas from the Tetori Group,Japan

The Tetori Group of Japan ranks amongst the more important Upper Mesozoic strata in East Asia, with common animal and plant fossils throughout and is well suited for analyses of the links between environmental changes and the various animal and plant fossil assemblages. Three marine transgressions (i. e., Bathonian–Oxfordian, Tithonian–Berriasian and Hauterivian–Barremian in age) have been recognized in the Tetori Group, based on ammonite index taxa. These pulses are also reflected in bivalve faunas which comprise, 81 species in 65 genera (marine taxa) and 16 species in 13 genera (non-marine taxa). Many of these are considered as endemic species to the Tetori Group. In view of the fact that the occurrence of non-marine taxa was primarily controlled by environmental conditions, these do not constitute chronological indices. The faunal composition of the first marine transgressive phase is similar to that found elsewhere in southeast Asia, while that of the second one resembles both that of southeast Asia and of northeast China and Far East Russia. Assemblages of the third phase are similar to those of Heilongjiang, northeast China. Currents from the equator and high-latitudes explain these similarities.     

Upper Cretaceous depositional environments and bivalve assemblages of far-east Asia: the Himenoura Group, Kyushu, Japan

The depositional environments and bivalve assemblages are determined for the Upper Cretaceous Hinoshima Formation of the Himenoura Group, Kamishima, Amakusa Islands, Kyushu, Japan. The Hinoshima Formation is characterized by a thick transgressive succession that varies from incised-valley-fill deposits to submarine slope deposits with high aggradation rates of depositional systems. The incised valley is filled with fluvial, bayhead delta, brackish-water estuary, and marine embayment deposits, and is overlain by thick slope deposits.Shallow marine bivalves are grouped into five fossil assemblages according to species composition: Glycymeris amakusensis (foreset beds of a bayhead delta), Nippononectes tamurai (foreset beds of a bayhead delta), Ezonuculana mactraeformis–Nucula formosa (central bay), Glycymeris amakusensis–Apiotrigonia minor (slope), and Inoceramus higoensis–Parvamussium yubarensis (slope). These bivalve assemblages all represent autochthonous and parautochthonous conditions except for a Glycymeris amakusensis–Apiotrigonia minor assemblage found in debris flow and slump deposits. The life habitats of these bivalves and the compositions of the assemblages are discussed in terms of the ecological history of fossil bivalves of the mid- to Late Cretaceous.     

Sodium and strontium in mollusc shells: preservation,palaeosalinity and palaeotemperature of the Middle Pleistocene of eastern England

This paper revisits the utility of sodium (Na) content in aragonite and calcite mollusc shells as an indicator of palaeosalinity. The data come mainly from a related suite of Middle Pleistocene marine and freshwater fossils that have been subject to broadly similar diagenetic histories. Environmental salinity is re-affirmed as the primary factor in determining the sodium content of modern and ancient mollusc shells: values <2000 ppm Na are generally indicative of non-marine environments while values >2000 Na ppm are typically from marine shells. There is a positive relationship between Na (salinity) and Sr which is a helpful discriminator of palaeosalinity in the fossil data set. The Na and Sr data give confidence that the fossil shells have not suffered pervasive diagenetic alteration and that the marine fossils lived in fully marine conditions. Oxygen isotope values in the best-preserved, fully marine fossil shells, suggest Middle Pleistocene ‘eastern England’ seawater temperatures were broadly similar to those of the modern North Sea.     

A pulse of the Earth:A 27.5-Myr underlying cycle in coordinated geological events over the last 260 Myr

We performed spectral analyses on the ages of 89 well-dated major geological events of the last 260 Myr from the recent geologic literature.These events include times of marine and non-marine extinctions,major ocean-anoxic events,continental flood-basalt eruptions,sea-level fluctuations,global pulses of intraplate magmatism,and times of changes in seafloor-spreading rates and plate reorganizations.The aggregate of all 89 events shows ten clusters in the last 260 Myr,spaced at an average interval of～26.9 Myr,and Fourier analysis of the data yields a spectral peak at 27.5 Myr at the≥96％confidence level.A shorter period of～8.9 Myr may also be significant in modulating the timing of geologic events.Our results suggest that global geologic events are generally correlated,and seem to come in pulses with an underlying～27.5-Myr cycle.These cyclic pulses of tectonics and climate change may be the result of geophysical processes related to the dynamics of plate tectonics and mantle plumes,or might alterna-tively be paced by astronomical cycles associated with the Earth's motions in the Solar System and the Galaxy.     

The changing vision of marine minerals

Non-fuel marine minerals are reviewed from the perspective of resources and their value as active analogs that can advance understanding of types of ancient ore deposits that formed in marine settings. The theory of plate tectonics is the largest influence in expanding our vision of marine minerals and in developing our understanding of geologic controls of mineralization in space and time. Prior to the advent of plate tectonics, we viewed the ocean basins as passive sinks that served as containers for particulate and dissolved material eroded from land. This view adequately explained marine placer deposits (heavy minerals and gems), aggregates (sand and gravel), and precipitates (phosphorites and manganese nodules). Although numerous sites of placer mineral deposits are known on continental shelves worldwide, current activity pertains to diamond mining off southwestern Africa, tin mining off southeastern Asia, and intermittent gold mining off northwestern North America, which are all surpassed economically by worldwide recovery of marine sand and gravel, in turn dwarfed by offshore oil and gas. With the advent of plate tectonics, plate boundaries in ocean basins are recognized as active sources of mineralization in the form of hydrothermal massive sulfide deposits and proximal lower-temperature deposits hosted in oceanic crust (mafic at ocean ridges and felsic at volcanic island arcs), and of magmatic Ni–Cu sulfide, chromite and PGE deposits inferred to be present in the oceanic upper mantle–lower crust based on their occurrence in ophiolites. Some 300 sites of hydrothermal active and relict mineralization, most of them minor, are known at this early stage of seafloor exploration on ocean ridges, in fore-arc volcanoes, at back-arc spreading axes, and in arc rifts; deposits formed at spreading axes and transported off-axis by spreading are present in oceanic lithosphere but are virtually unknown. The TAG (Trans-Atlantic Geotraverse) hydrothermal field in the axial valley of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (latitude 26° N) is considered to exemplify a major Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposit forming at a spreading axis. The most prospective of these occurrences lie within the 200 nautical mile (370 km)-wide Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the nations of the volcanic island arcs of the western Pacific where metal content of massive sulfides (Ag, Au, Ba, Cu, Pb, Sb, Zn) exceeds that at ocean ridges. Plate tectonics early provided a framework for mineralization on the scale of global plate boundaries and is providing guidance to gradually converge on sites of mineralization through regional scales of plate reorganization, with the potential to elucidate the occurrence of individual deposits (e.g., Eocene Carlin-type gold deposits). Investigation of the spectrum of marine minerals as active analogs of types of ancient mineral deposits is contributing to this convergence. Consideration of questions posed by Brian Skinner (1997) of what we do and do not know about ancient hydrothermal mineral deposits demonstrates the ongoing advances in understanding driven by investigation of marine minerals.     

Estuaries of the past and present: A biofacies perspective

Estuaries are complex sedimentary and ecological systems, where controlling factors are variable largely depending on wave vs. tidal dominance and fluvial processes. Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of their ancient counterparts in the form of coastal valley deposits in the subsurface or outcrop requires a multidisciplinary approach. Microfossils can play an integral part in identifying estuarine subenvironments. Foraminifera can be abundant in modern estuaries and resemble characteristics of brackish ichnofaunal communities in featuring low species diversity, but high abundances of opportunistic species, different feeding strategies and common infaunal species. Whereas sediment distribution is highly controlled by energy regimes, foraminifera seem to respond to salinities and tidal exposure. Whereas individual taxa can widely range bathymetrically, the combination of certain taxa becomes diagnostic for estuarine environments. Fossil marginal marine assemblages are dominated by agglutinated species due to taphonomic loss of the calcareous component that is often dominant in modern estuaries. When comparisons between fossil and modern assemblages are undertaken it is advisable to compare with Recent subsurface or remnant assemblages for a more accurate basis of paleoenvironmental interpretation. More integrated research with detailed taphonomic observations is needed on ancient coastal valley deposits to find the paleoecological requirements of extinct taxa and their link to sedimentary facies and ichnofacies.     

Palaeoenvironments of the Hoxnian Nar Valley Clay,Norfolk, England: Evidence from an integrated study of diatoms and ostracods

Diatoms and ostracods from the Nar Valley, west Norfolk, England are analysed with a view to establishing marine and freshwater palaeoenvironments of the Hoxnian interglacial Stage. No microfossils were recovered from the non-marine facies, but rich assemblages of both fossil groups were extracted from the marine Nar Valley Clay and these, together with associated sedimentological evidence, indicate that the environment of deposition changed from a relatively nearshore, muddy shelf setting, to one that was more littoral and subject to higher current regimes, with salinities remaining at normal marine levels through both depositional phases. It is suggested that this sequence may reflect a regressional phase towards the close of the Hoxnian Stage, with palaeotemperature evidence from at least one ostracod species suggesting a warmer climate than at present. Non-recovery of microfossils from some of the samples analysed is attributed to unfavourable palaeoenvironmental conditions and/or post-depositional ground-water percolation.     

非海相白垩系年代学和对比

从1800年代初最早确定的白垩系定义起,白垩系就包括了海相和非海相白垩纪的地层和化石。白垩纪是一个全球性气候温暖、海平面高、构造和火山活动强烈的世界。此时,多块大陆分解,几乎所有海洋都已打开,形成了与现代相近的海陆分布的地理图案。这一变革导致了全球生物群的区域化,给全球对比带来了困难。白垩纪的全球年代地层表是主要依据菊石和微体生物(有孔虫和钙质超微浮游生物)化石,并与已完整建立的全球极性倒转年表和很多放射性同位素年龄相结合的产物。从孢粉到恐龙等各类非海相化石均已用于白垩纪生物地层学。此期专刊的特色是聚焦于区域或全球的孢粉(包括沟鞭藻)、大植物、甲壳类(包括叶肢介和介形类)、软体动物(包括腹足类和双壳类)和脊椎动物(包括硬躯体和足印)非海相白垩纪生物地层学和生物年代学。这些研究大大扩展了非海相白垩系对比的内容,并强调了将能取得更多进展的研究方向。非海相地层和化石群中直接夹有海相地层和化石的剖面/地区的非海相生物地层学更精确的研究,高分辨率的微体化石,特别是既出现于非海相又见于海相地层中的微体化石的微体生物地层学的进展,更多的直接与非海相生物地层学相关的放射性同位素和古地磁年龄的测试,非海相地层的高分辨率层序和旋回地层学分析及与非海相生物地层学对比的化学地层学的发展等,均将促进全球非海相白垩纪地层时代和对比,甚至以国际地质时标为准绳的全球非海相白垩纪地层对比框架表的建立。