A new species of Mirovia (Coniferales, Miroviaceae) from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian Ranges (Spain)

The Lower–Middle Albian coaly clay bed of the Escucha Formation, which is exposed at Rubielos de Mora (eastern Iberian Ranges, Spain), contains a diverse fossil plant assemblage. Among the taxa present in this layer, Mirovia gothanii Gomez sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus by its greater leaf length, margins typically overhanging the depressed stomatal groove, a single short, blunt, papilla borne by each subsidiary cell, non-stomatal cells inside the groove and margins, and a higher number of resin ducts in the mesophyll. Morphological study of the well-preserved cuticles demonstrates that the species also occurs in Lower Cretaceous coals of Santa Maria de Meià (Pyrenees, Spain) where Gothan (1954) described it as Sciadopitytes sp. Both localities constitute the southernmost extent of the genus in Laurasia when the family was likely to have reached its climax in terms of abundance and diversity.     

New Early Cretaceous paleomagnetic results from Qilian orogenic belt and its tectonic implications

Lower Cretaceous red sedimentary rocks from the depositional basin of East Qilian fold belt have been collected for a paleomagnetic study. Stepwise thermal demagnetization reveals two or three components of magnetization from dark red sandstones. Low-temperature magnetic component is consistent with the present Earth Field direction in geographic coordinates. High-temperature magnetic components are mainly carried by hematite. The mean pole of 19 sites for high-temperature magnetic components after tilt-correction is λ=62.2°N, φ=193.4°E, A95=3.2°, and it passes fold tests at 99% confidence level and reversal tests at 95% confidence level. The paleopole is insignificantly different from that of Halim et al. (1998) from the same sampling area at the 95% confidence level. Compared with paleomagnetic results for North China, South China, and Eurasia, our results suggest that no significant relative latitudinal displacement has taken place between Lanzhou region and these blocks since Cretaceous time. Remarkably, the pole of Lanzhou shows a 20° clockwise rotation with respect to those of North China, South China, and Eurasia. Geological information indicates that the crustal shortening in the western part of Qilian is greater than that in eastern part. In this case, the clockwise rotation of sampling area was related to India/Eurasia collision, and this collision resulted in a left-lateral strike-slip motion of the Altun fault in north Tibetan Plateau after the Cretaceous.     

河南濮阳西水坡新石器时代遗址瓣鳃类动物群的生态环境分析

河南濮阳西水坡新石器时代遗址出土的瓣鳃类共有33种，其中31种组成了Lamprotula-Cuneopsis-Unio组合，称为西水坡丽蚌动物群，其时代为中全新世早期。据贝壳14C测年资料（6 465±45 a BP）和同层出土的陶器特征， 为仰韶文化早期（7 000～6 000 a BP）。该动物群与长江中,下游流域洞庭湖、鄱阳湖和太湖及其周围水域的现代丽蚌动物群组合特征非常接近，同属东洋界、中印亚界动物地理区， 亚热带湿热气候。根据该动物群反映的生态环境，仰韶文化早期该地区的古环境地处亚热带，气候湿热，雨量充沛，草木茂盛，河流成网，湖泊遍野，水质优良，水生生物丰富，优越的自然环境为先民提供了从事农耕、渔猎的生栖条件。     

泥盆纪最早期牙形刺带化石在蒙古南戈壁幕使盖(Mushgai)地区"尕屋(Gavuu)"段的首次发现

在蒙古南戈壁的Bayan—Khoshuu Ruins剖面原归入到志留系Mandalovoo组尕屋(Gavuu)段的地层中发现了牙形刺Caudicriodus woschimidti woschmidti，这是泥盆纪最早期牙形刺带化石在蒙古的首次发现。尕屋(Gavuu)段的下部属志留系，但其上部，即采集牙形刺样品M-9～M-12的层位肯定属下泥盆统(下洛霍考夫阶)，而不是下志留统。Mandalovoo组应当改为Mandalovoo群，它的三个段应提升为三个组。     

大同地区早中生代煌斑岩—碳酸岩岩墙群

大同地区密集分布的岩墙群由基性－超基性煌斑岩和碳酸岩组成，侵入石炭－二叠纪煤层中。与地层的接触关系和Rb-Sr,K-Ar同位素年代学数据表明墙群的侵位于晚三叠世。Sr,Nd同位素比值显示，碳酸岩和煌斑岩都来源于壳幔混合型岩浆源区。稳定元素比值和相容，不相容元素同等富集则表明是碳酸岩和硅酸盐混合的原始母岩浆液态不混熔的产物。 岩墙群形成的地质条件和构造背景表明，它们是在伸展构造背景下，受到不同级别的构造控制，大同岩墙群的研究对进一步认识华北早中生代岩石圈演化有重要的意义。     

40～30ka B.P.中国暖湿气候和海侵的特征与成因探讨

40～30kaB.P.相当于末次冰期(75～10kaB.P.)中的大间冰阶或海洋氧同位素第3阶段的晚期(MIS3a),已有测年记录的冰芯、湖泊沉积、孢粉与古生物、黄土与沙漠地区古土壤、石灰岩洞穴中石笋、古河道沉积、滨海地区海相沉积等7种记录指示我国各区域的湿润程度即降水量高于现代,青藏高原和西北地区尤为显著.西部和华南地区的温度明显高于现代,但较多的孢粉研究者认为东北、华北和长江流域的温度略低于现代.降水量的增加对内陆水系的合并和外流的黄河和长江流域等产生重大影响.渤海西侧、长江三角洲南北与珠江三角洲南部出现重大海侵,当时海平面高度仅低于现代海平面8～10m.当时暖湿气候与海侵的主要动力是岁差周期导致的中、低纬度太阳高辐射所提供的热力促使冰盖消融萎缩,海洋扩涨,青藏高原热低压增强,吸引季风降水,中、低纬度区海洋加热蒸发,增强夏季风与西风环流的水汽含量导致我国全境暖湿.高分辨率的西昆仑山古里雅冰芯记录和南京汤山洞穴石笋记录表明气候有许多百年级高频振荡波动,不是稳定暖湿,要作更深入研究才能说明其表现和影响.     

Monsoonal precipitation variation in the East Asia since A.D. 1840 ——Tree-ring evidences from China and Korea

The main characteristic of the East Asian climate is the monsoon system. Plenty of studies have demonstrated that the Asian monsoon system plays a crucial role in the global climate sys- tem [1-4]. The Asian summer monsoon can be divided into two parts, t…     

Confirmation of an Early Cretaceous age for the Qihulin Formation in eastern Heilongjiang Province, China: constraints from a new discovery of radiolarians

The coal-bearing, alternating marine and non-marine Longzhaogou Group in eastern Heilongjiang, northeastern China, has long been considered as Jurassic, or mainly Jurassic, in age. However, recent studies have demonstrated that the ammonites and dinoflagellate cysts are of Early Cretaceous age. This has now been confirmed by new radiolarian evidence. The radiolarian fauna recovered from the upper Qihulin Formation of the Longzhaogou Group consists of nine poorly preserved species referable to nine genera. Novixitus is a Cretaceous genus, and the specimens of Archaeodictyomitra sp. and Xitus sp. recovered resemble A. vulgaris Pessagno and X. spicularius (Aliev), respectively.     

Sedimentary Facies Architectures of Third-Order Sequences from Early to Middle Triassic in Nanpanjiang Basin

There are complex and regular changes on sedimentary facies from the Early to the Middle Triassic in the Nanpanjiang basin. After the obvious drowned event of carbonate platforms in the transitional period between Permian and Triassic, carbonate platforms have evolved into the ramp type from the rimmed-shelf type. The differentiation of sedimentary facies becomes dearer in space, which are marked by the changes from an attached platform to a turbidity basin and several isolated platforms in the basin. The striking characteristics are the development of oolitic banks on isolated platforms in Nanning and Jingxi and the reef- and bank-limestones in the margin of the attached platform in the Early Triassic. Despite the difference of the time-span and the architectnre of fades succession of third-order sedimentary sequences, the process of the third-order relative sea-level changes reflected by the sedimentary facies succession of the third-order sequences is generally synchronous. Therefore, six third-order sequences could be discerned in the strata from the Early to the Middle Triassic in the Nanpanjiang basin. Using two types of facies changing surfaces and two types of diachronisms in stratigraphic records as the key elements, the sedimentary facies architectures of the third-order sequences that represent sequence stratigraphic frameworks from the Early to the Middle Triassic in the Nanpanjiang basin could be constructed.     

A review of the geodynamic setting of large-scale Late Mesozoic gold mineralization in the North China Craton: an association with lithospheric thinning

Abundant gold deposits are distributed along the margins of the North China Craton (NCC). Occurring throughout the Precambrian basement and located in or proximal to Mesozoic granitoids, these deposits show a consistent spatial–temporal association with Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous magmatism and are characterized by quartz lode or disseminated styles of mineralization with extensive alteration of wall rock. Their ages are mainly Early Cretaceous (130–110 Ma) and constrain a very short period of metallogenesis. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic tracers of ores, minerals and associated rocks indicate that gold and associated metals mainly were derived from multi-sources, i.e., the wall rocks (Precambrian basement and Mesozoic granites) and associated mafic rocks.Previous studies, including high surface heat flow, uplift and later basin development, slow seismic wave speeds in the upper mantle, and a change in the character of mantle xenoliths sampled by Paleozoic to Cenozoic magmas, have been used to suggest that ancient, cratonic mantle lithosphere was removed from the base of the NCC some time after the Ordovician, and replaced by younger, less refractory lithospheric mantle. The geochemistry and isotopic compositions of the mafic rocks associated with gold mineralization (130–110 Ma) indicate that they were derived from an ancient enriched lithospheric mantle source; whereas, the mafic dikes and volcanic rocks younger than 110 Ma were derived from a relatively depleted mantle source, i.e., asthenospheric mantle. According to their age and sources, relation to magmatism and geodynamic framework, the gold deposits were formed during lithospheric thinning. The removal of lithospheric mantle and the upwelling of new asthenospheric mantle induced partial melting and dehydration of the lithospheric mantle and lower crust due to an increase of temperature. The fluids derived from the lower crust were mixed with magmatic and meteoric waters, and resulted in the deposition of gold and associated metals.