南极菲尔德斯半岛古海蚀龛沉积的古环境记录

在西南极菲尔德斯半岛长城站地区发现有大量古海蚀龛 ,龛内保存有完整沉积剖面 ,通过对其中一个沉积剖面的粒度特征及元素组成的分析 ,确认该剖面是后期的湖相沉积 ,并据此恢复了距今 460 0年以来该地区古环境演化历史。结果表明 ,距今 40 0 0— 30 0 0年长城站区地表岩石化学风化作用较强烈 ,处于一个相对温暖的时期 ,这与湖泊沉积物、海洋沉积物等古环境记录载体的研究结果是一致的 ,证明古海蚀龛沉积可以作为研究南极无冰区和冰缘地区古环境演化历史的一种新的地质载体。     

湖泊纹层状沉积物的同生期变化研究述评

湖泊纹层状沉积物是在湖水分层的条件下缓慢沉积的。这些沉积物在沉积以后可能会发生一些同生期的改造作用，如季节性湖流的微弱冲刷、湖水中溶解氧对有机质的氧化、硫酸盐还原作用对有机质的氧化和硫化物的形成、有机质分解形成的偏酸性底层湖水对碳酸盐的溶解和磷的迁移造成的藻类勃发等，使纹层在成分、结构和构造方面发生一些变化。在对纹层进行古气候、古环境恢复的时候，这些同生期的变化不能被忽视。对这些变化的研究有助于对古气候、古湖水沉积环境的正确认识。     

dC Variations in Late Jurassic Carbonates, Jaisalmer Formation, Western India

The carbon isotope measurements, carried out on subsurface carbonate samples from Oxfordian Jaisalmer Formation, western India, yield positive d¹³C values up to +3.17%. The most positive Oxfordian C-isotope value corresponds to the carbon isotope excursion measured in samples from from other late Jurassic basins of world. The latest Oxfordian C-isotope values of Jaisalmer Basin fluctuate around 2% while the C-isotope values of 1.50% mark the base of Kimmeridgian. The Oxfordian C-isotope excursion appears to correspond to a time of overall increased organic carbon burial triggered by increased nutrient transfer from continents to oceans during a time of rising global sea level.     

Taxonomic analysis of the Quaternary archaeofauna found at The Lapa do Santo site,Lagoa Santa region,Brazil

The Lapa do Santo archaeological site, located in the Lagoa Santa region, Brazil, represents an important hunter-gatherer occupation dated from the Early and Middle Holocene. Prior studies of archaeofauna dating to this period are few and most of them only provide basic faunal identification with limited information on taphonomic processes. The main goal of this study is to identify the archaeofauna, record the taphonomic processes, and make inferences about its natural (interpreted as the death of the animal in the rockshelter area due to natural causes or due to predation) or anthropic origins. No extinct species (including megamastofauna) were identified. Taxonomic analysis indicated that most faunal remains consist of taxa that may be of mixed origin (natural or anthropic), such as microvertebrates and carnivorous mammals. The Cervidae are the main vertebrate family found in the studied material and these are likely the result of hunting. The Cervidae Ozotoceros support the presence of a fauna that is typical of savannah environments, although the assemblage contains mostly generalist fauna that can thrive in a variety of environments. Very few remains showed clear evidence for taphonomic processes related to human interaction, such as burnt bones.     

青海德令哈盆地石炭纪古环境研究

采自德令哈地区石炭系的12个碳酸盐岩样品测试、分析结果表明,德令哈地区石炭纪整体为分层中等的弱还原海相环境,水体受陆源碎屑注入影响明显。这种湿热、还原的高盐度水体利于生物的繁盛及有机质的保存,使德令哈地区石炭系发育极为优越的烃源岩条件。垂向上,克鲁克组偏高的咸化程度及分层程度,表明克鲁克组沉积水体相对闭塞、咸化程度较高,而怀头他拉组、扎布萨尕秀组灰岩形成于水体交换相对通畅的海域。从岩性组合、陆源碎屑注入变化及盐度、还原性的差异来看,克鲁克组主体为局限台地环境,而怀头他拉组、扎布萨尕秀组为开阔台地。作为对克鲁克组高盐度、还原性水介质环境的响应,克鲁克组烃源岩TOC条件要比怀头他拉组及扎布萨尕秀组优越。     

Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Sequence in West Central Sinai,Egypt, as Revealed from Fossil Diatoms

A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 diatom species and varieties belonging to 37 genera were identified from 154 samples collected throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lithological characters of the studied samples varied between sandstone, silty interbeds, sandy shales, shales, and terminated with anhydrite and limestones. These rock units are included in two lithostratigraphic formations (Rudies and Kareem), which are separated by a marked unconformity. The distribution and preservation of fossil diatoms in the sedimentary record are examined with the aim of outlining the temporal and spatial variation in the composition of the diatom assemblages, in order to estimate the changes in depositional environments during the Lower to Middle Miocene. The distributional pattern of the recorded diatom taxa distinguished four diatom eco-zones. The environment of each eco-zone is deduced and a proposed paleobathymetric change and depositional history of the Miocene sediments in the studied area are given.     

What does the occurrence of Sporormiella (Preussia) spores mean in Australian fossil sequences?

Understanding the loss of the final few species of Australian megafauna is beset by a paucity of data on human arrival, well‐provenanced megafauna, human/megafauna population range and distribution (coexistence and interaction), and the range, scale and impact of environmental changes spanning the human–megafauna period. To overcome these shortcomings, the occurrence and decline of coprophilous fungal spores of Sporormiella in sediments have been used as a proxy for extinct megaherbivores. The Sporormiella evidence is presented as the key indicator of extinction timing and these reports are often from locations where there is no known archaeological record or megafauna remains. However, interpreting fungal spore occurrence is not straightforward, as demonstrated by studies investigating taphonomy, taxonomy and the types of animal dung where Sporormiella occurs. No detailed studies on these problems exist for Australia and no evidence supporting the use of Sporormiella as a valid proxy has been reported. Here we examine the occurrence of Sporormiella spores from Cuddie Springs in south‐eastern Australia. Despite a well‐preserved suite of megafauna fossils, Sporormiella occurrence is sporadic and frequencies are low. We conclude that using Sporormiella alone as an indicator for the presence of megafauna is premature for the Australian context.     

广西隆安都结剖面下石炭统都安组上部鲕粒类型及其地质意义

鲕粒是一类特殊的沉积颗粒,为古气候和古海洋环境的重要指示器。为了深入认识此类特殊颗粒的成因机制、形成环境及地质意义,对广西隆安地区都结剖面下石炭统都安组上部含鲕粒地层开展了古生物学、沉积学和岩相学研究。研究区共识别出5种主要的鲕粒类型:放射状纹层鲕粒(O1)、规则同心放射状纹层鲕粒(O2)、不规则同心放射状纹层鲕粒(O3)、泥晶鲕粒(O4-A和O4-B)和复合鲕粒(O5)。各类鲕粒的显微组构和沉积环境指示其具有不同的形成过程,其中水动力条件影响和控制着鲕粒的发育和分布情况。研究区含鲕粒地层形成于维宪期末-谢尔普霍夫期,恰好对应早石炭世晚期冰川作用的开始。受冰川作用影响,全球海平面频繁波动,研究区地处低纬度地区并以浅滩和潮坪沉积环境为主,为鲕粒的形成提供了适宜的水体条件,即温暖、动荡的浅水环境。此外,含鲕粒岩层内广泛发育钙质微生物和微生物席,说明微生物活动在研究区较为常见,可能与鲕粒的形成过程具有一定的关联。     

Sources and preservation of organic matter in the Cretaceous Toolebuc Formation, eastern Australia

The organic matter-rich Toolebuc Formation of eastern Australia was deposited in a Lower Cretaceous epicontinental sea. Parameters from biological marker studies indicate that the organic matter is immature to marginally mature for hydrocarbon generation. The occurrence of abundant coccoliths and the distribution of alkane biomarkers suggest that the organic matter (Type II) is largely of planktonic origin and only in the southeastern part of the depositional area can a terrestrial influence be discerned. Variations in kerogen composition can be attributed to the extent of the oxidation of the source materials and the degree of incorporation of sulphur. The atomic H/C ratios (c. 1.1) are remarkably constant for most of the Toolebuc Formation. Atomic O/C ratios vary from 0.1 and 0.4 and can be related both to depth and paleogeographic position. Kerogen sulphur contents range up to 7%, and the highest values occur in the most carbonate-rich sediments. Total sulphur (inorganic + organic) to carbon ratios in the sediments vary from 1 to <0.2 and are a function of paleogeographic position and lithology. Most of the sulphur in the sediments is in the form of pyrite, but the proportion of sulphur in organic form increases as the total sulphur content decreases. The evidence for oxidation of the organic matter and incorporation of sulphur into it during deposition suggests that bituminite, which is the dominant organic maceral in the Toolebuc Formation, was formed from an organic gel derived by decay of predominantly algal material. These data support a modified gyttja model (Kauffman, 1981) for the deposition of organic matter in the Toolebuc Formation.