Biomolecular Preservation of Miocene Fossil Liquidambar from Tiantai, China and Clarkia, USA: Implications for Palaeoenvironmental Study

Biomolecular characteristics of fossil Liquidambar from the Miocene Shengxian Formation, Tiantai, Zhejiang province in eastern China and Miocene Clarkia sediment, Idaho, U.S.A., are obtained by means of Pyrolysis-Gas chromatography-Mass spectrometry analysis (Py-GC-MS). Their modern equivalent (Liquidambar formosana) collected from Nanjing, eastern China, is also analyzed for comparison. The total ion chromatograms (TIC) of modern L. formosana leaves shows abundant pyrolysates of lignin, polysaccharide, aliphatic acid, and amino acid. However, only one polysaccharide molecule, i.e., levoglucosan, is retained in fossil Liquidambar leaves from the two Miocene sites with the Tiantai specimen possessing higher intensity. As expected, some lignin pyrolysates including benzene, phenol, guaiacol, vinylphenol and their derivatives, are detected in Miocene Tiantai L. miosinica. However, the lignin components with large molecular weight other than benzene and phenol compounds, are absent in Miocene Clarkia L. pachyphyllum. Abundant pristene and homologous series of n-alk-1-ene/n-alkane pairs with a long retention time are shown in pyrograms of both Tiantai and Clarkia fossils. Based upon our Py-GC-MS data, the molecular preservation in these Liquidambar leaf samples can be ranked as the following (from high to low quality respectively): modern sample >Tiantai sample >Clarkia sample. Vinyl phenol, an important compound, is present in modern and Tiantai Liquidambar leaves, while absent in Clarkia sample, implying that vinyl phenol may be sourced from lignin for Liquidambar leaves. Our data support the hypothesis of in situ polymerization for the origin of long-chain homologous series of n-alk-1-ene/n-alkane pairs as leaf alteration products. Our data have implications of the impact of leaf degradation toward biases for palaeoenvironmental reconstruction using stable carbon isotope of fossil plants, and suggest the importance of evaluating molecular preservation of fossil leaf tissues prior to the application of carbon isotope compositions of fossil leaves.     

Sequence Stratigraphy and Rudist Facies Development of the Upper Barremian‐Lower Cenomanian Platform,Northern Sinai,Egypt

The Lower Cretaceous sections in northern Sinai are composed of the Risan Aneiza (upper Barremian-middle Albian) and the Halal (middle Albian-lower Cenomanian) formations. The facies reflect subtle paleobathymetry from inner to outer ramp facies. The inner ramp facies are peritidal, protected to open marine lagoons, shoals and rudist biostrome facies. The inner ramp facies grade northward into outer ramp deposits. The upper Barremian-lower Cenomanian succession is subdivided into nine depositional sequences correlated with those recognized in the neighbouring Tethyan areas. These sequences are subdivided into 19 medium-scale sequences based on the facies evolution, the recorded hardgrounds and flooding surfaces, interpreted as the result of eustatic sea level changes and local tectonic activities of the early Syrian Arc rifting stage. Each sequence contains a lower retrogradational parasequence set that constituted the transgressive systems tracts and an upper progradational parasequence set that formed the highstand systems tracts. Nine rudist levels are recorded in the upper Barremian through lower Cenomanian succession at Gabal Raghawi. At Gabal Yelleg two rudist levels are found in the Albian. The rudist levels are associated with the highstand systems tract deposits because of the suitability of the trophic conditions in the rudist-dominated ramp.     

Thalassinoides in the Middle Miocene succession at Siwa Oasis,northwestern Egypt

At Siwa Oasis, the carbonate-rich Middle Miocene Marmarica Formation includes several firmground discontinuity surfaces, characterized by extensive burrow systems. These surfaces are confined to the boundary between the Oasis and Siwa Escarpment members in addition to several intraformational marine firmground discontinuities at several horizons within these two members. The marine trace fossils from all these discontinuities are represented mainly by the ichnogenus Thalassinoides. In all occurrences, Thalassinoides are characterized by a sharp erosional lower contact and grades upward into fossiliferous argillaceous limestone facies. Three Thalassinoides ichnospecies have been reported, including: Th. horizontalis Myrow, 1995, Th. suevicus (Rieth, 1932) and Th. paradoxicus (Woodward, 1830). They are mostly recorded as hypichnial/endichnial forms at the sole of fossiliferous argillaceous limestone facies. Rare exichnial occurrences are also recorded. Thalassinoides ichnospecies displayed considerable variations in their stratigraphic distribution, in addition to remarkable variations in their complexity and dimension. These variations are mostly reflecting environmental conditions prevailed during the trace-maker life. Paleoenvironmental interpretation of these burrows confirmed a well-oxygenated shallow marine environment with extremely slow or nearly nil rate of sedimentation.     

A Novel Approach in Hydrogeochemical Exploration for Uranium Mineralization: an Example from West Central Sinai, Egypt

Groundwater in contact with ore deposits may acquire a chemical composition that could be used as a guide for exploration. Eight well-water samples are collected from a known uranium-mineralized area near Abu Zenima, west central Sinai to examine the applicability of using the hydrogeochemical technique in the search for uranium mineralization in similar arid areas. The analytical chemical data of the ground water is compared with ground radiometric measurements. The obtained results indicate that groundwater affected by uranium mineralization has a specific relativity of major anions expressed essentially as SO4>Cl>HCO3 and to a lesser extent as Cl>SO4>HCO3, associated as a rule with low magnesium content. This association constitutes a signature of uranium mineralization on the composition of groundwater in west central Sinai and could be used as an important exploration guide in the search for uranium deposits in similar areas. Anomalies in Ni, Fe, Zn and Cr and other pathfinder elements in groundwater can furnish geochemical guides to uranium ores. The immobile trace element anomalies, including Zn, Ni and Fe are strongly distributed near the orebody; whereas the relatively mobile trace elements, including Co, U, V and Cr, constitute the dispersion haloes away from the orebody. A new hydrogeochemical discrimination diagram is constructed to be used as a quick and cost effective exploration tool in the search for uranium occurrences in environmentally similar arid areas. Based on the obtained results, a new site for uranium occurrence, west of W. Baba, is delineated and recommended for future detailed geological and geochemical surveying.     

ASTER spectral ratioing for lithological mapping in the Arabian–Nubian shield, the Neoproterozoic Wadi Kid area, Sinai, Egypt

The Neoproterozoic Wadi Kid metamorphic belt in southeastern Sinai in Egypt represents a structurally and metamorphically complex assemblage of metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks folded into a series of ENE–WSW-trending antiforms and synforms. Geological mapping in this region is challenging, primarily due to difficult access, complexity of structures, and lack of resolution and areal integrity of lithological differentiation using conventional mapping techniques. Spectral ratioing of selected bands of Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) data of the area, in synergy with geological field observation, proved effective in resolving geological mapping problems in the region. A new ASTER band-ratio image 4/7-4/6-4/10 is applied successfully for lithological mapping in the Wadi Kid area, showing improvement over previous techniques in detailing the main rock units. These are gneiss and migmatite, amphibolite, volcanogenic sediments with banded iron formation, meta-pelites, talc schist, meta-psammites, meta-acidic volcanics, meta-pyroclastics volcaniclastics, albitites and granitic rocks. Validating the use of the new ASTER band-ratio image relied on both calculating statistical optimum index factor (OIF) and matching interpreted lithological boundaries to field data and previously published geologic maps. The adopted ASTER band-ratio image demonstrates the benefit of using ASTER remote sensing data in lithological mapping of the Wadi Kid area and therefore for lithological mapping in the Arabian–Nubian shield and other arid areas.     

Origin and geochemistry of Pan-African granitoid rocks in the Gabal Um Shomer area,Southwestern Sinai,Egypt

Geological, petrological and geochemical studies indicated that there are two distinct types of granitoid rocks: older quartz diorites to granodiorite assemblage and younger granitoids, the latter occurring in two phases. The older granitoids have a meta-aluminous chemistry and a calc-alkaline character, with high MgO, Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, P2O5, Sr and low SiO2, K2O, and Rb. Their major and trace elements data, together with low 87Sr/ 86Sr ratios (0.7029±0.0008) are indicative of I-type affinities. The second-...     

Geochemical Constraints of the Ediacaran Volcano-Sedimentary Succession of the Sa’al Metamorphic Complex at Wadi Zaghra, South Sinai, Egypt

The volcano-sedimentary succession around Wadi Zaghra in Sinai, at the northernmost segment of the Arabian Nubian Shield, comprises volcanic rocks interbedded with rather immature sediments. The succession is dominated by intermediate to silicic volcanics of medium-to high-K calc-alkaline affinity. It is divided into two units, the lower unit includes intermediate rocks and dacites interbedded with graywackes, semi-pelites and pelites and topped by polymict conglomerates. This unit is subjected to folding and regional metamorphism(up to garnet zone) and is intruded by quartz diorite-granodiorite inducing, locally, low-pressure contact thermal metamorphism. The unmetamorphosed upper unit encompasses acid volcanics intercalated with litharenite, sublitharenite and minor arenite. The rhyolites of this unit pertain to the highly fractionated granites and are characterized by an agpaitic index(NK/A) ranging from 0.87 to 0.96. They may reflect either extensive interaction of subduction-related magmas with the continental crust or a change in the tectonic regime. The present lithological and geochemical characteristics of the studied sediments together with available zircon ages indicate rather distal provenance of their detritus. This detritus comprises fluvial-alluvial sediments accumulated in the intermontane basins, which are half-grabens or tilted fault blocks. The tectonic setting of the depositional basins is active continental margin and continental island arcs. Geochemical patterns of the Zaghra volcano-sedimentary succession indicate their correlation with the Dokhan Volcanics-Hammamat Clastics sequence of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Also, the Zaghra volcanics display geochemical similarities with those exposed in Sinai, at the Rutig, Ferani and Iqna Shar'a areas. The Zaghra succession is dated as Ediacaran but is not related either to the ensimatic island arc assemblage or to the rift-related assemblage formed during the early stages of the break-up of Rodinia as previously thought.     

Occurrence of Middle Miocene Fossil Cyprinid Fish in the Northern Qaidam Basin and its Paleoenvironmental Implications

With a thick sequence of early Eocene to Pleistocene terrestrial records, the Qaidam Basin on the northern Tibetan Plateau provides an important sedimentary archive for understanding the paleoenvironmental evolution of the northeast Tibetan Plateau. In this study, specimens of fossil fish remains are collected from the late Middle Miocene (Serravallian, ~12Ma) of the middle member of the Shang Youshashan Formation, Dahonggou (DHG) section, in the northern Qaidam Basin. Based on a systematic study of these materials, the remains have assigned to Cyprinidae, with typical pharyngeal teeth and dorsal fin spines with serrations on the posterior edge. Our discovery improves understanding of the cyprinid fish distribution characteristics in the Qaidam Basin during the Cenozoic. Co-occurrences of terrestrial brackish ostracod species Cyprideis and long chain alkenonesin the layer indicate that the studied cyprinid fish lived in a generally large brackish to saline water body during the late middle Miocene (Serravallian), when the climate of Qaidam Basin was still not sufficiently dry to form an extreme saline water lake.     

A New Fossil Termite(Isoptera,Stolotermitidae,Stolotermes)from the Early Miocene of Otago,New Zealand

<正>The forewing of a termite from Early Miocene lake sediments in Otago,southern New Zealand is figured and described.It exhibits the generic characters of the damp-wood termite Stolotermes Hagen,but differs from forewings of the known species in size and venation pattern and is described as Stolotermes kupe sp.nov.S.kupe represents the first confident record of fossil Stolotermitidae and extends the fossil record of the family back to the Early Miocene.It also is the first direct evidence of fossil Isoptera from New Zealand,though silicified termite faecal pellets,referable to Kalotermes brauni,have been previously described.S.kupe indicates that Stolotermitidae has been present in the Australasian region since at least the Early Miocene.     

Spatial distribution of climatic conditions from the Middle Eocene to Late Miocene based on palynoflora in Central,Eastern and Western Anatolia

The continental climatic evolution of Anatolia has been reconstructed quantitatively for the last 45 million years using the coexistence approach. Although there were some regional effects, the Anatolian Cenozoic continental climate record correlated with the European climatic condition and the global oxygen isotope record from marine environments. From middle Eocene to late Miocene, continental warming in Anatolia was pronounced for inferred winter temperature and mean annual temperature as in Europe. Generally, the palaeoclimatic property of Anatolia resembles the European climatic changing and marine temperature changing based on the oxygen isotope record; however, climatic values of the terrestrial area in Anatolia are higher from Lutetian to Aquitanian and these values are lower than European values from Aquitanian to Tortonian. Correspondingly, Cenozoic climatic cooling in Anatolia is directly associated with an increase of seasonality, palaeogeographic position and terrestrial condition. Furthermore, mean annual precipitation values of Anatolia remained relatively stable during the Eocene–Oligocene; however, these values indicated changing throughout middle–late Miocene. Moreover, in this study, decline of abundance and variables for the mangrove and back mangrove palaeocommunities during the last 45 million years is recorded because of the decreasing of humidity, temperature and increasing of terrestrial condition.     

Early Miocene benthic foraminifera and biostratigraphy of the Qom Formation, Deh Namak, Central Iran

A total of 165 samples were collected from the Qom Formation investigated in a stratigraphic section north of Deh Namak, in Central Iran. From these, 35 genera and 47 species of benthic foraminifera were identified. The age of the studied section is Early Miocene (Aquitanian to Early Burdigalian) based on the occurrence of Borelis melo curdica, Meandropsina anahensis, Meandropsina iranica, Elphidium sp. 14, Peneroplis farsensis, and Triloculina tricarinata. The thickness of the Qom Formation is 401 m of which 161.2 m is early Burdigalian in age. Foraminiferal assemblages in the Deh Namak section are referable to the Borelis melo group-Meandropsina iranica Assemblage Zone and Miogypsinoides-Archaias-Valvulinid Assemblage Zone of [Adams, T.D., Bourgeois, F., 1967. Asmari biostratigraphy. Iranian Oil Operating Companies, Geological and Exploration Division, Report1074 (unpublished) 1–37.] described originally from the Asmari Formation.     

Bryozoan event from Middle Miocene (Early Badenian) lower neritic sediments from the locality Kralice nad Oslavou (Central Paratethys,Moravian part of the Carpathian Foredeep)

Fossil Bryozoa occurs usually in shallow-water environments. One of the rare deep-water associations of Bryozoa has been studied in a profile at Kralice nad Oslavou. According to studies of foraminifera, the paleodepth was more than 150 m and less than 500 m. The bryozoan assemblages are poor, consisting of four species only, dominated by Tervia irregularis (Cyclostomatida) and Reteporella kralicensis sp.n. (Cheilostomatida), a new species being described in detail.     

云南景谷早中新世翅子树属叶片化石的发现及其古生态和植物地理学意义

锦葵科(Malvaceae Juss.)翅子树属(Pterospermum Schreb.)主要分布于热带亚洲,该属化石目前只在印度有少量记录。本研究报道了产自云南省景谷县(23°31′N,100°42′E)下中新统三号沟组的翅子树属叶片化石。通过形态学研究鉴定出3个种：双兴翅子树(P.shuangxingii Y.S.Zhao, J.Huang et T. Su sp. nov.),叶片偏小型,顶端截形并具3浅裂,与现今分布于东南亚地区的大花翅子树(P.grandiflorum Craib)形态较为相似;云南翅子树近似种(P.cf.yunnanense H.H.Hsue),叶片偏小型,顶端不分裂;翅子树属一未定种(Pterospermum sp.),叶片中型,叶片顶端具齿。景谷县翅子树属化石的发现证明,早中新世该属就在我国西南地区分化并繁盛至今。综合本研究以及已有证据,翅子树属可能从印度次大陆起源,随后向亚洲东部和东南部的热带地区扩散,最终形成了现今热带亚洲的分布格局。此外,本研究还描述了翅子树属化石叶片上的9种昆虫取食类型,与该属现生种叶片的昆虫取食形态一致,表明该属现今的植食性昆虫取食行为可能在早中新世就已经出现。

     

Notatudiadema and Aegyptiaris: Two new regular echinoids genera with two new species from the Cenomanian of north Sinai,Egypt

Revision of the Cenomanian echinoids deposited in the Cairo Geological Museum resulted in the erection of two new genera with two new species of regular echinoids. The first, Notatudiadema rekeibensis gen. and sp. nov. is established for specimens from the Cenomanian of Gabal El-Rekeib, southeast the Maghara massif, north Sinai to accommodate diadematoid echinoids having hemi-crenulate ambital and sub-ambital interambulacral tubercles with the adapical part of platform non-crenulate and the adoral one of same tubercle coarsely crenulate. The second is Aegyptiaris halalensis gen. and sp. nov., erected for material from the lower Cenomanian of Gabal El-Halal, northeast Sinai as an emiratiid echinoid with throughout polyporus ambulacra and extremely reduced adapical ambulacral tubercles. The functional morphology and paleobiology of these taxa are also discussed. A new family is established: family Monodiadematidae fam. nov.     

Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Central Paratethys using stable isotopes from bryozoan skeletons

Stable carbon and oxygen isotope values from single bryozoan colonies were used to reconstruct the paleoenvironments of the Early to Middle Miocene (Ottnangian to Badenian) sediments of the Central Paratethys. This approach utilizes a locally abundant allochem while avoiding matrix and multiple allochem contamination from bulk rock samples. Bryozoan colonies (and a few foraminifera and rock matrix samples) from 14 localities yielded 399 carbon and oxygen isotope values. Data from six of the localities (15 % of the total number of samples) were interpreted as having been diagenetically altered and were rejected. The remaining data indicate a primarily localized upwelling signal with lesser variation caused by global climatic and regional tectonic forcing of sea level, salinity, and temperature. Paleotemperatures were calculated to range from 12 to 21 °C. Despite potential taxonomic and diagenetic problems, bryozoan colonies are a powerful, underutilized source of paleoenvironmental carbon and oxygen isotope data.     

Contribution to the hydrogeology of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer in east Central Sinai, Egypt

The present work deals with the groundwater aquifer of the Lower Cretaceous sandstone and its sustainable development in Sinai. The studied aquifer system is the most promising groundwater system in Sinai due to its wide extension, hug storage, and good quality. The objective of this paper aims to elucidate the hydrogeological characteristics of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer. The aquifer system occurs under confined conditions. The top surface of the Lower Cretaceous dips steeply towards the southwest direction with step faults. The average sand percent of the penetrated aquifer attains 54%. The main direction of groundwater flow is generally from southwest and locally is concentric to the center of study area related to the influence of the graben block. The aquifer has a hydraulic gradient generally reaches 0.0011 m/m and attains 0.0028 in central portion of study area. The aquifer parameters (effective porosity, transmissivity, and hydraulic conductivity) increase towards the northeast direction with increasing of the sand percentage. Durov diagram plot revealed that the groundwater has been a final stage evolution represented by a NaCl water type. The groundwater salinity increases towards the central of study area coinciding with groundwater flow. The groundwater salinity of the Lower Cretaceous aquifer is brackish water and varies from 2,510 to 5,256 ppm and unsuitable for drinking and domestic purposes.     

川西地区上三叠统层序地层岩石地球化学特征

川西地区上三叠统自下向上可划分为四个陆相层序（层序Ⅰ、Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ）,每一个层序自下向上都发育有低水位体系域、湖侵体系域和高水位体系域.通过对层序Ⅲ、Ⅳ各体系域的几类岩石地球化学标型参数研究发现,每个层序在沉积的过程中,由低水位体系域到湖侵体系域再到高水位体系域,B含量、Sr/Ba比值、V/Ni比值都经历了从高到低再到高的旋回历程,也即是盆地的湖平面、古气候和古盐度等皆发生了一次旋回性的变化,进一步为层序和体系域的划分提供了证据.     

柴达木盆地东北缘中新统遗迹化石组合及其沉积环境

研究遗迹化石对于恢复古生物活动方式、习性和古环境具有重要意义。在柴达木盆地东北缘双湖地区中新统发现了遗迹化石。经鉴定,研究区的遗迹化石主要包括2大类4属4种:居住迹Palaeopycus heberti（赫伯特古藻迹）,Skolithos verticalis（垂直石针迹）;进食迹Scoyenia gracilis（纤细斯柯茵迹）和Taenidium satanassi（箱形条带迹）。根据研究区的遗迹化石分布及沉积环境分析,该地可划分出一个遗迹组合:Scoyenia-Taenidium-Skolithos遗迹组合, 代表了潮湿气候条件下的浅湖环境。当前化石的发现填补了柴达木盆地东北缘双湖地区中新世遗迹化石研究的空白。     

Post-collisional magmatism in the northern Arabian-Nubian Shield: The geotectonic evolution of the alkaline suite at Gebel Tarbush area, south Sinai, Egypt

Post-collisional alkaline magmatism (∼610–580 Ma) is widely distributed in the northern part of the Neoproterozoic Arabian-Nubian Shield (ANS), i.e. the northern part of the Egyptian Eastern Desert and Sinai. Alkaline rocks of G. Tarbush constitute the western limb of the Katharina ring complex (∼593 ± 16 Ma) in southern Sinai. This suite commenced with the extrusion of peralkaline volcanics and quartz syenite subvolcanics intruded by syenogranite and alkali feldspar granite. The mineralogy and geochemistry of these rocks indicate an alkaline/peralkaline within-plate affinity. Quartz syenite is relatively enriched in TiO₂, Fe₂O₃, MgO, CaO, Sr, Ba and depleted in SiO₂, Nb, Y, and Rb. The G. Tarbush alkaline suite most likely evolved via fractionation of mainly feldspar and minor mafic phases (hornblende, aegirine) from a common quartz syenite parental magma, which formed via partial melting of middle crustal rocks of ANS juvenile crust. Mantle melts could have provided the heat required for the middle crustal melting. The upper mantle melting was likely promoted by erosional decompression subsequent to lithospheric delamination and crustal uplift during the late-collisional stage of the ANS. Such an explanation could explain the absence or scarce occurrence of mafic and intermediate lithologies in the abundant late- to post-collisional calc-alkaline and alkaline suites in the northern ANS. Moreover, erosion related to crustal uplift during the late-collision stage could account for the lack or infrequent occurrence of older lithologies, i.e. island arc metavolcanics and marginal basin ophiolites, from the northern part of the ANS.     

西秦岭地区晚二叠世—早三叠世沉积相分析和沉积古环境再造

青海省同仁地区处于祁连和秦岭造山带的接合部，构造演化历史悠久。本次工作在该地区隆务河一带发现较好的二叠—三叠系剖面。将该剖面从下而上划分为上二叠统石关组、下三叠统果木沟组和江里沟组，其中江里沟组又进一步划分为下部的浊积岩段和上部的风暴岩段，初步确定了二叠—三叠纪的界线。沉积序列、沉积相和沉积物表明上二叠统石关组和下三叠统果木沟组为一套陆源碎屑浊积岩，下三叠统江里沟组下部为一套不纯的内碎屑浊积岩，而下三叠统江里沟组上部为风暴岩沉积。根据沉积相和火山岩夹层的地球化学特征认为该地区上二叠统石关组和下三叠统果木沟组处于半深海的活动大陆边缘，下三叠统江里沟组早期的浊积岩段处于较稳定的半深海大陆边缘。根据沉积相和遗迹化石，恢复了晚二叠世—早三叠世的海平面变化特征。