Vegetational response to human colonisation of the coastal and volcanic environments of Ketilsstaðir, southern Iceland

Tephra-dated, high-resolution pollen profiles from Ketilsstaðir, southern Iceland, indicate a largely unwooded pre-settlement environment, a probable consequence of the exposed coastal location. The degree of change associated with the Norse landnám is more limited than in many Icelandic pollen diagrams. There are three main periods of change in the post-settlement vegetational development of the area. Firstly, Norse settlement affected the hydrology of the bog, resulting in the near-disappearance of Sphagnum and agricultural activity led to a reduction of some species (e.g. Angelica spp. and, Salix). Secondly, the establishment of probable permanent settlement in the mid-11th century AD initiated expansion of such apophytic taxa as Plantago spp. Lactuceae, Ranunculus spp. and Pteridophytes. Thirdly, the ≥ 10 cm thick Katla tephra, deposited in AD 1357, enhanced drainage of the bog surface, favouring dryland taxa (e.g. Poaceae, Galium and Lactuceae). The tephra deposit and the associated drainage probably caused or contributed to the local extinction of the wetland beetle Hydraena britteni. The study has enabled a series of natural and humanly-related issues to be addressed including tephra-vegetation relationships, the anthropogenic reduction in plant diversity, and comparisons between historical and environmental settlement records.     

寒武纪最早期(Tommotian)一种可能的粪化石

无论脊椎动物或无脊椎动物的粪化石在新生代沉积中均是常见的,其中椭圆形的粪球粒构成了碳酸盐沉积的重要组分。尹赞勋在更老的地层中曾记述过。     

滇中川街盆地中侏罗世弓鲛(软骨鱼类)化石新材料

云南禄丰县川街盆地中侏罗统产出弓鲛鱼类化石后甸弓鲛(Hybodus houtienensis Young)、新庄弓鲛(新种)(Hybodus xinzhuangensis Sun)、川街弓鲛(新种)(Hybodus chuanjieensis Sun)。后甸弓鲛(Hybodus houtienensis Young)是中国发现最早的弓鲛鱼类之一,正型标本为破碎的鳍棘,副型标本为一枚牙齿齿冠。依据在川街盆地相同层位发现的新化石材料,对后甸弓鲛副型标本进行了增补,补充了描述,建立了2个弓鲛新种:新庄弓鲛与川街弓鲛,丰富了"后甸弓鲛带"弓鲛类群,并讨论了弓鲛属的生物地层、生活的古环境和地理分布特征。     

Flysch Trace Fossils from the Hercynian and IndosinianOrogenic Belts of North western China andTheir Palaeoenvironmental Significance

Twenty-three ichnotaxa have been found in the Silurian and Carboniferous turbidites of the Tianshan orogenic belt and the Triassic turbidites of the East Kunlun-West Qinling orogenic belt of northwestern China. They are Acanthorhaphe isp., ?Arthrophycus isp., Aulichnites parkerensis, Chondrites isp., C. intricatus, C. targionii, Cochlichnus anguineus, coprolite, Dendrotichnium haentzscheli, Helminthopsis isp., Helminthopsis abeli, H. hieroglyphica, H. cf. irregularis, Imbrichnus isp., Kunlunichnus qinghaiensis, Laevicyclus rotaeformis, Lophoctenium tianshanensis, Megagrapton isp., Micatuba verso?, Muensteria isp., Neonereites, Palaeophycus, and Zoophycos caudagalli, two of which, namely, Kunlunichnus qinghaiensis and Lophoctenium tianshanensis, are new ichnospecies. The described trace fossils can be grouped into five ichno-assemblages: the Aulichnites-Imbrichnus ichno-assemblage representing turbidity current deposits of a restricted anoxic deep-sea basin, the Lophoctenium ichno-assemblage showing the deep-sea or ocean environments relevant to a plate subduction, the Zoophycos-Helminthopsis ichno-assemblage representing the upper-middle turbidity fan deposits of a pelagic and hemipelagic environment, the Megagrapton-Chondrites ichno-assemblage representing the middle-lower turbidity fan deposits of an oceanic archipelago and the Kunlunichnus ichno-assemblage indicating bathyal turbidity current deposits.     

Early Cretaceous (Valanginian – Hauterivian) belemnites from western Morocco: stratigraphy and palaeoecology

Recent field work in Lower Cretaceous successions of the Agadir-Essaouira region, western High Atlas, Morocco, have resulted in 489 belemnite guards collected bed-by-bed from the lower Valanginian – upper Hauterivian interval. These findings are described and discussed in their biostratigraphic, taxonomic, palaeoecologic and palaeobiogeographic context. The most common belemnite genera, Hibolithes, Vaunagites?, and Duvalia, are of Meditteranean affinities and closely related to Spanish, French, and Bulgarian faunas. Less common taxa include Pseudoduvalia and Berriasibelus. The genus Pseudobelus, however, common in southeastern France and southern Spain, is rare in the Moroccan sections. The palaeoecological interpretation of these observations result in the recognition of three belemnite assemblages, characterizing different marine settings: 1) A Hibolithes - Duvalia assemblage which is typical for inner to middle shelf settings. These are relatively shallow marine environments with a high input of siliciclastics. 2) A Duvalia - Hibolithes assemblage of the outer shelf setting. Duvalia spp. is the most common genus, Hibolithes spp. is less common, while Berriasibelus spp. and Pseudobelus spp. are rare. 3) A Duvalia - Pseudobelus assemblage of hemi-pelagic preference. Duvalia is most common, next is Pseudobelus.     

两种不同燧石中α-石英 β-石英相变的研究

 利用差热分析和高温 X-射线衍射分析的实验手段,对两种不同燧石的α-石英⇔β-石英的相变反应进行了研究。结果表明,它们在相变热效应和晶格参数随温度的变化规律等方面存在着明显的差异。这种差异性的存在是由于两者内部α-石英颗粒的粒度、双晶发育程度以及燧石本身的致密度不同所造成。     

Terrestrial arthropods from the Late Pleistocene of Jamaica: systematics,palaeoecology and taphonomy

The Red Hills Road Cave, Jamaica, is the most important site for terrestrial arthropods in the post‐Miocene of the Greater Antilles. Its fauna includes millipedes, isopods, crabs and insects, in addition to land snails and vertebrates. Arthropods are preserved in three dimensions and delicate structures such as limbs can be recognized. This unusual preservation was favoured by acidic groundwater rich in dissolved calcium carbonate; periods of high rainfall during which the bottle‐shaped cave was filled with water; and any arthropod washed in would have drowned. The absence of spiders, centipedes and most insects is due to the absence of carbonate in their exoskeletons. Millipedes and isopods possess a potential for preservation by carbonate mineralization that does not occur in other groups; they secrete calcium carbonate in the exoskeleton which hardens the cuticle and is water permeable, bringing about mineral replacement of the original structures. Within the cave, fossil millipede taxa include Rhinocricus sp. or spp., Chondrotropis sp., Caraibodesmus verrucosus (Pocock) and Cyclodesmus sp. cf. C. porcellanus Pocock. The isopod fauna includes Pseudarmadillo sp., Venezillo boonae Van Name, and Philoscia spp. 1 and 2. Crab claws belong to Sesarma sp. cf. S. cookei Hartnoll. Millipedes and isopods are particularly complete, representing drowned individuals fossilized soon after death; land crabs occur as fingers and rare chelae, suggesting that they may be exuviae. Only the most robust parts of insects have been discovered, but are particularly rare, consisting of three taxa of fly puparia and one possible beetle elytra. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Distribution of foraminifera and ostracods in the Onkaparinga Estuary,South Australia

Analysis of sediment and aquatic vegetation samples collected along the Onkaparinga estuary, South Australia, revealed the distribution patterns of benthic and epi-benthic micro-organisms, specifically foraminifera and ostracods. The total assemblage provided an assemblage ‘snap shot,’ contemporaneous with the environmental conditions at the time of sampling, as well as seasonally and time-averaged distribution information. Species richness is low in the upper reaches of the estuary and favours species with a wide salinity tolerance. Observed species richness increases seawards. Species richness and abundance within species is greater where there is conspicuous aquatic vegetation. Thus, species richness and distribution appear to be related to the proximity to the sea and the provision of diverse habitable substrate. Foraminiferal species, Ammonia beccarii and Elphidium excavatum, and ostracods belonging to the genera Paracypria, Xestolebris and Leptocythere dominate the total assemblage. These species are characteristic of euryhaline conditions. The mutual maximum occurrences of Reophax barwonensis, Ammobaculites barwonensis and Trochammina inflata signify mid-estuarine conditions. In the lower regions of the estuary, the appearance of shallow marine species of foraminifera such as Elphidium crispum and Quinqueloculina poeyana, and ostracods Bairdoppilata sp., Hemicytherura spp. and Paranesidea spp. signifies interactions with the adjacent inner shelf coastal waters. Throughout the entire length of the estuary, the presence of vegetal substrate created a strong numerical bias towards live occurrences of the ostracods Paracypria sp. and Xestolebris cedunaensis. These species are potentially useful as proxies for paleoenvironmental interpretations of estuarine sediments.     

Late Barremian to early Aptian calcareous nannofossil paleoceanography and paleoecology from the Ocean Drilling Program Hole 641C (Galicia Margin)

Calcareous nannofossil assemblages at Site 641C (Galicia Margin, North Atlantic) were investigated in order to determine changes in fertility and temperature of surface waters. Taxa such as Zeughrabdotus spp. <3.5 μm, Biscutum constans, Discorhabdus rotatorius and Diazomatolithus lehmanii, which thrived in higher fertility conditions, are particularly abundant across the CM0 interval as opposed to those with oligotrophic affinities such as Watznaueria spp. and Nannoconus spp., which are generally reduced in abundance. The abundances of nannoconids are much lower than those observed in Tethyan sections, indicating higher fertility conditions. Slumpings and low recovery prevent the identification of the onset of the “nannoconid crisis”, but a sharp drop in nannoconid abundances, observed prior to the CM0 interval, correlates with the “nannoconid decline” observed in several Tethys sections.The normalized ratio between low and high fertility taxa (Fertility Index) was used to characterize the nannofossil assemblages in terms of productivity changes. The highest values of the Fertility Index were observed across magnetic chron CM0. The paucity of cold water taxa such as Seribiscutum spp. and Repagulum parvidentatum suggests warm water conditions throughout the deposition of upper Barremian–lower Aptian sediments on the Galicia Margin.     

辽东半岛东南岸全新世海进的认识

辽东半岛呈北东向低山丘陵地形,西临渤海,东濒黄海,半岛的东西两侧为窄长的第四纪沿海平原。为了搞清半岛东部沿海平原的第四纪海侵问题,近年来我们在东沟、庄河等地打了七个钻孔,分层取样,进行微体古生物的研究,首次发现了有孔虫及海生硅藻化石。     

Stable isotope and C study of biogenic calcrete in a termite mound, Western Cape, South Africa, and its palaeoenvironmental significance

Late Quaternary terrestrial climate records from the semi-arid zone of the Western Cape of South Africa are rare. However, palaeoenvironmental information may be inferred from ancient termite mounds of the region. Calcrete lenses in these mounds have δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values that show systematic changes with radiocarbon dates, which range from 33,629–36,709 to 21,676–23,256 cal yr BP. These dates confirm that these heuweltjies had been present in the landscape since the last glacial period. The decrease in δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O from 33,629–36,709 to 21,676–23,256 cal yr BP indicates that climate information is recorded by the calcretes. It is suggested that a progressive decline in air temperature and an increase in moisture availability, and a decline in abundance of C₄ or CAM plants, occurred in the region during the time heuweltjie calcite precipitated.     

New material of Anancus kenyensis (proboscidea, mammalia) from Toros-Menalla (Late Miocene, Chad): Contribution to the systematics of African anancines

New fossil remains of the proboscidean genus Anancus are described. Among them, a complete skull allows us to revisit for the first time the entire Chadian Anancus fossil record. This genus occurred in the Old World from the late Miocene up to the early Pleistocene. The analysis of dental and cranial characters was allowed individual variations from specific characters to be distinguished. In this study we show that Anancus kenyensis and Anancus osiris are very likely synonym taxa which leads us to emend the diagnosis of A. kenyensis. In addition, this study shows that dental characters in anancines lineage are of little significance for biostratigraphical inference, by contrast to previous works. This study brings new data about the phylogenetical and palaeobiogeographical history of the African anancines.     

昆仑山口羌塘组磁性地层与新构造运动

格尔木昆仑山口羌塘组厚596m,磁性地层年代为2.90-0.65MaBP,不整合在羌塘组上的望昆冰碛层年龄约为0.65-0.6MaBP,其下惊仙冰期年龄约为3.0MaBP。羌塘组中新发现的三趾马化石年龄为2.08MaBP,三趾马生存高度为海拔1000-2000m,古纬度为32.56°,计算出东昆仑地区第四纪以来上升速率为2.3-3.1mm/a,向北水平移动速率143mm/a,西大滩左行走滑断层滑动速率为10mm/a。      

Physiochemical conditions of Folsomia candida occurrence in a shallow coastal Lake Michigan aquifer

An insect, Folsomia candida, was found in a shallow aquifer along the southwestern coast of Michigan. F. candida is a standard organism for soil toxicity testing but its occurrence in groundwater is uncommon to rare, or has been under-reported in the literature. Attempts to correlate the presence of F. candida to water and soil parameters yielded: (1) F. candida is present in the upper 15–25 cm of topsoil, but absent in the underlying vadose zone except directly above the water table, regardless of the presence in groundwater; (2) F. candida is most abundant in groundwater 4.3–5.0 m below land surface; (3) Most F. candida occur in wells with dissolved oxygen ranging from 4 to 5 ppm; (4) F. candida is most abundant in water between about 14 and 18°C; (5) F. candida is abundant in groundwater with high concentrations of Cl⁻, Na⁺, and K⁺; and, (6) Small differences in pore space volume determine the feasibility of F. candida occupancy, but not the presence of F. candida in the study area.     

Geogenic and anthropogenic zinc in epiphytic and terricolous lichens in Finland

At 31 sites in Finland the Zn content was determined of the epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl. growing on pine and birch, the terricolous lichen Cladina spp. in pine bark, and the inner part of birch bark. The anomalous contents of Zn in H. physodes on pine and Cladina spp. in soil appeared to be strongly related to sulphide ore deposits. Anthropogenic Zn correlated closely with S and Fe in H. physodes on pine and with Fe in Cladina spp. The binding of geogenic Zn was related to iron hydroxides, and was attributed to the different uptake mechanism of S in these lichens. Elevated values of Zn in H. physodes on birch were due to both geogenic and anthropogenic sources. Zinc in pine bark increased with the Zn content in H. physodes and reached a limiting value.     

Poly-orogenic multi-stage metamorphic evolution inferred via P–T pseudosections: An example from Aspromonte Massif basement rocks (Southern Calabria, Italy)

The metamorphic evolution of a key sector of the western Mediterranean internal Alpine orogenic belt (southern Calabrian Peloritani Orogen) is identified and described by means of P–T pseudosections calculated for selected metapelite specimens, showing evidence of multi-stage metamorphism.Attention focused on the two lowermost basement nappes of the Aspromonte Massif (southern Calabria), which were differently affected by poly-orogenic multi-stage evolution. After a complete Variscan orogenic cycle, the upper unit (Aspromonte Peloritani Unit) was involved in a late-Alpine shearing event. In contrast, the several underlying metapelite slices, here grouped together as Lower Metapelite Group, show exclusive evidence of a complete Alpine orogenic cycle.In order to obtain reliable P–T constraints, an integrated approach was employed, based on: a) garnet isopleth thermobarometry; and b) theoretical predictions of the P–T stability fields of representative equilibrium assemblages. This approach, which takes into account the role of the local equilibrium volumes in controlling textural developments, yielded reliable information about P–T conditions from early to peak metamorphic stages, as well as estimates of the retrograde trajectory in the pseudosection P–T space.According to inferred detailed P–T paths, the evolution of the Aspromonte Peloritani Unit is characterised by a multi-stage Variscan cycle, subdivided into an early crustal thickening stage with P–T conditions ranging from 0.56 ± 0.05 GPa at 570 ± 10 °C to 0.63–0.93 GPa at 650–710 °C (peak conditions) and evolving to a later crustal thinning episode in lower P–T conditions (0.25 GPa at 540 °C), as documented by the retrograde trajectory.Conversely, the prograde evolution of the rocks of the Lower Metapelite Group shows evidence of a HP-LT early Alpine multi-stage cycle, with P–T evolving from 0.75–0.90 GPa at 510–530 °C towards peak conditions, with pressure increasing northwards from 1.12 ± 0.02 GPa to 1.24 ± 0.02 GPa, and temperatures of 540–570 °C.A late-Alpine mylonitic overprint affected the rocks of both the Aspromonte Peloritani Unit and the Lower Metapelite Group. This overprint was characterised by an initial retrograde decompression trajectory (0.75 ± 0.05 GPa at 570–600 °C), followed by a joint cooling history, ranging from 0.38 ± 0.14 at temperature from 450 to 520 °C.These inferred results were then used: a) to interpret the Lower Metapelite Group as a single crystalline basement unit exclusively affected by a complete Alpine orogenic cycle, according to the very similar features of P–T paths, comparable petrography and analogous structural characteristics; b) as a tool for more reliable correlations between the Aspromonte Massif, the other Calabrian terranes and the north African Orogenic Complexes. They may therefore consider a contribution to the geodynamic modelling of the western Mediterranean.     

A late-glacial transition from Picea glauca to Picea mariana in southern New England

Picea is an important taxon in late-glacial pollen records from eastern North America, but little is known about which species of Picea were present. We apply a recently developed palynological method for discriminating the three Picea species in eastern North America to three records from New England. Picea glauca was dominant at  14,500–14,000 cal yr BP, followed by a transition to Picea mariana between  14,000 and 13,500 cal yr BP. Comparison of the pollen data with hydrogen isotope data shows clearly that this transition began before the beginning of the Younger Dryas Chronozone. The ecological changes of the late-glacial interval were not a simple oscillation in the position of a single species' range, but rather major changes in vegetation structure and composition occurring during an interval of variations in several environmental factors, including climate, edaphic conditions, and atmospheric CO₂ levels.     

Bayeritheca hughesii gen. et sp. nov., a new Eucommiidites -bearing pollen organ from the Cenomanian of Bohemia

A new pollen organ, Bayeritheca hughesii gen. et sp. nov. with in situ Eucommiidites pollen grains, is described from the Cenomanian of Bohemia in Central Europe. It is based on a single lignified specimen which is the largest Eucommiidites -producing pollen structure described so far. It shows whorls of microsporangiate units attached to a massive main axis forming a cone-like structure. Each microsporangiate unit forms distally an angular head bearing trichomes and centrally arranged mucronate tubercles. The head is attached to a short stalk. Proximal sides of heads display radially arranged synangia. Each synangium contains an unknown number of pollen sacs with numerous Eucommiidites pollen grains.Bayeritheca is the only genus of Erdtmanithecales in which synangia instead of sporangia are found. Bayeritheca differs from Eucommiiditheca Friis & Pedersen in the whorled arrangement of microsporangiate units, which are densely spaced forming a cone-like structure. It differs from Erdtmanitheca Pedersen, Crane & Friis in the elongate shape of the whole organ, slender main axis, shorter pollen sacs, and different Eucommiidites pollen.     

In situ time resolved synchrotron powder diffraction study of thaumasite

Structural changes during dehydration and subsequent decomposition in thaumasite Ca₃Si(SO₄)(CO₃)(OH)₆·12 H₂O were studied by in situ synchrotron powder diffraction between 303 and 1,098 K. Evolution of the crystal structure was observed through 28 structure refinements, by full profile Rietveld analysis performed in the P6₃ space group, between 300 and 417 K, whereupon the thaumasite structure was observed to breakdown. Within this temperature range, the cell parameters of thaumasite increased as a function of temperature in a nearly linear fashion up to about 393 K, at which temperature, a slight slope change was observed. Above 400 K, the thermogravimetric analysis revealed that the dehydration process proceeded very rapidly while the refined occupancy of water molecules dropped below a critical level, leading to instability in the thaumasite structure. At a same time, a remarkable change in the unit cell parameters occurring at about 417 K indicated that the crystal structure of thaumasite collapsed on losing the crystallization water and it turned amorphous. This result indicated that the dehydration/decomposition of thaumasite was induced by the departure of the crystallization water. At about 950 K, anhydrite and cristobalite crystallized from the thaumasite glass.