Middle Eocene vertebrates from the sabkha of Gueran,Atlantic coastal basin,Saharan Morocco,and their peri-African correlations

The sabkha of Gueran in the Southwest Moroccan Sahara has yielded a rich and diverse fauna of late middle Eocene vertebrates that include the world's richest Bartonian age archaeocete assemblage. Archeocete remains were described previously and here we report on the rest of the vertebrate fauna. The Gueran fauna includes abundant chondrichthyan species belonging to Lamniformes, Carcharhiniformes and Rhinopristiformes, and actinopterygian assemblage consisting of Cylindracanthus, of a siluriform, and of Perciformes. Turtles are represented by at least two marine taxa referred to as Cheloniidae and Dermochelyidae. Crocodylian remains belong to at least two longirostrine species, including gavialoid remains. Snakes are represented by Pterosphenus cf. schweinfurthi (Palaeophiidae). Seabirds are represented by a pseudo-toothed bird (Pelagornithidae). The avian fossil belonged to a gigantic soaring bird and constitutes the earliest occurrence of the genus Pelagornis. The presence of proboscideans is attested by dental fragments. This fossil assemblage from Gueran shows affinities with those of the Eocene beds of Egypt and Libya. The numerous shared taxa support a close biogeographical connection between faunas from southeastern and southwestern coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.     

Early Eocene Radiolarian Fauna from the Sangdanlin, Southern Tibet: Constraints on the Timing of Initial India-Asia Collision

This is a new report on the early Eocene radiolarian fauna from the Sangdanlin section in the Gyirong region, along the southern margin of the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone. The Sangdanlin section measured in this study is divided into three lithostratigraphic units from bottom to top: the Zongzhuo, Sangdanlin, and Zheya formations. Abundant radiolarian fossils were obtained from the Sangdanlin section and 54 species of 30 genera were identified and assigned as follows: Cryptamphorella conara-C. macropora the late Cretaceous Zone and Amphisphaera coronate, Buryella tetradica-Bekoma campechensis, and B.bidartensis-B. divaricata the Paleocene-early Eocene Interval Zones. The Paleocene–early Eocene radiolarian zones are comparable to the radiolarian zones RP4-RP8 in New Zealand. Based on the data of radiolaria and lithofacies, it is suggested that the Zongzhuo Formation should be deposited along the base of the north-facing, continental slope of the Greater Indian continental margin, and the Sangdanlin Formation should be a deep marine, sedimentary sequence located in a foreland basin. The early Eocene radiolarian fauna in the Sangdanlin Formation constrains the initial age of the India-Asia collision to no later than 53.6 Ma.     

New Taxa of Chrysomelidae (Insecta:Coleoptera)from Rovno Amber,Late Eocene

<正>Leaf beetles Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber,from the Late Eocene,are recorded and described. Chrysomelidae of Rovno amber are represented by three subfamilies:Galerucinae(Alticini),Chrysomelinae,and Eumolpinae.Two new genera and three new species of Alticini:Manobiomorpha Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Manobiomorpha eocenica Nadein,sp.nov.),Psyllototus Nadein,gen.nov.(type species Psyllototus progenitor Nadein,sp.nov.),and Crepidodera decolorata Nadein et Perkovsky,sp.nov.are described.A new chrysomeline genus and species Paleophaedon minutus Nadein gen.nov.et sp.nov.is described.Probable trophic association of Crepidodera decolorata sp.nov.,the taxonomic positions of Manobiomorpha gen.nov.and Psyllototus gen.nov., and the composition of leaf beetle faunas of Middle and Late Eocene of Europe are discussed.     

Dasycladalean algae and their depositional environments in the Sylhet Limestone Formation (lower-middle Eocene), Bengal Basin

A very rich and diversified dasycladalean algal assemblage has been discovered from the Sylhet Limestone Formation (lower-middle Eocene) of the Bengal Basin of India for the first time. The depositional environments of the Sylhet Limestone Formation have been discussed based on the presence of the 11 species of the dasycladalean algae belonging to the three families Dasycladaceae (Cymopolia inflataramosa Segonzac, C. mayaenese Johnson and Kaska, C. paronai Raineri, Cymopolia sp.), Triploporaceae (Dissocladella lunata Segonzac, Dissocladella sp., Jodotella sloveniaensis Deloffre and Radoicic) and Acetabulariaceae (Clypeina socanensis Deloffre and Radoicic, Clypeina sp., Terquemella sp., Neomeris sp.). The lower Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation revealed predominance of dasycladalean algal assemblage with the halimedacean and udoteacean algae and rare occurrence of coralline algae. This suggests their luxuriant growth in the open lagoonal to shelf environment at the depth of 5–6 m in the warm waters. There is a gradual decrease in the dasycladalean species and genera in the middle Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation. The predominance of coralline algae associated with the Sporolithon indicates that the limestone of middle Eocene Sylhet Limestone Formation have been deposited at the littoral to shallow, high energy open shelf marine environments at a depth of about 40–60 m in warm tropical waters.     

Les paléoenvironnements éocènes à crinoïdes pédonculés des marnes de Miretrain (Angoumé, SW France) : interprétations paléobathymétriques

A well-diversified fauna of stalked crinoids was found in the Eocene series exposed in the quarry of Miretrain at Angoumé (Landes, southwestern Aquitaine, northern edge of the Tercis diapir structure). The most frequent taxa belong to the genera Isselicrinus and Conocrinus. Adaptive stalk characters related to depth in the pentacrinid genus Isselicrinus allow us to document the bathymetric zonation of stalked crinoids during the Eocene. Both stalked crinoids, benthic foraminifera and additional organisms give convergent information on palaeodepths throughout the progradation of sedimentary bathyal slope between the two major tectonic events providing Pyrenean foreland shortening. The depth changes from more than 700 m (maybe about 1000 m) at the base of the series (Middle Lutetian) to about 50 m at the top (Late Bartonian). To cite this article: M. Roux et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

内蒙古阿拉善地区的第三系及其动物群

笔者依据丰富翔实的资料,论述了该区第三地层的分布,区划,地层划分沿革,岩性,岩相古地理特征及地质演化史;在地层方面,首次在内蒙古西部建立了比较完整的第三纪地层序列;命名和划分了中始新统乌兰乌珠尔组,上始新统查干布拉格组。下渐新统乌兰塔塔尔组,上渐新统,下中新统乌尔较组,上中新统呼和好来组和上新统昂冈浩特组等６个地层单元,补充界定了查干布拉格组并将其时代厘定为晚始新世;在动物群方面,发现和命名了中始     

新疆乌伦古河地区第三纪哺乳动物群初析及地层年代确定

新疆准噶尔盆地北缘乌伦古河地区第三纪含有 7个哺乳动物群 :可可买登动物群 ,哈拉玛盖动物群 ,索索泉组顶部动物群 ,索索泉动物群 ,索索泉组底部 990 0 5动物群 ,铁尔斯哈巴合动物群和乌伦古河动物群。依据动物群分析初步确定 5个岩石地层单元的地质时代分别为 :可可买登组——中中新世晚期 ;哈拉玛盖组——中中新世早期 ,索索泉组——最早中新世至早中新世最晚期或中中新世最早期 ;铁尔斯哈巴合组——晚渐新世 ;乌伦古河组——早始新世至早渐新世。     

A biogeographically mixed late Guadalupian (late Middle Permian) brachiopod fauna from an exotic limestone block at Xiukang in Lhaze county, Tibet

A total of 17 brachiopod species belonging to 15 genera are recorded from a limestone block of about 3×4 km² in the Indus–Tsangbo suture zone at Xiukang in Lhaze County of Tibet. The brachiopod fauna generally indicates a Late Guadalupian age (late Wordian–Capitanian, late Middle Permian) based on its association with the Timorites-bearing ammonoid fauna and the presence of the brachiopod Urushtenoidea crenulata. Palaeobiogeographically, the fauna exhibits transitional/mixed characters between the warm-water Cathaysian and cold to temperate Gondwanan faunas and may have developed on a carbonate build-up or seamount on the oceanic crust.     

Southern African Phanerozoic marine invertebrates: Biogeography,pal˦oecology,climatology and comments on adjacent regions

The Palaeozoic marine invertebrate fossil record in southern Africa is characterised by extensive data for the Early and Middle Devonian but extremely limited or absent for other Palaeozoic Periods. The Mesozoic Era is lacking in marine invertebrate fossils for the Triassic, Late Jurassic, and Cretaceous. For the Cenozoic Era there is limited marine megafossil information. Overall, in benthic, cool waters, Palaeozoic, marine megafossils from southern Africa appear to represent relatively low diversity communities, when compared to ecologically comparable warm water environments elsewhere. However, the marine benthic Cretaceous and Cenozoic faunas of southwestern Africa are typically diverse warm water types, until the later Miocene when cool waters again prevailed. The Benguela Current clearly influenced lower diversity faunas.Climatically, it can be inferred from the marine megabenthic pal˦ontological evidence, thatwarm conditions were present from Early Cambrian until mid-Ordovician times, followed by a much cooler climate that persisted well into the Middle Devonian. The Late Palaeozoic evidence thus indicates cool to cold conditions. In contrast, the Late Permian fossils are consistent with warmer conditions, continuing through Late Jurassic and Cretaceous times along the East African and West African coasts, until the Late Miocene.Within the Gondwanan framework, a Central African region can be envisaged that was subject to non-marine conditions during the entire Phanerozoic Eon. Peripheral to this central African region were marine environments of various ages. The geological history of these peripheral regions was fairly unique. Some features in southern Africa are similar of those found in the Paraná Basin and the Falkland Islands.Most of North Africa from central Senegal to Libya contains a Phanerozoic marine cover extending from the Early Cambrian through to the Carboniferous, characterised by warm water faunas, except for the Ordovician which yields cool-cold water faunas.The Palaeozoic of Arabia, which was an integral part of Africa until the Miocene, has yieldedwarm water fossils.     

Palaeogeographical influence on Late Eocene biosiliceous sponge-rich sedimentation, southern Western Australia

Late Eocene nearshore shallow-marine environments within the Bremer and western Eucla Basins of southern Western Australia were characterized by the thick deposition of spongolite and spiculite deposits. Epibenthic sponge communities dominated estuaries and topographically complex basin margin embayments-archipelagos, while cool-water carbonates with up to 10% sponges accumulated in open-shelf environments. The transition from a biosiliceous to calcareous epibenthos was related to the degree of palaeogeographical 'protection'. Within basement-protected embayments there was an offshore gradation from shoreface spongolite and pure spiculite to a muddy spiculite facies towards central embayment areas. Calcareous fossils are rare throughout embayment facies, but rapidly increase in more open outer archipelago areas. This depositional relationship occurred along 2000 km of the Late Eocene southern Australian coastline. Palaeogeographical protection from strong currents acted in concert with: (1) a planar, low-gradient inland topography with sluggish run-off, supplying fine-grained sediment, nutrients, and abundant dissolved silica; and (2) a microtidal setting, weak to moderate swells and opposing wind and Coriolis surface current forcing, which inhibited water exchange between embayments-estuaries and the open shelf. This situation led to an embayment water chemistry that encouraged prolific sponge growth. Calcareous spiculites record the mixing front between these embayment waters and normal open-shelf waters supporting cool-water carbonates.     

Coralline algae from the prang formation (middle-late Eocene) of the Lumshnong Area,Jaintia Hills,Meghalaya

The present paper records nine species of coralline algae from the Prang Formation of middle-late Eocene age from the Jaintia Hills, Meghalaya. The algae are associated with the larger foraminifera including Nummulites, Alveolina and Discocyclina throughout the succession. The temporal distribution of algal species indicates that seven species are known from the Eocene. Of the remaining two, one ranges from the Palaeocene to Eocene and the other is Palaeocene in age. The coralline algae and larger foraminifers are differentiated into two associations, the lower one indicating inner-ramp environment of high energy and the upper one showing deposition in relatively calm waters of deeper ramp environment.     

Cenomanian-Coniacian Sea-level Change and Dissolved Oxygen Fluctuations in Tethys-Himalaya: Evidences from Benthic Foraminifera of Gamba, Tibet

Benthic foraminifera, preserved in the Late Cretaceous organic carbon-rich sediments of Gamba, southern Tibet, provide high-resolution proxies for sea-level changes and dissolved oxygen fluctuations of southeastern Tethys. The fossils were statistically analyzed and divided into three faunas of "Cenomanian fauna", "Turonian fauna", and "Coniacian fauna". A middle neritic-upper bathal environment (50-250m) was estimated considering the ratios of planktonic and epifaunal benthic foraminifera (P/(P+E)), the morphological analysis according to the studies of recent foraminifera and the abundant distributions of depth-related species such as Alabamina creta, Laevidentalina sp., Praebulimina spp., Pleurostomella cf. naranjoensis, Pyrulina sp., Quinqueloculina spp., Haplophragmoides spp., etc. The result shows an almost parallel trend with the global transgressive and regressive cycles, but the former fluctuates more frequently at upper Cenomanian, which probably indicates tectonic instability of the continental margin. According to the benthic foraminiferal richness (BFN), Shannon-Weiner diversity (H(s)), as well as benthic foraminiferal oxygen index (BFOI), five periods of oxygen depleted conditions (dysoxic-anoxic) have been recognized. They correspond to the OAE2, the lower Turonian, the upper Turonian, the Turonian-Caniacian boundary event and the probably OAE3. In addition, the oxygen fluctuations in Gamba might be controlled directly by sea-level changes, while the paleoproductivity and oxygen conditions interacted with each other under oxygen deficiency environments.     

An insect assemblage of early Flandrian age from Lea Marston, Warwickshire, and its bearing on the contemporary climate and ecology

An extensive insect fauna is described from an organic deposit occurring in a gravel pit at Lea Marston, Warwickshire, England. This organic deposit was lying beneath approximately 2.5 m of alluvial clay and directly above gravels which had provided organic material ¹⁴C dated at 11,700 ± 200 yr BP. The insect fauna was indicative of a temperate oceanic climate similar to that found today in southern England or south Sweden and suggested the presence of deciduous woodland. The six radiocarbon dates, however, agreed in giving the deposit an age of around 9500 yr BP which is earlier than the arrival of the principal broad-leaved trees. The pollen assemblage was consistent with the radiocarbon dates in showing, in addition to herbaceous pollen, only the presence of Betula, Salix, and small amounts of Pinus. As the insect faunas known from midland Britain at the close of the Devensian period, barely 500 yr before, are aretic in aspect and entirely devoid of thermophilous species a very rapid climatic amelioration is postulated which permitted the immigration of the very mobile insect fauna well in advance of the more slowly migrating trees.     

Pleistocene oceanographie changes indicated by deep sea benthic foraminifera in the northern Indian Ocean

An attempt has been made to understand the Pleistocene bottom water history in response to the paleoclimatic changes in the northern Indian Ocean employing quantitative analyses of deep sea benthic foraminifera at the DSDP sites 219 and 238. Among the 150 benthic foraminifera recorded a few species show dominance with changing percent frequencies during most of the sequence. The dominant benthic foraminiferal assemblages suggest that most of the Pleistocene bottom waters at site 219 and Early Pleistocene bottom waters at site 238 are of North Indian Deep Water (NIDW) origin. However, Late Pleistocene assemblage at site 238 appears to be closely associated with a water mass intermediate between North Indian Deep Water (NIDW) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW). Uvigerina proboscidea is the most dominant benthic foraminiferal species present during the Pleistocene at both the sites. A marked increase in the relative abundance ofU. proboscidea along with less diverse and equitable fauna during Early Pleistocene suggests a relative cooling, an intensified oceanic circulation and upwelling of nutrient rich bottom waters resulting in high surface productivity. At the same time, low sediment accumulation rate during Early Pleistocene reveals increased winnowing of the sediments possibly due to more corrosive and cold bottom waters. The Late Pleistocene in general, is marked by relatively warm and stable bottom waters as reflected by low abundance ofU. proboscidea and more diverse and equitable benthic fauna. The lower depth range for the occurrence ofBulimina aculeate in the Indian Ocean is around 2300 m, similar to that of many other areas.B. aculeata also shows marked increase in its abundance near the Pliocene/Pleistocene boundary while a sudden decrease in the relative abundance ofStilostomella lepidula occurs close to the Early/Late Pleistocene boundary.     

Early Permian ammonoids from the Kaeng Krachan Group of the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area, southern peninsular Thailand

An Early Permian small ammonoid fauna consisting of Neocrimites sp., Agathiceras suessi Gemmellaro, A. girtyi Böse, Agathiceras? sp., and Miklukhoceras sp. was found in nodules of a fine sandstone bed exposed in the Phatthalung-Hat Yai area of southern peninsular Thailand. The ammonoid-bearing bed belongs stratigraphically to the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group, which is essentially a clastic-dominant, Late Carboniferous (?) to Early Permian stratigraphic unit, widely distributed in western and peninsular Thailand. This ammonoid fauna is considered to be of Bolorian (Kungurian) age and includes Agathiceras girtyi Böse, which is described for the first time from Thailand. The present discovery of Bolorian ammonoids suggests that the uppermost part of the Kaeng Krachan Group is slightly younger than previously considered and around the latest Early Permian. This further implies that the continental margin environment of the Sibumasu Block drastically changed at around Bolorian time from a cool, clastic-dominant shelf condition to a temperate to subtropical, carbonate platform due to rapid northward drift after middle Artinskian rifting.     

内蒙古阿拉善地区的第三系

依据丰富翔实的地层古生物资料,首次在内蒙古西部建立了比较完整的第三纪地层层序：命名或厘订了中始新统乌兰乌珠尔组、上始新统查干布拉格组、下渐新统乌兰塔塔尔组、上渐新统、下中新统乌尔图组、上中新统呼和好来组和上新统昂冈浩特组等７个地层单元;区分出了中始新世乌兰乌珠尔、晚始新世查干布拉格、早渐新世早期克克阿木、早渐新世晚期乌兰塔塔尔、晚渐新世因德里沟、早中新世乌尔图、晚中新世呼和好来和上新世昂冈浩特等８个动物群（组合）。     

西藏岗巴晚白垩世有孔虫动物群与海平面变化

西藏南部岗巴地区上白垩统的有孔虫动物群十分丰富，经鉴定共有52属130种。根据岩性，该地区上白垩统可以划分出三个最基本的岩石地层单位：冷青热组、岗巴村口组及宗山组。依据其中有孔虫的形态结构、生态环境、系统演化及地史分布等特征，可以划分出五个主要的有孔虫动物群，Rotalipora动物群，Whiteinella-Helvetoglobotruncana动物群，Dicarinella-Marginotruncana动物群，Globotruncana-Globotuncanita动物群及Orbitoides-Omphalocyclus动物群。这五个有孔虫动物在晚白垩世相继绝灭，其绝灭与古水深有着十分密切的关系，主要是受海平面变化的影响。     

Taphonomy and palaeoecology of the gastropod fauna from a Late Cretaceous rocky shore, Sweden

A gastropod fauna comprising 17 species, each represented by a limited number of specimens, is described from a Late Cretaceous, late early Campanian rocky shore at Ivö Klack, southern Sweden. The gastropod fauna is associated with the most diverse ancient rocky shore fauna ever found. However, the low gastropod species diversity compared to the faunas of modern rocky shores is ascribed to taphonomic factors, notably dissolution of the aragonitic shells, but the predominance of epifaunal herbivores is indicative of a guild structure similar to that found on modern rocky shores. The presence of drill holes assigned to the ichnospecies Oichnus simplex suggests the former presence of muricid gastropods which have not been found as body fossils. A single drill hole is referred to Oichnus paraboloides and was probably made by a naticid gastropod. The infaunal mode of life of naticids makes preservation of such drill holes difficult, since the majority of infaunal prey such as burrowing bivalves has aragonitic shells which are not preserved. The relatively high number of species in comparison to many other Late Cretaceous rocky shore faunas, offers an opportunity to compare gastropod guild structure at Ivö Klack with modern counterparts, even though taphonomic processes such as mechanical destruction and aragonite dissolution have played an important role in the fossil gastropod assemblage.     

西藏仲巴地区白垩纪末期—始新世早期海相地层

西藏仲巴县北部地区出露有晚白垩世至古近纪的海相地层 ,本次工作新测制了卓勒剖面 ,并对原错江顶剖面上部地层做了再次研究。地层中化石丰富 ,据有孔虫化石研究结果重新厘定曲下组时代为古新世早期、加拉孜组上段属始新世早期 ,认为该区白垩 /古近纪界线位于曲贝亚组与曲下组之间。在这一界面上 ,古新世磨拉石直接覆于晚白垩世的陆棚碳酸盐台地沉积之上 ,其间存在沉积间断 ,为弧前盆地演化后期的重大沉积转变。古新世早期曲下组为近海相磨拉石沉积 ,古新世晚期至始新世早期加拉孜组为残留海盆沉积。加拉孜组顶部为该区最高海相地层 ,其上为冈底斯群的磨拉石不整合覆盖。冈底斯群的时代应晚于始新世中期。     

Submerged upper Holocene beachrock on San Salvador Island,Bahamas: implications for recent sea-level history

Sedimentological, petrographic and radiometric data from a submerged beachrock on San Salvador Island, Bahamas, provide new information about the Late Holocene sea-level history in this area.At French Bay, on the southern shore of the island, samples of beachrock collected at a depth of 1 m below low tide level yielded an average ¹⁴C age of 965 ± 60 years before present. These samples further display a well developed fenestral porosity and present an early generation of low Mg calcite meniscus cement. These features characterize intertidal and supratidal settings; they are not consistent with the present beachrock position and the reported Late Holocene sea-level history in the Bahamas. A 1.5–2m low stand of the sea about 1000 years ago would best explain the observed particularities of the French Bay beachrock.This example from San Salvador shows that the smooth trend of Late Holocene sea-level rise proposed by previous workers might be overprinted by high frequency, low amplitude fluctuations. Recognition of these fluctuations is fundamental when calculating rates of sea-level rise and evaluating the coastal response to a marine transgression. Correspondence to: P. Kindler