New age data on the deposits of the Kiselevka-Manoma accretionary complex based on radiolarian fossils

The Kiselevka-Manoma Complex, the youngest accretionary complex in the Russian Far East, is composed of Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous pelagic and hemipelagic oceanic deposits. The radiolarian biostratigraphic study made it possible to refine the stratigraphy of the upper portion of the siliceous sediments from the northeastern fragment of this accretionary complex in the vicinity of the Kiselevka settlement in the Lower Amur region. The transition from pelagic siliceous to hemipelagic siliceous-clayey sedimentation was established within the interval from the Late Barremian to the Middle Aptian in different parts of the complex. The age of the accretion of the oceanic rocks is defined as postmiddle Aptian.     

Early cretaceous radiolarian assemblages from the East Sakhalin Mountains

Three-dimensional radiolarian skeletons isolated from rock matrix in HF solution and then studied under scanning electron microscope substantiate the Early Cretaceous age of volcanogenic-cherty deposits sampled from fragmentary rock successions of the East Sakhalin Mountains. Accordingly the Berriasian age is established for jasper packets formerly attributed to the Upper Paleozoic-Mesozoic Daldagan Group; the Valanginian radiolarians are identified in cherty rock intercalations in the Upper Paleozoic (?) Ivashkino Formation; the Berriasian-Barremian assemblage is macerated from cherty tuffites of the Jurassic-Cretaceous Ostraya Formation; and the Aptian-early Albian radiolarians are characteristic of tuffaceous cherty rocks sampled from the Cretaceous Khoe Formation of the Nabil Group. Photographic documentation of radiolarian skeletons specifies taxonomic composition and age of the Berriasian, Valanginian, Berriasian-Valanginian, Barremian, and Aptian-Albian radiolarian assemblages from the East Sakhalin Mountains, and their evolution as related to abiotic events is considered. Coexistence of Tethyan and Pacific species in the same rock samples evidence origin of radiolarian assemblages in an ecotone. Consequently, the assemblages are applicable for intra- and interregional correlations and paleogeographic reconstructions.     

Structure,age, and mechanism of emplacement of the Amur and Kiselevka–Manoma accretionary complexes of the lower Amur region,Russian Far East

The Amur and Kiselevka–Manoma accretionary complexes belong to the Cretaceous Khingan–Okhotsk active continental margin, which was formed in the east of Eurasia as a result of the subduction of the Pacific oceanic plates. The Kiselevka–Manoma complex is composed of oceanic pelagic and hemipelagic sedimentary rocks and intraplate oceanic basalts. It is located to the southeast, along the ocean-faced front of the Amur complex, which is predominantly composed of turbidites of the convergent boundary of lithospheric plates. The biostratigraphic study of radiolarians from rocks of the frontal part of the Amur complex allowed us to correlate them with rocks of the Kiselevka–Manoma complex and to define the period of accretion to be from the Late Aptian to the Middle Albian. The tectonostratigraphic interrelations of these two contrasting lithotectonic complexes are established and two possible models of their common emplacement are suggested. Both models suppose a continuous spatiotemporal relation of complexes with the primary paleolocation of the Kiselevka–Manoma complex in front of (on the ocean side) the Amur complex. The frontal part of the Amur complex and the Kiselevka–Manoma complex were emplaced synchronously with the western part of the East Sakhalin accretionary complex. This scenario defines the Early Cretaceous tectonic zonation of the region and the choice of the appropriate paleotectonic model. At the end of the Early Cretaceous, a single convergent boundary of the lithospheric plates is suggested with the position of the Sakhalin island arc system south of the Khingan–Okhotsk active continental margin.     

OCEANIC DEPOSITS IN THE YARLUNG—TSANGPO SUTURE ZONE: STRUCTURAL SETTING, RADIOLARIAN AGES AND THEIR TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS

OCEANIC DEPOSITS IN THE YARLUNG—TSANGPO SUTURE ZONE: STRUCTURAL SETTING, RADIOLARIAN AGES AND THEIR TECTONIC IMPLICATIONS     

Oceanic sediments of the Amur Terrane: Their age and tectonic significance

The oceanic pelagic and hemipelagic siliceous and siliceous-clayey sediments play a subordinate role in the Amur Terrane, where they constitute thin tectonic slices separated by thicker terrigenous continental-margin deposits. The analysis of the radiolarian assemblages revealed the Middle-Late Jurassic age of hemipelagic siliceous mudstone and the Early Cretaceous age of similar continental-margin sediments. These new data contribute to the knowledge of the terrane's stratigraphy and demonstrate the progressively younger age of the stratigraphic boundaries between the different sedimentary facies in the southeastern direction. The multiple stacking of the oceanic and continental-margin sediments is characteristic of the accretionary complexes, and precisely such an interpretation of the tectonic nature of the Amur Terrane is consistent with its composition and position in the regional structure.     

First finds of Late Tithonian and middle-late Albian radiolarian assemblages in volcanogenic-siliceous rocks of the Amur River right lower reaches and their tectonic significance

The lithological-stratigraphic study of volcanogenic-siliceous rocks developed on the left side of the Machtovaya River, a right tributary of the Amur River, yielded the first radiolarian assemblages of the late Late Tithonian, the late Late Tithonian-early Valanginian, and the middle-late Albian age. It is established that the stratigraphic succession of volcanogenic-siliceous rocks in this area is composed of upper Tithonian-Valanginian dark red to red-brown cherts with basalts in the lower part of the section and Albian dark gray clayey cherts, olive-gray siliceous-tuffaceous argillites, and tufaceous siltstones in its upper part. The replacement of cherts by their clayey varieties likely occurred in the Aptian. The composition, structure, and age of these strata and the rocks constituting the Kiselevka-Manoma accretionary complex are different, which indicates their different tectonic origin.     

Albian—Cenomanian Radiolarian Assemblage from the Smaginsk Formation,the Kamchatskii Mys Peninsula of Eastern Kamchatka

The Albian—Cenomanian sediments belong to the oldest deposits bearing fossils in the Eastern Kamchatka. Described in this work is one carbonate-cherty section of the Smaginsk Complex in the Kamchatskii Mys Peninsula. Two interlayers enriched in sapropelic organic matter represent a peculiar feature of the studied section. The interlayers originated most likely under the influence of Cretaceous anoxic events. All radiolarian taxa identified formerly and now in rocks of the Smaginsk Complex are considered. New data clarify the taxonomic composition of radiolarian assemblages, characterizing the Smaginsk Complex. Some of the currently defined radiolarian species were known before only from the DSDP Sites in the Pacific Ocean. According to data of radiolarian analysis, the section part sandwiched between two interlayers enriched in organic matter is attributed to the Cenomanian. The early Cenomanian age is suggested for one of the studied samples.     

Composition and formation settings of the siliceous-volcanogenic complexes of the Nizhneussuriisk segment,Kiselevka-Manoma terrane,West Sikhote Alin

This paper reports new data on the mineralogical-petrographical composition, genetic types of sedimentary rocks, and geochemical features of the volcanic rocks of the Snarsky area of the Nizhneussuriisk segment of the Kiselevka-Manoma accretionary complex, which is developed on the right bank of the lower reaches of the Ussuri River. The Middle Jurassic-Aptian sedimentary rocks of the area are represented by pelagic radiolarian cherts, semipelagic siliceous-clayey deposits, subordinate shallow limestones, volcanomictic conglomerates, and turbidite sandstones. The basalts of the area are represented by alkaline basalts resembling within-plate ocean-island basalts and N-MORB-type tholeiitic basalts. Rock associations of two physicogeographical and geodynamic settings are distinguished: the pelagic setting with within-plate alkaline volcanic rocks and the hemipelagic one with volcanic edifices of spreading basalts.     

Radiolarian-Based zonal scheme of the cretaceous (Albian–Santonain) of the Tethyan regions of Eurasia

A scheme of radiolarian zonal subdivision is proposed for the upper Albian–Santonian of the Tethyan regions of Eurasia. The upper Albian contains one zone: Crolanium triangulare; the Cenomanian contains three zones: Patellula spica (lower Cenomanian), Pseudoaulophacus lenticulatus (middle Cenomanian), and Triactoma parva (upper Cenomanian); the Turonian contains four zones: Acanthocircus tympanum (lower Turonian (with no upper part)), Patellula selbukhraensis (upper part of the lower Turonian), Phaseliforma turovi (middle Turonian (with no upper part)), and Actinomma (?) belbekense (upper part of the middle Turonian–upper Turonian); the Coniacian contains two zones: Alievium praegallowayi (lower part of the Coniacian) and Cyprodictyomitra longa (upper part of the Coniacian); the Santonian contains three zones: Theocampe urna (lower Santonian), Crucella robusta (middle Santonian–lower part of the upper(?) Santonian), and Afens perapediensis (upper part of the upper Santonian). The biostratigraphic subdivisions are correlated with biostrata in the schemes proposed previously for the Tethys and Pacific. A new species Patellula selbukhraensis Bragina sp. nov. is described.     

“大洋板块地层”的重建与意义——以藏南仲巴地区为例

混杂岩是古增生楔存在的标志之一,一般由枕状玄武岩、灰岩、放射虫硅质岩、硅质页岩、砂岩等混乱无序组成。目前"大洋板块地层"(OPS)运用放射虫地层学方法对混乱的增生楔断片进行重建取得了良好效果,并清晰地展示了大洋板块俯冲和洋底物质连续增生的历史。在西藏仲巴地区填图过程中,结合放射虫年代学分析鉴定结果,以OPS重建的思路和理论作为指导,重建了仲巴地区混杂岩的大洋板块地层,并恢复了该区域特提斯洋在洋中脊大洋板块增生至消亡的岩石序列,自下而上分别为侏罗纪海山玄武岩、海山覆盖物侏罗系—白垩系碳酸盐岩、海山周围沉积的侏罗系—白垩系放射虫硅质岩和硅质页岩,以及海沟附近的白垩系陆源碎屑岩等,为特提斯洋大洋板块俯冲的方向、持续时间和古大地构造环境提供了信息。     

Aalenian to Cenomanian Radiolaria of the Bermeja Complex (Puerto Rico) and Pacific origin of radiolarites on the Caribbean Plate

The study of the radiolarian ribbon chert is a key in determining the origins of associated Mesozoic oceanic terranes and may help to achieve a general agreement regarding the basic principles on the evolution of the Caribbean Plate. The Bermeja Complex of Puerto Rico, which contains serpentinized peridotite, altered basalt, amphibolite, and chert (Mariquita Chert Formation), is one of these crucial oceanic terranes. The radiolarian biochronology presented in this work is mainly based by correlation on the biozonations of Baumgartner et al. (1995) and O??Dogherty (1994) and indicates an early Middle Jurassic to early Late Cretaceous (late Bajocian?Cearly Callovian to late early Albian?Cearly middle Cenomanian) age. The illustrated assemblages contain about 120 species, of which one is new (Pantanellium karinae), and belonging to about 50 genera. A review of the previous radiolarian published works on the Mariquita Chert Formation and the results of this study suggest that this formation ranges in age from Middle Jurassic to early Late Cretaceous (late Aalenian to early?Cmiddle Cenomanian) and also reveal a possible feature of the Bermeja Complex, which is the younging of radiolarian cherts from north to south, evoking a polarity of accretion. On the basis of a currently exhaustive inventory of the radiolarite facies s.s. on the Caribbean Plate, a re-examination of the regional distribution of Middle Jurassic sediments associated with oceanic crust, and a paleoceanographic argumentation on the water currents, we come to the conclusion that the radiolarite and associated Mesozoic oceanic terranes of the Caribbean Plate are of Pacific origin. Eventually, a discussion on the origin of the cherts of the Mariquita Formation illustrated by Middle Jurassic to middle Cretaceous geodynamic models of the Pacific and Caribbean realms bring up the possibility that the rocks of the Bermeja Complex are remnants of two different oceans.     

Evolution of radiolarians in the late Albian–Campanian

The dynamics of radiolarian evolution in the late Albian–Campanian is analyzed, and several stages are recognized. The first stage (late Albian–middle Cenomanian), related to the MCE regional anoxic event, showed low evolutionary tempos and hence lacked structural change in radiolarian communities. The second stage (late Cenomanian–early Turonian), corresponding to ОАЕ 2, which was a global anoxic event, is characterized by a decrease in the number of genera, while many genera showed increased diversification of species composition. At this stage, a considerable number of genera became extinct and appeared, suggesting an increased rate of the radiolarian evolution. The third stage (middle Turonian–early Coniacian), including the beginning of ОАЕ 3, is characterized by a stabilized number of genera. The fourth stage (late Coniacian–Santonian) completely encompasses ОАЕ 3 except for its very beginning. At this stage, the radiolarian communities underwent a significant structural change, while their rate of evolution increased considerably. Nevertheless, during the ОАЕ 3 stage, a distinct trend toward a decrease in generic diversity continued from the late Cenomanian to the middle Turonian. The fifth stage (Campanian) is characterized by quite significant changes in the assemblage composition, while the trend toward a gradual decrease in the number of genera steadily continued. At this stage, which coincided with a considerable cooling, twice as many genera became extinct as during ОАЕ 2. The analysis of the dynamics of radiolarian evolution showed that the anoxic MCE, ОАЕ 2, and ОАЕ 3 events did not result in degradation of radiolarian assemblages. This suggests that this group has significant stratigraphic potential. In general, the evolution of radiolarians in the Late Cretaceous was gradual. By the end of the Campanian, nearly half of the generic diversity was composed of genera which appeared at the beginning of the Cretaceous and earlier.     

The western Durkan Complex (Makran Accretionary Prism,SE Iran): A Late Cretaceous tectonically disrupted seamounts chain and its role in controlling deformation style

The Durkan Complex is a key tectonic element of the Makran accretionary prism (SE Iran) and it has been interpreted as representing a continental margin succession. We present here a multidisciplinary study of the western Durkan Complex, which is based on new geological, stratigraphic, biostratigraphic data, as well as geochemical data of the volcanic and meta-volcanic rocks forming this complex. Our data show that this complex consists of distinct tectonic slices showing both non-metamorphic and very low-grade metamorphic deformed successions. Stratigraphic and biostratigraphic data allow us to recognize three types of successions. Type-I is composed by a Coniacian – early Campanian pelagic succession with intercalation of pillow lavas and minor volcaniclastic rocks. Type-II succession includes a volcanic sequence passing to a volcano-sedimentary sequence with Cenomanian pelagic limestones, followed by a hemipelagic sequence. This succession is characterized by abundant mass-transport deposits. Type-III succession includes volcanic and volcano-sedimentary sequences, which are stratigraphically covered by a Cenomanian platform succession. The latter is locally followed by a hemipelagic sequence. The volcanic rocks in the different successions show alkaline geochemical affinity, suggesting an origin from an oceanic within-plate setting. Our new results indicate that the western Durkan Complex represents fragments of seamounts tectonically incorporated in the Makran accretionary wedge during the latest Late Cretaceous–Paleocene. We propose that incorporation of seamounts in the frontal prism caused a shortening of the whole convergent margin and possibly contributed to controlling the deformation style in the Makran Accretionary Wedge during Late Cretaceous–Paleocene times.     

Ocean Plate Stratigraphy in East and Southeast Asia

Ancient accretionary wedges have been recognised by the presence of glaucophane schist, radiolarian chert and mélange. Recent techniques for the reconstruction of disrupted fragments of such wedges by means of radiolarian biostratigraphy, provide a more comprehensive history of ocean plate subduction and successive accretion of ocean floor materials from the oceanic plate through offscraping and underplating.Reconstructed ocean floor sequences found in ancient accretionary complexes in Japan comprise, from oldest to youngest, pillow basalt, limestone, radiolarian chert, siliceous shale, and shale and sandstone. Similar lithologies also occur in the mélange complexes of the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and other regions. This succession is called ‘Ocean Plate Stratigraphy’ (OPS), and it represents the following sequence of processes: birth of the oceanic plate at the oceanic ridge; formation of volcanic islands near the ridge, covered by calcareous reefs; sedimentation of calcilutite on the flanks of the volcanic islands where radiolarian chert is also deposited; deposition of radiolarian skeletons on the oceanic plate in a pelagic setting, and sedimentary mixing of radiolarian remains and detrital grains to form siliceous shale in a hemipelagic setting; and sedimentation of coarse-grained sandstone and shale at or near the trench of the convergent margin.Radiolarian biostratigraphy of detrital sedimentary rocks provides information on the time and duration of ocean plate subduction. The ages of detrital sediments becomes younger oceanward as younger packages of OPS are scraped off the downgoing plate.OPS reconstructed from ancient accretionary complexes give us the age of subduction and accretion, direction of subduction, and ancient tectonic environments and is an important key to understanding the paleoenvironment and history of the paleo-oceans now represented only in suture zones and orogenic belts.     

Palynostratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental significance of the Cretaceous palynomorphs in the Qattara Rim-1X well,North Western Desert,Egypt

Palynological and palynofacies analyses were carried out on some Cretaceous samples from the Qattara Rim-1X borehole, north Western Desert, Egypt. The recorded palynoflora enabled the recognition of two informal miospore biozones arranged from oldest to youngest as Elaterosporites klaszii-Afropollis jardinus Assemblage Zone (mid Albian) and Elaterocolpites castelainii–Afropollis kahramanensis Assemblage Zone (late Albian–mid Cenomanian). A poorly fossiliferous but however, datable interval (late Cenomanian–Turonian to ?Campanian–Maastrichtian) representing the uppermost part of the studied section was also recorded. The palynofacies and visual thermal maturation analyses indicate a mature terrestrially derived organic matter (kerogen III) dominates the sediments of the Kharita and Bahariya formations and thus these two formations comprise potential mature gas source rocks. The sediments of the Abu Roash Formation are mostly dominated by mature amorphous organic matter (kerogen II) and the formation is regarded as a potential mature oil source rock in the well. The palynomorphs and palynofacies analyses suggest deposition of the clastics of the Kharita and Bahariya formations (middle Albian and upper Albian–middle Cenomanian) in a marginal marine setting under dysoxic–anoxic conditions. By contrast, the mixed clastic-carbonate sediments of the Abu Roash Formation (upper Cenomanian–Turonian) and the carbonates of the Khoman Formation (?Campanian–Maastrichtian) were mainly deposited in an inner shallow marine setting under prevailing suboxic–anoxic conditions as a result of the late Cenomanian and the Campanian marine transgressions. This environmental change from marginal to open (inner shelf) basins reflects the vertical change in the type of the organic matter and its corresponding hydrocarbon-prone types. A regional warm and semi-arid climate but with a local humid condition developed near/at the site of the well is thought to have prevailed.     

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CENO-TETHYS: MICROPALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM PELAGIC SEDIMENTS IN THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE, SOUTHERN TIBET

PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND EVOLUTION OF THE CENO-TETHYS: MICROPALEONTOLOGICAL EVIDENCE FROM PELAGIC SEDIMENTS IN THE YARLUNG ZANGBO SUTURE ZONE, SOUTHERN TIBET     

Cretaceous,marine inundations of the San Marcos Platform,Texas

During most of the Cretaceous the San Marcos Platform, central Texas, was a low-lying, subaerial terrain. After the Middle Albian it was a low-lying, carbonate terrain, similar to modern Florida, receiving little sediment and yielding little sediment.The Platform was inundated eight times (late early Aptian into middle Aptian, late late Aptian to middle late Albian, earliest Cenomanian, late early Cenomanian, late Cenomanian, earliest Campanian, early middle Campanian, middle(?) Maastrichtian) during the Cretaceous, the last of which is based only on indirect evidence.There are some anomalies. During the latter part of the long normal, magnetostratigraphic interval (34) of the Cretaceous, the San Marco Platform was almost entirely subaerial. Many of the inundations agree neither with the Vail cycles nor with the Kauffman cycles. The conclusion is that transgressions onto the San Marcos Platform are probably associated with sediment-loading of the Gulf Coast Basin.     

Cretaceous complexes of the frontal zone of the Moneron-Samarga Island arc: Geochemical data on the basalts from the deep borehole on Moneron Island, the Sea of Japan

The variations of petrogenic oxides and trace elements have been studied in the Cretaceous volcanic rocks recovered by a deep borehole from the depth interval of 1253–4011 m on Moneron Island. The volcanic section is subdivided into two complexes: the Early Cretaceous and Late Cretaceous. The rocks of the Early Cretaceous Complex occur below 1500 m. Chemically, they belong to low-potassium island arc tholeiites, and their trace element distribution suggests their formation in a suprasubduction mantle wedge under the influence of water fluids that were subsequently released from subducted sediments and oceanic plate during the dehydration of subducted sedimentary rocks and oceanic basalts and, finally, mainly from basalts. The Early Cretaceous basalts from the borehole are interpreted as ascribing to the frontal part of the Moneron-Samarga island arc system. The volcanic rocks of the Late Cretaceous Complex are situated at depths above 1500 m. They also were formed in a suprasubduction setting, but already within the East Sikhote-Alin continental-margin volcanic belt that was initiated after the accretion of the Moneron-Samarga island arc system to the Asian continent. The island-arc section of the Moneron borehole contains basaltic andesite dikes, which are geochemically comparable with the Early-Middle Miocene volcanic rocks of Southwestern Sakhalin.     

Upper Silurian and Devonian pelagic deep-water radiolarian chert from the Khangai–Khentei belt of Central Mongolia: Evidence for Middle Paleozoic subduction–accretion activity in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Recent mapping projects undertaken in Central Mongolia have revealed the widespread occurrence of radiolarian chert within a Paleozoic accretionary complex. We present the results of the first detailed tectonostratigraphic and radiolarian biostratigraphic investigations of the Gorkhi Formation in the Khangai–Khentei belt of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.The Gorkhi Formation consists of sandstone shale, alternating sandstone and shale of turbidite affinity and chert with small amounts of siliceous shale, basalt, limestone, and clast-bearing mudstone. Radiolarian chert that is completely devoid of terrigenous clastic material is commonly associated with underlying basalt (sedimentary contact) and with conformably overlying siliceous shale and turbidite deposits. The tectonic stacking of basalt–chert and chert–turbidite successions is the most remarkable structural feature of the formation.The recovery of moderately well-preserved radiolarians and conodonts from red chert led to the recognition of four radiolarian assemblages that have a combined age range from the latest Silurian (Pridolian) to the Late Devonian (Frasnian). No age control exists for the siliceous shale, shale, and sandstone, although they are considered to be latest Devonian or slightly younger on the basis of stratigraphic relationships with underlying chert.The Gorkhi Formation has previously been interpreted as a thick sedimentary basin deposit overlying an unexposed Archean–Neoproterozoic basement; however, the stratigraphy within individual tectonic slices clearly corresponds to that of an ocean plate stratigraphy of an accretionary complex generated by the trenchward movement of an oceanic plate. From the lowermost to uppermost units, the stratigraphy comprises ocean floor basalt, pelagic deep-water radiolarian chert, hemipelagic siliceous shale, and terrigenous turbidite deposits. The biostratigraphic data obtained in the present study provide corroborating evidence for the existence of an extensive deep-water ocean that enabled the continuous sedimentation of pelagic chert over a period of nearly 50 million years. These data, together with structural data characterized by tectonic repetition of the stratigraphy, indicate that these rocks formed as an accretionary wedge along an active continental margin, possibly that of the Angara Craton. The mid-oceanic chert was probably deposited in the Northern Hemisphere portion of the Paleo–Pacific Ocean that faced the Angara Craton and the North China–Tarim blocks. Thus, we propose that subduction–accretion processes along the Paleo–Pacific rim played an important role in the accretionary growth of the active continental margin of the Angara Craton, directly influencing the evolution of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt.     

Evolution of Albian-Cenomanian floras of Northeast USSR and the association between their composition and facies conditions

We consider the evolution of Albian-Cenomanian floras of the Northeast USSR for both coal-bearing and "non-coal" deposits, taking the evolution of paleofloras in single-facies (coal-bearing) deposits as a base. In general, the taphofloras have been assigned to the sequence from which the plant remains were collected. During Albian-Cenomanian time the angiosperms migrated from higher to lower levels. The observed decrease in the role of angiosperms during Cenomanian (Arkagala) time after their "expansion" during Albian time (in the Toptan and Arman suites) is explained by their establishment at different topographic levels. We show parallel increase in the role of conifers and angiosperms in the floras from the coal-bearing deposits from the Albian to the Cenomanian. A temperature minimum occurred during Arkagala time. It is likely that old, pre-Albian angiosperms may be found in sediments of the intermontane basins. In analyzing the level of evolution of the floras on the Early - Late Cretaceous boundary, especially the angiosperms, one must take into account the facies in which they are present. —Authors.