Global geoheritage significance of Ordovician stratigraphy and sedimentology in the Cliefden Caves area,central western New South Wales

Globally significant geoheritage features of the Cliefden Caves area, in the Belubula River Valley between Orange and Cowra in central western New South Wales, comprise a richly fossiliferous shallow-water limestone succession of Late Ordovician age (the Cliefden Caves Limestone Subgroup) overlain by deep-water laminites and allochthonous limestones of the Upper Ordovician Malongulli Formation. Key features of the Ordovician geology of the Cliefden Caves area that have been identified using the Geoheritage Toolkit as being of international significance are the abundance of unique and exceptionally diverse fossils in the Fossil Hill Limestone (forming the lower part of the Cliefden Caves Limestone Subgroup), which supplement detailed interpretation of carbonate-dominated deposition within an Ordovician volcanic island setting. The fossiliferous limestones preserve biostromes and local small bioherms of stromatoporoids and corals, and recurrent in situ and disarticulated/imbricated Eodinobolus shell beds formed in shallow, quiet-water, dominantly muddy carbonate sediments that passed up-sequence to clay-free carbonate environments. These mud-dominated carbonate sediments are interspersed with higher-energy conditions, represented by skeletal, lithoclastic and calcrete-ooid grainstones overlying disconformities, leading to the identification of subaerial disconformities and associated diagenesis in the Fossil Hill Limestone. The Fossil Hill Limestone is succeeded by massive limestones in the middle part of the Cliefden Caves Limestone Subgroup and then, in turn by the Vandon Limestone and the deeper-water graptolitic laminites of the Malongulli Formation—this completes a succession that is rarely preserved in the geological record, further enhancing the geoheritage significance of the Cliefden Caves area.     

Subaerial disconformities,microkarst and paleosols in Ordovician limestones at Bowan Park and Cliefden Caves,New South Wales,and their geoheritage significance

The Ordovician Daylesford Limestone at Bowan Park and the Fossil Hill Limestone at Cliefden Caves have diagenetic and pedogenic features of microkarst, paleosols and calcrete associated with subaerial disconformities in their stratigraphic sequences, all of which, as an ensemble, have global geoheritage significance. The original shelly limestones, lime mudstones, and coralline limestones have selectively dissolved to form vugular limestone whose cavities have filled with sparry calcite and/or crystal silt. The limestones also have been calcretised to develop massive and laminar calcrete and calcrete ooids. Below disconformity surfaces are bleached limestone, crystal-silt and spar-filled fossil moulds and enlarged moulds, micro-breccia-filled moulds and fissures filled with crystal silt, calcrete pellets and calcrete ooids. The disconformity surfaces are irregular or undulating interfaces between lithologies, fissures and fissure-fills, and calcrete. Above disconformities there are limestone lithoclasts, remanié fossils, calcreted limestone, veined limestone, calcrete ooids, laminated calcrete, lithoclast grainstone, or calcrete-ooid grainstone, and lithoclasts with fossils moulds filled with crystal silt and/or spar. The lithological, stratigraphic and possibly landscape differences, make the subaerial diagenesis/pedogenesis in the Daylesford Limestone subtly different to that of the Fossil Hill Limestone. Subaerial disconformities and associated diagenesis/pedogenesis, as recorded in these formations, are not widely reported globally nor well represented in Ordovician limestones. The microkarst features provide insights into the types of subaerial diagenesis/pedogenesis during the Ordovician and into climate, landscape setting, paleohydrology, and groundwater/rainwater alkalinity. Consequently, the story of the Ordovician microkarst, paleosols and calcrete ooids is unique and globally of geoheritage significance as examples of subaerial alteration in an ancient high-rainfall, tropical climate volcanic island environment in a tectonically active region.     

辽宁建昌国家级化石集中产地化石分布特征及保护区划研究

古生物化石是地球历史的见证,是研究生命起源和演化的重要科学依据.辽宁建昌国家级化石集中产地是世界上最重要的燕辽生物群和热河生物群的化石产地,化石种类和化石数量丰富,是受到中外古生物学者关注的热点研究区域.根据近年来的研究成果,对建昌中生代生物化石的地理分布、赋存层位和化石属种等进行归纳介绍,并对古生物化石产地进行保护区...     

辽宁古生物化石特征与保护利用模式分析

辽宁拥有丰富的古生物化石资源,它们在中国乃至世界范围内具有较高知名度,具有非常高的科研、科普和社会经济价值。根据近年来辽宁古生物化石资源的调查成果资料,对辽宁古生物化石的类型、时空分布规律等进行总结研究,并分析了辽宁古生物地质遗迹的保护利用现状,对其保护和利用模式进行分析探讨。提出了化石保护与利用多元化发展模式,并挖掘化石的最大优势,对化石资源研学旅行开发进行探讨和设计,以化石文化为依托打造化石衍生文创产品。对古生物化石特征的总结以及对保护利用模式的探讨,能够为辽宁古生物化石的深入研究工作提供基础材料,为辽宁的古生物化石产业发展提供思路。     

辽宁古生物化石特征与保护利用模式分析

辽宁拥有丰富的古生物化石资源,它们在中国乃至世界范围内具有较高知名度,具有非常高的科研、科普和社会经济价值。根据近年来辽宁古生物化石资源的调查成果资料,对辽宁古生物化石的类型、时空分布规律等进行总结研究,并分析了辽宁古生物地质遗迹的保护利用现状,对其保护和利用模式进行分析探讨。提出了化石保护与利用多元化发展模式,并挖掘化石的最大优势,对化石资源研学旅行开发进行探讨和设计,以化石文化为依托打造化石衍生文创产品。对古生物化石特征的总结以及对保护利用模式的探讨,能够为辽宁古生物化石的深入研究工作提供基础材料,为辽宁的古生物化石产业发展提供思路。     

New Materials of the Shanita-Hemigordius Assemblage (Permian Foraminifers) from the Baoshan Block, Western Yunnan

Fossil materials of Shanita and Hemigordius from a section northeast of the Woniusi (the Woniu Temple) of Baoshan, western Yunnan are described and figured in this paper. Field investigation indicates that fossils of these two foraminifer genera are extremely abundant and form a typical Shanita-Hemigordius assemblage in the so-called "Cracked Limestone" in the Baoshan area. Preliminary study has revealed that the features of this assemblage, which includes Shanita amosi, S. chagouensis, Hemigordius renzi and H. biconcavus, are similar not only to the Shanita fauna previously reported from the Shazipo Formation in the Zhengkang area, west Yunnan, but also to those from the Permian of Burma, Thailand, Iran and Turkey.     

藏南(萨噶-江孜地区)中生代遗迹化石及其行为习性分析

文中描述的遗迹化石是河北区调队1/25万萨噶幅(2001年)和中国地质大学1/25万江孜幅、亚东幅（2002年）野外地质调查过程分别的。遗迹化石的产地和时代是：萨噶和吉隆附近的晚白垩世，冈底斯弧前盆地日喀则群昂仁组复理石（化石点1）；和产自康马地区马拉雅拉轨岗日带晚三叠世捏如组，早中侏罗世田巴群，早白垩世加不拉组和晚白垩世宗卓组复理石(化石点2)，少量标本产自北喜拉南带岗巴?定日晚白垩世岗巴村口组(化石点3)。文内共计描述上述地区中生代遗迹化石12个遗迹属，14个遗迹种包含4个未定遗迹种其中多数(5个遗迹属，7个遗迹种)为首次在中被发现和描述(包含有两个新遗迹种)。本文详细研究了各遗迹属的行为习性特征，其中数（有9个遗迹属）过去经常产于世界各地中新生代深海复理石内，根据不同的埋和保存环境它们又可分为两大类，第一类为浊流形后（Post-turbidite）形成的遗迹，它们都是深海食沉积物动物的觅食（Fodinichnia）和游动的牧食迹（Pascichnia）如Gyrophyllites，Phymatoderma，Helminthoida和Phycosiphon，它们的主要特是都具有主动回填构造（active backfill）；另一类为流形成前（Pre-turbidite）形成的雕画迹，它们的主要特征是生活时期形成复的多孔的水道系统，并在其中培养细菌形成园艺式(Gardening)觅食或称为耕作迹（Agrichnia）Megagrapton,Rhabdoglyphus,Helicorhaphe,其中还包括适应低氧环境的化学共（Chemosymbiosis）类型如Chondrites和Cladichnus。在描述的遗迹中还包括住兼觅食(Dwellingandfeedingstructures):Schaubcylindrichnus和Syringomorpha以及一种经常趋向水流的停栖迹(Cubichnia)Sagittichnus。深海相中生代复理石地层（尤其晚三叠世，侏罗白垩纪），在我国除西藏地区特别发育外，内地其他各省区很少发育，因此上述中代遗迹化石资料显得特别珍贵，研它们相信会对今后西藏的地层学，沉积学和岩相古地理学研究，提供有价值的地质资料。     

The Devonian–Lower Carboniferous succession in Northwest Peninsular Malaysia

A new stratigraphic nomenclature is proposed for the approximately 600 m thick, mainly clastic transitional sequence between the underlying Mempelam Limestone and overlying Kubang Pasu/Singa Formation in northwest Peninsular Malaysia. This sequence represents shallow marine deposits of the continental margin of the Sibumasu Terrane during the Middle Palaeozoic (Devonian–Carboniferous). It is separated into several formations. The Timah Tasoh Formation is an approximately 76 m sequence consisting of 40 m of laminated tentaculitid shales at the base, containing Monograptus yukonensis Jackson and Lenz and Nowakia (Turkestanella) acuaria Alberti, giving an Early Devonian (Pragian–Emsian) age, and about 36 m of rhythmically interbedded, light coloured argillo-arenites. The Chepor Formation is about 90 m thick and consists mainly of thick red mudstone interbedded with sandstone beds, of Middle to Late Devonian age. A new limestone unit is recognized and named the Sanai Limestone, which contains conodonts of Famennian age. The Binjal Formation consists of red and white mudstone interbedded with sandstone beds showing Bouma sequences. The Telaga Jatoh Formation is 9 m thick and consists mainly of radiolarian chert. The Wang Kelian Formation is composed of thick red mudstone beds interbedded with silty sandstone, and contain fossils indicative of an Early Carboniferous (Visean) age. The succession was deposited on the outer shelf, with depositional environments vertically fluctuating from prodelta to basinal marine. The Devonian–Carboniferous boundary is exposed at Hutan Aji and Kampung Guar Jentik, and indicates a major regressive event during the latest Devonian.     

桐柏蔡家凹岩片内寒武纪高肌虫的发现及其地质意义

本文描述了河南桐柏西北部蔡家凹大理岩岩丰富的高肌虫化石Ｔｏｎｇｂａｉｅｌｌａ ｘｉｎｊｉｅｎｓｉｓ ｇｅｎ．ｅｔ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．、Ｘｉａｎｚｈｅｅｌｌａ ｈｅｎａｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．和Ｍｏｎｏｎｏｔｅｌｌａ ｃｆ．ｃｈｕａｎｓｈａｎｅｎｓｉｓ Ｈｕｏ ｅｔＳｈｕ及小壳化石Ｃｏｎｏｔｈｅｃａ ｓｐ．共有４属４种。据此确定含化石地层为寒武系,属浅海沉积环境。该生物群的发现为解决桐柏大别造山带与     

燕山地区中元古代常州沟组潜穴化石

在燕山地区中元古代常州沟组中发育有大量的潜穴化石，潜穴产于常州沟组中部的泥质粉砂岩中。潜穴呈个体较大的直管状，垂直层面保存。这是我国迄今为止发现的最古老的遗迹化石，表明在距今近1800Ma前就已出现古老的后生动物，这对于研究后生动物的起源及演化具有重要意义。     

Geological note: Pyro‐intrusive veins in the northeastern Sydney Basin

Stratigraphic and sedimentological investigation of the interglacial succession within the Cryogenian-aged Umberatana Group of the Northern and Central Flinders Ranges reveals a complex array of sedimentary successions lying between the Sturtian and Marinoan glacial deposits. The Sturtian–Marinoan Series boundary was first defined from the Adelaide area at the uppermost contact of the Brighton Limestone. In the Northern Flinders Ranges the Sturtian–Marinoan Series boundary has been positioned at the uppermost contact of the Balcanoona Formation, which is thought to correlate with the Brighton Limestone. In the Northern Flinders Ranges a major unconformity separates the Sturtian and Marinoan-aged sedimentary successions (Nepouie–Upalinna Subgroups). In moderately deep marine depositional settings, this submarine unconformity is located at the base of the Yankaninna Formation where erosion has deeply incised (up to 300 m) into the underlying Tapley Hill Formation. In shallower marine settings the unconformity is found at the base of the Weetootla Dolomite. In very deep water depositional settings this unconformity is not recognised, and the Yankaninna Formation appears to conformably overlie the Tapley Hill Formation suggesting that this erosional feature is restricted to shallow and moderately deep depositional settings. This unconformity presents a regionally persistent chronostratigraphic marker horizon, which reliably marks the Sturtian–Marinoan Series boundary at the base of the Yankaninna Formation from shallow shelfal to deep-water basinal settings throughout the Northern Flinders Ranges. In the Central Flinders Ranges the post-Sturtian glacial stratigraphy records a very similar depositional record to that observed in the Northern Flinders Ranges. In the Central regions the Tapley Hill Formation is overlain by deep-marine carbonates and calcareous shales of the Wockerawirra Dolomite and Sunderland Formations, respectively. The base of the Wockerawirra Dolomite is found to be in erosional contact with the underlying Tapley Hill Formation. This stratigraphic relationship, together with lithological similarities, indicates the Wockerawirra Dolomite and Sunderland Formation of the Central Flinders Ranges are lateral correlatives of the Yankaninna Formation of the Northern Flinders Ranges. The regional nature of the Sturtian–Marinoan unconformity in the Adelaide Geosyncline suggest the possible existence of a glacio-eustatic event that may correlate with glacials/glaciation elsewhere on the Earth during the Cryogenian.     

The Albian–Cenomanian boundary at Eggardon Hill,Dorset (England): an anomaly resolved?

Re-examination of the classic exposures of the Eggardon Grit (topmost Upper Greensand Formation) at Eggardon Hill, Dorset shows that the upper part of this unit has a more complex stratigraphy than has been previously recognised. The Eggardon Grit Member, as described herein, is capped by a hardground and associated conglomerate, and is entirely of Late Albian age. The hardground is probably the lateral equivalent of the Small Cove Hardground, which marks the top of the Upper Greensand succession in southeast Devon. The conglomerate is overlain by a thin sandy limestone containing Early Cenomanian ammonites. This limestone is almost certainly the horizon of the Early Cenomanian ammonite fauna that has previously been attributed to the top of the Eggardon Grit. The limestone is regarded as a thin lateral equivalent of the Beer Head Limestone Formation (formerly Cenomanian Limestone) exposed on the southeast Devon coast. The fauna of the limestone at Eggardon suggests that it is probably the age equivalent to the two lowest subdivisions of the Beer Head Limestone in southeast Devon, with a remanié fauna of the Pounds Pool Sandy Limestone Member combined with indigenous macrofossils of the Hooken Nodular Limestone Member. The next highest subdivision of the Beer Head Limestone in southeast Devon (Little Beach Bioclastic Limestone Member), equates with the ammonite-rich phosphatic conglomerate of the ‘Chalk Basement Bed’, which caps the Beer Head Limestone at Eggardon, and which was previously regarded as the base of the Chalk Group on Eggardon Hill.Petrographic analysis of the Eggardon Grit shows that lithologically it should more correctly be described as a sandy limestone rather than sandstone. The original stratigraphical definition of the unit should probably be modified to exclude the softer, nodular calcareous sandstones that have traditionally been included in the lower part of the member.Without the apparently clear evidence of unbroken sedimentation across the Albian–Cenomanian boundary, suggested by the previous interpretation of the Eggardon succession, it is harder to argue for this being a prevalent feature of Upper Greensand stratigraphy in southwest England. Correlation of the Eggardon succession with successions in Dorset and southeast Devon reveals a widespread regional break in sedimentation at the Albian–Cenomanian boundary. The sand-rich facies above this unconformity represent the true base of the Chalk Group, rather than the ‘Chalk Basement Bed’ of previous interpretations.Selected elements of regionally important Upper Greensand ammonite faunas previously reported from Shapwick Quarry, near Lyme Regis, and Babcombe Copse, near Newton Abbot, are newly figured herein.     

浙西下寒武统大陈岭组沉积异常及其海啸成因初探

前人对浙西下寒武统大陈岭组沉积相分析一直存在半深水相和浅水相两种观点。大陈岭组化石极少,仅中上部产营漂浮或游泳生活的节头虫类Arthicocephalus, Arthricocephalites和Changaspis,不见底栖类化石。对大陈岭组碳酸盐岩碳氧同位素分析显示,对应于产半深水相生物化石的层位存在碳同位素正漂移,表明此处水体较深;但该组大量发育碳酸盐岩台坪相的沉积标志-鸟眼构造,与较深水相生物和碳同位素正漂移的解释结果相悖。作者在对浙西开化、常山、江山寒武系野外调查时发现大陈岭组存在一套地震-海啸沉积岩系,且海啸岩的产出层位与江山较深水相化石、碳同位素正漂移层位相当。研究认为,海啸作用可以使不同环境的沉积物相互混合,造成沉积异常,浙西下寒武统大陈岭期沉积异常是海啸事件的反映,海啸作用把较深水生物和沉积物带到浅水区沉积下来,并造成碳氧同位素短暂、急剧的正漂移。     

西藏吉隆地区白垩纪复理石相遗迹化石及其地质意义

系统描述了西藏南部吉隆地区白垩纪甲不拉组和宗卓组首次发现的复理石相遗迹化石5属、7种。主要遗迹属有Chondrites,Cosmorhophe helminthoida,Muensteria,Phycosiphon,Phymatoderma。遗迹化石的形态、习性、水深分布等环境成因特征清楚地显示其为深海Nereites遗迹相的典型代表，反映复理石相深水沉积环境特征。     

峡东寒武纪三叶虫化石新材料

三峡东部中寒武统化石稀少。本文对在宜昌三斗坪中寒武世覃家庙组二段下部含鲕粒灰岩、细晶灰岩中所采获的三叶虫Xingrenaspis sp.进行了研究和描述,并对含化石地层时代进行了讨论。此次发现,丰富了峡东中寒武世的化石资料,也为本区中寒武世地层划分对比提供了新的依据。     

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.     

内蒙古西乌珠穆沁旗哲斯组宏体化石新发现和沉积相分析

详细的沉积相分析表明内蒙古西乌珠穆沁旗南部哲斯组下部为一套滨浅海相地层,上部逐渐向陆相地层转变,代表向上变浅的沉积序列。在西乌珠穆沁旗西南毛登地区前人发现放射虫的哲斯组相同地点和层位发现了宏体的腹足类螺化石及双壳类化石,环境分析表明这些宏体化石应形成于近岸的潮间带或潮下带水体。对中二叠统哲斯组地层进行了横向对比研究,表明哲斯组在内蒙古中东部地区以浅海相和滨浅海相为主体,而非深海洋盆。     

内蒙古扎兰屯地区龙江组孢粉组合及其地质意义

成吉思汗驿站龙江组剖面位于扎兰屯成吉思汗镇东南部,组内大化石稀少,但孢粉化石丰富,下部岩性为沉凝灰岩、凝灰岩、凝灰质砂岩、砂岩、砾岩,上部岩性为安山岩、英安岩。通过对成吉思汗驿站龙江组孢粉化石的分析,在龙江组中识别出圆形粒面孢-二连粉孢粉组合带(Cyclogranisporites-Erlianpollis)。通过对孢粉化石属种的分析,根据具有时代指示意义的孢粉化石,如Erlianpollis,Cicatricosisporites,Pilosisporites等,认为成吉思汗地区龙江组孢粉化石形成时代为早白垩世,结合地质、古植物及孢粉化石的定量分析,认为龙江组植被类型反映亚热带气候,指示温暖潮湿的环境。     

Late Miocene continental sedimentation in southwestern Amazonia and its regional significance: Biotic and geological evidence

Fossil content (vertebrate paleofauna and palynology) indicates that the sediments of the Solimões Formation in Acre (SW Brazilian Amazonia) are continental, having been deposited by avulsive fluvial belts in a floodbasin–floodplain environment. The main source area was the Andes chain. Widespread lacustrine swampy deposits, stacked channel deposits, and paleosoils are typical elements that characterize the Solimões Formation sediments that outcrop in southwestern Brazilian Amazonia. New data on fossil vertebrate assemblages and palynology corroborate the Late Miocene age suggested previously and assign the fossils to the Huayquerian mammalian biozone, spanning 9–6.5 Ma. These geological and paleontological data show that the existence of an intracontinental seaway through SW Amazonia during the Late Miocene (11–10 Ma), connecting the Caribbean Sea with the Parana Basin as previously proposed is unsustainable, because the sediments used by previous authors to propose the seaway were deposited in a continental environment and are younger than 11–10 Ma.