Cretaceous Phytoplankton Assemblages from Songke Core-1,North and South(SK-1,N and S) of Songliao Basin,Northeast China

Abstract: Cretaceous phytoplankton from the newly completed core hole (SK-1, N&S) in the central Songliao Basin was studied. The target interval is from the upper Quantou Formation of Upper Cretaceous to Mingshui Formation. Twelve genera of dinoflagellates, six of acritarcha and three of chlorophyta were identified in 588 samples from the 2300-m deep core. Ten phytoplankton assemblages have been classified: Tetranguladinium-Subtilisphaera-Botryococcus, Botryococcus-Pediastrum, Pediastrum, Dinogymniopsis-Chlamydophrella-Vesperopsis bifurcate, Dinogymniopsis minor-Balmula, Pediastrum-Botryococcus, Schizosporis-Campenia, Kiokansium-Dinogymniopsis-Botryococcus, Dinogymniopsis-Granodiscus-Filisphaeridium and Granodiscus. According to the findings mentioned above, the age of the upper Qantou Formation is Cenomanian, the Qingshankou Formation belongs to upper Cenomanian-Turonian, the Yaojia Formation to Coniancian-Santonian age, the Nenjiang Formation is of Campanian age, and Sifangtai-Mingshui formations are referred to Maastrichtian stage. The ecology of phytoplankton is closely related to water salinity. Each type of phytoplankton is within a certain living water mass whose evolution type reflects salinity change of the Songliao Lake. The assemblages from the SK-1 indicate that water salinity changes with the cycle of freshwater–slight brackish water–brackish water–slight brackish water–freshwater in the lake.     

中国东北首次发现白垩纪紫萁科叶柄基化石

我国东北地区是北半球少有的中生代紫萁科茎干化石产地之一。该地区出产的茎干化石为研究中生代紫萁科的演化历史提供了重要证据。我国过去报道的紫萁科茎干化石来自东北地区的侏罗系。近期在东北松辽盆地北部白垩系发现了紫萁科茎干化石, 为认识紫萁科在中生代晚期的演化发展过程提供了不可或缺的证据。本研究报道了在黑龙江省五大连池市和平镇发现的白垩纪紫萁科叶柄基化石。横切面上看叶柄基以茎缺失的位置为中心螺旋状排列, 较为紧密。维管束木质部呈深凹的C形, 末端向内弯曲。维管束凹陷处有薄的C形、边缘呈波纹状的厚壁组织带。C形维管束与厚壁组织带之间分布着薄壁细胞组成的粘液囊。内皮层中分布着不规则排列的若干厚壁组织束。近轴端叶柄基托叶翼中分布有2个较大和若干小的厚壁组织束; 大的厚壁组织束呈水滴形。随着叶柄基由近轴端向远轴端的延伸, 维管束近轴面凹陷处的厚壁组织带长度增长, 粘液囊数量增加; 托叶翼中厚壁组织束数量相应增加, 除了两个大的厚壁组织束外, 它们附近增加了若干大小不等的厚壁组织束和单个厚壁纤维细胞。当前化石是我国第一个白垩纪保存解剖结构的紫萁科化石记录。其结构特征与灭绝的Osmundacaulis和现存的Plenasium的叶柄基比较相似, 可能代表了白垩纪以上两属的成员之一。由于目前欧亚大陆白垩纪还未见Osmundacaulis和Plenasium的茎干化石记录, 当前化石的发现丰富了欧亚大陆白垩纪紫萁科植物的多样性。     

Micropaleontology and palaeoclimate during the early Cretaceous in the Lishu depression,Songliao basin,Northeast China

Diverse and abundant microfossils, such as palynomorphs, algae and Ostracoda, were collected from lower Cretaceous strata of Lishu depression, located in southeastern Songliao basin, and were identified and classified in order to provide relevant, detailed records for paleoclimate research. The early Cretaceous vegetation and climate of southeastern Songliao basin have been inferred from the analysis of palynomorph genera, algae and Ostracoda of the LS1 and SW110 wells. The lower Cretaceous strata include, in ascending stratigraphic order, the Shahezi, Yingcheng and Denglouku formations. Palynological assemblages for each formation, based on biostratigraphic and statistical analyses, provide an assessment of their longitudinal variations. During deposition of the Shahezi Formation, the climate was mid-subtropical. Vegetation consisted of coniferous forest and herbage. During deposition of the Yingcheng Formation, the climate was south Asian tropical. Vegetation consisted mainly of coniferous forest and herbal shrub. In addition, fresh and saline non-marine water dominated the lacustrine setting during deposition of these formations. Deposition of the Denglouku Formation, however, occurred under a hot and dry tropical climate. The vegetation was mostly coniferous forest and lake waters became saline. Palaeoclimate variation is correlated by the lake level change and the development of sedimentary facies. Palaeoclimate contribute to the formation of hydrocarbon source rocks and reservoir.     

A new bird track,Koreanaornis lii ichnosp. nov., from the Lower Cretaceous Hekou Group in the Lanzhou-Minhe Basin,Gansu, Northwest China,and implications for Early Cretaceous avian diversity

There are a growing number of Early Cretaceous avian tracks and trackways from around the world, with Asia (China and Korea) having the largest reported number and diversity of Mesozoic avian traces to date, and these new discoveries are increasing the Early Cretaceous avian ichnodivesrity of Laurasia. Here we report on a new Lower Cretaceous avian track locality in the Guanshan area, Yongjing County, Gansu Province, northwest China, and on a novel ichnospecies of Koreanaornis, Koreanaornis lii ichnosp. nov. Koreananornis lii is distinct from other Koreanaornipodidae in that it possesses a consistently wider digit divarication than previously described tridactyl tracks, and possess a short, small, posteromedially oriented hallux that displays a different orientation than that seen in Koreanaornis hamanensis. The lack of linear and angular data reported for digit I traces of many avian ichnotaxa has the potential to give misleading results in multivariate statistical analyses. Also, the wide divarication of Koreanaornis lii causes the ichnotaxon to not group with other Koreanornipodidae in multivariate analyses, but with Ignotornidae. Despite the results of the analyses, K. lii is morphologically distinct from these ichnotaxa. The results demonstrate that relying solely on multivariate statistical analyses without careful examination of footprint morphology will result in erroneous ichnospecies groupings. While new vertebrate ichnotaxa discoveries from Asia may support the hypotheses of the presence of a unique and endemic Asian vertebrate ichnofauna during the Cretaceous, the recent discovery of skeletal remains interpreted to be of a volant wading bird from the Early Cretaceous, and recent reports of tracks from volant avians, could suggest that flighted avians of the shore- and wading bird ecotypes could have had a Laurasian-wide distribution during the Early Cretaceous. However, strong convergence in foot morphology of shore- and wading birds suggests that avian ichnotaxa found in both present-day Asia and North America may have been made by birds endemic to eastern and western Laurasia during the Early Cretaceous.     

Osteology and ontogeny of Early Cretaceous Philydrosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) based on new specimens from Liaoning Province,China

Choristoderes are a group of extinct diapsid reptiles that once occupied the freshwater systems in the Northern Hemisphere from the Middle Jurassic through the Miocene. The Early Cretaceous monjurosuchid Philydrosaurus from western Liaoning, China, represents a transitional morphotype between a broad-snouted (crocodile-like) and a narrow-snouted (gavial-like) skull during the evolution of Choristodera. New specimens of the taxon from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation include an incomplete braincase and a nearly complete juvenile skeleton; the study of these specimens provides new information on the braincase and ontogenetic change of the skeleton of this transitional monjurosuchid. In the braincase floor, the foramen internus canalis caroticus externus opens in a groove lateral to the constricted lateral aspect of the parasphenoid, and ventral exposure of this foramen differs from Champsosaurus, in which parasphenoid/pterygoid fusion completely encloses the canal. On the occiput, the vagus nerve foramen penetrates the basioccipital, while the two foramina for the hypoglossal nerve open at the exoccipital/basioccipital suture. Comparative study of the new juvenile specimen with adult Philydrosaurus reveals previously unknown developmental changes of the cranial and postcranial skeleton of this monjurosuchid. Ontogenetically, Philydrosaurus underwent a dramatic change of skull proportions, including elongation of the antorbital and postorbital regions, and elongation of the jaws, with a great increase of the number of marginal teeth. The lower temporal fenestra is entirely closed in early ontogeny, as in large, fully-grown adults.     

A New Ootype of Dinosaur Egg (Faveoloolithidae: Duovallumoolithus shangdanensis oogen. et oosp. nov.) from the Late Cretaceous in the Shangdan Basin,Shaanxi Province,China

A new ootype collected from the Upper Cretaceous Lijiacun Formation in the Shangdan Basin, Shaanxi Province is described in this paper. Based on general external shape, size, eggshell thickness and honeycomb‐like eggshell microstructure, eggs are referable to the oofamily Faveoloolithidae. Compared with other members of Faveoloolithidae, specimens described in this paper show special characteristics: adjacent pores are usually separated by two eggshell units between which often develop interspaces; columnar eggshell units are relatively closely arranged in radial view. According to these characteristics, we erect a new oogenus and a new oospecies: Duovallumoolithus shangdanensis oogen. et oosp. nov. The new discovery expands the diversity of Faveoloolithidae.     

A new genus and species of damsel-dragonfly (Odonata: Stenophlebiidae) from the Lower Cretaceous of Inner Mongolia,China

A taxon of the Stenophlebiidae, Yixianstenophlebia magnifica gen. et sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation at Liutiaogou, Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia of China. Its closest relative is the Late Jurassic European genus Stenophlebia. This new discovery is helpful to understand the Jehol Biota assemblage at Liutiaogou Locality. It also confirms that the Stenophlebiidae was a very diverse and widespread family during the Early Cretaceous. The causes of its extinction in the Late Cretaceous remain enigmatic.     

A new, large tyrannosaurine theropod from the Upper Cretaceous of China

Tyrannosaurids are primarily gigantic, predatory theropod dinosaurs of the Cretaceous. Here we report a new member of the tyrannosaurid clade Tyrannosaurinae from the Upper Cretaceous Wangshi Group of Zhucheng, Shandong Province, China, based on a maxilla and associated dentary. The discovery of this animal, here named Zhuchengtyrannus magnus gen. et sp. nov., adds to the known diversity of tyrannosaurids in Asia. Z. magnus can be identified by a horizontal shelf on the lateral surface of the base of the ascending process, and a rounded notch in the anterior margin of the maxillary fenestra. Several additional features contribute to a unique combination of character states that serves to further distinguish Z. magnus from other taxa. Comparisons with other tyrannosaurids suggest that Zhuchengtyrannus was a very large theropod, comparable in size to both Tarbosaurus and Tyrannosaurus.     

Ginkgo Huolinhensis sp.nov.from the Lower Cretaceous of Huolinhe Coal Field,Inner Mongolia,China

A new species,Ginkgo huolinhensis sp.nov.,with well-preserved cuticle from the Lower Cretaceous,Huolinhe Formation of Huolinhe Coal Field in Inner Mongolia,China,was studied morphologically and anatomi...     

松辽盆地断陷期白垩纪营城组的时代归属

本文结合生物地层,同位素年代学,古地磁及地层序列的最新研究成果,探讨了松辽盆地断陷期营城组的时代归属。营城组孢粉组合多繁盛于白垩纪早—中期的Hauterivian期—Albian期;营城组同位素年龄分布表现出两个峰值135 ~ 120Ma和115 ~ 110Ma,结合采样层位及地层序列特征认为135~130Ma代表营城组下段中基性火山岩的年龄,130 ~ 120Ma代表营城组一段酸性火山岩的年龄,115~110Ma代表营城组三段基性火山岩及顶部酸性火山岩的年龄;古地磁研究表明在Hauterivian期底界偏上的135Ma发生过磁性的倒转以及松辽盆地的快速北移。这些特征表明营城组的时代为Hauterivian期—Albian早期,同位素年龄为135 ~ 110Ma。     

High-precision geochronology of the Early Cretaceous Yingcheng Formation and its stratigraphic implications for Songliao Basin,China

The Songliao Basin in Northeast Asia is the largest and longest-lived rift basin and preserves a near-continuous continental succession of the most of the Cretaceous period, providing great material to investigate the adaption of the terrestrial systems to the Cretaceous greenhouse climate and tectonic events. However, the paucity of precise and accurate radioisotopic ages from the Early Cretaceous strata of the Songliao Basin has greatly held back the temporal and causal correlation of the continental records to the global Early Cretaceous records. Three tuff layers intercalated in the Yingcheng Formation have been intercepted by the SK-2 borehole, which offer excellent materials for radioisotopic dating and calibration of the chronostratigraphy of the Lower Cretaceous sequence of Songliao Basin. Moreover, the Yingcheng Formation recorded the largest and the last of the two major volcanic events in Songliao Basin, which also represents a turning point in the basin evolution history of Songliao from syn-rift stage to post-rift stage. Here we report high-precision U–Pb zircon geochronology by the CA-ID-TIMS technique on three tuff samples from the Yingcheng Formation of the SK-2 borehole in the Songliao Basin to construct a greatly improved, absolute age framework for the Yingcheng Formation and provide crucial age constraints for the Songliao Lower Cretaceous Strata. The new CA-ID-TIMS geochronology constrained the Yingcheng Formation at 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma to ca. 113 Ma, correlating to the Albian Stage. Combined with the previous published Songliao geochronology, the Quantou Formation is constrained to between 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma and 91.923 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma; the Denglouku Formation is constrained to between 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma and 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma; the age of the Shahezi Formation is estimated at ca. 113 Ma to ca. 118 Ma, which could extend to ca. 125 Ma in some locations in Songliao Basin. The major unconformity between the Yingcheng Formation and the Denglouku Formation, which represents the transition of the basin from syn-rift to post-rift is thus confined to between 102.571 + 0.320/?2.346 Ma and 96.442 + 0.475/?0.086 Ma. This is roughly contemporaneous with the change in the direction of the paleo-Pacific plate motion from west-southwest to north or northwest in mid-Cretaceous, suggesting their possible connections.     

中国东北地区早白垩世无尾两栖类化石一新属

描述了发现于中国东北地区中生代地层中的蛙类化石一新属、新种,即莫旗蒙蟾(新属、新种)Mengbatrachus moqi gen. et sp. nov.。化石产于内蒙古自治区最东部与黑龙江省相邻的莫旗。该类化石的的主要特征如下:头宽大于头长,上颌骨和前颌骨具有密集排列的牙齿;两鼻骨在中线相接;副蝶骨长条状;翼骨较大,鳞骨、上肩胛骨发育,乌喙骨近端膨大显著;荐前椎8个,脊椎横突发育;第Ⅱ—Ⅳ荐前椎具有短粗肋骨;肋骨单头,近端膨大;荐椎横突呈近似棒状,远端仅稍加宽;尾杆骨上有一对椎后横突;胫跗骨和腓跗骨仅在近端和远端愈合。这是除辽蟾外,在中国发现的另一新的中生代无尾两栖类化石。     

黑龙江鸡西早白垩世侧羽叶一新种-城子河侧羽叶 (Pterophyllum chengzihense sp.nov.)

根据产于黑龙江鸡西早白垩世城子河组一种侧羽叶属(Pterophyllum)植物化石的外形特征及表皮构造研究,确认该种属于本内苏铁类(Bennettitales)植物,并有别于其他植物类群。据此,新建一新种—城子河侧羽叶(新种)Pterophyllumchengzihensesp.nov.,并讨论了该新种在研究中国东北地区早白垩世植物化石中的意义。     

Gondwanasuchus scabrosus gen. et sp. nov., a new terrestrial predatory crocodyliform (Mesoeucrocodylia: Baurusuchidae) from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Basin of Brazil

Baurusuchids are among the most common and diverse crocodyliform fossils from the Late Cretaceous Bauru Basin of Brazil. This inland continental basin was the habitat of a rich crocodyliform fauna containing five mesoeucrocodylian families, of which the Baurusuchidae represents highly specialized predatory crocodyliforms of terrestrial habits as indicated by their dental, cranial, and postcranial features. The large size they achieved, together with likely predatory adaptations, would suggest they competed and occupied theropod ecological niches in the Bauru Basin. Here we describe Gondwanasuchus scabrosus gen. et sp. nov., a medium-sized baurusuchid with a strongly laterally compressed skull, bearing unique dentition with deep apicobasal sulci and probably well-developed binocular vision. The cranial and dental features in Gondwanasuchus suggest that this active predator would have fed on small vertebrates and took the role of small theropods in terrestrial guild. Gondwanasuchus is the most distinctive baurusuchid known to date and enriches the knowledge on these important Gondwanan terrestrial predatory crocodyliforms.     

Pore Characteristics and Factors Controlling Lacustrine Shales from the Upper Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation of the Songliao Basin,Northeast China: A Study Combining SEM,Low-temperature Gas Adsorption and MICP Experiments

To investigate pore characteristics and the factors controlling lacustrine shales,geochemical,mineralogical and petrophysical experiments were performed on 23 shale samples from the Qingshankou Formation of the Songliao Basin,China.A comparison of mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and low-temperature N2 adsorption pore-size distribution showed that MICP has a higher pore-size distribution (PSD) line in its overlapping pore diameter range,which may be elevated by the higher pressure of MICP.Therefore,in the overlapping range,low-temperature N2 adsorption data were preferred in pore characterization.Negative correlations were observed between pore volumes and TOC content,indicating organic matter pores are not well-developed in the studied samples.This may be related to their low grade of maturity and type I kerogens.There existed negative relationships between pore volumes and S1,which illustrated that liquid hydrocarbons occupied some pore space.Micropore volume had a better correlation with S1 than mesopore and macropore volumes,which suggests that liquid hydrocarbons preferentially occur in micropores.No obvious relationships between pore volumes and quartz or feldspar were observed,while pore volumes increased with the increasing clay mineral content.These relationships indicate that intraparticle pores in clay minerals represent the principal pore type.     

A Large Therizinosauroid （Dinosauria： Theropoda） from the Early Cretaceous of Northwestern China

We herein describe an associated partial postcranial skeleton of a theropod dinosaur discovered in the Lower Cretaceous Xinminpu Group of the Yujingzi Basin, in the Jiuquan area of Gausu Province, northwestern China. Features of its humerus, such as strongly expanded proximal and distal ends, a well developed medial tuberosity, distal condyles expressed on the humeral cranial surface, and a hypertrophied entepicondyle, definitively establish the therizinosauroid affinities of the specimen. It differs from other therizinosauroids in having a shallow, poorly demarcated glenoid fossa with a prominent rounded and striated tumescence on the dorsomedial surface of its scapular portion, and a pubis with a strongly concave cranial margin. It represents a new taxon, Suzhousaurus megatherioides gen. et sp. nov. Cladistic analysis recovers Suzhousaurus as the sister taxon of Nothronychus mckinleyi from the mid-Cretaceous of western North America; together, they are basal members of the Therizinosauroidea, more derived than the Early Cretaceous Falcarius and Beipiaosaurus but less derived than Alxasaurus and the Therizinosauridae. Along with ＂Nanshiungosaurus＂ bohlini from possibly coeval beds in the Mazongshan area of northern-most Gansu, Suzhousaurus represents one of the largest-known Early Cretaceous therizinosauroids, demonstrating that this clade attained considerable body size early in its evolutionary history.     

A Floating Astronomical Time Scale for the Early Late Cretaceous Continental Strata in the Songliao Basin,Northeastern China

A continuous terrestrial succession was recovered from the Songke-2(SK-2) borehole in the Songliao Basin, Northeastern China. This borehole provides a unique material for further research on the continental paleoclimate during Cretaceous greenhouse period, following a series of achievements of the Songke-1(SK-1) core. In this study, thorium(Th) logging data were chosen as a paleoclimate proxy to conduct a detailed cyclostratigraphic analysis. The Th series varies quasi-periodically; power spectr...     

Anatomical Study of Cretaceous, Permineralized, Bennettitalean Fossils from Heilongjiang Province, NE China

Well-preserved Cretaceous trunk fragments of Cycadeoidea (Cycadeoidaceae) were recently found in Keshan County, Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China. These fossils represent important evidence of the distribution of this group of plants in East Asia. In these trunk fragments, the stem cortices and leaf bases with cones are preserved. The leaf bases are rhombic with cones infrequently distributed among leaf bases. The cortex is broad and consists of fundamental parenchyma cells, numerous secretory ducts and C-shaped leaf traces with adaxial secondary xylem and abaxial secondary phloem. The genus Cycadeoidea, which is widely distributed in the Cretaceous deposits of East Asia, North America and Western Europe, was an important component of Cretaceous floras. Bennettitalean trunk fossils with well-preserved anatomical structures are rarely known from China. These fossils are important for studies of the evolution of genus Cycadeoidea and for stratigraphic correlation.     

New cyathealean tree fern,Yavanna chimaerica gen. et sp. nov., from the Early Cretaceous of Livingston Island,Antarctica

A new genus and species of cyathealean fern, Yavanna chimaerica gen. et sp. nov., is erected for several permineralized stems recovered from the Early Cretaceous (Aptian) Cerro Negro Formation, which crops out at the South Shetland Islands, Antarctica. The new species is characterized by solenostelic erect stems with medullary bundles traversing the pith, and surrounded by persistent petiole bases and adventitious roots. Proximal petiole bases present a one-parted modified omega-shaped trace, which becomes three-parted distally. The anatomy of the new fern show similarities with both Thyrsopteris elegans Kunze and with the Cyatheaceae s.s., suggesting that it is a representative of an extinct lineage among the Cyatheales.     

记河南汝阳白垩纪一新的巨型蜥脚类恐龙

记述了产自河南汝阳地区晚白垩世早期莽川组一新的巨型蜥脚类恐龙——巨型汝阳龙（新属新种）：Ruyangosaurus giganteus gen. et sp. nov.。它具有以下特征：神经棘低,缺少椎前关节突隔板,神经弓的侧面具有大的、不规则的三角形凹,前关节横突隔板前后伸展,胫骨粗壮,达127cm等。汝阳龙的发现显示在晚白垩世早期蜥脚类恐龙发生的分异程度要比以前想象的高得多。