Zalesskioxylon xiaheyanense sp. nov., a gymnospermous wood of the Stephanian (Late Pennsylvanian) from Ningxia, northwestern China

A new Late Pennsylvanian species of gymnospermous fossil wood, Zalesskioxylon xiaheyanense sp. nov. is described from the Lower Taiyuan Formation (Stephanian B-C) near the village of Xiaheyan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northwestern China. The specimen consists only of silicified secondary xylem. The tracheids are pycnoxylic with 2–3 seriate bordered pits, arranged in subcircular or hexagonal alternate (araucaroid) pattern. The pores of the pits are small, linear, and regularly tilted. Xylem rays are homogeneous, uniseriate, 1–25 cells high. Cross-fields are filled with numerous mixed simple pits of various sizes. Growth rings, axial parenchymatous elements and resin canals are absent. The geographic distribution of Zalesskioxylon woods is reviewed. Zalesskioxylon xiaheyanense sp. nov. grew at low latitudes, and because of the lack of growth rings, probably lived under relatively uniform climatic conditions. Our new species supplements the poorly known distribution of Carboniferous wood in China.     

First Lower Cretaceous record of Podocarpaceae wood associated with dinosaur remains from Patagonia,Neuquén Province,Argentina

The first Podocarpaceae wood record is described from the Mulichinco Formation (Valanginian, Lower Cretaceous), Neuquén Basin, Argentina. The specimen was directly associated with a middle caudal vertebra of a diplodocid sauropod dinosaur. A new species – Podocarpoxylon prumnopityoides – is proposed based on features that include the presence of abietinean wood type (tracheid radial pitting), plus podocarpoid (cupressoid type) and some dacrydioid (taxodioid type) cross-field pits, diffuse axial parenchyma and low rays. This combination of anatomical characters is comparable to both Prumnopitys and Podocarpus, whereas the type of pits in the cross-fields resembles some members of the extant Prumnopitys. This is the first unequivocal record of the Family Podocarpaceae in the Valanginian of South America and confirms the hypothesis that the divergence between the “Podocarpoid-Dacrydioid” and “Prumnopityoid” clades occurred earlier than the Early Cretaceous.     

The Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous of eastern Heilongjiang, northeast China: stratigraphy and regional basin history

In eastern Heilongjiang, the Upper Jurassic is marine and restricted to the Suibin and Dong’an areas, where it is characterized faunally by Callovian–Volgian (Tithonian) bivalves and florally by dinoflagellates. The Lower Cretaceous is widely distributed in eastern Heilongjiang, and characterized faunally by Berriasian–Valanginian bivalves, Barremian–Albian ammonites and Aucellina, and florally by dinoflagellates. To the west, the marine facies grade into non-marine beds. Thus, in the east, for example in the Dong’an and Dajiashan areas, near the northwestern Palaeo-Pacific, the Lower Cretaceous is marine; westward, in the Yunshan, Longzhaogou, Peide, and Zhushan areas, marine and non-marine deposits alternate, whereas further west still, e.g. in the Jixi Basin, non-marine facies are intercalated with marine beds. This regional distribution is indicative of a large, shallow embayment opening eastwards to the Palaeo-Pacific; during the Early Cretaceous successive transgressive-regressive events influenced the climate and biota of eastern Heilongjiang and northeastern China. Many of the Lower Cretaceous sections contain abundant coals, demonstrating that in this region the Early Cretaceous was an important coal-forming period. Some non-marine bivalve species are common to the Lower Cretaceous Jixi Group of eastern Heilongjiang, the Jehol Group of western Liaoning and the Transbaikalian Group of Siberia, suggesting that these groups are of comparable Early Cretaceous age.     

Fossil coniferous wood from the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota in western Liaoning,NE China: New material and palaeoclimate implications

The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota, one of the most important Mesozoic lagerstätten in East Asia, is especially well-known for occurrences of fossil feathered dinosaurs and early angiosperms. However, the terrestrial biodiversity, especially the fossil wood record, is poorly known. In this study, several structurally preserved coniferous wood specimens from the Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation are investigated, based on collections from the Heichengzi Basin in Beipiao of western Liaoning, Northeast China. Four species referred to four genera of fossil wood are described, including Taxodioxylon heichengziense sp. nov., Thujoxylon beipiaoense sp. nov., Sciadopityoxylon liaoningense Ding and Protocedroxylon shengjinbeigouense sp. nov. These new records enlarge the fossil wood diversity of the Yixian Formation up to 10 species in 9 genera, and provide further insights into the forest vegetation composition of the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Systematic analysis of the floral constitution indicates that the petrified forests of the Yixian Formation are dominated by conifers, represented by Araucariaceae, Podocarpaceae, Sciadopityaceae, Pinaceae and Cupressaceae in the western Liaoning region. Palaeoclimatical analysis of the fossil wood assemblage implies that the western Liaoning region was dominated by a cool temperate, wet and seasonal climate with variable interannual water supply in the western Liaoning region during the Early Cretaceous.     

Protophyllocladoxylon jingyuanense sp.nov.,a Gymnospermous Wood of the Serpukhovian (Late Mississippian) from Gansu,Northwest China

<正>A new species of gymnospermous fossil wood,Protophyllocladoxylon jingyuanense sp.nov., is described from the lower part of the Tsingyuan Formation(Serpukhovian/Late Mississippian),near the coal mine of Ciyao,Gansu,northwestern China.The specimen is preserved only in silicified secondary xylem,while growth rings are absent.Pits in radial tracheidal walls are araucaroid in type, uniseriate,occasionally biseriate.Xylem rays are homogeneous,uniseriate,occasionally biseriate. Cross-field pits are simple,large,one to two in number.Axial parenchyma is absent.The anatomical characters and geographic distribution of Protophyllocladoxylon woods through geological ages are documented.Those species with axial parenchyma and without growth rings live in warm climate, whereas the species without axial parenchyma and with growth rings are present either in warm or cool climate.The ideal living climate for Protophyllocladoxylon woods is warm and wet.Our new species,as a fossil wood of Early Carboniferous,is likely the earliest known species of Protophyllocladoxylon.     

A New Species of Tsuga (Pinaceae) based on Lignified Wood from the Late Miocene of Central Yunnan, China, and Its Paleoenvironmental Implications

A new species, Tsuga nanfengensis sp. nov. (Pinaceae), is described on the basis of lignified fossil wood from the late Miocene of the Xianfeng Basin, central Yunnan, southwestern China. Detailed observation of the fossil wood specimens show the following characteristics: distinct growth rings, absence of resin canals, uniseriate bordered pits in the radial wall of tracheids, ray tracheids and piceoid and cupressoid cross-field pits. These features indicate similarities to the wood of extant Tsuga canadensis, T. chinensis, and T. dumosa. According to the fossil record, Tsuga was present in Xundian County during the Miocene. Today Tsuga is drought intolerant, preferring wet conditions with no extant species growing naturally in Xundian County. The presence of Tsuga in the Miocene of Xundian County indicates a humid climate consistent with previous palaeoclimatic reconstructions showing a wetter and probably shorter dry season in the Miocene, relative to the present day. Therefore, the change in the local climate such as increasing aridity through the Miocene might explain the local extinction of Tsuga from central Yunnan.     

Mid-Cretaceous (Albian–Cenomanian) fossil woods from Hwawon-myeon in Jeollanam-do,Korea, and their palaeoclimatic implications

Two coniferous fossil wood taxa are reported from the Hwawon Formation (middle Cretaceous) at Hwawon-myeon in Jeollanam-do, Korea: Agathoxylon sp. and Taxodioxylon sp. Agathoxylon has a clear affinity with the Araucariaceae and its occurrence in the Hwawon Formation suggests that a dry and tropical–subtropical climate prevailed in this area during the middle Cretaceous. The presence of traumatic resin canals in the Taxodioxylon specimens indicates that flooding occurred repeatedly as part of an alternation between dry and rainy seasons. The low diversity observed for the Cretaceous fossil wood assemblages from the Korean Peninsula could be explained by the palaeoclimatologically stressful environment, as a dry tropical–subtropical climate prevailed over the region at that time.     

First U–Pb SHRIMP age of the Hauterivian stage, Neuquén Basin, Argentina

A high-resolution ion-microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb zircon age from a tuff layer intercalated in the ammonoid bearing sedimentary succession of the Neuquén Basin in Argentina provides a robust geochronologic date to add to the absolute ages and to improve the relative chronology of the Early Cretaceous Hauterivian stage. The tuff layer appears interbedded between shales of the upper member (Agua de la Mula) of the Agrio Formation within the Spitidiscus riccardii ammonoid zone (base of the Late Hauterivian) yielding a date of 132.5 ± 1.3 Ma. This date confirms and supports an accurate correlation between the ammonoid biostratigraphy of the Neuquén Basin with the Western Mediterranean Province of the Tethys during the Early Cretaceous and matches with the most recently published time scale. It also casts doubts on the validity of K–Ar ages on glauconite-grains recently reported from the Lower Cretaceous of the Vocontian Basin of France.     

Taxonomy, facies relationships and palaeobiology of bakevelliid bivalves from the Lower Cretaceous of west-central Argentina

Cretaceous bakevelliids in Argentina are restricted to the Lower Cretaceous. They are recorded in shallow marine deposits in two Mesozoic basins located in the Andes foothills in Patagonia. In the Austral Basin (44°–55°S) there is only one genus, Gervillella, represented by a single specimen from the Barremian. In the Neuquén Basin (30°–40°S) two genera, Gervillaria and Gervillella, occur, ranging from the Berriasian to the Lower Barremian. In the Pilmatué Member of the Agrio Formation two species are identified: Gervillaria alatior (Imlay) and Gervillella aviculoides (J. Sowerby). The former is also recorded in Mexico while the latter is more widespread, occurring in Europe, Asia, and Africa. In the Bajada del Agrio section they come from eight tabular shell beds located near and on top of shallowing-upwards cycles. They were abundant only in four of these levels. These shell beds are interpreted as having been deposited in the mid-ramp (middle of cycles), and upper mid-ramp (top of cycles). A functional analysis of shells revealed two life habits: epibyssate and endobyssate.     

云南元谋上新世秋枫化石的首次发现及古气候分析?

云南元谋盆地西部物茂盆地的湾堡土林和虎跳滩土林的晚上新世沙沟组地层大戟科秋枫属的秋枫（Bischofia javanica BL.）化石木。化石木木材由导管、纤维、射线组成。生长轮不明显。散孔材。径列复管孔（2~6，多2~4）甚多，单管孔较少，管孔团稀见。导管端壁具单穿孔。管间纹孔式互列。导管内侵填体丰富。轴向薄壁组织未见。木纤维壁薄，分隔。射线组织异形Ⅰ及Ⅱ。射线与导管间纹孔式为横列梯形及大圆形。孢粉分析表明元谋盆地晚上新世可能存在包括大戟科草本植物，而当前秋枫化石木的发现清楚地表明大戟科乔木植物的存在。秋枫为热带和亚热带常绿季雨林中的主要树种。秋枫化石木的发现指示元谋盆地当时的环境较现今湿润。     

A Different Opinion on the Geological Age of the Longzhaogou and Jixi Groups of Eastern Heilongjiang,China1

Abstract The age of the Longzhaogou and Jixi Groups of coal measures in eastern Heilongjiang were previously considered to be Jurassic or mainly Jurassic. But there occur Middle Barremian- Early Albian Aucellina ( bivalvia) fossils in the Upper Yunshan Formation of the Longzhaogou Group and the Lower Chengzihe Formation of the Jixi Group, and the Qihulin Formation of the Longzhaogou Group yields Early Cretaceous bivalve and ammonite fossils. Consequently, the geological ages of the two groups are mainly, or even all, Early Cretaceous.     

黑龙江东部早白垩世生物地层学研究的主要进展

巴列姆期的菊石、巴列姆期—阿尔必期的海相双壳类、早白垩世的沟鞭藻、放射虫和有孔虫等的发现 ,均证实了黑龙江东部含煤地层龙爪沟群、鸡西群和大架山组的时代为早白垩世中、晚期。鸡西群中含有热河或威替姆动物化石群中常见的双壳类化石 ,这一事实似乎暗示着中国热河或俄罗斯威替姆动物化石群为早白垩世时代。早白垩世 ,特别是巴列姆期—阿尔必期 ,沿大架山—云山—虎林-裴德—鸡西一线北东东方向存在着一条向东 (古太平洋 )开口 ,但由东向西变浅的狭长海湾。多次海侵和海泛沿着这一海湾由东向西至鸡西后向南和向北 ,并可能向西扩散。正是这一海湾和海平面的升降控制着东北地区的早白垩世的气候、地理、生物群落的演变、甚至煤的聚集和油的形成     

Fossil Liverworts from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation in Inner Mongolia, China

A new genus and species, Rebouliothallus huolinhensis sp. nov., and two uncertain species, Ricciopsis sp. and Hepaticites sp., are described. The fossils were collected from the Lower Cretaceous Huolinhe Formation of Huolinhe Basin, northeastern China. The new genus Rebouliothallus was established in the Aytoniaceae family of Marchantiales. Rebouliothallus huolinhensis appears to be quite similar to species of the extant genus Reboulia Raddi. The species is characterized by the relatively large ventral scales. Ventral scales are large, imbricate and arranged in two rows on the ventral surface. Rhizoids are either pegged or smooth. Ricciopsis sp. is characterized by the rosette-forming thallus. Hepaticites sp. shows some similarities to liverworts. Of the forty-nine Early Cretaceous floras of China, only two floras, one from the Huolinhe basin, Inner Mongolia and the other from the Jixi Basin, Heilongjiang Province, contain fossil liverworts. The rare fossil liverwort records in the Early Cretaceous floras of China may be the result of taphonomic bias.     

Paleomagnetism of the earliest Cretaceous to early late Cretaceous sandstones, Khorat Group, Northeast Thailand: Implications for tectonic plate movement of the Indochina block

A total of 400 samples (33 sites) were collected from the earliest Cretaceous to early Late Cretaceous sandstones of the Khorat Group in the Indochina block for paleomagnetic study to unravel the tectonic evolution of the region. The sites were adopted from 3 traverses located in the northern edge of the Khorat Plateau, northeastern Thailand. Results indicate that almost all the sandstones exhibit similar magnetic values with an average declination (D) = 31.7°, inclination (I) = 30.3°, λ = 59.7°,  = 190.9°, K = 54.4, and A₉₅ = 3.7 at reference point 17°30′N and 103°30′E. The calculated paleolatitude points are inferred to deviate from the present latitude point by 1.2 ± 2.3°. Only the lowermost part of the Cretaceous sandstones can pass a positive fold test at 95% confidence level. The relationship between the virtual geomagnetic poles (VGPs) of Cretaceous rocks of the Indochina plate in Thailand and those of the South China plate advocate that there is a major displacement of Indochina along the northwest-trending Red River and associated faults by about 950 ± 150 km with a 16.0–17.0° clockwise rotation relative to the South China plate during earliest Cretaceous times. Paleomagnetic results of the early Late Cretaceous Indochina plate point to a 20–25° clockwise rotation relative to the present occurring since very Late Cretaceous (65 Myrs)–Early Neogene times which may be due to the collision between India and Asia.     

The origin and evolution of mineralizing fluids in the Cretaceous Gyeongsang Basin, Southeastern Korea

Ferroalloy, base-metal and precious-metal deposits in or around the Gyeongsang Basin, which is located in the Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary terrain at the southeastern Korea, displays a genetic relationship with subvolcanic activities of Late Cretaceous to Tertiary age. Diverse mineralization, which occurs as vein, breccia-pipe, porphyry-style and skarn deposits, took place from 108 to 45 Ma that overlapped with polyphase episodes of igneous activity. Based on the mineralogy, host rock, fluid inclusion and stable isotope data of the deposits, the systematic variation of physicochemical conditions is thought to be due to their relative positions with respect to a magma source that is genetically related to a low to intermediate-sulfidation porphyry system. There appears to be a systematic decrease towards δ¹⁸O_H2O values from copper (-gold) and ferroalloy deposits through polymetallic to precious-metal ones. However, Cu (-Au) or Fe–Mo–W deposits are proximal to a magmatic source, whereas polymetallic or precious-metal deposits are more distal to transitional.     

吉林省公主岭早白垩世泉头组网形蛋(Dictyoolithus)一新种

报道了吉林省公主岭早白垩世泉头组发现的一窝恐龙蛋化石。蛋化石近圆形,蛋壳厚度1.4~1.7 mm,蛋壳外表面均匀分布椭圆形或圆形大小不一的凹坑;蛋壳层由2、3个呈分树枝状的基本结构单元叠加而成,蛋壳基本单元之间气孔道阔大而不规则,靠近蛋壳外表面的基本结构单元相互连结、融合形成一层相对致密的薄层。据以上特征将其归为网形蛋科(Dictyoolithidae),网形蛋属(Dictyoolithus),定为一新种:公主岭网形蛋(Dictyoolithus gongzhulingensisoosp.nov.)。公主岭网形蛋是网形蛋类化石在中国东北地区的首次发现,同时也是早白垩世地层中网形蛋化石新的发现。     

吉林省公主岭早白垩世泉头缍网形蛋（Dictyoolithus）一新科

报道了吉林省公主岭早白垩世泉头组发现的一窝恐龙蛋化石。蛋化石近圆形，蛋壳厚度1．4～1．7mm，蛋壳外表面均匀分布椭圆形或圆形大小不一的凹坑；蛋壳层由2、3个呈分树枝状的基本结构单元叠加而成，蛋壳基本单元之间气孔道阔大而不规则，靠近蛋壳外表面的基本结构单元相互连姑、融合形成一层相对致密的薄层。据以上特征将其归为网形蛋科（Dictyoolithidae），网形蛋属（Dictyoolithus），定为一新种：公主岭网形蛋（Dictyoolithus gongzhulingensis oosp.nov）。公主岭网形蛋是网形蛋类化石在中国东北地区的首次发现，同时也是早白垩世地层中网形蛋化石新的发现。     

A Late Jurassic fossil assemblage in Gondwana: Biostratigraphy and correlations of the Tacuarembó Formation, Parana Basin, Uruguay

The Tacuarembó Formation has yielded a fossil assemblage that includes the best known body fossils, consisting of isolated scales, teeth, spines, and molds of bones, recovered from thin and patchy bonebeds, from the Botucatu Desert, Parana Basin, South America. The remains are preserved in the sandstones widespread around the city of Tacuarembó. We propose a new formalized nomenclature for the Tacuarembó Formation, naming its “Lower” and “Upper” members as the Batoví (new name) and Rivera (new rank) members, respectively. An assemblage zone is defined for the Batoví Member (fluviolacustrine and aeolian deposits). In this unit, the freshwater hybodontid shark Priohybodus arambourgi D’Erasmo is well represented. This species was previously recorded in Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous units of the Sahara and the southern Arabian Peninsula. Globally considered, the fossil assemblage of this member (P. arambourgi, dipnoan fishes, Ceratosaurus-like theropods, and conchostracans) is indicative of a Kimmeridgian–Tithonian age, which in combination with the stratigraphic relationships of the Tacuarembó Formation with the overlying basalts of the Arapey Formation (132 My average absolute age) implies that the latter was deposited during the Kimmeridgian–Hauterivian interval.     

The Marine Cretaceous in the Western Part of the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang and Its Depositional Environments

The western part of the Tarim Basin in Xinjiang is one of the main areas in China where the marineCretaceous is well developed. The Upper Cretaceous Yingjisha Group represented mainly by sediments of lit-toral, near-shore neritic and estuarine facies is divided in ascending order into the Kukebai Formation, theOytak Formation, the Ygezya Formation and the Tuylouk Formation. For about thirty years, the basal beds of the Kukebai Formation had been considered to be the lowermostmarine horizon of the Cretaceous in the western part of the Tarim Basin, which represents the earliest trans-gression of the Cretaceous Sea into this region. Recently. marine trace fossils, Ophiomorpha nodosa, O.tuberosa and Thalassinoides? spp. were found in abundance and fine preservation from the upper subcycle andupper part of the lower subcycle of the Kezlesu Group underlying the Kukebai Formation. The fact indicatesthat the marine transgression there took place earlier than the Kukebaian. Process of transgression and regression and change of environment in the West Tarim Basin during the pe-riod from the late Early Cretaceous to the end of the Cretaceous is also discussed in this paper.     

Aptian–Albian Cupressaceae (sensu stricto) woods from Cañadón Asfalto Basin,Patagonia Argentina

This paper describes the first macrofloristic record from Los Adobes Formation (Chubut Group) in Cañadón Asfalto Basin (Patagonia, Chubut Province, Argentina). The studied fossils were recovered from the Aptian–Albian Bardas Coloradas Member, and consist of silicified woods preserved in fluvial channel deposits. One wood shows homocellular rays with smooth radial and tangential walls, diffuse axial parenchyma, tracheid pitting of the abietinoid type and cross-field pitting cupressoid usually ordered in rows and columns indicating placement within Cupressinoxylon hallei Kräusel. This fossil tree resembles some members of the extant Cupressaceae s.s., as Austrocedrus chilensis (D. Don) Pic. Serm. & Bizzarri, Pilgerodendron uviferum (D. Don) Florin, Fitzroya cupressoide (Molina) I. M. Johnst. and Libocedrus plumosa (D. Don) Druce. Due to poor preservation the other fossil wood specimen was assigned to cf. Cupressinoxylon Göppert 1850 nom. cons. prop. This is the first unequivocal record of C. hallei from the Cretaceous of South America and the oldest reliable record of the Callitroideae, indicating that this subfamily was well established since the mid-Cretaceous in the Southern Hemisphere.