Strengthening Western Gondwanan correlations: A Brazilian Dicynodont (Synapsida,Anomodontia) in the Middle Triassic of Namibia

Terrestrial Middle Triassic strata occur throughout continental Africa and are particularly well exposed in South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Namibia. The youngest age for all these African deposits is widely accepted as early Middle Triassic (Anisian). Fossils collected recently from the uppermost strata of the upper Omingonde Formation in Namibia highlighted the presence of Chiniquodon, a carnivorous cynodont previously only found in Ladinian-Carnian aged rocks of South America. In addition, work in progress indicates that a large archosaur, originally reported as Erythrosuchus, also discovered from levels close to the top of this unit, is in fact a rauisuchian, a group of archosaurs well known from Ladinian-Carnian beds of southern South America. Here we present the first record of the tuskless dicynodont Stahleckeria potens from the top of the upper Omingonde Formation in central Namibia. This taxon was up until now only known from the Ladinian Dinodontosaurus Assemblage Zone of the Santa Maria Formation in southern Brazil. Thus, compelling evidence for a Ladinian age for the upper levels of the upper Omingonde Formation is provided by two therapsid and one archosaur taxa. The tetrapod fauna of the upper Omingonde Formation partially fills the gap of the well-documented hiatus (Ladinian gap), prevalent throughout the Karoo basins of south and central Africa. The presence of the same therapsid taxa in the Namibian Waterberg Basin and the Paraná Basin of Brazil during Middle Triassic suggests that these basins were biogeographically linked through a series of interconnecting lowlands, with no major ecological, climatic and/or physical barriers.     

Triassic synthems of southern South America (southwestern Gondwana) and the Western Caucasus (the northern Neotethys), and global tracing of their boundaries

Global tracing of the key surfaces of Triassic deposits may contribute significantly to the understanding of the common patterns in their accumulation. We attempt to define synthems – disconformity-bounded sedimentary complexes – in the Triassic successions of southern South America (southwestern Gondwana, Brazil and Argentina) and the Western Caucasus (the northern Neotethys, Russia), and then to trace their boundaries in the adjacent regions and globally. In southern South America, a number of synthems have been recognized – the Cuyo Basin: the Río Mendoza–Cerro de las Cabras Synthem (Olenekian–Ladinian) and the Potrerillos–Cacheuta–Río Blanco Synthem (Carnian–Rhaetian); the Ischigualasto Basin: the Ischichuca-Los Rastros Synthem (Anisian–Ladinian) and the Ischigualasto–Los Colorados Synthem (Carnian–Rhaetian); the Chaco–Paraná Basin: the Sanga do Cabral Synthem (Induan), the Santa Maria 1 Synthem (Ladinian), the Santa Maria 2 Synthem (Carnian), and the Caturrita Synthem (Norian); western Argentina: the Talampaya Synthem (Lower Triassic) and the Tarjados Synthem (Olenekian?). In the Western Caucasus, three common synthems have been distinguished: WC-1 (Induan–Anisian), WC-2 (uppermost Anisian–Carnian), and WC-3 (Norian–lower Rhaetian). The lower boundary of WC-1 corresponds to a hiatus whose duration seems to be shorter than that previously postulated. The synthem boundaries that are common to southwestern Gondwana and the Western Caucasus lie close to the base and top of the Triassic. The Lower Triassic, Ladinian, and Upper Triassic disconformities are traced within the studied basins of southern South America, and the first two are also established in South Africa. The Upper Triassic disconformity is only traced within the entire Caucasus, whereas all synthem boundaries established in the Western Caucasus are traced partly within Europe. In general, the synthem boundaries recognized in southern South America and the Western Caucasus are correlated to the global Triassic sequence boundaries and sea-level falls. Although regional peculiarities are superimposed on the appearance of global events in the Triassic synthem architecture, the successful global tracing suggests that planetary-scale mechanisms of synthem formation existed and that they were active in regions dominated by both marine and non-marine sedimentation.     

准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷晚二叠世至中三叠世古气候、物源及构造背景

二叠纪-三叠纪之交重大地质转折期,海相地质记录指示全球发生了一系列显著的生物和环境事件, 但是,该时期陆相古气候、古风化作用等方面的研究还很薄弱,争议较大.为了恢复新疆准噶尔盆地玛湖凹陷上二叠统乌尔禾组至中三叠统克拉玛依组的古气候、物源特征等, 本研究对玛湖凹陷钻井岩心中的泥岩样品开展了全岩主量和微量元素测试,采用多种化学风化指数判定源区风化程度及古气候条件,通过多种地球化学比值及图解来恢复源岩岩性及其构造背景.化学蚀变指数(Chemical Index of Alteration, CIA)、化学风化指数(Chemical Index of Weathering, CIW)、Parker风化指数(Weathering Index of Parker, WIP)和斜长石蚀变指数(Plagioclase Index of Alteration, PIA)等多种化学风化作用指标均指示,玛湖凹陷自晚二叠世至早三叠世发生显著的风化作用变化,由低等程度的化学风化作用转变为中等程度的化学风化作用,某些季节可能会较为温暖湿润,且在整个早三叠世保持大致稳定,在早三叠世晚期稍减弱,这与锶同位素反映的全球风化作用变化趋势一致.中三叠世时的化学风化作用与早三叠世相比,并未降低,反而稍有增加,这可能代表了地区性事件.早三叠世化学风化作用显著增强的原因可能在于全球变暖、植被破坏及季节性降雨增加等.此外,上二叠统乌尔禾组至中三叠统克拉玛依组的物源岩性主要为长英质火成岩,源岩形成时的构造背景可能为大洋岛弧环境.      

Diversity of the Woody Vegetation of Gondwanan Southern Africa

The flora of Gondwanan southern Africa is represented in the rock record by micro-fossils, macro-fossils and petrified woods. All these types of fossils are seldom preserved together in any one particular facies because of taphonomic and preservational biases. In order to obtain as accurate a picture as possible of the woody vegetation, both the fossil woods and other macroplant fossils, such as leaf impressions, fructifications and cuticle, of woody plants, have been correlated. This was done for each Formation in the Karoo Supergroup in order to illustrate the changes in diversity of woody vegetation over time. Sediments of the Karoo Supergroup represent the terrestrial fossil record of the period Upper Carboniferous to the Lower Cretaceous when Africa finally separated from South America. In the Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian (Dwyka Formation) there are at least five described genera of woods from South Africa and Namibia. Early to Middle Permian woods (Ecca Group) are a little more diverse with six genera, representing the glossopterids, cordaitaleans and possibly other seed fern groups. Late Permian to Early Triassic (Beaufort Group) woods show very little change in diversity in spite of the major floral and biotic turnover evident from the rest of the fossil record. Although the Late Triassic (Molteno Formation) macro-flora has been shown to be an example of explosive diversification, the generally poorly preserved woods do not reflect this. Lower Jurassic fossils (Clarens Formation) are also poorly preserved but have araucarian characteristics. Early Cretaceous woods represent the Araucariaceae, Cheirolepidiaceae and Podocarpaceae with a number of species. The diversity of the woods has not changed as much as the rest of the floral components in southern Africa from the Late Carboniferous to the Early Cretaceous. Possible reasons for this apparent stasis are the conservative nature of wood, functional restrictions, limitations of suitable conditions for petrifications and the fact that very little research has been done on southern African woods.     

The Late Triassic Sequence-Stratigraphic Framework of the Upper Yangtze Region, South China

In the transitional period between the Middle and the Late Triassic, the Indochina orogeny caused two tectonic events in South China: (1) the formation and uplift of the Qinling-Dabie orogenic belt along the northern margin of the South China Plate, due to its collision with the North China Plate; and 2) the development of a 1300-km-wide intra-continental orogen in the southeastern part of the South China Plate, which led to a northwestward movement of the foreland thrust-fold zone. These tectonic events resulted in the ending of the Yangtze Platform, and were a stable paleogeographic factor from the Eidacaran to the end of the Middle Triassic. This platform was characterized by the widespread development of shallow-water carbonates. After the end of the Yangtze Platform, the upper Yangtze foreland basin (or Sichuan foreland basin) was formed during the Late Triassic and became a accumulation site of fluvial deposits that are composed of related strata of the Xujiahe Formation. In western Sichuan Province, the Xujiahe Formation overlies the Maantang Formation shallow-water carbonate rocks of the Xiaotangzi Formation siliciclastic rocks (from shelf shales to littoral facies). The sequence-stratigraphic framework of the Upper Triassic in the upper Yangtze foreland basin indicates a particular alluvial architecture, characterized by sequences composed of (1) successions of low-energy fluvial deposits of high-accommodation phases, including coal seams, and (2) high-energy fluvial deposits of low-accommodation phases, including amalgamated river-channel sandstones. The spatial distribution of these fluvial deposits belonging to the Xujiahe Formation and its relative strata is characterized by gradual thinning-out, overlapping, and pinching-out toward both the east and south. This sedimentary record therefore expresses a particular sequence-stratigraphic succession of fluvial deposits within the filling succession of the foreland basin. The sequence-stratigraphic framework for the Upper Triassic in the Upper Yangtze region provides a record of the end of the Yangtze Platform and the formation of the upper Yangtze foreland basin.     

贵州地区中三叠统垄头组沉积特征及其海平面变化意义*

为认识中三叠世拉丁期华南地区碳酸盐岩台地边缘沉积演化及其海平面变化特征,文中主要选取贵州关岭扒子场剖面,以岩石学特征研究为基础,建立中三叠统拉丁阶垄头组的沉积演化序列,来恢复其沉积时期的海平面变化特征。中三叠统垄头组按其岩石类型及组合特征可分为3段: 下段主体为核形石灰岩—叠层石沉积旋回,代表潮间带至潮上带环境。中段下亚段由核形石灰岩—泥晶灰岩—玛瑙纹层状灰岩旋回组成,最顶层的玛瑙纹层状灰岩指示地表暴露环境;中段上亚段为核形石灰岩—叠层石旋回,代表潮间带至潮上带环境。上段由代表潮间带至潮下带的核形石灰岩—似球粒灰岩旋回组成。垄头组沉积特征表明,该沉积时期黔西南地区海平面整体表现为持续上升,但在中段沉积时期发生过一次海平面下降事件,导致沉积物持续遭受地表暴露,随后海平面开始上升,又恢复到潮坪沉积环境。与国内外中三叠世拉丁期海平面变化研究结果相比,贵州地区垄头组中段沉积时期的海平面下降很可能是拉丁期大海退的产物,但自中段上亚段至上段沉积时期,海平面逐渐上升,与同时期的黔西南地区和全球海平面变化趋势一致。该结果对于认识玛瑙纹层状灰岩成因及中三叠世晚期生物复苏研究具有重要意义。     

A Scincomorpha lizard from the Campanian of Patagonia

The terrestrial lizard fossil record of Gondwana is very scarce. Few lizards, from mostly fragmentary fossils, have been identified in Madagascar, Tanzania, Morocco, South Africa, India and South America. Among the South American specimens there are basal Squamata forms (Olindalacerta and Tijubina) and a possible iguanid (Pristiguana) form Brazil. In Argentina gondwanian terrestrial lizards are represented by a putative iguanid and a small, poorly preserved dentary. This last specimen, recovered from the Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Group, Río Colorado Subgroup) in vicinity of the locality of Cinco Saltos (Río Negro Province), is here described formally. Comparisons with extant lizards indicate more affinity of the fossil with the Scincomorpha (non Scincophidia) than with any other group of lizards. This finding suggests that lizards were probably better represented and more diverse in the Mesozoic of South America than previously thought, although the fossil record is, at the moment, much poorer than in Laurasia.     

Late Triassic sauropodomorph and Middle Jurassic theropod tracks from the Xichang Basin,Sichuan Province,southwestern China:First report of the ichnogenus Carmelopodus

Upper Triassic and Middle Jurassic strata of the Xichang Basin in Sichuan Province, southwestern China, yielded important dinosaur ichnofossils. From the Xujiahe Formation of the Yiguojiao tracksite, we report a Late Triassic footprint assemblage in China and the first discovery of diagnostic Triassic sauropodomorph tracks in this region. The tracks share a number of features in common with the ichnogenera Eosauropus(Late Triassic) and Liujianpus(Early Jurassic). The neighboring Bingtu tracksite is stratigraphically younger(Shaximiao Formation, Middle Jurassic) and preserves small tridactyl theropod tracks that represent the first occurrence of the ichnotaxon Carmelopodus in China and Asia. While these tracks are morphologically comparable to those from the Middle Jurassic type locality in North America, the specimens from China show the proximal margin of the digit IV impression in a more cranial position, which may indicate a trackmaker with a relatively short metatarsal IV. In addition to the skeletal record, the Carmelopodus footprints document the presence of small theropods in the dinosaur fauna of the Middle Jurassic Shaximiao Formation.     

A Scincomorpha lizard from the Campanian of Patagonia

The terrestrial lizard fossil record of Gondwana is very scarce. Few lizards, from mostly fragmentary fossils, have been identified in Madagascar, Tanzania, Morocco, South Africa, India and South America. Among the South American specimens there are basal Squamata forms (Olindalacerta and Tijubina) and a possible iguanid (Pristiguana) form Brazil. In Argentina gondwanian terrestrial lizards are represented by a putative iguanid and a small, poorly preserved dentary. This last specimen, recovered from the Anacleto Formation (Neuquén Group, Río Colorado Subgroup) in vicinity of the locality of Cinco Saltos (Río Negro Province), is here described formally. Comparisons with extant lizards indicate more affinity of the fossil with the Scincomorpha (non Scincophidia) than with any other group of lizards. This finding suggests that lizards were probably better represented and more diverse in the Mesozoic of South America than previously thought, although the fossil record is, at the moment, much poorer than in Laurasia.     

东昆仑东段晚古生代—中生代若干不整合面特征及其对重大构造事件的响应

地层不整合接触是研究地质发展历史和鉴定地壳运动特征的重要依据。通过大范围露头尺度和填图尺度不整合面的识别,结合不同时代地层沉积体系的特征及构造变形样式的对比研究,发现东昆仑造山带东段晚古生代—中生代地层由底到顶共发育有4个不同类型的不整合面,分别是上二叠统格曲组与上石炭统浩特洛哇组之间的角度不整合面、中三叠统希里可特组与闹仓坚沟组之间的微角度不整合面、上三叠统八宝山组与下伏不同时代地层之间的角度不整合面、下侏罗统羊曲组与上三叠统八宝山组之间的平行不整合面。这几个不同时代的不整合面分别代表了东昆仑东段晚古生代—中生代地质演化时期中特定的构造事件。其中,格曲组与浩特洛哇组角度不整合关系代表东昆仑造山带南缘阿尼玛卿—布青山古特提斯洋晚二叠世开始向北俯冲的构造事件;希里可特组与闹仓坚沟组微角度不整合关系与陆(弧)陆局部差异性初始碰撞的洋陆转换构造事件密切相关;八宝山组与下伏不同时代地层角度不整合关系是东昆仑地区分布较广、意义重大的一个不整合面,代表中三叠世晚期—晚三叠世早期东昆仑地区陆(弧)陆全面碰撞的主造山构造事件,同时该期碰撞造山事件铸就了东昆仑及其周缘地区的基本构造格架。羊曲组与八宝山组之间平行不整合面则与晚三叠世晚期—早侏罗世早期陆内演化过程中地壳垂向抬升事件相关。这些不整合面的厘定及其代表的相应构造事件对于合理建立东昆仑地区晚古生代—中生代构造演化过程具有重要意义。     

贵州紫云石头寨晚二叠世—中三叠世牙形石动物群及生态意义

本文所研究的贵州紫云石头寨上二叠统长兴组—中三叠统新苑组牙形石,共计5属14种,其中Hindeodus julfensis在华南系首次发现。文中对下三叠统罗楼组上部—中三叠统新苑组下部共建立了3个牙形石带,它们是Neospathodus timorensis带、Neogondolella regale带和N.constricta带。其中N.regale在华南属首次报导。此外就N.timorensis带的时代归属作了讨论,认为该带应属早三叠世晚期。而N.regale带为安尼阶最下部的牙形石带。文中还对牙形石的生态作了初步探讨。     

Sedimentary response to the paleogeographic and tectonic evolution of the southern North China Craton during the late Paleozoic and Mesozoic

With the aim of constraining the influence of the surrounding plates on the Late Paleozoic–Mesozoic paleogeographic and tectonic evolution of the southern North China Craton (NCC), we undertook new U–Pb and Hf isotope data for detrital zircons obtained from ten samples of upper Paleozoic to Mesozoic sediments in the Luoyang Basin and Dengfeng area. Samples of upper Paleozoic to Mesozoic strata were obtained from the Taiyuan, Xiashihezi, Shangshihezi, Shiqianfeng, Ermaying, Shangyoufangzhuang, Upper Jurassic unnamed, and Lower Cretaceous unnamed formations (from oldest to youngest). On the basis of the youngest zircon ages, combined with the age-diagnostic fossils, and volcanic interlayer, we propose that the Taiyuan Formation (youngest zircon age of 439 Ma) formed during the Late Carboniferous and Early Permian, the Xiashihezi Formation (276 Ma) during the Early Permian, the Shangshihezi (376 Ma) and Shiqianfeng (279 Ma) formations during the Middle–Late Permian, the Ermaying Group (232 Ma) and Shangyoufangzhuang Formation (230 and 210 Ma) during the Late Triassic, the Jurassic unnamed formation (154 Ma) during the Late Jurassic, and the Cretaceous unnamed formation (158 Ma) during the Early Cretaceous. These results, together with previously published data, indicate that: (1) Upper Carboniferous–Lower Permian sandstones were sourced from the Northern Qinling Orogen (NQO); (2) Lower Permian sandstones were formed mainly from material derived from the Yinshan–Yanshan Orogenic Belt (YYOB) on the northern margin of the NCC with only minor material from the NQO; (3) Middle–Upper Permian sandstones were derived primarily from the NQO, with only a small contribution from the YYOB; (4) Upper Triassic sandstones were sourced mainly from the YYOB and contain only minor amounts of material from the NQO; (5) Upper Jurassic sandstones were derived from material sourced from the NQO; and (6) Lower Cretaceous conglomerate was formed mainly from recycled earlier detritus.The provenance shift in the Upper Carboniferous–Mesozoic sediments within the study area indicates that the YYOB was strongly uplifted twice, first in relation to subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean Plate beneath the northern margin of the NCC during the Early Permian, and subsequently in relation to collision between the southern Mongolian Plate and the northern margin of the NCC during the Late Triassic. The three episodes of tectonic uplift of the NQO were probably related to collision between the North and South Qinling terranes, northward subduction of the Mianlue Ocean Plate, and collision between the Yangtze Craton and the southern margin of the NCC during the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian, Middle–Late Permian, and Late Jurassic, respectively. The southern margin of the central NCC was rapidly uplifted and eroded during the Early Cretaceous.     

Detrital zircon U–Pb ages of Late Triassic–Late Jurassic deposits in the western and northern Sichuan Basin margin: constraints on the foreland basin provenance and tectonic implications

Upper Triassic to Upper Jurassic strata in the western and northern Sichuan Basin were deposited in a synorogenic foreland basin. Ion–microprobe U–Pb analysis of 364 detrital zircon grains from five Late Triassic to Late Jurassic sandstone samples in the northern Sichuan Basin and several published Middle Triassic to Middle Jurassic samples in the eastern Songpan–Ganzi Complex and western and inner Sichuan Basin provide an initial framework for understanding the Late Triassic to Late Jurassic provenance of western and northern Sichuan Basin. For further understanding, the paleogeographic setting of these areas and neighboring hinterlands was constructed. Combined with analysis of depocenter migration, thermochronology and detrital zircon provenance, the western and northern Sichuan Basin is displayed as a transferred foreland basin from Late Triassic to Late Jurassic. The Upper Triassic Xujiahe depocenter was located at the front of the Longmen Shan belt, and sediments in the western Sichuan Basin shared the same provenances with the Middle–Upper Triassic in the Songpan–Ganzi Complex, whereas the South Qinling fed the northern Sichuan Basin. The synorogenic depocenter transferred to the front of Micang Shan during the early Middle Jurassic and at the front of the Daba Shan during the middle–late Middle Jurassic. Zircons of the Middle Jurassic were sourced from the North Qinling, South Qinling and northern Yangtze Craton. The depocenter returned to the front of the Micang Shan again during the Late Jurassic, and the South Qinling and northern Yangtze Craton was the main provenance. The detrital zircon U–Pb ages imply that the South and North China collision was probably not finished at the Late Jurassic.     

Evaluation of bulk carbonate δ13C data from Triassic hemipelagites and the initial composition of carbonate mud

Bulk carbonate samples of hemipelagic limestone–marl alternations from the Middle and Upper Triassic of Italy are analysed for their isotopic compositions. Middle Triassic samples are representative of the Livinallongo Formation of the Dolomites, while Upper Triassic hemipelagites were sampled in the Pignola 2 section, within the Calcari con Selce Formation of the Southern Apennines in Southern Italy. Triassic hemipelagites occur either as nodular limestones with chert nodules or as plane‐bedded limestone–marl alternations which are locally silicified. In the Middle Triassic Livinallongo Formation, diagenetic alteration primarily affected the stable isotopic composition of sediment surrounding carbonate nodules, whereas the latter show almost pristine compositions. Diagenesis lowered the carbon and oxygen isotope values of bulk carbonate and introduced a strong correlation between δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values. In the Middle Triassic successions of the Dolomites, bulk carbonate of nodular limestone facies is most commonly unaltered, whereas carbonate of the plane‐bedded facies is uniformly affected by diagenetic alteration. In contrast to carbonate nodules, plane‐bedded facies often show compaction features. Although both types of pelagic carbonate rocks show very similar petrographic characteristics, scanning electron microscopy studies reveal that nodular limestone consists of micrite (< 5 μm in diameter), whereas samples of the plane‐bedded facies are composed of calcite crystals ca 10 μm in size showing pitted, polished surfaces. These observations suggest that nodular and plane‐bedded facies underwent different diagenetic pathways determined by the prevailing mineralogy of the precursor sediment, i.e. probably high‐Mg calcite in the nodular facies and aragonite in the case of the plane‐bedded facies. Similar to Middle Triassic nodular facies, Upper Triassic nodular limestones of the Lagonegro Basin are also characterized by uncorrelated δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values and exhibit small, less than 5 μm size, crystals. The alternation of calcitic and aragonitic precursors in the Middle Triassic of the Dolomites is thought to mirror rapid changes in the type of carbonate production of adjacent platforms. Bioturbation and dissolution of metastable carbonate grains played a key role during early lithification of nodular limestone beds, whereby early stabilization recorded the carbon isotopic composition of sea water. The bulk carbonate δ¹³C values of Middle and Upper Triassic hemipelagites from Italy agree with those of Tethyan low‐Mg calcite shells of articulate brachiopods, confirming that Triassic hemipelagites retained the primary carbon isotopic composition of the bottom sea water. A trend of increasing δ¹³C from the Late Anisian to the Early Carnian, partly seen in the data set presented here, is also recognized in successions from tropical palaeolatitudes elsewhere. The carbon isotopic composition of Middle and Upper Triassic nodular hemipelagic limestones can thus be used for chemostratigraphic correlation and palaeoenvironmental studies.     

Devonian-Carboniferous unconformity in Argentina and its relation to the Eo-Hercynian orogeny in southern South America

The Devonian-Carboniferous contact in southern South America, characterized by a sharp unconformity, has been related to the Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous Eo-Hercynian orogeny. The Calingasta-Uspallata basin of western Argentina and the Sauce-Grande basin (Ventana Foldbelt) of eastern Argentina have been selected to characterize this unconformity. The Eo-Hercynian movements were accompanied in western Argentina by igneous activity related to a Late Devonian—Early Carboniferous magmatic arc mainly exposed today along the Andean Cordillera. This magmatic activity is partly reflected also in eastern Argentina (Ventana Foldbelt), where isotopic dates suggest a thermal event also related to the intrusions present to the west in the North Patagonian Massif and Sierras Pampeanas. The scarcity of Lower Carboniferous deposits in the stratigraphic record of southern South America suggests that the Early Carboniferous was a time interval dominated by uplift and erosion followed by widespread subsidence during the Middle and Late Carboniferous. The origin of the Eo-Hercynian orogeny can be linked with the convergence between the Arequipa Massif, and its southern extension, and the South American continent. Its effects are best represented along the Palaeo-Pacific margin, although distant effects are discernible in the cratonic areas of eastern South America. Correspondence to: O. R. López-Gamundí     

西藏措勤断块中—上三叠统嘎热扎地组的建立

在西藏措勤断块新建了中三叠统—上三叠统卡尼阶岩石地层单位——嘎热扎地组.在建组剖面上,嘎热扎地组厚约485 m,下部岩性以碎屑岩为主,上部岩性为碎屑岩夹灰岩.嘎热扎地组与下伏上二叠统—下三叠统木纠错组、上覆上三叠统诺利阶麦龙岗组均为整合接触关系.该组尚未发现指示地层时代的化石,但前人在其下伏的木纠错组中发现了早三叠世牙...     

A new afrograptid (Diplostraca: Estheriellina) from the Lower Cretaceous of southern England

The Family Afrograptidae is a ‘conchostracan’ group with multiple radial costae reaching to the umbo on their carapaces. It comprises four described genera: Afrograpta, Camerunograpta, Congestheriella and Graptoestheriella with a total of thirteen described species which are occasionally reported from the Jurassic and the Cretaceous in Africa, Europe and South America (i.e. Afrograpta from the Upper Cretaceous of Cameroon; Camerunograpta from the Jurassic to Cretaceous of Cameroon; Congestheriella from the Jurassic to Upper Cretaceous of the Congo Basin, Brazil, Bulgaria, Venezuela and Argentina; and Graptoestheriella from the Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous of Brazil). A new genus and a new species, Surreyestheria ockleyensis gen. et sp. nov., belonging to the Family Afrograptidae from the Lower Cretaceous (lower Barremian) Upper Weald Clay Formation of Ockley Village, Surrey County, southern England is described in this paper. The new genus mainly differs from the other four genera by the special reticulate ornamentation on its carapace. It indicates that the Family Afrograptidae was more diverse and more widely distributed in the late Mesozoic than previously supposed. Afrograptidae is a special branch of Estheriellina the latter originating in the late Palaeozoic and the former in the early Mesozoic. Afrograptids, as a whole had been widespread across Pangea in the Early Jurassic.     

New materials of lithostrotian titanosaurs (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous of central Patagonia

Continental Cretaceous deposits exposed in central Patagonia, Argentina, preserve a rich and important record of titanosaurian evolution that spans the entire Upper Cretaceous. Recently, a new lithostragraphic unit, the Lago Colhué Huapi Formation (Coniacian – Maastrichtian), was located in the Golfo San Jorge Basin. Here, we describe new titanosaurian sauropod material from that formation (UNPSJB-Pv 1051). The material consists of a partially articulated left hind limb and disarticulated but associated skeletal elements. They are confidently referred to Titanosauria, and within that clade, to Lithostrotia, probably occupying a derived position. We interpret the bone concentration as an assemblage of hydraulic origin deposited in a fluvial channel. This new material begins the incipient fossil record of the Lago Colhué Huapi Formation, thereby also increasing the titanosaurian diversity of the latest Cretaceous. Additionally, the new titanosaurian enhances evidence in support of strong faunal similarities among the Allen and Marilia formations, chronological equivalents in the Cretaceous of South America. Furthermore, the Lago Colhué Huapi specimen adds to the Late Cretaceous record of Titanosauria and augments our knowledge of central Patagonian terrestrial vertebrate assemblages during this interval.