Comment on “First Record of Hindeodus–Isarcicella Population in Lower Triassic of Slovenia” by Tea Kolar-Jurkov?ek and Bogdan Jurkov?ek in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 252: 72–81

Some conodonts described by Tea Kolar-Jurkovsek and Bogdan Jurkovsek (2007) from the Permian-Triassic boundary section in the ?iri area of western Slovenia are revised in this paper. One specimen that they assigned to Hindeodus parvus is tentatively regarded as Hindeodus cf. scalaris Wu 2005. Two specimens that they assigned to Isarcicella sp. A is changed to Hindeodus parvus. One specimen that they described as Isarcicella lobata Perri and Farabegoli is changed to Hindeodus crenatus Wu (2006). One specimen that they assigned to Isarcicella turgida (Kozur, Mostler and Rahimi-Yazd) is changed to Hindeodus cf. parvus. Since these revisions, the three conodont zones that they defined have been correspondingly revised. Their first zone may belong to Hindeodus parvus zone, but it is not certain. Their second zone is changed to the Hindeodus parvus zone, and their third one remains as is.     

Middle Pleistocene large‐mammal faunas from North Iberia: palaeobiogeographical and palaeoecological implications

The rich Quaternary fossil record from the Cantabrian region (NW Iberia) is virtually restricted to the Late Pleistocene, with Middle Pleistocene findings very rare. This work presents the study of two Middle Pleistocene palaeontological sites in the Cantabrian region: Llantrales quarry and Mestas de Con mine, both discovered and first described in the 1950s but never studied in detail thereafter. The material was here re‐analysed and re‐evaluated. Taxonomic attributions have been changed in most cases and, consequently, chronological assignments of the fossils have also been changed. This first detailed study of the assemblage from Llantrales quarry revealed the occurrence of the large‐sized deer Praemegaceros solilhacus, which has never been reported previously in North Iberia. Cervus cf. elaphus and Stephanorhinus cf. hundsheimensis were also identified. The age of these fossils was originally regarded as Pontian (late Miocene), but new palaeontological results indicate a much younger age, most likely from around 0.8 to 0.5 Ma. A taxonomic re‐evaluation of the fossils from Mestas de Con provided different results with respect to the 1950s works. The faunal association is composed of a large‐sized deer (probably corresponding to Praemegaceros), Cervus elaphus, Capreolus cf. capreolus, Bison sp. (small sized), Equus sp. (large sized), Stephanorhinus hemitoechus, Ursus sp. and Homotherim latidens. This faunal association was evaluated within a western European context and proves to be highly analogous to other contemporary assemblages there. The chronology was initially regarded as late Villafranchian (in a broader sense). New results, documenting the co‐occurrence of Stephanorhinus hemitoechus and Homotherium latidens, indicate a more precise and younger age, most likely between 0.6 and 0.4 Ma. These two fossil assemblages provide new and relevant information on the Middle Pleistocene faunas from a geographical region where this information, compared with other western European areas, is rare and poorly known.     

Conodont biostratigraphy across the Permian–Triassic boundary at the Dawen section, Great Bank of Guizhou, Guizhou Province, South China: Implications for the Late Permian extinction and correlation with Meishan

Several continuous Permian–Triassic boundary (PTB) sections are well exposed in the interior of the Great Bank of Guizhou (GBG) on the east limb of the Bianyang syncline, Luodian County, Guizhou Province, South China. Fourteen conodont taxa are identified, including Clarkina kazi, Clarkina lehrmanni n. sp., Clarkina taylorae, Clarkina zhejiangensis, Hindeodus eurypyge, Hindeodus inflatus, Hindeodus sxlatidentatus, Hindeodus parvus erectus, Hindeodus parvus parvus, Hindeodus postparvus, Hindeodus praeparvus, Hindeodus typicalis, Isarcicella staeschei, and Merrillina ultima based on a detailed study of the Permian-Triassic interval at the Dawen section. The first occurrence (FO) of H. parvus parvus in the lower Daye Formation, at about 7.45 m above the contact surface between the Upper Permian skeletal packstone and a calcimicrobial framestone unit, is correlated with the Permian–Triassic boundary; the occurrence of H. eurypyge, H. praeparvus and M. ultima immediately below and H. postparvus above the interval supports this interpretation. A morphometric analysis of 31 Hindeodus specimens helped distinguish H. parvus erectus from H. parvus parvus and H. postparvus. Correlation with the Meishan section (PTB GSSP) using both conodont biostratigraphy and carbon isotopes, indicates that the major extinction at the two localities is simultaneous and coincides with the top of the skeletal packstone at Dawen. The contact between the skeletal packstone and the calcimicrobialite is very irregular and has previously been interpreted as a dissolution surface and correlated with a surface in the lower part of bed 27 at Meishan. Our results confirm this interpretation and reveal that the dissolution event postdated the extinction.     

A New Specimen of Shansisuchus shansisuchus Young, 1964 (Diapsida: Archosauriformes) from the Triassic of Shanxi, China

Shansisuchus shansisuchus Young,1964 was restudied on the basis of a new specimen.Some anatomical features that were either briefly or not described at all in the original study were detailed.The new specimen not only provides further information on the skull anatomy and the vertebral column but also expands the range of the geographical distribution of the taxon.With new information,the diagnosis of S.shansisuchus was emended and its phylogenetic relationships were further analyzed.S.shansisuchus differs from other archosauriforms primarily in the presence of a large subnarial fenestra anterior to the antorbital fenestra,tongue-in-groove articulations between the ascending process of the premaxilla and nasal and between the premaxilla and maxilla,a tall and posterodorsally directed ascending process of the maxilla,a knee-shaped process of the postorbital projecting into the orbit,a broad descending process of squamosal distally well forked and a large,deeply bow-shaped intercentrum tightly anchoring/capping the sharp ventral edges of two neighboring centra together in cervical and at least first eight dorsal vertebrae.With additional information derived from the new specimen,the phylogenetic relationships of S.shansisuchus were reanalyzed;it is closely related to Erythrosuchus-Vjushkovia clade.     

First Record of Hoplictis(Carnivora,Mustelidae) in East Asia from the Miocene of the Ulungur River Area,Xinjiang,Northwest China

The first unequivocal remains of medium to large-sized mustelids from the middle Miocene Halamagai and Kekemaideng formations have been found in the Ulungur River area, Xinjiang, northwestern China. These new fossils are referred to the hypercarnivorous mustelid Hoplictis Ginsburg, 1961 and denote the first record of the genus in East Asia.We define Hoplictis baihu n. sp., for the mustelid from Tieersihabahe(Halamagai Fm.), which represents the smallest species of the genus. This primitive form is closer to H. florancei and H. noueli than to H. anatolicus and later, larger and more derived Hoplictis spp., from Europe and North America. A large toothless mandible from Duolebulejin(Kekemaiden Fm.) is assigned to Hoplictis cf. helbingi, and it presumably might represent the first record of H. helbingi outside Western Europe. The systematic position of Hoplicitis in relation to Ischyrictis with which it is similar is clarified. The occurrence in East Asia of two species of Hoplictis greatly expands the known distribution and diversity of the genus, and supports a Palaearctic Neogene dispersal event of carnivorans between Europe and Asia during the late Shanwangian–early Tunggurian equivalent to MN5–6 in Europe, and indication of another dispersal event from Europe to North America,through Northwest China during the late Tunggurian, equivalent to MN7–8 in Europe.     

The effect of specimen diameter size on uniaxial compressive strength,P-wave velocity and the correlation between them

Estimation of uniaxial compressive strength (UCS) by P-wave velocity (V_P) is of great interest to geotechnical engineers in various design projects. The specimen diameter size is one of the main factors that influence rock parameters such as UCS and V_P. In this study, the diameter size of specimens that effect UCS and V_P is investigated. Moreover, the correlation between UCS and V_P are examined via empirical analysis. For this purpose, 15 travertine samples were collected and core specimens with a diameters size of 38, 44, 54, 64 and 74 mm were prepared. Then, uniaxial compressive strength and P-wave velocity tests were conducted according to the procedure suggested by ISRM (1981). It is concluded that the diameter size of the specimen has a significant effect on UCS and V_P. Moreover, it was found that the best correlation between relevant parameters obtained for the specimen diameter of 38 mm.     

Stratigraphy,sedimentology, structure and tectonics of Lower Ordovician and Devonian strata of South Mootwingee,Darling Basin,western New South Wales

K‐Ar age measurements using the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar total fusion technique on nephrite from two occurrences in the Great Serpentine Belt southeast of Tamworth yielded ages of 273 ± 5.8 and 280 ± 5.6 m.y. The K‐Ar ages indicate that tectonic emplacement, during which the nephrite was produced as a reaction product between ultra‐mafic rock and country rock, occurred early in the Permian about 275–280 m.y. ago.     

Biogeographic implications of a packrat midden sequence from the Sacramento Mountains, south-central New Mexico

Thirteen packrat (Neotoma spp.) and two porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) middens from 1555 to 1690 m elevation from the Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico, provide an 18,000-yr vegetation record in the northern Chiuahuan Desert. The vegetation sequence is a mesic, Wisconsin fullglacial (18,000–16,000 yr B.P.) pinyon-juniper-oak woodland; a xeric, early Holocene (ca. 11,000–8000 yr B.P.) juniper-oak woodland; a middle Holocene (ca. 8000-4000 yr B.P.) desert-grassland; and a late Holocene (ca. 4000 yr B.P. to present) Chihuahuan desertscrub. The frequency of spring freezes and summer droughts in the late Wisconsin probably set the northern limits of Pinus edulis and Juniperus monosperma at about 34°N, or 6° south of today's limit. Rising summer tempratures in the early Holocene eliminated pinyon and other mesic woodland plants from the desert lowlands and allowed the woodland to move upslope. At this time pinyon-juniper woodland and pine forest dominated by Pinus ponderosa probably began their spectacular Holocene expansions to the north. Continued warming in the middle Holocene led to very warm summers with strong monsoons, relatively dry, cold winters, and widespread desert-grasslands. Desertscrub communities in the northern Chihuahuan Desert did not develop until the late Holocene when the biseasonal rainfall shifted slightly back toward the winter, catastrophic winter freezes decreased, and droughts in all seasons increased. The creosote bush desertscrub corridor across the Continental Divide between the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts was probably connected for the first time since the last interglaciation.     

A new crinoid from the Mississippian (Early Carboniferous) of South Pembrokeshire,Wales

A new species of cladid crinoid, Hylodecrinus cymrus, is described from the Pembroke Limestone Group (Mississippian, Tournaisian, Courceyan) of West Angle Bay in south Pembrokeshire, Wales. It has a medium bowl‐shaped aboral cup, with strong ridges extending across the basals and radials forming pits at the plate corners. It is most similar to the late Tournaisian H. carinatus (Hall, 1861) of North America but differs in having less strongly cuneate brachials that are longer than wide with more subtle carinae on the aboral side. This specimen represents the first report of this genus from Europe, which most probably migrated from North America. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Investigation of influence of particle characteristics on the non‐coaxiality of anisotropic granular materials using DEM

As a result of deposition process and particle characteristics, granular materials can be inherently anisotropic. Many researchers have strongly suggested that the inherent anisotropy is the main reason for the deformation non‐coaxiality of granular materials. However, their relationships are not unanimous because of the limited understanding of the non‐coaxial micro‐mechanism. In this study, we investigated the influence of inherent anisotropy on the non‐coaxial angle using the discrete element method. Firstly, we developed a new discrete element method approach using rough elliptic particles and proposed a novel method to produce anisotropic specimens. Secondly, the effects of initial specimen density and particle characteristics, such as particle aspect ratio A _m, rolling resistance coefficient β , and bedding plane orientation δ , were examined by a series of biaxial tests and rotational principal axes tests. Findings from the numerical simulations are summarized as follows: (1) the peak internal friction angle ? _p and the non‐coaxial angle i both increase with the initial density, A _m and β , and they both increase initially and then decrease with δ in the range of 0–90°; (2) among the particle characteristics, the influence of A _m is the most significant; and (3) for anisotropic specimens, the non‐coaxial angle can be calculated using the double slip and rotation rate model. Then, an empirical formula was proposed based on the simulation results to depict the relationship between the non‐coaxial angle and the particle characteristics. Finally, the particle‐scale mechanism of non‐coaxiality for granular materials was discussed from the perspective of energy dissipation. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Aturoidea (Nautilida) from the Upper Cretaceous Sada limestone in Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan

The first specimen of Aturoidea to be recorded in East Asia has been found in the Upper Cretaceous Sada limestone in Shimanto City, Kochi Prefecture, Japan. The specimen is one of the few representatives from the Upper Cretaceous, along with species known from Libya, Angola, and India. The specimen is very similar to A. mathewsonni from the Paleocene deposits in California. However, we describe the specimen as A. cf. mathewsonni, as it slightly differs from A. mathewsonni in the shape of the lateral lobe of the suture. The finding reveals that Aturoidea had already lived in waters around East Asia in the Late Cretaceous.     

Ichnology of prodeltaic hyperpycnite–turbidite channel complexes and lobes from the Upper Cretaceous Prairie Canyon Member of the Mancos Shale,Book Cliffs,Utah, USA

The Upper Cretaceous Prairie Canyon Member of the Mancos Shale, Book Cliffs, Utah, contain outstanding examples of prodeltaic turbidity and hyperpycnal flow deposits. Sandstone‐rich, heterolithic and mudstone‐rich channel fills occur near the north‐west entrance to Tusher Canyon, Gunnison Butte and Bootlegger Wash. Mudstone‐rich and heterolithic‐rich hyperpycnal channel deposits are mostly unbioturbated, locally displaying a few specimens of Phycosiphon incertum, Protovirgularia dichotoma, Rosselia socialis, Schaubcylindrichnus coronus and Palaeophycus tubularis. Sandstone‐rich channel deposits consist of wave‐reworked turbidites and hyperpycnites, containing Helminthoidichnites tenuis, Lockeia siliquaria, Phycodes isp., Phycosiphon incertum, Protovirgularia dichotoma, Rosselia socialis, Skolithos linearis and Fugichnia. Scolicia isp. and Chondrites isp. occur locally. Strata along the south‐west entrance of Tusher Canyon record deposition in a prodelta turbidite lobe, but far from its axis. With the exception of a few specimens of Ophiomorpha isp., bioturbation is restricted to the top of the succession, where Curvolithus simplex, Gyrochorte comosa, Lockeia siliquaria, Palaeophycus tubularis and Ptychoplasma excelsum occur. Strata at Hatch Mesa record deposition in a hyperpycnal lobe, near to its axis. Sandstone beds include Curvolithus simplex, Gyrochorte comosa, Ophiomorpha nodosa, Palaeophycus tubularis, Phycosiphon incertum, Protovirgularia dichotoma, Ptychoplasma excelsum, Schaubcylindrichnus freyi, Skolithos linearis, large specimens of Rosselia socialis and indeterminate crustacean burrows. Chondrites isp. is present in the mudstone. High rates of both episodic and sustained sedimentation, degree of substrate consolidation, freshwater discharge and water turbidity are the most important stress factors in both channels and lobes. Taxonomic composition, uneven distribution of bioturbation through the successions, and overall low ichnodiversity help to distinguish these prodeltaic deposits from bathymetrically equivalent offshore strata in the same basin. Hyperpycnal flow deposits are formed in a wide variety of environmental settings, therefore displaying high ichnological variability. Such variability is summarized by characterising ichnofaunas from four different depositional settings: (i) lakes; (ii) shelf deltas; (iii) shelf‐edge deltas; and (iv) deep‐marine systems.     

Drained deformation characteristics of granular soil under pure principal stress axis rotation: impact of sample preparation

The distinct initial fabrics of sand may give rise to dramatically different responses to the applied loading, as evidenced by numerous laboratory tests reported in the literature. In this study, both dry deposition (DD) and moist tamping (MT) methods were employed to prepare sand specimens to generate different initial fabrics. Drained tests were conducted on these specimens under pure principal stress axis rotation while keeping the principal stress components constant. The factors that may influence the deformation characteristics of sand, such as deviatoric stress q, coefficient of intermediate principal stress b, and mean principal stress p, were also taken into consideration in the tests. Test results show that the developments of three normal strain components with number of cycles are very different between DD and MT specimens, which is also closely related to the factors of q, b, and p. It is seen that DD specimen tends to generate larger contractive volumetric strains than MT specimen, which is more significant when q and b increase or p decreases. The shear stiffness of DD specimen is greater than that of MT specimen. The shear modulus ratio, G_j/G₁, increases with the increase of q and b or the decrease of p, which is more prominent in DD specimen than in MT specimen. It is also shown that DD specimen appears to exhibit stronger non-coaxiality than MT specimen, in which such difference of non-coaxiality tends to decrease with the increase in number of cycles.

     

Paleomagnetic age of ferruginous weathering beneath the Hamersley Surface,Pilbara, Western Australia,and the Cenozoic apparent polar wander path

During the Mesozoic and Paleogene, the Precambrian rocks in the Pilbara, Western Australia, underwent erosion and deep weathering that produced an undulating landform now represented by the duricrusted and partly eroded Hamersley Surface. A reddened, ferruginous weathering zone occurs immediately beneath this duricrusted surface. Oriented block samples of ferruginised strata of the Neoarchean–early Paleoproterozoic Hamersley Group exposed within approximately 15 m below the duricrust were collected at 20 sites in roadcuts along the Great Northern Highway between Munjina and Newman and exposures along the adjoining Karijini Drive. Stepwise thermal demagnetisation of cored specimens revealed a stable, high-temperature (680°C) component carried by hematite, with a mean direction (n = 55 specimens) of declination D = 182.0°, inclination I = 52.9° (α₉₅ = 3.6°), indicating a pole position at latitude λ_p = 77.6°S, longitude ?_p = 113.2°E (A₉₅ = 4.3°) and a paleolatitude λ = 33.5 +3.6/–3.3°S. Both normal and reversed polarities are present, indicating that the remanent magnetism was acquired over an interval of at least two polarity chrons (say 10⁵–10⁶ years). Chi-square tests on the determined pole position and three different sets of Cenozoic poles, namely those for dated volcanic rocks in eastern Australia supplemented by poles for Australian Cenozoic weathering horizons, and inferred poles from Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean hotspot analyses and North American Cenozoic poles rotated to Australian coordinates, yielded a mean age of ca 24 ± 3 Ma, i.e. late Oligocene to early Miocene, interpreted as the time of formation of hematite in the sampled ferruginous zone. The ferruginous weathering occurred under globally warm conditions and was followed during the early to middle Miocene climatic optimum by the deposition of channel iron deposits, which incorporated detrital hematitic material derived from erosion of the ferruginous weathering zone beneath the Hamersley Surface.     

Morphology and kinematics of boudinage vein systems,Great Keppel Island,Queensland

Strongly boudinaged sandstone beds in a Palaeozoic accretionary complex are exposed on Great Keppel Island, off the central Queensland coast. Viewed in profile, the boudins are folded around mesoscopic F₂ hinge zones and overprinted by S₂ foliation indicating formation either during Late Carboniferous subduction accretion (D₁) or during a previously unrecognised discrete early phase of the Permian deformation (D₂). Boudin profiles record an average stretch of 1.51, although the contribution of D₂ and later deformation is not determined. Viewed in the plane of bedding, vein traces are variable and oblique to boudin necks by an average of 12° anticlockwise. The overall en echelon arrangement of veins in boudin necks is a primary feature of the structure and cannot be attributed to later deformation. This pattern of veining indicates oblique extension of the boudin necks by low‐vorticity non‐coaxial flow within the plane of bedding. One possible setting with such kinematics is the limb of a non‐cylindrical fold.     

New Macroscopic Problematic Fossil from the Early Cambrian Yanjiahe Biota,Yichang, Hubei,China

Yanjiahella gen. nov., a distinctive fossil taxon from the Early Cambrian Yanjiahe Biota in Yichang, Hubei Province, is characterized by: 1) an overall body plan composed of a stalk and a calyx (also arms in some species); 2) a stalk with closely spaced, transverse wrinkles and a medial, longitudinal ridge; and 3) a calyx preserved with three-dimensional radiating striations, as well as a probable madreporite in some specimens. Three species that can be assigned to this genus, which are Y. ancarpa sp. nov., Y. monocarpa sp. nov., and Y. biscarpa sp. nov. Yanjiahella is comparable to certain echinoderm taxa in terms of morphology and some biological structures, which might indicate the early evolution and diversification of ancestral echinoderm lineages from the early Early Cambrian Yangtze Platform. The discovery of putative echinoderms in the Yanjiahe Biota provides significant clues about the origination and evolution of the deuterostome phylum Echinodermata.     

Differential response at the seafloor during Palaeocene and Eocene ocean warming events at Walvis Ridge,Atlantic Ocean (ODP Site 1262)

The Latest Danian Event (LDE, c. 62.1 Ma) is an early Palaeogene hyperthermal or transient (<200 ka) ocean warming event. We present the first deep‐sea benthic foraminiferal faunal record to study deep‐sea biotic changes together with new benthic (Nuttallides truempyi) stable isotope data from Walvis Ridge Site 1262 (Atlantic Ocean) to evaluate whether the LDE was controlled by similar processes as the minor early Eocene hyperthermals. The spacing of the double negative δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O excursion and the slope of the δ¹⁸O–δ¹³C regression are comparable, strongly suggesting a similar orbital control and pacing of eccentricity maxima as well as a rather homogeneous carbon pool. However, in contrast to early Eocene hyperthermals, the LDE exhibits a remarkable stability of the benthic foraminiferal fauna. This lack of benthic response could be related to the absence of threshold‐related circulation changes or better pre‐adaptation to elevated deep‐sea temperatures, as the LDE was superimposed on a cooling trend, in contrast to early Eocene warming.     

New Early Cretaceous Pterosaur-Bird Track Assemblage from Xinjiang, China: Palaeoethology and Palaeoenvironment

A pterosaur-bird track assemblage from a sandstone-siltstone-mudstone sequence of the Lower Cretaceous Tugulu Group of Xinjiang comprises the first pterosaur track record from this province and the largest specimen thus far known from China.The pterosaur tracks are assigned to the ichnogenus Pteraichnus based on the triangular overall-shape,the four elongate digit traces and the robust manual digit trace Ⅲ.Supposed trackmakers were dsungaripterid pterodactyloids whose skeletal remains are well known from the Tugulu Group.The bird tracks that occur on the same surface,are those of typical shorebirds,known from different other localities in southeast Asia.The congruence with Koreanaornis dodsoni described from the same stratigraphic level justifies an assignment to this ichnospecies.This is a further evidence of the co-occurrence of pterosaurs and birds in a typical iakeshore environment with possible seasonal alteration of water supply and aerial exposure indicated by wave ripples,mudcracks and repeated cycles of coarse to fine sediment.Pterosaurs and birds frequented the shoreline and may have fed also on the numerous invertebrates such as the Scoyenia tracemaker that left abundant burrows.     

Fluid Inclusions,Stable Isotopes,and Geochronology of the Haobugao Lead‐Zinc Deposit,Inner Mongolia,China

The Haobugao deposit, located in the southern segment of the Great Xing'an Range, is a famous skarn‐related Pb‐Zn‐(Cu)‐(Fe) deposit in northern China. The results of our fluid inclusion research indicate that garnets of the early stage (I skarn stage) contain three types of fluid inclusions (consistent with the Mesozoic granites): vapor‐rich inclusions (type LV, with V_H2O/(V_H2O + L_H2O) < 50 vol %, and the majority are 5–25 vol %), liquid‐rich two‐phase aqueous inclusions (type VL, with V_H2O/(V_H2O + L_H2O) > 50 vol %, the majority are 60–80 vol %), and halite‐bearing multiphase inclusions (type SL). These different types of fluid inclusions are totally homogenized at similar temperatures (around 320–420°C), indicating that the ore‐forming fluids of the early mineralization stage may belong to a boiling fluid system. The hydrothermal fluids of the middle mineralization stage (II, magnetite‐quartz) are characterized by liquid‐rich two‐phase aqueous inclusions (type VL, homogenization temperatures of 309–439°C and salinities of 9.5–14.9 wt % NaCl eqv.) that coexist with vapor‐rich inclusions (type LV, homogenization temperatures of 284–365°C and salinities of 5.2–10.4 wt % NaCl eqv.). Minerals of the late mineralization stage (III sulfide‐quartz stage and IV sulfide‐calcite stage) only contain liquid‐rich aqueous inclusions (type VL). These inclusions are totally homogenized at temperatures of 145–240°C, and the calculated salinities range from 2.0 to 12.6 wt % NaCl eqv. Therefore, the ore‐forming fluids of the late stage are NaCl‐H₂O‐type hydrothermal solutions of low to medium temperature and low salinity. The δD values and calculated δ¹⁸O_SMOW values of ore‐forming fluids of the deposit are in the range of ?4.8 to 2.65‰ and ?127.3‰ to ?144.1‰, respectively, indicating that ore‐forming fluids of the Haobugao deposit originated from the mixing of magmatic fluid and meteoric water. The S‐Pb isotopic compositions of sulfides indicate that the ore‐forming materials are mainly derived from underlying magma. Zircon grains from the mineralization‐related granite in the mining area yield a weighted ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U mean age of 144.8 ±0.8 Ma, which is consistent with a molybdenite Re‐Os model age (140.3 ±3.4 Ma). Therefore, the Haobugao deposit formed in the Early Cretaceous, and it is the product of a magmatic hydrothermal system.     

Succession,palaeoecology, evolution,and speciation of Pennsylvanian non‐marine bivalves,Northern Appalachian Basin,USA

Seventeen horizons of non‐marine bivalves are described within the Appalachian succession from the base of the Pottsville Group of Westphalian A‐B age to the Uniontown coal of Stephanian C age at the top of the Carboniferous System. A new highly variable fauna of Anthraconaia from the roof shales of the Upper Freeport coal near Kempton, west Maryland, dates from late Westphalian D or very early Cantabrian time, on the evidence of non‐marine shells and megafloras. Below this horizon, the Appalachian sequence reveals zones of Anthraconauta phillipsii and Anthraconauta tenuis in the same order as in Britain, whereas faunas of Anthraconaia of these zones are less common and differ from those of Britain. In all horizons above the Upper Freeport coal all non‐marine bivalve faunas consist of stages in the sequences of two natural species, the groups of Anthraconaia prolifera and Anthraconaia puella‐saravana. The first shows evidence of having lived in well‐oxygenated, probably shallow, fresh water conditions of relatively wide extent. The second group lived preferentially in a plant‐rich environment of relatively stagnant fresh water. Both groups are found in horizons associated with coal seams and may be seen together in the same habitats, but diagrams of variation (pictographs) suggest that there was no interbreeding between the two groups in either the Northern Appalachians or in southern Germany where the species split was first recognized. In the northern Spanish coalfields of Guardo‐Valderrueda and Central Asturia, facies evidence suggests how an initial split may have taken place in the same morphological directions and into the same palaeoenvironments as the later split into two species. Appalachian deposition was generally slow and intermittent with frequent palaeosols. There is also evidence of erosion and of small palaeontological breaks in the sequence, especially near the eastern edge of the Northern Appalachian Basin in western Maryland. The amount of accumulated sediment was less than one‐tenth of that of western Europe when basin centre deposition is compared. We found no evidence of a major palaeontological break representing Westphalian D strata overlain by Stephanian C strata. We figure non‐marine bivalve faunas of Stephanian B age in association with the Pittsburgh and the Little Pittsburgh coals. Two new species of non‐marine bivalves are described: Anthraconaia anthraconautiformis sp. nov. and Anthraconaia extrema sp. nov. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.