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.     

墨西哥湾GC238区冷泉碳酸盐岩的微结构与石化微生物特征

采于墨西哥湾GC238海底天然气渗漏区浅表层的冷泉碳酸盐岩呈结核状产出,由方解石微晶和胶结物及少量的黄铁矿构成。胶结物由直径为0.1～0.5 m的方解石化的球体、卵形体、棒状体组成,充填于方解石晶体之间。冷泉碳酸盐岩结核下表面发育有由方解石化的球体、卵形体、棒状体组成的薄层,其中的一些球状集合体（约5 m）断面显示发育有核和外壳的层圈结构。黄铁矿呈草莓状,也具有相似的层圈结构。这种层状结构与活体古细菌被硫酸盐还原细菌包裹的层圈结构相似。样品中所保存的球体、卵形体、棒状体及其所组成的层圈结构可能是石化的甲烷氧化古细菌和硫酸盐还原细菌。     

A seismic refraction study of cretaceous oceanic lithosphere in the Northwest Pacific Basin

A seismic refraction study on old (110 Myr) lithosphere in the northwest Pacific Basin has placed constraints on crustal and uppermantle seismic structure of old oceanic lithosphere, and lithospheric aging processes. No significant lateral variation in structure other than azimuthally anisotropic mantle velocities was found, allowing the application of powerful amplitude modeling techniques. The anisotropy observed is in an opposite sense to that expected, suggesting the tectonic setting of the area may be more complex than originally thought. Upper crustal velocities are generally larger than for younger crust, supporting current theories of decreased porosity with crustal aging. However, there is no evidence for significant thickening of the oceanic crust with age, nor is there any evidence of a lower crustal layer of high or low velocity relative to the velocity of the rest of Layer 3. The compressional and shear wave velocities rule out a large component of serpentinization of mantle materials. The only evidence for a basal crustal layer of olivine gabbro cumulates is a 1.5 km thick Moho transition zone. In the slow direction of anisotropy, upper mantle velocities increase from 8.0 km s^-1 to 8.35 km s^-1 in the upper 15 km below the Moho. This increase is inconsistent with an homogeneous upper mantle and suggests that compositinal or phase changes occur near the Moho.     

Oviraptorosaurian Eggs (Dinosauria) with Embryonic Skeletons Discovered for the First Time in China

Two elongatoolithid dinosaur eggs from the Upper Cretaceous of Ganzhou, Jiangxi Province and the embryonic skeletons they bear are described. They represent the first oviraptorosaurian eggs with embryonic skeletons in China and provide the first example that an oospecies can be correlated to certain dinosaur taxon/taxa. The two eggs are the same as the pair of the eggs inside a female oviraptorosaurian pelvis from the same horizon of the same area in both macro- and micro-structures of the egg shells, and can he referred to the oospecies, Macroolithus yaotunensis Zhao, 1975. The morphology of the preserved part of the embryonic skeletons indicates that they may have been laid by an oviraptorid, Heyuannia huangi from Guangdong Province or a closely related oviraptorosaurian, which may have been lived in the Ganzhou area too in the Late Cretaceous. The embryonic skeletons of the two eggs are not in the same developing stage. In one of the eggs, the postzygapophysis of the preserved vertebrae are well ossified, indicating that it was just hatched.     

A New Genus and Species of Sapeornithidae from Lower Cretaceous in Western Liaoning, China

Sapeornithidae is a basal pygostylian family of Early Cretaceous primitive birds, in which only one genus and species, Sapeornis chaoyangensis, was reported before. This paper deals with a new genus and species of this family, Didactylornis jii gen. et sp. nov., which was unearthed from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation in western Liaoning. According to our phylogenetic analyses, both Didactylornis gen. nov. and Sapeornis form a sister group, which is basal to the clade formed by Confuciusornis and all the more derived birds, and more closely related to the short-tailed pygostylian birds than to the long-tailed avialian birds. The early history of pygostylian birds is poorly documented except for the studies of Confuciusornis and Sapeornis. The discovery ofDidactylornisjii gen. et sp. nov. adds the new material for the study on the early evolution of birds.     

鄂尔多斯地块早白垩世构造-热事件:杭锦旗玄武岩的Ar-Ar年代学证据

在鄂尔多斯地块北部杭锦旗黑石头沟,于下白垩统砂岩之上发现了一层玄武岩。其SiO2(46.93%)较低而碱含量(K2O+Na2O=6.21%)较高,组合指数σ=8.0,含标准矿物Ne,属于碱性橄榄玄武岩。Ar-Ar激光阶段加热定年结果表明,该玄武岩具有126.2±0.4Ma的Ar-Ar年龄。年龄数据表明杭锦旗黑石头沟玄武岩形成于早白垩世,反映鄂尔多斯地块在早白垩世发生了一次构造-岩浆-热事件,这与华北、乃至整个中国东部在早白垩世发生了较普遍的构造-岩浆-热事件具有一致性。这次构造-岩浆-热事件可能引起深部流体自地下深部上涌及在地块内部运移,为各种成矿元素的迁移、沉淀、富集和成矿创造了合适条件。     

苏北盆地泰州组砂岩成岩序列和储集层质量主控因素分析?

基于53口井310余块储集层砂岩样品的分析研究,指出泰州组储集层存在着压实(压溶)、胶结和溶蚀等成岩作用,但在不同位置成岩作用的表现有所不同。海安凹陷以胶结和溶蚀作用为主,压实与压溶作用不太明显;高邮凹陷的压实程度较海安凹陷强烈。压实作用使得高邮凹陷泰州组储集层孔隙度在2 400～2 800 m处于10%左右,而海安凹陷为10%～20%。海安凹陷和高邮凹陷泰州组储集层目前处于中成岩阶段A期。储集层质量主要受原始沉积环境和成岩作用的综合影响。压实作用和胶结作用均可降低孔隙,但当碳酸盐胶结物含量小于15％时,胶结作用对储集层质量影响较小。碳酸盐胶结物和长石颗粒溶蚀形成了大量的粒间溶孔。海安凹陷有利储集层主要分布在西北部和东部三角洲前缘砂体和滑塌浊积扇砂体中,高邮凹陷有利储集层主要分布在南部扇三角洲前缘砂体中。     

河南西峡地区晚白垩世介形虫的发现及其地层意义

2005年在河南西峡含恐龙蛋层中首次发现介形虫化石,产自红山水库-丹水剖面上白垩统赵营组下段64层,是以Eucypris-Mongolocypris-Cypridea-Talicypridea为特征的介形虫化石组合,由12属20余种组成.其中Talicypridea是中国、蒙古和东亚晚白垩世最典型的化石,在非洲刚果及南美阿根廷的晚白垩世地层中也有分布,因此赵营组的时代无疑应归属为晚白垩世.赵营组介形虫化石的新发现,为地层的划分对比、沉积环境的演变和盆地的演化研究提供了重要的依据.     

福建仙游园庄地区南园组新层型剖面的建立 及时代的重新厘定

在福建省闽侯县鹅宅-南园村层型剖面所划分的南园组被证实为早白垩世石帽山群后,原鹅宅-南园村割面已失去层型剖面的意义.通过125万周宁县幅、福州市幅、莆田市幅、泉州市幅的区域地质调查和系统研究,在福建省仙游县园庄建立了南园组的新层型剖面,重新厘定了南园组的地层层序和岩石组合,根据地层叠覆关系、同位素测年和古生物资料的系统研究结果,将南园组的时代重新厘定为晚侏罗世-早白垩世初期.     

山东莒南地质公园发现小型兽脚类恐龙 足迹化石Minisauripus

在山东省莒南地质公园内发现6个小型恐龙足迹化石,被归入足迹属Minisauripus。化石产于下白垩统大盛群田家楼组．时代为早白垩世巴列姆（Barremian）-阿普特期（Apdan）。5个较大,长约6cm,产于下部“主”层面上,其中4个组成2节行迹：1个较小,长约3cm,位于“主”层面30cm之上的上部层面上。山东Minisauripus的特征是：足迹个体小（长3．1～5．6cm,宽2．0～3．7cm）,三趾型,略不对称;足迹纵长,各趾近平行,趾垫较清晰;趾末端较钝,但爪迹较尖。Ⅲ趾比Ⅳ趾略长,而Ⅳ趾比Ⅱ趾略长且窄。此外,步幅较长,足长与步长之比约为10：1。与四川、韩国Minisau却淞不同之处是：足迹个体较大,长约是它们的2倍。继中国四川和韩国之后,山东是Minisau而淞在全球的第三个发现点。