Palaeobotanical evidence of wildfires in the Late Palaeozoic of South America – Early Permian, Rio Bonito Formation, Paraná Basin, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

Fossil charcoal, as direct evidence of palaeowildfires, has repeatedly been reported from several plant-bearing deposits from the Late Palaeozoic of the Northern Hemisphere. In contrast charcoal reports from the Late Palaeozoic deposits of the Southern Hemisphere are relatively rare in comparison to the Northern Hemisphere. Although the presence of pyrogenic coal macerals has repeatedly been reported from Late Palaeozoic coals from South America, no detailed anatomical investigations of such material have been published so far. Here is presented an anatomical analysis of charcoal originating from Early Permian sediments of the Quitéria Outcrop, Rio Bonito Formation, Paraná Basin, located in the central-eastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. This charcoal comes from two different coaly facies, and it was possible to scrutinize between three types, based on anatomical characters of the charcoal. Two of these charcoal types can be correlated to gymnosperm woods, and the other type corresponds to strongly permineralized bark with characteristic features of lycopsids. The presence of charcoal in different facies, ranging from parautochtonous to allochtonous origin, indicates that different vegetation types, i.e. plants which grew under wet conditions in the lowland as well as in the more dry hinterland, have experienced wildfires. Taking into account previous petrographic and lithological analyses from the facies in which the charcoal occurs and from the conditions of the wood and bark fragments, it was possible to speculate that the intensity of such wildfires most probably corresponds to forest-crown fires. Moreover, it is possible to state that wildfires have been a more or less common element in distinct Late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems in the South American part of Gondwana. The data support previous assumptions on the occurrence of wildfires in the Early Permian of the Paraná Basin which were based solely on coal-petrographic data.     

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。     

塔里木盆地寒武-奥陶系白云岩结构构造类型及其形成机理

塔里木盆地寒武-奥陶系白云岩度大、分布广,是重要的油气储集层.根据岩石学研究并结合地球化学特征将其分为4类,其特点如下:(1)泥晶-粉晶白云岩,白云石晶体小、晶形差,有序度在4类中最低(0.73);Na、K、Sr含量在4类中最高;δ13C值及Z值较高,分别为-0.94‰、122.3;Fe、Mn含量较低;阴极发光为亮桔红色;常呈纹层状,具暴露及成化标志.这些特征表明其结晶较快,形成环境蒸发强烈、盐度较高、氧化性较强,是在萨布哈环境中由浓缩海水发生白云石化所形成.(2)藻纹层白云岩,白云石晶体小,晶形较好,有序度较高(0.85);藻纹层基本保留了其原始微细结构;Na、K、Sr含量较低:δC值在4类中最高,平均为-0.50‰;含有较多黄铁矿.这些特征说明其可能形成于成岩作用的稍早期阶段且其成因与藻类活动密切相关,成岩环境盐度较低,可能是在藻类作用下,由富藻层浓集的镁与残留海水在浅埋藏环境中共同作用所形成.(3)雾心亮边白云岩,白云石普遍具雾心亮边结构,雾心含少量包裹体及灰质残余,亮边则少见或无;阴极发光下,雾心发亮桔黄色光,亮边发光暗或不发光;局部见此类白云石;呈星散状分布于亮晶颗粒灰岩或泥晶灰岩中;白云石晶体较大,晶形较好.此类白云岩的δ13C及Z值在4类中最低,K、Na、Sr、Fe含量相对较低,Mn含量最高;有序度较高,均值为0.83.这些特征表明此类白云岩中白云石的雾心可能是在早期浅埋藏环境中,由富镁孔隙水交代周围灰质所形成;亮边则形成于埋藏较深的环境,其所需镁可能来源于粘土矿物的转化.(4)重结晶白云岩:白云石晶体粗大且污浊,接触紧密;局部见白云石晶体具环带结构,局部见颗粒幻影结构;阴极发光较暗;Fe含量在4类中最高,Mn含量较高;有序度最高,平均为0.95;包裹体均一温度平均为110.2℃.这些特征表明其可能是在还原性较强的深埋藏环境中,由早期形成的白云岩经较强的重结晶作用所形成.     

加州鲈鱼的繁殖习性,早期胚胎发育以及孵化与水温的关系

作者对加州鲈鱼繁殖习性及早期胚胎发育进行了阐述,对受精卵孵化与水温的关系进行了研究。结果表明:加州鲈鱼2龄即达性成熟,3—6月繁殖产卵,水温20℃—24℃时达产卵盛期;雄鱼具有筑巢护卵及护苗等生殖习性;水温17.4℃—19.5℃,平均18.3℃时,受精卵孵化时数为74小时25分钟;在实验温度范围内,孵化时数与水温负相关,而与有效积温正相关。有效积温与平均水温负相关。     

广西崇左三合巨猿大洞早更新世小哺乳动物群

最近在广西崇左三合大洞发现了步氏巨猿和似人似猿共生的新层位,与之伴生的有52种小哺乳动物,占三合大洞巨猿动物群总数的62%,其中苏门答腊兔（Nesolagus）是东南亚地区首次发现的化石。小哺乳动物群以南方早更新世常见的偏皮氏毛耳飞鼠（Belomys parapearsoni）、中间猪尾鼠（Typhlomys intermedius）、拟低冠竹鼠（Rhizomys brachyrhizomyoides）、硕豪猪（Hystrix magna）、先社鼠（Niviventer preconfucianus）、拟爱氏巨鼠（Leopoldamysedwardioidesi）等为代表,根据小哺乳动物群性质和与其他动物群对比以及磁性地层年代测定,表明其时代应是早更新世中期（约距今120¹60万年前）。该动物群由树鼩、扁颅蝠、小彩蝠、飞松鼠、笔尾树鼠、猪尾鼠等几乎是旧大陆热带-亚热带森林型动物组成,缺少北方类型,基本上属于热带森林动物群,这表明了当时的自然景观为温暖湿润的热带雨林环境。三合大洞小哺乳动物群是广西地区的首次发现,对华南早更新世巨猿动物群详细划分,探讨步氏巨猿演化和早期人类环境背景等目前科学界关注的问题具有重要的意义。     

塔东地区古城4井上寒武统—中、上奥陶统流体地球化学示踪

通过对塔东地区古城4井上寒武统和中、上奥陶统碳酸盐岩围岩及充填物的碳、氧、锶同位素地球化学和流体包裹体成分的对比研究表明,充填于中、上奥陶统和上寒武统的流体分属于2个不同来源的流体体系。充填于中、上奥陶统灰岩裂缝中方解石脉的w(87Sr)/w(86Sr)介于0.7084~0.7088,它与早奥陶世海水的w(87Sr)/w(86Sr)相近;流体体系为CH4-H2O体系;充填物与围岩间具有明显的碳、氧同位素差异,表明上部流体体系中的流体来自于奥陶系地层本身。上寒武统白云岩裂缝中方解石脉的w(87Sr)/w(86Sr)为0.7138,明显地高于同时代海水的锶同位素值;流体体系为CO2-H2O体系;下部流体体系中的流体为外来富锶流体。上、下流体体系间互不连通暗示着上寒武统地层具有相对较好的保存条件。     

Environmental Redox Changes of the Ancient Sea in the Yangtze Area during the Ordo-Silurian Transition

Extensive organic-matter （OM） rich facies （black shales） occur in the Ordo-Silurian boundary successions in the Yangtze area, South China. To investigate the redox changes of the Yangtze Sea during the Ordo-Silurian transition, two OM sections （Wangjiawan in Yichang, Hubei Province, and Sanjiaguan in Zhangjiajie, Hunan Province） straddling the Ordo-Silurian boundary are studied. The measurements finished in this study include contents of the total organic carbon （TOC）, pyrite sulphur, and different species of Fe, including dithionite-extractable Fe （FED）, pyrite Fe （FeP）, HCl-extractable Fe （FeH）, and total Fe （FeT）, in black shales, as well as other redox proxies, such as the SIC ratio, the ratio between highly reactive Fe （FeHR = FeD ＋ FeP） and FeT, and the FeP/（FeP ＋ FeH） ratio, known as the degree of pyritization （DOP）. In the Wangjiawan section, the Middle Ashgill sediments have high FeHR/FeT ratios （0.20-0.77; avg. 0.45）, high DOP values （0.21-0.72; avg. 0.54）, and a relatively constant sulfur content independent of the organic carbon content. By the contrast, the mid-early Hirnantian deposits generally have low FeHR/FeT ratios （0.10-0.35; avg. 0.21）, low DOP values （0.11- 0.40; avg. 0.28）, and SIC values are clustering on the normal marine value （SIC = 0.36）. The late Hirnantian and early Rhuddanian deposits, similar to those of the Middle Ashgill deposits, are characterized by high FeHR/FeT ratios （0.32-0.49; avg. 0.41）, high DOP values （0.46-0.68; avg. 0.53） and fairly constant sulfur contents. These data suggest the occurrences of marine anoxia on the Yangtze Sea shelf during intervals of the Mid Ashgill, Late Hirnantian and Early Rhuddanian, and ventilated and oxygenated marine conditions during the mid-early Hirnantian time. The mid-early Hirnantian ventilated event was concomitant with the global glacial period, likely resulted from the glacio-eustatic sea-level fall and subsequent circulation of cold, dense oxygenated waters     

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.     

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。     

湘西北渔塘地区寒武系清虚洞组风暴岩及其地质意义

在湘西北渔塘地区,下寒武统的清虚洞组下部发育一套地质特征典型、沉积序列特殊的风暴岩。其底面侵蚀构造清楚,覆盖于底面上的各层段厚度变化较大,在各层段内由下向上碎屑粒度依次变细,并相继出现叠加式丘状交错层理、平行层理和浪成沙纹层理等沉积构造,是典型的浅海风暴岩。该风暴沉积的发现,对建立湘西北地层的沉积学剖面、探讨该区风暴沉积模式的空间变化、明确成矿环境和成矿地质特征等具有重要意义。