Osteology and ontogeny of Early Cretaceous Philydrosaurus (Diapsida: Choristodera) based on new specimens from Liaoning Province,China

Choristoderes are a group of extinct diapsid reptiles that once occupied the freshwater systems in the Northern Hemisphere from the Middle Jurassic through the Miocene. The Early Cretaceous monjurosuchid Philydrosaurus from western Liaoning, China, represents a transitional morphotype between a broad-snouted (crocodile-like) and a narrow-snouted (gavial-like) skull during the evolution of Choristodera. New specimens of the taxon from the Early Cretaceous Jiufotang Formation include an incomplete braincase and a nearly complete juvenile skeleton; the study of these specimens provides new information on the braincase and ontogenetic change of the skeleton of this transitional monjurosuchid. In the braincase floor, the foramen internus canalis caroticus externus opens in a groove lateral to the constricted lateral aspect of the parasphenoid, and ventral exposure of this foramen differs from Champsosaurus, in which parasphenoid/pterygoid fusion completely encloses the canal. On the occiput, the vagus nerve foramen penetrates the basioccipital, while the two foramina for the hypoglossal nerve open at the exoccipital/basioccipital suture. Comparative study of the new juvenile specimen with adult Philydrosaurus reveals previously unknown developmental changes of the cranial and postcranial skeleton of this monjurosuchid. Ontogenetically, Philydrosaurus underwent a dramatic change of skull proportions, including elongation of the antorbital and postorbital regions, and elongation of the jaws, with a great increase of the number of marginal teeth. The lower temporal fenestra is entirely closed in early ontogeny, as in large, fully-grown adults.     

Palynoassemblages associated with a theropod dinosaur from the Snow Hill Island Formation (lower Maastrichtian) at the Naze,James Ross Island,Antarctica

The Cape Lamb Member of the Snow Hill Island Formation at The Naze on the northern margin of James Ross Island, east of the Antarctic Peninsula, yielded a theropod dinosaur recovered near the middle of a 90 m thick section that begins at sea level, ends below a basalt sill, and is composed of interbedded green–gray massive and laminated fine-grained sandstones and mudstones. Sixteen palynoassemblages were recovered from this section, which yielded moderately diverse assemblages with a total of 100 relatively well-preserved species. The principal terrestrial groups (32%) are represented by lycophytes (8 species), pteridophytes (15 species), gymnosperms (13 species), angiosperms (21 species) and freshwater chlorococcaleans (3 species). Marine palynomorphs (68%) belong to dinoflagellates (61 species), chlorococcaleans (6 species), and one acritarch. The vertical distribution of selected species allows the distinction of two informal assemblages, the lower Odontochitina porifera assemblage from the base to its disappearance in the lower part of the section, and the remaining section characterized by the Batiacasphaera grandis assemblage. The global stratigraphic ranges of selected palynomorphs suggest an early Maastrichtian age for this section and the entombed dinosaur that is also supported by the presence of the ammonoid Kitchinites darwinii. These assemblages share many species with latest Campanian–early Maastrichtian palynofloras from Vega and Humps Islands, New Zealand, and elsewhere in the Southern Ocean, establishing a good correlation among them. The dominance or frequent presence of dinoflagellates throughout the section supports the general interpretation of a shelf marine depocenter. The consistent presence of terrestrial palynomorphs suggests contributions from littoral/inland environments.     

Early Permian East-Ujimqin mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks from the Xing’an–Mongolian Orogenic Belt,North China: Origin,chronology, and tectonic implications

The East-Ujimqin complex, located north of the Erenhot–Hegenshan fault, North China, is composed of mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks including peridotite, gabbro, alkali granite, and syenite. We investigated the tectonic setting, age, and anorogenic characteristics of the Xing’an–Mongolian Orogenic Belt (XMOB) through field investigation and microscopic and geochemical analyses of samples from the East-Ujimqin complex and LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating of gabbro and alkali granite. Petrographic and geochemical studies of the complex indicate that this multiphase plutonic suite developed through a combination of fractional crystallization, assimilation processes, and magma mixing. The mafic–ultramafic rocks are alkaline and have within-plate geochemical characteristics, indicating anorogenic magmatism in an extensional setting and derivation from a mantle source. The mafic–ultramafic magmas triggered partial melting of the crust and generated the granitic rocks. The granitic rocks are alkali and metaluminous and have high Fe/(Fe + Mg) characteristics, all of which are common features of within-plate plutons. Zircon U–Pb geochronological dating of two samples of gabbro and alkali granite yielded ages of 280.8 ± 1.5 and 276.4 ± 0.7 Ma, placing them within the Early Permian. The zircon Hf isotopic data give inhomogeneous ε_Hf(t) values of 8.2–14.7 for gabbroic zircons and extraordinary high ε_Hf(t) values (8.9–12.5) for the alkali granite in magmatic zircons. Thus, we consider the East-Ujimqin mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks to have been formed in an extensional tectonic setting caused by asthenospheric upwelling and lithospheric thinning. The sources of mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks could be depleted garnet lherzolite mantle and juvenile continental lower crust, respectively. All the above indicate that an anorogenic magma event may have occurred in part of the XMOB during 280–276 Ma.     

辽宁桓仁地区八里甸子一带早白垩世侵入岩与矿产的关系

八里甸子地区锆石SHRIMP U-Pb年龄为(123.6±2.1)Ma和(126.0±2.8)Ma的早白垩世侵入岩发育.研究表明,岩石为高硅,富钾、钠,低钙、铝、镁的碱钙性—钙碱性系列岩石.微量元素相对高Rb、Sr、Th、Ta、Nb、Pb、Zn、Cu、Ag等碱性元素.以轻稀土富集重稀土亏损为特征.岩石经历了较强的分异作用,是地壳发展演化成熟阶段产物.通过早白垩世侵入岩的岩石学、岩石地球化学与成矿的相关性分析认为:八里甸子地区早白垩世各岩体均为矿化岩体,易形成金矿化,其中钾长花岗岩易形成铅锌矿化、磷钇矿化,是该区寻找金、铅锌和稀土等矿产的重要地区.     

内蒙古苏尼特左旗北奥陶系砂岩物源分析及其地质意义

对内蒙古苏尼特左旗北奥陶系砂岩的岩石学和锆石年龄进行研究。镜下特征显示该套砂岩为岩屑砂岩,含有较多的火山岩屑;砂岩颗粒骨架成分图解显示其来自再旋回造山带。应用LA-ICP-MS测年技术对该套砂岩进行碎屑锆石分析,其年龄峰期从小到大可分为:1440~574Ma,主峰值年龄为506Ma,次峰值年龄为442Ma;2650~799Ma,峰值年龄为767Ma;3874~936Ma,峰值年龄为887Ma;另外大于1000Ma的4颗单颗粒锆石年龄分别为1145Ma、1756Ma、2618Ma和2626Ma。通过邻区相关地块/地体年龄及岩浆事件的对比可知,该套砂岩的沉积时间约为440Ma,沉积物源主要来自于额尔古纳地块和兴安地块,并且沉积过程受到火山事件的影响。     

藏北羌塘冈玛错地区望果山组火山岩地球化学特征及LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄

羌塘中部冈玛错地区厘定出一套早石炭世火山岩,该火山岩为一套酸性—基性岩(流纹岩、英安岩、安山岩、玄武安山岩、玄武岩等)夹火山碎屑岩的岩石组合。2件定年样品(英安岩和安山岩)的LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄分别为358.2Ma±1.2Ma和350.5Ma±1.4Ma,时代为早石炭世,代表了该火山岩的形成年龄。岩石地球化学特征显示,该火山岩的铝饱和指数A/CNK值为0.62~1.08,平均值为0.81;里特曼指数δ为1.04~2.67,平均值为1.84;大离子亲石元素(LILE)Th、U、Pb明显富集,高场强元素(HFSE)Nb、Ta、Ti亏损,反应了偏铝质钙碱性岛弧火山岩的特征。由此说明,在早石炭世龙木错—双湖—澜沧江洋已经进入俯冲消减阶段。     

Late Miocene Environmental Crises and Their Impacts:Desiccation of the Mediterranean and Its bearing on World Desertification and Hominid Appearance

正The ancient Mediterranean was once dried up around6~5.3million years ago.It is a landmark event,which had great impact on global environment and climate.However,few references are available in the literatures on this topic,     

宜昌砾石层重矿物组合特征及物源示踪分析

广泛分布于宜昌至枝江—松滋一带的宜昌砾石层,对江汉平原乃至长江中游的地层划分、地貌演化、古环境变迁以及长江的形成与演化等研究具有重要意义。本研究在课题组前期研究的基础上,以本区内最具代表性的6个剖面为研究对象,对0.125~0.063mm粒级粉细砂质沉积物的重矿物特征进行了分析,结果显示宜昌代表性剖面砾石层细颗粒粉砂质沉积物的重矿物组合基本一致:锆石—绿帘石—白钛石—赤褐铁矿—钛铁矿—磁铁矿。源-汇分析表明,重矿物组成所指示的源区原岩类型除了三峡地区的还有长江三峡以西的金沙江、岷江、嘉陵江及乌江流域;经与长江及江汉平原西缘各河流的重矿物组合比较发现,宜昌砾石层的稳定重矿物组合特征与现代长江河漫滩和低矮阶地沉积物的重矿物组合一致。综合分析认为宜昌砾石层是于早更新世长江贯通三峡时形成的冲积扇,结合前人对宜昌砾石层形成时代的研究,推断三峡贯通的时间应该在1.0Ma BP左右。     

Geochemical constraints on the genesis of the Pb–Zn deposit of Jalta (northern Tunisia): Implications for timing of mineralization,sources of metals and relationship to the Neogene volcanism

The occurrence of Pb–Zn deposits of Jalta district (northern Tunisia) as open space fillings and cements and breccia in the contact zones between Triassic dolostones and Miocene conglomerates along or near major faults provides evidence of the relationship between the mineralization and tectonic processes. Pb isotopes in galena from the deposits yielded average ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios of 18.821, 15.676 and 38.837, respectively, implying a well-mixed multi-source upper crustal reservoir of metals. Magmatism and compressional tectonism during the Alpine orogeny favored Pb–Zn mineralization in the Jalta district. The enrichment in Pb, Zn, Cd and Co of the Triassic carbonates and enrichments in Pb, Zn and Cd in Triassic clayey shales is associated with hydrothermal alteration around faults. Alunite in the deposit has δ³⁴S values (−2.5 to −1.5‰ VCDT), which could have been formed at and above the water table in a kind of steam-heated environment, where fluids containing H₂S mixed with fluids containing K and Al. The H₂S could have been produced by TSR of sulfates at high temperature at depth and then leaked upward through deep-seated faults, whereas the K and Al could have been acid-leached from Miocene volcanic rocks.     

New arthropod traces from the Lower Triassic Kockatea Shale Formation,northern Perth Basin,Western Australia: ichnology,taphonomy and palaeoecology

Abundant scratching traces are described from the Early Triassic Kockatea Shale Formation in the Northampton area of the northern Perth Basin, Western Australia. Except for the Radichnus trace that represents grazing of a possible decapod mecochirids, Scalpoichnus minchinensis igen. and isp. nov. is established to accommodate other scratching sculptures, which might have been produced by arthropods that share similar feeding behaviours to those of decapods. These arthropod traces occurred on a mat‐bound substratum defined by wrinkle structures. Microbial mats may have served as food resources for trace‐makers feeding on the substratum. Furthermore, microbial envelopes functioning as a sole veneer in early diagenesis acted as a crucial role for the preservation of those shallow‐tiered engraving traces. Abundant arthropod traces indicate frequent grazing activities probably by decapods or organisms having similar feeding habits upon microbial mat‐bound substratum, implying that the deposit‐feeders or omnivores survived on the matgrounds in the aftermath of the end‐Permian mass extinction in Gondwanaland. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.