Associated terrestrial and marine fossils in the late-glacial Presumpscot Formation, southern Maine, USA, and the marine reservoir effect on radiocarbon ages

Excavations in the late-glacial Presumpscot Formation at Portland, Maine, uncovered tree remains and other terrestrial organics associated with marine invertebrate shells in a landslide deposit. Buds of Populus balsamifera (balsam poplar) occurred with twigs of Picea glauca (white spruce) in the Presumpscot clay. Tree rings in Picea logs indicate that the trees all died during winter dormancy in the same year. Ring widths show patterns of variation indicating responses to environmental changes. Fossil mosses and insects represent a variety of species and wet to dry microsites. The late-glacial environment at the site was similar to that of today's Maine coast. Radiocarbon ages of 14 tree samples are 11,907 ± 31 to 11,650 ± 50 ¹⁴C yr BP. Wiggle matching of dated tree-ring segments to radiocarbon calibration data sets dates the landslide occurrence at ca. 13,520 + 95/−20 cal yr BP. Ages of shells juxtaposed with the logs are 12,850 ± 65 ¹⁴C yr BP (Mytilus edulis) and 12,800 ± 55 ¹⁴C yr BP (Balanus sp.), indicating a marine reservoir age of about 1000 yr. Using this value to correct previously published radiocarbon ages reduces the discrepancy between the Maine deglaciation chronology and the varve-based chronology elsewhere in New England.     

Vegetation and environmental conditions in the Doñana Natural Park coastal area (SW Iberia) at the beginning of the last glacial cycle

Detailed reconstructions of the vegetation of Iberia during the last glacial inception are rare due to the limited number of terrestrial sites recording this period. Active retreat of El Asperillo cliff, located on the Atlantic coast of southwestern Iberia, has exposed a fossil organic level dating back to one of the early stades of the last glacial cycle. Pollen and macrofossil analyses from this site show that the Doñana area was covered mainly by steppic vegetation; temperate trees survived the coldest periods, albeit in reduced numbers. Mediterranean taxa are extremely reduced, in contrast with other dry areas of southern Iberia over this time span. This vegetation suggests cold and arid climatic conditions, in accordance with paleoclimatic reconstructions based on several Atlantic marine cores.     

Sustainable Chemical Technologies in Production of Clean Fuels from Fossil Fuels

Some aspects of the present and the possible future role of sustainable chemical technologies in the production of clean liquid and gaseous fuels from fossil fuels are discussed. The state‐of‐the‐art and the vision of possible sources and alternative routes which may lead to clean fuels from fossil fuels due to the progress in crude oil, natural gas and coal processing are briefly presented. The possible future role of the Fischer‐Tropsch synthesis, methanol synthesis, dimethylether synthesis, and a group of methanol transformation processes is also discussed.     

Experiments on the ocean sequestration of fossil fuel CO2: pH measurements and hydrate formation

We have carried out a series of in situ experiments to investigate the formation of a CO₂ hydrate (CO₂:5.75 H₂O) for the purpose of evaluating scenarios for ocean fossil fuel CO₂ disposal with a solid hydrate as the sequestered form. The experiments were carried out with a remotely operated vehicle in Monterey Bay at a depth of 619 m. pH measurements made in close proximity to the hydrate–seawater interface showed a wide range of values, depending upon the method of injection and the surface area of the hydrate formed. Rapid injection of liquid CO₂ into an inverted beaker to form a flocculant mass of hydrate resulted in pH initially as low as 4.5 within a few centimeters of the interface, decaying slowly over 1–2 h towards normal seawater values as dense CO₂ rich brine drained from the hydrate mass. In a second experiment, slower injection of the liquid CO₂ to produce a simple two-layer system with a near planar interface of liquid CO₂ with a thin hydrate film yielded pH values indistinguishable from the in situ ocean background level of 7.6. Both field and laboratory results now show that the dissolution rate of a mass of CO₂ hydrate in seawater is slow but finite.     

四川盆地深部地壳结构——深地震反射剖面探测

四川盆地位于扬子地块的西北部,被褶皱构造带所围绕,受周缘构造带的侧向挤压作用,盆地卷入了多期次和多边界的构造变形,为开展盆山耦合作用及多边界、多期次构造叠加与复合关系的研究提供了不可多得的理想野外实验室.为揭示四川盆地地壳结构,本文通过对3条不同时间采集的深地震反射剖面数据进行拼接联线处理,获得跨越四川盆地的330 km深地震反射偏移成果剖面,揭示了四川盆地地壳上地幔细结构：沉积层从西北向东南逐渐变薄,在龙门山前沉积层厚度超过15 km,在华蓥山下沉积层减薄到~8 km,且褶皱变形形成华蓥山薄皮褶皱冲断带;莫霍面出现在13~15 s（双程走时）,埋深约40~45 km;并发现从下地壳延伸至地幔的东南向的倾斜反射,从13 s向下延伸至18 s,结合四川盆地及其周边地区其他地球物理和地球化学花岗岩同位素年龄等资料,我们认为这些倾斜反射层是扬子克拉通地台西北缘发生的新元古代俯冲的遗迹.

     

松辽盆地深层侏罗系-下白垩统生物组合和沉积环境

本文描述了松辽盆地探井揭露的深层地层序列及其所产的5个牛物门类化石组合特征.9个孢粉组合是Monosulcites-Cyathidites组合、Pinaceae-Cyathidites-Osmundaeidites组合、Classopollis-Piceites组合、Lophotriletes-Cicatricosisporites组合、Paleoconiferus-Lygodiumsporites组合、Cyathidites-Leiotriletes-Clavatipollenites组合、Cicatricosisporites-Leiotriletes-Polyporopollenites组合、Leiotriletes-Schizaeoisporites-Classopollis组合和Trilobosporites-Cyathidites-Tricolpollenites组合.3个藻类组合是Vesperopsis-Australisphaera组合、Balmula granorugosa组合和Vesperopsis zhaodongensis组合.2个介形类组合是Cypridea unicostata-Limnocypridesadscondida组合和Mongolocypris limpida-Paracandona planiuscula组合.4个植物组合是Elatocladus submanchurica-Ginkgoites orientalis组合、Acanthopteris gothani-Pterophyllum组合、Sphenopteris johnstrupii-Coniopteris nympharum组合和Platanus septentrionalis-Protophyllum undulaturn组合.3个大孢子组合是Minerisporites sp.组合、Ricinospora leavigata-Galamospora sp.组合和Arcellites组合.还介绍了叶肢介、轮藻、双壳类和鱼类化石的产出情况.结合同位素资料认为：大庆群时代为中侏罗世,火石岭组可能为贝里阿斯期,沙河子组为凡兰吟期-欧特里夫期,营城组为欧特里夫期-巴列姆期,登娄库组为巴列姆期-阿普第期早期,泉头组一-二段为阿普第-阿尔卑期,并对各组沉积环境进行了初步分析.     

New remains of Eremotherium laurillardi (Lund, 1842) (Megatheriidae, Xenarthra) from the coastal region of Ecuador

New remains of Eremotherium were recovered from the Pacific coast of Ecuador’s Manabi province. The Machalilla fossiliferous locality records the northernmost presence of Eremotherium along the Pacific coast of South America. Most of the fossil remains belong to the same individual, mainly its posterior half, but other individuals are represented. Among the better-preserved specimens are skull fragments, most of the hind limb bones and a number of trunk and caudal centra. These remains were compared with samples collected during the 20th century along the southern coastal regions of Ecuador and northern Peru. Many characters of the long bones and tarsals testify to a possibly different lineage despite the closeness of other Eremotherium populations. Some metric and morphological aspects suggest a different space-temporal southern Caribbean provenance. Other Eremotherium specimens, coming from other Ecuadorian localities, were studied and compared with classic Eremotherium samples. Interesting morpho-functional aspects are pointed out with regard to the tail and its importance in the bipedal stance.     

Scydmobisetia gen. nov., the first definite Glandulariini from Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

The Glandulariini (=Cyrtoscydmini) includes about 60 genera comprising over 70% of the extant species of Scydmaeninae. This successful group is today very common and abundant in forests of all continents. However, while extinct representatives of much smaller extant tribes, as Clidicini, Eutheiini and Cephenniini, were described from Cretaceous deposits, named genera and species of Glandulariini were so far known only from much younger Baltic, Sicilian and Dominican ambers. Here we report the first genus and species of definite Glandulariini from the Upper Cretaceous Burmese amber, Scydmobisetia vetutissima Jałoszyński and Yamamoto, gen. and sp. nov. Scydmobisetia is the first known glandulariine beetle with a pair of very long vertexal sensilla chaetica, previously not found in this tribe, but common among unrelated Staphylinidae. The new genus shows similarities to the extant genera Anthicimimus, Sciacharis, Spinosciacharis and Horaeomorphus, but S. vetutissima has protibial modifications typical of males of some extant species of Euconnus. We discuss the apparent disproportion in the oldest fossil record of various tribes of scydmaenines as a result of identification problems, and not the lack of known fossils.     

Cretaceous amber inclusions of Spain and Myanmar demonstrate early diversification and wide dispersal of Cephenniitae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae: Scydmaeninae)

The taxonomic status of previously misplaced species of an ant-like stone beetle from Spanish amber (Albian) is clarified. Specimens of Kachinus magnificus (originally placed as incertae sedis within Scydmaenitae) were re-examined and their characters were found different from those of the type species of Kachinus from Myanmar amber. Consequently, Archeutheia gen. nov. is proposed to accommodate the Spanish species, resulting in Archeutheia magnifica comb. nov. Moreover, in a comprehensive phylogenetic analysis Archeutheia was placed as a sister group to extant Eutheia, within the tribe Eutheiini of Cephenniitae. A specimen of an undetermined genus from Myanmar amber clearly belonging in Cephenniini is also recorded. Both taxa represent the first definite Cretaceous Cephenniitae, a supertribe whose recent members are distributed on all continents but are especially diverse in the Oriental and East Palaearctic regions. This finding demonstrates a diversification of two presently most species-rich tribes of Cephenniitae already in Early Cretaceous. Archeutheia is strikingly similar to the extant species of Eutheia and Veraphis, showing male dimorphic characters (modified protrochanters) and antennal cavities characteristic of Palaearctic Eutheiini. This fact suggests a long morphological stability in the supertribe. A previously proposed hypothesis of an early presence of the Cephenniitae in the Northern Hemisphere is for the first time supported by the fossil record, and the palaeolocalities (western Europe and Southeast Asia) demonstrate a wide distribution of Cephenniitae in the Cretaceous and an early split of its ancestral lineage.     

Distributional patterns of enchodontoid fishes in the Late Cretaceous

Enchodontoidei are extinct marine teleost fishes with a long temporal range and a wide geographic distribution. We propose here to apply Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity (PAE), Track Analysis and Brooks Parsimony Analysis (BPA) to analyze the distributional patterns of these fishes during the Late Cretaceous. Matrices were built according to their respective geological age in the Late Cretaceous. The occurrence data of enchodontoids produced consistent results for the Cenomanian, Turonian, and Santonian. The generalized track found for the Cenomanian (GT 1) can be associated to oceanic currents, whereas for the Turonian the generalized tracks (GT 2, GT 3 and GT 4) were associated with eutrophication/sedimentation effects. During the Santonian, the third Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE 3) promoted vicariant events that could explain the generalized track found therein (GT 5). The BPA recovered the area formed by Middle East and Europe, which is congruent with GT 1 and GT 5.