青藏高原东缘中更新世伸展作用及其新构造意义

基于区域TM遥感影像资料解译和野外构造地貌调查以及晚第四纪沉积物光释光测年分析,论述了青藏高原东缘复杂地貌边界带晚第四纪伸展构造及其构造地貌特征。结果显示,伸展构造主要见于下列几个构造带:沿南北走向的安宁河谷地、大凉山构造带、若尔盖盆地、岷江断裂带等。其典型的地貌特征表现为充填晚第四纪沉积物的狭窄河谷。根据盆地沉积物的地层时代和年龄推断,正断作用主要发生在中更新世时期,大约起始于早更新世末期(1.2～0.9Ma),结束于中更新世晚期(100～200ka)。晚更新世以来,构造体制转化为走滑—逆冲机制。青藏东缘中更新世伸展构造作用可能与该地貌边界带晚新生代造山后的高原垮塌有关。     

Coenotypes in Submerged Paleoforests in the Qianhu Bay, Fujian Province

The paleoforest remains studied are distributed within a range of 18000 m^2 in the intertidal zone of the Qianhu Bay, Fujian Province. Eighty-nine ancient tree stumps can be clearly recognized in the paleoforest remains. Microscopic studies of 10 relatively low-carbonized stump samples definitely showed four species： Glyptostrobus pensUi （Staunt） Kouch, Schima superba Gardn., Cinnamomum Schaeffer, and Litsea Lam. The 14^C dating of some samples yielded the ages of 42560±350 to 〉43000 a B. P., corresponding to the late Late Pleistocene.     

Vertebrate burrows in late Pleistocene paleosols at Korean Palaeolithic sites and their significance as a stratigraphic marker

A vertebrate burrow-bearing layer of late Pleistocene age is commonly found at many Paleolithic archaeological sites in Korea. The burrows are straight to slightly curved in horizontal (plan) view and gently inclined in lateral (sectional) view. They are interpreted as having been produced by rodent-like mammals based on their size and architecture. The significance of such burrow-bearing layers as a characteristic stratigraphic marker unit is demonstrated by high burrow abundance, consistent stratigraphic position, lack of stratigraphic recurrence at these sites, and widespread geographic extent. Three dating methods, tephrochronology, radiocarbon, and OSL dating, were used to infer the age of these burrow-bearing layers. The dating results indicate that they were formed between ca. 40,000 and 25,000 yr (MIS 3−2), and this suggests that this layer can be used as a stratigraphic time-marker in late Pleistocene paleosol sequences for this region.     

Plio-Pleistocene mammals from Mille-Logya,Ethiopia, and the post-Hadar faunal change

We describe the non-primate mammalian fauna from the late Pliocene to earliest Pleistocene deposits of Mille-Logya in the Lower Awash Valley, Ethiopia, dated to c. 2.9–2.4 Ma, and divided into three successive units: Gafura, Seraitu, and Uraitele. We identify 41 mammalian taxa (including rodents), the most diverse group being the Bovidae, with 17 taxa. While the Gafura assemblage still resembles those from the earlier Hadar Formation, the younger Seraitu assemblage documents a major turnover. While there is little change in the species present across this interval, the relative abundances of various taxa change dramatically, with suids being largely replaced by open-country bovids (Alcelaphini and Antilopini). We interpret this faunal change as reflective of an environmental shift, contemporaneous with the replacement of Australopithecus afarensis by Homo in the area.     

The past in dust: current trends and future directions in Pleistocene geoarcheology of European loess

Loess is a main archive of Pleistocene landscapes and environments and therefore has an important connection to the preservation and interpretation of Paleolithic sites. In Europe, anthropogenic sites have been found in loess because of past local occupation. At one extreme, sites are well preserved with minimal disturbance often accompanied by embedded proxies to estimate ecological parameters. On the other hand, loess deposits have undergone post-depositional alterations such as weathering, pedogenesis or bioturbation due to changing environmental conditions or other disturbances that obscure anthropogenic sites. We outline the current state of research and connections between Paleolithic archeology and loess research while introducing a series of subsequent regional case studies as part of a special issue. We also make recommendations for future work to incorporate a wider variety of methods to create more robust inferences on hominin and environmental evolution and their connections.     

渤海湾西晚更新世以来3期海侵与古河道研究

通过对钻孔岩心详细的沉积特征、微体古生物、测年(AMS 14C、OSL)等综合研究,表明研究区晚更新世以来受到区域性的3期海侵事件影响,多表现为边缘海滨海湖沼相沉积。同时,追踪了3期海侵最大影响边界：晚更新世早期最大海侵(第3海侵层)位于唐官屯-西长屯-梁头镇;晚期最大海侵(第2海侵层)位于大黄洼-三呼庄一带;全新世海侵(第1海侵层)使整个研究区受到影响,其最大影响边界需进一步开展向西追踪工作,前人资料显示可西至文安县。另外,晚更新世以来发育4期古河道,且影响和制约海侵层及影响范围。二者相互作用,形成晚更新世以来的海陆交互沉积地层格架和滨浅海冲海积平原。利用年代学及深海氧同位素MIS(Marine isotope stages)1、3、5阶段3期海侵层标志层位等,对4期古河道形成时代进行了限定。结果表明,自下而上的4期古河道形成于MIS 5、MIS 4、MIS 3晚期-早全新世早期、晚全新世。研究结果可为该区域晚更新世以来的古地理演变、陆海变迁及水工环地质调查提供重要的地学资料。     

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。     

西藏札达盆地上新世—早更新世气候变迁与湖泊演化

通过孢粉组合分析, 结合河湖相地层岩性特征和古地磁及电子自旋共振(ESR)法年龄测定结果, 探讨了西藏札达盆地上新世—早更新世的古气候变迁与札达古湖泊演化的关系.研究表明, 札达盆地古湖泊演化可划分为早(湖泊形成期)、中(稳定发展期)、晚(湖泊消亡期)三期.早期(距今5.41~4.40 Ma), 札达盆地为温凉而干旱的疏林草原植被气候, 随后转变为温暖稍湿的森林草原植被气候, 最后转变为温暖潮湿的亚热带针阔叶混交林气候, 这一时期古湖开始形成; 中期(距今4.40~2.57 Ma), 古气候进入寒温期, 古植被表现为先由暖温带针阔叶混交林带向山地寒温带暗针叶林带过渡, 再由山地暖温带针阔叶混交林→山地寒温带暗针叶林交替出现的过程, 古湖泊进入发育期; 晚期(距今2.57~1.36 Ma), 湖区古气候环境进入寒冷期, 古植被为山地寒温带暗针叶林→山地暗针叶林向低矮灌木→干冷草原的变化, 古湖泊进入消亡阶段.古湖泊演化与古植被、古气候演变有很好的相关性, 高原隆升控制了古气候环境的变化, 进而影响湖泊水量的变化.      

Sedimentary evolution of a Late Pleistocene temperate red algal reef (Coralligène) on Rhodes,Greece: correlation with global sea‐level fluctuations

Autochthonous red algal structures known as coralligène de plateau occur in the modern warm‐temperate Mediterranean Sea at water depths from 20 to 120 m, but fossil counterparts are not so well‐known. This study describes, from an uplifted coastal section at Plimiri on the island of Rhodes, a 450 m long by 10 m thick Late Pleistocene red algal reef (Coralligène Facies), interpreted as being a coralligène de plateau, and its associated deposits. The Coralligène Facies, constructed mainly by Lithophyllum and Titanoderma, sits unconformably upon the Plio‐Pleistocene Rhodes Formation and is overlain by a Maerl Facies (2 m), a Mixed Siliciclastic‐Carbonate Facies (0·2 m) and an Aeolian Sand Facies (2·5 m). The three calcareous facies, of Heterozoan character, are correlated with established members in the Lindos Acropolis Formation in the north of the island, while the aeolian facies is assigned to the new Plimiri Aeolianite Formation. The palaeoenvironmental and genetic‐stratigraphic interpretations of these mixed siliciclastic‐carbonate temperate water deposits involved consideration of certain characteristics associated with siliciclastic shelf and tropical carbonate shelf models, such as vertical grain‐size trends and the stratigraphic position of zooxanthellate coral growths. Integration of these results with electron spin resonance dates of bivalve shells indicates that the Coralligène Facies was deposited during Marine Isotope Stage 6 to 5e transgressive event (ca 135 to 120 ka), in water depths of 20 to 50 m, and the overlying Maerl Facies was deposited during regression from Marine Isotope Stage 5e to 5d (ca 120 to 110 ka), at water depths of 25 to 40 m. The capping Aeolian Sand Facies, involving dual terrestrial subunits, is interpreted as having formed during each of the glacial intervals Marine Isotope Stages 4 (71 to 59 ka) and 2 (24 to 12 ka), with soil formation during the subsequent interglacial periods of Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 1, respectively. Accumulation rates of about 0·7 mm year^?1 are estimated for the Coralligène Facies and minimum accumulation rates of 0·2 mm year^?1 are estimated for the Maerl Facies. The existence of older red algal reefs in the Plimiri region during at least Marine Isotope Stages 7 (245 to 186 ka) and 9 (339 to 303 ka) is inferred from the occurrence of reworked coralligène‐type lithoclasts in the basal part of the section and from the electron spin resonance ages of transported bivalve shells.     

Peat mounds of southwest Tasmania: Possible origins

Small mounds of peat rise several metres above the level of the water‐table at Melaleuca Inlet and Louisa Plains on the buttongrass plains in southwest Tasmania. Possible origins of the peat mounds have been explored by pollen analysis and radiocarbon dating of a set of samples taken from a vertical section of one peat mound at Melaleuca. The peat accumulation is entirely of Holocene age although the mound is underlain by sapric peats preserving a cold climate palynoflora of probable Late Pleistocene age. Peats at and near the base of the mound accumulated under a heath sedgeland during the earliest Holocene while after about 7630 a BP the peat‐forming vegetation was shrub‐dominated. The radiocarbon data indicate two main phases of overall peat accumulation, between 7630 and 5340 a BP (Middle Holocene) and between 4450 and 450 a BP (Late Holocene), that were interrupted by a wildfire which burnt into the surface peats. The maintenance of high surface and internal levels of moisture almost certainly was the critical factor behind the low incidence of in situ fires burning into the surface peats on the mound. The perennial influx of groundwater below the mound is a possible origin that fits well with our observations, although the expansion and contraction of soils cannot be discounted as an initiating factor. Enhanced nutrient input from birds may have helped promote growth in the peat‐forming communities. The data do not support the mounds being eroded remnants of a former blanket peat cover or being due to periglacial activity. The peat mounds of southwest Tasmania deserve maximum protection because of their rarity in the Australian landscape and, it seems, elsewhere.