Fossil caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera) from the Early Cretaceous of southern England II

The following new fossil trichopteran insects are described or revised from the Purbeck Limestone Group and Wealden Supergroup of southern England: Pteromixanum inviolatum gen. et sp. nov., P. ruderatum gen. et sp. nov., P. purbeckianum (Handlirsch) gen. et comb. nov. and P. poxwellense gen. et sp. nov. (Necrotauliidae);Purbimodus minor gen. et sp. nov., P. medius gen. et sp. nov., P. rasnitsyni gen. et sp. nov. and P. saxosus gen. et sp. nov. (Vitimotauliidae);Palaeoludus popovi gen. et sp. nov. (Dysoneuridae);Palaeotarsus desertus gen. et sp. nov. (Plectrotarsidae);Eucrunoecia ridicula gen. et sp. nov. (Lepidostomatidae);Palaeocentropus placidus gen. et sp. nov. (Calamoceratidae) and Helicophidae gen. et sp. incertae sedis. The general composition of the fauna is compared with Early Cretaceous faunas of Asia. The early appearance of several living families is noted.     

Calibration of mammoth (Mammuthus) dispersal into North America using rare earth elements of Plio-Pleistocene mammals from Florida

The first appearance of mammoth (Mammuthus) is currently used to define the beginning of the Irvingtonian North American Land Mammal Age at about 1.4 Ma. Thereafter, mammoth fossils are common and widespread in North America until the end of the Pleistocene. In contrast to this generally accepted biochronology, recent reports have asserted that mammoth occurs in late Pliocene (ca. 2.5 Ma) alluvium from the Santa Fe River of northern Florida. The supposedly contemporaneous late Pliocene fossil assemblage from the Santa Fe River that produced the mammoth specimens actually consists of a mixture of diagnostic Blancan (late Pliocene) and late Rancholabrean (latest Pleistocene) species. Fossil bones and teeth of the two mammalian faunas mixed together along the Santa Fe River have significantly different rare earth element (REE) signatures. The REE signatures of mammoth are indistinguishable from those of Rancholabrean mammals, yet they are different from those of diagnostic Blancan vertebrates from these same temporally mixed faunas of the Santa Fe River. Thus, no evidence for late Pliocene mammoth exists in Florida, and mammoth fossils remain reliable biochronological indicators for Irvingtonian and Rancholabrean terrestrial sequences throughout mid- and lower-latitude North America.     

Institutional interaction to address greenhouse gas emissions from international transport: ICAO,IMO and the Kyoto Protocol

Abstract

In response to Article 2.2 of the Kyoto Protocol, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have begun to consider greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international aviation and shipping. However, neither ICAO nor IMO have taken any effective action on the issue yet and progress can be characterised as slow. The lack of action has so far not been made up for by measures within the climate change regime or by individual countries. An important motivation for the efforts of ICAO and IMO so far has been the potential regulatory competition with the climate change regime. However, given the lack of political will to act on the issue within the latter, this motivation has not been very forceful. Against this backdrop, I argue that there are in particular three options for furthering progress within ICAO and IMO, namely (1) enhancing the threat of regulation of GHG emissions from international transport under the climate change regime; (2) undertaking unilateral domestic action by various countries (in particular the EU); and (3) furthering a learning process within ICAO and IMO. Furthermore, a closer coordination of efforts under ICAO, IMO and the climate change regime could facilitate and accelerate progress.     

四川珙县石碑恐龙化石埋藏地红层分子化石特征及其古环境意义

利用气相色谱-质谱仪(GC/MS)从四川珙县石碑恐龙化石埋藏地早侏罗世红层中检出了包括正构烷烃、类异戊二烯烃、长链三环萜、藿烷和甾烷等系列分子化石,这些分子化石来源于低等菌藻类生物和水生、陆生高等植物。利用这些分子化石的特征讨论了恐龙生活时代的古环境特征。姥鲛烷与植烷的比值(Pr/Ph)表明该恐龙化石埋藏地的沉积环境应为淡水、弱氧化的湖泊环境。所研究样品高碳数的正构烷烃均以与水生大型植物有关的C25为主峰,并具有来自陆生高等植物的C27～C31正构烷烃,反映出研究区湖盆水体中发育水生高等植物,周围陆地上发育木本和草本植物的古植物特征,体现了分子化石在恢复古环境研究方面的潜力。     

动物牙釉结构碳酸盐碳、氧同位素测试方法的比较

不同学者用磷酸平衡法分析古哺乳动物牙齿化石碳酸羟基磷灰石中结构碳酸盐的碳、氧稳定同位素组成时，预处理方法和实验条件也不尽相同。实测结果表明，预处理条件与磷酸法制备CO2的反应温度和反应时间均可能对分析结果产生影响，需在综合运用机械和化学手段除净外表附着碳酸盐的前提下，将样品充分研磨，并彻底分解其中的有机组分和非结构碳酸盐，再制备CO2。70℃的恒温水浴可以使化学反应和同位素分馏均在短时间内结束，且较为完全、彻底，测得的同位素数据重现性好；而25℃时反应进行较缓，氧同位素测试结果有时可能不理想     

Colin Patterson (1933–1998): a major vertebrate palaeontologist of this century

Geologie en Mijnbouw -     

成岩-极低级变质-低级变质作用及有关矿产

介于成岩作用与低级变质作用之间的极低级变质作用是一个重要过程 ,对于全面认识地球浅层动力学与成矿作用有重要意义。文中简要地回顾了国内外极低级变质研究的历史与现状 ,在大量资料的基础上提出了关于成岩—极低级变质—低级变质带划分的改进方案 ,应用许多研究实例讨论了成岩—极低级变质—低级变质作用研究在化石能源及固体矿产勘查、评价与成矿研究方面的意义 ,指出煤、石油、天然气形成于高级成岩—极低级变质条件 ,很多非金属矿产的成因及质量直接受到变质程度的控制 ,大量低温—低中温铜、铅、锌、金、银、锑、汞等金属矿床分布在高级成岩—极低级变质—低级变质区中。为了获得准确的伊利石K Ar同位素测年数据 ,文中建议应保证所测粘土样品中自生K型伊利石的含量 >90 % ,并且不含钾长石 ,还要根据变质程度的高低来确定分析样品的合适粒度。     

Ostracod Biostratigraphy of the Late Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin

An ostracod biostratigraphic study was performed on 425 samples from the composite geological section constructed by using cores taken from five selected wells drilled in the Late Cretaceous Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao basin.A total of 19 ostracod zones are established in the formation,of which 3 are newly established and 3 are revised.The 19 ostracod zones are described in detail.This study provides a basis for the detailed stratigraphic division and correlation of the Qingshankou Formation and the Gaotaizi oil reservoir in the oilfield in the Songliao basin.     

东天山库姆塔格沙垄地区石炭纪化石新资料及地层厘定

东天山库姆塔格沙垄地区的地层划分争议已久。1∶5万区域地质矿产调查,于东天山康古尔塔格深大断裂之北的库姆塔格沙垄地区两套碳酸盐岩中,分别发现了牙形刺Streptognathodus suberectus,Idiognathoides sinuata和珊瑚:Pelalaxis intermedia,Lithostrotionella rarivesicula,Fomichevella kiaeri,确认其时代分属晚石炭世罗苏阶-达拉阶和达拉阶-小独山阶,划归哈尔里克地层小区底坎儿组和脐山组。由该两组沉积地层隔离的两套火山岩,空间上分布相对固定,岩石组合特征明显,野外极易识别和区别,大区易于对比,且分属早石炭世和晚石炭世。库姆塔格沙垄地区企鹅山群可由老到新进一步解体为小热泉子组、底坎儿组、企鹅山组和脐山组等4个组级岩石地层单位。