Deciphering the depositional environment of the laminated Crato fossil beds (Early Cretaceous,Araripe Basin,North‐eastern Brazil)

The laminated limestones of the Early Cretaceous Crato Formation of the Araripe Basin (North‐eastern Brazil) are world‐famous for their exceptionally well‐preserved and taxonomically diverse fossil fauna and flora. Whereas the fossil biota has received considerable attention, only a few studies have focused on the sedimentary characteristics and palaeoenvironmental conditions which prevailed during formation of the Crato Fossil Lagerstätte. The Nova Olinda Member represents the lowermost and thickest unit (up to 10 m) of the Crato Formation and is characterized by a pronounced rhythmically bedded, pale to dark lamination. To obtain information on palaeoenvironmental conditions, sample slabs derived from three local stratigraphic sections within the Araripe Basin were studied using high‐resolution multiproxy techniques including detailed logging, petrography, μ‐XRF scanning and stable isotope geochemistry. Integration of lithological and petrographic evidence indicates that the bulk of the Nova Olinda limestone formed via authigenic precipitation of calcite from within the upper water column, most probably induced and/or mediated by phytoplankton and picoplankton activity. A significant contribution from a benthonic, carbonate‐secreting microbial mat community is not supported by these results. Deposition took place under anoxic and, at least during certain episodes, hypersaline bottom water conditions, as evidenced by the virtually undisturbed lamination pattern, the absence of a benthonic fauna and by the occurrence of halite pseudomorphs. Input of allochthonous, catchment‐derived siliciclastics to the basin during times of laminite formation was strongly reduced. The δ¹⁸O values of authigenic carbonate precipitates (between ?7·1 and ?5·1‰) point to a ¹⁸O‐poor meteoric water source and support a continental freshwater setting for the Nova Olinda Member. The δ¹³C values, which are comparatively rich in ¹³C (between ?0·1 and +1·9‰), are interpreted to reflect reduced throughflow of water in a restricted basin, promoting equilibration with atmospheric CO₂, probably in concert with stagnant conditions and low input of soil‐derived carbon. Integration of lithological and isotopic evidence indicates a shift from closed to semi‐closed conditions towards a more open lake system during the onset of laminite deposition in the Crato Formation.     

藏北日土县拉竹龙地区志留系

根据在西藏西北部日土县拉竹龙地区重新测量了西藏区调大队1984年所测的两个地层剖面——饮水河北岸剖面和兽形湖北岸剖面,在原来定为上奥陶统兽形湖组的底部发现了一套含笔石和几丁石化石的黑色页岩和炭质板岩,其中笔石Pristiograptus和几丁石Ancyrochitina brevicollis、Conochitina sp.为志留系兰多维列统Tely-chian阶的标准分子。同时在兽形湖组中也发现了大量兰多维列世的腕足类化石Hindella xizangensis和竹节石Gotlandellites sp.。证明了拉竹龙地区饮水河北岸和兽形湖北岸两个剖面均未出现真正的奥陶纪地层。通过所采集到的笔石、几丁石、腕足类、三叶虫、头足类、牙形刺、竹节石、珊瑚、遗迹化石的准确鉴定,重新修订了本地区志留系的划分和地层序列:自下而上依次为以笔石相为代表的兰多维列统饮水河组,以碎屑岩相为代表的兰多维列统兽形湖组,以碳酸盐沉积为主的文洛克统普尔错组和以碳酸盐岩相为主的罗德洛统至普里道利统野牛坡组。本区志留系目前发现的最低层位相当于兰多维列统Telychian阶的笔石带Spirograptusturriculatus带和Streptograptus crispus带,最高层位相当于欧洲和藏南壳相志留系的最高一个头足类化石带Kopaninoceras juncudum带或牙形刺组合Neoprioniodus latidentatus-Ligonodina siluria组合。     

西太平洋富钴结壳超微化石与分子化石地层划分及对比

对具典型三层构造的西太平洋海山群富钴结壳样品进行了钙质超微化石地层学研究,获取了富钴结壳从内层致密层、中间疏松层到外层较致密层的生长时代:CM1D03为晚古新世-早始新世、始新世中期、中中新世-更新世;CM3D06分为晚古新世-早始新世、中始新世-晚中新世、上新世-更新世。对富钴结壳壳层的甾烷系列分子(C27、C28、C29)进行了检测并计算了相对含量,结果表明,两块富钴结壳的甾烷分布构型在结壳生长时代上具有一致性:晚古新世-早始新世,呈反"L"型分布;中始新世呈C27优势的"V"型分布;中新世-更新世呈C29优势的"V"型分布。甾烷分布构型的变化与古海洋环境演化造成的海底甾烷输入波动有关,具有一定的时代特征钙质超微化石和分子化石地层学划分方法在富钴结壳层主要生长时代及生长间断的界定上具有一致性,可以用于富钴结壳的地层划分和对比。     

The challenge of dating early pleistocene fossil teeth by the combined uranium series–electron spin resonance method: the Venta Micena palaeontological site (Orce,Spain)

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix–Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio‐Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series–electron spin resonance (US‐ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US‐ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37 ± 0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62 ± 0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U‐mobilization event that led to some U‐leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U‐mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US‐ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glacial forest refugium in Howard Valley,South Island,New Zealand

Fossils of forest habitat beetles and leaves of Nothofagus menziesii provide evidence of a forest refugium at times between ca. 34 000 and ca. 18 500 cal. a BP at an upland site in Howard Valley, located adjacent to glaciated valleys in South Island, New Zealand. The stratigraphy of the glacial‐aged terrace sequence of organic‐rich silts and fluvial sand/gravels indicates that soil development occurred episodically for around 15 000 a. Fifty‐four beetle taxa represent seven habitat types: forest, forest or scrub, riparian and aquatic, litter, grass/tussock, marshland and moss habitats. Leaf and beetle fossils indicate that forest dominated by N. menziesii persisted at the site for most of the time period represented, and tree line taxa such as Taenarthrus sp. 1 (Carabidae) and Podocarpus sp. (Podocarpaceae) indicate that the site may represent the upper tree limit for full‐glacial time. The finding of forest at this elevated site adds to the growing fossil evidence for multiple forest refugia in New Zealand during the last glaciation and is consistent with the pollen records, which have consistently indicated the presence of forest species during the last glaciations. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Two paleoecological histories spanning the period of human settlement in southeastern Brazil

The absence of human occupation sites in southeastern Brazil during the mid Holocene has been referred to as the 'Archaic Gap' (8970–1940 cal. a BP) and is predicted to have resulted from increased aridity. A ca. 14 000 cal. a pollen history from two well‐dated lake sediment cores located within the archeological district of Lagoa Santa, in the State of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil, was used to test this hypothesis. Our analyses indicated that the present cerrado and tropical semi‐deciduous forest mosaic persisted throughout the mid Holocene, until ca. 5500 cal. a BP, and the Lagoa Santa region did not experience especially dry conditions during the Holocene period. The early Holocene pollen spectra contained an assemblage of cold‐adapted taxa such as Podocarpus, Myrsine and Araucaria, co‐occurring with taxa from cerrado, e.g. Caryocar. A replacement of cold taxa by the modern cerrado–semi‐deciduous forest vegetation took place progressively, but appears to have been completed by the mid Holocene. No evidence of sustained drought was found in sedimentation or forest composition, nor any prolonged dry event in the study region. Holocene dryness as an explanation for the abandonment of Lagoa Santa region is not supported by the palynological analyses conducted in this study. Rather it is suggested that unpredictable climate may have underlain that abandonment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Vegetation in western Central Mexico during the last 50 000 years: modern analogs and climate in the Zacapu Basin

The late glacial and the transition towards the Holocene marked a period of significant environmental change at a global scale. In western Central Mexico, few records span beyond the Holocene, and little is known about Pleistocene climatic and environmental variability. Here we report on the pollen record of a composite sequence made of three cores that cover the last 50 ka (thousands of calibrated radiocarbon years before present) in the Zacapu Basin, western Central Mexico (～1970 m asl). The conjunction of modern pollen rain from the area with the composite fossil pollen sequence from cores Cantabria, Cantabria 1 and CEMCA Point‐1 provided a detailed history of the vegetation of the area. Recognition of modern environmental patterns through individual modern pollen taxa proved difficult, but multivariate analysis separated different vegetation types. No‐modern‐analog communities relative to the modern vegetation cover of the area were evident, especially during periods of drought. Apparently, summer precipitation was significant before 40 ka and after the deglaciation. However, this moisture source declined from ～40 to 10 ka because tradewinds from the Gulf of Mexico were blocked by the eastern mountains of Central Mexico as a result of lower temperatures. By contrast, westerly and northerly winds were enhanced by maximum ice cover from ～19 to 17 ka, providing abundant winter precipitation and therefore preventing extreme drought in the area. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

140OΜα前的后生动物实体化石?

本文首次报道了在我国豫西晚前寒武系白草坪组中发现的一种可能的蠕虫状后生动物实体化石:Ruyangia Cylindrica Hu et Meng,1989。化石产于砂岩表面浪成波痕之波谷中,圆筒状,已压扁,中空,可见长度4.5～9.5cm,直径4mm左右,虫体外壁具体环,环背间距1.5～2mm,虫体一端较大,具平行纵向边缘的纵纹,可能为头部;另一端渐尖,可能为尾部。与该实体化石伴生的有大量遗迹化石。已知白草坪组的时代超过1400Ma,因此,该实体化石的发现对研究地球上后生动物起源与早期演化等具重要意义。     

Holocene environmental reconstruction from deltaic deposits in northeast Greenland

Terraces of different age in the Zackenberg delta, located at 74°N in northeast Greenland, have provided the opportunity for an interdisciplinary approach to the investigation of Holocene glacial, periglacial, pedological, biological and archaeological conditions that existed during and after delta deposition. The raised Zackenberg delta accumulated mainly during the Holocene Climatic Optimum, starting slightly prior to 9500 cal. yr BP (30 m a.s.l.) and continued until at least 6300 cal. yr BP (0.5 m a.s.l.). Evidence of sea‐level change is based on conventional ¹⁴C dates of shells from the marine delta bottomsets, ¹⁴C AMS dating of macroscopic plant material from the foresets and of fluvial deposits. Arthropod and plant remains from 7960 cal. yr BP in the delta foresets include the oldest evidence of the arctic hare in Greenland and evidence of a rich herb flora slightly different from the modern flora. Empetrum nigrum and Salix herbacea remains indicate a summer temperature at least as high as today during delta deposition. Post‐depositional nivation activity, dated by luminescence, lichenometry and Schmidt Hammer measurements indicate mainly late Holocene activity, at least since 2900 yr BP, including Little Ice Age (LIA) avalanche activity. Pedological analyses of fossil podsols in the Zackenberg delta, including ¹⁴C AMS dating of selected organic rich B‐horizons, show continued podsol development during the Holocene Climatic Optimum and into the subsequent colder period of the late Holocene, until 3000–2400 yr BP. A Neo‐Eskimo house ruin found on the lower part of the delta, presently being eroded by the sea, is dated to AD 1800. It presumably was abandoned prior to AD 1869, and suggests that some of the last Eskimos that lived in northeast Greenland might have occupied the Zackenberg delta. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

青田芝溪头鹤溪群浅变质岩系中发现动物化石

作者于1993年4月在浙江青田芝溪头鹤溪群剖面上采集了白云质大理岩标本样品，送南京地质古生物研究所进行标本浸泡处理。首次获得鱼骨、管状化石及土菱子介等海相化石，经鉴定认为其时代可能属石岩—二叠纪。本文根据以往的同位素资料、沉积环境分析和区域对比，认为这套变质岩系的原岩为二叠纪含煤沉积岩，可与福建的童子岩组中上部层位对比。