Depositional setting of the 2·1 Ga Francevillian macrobiota (Gabon): Rapid mud settling in a shallow basin swept by high‐density sand flows

The depositional setting of the 2·1 Ga fill of the Franceville Basin of Gabon is important for understanding the habitat (energy and availability of light and oxygen) and taphonomy of recently discovered early macro‐organisms buried in black shales in Unit FB . The available data bearing on the stratigraphy and sedimentology of Unit FB provide new insight into processes acting on the palaeo‐sea floor. The shales are interpreted to have formed as fluid mud deposits interstratified with structureless sands. The latter (Poubara sandstones) were emplaced during a forced regression during the terminal infill of fault‐bounded sub‐basins following a stage characterized by a ferruginous to anoxic water column. The structureless sandstones were deposited from high‐density gravity currents along with a locally strong bottom oscillation of the water column. Tuft structures preserved in cyanobacterial mats, together with the position of the macro‐organisms at the top of the sandstone beds within associated black shales, point to a water depth of less than 80 m. The relative sea‐level fall that drove deposition of the Poubara sandstones controlled the rise of a phototrophic ecosystem and also possibly favoured the supply of oxygen and nutrients via density flows.     

The former presence of organic matter caused its later absence: Burn‐down of organic matter in oceanic red beds enhanced by bioturbation (Eocene Variegated Shale,Carpathians)

Eocene oceanic red beds that formed in a well‐oxygenated setting at low sedimentation rates below the calcite compensation depth are effectively barren of organic carbon in the present state. Recurrent distal low‐erosive turbidites preserve the bioturbated zone underneath that documents seasonal and long‐term fluctuating accumulation of considerable amounts of organic matter on the sea floor as evidenced by Scolicia ; the producers of this trace fossil exploited nutritious organic matter conserved in turbidite‐buried sea floor deposits. Over the long‐term, slow average sedimentation of (hemi)pelagic oxic (red) mud led to long oxygen exposure times and low burial of organic matter. Consequently, trace fossils representing persistent sediment‐feeding modes are of small size. Although the food‐limited setting appears appropriate for producers of graphoglyptids, such ‘stationary’ burrows have not been encountered because seasonal deposition of organic matter fostered at least temporary surface layer feeding organisms, for instance producers of Nereites irregularis that intensively reworked the sediment and, hence, hindered graphoglyptid production. These findings confirm palaeoceanographic modelling results that suggest upwelling in the study area during the Eocene.     

A quantitative study of the degradation of whale bone lipids: Implications for the preservation of fatty acids in marine sediments

The degradation and preservation affecting the biomarker record of ancient metazoa are not fully understood. We report on a five month experiment on the fate of fatty acids (FAs) during the degradation of recent whale vertebrae (Phocoena phocoena). Whale bones were analysed for extractable FAs and macromolecularly bound n-acyl compounds. Fresh bone showed extractable FAs dominated by 16:1ω7c, 16:0, 18:1ω9c and 18:0. Calculated degradation rate constant (k) values showed a rapid decrease in FA concentration, with k values higher for unsaturated than for saturated compounds (0.08/day for 18:1ω9c, 0.05/day for 16:0). The appearance or increased abundance of distinctive methyl branched (e.g. i/ai-15:0 and -17:0, 10Me-16:0) and hydroxy FAs (e.g. 10OH-16:0 and 10OH-18:0) were observed, providing clear evidence for the microbial degradation of bone organic matter and an input of lipids from specialised bacteria. Catalytic hydropyrolysis (HyPy) of demineralised extraction residues released up to 0.13% of the total n-C₁₆ and n-C₁₈ moieties in the degraded bones. This revealed that only a small, yet sizeable, portion of bone-derived fatty acyl units was sequestered into (proto)kerogen during the earliest stages of degradation.     

加利福尼亚洋流北区早更新世以来似太平洋年代际振荡的微体化石记录

加利福尼亚洋流系统(CCS)是东北太平洋一股十分重要的边界流,在全球海气交换过程中具有重要地位。CCS的海洋-大气变化尤其是涌升流的强弱变化,在年代和多年代时间尺度上的变化主要受太平洋年代际震荡(PDO,20~30年周期)的控制。为了解CCS北区早更新世以来涌升流强弱变化规律及其主要控制机理,本文分析了国际大洋钻探1020B(CCS北区南部41°N)和1245B(北部44°N)钻孔钙质超微化石和硅藻化石等记录。结果显示,多半时间段的记录具有冰期和间冰期旋回的变化;其中超微化石的高含量见于间冰期,而硅藻高含量对应于冰期。这两类化石在沉积物中的含量变化显示出时间尺度长约0.5 Ma的3个阶段:早更新世(1.5~1.1 Ma)两个孔以超微化石含量高为特征;中更新世(1.1~0.65 Ma)两孔中的超微化石和硅藻化石含量相对较高,但它们在两个孔的变化趋势不同;晚更新世(0.65 Ma)以来,南部1020B孔超微化石含量高且出现频率高于硅藻化石,而北部1245B孔以硅藻化石含量较高且持久出现为特征。本文提出了该区涌升流受长周期“似太平洋年代际振荡模式”和“似北太平洋环流振荡模式”控制的假设。早更新世(1.5~1.1 Ma)主要受到持续的似PDO正位相 (似+PDO,表层海水温暖)的控制,涌升流弱,海水中碳酸盐离子丰富,利于颗石藻骨骼钙化形成颗石和颗石产量高,沉积物中超微化石含量高。中更新世过渡期(MPT,1.1~0.65 Ma)受到似PDO负位相(似-PDO,海水表层水体冷、涌升流强、海水pH值低,硅藻生产力高,沉积物中硅藻化石含量高)与似+PDO的交替影响。晚更新世(0.65 Ma)以来,南部1020站位受到似-PDO/似-NPGO?的交替控制,但似-NPGO?的强度和出现频率均大于似-PDO,因此超微化石含量和出现时期比硅藻多;北部1245站位则仅受似-PDO的持续性控制,涌升流较强且持续时间长、沉积物中硅藻化石几乎持续出现且含量较高。MPT时期以硅藻化石含量在1.1 Ma突然增加(南部增加3倍,北部5倍)为起始点,以0.65 Ma时超微化石含量突变(南部增加3倍,北部降3倍)为终止点。本文认为MPT起止点化石含量的突变,是古海洋和气候环境突变的结果,也意味着长时间尺度的似PDO的正负位相之间的转换变化可能是突变过程。MPT时期CCS北部区域内出现了南部和北部站位硅质和钙质两类化石含量变化趋势相反的记录,指示着这一时期该区的古海洋和气候条件出现了地理上的南北分异,并且自0.65 Ma以来南北两个站位控制模式不同。本文的这些记录为CCS区现代海洋-大气过程和生物地理分区大致以40°N为界的研究提供了早更新世以来的历史记录。     

A New Ichnogenus Kailidiscus Produced by Attachment from the Middle Cambrian Kaili Formation in Taijiang, Guizhou Province, China

Over 190 specimens of an attachment ichnofossil Kailidiscus （n. ichnogen.） have been found in the Kaili Bitoa, a Burgess Shale-type biota, from the middle Kaili Formation （early Middle Cambrian） in Taijiang County, Guizhou Province, southern China. Kailidiscus is an epichnia with a circular to oval attachment platform, on which there is a carbonaceous film probably formed by the body of the living organism. Structures such as a marginal furrow, an inner and outer marginal ride, many convex fold-ridges, and a large caved peripheral furrow on the attachment platform may be the result of basal tissues of a sessile organism that wrinkled to increase the attachment＇s surface area. The Kailidiscus organism may have been a sessile cnidarian attached to the muddy seafioor. Kailidiscus organisms lived in relatively quiet water, and were buried by a sudden influx of sediment.     

干湿循环对恐龙化石力学性质影响研究

恐龙是早已灭绝的古脊椎动物,恐龙化石在地质学,特别是在古环境学研究中具重要意义,它在地层划分、地质时代确定以及古地理、古环境、古气候研究尤其是生物灭绝事件研究等方面,具有极其重要的理论和实际价值。近几年,恐龙化石不断被发掘,对恐龙化石的保护日益显得紧迫和重要。本文通过干湿循环和膨胀试验,研究水对化石抗风化力的影响,试验结果证明水对化石围岩风化的影响远大于对恐龙化石的影响。     

博物馆文化展演与城市记忆活化传承 ——基于旅游留言档案的文本分析

通过对广州南越王博物馆2015年1月至2017年7月期间的1 294条旅游留言档案（线下留言207条,线上留言1 087条）的文本分析,发现建筑遗址、文物遗产、解说系统和游客参与共同构成了博物馆文化展演的“舞台”“道具”“演员”和“观众”维度因素体系,“建筑遗址”通过真实遗址和现代展馆构建了满足观众对历史文化想象的“舞台”,“文物遗产”和“解说系统”分别以静态和动态的方式将城市记忆内涵进行解构,最后“游客参与”使记忆主体发挥能动性,完成自身对记忆内涵的再编码,实现城市记忆的建构和传承,因此这4个因素在城市记忆构建过程中分别发挥了唤醒、强化、活化和传承作用,构建了博物馆城市记忆链,并进一步强调了记忆主体感知行为、博物馆文化原真特性对于文化展演和记忆传承效果的重要影响。     

陕西新元古代末期奇异骨骼化石新发现及其意义

陕西宁强新元古代末期灯影组高家山段上部发现与Cloudina,Sinotubulites等管状动物骨骼化石共生的大量微体奇异骨骼化石，其中的一些似与寒武纪早期的小壳化石有一定的亲缘，如形态奇特的铆钉状化石、腹足类化石等，证实寒武纪与前寒武纪生物界之间存在明显的连续性；奇异骨骼与陡山沱期生物也存在一定的相似性，如一些分枝的管状化石，这一化石组合具有承前启后的作用。该组合包含了可能的矿化后生藻类（具各种分枝类型）、矿化的蓝绿藻类化石等。种种迹象表明，在新元古代末期整个生物界发生了一次强烈的生物矿化事件，这一发现弥补了国内外新元古代末期矿化后生植物资料的空缺；磷酸盐化球状化石的研究已成为国内外研究的热点，本文所展示的球状化石由于形态多样，数量众多，内部结构各异，对其进行深入研究，可望在后生动物起源和早期演化研究方面取得突破。     

山东诸城地区恐龙足迹化石研究综述

山东诸城地区是闻名世界的恐龙化石宝库,这里不仅保存有数量巨大的晚白垩世恐龙骨骼化石,还发现有数量众多的早白垩世恐龙足迹化石。到目前为止,诸城境内共发现的恐龙足迹化石点有3处,分别为南部的皇龙沟与北部的张祝河湾和棠棣戈庄。根据前人对这3处恐龙足迹化石点的研究,对其发现和研究历史、足迹类型(包括非恐龙足迹)、不同类型足迹的大小和特征,以及古地理和古气候等进行了总结,提出了诸城恐龙足迹化石研究中亟待解决的问题。     

Trilobite trace fossils and their stratigraphical significance in the Cambrian sequence of the Holy Cross Mountains,Poland

Abundant and varied trilobite trace fossils are recognized and described in the Cambrian sequence of the Holy Cross Mountains. Cruziana and Rusophycus are stratigraphically significant and some of the described traces may be used as local index fossils. The first recognition of the Cruziana barbata ichnozone in Poland is made and it occurs in the uppermost Middle Cambrian. A new position for the Middle/Upper Cambrian boundary is established. Three new ichnospecies are described: Cruziana magna, C. regularis and Rusophycus crebus.