Phosphatic microspherules and their geobiological implications from the Frasnian-Famennian transition at the Yangdi section,Guilin, South China

Abundant perfectly-preserved phosphatic microspherules have been discovered across the Frasnian-Famennian(F-F)transition from the Yangdi section in Guilin,Guangxi,South China.They are mostly spherical or elliptical in shape and about 150μm in diameter with smooth exterior surfaces.Each microspherule consistently possesses a small dimple on the surface.The internal texture of microspherules consists of concentric light-colored apatite and dark-colored organic matter bands alternating around a central core.Conodonts have also been found preserved together with phosphatic microspherules in the same horizon,and the abundance of the former is obviously higher than that of the latter.Laser Raman spectral studies show close similarities in spectral patterns between the outer shells of phosphatic microspherules and the blade of the conodont genus Palmatolepis sp.,as well as between the microspherule nucleus and the platform of the same conodont genus.Furthermore,the statistical results and geochemical data demonstrate that the elevated abundance of phosphatic microspherules roughly coincides with the blooms of bacteria and algae,but is later than the sharp increase of oceanic nutrients.The phosphatic microspherules are interpreted here to be the‘otoliths’secreted by conodont animals based on the compositional similarities between phosphatic microspherules and conodonts and their interrelated abundances.In addition,an analogous study reveals morphological and textural similarities between fish otoliths and phosphatic microspherules.The formation of phosphatic microspherules is probably related to seawater eutrophication.We speculate that the explosive growth of bacteria and algae is probably caused by the enrichment of nutrients that is most likely associated with the increase of terrestrial inputs,submarine hydrothermal activities or the upwelling anoxic bottom waters in the late Devonian,which would stimulate the conodont animals to secrete phosphatic microspherules—the‘otoliths’of conodont animals.This study reveals the coupling relationship between organisms and environments from the perspective of phosphatic microspherules and provides new evidence for the cause of faunal crisis during the Late Devonian F-F transition.     

IMPLICATIONS FROM CHEMICAL,STRUCTURAL AND MINERALOGICAL STUDIES OF MAGNETIC MICROSPHERULES FROM AROUND THE LOWER YOUNGER DRYAS BOUNDARY (NEW MEXICO,USA)

Hollow magnetic microspherules from along the lower Younger Dryas boundary (c. 12.9 ka bp ) in New Mexico (USA) were studied using scanning electron microscopy, electron probe microanalysis, X‐ray diffraction, and laser‐ablation inductively coupled‐plasma mass spectrometry methods. The shell of the microspherules (10–15% of the spherule's diameter) displays dendritic surface textures, which are likely due to quenching during rapid cooling of molten material. Structurally, multiple single‐magnetite crystals attached together form the bulk of the microspherules. Iron dominates the microspherules’ composition (～90% FeO_tot), Mn is the second most abundant element (up to 0.4% MnO), Al is detected in low concentrations (<0.30% of Al₂O₃). Among the trace elements, the rare earth elements display slightly fractionated patterns with concentrations of 0.1–1.0× CI chondrite. The microspherules contain elevated concentrations of Ni relative to detrital magnetite (up to 435 ppm) and very low concentrations of Ti (down to 5 ppm). Chemical, structural and mineralogical features of the microspherules do not contradict the existing models of the formation during ablation while a meteoroid goes through the Earth's atmosphere. Elevated concentrations of the magnetic microspherules in sediments can be a stratigraphic marker for the lower Younger Dryas boundary in North America.     

Extraterrestrial microspherules from Bajada del Diablo,Chubut, Argentina

The Quaternary infilling of a circular structure located in Bajada del Diablo, Chubut Province, Argentina has been proposed as a crater strewn field in previous studies. Here we report the finding of about 65 microspherules collected in a trench excavated in the center of the structure. The majority of hand-picked specimens are single, but some of them exhibit compound forms. The single specimens are spherical with a mean size of 137 μm, whereas the more complex samples show peduncles and drop shapes. Dendritic crystal growth is recognized in the internal structure of some broken microspherules. Preliminary chemical composition from the surface and center of microspherules was determined by energy dispersive spectrometry employing EDS. Quantitative EMPA and XRD analysis indicate that the microspherules are mainly composed of Fe and O with magnetite, Fe0 with subordinate wüstite. Following consideration of possible anthropogenic and volcanic origins, these spherulites are ascribed to an extraterrestrial input. An accumulation rate of 47 microspherules per m²/yr is estimated for the studied sediments. This value is two orders of magnitude higher than the reference flux for cosmic dust estimated for the last 1 Ma in the Transantarctic Mountains. The microspherules might have been generated as a byproduct of asteroid entry in the atmosphere.     

辽宁弓长岭太古宙斜长角闪岩中微球粒之发现

本文报道了辽宁弓长岭二矿区太古宙纹层状斜长角闪岩中微球粒之发现。微球粒一种呈暗色、不透明、有磁性;另一种为浅乳黄—棕黄色、透明—半透明、无磁性或弱磁性。它们多为玻璃质,强磁性者为磁铁矿。微球粒具气孔、瘤状、气泡塌陷、连体、凹坑等反映强塑性、高速运动、富挥发份、快速冷凝特征的多种表面和内部结构。其化学组成以SiO_2、TFe、Al_2O_3和CaO为主。它们的形成可能与火山作用或陨石撞击作用有关。无论其成因如何,均表明:1)纹层状斜长角闪岩的原岩为基性凝灰岩;2)本区变质温压条件存在微区不均匀性。     

Ferruginous Microspherules in Bauxite at Maochang, Guizhou Province, China： Products of Microbe-Pyrite Interaction？

The Maochang bauxite in Guizhou Province is one of the important aluminum ore deposits in southwestern China. Ferruginous spherules, measuring about a few microns across, were found in the transitional layer of the deposit. The EDS and XRD results show that the microspherules are composed mostly of iron （hydr）oxide minerals （goethite） with only weak presence of aluminum and silicon. Occasionally, some pyrite micrograins with dissolved surface are found associated with goethite within the spherules. It is thus suggested that microspherules are linked to pyrite oxidization. It is also thought that microbial activities contribute not only to pyrite oxidization, but also to ball-like assemblage of the iron （hydr）oxides. The mechanism of the formation of ferruginous microspherules is also believed to be important in studying geomicrobiology of bauxite.     

Discovery and significance of microspherules at Lower-Middle Devonian boundary of Guangxi, South China

Microspherules are found in different facies at the Lower-Middle Devonian boundary, Guangxi, South China. There are more than 20 grains per kilogram rock sample. Composition and form of the microspherules are very similar to those of the microtektites from modern deposits of South Pacific Ocean and F-F boundary (Devonian). This may indicate that the microspherules from Guangxi are most likely the products of an extraterrestrial impact event that occurred at the end of Early Devonian Epoch. The event may be responsible for the biomass reduction and extinction of benthic organisms at the end of Early Devonian. The impact products (ejecta) can be used as a potential tool for stratigraphic correlation.