The sediment-water interface increment due to the complex burrows of macrofauna in a tidal flat

The architecture of macrofaunal burrows and the total area of the sediment-water interface created by biogenic structure were investigated in the Donggeomdo tidal flat on the west coast of Korea. Resin casting methods were applied to recover burrows of four dominant species, Macrophthalmus japonicus, Cleistostoma dilatatum, Perinereis aibuhitensis, and Periserrula leucophryna, and whole burrows within the casting area at three sites in different tidal levels.P. leucophryna excavated the largest burrow in terms of a surface area among them. In the case of whole burrow casting, the space occupied by the biogenic structure was extended into deeper and expanded more greatly at the higher tidal level. In the uppermost flat, the burrow wall surface area within sediment was more extensive than the sediment surface area. Increased oxygen supply through the extended interface could enhance the degradation rates of organic carbon and also change the pathways of degradation. Quantifying the relationship between the extended interface and mineralization rate and pathway requires more extensive study.     

山东省虎（Panthera tigris）化石的首次发现及其意义

本文祥详细记述了山东省首次发现的虎化石的特征及出土地点和剖面的基本情况，论证了化石出土地层剖面的时代，应当属于晚更新世，并阐明了该化石发现的意义。     

从山羊寨哺乳动物化石看柳江盆地洞穴堆积的时代与环境

山羊寨洞穴堆积是河北省秦皇岛“柳江盆地地质遗迹自然保护区”众多溶洞的洞穴堆积之一，其中含有大量的哺乳动物化石。经发掘整理与鉴定，采用生物地层学和哺乳动物生活习性对比分析方法，确定其时代为Qp^2.3，晚于辽宁营口“金牛山下组动物群”，早于河北“迁安爪村动物群”和内蒙古“萨拉乌苏动物群”，其特征反映了中国华北与东北过渡地带中更新世晚期至晚更新世早期的哺乳动物面貌，并反映出当时区内森林、森林草原、草原和水域条件等生态环境的多次时空变化。如此众多哺乳动物化石的发现增加了保护区遗迹资源的多样性和保护价值；为该区洞穴堆积的时代与沉积环境研究提供了依据；改变了区内洞穴堆积仅为中更新世地层的认识。     

Neoproterozoic trace fossils vs. microbial mat structures: Examples from the Tandilia Belt of Argentina

The Tandilia Belt in northeast Argentina includes a Neoproterozoic sequence of sediments (Sierras Bayas Group), in which the Cerro Largo Formation, ca. 750 Ma in age, forms a siliciclastic, shallowing upward succession of subtidal nearshore to tidal flat deposits. Trace fossils Palaeophycus isp. and Didymaulichnus isp. have been described from the upper part of this succession. Specific sedimentary structures consisting of round-crested bulges, arranged in a reticulate pattern, and networks of curved cracks are associated with the trace fossils. These structures are considered to be related to epibenthic microbial mats that once colonized the sediment surface. They reflect stages of mat growth and mat destruction, if compared to analogous structures in modern cyanobacterial mats of peritidal, siliciclastic depositional systems. Also the trace fossils are interpreted as mat-related structures, partly forming components of networks of shrinkage cracks, partly representing the upturned and involute margins of shrinkage cracks or circular openings in desiccating and shrinking, thin microbial mats.

The definition of Didymaulichnus miettensis Young as a Terminal Proterozoic trace fossil is questioned, and it may be considered to interpret the ‘bilobate’ structure as the upturned, opposite margins of microbial shrinkage cracks which have been brought back into contact by compaction after burial.     

燕山地区中元古代常州沟组潜穴化石

在燕山地区中元古代常州沟组中发育有大量的潜穴化石，潜穴产于常州沟组中部的泥质粉砂岩中。潜穴呈个体较大的直管状，垂直层面保存。这是我国迄今为止发现的最古老的遗迹化石，表明在距今近1800Ma前就已出现古老的后生动物，这对于研究后生动物的起源及演化具有重要意义。     

The respiratory environment of the Namib Desert Golden Mole

We measured the partial pressure of oxygen (PO₂) in the interstitial gas surrounding the sand-swimming Namib moleEremitalpa granti namibensis. At a sand temperature of 26 °C, which produced a nearly maximal rate of oxygen consumption, thePO₂near the noses of the animals averaged only 0·9 kPa (6·7 Torr) below the level in the free atmosphere. High oxygen availability was a result of the notably low metabolic rate in the 20 g mammals and the dry, porous and metabolically inactive nature of dune sand. A mathematical model indicated that normal mammals weighing 200 g or more could comfortably exist completely encased in dune sand. We concluded that the moles' small size and low metabolic rate are not adaptations to hypoxia or hypercapnia underground but are probably related to low food availability and the energetic cost of foraging in their desert environment.     

秦岭核桃坝石炭系深水相遗迹化石,沉积环境和古地理分析

研究剖面位于陕西凤县核桃坝，构造上属秦岭造山带的商丹缝合带。核桃坝剖面下部为浅海陆棚相粉砂岩、泥灰岩和灰岩；中、上部以重力流沉积为主。在中部浊积岩中产遗迹化石：Ｎｅｒｅｉｔｅｓ ｆｅｎｇｘｉａｎｅｎｓｉｓ ｉｃｈｎｏｓｐ．ｎｏｖ．，Ａｃａｎｔｈｏｒｈａｐｈｅ ｃｆ． Ａ． ｉｎｃｅｒｔａ Ｋｓｉａｚｋｉｅｗｉｃｚ，Ｃｈｏｎｄｒｉｔｅｓ ｉｃｈｎｏｓｐ．，Ｐｌａｎｏｌｉｔｅｓ ｉｃｈｎｏｓｐ．等。其     

豫西济源谭庄组河流沉积中的Stipsellus遗迹组构

豫西济源盆地上三叠统谭庄组下段为曲流河沉积。本文通过描述和分析谭庄组河流沉积特征，划分了4种不同河流沉积组合类型，识别出Stipsellus遗迹组构，并发现该遗迹组构常与曲流河沉积物伴生，可作为此类沉积的典型生物遗迹标志。其中，Stipsellus sp．A代表发育在河漫滩较浅水体下或潮湿的软底细粒沉积物中的一种遗迹组构类型；Stipsellus sp．B则代表发育在曲流砂坝上部的男一种遗迹组构类型。