Latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous radiolarian fauna from the Xialu chert in the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet: Comparison with coeval western Pacific radiolarian faunas and paleoceanographic implications

Abstract The Xialu chert radiolarian fauna is latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous in age (Pseudodictyomitra carpatica zone) and contains many taxa in common with coeval northern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) radiolarian faunas represented by the Torinosu fauna in southwest Japan. Common elements include Eucyrtidiellum pyramis (Aita), Protunuma japonicus Matsuoka & Yao, Sethocapsa pseudouterculus Aita, Sethocapsa (?) subcrassitestata Aita, Archaeodictyomitra minoensis (Mizutani), Stichocapsa praepulchella Hori and Xitus gifuensis (Mizutani). The Xialu fauna is less similar to low‐latitude (tropical) assemblages represented by the Mariana fauna. For this reason, the Xialu fauna is regarded as representative of a southern hemisphere middle‐latitude (temperate) fauna. A mirror‐image bi‐temperate provincialism to the equator in radiolarian faunas is reconstructed for the Ceno‐Tethys and Pacific Ocean in latest Jurassic–earliest Cretaceous time.     

西藏阿里札达盆地早更新世早期沉积及其古气候与古环境变化

综合分析了西藏阿里札达盆地早更新世早期的多种与气候环境变化密切相关的地质记录，结果表明该区早更新世早期的沉积可划分为3种不同的沉积相和4个岩性段；古气候与古环境变化可划分为4个阶段：（1）2．68-2．45Ma。为冲洪积相沉积。冻融褶皱开始出现，植被以乔木为主，主要为松、藜、蒿，属山地寒温气候；（2）2．45-2．11Ma，为冲洪积相，地层中冻融褶皱多呈扭曲状，草本植物迅速上升，显示出灌木草原气候特征，气候变得凉爽干燥；（3）2．11-1．49Ma，沉积相为冲洪积相-冰缘沉积相，以冰缘沉积相为主，冻融褶皱层开始增多，出现了喜凉的介形类化石。草本植物数量和种类达到最大，灌木也相对增加，显示气候进一步趋于干旱；（4）1．49-1．36Ma，为冰湖沉积相。地层中普遍出现冻融褶皱，喜凉的介形类化石丰度很高，草本植物有小幅下降，但蕨类植物增加幅度较大，显示了干冷草原气候特征。气候干旱寒冷。     

Latest Devonian to earliest Carboniferous conodont and carbon isotope stratigraphy of a shallow‐water sequence in South China

To improve regional and intercontinental correlation of the uppermost Devonian–lowermost Carboniferous, we examined the conodont faunas and carbon isotopic records of the Tangbagou Formation in the Qilinzhai section, southern Guizhou, South China. The Tangbagou Formation is a succession of mixed carbonate–siliciclastic rocks that accumulated on a shallow‐water platform under normal marine conditions. Seven conodont zones for shallow‐water biofacies in South China, the Cl. gilwernensis–Cl. unicornis Zone, the Po. spicatus Zone, the Si. homosimplex Zone, the Si. sinensis Zone, the Si. eurylobata Zone, the Ps. multistriatus Zone and the Po. co. porcatus Zone in ascending order, are recognized in the Tangbagou Formation. Although apparently limited in its value for global correlation, this conodont zonation is more applicable to shallow‐water biofacies in South China. Carbonate samples have yielded carbon isotopic signatures consistent with those recorded in Euroamerica sections, in particular showing four distinct characteristics: (1) the peak values of Hangenberg Carbon Isotope Excursion (HICE) during the latest Devonian, (2) a minor positive shift (P1) in the Si. homosimplex Zone during the early Tournaisian, (3) a second minor positive shift (P2) in the Si. sinensis Zone and (4) the middle Tournaisian Carbon Isotope Excursion (TICE) in the middle part of the Tangbagou Formation. The similarity in peak values (~5.5‰) and magnitude of TICE for the Qilinzhai and Belgian sections indicates that the Euro‐asia δ¹³C_carb trends may reflect the changes in global mean ocean δ¹³C_DIC, rather than having been overprinted by local carbon cycling. Integration of conodont biostratigraphy and δ¹³C stratigraphy provides a powerful tool for stratigraphic correlation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Northern Qaidam Basin, NW China: Implications for the earliest Cretaceous intracontinental tectonism

Formation of Mesozoic western China, which was dominated by tectonic amalgamation along its southern margin and associated intracontinental tectonisms, holds a key for interpreting the succedent Cenozoic evolution. This paper presents new data including lithology, sedimentary facies, stratigraphic contact, seismic interpretation and paleo-structures within the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous strata in the northern Qaidam Basin, NW China. These data all account for a contractional tectonic deformation in the earliest Cretaceous. The South Qilian Shan, according to the sedimentary features and provenance analysis, reactivated and exhumated during the deformation, controlling the deposition of the Lower Cretaceous sequences. A simplified model for the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous paleogeography and tectonics of the northern Qaidam Basin is accordingly proposed. The results also support a ∼25° clockwise rotation of the Qaidam Basin since the Early Cretaceous and a more accurate Mesozoic evolution process for the basin. This earliest Cretaceous deformation, associated with the reactivation of the South Qilian Shan at the time, are part of the intracontinental tectonisms in central Asia during the Mesozoic, and probably driven by both the closure of the Mongol-Okhostk Ocean to the north and the collision of the Lhasa and the Qiangtang blocks to the south.     

On the Yangtzeconus Priscus-Archaeospira Ornata Assemblage (Mollusca) of the Earliest Cambrian of China

Yangtzeconus priscus-Archaeospira ornata, an important earliest Cambrian benthonic Assemblage of the Yangtze micromolluscan fauna, occurs mainly in the Lower Cambrian Zhongyicun and Dahai Members of the Yuhucun Formation in E Yunnan, the Tianzhushan Member （=Huangshandong Member） of the Dengying Formation in W Hubei and the Maidiping Member of the Hungchunping Formation in C Sichuan, China. About 90% of the genera of this Assemblage are unknown from the Nemakit-Daldynian and Tommotian molluscan Assemblages of the Siberian Platform, Russia. About 90% of the Siberian molluscan genera do not occur in the Zhongyicun and Dahai Members in the Meishucun section and in the corresponding beds of the Yangtze Platform, because the Tommotian molluscan Assemblage is characterizedly abundant archaeocyathids. It is clearly indicated that the Yangtze and Siberian molluscan Assemblages represent different bio- and lithofacies and ages. The age of the pre-trilobitic Yangtzeconus priscus-Archaeospira ornata Assemblage is older than that of the Nemakit-Daldynian and Tommotian molluscan Assemblages and referable to the Earliest Cambrian. Two new genera Mcnamaraconus and Zhangwentangoconus are herein proposed.     

渐新世初大冰期事件:南大西洋ODP1265站的记录

始新世—渐新世(EO) 过渡期间, 地球由两极无冰的“温室地球”进入到南极有冰的“冰室地球”, 其中以发生在早渐新世初的大冰期事件尤为意义重大.南大西洋ODP1265站氧碳稳定同位素在EO过渡期间发生重大变化, 表明早渐新世全球气温迅速下降, 南极大陆东部首次出现大规模永久性冰盖, 同时全球碳储库发生重大改组, 这一结果与全球其他地区的记录一致.碳酸盐含量、粗组分、浮游有孔虫碎壳率以及碳酸钙软泥的粒度在EO界线附近都发生了突变, 指示了海洋表层生产力的升高、碳酸盐补偿深度(CCD) 的突然加深以及气候快速变冷对生物和碳酸盐沉积的影响.      

Triploporella ? edgelli n. sp., a new Dasycladalean alga from the Lower Cretaceous of Lebanon

The Dasycladalean assemblage of the Jezzinian strata (uppermost Barremian–lowermost Aptian) of Lebanon consists of two organo‐genera and eight genera with eleven species, including eight Triploporellaceae. Although Triploporella marsicana (Praturlon, 1964) was reported by Saint‐Marc from the same interval, it is not found in our material. However, a lookalike, which is herein described as Triploporella ? edgelli n. sp., is identified. This new species has cyst‐containers within the primary segments of its laterals but, because it lacks calcified secondary segments, it is left in open nomenclature.     

最早期脊椎动物的镶嵌演化

采自云南昆明市海口地区下寒武统筇竹寺组的昆明鱼为活埋标本 ,其软躯体构造保存极为精美 ;来自同一层位的海口鱼为正常死亡后埋藏 ,除身体最后部略有腐烂外 ,整体特征保存良好。这两种鱼皆呈鱼形 ,不仅具带鳃软骨的原始头颅和比无头类简单“人”字形肌节更为复杂的双“人”字形肌节 ,而且还发育了原始偶鳍和围心腔构造 ,表明它们已演化成高等脊索动物有头类 ( Craniata)或称脊椎动物 ( Vertebrata)。另一方面 ,它们的低骨化性 (如尚未发育出真正的脊椎骨 )和生殖系统演化的滞后性 (仍具多对生殖腺 )等原始特征 ,使它们呈现典型的镶嵌演化性。