Unique Marine Olenekian-Anisian Boundary Section from South Primorye, Russian Far East

To show paleontological characteristics of the Olenekian-Anislan boundary beds in the Russian Far East, a review of new data on the Upper Olenekian and Lower Anisian biostratigraphy of South Primorye is given on the basis of five sections： Golyi Cape, Petrovka River, Zhitkov Peninsula, Tchernyschew Bay and Atlasov Cape, using new ammonoid, brachiopod and conodont findings. The most representative ammonoid assemblage at the base of the Anisian was discovered in the Ussuriphyllites amurensis Zone （10.6 m thick） of the Atlasov Cape Section： Parasageceras sp. nov., Prionitidae gen. et sp. nov. , Ussuriphyllites amurensis （Kiparisova） （dominant）, Megaphyllites atlasoviensis Zakharov, Leiophyllites praematurus Kiparisova, Leiophyllites sp. , Ussurites sp. , Paradanubites sp. indet., Paracrochordiceras sp. nov., Prohungarites popowi Kiparisova, Arctohungarites primoriensis Zakharov, A. solimani （Toula）, Salterites sp. indet. （gigantic shell）, and Tropigastrites sublachontanus Zakharov. Conodonts Neospathodus cf. homeri （Bender） were found in the lower part of the Ussuriphyllites amurensis Zone of the Atlasov Cape. The Atlasov Cape seems to be one of the very promising sections of the Russian Far East for detailed investigation of the Olenekian-Anisian boundary.

Early Norian flora from Partizansk River Basin of Primorye, Russia

An early Norian flora from the Partizansk River Basin of Primorye, Far-East of Russia, is described in detail for the first time, in which over 25 taxa are reported. The flora is dominated by cycadoalean, bennettitalean and coniferous plants, associated with a lot of ferns and czekanowskialean plants, and with a few ginkgoalean. In floristic characteristics, the flora can be well comparable with Late Triassic Mongugai flora of southwestern Primorye and its neighboring Tianqiaoling flora of eastern Jilin, China, as well with the Yamanoi and Nariwa floras from southwestern Japan. As the plant-bearing strata are sandwiched in the lower Norian marine beds yielding marine fauna, the age of the Partizansk flora is well evidenced as the early Norian. Paleophytogeographically, the flora appears to be in the ecotone of the Medio-Triassic and Arcto-Triassic floristic regions in Eurasia, and indicates probably warm temperate or subtropic vegetation in nature. Four new species are reported in this paper, including Ctenis elegantus sp. nov, Ixostrobus pacificus sp. nov., Elatocladus elegantus sp. nov. and E. prynadae sp. nov.

Comparison of Early Jurassic flora from South Primorye of Russia with its main coeval floras of China

The Early Jurassic flora,with over 42 species of 26 genera and documented in age by sandwiched marine beds,from the Lower Jurassic Schitukhe Formation of South Primorye,Russia,is further reported.The flora is dominated by cycadophytes,ferns and conifers,with some of ginkgoales and czekanowskiales,and characterized by occurrence of Cycadocarpidium,with very rare Coniopteris.A comparison of this flora with its coeval Early Jurassic floras of China is discussed.The Russian flora is considered as the early assemblage of Early Jurassic flora,and more similar to the Early Jurassic floras from the Shansonggang-and Yihe formations of Jilin,Beipiao Formation of Liaoning,and lower-middle Guanyintan Formation of Hunan in China.

Lipovtsy flora of Razdolnaya( Suifun) River Basin,Primorye region,Russia

The Lipovtsy flora originates mostly from the synonymous Formation exposed at the coal quarries in the Razdolnaya( Suifun) River Basin in Heilongjiang Province( China) and Primorye Region( Russia). The thorough study of this flora has revealed its high diversity and abundance. One of the most prominent groups in the Lipovtsy flora is the ferns. Next in diversity are conifers( Miroviaceae,Taxodiaceae,Podozamitaceae,Taxaceae,Cephalotaxaceae). It was revealed the remarkable quantity of bennettitalean remains( 24 taxa). The main peculiarity of this flora is the appearance of first angiosperms( pollen,dispersed cuticle,leaves). The fine preservation of the cuticles from the coals allows us to research the taxonomical composition of peat-forming plants and clear main components of the swamp plant communities. These plants supplied the material for the accumulation of resinite coals on the territory of Razdolnaya River Basin were conifers Miroviaceae,taxodialeans,bennettites,as well as gleicheniaceous and cyatheaceous ferns.

Early Cretaceous flora from coal-bearing strata of Markovsky Peninsula in South Primorye,Russia

The Early Cretaceous flora from the coal-bearing strata （Ussuri and Lipovtsy formations ） in the Markovsky peninsula of South Primorye, Far East Russia, is reported in some detail in this paper. The flora containing over 80 species of about 50 genera can be divided into two assemblages. The paleofloristie characteristics and the comparisons of this flora with its coeval floras from the adjacent region of the eastern Heilongjiang of Northeast China, indicate the flora and its coal-bearing strata of the Markovsky peninsula can be compared to those of the Chengzihe and Muling formations of the Jixi area of Heilongjiang, representing probably the late Barremian and Aptian age, respectively.

Silica-Metal Spherules in Ignimbrites of Southern Primorye,Russia

A comprehensive mineralogical-geochemical and petrological study of ignimbrites from the Yakut-Gora volcanic depression （Primorye, Far Eastern Russia） revealed a wide distribution of silica-metal spherules （＂globules＂） that are typical liquid immiscibility resultant. The metallic portion of a spherule （composition varies from low-carbon iron to cohenite） borders gas pores and is rimmed by symplectite that consists of quartz, magnetite, and silica-potassic glass. This allows us to consider that the whole formation formed through reduction of the enclosing silicate melt. Abundant evidence of high reduction states of ignimbrite melts and the presence of iron carbides suggest an H2-CH4 composition of the fluidal phase in ignimbrite magmas.

Recovery of Brachiopod and Ammonoid Faunas Following the End-Permian Crisis:Additional Evidence from the Lower Triassic of the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan

After the End-Permian mass extinction, ammonoids reached levels of taxonomic diver- sity higher than in the Changhsingian by the Dienerian Substage of the Induan. However, brachiopods exhibit a prolonged delay in recovery, and their taxonomic diversity had not recovered to Late Permian levels even by the Olenekian. The differential patterns of recovery between these two clades may reflect fundamental differences in physiology and behavior. Brachiopods were benthic organisms that were dependent on specific trophic sources, and their general reduction in size during the Early Triassic may have been a response to a relative paucity of food resources. In contrast, ammonoids were sluggish- nektic organisms that utilized a wider range of trophic sources and that suffered no comparable size decrease during the Early Triassic. Brachiopods may have been at a disadvantage also due to vulner- abilities associated with their larval stage, during which they had to locate a suitable substrate for set- tlement. In contrast, ammonoids had no larval stage and juveniles may have been dispersed widely into favorable habitats. These factors may account for differences in the relative success of ammonoids and brachiopods at high-latitude regions following the End-Permian mass extinction： ammonoids success- fully reeolonized the Boreal region during the Early Triassic whereas brachiopods did not.