Jurassic-Cretaceous Boundary Strata of the Somanakamura Group in NE Japan and their Correlation with Coeval Terrestrial Deposits in China

Defining the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary is a controversy in stratigraphic study of the world. It has been widely accepted that this boundary can be defined at the bottom of Berriasian in Tetbys, with the appearance of the ammonite Berriasellajacobi dating to ca. 145 Ma. However, it is difficult for the widespread terrestrial deposits in China to correlate with the international standard of marine facies. The Somanakamura Group in Japan is represented by a succession of marinecontinental transitional strata. It provides a bridge of marine and nonmarine stratigraphic correlation. The ammonite and radiolarian fossils preserved in this group suggest an age from Bajocian to early Valanginian. The J-K boundary was defined in or atop the Tomizawa Formation of the group according to the ammonite data. The present authors study the fossil spores and pollen newly found from the Tomizawa and Koyamada formations. Three assemblages have been recognized. They are Assemblage 1 （Cyathidites-Classopollis） from the upper part of the Tomizawa Formation, Assemblage 2 （Cyathidites-Jiaohepollis） from the lower part of the Koyamada Formation, and Assemblage 3 （Cyathidites-Spheripollenites-Ephedripites） from the middle to upper part of the Koyamada Formation. With the reference of ammonite evidence, the J-K boundary can be defined between Assemblage 1 and Assemblage 2. This palynological J-K boundary can be correlated with that of terrestrial sequence in China. However, local biostratigraphy imply that the continental J-K boundary in China is of 135 or 137 Ma age. It has a considerable discrepancy from the marine standard. Biogeographically, the distribution pattern of spores and pollen in southern China is in accordance with that in the Somanakamura Group, which parallels the Tuchengzi Formation in northeastern China. By the palynological correlation between the Somanakamura Group and the strata in southern China, and then with the sequence in northeastern China, it is suggested that the continental J-K boundary is located in the Tuchengzi Formation.

Jurassic-Cretaceous Stratigraphy of Malaysia

In Peninsular Malaysia, the Jurassic-Cretaceous sequences are represented by continental deposits in several isolated basins. Generally, the sequences are characterised by the fining upward sequences, comprising reddish brown to red siltstone, sandstone and conglomerate often interpreted as molasse sequences. In Sabah and Sarawak, the Jurassic-Cretaceous sequences are represented by the marine deposits comprising argillaceous, some arenaceous and calcareous rocks and associated chert, lava, and pyroclastics.

Comparison of the Palaeomagnetic Parameters of Non-Marine Jurassic-Cretaceous Boundary Sediments in Dorset(SW England),Hebei and Liaoning(NE China)—A Preliminary Study

The Purbeck beds in Dorset, the Tuchengzi Formation in western Liaoning Liaoning Province or the Houcheng Formation in northern Hebei Province are non-marine Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary sequences. A Czech-China Inter-Governmental S&T Cooperation Project has been carried out to search for the non-marine J/K boundary in northern China and making international correlation with the Purbeck beds in southern England. The combination of palaeomagnetism and biostratigraphy in northern China and southern England localities proves that these distant places had similar climatic conditions and the same fauna during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. A preliminary joint research has shown a fruitful result in searching for the non-marine J/K boundary in northern China.

Sequence stratigraphy of Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary strata in Luanping, Northern Hebei, China

A sediment-continuous section of Jurassic-Cretaceous (J-K) boundary strata was found in Zhangjiagou of Luanping, northern Hebei Province, China. The boundary strata were systematically divided into 5 sequences, 13 subsequences and 139 parasequences by sedi-mentary cyclicities and facies analysis. According to stable time-ranges of subsequences and parasequences, some boundary ages can be marked as 142.90 Ma of the SQ I (Dabeigou Fm) basal bound , 141.16 Ma of the SQ II basal bound, 140.00 Ma of the SQ III (Dadianzi Fm) basal bound, 138.24 Ma of the SQ VI (Zhangjiagou Fm) basal bound and 135.34 Ma of the SQ V (Zhangjiagou Fm) top-bound. A sequence-stratigraphic framework of the Dabeigou- Zhangjiagou Fms has been constructed by tracing sequence-bounds, marker-beds and fossil zones. The ba-sin-development and tectonic activities are studied based on sequence-stratigraphic evidence. 5 sequences represent 5 tectonic cycles and all the 6 sequence-bounds reflect tectonic activities. Tectonic activities clearly influence the basin-development that can be divided into 3 stages in the J-K transitional period. Each stage consists of a down-faulting-rising process, i.e. from strongly rising of basin-bottom, then violently faulting down (with volcanic eruptions) and to gently rising. The development shows a pattern of bottom down-faulting with basin narrowing and rising with spreading.

Prophaenognatha,a New Aclopinae Genus from the Yixian Formation,China and Its Phylogenetic Position Based on Morphological Characters(Coleoptera:Scarabaeidae)

Prophaenognatha robusta gen.et sp.nov.(Scarabaeoidea:Scarabaeidae:Aclopinae),the best-preserved aclopine fossil so far,is described and illustrated from the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Yixian Formation of the Jehol Biota,western Liaoning Province,NE China.The key to extinct and extant genera of Aclopinae is given and the monophyly of extant and fossil Aclopinae lineages is supported by five character states.The new taxon provides evidence about the evolution of Scarabaeoidea with its phylogenetic position inferred based on 68 morphological characters.

A Mesozoic Pompeii: History of the Jehol Biota's Rise and Fall

The Jehol fauna was initially represented by a bony fish, concostracan and an insect, as a Lycoptera davidi-Eosestheria-Ephemeropsis trisetalis association,but since the researches of recent decades, the Jehol Biota is now completely different from the past low-diversity, and encompasses a native terrestrial biota that includes many well-preserved vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. There are more than 20 important biological categories, thousands of taphonomically unusual fossils, especially noted for the wide variety of biological tissues. The Jehol Biota has caused a sensation in the world with its wide distribution, large quantity, great variety, fine preservation and detailed information, which records the rise and fall of the numerous taxa, and provides significant evidence for three origins： of birds, eutherian mammals, and angiosperms. The Jehol Biota is a highlight of basic scientific research in China, and we honor it as a world-class fossil treasury and ＂a Mesozoic Pompeii＂.

Age Assignment of the Lycoptera- bearing Bed

In the Yanliao area, the occurrence of the Nestoria-Keratestheria fauna and the Eoparacypris- Luanpingella-Darwinula assemblage in the Dabeigou Formation s.s., a Rb-Sr isochron age of 145.2 Ma for the Baiqi Formation and a complete stratigraphic sequence-all this proves that the Lycoptera-bearing bed overlies the Upper Jurassic. The Jehol fauna comprises the primitive Trigonioidids fauna, Eosestheria fauna, Lycoptera fauna et al., and their own laws of evolution expound that they belong to Cretaceous faunas. The associations of Eosestheria with Yanjiestheria, Lycoptera with Eosestheria, and Kuntulunia with Yanjiestheria as well as the occurrence of early angiosperms and sporo - pollen in the Fuxin Formation and its equivalents also demonstrate that the Lycoptera-bearing, bed should be assigned to the Cretaceous. The confirmation of the existence of Aucellina in the Jixi Group and the correlation of Trigonioidids and Cypridids with those in the equivalent strata of Japan and Western Europe have also been verified by corresponding marine strata. According to the magnetostratigraphic data from Zhejiang and Songliao, it has been preliminarily ascertained that M0 between the mixed polarity zone in the lower part and the normal polarity zone in the middle part of the Cretaceous is located in the upper member of the Huangjian Formation of the Jiande Group and the top member of the Denglouku Formation of the same group, and the isotopic age data of the Jehol and Jiande Groups show that the approximate geologic age of the Lycoptera bed is 135-122 Ma. These prove that the Lycoptera bed should be assigned to the Cretaceous.