In the Linxia Basin on the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Cenozoic strata are very thick and well exposed. Abundant mammalian fossils are discovered in the deposits from the Late Oligocene to the Early P...In the Linxia Basin on the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Cenozoic strata are very thick and well exposed. Abundant mammalian fossils are discovered in the deposits from the Late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene. The Dzungariotherium fauna comes from the sandstones of the Jiaozigou Formation, including many representative Late Oligocene taxa. The Platybelodon fauna comes from the sandstones of the Dongxiang Formation and the conglomerates of the Laogou Formation, and its fossils are typical Middle Miocene forms, such as Hemicyon, Amphicyon, Platybelodon, Choerolophodon, Anchitherium, and Hispanotherium. The Hipparion fauna comes from the red clay of the Liushu and Hewangjia Formations, and its fossils can be distinctly divided into four levels, including three Late Miocene levels and one Early Pliocene level. In the Linxia Basin, the Hipparion fauna has the richest mammalian fossils. The Equus fauna comes from the Wucheng Loess, and it is slightly older than that of the classical Early Pleistocene Nihewan Fauna. The mammalian faunas from the Linxia Basin provide the reliable evidence to divide the Cenozoic strata of this basin and correlate them with European mammalian sequence.展开更多
A new genus and species of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Auroraceratops rugosus, is reported based on material from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Gongpoquan Basin of Gansu Province, China. Auroraceratops...A new genus and species of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Auroraceratops rugosus, is reported based on material from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Gongpoquan Basin of Gansu Province, China. Auroraceratops is represented by a nearly complete skull and low jaws, and different greatly from all other neoceratopsians by its considerable breadth of the nasals, fungi form expansion of the dorsal end of the lacrimal, highly developed rugosity of the jugal, dentary and surangular, and inflated, striated premaxillary teeth. The finding of Auroraceratops adds diversity and helps elucidate the evolution of basal neoceratopsian dinosaurs.展开更多
Xifeng (西峰) oilfield was recently found in the southwest of the Ordos basin. The oil source rocks are the Chang 7 Section of Yanchang (延长) Formation. In order to study the paleoclimate that controlled the form...Xifeng (西峰) oilfield was recently found in the southwest of the Ordos basin. The oil source rocks are the Chang 7 Section of Yanchang (延长) Formation. In order to study the paleoclimate that controlled the formation of source rocks, a systemically palynological research on related beds in Yanchang Formation has been carried out. The core samples were analyzed with classical palynological techniques and the organic-walled sporomorphs from these samples were observed, identified and photographed under a light microscopy and a fluorescence microscopy. Abundant sporopollen were found in drilling cores from Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections, and two assemblages were distinguished: the Aratisporites-Punctatisporites assemblage and the Asseretospora-Walchiites assemblage. Their characteristics are similar to those of the assemblage of Tongchuan (铜川 ) Formation and the assemblage of Yanchang Formation in southeast Ordos basin, respectively. Their geological times are Ladinian of late Middle Triassic and Carnian of early Late Triassic, respectively. The correlation of palynoflora with their parent plants suggests the paleoclimate of eastern Gansu (甘肃) Province in the Middle and Late Triassic was warm and rainy with prosperous vegetation. The palynoflora indicated the area was in a temperate to subtropical zone then. Both the ecological types and differentiation degree curves of sporopollen indicated the period during Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections was warm and wet, and the phase accorded with large-scale lake transgression in Chang 8 Section and the largest lake area in Chang 7 Section. North China in Middle and Late Triassic was located in a warm and rainy, temperate and subtropi- cal zone. The palynofloras in Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections have the characteristics of North China flora, however they also indicate wetter and warmer climate due to their proximity to the large lakes. The period of Chang 8 to Chang 7 sections is the climax of the expansion of the lake, and the bloom of fresh algae during the period, which helped form the high-quality source rocks in Chang 7 Section.展开更多
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.40232023)Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KZCX2-103,RJZ2001-105)Ministry of Science and Technology of China(No.G2000077700).
文摘In the Linxia Basin on the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, the Cenozoic strata are very thick and well exposed. Abundant mammalian fossils are discovered in the deposits from the Late Oligocene to the Early Pleistocene. The Dzungariotherium fauna comes from the sandstones of the Jiaozigou Formation, including many representative Late Oligocene taxa. The Platybelodon fauna comes from the sandstones of the Dongxiang Formation and the conglomerates of the Laogou Formation, and its fossils are typical Middle Miocene forms, such as Hemicyon, Amphicyon, Platybelodon, Choerolophodon, Anchitherium, and Hispanotherium. The Hipparion fauna comes from the red clay of the Liushu and Hewangjia Formations, and its fossils can be distinctly divided into four levels, including three Late Miocene levels and one Early Pliocene level. In the Linxia Basin, the Hipparion fauna has the richest mammalian fossils. The Equus fauna comes from the Wucheng Loess, and it is slightly older than that of the classical Early Pleistocene Nihewan Fauna. The mammalian faunas from the Linxia Basin provide the reliable evidence to divide the Cenozoic strata of this basin and correlate them with European mammalian sequence.
文摘A new genus and species of basal neoceratopsian dinosaur, Auroraceratops rugosus, is reported based on material from the Early Cretaceous Xinminpu Group in the Gongpoquan Basin of Gansu Province, China. Auroraceratops is represented by a nearly complete skull and low jaws, and different greatly from all other neoceratopsians by its considerable breadth of the nasals, fungi form expansion of the dorsal end of the lacrimal, highly developed rugosity of the jugal, dentary and surangular, and inflated, striated premaxillary teeth. The finding of Auroraceratops adds diversity and helps elucidate the evolution of basal neoceratopsian dinosaurs.
基金This paper is financially supported by"Prominent Youngster in Western China" Science Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences ( No .CAS2002-404-01) and the Gansu Province Young and Middle Scientists Science Foundation .
文摘Xifeng (西峰) oilfield was recently found in the southwest of the Ordos basin. The oil source rocks are the Chang 7 Section of Yanchang (延长) Formation. In order to study the paleoclimate that controlled the formation of source rocks, a systemically palynological research on related beds in Yanchang Formation has been carried out. The core samples were analyzed with classical palynological techniques and the organic-walled sporomorphs from these samples were observed, identified and photographed under a light microscopy and a fluorescence microscopy. Abundant sporopollen were found in drilling cores from Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections, and two assemblages were distinguished: the Aratisporites-Punctatisporites assemblage and the Asseretospora-Walchiites assemblage. Their characteristics are similar to those of the assemblage of Tongchuan (铜川 ) Formation and the assemblage of Yanchang Formation in southeast Ordos basin, respectively. Their geological times are Ladinian of late Middle Triassic and Carnian of early Late Triassic, respectively. The correlation of palynoflora with their parent plants suggests the paleoclimate of eastern Gansu (甘肃) Province in the Middle and Late Triassic was warm and rainy with prosperous vegetation. The palynoflora indicated the area was in a temperate to subtropical zone then. Both the ecological types and differentiation degree curves of sporopollen indicated the period during Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections was warm and wet, and the phase accorded with large-scale lake transgression in Chang 8 Section and the largest lake area in Chang 7 Section. North China in Middle and Late Triassic was located in a warm and rainy, temperate and subtropi- cal zone. The palynofloras in Chang 8 and Chang 7 sections have the characteristics of North China flora, however they also indicate wetter and warmer climate due to their proximity to the large lakes. The period of Chang 8 to Chang 7 sections is the climax of the expansion of the lake, and the bloom of fresh algae during the period, which helped form the high-quality source rocks in Chang 7 Section.