Exploring the first occurrence of Scincomorpha lizard from Nenjiang Formation(lower Campanian)of Jilin,Northeast China:a follow-up study

In a region where lizard fossils are rare,this study explores a groundbreaking discovery of squamate lizard materials from the upper part of Nenjiang Formation(early Campanian)in Jilin Province,Northeast China.Despite the fragmentary nature of the dentaries,they exhibit distinct tooth morphological characteristics of squamate lizards,suggesting insectivorous and omnivorous diets for these small reptiles.This finding not only represents a significant addition to the squamate lizard fossil records from the Late Cre-taceous in Northeast China but also contributes to our understanding of the paleogeographic distribution of squamate lizards.Furthermore,it sheds new light on the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Cretaceous Songliao Basin.

Evolution features of in-situ permeability of low-maturity shale with the increasing temperature,Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation,northern Songliao Basin,NE China

Temperature-triaxial pressure permeability testing at the axial pressure of 8 MPa and confining pressure of 10 MPa,closed shale system pyrolysis experiment by electrical heating and scanning electron microscopy analysis are used to study the evolution mechanism of in-situ permeability in the direction parallel to bedding of low-maturity shale from Member 2(K_(2)n_(2))of Cretaceous Nenjiang Formation in northern Songliao Basin with mainly Type I kerogen under the effect of temperature.With the increasing temperature,the in-situ permeability presents a peak-valley-peak tendency.The lowest value of in-situ permeability occurs at 375℃.Under the same temperature,the in-situ permeability decreases with the increase of pore pressure.The in-situ permeability evolution of low-maturity shale can be divided into 5 stages:(1)From 25℃to 300℃,thermal cracking and dehydration of clay minerals improve the permeability.However,the value of permeability is less than 0.01×10^(-3)μm^(2).(2)From 300℃to 350℃,organic matter pyrolysis and hydrocarbon expulsion result in mineral intergranular pores and micron pore-fractures,these pores and fractures form an interconnected pore network at limited scale,improving the permeability.But the liquid hydrocarbon,with high content of viscous asphaltene,is more difficult to move under stress and more likely to retain in pores,causing slow rise of the permeability.(3)From 350℃to 375℃,pores are formed by organic matter pyrolysis,but the adsorption swelling of liquid hydrocarbon and additional expansion thermal stress constrained by surrounding stress compress the pore-fracture space,making liquid hydrocarbon difficult to expel and permeability reduce rapidly.(4)From 375℃to 450℃,the interconnected pore network between different mineral particles after organic matter conversion,enlarged pores and transformation of clay minerals promote the permeability to increase constantly even under stress constraints.(5)From 450℃to 500℃,the stable pore system and crossed fracture system in different bedding directions significantly enhance the permeability.The organic matter pyrolysis,pore-fracture structure and surrounding stress in the different stages are the key factors affecting the evolution of in-situ permeability.

The first occurrence of Scincomorpha lizard from Nenjiang Formation(lower Campanian)of Jilin,Northeast China

Fossil lizards are scarce in Jinlin Province,with only two jaws of Middle Eocene Acrodonta.Here the authors report the first scincomorph lizard materials from the early Campanian Nenjiang Formation in Nong’an,Changchun,Jilin Province.Three tooth morphologies of scincomorph lizards represented by fragmentary dentaries are tentatively identified as Scincomorpha.The morphology of the crowns indicates probably the insectivorous and omnivorous diets of these small lizards.It is the first lizard fossils discovered in the Late Cretaceous of Northeast China,extends the known paleogeographic distribution of scincomorph lizards,and provides new information about the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of the Cretaceous Songliao Basin.

Sedimentary filling and sequence structure dominated by T-R cycles of the Nenjiang Formation in the Songliao Basin

The Nenjiang Formation in the Songliao Basin is a symmetrical sequence of progradation-retrogradation,and is formed in the transgression cycle and regression cycle(T-R cycles)of the base level of deposition.We analyzed the drilling,well logging,core data,and seismic profiles of basin level,and by using the sequence stratigraphy,identified one secondary sequence boundary,two third-order sequence boundaries,and eight fourth-order sequence boundaries in the Nenjiang Formation.These eleven sequence boundaries can be divided into structural unconformity,depositional unconformity,flooding surface,and forced regression surface.Therefore the Nenjiang Formation can be subdivided into one secondary sequence,three third-order sequences,and ten fourth-order sequences.We have restored the sedimentary filling evolution within the stratigraphic framework of fourth-order sequences in the Nenjiang Formation.The sedimentary period of the first member of the Nenjiang Formation was corresponded to the global transgression period,which is also the development period of transgression cycle(T cycle),when the lake basin had the largest scope and deepest sedimentary water,the SB07(the maximum flooding surface)was formed on the top of strata during this period;covering above the SB07,there developed a set of condensation layer-oil shale,which is distributed in the whole basin and is the important source bed and regional cover.Therefore,a retrogradation sequence was formed in the T cycle of the first member of the Nenjiang Formation,characterized by the retrograding delta at a low angle.The delta has a giant front,a small plain,and many underwater distributary channels.Meanwhile,large gravity flow channels and sublacustrine fans are developed in the front of the delta.During the depositional period of the second member of the Nenjiang Formation,the R cycle began to develop due to the compression of the pacific tectonic domain;the source direction rotated 90°along with the eastern uplifting of the basin,and formed a series of east-west prograded and forced retrogradations.The prograding delta at high angel was developed in the interior of the sequence;the delta had a small front,a giant plain,and fewer underwater distributary channels,with the collapse at the foreslope,forming a series of slump fans.The slump fans can be divided into three types:discrete type,superimposed type,and fluid type.We built a whole"triad model"of the slump fan.Pointed out that the sequence of forced retrogradation formed by R cycle is a good structural mark of basin optimization,and rejected the viewpoint of"transgression"in the Nenjiang Formation of the Songliao Basin.

Clay mineralogy of the first and second members of the Nenjiang Formation, Songliao Basin: Implications for paleoenvironment in the Late Cretaceous

The first and second members ofthe Nenjiang Formation （K2n1＋2） in the Songliao Basin, northeast China, are an interval of dark-colored mudstone. Paleoenvironmental studies of these strata are useful for understanding the terrestrial environment under a greenhouse climate and hydrocarbon accumulation in lake basins. In this study, clay mineralogy of the K2n1＋2 from four borehole or outcrop sections is investigated to understand terrestrial paleoenvironment during the depositional period in the Late Cretaceous. In the mudstone samples, smectite and illite are the predominant clay minerals, and were derived from weathering of parent rocks in a temperate, sub-humid to sub-arid climate; kaolinite and chlorite are minor clay species. The difference in the clay-mineral assemblages between the eastern and western margins of the basin was primarily controlled by provenance lithology, and the high smectite content in the western basin resulted from alteration of volcanic rocks exposed in the Greater Xing＇an Range area. The increasing illite content and ratio of illite/smectite percentages in the upper part of the first member of the Nenjiang Formation indicate paleoenvironmental change. This temporal change in the clay-mineral composition was primarily caused by a regionally cooler and drier paleoclimate, consistent with previous paleoenviroumental reconstructions.