Palaeoenvironments and Taphonomy of Bird Fossils(Early Cretaceous) from Jehol Biota in Western Liaoning,China

Jehol Biota in western Liaoning and northern Hebei has been a hot topic of global concern,a large number of exquisite fossils were found in Yixian group Sihetun,such as Sinosauropteryx,Protarchaeopteryx, Caudipteryx and Confuciusornis.Scientists consider the discovering of Sinosauropteryx discovered so far as the earliest ancestor of birds.According to the dates of root layer,we can see warm and humid,lakes

Stratigraphy and palaeoenvironments across the Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary in the reference section (Olenek River) for eastern regions of Laptev Sea area (Arctic Siberia,Russia)

The Volgian-Valanginian succession of shallow-water deposits from the Olenek section(Anabar-Lena region,Arctic Siberia)has been studied by sedimentological and palaeontological methods.High-resolution biostratigraphy of studied interval is based on the ammonites,foraminifers,marine and terrestrial palynomorphs.Foraminiferal and palynological zones have important regional implications providing well-constrained biostratigraphy of the Anabar-Lena region.Sedimentological studies together with ecological analysis of the associations of microbenthos,microphytoplankton and terrestrial palynomorphs allow the palaeoenvironmental reconstructions for the marginal area of the Anabar-Lena palaeosea and coastal land areas.

QUATERNARY DIATOMS AND CYSTS FROM XIHU LAKE ON FILDES PENINSULA OF KING GEORGE ISLAND, ANTARCTICA AND THEIR PALAEOENVIRONMENTS

The Xihu Lake is Located on the southern Fildes Peninsula. A drill hole is 2. 6 m deep and total 102 samples were collected by Dr. Xie Youyu during 1985-1986. The samples from drill hole in the Xihu Lake contain abundant and well-preserved diatoms and Cysts (Chrysophata), 131 species and variaties of diatoms belonging to 21 genera were recognized. As a result of the detailed research on the diatom assemblages from the Xihu Lake sediments, 9 diatom assemblages were distinguished. From diatom and Cysts (Chrysophyta) data, the changes of the Palaeoenvironments and Palaeoclimate and their age are discussed.

Palynostratigraphy and palaeoenvironments around the Albian-Cenomanian boundary interval (OAEld), North Bulgaria

The palynological assemblages from two Albian-Cenomanian boundary sections in North Bulgaria are described. The samples analyzed yielded a diverse palynological content including dinoflagellate cysts and miospores. Based on dinocyst nutrient and productivity indices a phase of enhanced nutrient availability and high primary productivity is inferred for the latest Albian interval. The pronounced predominance of peridinioid dinocysts in this interval, namely O. verrucosum, O. scabrosum and especially P. infusorioides is considered to reflect eutrophic conditions. It coincides with the increased phosphorus mass accumulation occurring at the top part of the Upper Albian Dekov Formation. OAE ld is indicated in the Tolovitsa karst spring section, based on palynofacies dominated by high amounts of granular amorphous organic matter （AOM） related to anoxic environmental conditions. These sections serve as evidence suggesting a relationship between Cretaceous peridinioid cysts （including Palaeohystichphora infusorioides, Ovoidinium verrucosum, O. scabrosum） and anoxic/suboxic conditions and/or high primary productivity. The pollen spectrum inferred relatively stable vegetation patterns of surrounding continental areas during and after the AlbiardCenomanian boundary interval and the times of OAE ld formation. The hinterland vegetation integrated mainly pteridophyte spores and gymnosperms. The area was part of the Southern Laurasian floral province which was characterized by warm temperate to subtropical humid climate. Angiosperms were still minor part of this vegetation.

Siwalik plant megafossil diversity in the Eastern Himalayas: A review

The Eastern Himalayas are renowned for their high plant diversity.To understand how this modern botanical richness formed,it is critical to investigate past plant biodiversity preserved as fossils throughout the eastern Himalayan Siwalik succession(middle Miocene-early Pleistocene).Here,we present a summary of plant diversity records that document Neogene floristic and climate changes.We do this by compiling published records of megafossil plant remains,because these offer better spatial and temporal resolution than do palynological records.Analyses of the Siwalik floral assemblages based on the distribution of the nearest living relative taxa suggest that a tropical wet evergreen forest was growing in a warm humid monsoonal climate at the deposition time.This qualitative interpretation is also corroborated by published CLAMP(Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program) analyses.Here,we also reconstruct the climate by applying a new common proxy WorldClim2 calibration.This allows the detection of subtle climate differences between floral assemblages free of artefacts introduced by using different methodologies and climate calibrations.An analysis of the Siwalik floras indicates that there was a gradual change in floral composition.The lower Siwalik assemblages provide evidence of a predominance of evergreen elements.An increase in deciduous elements in the floral composition is noticed towards the close of the middle Siwalik and the beginning of the upper Siwalik formation.This change reflects a climatic difference between Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene times.This review helps us to understand under what paleoenvironmental conditions plant diversity occurred and evolved in the eastern Himalayas throughout the Cenozoic.

Lebanese Amber: A Fantastic Journey into the Time of Dinosaurs

The history of amber and its trade in Lebanon dates back to ancient times,during the Phoenician civilization.Amber in Lebanon can be found in over 450 outcrops,comprising approximately 10%of the country’s land.Some of these outcrops are Late Jurassic(Kimmeridgian)in age,while the majority are Early Cretaceous(early Barremian).The Early Cretaceous amber found in Lebanon is the oldest amber with extensive biological inclusions,making it a crucial source of knowledge regarding continental palaeobiodiversity during the Early Cretaceous period.This period is widely recognized as witnessing the first occurrence and early evolution of angiosperms,representing a critical time for the co-evolution between flowering plants and insects.In Lebanese amber,biological inclusions often serve as records of the earliest representatives of modern living insect families or the youngest ones for extinct families.

Late Miocene Woods of Taxodiaceae from Yunnan, China

Late Miocene woods were investigated from the Luhe Basin in Chuxiong Borough, central Yunnan, China. The calcified woods preserved in the Shigucun member of the Shihuiba Formation, are represented by fallen logs and stumps. Two species of fossil wood, Taxodioxylon cryptomeripsoides Schonfeld 1953 and T. cunninghamioides Watari 1948, are described. Their anatomical structure shows striking similarities to the woods of Cryptomeria and Cunninghamia respectively. That the two fossil woods are classed in the Taxodiaceae suggest a subtropical, humid, and warm environment in Lithe during Late Miocene. They compare favorably to other fossil specimens and species reported from localities ranging from Cretaceous to Pliocene. This is the first record of the presence of the species T. cryptomeripsoides and T. cunninghamioides in late Miocene of Yunnan.

Miocene Foraminifera Biostratigraphy and Interpretation North Deep Sea Block of the Congolese Atlantic Basin

This work is the subject of the biostratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental study of the North Deep Sea area of the Congolese Miocene Atlantic Basin. This study is made from samples of lateral cores, drill cuttings and electrical logs. Lithology generally exhibits an irregular alternation of weakly indurated grey clay, light grey siltstones, and whitish, quartzitic sand, medium to coarse-grained, sub-angular to rounded. The presence of glaucony indicates that sediments have been deposited in a calm and reducing environment. The entire formation is fossiliferous. Micropaleontological analysis revealed 120 species of foraminifera including 98 planktonic (81.67%) and 22 benthic (18.33%) species used for biozonation, dating and interpretation of palaeoenvironments. Similarly, the bio-events of plankton foraminiferal, characterized by the level of the first appearance of certain species, have made it possible to identify fifteen biozones (Globorotalia plesiotumida, Globorotalia merotumida, Globorotalia acostaensis, Globorotalia menardii, Globigerina nepenthes, Globorotalia siakensis, Globorotalia fohsi, Globorotalia praefohsi, Globorotalia peripheroacuta, Globorotalia peripheroronda, Praeorbulina sicana, Catapsydrax dissimilis, Globigerinatella insueta, Paragloborotalia kugleri and Globorotalia kugleri) corresponding to age between Aquitanian and Lower Pliocene. Biofacies analysis of foraminifera has identified palaeoenvironments that vary from open marine environments, bathyal to abyssal.

First report on Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Stage 4) at the stratotype area of Wulongqing Formation in Malong County, Eastern Yunnan, China

Exceptionally preserved fossils,such as those from Cambrian Burgess Shale-type fossil-Lagerstatten are critical because of their unique contributions to knowledge of the phylogenetic radiation and palaeoecological expansion of metazoans during the Cambrian explosion.Critically,these deposits provide information that is usually unobtainable from shelly and skeletonized fossils alone.The Guanshan Biota(Cambrian Series 2,Stage 4)in the Yunnan Province of South China,has produced abundant and diverse,exquisitely preserved fossils that often retain soft tissues and organs.To date,most fossils from the Guanshan Biota have been collected from localities such as Gaoloufang and Gangtoucun,which have become inaccessible due to new urban expansions and constructions of residential buildings.Here we present the first report of soft bodied fossils from a new section at Kanfuqing,close to the Wulongqing village in Malong County,approximately 3 km east of the Wulongqing Formation stratotype section.Fossils retain soft morphology,and include brachiopods with delicate marginal setae,priapulids with well-preserved sclerites and vetulicolians with entire sections of body.In addition,this fauna includes rare occurrences of trilobites preserved with soft tissues replicated as pyrite pseudomorphs after weathering.This discovery represents an important palaeogeographical extension of soft-bodied fossils of the Guanshan fauna to the east of the Xiaojiang Fault(related to Tsinning tectonic movements ca.700 Ma).The fauna from the new Kanfuqing section is similar to that reported from the Wulongqing Formation west of the Xiaojiang Fault,and thus has significant implications for early Cambrian palaeogeography,faunal successions and palaeoenvironments of eastern Yunnan.

A preliminary study on the element strata and palaeoenvironment of core NP95-1 from the Prydz Bay,Antarctica

This paper deals with the characteristics of element geochemistry of the core NP95 1 from the Prydz Bay, Antarctica and its palaeoenvironment implication. The results show that the sediments in this area were greatly affected by dissipation of ice cover, gushing of freshwater and terrigenous materials in the process of deposition, and the elements such as SiO 2,Al 2O 3,Fe 2O 3,CaO, MgO,P,S and C org in sediments have well recorded the changes of material source resulting from palaeoclimate change and the distribution patterns of these elements correspond to the palaeosedimentary environment of ocean and the variations of palaeoclimate. Climatically five periods can be roughly divided,such as warm, cold, hot, turning cold and turning warm since the late pleistocene. The turning points of temperature , which indicate the changes of climate, lie at 145 cm, 85 cm and 25 cm of the core NP95 1, and the sudden change of element content occurs at 85 cm of the core NP95 1, this layer indicating that an abnormal event happened and marking the beginning of Holocene.

Testing carbonate chemostratigraphy across differentiated ancient shallow-platform environments(Early Kimmeridgian,S Iberia)

Shallow-platform settings with marked differences in paleoplatform bottom physiography influence the degree of connection with oceanic waters and overall circulation patterns,even when sharing the same palaeoclimatic conditions.Two Kimmeridgian shallow-marine settings have been explored to test the sensitivity and reliability of carbonate chemostratigraphy to detect such differences.An integrated overview of the obtained elemental trends depicted four major facies,shared along specific stratigraphic intervals of both depositional records.Diagenesis obliterated original geochemical signals only throughout the siliciclastics-rich interval,corresponding to the most landward setting.For the remaining facies,elemental features could be attributed to the differential action of forcing mechanisms operating along the south-Iberian paleomargin during Kimmeridgian times.The highest degree of continental influence can be recognized by a strong relationship between Fe and Mn for the most proximal setting,which fades out along the mixed carbonate-fine siliciclastic rhythmic deposition in more open settings.A characteristic geochemical signature of progressively more positiveδ^(13)C values and significantly higher Sr content is identified for the interval dominated by biogenic sponge buildups.Such a local response is related to local forcing by upwelling in the surroundings of a coral fringe.The geochemical signature of a hydrothermal origin can be clearly differentiated from the influence of mere terrigenous pulses.Accordingly,the decoupling of Fe and Mn along marginal settings is the clue to detecting major events of palaeogeographic restructuring.Observed temporal variations in Mg content along both studied sections are attributed to tectonic activity influencing nearshore/coastal water masses.By integrating chemostratigraphic information and complementary evidence,the palaeoenvironmental mechanisms promoting differentiated sedimentary records along ancient subtropical,shallow,coastal settings can be disentangled.

FIRST AMMONITE AND INOCERAMID DATA FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF THE TINGRI SECTION IN SE-TIBET:BIOSTRATIGRAPHICAL AND PALAEOENVIRONMENTAL IMPLICATIONS

A section in the Zhepure Mountains near Old Tingri in SE-Tibet,ranging from the Upper Albian to Paleogene,was described in detail by Willems et al.(1996).These authors worked on the litho-and microfacies and set up the biostratigraphical framework by planktonic foraminifera.Willems et al.(1996)established their section as a standard for southern Tibet and compared it to the Gamba area.During the 2004 Tibet-expedition of Chengdu University of Technology in China,in co-operation with Bremen and Kiel universities in Germany,the locality was revisited for the purpose of collecting invertebrate fossils.This field-work included only the Upper Cretaceous part of the Tingri section and its invertebrate faunal content.Until today almost no ammonite and inoceramid data existed for this section.This is true for most Cretaceous sections in Tibet,although the Upper Cretaceous succession was interpreted as shelf environment.which in other parts of the world contains rich faunas of these macrofossil groups.The newly discovered continuous record of rare ammonites and inoceramids is probably limited since the preservation in the wacke-and packstones is poor.In addition,sampling conditions were unfavorable and the environmental conditions disadvantageous for most groups of invertebrates,as possibly indicated by larger amounts of small bivalve debris(filaments)in the upper part of the Gamba Group.Although the collected fauna is sparse and poorly preserved,the following biostratigraphical data can be added to the hitherto described microfauna:Calycoceras?from the Upper Gamba Group is Late Cenomanian in age and is accompanied by indeterminable juvenile desmoceratids.Superjacent follows a record of the ammonite Forresteria sp.,indicating that this level in the upper part of the Gamba Group belongs to the Lower Coniacian.This supports the finding of Inoceramus(Cremnoceramus)waltersdorfensis?hannovrensis?from the same interval.Anagaudryceras?is an individual ammonite finding from the Zhepure Shanbei or Zhepure Shanpo Formation,corresponding to the Santonian-Maastrichtian part of the succession.

Integrated Biostratigraphy, Depositional Setting and Geochemical Analyses for Petroleum Potential Evaluation of the Lower Cretaceous(Barremian – Albian) Strata of the Koppeh-Dagh Basin, Northeastern Iran

The lower Cretaceous rock units of the Koppeh-Dagh Basin of northeastern Iran were investigated here in terms of biostratigraphy,depositional setting and geochemical analyses to find out if they,alike other parts of the world,are rich in petroleum.For this purpose,a stratigraphic framework is established using calcareous nannofossil and palynological elements.A nannoplankton zonation based on which subzones of the zones CC7–CC8 of Sissingh(1977)and their equivalent NC6–NC8 of Roth(1978)was established indicating a Late Barremian–Albian age.Palynological assemblages led us to establish the local palynozone of Odontochitina operculata.A dominantly marginal basin to a transitional zone between shelf and basin under a dysoxic–anoxic condition with low to moderate sedimentation rates coincided with a gradual sea level rise was introduced as the environment of deposition for the strata via interpretation of the palynological parameters and quantitative palynology.The obtained data from Rock-Eval pyrolysis in compilation with palynofacies analysis reveals that the studied succession contains mainly gas-prone type III kerogen.The Spore Coloration Index(SCI)alongside with the Rock-Eval pyrolysis results(low values of HI and TOC)proves that these rock units locally produced natural gas during the time under consideration.

Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction of the Early to Middle Miocene Sequence in West Central Sinai, Egypt, as Revealed from Fossil Diatoms

A detailed analysis of the diatoms from the sedimentary sequence exposed in Abu Qada basin, west central Sinai, was used to determine the palaeoenvironmental changes during the Lower to Middle Miocene. A total of 85 diatom species and varieties belonging to 37 genera were identified from 154 samples collected throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lithological characters of the studied samples varied between sandstone, silty interbeds, sandy shales, shales, and terminated with anhydrite and limestones. These rock units are included in two lithostratigraphic formations （Rudies and Kareem）, which are separated by a marked unconformity. The distribution and preservation of fossil diatoms in the sedimentary record are examined with the aim of outlining the temporal and spatial variation in the composition of the diatom assemblages, in order to estimate the changes in depositional environments during the Lower to Middle Miocene. The distributional pattern of the recorded diatom taxa distinguished four diatom eco-zones. The environment of each eco-zone is deduced and a proposed paleobathymetric change and depositional history of the Miocene sediments in the studied area are given.

Addressing the Chengjiang conundrum: A palaeoecological view on the rarity of hurdiid radiodonts in this most diverse early Cambrian Lagerstatte

Over one hundred arthropod fossil species have been described from the famous Chengjiang Lagerst?tte(South China, Cambrian Stage 3, ca. 518 Ma) including a diverse assemblage of radiodonts–a group containing Anomalocaris and its relatives. These iconic stem-group euarthropods include some of the largest animals of the time, and some are known from hundreds of specimens. A longstanding conundrum has been the rarity or absence of hurdiids from Cambrian Series 2 Lagerst?tten like Chengjiang. This is because radiodonts are generally common in such deposits and the oldest radiodont ever discovered is a hurdiid. Furthermore, this family displays the widest geographic and temporal ranges of all radiodont families, and the highest diversity. Here we document the first hurdiid frontal appendages from Chengjiang, which display unique features within the family and may provide insights for understanding the character evolution of hurdiid appendages. The palaeoenvironmental distribution of hurdiids suggests that the rarity of hurdiids in Chengjiang may be due to a preference for deeper water environments,and the later success of this family from the Wuliuan onwards may relate to their ability to tolerate cooler water temperatures than other radiodont families. The palaeogeographical, palaeoenvironmental, and stratigraphical patterns observed in hurdiids maybe caused in part by the limited distributions of Konservat-Lagerst?tten in the Cambrian as well.

Possible relatedness between the outburst of the Diexi ancient dammed lake and ancient Chengdu’s cultural change

The Diexi ancient dammed lake is in the upper reaches of the Minjiang River.Six terraces with lacustrine sediments occur at the base.These terraces are the products of the graded outburst of the Diexi ancient dammed lake.The outburst of the ancient dammed lake would certainly have had an impact on the Chengdu Plain in the lower reaches of the Minjiang River.In this paper,on-site sampling and laboratory analysis were used to analyze the sediments of the Diexi ancient dammed lake and the Jinsha site in Chengdu Plain,and the environmental indicators of each sediment layer were tested.Through a comparative analysis of the environmental indicators in the sediments at the two locations,the following results were obtained:the palaeoclimatic and palaeoenvironmental characteristics at the two locations generally show consistent changes.The most important finding is that the types and content of the major pollen taxa at the two locations are similar.The Pinus content strongly proves that the soil layers at the Jinsha site was sourced from the upper reaches of the Minjiang River.Considering that the demise of the ancient culture at the Jinsha site occurred close in time to the outburst of the ancient dammed lake,this similarity suggests that the cultural change at the Jinsha site may have been related to the outburst of the Diexi ancient dammed lake.

Mesozoic and Cenozoic microbiotas from eastern Antarctic Peninsula: adaptation to a changing palaeoenvironment

A compiled selected literature on some groups of microfossils of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic of the James Ross Basin,eastern Antarctic Peninsula,is presented here,in order to show how the microbiota has been modified over time,triggered by environmental changes.The analyzed microfossils consist of palynomorphs(mostly pollen grains,spores,and dinoflagellate cysts),foraminifers and bryozoans.Dinoflagellate cysts and pollen-spores have been recorded in Jurassic to Pleistocene sedimentary outcrops.Dinoflagellate cysts proved to be good indicators for productivity and/or nutrient availability,surface water temperature and chemistry,the position of ancient shorelines and paleoceanographic trends.Pollen and spores allowed reconstruction of floral community and thus characterization of the climate that prevailed on the continent.Foraminifera,recovered from the Lower Cretaceous to the Pleistocene sedimentary rocks,provided information about the bathymetry,showing different marine settings(e.g.,coastal,inner neritic,outer neritic,upper bathyal)in different localities.The bryozoan record is restricted to the Cenozoic.Their colonial growth-forms reflect several environmental conditions such as shallow waters with a low rate of sedimentation,hard substrate and moderate or strong current action for the analyzed localities.The study of the Antarctic ecosystems based on the fossil microbiota and their response to the climate and the continental configuration changes,allowed understanding of the composition and dynamics of the polar environments,which have an important role in the Earth climate.

Palaeodiet of Miocene Producers and Depositional Environments:Inferences from the First Evidence of Microcoprolites from India

This paper reviews research on coprolites from India,providing the first evidence of microcoprolites from the early Miocene(Aquitanian)Khari Nadi Formation sedimentary succession,exposed about 1.5 km northeast of the village of Kotada,Kachchh(Kutch)District,Gujarat State,western India.Morphometric and size comparisons(in a statistical framework)with known coprolites from the Mesozoic-Cenozoic successions of India(including those recorded herein)and globally suggest that fishes were the likely producers of the Kotada coprolites.Scanning electron microscopy confirms the presence of fish dental remains within the coprolites,while both Scanning Electron Microscopy(SEM)and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy(EDS)reveal the phosphatic nature of the microscopic coprolite specimens(recorded herein)hinting that the producer(s)were predominantly carnivorous(ichthyophagous)in their diet.Furthermore,X-Ray Fluorescence(XRF)analysis of the host and associated lithologies allows us to deduce that the Kotada coprolites were deposited in a shallow marine environment,with possible aerial exposure of the host lithology occurring at some point after deposition.To the best of our knowledge,the present report is the first record of microscopic fish coprolites from India,as well as being the first from the Aquitanian of India and the oldest Neogene record from India.

Fossil Fish Teeth in Phosphatic Series of Jebel Dyr (Algerian-Tunisian Border Area)

The Thanetian phosphatic series of Jebel Dyr syncline, northeastern Algeria, are analyzed for their paleontological content. Materials were concentrated by sample washing and outcrops surface collecting of friable phosphorites facies, yielding a multitude of phosphatised fish teeth rich in species of variable morphology, representing 28 species of Elasmobranchii. The fish fauna indicates tropical to temperate paleo-environmental conditions. Most of the species represent benthic/nektonic forms of coastal areas with neritic and midwater depths of the continental slope.

Palynological Assemblage Age and Palaeoenvironment of the Cretaceous Salt-bearing Strata in Laos and Yunnan,China

The study of Cretaceous-Palaeogene salt-bearing strata of the Khorat Basin Laos and the Lanping-Simao Basin in Yunnan,China has an great significance not only in explaining the basin evolution and the genesis of potash