Sporopollen Assemblages from the Cretaceous Yimin Formation of the Hailar Basin,Inner Mongolia,China

Three sporopollen assemblages are recognized for the first time from the Cretaceous Yimin Formation in the Hailar Basin of eastern Inner Mongolia. They are （in ascending order）： the lmpardecispora-Aequitriradites- Clawttipollenites assemblage; the Triporoletes-Pilosisporites-Asteropollis assemblage; and the Appendicisporites- Asteropollis-Tricolpites assemblage, distributed in Members 1, 2 and 3 of the Yimin Formation respectively. Recognition of this biostratigraphic sequence is very important for the division and correlation of the Yimin Formation in the basin. Meanwhile, the age of the Yimin Formation is considered to be Barremian to Early Albian based on the palynological data.

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.

A New Juvenile Specimen of Lufengosaurus Huenei Young, 1941 (Dinosauria: Prosauropoda) from the Lower Jurassic Lower Lufeng Formation of Yunnan, Southwest China

A skull and a series of associated cervical vertebrae （ZLJ0112） discovered from the Lower Lufeng Formation （Lower Jurassic） are determined as a juvenile specimen of Lufengosaurus huenei Young 1941 based on amended autapomorphies. Differences between ZLJ0112 and the holotype （subadult specimen） are considered as ontogenetic characteristic changes of L. huenei. Since some of these differences are present in other prosauropod dinosaurs （i.e., forms of the maxillary vascular foramen are irregular; the frontal contribution to the dorsal margin of the orbit is substantial; the frontal contribution to the supratemporal fossa is absent; the supratemporal fenestra is visible in lateral view; the supraoccipital inclined at 75 degrees; the parasphenoid rostrum lies level with the occipital condyle; the retroarticular process is short; the axial postzygapophysis project caudally beyond the end of the centrum） they may be common ontogenetic changes in prosauropod dinosaurs.

Stratigraphic framework of late Paleozoic in northeastern China

Late Paleozoic strata in northeastern China are distributed in a zonal pattern around the old-land on the Jiamusi-Mongolia Block. They are composed of active deposits in the regular distributed tectonic lithofacies zones. This indicates that the late Paleozoic strata belong to continental margin deposits. According to the strong conformability of the sedimentary strata in the same continental margin and distinct differences among the three continental margins, three stratigraphical regions of the Jiamusi-Mongolia Stratigraphical Province are recognized along the northern, southern and eastern margins of the Jiamusi-Mongolia Block, named respectively as Xing＇an Stratigraphical Region, Inner Mongolia grass-Songhua River Stratigraphical Region and Baoqing-Hunchun Stra- tigraphical Region. Due to the characteristics of continental margin deposits and active sediments, the strata can be correlated on the level of formation by the methods of analysing the rock association in the same stratigraphic region. Therefore, some revisions of the lithologieal formations of the late Paleozoic strata in northeastern China have been made, and a new chart of lithostratigraphic correlation has been proposed. Furthermore, the present stratigraphic framework is setting on the International Stratigraphic Chart on the level of stage, after comprehen- sive researches to lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy, especially the conodont biostratigra- phy and isotopic ages of volcanic rocks obtained in recent years.

Late Cretaceous biota and the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K--Pg)Boundary in Jiayin of Heilongjiang,China

An international cooperative study of the Late Cretaceous biota and non-marine strata including the Cretaceous-Paleogene(K--Pg) boundary in Jiayin near the Heilongjiang River,China during 2002-2010,is summarized in this paper. The strata includes the Upper Cretaceous Yong'ancun-,Taipinglinchang-,Yuliang-zi-,and Furao formations,and the Paleocence Wuyun Formation consisting of Baoshantou Member and a Coalbearing Member. Seven palynological assemblages from Santonian to Paleocene are recognized,which is used for definition of the K--Pg boundary. Through the palynological analysis of three drilled boreholes (XHY-2005,2006,2008) in Xiaoheyan of western Jiayin,the K--Pg boundary is defined within 20. 00-20. 05 m in the borehole XHY-2006 (as a standard boundary) which is just between the top of Furao Formation (late Maasterichtian) and the base of Baishantou Member (early Danian) . These new research results are supported by paleo- magnetic,geochemical and other analyses,also. On the other hand,the presence of eight taxa of Maasterichtian dinosaurs (mostly hadrosaurids) have been recognized by the authors; and two mega-plant assemblages from the Yong'ancun Fm (Santonian) to Taipinglinchang Fm (Campanian) are confirmed. These research a-chievements indicate that the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene in Jiayin can be well correlated to the strata in the neighboring Zeya-Bureja basin,Russia. The K--Pg boundary definited in Jiayin is the first well documented non-marine K--Pg boundary in China. Also the related paleoclimate,paleoenvironment and the mass extinctions in this area during the Cretaceous-Paleocene transition are also discussed.

Recent advances on study of hadrosaurid dinosaurs in Heilongjiang(Amur) River area between China and Russia

Four main dinosaur-bearing sites have been investigated in latest Cretaceous deposits from the Amur/Heilongjiang Region ： Jiayin and Wulaga in China （ Yuliangze Formation）, Blagoveschensk and Kundur in Russia （Udurchukan Formation）. More than 90% of the bones discovered in these localities belong to hollow-crested lambeosaurine hadrosaurids： Charonosaurus fiayinensis at Jiayin, Amurosaurus riabinini at Blagoveschensk, Olorotitan arharensis at Kundur, and Sahaliyania elunchunorum at Wulaga. Flat-headed hadrosaurine hadrosaurids are much less numerous, but appear well diversified as well： Kerberosaurus manakini at Blagoveschensk, Wulagasaurus dongi at Wulaga, and a new genus at Kundur. Theropods are represented by shed teeth and isolated bones; isolated scutes and teeth discovered at Kundur are tentatively attributed to nodosaurids. Palynological studies suggest that these sites are probably synchronous with the Lancian＇ vertebrate localities of western North America, which represent the youngest dinosaur faunas in this area. However, the latest Cretaceous dinosaur assemblages are completely different in the Amur/Heilongjiang region （lambeosaurines abundant, ceratopsids absent） and in western North America （ceratopsids abundant, lainbeosaurines extremely rare or absent）. This probably reflects some kind of geographical barrier between both areas by Maastrichtian time rather than strong differences in palaeoecological conditions.

The First Discovery of the Earliest Devonian Conodont Zonal Fossil from the "Gavuu Member" in Mushgai Area of South Gobi,Mongolia

Conodont Caudicriodus woschimidti woschmidti has been found from a big outcrop (hill) of the Bayan-Kho-shuu Ruins Section which was previously assigned to the Silurian Gavuu Member of the Mandalovoo Formation. This is first time to find the lowermost Devonian conodont zonal fossil in Mongolia. The lower part of the Gavuu Member is Sil-urian. But the strata from where we collected samples M-9～M-12 definitely belong to Lower Devonian (lower Lochko-vian) rather than Lower Silurian. The Mandalovoo Formation should be named Mandalovoo Group, and its three mem-bers should be changed into three formations.

On paleoecology of carnivorous dinosaurs(Tyrannosauridae,Dromaeosauridae) from Late Cretaceous fossil deposits of Amur region,Russian Far East

Present article is on Russian Far East carnivorous dinosaur paleoecology.Described summary is based on detailed study and comparison of isolated shed teeth morphology.

Late Ordovician and Early Devonian conodonts from Onoo Tolgoi area of Mongolia

Conodont samples were collected from three localities in the Onoo Tolgoi area, Mongolia, and many conodonts have been found. Conodonts from the Onoo Tolgoi Formation （M288-M294） lack index fossils; its age could be Late Silurian. Samples from the Hutul us hudag Formation （M295-M299） contain Ozarkodina pandora alpha Morph. （ P element）, clearly indicating that this formation is Early Devonian late Lochkovian in age. Samples collected from so-called Silurian Onoo Tolgoi Formation at other localities （M300-M303） yield many Ordovician conodonts, including Icriodella baotaensis, Icriodella cf. baotaensis, Eoplacognathus fianyeen- sis, Eoplacognathus protoramosus ; Baltoniodus alobatus ; and ？ Ambalodus triangularis ; the age is Late Ordovician, more precisely, early-middle Late Ordovician.

Palynoflora of Wulaga dinosaur site in Jiayin(Zeya-Bureya Basin, China)

The palynological assemblage from Wulaga dinosaur site in Jiayin from southeastern Zeya-Bureya Basin was studied. The high content of pteridophytes spores is characteristic for this assemblage. The further characters are in decrease of abundance-tricolpate pollen, Ginkgocycadophytus, pollen of Taxodiaceae, Cupressaceae and Taxaceae (TCT), bisaccate pollen of Pinaceae, and triporate pollen. The bone-bearing burials of Wulaga dinosaur site formed under conditions of vast swampy river valley covered by ferns and taxodialeans. Tricolpate pollen, produced by plants, close to those of Platanaceae, Fagaceae, Betulaceae, and Juglandaceae, counts in favor of valley river open canopy forests.

Age of Berh Hairhan Formation of Mongolia dated by conodonts

Conodont Caudicriodus angustus angustus （Steward et al. , 1956 ） and Catuticriodus angustus cauda （Wang et al. , 2005） were found from a big limestone lens of the Berh Hairhan Formation in the place of W 150 km to Ulaanbaatar City. The discovery indicates that the Beth Haihan Formation should be assigned to Middle Devonian Eifelian Stage. This conodont fauna was from a shallow cooler water facies in the relatively high latitude.

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.

Some conifers from Aptian in Yanbian area of Jilin, Northeast China

Some well-preserved conifer leafy shoots and female cones from the Lower Cretaceous Changcai For- mation near Fudong of Helong, eastern Jilin, Northeast China are studied. Based on gross morphological and cuticular study, a new species, Elatides helongensis Sun et Zhao （ sp. nov. ） is described systematically. The new species is characterized by persistent, linear or slightly falcate leaves with obtusely acute apex, attached helically on the shoots. Female cones of the new species are terminal and oval, composed of persistent helically- arranged rhomboidal scales and erect seeds. One erect seed is growing on each scale. Leaf cuticles are hyposto- matic. Monocylic stomata are ellipse, composed of 2 sunken guard ceils and 4-8 subsidiary cells. Moreover, the cuticles of a young female cone of Pityostrobus yingchengensis Yang are described for the first time.

Sedimentological features of Cretaceous--Tertiary (K/T) boundary section along Heilongjiang River,Northeast China

The Jiayin area along the Heilongjiang River in Northeast China has attracted stratigraphic and sedimentological interests recently because the Cretaceous--Tertiary (K/T) boundary should be located in this non-marine succession.Dinosaur remains disappear suddenly at the upper part of the Maastrichtian,whereas plants gradually evolved throughout the succession.Analysis of sedimentary facies has been carried out and paleo-environments through Upper Cretaceous to lower Paleocene sections are reconstructed.Fluvial to lacustrine sedimentary environments are inferred from the facies.Several debris flow events have been identified,and it is in these deposits that the dinosaur fossils are concentrated.

Climate characteristics of the eastern Mongolian Plateau,China during the early Early Cretaceous(145-132 Ma):Palynological evidence from the Tongbomiao Formation in Well Hong-6,Hailar Basin

This study identified two palynological assemblages,namely Bayanhuasporites-Cycadopites-Protoconiferus and Cicatricosisporites-Cedripites-Perinopollenites,in the Tongbomiao Formation in the Hongqi Sag in the Hailar Basin,Inner Mongolia,China for the first time.The former is distributed in the lower part of the Tongbomiao Formation and is characterized by abundant gymnosperm pollen and diverse fern spores.Among them,the gymnosperm pollen is dominated by Paleoconifer(4.98%-31.62%)and Cycadopite(8.55%-25.23%)pollen grains and also includes other pollen grains such as Classopollis,Parcisporites,Erlianpollis,Callialasporites,and Jiaohepollis.The fern spores in the former palynological assemblage contain Bayanhuasporite(0-8.96%),Granulatisporites(0.93%-6.97%),and some important Cretaceous genera,such as Cicatricosisporites,Concavissimisporites,Densoisporites,Hsuisporites,Foraminisporis,and Leptolepidites.The Cicatricosisporites-Cedripites-Perinopollenites palynological assemblage is distributed in the upper part of the Tongbomiao Formation.Gymnosperm(77.30%),Pinaceae(31.9%),and Paleoconiferus(19.02%)pollen predominate this palynological assemblage,and Quadraeculina,Erlianpollis,and Jiaohepollis pollen are also common in this assemblage.The fern spores in this palynological assemblage include abundant Cicatricosisporites(4.29%).Besides,Concavissimisporites,Aequitriradites,and Leptolepidites are also common in this palynological assemblage.No angiosperm pollen has been found in both palynological assemblages.The identification of both palynological assemblages provides important evidence for the biostratigraphic correlation between the Hailar Basin and its adjacent areas.It also enables the reconstructions of the Berriasian-Valanginian(Early Cretaceous)vegetation and the paleoclimate on the eastern Mongolian Plateau during 141-132 Ma.The vegetation reconstructed on the palynological data of the represented by Hailar Basin in eastern Mongolian Plateau(141.6-141.4 Ma),form conifer forest or conifer broad-leaved mixed forest to conifer forest with shrubs and grassland,the climate belongs to warm temperate and warm-subtropicalt,the highest temperature is estimated to reach 35-38℃.Form 132.3 Ma,the vegetation type is conifer forest,and its paleoclimate is sub-humid warm temperate,the highest temperature is estimated to reach 24-29℃.

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.

The First Vertebrate Assemblage Dominated by Fishes and Turtles of the Jehol Biota in Jilin Province, NE China

Objective The Early Cretaceous sediments are well-exposed in southern Jilin Province,and yield abundant invertebrate and plant fossils,including the typical EosestheriaEphemeropsis trisetalis-Lycoptera（E-E-L）assemblage of the Jehol Biota（Shao Tiequan et al.,2017）.However,vertebrate fossils,especially tetrapods,are extremely rare and there is no formal documents on these fossils.Recently,a new fossil site dominated by fishes and turtles has been discovered in the middle part of the

A new member of Sphenopsida,Neolobatannularia gen. nov. from Late Triassic of western Liaoning,China

A new genus Neolobatannularia Sun et Li gen. nov. with the type species Neolobatannularia liaoningensis Sun et Li sp. nov. from the Upper Triassic Yangcaogou Formation of Beipiao, Liaoning, China, is described in this paper. The new taxon is attributed to Equisetales of Sphenopsida based on its branch with internodes, node and leaves borne in whorls on nodes. It is a new member of the Mesozoic Sphenopsida. Although the new taxon shares some morphological characters with the genus Lobatannularia Kawasaki, a genus widely distributed in the Permian Cathaysia flora in East Asia, and the genus Lobatannulariopsis Yang from the Late Triassic of southwestern China, its unique branching pattern is markedly distinguished from the two known genera. Some Triassic known species of Lobatannularia may belong to the present new genus Neolobatannularia.

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.

New material of Cordaites baodeensis Sun from Lower Permian Shanxi Formation of Baode,Shanxi

Based on the anatomical study of leaf cuticles of Cordaites from the Lower Permian Shanxi Formation in Baode of Shanxi, the author analysed the epidermal characters of Cordaites in this area. On the base of the abundant compressions and laboratory studies, the author complemented some new data of the cuticular characters of the speeies Cordaites baodeensis Sun for its study of taxonomy. Meanwhile, the author newly discovered a number of sporopollen fossils associated with the mega-plants of Cordctitales, described 9 species of 6 genera. The palynological data can provide a supplement evidence for defining the age of C. baodeensis and its associated plants to be Early Permian.