The ecological sequence of Hipparion fauna in the middle reaches of the Yellow River during Neogene

The faunal ecological type and sequence in the Tertiary red clay indicate that Hipparion fauna during the period 7.4–6.1 Ma in the middle reaches of the Yellow River is composed mainly of dorcadoides and mixed types. This represents semiarid veld environment with small fluctuation. The fossil assemblages characterized by the abundance of gaudryi types and even the occurrence of some Hominoid and Chalicotherium indicate an obviously warm and humi period since 5.3 Ma. The fossil assemblages during 3.4 Ma show the typical steppe fauna representing dry climate. It is indicated by the changes of ecological sequence that the climatic conditions in Pliocene are drier than that in late Miocene. The clay-skin content of red clay, which has a synchronous change with faunal features, is a rather good replacing palaeoclimatic index.     

Terrestrial mollusk evidence for the origin and sedimentary environment of the Late Tertiary Red Clay Formation in the Loess Plateau, China

The origin and sedimentary environment of theLate Tertiary (Neogene) Red Clay Formation in northernChina had long been controversial. A new mollusk recordfrom the Xifeng red clay (red-earth) sequence in the centralLoess Plateau provides the biological evidence for addressingquestions of its origin and environmental implication. Thestudy of composition and preservation condition of seventymollusk fossil assemblages reveals the initial ecological con-dition of the red clay formation, avoiding the effect ofpost-deposited alteration. The result shows that all of identi-fiable mollusk species are composed of terrestrial taxa, mostof them are the common species found in the overlying Qua-ternary Ioess-paleosol sequence. Most of fossil individualspreserved in the red clay strata are in living conditions basedon the investigation of fieldwork, indicating the originalpopulation. Thus, the mollusk fossil assemblages can be usedas an indicator of primary environment of the red clay for-mation. The mollusk record from the Xifeng red clay se-quence supports the view that the red clay is an aeolian ori-gin, similar to the overlying Quaternary loess deposits. Ourdata also reveal the history of environmental changes atXifeng from 6.2--2.4 Ma, which is coupled in phase with theformation and development of the Arctic ice sheets and theprocess of the Tibetan Plateau uplift. Both may be the majorcause and forcing mechanisms of the late Tertiaryenvironmental changes in the Loess Plateau.     

Deep-water Oligocene pollen record from South China Sea

Leg 184 of ODP recovered a record of deepwater sediments spanning the past 32.8 Ma from the South China Sea (SCS). The sediments of the Ofigocene (32.8-23.8 Ma) at Site 1148 contain relatively abundant fossil pollen. The pollen analysis at Site 1148 has established the first pollen assemblage sequence of deep-water Oligocene in the China Sea. The pollen assemblages of the Ofigocene are dominated by montane conifer tree pollen. The abundances of broad-leaved tree pollen are lower in the assemblages.Both of the montane conifer and broad-leaved tree pollen groups include mainly tropical-subtropical components. The pollen of cold and drought-enduring plants is present in lower content. The distinct change in pollen assemblage sequence of deep-water Oligocene of the SCS occurred at 32.0 Ma, indicative of an important shift of the Oligocene climate in the SCS region. The characteristics of the pollen flora of the deep-water Oligocene indicate the tropical montane ralnforest and lowland ralnforest developed on the areas around the SCS before 32.0 Ma, reflecting the warm and wet climatic condition. In the pollen flora of the Oligocene after 32.0 Ma, the temperate montane conifer and cool and drought-en- during deciduous tree taxa remarkably increased, indicating that the climate in the SCS region became comparatively cool and dry.     

中国北方新近纪红黏土记录的古气候意义——与动物群化石序列对比

目的研究中国北方新近纪红黏土序列的古气候演化特征。方法对中国北方4个新近纪红黏土剖面沉积物的粒度、磁化率和化石动物群时间序列进行区域对比。结果黄土高原新近纪红黏土沉积以来发生了5次大的气候事件,气候事件的分界线在粒度、磁化率年龄曲线上特征明显,反映的气候特点与化石动物群演替性质完全一致。结论中国北方新近纪红黏土序列古气候演化过程的气候事件均与青藏高原隆升和东亚季风的发展相联系。时间上,南北气候演化事件基本同步;空间上,北部较南部地区变化剧烈。5次气候事件从下到上表现为半湿润、半干旱、湿润、干旱与湿润交替、干旱的气候演化特征;相应动物群生态类型表现为草原-疏林草原、草原为主的疏林草原、森林、草原荒漠与森林交替到草原的演化特点。     

Discovery of a Late Miocene mammalian fauna from Siziwang Banner,Inner Mongolia,and its paleozoogeographical significance

The Wulanhua Fauna (~7 Ma) derives from the basal part of Late Miocene red clays in Siziwang Banner, Inner Mongolia. Chinese red clay deposits are rich in fossils of the Hipparion fauna, and are relatively widely distributed across Shanxi, Shaanxi, Henan, and Gansu provinces. The Mongolian Plateau also contains well-developed Neogene deposits, especially in central Inner Mongolia, where a sequence of mammalian faunas has been identified. The discovery of the Wulanhua Fauna provides an important indicator of the paleogeographical distribution of the Hipparion fauna, and this study also contributes to a better understanding of the climatic and environmental significance of red clays. Most forms of the Wulanhua Fauna are the same as or close to taxa within the Baode Fauna. However, some forms are slightly more derived than those of the Baode Fauna, which may indicate a slightly younger geological age of about 7 Ma. The components of the Wulanhua Fauna suggest that the habitat was a typical steppe and therefore yield direct evidence to delineate the boundary between the east and west subregions of the Late Miocene Hipparion fauna in North China.     

Seven million-year iron geochemistry record from a thick eolian red clay-loess sequence in Chinese Loess Plateau and the implications for paleomonsoon evolution

Recently, the Tertiary red clay sequence underlying Pleistocene loess has attracted much attention. The remarkable progress is the recognition that the Tertiary red clay sequence is also wind-blown in origin, thus providing a good opportunity to reconstruct long-term monsoon changes. In contrast to the loess deposits, the magnetic susceptibility and the pedogenic characteristics are almost independent of each other in the red clay, thus challenging the validity of the readily measurable magnetic susceptibility in describing the monsoon history recorded by the red clay. With the objective to address the long-term East Asia summer monsoon evolution, the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios were calculated in a continuous eolian red clay-loess sequence at Lingtai, the Chinese Loess Plateau, which has a thickness of 305 m and a basal age of 7.0 Ma. The seven million-year Fe₂O₃ ratio record from the red clay-loess sequence indicates that (ⅰ) variations of the free to total Fe₂O₃ ratios of the loess can correlate generally with the alternations of the loess and paleosol horizons; (ⅱ) the East Asia summer monsoon was stronger as a whole in Neogene than that in Quaternary; (ⅲ) the strongest East Asia summer monsoon may occur between 4.0 and 4.8 Ma. The relatively small ice volume and high global temperature may be responsible for the strong summer monsoon during the early Pliocene.     

Recent Advances in the Small Mammal Biostratigraphy and Magnetostratigraphy of Lanzhou Basin

The consensus view among geologists is that the Lanzhou Basin sequence of sediments contains the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, but where this occurs is unknown. Indeed, this is the crux of the issues concerning mid-Tertiary paleontology in Asia: what fauna corresponds with this time? What turnover events or distinctive taxa signal the beginning of the Miocene epoch? Once known, this will be of broad usefulness because vertebrate-bearing deposits are widespread in Asia and can be used to date basin sediments. Lanzhou and other basins permit a means of correlating to the time scale by using fauna and paleomagnetic data locally, and ultimately radiometric data from distant localities, to develop a precise biochronology. Herein, we summarize faunal constraints, primarily those of small mammal taxa, on correlation of the Lanzhou magnetozone sequence to the magnetic time scale. We conclude that the lower part of the Xianshuihe Formation contains the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, and that the top of the formation, both in the south and north parts of the basin, is middle Miocene in age. Rodents from lower white sand units of the Xianshuihe Formation, correlate to the Xiejia assemblage of the Xining Basin, Qinghai Province, and are early, but not earliest, Miocene age. The implication for rodent faunas of the epoch boundary is that they retained a mainly "Oligocene" composition, and that other presumed late Oligocene assemblages may be, in fact, early Miocene in age. The Lanzhou appearance of Proboscidea is 19-18 Ma, as expected.     

长江三角洲地区晚更新世晚期的孢粉特征及古环境

通过对长江三角洲地区晚第四纪沉积10多口钻井的孢粉、藻类资料分析研究，在以往较少见到化石的晚更新世晚期的硬粘土沉积中找到了能明确指示古环境的孢粉、藻类化石，发现了两种不同的孢粉组合，一种是以环纹藻Concentricystes占优势的孢粉组合，另一种是以陆生植物Pinus-Cupressaceae-Picea-Abies-Quercus（deciduous）-Grarnineae占优势的孢粉组合，证实了该层硬粘土形成期间曾经历滞水和水退的环境交替．也为探讨硬粘土成因、沉积环境提供了可靠的生物化石依据．     

Skeletal faunas from the Qiongzhusian of southern Shaanxi: biodiversity and lithofacies-biofacies links in the Lower Cambrian carbonate settings

The Xiaoyang section, located in Zhenba County of Shaanxi Province, is important both for documenting the biodiversity of the Qiongzhusian Stage (Lower Cambrian) and for analyzing lithofacies-biofacies links in carbonate depositing environments on the Yangtze Platform.The skeletal fossils from the Xihaoping Member, including linguloid valves, cambroclavid and chancelloriid sclerites, genal and occipital spines of polymerid trilobites, and tubular fossils, are described here as the Eoobolus-Cambroclavus fauna, which mainly occurred in peritidal environments.The fossils from the argillaceous limestones of the lower Shuijingtuo Formation, containing lingulate brachiopods, eodiscoid trilobites, bivalved arthropods, microdictyoniid sclerites and siliceous sponge spicules, are regarded as the Palaeobolus-Hupeidiscus-Kunmingella fauna, which presumably lived in subtidal or deeper water environments.The faunal diversity in the Xihaoping Member is lower than that in the lower Shuijingtuo Formation.The investigations of the skeletal fossil assemblages from carbonate lithofacies in southern Shaanxi will significantly contribute to a detailed documentation of the biodiversity during the Qiongzhusian interval on the Yangtze Platform and add new knowledge on the Cambrian bioradiation.     

Two new carnivores from an unusual late Tertiary forest biota in eastern North America

Late Cenozoic terrestrial fossil records of North America are biased by a predominance of mid-latitude deposits, mostly in the western half of the continent. Consequently, the biological history of eastern North America, including the eastern deciduous forest, remains largely hidden. Unfortunately, vertebrate fossil sites from this vast region are rare, and few pertain to the critically important late Tertiary period, during which intensified global climatic changes took place. Moreover, strong phylogenetic affinities between the flora of eastern North America and eastern Asia clearly demonstrate formerly contiguous connections, but disparity among shared genera (eastern Asia-eastern North America disjunction) implies significant periods of separation since at least the Miocene epoch. Lacustrine sediments deposited within a former sinkhole in the southern Appalachian Mountains provide a rare example of a late Miocene to early Pliocene terrestrial biota from a forested ecosystem. Here we show that the vertebrate remains contained within this deposit represent a unique combination of North American and Eurasian taxa. A new genus and species of the red (lesser) panda (Pristinailurus bristoli), the earliest and most primitive so far known, was recovered. Also among the fauna are a new species of Eurasian badger (Arctomeles dimolodontus) and the largest concentration of fossil tapirs ever recorded. Cladistical analyses of the two new carnivores strongly suggest immigration events that were earlier than and distinct from previous records, and that the close faunal affinities between eastern North America and eastern Asia in the late Tertiary period are consistent with the contemporaneous botanical record.     

Eolian sand deposition and its environmental significance in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

The dry climate which appeared about 8#x2013;7 Ma ago in South Asia has been interpreted as results of the intensification of Asian monsoon caused by the uplift of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau at its maximum altitude around that time. Whether it is or not, it is a critical problem. A total of 55 samples were taken from the Tertiary red earth and Quaternary lacustrine deposits and loess in the Linxia Basin which is located in the northeastern margin of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, for the analysis of quartz types and contents using electron probe microanalyzer. The results indicate that the eolian sands have existed since 15Ma and reached its maximum content at 8 and 6#x2013;5 Ma, respectively. This means that the climate was very dry during 8-5 Ma period in western China, which was regarded as the result of global climatic change at that time. Mean size of quartz sand grains was about 0.4 mm during 15#x2013;3.6/2.6 Ma period and dropped to 0.1–0.07 mm dramatically after 3.6–2.6 Ma. This demonstrates that the local eolian deposition was decreased significantly and even disappeared since Late Pliocene and was replaced by dust deposits from distal source, suggesting the uplift of Qinghai-Xizang Plateau and the change of air circulation after 3.6–2.6 Ma.     

西藏聂拉木县聂聂雄拉地区早、中侏罗世双壳类动物群

西藏聂拉木县聂聂雄拉地区，早、中侏罗世地层较发育，地层中化石属 种繁多。地层划分为下侏罗统“普普嘎组”，中侏罗统聂聂雄拉组和拉弄拉组。作者研究了该区旱、中侏罗世的双壳类动物群40多属80多种。描述双壳类化石8新种：Tancredia(T.)nyalamensis,Hiatellasubtrigona,Pronoella(P.)minima,Opis(O.)curvus,Costigeruillia tetracostata,Weyla costalliformisa,Entolium obliquus,E.subfilosus,刊出部分化石图版，简述双壳类化石组合特征。它的研究对该地区旱、中侏罗世地层划分对比，生物地理分区和动物群特征的认识都具有一定的理论与实践意义。     

Pollen evidence from Baode of the northern Loess Plateau of China and strong East Asian summer monsoons during the Early Pliocene

The red clay eolian sequence on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP) is an important archive for paleoclimate change from the late Miocene to Pliocene,and can provide significant information for the controversial problems of East Asian monsoon evolution and its forcing mechanism.In this study,we present a pollen record from Baode,northern CLP.The record shows four stages of paleoecological evolution.From 5.6-4.4 Ma,a forest steppe ecosystem developed under an extremely warm period with high seasonal precipitation.Since 4.4 Ma,a drier episode occurred,which prompted parkland landscapes to develop.During 3.5-3.05 Ma,the environment changed to a rather open steppe ecosystem with a much cooler and drier climate.After 3.05 Ma,the vegetation evolved to forest steppe.Using the percentages of arboreal plants to mirror precipitation,and comparing with other published pollen data from the CLP,we find the existence of S-N directionality of the precipitation change and high percentage of arboreal plants in the entire CLP during the Early Pliocene,which suggest the CLP was characterized by a strong East Asian summer monsoon.The strong summer monsoon corresponds well to the low global ice volume,which may illuminate global climate mechanism for the summer monsoon evolution in the early Pliocene.     

Climate indexes of phytoliths from Homo erectus'''' cave deposits in Nanjing

Many related papers have been published since the first report on the discovery of Nanjing hominid crania by Mu et al.[1]. Mu et al.[1], Xu et al.[2—4], the Tangshan Ar-chaeological Team[5] and Dong[6] have successively stud-ied the Nanjing Homo erectus?symbiotic faunas. Mu et al. and Xu et al. considered that the nature of the fauna in the Tangshan area belongs to the Oriental Realm,and this region was usually occupied by Ailuropoda-Tapirus fauna in the Pleistocene. However, the typica…     

海南森林溪流淡水鱼类区系研究

从海南岛森林溪流中采集到43种淡水鱼,分隶于5目15科38属。分布区系属东洋区、华南亚区的海南岛分区,分属五个区系复合体。其中热带平原鱼类区系复合体有25种,占51.6%,中印山区鱼类区系复合体10种,占23.2%,这与该区域形成适于鱼类栖存生态环境的地史原因密切相关。     

末次间冰期赵店动物群的地层时代探讨

报道了在山西襄汾赵店采砂场,黄土下部砂层中发现了哺乳动物群化石,并对化石出土层位的时代和古环境进行了分析.在赵店的动物群化石中除最后鬣狗和虎外,基本上与丁村动物群相同,出土层位也与丁村组相似.从化石出土层位上覆黄土古土壤序列分析,化石层与S1古土壤发育时代相当,其时代上限为距今7.5万年,当属末次间冰期,气候相对温暖湿润.     

对贵州红粘土成因的再探讨

贵州红粘土是覆盖于碳酸盐岩系地层之上,由碳酸盐岩系地层中的不溶杂质为物质来源而形成的特殊红土.岩溶作用决定了红粘土的成土早期和物质来源的特点不同于其它岩石形成的土类;岩溶残余堆积物后期又经历红土化作用,造就了红粘土的基本特征.从成土过程中的主要地质作用来讨论红粘土的成因,指出以上两个成土阶段及其相互间的联系是红粘土成因的最主要环节,并分析了成因对红粘土特性形成的控制作用.     

Magnetic characteristics and their paleoclimatic significance of Fengzhou loess in the Qinling Mountains of China

The Fengzhou loess section is very typical in the Qinling Mountains. The section, about 82 m thick and underlain by the Neogene red clay, consists of 33 layers of loess and 33 layers of paleosol. The section covers Brunnes normal polarity zone and Matuyama reversed polarity zone, and the B/M boundary is located in the middle of L₈. Matuyama reversed polarity zone records Jaramillo, Olduvai and Reunion normal polarity subchrons. The boundary between Matuyama reversed polarity zone and Gauss normal polarity zone (M/Ga) appears in the lithological boundary between loess and the Neogene red clay. Loess accumulation in Fengzhou started before 2.48 Ma. The magnetic susceptibility curve indicates 33 cold-dry and humid-warm cycles of paleoclimatic variation in the Qinling Mountains during the last 2.48 Ma. The above climatic fluctuation may be well compared with that of the oxygen isotopic records from deep-sea deposits.     

Magnetostratigraphy of Late Tertiary sediments from the Chinese Loess Plateau and its paleoclimatic significance

The Late Tertiary red clay/bed sediments underlying the Quaternary loess-paleosol in the Chinese Loess Plateau possesses high-resolution paleoclimatic changes related to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. Magnetostratigra-phy and susceptibility measurements are discussed in this paper. The paleomagnetic results show that the red clay/bed began to accumulate at about 8.1 Ma, which represents the oldest Late Tertiary deposit continuously in the central Loess Plateau. The magnetic susceptibility curves show stepwise increases since the initiation of red clay, superimposed on several peaks. Moreover, the magnetic susceptibility increased abruptly since 3.8 Ma, which probably indicates the inception of the modern East Asia monsoon system. Between 3.8 and 2.6 Ma, the stepwise increases of susceptibility may imply progressively intensified East Asia summer monsoon activity related with the stepwise uplift process of the Tibetan Plateau.     

神木邱家鄢最高阶地的年代及对中游黄河演化的指示

通过详细的野外调查,发现陕西神木邱家鄢地区存在一古河流阶地,根据该阶地上覆晚第三系红粘土推测该阶地为晚第三纪形成的。对该阶地上覆地层进行调查表明,该区晚第三纪红粘土之下存在约53米的风成砂层和河流相砂层。对红粘土和粉砂层进行古地磁测年样品的采集和测试。古地磁研究结果表明,该剖面底部的年代约在6．8 Ma左右,而红粘土与粉砂层之间的界限在6．27 Ma。根据深度－年代之间的关系,推算得出底部粉砂层的沉积速率比上部红粘土的沉积速率要快10倍以上,结合区域气候变化和构造运动历史的研究,邱家鄢剖面在（6．8－6．27）Ma之间快速沉积粉砂层的来源可能是中游黄河的河漫滩,指示了山陕峡谷段南北流向的古黄河可能在中新世晚期的6．8 Ma以前已经在该区出现。