Discovery of a Miaohe-type Biota from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation in Jiangkou County, Guizhou Province, China

A megascopic algal fossil assemblage was first discovered by Ma Guogan and Chen Meng‘e in the black shales of the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation in Miaohe Town, Zigui County, Hubei Province in 1978. Formal naming of the Miaohe Biota was proposed by Cheng Meng‘e and Xiao Zongzheng in 199112j, and eleven morphological genera have been previously described. including megascopic algae and putative metazoans .Ding et al. greatly expanded the scope of the Miaohe Biota to 9 phyla consisting of 140 genera, including microphytoplanctons, megascopic algae, metazoans, spongesand trace fossils. Xiao et al. further restudied this fossil assemblage, concluding that only about 18 distinct taxa could be recognized and that many Miaohe taxa are poorly defined or svnonvmous.     

Discovery of organic connection of Chiropteris Kurr and Nystroemia Halle from Early Permian of western Henan, China

Nystroemia reniformis (Kawasaki) comb. nov. is proposed based on specimens showing organic connections between Chiropteris reniformis Kawasaki and Nystroemia pectiniformis Halle from the Lower Permian of Dengfeng in Henan. Vegetative leaf has a long petiole, reniformed, cordate at the base, entire or slightly undulate at the margin;veins are fine, bifurcating repeatedly and finally becoming reticulate and forming polygonal or rhomboidal meshes.Fertile shoot arises from bract axils. The form of the bract is identical to that of a vegetative leaf. Ovuliferous organ arises from the axU of leafy organ, or in other ease, both ovulfferous and leafy organs irregularly arise from the axis of the fertile shoot respectively. Numerous bicornute platyspermic seeds are arranged in two rows, obconical, with micropyle pointing upwards. It may represent a new extinct gymnosperms.     

Ages and tectonic significance of the collision-related granite porphyries in the Lhunzhub Basin, Tibet, China

The Paleocene collision-related granite porphyries are identified for the first time along the western margin of the Lhunzhub Basin, Tibet. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon analysis indicates that the granite porphyries were emplaced at 58.7±1.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.79) during the Indo-Asian continental collision. The granite porphyries are peraluminous and high in K, belonging to the calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline series. They are relatively enriched in LILE, Th and LREE and depletion in Ba, Nb, P and Ti, characterized by LREE-enriched patterns with slightly to moderately negative Eu anomalies. These Paleocene granite porphyries are interpreted as the products generated by partial melting of the pre-existing arc crustal rocks caused by the increase of pressures and temperatures during the crustal shortening at the early stages of the Indo-Asian continental collision since 65 Ma. Despite inherited geochemical features and tectonic settings of the arc protoliths, they are significantly different from the volcanic rocks of the Dianzhong Formation within the Linzizong Group and the Miocene granite por- phyries in the Gangdise belt.     

Paleoceangraphic significance of redox-sensitive metals of black shales in the basal Lower Cambrian Niutitang Formation in Guizhou Province, South China

TheLowerCambrianblackshalesequenceoccursinSouthChinaalonganarc parallellinearbeltex tendingmorethan 16 0 0km .Theseorganic richblackshalesformedinvariousmarineenvironmentsandtypicallycontainhigheramountsofmolybdenum ,nickel,vanadium ,andanumberofothereconomical lyimportantmetalsthandoanyothersedimentaryrocks[1,2 ] .Therefore ,thestudyoftheseblackshaleshasnotonlypaleoceangraphicimplicationbutalsoe conomicsignificance .Marinesedimentssuchasblackshalearecom plexmixturesofdetritalphasesandseawat…     

Discovery of eclogite and its geological significance in Qiangtang area, central Tibet

Eclogites have been found in the margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau respectively since the 1990s. First Eocene eclogite from Himalayan belt was discov- ered in Kaghan valley, northern Pakistan in 1991, in which coesite was identified[1,2]. Then two eclog…     

Discovery of Late Carboniferous strata and their tectonic significance in the southern margin of the North China Block （Huoqiu and Gushi areas）

Late Carboniferous fossils （such as Boultonia？ sp., Tabulata, and spiriferoid specimens with smooth she/Is）, bioclastic material （such as crinoid stems and sponge fragments）, and Late Ordovician microfossils of the conodont Belodina have been discovered in the lower part of the strata typically referred to as the Neoproterozoic on the boundary of the provinces of Anhui and Henan in the southern margin of the North China Block. These findings prove that the strata contain macrofossils belonging to the Late Carboniferous, which belonged to a carbonate debris flow deposit that was formed under a carbonate slope environment. The conodont fossils might belong to a detrital deposit. Thus, it is possible to reset the stratigraphic sequences and tectonic attributes belonging to the North Huaiyang tectonic belt and limit the Shouxian fault to the boundary between the Dabie Orogen and North China Block.     

Hf isotopes of the 3.8 Ga zircons in eastern Hebei Province, China： Implications for early crustal evolution of the North China Craton

Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that the fuchsite quartzite in eastern Hebei Province was derived from weathering and erosion of the 3.6-3.8 Ga granitic rocks. In-situ zircon Hf analyses show that the Lu-Hf isotopic system remained closed during later thermal disturbances. Zircons with concordant ages have Hf isotopic model ages of about 3.8 Ga, suggesting a recycling of this ancient crust. The -3.8 Ga zircons have similar Hf isotopic compositions to those of chondrite, indicating that their source rocks （granitic rocks） were derived from partial melting of the juvenile crust which originated from a mantle without significant crust-mantle differentiation. Therefore, it is proposed that there was no large-scale crustal growth before -3.8 Ga in eastern Hebei Province. Considering zircon Hf isotopic data from other areas, it is concluded that the most ancient crust in the North China Craton probably formed at about 4.0 Ga, and the possibility to find crust older than 4.0 Ga is very limited.     

Discovery of phosphatized gastrula fossils from the Doushantuo Formation, Weng’an, Guizhou Province, China

Globular fossils from Doushantuo phosphorites at the Weng’an area are for the first time identified as a gastrulation stage of phosphatized embryos. They are got from the fossiliferous remains after acetic acid maceration. The fossils are found together with formerly reported animal resting eggs and embryos of the earlier cleavage stage. The oblate-shaped fossils with the same size as those reported embryos and invaginate at the middle part into the embryos, show the characteristics of the late blastula to the early gastrula stage of the embryo development. This discovery convinces the existence of animal embryos at Doushantuo age and offers new facts for the studying of the affinity of related fossils, which are still controversial at present.     

Discovery of the Early Paleozoic post-collisional granites in northern margin of the Erguna massif and its geological significance

The Luoguhe intrusion, located in Mohe County, Heilongjiang Province, is mainly composed of monzogranite, quartz diorite and granodiorite, with minor diorite, tonalite, quartz monzodiorite, quartz monzonite, syenogranite and alkali-feldspar granite. The intrusion can be divided into two iithological units, i.e. quartz diorite and monzogranite units, with affinities to high-K caic-alkaline series. The quartz diorite unit （SiO2： 54.79%-58.30%, Na2O/CaO： 0.79-1.53 and Shand index： 0.77-0.82） belongs to metaluminous rocks. And the monzogranite unit （SiO2： 65.29%-66.45%, Na2O/CaO： 1.73-3.43 and Shand index 〈1.05） can be considered as weakly peraluminous rocks. The intrusion is characterized by high REE abundance （∑REE = 180.2-344.3μg/g）, medium-strong negative Eu anomalies （δEu = 0.33-0.82）, weak REE fractionation [（La/Yb）N = 4.12-10.45], enrichments in Rb, Th, U, K, La, Ce, Nd, Hf, Zr and Sm, but strong depletions of Ba, Nb, Ta, Sr, P and Ti. These characteristics of major, REE and trace elements indicate that the intrusion was formed in a transitional tectonic setting from compressionai to extensional regime, which can be classified as post-collisional granitoids. SHRIMP U-Pb zircon analyses yield ages of 517±9 and 504±8 Ma for the quartz diorite and monzogranite units, respectively. The discovery of Early Paleozoic post-collisionai granites in the northern margin of the Erguna massif indicates that the northern branch of Paleo-Asian Ocean between Siberian plate and Erguna massif was closed in the Early Paleozoic and the Salair orogeny ended ca. 500 Ma ago.     

Variations of geochemical compositions and the paleoclimatic significance of a loess-soil sequence from Garzê County of western Sichuan Province, China

The West Sichuan Plateau is located in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, where the climate is mainly influenced by the Indian southwest summer monsoon and the Tibetan Plateau monsoon. In this study, detailed geochemical analysis has been carried out on Ganzisi loess-paleosol sequence in Ganzê County of western Sichuan Province. The results indicate that Ganzê loess and paleosol have experienced the incipient stage of chemical weathering in dust source regions, characterized by the decomposition of plagioclase which caused the depletion of mobile elements Na and Ca. The post-depositional chemical weathering is characterized by carbonate dissolution and oxidation of Fe2＋. The variations of some geochemical indexes （such as CIA values, Na/K and Fe2＋/ Fe3＋ ratios） in Ganzisi loess-paleosol sequence indicate a gradually decreased chemical weathering intensity in the dust source regions and deposition areas since 1.15 Ma BP consistent with the general increase of global ice volume, reflecting that the arid trend since 1.15 Ma BP in the southeast Tibetan Plateau is a regional response to the global climate change. The geochemical indexes in this section also reveal an obvious drying step occurred at about 250 ka BP in this region. We interpret this drying step as a result of decreased influence of the Indian southwest summer monsoon. This decrease in monsoon moisture is probably attributable to the uplift of the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau at about 250 ka BP.     

Geochemical characteristics of Jurassic coal and significance for the evolution of the environment, Yanqi Basin, China

The Mesozoic strata of the Yanqi Basin consists of coarse debris with coal beds, characterized by the developments of coal seams of the Jurassic sediments whose main petrologic contents are glutenite, fine sandstone, mudstone, carbonaceous shale and coal. Based on the analyses of the minerals, trace elements and REEs, we try to find geochemical characteristics of the coal seam formation process. The analysis results indicate that the contents of ash and sulfur are low while the content of phosphor is comparatively high, and that the specific value of Al2O3/SiO2 is relatively high and that of （Al2O3+SiO2）／（Fe2O3+CaO+MgO） is near 1. All these results indicate that the coal seams are formed in the relatively deep marsh, which is favorable for the evolvement of hydrocarbon at the diagenesis stage.     

Dinosaur eggs and dinosaur egg-bearing deposits （Upper Cretaceous） of Henan Province, China： Occurrences, palaeoenvironments, taphonomy and preservation

The Upper Cretaceous dinosaur egg-bearing deposits in Henan Province, central China are divided into three formations in ascending order: Gaogou, Majiacun and Sigou. The Gaogou Formation belongs to alluvial fan deposits containing the fossil dinosaur egg assemblage of Faveoloolithus, Dendroolithus, Dictyoolithus, Paraspheroolithus and Longiteresoolithus. The Majiacun Formation is interpreted as braided stream to meandering stream deposits with assemblage of Ovaloolithus,Paraspheroolithus,Placoolithus,Dendroolithus,Prismatoolithus, rare Youngoolithus and Nanhiungoolithus. The Sigou Formation is shallow lacustrine/palustrine to low-sinuosity river sedimentary rocks with assemblage of Macroolithus,Elongatoolithus, Ovaloolithus and Paraspheroolithus.To date, 37 oospecies, 13 oogenera and 8 oofamilies of dinosaur eggs have been distinguished. Autochthonous dinosaur eggs are preserved in the floodplain deposits, whereas allochthonous and parautochthonous dinosaur eggs are preserved in the alluvial fans. This suggests that river floodplains are the best environments for the preservation of numerous autochthonous dinosaur eggs. The preservation of most dinosaur eggs in brown to red calcic palaeosoils, muddy siltstones or mudstones suggests that the paleoclimate of the nesting area was semiarid. The presence of gray and green mudstone and coal layers, however, indicates that there existed an ephemeral subhumid climate during the middle and Late Cretaceous. It is suggested that such a climate was favorable for the development of meandering streams in a vegetated environment.     

Discovery of the superlarge gallium ore deposit in Jungar, Inner Mongolia, North China

Gallium, Ge, V, and U are the associated valuable elements in coal. From the 1950s to the 1970s, some researchers in the departments of coal industry and mineral resources of China investigated these elements in coal during geological explorations. The enrichment mechanism and the environmental influence of trace elements in coal have been deeply studied in recent twenty years. With respect to the ore-forming theories and practical utilizations of metals in coal, germanium was furthest studi…     

Research on the disappearance causes of the Tenghualuo Site in Lianyungang,Jiangsu Province, China

With brilliant civilization during the transitional period from a original clan society to a state society in prehistory,the Neolithic Tenghualuo Site in Lianyungang was discovered by archaeological survey in 1989,which was titled as‘one of the nation’s ten great archeological discoveries in 2000’.However,the transgression and the anthropogenic environment deterioration have ever been employed to explain the abandonment of the site.Based on a dynasty framework established by the 14 C dating,and using the experimental methods such as micro-paleontology identification in foraminifera and charophytes, the content test of Rb and Sr,susceptibility analysis as well as granularity and sedimentary facies analysis,some researches on the sediments from the two exploration layers at Tenghualuo Site were conducted,and the following new findings have been gained:Firstly,foraminifera which are relevant to the marine environment were not found in the sediment layer,however,25 charales,which usually live in the freshwater environment,in 07LTT1 exploration samples were found.Among them,3 charales were found in the samples from the forth sediment layer below the late Longshan Cultural layer and 22 charates were from the second sediment layer above the late Longshan Cultural layer.Furthermore,5 plant seeds and 41 fungal spores,together with many carbonation holes,plant seed shells,as well as their roots and stems were also found in the second sediment layer above the late Longshan Cultural layer.Secondly,the cumulative probability curves of the sediments’granularity in both the last and its overlying culture intermittent layers have characteristics of three-phase river sediment curve,and the ratios between Rb and Sr are both quite high in samples from two layers sedimented during the disappearing time of the site.All above-mentioned evidences indicate that disappearance of the Tenghualuo Site was not related to the transgression.The late Longshan Culture of the site could be completely abandoned after a relatively long-ter     

Identification and significance of 3β-alkyl steranes in the Eogene lacustrine sediments and petroleum of China

The study on steranes with substitution at C-2, C-3 or C-4 positions in ring-A has become a hot field for their specific precursors in recent years[1-15]. Summons et al. firstly identified C28-C30 3β-methyl steranes in Michigan Basin and found that the p…     

Discovery of the budding phosphatized globular fossils from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation at Weng’an, Guizhou Province, China

There is much debate on biological affinities of the phosphatized globular fossils from the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo phosphorites at Weng’an, Guizhou Province. Here we report for the first time the budding structures of some of these globular fossils, which have previously been interpreted as the resting eggs and early cleavage embryos of metazoans. The budding structures are similar to the germinating tubes of the spore and zygote of living algae, suggesting that some globular fossils from the Doushantuo phosphorites bear affinity with algae. The present new information indicated various biological affinity of the phosphatized globular fossils from the Doushantuo phosphorites.     

New discovery of submerged forest remains in Shenhu bay, Fujian Province, and its environmental significance

The authors have made a further investigation on the tidal-zone paleoforest remains found in the Shenhu bay,Fujian Province.By surveying (scale of 1:500) and numbering of the remains,65 tree trunks were found.They are relatively concentrated in three different regions from south to north.Their growing ages ranged from 45 a to 100a. 22 ancient trunks‘ sections with low degree of carbonization show that the paleoforest was composed of Keteleeria Carr., Morus L.and Gleditsia L.^14C dating shows that the paleoforest was living in 9420-6760 aBP.Later it stopped developing and was buried by the alluvial aggradation caused by the sea level rise.     

Discovery of deep-level foreland thrust-fold structures in Taihang Mt. and its implication for early tectonic evolution of North China

Delineation and correlation of Dragon Spring Shear Zone with its deep-level structures at foreland have been studied by field work. This paper reports our new findings of thrust-fold structures within Taihang Neoarchean basement, which include flat thrusts,large-scale recumbent folds, subhorizontal foliation patterns, etc. It reveals that early tectonic evolution of North China clearly involves the horizontal contraction on a large scale, comparable to those of foreland of classical collisional orogenic belts. The vertical variation of structural patterns with foreland fold-thrust belt from shallow to deep levels has been documented for Taihang Mt. by structural correlation,which is associated with tectonic transposition and imbrication of basement complex with supracrustal sequences in the Neoarchean.     

Single grain Rb-Sr dating of euhedral and cataclastic pyrite from the Qiyugou gold deposit in western Henan, central China

The Rb-Sr isotopic dating of pyrite mineral from ore deposits can directly provide mineralization age. However, many geological factors may affect the Rb-Sr isotopic system,which baffles application of this method. Employing ultra-low procedural blank Rb-Sr method,we have dated pyrites separated from the No. 4 breccia pipe of the Qiyugou gold deposit,western Henan Province. Single grains of euhedral pyrite crystal with few microcracks yield an isochron age of 126 ± 11 Ma, which represents time of the main mineralization stage of the deposit. Pyrite grains of cataclastic type show nevertheless scattered Rb-Sr isotopic composition and no reasonable isochron can be defined. Crystal morphology and mineral inclusion studies reveal that Rb and Sr of pyrite mineral probably are preserved mainly in biotite, K-feldspar, and sericite mineral inclusions. The dating results likely suggest that cataclastic pyrite is not suitable for the Rb-Sr dating due to modification of the Rb-Sr isotopic system by later hydrothermal activity of fluid.