Critical events in the evolutionary history of calcareous Nannoplankton

Calcareous nannofossil diversity, and rates of speciation and extinction are calculated for five million year intervals from their first appearance in the Late Triassic through to the Present Day. Important evolutionary events are as follows: first appearance in the Late Triassic, Triassic‐Jurassic boundary extinctions, Tithonian radiation (and the first occurrence of nannofossil carbonates), Late Cretaceous diversity maximum, Cretaceous‐Tertiary boundary extinctions, Palaeocene radiation, mid Eocene to Oligocene diversity decline, and early Miocene diversity rise. These events are related to possible causal factors of which climate appears to be the most fundamental. Other factors may include biogeographical isolation, sea level change, and the configuration of Mesozoic oceans.     

Discussion on the dextral movement and its effect in continental China and adjacent areas since Cenozoic

Continental China has moved dextral Eastward since Cenozoic time, driven by the collision of the Indian with the Eurasian plate. Evidence for this comes from landscape evolution, the distribution of earthquake epicenters, Cenozoic sedimentary and volcanic rocks, and the measurement of GPS velocity vectors, the distribution of crustal stress, paleomagnetic data, and deep mantle structure, among others. This movement commenced around 40 Ma, coupled with thickened lithosphere and widespread stress release along strike-slip faults that bound the continental Chinese block. Because of continued Northward subduction of the Indian plate, manifestation of the dextral movement has intensified since 25 Ma. Far-reaching effects include extensive strike-slip movement on the Tan-Lu fault in Eastern China, formation of the Dabie ultrahigh pressure metamorphic terrane, extensive thrust faults in East China, delamination and thickening of the lithosphere of South China, a possible tectonic doubling of the Middle-Lower Yangtze Valley metallogenic belt, and the formation of the Japan, Huanghai (East China), and South China Sea.     

青藏高原新生代岩浆活动与地热关系探讨

青藏高原地热资源丰富,具有分布广、温度高、潜力大等特点。为了更好地评价该区地热资源潜力,探索符合青藏高原地热资源特点的勘查、开发方案,需要对地热资源分布规律及成因进行研究。在总结前人对青藏高原新生代岩浆活动和地热资源特征的基础上,从青藏高原地质演化的角度分析地热资源分布的控制因素,探讨新生代岩浆活动与地热资源的空间展布关系,重点讨论藏南地区地热区划和雅鲁藏布缝合带岩浆活动之间的关系。结果表明: 青藏高原地热活动受控于地质构造演化,具有南强北弱的分布特点; EW向区域性构造缝合带和SN向深大断裂的交汇部位是地热的主要活跃区域,不同的岩浆活动为地热提供热源。     

Quantifying the completeness of the bat fossil record

Bats (Chiroptera) are one of the most successful extant mammalian orders, uniquely capable of powered flight and laryngeal echolocation. The timing and evidence for evolution of their novel adaptations have been difficult to ascertain from the fossil record due to chronological gaps and the fragmentary nature of most fossil bat material. Here, we quantify the quality of the bat fossil record using skeletal and character completeness metrics, which respectively document for each taxon what proportion of a complete skeleton is preserved, and the proportion of phylogenetic characters that can be scored. Completeness scores were collected for 441 valid fossil bat species in 167 genera from the Eocene to the Pleistocene. All metrics record similar temporal patterns: peak completeness in the Lutetian stage reflects the presence of Lagerstätten, while subsequent stages have very low completeness, except an Aquitanian high and a Pleistocene peak in skeletal completeness. Bat completeness is not correlated with intensity of sampling through geological time but has a weak negative correlation with publication date. There is no correlation between taxonomic richness and completeness, as the bat record predominately consists of diagnostic but isolated teeth. Consequently, bat skeletal completeness is the lowest of any previously assessed tetrapod group, but character completeness is similar to parareptiles and birds. Bats have significantly higher character completeness in the northern hemisphere, probably due to heightened historical interest and presence of Lagerstätten. Taxa derived from caves are more complete than those from fluviolacustrine and marine deposits, but do not preserve highly complete specimens.     

中新生代南北天山差异性抬升历史的磷灰石裂变径迹证据

堆积于天山山前坳陷内部的巨厚新生代地层不仅记录所在沉积区的热历史信息,还记录了物源区的信息。本文选择天山南北两侧山前坳陷中3条地质剖面进行了大量的磷灰石裂变径迹测试和部分样品的热历史模拟分析,来揭示上新世以来天山在南北方向上隆升过程的差异性。采样剖面的选取较前人更加靠近前陆盆地方向,样品所在地层年代更新。结果显示,东秋里塔格背斜剖面中的样品记录了中天山、南天山和背斜区分别在55~65Ma、20~25Ma和5Ma经历了构造隆升。玛纳斯背斜剖面中的样品记录了北天山的三次构造隆升事件分别发生于55~65Ma、20~25Ma和5Ma,其中距今5Ma为玛纳斯背斜带起始隆升的时代。结合前人在相同区域的研究成果,分析得出天山的不同部分经历了不同的构造演化历史,自150Ma以来经历了三期差异性隆升。中生代时期(150~125Ma)表现为山体整体抬升,中生代晚期-新生代早期(100~50Ma)北天山明显早于南天山开始构造隆升,新生代以来(~50Ma)的构造运动以向前陆盆地方向扩展为特征,而隆升起始时间南北差异变小。虽然在南北方向上天山山体隆起时间上存在明显的差异,但是中新生代以来山体物源区的剥蚀速率大体相同。因此,隆升起始时间与隆升量之间并不存在必然的定量关系。天山的不同块体具有不同的构造演化历史的事实提示在研究大范围构造隆升作用时,应将构造作用作为一个过程来对待。变形在传递的过程中,在时间和空间上存在一定的滞后现象。     

滇西丽江地区新生代富碱斑岩年代学、地球化学特征及其地质意义

滇西丽江地区新生代富碱斑岩位于滇西“三江”褶皱造山带与扬子板块西南缘结合部位,岩石类型多样,可分为碱性岩和碱性花岗岩,前者主要有正长斑岩、正长岩及粗面斑岩;后者主要包括花岗斑岩、二长花岗斑岩及石英二长斑岩。锆石LA ICP MS U Pb定年研究确定区内斑岩结晶年龄为346～371 Ma,侵位于始新世晚期。碱性岩石的SiO2含量为5454%～6770%,K2O＞Na2O,具有钾玄岩的特征;碱性花岗岩的SiO2含量为6716%～7066%,K2O＜Na2O,具有高钾钙碱性的特征。两类岩石都具有富碱(Na2O+K2O=703%～1170%)和准铝质—弱过铝质(A/CNK=064～115)的特征。富集轻稀土元素和大离子亲石元素(Sr、Ba、K、Pb等),相对亏损重稀土元素和高场强元素(Nb、Ta、Ti等),且具有高Sr、Sr/Y和La/Yb比值及低Y、Yb和镁值(Mg#＜05),表明区内斑岩兼具钾玄质岩石和埃达克质岩石的特征。综合研究认为,区内斑岩形成于印度－亚洲大陆碰撞造山的后碰撞阶段,其形成与减压熔融及幔源岩浆底侵促使增厚下地壳底部岩石发生部分熔融有关,是青藏高原东南缘构造转换带对主碰撞带造山作用过程的岩浆事件响应,进而分析确认本区具有斑岩-热液型金多金属矿床的找矿潜力,为深入认识丽江地区构造-岩浆-成矿作用提供了重要约束。     

Late Cenozoic Sedimentary Evolution of Pagri‐Duoqing Co graben,Southern End of Yadong‐Gulu Rift,Southern Tibet

The north trending rifts in southern Tibet represent the E–W extension of the plateau and confirming the initial rifting age is key to the study of mechanics of these rifts. Pagri–Duoqing Co graben is located at southern end of Yadong–Gulu rift, where the late Cenozoic sediments is predominately composed of fluvio-lacustrine and moraine. Based on the sedimentary composition and structures, the fluvio-lacustrine could be divided into three facies, namely, lacustrine, lacustrine fan delta and alluvial fan. The presence of paleo-currents and conglomerate components and the provenance of the strata around the graben indicate that it was Tethys Himalaya and High Himalaya. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating and paleo-magnetic dating suggest that the age of the strata ranges from ca. 1.2 Ma to ca. 8 Ma. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating showed that moraine in the graben mainly developed from around 181–109 ka (late Middle Pleistocene). Combining previous data about the Late Cenozoic strata in other basins, it is suggested that 8–15 Ma may be the initial rifting time. Together with sediment distribution and drainage system, the sedimentary evolution of Pagri could be divided into four stages. The graben rifted at around 15–8 Ma due to the eastern graben-boundary fault resulting in the appearance of a paleolake. Following by a geologically quiet period about 8–2.5 Ma, the paleolake expanded from east to west at around 8–6 Ma reaching its maximum at ca. 6 Ma. Then, the graben was broken at about 2.5 Ma. At last, the development of the glacier separated the graben into two parts that were Pagri and Duoqing Co since the later stages of the Middle Pleistocene. The evolution process suggested that the former three stages were related to the tectonic movement, which determined the basement of the graben, while the last stage may have been influenced by glacial activity caused by climate change.     

A new record and a new ichnospecies of Arachnostega from the Middle Miocene of Egypt

The ichnogenus Arachnostega Bertling, 1992 is recorded for the first time from a bioeroded, coral-rich, Middle Miocene limestone bed in the middle Siwa Escarpment Member (Marmarica Formation) at Siwa Oasis, northern Western Desert of Egypt. These burrowing traces are preserved on the surface of a few internal moulds of bivalves and gastropods. Until now, the ichnogenus Arachnostega included a single ichnospecies, A. gastrochaenae Bertling, 1992. In the material studied herein, two ichnospecies are identified, described, illustrated and compared with other, similar traces. One of these is a new ichnospecies of Arachnostega; this is here named A. siwaensis ichnosp. nov. It is distinguished from A. gastrochaenae in the possession of tunnels that usually branch in a V-pattern; intervals of ramification are longest in the main branch and decrease in second- and third-order branches. Arachnostega traces were produced in a warm, low-energy, shallow-marine (<10?m water depth) environment. Polychaetes are the most likely producers of marine Arachnostega, which are commonly occurred in the same studied bed. This new occurrence is significant in extending the known stratigraphical and geographical ranges of Arachnostega into the Middle Miocene of Egypt.     

Neotectonics of the Kharaulakh sector of the Laptev Shelf

Seismotectonic deformation and crustal stress pattern have been studied comprehensively in major seismogenic structures of the Kharaulakh sector of the Verkhoyansk fold system and adjacent parts of the Chersky seismotectonic zone. The study focuses on neotectonic structures, deep structure, and systems of active faults, as well as tectonic stress fields inferred by tectonophysical analysis of Late Cenozoic faults and folds. The results, along with geological and geophysical data, reveal main strain directions and structural patterns of crustal stress and strain in the Arctic segment of the Eurasia-North America plate boundary. The area is a junction of mid-ocean and continental structures evolving in a mixed setting of extension, compression, and their various combinations. The rotation pole of the two plates is presumably located near Buor-Khaya Bay. In this case, extension is expected to act currently upon the neotectonic structures north of the bay and compression to control those in the south and southeast. This inference is consistent with the identified zoning of stress and strain in the Kharaulakh sector.     

论当代绘画艺术的价值取向 ——市场经济对现代绘画艺术的影响

绘画艺术走到今天,在不暇思索中被置于一个新历史语境,开始了自身的重构。艺术进入市场,艺术品汇入流通渠道,已成为上世纪90年代以来中国艺术发展的显著特征。艺术家“经济人”化,“新生代”绘画为市场所接受,昔日从事政治波谱的艺术家成为“金钱”的追逐者……但中国文化的包容性将决定中国当代绘画艺术必将有别于外来艺术而存在的有本土特色和市场的艺术形式。