Shen Yan-bin

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

Abstract Volcanic tuff deposits near Daohugou village, Ningcheng County of Inner Mongolia have yielded many well-preserved fossils. Here we briefly introduce our recent findings of invertebrates from the Daohugou fauna: mainly insects, conchostracans, anostracans, and spiders. The age of the Daohugou fauna is considered to be Middle Jurassic on the basis of an analysis of various invertebrates especially insects and conchostracans, showing strong similarities to the Yanliao fauna of north China and the Karatau fauna of Kazakhstan. Supported by the IGCP Project No. 506, National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40372008, 40572005), the State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology, Stratigraphy (Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, CAS, No. 053106, 023101), and The Leverhulme Trust and the Natural Environment Research Council to PAS. This is a contribution to UNESCO-IUGS IGCP 506 Project.

EOCENE CONCHOSTRACANS FROM THE LANEY MEMBER OF THE GREEN RIVER FORMATION, WYOMING, USA

Abstract Two new species of conchostracans, Cyclestherioides wyomingensis and Prolynceus laneyensis, belonging to the Cyclestheriidae and Lynceidae, respectively, are described from the Eocene Laney Member of the Green River Formation of Wyoming, USA. These are the first Cenozoic fossil conchostracans to be formally reported from North America. Cyclestherioides wyomingensis has a close affinity to the extant Cyclestheria hislopi. The latter is a pan-tropical species, found between approximately 30°N and 35°S. Thus, Cyclestherioides may indicate that the Laney Member was deposited in a subtropical setting. The conchostracans and associated fauna of the Laney Member suggest that this member was deposited nearshore in a shallow lake. The concept of Cyclestherioides is emended and some fossil species referred to this genus are revised.

Late Triassic plant microfossils from Miers Bluff Formation of Livingston Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica

A moderately diverse assemblage of plant microfossils has been recovered from the Johnsons Dock Member of the Miers Bluff Formation, Livingston Island, including spores, pollen, acritarchs, wood fragments and cuticles. Containing a total of c. 45 of miospore taxa, the palynoflora is dominated by non-striate bisaccate pollen, but spores of pteridophytes and pollen of gymnosperms are proportionate in diversity. The palynoflora is similar in composition to those indicative of subzones C + D of the Alisporites Zone of Antarctica, and the upper Craterisporites rotundus Zone and the lower Polycingulatisporites crenulatus Zone of Australia as well as the upper Polycingulatisporites crenulatus Zone and Foveosporites moretonensis Zone of New Zealand, suggesting a Late Triassic (possibly Norian–Rhaetian) age. This determination is supported by the sporadic occurrence of Aratrisporites and Classopollis in the palynoflora as well as by the absence of striate bisaccate grains.