根据孢粉资料确定伏尔加地区弗拉阶和法门阶界线

俄罗斯伏尔加格勒伏尔加地区上泥盆统弗拉阶和法门阶的界线以3种剖面类型为代表。第一种类型的界线剖面广泛分布于俄罗斯地台,但两阶之间有沉积间断。第二种类型剖面地层发育较完整,即Volgogradian层直覆于Livendian层之上。前者以Corbulispora viminea-Geminospora vasjamica孢子组合带为特征。第三种类型剖面存在于前里海(Pre-Caspian)凹陷的西侧,是最近根据孢粉资料确定的;地层剖面不完整,在中弗拉阶的Semilukian层有剥蚀面,上覆以不同时代的(弗拉期或法门期)盖层。     

Palaeoecology and diversity of endosymbionts in Palaeozoic marine invertebrates: Trace fossil evidence

Endosymbionts are organisms that live within the growing skeleton of a live host organism, producing a cavity called a bioclaustration. The endosymbiont lives inside the bioclaustration, which it forms by locally inhibiting the normal skeletal growth of the host, a behaviour given the new ethological category, impedichnia. As trace fossils, bioclaustrations are direct evidence of past symbioses and are first recognized from the Late Ordovician (Caradoc). Bioclaustrations have a wide geographic distribution and occur in various skeletal marine invertebrates, including tabulate and rugose corals, calcareous sponges, bryozoans, brachiopods, and crinoids. Ten bioclaustration ichnogenera are recognized and occur preferentially in particular host taxa, suggesting host-specificity among Palaeozoic endosymbionts. The diversity of bioclaustrations increased during the Silurian and reached a climax by the late Middle Devonian (Givetian). A collapse in bioclaustration diversity and abundance during the Late Devonian is most significant among endosymbionts of host coral and calcareous sponge taxa that were in decline leading up to the Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction.     

The Frasnian-Famennian mass extinction: insights from high-resolution sequence stratigraphy and cyclostratigraphy in South China

Two sequences (SFr, SFa), each 1-1.2 Myr in duration, are recognised in the strata across the Frasnian-Famennian (F-F) transition both in carbonate platform and interplatform basinal successions in South China. The sequence boundary between the two sequences is placed a little below the top of the Frasnian. The sequences are basically composed of coarsening-upward/bed-thickness increasing-upward cycles and shallowing-upward cycles (parasequences) in basinal and platform deposits respectively, which stack into cycle-sets (typically six to eight cycles). 10 and 12 cycle-sets are identified in sequences SFr and SFa respectively. These cycle-sets can be further grouped into larger-scale composite cycle-sets (herein termed mesocycle- and megacycle-sets with two and four cycle-sets respectively). This vertical cycle-stacking pattern and the hierarchy of cyclicity suggest a Milankovitch style of forcing such that the cycles and cycle-sets were formed in response to the orbital perturbations of precession (16-18 kyr) and eccentricity (∼100 kyr in duration), respectively. In the basinal cycles, smaller-scale rhythmic stratification beds (typically six to eight beds in a cycle) are extensive, and were likely caused by millennial-scale climatic forcing. In the lower sequence, SFr, the latest highstand deposits consist of calciturbidites and debrites in deep-water strata and fenestral limestones in shallow-water strata, representing a major (third-order) sea-level fall. Within these deposits, four cycle-sets are further identified in both coeval deep-water and platform successions. Succeeding deeper-water organic-rich facies, within which three cycles occur, are the transgressive deposits of the overlying Famennian sequence (SFa). These cycles represent three higher-frequency (16-18 kyr) sea-level fluctuations and accompanying anoxia, superimposed on a major third-order sea-level rise. The F-F boundary is placed at the top of the first cycle, based on conodont data. Thus, a major sea-level fall and then a rise occurred in the F-F transitional period. Faunal and sedimentological data reveal a massive biotic decline in concert with the major sea-level fall, and a further biotic demise coinciding with the major sea-level rise and its three superimposed higher-frequency sea-level fluctuations and accompanying anoxia. The F-F biotic crisis was therefore characterised by two episodes of step-down extinction. On the basis of Milankovitch orbital rhythms, the first major biotic extinction took place over ∼400 kyr, and the subsequent event was ∼50 kyr in duration, i.e. ∼450 kyr for the entire event. At the same time as the massive decline of normal-marine fossils during the latest Frasnian sea-level fall, there was widespread cyanobacterial growth and a thriving of planktonic calcispheres, suggesting eutrophic conditions. This situation could have caused a severe biotic loss, as a result of the deterioration of surface water clarity and formation of anoxic bottom waters due to over-consumption of oxygen through respiratory demands and decomposition by the cyanobacteria and phytoplankton. The subsequent rapid sea-level rise with superimposed higher-frequency sea-level fluctuations and accompanying anoxia could have caused rapid elevation of anoxic bottom waters and expansion of eutrophic surface waters over shallow-water platforms due to enhanced upwelling ocean currents and improved ocean circulation. This situation would have exerted further stresses upon the already-weakened biota, leading to a further biotic demise. However, a small number of organisms such as pelagic tentaculitids, small mud-adapted brachiopods and gastropods did survive into the Famennian, although with very low diversity.     

Palynostratigraphy of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary deposits from the Central Devonian Field, western Russia and comparisons with adjacent areas

Detailed palynological research carried out on samples from the three quarries at Khlevnoye and Kamenka (Voronezh region) permitted recognition of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary in the lower Kamenka quarry. Two miospore zones, Cristatisporites deliquescens-Verrucosisporites evlanensis (DE) from the Frasnian and Cyrtospora cristifera-Diaphanospora zadonica (CZ) from the Famennian, have been recognized. Some faunistic data were also obtained from the F-F boundary deposits. Research confirmed the existence of a sedimentological gap between the Livny and Zadonsk horizons, including all of the Volgograd horizon. These new palynological results are compared with data from adjacent areas: Pripyat Depression (Belarus), Timan-Pechora Province and the Volgograd Volga region (Russia), western Pomerania and the Holy Cross Mountains (Poland).     

新疆准噶尔盆地西北缘洪古勒楞组时代的新认识

标准地点的洪古勒楞组长期以来一直被认为是准噶尔盆地西北缘,乃至整个新疆北部以海相为主的层位上最高的晚泥盆世晚期的沉积。然而牙形类和微体脊椎动物的研究证实,该组跨弗拉阶－法门阶（Ｆ－Ｆ）界线,它至少包括了一小部分弗拉晚期和主体部分为法门早期的沉积。两个牙形类带ＬａｔｅｒｈｅｎａｎａＺｏｎｅ和ＭｉｄｄｌｅｃｒｅｐｉｄａＺｏｎｅ被识别出,它们在Ｆ－Ｆ界线附近,并分别在大绝灭事件（在ｌｉｎｇｕｉｆｏｒｍｉｓＺｏｎｅ内）之前后。另一个层位更高的牙形类带ＬａｔｅｃｒｅｐｉｄａＺｏｎｅ也可能存在。同时还证实,长期以来一直被认为“正常层序”的标准地点的洪古勒楞组的层序是倒转的。由此,含植物大化石Ｌｅｐｔｏｐｈｌｏｅｕｍｒｈｏｂｉｃｕｍ等的陆相层在下（此层可能归于该组下伏的朱鲁木特组）,而产牙形类和其它丰富的无脊椎动物的海相层在上。按牙形类年代带的年代地层时间表（Ｆｏｒｄｈａｍ,１９９２）,该组距今约３６８－３６４百万年。至于它和邻近地区和布克河组的关系,由于后者发现了更高层位的牙形类,两者还不能完全对比。