The current state of knowledge on the early Paleozoic evolution of Japan is reviewed. Although early Paleozoic Japan marked the foundation of long‐lasting subduction‐related orogenic growth throughout the Phanerozoic, details of this have not been fully revealed. Nevertheless, U‐Pb dating of zircons both in Paleozoic granitoids and sandstones is revealing several new aspects of early Paleozoic Japan. The timing of the major tectonic change, from a passive continental margin setting (Stage I) to an active one (Stage II), was constrained to the Cambrian by identifying the oldest arc granitoid, high‐P/T blueschist, and terrigenous clastics of arc‐related basins. Ages of recycled zircons in granitoids and sandstones provided critical information on the homeland of Japan, i.e. the continental margin along which proto‐Japan began to grow. The early Paleozoic continental margin that hosted the development of an arc‐trench system in proto‐Japan had cratonic basement composed mostly of Proterozoic crust with a minor Archean component. The predominant occurrence of Neoproterozoic zircons in Paleozoic rocks, as xenocrysts in arc granitoids and also as detrital grains in terrigenous clastics, indicates that the relevant continental block was a part of South China, probably forming a northeastern segment of Greater South China (GSC) together with the Khanka/Jiamsi/Bureya mega‐block in Far East Asia. GSC was probably twice as large as the present conterminous South China on mainland Asia. Paleozoic Japan formed a segment of a mature arc‐trench system along the Pacific side of GSC, where the N–S‐trending Pacific‐rim orogenic belt (Nipponides) developed with an almost perpendicular relationship with the E–W‐trending Central Asian orogenic belt. The faunal characteristics of the Permian marine fauna in Japan, both with the Tethyan and Boreal elements, can be better explained than before in good accordance with the relative position of GSC with respect to the North China block during the late Paleozoic.

中文翻译：

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日本早古生代的面貌：大中华地区的大地构造和古生物地理意义

综述了日本早期古生代演化的知识。尽管日本早古生代标志着整个古生代长期与俯冲有关的造山运动的发展，但其细节尚未完全揭示。然而，古生代花岗岩和砂岩中锆石的U-Pb测年揭示了日本早期古生代的几个新方面。通过确定最古老的弧花岗岩，高P / T蓝片岩和陆源碎屑岩，从被动大陆边缘设置（第一阶段）到主动大陆边缘设置（第二阶段）的主要构造变化的时间被限制在寒武纪。与弧有关的盆地。花岗岩和砂岩中回收的锆石的年龄为日本的祖国（即原始日本开始发展的大陆边缘）提供了重要信息。在原始日本，早期的古生代大陆边缘是弧-沟系统的发育地带，其克拉通基底主要由元古代地壳组成，并具有少量的太古代构造。新元古代锆石主要存在于古生代岩石中，作为弧状花岗岩中的异变晶体，也存在于陆源碎屑中的碎屑颗粒，这表明相关的陆块是华南的一部分，可能一起形成了大华南的东北段。远东亚洲的Khanka / Jiamsi / Bureya巨型区块。GSC的规模可能是目前亚洲大陆的华南地区的两倍。日本古生代沿着GSC的太平洋侧形成了成熟的弧槽系统的一部分，那里是N趋势的太平洋边缘造山带（弧状花岗岩中的异变晶体，以及陆源碎屑中的碎屑颗粒，表明相关的大陆块是华南的一部分，可能与汉卡/贾姆西/布雷亚巨块一起形成了大华南的东北段。在远东亚洲。GSC的规模可能是目前亚洲大陆的华南地区的两倍。日本古生代沿着GSC的太平洋侧形成了成熟的弧槽系统的一部分，那里是N趋势的太平洋边缘造山带（弧状花岗岩中的异变晶体，以及陆源碎屑中的碎屑颗粒，表明相关的大陆块是华南的一部分，可能与汉卡/贾姆西/布雷亚巨块一起形成了大华南的东北段。在远东亚洲。GSC的规模可能是目前亚洲大陆的华南地区的两倍。日本古生代沿着GSC的太平洋侧形成了成熟的弧槽系统的一部分，那里是N趋势的太平洋边缘造山带（GSC的规模可能是目前亚洲大陆的华南地区的两倍。日本古生代沿着GSC的太平洋侧形成了成熟的弧槽系统的一部分，那里是N趋势的太平洋边缘造山带（GSC的规模可能是目前在亚洲大陆附近的华南地区的两倍。日本古生代沿着GSC的太平洋侧形成了成熟的弧槽系统的一部分，那里是N趋势的太平洋边缘造山带（Nipponides）与趋势发展的中亚造山带几乎垂直。与古生代晚期相比，GSC相对于华北地块的相对位置，可以很好地解释日本的二叠纪海洋动物群（包括特提斯和北海元素）的动物群特征。