In the Ediacaran marine succession of the Cerro Negro Formation (Tandilia System, NE Argentina), abundant microbially induced sedimentary structures indicate general conditions of substrate biostabilization. Numerous discoidal structures in this succession were previously interpreted as moulds of soft-tissue holdfasts of sessile organisms, within the form genus Aspidella. In this study, we performed

Burmese amber continues to provide unique insights into the terrestrial biota inhabiting tropical equatorial forests during mid-Cretaceous time. In contrast to the large amount and great diversity of terrestrial species retrieved so far, aquatic biota constitute rare inclusions. Here we describe the first freshwater snail ever preserved in amber. The new species Galba prima sp. nov. belongs in the

Stromatolites are biogenic sedimentary structures formed by the interplay of biological (microbial composition) and environmental factors (local hydrodynamic conditions, clastic input and/or water chemistry). Well-preserved, three-dimensional (3D) fossil stromatolites are key to assessing the environmental factors controlling their growth and resulting morphology in space and time. Here, we report

The Precordillera mafic–ultramafic belt (PMUB), located in central-western Argentina, comprises mafic and ultramafic bodies interlayered and/or in tectonic contact with marine siliciclastic units. Whole-rock, mineral geochemistry and Nd–Sr isotope analyses performed in magmatic rocks suggest a relatively different spatial and temporal evolution along the belt. The southern PMUB (south of 32° S) evolved

Late Miocene volcanic rocks host the Sari Gunay epithermal gold deposit in NW Iran. These rocks are located within the Hamedan–Tabriz volcanic belt and occupy the northwestern part of the Sanandaj–Sirjan zone (SaSZ). The volcanic rocks span in composition from latite to dacite and rhyolite. Plagioclase, hornblende, biotite and quartz are the main phenocrysts in a fine-grained and glassy matrix. Laser

The Sargur Group has been considered to be the oldest group (>3.0 Ga) in the Archaean sequence of the Dharwar Craton in south India, whereas the rocks of the Dharwar Supergroup are younger (between 3.0 and 2.55 Ga). The supracrustal units of the Sargur Group were deposited during the Archaean period. The Banavara quartzite forms part of the supracrustal Sargur Group and contains significant amounts

Graptolites have been collected from sections through Lower Ordovician strata in northern Iran. At the Saluk Mountains, in the Kopet–Dagh region, mudrocks yielded fragmentary tubaria of Rhabdinopora sp. cf. R. flabelliformis, indicating the presence of lower Tremadocian strata there; stratigraphically, they lie between two limestone beds with the euconodont Cordylodus lindstromi. At Simeh–Kuh in the

The recently developed fluorite (U–Th)/He thermochronology (FHe) technique was applied to date fluorite mineralization and elucidate the exhumation history of the Mazandaran Fluorspar Mining District (MFMD) located in the east Central Alborz Mountains, Iran. A total of 32 fluorite single-crystal samples from four Middle Triassic carbonate-hosted fluorite deposits were dated. The presented FHe ages

Throughout the Ediacaran Period, variable water-column redox conditions persisted along productive ocean margins due to a complex interplay between nutrient supply and oceanographic restriction. These changing conditions are considered to have influenced early faunal evolution, with marine anoxia potentially inhibiting the development of the ecological niches necessary for aerobic life forms. To understand

Oceanic red beds (ORBs) are present in Upper Cretaceous and Danian deep-marine deposits in the Basque–Cantabrian Basin of northern Spain. The presence and regularity of the succession of marl–limestone couplets is exceptional based on the macroscopic, microscopic and geochemical evidence collected. Five types of marl–limestone couplets are identified based on the colour, and a high maximum sedimentation

The classical genus of Ediacaran macroorganisms, Dickinsonia, was part of an extensive benthic marine community inhabiting the fields of microbial mats. The remains of Dickinsonia are commonly preserved in the position of adhesion to the habitat substrate. However, these were mobile organisms. In addition to the already known feeding traces of Dickinsonia, structures described as traces of motor activity

Detrital zircon geochronology can help address stratigraphic- to lithospheric-scale geological questions. The approach is reliant on statistically robust, representative age distributions that fingerprint source areas. However, there is a range of biases that may influence any detrital age signature. Despite being a fundamental and controllable source of bias, handpicking of zircon grains has received

The Arabian Shield of Saudi Arabia represents part of the Arabian–Nubian Shield and forms an exposure of juvenile continental crust on the eastern side of the Red Sea rift. Gabbroic intrusions in Saudi Arabia constitute a significant part of the mafic magmatism in the Neoproterozoic Arabian Shield. This study records the first detailed geological, mineralogical and geochemical data for gabbroic intrusions

Several sag-type basins apparently developed from rift systems, but there is no consensus about how and if these grabens influenced the sedimentation of the post-rift thermal subsidence phase. The Ediacaran Jaibaras Rift Basin is one of the best-exposed sedimentary records among the NE Brazil late Precambrian – early Cambrian rift system, cropping out at the eastern margin of the intracratonic Parnaíba

Myanmar is occupied by the N-wards continuation of the Sunda arc and by the Shan Plateau and its continuation through Yunnan into Tibet. Our new tectonic interpretation of the ophiolite–flysch belts, world-famous jadeite and tin deposits in Myanmar west of the Salween adopts previous proposals that, before 450-km post-early Oligocene dextral displacement along the Sagaing Fault, the ophiolite belt

An extensive dataset of major- and trace-element and B-isotope composition related to the compositional variation of the tourmalines from the S-type granite and pegmatite from the Upper Bonai and Gangpur Group granitoids, eastern India, is provided. The Gangpur Schist Belt, consisting of the Upper Bonai and Gangpur Group, lies at the eastern end of the Proterozoic Central Indian Tectonic Zone. An attempt

Heavy mineral analysis is a long-standing and valuable tool for sedimentary provenance analysis. Many studies have indicated that heavy mineral data can also be significantly affected by hydraulic sorting, weathering and reworking or recycling, leading to incomplete or erroneous provenance interpretations if they are used in isolation. By combining zircon U–Pb geochronology with heavy mineral data

Late Mesozoic igneous rocks are important for deciphering the Mesozoic tectonic setting of NE China. In this paper, we present whole-rock geochemical data, zircon U–Pb ages and Lu–Hf isotope data for Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks from the Tulihe area of the northern Great Xing’an Range (GXR), with the aim of evaluating the petrogenesis and genetic relationships of these rocks, inferring crust–mantle

This paper provides insight into the Late Ordovician to earliest Silurian evolution of sedimentary environments in the southern Holy Cross Mountains (SE Poland), which at that time were a part of the SW periphery of Baltica. The facies layout in this area was influenced by the basement block faulting, which differentiated the basin bathymetry into submarine horst and grabens, controlling facies distribution

Delimiting the Aravalli mountain range in the east, the Great Boundary Fault (GBF) occurs as a crustal-scale tectonic lineament in the NW Indian Shield. The structural and tectonic characteristics of the GBF are, as yet, not well-understood. We attempt to fill this gap by using a combination of satellite image processing, high-resolution outcrop mapping and structural analysis around Chittaurgarh.

The Proterozoic Chotanagpur Granite Gneiss Complex (CGGC) at the northern boundary of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) of the eastern Indian shield preserves relics of fossilized oceanic back-arc crust. We describe the field, petrographical and geochemical characteristics of the mafic rocks comprising pillow basalts and dolerites from the Bathani area of the northern fringe of the CGGC, eastern

The Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation is a typical tight gas reservoir in which natural fractures determine the migration, accumulation and production capacity of tight gas. In this study, we focused on the influences of natural fractures on the tight gas migration and production. We clarified characteristics and attributes (i.e. dips, apertures, filling degree and cross-cutting relationships) of the

Serpentinization of ultramafic rocks in the sea and on land leads to the generation of alkaline fluids rich in molecular hydrogen (H2) and methane (CH4) that favour the formation of carbonate mineralization, such as veins in the sub-seafloor, seafloor carbonate chimneys and terrestrial hyperalkaline spring deposits. Examples of this type of seawater–rock interaction and the formation of serpentinization-derived

The theory of plate tectonics suggests that deformation occurs mainly along plate boundaries; however, compression can result in the formation of orogens and basins within intracontinental settings. During these two tectonic processes, the sedimentation and environmental changes occur in response to marginal and intracontinental deformation. Early Jurassic – Early Cretaceous deformation and basin formation

As the remnant of the South Qilian Ocean, the South Qilian suture zone recorded abundant information on the Cambrian–Ordovician subduction history of the southern branch of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean. However, the closure timing of the South Qilian Ocean and subsequent collision are poorly constrained. In this study, we report early Silurian (433–435 Ma) U–Pb ages of felsic subvolcanic rocks from Lianhuashan

Detrital coesite-bearing garnet is the final product of a complex geological cycle including coesite entrapment at ultra-high-pressure conditions, exhumation to Earth’s surface, erosion and sedimentary transport. In contrast to the usual enrichment of high-grade metamorphic garnet in medium- to coarse-sand fractions, coesite-bearing grains are often enriched in the very-fine-sand fraction. To understand

Early-middle Ediacaran organic-walled microfossils from the Doushantuo Formation studied in several sections in the Yangtze Gorges area, South China, show ornamented cyst-like vesicles of very high diversity. These microfossils are diagenetically permineralized and observed in petrographic thin-sections of chert nodules. Exquisitely preserved specimens belonging to seven species of Appendisphaera,

Horseshoe crabs within Austrolimulidae represent the extreme limits to which the xiphosurid Bauplan could be modified. Recent interest in this group has uncovered an unprecedented diversity of these odd-ball xiphosurids and led to suggestions that Austrolimulidae arose during the Permian Period and had become extinct by the end of the Triassic Period. Here, we extend the temporal record of Austrolimulidae

The Ladakh Himalayan ophiolites preserve remnants of the eastern part of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean, in the form of Dras, Suru Valley, Shergol, Spongtang and Nidar ophiolitic sequences. In Kohistan region of Pakistan, Muslim Bagh, Zhob and Bela ophiolites are considered to be equivalents of Ladakh ophiolites. In western Ladakh, the Suru–Thasgam ophiolitic slice is highly dismembered and consists of peridotites

Felsic tuff as a direct fallout deposit is known from one small area in the Kyrenia Range, north Cyprus, within deep-sea terrigenous turbidites. Nearby tuffaceous siltstones contain compositionally similar felsic volcanic rocks (c. 5–10%), mixed with terrigenous material. Sedimentary evidence indicates that the fallout tuff was variable reworked locally, whereas the tuffaceous siltstones are interpreted

A large bone from the upper Eocene Totland Bay Formation of Hordle Cliff (Hampshire), originally described by Seeley (1866) as Macrornis tanaupus and interpreted by him as belonging to a ‘large Struthious bird’, is redescribed and illustrated for the first time. It is not a reptile bone, as previously suggested, but the proximal part of a left avian tibiotarsus. A mass estimate of 43 kg, comparable

A recent excavation yielded 118 large tridactyl footprints in the Lower Jurassic Dolomitic Formation of the Causses Basin, at Mongisty in southern France. Most of the tracks are ascribed to Eubrontes giganteus Hitchcock, 1845. They are preserved on a surface of 53 m2 and form parallel rows with a preferential orientation towards the north. Such an abundance and density of E. giganteus is observed for

In northwestern France, the Brioverian series is a thick siliciclastic succession deposited during the Cadomian cycle (c. 750–540 Ma). In the uppermost Brioverian beds, previous studies unravelled an assemblage dominated by simple horizontal trace fossils associated with microbially stabilized surfaces. Here, we report Spirodesmos trace fossils – one-way, irregular and regular horizontal spirals –

Very few zircon-bearing, kimberlite-hosted mantle eclogite xenoliths have been identified to date; however, the zircon they contain is crucial for our understanding of subcratonic lithospheric mantle evolution and eclogite genesis. In this study, we constrain the characteristics of zircon from mantle eclogite xenoliths based on existing mineralogical and geochemical data from zircons from different

We describe aggregative microconchid (Lophophorata) tubes from the uppermost Permian (upper Changhsingian) and Lower Triassic (Olenekian) lacustrine and fluvial strata of the Tunguska and Kuznetsk basins and the southern Cis-Urals, Russia. These attach to clam shrimp carapaces, bivalve shells, terrestrial plant fragments and a horseshoe crab head shield, and also form their own monospecific agglomerations

The recently discovered massive and stockwork sulphide mineralization of Semblana-Rosa Magra and Monte Branco, situated ESE of the Neves–Corvo volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) is presented. Geological setting and tectonic model is discussed based on proxies such as palynostratigraphy and U–Pb zircon geochronology. The mineralization is found within the IPB

Situated between the South China Block and the Simao Block, the Ailaoshan Belt is a significant component of the Jinshajiang–Ailaoshan tectonic-magmatic-metallogenic belt of southwestern China. The formation of the Ailaoshan Belt is closely related to the evolution of the Palaeo-Tethys Ocean. In this study, we constrain ages of sedimentation in the Jinchang Au–Ni deposit in the Ailaoshan Belt, using

Continents grow mainly through magmatism, relamination, accretionary prism development, sediment underplating, tectonic accretion of seamounts, oceanic plateaus and oceanic lithosphere, and collisions of island arcs at convergent margins. The modern Pacific–Rim subduction zone environments present a natural laboratory to examine the nature of these processes. The papers in this special issue focus

Our field-based geochemical studies of the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous granitoids on Hainan Island indicate that their magmas had different geochemical affinities, changing from alkaline in the Triassic through ocean island basalt (OIB) in the Jurassic, to calc-alkaline in the Cretaceous. We show that these changes in the geochemical affinities of the Mesozoic granitoids on Hainan and in SE China

Marine reptile occurrences are rare in the Lower Jurassic Series outside of Europe. Here we describe diverse marine reptile faunas from the Lower Jurassic Series (Pliensbachian and Toarcian stages, including the Toarcian–Aalenian boundary interval) of Eastern Siberia. The taxonomic composition of Toarcian marine reptile assemblages of Siberia highlight their cosmopolitan nature, with the presence of

Modern-day ocean circulation behaves as a complex forced convective system that is characterized by the decrease in water temperature but increase in water density with depth. The dissolved oxygen content – which initially decreases due to biological oxygen demand – also increases with depth. In contrast to the present-day scenario, we propose that during the Archaean and Proterozoic eons inverted

Late Cretaceous tracks attributable to deinonychosaurs in North America are rare, with only one occurrence of Menglongipus from Alaska and two possible, but indeterminate, occurrences reported from Mexico. Here we describe the first probable deinonychosaur tracks from Canada: a possible trackway and one isolated track on a single horizon from the Upper Cretaceous Wapiti Formation (upper Campanian)

The c. 1.5–1.3 Ga Wilton package, the upper succession of the greater McArthur Basin, preserves detailed tectono-sedimentary evidence for the Mesoproterozoic evolution of the North Australian Craton (NAC). In addition, it is a valuable global sedimentary repository for the poorly explored Mesoproterozoic. New detrital zircon U–Pb age and Lu–Hf isotope data, collected from multiple, geographically separated

The Golshekanan granitoid body is situated in the central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic arc (UDMA) in central Iran, and includes granite and granodiorite with minor monzonite and diorite. Zircon U–Pb dating yields a late Eocene (Priabonian) crystallization age of 37.6 ± 0.2 Ma. The body is calc-alkaline and metaluminous to weakly peraluminous (A/CNK ≤ 1.10) with SiO2 ranging from 61.1 to 71

Major progress has recently been made regarding the biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy and isotope chemostratigraphy of the lower Cambrian successions in South Australia, in particular of the Arrowie Basin, which has facilitated robust global stratigraphic correlations. However, lack of faunal and sedimentological data from the lower Cambrian Normanville Group in the eastern Stansbury Basin, South

The South China Block is one of the largest continental blocks located on the East Asian continent. The early Palaeozoic Wuyi–Yunkai orogen of the South China Block (known as the Caledonian orogen in Europe) is a major orogenic belt in East Asia and represents the first episode of extensive crustal reworking since Neoproterozoic time. Although this orogen is key to deciphering the formation and evolution

The Campanian Beloe Ozero locality within the Rybushka Formation in Saratov Province, Russia, is one of the richest and most diverse Upper Cretaceous pterosaur localities in Europe. It produces identifiable remains of Pteranodontidae indet. and Azhdarchidae indet., as well as bones which can be attributed to either of these groups. The pteranodontid specimens from the Beloe Ozero locality described

A number of ecological and geochemical transformations occurred during late Ediacaran and early Cambrian time, the effects of which are difficult to overestimate. However, the strong linkage of biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic methods with lithofacies makes the localization of the Precambrian–Cambrian boundary and its correlation with lithologically contrasting sections highly debatable. We

Studies that reveal detailed information about trilobite growth, particularly early developmental stages, are crucial for improving our understanding of the phylogenetic relationships within this iconic group of fossil arthropods. Here we document an essentially complete ontogeny of the trilobite Redlichia cf. versabunda from the Cambrian Series 2 (late Stage 4) Ramsay Limestone of Yorke Peninsula

The widespread occurrence of late Mesozoic volcanic rocks in SE China is associated with widespread mineralization. Most geologists have accepted the model of Pacific plate subduction beneath the eastern Asian continent, but there are still controversies, especially the initial timing of the tectonic transition. In order to understand the tectonic evolution of the palaeo-Pacific plate subduction, an

The Vindhyan Supergroup represents the largest Proterozoic sedimentary basin fill in the Indian shield. In addition to some significant palaeobiological discoveries, the sedimentary sequence of the Vindhyan, particularly its argillaceous intervals, holds crucial information for our understanding of sedimentation dynamics in Proterozoic clastic shelves. Here we attempt an extensive, although not exhaustive

This study focuses on the Tianshifu Basin, eastern Liaoning, China, which is filled with Lower–Middle Jurassic fluviolacustrine sediments rich in macroplants. Our aim is to explore the continental climate features of the late Early Jurassic period. The composition of the Early–Middle Jurassic flora and the carbon isotopic ratios of organic matter, total organic carbon, total organic nitrogen and sulphur

The study of enclaves in granitic plutons provides fundamental information on the petrogenesis of their host rocks. Here we combine U–Pb zircon ages, petrography, geochemistry and Nd–Hf isotope composition to investigate the origin of dioritic–granodioritic enclaves and their host granodiorites and biotite granites in the Xuehuading–Panshanchong area, which is a pivotal site to study the Palaeozoic

Four unconformity-bound sequences can be identified in the Purana successions in southern India, of which the third sequence (Sequence III) has the widest distribution. Sequence III contains deep-water carbonate units with consistent sedimentological characteristics across the subcontinent. The current extent of field relationships and existing ages has not allowed the correlation and chronology of

Fieldwork forms the basis of geoscience studies. However, field activities present limitations for people with mental or physical impairments. This aspect can preclude participation in field trips by certain groups of students or limit their experience. In recent years, new types of supporting material and the development of accessible field trips have been a step forward towards the reduction of barriers

New occurrences of middle–late Darriwilian (Middle Ordovician) conodonts are reported from the Nyalam region, southern Tibet. The conodont-yielding strata, referred to the Chiatsun Group, accumulated on the north Indian continental margin of northern Gondwana. These Middle Ordovician conodonts include the informal species Histiodella sp. A in the middle part of the Lower Formation of the Chiatsun Group

The Western Tianshan orogenic belt is essential for understanding the evolution of the Central Asian orogenic belt. However, no agreement exists among geologists about its tectonic environment during the Late Palaeozoic. The volcanic rocks of the Yishijilike and Wulang Formation in the Yili Block, Western Tianshan, formed in the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian, mainly consist of a bimodal suite

The Triassic–Jurassic Upper Karoo Group of the Mid-Zambezi Basin (MZB; Zimbabwe) includes a thick succession of terrestrial sediments with high palaeontological potential that has been neglected since the 1970s. Here, we review the Upper Karoo Group stratigraphy, present detailed sedimentological work and identify new vertebrate-bearing sites at several measured sections along the southern shore of

The Duobagou Permian–Triassic granites of the Dunhuang orogenic belt are of great importance in understanding the tectonic evolution of the southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt. LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon ages indicate that Permian–Triassic granitic intrusions from the Duobagou area formed at 276–274 Ma and 246 ± 1 Ma. These granites have high SiO2, Na2O and K2O, but low Al2O3, CaO and MgO contents

Thorny lacewings (Rhachiberothidae) are currently distributed only within Africa, whereas they are prevalent in the fossil record of various Cretaceous ambers across the Northern Hemisphere, with a handful of the fossil records from some Eocene European ambers. Four rhachiberothid species in four extinct genera are known from the mid-Cretaceous amber of northern Myanmar. Here, we report further examples