Additional occurrence of Capitanian (Guadalupian, Permian) gigantic bivalve Alatoconchidae from NE Japan and Primorye (Far East Russia): paleobiogeographical implication to NE segment of Greater South China

Middle Permian (Capitanian) seawater 87Sr/86Sr minimum coincided with disappearance of tropical biota and reef collapse in NE Japan and Primorye (Far East Russia)

Cambrian plutonism in Northeast Japan and its significance for the earliest arc-trench system of proto-Japan: New U–Pb zircon ages of the oldest granitoids in the Kitakami and Ou Mountains

Greater South China extended to the Khanka block: Detrital zircon geochronology of middle-upper Paleozoic sandstones in Primorye, Far East Russia

A refined foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Middle Permian Kamiyasse Formation in the Kamiyasse area north of Kesennuma, Southern Kitakami Terrane, NE Japan, is presented. Based on the stratigraphic distribution of schwagerinid and neoschwagerinid fusulinoideans, the Kamiyasse Formation, equivalent to the Kanokura Formation in the type area (Setamai-Yahagi area), is subdivided into the Monodiexodina sutchanica, Parafusulina motoyoshiensis and Lepidolina shiraiwensis Zone in ascending order, all of which appear to correspond to the Midian (latest Wordian to Capitanian) in age. The M. sutchanica Zone is here defined as integrated with cross-stratified sandstone beds in the bottom of the formation, and this zone is no longer equivalent to the previously defined M. matsubaishi (junior synonym of M. sutchanica) Zone in the Iwaizaki Limestone and the Kanokura Formation of the type area. The other two zones are defined with the first occurrences of the zonal species. Foraminifers are highly diverse along the stratigraphic interval between the Parafusulina motoyoshiensis and Lepidolina shiraiwensis Zones. Fifty-seven species belonging to 42 genera of foraminifers are identified. Nineteen species among them are systematically described and discussed, including the following three species: Baisalina rikuzenensis sp. nov., whose middle and later whorls are subdivided into more than fifteen chamberlets by septal protrusions; Wutuella sp., previously misidentified as “Cancellina” sp.; and Septagathammina sp., exclusively known from South China.

Pseudosida szalayi Daday, 1898 is redescribed on the basis on type material from Sri Lanka (Ceylon) and other materials from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, East and South China, and Far East of Russia (Lower Amur River basin). The investigation of intraand interpopulational morphological variability has allowed coming to the conclusion about the conspecificity of specimens from different regions and occurrence of the only species, P. szalayi, in East and South Asia. The male of the species is described in detail for the first time. The first discovered northernmost localities of the species in the Lower Amur River basin are far separated from others and may have a relict status. While probably, only one species of the genus occurs in East and South Asia, the taxonomic status of African pseudosidas known under the names “P. szalayi” and “P. bidentata” remains uncertain.

Global Review of Permian Tyloplecta Muir-Wood and Cooper, 1960 (Brachiopoda): Morphology, Palaeobiogeographical and Palaeogeographical Implications

The June rainfall over the Korean peninsula has exhibited a significant decrease in particular after late 1990s. From the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analyses on the surface temperature, this study found two modes to be closely related to the decrease of rainfall over the peninsula. The first (second) EOF mode is associated with the enhanced surface temperature and anticyclonic circulation over the eastern Lake Baikal to northeastern China (the far East of Russia). The second mode also appears to be related to the cyclonic circulation over the East China Sea and south of Japan islands. These circulation patterns induce southeastward or eastward water vapor transports, and then contribute to the decreased moisture flux convergence and rainfall over Korea. In conclusion, the recent decrease of June rainfall over the Korean peninsula is thought to be, in part, associated with changes in the East Asian Summer Monsoon circulation possibly caused by the local warming trends over the eastern Lake Baikal to Mongolia and far East of Russia.

An Early Triassic (Griesbachian) gastropod fauna is reported from South China (Shanggan, Guangxi) and consists of four species: Bellerophon abrekensis, Wannerispira shangganensis Kaim & Nützel sp. nov., Naticopsis sp., and Palaeonarica guangxinensis Kaim & Nützel sp. nov. The taxon Wannerispira Kaim & Nützel nom. nov. replaces Pagodina Wanner non Van Beneden. This is the first report of Bellerophon abrekensis from China. Previously, it was only known from its type locality in Far East Russia. Wannerispira shangganensis sp. is the first certain Triassic report of the Permian subfamily Neilsoniinae and represents a holdover taxon. The neritimorph Palaeonarica is reported for the first time from the Early Triassic and this is the oldest occurrence of this genus. Compared with other Griesbachian gastropods, the present material is relatively well preserved so that the taxonomy rests on rather firm ground. Very few nominal taxa have been reported from the Griesbachian and therefore the present report presents substantial additional information about gastropods from the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. The gastropod association from Shanggan shares one species with Primorye, Far East Russia (B. abrekensis). Two species, W. shangganensis and P. guangxinensis, closely resemble specimens reported from the Griesbachian of Oman. This could suggest that Griesbachian gastropod faunas of the Tethys were rather homogenous although the data are still scarce.

In response to comments by Ishiwatari and Tsujimori (2012) on the position of the geotectonic boundary between the North China and South China blocks in easternmost Asia, i.e., in Japan, some additional remarks are presented here to supplement our previous article (Omori and Isozaki, 2011). The 230 Ma ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic belt (the Dabieshan-Sulu collision suture) extends from Shaanxi province to the Shandong peninsula in mainland China, but is not recognized to the east on the Korean peninsula and in Japan. There are two contrasting interpretations of the further extension; (1) a continuity to the east through the Korean peninsula and Japan (Omori and Isozaki, 2011); and (2) a large-scale deviation south to the Ishigaki Island of the Ryukyus and a connection to the 210 Ma high-pressure Suo metamorphic belt in the northern Kyushu and Chugoku districts of SW Japan (Ishiwatari and Tsujimori, 2012). There are two essential differences between the interpretations; a) assuming the eastern margin of South China block per se extends to NE Japan (Omori and Isozaki, 2011) or up to the Shandong peninsula and no further to the east (Ishiwatari and Tsujimori, 2012); and b) assuming two parallel-running geotectonic boundaries (collision suture and oceanic-subduction zone) (Omori and Isozaki, 2011) or one boundary (collison suture changing laterally into an oceanic-subduction zone) (Ishiwatari and Tsujimori, 2012) in Triassic East Asia. Regarding the geotectonic framework around Japan, the northern Kyushu and Chugoku districts belong to the South China block according to the former, whereas they belong to the North China block together with the eastern half of East China Sea and the entire Korean peninsula according to the latter. The traditional paleo-biogeographical data of Paleozoic fauna and the recently dated detrital zircon ages of the Neoproterozoic from non-metamorphosed Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous fore-arc sediments prove that Paleozoic Japan was located along the active margin of South China. In addition, NE Japan with the Paleozoic fauna having a South China affinity represents the eastern extremity of the South China block as hitherto known. These potentially require a continuation of the collision suture between the two China blocks to NE Japan. These facts and discussion clearly deny the unusual assumptions of Ishiwatari and Tsujimori (2003). Instead, the following conclusions are confirmed; (1) the South China block extends to NE Japan, (2) the 230 Ma UHP-bearing collision suture between the two China blocks continues to NE Japan; and (3) Triassic East Asia had two parallel-aligned major plate boundaries, i.e., collision suture and the oceanic trench.

End of Capitanian (Middle Permian) Patch Reef on a Shallow Marine Shelf in NE South China: Lithostrategraphy of Uppermost Iwaizaki Limestone in the South Kitakami Belt, NE Japan

China. Mostly there is little information available. It is considered to be in the Category Data Deficient by HSG (Hafner et al. 2000). The principal conservation need for this species is for clarification of the breeding distribution and the identification of potentially important areas for their protection. Surveys of known and potential breeding sites should be undertaken and reported, especially in east Russia and east and south China (Hafner et al. 2000). So little is known about the biology of this species that studies of its basic biology are urgently needed.

South Primorye, Far East Russia—A key region for global Permian correlation

With the widespread recognition and in-depth implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), especially in the context of global climate change, the ecological environment of Belt and Road Initiative regions might be confronted with pressures and challenges with rapid socioeconomic development. In response to those potential environmental challenges, China has put forward Green BRI and enriched the new Silk Road with more environmental connotations, aiming to reduce the conflict between economic development and eco-environmental protection. Currently, there is a lack of systematic and holistic research on eco-environmental issues in BRI regions. In addition, feasible solutions to enhance BRI's contribution to the eco-environment remain insufficient. Having systematically reviewed the relevant literature on the eco-environment in BRI regions, we found that most regions along the BRI routes are in sensitive zones of climate and geological change, with fragile eco-environments and strong vulnerability to climate change, natural disasters and human activities. The main eco-environment status of the BRI regions is as follows: (1) The total water resources in BRI regions account for only 36% of the global total, with uneven distribution and complex spatial precipitation, posing higher pressure on water security. (2) Vegetation varies significantly from region to region. The vegetation in South Asia is the richest, with its mean annual NDVI exceeding 0.7. The NDVI in East Europe, Russia and South China are between 0.4 and 0.7, and that in Central Asia and West Asia are below 0.2. (3) The BRI regions are abundantly blessed with natural resources, with the total recoverable oil reserves, natural gas reserves and the total mining area reaching 66%, 65.5% and 42.31% of the world's total, respectively, but severe overexploitation and overconsumption of those resources degrade their eco-environment. Accordingly, future research directions, such as target on integrated, interdisciplinary and coordinated studies on eco-environmental issues in BRI regions, are proposed in this paper to achieve optimization of BRI's contribution to eco-environment protection in BRI regions.

The South Kitakami belt is unique in exposing a thick, well-preserved Paleozoic shelf sequence in Japan in which Phanerozoic accretionary complexes dominate. Its origin with respect to continental blocks has been debated in regard of two options, i.e., as belonging to the margin of North China or South China. Present work on U–Pb detrital zircon dating has identified Neoproterozoic mineral grains from the Silurian and Carboniferous sandstones in the S. Kitakami belt, and proved the link between Paleozoic Japan and South China with dominant Proterozoic basements. South China likely extended further to the east from the mainland China.

Ordovician Japan formed a mature arc-trench system developed along the palaeo-Pacific (Panthalassa) margin of the Greater South China (GSC) continental block. GSC consists of South China, East China Sea, SW–NE Japan and the Khanka–Jiamusi–Bureya megablock in the Far East; Paleozoic GSC was thus, in total, twice as large as the South China components by themselves (Yangtze and Cathaysia). The Ordovician crust of Proto-Japan comprised coeval arc-related rocks, such as granitoids, supra-subduction zone ophiolites and fore-arc basin strata, although most of them were considerably fragmented. The Ordovician and middle–late Paleozoic fossils from Japan are highly limited but suggest that Proto-Japan was positioned in the low-latitude domains probably of the palaeo-Pacific Ocean in connection to Paleo-Tethys. GSC became separated from Rodinia in the Neoproterozoic, and its Proto-Japan segment evolved as a collision-free subduction margin for nearly 500 myr since the mid-Cambrian. The GSC framework provides critical constraints to the palaeogeographical reconstruction of circum-Pacific continental blocks. First, the Cambro-Ordovician GSC should have been isolated from Australia/India/East Antarctica that formed East Gondwana by a relatively wide ocean domain for keeping ‘subduction potential’. Second, the Cathaysian margin of GSC should have faced to an extensive ocean without major continents since the Cambrian. The palaeo-Pacific is the only possible candidate for this.