Geological Park Research Articles

Large scale dinoturbation in braided stream deposits: evidence from the Cretaceous Tugulu Group of the Hami area, Eastern Xinjiang, China

Large dinosaur tracks were recently reported from locations in the Pterosaur-Yadan National Geological Park situated about 100 km south of Hami in Xinjiang Province, China. The park comprises a substantial area in a much larger arid region comprising and extensive spectrum of Cretaceous, siliciclastic, Tugulu Group, lithofacies representing proximal, basin margin, alluvial fan and braided stream deposits, grading into alluvial plain, deltaic and lacustrine facies near the depocenter. Due to the difficulties of conducting detailed geological surveys in such a vast and inhospitable area, definitive resolution of the litho-, bio- and chrono-stratigraphy is challenging in some areas, and yet to be published in detail. Nevertheless, the occurrence of large dinosaur tracks and dinoturbated units, here interpreted as sauropodan, in association with root casts, dinosaur bone and fossil wood, points to the potential of this frontier area to yield valuable paleontological information, and show that flora and fauna were found in arid braided stream systems away from the lacustrine depocenters where body fossils are more abundant and better known.

Ukraine in the history of the movement for the conservation of geological heritage in Europe

The paper focuses on the history of the movement for preservation of geological heritage of Ukraine, closely related to the history of geoconservation in Europe; determines the relationship of the extent of geodiversity and geological structure of a certain country, political system, historical traditions and attitude towards wildlife and inanimate nature. Despite the fact that geodiversity and biodiversity have always been in parallel, traditionally all nations in all the continents have focused more on the preservation of so-called wildlife. The article describes that preservation of the so-called inanimate nature; provides a rather sufficient analysis of literature sources which report on the problem of preserving bio- and geodiversity not only in Ukraine, but also in other countries of Europe. In particular, the combination of biotic and abiotic constituents of nature proved to be an essential aspect in determining the place of the world`s first nature reserve and location of an important centre of Buddhism in Mihintale, Sri Lanka. The start of the movement for preservation of so-called inanimate nature in Europe could, with a certain extent of possibility, be considered the first historical written mention of the subject, which was declared in the 10th Chapter of Third Statute of Lithuania in 1588. That is protection of rivers against artificial change of their banks, change in currents and preservation of large erratic boulders. As an important stage of the beginning of the movement for preservation of the so-called inanimate, can be considered the year 1668, when in Germany the Baumannshöhle cave was preserved. It was first mentioned in the literature in 1565, and in 1646 the cave became an object of tourism. During the analysis of the historical stage related to the movement ProGEO, we emphasizes international events in which the representatives of the Ukrainian ProGEO group took part. Active work of the Ukrainian ProGEO group created conditions for transition to a new level of geoconservation, i.e. determination of the possibility of creating a new category of objects of the Nature-Reserve fund of Ukraine – geological parks (geoparks) as important locations for the development of geotourism and territories of complex conservation of the natural environment.

Geo tourism and mechanisms of developing Geopark in Egypt as pplyied to The White Desert protected area

Egypt has own many elements of natural and human tourism attraction that qualify it to be one of the first tourist countries in the world, and Geo tourism is one of the most important tourism patterns based on the principle of sustainability , There are many natural reserves in Egypt that contain rare geological formations and structures, the most important of which is the White Desert protected area at Farafra within the Western Desert. The idea of research in studying the tourism potential of the reserve, which qualifies it to be present under the umbrella of UNESCO as the first Egyptian geo park and to adopt a sustainable environmental marketing pattern for it. The study aimed to identify the Geo tourism, the Geo parks and the criteria for joining the global network of geological parks also, the most important economic and social benefits of exploiting this pattern. The study recommended the need to intensify efforts by the responsible authorities to provide all services that do not conflict with the nature of the place and preserve its identity, increase awareness campaigns for visitors, provide guiding signs inside the reserve, preserve the absorptive capacity of the place, and make tourist advertising comparable to the global importance of the place.

Integration of the peer assessment approach with a virtual reality design system for learning earth science

This study developed a peer assessment approach incorporated into virtual reality (VR) design activities for fifth-grade students to learn knowledge about a geological park in their natural science course. All the students were asked to design a VR project after they had learned the geological knowledge, so as to raise their environmental awareness and cultivate their earth science knowledge. In order to evaluate the learning performance and perceptions of students in two groups, one with peer assessment and the other with teacher feedback, we collected the learning achievements, learning motivation, self-efficacy, critical thinking tendency, creativity tendency, and cognitive load of learners before and after the activities. The results indicated that students performing the VR design activity with the peer assessment learning approach had higher learning effectiveness. They also had higher self-efficacy and critical thinking tendencies than those using the VR design system with conventional teacher feedback. In other words, the peer assessment approach not only improves students’ learning achievement, but also enhances their self-efficacy and critical thinking tendencies.

Land Degeneration due to Water Infiltration and Sub-Erosion: A Case Study of Soil Slope Failure at the National Geological Park of Qian-an Mud Forest, China

Sustainable development of the natural landscape has received an increasing attention worldwide. Identifying the causes of land degradation is the primary condition for adopting appropriate methods to preserve degraded landscapes. The National Geological Park of Qian-an mud forest in China is facing widespread land degradation, which not only threatens landscape development but also endangers many households and farmlands. Using the park as a research object, we identified the types of slope failure and the factors that contribute to their occurrence. During June 2017, a detailed field survey conducted in a representative area of the studied region found two main types of slope failure: soil cave piping and vertical collapse. Physicochemical properties of the soil samples were measured in the laboratory. Results show that soil slope failure is controlled by three factors: (1) the typical geological structure of the mud forest area represented by an upper layer of thick loess sub-sandy soil and the near-vertical slope morphology; (2) particular soil properties, especially soil dispersibility; and (3) special climate conditions with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Study on the Behaviors of Inbound Tourists based on Geotagged Photo Metadata – A Case of the City Group in the Upper Reach of the Yellow River in China

Abstract. The spatial distribution of geotagged photos is a projection of the tourist's tourism activities in the geospatial space, which contains spatial attributes and interrelationships of tourists’ activities. Using the Flickr photo sharing website, the paper utilizes new data mining technologies to discover and capture the metadata of geotagged photos uploaded by visitors from January 2008 to October 2018 in the upper reach of the Yellow River in China. The spatial information processing and expression of the collected data are processed and the characteristics of the inbound tourists’ behavior are explored by the P-DBSCAN, the path tracking technology and the UCINET network analysis. The main results are as follows: (1) By using the P-DBSCAN cluster analysis, the area of interest (AOI) has a feature of high agglomeration and forms a “V” shaped in the Xining-Lanzhou-Yinchuan area. The concentration of AOIs is closely related to the urban functional area and has a clear Urban functional orientation. (2) Using tracking analysis, the paper reveals single node trajectory, intraregional path trajectory and interregional path trajectory. Among them, 68.42% visitors chose single node trajectory, 9.78% visitors chose intraregional path trajectory and 21.80% tourists chose interregional path trajectory. (3) Ten cross-regional tourism mainstream lines are picked by the UCINET network analysis mode. It has been found that the tourists tend to visit those famous scenic spots (points) such as the Qinghai Lake, the YaDan Geological Park, the ‘Danxia’ Landform, the Zhenbeibu China West Film Studio. It is apparent that the Gansu-Qinghai Great Circle Tour is a hot tourist route that tourists are keen to choose. The research results have certain reference significance for improving the transformation and upgrading of tourism industry in the upper reach of the Yellow River.

Accuracy and precision of the late Eocene–early Oligocene geomagnetic polarity time scale

AbstractAn accurate and precise geomagnetic polarity time scale is crucial to the development of a chronologic framework in which to test paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental interpretations of marine and terrestrial records of the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT). The magnetic polarity patterns of relatively continuous marine and terrestrial records of the EOT have been dated using both radio-isotopic techniques and astronomical tuning, both of which can achieve a precision approaching ±30 k.y. for much of the Paleogene. However, the age of magnetic reversals between chrons C12n and C16n.2n has proved difficult to calibrate, with discrepancies of up to 250 k.y. between radio-isotopically dated and astronomically tuned marine successions, rising to 600 k.y. for comparisons with the 206Pb/238U-dated terrestrial record of the White River Group in North America. In this study, we reevaluate the magnetic polarity pattern of the Flagstaff Rim and Toadstool Geologic Park records of the White River Group (C12n–C16n.2n). Our interpretation of the Flagstaff Rim polarity record differs significantly from earlier studies, identifying a previously unreported normal polarity zone correlated to C15n, which eliminates discrepancies between the WRG and the 206Pb/238U-dated marine record of the Rupelian Global Stratotype Section and Point in the Italian Umbria-Marche basin. However, residual discrepancies persist between U-Pb–dated and astronomically tuned records of the EOT even when stratigraphic and systematic uncertainties associated with each locality and dating method are taken into account, which suggests that the uncertainties associated with astronomically tuned records of the EOT may have been underestimated.

Geological history of the Dnipro Rapids from Paleogene to Holocene

During its long history, the rapids section of the large river the Dnipro not only posed a problem for navigation, but also attracted people with its picturesque rocky landscapes unusual for the Steppe Prydniprovie. Nobody who had saw their beauty was left indifferent. History has preserved lots of recorded impressions from various visits to the Rapids from the Ancient Greek philosphers to exceptional works of Dmitro Yavornytsky. However, the geological studies were fragmented and there is no integrated source focussing on the geological structure of the Dnipro Rapids. We analyzed the results of the explorations of Valerian Domger, a famous researcher of the geology of Middle Prydniprovie.His routes investigated almost every corner of the then Katerynoslav governorate. After the creation of the Prydriprovie Regional Landscape Park (PRLP) in 2008 within the territory of part of the Dnipro Rapids, a question of restoration of its geological history should have emerged, but that has not happened. The year 2017 became the year of rebirth of the PRLP andrecognition of geological component as the key feature of its restoration. The Pre-Cambrian stage of the geological history of the Naddniprovia Rapids is described in the author`s publication in early 2018, which focused on the most ancient history of the Rapids. The Phanerozoic Eon is analyzed in this work and focuses on the lithogical-facial peculiarities of the sedimentary rocks from Paleogene to Quaternary rocks on the basis of stratigraphic and paleontological data, according to which they have beendivided in detail. We determined the patterns in the structure of Quaternary deposits, the correlation of subaerial and subaquaticformations of different genetic types was made according to the use of the climatic-stratigraphic or paleoclimatic principle of division. Thepossibilities of creating a geological park on the basis of the“Dnipro Rapids” Regional Landscape Park ( "Dniprovi Porohy' RLP) areexplored and substantiated.

Analysis of “Geological Tourism +” Mode and Realization Path Based On Innovation

Geological tourism is a basic supporting element and an important format in the development of tourism industry, It is also the development of the domestic tourism of the more systematic, mature and has been widely accepted by the tourists and favourite product type; To all kinds of geological parks or geological scenic spots as the representative of the geological tourism has made rapid development, Also face the bottleneck of their own development; To explore a variety of “Geological tourism +” innovative development model, for the future of geological tourism has a positive exploration of value and practical significance.

Application of Multi-level Grey Evaluation on Geological Tourism Resources’ Economic Values of Geopark: A Case Study of Huashan Geopark in Shaanxi Province

Geo-park gives priority to geographical relic landscapes. It has not only rich geological touristic resources but also extraordinarily high values for economic development. Taking Huashan Geological Park as an example, the thesis systematically analyzes the characteristics of the geological touristic resources in this park. It applies the method of multilevel grey evaluation to establish the evaluation model for the economic values of the touristic resources in the geological park and presents detailed result of the assessment. The result concludes an excellent grade for the comprehensive evaluation of the economic values of Huashan geological touristic resources, reflecting the outstanding natural advantages of the park in geological resources. Moreover, in the single-item evaluations, the scientific evaluation ranks the highest in score, indicating that the geological touristic resources of the park have extraordinary geologically science-popularizing values as a significant condition for the development of scientific tours. It shows that the park is endowed with excellent prospects for economic development.

A New Mass-Market Outdoor Tourism Model Threats the Sustainability of Rural Environment in Spain: The Necessity for Regulation

Archaeology & Anthropology: Open Access A New Mass-Market Outdoor Tourism Model Threats the Sustainability of Rural Environment in Spain: The Necessity for Regulation Julia Escorihuela* Manager of the Geologic Park of Aliaga, Spain *Corresponding author: Julia Escorihuela, Manager of the Geologic Park of Aliaga, C\San Antonio s/n 44150, Aliaga, Teruel, Spain Submission: December 15, 2017; Published: December 22, 2017 DOI: 10.31031/AAOA.2017.01.000516 ISSN: 2577-1949Volume1 Issue4

Юридичні аспекти створення геопарків в Україні

This article covers the question of creating geoparks in Ukraine, for they are still absent in this country. The creation of geoparks is one of the ways of solving a global problem on which the international community is focused - protection of the geological heritage (Geoheritage). It turns out that one of the reasons for such situation in Ukraine is imperfect legislation and absence of a “legal map” for creating a geological park. After analyzing all current normative acts in the country`s legislation, we found that the terms “geological park” and “geological heritage” are absent. We analyzed other countries` legislation regarding this issue and also the acts of international organizations, including the UNESCO. The results of the analysis show that the term “geopark” can legally exist only as a status provided by UNESCO to a protected nature-reserve territory including geological objects of international value. After reviewing the main criteria of UNESCO, we found that to obtain the status of an international geopark the object of geoheritage should belong to nature-reserve fund and possess management institutions at all possible levels, have protected status, and, most important, operate within the framework of the country`s legislation (at local or national levels). We examined all relevant legislation of Ukraine and distinguished the main normative-legal acts which regulate the issues concerning creation, protection and functioning of the territory of a future international geopark. Study of the legislation provided the results which led to development of a “legal map” corresponding to the three main issues: the preconditions for creation, the creation itself and the responsible organs, protections and the organs responsible for the protection of the future geopark territory. The results show that creating a future geopark corresponds to the priority directions of development of science and the technical sphere for the period until 2020, and is also one of the strategic aims of state ecological policy of Ukraine for the period until 2020. It was found that creating or providing any status to a territory is regulated by the Land Code of Ukraine, which states that territories of a geopark correspond to the categories of the land of the nature-reserve fund and other nature protection purposes, covers the full definitions of such territories and for more detailed consideration includes references to other legislation, The Law of Ukraine on the Nature-reserve Fund of Ukraine, which is one of the main normative-legal acts of regulating the issue of creating territories of future geoparks. It was shown that among all classifications of objects of the nature-reserve fund which the legislation provides, the category national nature park best suits the creation of a geopark – its main aims and organs responsible for its functioning are defined. We found which normative-legal acts regulate practical creation of such territory and which organs are responsible for it. This article describes which legal actions should be performed for the achievement of this aim. This article describes for the first time the creation of a geopark as a scientific park managed by a university with geological specialities according to the new Law of Ukraine on Scientific Parks, which will be analyzed in more details in future articles. We analyzed the normative-legal acts concerning the protection of territories of national nature parks, defined key points of this issue and organs responsible for it. The data provided in the paper is relevant to all recent changes in the legislation in 2017. The results can be used for creation of a real geopark or used by scientists studying the geological heritage.

The Contribution of the Geotourism to the Sustainable Development: The Role of Geoethics

Archaeology & Anthropology: Open Access The Contribution of the Geotourism to the Sustainable Development: The Role of Geoethics Julia Escorihuela* Manager of the Geologic Park of AHaga, Spain *Corresponding author: Julia Escorihuela, Manager of the Geologic Park of Aliaga, C\San Antonio s/n 44150, Aliaga, Teruel, Spain Submission: September 11, 2017; Published: November 29, 2017 DOI: 10.31031/AAOA.2017.01.000511 ISSN: 2577-1949Volume1 Issue3

The Role of the Geotouristic Guide in Earth Science Education: Towards a More Critical Society of Land Management

Primary and secondary education in Spain does not satisfactorily cover the geoscientific concepts, which explains the great difficulty of citizens to understand the dynamics of their own planet, and does not contribute to a more interventionist and critical citizenship facing land projects. Scientific community is worried about the reduction in this discipline, and a need for a new approach—which should give more weight to field trips—is being manifested. In this context, geoparks would take an active role, due to the fact that they have an important function in organizing educational outdoors activities at all levels. Nevertheless, there is a lack of research focused on the role of geoparks as tools that promote educational opportunities for visitors and students. On the one hand, this article aims to provide a study of the effectiveness of the interpretative provision offered by the geotouristic guide of the Geologic Park of Aliaga to youngsters aged 12 to 17 years, and also the evaluation of this guide in their Earth science learning process. On the other hand, we study the knowledge acquisition in an intensive summer course offered to children aged 5 to 10 years. According to the results of the surveys, geodiversity and land management contents explained by the geotouristic guide are retained significantly by students and children, and significant differences were observed in the acquisition of knowledge in Earth sciences. In addition, this article adds a practical approach, and proposes some features that should be present in a geotouristic guide playing an effective role.

Перспективи створення мережі геопарків в Україні

Majority of the most interesting and famous places in the world associated with various geological and geomorphological formations. Most people settled directly at or near such places, use them for defense or hold religious ceremonies. Over time the value and functions of such places has changed. They have become important for the study of the Earth's history, demonstrating various geological and geomorphological processes and resulting forms of relief. They also gained importance as tourist sites terrain. People were more interested in objects of the geological heritage and the number of people willing to visit them was more. The problem was their conservation and rational use, and need for further study of these objects increased. So people have been started creating geological parks. The territory of Ukraine also has a rich and varied geological heritage and the development of network natural landscape parks, but the question of creation of geological parks is very serious. The purpose of research is to rationale the need for geological parks in Ukraine. The analysis and generalization of work was conducted, which has already been accomplished on the way to the conservation of geological heritage. Several major problems highlighted as of today, with which geologists have encountered and which require quick solution. Also, a brief overview of geological objects was introduced at work. These objects are the most promising for the creation in their territories geological parks. Namely, it is geological objects Eagle’s Nest, Podil’ski Tovtry, Bug Gard, outcrop Stylske, Stone Tombs (Kamenny Mogile), Vysachky’ salt dome, glaciotectonic mountain Piviha in Poltava region, basalt columns «Ivanova Valley», Zacharovana Valley (Smerecov a Stone), Kanevsk glaciotectonic mountains.Key words: geological monuments (geosites), geological parks (geoparks), geological heritage, Nature Reserve Land

五大连池浮游动物群落结构的时空特征

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 五大连池浮游动物群落结构的时空分布特征 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201405281097 作者: 作者单位: 中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院长江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,中国水产科学研究院黑龙江水产研究所,五大连池日河渔业有限公司 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 中央级公益性科研院所基本科研业务费专项(HSY201201);公益性行业(农业)科研专项(201303056-5);国家科技支撑计划(2012BAD25B10-05);黑龙江省冷水性鱼类种质资源及增养殖重点开放实验室(201201) Spatial and temporal distributions of zooplankton community structure in Wudalianchi Lake Author: Affiliation: Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Yangtze River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Heilongjiang River Fisheries Research Institute,Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences,Wudalianchi Rihe Fisheries Ltd Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:基于2011-2013年五大连池的调查,对浮游动物群落结构时空分布特征进行分析,探讨重点放养鱼类之一鳙Aristichthys nobilis的合理放养量。结果表明,五大连池浮游动物4类82种(含未定种);主要优势种集中于原生动物和轮虫,有恩氏筒壳虫Tintinnidium entzii、纵长异尾轮虫Trichocerca elongate等,大型浮游动物中仅剑水蚤Cyclops sp.、无节幼体Nauplii形成优势;密度、生物量总计为3794.98ind/L和2.4558mg/L;多样性指数H'、J、d均值分别为2.15、0.7和0.98;浮游动物群落时空差异显著,五池密度、生物量、多样性、均匀度较高,二池(P2)、三池(P3)相似且次于五池;另外,二池(P2)、三池(P3)浮游动物的密度、生物量、多样性均呈现夏季高于春秋季;根据结果获得五大连池鳙的合理放养量为5.71×105尾。研究可为五大连池生境保护和渔业资源的可持续利用提供科学依据。 Abstract:Wudalianchi Lake is located in the hilly regions of Songnen Plain in northern Heilongjiang Province. The latitude and longitude of Wudalianchi Lake range from 48.56°N to 48.63°N and 126°E to 126.35°E. From 1719 to 1721, volcanic eruptions occurred in Laohei Mountain and Huoshao Mountain. Basalt flows blocked the Baihe River, a tributary of the Namoer River, to form the bead-like Wudalianchi Lake consisting of five parts (P1-P5). Wudalianchi Lake is the second largest volcanic-dammed lake in China and is also a world geological park that is used for fisheries and tourism. The primary stocking fish are Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Aristichthys nobilis in part 2 (P2) and part 3 (P3) of Wudalianchi Lake. The lake has a continental monsoon climate, with a long, cold winter and a short, cool summer. The lake freezes in late October and thaws in early May. In July, the temperature rises to 21.0℃, on average. The annual average rainfall is 476.3 mm, mostly accumulating from June to August. The main water sources are rainfall and underground springs, and water flows from P5, P4, P3, and P2 to P1. P3 has the largest water area of 7.58 km2, followed by P5 (6.1 km2), P2 (2.63 km2), P4 (0.47 km2), and P1 (0.25 km2). P3 is the deepest region in the lake (average depth, 4.5 m). The average depths are 3.5 m in P2 and P5, and 2.5 m in P1 and P4. Wudalianchi Lake is a shallow eutrophic lake. The species composition, dominant species, density, biomass, and diversity of zooplankton were determined from samples collected from 13 stations in from 2011 to 2013. Based on the survey data, the spatial and temporal distribution of the zooplankton community structure were analyzed, and a reasonable stock density of A. nobilis, one of the key stocking fish in the lake, was discussed. The results showed that 82 species (including unidentified species) belonging to Protozoa, Rotifera, Copepoda and Cladocera were found in Wudalianchi Lake. The number and percentage of protozoan species (including unidentified species) (38, 46.3%) and Rotifera (33, 40.2%) were higher than those of Copepoda (6, 7.3%) and Cladocera (5, 6.2%). The dominant species of zooplankton were Protozoa and Rotifera in Wudalianchi Lake. The dominant species were Tintinnidium entzii, Trichocerca elongata, and so on. The average density and biomass were 3794.98 individuals (ind)/L and 2.4558mg/L respectively. The density of Protozoa was 2853.43 ind/L, and was highest in zooplankton. The biomass of Rotifera was 1.1133mg/L, and was highest in zooplankton. The average values for the Shannon-Wiener index (H'), Pielou index (J), and Margalef index (d) were 2.15, 0.7, and 0.98, respectively. The zooplankton community structure had significant spatial-temporal variation. The spatial distribution of zooplankton density, biomass, H', and J in P5 were higher than in P2 and P3. The spatial and temporal distributions of density, biomass, and diversity indices were similar in P2 and P3. In addition, there were higher values of zooplankton density, biomass, and diversity indices in P2 and P3 in the summer than in the spring and autumn. Based on the survey data of zooplankton biomass, the reasonable stocking amount of A. nobilis was 5.71×105. The present study shed light on the sustainable utilization of fisheries resources in Wudalianchi Lake. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

An Integrated WebGIS-Based Mangement Platform of Geopark

After a careful examination and an extensive investigation of the Geopark development, all data of geological heritage, relevant research, tourism information and science education are integrated by the technologies of ArcGIS, MapServer and database software, based on the detailed analysis and design of system architecture, database design, map file handling, user interface design and system design features, so that a WebGIS-based management platform of Geopark can be created and all related information can be locally managed but remotely accessed. The platform has good usability, platform independence and scalability, can help administrators manage geological park easier.

An Ornithopod-Dominated Tracksite from the Lower Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation (Barremian-Albian) of Qijiang, South-Central China: New Discoveries, Ichnotaxonomy, Preservation and Palaeoecology.

The historically-famous Lotus Fortress site, a deep 1.5–3.0-meter-high, 200-meter-long horizonal notch high up in near-vertical sandstone cliffs comprising the Cretaceous Jiaguan Formation, has been known since the 13th Century as an impregnable defensive position. The site is also extraordinary for having multiple tetrapod track-bearing levels, of which the lower two form the floor of part of the notch, and yield very well preserved asseamblages of ornithopod, bird (avian theropod) and pterosaur tracks. Trackway counts indicate that ornithopods dominate (69%) accounting for at least 165 trackmakers, followed by bird (18%), sauropod (10%), and pterosaur (3%). Previous studies designated Lotus Fortress as the type locality of Caririchnium lotus and Wupus agilis both of which are recognized here as valid ichnotaxa. On the basis of multiple parallel trackways both are interpreted as representing the trackways of gregarious species. C. lotus is redescribed here in detail and interpreted to indicate two age cohorts representing subadults that were sometimes bipedal and larger quadrupedal adults. Two other previously described dinosaurian ichnospecies, are here reinterpreted as underprints and considered nomina dubia. Like a growing number of significant tetrapod tracksites in China the Lotus Fortress site reveals new information about the composition of tetrapod faunas from formations in which the skeletal record is sparse. In particular, the site shows the relatively high abundance of Caririchium in a region where saurischian ichnofaunas are often dominant. It is also the only site known to have yielded Wupus agilis. In combination with information from other tracksites from the Jiaguan formation and other Cretaceous formations in the region, the track record is proving increasingly impotant as a major source of information on the vertebrate faunas of the region. The Lotus Fortress site has been developed as a spectacular, geologically-, paleontologically- and a culturally-significant destination within Qijiang National Geological Park.

Application of white cellulose acetate sheets on fossil wood investigation

Generally, transparent cellulose acetate sheets as a peel technique material are used in the identification of fossils, whereas white cellulose acetate sheets as a biochemistry technique material are applied in serum protein electrophoresis (SPE). Here we report the application of white cellulose acetate sheets for identifying a polished fossil wood from the Upper Mesozoic of West Liaoning, China. Based on the characters of transverse, radial, and tangential sections, the fossil wood is ascribed to a taxon of Protoglyptostroboxylon sp. Compared with transparent cellulose acetate sheets, white cellulose acetate sheets not only provide the similar information as that of the former, but also are more easily acquired in the Chinese market than the former. Because peel technique supported by white cellulose acetate sheets has the advantages of simple, time-saving, safe, reliable, and practical operation with lower material loss, it is a very good choice for the polished fossil wood investigation in labs, museums, geological parks, and handicraft shops. It is also a convenient approach to training students to learn the anatomic structure of fossil wood.

Synchronizing terrestrial and marine records of environmental change across the Eocene–Oligocene transition

Records of terrestrial environmental change indicate that continental cooling and/or aridification may have predated the greenhouse–icehouse climate shift at the Eocene–Oligocene transition (EOT) by ca. 600 kyr. In North America, marine-terrestrial environmental change asynchronicity is inferred from a direct comparison between the astronomically tuned marine EOT record and published 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of volcanic tuffs from the White River Group (WRG) sampled at Flagstaff Rim (Wyoming) and Toadstool Geologic Park (Nebraska), which are type sections for the Chadronian and Orellan North American Land Mammal Ages. We present a new age-model for the WRG, underpinned by high-precision 206Pb/238U zircon dates from 15 volcanic tuffs, including six tuffs previously dated using the 40Ar/39Ar technique. Weighted mean zircon 206Pb/238U dates from this study are up to 1.0 Myr younger than published anorthoclase and biotite 40Ar/39Ar data (calibrated relative to Fish Canyon sanidine at 28.201 Ma). Giving consideration to the complexities, strengths, and limitations associated with both the 40Ar/39Ar and 206Pb/238U datasets, our interpretation is that the recalculated 40Ar/39Ar dates are anomalously old, and the 206Pb/238U (zircon) dates more accurately constrain deposition. 206Pb/238U calibrated age–depth models were developed in order to facilitate a robust intercomparison between marine and terrestrial archives of environmental change, and indicate that: (i) early Orellan (terrestrial) cooling recorded at Toadstool Geologic Park was synchronous with the onset of early Oligocene Antarctic glaciation and (ii) the last appearance datums of key Chadronian mammal taxa are diachronous by ca. 0.7 Myr between central Wyoming and NW Nebraska.