Development of fluvial-lacustrine systems in the rift basins fostered Jehol Biota origin: Palaeobiogeographic insights on Dabeigou-type ostracod fauna

Abstract

The Lower Cretaceous Dabeigou Formation (135–130 Ma) in the Luanping Basin, associated with its contemporary strata in northeastern China, contains the earliest documented fossils of the Jehol Biota. This includes the Luanpingella—Eoparacypris—Ocrocypris ostracod assemblage, referred to in this study as the Dabeigou-type ostracod fauna (DOF). Ostracods, which are small (0.5–2 mm) aquatic crustaceans, are abundant and easily preserved as fossils. Outlining a clear palaeobiogeographic range of the DOF can help expand the distribution range of the early Jehol Biota, providing valuable information on its origin. Results show that the DOF is mainly distributed in a series of rift basins along the Yanliao area of China to the eastern Transbaikal region of Russia, with a roughly narrow north-south distribution. Rift basin development in the eastern part of the North China Craton, combined with humid climatic conditions, provided a suitable environment (e.g., fluvial-lacustrine systems) for the emergence of the Jehol Biota.