Pub Date : 2025-12-27DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113515
David A.T. Harper , Lucia Angiolini , Charles M. Henderson , Thomas Servais
The concept of the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to define the bases of chronostratigraphic units, indicated by a spike in rock, has endured for over half a century. Each boundary is defined by a spike in a rock succession, coincident with available biological and or other markers and represents a unique point in time to serve as the standard (yardstick) against which other successions can be correlated. The GSSPs are geological standards, referred to as stratotypes and are key reference points in time. The methodology has brought precision and stability to the definition of geological time, providing a global language for Earth science and Earth scientists. It is the largest cooperative venture in the history of the Earth sciences. In recent years, some challenges to this practice have been voiced questioning the validity of the GSSP concept. It is thus opportune to address misconceptions and misunderstandings and clearly reiterate the necessity of this approach and its success.
{"title":"Stability and precision in chronostratigraphic definition: The Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) is the solution","authors":"David A.T. Harper , Lucia Angiolini , Charles M. Henderson , Thomas Servais","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113515","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113515","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The concept of the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) to define the bases of chronostratigraphic units, indicated by a spike in rock, has endured for over half a century. Each boundary is defined by a spike in a rock succession, coincident with available biological and or other markers and represents a unique point in time to serve as the standard (yardstick) against which other successions can be correlated. The GSSPs are geological standards, referred to as stratotypes and are key reference points in time. The methodology has brought precision and stability to the definition of geological time, providing a global language for Earth science and Earth scientists. It is the largest cooperative venture in the history of the Earth sciences. In recent years, some challenges to this practice have been voiced questioning the validity of the GSSP concept. It is thus opportune to address misconceptions and misunderstandings and clearly reiterate the necessity of this approach and its success.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"686 ","pages":"Article 113515"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145981306","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113529
Yan Zhao , Long Ma , Kang-Jun Huang , Yuanqiang Guo , Feng Pan , Ruiming Chen , Jianxing Li , Qi Wang , Jianan Wang
The evolution of the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude westerlies and the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) have profoundly shaped the climate of inland Asia and provided critical insights into the interactions among regional climate, tectonic processes, and global climate change. However, their evolution during the Late Miocene and Pliocene-a key interval marked by significant uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and long-term global cooling-remains poorly constrained due to the scarcity of effective terrestrial records. In this study, we investigate representative aeolian sequences from regions dominated by the westerlies (the Caihonggou profile, 13–2.6 Ma, northern Tibetan Plateau) and from the EAWM domain (the Lianhua profile, 13–3.6 Ma, Chinese Loess Plateau). The coarse-grained fraction (>30 μm) of the aeolian deposits is used as a robust proxy for near-surface wind intensity. Our results indicate that both the westerlies and the EAWM intensified synchronously after ∼9 Ma, accompanied by enhanced aridification across the Asian interior. This widespread climate reorganization was primarily driven by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. In contrast, after ∼5.5 Ma, EAWM strength and regional aridity weakened, likely in response to global warming, whereas the westerlies remained relatively stable, indicating differing sensitivities of these wind systems to the same climatic forcing. Overall, our findings highlight the dominant role of Tibetan Plateau uplift, modulated by global climate change, in controlling Asian environmental evolution since the Late Miocene.
{"title":"Evolution of the westerlies and the East Asian winter monsoon during the late Miocene and Pliocene","authors":"Yan Zhao , Long Ma , Kang-Jun Huang , Yuanqiang Guo , Feng Pan , Ruiming Chen , Jianxing Li , Qi Wang , Jianan Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113529","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113529","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The evolution of the Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude westerlies and the East Asian winter monsoon (EAWM) have profoundly shaped the climate of inland Asia and provided critical insights into the interactions among regional climate, tectonic processes, and global climate change. However, their evolution during the Late Miocene and Pliocene-a key interval marked by significant uplift of the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and long-term global cooling-remains poorly constrained due to the scarcity of effective terrestrial records. In this study, we investigate representative aeolian sequences from regions dominated by the westerlies (the Caihonggou profile, 13–2.6 Ma, northern Tibetan Plateau) and from the EAWM domain (the Lianhua profile, 13–3.6 Ma, Chinese Loess Plateau). The coarse-grained fraction (>30 μm) of the aeolian deposits is used as a robust proxy for near-surface wind intensity. Our results indicate that both the westerlies and the EAWM intensified synchronously after ∼9 Ma, accompanied by enhanced aridification across the Asian interior. This widespread climate reorganization was primarily driven by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. In contrast, after ∼5.5 Ma, EAWM strength and regional aridity weakened, likely in response to global warming, whereas the westerlies remained relatively stable, indicating differing sensitivities of these wind systems to the same climatic forcing. Overall, our findings highlight the dominant role of Tibetan Plateau uplift, modulated by global climate change, in controlling Asian environmental evolution since the Late Miocene.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113529"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-26DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113526
Jingqiang Tan , Haibo Xu , Xueqi Song , Jinqi Xu , Xiongwen Lou , Wenbo Zhang , Ruining Hu
{"title":"Corrigendum to “Paleoenvironments and sulfur cycle anomalies of the Junggar Basin in the Middle Permian: Paleoclimatic implications for Gondwana deglaciation” [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, volume 682, 15 January 2026, 113435]","authors":"Jingqiang Tan , Haibo Xu , Xueqi Song , Jinqi Xu , Xiongwen Lou , Wenbo Zhang , Ruining Hu","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113526","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113526","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113526"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885194","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-25DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113527
Yifan Wang , Jorge Esteve , Dezhi Wang , Guangying Ren , Hui Zhang , Xiuchun Luo , Xinglian Yang
Similar to other arthropods, trilobite underwent ecdysis as a periodic stage, and this life history strategy had a profound effect on their ontogeny and morphological evolution. Previous paleontological studies of moulting behavior in trilobites are based on few exuviae within later meraspides and holaspid phases, and also too little is known about ontogenetic mouting behavior in trilobites. Here, we investigate abundant exuviae exhibiting relatively complete ontogenetic sequences of Arthricocephalus chauveaui, Arthricocephalites xinzhaiheensis, Duyunaspis duyunensis and Changaspis elongata from the Cambrian Stage 4 Balang Formation. The results indicate two clear trends of ontogenetic moulting behavior in oryctocephalid trilobites during development. A. chauveaui utilized a single Somersault moulting pattern, which deals with opening the cephalic sutures (facial and rostral sutures), with lower cephalic unit (LCU) somersaulting anteriorly and lying beneath the trunk in moult assemblages. However, a gradual transition of moulting behavior during the development, from Somersault to Henningsmoen's moulting pattern, i.e., from inverting the LCU to disarticulated cranidium, is confirmed in Ar. xinzhaiheensis, D. duyunensis and C. elongata. This shift during development might reflect an evolutionary experiment with different moulting modes throughout development, a significant transition with macroevolutionary implications. The moulting mode may be canalized by structures that develop or change with growth, meaning that the change in strategy is not optional, but rather a consequence of morphological constraints and developmental pathway.
{"title":"Moulting behaviors in oryctocephalid trilobites reveal ontogenetic shifts in ecdysial strategies","authors":"Yifan Wang , Jorge Esteve , Dezhi Wang , Guangying Ren , Hui Zhang , Xiuchun Luo , Xinglian Yang","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113527","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113527","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Similar to other arthropods, trilobite underwent ecdysis as a periodic stage, and this life history strategy had a profound effect on their ontogeny and morphological evolution. Previous paleontological studies of moulting behavior in trilobites are based on few exuviae within later meraspides and holaspid phases, and also too little is known about ontogenetic mouting behavior in trilobites. Here, we investigate abundant exuviae exhibiting relatively complete ontogenetic sequences of <em>Arthricocephalus chauveaui</em>, <em>Arthricocephalites xinzhaiheensis</em>, <em>Duyunaspis duyunensis</em> and <em>Changaspis elongata</em> from the Cambrian Stage 4 Balang Formation. The results indicate two clear trends of ontogenetic moulting behavior in oryctocephalid trilobites during development. <em>A</em>. <em>chauveaui</em> utilized a single Somersault moulting pattern, which deals with opening the cephalic sutures (facial and rostral sutures), with lower cephalic unit (LCU) somersaulting anteriorly and lying beneath the trunk in moult assemblages. However, a gradual transition of moulting behavior during the development, from Somersault to Henningsmoen's moulting pattern, i.e., from inverting the LCU to disarticulated cranidium, is confirmed in <em>Ar</em>. <em>xinzhaiheensis</em>, <em>D</em>. <em>duyunensis</em> and <em>C. elongata</em>. This shift during development might reflect an evolutionary experiment with different moulting modes throughout development, a significant transition with macroevolutionary implications. The moulting mode may be canalized by structures that develop or change with growth, meaning that the change in strategy is not optional, but rather a consequence of morphological constraints and developmental pathway.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113527"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145842087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113525
Weihe Ren , Xia Wang , Min Liu , Qiaoyu Cui , Jing Wu
Understanding the long-term dynamics and driving mechanisms of Holocene fire activity is essential for assessing vegetation–climate–fire interactions in monsoon-marginal regions. Here, we present a high-resolution 10.7 ka record of charcoal and Pediastrum from Lake Woniupaozi in the central Great Khingan Mountains, northeastern China. Combined with previously published pollen data, we assess the environmental significance of multiple proxies and explore the mechanisms underlying regional and local fire dynamics. The results show that: (1) Regional and local fires exhibited divergent trends over the Holocene, with enhanced regional fires during ∼10–8 ka and ∼ 3–1.4 ka, and dominant local fires during ∼10–5.5 ka; (2) The L/W ratio of charcoal is closely linked to arboreal pollen changes and serves as a reliable indicator of woody versus herbaceous fuel input; (3) Variations in Pediastrum body size are species-specific and likely respond to precipitation rather than temperature; (4) Quantitative reconstructions of growing-season temperature (TMar–Oct) based on Pediastrum assemblages are consistent with pollen-based summer temperature trends from nearby sites, highlighting warm conditions in the early and late Holocene. Proxy comparisons reveal that Holocene fire regimes were shaped by distinct mechanisms: (1) Regional fire activity was primarily driven by climate, with warm–dry periods favoring widespread burning; (2) Local fires were influenced by vegetation structure and biomass, with reduced biomass and increased woody cover after ∼5.5 ka suppressing fire occurrence. These findings highlight the need to consider both future drought trends and vegetation dynamics, as increased surface biomass may elevate local fire risks, whereas forest expansion could help buffer against fire spread and intensity.
{"title":"Holocene fire dynamics and environmental drivers in Northeastern China: Insights from Lake Woniupaozi Sediments","authors":"Weihe Ren , Xia Wang , Min Liu , Qiaoyu Cui , Jing Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113525","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113525","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the long-term dynamics and driving mechanisms of Holocene fire activity is essential for assessing vegetation–climate–fire interactions in monsoon-marginal regions. Here, we present a high-resolution 10.7 ka record of charcoal and <em>Pediastrum</em> from Lake Woniupaozi in the central Great Khingan Mountains, northeastern China. Combined with previously published pollen data, we assess the environmental significance of multiple proxies and explore the mechanisms underlying regional and local fire dynamics. The results show that: (1) Regional and local fires exhibited divergent trends over the Holocene, with enhanced regional fires during ∼10–8 ka and ∼ 3–1.4 ka, and dominant local fires during ∼10–5.5 ka; (2) The L/W ratio of charcoal is closely linked to arboreal pollen changes and serves as a reliable indicator of woody versus herbaceous fuel input; (3) Variations in <em>Pediastrum</em> body size are species-specific and likely respond to precipitation rather than temperature; (4) Quantitative reconstructions of growing-season temperature (T<sub>Mar–Oct</sub>) based on <em>Pediastrum</em> assemblages are consistent with pollen-based summer temperature trends from nearby sites, highlighting warm conditions in the early and late Holocene. Proxy comparisons reveal that Holocene fire regimes were shaped by distinct mechanisms: (1) Regional fire activity was primarily driven by climate, with warm–dry periods favoring widespread burning; (2) Local fires were influenced by vegetation structure and biomass, with reduced biomass and increased woody cover after ∼5.5 ka suppressing fire occurrence. These findings highlight the need to consider both future drought trends and vegetation dynamics, as increased surface biomass may elevate local fire risks, whereas forest expansion could help buffer against fire spread and intensity.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113525"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145842082","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113528
Chao Liu , Junjun Qi , Pedro Cózar , Ismael Coronado , Fei Li , Weiqing Liu , Meng Li , Ping Wang , Xin Li , Xia Hu , Song Jin
Understanding the interactions between biological evolution and other components of the Earth system, particularly tectonic, climatic, and environmental changes, has long been a central focus in Earth sciences. In this study, we present the first high-resolution foraminiferal species diversity curve spanning the late Visean to Serpukhovian from the Youjiang Basin of South China, integrated with multiple geochemical datasets, to elucidate the factors influencing foraminiferal diversification through robust correlations among sedimentological, biological, and geochemical records at a global scale. The widespread biodiversity crisis during the early late Visean (Aleksinian–Mikhailovian transition) is interpreted to have resulted from global oceanic bottom-water anoxia, coinciding with intensified continental silicate weathering and the onset of a major phase of Gondwanan glaciation. The uplift of the Hercynian orogenic belt, exposure of mantle-derived rocks at low latitudes, and the expansion of vascular plants during this interval are considered the primary driving mechanisms. Enhanced nutrients delivery to the oceans via terrestrial input elevated primary marine productivity and accelerated organic carbon export and burial, leading to excessive consumption of dissolved oxygen and other oxidants during organic matter degradation. Global foraminiferal radiation from the early late Visean to the earliest Serpukhovian is attributed to elevated dissolved oxygen concentrations and sufficient food availability, coupled with persistent carbonate supersaturation in contemporaneous upper ocean waters. The widespread loss of shallow shelf habitats, driven by the progression of the Hercynian orogeny and enhanced continental ice accumulation on Gondwana continent during the early to latest Serpukhovian, probably contributed to the observed foraminiferal diversity decline during this period. This study sheds new light on the interactions among various Earth systems during a period characterized by profound transformations in global paleogeography, climate, and oceanographic conditions.
{"title":"Coupled tectonic-climatic-oceanographic dynamics drove the evolution of foraminiferal diversity in South China during the Middle to Late Mississippian","authors":"Chao Liu , Junjun Qi , Pedro Cózar , Ismael Coronado , Fei Li , Weiqing Liu , Meng Li , Ping Wang , Xin Li , Xia Hu , Song Jin","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113528","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113528","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Understanding the interactions between biological evolution and other components of the Earth system, particularly tectonic, climatic, and environmental changes, has long been a central focus in Earth sciences. In this study, we present the first high-resolution foraminiferal species diversity curve spanning the late Visean to Serpukhovian from the Youjiang Basin of South China, integrated with multiple geochemical datasets, to elucidate the factors influencing foraminiferal diversification through robust correlations among sedimentological, biological, and geochemical records at a global scale. The widespread biodiversity crisis during the early late Visean (Aleksinian–Mikhailovian transition) is interpreted to have resulted from global oceanic bottom-water anoxia, coinciding with intensified continental silicate weathering and the onset of a major phase of Gondwanan glaciation. The uplift of the Hercynian orogenic belt, exposure of mantle-derived rocks at low latitudes, and the expansion of vascular plants during this interval are considered the primary driving mechanisms. Enhanced nutrients delivery to the oceans via terrestrial input elevated primary marine productivity and accelerated organic carbon export and burial, leading to excessive consumption of dissolved oxygen and other oxidants during organic matter degradation. Global foraminiferal radiation from the early late Visean to the earliest Serpukhovian is attributed to elevated dissolved oxygen concentrations and sufficient food availability, coupled with persistent carbonate supersaturation in contemporaneous upper ocean waters. The widespread loss of shallow shelf habitats, driven by the progression of the Hercynian orogeny and enhanced continental ice accumulation on Gondwana continent during the early to latest Serpukhovian, probably contributed to the observed foraminiferal diversity decline during this period. This study sheds new light on the interactions among various Earth systems during a period characterized by profound transformations in global paleogeography, climate, and oceanographic conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113528"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145842088","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-24DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113517
Azucena Molina-Solís , Christopher J. Cleal , Artai A. Santos , Stephen McLoughlin , José B. Diez , Borja Cascales-Miñana
In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in studies on plant-arthropod interactions in the fossil record. However, relatively few studies have targeted pre-Permian floras, which has hindered the reconstruction of trophic relationships in Carboniferous coal-forming ecosystems. Here, we document new evidence of arthropod and pathogen damage on Medullosales, which were prominent gymnosperm elements of Carboniferous coal forests, from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield. We record 28 damage types (DTs) among 1206 fossil plant specimens belonging to Alethopteris and Lonchopteris. The damage categories are ascribed to seven functional feeding groups (FFGs): hole feeding (nine DTs), margin feeding (five DTs), surface feeding (three DTs), piercing and sucking (three DTs), oviposition (six DTs), galling (one DT), and pathogen attack (one DT). Rarefaction analyses evaluated sample completeness and clarified the damage incidence patterns. Our study provides the first quantitative assessment of herbivory from an Early–Middle Pennsylvanian terrestrial ecosystem. Although the proportion of damaged foliage is low (5.64% of specimens), its diversity is higher than in many younger (Late Pennsylvanian) floras. This suggests expansion and diversification of herbivore and pathogen attack at that time, which is consistent with the increased dominance of arborescent seed plants and the ascendancy of winged insects in the terrestrial fauna of the region. The presence of multiple feeding strategies on the studied medullosalean foliage indicates that this group of plants provided key food resources for diverse arthropod groups occupying the Nord-Pas-de-Calais palaeoforests. Almost all known types of FFGs are documented in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais fossil assemblages, suggesting that modern trophic relationships were likely established earlier than previously documented in Euramerican coal swamps.
{"title":"Resource partitioning and modernization of arthropod feeding strategies on Pennsylvanian medullosalean foliage from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield, France","authors":"Azucena Molina-Solís , Christopher J. Cleal , Artai A. Santos , Stephen McLoughlin , José B. Diez , Borja Cascales-Miñana","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113517","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113517","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, there has been a dramatic increase in studies on plant-arthropod interactions in the fossil record. However, relatively few studies have targeted pre-Permian floras, which has hindered the reconstruction of trophic relationships in Carboniferous coal-forming ecosystems. Here, we document new evidence of arthropod and pathogen damage on Medullosales, which were prominent gymnosperm elements of Carboniferous coal forests, from the Nord-Pas-de-Calais Coalfield. We record 28 damage types (DTs) among 1206 fossil plant specimens belonging to <em>Alethopteris</em> and <em>Lonchopteris</em>. The damage categories are ascribed to seven functional feeding groups (FFGs): hole feeding (nine DTs), margin feeding (five DTs), surface feeding (three DTs), piercing and sucking (three DTs), oviposition (six DTs), galling (one DT), and pathogen attack (one DT). Rarefaction analyses evaluated sample completeness and clarified the damage incidence patterns. Our study provides the first quantitative assessment of herbivory from an Early–Middle Pennsylvanian terrestrial ecosystem. Although the proportion of damaged foliage is low (5.64% of specimens), its diversity is higher than in many younger (Late Pennsylvanian) floras. This suggests expansion and diversification of herbivore and pathogen attack at that time, which is consistent with the increased dominance of arborescent seed plants and the ascendancy of winged insects in the terrestrial fauna of the region. The presence of multiple feeding strategies on the studied medullosalean foliage indicates that this group of plants provided key food resources for diverse arthropod groups occupying the Nord-Pas-de-Calais palaeoforests. Almost all known types of FFGs are documented in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais fossil assemblages, suggesting that modern trophic relationships were likely established earlier than previously documented in Euramerican coal swamps.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"685 ","pages":"Article 113517"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113520
Rita T. Melis , Margherita Mussi
The archeological site-complex of Melka Kunture, at 2000 m asl on the west side of the Main Ethiopian Rift, lies in a half-graben crossed by the upper Awash River. Sedimentation processes led to the building up of stratigraphic sequences consisting of primary volcaniclastic deposits interbedded with reworked volcaniclastics emplaced in a floodplain environment. We describe here the changing paleolandscape and the implications on hominin peopling from 2,000,000 to 600,000 years ago, using the sequence of the thoroughly investigated Gombore gully with added information from other sites of Melka Kunture. Together with archaeology and paleontology, detailed information is provided by stratigraphic sections, pollen and stable isotope analysis and by the ichnological record.
The available data show a fluvial dynamic landscape characterized by a floodplain with a meandering river, gravel lag deposits and fine-grained overbank deposits. The vegetation was of Afromontane type. A major volcano-tectonic event at 1.2 Ma blanketed the area with products which clogged the valley before the river was eventually able to resume its course. The abundant artefacts and faunal remains in the gravel deposits suggest that during the Early Pleistocene and the early Middle Pleistocene, before and after the 1.2 Ma event both Homo erectus with Oldowan and then Acheulean lithic productions, and later on H. heidelbergensis with middle Acheulean ones, repeatedly came to those well-drained spots. Single-purpose sites also exist in different environments and other ones provide evidence of hominins roaming through the plain.
{"title":"The paleolandscape of Melka Kunture (Ethiopia) at the time of the earliest human peopling","authors":"Rita T. Melis , Margherita Mussi","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113520","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113520","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The archeological site-complex of Melka Kunture, at 2000 m asl on the west side of the Main Ethiopian Rift, lies in a half-graben crossed by the upper Awash River. Sedimentation processes led to the building up of stratigraphic sequences consisting of primary volcaniclastic deposits interbedded with reworked volcaniclastics emplaced in a floodplain environment. We describe here the changing paleolandscape and the implications on hominin peopling from 2,000,000 to 600,000 years ago, using the sequence of the thoroughly investigated Gombore gully with added information from other sites of Melka Kunture. Together with archaeology and paleontology, detailed information is provided by stratigraphic sections, pollen and stable isotope analysis and by the ichnological record.</div><div>The available data show a fluvial dynamic landscape characterized by a floodplain with a meandering river, gravel lag deposits and fine-grained overbank deposits. The vegetation was of Afromontane type. A major volcano-tectonic event at 1.2 Ma blanketed the area with products which clogged the valley before the river was eventually able to resume its course. The abundant artefacts and faunal remains in the gravel deposits suggest that during the Early Pleistocene and the early Middle Pleistocene, before and after the 1.2 Ma event both <em>Homo erectus</em> with Oldowan and then Acheulean lithic productions, and later on <em>H. heidelbergensis</em> with middle Acheulean ones, repeatedly came to those well-drained spots. Single-purpose sites also exist in different environments and other ones provide evidence of hominins roaming through the plain.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"684 ","pages":"Article 113520"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113523
Yawen Cui , Menghan Li , Lilin Sun , Dandan Li , Guijie Zhang , Xiaolin Zhang , Yanan Shen
Pronounced perturbations to the global carbon cycle from the Late Permian to the Early Triassic are recorded as several large C-isotope excursions. However, the overall significance of these perturbations, as well as their environmental implications and biotic responses, remains to be better constrained. Here, we present high-resolution C-isotopic data of carbonate (δ13Ccarb) spanning the late Wuchiapingian to Early Triassic from the Jiangya and Chongyang sections, deposited along the northern margin of the middle Yangtze Platform. The C-isotope records show prominent δ13Ccarb excursions both near the Wuchiapingian-Changhsingian boundary (WCB) and end-Permian mass extinction (EPME), which can be correlated at regional to global scales. Sedimentological and geochemical observations suggest that enhanced remineralization of upwelled 12C-enriched dissolved organic carbon (DOC), driven by the incursion of anoxic/euxinic deep waters, likely contributed to the negative δ13Ccarb excursions observed near the WCB and EPME. Oxidative decay of this upwelled DOC would have consumed key oxidants, including oxygen and sulfate, thereby promoting the expansion of marine anoxic/euxinic conditions. A pronounced depth gradient in δ13Ccarb between coeval shallow- and deep-water settings further supports this mechanism and links the negative excursions to widespread anoxia/euxinia in the eastern Paleo-Tethys Ocean. Together, our data support that the expansion of oceanic anoxia/euxinia may have played a crucial role in driving the biotic crises associated with the WCB and EPME.
{"title":"Spatial-temporal carbon isotope changes during the late Wuchiapingian to Early Triassic in South China and their global environmental implications","authors":"Yawen Cui , Menghan Li , Lilin Sun , Dandan Li , Guijie Zhang , Xiaolin Zhang , Yanan Shen","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113523","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113523","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pronounced perturbations to the global carbon cycle from the Late Permian to the Early Triassic are recorded as several large C-isotope excursions. However, the overall significance of these perturbations, as well as their environmental implications and biotic responses, remains to be better constrained. Here, we present high-resolution C-isotopic data of carbonate (δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub>) spanning the late Wuchiapingian to Early Triassic from the Jiangya and Chongyang sections, deposited along the northern margin of the middle Yangtze Platform. The C-isotope records show prominent δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub> excursions both near the Wuchiapingian-Changhsingian boundary (WCB) and end-Permian mass extinction (EPME), which can be correlated at regional to global scales. Sedimentological and geochemical observations suggest that enhanced remineralization of upwelled <sup>12</sup>C-enriched dissolved organic carbon (DOC), driven by the incursion of anoxic/euxinic deep waters, likely contributed to the negative δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub> excursions observed near the WCB and EPME. Oxidative decay of this upwelled DOC would have consumed key oxidants, including oxygen and sulfate, thereby promoting the expansion of marine anoxic/euxinic conditions. A pronounced depth gradient in δ<sup>13</sup>C<sub>carb</sub> between coeval shallow- and deep-water settings further supports this mechanism and links the negative excursions to widespread anoxia/euxinia in the eastern Paleo-Tethys Ocean. Together, our data support that the expansion of oceanic anoxia/euxinia may have played a crucial role in driving the biotic crises associated with the WCB and EPME.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"685 ","pages":"Article 113523"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927944","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-23DOI: 10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113521
Hongyu Qi , Yali Zhou , Jiangli Pang , Xiaoke Qiang , Jiale Wang , Baofeng Ma , Tong Feng , Xichen Li , Yiting Zhao , Yingying Cui , Liping Jiang , Siying Yue
<div><div>Asian environment is characterized by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the formation of the Asian monsoon, and inland aridification during Cenozoic. However, there are significant controversies regarding the evolutionary patterns of the Asian monsoon and the historical records of inland aridification documented by different carriers in different regions. The Otindag Sandy Land, one of the inland arid and semi-arid regions in northwestern China, is situated along the northern limit of the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM)—a boundary of the East Asian monsoon area—and is highly sensitive to climate change. Owing to extensive Cenozoic aeolian deposits developed in the area, it serves as an ideal region for studying past climate and environmental changes. Previous research on the chronology of sandy land has primarily focused on the Quaternary, with limited attention paid to the stratigraphic age of Neogene aeolian sediments, largely due to the absence of suitable geological markers. This study examined the basalt-lacustrine sand-aeolian red clay sedimentary sequence of the Wulangou section in the northern Otindag Sandy Land. Paleomagnetism was used to determine the magnetostratigraphy of the aeolian red clay, and the <sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>39</sup>Ar isotope dating method was employed to obtain the absolute age of the basalt. Combined with stratigraphic correlations from the Baogeda Ula section, which is a standard stratigraphic section within the study area, and biostratigraphic ages of the Baodean Period, the ages of the lacustrine sand layers in the region were determined. This study established a complete chronological framework for the stratigraphic sedimentary sequence of the Wulangou section. Climate and environmental changes were analyzed based on the sedimentary characteristics, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size of the strata. The research results indicated that the red clay magnetic stratum captured the geomagnetic polarity sequence from C5n.2n to C4n.2n, spanning approximately 11.04–8.06 Ma. The ages of the three aeolian sand layers interbedded in the lower part of the red clay were 11.04–10.91 Ma, 10.51–10.44 Ma, and 10.37–10.23 Ma, respectively. Since the late Miocene, the climate of the northern Otindag Sandy Land has been predominantly cold and dry, undergoing a fluctuation that transitions from cold and dry, then shifts to warm and wet, and ultimately reverts back to cold and dry. From 11.04 to 10.02 Ma, red clay and aeolian sand interbedding developed, characterized by low magnetic susceptibility, coarser particles, and a relatively cold and dry climate with strong aeolian sand activity. Between 10.02 and 8.91 Ma, the magnetic susceptibility reached a high value stage with a finer grain size and relatively warm and humid climate. The weak and strong pedogenic layers in red clay were alternately developed. During 8.91–8.06 Ma, the red clay exhibited lower magnetic susceptibility and coarser grain size, with thick calca
{"title":"Magnetic chronology of the late Miocene Wulangou red clay sequences in the northern Otindag Sandy Land","authors":"Hongyu Qi , Yali Zhou , Jiangli Pang , Xiaoke Qiang , Jiale Wang , Baofeng Ma , Tong Feng , Xichen Li , Yiting Zhao , Yingying Cui , Liping Jiang , Siying Yue","doi":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113521","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.palaeo.2025.113521","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Asian environment is characterized by the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau, the formation of the Asian monsoon, and inland aridification during Cenozoic. However, there are significant controversies regarding the evolutionary patterns of the Asian monsoon and the historical records of inland aridification documented by different carriers in different regions. The Otindag Sandy Land, one of the inland arid and semi-arid regions in northwestern China, is situated along the northern limit of the East Asian Summer Monsoon (EASM)—a boundary of the East Asian monsoon area—and is highly sensitive to climate change. Owing to extensive Cenozoic aeolian deposits developed in the area, it serves as an ideal region for studying past climate and environmental changes. Previous research on the chronology of sandy land has primarily focused on the Quaternary, with limited attention paid to the stratigraphic age of Neogene aeolian sediments, largely due to the absence of suitable geological markers. This study examined the basalt-lacustrine sand-aeolian red clay sedimentary sequence of the Wulangou section in the northern Otindag Sandy Land. Paleomagnetism was used to determine the magnetostratigraphy of the aeolian red clay, and the <sup>40</sup>Ar/<sup>39</sup>Ar isotope dating method was employed to obtain the absolute age of the basalt. Combined with stratigraphic correlations from the Baogeda Ula section, which is a standard stratigraphic section within the study area, and biostratigraphic ages of the Baodean Period, the ages of the lacustrine sand layers in the region were determined. This study established a complete chronological framework for the stratigraphic sedimentary sequence of the Wulangou section. Climate and environmental changes were analyzed based on the sedimentary characteristics, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size of the strata. The research results indicated that the red clay magnetic stratum captured the geomagnetic polarity sequence from C5n.2n to C4n.2n, spanning approximately 11.04–8.06 Ma. The ages of the three aeolian sand layers interbedded in the lower part of the red clay were 11.04–10.91 Ma, 10.51–10.44 Ma, and 10.37–10.23 Ma, respectively. Since the late Miocene, the climate of the northern Otindag Sandy Land has been predominantly cold and dry, undergoing a fluctuation that transitions from cold and dry, then shifts to warm and wet, and ultimately reverts back to cold and dry. From 11.04 to 10.02 Ma, red clay and aeolian sand interbedding developed, characterized by low magnetic susceptibility, coarser particles, and a relatively cold and dry climate with strong aeolian sand activity. Between 10.02 and 8.91 Ma, the magnetic susceptibility reached a high value stage with a finer grain size and relatively warm and humid climate. The weak and strong pedogenic layers in red clay were alternately developed. During 8.91–8.06 Ma, the red clay exhibited lower magnetic susceptibility and coarser grain size, with thick calca","PeriodicalId":19928,"journal":{"name":"Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology","volume":"685 ","pages":"Article 113521"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2025-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145872108","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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