학술논문

The taphonomic character, occurrence, and persistence of Upper Permian-Lower Triassic plant assemblages in the mid-paleolatitudes, Bogda Mountains, western China
Document Type
Academic Journal
Source
Palaios. 38(1):1-21
Subject
09|Paleobotany
Asia
Bogda Shan
China
cyclostratigraphy
Far East
floral studies
fluvial environment
fossil wood
Guodikeng Formation
Jiucaiyuan Formation
lacustrine environment
lithostratigraphy
Lower Triassic
Mesozoic
paleoclimatology
paleoenvironment
Paleozoic
Pangaea
Permian
Plantae
roots
Shaofanggou Formation
taphonomy
Triassic
Upper Permian
Wutonggou Formation
Xinjiang China
Language
English
ISSN
0883-1351
Abstract
The Bogda Mountains, Xianjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, western China, expose an uppermost Permian-Lower Triassic succession of fully continental strata deposited across three graben (half graben) structures in the mid-paleolatitudes of Pangea. A cyclostratigraphy scheme developed for the succession is subdivided into three low-order cycles (Wutonggou, Jiucaiyuan, Shaofanggou). Low-order cycles are partitioned into 1838 high-order cycles based on repetitive environmental changes, and their plant taphonomic character is assessed in >4700 m of high-resolution, measured sections distributed across ∼ 100 km. Four taphonomic assemblages are represented by: permineralized wood (both autochthonous and allochthonous), megafloral adpressions (?parautochthonous and allochthonous) identifiable to systematic affinity, unidentifiable (allochthonous) phytoclasts concentrated or disseminated on bedding, and (autochthonous) rooting structures of various configurations (carbon films to rhizoconcretions). Their temporal and spatial occurrences vary across the study area and are dependent on the array of depositional environments exposed in any particular locality. Similar to paleobotanical results in other fully continental basins, megafloral elements are rarely encountered. Both wood (erect permineralized stumps and prostrate logs) and adpressions are found in