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Flysch Trace Fossils from the Hercynian and Indosinian Orogenic Belts of Northwestern China and Their Palaeoenvironmental Significance
Author(s) -
Yiming Gong
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
acta geologica sinica ‐ english edition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1755-6724
pISSN - 1000-9515
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-6724.1999.tb00847.x
Subject(s) - geology , flysch , trace fossil , turbidity current , turbidite , paleontology , carbonate platform , assemblage (archaeology) , geochemistry , structural basin , sedimentary depositional environment
Twenty‐three ichnotaxa have been found in the Silurian and Carboniferous turbidites of the Tianshan orogenic belt and the Triassic turbidites of the East Kunlun‐West Qinling orogenic belt of northwestern China. They are Acanthorhaphe isp., ? Arthrophycus isp., Aulichnites parkerensis, Chondrites isp., C. intricatus, C. targionii, Cochlichnus anguineus , coprolite, Dendrotichnium haentzscheli, Helminthopsis isp., Helminthopsis abeli, H. hieroglyphica, H. cf. irregularis, Imbrichnus isp., Kunlunichnus qinghaiensis, Laevicyclus rotaeformis, Lophoctenium tianshanensis, Megagrapton isp., Micatuba verso?, Muensteria isp., Neonereites, Palaeophycus , and Zoophycos caudagalli , two of which, namely, Kunlunichnus qinghaiensis and Lophoctenium tianshanensis , are new ichnospecies. The described trace fossils can be grouped into five ichno‐assemblages: the Aulichnites‐Imbrichnus ichno‐assemblage representing turbidity current deposits of a restricted anoxic deep‐sea basin, the Lophoctenium ichno‐assemblage showing the deep‐sea or ocean environments relevant to a plate subduction, the Zoophycos‐Helminthopsis ichnoassemblage representing the upper‐middle turbidity fan deposits of a pelagic and hemipelagic environment, the Megagrapton‐Chondrites ichno‐assemblage representing the middle‐lower turbidity fan deposits of an oceanic archipelago and the Kunlunichnus ichno‐assemblage indicating bathyal turbidity current deposits.