Review of the El Soplao Amber Outcrop,Early Cretaceous of Cantabria,Spain     

María NAJARRO  Enrique PE?ALVER  Ricardo PéREZ-DE LA FUENTE  Jaime ORTEGA-BLANCO  Cesar MENOR-SALVáN  Eduardo BARRóN  Carmen SORIANO  Idoia ROSALES  Rafael LóPEZ DEL VALLE  Francisco VELASCO  Fernando TORNOS  Véronique DAVIERO-GOMEZ  Bernard GOMEZ  Xavier DELCLòS 《《地质学报》英文版》2010,84(4):959-976

<正>El Soplao outcrop,an Early Cretaceous amber deposit recently discovered in northern Spain (Cantabria),has been shown to be the largest site of amber with arthropod inclusions that has been found in Spain so far.Relevant data provided herein for biogeochemistry of the amber,palynology,taphonomy and arthropod bioinclusions complement those previously published.This set of data suggests at least two botanical sources for the amber of El Soplao deposit.The first(type A amber)strongly supports a source related to Cheirolepidiaceae,and the second(type B amber)shows non-specific conifer biomarkers.Comparison of molecular composition of type A amber with Frenelopsis leaves(Cheirolepidiaceae)strongly suggests a biochemical affinity and a common botanical origin.A preliminary palynological study indicates a regional high taxonomical diversity,mainly of pteridophyte spores and gymnosperm pollen grains.According to the preliminary palynological data,the region was inhabited by conifer forests adapted to a dry season under a subtropical climate.The abundant charcoalified wood associated with the amber in the same beds is evidence of paleofires that most likely promoted both the resin production and an intensive erosion of the litter,and subsequent great accumulation of amber plus plant cuticles.In addition,for the first time in the fossil record, charcoalified plant fibers as bioinclusions in amber are reported.Other relevant taphonomic data are the exceptional presence of serpulids and bryozoans on the surfaces of some amber pieces indicating both a long exposure on marine or brackish-water and a mixed assemblage of amber.Lastly,new findings of insect bioinclusions,some of them uncommon in the fossil record or showing remarkable adaptations,are reported.In conclusion,a documented scenario for the origin of the El Soplao amber outcrop is provided.  相似文献   

Carbonate depositional sequence development on active fault blocks: the Albian in the Castro Urdiales area, northern Spain     

IDOIA ROSALES  PEDRO ANGEL FERNÁNDEZ-MENDIOLA  JOAQUÍN GARCÍA-MONDÉJAR 《Sedimentology》1994,41(5):861-882

The Aptian to lowermost Albian carbonate platform of Castro Urdiales (Cantabria, northern Spain) was broken up by extensional tectonic movements shortly after the beginning of the Albian. Block faulting characterized this rifting episode, the effects of which waned during the Albian. In crestal locations tilting of the fault blocks caused the subaerial exposure of parts of the older platform, resulting in intense karst diagenesis. Differential subsidence of the blocks controlled the development of a crestal residual carbonate platform (Arenillas), which was surrounded by deeper water on both sides. Seven unconformities related to platform exposure and karstification are identified on the Arenillas platform, and form the basal boundaries of seven depositional sequences (S1-S7). On the platform, lowstand systems tract deposits consist of breccias filling caves, and grainstones and debris flow deposits filling incised canyons. Transgressive plus highstand systems tracts consist of rare marls plus shallow water rudistid, coral and chondrodontid limestones. In the basin, the unconformities are erosional surfaces at the base of resedimented limestones, marls or sandy or silty siliciclastics (lowstand systems tracts). Transgressive plus highstand systems tracts in this setting consist of marls and hemipelagic marly limestones. Tectonism is believed to be the main control on sequence formation, and only a few sequence boundaries (e.g. the base of S6 in the Upper Albian inflatum Zone) can be correlated with eustatic events.  相似文献