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The evolution of life on this planet is influenced by many factors, key among them being the means in which predators and their prey interact. Direct morphological evidence for how large mammalian predators evolutionarily respond to their presumed herbivore prey is lacking , but predator richness positively correlates with that of extinct and extant herbivores. In my dissertation, I apply statistical methods to investigate how predators respond to the biodiversity of their presumed herbivore prey over the Cenozoic (66-1Ma).Chapter 1 evaluates the strength of the correlation between North American predators and their presumed prey over the Cenozoic (66-1Ma). I quantify species richness of both the large mammalian predator and herbivore guilds relative to body mass and then apply statistical methods to determine to determine whether the species richness of predators tracks that of their presumed herbivore prey. I observed notable correlations between large (>21kg) wolf-size predators and herbivores of roughly equal size (25kg) and larger.Chapter 2 evaluates whether the predator guild exhibits an evolutionary response to changes in the distribution of herbivore body sizes over the Cenozoic. I quantify species richness of both guilds relative to body mass and then apply statistical methods to determine when either guild underwent statistically significant changes in their distribution of body mass. I then compare these significant shifts to determine if changes in predator guild structure coincide with, or follow, that of the herbivore guild. I observed multiple significant shifts within predator guild that followed shifts in the herbivores and were suggestive of an evolutionary response.Chapter 3 evaluates whether the relative abundance of herbivores, specifically those antelope-size and larger, could be a plausible explanation for species richness trends within the predator guild over the Neogene (23-1Ma). I quantify the occupancy, a proxy of relative abundance, of herbivore genera in relation to body mass and compare that occupancy with predator richness. I observed relatively high (>0.25) and stable occupancy for larger (>25 kg) herbivores despite declining herbivore richness over Neogene , which could explain the unusually high ratio of predator to prey species in the Plio-Pleistocene.Overall, this dissertation demonstrates that body mass, predator diet, and taxonomic diversity influences the evolution of both predator and herbivore guilds and underpins how the former responds to the latter over geologic time.

In the five chapters of this dissertation, I investigate the paleobiology of SouthAmerican native ungulates (SANUs) and caviomorph rodents. Although these studiesinvolve different taxonomic groups and employ disparate methods, most rely onpreviously undescribed fossils to interrogate broader evolutionary questions.In the first chapter, I describe early Miocene litopterns (a group of SANUs) fromPampa Castillo, Aysén Region, Chile, and perform a phylogenetic analysis of one of itssubgroups, Proterotheriidae. Litoptern taxa from Pampa Castillo include themacraucheniid Theosodon and proterotheriids Thoatherium and Picturotherium,corroborating the fauna’s assignment to the Santacrucian South American landmammal age (SALMA). My phylogenetic analysis, which indicates that“Anisolambdidae” forms a non-monophyletic cluster within Proterotheriidae, is thefoundation of a new stem-based definition for Proterotheriidae. This chapter waspublished in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology in 2020.My second chapter describes two new proterotheriids from the middle Miocene ofQuebrada Honda, Tarija Department, Bolivia, and analyzes litoptern diversity and body size evolution in a phylogenetic context. These taxa, Olisanophus riorosarioensis gen.et sp. nov. and Olisanophus akilachuta gen. et sp. nov., greatly clarify proterotheriidevolution in mid-latitude South America. The diversity analysis indicates that thesegroups were more diverse than previously appreciated, particularly during thePaleogene. Macraucheniids increased in body size throughout the Cenozoic, whereasproterotheriids followed a similar trend during the Paleogene, but did not change in sizeduring the Neogene. This chapter was published in Ameghiniana in 2020.Cavioid, chinchilloid, and erethizontoid caviomorph rodents from Pampa Castilloare described in the third chapter. Cavioids are represented by Luantus minor, Eocardiacf. excavata, and Neoreomys australis, the last of which is the most abundantlyrepresented mammal in the Pampa Castillo fauna. Chinchilloids are represented by fourspecies of Perimys (P. erutus, P. onustus, P. intermedius, and a yet unnamed speciespreviously described from the Pinturas Formation), Prolagostomus pusillus, Scleromysquadrangulatus, and a probable new species of Scleromys. This assemblagerepresents a mixture of two well-known, contemporaneous fossil faunas previouslyrecognized from the lower + middle sequences of the Pinturas Formation and the SantaCruz Formation. The phylogenetic affinities and relative abundance of these taxasuggest the paleoenvironment of Pampa Castillo was similarly intermediate betweenthese two better-known faunas.In the fourth chapter, I describe the octodontoid caviomorphs from PampaCastillo and conduct a faunal similarity analysis of Pampa Castillo and ten other early tomiddle Miocene (Colhuehuapian–Friasian/Colloncuran SALMAs) Patagonian rodentfaunas. Eight octodontoids occur at Pampa Castillo, three of them likely representingnew species of Caviocricetus, Dudumus, and Prostichomys. The other five are referredto previously described taxa: Acarechimys minutus, Acarechimys constans,Acarechimys cf. minutissimus, Acaremys cf. murinus, and Spaniomys cf. riparius.Faunal similarity analyses yielded inconsistent results depending on whether genus- orspecies-level data were used. The combined results of these analyses and recentlypublished geochronological data suggest that the ‘Pinturan’ biochronologic interval isnot valid; faunas referred to it should instead be assigned to the Santacrucian SALMA.I analyze the proximal ankle bones of litoptern and notoungulate (another SANUgroup) from the early Miocene Santa Cruz Formation, Argentina with the aim ofassessing their utility in systematic studies and whether linear measurements or twodimensional(2D) landmarks are more effective for assessing morphological differences.The ultimate goal of this research is to allow robust inferences about the locomotoryhabits of the sampled taxa. These results suggest that isolated tarsals may be identifiedto family and genus-level, but this conclusion needs further testing. Quantitative testsshow that tarsals of different SANU taxa may be slightly more reliably distinguished by2D landmarks than by linear measurements. However, 2D landmarks are clearlysuperior from the perspective of ease of measurement, replicability, and applicability totaxonomically diverse samples. Although the lack of modern taxa in the sample limitedthe paleobiological inferences that could be drawn, body mass, phylogeny, and possiblylocomotor behavior, clearly influence tarsal morphology.Throughout this dissertation, I have used the description of new taxa andspecimens as the foundation for phylogenetic, paleoenvironmental, biochronological,and ecomorphological analyses. These studies have advanced our knowledge ofmammal evolution in South America, particularly in the early and middle Miocene.

Major evolutionary innovations in lifestyle can lead to adaptive radiations, change the nature of selective forces, and rearrange ecological interactions. One of the many determinants of lifestyle is body mass, and so change in body mass is often accompanied by change in lifestyle. In the case of mammals, their earliest members from the Late Triassic were small. They remained relatively small throughout the Mesozoic, most likely due to interactions with the diverse large bodied diapsids that dominated Mesozoic large-body ecomorphs, especially dinosaurs in the terrestrial realm. It was not until the early Cenozoic, after the extinction of the non-avian dinosaurs and large bodied marine diapsids, that the body size of mammals expanded, which lead to new mammalian ecomorphs. The initial stages of the Cenozoic mammalian exploration of large-body ecomorphs included at least two novel semiaquatic forms – large amphibious herbivores and large coastal marine carnivores. These ecomorphs were to evolve multiple times throughout the Cenozoic and led to the freshwater Hippopotamidae, the marine Pinnipedia (seals and sea lions), as well as to the fully aquatic marine mammals, the sirenians (manatees and dugongs) and cetaceans (whales and dolphins).This dissertation employes bone histological methods and the analysis of new fossil specimens to add to our paleontological knowledge of large bodied semiaquatic mammals. The earliest occurrences of these large-bodied semiaquatic forms are poorly understood, and gaps exist in our knowledge of their evolution and distribution. To help address these deficiencies I used bone histological methods to establish the lifestyle of the earliest large-bodied mammal, the Paleocene-Eocene Coryphodon. I follow this with the description and analysis of new fossil material that expand our knowledge of the diversity and biogeography of fossil pinnipeds and their earliest stem-relatives, the geologically longest-lived lineage of semiaquatic marine carnivores.The Late Paleocene to Early Eocene Coryphodon was a member of the Pantodonta, the first mammalian group to achieve large body size following the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. Using histological and microanatomical techniques to examine the structure and growth of its bones, I show that Coryphodon was semiaquatic and further demonstrate that it had significant adaptations to this way of life rather than merely occupying waterways in a transient manner. A framework for behavioral inference for extinct taxa is presented, which incorporates evidence from multiple timescales. I argue that this approach facilitates the framing of the causal relationships between, and interpretation of, the different kinds of evidence that can be brought to bear on our understanding of the origins of major changes in lifestyle. In the case of Coryphodon, the concurrent achievement of large body size and semiaquatic lifestyle suggests a reciprocal rather than unidirectional causal relationship between body size and specialization at the beginning of the Cenozoic.Turning to the origins and biogeography of the pinnipeds, the Pleistocene sea lion Proterozetes ulysses belongs to a monophyletic group of North Pacific otariids that includes the living genera Eumetopias (Stellar’s sea lion) and Zalophus (California sea lion). Fossil mandibles of Proterozetes from the Port Orford Formation of Oregon are described and found to be intermediate in morphology and size to the other North Pacific otariids, most resembling Eumetopias. The presence of this distinct but morphologically intermediate taxon in the eastern North Pacific during the Pleistocene establishes the Pleistocene as a time of increased otariid diversity, in contrast to diversity decline seen in other marine mammal clades. The timing of sea lion diversification along the west coast of North America appears to follow diversification in Japan, reinforcing the possibility of an eastward dispersal trend in the North Pacific after the end-Pliocene. Pleistocene sea lions in the Eastern North Pacific similarly show multitaxon assemblages with overlapping body size and feeding styles, indicating the high diversity possible once the coastal carnivore ecomorph was achieved.Finally, paleontological investigation of the early history of pinnipeds similarly reveals assemblages of increased diversity and overlapping body size. The pinnipedimorph Enaliarctos was a marine-adapted carnivore with dental and locomotor features intermediate between terrestrial arctoid carnivores and living pinnipeds. Newly discovered fossils, described herein, fill a major biogeographic gap in the record of the genus, previously known nowhere between southern California and central Oregon, and show that stem pinnipeds existed for longer and survived later than previously thought, from the latest Rupelian to the late Burdigalian (28.1-16.6 mya). This discovery of an increased biogeographic and temporal range of Enaliarctos indicates that the genus may have interacted with a much wider range of other taxa than previously thought, including plotopterid birds, odontocete whales, and crown pinnipeds such as early odobenids, early otariids, and desmatophocids. The expansion of the known ranges of Enaliarctos species and the description of previously undescribed morphological attributes, particularly of the mandible and lower dentition, provides insight into the origins of pinniped diversity and their possible interactions with other early Neogene coastal marine organisms. Though early pinniped relatives were smaller than living members, increasing body size does not appear to have been necessarily superior once the coastal marine ecospace was colonized.

Resolving the time of rifting of the Black Sea basin is critical to reconstructing the tectonic evolution of the Pontides arc in northern Turkey. U–Pb geochronology of detrital zircons from Middle Jurassic, Upper Cretaceous, and lower Eocene formations in the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey), as well as published data from circum-Black Sea terranes, reveals that sediments preserved along with the northern (East European Craton-Scythian Platform) and southern (Eastern and Central Pontides-southern flank of the Greater Caucasus-Transcaucasus) margins of the Eastern Black Sea basin display distinct detrital provenances. The U–Pb detrital zircon ages of the sedimentary samples from the Eastern Pontides have distinct populations with ages of ~650–540, ~200, ~170, ~80, and ~50 Ma. In contrast, the ages of the sedimentary samples from the northern Black Sea terranes are characterized by age peaks of ~1400 and ~1100 Ma compared to those of the Eastern Pontides. Only a few detrital zircons in the range of ~650–540 Ma and

The Dawenkou Basin is a Cenozoic terrestrial fault basin in Shandong Province, East China, containing abundant mineral resources, especially gypsum. Recently a borehole was drilled in this basin unearthing the upper and middle members of the Dawenkou Formation. From the upper member, well-preserved ostracodes were discovered, which are entirely non-marine taxa including species of Eucypris, Caspiolla, Candona and Candoniella. Based on the new material, a new species Candona dawenkouensis n. sp. was erected. The ostracode assemblage biostratigraphically indicates an age of middle Eocene to Oligocene of the upper member of the Dawenkou Formation and the strata bearing mineral resources (mainly gypsum) of the middle member of the Dawenkou Formation is likely early Eocene.

The Aurora Subglacial Basin (ASB) catchment contains 3-5 m of sea-level equivalent ice volume that drains to the Sabrina Coast, East Antarctica via the Totten Glacier system. Observed thinning and retreat of Totten Glacier indicate regional sensitivity to oceanographic and atmospheric warming. Paleoclimate studies of climatically sensitive catchments are required to understand the evolution of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS) and its outlet glacier systems. Recent seismic and sediment studies from the Sabrina Coast document the evolution of the EAIS in the ASB catchment, suggesting that the region has long been sensitive to climatic changes. This study presents new palynological and biomarker data from Sabrina Coast continental shelf sediments. Detailed palynological records were obtained from four short jumbo piston cores (JPC; NBP14-02 JPC-30, -31, -54 and -55), enabling reconstructions of regional vegetation and environments prior to and during Cenozoic EAIS development. The Sabrina Flora is dominated by angiosperms, with Gambierina spp. often exceeding 40% of the assemblage, and diverse Proteaceae, Battenipollis spp., Forcipites spp., Nothofagidites spp., fern, and conifer palynomorphs indicative of an open shrubby ecosystem. Excellent preservation and frequent occurrence of Gambierina spp. clusters suggest that a majority of the Sabrina Flora assemblage is penecontemporaneous with sedimentation; however, some uncertainties remain whether this sedimentation occurred in the Late Cretaceous or the Paleogene. Despite that uncertainty, high abundances of Gambierina spp. and Battenipollis spp., in combination with relatively low (

The northeastern of the South China Sea (SCS) has undergone tectonic inversion from a Mesozoic convergent continental margin to a Cenozoic divergent continental margin. The remnant subduction-related structures, such as volcanic arc and forearc basin, likely preserve key clues to reveal the dynamic mechanism of this tectonic inversion. We applied ocean bottom seismometers (OBS) data, combining with multi-channel seismic data, gravity data, drilling data, and petrologic observations, to reveal geophysical and structural features of the Dongsha Basin, a Mesozoic basin in the northeastern SCS. The Mesozoic strata are characterized by large thickness (~1–8 km), relatively high P-wave velocities (3.5–5.5 km/s), high densities (2.55–2.65 g/cm3), alternating folds, and thrust faults, which are significantly different from the features of Cenozoic strata. The Dongsha Basin is flanked by a Mesozoic granitic arc to the northwest and an inferred Palaeo-Pacific subduction zone to the southeast, indicating that it is geographically located in the Mesozoic forearc region. Considering the similar Mesozoic strata detected in the southern margin of the SCS and the contemporaneous accretionary complex outcrops observed in the Palawan Continental Terrane, we propose that the Mesozoic strata in these two regions originated from a common Mesozoic forearc basin, which was broken by the forearc rifting and subsequently separated by the spreading of Cenozoic SCS. Accordingly, a continuous Palaeo-Pacific subduction system is reconstructed, including the “arc-forearc-accretionary wedge” tectonic sequences. Reviewing the mechanisms of forearc rifting globally and the retreat of volcanic arcs onshore South China, we speculate that rollback of the Palaeo-Pacific subduction slab might be one of the causes for the forearc rifting and the initial extension of the SCS.

In the Dutch offshore, we have observed numerous acoustic anomalies, usually bright spots, in seismic data of Cenozoic deltaic deposits. When associated with shallow gas, these bright spots are good indicators of resource potential, drilling hazard, or seabed methane emissions. We apply a combined seismic and petrophysical assessment to qualify the bright spots as direct hydrocarbon indicators (DHIs) for shallow gas and to exclude alternative sources of seismic anomalies. In some cases, we use other DHIs such as flat spots, velocity push-downs, transmission, and attenuation effects as estimators for gas saturation. A long-standing discussion concerns the sourcing and migration of shallow gas. Although vertical seismic noise trails (chimneys) tend to be seen as proof that shallow gas originates from the migration of deeper sourced thermogenic gas, the geochemical and isotope analyses almost exclusively indicate that the gas is of microbial origin and generated in situ in the Cenozoic strata. We conclude that the observed “chimneys” are most likely transmission effects, that is, artifacts that do not represent migration pathways of gas. Hence, we believe that for the Dutch offshore, the presence of shallow biogenic gas is not indicative of leakage of deeper thermogenic petroleum plays and cannot be used as an exploration tool for these deeper targets.

Cenozoic tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region has greatly changed the landforms and environment of Eurasia, driving the evolution of animals and greatly affecting the diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. By combining the latest Tethyan paleogeographic models and some recently published Eurasian zoological studies, we systematically summarize how tectonic evolution in the Tethyan region has influenced the evolution and diversity patterns of Eurasian animals. The convergence of continental plates, closure of Tethys Sea, and Tethyan sea-level changes have directly affected the composition and spatial distribution of Eurasian animal diversity. The topographic and environmental changes caused by Tethyan tectonics have determined regional animal diversity in Eurasia by influencing animal origin, dispersal, preservation, diversification, and extinction. The ecological transformations resulted in the emergence of new habitats and niches, which promoted animal adaptive evolution, specialization, speciation, and expansion. We highlight that the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the Tethyan region has been responsible for much of the alteration in Eurasian animal distribution and has been an essential force in shaping organic evolution. Furthermore, we generalize a general pattern that Tethyan geological events are linked with Eurasian animal evolution and diversity dynamics.特提斯海区域新生代以来的构造演化极大地改变了欧亚地区的地貌和环境，推动了欧亚地区的动物演化，并深刻影响了欧亚地区的动物多样性格局。该文通过结合最新的特提斯海区域古地理模型，对近期发表的一系列欧亚地区动物学研究进行系统回顾和总结，详细论述了特提斯海区域新生代以来的构造演化是如何影响欧亚地区动物的演化及多样性格局的：大陆板块的汇聚、特提斯海的闭合以及特提斯海区域海平面变化直接影响了欧亚地区的动物多样性组成和空间分布；海陆变迁引起的区域地理和环境变化，对当地动物的起源、扩散、存留、多样化和灭绝产生了一系列影响，进而决定了欧亚动物的区域多样性格局；生态环境的变化导致了新栖息地和新生态位的出现，促进了欧亚动物的适应性进化、特化、物种形成和扩张。我们强调了特提斯海区域新生代构造演化是欧亚动物分布变化的主要原因，也是驱动欧亚动物演化的重要力量。此外，我们提出了特提斯地质事件与欧亚动物演化和多样性动态相关的一般模式。.

The process and mechanism of deformation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau (NETP) are significant for understanding the remote effects of the India-Eurasia collision. Although increasingly more research has extensively addressed the post-Oligocene NETP growth history over the past two decades, geological dating of early Cenozoic sediments remains sparse, hampering our understanding of early-stage tectonic growth in this region. Here, we present magnetostratigraphic results from the oldest sedimentary record between ~54 and 40 Ma in the western part of the Linxia Basin based on correlation with the geomagnetic polarity time scale. This age exceeds that of the oldest strata previously known (29 Ma) and has great potential for recording paleoclimatic and paleontological evolution in the fossil-rich Linxia Basin. Integrating our paleomagnetic chronology, sedimentary facies, accumulation rate, and provenance results reveals that early-stage Linxia Basin development was associated with Eocene growth of the West Qinling. The U-Pb age distributions of detrital grains from pre-51 Ma strata are characterized by many 200–300 Ma ages; alluvial fans and north-directed paleocurrent data indicate a single and relatively proximal source. The northern segment of the West Qinling was the predominant source supplying sediments to the Linxia Basin before ~51 Ma. Subsequently, a pronounced increase in the sedimentation rate at ~51 Ma and southward migration of the sedimentary system during 51–47.8 Ma demonstrate that extension and fast exhumation of the sediment source occurred. Detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra since ~51 Ma reveal significant increases in Precambrian peaks (1500–2000 Ma and 2300–2600 Ma). These observations suggest accelerated growth of the southern segment of the West Qinling and/or eastern segment of the East Kunlun Shan between 51 and 47.8 Ma. The Eocene basin evolution and accelerated uplift of ranges in the NETP imply near-synchronicity of crustal shortening and deformation across the entire India-Eurasia collision zone.

This study was performed with the aim of revealing the Late Cenozoic stress state of the Gulf of Güllük and close surroundings. In this study, the tectonic regime and stress states from the Pliocene to the present day were determined. Mesoscopic fault plane data were collected from outcrops at 19 different stations in the region between the Gulf of Güllük and Milas. Additionally, focal mechanism inverse solutions were calculated for 12 earthquakes larger than M:3.0 occurring from 2004 to 2015 to reveal the current tectonic regime. According to kinematic analysis results from fault assemblages and focal mechanism solutions for earthquakes, two tectonic regimes affected the region before the Pliocene and at present. In the first tectonic regime, strike-slip faulting developed under a NW-SE oriented compressional regime. There was an R ratio of 0.426 between the principal stress axes and this shows faulting had transtensional character. The region converted to a NE-SW oriented extensional regime dominated by normal faulting in the Quaternary. This currently effective extensional regime was understood from focal mechanism solutions of earthquakes developing in the region. The reason for this regime being effective is the rapid pull by the African plate on the Anatolian plate, which rides above the African plate, and horizontal extension in the Anatolian plate.

The paper presents new data on brackish-water Upper Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene deposits that were studied in the Demirkent (Kars) and Pekecik (Erzurum) sections, NE Turkey. The Demirkent section is situated in the southwestern slope of the Shirak Late Cenozoic intermontane basin near the Turkish-Armenian border. The Pekecik section is situated to the SW of the Demirkent in the southwestern slope of the Horasan intermontane basin. Both sections are composed of clays, silts, and poorly cemented fine-grained sandstones and contain the brackish-water dinocysts of the Akchagylian type. The age of the deposits is determined by combined analysis of associations of molluscs and small mammals, palynological spectra, including dinocysts and algae, and magnetostratigraphic data. The Demirkent and Pekecik sections are dated to the Late Pliocene (Piacenzian). The maximum spread of the Akchagylian transgression influenced the inland areas of NE Turkey prior to the early Gelasian. The pollen spectra demonstrate progressive aridisation during sedimentation of the lower part of the Demirkent section and the wetter and cooler climate during sedimentation of the lower part of the Pekecik section. The analysis of brackish-water dinocysts and fresh-water algae in different beds of the Demirkent section indicates gradual freshening of the basin probably due to the sea level fall. In the Pekecik section, the brackish-water dinocysts are found in the lower part that is covered by the lignite-bearing layers without signs of marine influence. Recent altitudes of the Akchagylian brackish-water deposits give a possibility to estimate magnitudes and average rates of the Quaternary uplift of the western Lesser Caucasus. The elevation of the Upper Pliocene deposits of Demirkent and Pekecik sections shows the uplift rate of ca. 0.6–0.7 mm per year during 2.6 Ma.

The Cenozoic stratigraphy of South Africa has developed over the past 166 years since geological mapping of the region was initiated. The current status of lithostratigraphy and the global chronostratigraphic framework is discussed in the context of the diverse Cenozoic regolith across the region. Geological mapping here utilizes lithostratigraphy to organise the Cenozoic deposits, although some extensive units are characterised informally using lithological descriptors. Although there are no formal biostratigraphic units, the allied use of “Land Mammal Ages” compiled from fossil type sites is described. An analogous archaeological cultural-historical “technocomplex” stratigraphy is outlined to subdivide stone age cultural material commonly associated with Quaternary deposits and has often been used as a relative dating framework. A summary table of Cenozoic regolith is presented, differentiating deposits into their terrain morphologically defined Geomorphic Province context as a means of correlating similar deposits across the subcontinent. For mapping units based on lithological characteristics, the use of lithodemic nomenclature to characterise units in each geomorphic province is proposed as a temporary measure to enhance inter-regional correlation and encourage further research that could lead to formal lithostratigraphic descriptions.

1. Introduction The last complete accounts of the comparative stratigraphy of the Belgian Caledonian basement, namely the Brabant Massif and the Ardenne inliers (Vanguestaine, 1992; Verniers et al., 2001, 2002) are becoming dated. Indeed, in the last 20 years, progress in the study of the Belgian Lower Paleozoic stratigraphy, but also of the global stratigraphy (Ogg et al., 2008; Gradstein et al., 2012, 2020) has greatly increased, which justifies the present work. The Caledonian basement crops out in the southern half of Belgium and neighbouring countries, where it is observed in two major tectonic units: the Brabant Parautochthon to the N and the Ardenne Allochthon to the S (Fig. 1). The latter belongs to the westernmost part of the Rheno-Hercynian domain and is close to the Variscan front. The Midi-Eifel-Aachen Thrust Fault displaced the Ardenne Allochthon several tens of km to the N, as shown by deep seismic investigations (see recent overview in Mancy & Lacquement, 2006; Meilliez & Lacquement, 2020). This northern shift is responsible for the formation of frequently overturned thrusts sheets which also incorporated Lower Paleozoic units as for example in the Condroz Inlier (e.g. Belanger et al., 2012). The Brabant Massif can be observed in the valleys that incise its southern rim but it is also present to the N under the Mesozoic and Cenozoic cover. In the Ardenne Allochthon the Caledonian basement is exposed in four inliers: Stavelot-Venn Inlier (SVI), Rocroi Inlier, Gi

The extraordinary paleontological record from Big Bend National Park (BIBE), Texas chronicles nearly 120 million years of largely uninterrupted deposition through Late Cretaceous, Paleogene and Neogene time. Therefore, the park records one of the most complete and continuous fossil records of its kind in North America, if not the world. Paleontologists have collected and studied fossils from BIBE for over a century and nearly 1400 fossil species have been reported thus far. The BIBE paleontological record includes type specimens representing 44 scientifically valid species (five plants, nine invertebrates, and 30 vertebrates). Numerous other reported specimens are very likely new to science but have yet to be formally named. The present catalog presents the currently known assemblage of fossil plant, invertebrate, and vertebrate species from BIBE within a single, comprehensive record with significant references for each. This work is designed and written to be a research and resource management tool for scientists and non-scientists alike.

Situated in the northwestern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Qaidam Basin is the largest Cenozoic terrestrial intermountain (enclosed) basin in the world. It is an ideal place for understanding the coupling control of tectonics and climate on sedimentary evolution. Numerous studies on the Quaternary sedimentary evolution of the Qaidam Basin have been done, most of which are local, conceptual, and qualitative in nature. We have investigated the entire Qaidam Basin and its surrounding mountains quantitatively as a single entity to probe the Quaternary evolution of the basin-range system in the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We used a basin and landscape dynamics ( Badlands) modeling algorithm that is capable of modeling landscape evolution by simulating erosion, sediment transport, and deposition in a source-to-sink context by considering climate changes and tectonic uplift/subsidence. We have simulated the evolution of the Qaidam Basin and its surrounding mountains since 2.5 Ma quantitatively. Tectonic uplift and climate changes appear to have a direct impact on the denudation and deposition rates, but the impact varies through time. The deposition in the Qaidam Basin was mainly affected by tectonic movement during the period of 2.5–0.6 Ma, reaching a maximum deposition thickness of 2130 m at the end of 0.6 Ma, which was prevailed by climate after 0.6 Ma during the last four glacial-interglacial periods, reaching a maximum deposition thickness of 3200 m. The Qilian Mountains and the Kunlun Mountains contributed the bulk sediments to the Qaidam Basin of approximately 35% and 40%, respectively. The Altun Mountains made a significant contribution to the sediments in the Qaidam Basin during the early period of the Quaternary from 2.5 to 2.4 Ma due to a high denudation rate. The findings provide new insights for analyzing geomorphic and landscape evolution as well as source-to-sink systems in the Northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau or elsewhere.

The Nodoushan plutonic complex in the central part of the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Belt developed mainly in the Cenozoic in response to the final stages of subduction-related magmatism that precede...

The Ruby Mountains–East Humboldt Range–Wood Hills–Pequop Mountains (REWP) metamorphic core complex, northeast Nevada, exposes a record of Mesozoic contraction and Cenozoic extension in the hinterland of the North American Cordillera. The timing, magnitude, and style of crustal thickening and succeeding crustal thinning have long been debated. The Pequop Mountains, comprising Neoproterozoic through Triassic strata, are the least deformed part of this composite metamorphic core complex, compared to the migmatitic and mylonitized ranges to the west, and provide the clearest field relationships for the Mesozoic–Cenozoic tectonic evolution. New field, structural, geochronologic, and thermochronological observations based on 1:24,000-scale geologic mapping of the northern Pequop Mountains provide insights into the multi-stage tectonic history of the REWP. Polyphase cooling and reheating of the middle-upper crust was tracked over the range of