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This study presents new zircon U Pb geochronological and heavy mineral assembly data from Paleogene rocks to constrain the provenance and paleogeographic evolution of the South Yellow Sea Basin (SYSB), East China. Heavy minerals are mainly ilmenite, garnet, epidote, zircon and pyrite. Detrital zircon ages from the Paleocene Funing to Eocene Sanduo Formations can be grouped into five major populations: 100–300 Ma, 400–500 Ma, 600–900 Ma, 1700–2100 Ma and 2300–2700 Ma. Paleocene Funing sediments mainly contain zircons of ~220 Ma, ~760 Ma, ~1850 Ma and ~ 2500 Ma, consistent with zircons from the Daibie-Sulu Orogen, the South China Craton, and the North China Craton. Lower Eocene Dainan sediments show different detrital zircon ages and heavy mineral assemblages, indicating a change in sediment sources. The Daibie-Sulu Orogen served as a major source for the North Depression. Sediments of the southern segment of the South Depression were derived mainly from the Daibie-Sulu Orogen and the North China Craton from the west, while sediments of the northern segment of the South Depression received a southwestward supply from the Central Uplift with detrital zircon peak ages of ~440 Ma. Detrital zircon age spectra of Sanduo samples resemble those of Dainan samples with peaks at ~120 Ma, ~220 Ma, ~440 Ma, ~800 Ma, ~1850 Ma and ~ 2500 Ma, suggesting that they share common sources. The results allow the reconstruction of an updated paleogeographic model for the Paleogene of the South Yellow Sea Basin. • The source-to-sink system was first analyzed in the South Yellow Sea Basin. • The tectonic significances on the Paleogene provenance evolution were revealed. • The paleogeographic evolution was reconstructed in the South Yellow Sea Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]