The Triassic and Jurassic of the Junggar Basin, China: Advances in Palaeontology and Environments

Book excerpt: This book presents a compilation of recent scientific discoveries in the field of Earth sciences from Mesozoic rocks of the Junggar Basin, China. The Triassic and Jurassic strata of this basin are particularly important because they were deposited in a continental environment inside, or close to, the Arctic Circle. The successions of the Junggar Basin therefore provide a rare snapshot of a high-latitude seasonal continental ecosystem, at a time when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. The research papers within this volume cover a range of topics, spanning the fields of palaeontology, palaeogeography, sedimentology and geochemistry, and include studies from episodes of marked environmental perturbation, including the end-Triassic mass extinction (c. 201 Ma) and the Toarcian Oceanic Anoxic Event (c. 183 Ma). The scientific advances documented here contribute to the understanding of Mesozoic high-latitude continental environments, and are expected to lead to follow-up studies, facilitating further interdisciplinary collaborations in the future.