PAN, Y., FÜRSICH, F.T., ZHANG, J., WANG, Y., ZHENG, X. 2015. Biostratinomic analysis of Lycoptera beds from the Early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, western Liaoning, China. Palaeontology, 58, 3, 537-561.
Yanhong Pan, Franz T. Fürsich, Jiangyong Zhang, Yaqiong Wang and Xiaoting Zheng- Yanhong Pan - Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China (email: yhpan@nigpas.ac.cn)
- Franz T. Fürsich - GeoZentrum Nordbayern, FG Paläoumwelt, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany (email: franz.fuersich@fau.de)
- Franz T. Fürsich - State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China
- Jiangyong Zhang - Key Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, China (email: zhangjiangyong@ivpp.ac.cn)
- Yaqiong Wang - Key Laboratory of Economic Stratigraphy and Palaeogeography, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China (email: yqwang@nigpas.ac.cn)
- Xiaoting Zheng - Shandong Tianyu Museum of Nature, Pingyi, Shandong, China (email: ty4291666@163.com)
- Xiaoting Zheng - Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Linyi University, Linyi City, Shandong, China
- Issue published online: 21 APR 2015
- Article first published online: 9 MAR 2015
- Manuscript Accepted: 13 FEB 2015
- Manuscript Received: 25 NOV 2014
Little is known about the palaeoenvironments of the Early Cretaceous lakes of western Liaoning. Uncertainties exist especially about the water depth, water temperatures and annual temperature fluctuations. Here, we analyse the preservation of the most abundant fish of the lakes, the teleost Lycoptera, articulated skeletons of which occur in large concentrations suggestive of mass mortality. Taphonomic features such as degree of disarticulation, orientation patterns and displacement of skeletal elements reveal distinct preservational patterns. They suggest that the water temperature was low during winter and exhibited pronounced seasonal fluctuations. The depth of the lakes was not deep. Possible causes of the fish mortality are discussed, of which anoxia is favoured. This leads to a more refined palaeoenvironmental model for these palaeolakes, which harbour one of the most important Mesozoic Lagerstätten.
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