Evolving Earth最新文献

{"title":"Surface–subsurface integration for hydrogen prospectivity mapping in the northern São Francisco basin, Brazil","authors":"Geraldo Marcelo Lima , Milton Porsani , Alanna Costa Dutra , Luiz César Côrrea Gomes , Alexandre Barreto Costa","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100133","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100133","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100133"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147858434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Neotropical plant species produce charcoal particles distinguishable by morphometrics and morphotypes","authors":"Daniel Kroehling ,&nbsp;José João Lelis Leal de Souza ,&nbsp;Joel Maciel Pereira Cordeiro ,&nbsp;Nedret Billor ,&nbsp;Alexandra Tsalickis ,&nbsp;Bartolomeu Israel de Souza ,&nbsp;Curtis J. Hansen ,&nbsp;Leslie R. Goertzen ,&nbsp;Julie C. Aleman ,&nbsp;Richard S. Vachula","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100130","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100130","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sedimentary charcoal analysis is a popular method to infer fuel sources and reconstruct paleofire and paleoecological history. However, existing proxy calibration experiments are concentrated on Palearctic and Nearctic floras, leaving tropical ecosystems understudied. To address this knowledge gap, we experimentally burned 21 Neotropical plant taxa and characterized charcoal morphology across tissues (leaf, wood, bark, stem) and growth habits (tree, shrub, liana, herb). We found that charcoal morphology is partitioned by tissue type: leaf tissues are significantly distinct from all others, yielding more circular and irregular particles, while wood and bark generate highly elongated particles. Notably, shrub wood produced charcoal with the highest mean length-to-width (L:W) ratios reported to date. Growth habits were also statistically distinguishable, with shrub and tree wood forming more elongated charcoal than lianas and herbs. We infer that these exceptionally high L:W values reflect ecophysiological adaptations to seasonal drought in Neotropical arboreal wood, which burns and fractures along elongated vessels and thick-walled fibers. Additionally, circularity emerged as a complementary morphometric for discriminating shape differences. Our results demonstrate a greater biogeographic heterogeneity of charcoal morphometrics than previously recognized, expanding the global reference dataset, and giving important methodological insights for future paleofire studies in the Neotropics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100130"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147746000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Source terranes, humid-weathering diagenesis, and fluvial deposition in the cretaceous Garoua Basin: Implications for correlation with the upper Benue (Bima) system","authors":"Hermann Nyochembeng Akateh ,&nbsp;Olugbenga A. Boboye ,&nbsp;Edwin Ayuk Ndip ,&nbsp;Shivanjali Sharma ,&nbsp;Darshan Halari ,&nbsp;Andre Mbabi Bitchong ,&nbsp;Raoul Gake Belle","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100109","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100109","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Cretaceous Garoua Rift Basin, an eastern extension of the Upper Benue Basin in West Africa, preserves a fluvial succession essential for understanding the syn-rift sediment deposition of the West and Central African Rift System (WCARS). This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the clastic fill of the basin, combining grain size statistics, thin section petrology, heavy-mineral analysis, X-ray diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy to elucidate the provenance, diagenesis, and depositional processes. The results reveal that the sediments consist primarily of medium-to coarse-grained, moderately to moderately well-sorted, arkose to subarkose, characterized by approximately leptokurtic and near-symmetrical grain size distributions. These textural attributes indicate deposition by bedload-dominated, braided to low-sinuosity fluvial systems under high-energy conditions. The signatures of provenance, characterised by a framework dominated by quartz, feldspar and a group of heavy minerals abundant in zircon, tourmaline and rutile (ZTR) alongside prominent garnet and staurolite (GZi = 23–59 %), clearly indicate a source from nearly granitoid and gneissic basement rock throughout Pan-African. Diagenesis was primarily influenced by humid-weathering processes, as evidenced by the high kaolinite content of feldspar (up to 43 wt%) and widespread hematite cementation, which together governed the development of the reservoir quality. The striking similarity in composition, texture, and diagenetic overprint between the Garoua Succession and the upper Bima Member of the Nigerian Benue Trough confirm their stratigraphic equivalence. This correlation defines a coherent Cretaceous river system within the Yola-Garoua rift arm, providing an improved model for source-to-basin dynamics and reservoir characterisation in humid climate rift basins.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100109"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078513","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Provenance, tectonic settings and diagenetic evolution of sandstones along the Mangkolemba – Mongchen section, Mokokchung district, Nagaland: Insights from petrography and heavy mineral assemblages","authors":"Temsulemba Walling,&nbsp;Mademshila Jamir,&nbsp;Arite Khape,&nbsp;Keneisazo Nagi,&nbsp;Ketseinuo Suohu,&nbsp;A. Patra","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100142","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100142","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Barail and Tipam Group sandstone sequences of the Mangkolemba–Mongchen section, Mokokchung District, Nagaland, were analyzed using field, petrographic and heavy mineral studies to determine their provenance, tectonic setting, diagenetic modifications and paleoclimate of provenance areas. Petrography impart that the quartz is the superior framework grain and they are sub-angular to sub-rounded in shape. Both plagioclase and orthoclase feldspars have been observed. Rock fragments are second most abundant in proportion after quartz and are represented by volcanic, sedimentary and metamorphic fragments. Based on petrographic investigation and modal counting, the sandstones are classified as subarkose to sublitharenite. The heavy minerals suite of the studied sandstones comprises of sub-angular to sub-rounded grains of kyanite, tourmaline, rutile, zircon, sphene, chloritoid, chlorite, apatite, staurolite and opaques. Petrographic composition and heavy mineral assemblages indicate that the sandstones were derived from a mixed provenance where sediments have combindly been supplied by different sources in response to the tectonics of the region. Regional tectonics reorganized local drainage, forcing sediment input from multiple directions and sources such as from Indian craton, Naga Ophiolites, and Naga Metamorphic complexes. The tectonic analyses suggest that most of the sediments were deposited in a passive margin setting. The high Zircon–Tourmaline–Rutile (ZTR) index values (75.42–91.66%) indicate that the sediments are compositionally mature and were transported over long distances prior to deposition. Paleoclimatic analysis indicates that the provenance area was subjected to humid climatic conditions. The sandstones preserve a comprehensive diagenetic suite, recording an evolution from shallow to deep burial regimes, followed by overprinting telogenetic feature. Together provenance and diagenetic analyses offer critical insights into the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Barail and Tipam Group of sandstones within the Indo–Myanmar orogenic system that can be used for regional correlation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100142"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148184147","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling urban expansion and landscape dynamics in Tigray, Ethiopia: Insights to policymakers","authors":"Muluberhan Biedemariam ,&nbsp;Emiru Birhane ,&nbsp;Biadgilgn Demissie ,&nbsp;Tewodros Tadesse ,&nbsp;Martin Battaglia","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100148","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100148","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Urbanization is rapidly increasing in sub-Saharan African countries. However, there is limited understanding of the temporal and spatial patterns of urbanization, land cover changes, and their correlation with population growth in developing cities. This study conducted a comparative analysis of historical urban expansion, land consumption rates, and land use/cover changes in Mekelle, Aksum, and Shire-Indasilassie cities in Tigray, Ethiopia from 1984 to 2020. The research utilized Landsat satellite images for land cover and landscape dynamics analysis. The study analyzed how urban built-up land expansion in cities correlates with population growth. It considered urban expansion rate, annual growth, and urbanization intensity index. Landscape patterns were assessed using eight metrics measuring composition and configuration at landscape and class levels. Mekelle experienced the highest urban expansion (50.2%) from 1984 to 2020 compared to other cities. Infilling and leapfrogging urban growths were observed in the cities from 1984 to 1994 and 1994 – 2020, respectively. Our analysis shows an increasing fragmentation of land use/cover classes and decreased aggregation in city landscapes. By 2050, built-up land in Mekelle, Aksum, and Shire-Indasilassie is expected to be 4, 3.87, and 3.9 times larger than in 2020, respectively. In Mekelle and Shire-Indasilassie, inefficient land use is projected from 2030 to 2040. Studying these attributes helps us compare urban expansion patterns, crucial for evidence-based urban planning. Understanding and predicting urban expansion and landscape trends are vital for informed decision-making in urban development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100148"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148184148","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Hydrocarbon potential of source rocks and paleoenvironment of the Upper Cretaceous and Paleogene formations, Termit Basin, Niger Republic","authors":"Ismaila Mahamidou Alfazazi,&nbsp;Olawale Olakunle Osinowo,&nbsp;Moussa Konaté","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100157","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100157","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;One of the most petroleum-rich basins in the Eastern Niger Basin, the Termit Basin is characterized by large and heterogeneous source rocks. Analyzing the hydrocarbon potential and microfossils of sedimentary formations is crucial and provides accurate information on organic matter input, maturity, and paleogeographic conditions. The available literature has largely investigated the source potential and depositional environment, mainly through biomarker analyses. However, paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the entire Upper Cretaceous and Paleocene-Eocene sedimentary series based on microfossil content remains insufficient. This paper explores geochemical data, microfossils, and fluid pressure-volume-temperature data to evaluate the source-rock potential, infer the paleoenvironmental conditions of the Upper Cretaceous deposits (Donga Fm, Yogou Fm, and Madama Fm) and the Paleocene-Eocene deposits (Sokor-1 Fm), and characterize the reservoirs. The study integrated geochemistry (Rock-Eval pyrolysis) of rock samples, micropaleontology, and PVT analyses. The findings demonstrate that the Paleocene-Eocene (Sokor-1Fm) samples exhibit fair-to-good source rock quality and contain mixed type II-III to type III kerogen, with mean values of TOC, S&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;, S&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, and HI of 1.24%, 0.25 mg HC/g rock, 2.43 mg HC/g rock, and 180g HC/g TOC, respectively. However, their T&lt;sub&gt;max&lt;/sub&gt; and calculated Ro mean value (419&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;C and 0.38%, respectively) indicate that they remain thermally immature. The palynoflora found in this formation suggests a swampy or lake margin environment with fluvial influence and well-established vegetation, possibly under a humid tropical climate. The Yogou and Donga formations exhibit poor-to-excellent source rock quality and contain mixed type II/III, III kerogen, and rarely type II and I kerogen (with average TOC, S&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt;, S&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt;, HI, T&lt;sub&gt;max&lt;/sub&gt; value of 1.56% and 1.33%, 0.43 and 0.49 mg HC/g rock, 7.66 and 5.29 mg HC/g rock, 410 and 321 mg HC/g TOC, 437.4&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;C and 439&lt;sup&gt;0&lt;/sup&gt;C, respectively). The analysed samples from these formations are mostly thermally mature and lie within the oil-generation window (mean Ro value of 0.61 and 0.68, respectively). The microfossil assemblages observed in the Yogou Formation, including &lt;em&gt;Clithrocytheridea senegali, Trichodinium spp.&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Paleaeohystrichophora infusorioides, Monocolpites marginatus,&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Botryococcus spp&lt;/em&gt;. indicate a marginal marine coastal setting at very shallow water depths close to a well-vegetated shoreline. The upper section of the Donga Fm exhibits microfauna assemblages suggesting shallow-marine to neritic depositional settings with fluvial influence, while the middle and lower sections show contents indicating an open-marine epicontinental sea, and restricted marine to lagoonal conditions, respectively. &lt;em&gt;Zlivisporis blanensis, Diongymnium acuminatum Senegalinium spp&lt;/em&gt;., &lt;em&gt;Buntonia cutacea&lt;/e","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100157"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148729874","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing paleoclimate reconstructions in the late Aptian North-Northeast Brazil using clay mineralogy","authors":"Victor Matheus Joaquim Salgado-Campos ,&nbsp;Luiz Carlos Bertolino ,&nbsp;Leonardo Borghi ,&nbsp;Aristóteles de Moraes Rios-Netto ,&nbsp;Bruno Cesar Araújo ,&nbsp;Danielle Cardoso de Souza ,&nbsp;Laís de Oliveira Ferreira ,&nbsp;Fabia Emanuela Rafaloski Bobco ,&nbsp;Jéssica de Souza Gabi Barcellos ,&nbsp;Ismar de Souza Carvalho","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Paleoclimate changes are commonly analyzed on three distinct scales: small-scale (20–500 kyr), linked to Milankovitch cycles; medium-scale events (∼30 Myr), associated with sea-level changes and tectonic activity; and large-scale (∼300 Myr), related to icehouse-greenhouse transitions. Different methods are used in paleoclimatology, with clay mineralogy emerging as a particularly effective tool. This study presents an approach to understanding late Aptian paleoclimate variations in North-Northeastern Brazil using clay mineralogy. To achieve this, fifty-two mudrock samples from the late Aptian Codó and Itapecuru formations were analyzed in the Parnaíba Basin (Northeastern Brazil) using clay and bulk mineralogy, major element chemical analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. These new data were integrated with a compiled dataset and evaluated using climofunctions to reconstruct paleoprecipitation and paleotemperature conditions, which were subsequently compared with patterns observed in modern lacustrine environments. Three paleoclimate stages were identified in North-Northeastern Brazil during the late Aptian, characterized by four distinct clay mineral assemblages. From the older to the younger stages, the first one indicates paleoprecipitation values ranging from 800 to 1000 mm/yr and paleotemperatures of approximately 15 °C. The second stage indicates paleoprecipitation values of up to 200 mm/yr and paleotemperature values of approximately 22 °C. The third stage suggests paleoprecipitation values between 600 and 800 mm/yr and paleotemperature conditions of approximately 20 °C. These paleoclimate stages indicate an aridification followed by a humidification process during the late Aptian in North-Northeastern Brazil. The latter humidification is likely linked to the Gondwana break-up and the potential onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 1b, which marks the transition from the Aptian to the Albian. This study contributes to the use of clay minerals in reconstructing past climates and enhances our understanding of late Aptian climate changes in North-Northeastern Brazil.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146078510","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Understanding provenance, tectonic settings and diagenetic changes of Upper Disang (Middle to late Eocene) sandstones of Phek District, Nagaland (India): insights from petrography and heavy mineral assemblages","authors":"S.K. Srivastava ,&nbsp;A. Patra ,&nbsp;K. Swuro ,&nbsp;V. Kirha ,&nbsp;S. Kanhaiya","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100128","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100128","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Upper Disang (Middle to Late Eocene) sandstones exposed in the Phek District of Nagaland were investigated using integrated petrographic and heavy mineral analysis to constrain their provenance, tectonic setting, and diagenetic evolution. The sandstones are light to dark grey in colour and are composed predominantly of very fine to fine grained sand fractions. Petrographic examination indicates that quartz is the dominant framework component, occurring mainly as angular to sub-angular grains with occasional sub-rounded forms. Both orthoclase and plagioclase feldspars are present, while lithic fragments constitute the next most abundant framework component and include sedimentary, metamorphic, and volcanic rock fragments. The heavy mineral assemblage is characterized by sub-angular to sub-rounded grains of zircon, tourmaline, rutile, kyanite, sillimanite, hypersthenes and opaque minerals. Detrital modal compositions plotted on Q–F–L diagrams indicate a dominant recycled orogen provenance, with contributions consistent with a passive margin tectonic setting. The combined framework grain composition and heavy mineral suite suggest a mixed provenance, reflecting sediment supply from multiple source terrains influenced by the complex tectonic framework of the region. Tectonic activity also played a significant role in drainage reorganization, facilitating sediment input from diverse directions and source areas. Diagenetic features preserved in the Upper Disang sandstones indicate predominance of shallow burial diagenesis, with localized signatures of early mesodiagenesis developed at burial depths of approximately 3–5 km and temperatures exceeding 150 °C. The integrated provenance and diagenetic signatures provide important insights into the tectono-sedimentary evolution of the Upper Disang Formation within the Indo–Myanmar orogenic system.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100128"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147709448","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Observations on a Late Medieval megaflood in the lower Mahanadi Valley, eastern India","authors":"Rajeeb Lochan Mishra ,&nbsp;Anup Mishra ,&nbsp;P. Morthekai ,&nbsp;M.G. Yadava ,&nbsp;Raj K. Singh ,&nbsp;Rojalin Debata ,&nbsp;Sandeep Panda ,&nbsp;Momi Das ,&nbsp;Devika Maisnam ,&nbsp;Bibhuranjan Nayak","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100143","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100143","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>We present circumstantial evidence for a catastrophic flash flood possibly associated with regional tectonic instability in the Mahanadi Valley, eastern India during Late Medieval period. Luminescence dating of broken brick structures from a submerged temple in the lower reaches of the Mahanadi River constrains its construction to the early 16^th Century CE at Padmabati village in the Nayagarh district of the present-day Odisha State. Radiocarbon ages obtained from detrital charcoal and rootlets within soil units of a ∼1.6 m-deep pit excavated ∼400 m from the buried structures on an adjacent abandoned terrace/paleo-floodplain provide valuable insights into the paleo-events that may have occurred at the site. Geochemical similarities between the temple bricks and the terrace soil confirm that the temple remains are <em>in situ</em>. Geological and chronological evidence together suggest the occurrence of a catastrophic flash flood, possibly resulting from regional tectonic instability in the Mahanadi Basin during or after late 16^th Century CE, which led to temple submergence at Padmabati. The inferred period of temple construction coincides with the rule of the Gajapati dynasty in medieval Odisha, thereby marking it as the youngest known medieval-era brick temple reported from the Indian subcontinent.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100143"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148184150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Occurrence of Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis and their taphonomic variants from Krol E of the Nigalidhar Syncline, Lesser Himalaya, India","authors":"Veeru Kant Singh,&nbsp;Yogesh Kumar,&nbsp;S.K. Pandey,&nbsp;Abhinav Jain,&nbsp;Arvind Kumar Singh","doi":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100151","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.eve.2026.100151","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The co-evolution of life and environment can be witnessed during the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. During this phase, simple metazoans and metaphytes evolved and diversified. In the present study, candidate of late Ediacaran index fossil, <em>Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis</em> has been documented from the earthy dolomite unit of the Ediacaran-aged Krol E, exposed in the Rajana village section of the Nigalidhar Syncline, Lesser Himalaya, India. These fossils are carbonaceous in nature and preserved as compressions. These are believed to be a “body fossil” and characterized by serially arranged discoidal, lensoidal, or crescentic-shaped nested units found preserved on both sides (top and bottom) of the bedding planes. In the present study, four types of taphonomic variants have been recovered, with distinct morphological features, which belong to a single organism, i.e. <em>Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis</em> described by Wang et al. (2021) based new specimens from North China. Biogenicity of these fossils have been confirmed by Laser Raman Spectroscopic (LRS). For the first time, these four taphonomic variants of <em>Shaanxilithes ningqiangensis</em> have been recovered from the lesser Himalayan succession as well as out of mainland China.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100516,"journal":{"name":"Evolving Earth","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100151"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148523395","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}