The Maurynya section exposed on the northwestern margin of West Siberia is one of few continuous sections of the Jurassic–Cretaceous boundary deposits in Boreal regions. In the meantime, it can be considered a reference section for the transitional Volgian–Ryazanian beds formed in shallow water environments of the West Siberian sea basin. This study is a synthesis of the new data with previous results of lithologic, paleontological, biostratigraphic, and (O, C, Sr) isotope studies of the Upper Volgian–lowermost Ryazanian of the Maurynya section. It has been established that the beginning of the Cretaceous (corresponding to the middle Late Volgian) is associated with a sharp increase in species number and diversity of cephalopods and bivalve mollusks on the northwestern margin of the West Siberian sea basin. This can be explained by an increase in its depths and their stabilization at a level which appeared optimal for the habitat of nekton, nektobenthos, and benthic fauna communities, superimposed on the general trend of warming. At the same time, the percentage of phytoplankton significantly increased, indicating the onset of transgression, which affected largely coastal landscapes and type of vegetation: The forests dominated by conifers were gradually succeeded by forests mostly composed of Ginkgoaceae.

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The Oxfordian Stage of West Siberia contains Boreal ammonites Cardioceratidae. The authors’ bank of paleontological data includes ~ 500 definitions of Cardioceratinae, permitting a considerable refinement of the official Oxfordian regional zonal scale. The lower substage is divided into the Cardioceras (Scarburgiceras) obliteratum, C. (S.) scarburgense, and C. (S.) gloriosum Zones instead of beds with C. (S.) spp., whereas the C. (Cardioceras) percaelatum and C. (C.) cordatum Zones are recognized instead of beds with C. (C.) spp. We have found new ammonites typical of the Middle Oxfordian C. (Subvertebriceras) densiplicatum and C. (Miticardioceras) tenuiserratum Zones. The first of these zones is divided into two subzones. The Upper Oxfordian includes the Amoeboceras glosense and A. serratum Zones instead of beds with A. spp., and the A. regulare Zone and beds with A. rosenkrantzi are recognized instead of the A. ex gr. regulare Zone. The genus Ringsteadia (Aulacostephanidae) is observed only in the northwestern part of the region, along the eastern slope of the North Urals; therefore, two upper units of the biostratigraphic scale correspond to beds with Ringsteadia marstonensis. In the Oxfordian, West Siberia and northern Siberia belonged to the North Siberian province of the Arctic realm. Only in the latest Oxfordian did the northwestern West Siberian basin become part of the Boreal–Atlantic realm, as evidenced by the distribution of Ringsteadia on the eastern slope of the Cis-Polar Urals.