Discussion of ‘The Triassic U–Pb age for the aquatic long-necked protorosaur of Guizhou, China’

Abstract

We thank Liu Jun for his comment on our recent paper (Wang et al. 2014) and are grateful for his calling our attention to this apparent contradiction, and we welcome the opportunity to reply. Based on the sensitive high-resolution ion microscope (SHRIMP) U–Pb zircon age for a volcanic tuff bed within the upper part of the Guanling Formation, we suggested in our study that the age of the fossil horizon of the Panxian fauna is 244 ± 1.3 Ma, which is 14 Ma earlier than the previously estimated age that Li, Rieppel & LaBarbera (2004) published in Science. However, Liu Jun argued that this conclusion is confused, that there is no 14 Ma difference and that there is agreement between the biostratigraphic data and the new radiometric age.

Sedimentary sequence and evolutionary characteristics of the rift system of Neoproterozoic Nanhua System and Doushantuo Formation: A case study from the northeastern margin of Sichuan Basin

“…Through the analysis of gravity and magnetic data and the fine interpretation of seismic profiles, we also believe that a series of NE‐trending rifts were developed in the Sichuan Basin during the Nanhua System, and the rifts extended northeast to the outside of the basin, which has formed a structural framework with alternating depressions and upheavals. The research on the stratigraphy of the Neoproterozoic mainly focuses on the division of strata, the determination of the bottom age of the Nanhua System, the delineation of the stratigraphic framework and the affiliation of the Banxi Group (Lan et al, 2014; Z. J. Wang, 2008; J. Wang et al, 2003). However, there are few studies and discussions on the sedimentology, particularly the pre‐Sinian strata (Sinian is the unified name of the late Neoproterozoic in South China, corresponding to the Ediacaran in the international strata, and the name Sinian is used in the following text), but studies on the comparison of the Neoproterozoic sedimentary filling sequences and stratigraphic framework in the margin of the Sichuan Basin are relatively rare.…”