In search of the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary in Heilongjiang River area of China

Abstract

Absrract A new geological section recognized in Baishantou of JiaYln. Heilongjiang l'rovll1ce, China, was stud­ ied preliminarily in searching for the KIT boundary. An early Paleocene f10mle characterized by abundant Tiliaephyllum rsagajanicllm leaves and irs associated plants. was collected from the Balshanwu Member (new member repre.~enting the lower part of the Paleocene Wuyun Formation) overlying the possible KIT boundary. A tuff bed was found from the up­ per part of the Furao F rmation (uppermo~t Cretaceous) in this section. The new findings imply rhat the KIT boundary IS probable lying in rhe inierval between the base of thc Baishanrou Member and the tuff bed. based on the correlation cf dte presenr srrata with the SUiltotype of the Tsagajan Group spanning the KIT boundary in Belaya Gara of the Bureya p',,~in, Russia. The early Paleocene f10rule from the Baishanrou Member and rhe early-middle Maastrichtian dinosaurs found from the Yuliangzi Formation underlying the Fur,lO FormatIon sURges I that rhe Baishamou section is more promising iOl searching for the KIT boundary in this are,). Furrher studies of the section JS needed, integmting paleontological. bios­ tratigraphic, geochemical, paleomagnetic, and sedimentary research would benefit our understandwg the mass extlIlclion event and biotiC recovery in the HeIlongjiang River area, China, and even all of )lorrheast Asia during the KIT bonndary