Early Carboniferous Radiolarian Fauna from Heiyingshan South of the Tianshan Mountains and Its Geotectonic Significance

摘要

Abundant and well-preserved fossil radiolarians found from the Artencasher Formation, Heiyingshan of Baicheng County, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, are identified, including 15 species and 2 unnamed species in 9 genera. The fauna is dominated by the Family Entactiniidae of Spumellaria. According to the faunal characteristics, the radiolarians may be divided into five assemblages, namely, the Triaenosphaera sicarius, Entatinosphaera palimbola, Entactinia vulgaris, Belowea cf. variabilis and Archocyrtium sp assemblages. The fauna may be correlated with that from the Early Carboniferous of Frankenwald and Rein in Germany. Thus, ophiolite was formed in the Carboniferous, while the age of collision between the Ili plate and the Tarim plate is Early Carboniferous.