The Permian-Triassic boundary and Early Triassic sedimentation in Western European basins: an overview

At the scale of the peri-Tethyan basins of western Europe, the “Buntsandstein” continental lithostratigraphic units are frequently attributed to the “Permian-Triassic” because, in most cases, the lack of any “Scythian” (i.e. Early Triassic) biochronological evidence makes it very difficult to attribute the basal beds of the cycle to the Permian or to the Triassic. A careful recognition of unconformities and sedimentary indications of clearly arid climate provide powerful tools for correlation within non-marine successions that are devoid of any biostratigraphic markers, at least on the scale of the West European Plate. From a review of the “Buntsandstein” series of several basins we can characterize the Permian-Triassic boundary and the beginning of Triassic sedimentation at the scale of Western Europe. We clearly show that, except for the Central Germanic Basin, an unconformity can be observed between the Permian and the Triassic. Apart from the Germanic Basin, there is a total lack of typically “Scythian” fossils in the rest of West European basins, and the oldest biochronological markers yielded by these units are palynomorphs allowing to assign an Anisian age generally to the upper part of the “Buntsandstein”, but also its lowermost in a few cases. In the peri-Tethyan basins of western Europe, the Permian-Triassic boundary corresponds to an unconformity overlain by conglomerates containing ventifacts (followed by fluvial sandstones, sometimes rich in paleosols and sometimes totally devoid), which are attributed mainly to the lower Olenekian, i.e. Smithian. Alternatively, the succession passes up directly into fluvial sandstones containing the first paleosols, and then plant debris and palynomorphs attributed to the Anisian. In this way, the lack of typically Early Triassic fossils in most of the peri-Tethyan basins, at the scale of the west European Plate, can be explained by a true stratigraphic hiatus in the earliest Triassic (i.e. Induan) and by arid conditions unfavourable for the development of flora and fauna and their preservation during the Olenekian.En las cuencas peritéthicas de Europa occidental, la unidad litoestratigráfi ca continental “Buntsandstein” es frecuentemente atribuida al “Pérmico-Triásico”, porque, en la mayoría de los casos, la falta de elementos biocronológicos “scythienses” complica la atribución de los niveles basales al Pérmico o al Triásico. Un cuidadoso examen de las discordancias, y el uso de indicadores sedimentarios de climas claramente áridos constituyen herramientas fundamentales para la correlación de estas unidades no marinas, desprovistas de cualquier marcador bioestratigráfi co, al menos en el Oeste de la Placa Europea. La revisión de las series “Buntsandstein” de varias cuencas nos ha permitido caracterizar el límite Pérmico-Triásico y el comienzo de la sedimentación durante el Triásico inferior en el oeste de Europa, demostrando claramente que, excepto en la Cuenca Germánica Central, se puede observar una discordancia entre las series pérmicas y triásicas. Excepto en esta Cuenca Germánica, existe una falta total de fósiles típicamente “scythienses”, y los elementos bioestratigráfi cos más antiguos encontrados son conjuntos de palinomorfos que permiten asignar a los niveles superiores de las series “Buntsandstein” una edad Anisiense, en algunos cortes los niveles inferiores. En las cuencas peritéthicas de Europa occidental, el límite Pérmico-Triásico se corresponde con una discordancia que se recubre por conglomerados con ventifactos (seguidos por areniscas fl uviales, a veces ricas en paleosuelos y a veces totalmente desprovistas de ellos), atribuidos principalmente al Olenekiense inferior (Smithiense), o directamente areniscas fluviales donde aparecen los primeros paleosuelos, así como restos de plantas y palinomorfos, atribuidos al Anisiense. De esta forma en el Oeste de la Placa Europea, la falta de fósiles característicos del Triásico Inferior, en la mayoría de las cuencas perithéticas, puede explicarse por un importante hiato estratigráfi co durante el Triásico Inferior (Induense) y por unas condiciones áridas, desfavorables para la vida y la preservación de fósiles durante el Olenekiense

Emplacement of inflated Pāhoehoe flows in the Naude’s Nek Pass, Lesotho remnant, Karoo continental flood basalt province: use of flow-lobe tumuli in understanding flood basalt emplacement

Physical volcanological features are presented for a 710-m-thick section, of the Naude’s Nek Pass, within the lower part of the Lesotho remnant of the Karoo Large Igneous Province. The section consists of inflated pāhoehoe lava with thin, impersistent sedimentary interbeds towards the base. There are seven discreet packages of compound and hummocky pāhoehoe lobes containing flow-lobe tumuli, making up approximately 50% of the section. Approximately 45% of the sequence consists of 14 sheet lobes, between 10 and 52-m-thick. The majority of the sheet lobes are in two packages indicating prolonged periods of lava supply capable of producing thick sheet lobes. The other sheet lobes are as individual lobes or pairs, within compound flows, suggesting brief increases in lava supply rate. We suggest, contrary to current belief, that there is no evidence that compound flows are proximal to source and sheet lobes (simple flows) are distal to source and we propose that the presence of flow-lobe tumuli in compound flows could be an indicator that a flow is distal to source. We use detailed, previously published, studies of the Thakurvadi Formation (Deccan Traps) as an example. We show that the length of a lobe and therefore the sections that are ‘medial or distal to source’ are specific to each individual lobe and are dependent on the lava supply of each eruptive event, and as such flow lobe tumuli can be used as an indicator of relative distance from source

Cenozoic evolution of the steppe-desert biome in Central Asia

The origins and development of the arid and highly seasonal steppe-desert biome in Central Asia, the largest of its kind in the world, remain largely unconstrained by existing records. It is unclear how Cenozoic climatic, geological, and biological forces, acting at diverse spatial and temporal scales, shaped Central Asian ecosystems through time. Our synthesis shows that the Central Asian steppe-desert has existed since at least Eocene times but experienced no less than two regime shifts, one at the Eocene–Oligocene Transition and one in the mid-Miocene. These shifts separated three successive “stable states,” each characterized by unique floral and faunal structures. Past responses to disturbance in the Asian steppe-desert imply that modern ecosystems are unlikely to recover their present structures and diversity if forced into a new regime. This is of concern for Asian steppes today, which are being modified for human use and lost to desertification at unprecedented rates

The Clinical Variability of Maternally Inherited Diabetes and Deafness Is Associated with the Degree of Heteroplasmy in Blood Leukocytes

Context: Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is a rare form of diabetes with a matrilineal transmission, sensorineural hearing loss, and macular pattern dystrophy due to an A to G transition at position 3243 of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) (m.3243A>G). The phenotypic heterogeneity of MIDD may be the consequence of different levels of mutated mtDNA among mitochondria in a given tissue. Objective: The aim of the present study was thus to ascertain the correlation between the severity of the phenotype in patients with MIDD and the level of heteroplasmy in the blood leukocytes. Participants: The GEDIAM prospective multicenter register was initiated in 1995. Eighty-nine Europid patients from this register, with MIDD and the mtDNA 3243A>G mutation, were included. Patients with MELAS (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes) or with mitochondrial diabetes related to other mutations or to deletions of mtDNA were excluded. Results: A significant negative correlation was found between levels of heteroplasmy and age of the patients at the time of sampling for molecular analysis, age at the diagnosis of diabetes, and body mass index. After adjustment for age at sampling for molecular study and gender, the correlation between heteroplasmy levels and age at the diagnosis of diabetes was no more significant. The two other correlations remained significant. A significant positive correlation between levels of heteroplasmy and HbA1c was also found and remained significant after adjustment for age at molecular sampling and gender. Conclusions: These results support the hypothesis that heteroplasmy levels are at least one of the determinants of the severity of the phenotype in MIDD. Heteroplasmy levels are at least one of the determinants of the severity of the phenotype of maternally inherited diabetes and deafness

Ribonuclease H2 mutations induce a cGAS/STING-dependent innate immune response

Aicardi–Goutières syndrome (AGS) provides a monogenic model of nucleic acid‐mediated inflammation relevant to the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmunity. Mutations that impair ribonuclease (RNase) H2 enzyme function are the most frequent cause of this autoinflammatory disorder of childhood and are also associated with systemic lupus erythematosus. Reduced processing of either RNA:DNA hybrid or genome‐embedded ribonucleotide substrates is thought to lead to activation of a yet undefined nucleic acid‐sensing pathway. Here, we establish Rnaseh2b (A174T/A174T) knock‐in mice as a subclinical model of disease, identifying significant interferon‐stimulated gene (ISG) transcript upregulation that recapitulates the ISG signature seen in AGS patients. The inflammatory response is dependent on the nucleic acid sensor cyclic GMP‐AMP synthase (cGAS) and its adaptor STING and is associated with reduced cellular ribonucleotide excision repair activity and increased DNA damage. This suggests that cGAS/STING is a key nucleic acid‐sensing pathway relevant to AGS, providing additional insight into disease pathogenesis relevant to the development of therapeutics for this childhood‐onset interferonopathy and adult systemic autoimmune disorders

TRAIP promotes DNA damage response during genome replication and is mutated in primordial dwarfism.

DNA lesions encountered by replicative polymerases threaten genome stability and cell cycle progression. Here we report the identification of mutations in TRAIP, encoding an E3 RING ubiquitin ligase, in patients with microcephalic primordial dwarfism. We establish that TRAIP relocalizes to sites of DNA damage, where it is required for optimal phosphorylation of H2AX and RPA2 during S-phase in response to ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, as well as fork progression through UV-induced DNA lesions. TRAIP is necessary for efficient cell cycle progression and mutations in TRAIP therefore limit cellular proliferation, providing a potential mechanism for microcephaly and dwarfism phenotypes. Human genetics thus identifies TRAIP as a component of the DNA damage response to replication-blocking DNA lesions.This work was supported by funding from the Medical Research Council and the European Research Council (ERC, 281847) (A.P.J.), the Lister Institute for Preventative Medicine (A.P.J. and G.S.S.), Medical Research Scotland (L.S.B.), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, 01GM1404) and E-RARE network EuroMicro (B.W), Wellcome Trust (M. Hurles), CMMC (P.N.), Cancer Research UK (C17183/A13030) (G.S.S. and M.R.H), Swiss National Science Foundation (P2ZHP3_158709) (O.M.), AIRC (12710) and ERC/EU FP7 (CIG_303806) (S.S.), Cancer Research UK (C6/A11224) and ERC/EU FP7 (HEALTH-F2- 2010-259893) (A.N.B. and S.P.J.).This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from NPG via http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/ng.345

Determination of rapid Deccan eruptions across the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary using paleomagnetic secular variation: 2. Constraints from analysis of eight new sections and synthesis for a 3500-m-thick composite section

International audienceThe present paper completes a restudy of the main lava pile in the Deccan flood basalt province (trap) of India. Chenet et al. (2008) reported results from the upper third, and this paper reports the lower two thirds of the 3500-m-thick composite section. The methods employed are the same, i.e., combined use of petrology, volcanology, chemostratigraphy, morphology, K-Ar absolute dating, study of sedimentary alteration horizons, and as the main correlation tool, analysis of detailed paleomagnetic remanence directions. The thickness and volume of the flood basalt province studied in this way are therefore tripled. A total of 169 sites from eight new sections are reported in this paper. Together with the results of Chenet et al. (2008), these data represent in total 70% of the 3500-m combined section of the main Deccan traps province. This lava pile was erupted in some 30 major eruptive periods or single eruptive events (SEE), each with volumes ranging from 1000 to 20,000 km 3 and 41 individual lava units with a typical volume of 1300 km 3. Paleomagnetic analysis shows that some SEEs with thicknesses attaining 200 m were emplaced over distances in excess of 100 km (both likely underestimates, due to outcrop conditions) and up to 800 km. The total time of emission of all combined SEEs could have been (much) less than 10 ka, with most of the time recorded in a very small number of intervening alteration levels marking periods of volcanic quiescence (so-called ''big red boles''). The number of boles, thickness of the pulses, and morphology of the traps suggest that eruptive fluxes and volumes were larger in the older formations and slowed down with more and longer quiescence periods in the end. On the basis of geochronologic results published by Chenet et al. (2007) and paleontological results from Keller et al. (2008), we propose that volcanism occurred in three rather short, discrete phases or megapulses, an early one at $67.5 ± 1 Ma near the C30r/C30n transition and the two largest around 65 ± 1 Ma, one entirely within C29r just before the K-T boundary, the other shortly afterward spanning the C29r/C29n reversal. We next estimate sulfur dioxide (likely a major agent of environmental stress) amounts and fluxes released by SEEs: they would have ranged from 5 to 100 Gt and 0.1 to 1 Gt/a, respectively, over durations possibly as short as 100 years for each SEE. The chemical input of the Chicxulub impact would have been on the same order as that of a very large single pulse. The impact, therefore, appears as important but incremental, neither the sole nor main cause of the Cretaceous-Tertiary mass extinctions

Systematic and Temporal Geochemical Changes in the Upper Deccan Lavas: Implications for the Magma Plumbing System of Flood Basalt Provinces

Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are unusual volcanic events in which massive amounts of melt (∼106 km3) erupt in relatively short time periods (<106 years). Most LIP magmas have undergone extensive fractional crystallization and crustal contamination, but the crustal magmatic plumbing systems and the processes triggering eruptions are poorly understood. We present new major and trace element and radiogenic isotope data for 43 individual lava flows from a continuous 1,200 m thick stratigraphic profile through the upper, most voluminous part of the Deccan LIP (Bushe to Mahabaleshwar Formations). Eruption rates for this section are constrained by published paleomagnetic directions and absolute U‐Pb ages for zircons from weathered flow tops exposed in the profile. We find four magmatic sequences each lasting ∼104–∼105 years during which major and trace element compositions change systematically, followed by an abrupt change in geochemistry at the start of a new sequence. Within each sequence, the MgO content and proportion of crustal contamination decrease progressively, indicating a continuous replenishment of the associated magma reservoirs with less contaminated but more evolved melts. These geochemical signatures are best explained by repeated episodes of melt recharge, mixing, and eruption of variably evolved magmas originating from relatively small magma reservoir located in different crustal levels.Plain Language Summary: Volcanism occurs predominantly at plate boundaries, either at mid‐ocean ridges or subduction zones, where most mantle melts are produced. However, the Earth's history is punctuated by volcanic events which are not related to plate boundary processes and during which large amounts of melt erupt (∼106 km3) in relatively short periods of time (<106 years). These Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) are associated with the activity of mantle plumes and eruption rates during their main stages are significantly higher than those of today's largest magmatic systems. However, since no LIP is currently active, the architecture of the associated plumbing systems is relatively unknown. In order to understand the magmatic processes during the emplacement of a LIP, we generated geochemical data from a continuous stratigraphic profile covering the most voluminous stage of the ∼66 Ma Deccan LIP. By combining these new data with published paleomagnetic directions and absolute U‐Pb ages for zircons, we found four eruption sequences each lasting ∼104–∼105 years. During these sequences, geochemical compositions change systematically, which is best explained by repeated episodes of melt recharge, mixing, and eruption of variably evolved magmas originating from relatively small magma reservoirs located at different crustal levels.Key Points: Four recharge‐crystallization‐eruption sequences fed the most voluminous Deccan lava. Magmatic plumbing system with interconnected small‐ to medium‐sized magma reservoirs. Complex emplacement history including multiple stages of ascent, mixing, and storage.Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659https://doi.org/10.26022/IEDA/11267