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International Field Excursion and Workshop of the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic Transitions (November 8-16, 2009 Nanjing)


The Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and the Permian-Triassic transitions are the most critical intervals during earth history. Many important discoveries and advances in understanding the history of life have come from these two intervals in China. The most important examples include the Ediacaran phosphatized embryo fossils, the famous Early Cambrian Chengjiang biota, and the most extensively studied Meishan section to understand the largest mass extinction. Recent studies indicate that some biological, geological and geochemical events such as the presence of united continents, global glaciation, intensive volcanism, biotic mass extinctions, radiations and associated C- O-, S-, and Sr-isotope fluctuations around the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition also occurred in the Permian-Triassic transitions. Thus, the stratigraphic records in these two transitions represent a massive archive of unique natural experiments on the coupled earth-life system.

In order to initiate a collaborative research program to bring different expertise and resources to bear on the two most important critical intervals, a workshop (Sino-US Critical Transition in History of Life) will be held on November 15-16, 2009, in Nanjing, China. The impetus of this proposed workshop lies in further intensifying the Sino-US cooperation in paleontology and related disciplines to understand the biological and physico-chemical processes that shaped the history of life during these two intervals. The workshop is aimed towards a broader discussion to explore more intensive scientific cooperation to investigate the origin and evolution of biodiversity and coupled multiple geochemical patterns, biostratigraphical, geochronological and magnetostratigraphical framework, molecular signatures and biomarkers with different approaches.

The workshop will be open to all colleagues who are interested in the evolutionary history of life. All speakers will be invited. Each invited speaker will give a 30-minute talk (25 minutes for talk and 5 minutes for discussion) and a half-day summit discussion will be organized on the morning of 16th, November. A-week field trip (from November 8th to 14th) will be organized before the workshop to investigate the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions in South China.

Proposed research synopsis: Through a discussion over the past months, studies on the following aspects are suggested; other suggestions on the sections targeted and core materials in South China are most welcome.
  1. Establishing an integrated high-resolution, multiple biostratigraphic framework including a high-resolution conodont zonation across the Permian-Triassic transition and palaeoecological assemblages of Ediacaran fossils and small shelly fossils across the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian transition based on sections in China;
  2. Developing a precise dating of events based on high-resolution U-Pb zircon geochronology across the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions, expanding upon on earlier collaborative work on each of these intervals;
  3. Multiple chemostratigraphical frameworks including C-, S-, Ca- and Sr-isotopes across the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions to infer large-scale paleoenvironmental properties based on long sections and core materials of South China during these two critical intervals.
  4. Using mathematical modelling to establish a temporal and spatial pattern of the biotic diversity across the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic based on precise calibrations of biostratigraphical, chemostratigraphical and geochronological data above.
  5. Biomarkers will be analyzed based on previously-obtained core samples at Meishan, Zhejiang (P-T), Meishucun, Yunnan (N-C) and fresh outcrop samples from newly-investigated sections as a promising field in the project to expand direct evidence of ancient life forms and microbiological background.
  6. Using this interdisciplinary data to establish an integrated high-resolution temporal framework for various biological, geological events and palaeoecological and environmental backgrounds around the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions, and to explore whether the events and geological backgrounds between these two transitions are comparable or not, and how changes between environmental states have led to extinctions and to reorganization of biotic communities during these two critical intervals.
Organizers:
Shen Shuzhong, Zhu Maoyan, Douglas H. Erwin, Xiao Shuhai, Liu Yu, Richard Lane.

Sponsors:
National Natural Science Foundation of China
National Science Foundation, USA
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Ministry of Science and Technology of China
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy



Agenda:
A: Field excursion to Neoproterozoic-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic sequences in the Yangtze Gorges area of Hubei Province and the Laibin area of Guangxi Province, South China

Leaders: Shen Shuzhong and Zhu Maoyan

November 8th, International participants who join in the field excursion please arrive at Beijing or Shanghai on the 7th or 8th, November, we will fly to Yichang from Shanghai or Beijing by the flights between 13:00~14:00pm on the 8th, November. Stay in Yichang on the 8th of November (Flight information and detailed hotel information will be provided later).
November 9th, Field excursion to the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian sections in the Yangtze Gorges area, Hubei province. Stay in Yichang.
November 10th, Field excursion at the Xiakou section from the Lower Permian to upper Lower Triassic, late afternoon, drive to Wuhan and stay in Wuhan City.
November 11th, Wuhan to Guilin by plane, Guilin to Laibin by vehicle, stay in Laibin City, Guangxi Province.
November 12th, Lopingian GSSP section (Penglaitan section) through the whole Lopingian to Lower Triassic, stay in Laibin.
November 13th, Tieqiao section from the Guadalupian-Lopingian boundary to the Lower Permian, afternoon leave Laibin for Guilin and stay in Guilin.
November 14th, Laibin to Sanjiang, visiting the Fengmu section (Cryogenian sequence and BIF), then drive to Guilin, and fly to Nanjing.

B: Workshop
Meeting place: International Conference Center, Nanjing, China

November 15th

8:30-8:40: Brief speech by NSFC.
Morning Session 1 (Chair: Zhu Maoyan)
8:40-9:05: Derek Briggs: Burgess Shale-type faunas in the early Paleozoic
9:05-9:30: Zheng Yongfei: An oxygen isotope proxy for cold paleoclimates and continental glaciations in the Neoproterozoic.
9:30-9:55: Sam Bowring: Testing models for the cause of the end-Permian extinction using high precision U-Pb geochronology.

9:55-10:10: Tea Break

Morning Session 2 (Chair: Douglas Erwin)
10:10-10:35: Xiao Shuhai: On the eve of the Cambrian animal radiation: the Ediacaran fossil record and its implications for the early evolution of complex life forms and ecosystems.
10:35-11:00: Timothy Raub: Paleomagnetism for chronometry, geography, and oxidative change across the Cryogenian-through-Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions.
11:00-11:25: Shen Yanan: Redox chemistry of ancient oceans.
11:25-11:50: Zhu Maoyan: Processes and Environmental Background of the Cambrian Explosion of Animals: Problems and Perspectives.

12:00 Lunch

Afternoon session 1 (Chair: Wang Xiangdong)
14:00-14:25: Douglas Erwin: Role of modeling in understanding evolutionary diversifications.
14:25-14:50: Frank Dudás: High resolution Sr isotope stratigraphy across the PT boundary at Meishan.
14:50-15:15: Xu Yigang: Identification and characterization of the mantle plume in the Emeishan large igneous province.
15:15-15:40: Daniel Rothman: Dynamic analysis of the end-Permian carbon isotopic event.
15:40-15:55: Tea Break

Afternoon session 2 (Chair: Xiao Shuhai)
15:55-16:20: Roger Summons: The great mass extinction: not an impact but a slow moving train wreck!
16:20-16:45: Charles Henderson: Resolution potential of conodont biochronology and timing of calcimicrobial community at the PTB interval.
16:45-17:10: Jonathon Payne: Calcium isotope constraints on Permian-Triassic boundary events.
17:10-17:35: Xie Shucheng: Two episodic changes in the Earth surface system across the Permian-Triassic boundary: a possible model for Earth intrinsic triggers of Phanerozoic crises
17:35-18:00: Yang Zhenyu: Fast two-stage eruptions of Emeishan continental flood basalts: geochemical and magnetostratigraphic constraints

18:00 Dinner

November 16th

Morning meeting (8:30-11:30) (Chairs: Derek Briggs, Shuzhong Shen).
8:30-8:45: Shuzhong Shen. A brief introduction of the project on the comparative study of the Precambrian- Cambrian and Permian-Triassic transitions.
8:45-9:00: Cao Changqun. An introduction of the Permian-Triassic Meishan cores and the cores of the Duoshantou Formation in the Yangtze Gorges area.
9:00-11:30: Discussion of the working plan.

12:00 Lunch

November 16th, afternoon, leave for Shanghai or Beijing.

Participants:
  • Prof. Barry Richards, Geological Survey of Canada-Calgary, 3303-33rd, St. N.W., Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2L 3A7.
  • Prof. Samuel A. Bowring, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Avenue 54-1120, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.
  • Prof. Derek Briggs. FRS, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, P.O. Box 208118, New Haven, CT 06520-8118, USA.
  • Prof. Cao Changqun, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Dr. Frank Dudás, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 77 Massachusetts Ave, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307 USA.
  • Dr. Douglas H. Erwin, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, MRC 121, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.
  • Dr. Christian Hallmann, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 42-44 Carleton Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
  • Prof. Charles M. Henderson, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2N 1N4.
  • Dr. Richard Lane, Division of Earth Sciences, National Science Foundation, USA.
  • Prof. Li Guoxiang, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Dr. Liu Yu, Department of Earth Sciences, National Science Foundation of China.
  • Dr. Jonathan Payne, School of Earth Sciences, Stanford University, 450 Serra Mail, Building 320, Stanford, CA94305, USA.
  • Dr. Timothy Raub, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena CA 91125, USA.
  • Prof. Shen Shuzhong, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Prof. Shen Yanan, Centre GEOTOP, University of Quebec at Montreal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centreville, Montreal, QC, H3C 3P8, Canada.
  • Prof. Roger Summons, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 42-44 Carleton Street, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA
  • Prof. Wang Wei, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Prof. Wang Xiangdong, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Prof. Wang Yue, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China.
  • Prof. Xiao Shuhai, Department of Geosciences, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA.
  • Prof. Xie Shucheng, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, China
  • Prof. Xu Yigang, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Guangzhou 510640, China.
  • Prof. Yang Zhenyu, Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093, China.
  • Prof. Yuan Xunlai, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China
  • Dr. Zhang Hua, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
  • Prof. Zhang Shihong, School of the Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China.
  • Prof. Zheng Yongfei, School of Earth and Space Science, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
  • Prof. Zhou Chuanming, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China
  • Prof. Zhu Maoyan, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008 China

    You can download a 1.2 Mb PDF file of the Program for the Workshop here.