化石埋藏学的核心内容就是要研究不同规模生物化石埋藏的沉积相,恢复沉积环境,了解化石形成和被埋藏前、后的古地理背景。大规模化石记录埋藏学的研究代表着目前国际上发展趋势,重点探索集群灭绝的古地理、古环境与保存作用。中国具有丰富的恐龙化石资源,目前已经成为全球命名恐龙属种最多的国家,相继发现了从侏罗纪到白垩纪的若干恐龙化石遗迹或骨骼埋藏点。胶莱盆地发育着完整的白垩纪陆相(莱阳群—青山群—王氏群,130~65 Ma)地层和沉积记录。早白垩世莱阳群以河流及湖泊相沉积物为主;青山群为中酸性火山岩、火山碎屑岩,间夹沉积岩。晚白垩世王氏群下部以冲积扇、泥石流和辫状河道相的沉积物和岩石组合为主;中部则为滨浅湖与河流粉砂岩-细砂岩-泥页岩-灰质土(古土壤)韵律沉积;上部和顶部为冲积扇泥石流、辫状河和洪泛平原粉砂泥质砾岩-砂岩-砾岩的韵律序列,局部夹玄武岩,反映了晚白垩世末期古地理、古沉积环境已从早白垩世相对湿润和温热的冲积、湖泊环境转变为燥热、干旱的冲积环境。胶莱盆地早白垩世的生物群面貌(脊椎动物、昆虫和植物等)与华北北部热河生物群基本相同,除保存少量的小型恐龙(鹦鹉嘴龙)或翼龙骨骼化石外,还保存了大量的兽脚类、蜥脚类和鸟脚类足迹(群)化石(莱阳群)。诸城晚白垩世王氏群中上部发育集群埋藏的恐龙骨骼化石,已发现恐龙属种10余个,包括3种角龙、3种暴龙、2种鸭嘴龙以及甲龙和虚骨龙等,其中鸭嘴龙占绝大多数(95%以上)。恐龙化石多为无关联的各类骨骼,少数半关联的小个体恐龙,分选差,混杂堆积。通过诸城恐龙化石埋藏地地层及其沉积相研究,识别出泥石流、洪泛平原和辫状河道3种恐龙化石埋藏沉积相、微相类型,其中泥石流相是最主要的埋藏-沉?
The core issue of taphonomy is to study the sedimentary facies of fossil-bearing rocks,reconstruct their depositional environments,and understand the paleogeographical background before and after the burying of fossils at different scales.One of current taphonomy interests focuses on the mass extinction or bonebeds of dinosaurs,including their paleogeography,paleoenvironment and preservation.Numerous Jurassic and Cretaceous dinosaur fossil sites have been discovered in China,making it number 1 in the world in terms of richness of dinosaur genera and species.The terrestrial Cretaceous Laiyang,Qingshan and Wangshi groups(130-65 Ma),in ascending order,are widely distributed in Jiaolai Basin of eastern Shandong Province,China.Lithologically,the Early Cretaceous Laiyang Group consists of fluvial and lacustrine sediments and the Early Cretaceous Qingshan Group is mainly composed of medium or acid volcanic rocks and pyroclastic rocks interbeded with sedimentary rocks.The Late Cretaceous Wangshi Group is mainly deposits of alluvial fan,mud flow and braided-channel facies in the lower part;shallow lacustrine deposits and rhythmic fluvial sediments of mudstone,siltstone,sandstone or soils(palesoil) in the middle part;and rhythmic depositions of silty-muddy conglomerate,sandstone and siltstone of mud flow,braided-channel and flooding plain facies,locally interbeded with basalt in the upper part.Sedimentary successions and facies associations of the Cretaceous Jiaolai Basin indicate an evolution of basin and sedimentary paleogeography,i.e.,from alluvial-lacustrine environment in humid and warm climate in the Early Cretaceous to an alluvial environment in hot and drought climate towards the Late Cretaceous.Biota of the Early Cretaceous in Jiaolai Basin is identical to the Jehol Biota in the northern areas of North China.In the Laiyang Group,a plentiful of dinosaur(theropod,sauropod and ornithopod) footprints were excellently preserved,as well as a few small dinosaurs(Psittacosaurus) or single bones of pterosau