title: U-Pb ages from the neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation, China.
abstract: U-Pb zircon dates from volcanic ash beds within the Doushantuo Formation (China) indicate that its deposition occurred between 635 and 551 million years ago. The base records termination of the global-scale Marinoan glaciation and is coeval with similar dated rocks from Namibia, indicating synchronous deglaciation. Carbon isotopic and sequence-stratigraphic data imply that the spectacular animal fossils of the Doushantuo Formation are for the most part younger than 580 million years old. The uppermost Doushantuo Formation contains a pronounced negative carbonate carbon isotopic excursion, which we interpret as a global event at circa 551 million years ago.
authors.affiliation: Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA 02139, USA. dcondon@mit.edu
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Condon
authors.forename: Maoyan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bowring
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Aihua
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yugan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Jin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D002244:Carbon / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002247:Carbon Isotopes / Q000032:analysis; D002254:Carbonates / Q000032:analysis; D002681:China; D005580:Fossils; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D007854:Lead; D017640:Silicates; D013995:Time; D014501:Uranium; D018707:Volcanic Eruptions; D015040:Zirconium
chemical_list: D002247:Carbon Isotopes; D002254:Carbonates; D017640:Silicates; D007854:Lead; D014501:Uranium; C003784:zircon; D002244:Carbon; D015040:Zirconium