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The Jehol Biota comprises significant fossils that help to elucidate the evolution of Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystems . In this paper, we provide three new zircon U Pb age constraints (124.3 ± 1.5 Ma, 124.9 ± 1.6 Ma, and 121.5 ± 1.4 Ma) from the base to the top of the Jiufengshan Formation (Xinganling Group) at the Naketa section in the north Great Xing'an Range of eastern Inner Mongolia, China, within a succession that contains the typical Eosestheria - Ephemeropsis trisetalis - Lycoptera davidi ( EEL ) assemblage of the Jehol Biota. Combined biostratigraphic and radio-isotopic dating suggests that the Jiufengshan Formation in the Naketa section corresponds to the upper part of the Yixian Formation and the lower part of the Jiufotang Formation, making it Barremian to earliest Aptian in age. Our findings allow us to test a widely accepted hypothesis about the migration and radiation of the Jehol Biota, and show that these organisms preserved within the lower part of the Jiufengshan Formation reached the Naketa area during the second and third evolutionary stages. The preservation of Jehol elements in the Naketa section provides valuable clues regarding the evolutionary history of the Jehol Biota and its spatiotemporal development. Furthermore, our study allows us to explore possible links between evolutionary processes and concurrent tectonism in the North China Craton , as the timing of this Jehol migration occurred when the tectonic setting changed from a compressional to an extensional regime. Introduction The Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota consists of hundreds of superbly preserved fossils, including feathered dinosaurs, birds, pterosaurs, mammals, lizards, turtles, amphibians, fish, and abundant insect and early flowering plant fossils that collectively represent an Early Cretaceous terrestrial ecosystem (Zhou et al., 2003, Zhou et al., 2021; Zhou and Wang, 2017; Zhou, 2014; Zheng et al., 2023). The exact definition of the Jehol Biota remains under debate. Traditionally, the Jehol Biota was characterized by the three elements Eosestheria - Ephemeropsis trisetalis - Lycoptera davidi referred to as the EEL assemblage (Gu, 1962; Chen, 1988). The Jehol Biota sensu stricto is typically interpreted to be restricted in its paleogeographic distribution to areas around northeastern China as described in Pan et al. (2013). On the other hand, the Jehol Biota sensu lato may occur throughout northern China and nearby areas in eastern and central Asia according to examples given in previous studies (Fig. 1) (e.g., Chang et al., 2014; Xing et al., 2015; Gao et al., 2022; Zhang et al., 2022; Zheng et al., 2023). Geographic expansion or radiation of the Jehol Biota is roughly divided into three stages. The early stage (∼132–130 Ma) occurs in the Dabeigou Formation and its equivalent strata in northern Hebei. The middle (∼130–122 Ma) and late stages (∼122–115.5 Ma) are found in the Yixian and Jiufotang formations and their equivalent formations in western Liaoning and southeastern Inner Mongolia, respectively (Chen, 1988, Chen, 1999a; Chang et al., 2009; Zhang et al., 2010; Fang et al., 2022). The biostratigraphic contents of stages differ, with limited distribution in the early stage and rapid expansion in the middle and late stages (Chen, 1988, Chen, 1999a). A better understanding of the spatial and temporal evolution of the Jehol Biota and contemporaneous biota of East and Central Asia can provide evidence for potential connections with concurrent tectonic processes affecting the North China Craton (NCC) (Zhou et al., 2021). Welded together by the Trans North China Orogen in the Paleoproterozoic (∼1.90–1.85 Ga), the NCC represents a major component in eastern Asian continental tectonics (Meng et al., 2019; Zhou et al., 2021). The appearance of the Jehol Biota spatially coincides with the peak stages of NCC destruction (i.e., intensive crust-derived magmatism and crustal deformation) in the Early Cretaceous (Zhou et al., 2021). For example, the Jehol Biota thrived at around 125 Ma, the same time frame as major NCC tectonic events. The most dramatic tectonic modification occurred along the northern margin of the eastern NCC, where the Jehol Biota was widespread (Meng et al., 2019; Zhou and Wang, 2017; Xu et al., 2020; Zhu et al., 2012, Zhu et al., 2020). Zhou et al. (2021) proposed that Early Cretaceous rift basins migrated eastward along the northern margin of the NCC and the Great Xing'an Range due to the eastward retreat of the subducting paleo-Pacific plate. Western Liaoning, northern Hebei, and southeastern Inner Mongolia together comprise the Yanliao Area, which hosts crucial localities of the Jehol Biota studied over the past 30 years (Fig. 1) (Chang et al., 2003; Zhou et al., 2003; Li and Reisz, 2020). These discoveries have established consensus on paleontology, stratigraphy, functional morphology, paleoecology, and paleoenvironment for the Jehol Biota around Yanliao. Proposals that the Yanliao Area represents the core region for the origin and distribution of the Jehol Biota render the northern Great Xing'an Range and Transbaikalia (Russia) as the northern geographical extent of the Jehol Biota (Li and Reisz, 2020). Extensive research on stratigraphy, paleontology, and geochronology for the Yixian and Jiufotang formations in the Yanliao Area over the past 20 years has helped establish a well-constrained chronology for the Jehol Biota (Swisher et al., 2002; He et al., 2004; Chang et al., 2009, Chang et al., 2012, Chang et al., 2017; Yu et al., 2021, Yu et al., 2022; Zhong et al., 2021; Zhang et al., 2022). The Great Xing'an Range area remains less studied despite records of Jehol Biota dating back to the mid-20th century (Ning et al., 1959; Li, 2011). The absence of a comprehensive stratigraphic framework for this area limits correlations and interpretations of the Jehol Biota fossils in a broader regional context. Previous research interpreted Jehol Biota fossils in the northern Great Xing'an Range and the adjacent Transbaikal region of Russia as strikingly similar to those of the Yanliao Area. Fish, amphibian, mammal, and dinosaur fossils from these areas represent common Jehol fossils (Liu et al., 1963; Li et al., 2011; Li, 2016). The lack of systematic paleontological analysis and precise age constraints on deposits containing Jehol Biota fossils in the Great Xing'an Range limits the degree to which these specimens can inform understanding of Early Cretaceous terrestrial environments. Stratigraphic correlation with adjacent areas and the Yanliao Area can refine knowledge of the overall geographic distribution and evolutionary history of the Jehol Biota. The Lower Cretaceous Jiufengshan Formation in eastern Inner Mongolia hosts a characteristic EEL assemblage indicating association with the Jehol Biota of western Liaoning, China (Li and Reisz, 2020). This volcanic sedimentary unit hosts fewer fossils than other sections, but specimens represent significant examples of the Jehol Biota. Highly fossiliferous Early Cretaceous sections in the Great Xing'an Range consist of fluvial-lacustrine and lacustrine sequences hosting abundant pyroclastic material intercalated with tuffs and tuffaceous clastic layers that represent potential radiometrically datable material (Li and Reisz, 2020). An EEL assemblage discovered at the Naketa site demonstrates the potential for advancing understanding of the Jehol Biota. In addition to constraining biodiversity and ecological conditions, new localities like this one can help explain how Jehol organisms evolved and adapted to changing environmental conditions. The fossil-bearing strata of the Naketa locality have been interpreted as equivalent to the Yixian Formation or the Jiufotang Formation (Li and Reisz, 2020). Only one radiometric age result has been reported from the upper part of the fossil bed (Li and Reisz, 2020). Precise dating of the horizons can resolve correlations with the Yanliao area sections and biota. This paper presents U Pb LA-ICPMS zircon ages from three tuff/tuffaceous layers intercalated within fossiliferous horizons of the Jiufengshan Formation as found in the Naketa, Arongqi area, Inner Mongolia. The data constrain the depositional age of the Jiufengshan Formation, which contains key taxa of the middle to late Jehol Biota. Combining these findings on the Jiufengshan Formation of Inner Mongolia with other previously published radiometric ages from the Yixian and Jiufotang formations of western Liaoning provides novel chronostratigraphic information on the Jehol Biota. Section snippets Geological setting The Great Xing'an Range is located within the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and merges with the southern margin of the Siberian craton and the northern margin of the NCC (Zhou et al., 2021). As part of the Xing'an Mongolian Orogenic Belt, it is one of the most aerially extensive subduction-accretion orogenic belts (Du et al., 2018; Yuan et al., 2007). Volcanic eruptions occurred in East Asia between 150 and 110 Ma, with significant volcanic rock emplacement ranging from 132 Materials Two tuff samples (NKT-01 and NKT-03) and one tuffaceous sandstone sample (NKT-02) were collected from the base to the top of the Naketa section with consideration given to biostratigraphic elements (Fig. 3). The NKT-01 sample came from a tuff located at the bottom of Bed 4, which contains abundant Lycoptera davidi and Eosestheria aff . Middendorfii . The NKT-02 sample was a tuffaceous sandstone from the middle of Bed 7, which contains abundant EEL and plant fossils. The NKT-03 sample came from a Results With a few exceptions, zircon grains ranged in size from 50 to 160 μm (Fig. 4). Most grains exhibited euhedral morphologies and oscillatory zoning patterns indicative of igneous origin. Twenty zircon grains from the tuff sample NKT-01 gave concordant ages ranging from 129 to 112 Ma. Based on 17 analyses between 126 and 119 Ma, a maximum depositional age of 124.3 ± 1.5 Ma (MSWD = 0.58; 2σ) was calculated. A majority of the zircon grains from tuffaceous siltstone sample NKT-02 exhibited Comparison of new data with previous results Besides Naketa Township and Daya Station, the Jiufengshan Formation crops out around the Great Xing'an Range in the Dayangshu Basin, Daxihong Farm, Dakumu, Xiaokumu, and Daerbin. It is also found at Jianbian Farm in Nenjiang County, Yiziquan in Huma County, and Heihe, Sunwu, and Chenqing in Heilongjiang Province. The lower part of the Jiufengshan Formation consists of interspersed volcanic and sedimentary rocks, with coal-bearing clastic rocks occurring in the upper part (Li, 2011). The Conclusions This study combined previous systematic paleontology and geochronology with novel reports of fossil material and radio-isotopic ages from the Naketa section to establish a consistent biostratigraphic and chronostratigraphic interpretation for the Jiufengshan Formation at this locality. New U Pb zircon ages obtained (124.3 ± 1.5 Ma, 124.9 ± 1.6 Ma, and 121.5 ± 1.4 Ma) indicate the lower Jiufengshan Formation is Barremian to earliest Aptian (∼124–121 Ma) in age. Combined with previous information, Declaration of Competing Interest None. Acknowledgments We thank Professor Falcon-Lang and two anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. This project is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China ( 42288201 , 42125201 ), the HKU Seed Fund for Basic Research ( 202111159061 ) and the HK General Research Fund/RGC ( 17300320 ), the Chinese Academy of Sciences ( E221020002 ), and Shenyang Normal University ( BS202209 ). This work contributes to the Deep-time Digital Earth (DDE) Big Science Program. References (73) T. Andersen Correction of common lead in U-Pb analyses that do not report 204Pb Chem. Geol. (2002) S.C. Chang et al. High-precision 40Ar/39Ar age for the Jehol Biota Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. (2009) S.C. Chang et al. Chronological evidence for extension of the Jehol Biota into Southern China Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. (2012) S.C. Chang et al. 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on Cretaceous fossil-bearing formations near the China–North Korea border Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. (2014) S.C. Chang et al. 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