Yang Chuan, Bowyer Fred, Condon Daniel
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China.
School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
Natl Sci Rev. 2025 May 21;12(9):nwaf206. doi: 10.1093/nsr/nwaf206. eCollection 2025 Sep.
The Neoproterozoic Era is a critical time interval when the Earth experienced fundamental changes, manifested as Snowball Earth climatic extremes, large fluctuations in oceanic and atmospheric compositions, and emergence and rapid diversification of animals. High-precision geochronology of Neoproterozoic stratigraphy is essential for constraining timings, durations, and rates of these major events, and for assessing the synchroneity and nature of interactions between them. Here we review recent advances in the CA-ID-TIMS zircon U-Pb dating method and discuss the factors that influence the choice of method used to date Neoproterozoic stratigraphy. Advances in the temporal calibration of major carbonate carbon isotope excursions, glaciations, and fossil assemblages of the Neoproterozoic using high-precision age constraints, are also reviewed. This enables us to construct a composite carbonate carbon isotope profile for the Neoproterozoic, which is anchored by radio-isotopic ages. Together with available biodiversity metrics, this provides critical insights into the co-evolution of life and environment in the Neoproterozoic.
新元古代是地球经历重大变化的关键时期，表现为雪球地球极端气候、海洋和大气成分的大幅波动以及动物的出现和快速多样化。新元古代地层的高精度地质年代学对于确定这些重大事件的时间、持续时间和速率，以及评估它们之间相互作用的同步性和性质至关重要。在这里，我们回顾了CA-ID-TIMS锆石U-Pb测年方法的最新进展，并讨论了影响新元古代地层测年方法选择的因素。还回顾了利用高精度年龄约束对新元古代主要碳酸盐碳同位素偏移、冰川作用和化石组合进行时间校准的进展。这使我们能够构建一个以放射性同位素年龄为锚定的新元古代复合碳酸盐碳同位素剖面。结合现有的生物多样性指标，这为深入了解新元古代生命与环境的共同演化提供了关键线索。
