The brackish-water bivalve Waagenoperna from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation of the Junggar Basin and its palaeoenvironmental and palaeogeographic significance

The brackish-water bivalve Waagenoperna Tokuyama, 1959 is reported from the Lower Jurassic Badaowan Formation at four localities, along the southern margin and western margin of the Junggar Basin. Taphonomic features recorded in the field indicate that it occurs in autochthonous or parautochthonous assemblages. The autecology of Waagenoperna therefore yields information on the palaeoenvironment of the area. The restriction of Waagenoperna to marine and brackish-water settings suggests that the sea water once reached these areas during the Sinemurian. This paper discusses the palaeogeographic implications and suggests an ingression of the sea water from the west to the western and southern part of the Junggar Basin. Additionally, the two Waagenoperna species collected from the Haojiagou section in the Junggar Basin are taxonomically documented.