Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of dinosaur- and mammal-bearing continental Maastrichtian deposits, Hateg basin, Romania

The Hateg basin, South Carpathians, Romania, contains a thick sequence of Maastrichtian continental deposits from which a rich dinosaur and mammal fauna is known. Field data as well as mineralogical and stable isotope analyses from three representative profiles were integrated in order to reconstruct environmental conditions during Maastrichtian time. Tustea quarry is characterized by the presence of well drained calcisols, with smectite (montmorillonite) as the main clay component. Along the profile, the δ18 O and δ13 C isotopic compositions of calcretes show a small variation, of up to 0.9‰. The profile along the Barbat Valley shows preponderantly calcisols, the main clay mineral being smectite, with subordinate illite and chlorite. The oxygen isotopic compositions of calcretes are ~0.5‰ lighter than those from Tustea. The soils are interpreted as having formed under more humid conditions and they are similar to those situated at the bottom of the sequence developed along Sibisel Valley. The abundant smectite from the Tustea and Barbat Valley depos its, as well the presence of good developed soils, reflects palaeoenvironmental conditions predominantly controlled by climate. Preliminary magnetostratigraphic data along the Sibisel Valley section indicate that sedimentation started at the end of chron C32n. All other palaeomagnetic sites distributed up stream, as far as the upper limit of this formation, have only reversed polarity and the corresponding time interval is probably chron C31r. Along this valley, the sequence shows a general coarsening upward trend. The palaeosol type changes from calcisol- to vertisol-dominated sequences. The soils are moderate to weakly developed. The mineralogical composition of the clay fraction also changes, from smectite- to illite and chlorite-dominated. These features points to wards unstable tectonic conditions and higher uplift rates of the surrounding area within chron C31r. To wards the top of the sequence, the oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of calcretes be come 1 and ~2‰ lighter, respectively. These changes indicate a transition from generally semi-arid to wards more humid and possible cooler conditions and correlate with the world wide trend for chron 31r.