On the non-marine stratigraphy and floras of north-eastern Russia
Some decisions of the Third Inter-departmental Regional Stratigraphic Meeting on Precambrian, Paleozoic and Mesozoic of North-eastern Russia (St. Petersburg, 2002) are analysed in the light of latest data obtained. It is shown that regional stratigraphic units (‘Horizons') of non-marine Cretaceous recognised in this Meeting are in fact not the basic subdivisions, but rather specialised biostratigraphic units, namely ‘Beds with flora'. Ages of some of these units are specified, notably Beds with Arman Flora is Turonian-Coniacian, Beds with Amka Flora is Coniacian and Beds with Arkagala Flora is Santonian-Campanian. We recommend to keep the previous names for the Penzhina, Barykov and Koryak phases of floral development and for the corresponding stratigraphic units. An updated version of the non-marine Cretaceous stratigraphic chart of the Okhotsk-Chukotka structural-facial Region is proposed to discuss.