THE DISCOVERY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECTONOPALAEOGEOGRAPHIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE MIDDLE CAMBRIAN ALGAL FOSSILS IN THE DONGYUE DISTRICT,HUBEI

For the first time this paper describes cryptalgalaminates which occur in substantial amounts in non-fossiliferous Middle Cambrian carbonate rocks from the Dongyue district, Hubei. These cryptalgalaminates of different ages and diverse morphologies are closely related with sedimentary environments, thus may be interpreted as a good facies indicator. The discovery of the cryptalgalaminates helps dispel the misunderstanding that the Middle Cambrian strata in the study area are ascribed to the deeper-water sediments, and contributes to the study of the tectono-palaeogeographic changes in the Qinling area during Middle Cambrian time.