Discovery of sporopollen fossils in the Muji Group in the Muji area, Artux City, Xinjiang, China

Lying near Pamir, the Muji area, Artux City, Xinjiang, is tectonically located at the junction between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate, where extrusion stress of plate collision is most concentrated and metamorphism and deformation of strata are strong. Therefore, stratigraphic research is very glancing. The Muji Group is composed of metasandstone, slate, phyllite, quartzite, calcareous quartzite, granulite, two-mica-quartz schist, marble, etc. Fossils have never been reported from this group in the Muji area. Recendy some tracheidal pieces and sporopollen fossils such as Granulatisporites sp., Cycloranisporites sp., Verrucosisporites sp., Pityosporites sp., Punetatosporites sp., Leiotriletes sp., Apiculatisporites sp., Platysaccus sp. and Cycodopites sp. have been found in silt.stone and calcareous silt.stone in the Kalazuke and Alamutao gullies in the Muji area. According to an analysis of the stratigraphic contact relationships and sporopollen features, the age of the Muji Group yielding the above-mentioned sporopollen fossils in the Muji area may be Devonian-Carboniferous.