Palaeomagnetic study of Neoproterozoic glacial rocks of the Yangzi Block: palaeolatitude and configuration of South China in the late Proterozoic Supercontinent

Li and Powell (1998) are proponents of the popular Rodinia reconstruction w hich they use to challenge our revised assessment of the Neoproterozoic loc ation of South China. We note the serious difficulties with the Rodinia con figuration. These include (i) the requirement for a similar to 730 Ma break up although the geological evidence for this event puts the figure at simi lar to 550 Ma and (ii) the large scale, rapid and differential continental movements that are required to achieve the Gondwana reconstruction by late Neoproterozoic/early Phanerozoic times. The 850-550 Ma palaeomagnetic data are shown to accord with a conservative reconstruction which overcomes thes e problems and is analogous to Pangaea (Palaeopangaea). This reconstruction implies that the late Neoproterozoic transition to Gondwana was achieved m ainly by sinistral transpression along the Pan African belts accompanying e xtinction of the Afro-Arabian are. A putative collision between blocks grou ped as East and West Gondwana, which were supposedly widely separated in mi d-Neoproterozoic times, is not required. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All ri hts reserved.