The Tieshidas Group in Qimantag, a branch of the East Kunlun Mountains, was
classically considered the Caledonian basement, and classified into Middle
-Upper Ordovician, Upper Ordovician or simply Lower Paleozoic. The radiolar
ian fauna was found, for the first time, from a chert block in the Tieshida
s Group at Yaziquandaban (Pass) north to Ayakum Lake. They are Astroentacti
nia? mirousi Gourmelon, As. ct biaciculata Nazarov, Archocyrtium of. diduct
um Deflandre, Ar. aff, diductum Deflandre, Deflandrellium? sp., Entactinia
vulgaris Won, En. of. additiva Foreman, En.? sp., Entactinosphaera palimbol
a Foreman, Pylentonema? sp., Triaenosphaera sp. and Tr.? sp. The geological
age of this radiolarian fauna is Early Carboniferous, Evidently, the class
ical interpretation about the age of Tieshidas Group needs to be checked an
d modified. Except the Ordovician proved with the formerly discovered fossi
ls, it also includes, at least, Lower Carboniferous rocks. There was still
an oceanic basin at Qimantag during Early Carboniferous (and even a long ge
ological time after then). Qimantag is not a Caledonian fold belt, and the
Tieshidas Group is not the Caledonian basement.