Sporopollen assemblages from the Cretaceous Yimin formation of the Hailar basin, Inner Mongolia, China

Three sporopollen assemblages are recognized for the first time from the Cretaceous Yimin Formation in the Hailar Basin of eastern Inner Mongolia. They are (in ascending order): the Impardecispora-Aequitfiradites-Clavatipollenites assemblage; the Triporoletes-Pilosisporites-Asteropollis assemblage; and the Appendicisporites-Asteropollis-Tricolpites assemblage, distributed in Members 1, 2 and 3 of the Yimin Formation respectively. Recognition of this biostratigraphic sequence is very important for the division and correlation of the Yimin Formation in the basin. Meanwhile, the age of the Yimin Formation is considered to be Barremian to Early Albian based on the palynological data.