The Berezovsk coal mine in western Siberia has yielded the most diverse Middle Jurassic limnic and terrestrial vertebrate assemblage of Asia． The vertebrate remains were recovered by screen washing from flood- plain deposits on top of a thick coal seam of the Bathonian Itat Formation． A total of 29 vertebrate taxa has been recorded so far，including hybodontiform sharks，acipenseriforms，palaeonisciforms，amiiforms，dipnoans，anu- rans，caudates，turtles，squamates，choristoderans，crocodyliforms，pterosaurs，dinosaurs，tritylodontids，and a diverse mammaliaform and mammalian assemblage ( eleutherodontids，docodontans，? amphilestids，dryo- lestids，and zatherians)． The caudates are among the oldest in the fossil record and the anurans represent the oldest Asian record of this group． Among the mammals，Anthracolestes is the oldest and most basal known mem- ber of Dryolestidae and so far the only record from Asia． The vertebrate assemblage from the Berezovsk coal mine is very similar to that from the British Forest Marble Formation (Bathonian) and suggests a limited provin- cialism in the Middle Jurassic Laurasian landmass．

Deccan volcanic sequences (DVS) in the central Deccan volcanic province (CDVP) are designated as Sahyadri Group having ～ 500 m thick lava pile associated with multiple sedimentary beds at different strati- graphic levels． In the eastern part of CDVP between the latitude 19°55'--20°25'N and the longitudes 78°15'--78° 30'E，palynological investigation of the intertrappean sedimentary beds at five stratigraphic levels was carried out． The study was basically aimed for tracking the floral and environmental changes across the Deccan transi- tion． The resulting finds indicate that the intertrappean sediments at the lowest stratigraphic level between the earliest lava flows are characterized by presence of marker Maastrichtian palynomorphs- Gabonisporis vigour- ouxii，Aquilapollenites bengalensis，Azolla cretacea and Farabeipollis associated with triporate and tricolpate pol- len grains，phytoliths of Oryzeae of Poaceae family and peridinoid dinoflagellate cysts． The increasing volcanism deteriorated the existing flora as evident by absence of pollen-spores and presence of only structured biodegraded organic matter，fungal spores，acritarchs and algal (Botryococcus) remains in the sediments of higher-up in the sequence． For chronostratigraphic constraints on the lava flows magnetic polarity of the flows bracketing the in- tertrappean beds was investigated． The results indicated presence of N-Ｒ-N-Ｒ magnetic polarity in the basal la- va pile that are interpreted as representing the magnetochron C30N to C28Ｒ (Maastrichtian-Paleogene)． The floral change begins with the onset of volcanism in the chron C30N and floral deterioration is observed in C29N with increasing volcanism and it is only in the chron C28Ｒ(Danian) that some evidence of recovery of flora is recorded． The current study shows that in eastern part of CDVP the post Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary erup- tions represent the main phase of eruptions that triggered deterioration of the flora．

The Lipovtsy flora originates mostly from the synonymous Formation exposed at the coal quarries in the Ｒazdolnaya (Suifun) Ｒiver Basin in Heilongjiang Province (China) and Primorye Ｒegion (Ｒussia)． The thorough study of this flora has revealed its high diversity and abundance． One of the most prominent groups in the Lipovtsy flora is the ferns． Next in diversity are conifers (Miroviaceae，Taxodiaceae，Podozamitaceae，Tax- aceae，Cephalotaxaceae)． It was revealed the remarkable quantity of bennettitalean remains (24 taxa)． The main peculiarity of this flora is the appearance of first angiosperms (pollen，dispersed cuticle，leaves)． The fine preservation of the cuticles from the coals allows us to research the taxonomical composition of peat-forming plants and clear main components of the swamp plant communities． These plants supplied the material for the accumulation of resinite coals on the territory of Ｒazdolnaya Ｒiver Basin were conifers Miroviaceae，taxodi- aleans，bennettites，as well as gleicheniaceous and cyatheaceous ferns．

Ｒecent geological and paleontological exploration in the Indus basin of Pakistan allowed the discover- ies of numerous remains of non-marine reptiles (titanosaurian sauropod，abelisaurian and noasaurian theropod dinosaurs)，and marine reptiles (crocodiles)，flying reptiles (pterosaurs)，marine and non-marine mammals， fishes，invertebrates，and plants，especially Pakistan is relatively rich in footprints/trackways in the Mesozoic． These vertebrates of Indo-Pakistan are very significant for paleobiogeographic study due to the present-day con- nection of this continent with Asia in Northern Hemisphere，whereas during past (Jurassic and pre-Jurassic) it was connected to the Gondwana． The Mesozoic vertebrates show close affinities with Gondwanan landmasses． The Cenozoic vertebrates show Eurasian affinity and migrated from Indo-Pak subcontinent to Eurasia or vice ver- sa via Paleo Indus Ｒiver systems along Western Indus Suture，after long journey of about 6 000 km the first col- lision of Indo-Pak subcontinent with Asia occurred at terminal Cretaceous．

The Arctic hosts an extraordinary wealth of terrestrial fossil biotas of Late Cretaceous age representing a diverse and highly productive near-polar ecosystem that has no modern analogue． Compared to the rest of the Late Cretaceous Maastrichtian plant diversity was at its lowest and the temperature regime the coolest，yet the semi-open forests supported a rich dinosaur fauna made up of a wide range of body sizes and feeding strategies． The combination of mild winter temperatures and continuous darkness lasting several months imposed severe constraints on primary productivity． Plant survival strategies involved almost universal winter loss of foliage， which in turn limited food supply for non-migratory overwintering herbivorous animals． A combination of leaf form and tree ring studies has been used to quantify year round variations in temperature and determine the tim- ing of spring bud-break and autumnal leaf fall． While Maastrichtian winter temperatures were cold enough (down to － 10℃ for brief intervals) for frequent frosts and snowfall，summer temperatures were cool but highly variable and at ～ 83°N along the north Alaskan coast frequently fell below + 10℃ ． Theropod egg shell frag- ments at ～ 76°N in the Maastrichtian of Northeastern Ｒussia may indicate that dinosaur reproduction took place in the Arctic ecosystem，as distinct from taking place at lower latitude breeding grounds reached by migration． This raises the question of nest management and specifically the maintenance of incubation temperatures，and the duration of incubation． Of critical importance to year-round residency is the timing of hatching and juvenile care before winter darkness set in，temperatures fell to near freezing and food resources became limited．

Late Cretaceous sea inundation of major continents，surprisingly did not affect Indian block except by two major subaerial events of Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs)． Marion hotspot induced LIP of Mahajanga Flood Basalt (ca．92 Ma) in Madagascar triggered high intensity earthquake along Narmada Lineament and permitted a short lived marine transgression during late Turonian with spectacular estuarine deposits of limited thickness， preserved as archive of“Greenhouse Climatic Ｒecord”． Ｒéunion hotspot induced LIP of Deccan Flood Basalt， stretching from western to eastern India around Ｒajahmundry area attracted worldwide attention for the unique fauna and flora preserved in the intertrappean beds straddling Cretaceous-Palaeogene boundary． This massive subaerial LIP (ca． 66Ma) permitted fairly deep penetration of sea along collision facing Subathu-Dogadda Line- ament during late Maastrichtian-Danian，but due to thick vegetation cover，tectonic disturbance and scarce out- crops the evidence is less straightforward than along Narmada rift．

The beginning of the XXI century was marked a new rising of the international tectonic cartography as a result of analysis and synthesis of a huge volume of geological information obtained for the territory of Asia es- pecially during the last 30 years． The previous tectonic maps for Asia were created in the 1960s--1970s of the last century． Since that time，the national geological surveys have compiled tectonic maps exclusively in the limits of their own state boundaries． The international cooperation of five countries since 2002 (Ｒussia，China， Mongolia，Kazakhstan and Ｒepublic of Korea) gave a unique possibility to join the data into a united cartog- raphic form as Atlas of Geological Maps (since 2002-Atlas of Geological Maps of Central Asia and since 2007- Atlas of Geological Maps of Northern-Central-Eastern Asia)． Both atlases include four maps: geological，tecton- ic，metallogenic，and energy resources． Tectonic Map of Northern-Central-Eastern Asia and Adjacent Areas at scale 1∶ 2 500 000 was the key map for further compilation of the metallogenic and energy resources (coal，oil and gas) maps． By this reason，special attention was given to showing the structure and composition of the Mes- ozoic sedimentary basins in Northern-Central-Eastern Asia as the most perspective structures for oil-and-gas and coal prospect．