自生形成物是指形成在沉积物(或沉积岩)堆积场所的化学成因的物质。自生物质既可生成在沉积阶段,也可生成在成岩阶段。从其生成时期看来,本节所讨论的自生物质均系早期成岩阶段形成,它们对于查明所赋存沉积物的成岩环境、特征及演化历史等方面有重要意义。 Autotrophs refer to the chemical species that form at the place where deposits (or sediments) accumulate. Biomass can be generated both in the sedimentary stage and in the diagenetic stage. It appears from the period of its formation that all the authigenic materials discussed in this section are formed in the early diagenetic stage and are of great significance in identifying the diagenetic environment, characteristics and evolution history of the sediments deposited.