“…The compositional variation of mantle-derived rocks in time and space can help reveal the nature of lithospheric evolution (e.g., Bianchini et al, 2008;Gao et al, 2008;Griffin et al, 1992Griffin et al, , 1998Guo et al, 2001;Hong et al, 2013;Huang et al, 2012;Kuang et al, 2012;Liu et al, 2008;Martins et al, 2008;Menzies et al, 1993Menzies et al, , 2007Thirlwall et al, 1994;Xu et al, 2004b;Yang and Li, 2008;Zhang et al, 2002). Cenozoic lithospheric evolution beneath the eastern NCC has not been well recognized in the previous studies, primarily because: (1) Seismic tomography revealed the thinnest lithosphere beneath the Bohai Bay Basin, the largest Cenozoic basin in the eastern NCC (Chen, 2010;Tian et al, 2009), but few geochemical and age data are available on basalts from the Bohai Bay Basin because of limited exposure (Xu et al, 2004a); (2) Most studies have focused on the magmatism in the Early Cretaceous (e.g., Gao et al, 2008;Guo et al, 2001;Huang et al, 2012;Xu et al, 2004b;Yang and Li, 2008;Zhang et al, 2002) and Late Cenozoic (b23 Ma) (e.g., Chen et al, 2007;Fan and Hooper, 1991;Song et al, 1990;Tang et al, 2006;Xu et al, 2004aXu et al, , 2005; Y.G.…”