Unraveling the petrogenetic links: Late Jurassic Barren Granites, W-bearing granites, and Nb-Ta-Li- mineralized granites in Yichun Mining District, South China

• Multiple emplacements of magma batches drove extensive in-situ vertical differentiation. • The Nb-Ta mineralized magma was derived from a deeper reservoir than the W-deposit-associated one. • The degree of magmatic evolution is a crucial factor governing the diversity of mineralization. • Extremely fractionated granitoids may serve as critical indicators for W deposit exploration. Large volumes of Late Mesozoic granites are exposed in South China, associated with extensive polymetallic (W, Sn, U, Ni, Ta, Li, REE) mineralization. However, the genetic relationships between barren granitoids and variously mineralized granitoids within a composite pluton require further research. Additionally, in a certain mining district, the genetic relationships among adjacent, contemporaneous plutons are poorly constrained. Some of these plutons are barren, while others host tungsten deposits, and still others contain Nb-Ta deposits. In this study, we focus on three Late Jurassic granite plutons in the Yichun mining district, and conduct a comprehensive investigation of these plutons. This includes LA–ICP–MS zircon and monazite U–Pb dating, as well as analyses of zircon Hf isotopes and trace elements, whole-rock geochemistry, and Nd isotopes on representative granite samples. Based on our new data and previously published studies, and from the insights of the mush model and magma plumbing systems, we propose the following key inferences: (1) Multiple emplacements of magma batches drove extensive in-situ differentiation within a magma reservoir. (2) Highly fractionated granites and main-phase granitoids within a composite pluton may have been derived from different magma reservoirs; more evolved magmas likely originated from a deeper magma reservoir. (3) The degree of magmatic evolution serves as a crucial factor governing the diversity of W and Ta–Nb mineralization within rare-metal granites. (4) In South China, extremely fractionated granitoids can serve as important indicators for tungsten (W) deposit exploration, and the Yichun district remains prospective for large-scale tungsten deposits at depth. This study provides critical insights into the evolution of granitic magmas and their associated metallogenic processes, thus holding important implications for regional mineralization exploration.