A paleomagnetic study of rocks from the northern foot of the Tien Shan and the southern border of the Dzungar basin, east of Urumqi (44.2 ¿N, 86.0 ¿N), spanning ages from middle Jurassic to early Tertiary was carried out to constrain the tectonic evolution in central Asia since Mesozoic time. Five middle Jurassic sites reveal a remagnetized direction close to the present Earth field in geographic coordinates: D=6.6¿, I=72.6¿ (α95=7.4¿). Thirteen out of 17 upper Jurassic and lower Cretaceous sites yield a characteristic direction (stratigraphic coordinates) of D=12.7¿, I=48.6¿ (α95=5.5¿). Nine of 16 upper Cretaceous and lower Tertiary sites provide a characteristic direction of D=12.5¿, I=51.3¿ (α95=6.9¿). The latter two directions pass fold and reversal tests. The pole positions are close to each other and to the Besse and Courtillot <1989, 1990> Eurassian apparent polar wander path, for ages ranging from 130 to 70 Ma. However, the difference in paleolatitudes amounts to about 5.9¿¿3.7¿, which could indicate significant continental shortening in the Altai Mountains and perhaps further north, subsequent to India-Asia collision. The pole positions from the Dzunger Basin are close to those found for the Tarim