Abstract The Selin Co basin in the northern Lhasa terrane includes more than 3000 m of upward coarsening Lower Cretaceous strata, and the sedimentary sequence from the flysch to the molasse indicates the evolution of a foreland basin. Petrographic analysis shows that sandstones are rich in volcanic and sedimentary lithics and most of them fall into recycled orogen and magmatic arc. Uranium–lead (U–Pb) ages were determined for 435 detrital zircons from the Lower Cretaceous strata in the Selin Co basin. Relative probability of detrital zircon ages shows the Eshaerbu Formation was rich in zircon grains with the age of 125–140 and 160–180 Ma, and the Duoni Formation was dominated by one main age cluster of 125–150 Ma. Analysis of the potential provenances suggests the Early Cretaceous zircon grains were primarily derived from the Gangdese magmatic arc to the south. The youngest zircon ages in the lowermost exposure of the Eshaerbru Formation are c . 130 Ma, providing a maximum depositional age of sediments in the Selin Co basin. Collectively, our studies, together with previously documented Cretaceous thrusting in the Lhasa terrane, suggest the Lower Cretaceous Selin Co basin was deposited in a retroarc foreland basin. From 145–90 Ma, a retroarc foreland basin was presumed to develop in the Lhasa terrane, migrating from the south to the north. Crustal thickening, likely associated with the evolution of the retroarc foreland basin, was speculated to start in the Early Cretaceous in the Lhasa terrane.