A biogeographically mixed, Middle Permian brachiopod fauna from the Baoshan Block, Western Yunnan, China

A small brachiopod fauna is described from the carbonate rocks of the basal Shazipo Formation of the Baoshan Block, western Yunnan, south-west China, including significant new ventral and dorsal internal morphological features of Cryptospirifer omeishanensis Huang. This fauna is regarded as Wordian (Middle Guadalupian, Middle Permian) because of the presence of Cryptospirifer omeishanensis Huang and associated fusulinids (Neoschwagerina craticulifera Zone). Palaeobiogeographically, the brachiopod fauna is of considerable interest because of its admixed nature characterized by typical warm-water Cathaysian elements intermingled with temperate Peri-Gondwanan taxa. This in turn is interpreted to indicate that the Baoshan Block may have been situated in an intermediate palaeogeographical position between Gondwanaland to the south and Cathaysia to the north during the Mid Permian and, as such, it probably furnished an important 'stepping stone' for the dispersal of Mid Permian eastern Tethyan marine invertebrate taxa (e.g. Cryptospirifer) to the western Tethys.

A Lopingian (Late Permian) brachiopod fauna from the Qubuerga formation at Shengmi in the Mount Qomolangma region of Southern Xizang (Tibet), China

A small fauna of 11 species belonging to 10 genera of Permian Brachiopoda from the lower part of the Qubuerga Formation outcropping near Shengmi village in the Qomolangma region of southern Xizang (Tibet) is figured and new taxa are described. New taxa are Quinquenella semiglobosa and Costatumulus shengmiensis. The fauna is most likely of Wuchiapingian (Djhulfian) age as indicated by the majority of the brachiopod species.

Late carboniferous to early permian brachiopod faunas from the Bachu and Kalpin areas, Tarim Basin, NW China

Late Carboniferous and Early Permian brachiopod faunas are described from the Xiaohaizi section of the Bachu area and the Shishichang section of the Kalpin area, the Tarim Basin, NW China. Biostratigraphic studies of brachiopods and associated microfossils indicate that the Xiaohaizi Formation is Moscovian (Late Carboniferous) and the Shishichang Formation is Kasimovian-Gzhelian (Late Carboniferous), whereas the Nanza and Kankarin Formations are Asselian to early Artinskian (Early Permian). Two new species proposed from the Nanza Formation are Kutorginella tarimensis and Phricodothyris? bachuensis.

A new genus of Rhynchonellid Brachiopod from the Lower Triassic of South China and Implications for timing the recovery of Brachiopoda after the end-Permian mass extinction

A new genus, Meishanorhynchia, is proposed based on new material from the Lower Triassic of the Meishan section, South China. It is of a late Griesbachian age based on both associated biozones (ammonoids and
bivalves) and radiometric dates of the intercalated volcanic ash beds. Comparison with both Palaeozoic and Mesozoic-Cenozoic-related genera suggests that it may represent the first radiation of progenitor brachiopods in the aftermath of the end-Permian extinction. The lowest brachiopod horizon that contains the genus is estimated to be about 250.1±0.3 Ma. This implies that the initial stage of recovery of Brachiopoda in the Early Triassic was probably about 1.3±0.3 myr after the major pulse of the end-Permian mass extinction (dated as 251.4±0.3 Ma). This is in agreement with Hallam's expectancy that biotic recovery typically begins within one million years or so of major mass extinctions, in contrast to current views on the end-Permian extinction event which propose that the recovery of most if not all biotic groups in the Early Triassic was severely delayed and only began about five million years after the end-Permian extinction.

A Guadalupian-Lopingian (Middle to Late Permian) brachiopod fauna from the Juripu formation in the Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone, Southern Tibet, China

A brachiopod fauna of 16 species belonging to 11 genera and three genera and species indeterminate from the middle and upper parts of the Juripu Formation in the Yarlung-Zangbo (Indus-Tsangbo) Suture zone (=Yarlung-Zangbo River zone), southern Tibet, is described and figured for the first time. A new species, Taeniothaerus zhongbaensis, is described. The fauna is comparable with that in the Kalabagh Member of the Wargal Formation of the Salt Range, Pakistan, and is considered to be most likely Capitanian (late Guadalupian/Middle Permian) to Wuchiapingian (early Lopingian/early Late Permian) in age, as indicated by the majority of the brachiopod species and by being constrained by an underlying fusulinacean fauna (Parafusulina Zone) and an overlying ammonite fauna (Cyclolobus fauna).

Capitanian (late Guadalupian, permian) global brachiopod palaeobigeography and latitudinal diversity pattern

A global database containing 3365 occurrences, 821 species and 251 genera of the Capitanian (Late Guadalupian, Permian) brachiopod faunas from 24 stations has been analyzed by cluster analysis using the Jaccard and Otsuka coefficients and the probabilistic index of similarity, nonmetric multidimensional scaling and minimum spanning tree. Two supergroups, three groups and six subgroups are revealed and interpreted as representing, respectively, two biotic realms (the Palaeoequatorial and Gondwanan Realms), two regions and six provinces. An additional realm (the Boreal Realm), based on the fauna from Spitsbergen, also appears recognizable although it also shows considerable similarities with southwestern North America and the northern margin of Gondwana as revealed by the statistical analysis. The Palaeoequatorial Realm can be further subdivided into the North America Region and the Asian Tethyan Region. The six biotic provinces are the Cathaysian Province in the Palaeotethys and Mesotethys, the Greenland-Svalbard Province in the Arctic region, the Austrazean Province in eastern Australia and New Zealand, the Grandian Province in western North America and the two transitional zones (the Himalayan Province in the southern temperate zone and the Sino–Mongolian–Japanese Province in the northern temperate zone). Polynomial regression analysis and rarefaction analysis indicate that the generic diversities of brachiopod faunas during the Capitanian peaked in the Palaeoequatorial Cathaysian Province and the two transitional zones (Himalayan Province and Sino–Mongolian–Japanese Province), but fell dramatically in the polar regions. The generic diversity of the Palaeoequatorial Grandian Province is apparently lower than in the two transitional zones of temperate palaeolatitudes, suggesting that the generic diversity of Capitanian brachiopod faunas does not exhibit a strict negative correlation with palaeolatitudes. This in turn would suggest that biogeographical determinants (such as geographical barriers, inhabitable area and ocean currents) other than latitude-related temperature control may also have played an important role in the dispersal of some brachiopods and the characterization of some local provinces and high diversities. The Capitanian global brachiopod palaeobiogeography is generally comparable with those in the Wuchiapingian and Changhsingian, but with some notable differences. These include: (1) that the Grandian Province of the Capitanian in western North America vanished after the end-Guadalupian regression, (2) that the western Tethyan Province of the Lopingian could not be distinguished in the Capitanian, and (3) that the Austrazean Province was larger in area than either in the Wuchiapingian or in the Changhsingian.

Early carboniferous brachiopod faunas from the Baoshan block, west Yunnan, southwest China

38 brachiopod species in 27 genera and subgenera are described from the Yudong Formation in the Shidian-Baoshan area, west Yunnan, southwest China. New taxa include two new subgenera: Unispirifer (Septimispirifer) and Brachythyrina (Longathyrina), and seven new species: Eomarginifera yunnanensis, Marginatia cylindrica, Unispirifer (Unispirifer) xiangshanensis, Unispirifer (Septimispirifer) wafangjieensis, Brachythyrina (Brachythyrina) transversa, Brachythyrina (Longathyrina) baoshanensis, and Girtyella wafangjieensis. Based on the described material and constraints from associated coral and conodont faunas, the age of the brachiopod fauna from the Yudon Formation is considered late Tournaisian (Early Carboniferous), with a possibility extending into earlyViseacutean.

Discovery of late Changhsingian (latest Permian) brachiopod Attenuatella species from South China

Attenuatella mengi sp. nov. and ?Attenuatella sp. from the Talung Formation, southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China, are described herein. This discovery represents the first report of Attenuatella from the late Changhsingian (latest Permian) in South China and provides evidence that Attenuatella expanded its range from high-latitude cold-water regions to palaeoequatorial warm water areas in the Late Permian. Attenuatella
species appear to have been pseudoplanktonic, judging from their hair-like spinose ornamentation, which could have contributed to the global palaeogeographical distribution of Attenuatella.

The Permian brachiopod genus Trigonotreta Koenig and its occurrence in Argentina

A review of the Permian spiriferid brachiopod genus Trigonolrela and its occurrence in the Early Permian of Argentina is provided herein. Several species are known from the Late Palaeozoic sequences of the Argentinean Precordillera. These include Trigonolrela sp. and Trigonolrela riojanensis (Lech and Acenolaza), from the Rio del Peii.on Formation (Rio Blanco Basin), Trigonolrela pericoensis (Leanza), from the Tupe Formation at the La Herradura creek locality (Paganzo Basin) and Trigonolrela sanjuanensis (Lech and Acenolaza), from Del Salto Formation (Calingasta-Uspallata Basin). These species are characterised by being small to medium sized, relatively transverse, with cardinal extremities often strongly angular. Costae are weakly bifurcated and superimposed on weakly developed lateral flank plications adjacent to the fastigium and sulcus. The Argentinean species are close to the oldest known Indian species of the genus, Trigonotreta hesdoensis (Salmi and Dutt), particularly with respect to the nature of its weakly fasciculated costae. Further study will refine the details of the relationship of the South American species with those from elsewhere in Gondwana and may permit the recognition of a distinctive lineage. The presence of the genus in Argentina in the earliest Permian is an important palaeobiogeographical observation that raises questions about the probable migration routes of the genus from the western Gondwanan South American margin to eastern Australia and India. The Precordilleran region appears to be the likely site of the first appearance of Trigonolrela. Species with relatively simple costae appeared first. These gave rise to more complex species with a more elaborate costal pattern indicating an evolutionary progression through time.

A Wuchiapingian (Late Permian) brachiopod fauna from an exotic block in the Indus–Tsangpo suture zone, southern Tibet, and its palaeobiogeographical and tectonic implications

A brachiopod fauna including 19 species of 17 genera from an exotic block in the Indus–Tsangpo suture zone in southern Tibet is described and illustrated. The brachiopod fauna is dominated by Martinia elegans and two new taxa: Jinomarginifera lhazeensis gen. et sp. nov. and Zhejiangospirifer giganteus sp. nov. The fauna is closely comparable with those from the middle and upper parts of the Wargal Formation and the Chhidru Formation in the Salt Range of Pakistan, the Chitichun Limestone in southern Tibet, and the Basleo area of West Timor, and these correlations suggest a Wuchiapingian age. The fauna exhibits substantial links with both peri–Gondwanan and Cathaysian faunas, which may imply that it is a seamount biota originally located in the southern margin of the Neotethys during the Late Permian, and was later (in the early Cenozoic) displaced and became sandwiched into younger marine deposits in the collision process between India and Eurasia.

A biogeographically mixed late Guadalupian (late Middle Permian) brachiopod fauna from an exotic limestone block at Xiukang in Lhaze county, Tibet

A total of 17 brachiopod species belonging to 15 genera are recorded from a limestone block of about 3×4 km2 in the Indus–Tsangbo suture zone at Xiukang in Lhaze County of Tibet. The brachiopod fauna generally indicates a Late Guadalupian age (late Wordian–Capitanian, late Middle Permian) based on its association with the Timorites-bearing ammonoid fauna and the presence of the brachiopod Urushtenoidea crenulata. Palaeobiogeographically, the fauna exhibits transitional/mixed characters between the warm-water Cathaysian and cold to temperate Gondwanan faunas and may have developed on a carbonate build-up or seamount on the oceanic crust.

Post-extinction brachiopod faunas from the late Permian Wuchiapingian coal series of South China

This paper describes fourteen brachiopod species in eleven genera from the Late Permian Wuchiapingian Coal Series (Lungtan Formation) of South China. Of these, the shell bed fauna from the basal Lungtan Formation is interpreted to represent the onset of the recovery of shelly faunas in the aftermath of the Guadalupian/Lopingian (G/L) mass extinction in South China. The post-extinction brachiopod faunas in the Wuchiapingian are characterized by the presence of numerous Lazarus taxa, survivors, and newly originating taxa. These elements capable of adapting their life habits were relatively more resistant to the G/L crisis. The post-extinction faunas, including survivors and the elements originating in the recovery period, have no life habit preference, but they were all adapted to a variety of newly vacated niches in the Late Permian oceans. Two new species, Meekella beipeiensis and Niutoushania chongqingensis, are described, and two Chinese genera, Niutoushania and Chengxianoproductus, are emended based on re-examination of the type specimens and new topotype materials from the Lungtan Formation.

An ecologically mixed brachiopod fauna from Changhsingian deep-water basin of South China: consequence of end-Permian global warming

The Late Permian Shaiwa Group of the Ziyun area of Guizhou, South China is a deep-water facies succession characterized by deep-water assemblages of pelagic radiolarians, foraminifers, bivalves, ammonoids and brachiopods. Here we report 20 brachiopod species in 18 genera from the uppermost Shaiwa Group. This brachiopod fauna is latest Changhsingian in age and dominated by productides. The palaeoecologic and taphonomic analysis reveals that the brachiopod fauna is preserved in situ. The attachment modes and substratum preference demonstrate that the Shaiwa brachiopod fauna comprises admixed elements of deep-water and shallow-water assemblages. The presence of the shallow-water brachiopods in the Shaiwa faunas indicates the involuntary settlement of shallow-water brachiopods. The stressed ecologic pressure, triggered by warming surface waters, restricted ecospace and short food sources, may have forced some shallow-water elements to move to hospitable deep-water settings and others to modify their habiting behaviours and exploit new ecospace in deep-water environments. We infer that the end-Permian global warming and subsequent transgression event may have accounted for the stressed environmental pressure in the shallow-water communities prior to the end-Permian mass extinction.

Artinskian-Kungurian (Early Permian) brachiopod faunas from the Tarim Basin, Northwest China, part 1: biostratigraphy and systematics of productida