Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V....

TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERGInstitut für Geologie

Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen

45Freiberg

2014

CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine CorrelationJuly 21st – 27th, Freiberg, Germany

Abstract Volume

Herausgeber:Olaf Elicki, Jörg W. Schneider, Frederik Spindler

48 Beiträge, 80 Seiten, 16 Abbildungen, 156 Zitate

Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen

Herausgeber Technische Universität Bergakademie Freibergder Reihe Institut für Geologie Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V.Internet http://www.geo.tu-freiberg.de/publikationen/wiss_mitteilungen.htmlRedaktion und TU Bergakademie FreibergManuskriptannahme Institut für Geologie Dr. Volkmar Dunger Gustav-Zeuner-Straße 12 09599 Freiberg Tel. +49(0)3731/39-3227 Fax +49(0)3731/39-2720 [email protected] Akademische Buchhandlung Inh. B. Hackel Merbachstraße PF 1445 09599 Freiberg Tel. +49(0)3731/22198 Fax +49(0)3731/22644

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© Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, 2014Gesamtherstellung: Medienzentrum der TU Bergakademie FreibergPrinted in Germany

ISSN 1433-1284

CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian

Nonmarine – Marine Correlation

Department of Palaeontology

Freiberg University, Geological Institute

July 21st – 27th, Freiberg, Germany

Co-Organizers and local excursion guides:

Jörg W. Schneider (Freiberg)

Olaf Elicki (Freiberg)

Frank Scholze (Freiberg)

Frederik Spindler (Freiberg)

Ralf Werneburg (Schleusingen)

Ronny Rößler (Chemnitz)

Stephan Brauner (Friedrichroda)

Stanislav Opluštil (Praha)

Stanislav Štamberg (Hradec Králové)

Richard Lojka (Praha)

Karel Martinek (Praha)

Hans Kerp (Münster)

Zbyněk Šimůnek (Praha)

Jaroslav Zajíc (Praha)

Spencer G. Lucas (Albuquerque)

For financial support, we would like to thank:

Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V. (Association of Friends of Freiberg Geosciences)

CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014

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WELCOME TO

Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation

AT FREIBERG UNIVERSITY

(July, 21st – 27th 2014, Freiberg, Germany)

Dear participants, we, the members of the Department of Palaeontology of Freiberg University are very delighted to welcome you to this international meeting at our faculty! We are pleased to welcome colleagues from eleven countries of five continents and we hope that you enjoy the scientific programm and excursion, but also the hospitality in our small mediaeval silver-mining town and during the field trip! The intension and the embracing topic of this meeting is bringing together colleagues interested in the correlation of Carboniferous, Permian and Early Triassic continental deposits with the global marine scale, to develop cooperative research in various related aspects, and to represent the kickoff of a newly installed joined international working group on such a global correlation project. Although nearly all marine stage boundaries of the Carboniferous and Permian are ratified or close to ratification, nearly nothing is known about the correlation of the system and stage boundaries into the vast continental deposits on the CP Earth. However, the Late Carboniferous and Permian was a time of extreme continentality due to an exceptional low sea level. So, the huge landmass of Gondwana on its own covered an area of about 73 million km2 (what is more than seven-times the size of Europe), but was covered by epicontinental seas for only about 15%. This means that most of the preserved deposits of this time with many natural resources (mainly coal, natural gas, salt and other minerals) are enclosed in continental successions. It was the time of full terrestrialisation of life, but also the time when the most severe mass extinction in both the marine and the terrestrial ecosystems occurs by the end of the Middle and Late Permian. However, to fully understand the processes and their interrelations in the geo- and biosphere of this time, an exact stratigraphic control and detailed correlation of marine and nonmarine deposits is essential. To approach this big project, during the 2013 International meeting on the Carboniferous and Permian Transition in Albuquerque, New Mexico, the chairs of the Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy (Barry Richards) and the Subcommission on Permian Stratigraphy (Shuzhong Shen) agreed to organize a joined international working group. Together with the Sino-German Cooperation Project the Freiberg Field Meeting likes to give a platform for this working group and for all related workers from various regions and continental basins to put in their detailed local and regional knowledge. Let us use the meeting to discuss models and to develop new ideas for the solution of global problems. We wish interesting sessions, a successful excursion and a very pleasant stay at the world’s oldest montanous university Bergakademie. Jörg W. Schneider & Olaf Elicki


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Content Arefiev, M.P. & Silantiev, V.V.: Sedimentological and geochemical evidence for cyclicity recorded

in Urzhumian and Severodvinian successions at the key section of Monastyrskii ravine (Kazan Volga, East European Platform)

Bachmann, G.H. & Szurlies, M.: Palaeogeography and facies of the continental: Permian-Triassic Boundary interval, Central Germany

Belahmira, A., Schneider, J.W., Saber, H., Hmich, D., Lagnaoui, A. & Lucas, S.G.: Spiloblattinid insect biostratigraphy of the Late Carboniferous Souss Basin, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

De la Horra, R., Borruel, V., Galán-Abellán, B., Arche, A., López-Gómez, J. & Barrenechea, J.F.: The Permian in the SE Iberian Ranges, Spain

Feng, Z., Schneider, J.W., Labandeira, C.C., Kretzschmar, R. & Röβler, R.: A specialized feeding habit of oribatid mites from the Early Permian Manebach Formation in the Thuringian Forest Basin, Germany

Fischer, J., Schneider, J.W., Johnson, G.D., Voigt, S., Joachimski, M.M., Tichomirowa, M. & Götze, J.: Oxygen and strontium isotope analyses on shark teeth from Early Permian (Sakmarian–Kungurian) bone beds of the southern USA

Forte G., Wappler, T, Bernardi, M., Kustatscher, E.: First evidence of plant-animal interactions from the Permian of the Southern Alps (Tregiovo, Italy)

Gaggero, L., Gretter, N., Lago, M., Langone, A. & Ronchi, A.: U-Pb radiometric dating and geochemistry on Late Carboniferous - Early Permian volcanism in Sardinia (Italy): a key for the geodynamic evolution of south-western Variscides

Gebhardt, U. & Hiete, M.: Orbital forcing in continental Upper Carboniferous red beds of the intermontane Saale Basin, Germany

Golubev, V.K., Silantiev, V.V., Kotlyar, G.V., Minikh, A.V., Molostovskaya, I.I. & Balabanov, Y.P.: The Permian succession of the East European Platform as a global standard for the continental Middle–Upper Permian

Götz, A.E.: Sub-Saharan nonmarine-marine cross-basin correlations based on climate signatures recorded in Permian palynomorph assemblages

Iannuzzi, R., Weinschütz, L.C., Rodrigues, K.A., Lemos, V.B., Ricetti, J.H.Z. & Wilner, E.: The Campáleo Lontras Shale outcrop: a potential stratotype for the Carboniferous-Permian transition in the Paraná Basin

Kiersnowski, H.: Early Permian sedimentary basins of Polish Variscan Externides Knight, J.A. & Wagner, R.H.: Proposal for the recognition of a Saberian Substage in the mid-

Stephanian (West European chronostratigraphic scheme) Kustatscher, E., Bauer, K., Bernardi, M., Petti, F.M., Franz, M., Wappler, T. & Van Konijnenburg-

van Cittert, J.H.A.: Reconstruction of a terrestrial environment from the Lopingian (Late Permian) of the Dolomites (Bletterbach, Northern Italy)

Lambert, L.L., Raymond, A. & Eble, C.: Environment, Climate, and Time in the Upper Carboniferous: A Mid-Moscovian Paleotropical Case Study to Link the Marine and Terrestrial Records

Lützner, H., Kowalczyk, G. & Haneke, J.: Continental Lower Permian basins in Germany: Correlation and development

Marchetti, L. & Voigt, S.: Taxonomy and biostratigraphic significance of Early Permian captorhinomorph footprints

Martínek, K., Šimůnek, Z., Drábková, J., Zajíc, J., Stárková, M., Opluštil, S., Rosenau, N. & Lojka, R.: Climatic changes in Stephanian C (uppermost Pennsylvanian): sedimentary facies, paleosols, environments and biota of the Ploužnice lacustrine system, Krkonoše Piedmont Basin, Czech Republic.

Menning, M.: The Middle Permian Illawarra Reversal used for global correlation Molostovskaya, I.I. & Golubev, V.K.: Methodic approach and ways of correlating remote non-

marine Permian formations by ostracods Mouraviev, F.A., Aref'ev, M.P., Silantiev, V.V., Khasanova, N.M., Nizamutdinov, N.M. &

Trifonov, A.A.: Carbonate nodules from paleosols in the Middle to Upper Permian reference section of Kazan Volga region, Russia: preliminary investigations

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Mujal, E., Fortuny, J., Oms, O., Bolet, A., Galobart, À. & Anadón, P.: Dating of Permian Pyrenean terrestrial record (NE Iberian Peninsula). Interbasinal tetrapod ichnology correlation.

Mujal, E., Oms, O., Fortuny, J., Bolet, A., Marmi, J. & Galobart, À.: The long terrestrial succession from the Late Carboniferous to Triassic of the Pyrenean basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)

Nafi, M., El Amein, A., Salih, K., El Dawi, M. & Brügge, N.: ignificance of newly discovered Late Carboniferous and Permo-Triassic Strata, North and Northwestern Sudan Opluštil, S. & Schmitz, M.: New high-precision U-Pb CA-TIMS zircon ages from the Late

Paleozoic continental basins of the Czech Republic Qi, Y., Nemyrovska, T., Wang, X.-D., Wang, Q. & Hu, K.: The conodonts of the genus Lochriea

around the Visean/Serpukhovian boundary (Mississippian) at the Naqing section, South China

Barry C. Richards: Nonmarine-marine correlations and the international Carboniferous time scale Ronchi, A., Gretter, N., López-Gómez, J., Arche, A., De la Horra, R., Barrenechea, J. & Lago, M.:

Facies analysis and evolution of the Permian and Triassic volcano-sedimentary succession in the Eastern Pyrenees (Spain) and its regional correlation in the western Peri-Tethys

Schneider, J.W., Lucas, S.G., Barrick, J., Werneburg, R., Shcherbakov, D.E., Silantev, VV., Shen, S., Saber, H., Belahmira, A., Scholze, F. & Rößler, R.: Carboniferous-Permian Nonmarine-Marine Correlation Working Group – new results and future tasks

Scholze, F., Schneider, J.W., Wang, X. & Joachimski, M.: Nonmarine–marine correlation of the Permian-Triassic boundary: First results from a new multistratigraphic research project

Shen, S.: The Permian Timescale: Progress, Perspective and Plans Silantiev, V.V.: Permian non-marine bivalve genus Palaeomutela Amalitzky, 1891 and its

evolutionary lineages based on the hinge structure Spindler, F.: Carboniferous origins of therapsids? – a case study on phylogeny conflicting

stratigraphy Srivastava, A.K.: Problems and prospects of correlating stratigraphic units of Permian (Lower)

Gondwana Stanislav Štamberg: Fossiliferous Early Permian horizons of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin and the

Boskovice Graben (Bohemian Massif) in view of the occurrence of actinopterygians Guzel Sungatullina: Conodonts at the Moscovian/Kasimovian boundary from the Usolka section

(South Ural, Russia) Tichomirowa, M.: The high-precision U-Pb zircon dating method: first results from the Freiberg

laboratory Urazaeva, M.N. & Silantiev, V.V.: Early Permian non-marine bivalves of Southern Primorye: usage

of the shell’s external features in taxonomy on generic level Voigt, S. & Haubold, H.: Permian tetrapod footprints from the Spanish Pyrenees Voigt, S. & Marchetti, L.: Pennsylvanian-Permian captorhinomorph footprints: A tool for global

biostratigraphic correlation? Wagner R.H. & Knight, J.A.: The “global” scheme of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units vs

West European and North American regional units Wang, J.: Floral changeover through Late Paleozoic Ice-age in North China Block: a case study in

the Weibei Coalfield Wang, W., Liu, X., Shen, S., Gorgij, M.N., Ye, F.-C., Zhang, Y., Furuyama, S., Kano, A. & Chen,

X.: Late Guadalupian to Lopingian (Permian) carbon and strontium isotopic chemostratigraphy in the Abadeh section, central Iran

Wei Wang, Wenqian Wang, Cao, C., Shen, S., Wang, X., Wang, J. & Wang, Y.: Atmosphere carbon dioxide concentration and its isotopic record, a possible stratigraphic correlation bridge between marine and nonmarine carbonate rocks

Wang, X.-D., QI, Y., Lambert, L.L., Nemyrovska, T., Hu, K. & Wang, Q.: Late Bashkirian and early Moscovian Conodonts from Thenaqing Section, Giuzhou, South China

Yang, J.-Y., Feng, Z., Wei, H.-B., Chen, Y.-X. & Liu, L.-J.: The bark anatomy of a unique late Permian conifer from northern China

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Sedimentological and geochemical evidence for cyclicity recorded in Urzhumian and Severodvinian successions at the key section

of Monastyrskii ravine (Kazan Volga, East European Platform)

Arefiev, M.P.1 & Silantiev, V.V.2

1Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia 2Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia Monastyrskii ravine is considered as a key section of Biarmian and Tatarian Series of the East European Platform. The section includes deposits of Urzhumian, Severodvinian and Vyatkian Stages of General Stratigraphic Scale of Russia. In the lower part of the section, the clayey breccias consisting of the angular silty-clayey debris lying in the clayey matrix, have been described. Lithoclasts of a gravelly dimension are dispersed in a matrix and can be found together with clay coatings and rare roots in situ. Coatings have contrasting dark red or brown color and divide layer into many angular fragments, forming a reticular structure of the rock. Along the strike of the layers, rocks form a regular succession: (1) breccias, (2) silty-clay rocks with broken and subhorizontal sloping lamination, (3) silty-clay rocks with irregular undulating lamination and (4) silty-clay rocks with subhorizontal fine lamination. Such sequence indicates the subaerial transformation of the sediments without deep soil formation. The conditions may be interpreted as subaerial environments of plains resembled modern seaside or inland Sabha. In the upper part of the section, the paleosols similar to cambisols of Viatkian Stage of the north of the East-European platform are widespread. They were diagnosed by the presence of various plant roots in situ, gleyed spots, calcareous nodules and slickensides. Erosional surfaces are confined to the upper boundaries of breccias and paleosols and considered as the main criterion in the allocation of sedimentary cycles. In total, the 21 full cycles and two incomplete cycles were installed. The cyclicity of a higher order is reflected in the oxygen isotopic composition of the sedimentary carbonates. The values of δ18O vary from 22.3 to 35.5 ‰ SMOW. The minimum of δ18O values corresponds to the boundaries of cycles established by sedimentological data. Five full and two half-cycle of sedimentation can be distinguished on the basis of changes in the oxygen isotopic composition. Variations of δ18O values apparently reflect the evolution of the local "lacustrine" basins. Intervals with the lightest oxygen structure may correspond to the spread of freshwater environments and to the active flow of meteoric water from the land. Intervals with heaviest oxygen structure may correspond to the episodes of marine ingression. These events could be reflected in the flow of heavier water from the closed or semi-enclosed lagoon environments. The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 13-05-00642. (next page:) Fig. 1: The cyclicity of Biarmian and Tatarian Series in the section of Monastyrskii ravine and isotopic composition of carbon and oxygen within pedogenic and sedimentary carbonates. 1 – gritstone, 2 – sandstone, 3 – siltstone and mudstone, 4 –clay, 5 – marl, 6 – limestone, 7 – dolomite, 8 – mud cracks, 9 – diagonal cross-bedding, 10 – redstones, 11 – speckled rocks, 12 – light gray rocks and rocks with gleyed spots, 13 – brown and greenish-gray sandy rocks, 14 – rocks enriched by organic carbon, 15 – clay coating, 16 – clayey breccias, 17 – plant roots in situ in cambisols, 18 – gleyed spots, 19 – soil nodules, 20 – large plant roots in situ in limestone, 21 – thrombolytic, 22 – shoots of plants, 23 – plant detritus, 24 – ostracods, 25 – conchostracans, 26 – bivalves, 27 – fish, 28 – tetrapods.


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Palaeogeography and facies of the continental Permian-Triassic Boundary interval, Central Germany

Bachmann, G.H.1 & Szurlies, M.2

1Institut für Geowissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3, D-06099 Halle/Saale, Germany 2Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Stilleweg 2, D-30655 Hannover The Permian-Triassic Boundary (PTB) interval in the intracontinental Central European Basin (CEB) is developed in continental redbed facies. Lithostratigraphically, this interval spans the approx. 30 m thick uppermost Zechstein Group (Fulda Formation) deposited in an evaporitic sabkha system and the overlying 150–200 m thick lowermost Buntsandstein Group (Calvörde Formation) sedimented in a playa system without any evaporites. Both formations interfinger with distal fluvial systems in which the fluvial influx increases substantially in the Calvörde Formation. This paper concentrates on the excellent PTB outcrops at Caaschwitz, Nelben and Thale situated in an intermediate marginal facies in the southeastern part of the CEB. The Fulda and Calvörde formations consist of several 1020 m-thick fining-upward cycles, with sandstone beds at the bases and siltstones and shales in the upper parts. In the Calvörde Formation the basal sandstones become less abundant basinwards and gradually give way to oolite beds, so-called “Rogensteine“ (roestones). Kalkowsky (1908) named the individual oolite grains “ooids” and coined the term ”stromatolite” for the more than 1-m-high domal and laminated structures that occur on top of some oolite beds. The stromatolites are considered to represent “disaster biota” in an environment that was stressed in the aftermath of the late Permian extinction when cyanobacteria flourished. The cycles are thought to represent ~100 kyr Milankovitch eccentricity cycles, indicating relatively high sedimentation rates of approx. 15 m/100 kyr, i.e., about 100 times more than in the marine GSSP at Meishan (compaction not considered). Biostratigraphically, the redbed sections can be correlated with the marine scale by conchostracans, which are the best guide fossils in such continental beds. The latest Permian (upper Changhsingian) is characterised by Falsisca postera Kozur & Seidel, which defines the uppermost Permian conchostracan zone. The lowermost Triassic index species F. verchojanica is extremely rare in the CEB. Thus, the last occurrence (LOD) of F. postera has to be used for the biostratigraphic definition of the PTB, which is in the so-called “Graubankbereich“ (= grey bed interval) of the lower Calvörde Formation at the base of so-called Oolite Alpha 2. The late Permian “event horizon“ and the main extinction correlate with the first occurrence (FOD) of the conchostracan F. postera at the Zechstein/Buntsandstein boundary. Sedimentary cycles were used as a robust high-resolution lithostratigraphic framework for establishing a detailed magnetostratigraphy. The most distinctive magnetostratigraphic feature across the PTB is a transition from a thin reverse to a thick dominantly normal magnetic polarity interval (i.e., from CG2r to CG3n), which has been found in virtually all continental and marine sections across the PTB. This reversal predates both the “event horizon” and the biostratigraphic PTB. The biostratigraphically defined PTB at Oolite Alpha 2 falls within the lower third of normal polarity zone CG3n, which is correlated with normal magnetic polarity intervals at Meishan and elsewhere. The curve of δ13C isotopes shows similar characteristic trends, i.e., minima and maxima, as the well dated marine successions including Meishan, although the Buntsandstein isotope values are generally about 1.5 to 3 ‰ lower. Thus, the δ13C values strongly support the PTB at the base of Oolite Alpha 2. Magnetic microsphaerules (MS), 550 μm in diameter, known from several marine PTB intervals, have been found in the Fulda Formation and the lowermost Calvörde Formation. Most MS are spherical, some are drop-shaped and consist of Fe oxide or Fe-rich silicates, whereas few consist of spinel. Some MS are relatively rich in Ni, Cr and Ti, showing wrinkle structures, characteristic of


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molten material that cooled rapidly. Other MS, however, seem to be mineralised prasinophyte algae, typical disaster biota. The some 300 kyr long time interval with increased MS occurrence around the PTB indicates a long-term influx of volcanic dust most probably derived from the Sibirian Trap volcanism and, possibly, some cosmic material. We dedicate this paper to Dr. Heinz W. Kozur, Budapest (1942–2014). Bachmann, G.H. & Kozur, H.W. (2004): The Germanic Triassic: Correlation with the international chronostratigraphic scale, numerical ages, Milankovitch cyclicity. – Hallesches Jahrbuch für Geowissenschaften B 26: 17-62. Korte, C. & Kozur, H.W. (2010): Carbon-isotope stratigraphy across the Permian–Triassic boundary: A review. – Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 39: 215-235. Szurlies, M. (2001): Zyklische Stratigraphie und Magnetostratigraphie des Unteren Buntsandsteins in Mitteldeutschland. 116 pp., Dr.-Thesis Universität Halle. http://webdoc.urz.uni-halle.de/dl/470/pub/ Szurlies.pdf Szurlies, M., Geluk, M.C., Krijgsman, W. & Kürschner, W.M. (2012): The continental Permian Triassic boundary in the Netherlands: Implications for the geomagnetic polarity time scale. – Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 317-318: 165-176.

(next page:) Fig. 1: Nelben section near Halle/Sachsen Anhalt with Zechstein-Buntsandstein boundary and continental PTB (after Szurlies 2001, modified).


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Spiloblattinid insect biostratigraphy of the Late Carboniferous Souss Basin, High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

Belahmira, A.1, Schneider, J.W.2,3, Saber, H.1, Hmich, D.1, Lagnaoui, A.1 & Lucas, S.G.4

1Dept. of Earth Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco 2Dept. of Palaeontology,Geological Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany

3Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., Kazan 420008, Russian Federation 4New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA The Late Pennsylvanian Souss Basin is situated at the Southern flank of the Mauretanid part of the Variscan (Hercynian) orogene. Geotectonical it is a sub-mountainous true continental basin. It consists of the tectonically separated two sub-basins of Ida Ou Zal and Ida Ou Ziki which formed primarily a single basin, ultimately separated into the two sub-basins after Early Stephanian and before the Late Permian at the very end of the Mauretanid phase of Variscan orogeny in Morocco (Saber et al., 2007). The Late Pennsylvanian of maximal 2600 m thickness rest directly on the Variscan deformed and metamorphosed basement (Saber et al., 2001). The sedimentation in both basins starts with basal coarsening upward sequence of conglomerates and sandstones of about 400-600 m thickness. In the Ida Ou Zal sub-basin, these basal conglomerates are called Ikhourba Fm., in the Ida Ou Ziki, the Tajgaline Fm. These Formations are followed by up to 1200 m of grey sediments deposited in a braid plain environment with cyclical changes between fluvial channel sandstones, lacustrine black shale and in places up to decimetre thick coal seams of El Menizla Fm. in the Ida Ou Zal sub-basin and the Oued Issene Fm. in the Ida Ou Ziki sub-basin. These sequences are unconformably overlain by Late Triassic sediments of the Timesgadiouine Fm. (T5) in the Ida Ou Zal sub-basin; in the Ida Ou Ziki sub-basin by Permian red beds of the Ikakern Fm. and above them again Late Triassic deposits. The fossil beds consist of lacustrine fine bedded to laminated black siltstones and claystones of a braid plain environment. The macrofloras of the basin are dominated by the conifers Otovicia hypnoides, Ernestiodendron filiciforme, Dicranophyllum and Cordaites sp., and the callipterids Autunia cf. conferta and Dichophyllum moorei (Hmich et al., 2006; H. Kerp personal communication). This floral association is of typical “Autunian aspect” in the sense of Broutin et al. (1989). Besides them, some characteristic Stephanian elements occur, as Lepidostrobophyllum and Odontopteris subcrenulata, additionally stigmarian roots of lepidophytes as well as calamite trunks have been found (Hmich et al., 2006; H. Kerp personal communication). This mix of floral elements has led to some uncertainties in the determination of the age of the fossiliferous levels of the Souss basin. The discovery of the first fossil insects in the Souss basin led Hmich et al. (2003) to propose a middle Stephanian age based on the common occurrence of Opsiomylacris thevenini in the Oued Issène and the El Menizla Fms. The type horizon of O. thevenini is the lacustrine black shale of the Grande Couche in the Commentry Basin of the French Massif Central. Based on the macroflora and spiloblattinid zonation of Schneider (1982), this level belongs tentatively to the Sysciophlebia praepilata insect zone of Stephanian B/C age. Meanwhile, the determination of the spiloblattinid zone species Spiloblattina pygmaea at several insect sites of the Souss-Basin enables the exact biostratigraphical correlation with the early Stephanian B of Europe (Hmich et al. 2005). The type horizon of Sp. pygmaea is the lowermost part of the Heusweiler Fm. of the Saar–Nahe Basin, Germany, which is determined as Stephanian B based on plant remains. This is well supported by new finds of Sysciophlebia cf. grata. The type horizon of S. grata is the Hredle Member of the Slaný Fm. of the Kladno Basin in Bohemia, Czech Republic, which is dated by macro- and microfloras as Stephanian B (Pešek 2004, Schneider & Werneburg 2006, 2012). Isotopic ages of the profiles of the Thuringian Forest Basin and the Saar–Nahe Basin (Lützner et al., 2003) has been used so far as tie points for the correlation with the marine global standard scale. Meanwhile mixed marine-continental profiles of New Mexico, USA, with co-occurrences of insect zone species and conodonts as well as fusulinids enable an increasingly better direct correlation to


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the global time scale (Lucas et al., 2011, 2013; Schneider et al., 2013). Newly calculated isotopic ages of volcanic intrusions into the Late Stephanian strata of the Saale basin in Germany (Breitkreuz et al., 2009; Schneider et al., 2013) support this direct marine – non-marine correlations much better as those ages used in Lützner et al. (2003). Resulting from that the age of the El Menizla and Oued Issene Fms. could be determined as Early to Middle Kasimovian (Late Pennsylvanian) by about 306.5 to 305 Ma. Breitkreuz, C., Ehling, B.-C. & Sergeev, S. (2009): Chronological evolution of an intrusive/ Extrusive system : the Late Paleozoic Halle Volcanic Complex in the northeastern Saale Basin (Germany). – Zeitschrift der deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften 160: 173-190. Broutin, J., Ferrandini, J. & Saber, H. (1989): Implications stratigraphiques et paléogéo-graphiques de la découverte d’une flore permienne euraméricaine dans le Haut-Atlas occidental (Maroc). – Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Serie II, 308: 1509-1515. Hmich, D., Schneider, J.W., Saber, H. & El Wartiti, M. (2003): First Permocarboniferous insects (blattids) from North Africa (Morocco) – implications on palaeobiogeography and palaeoclimatology. – Freiberger Forschungshefte C 499: Paläontologie, Stratigraphie, Fazies 11: 117-134. Hmich, D., Schneider, J.W., Saber, H. & El Wartiti, M. (2005): Spiloblattinidae (Insecta, Blattida) from the Carboniferous of Morocco, North Africa - implications for biostratigraphy. – In: Lucas, S.G. & Zeigler, K.E. (eds.), The Nonmarine Permian. – Bull. New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science 30: 111-114. Hmich, D., Schneider, J.W., Saber, H., Voigt S. & El Wartiti, M. (2006): New continental Carboniferous and Permian faunas of Morocco – implications for biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography and palaeoclimate. – In: Lucas S.G., Cassinis G. & Schneider J.W. (eds.), Non-marine Permian biostratigraphy and biochronology. – Geological Society of London Special Publications 265: 297-324. Lucas, S.G., Allen, B.D., Krainer, K., Barrick, J., Vachard, D., Schneider, J.W., William, A., DiMichele, W.A. & Bashforth, A.R. (2011): Precise age and biostratigraphic significance of the Kinney Brick Quarry Lagerstätte, Pennsylvanian of New Mexico, USA. – Stratigraphy 8: 7-27. Lucas, S.G. (2013): Vertebrate biostratigraphy and biochronology of the upper Paleozoic Dunkard Group, Pennsylvania – West Virginia – Ohio, USA. – International Journal of Coal Geology 119: 79-87. Lucas, S.G., Barrick, J., Krainer, K. & Schneider, J.W. (2013): The Carboniferous–Permian boundary at Carrizo Arroyo, Central New Mexico, USA. – Stratigraphy 10(3): 153-170. Lützner, H., Mädler, J., Romer, R.L. & Schneider, J.W. (2003): Improved stratigraphic and radiometric age data for the continental Permocarboniferous reference-section Thüringer-Wald, Germany. – XVth International Congress on Carboniferous and Permian Stratigraphy, Utrecht: 338-341. Pešek, J. (2004): Late Paleozoic limnic basins and coal deposits of the Czech Republic. – Folia Musei Rerum Naturalium Bohemiae Occientalis 1: 188. Saber, H., El Wartiti, M, & Broutin, J. (2001): Dynamique sédimentaire comparative dans les bassins Stéphano- Permiens des Ida Ou Zal et Ida Ou Ziki, Haut Atlas Occidental, Maroc. – Journal of African Earth Sciences 32: 573-594. Saber, H., El Wartiti, M, Hmich, D. & Schneider, J.W. (2007): Tectonic evolution from the Hercynian shortening to the Triassic extension in the Paleozoic sediments of the Western High Atlas (Morocco). – Journal of Iberian Geology 33(1): 31-40. Schneider, J.W. (1982): Entwurf einer Zonengliederung für das euramerische Permokarbon mittels der Spiloblattinidae (Blattodea, Insecta). – Freiberger Forschungshefte C375: 27-47. Schneider, J.W. & Werneburg, R. (2006): Insect biostratigraphy of the European Late Carboniferous and Early Permian. – In: Lucas, S. G., Cassinis, G. & Schneider, J.W. (eds.): Non-marine Permian Biostratigraphy and Biochronology. – Geological Society, London, Special Publications 265: 325-336. Schneider, J.W. & Werneburg, R. (2012): Biostratigraphie des Rotliegend mit Insekten und Amphibien. – In : Lützner, H., Kowalczyk, G. (eds.): Deutsche Stratigraphische Kommission. Stratigraphie von Deutschland X. Rotliegend. Teil I: Innervariscische Becken. – Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften 61: 110-142. Schneider, J.W., Lucas, S.G., & James E. Barrick. (2013): The Early Permian age of the Dunkard Group, Appalachian basin, U.S.A., based on spiloblattinid insect biostratigraphy. – International Journal of Coal Geology 119: 88-92.


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The Permian in the SE Iberian Ranges, Spain

De la Horra, R.1, Borruel, V.2, Galán-Abellán, B.2, Arche, A.2, López-Gómez, J.2 & Barrenechea, J.F.2,3

1Departamento de Estratigrafía, Fac. Geología, Univ. Complutense de Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain 2Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC,UCM), C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain. 3Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Fac. Geología, Univ. Complutense de Madrid During the Permian–Early Triassic, in the former Iberian Basin small (< 10 km long) and isolated continental pull-apart half-grabens were developed. The infilling of these basins is very varied: purely sedimentary (Boniches, Minas de Henarejos), mixed volcanic-volcanoclastic-sedimentary (Rillo de Gallo), and purely volcanic (Orea, Bronchales). These materials have been historically assigned to different tectonic cycles. However, the sedimentary record along the Iberian Basin reveals important changes of facies, thickness, and fossil content, making its correlation a difficult task. Probably, the best general correlation has been proposed by Arche et al. (2004). In this study we present a revision of the stratigraphy of the Permian units in a well-studied area of the SE Iberian Ranges. These units are represented by two major sedimentary cycles, separated by angular unconformities and/or hiatuses, and do not present volcanic rocks or volcanoclastic units intercalated as in other northwestern areas (Hernando et al., 1980; Lago et al., 2005). It is important to point out that this sedimentary record is characterized by deposits representing short periods of time separated by imprecise and long periods of no sedimentation and/or erosion. The first sedimentary cycle is represented in the mining area of Minas de Henarejos. It is constituted by a 100 m thick lacustrine succession of fining-upwards grey sandstone-siltstone sequences at the base, and an alternation of breccias, sandstones, black slates, and coal beds in the rest of the section. These deposits are unconformably located on top of the Silurian basement and were previously considered Late Carboniferous in age although now are dated as Early Permian, based on the reassessment of its traditionally called Autunian flora (Arche et al., 2007). The Tabarreña Fm. is composed of matrix-supported red breccias. It has been assigned to the Early Permian by López-Gómez and Arche (1994). The dating of the first sedimentary succession depends on the presence of micro and macroflora, which pose great difficulties for precise dating. On the other hand, there are a few absolute age datings on volcanic rocks of nearby areas of the Iberian Ranges, ranging from 293±2 m.y. to 283±2 m.y. that is Late Sakmarian- Early Artinskian (Lago et al., 2005). The second sedimentary succession starts with the conglomerates of the Boniches Fm. This unit has been associated with alluvial fans with a constant supply of running water and it lies unconformably on the Variscan basement or, locally, on the Tabarreña Fm. The Alcotas Fm. shows a transitional base on the Boniches Fm. or lie unconformably on the hercynian basement. The Alcotas Fm. consists of red siltstones and sandstones with minor presence of conglomerate lenses. This unit has been subdivided in three parts with different climatic conditions and sedimentological features. In the Upper part, a biotic crisis has been described on the basis of the absence of macro- and microflora, coal levels, paleosols, and change of fluvial style from meandering to braided systems. Probably, this biotic crisis is related with the mid-Capitanian mass extinction (De la Horra et al., 2012). The age of this succession has been established by the presence of the traditionally called Thüringian pollen and spore associations (Doubinger et al., 1990). Arche and López-Gómez (2005) suggested for the Alcotas Fm. an early Lopingian (Wuchiapingian) age based on comparison with the Russian platform assemblages studied by Gorsky et al. (2003). On the other hand, a preliminary paleomagnetic study of the Alcotas Formation (De la Horra, 2008) confirmed that the deposition of this unit was characterized by normal and reverse intervals of polarity as its lateral equivalent in northwestern sections. Therefore, the Alcotas Fm. is younger than the Illawarra Reversal that has


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been lately located very close to the Woardian–Capitanian boundary (ca 265.8±0.7 Ma; Isozaki, 2009). An unconformity separates the Alcotas Fm. from the Triassic rocks, so the Permian–Triassic boundary is not preserved in the study area. As in all western and central basins of Europe, this unconformity is represented by a hiatus that corresponds to the upper Lopingian, but which probably lasted until Olenekian time. Arche, A. & López-Gómez, J. (2005): Sudden changes in fluvial style across the Permian-Triassic boundary in the

eastern Iberian Ranges, Spain: Analysis of possible causes. – Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 229 (1–2), 104-106.

Arche, A., López-Gómez, J. & Broutin, J. (2007): The Minas de Henarejos basin (Iberian Ranges, Central Spain): precursor of the Mesozoic rifting or a relict of the Late Variscan orogeny? New sedimentological, structural and biostratigraphic data. – Journal of Iberian Geology 33 (2) 2007: 237-248.

Arche, A., López-Gómez, J., Marzo, M. & Vargas, H. (2004): The siliciclastic Permian-Triassic deposits in Central and Northeastern Iberian Peninsula (Iberian, Ebro and Catalan Basins): A proposal for correlation. – Geologica Acta 2, 305-320.

De la Horra, R. (2008): Variaciones mineralógicas, geoquímicas y bióticas del Pérmico Superior en el sudeste de la Cordillera Ibérica: Implicaciones paleogeográficas y paleocliáticas. – Ph.D thesis. 403 pp., Univ. Complutense de Madrid.

De la Horra, R., Galán-Abellán, B., López-Gómez, J., Sheldon, N., Barrenechea, J.F., Luque, J., Arche, A. & Benito, M. (2012): Palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental changes during the continental Middle-Late Permian transition at the SE Iberian Ranges, Spain. – Global and Planetary Change (94-95), 46-61.

Gorsky, V., Gusseva, E., Crasquin-Soleau, S. & Broutin, J. (2003): Stratigraphic data of the Middle-Late Permian on Russian platform. – Geobios 36, 533-558.

Hernando, S., Schott, J.J., Thuizart, R. & Montigny, R. (1980): Ages andésites et des sédiments interstratifiés de la region d´Atienza (Espagne): Étude stratigraphique, geochronologique et paleomagnetique. – Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 32, 119-128.

Isozaki, Y. (2009). Integrated "plume winter" scenario for the double-phased extinction during the Paleozoic-Mesozoic transition: the G-LB and P-TB events from a Panthalassan perspective. – Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 36, 459-480.

Lago, M., Gil, A., Arranz, E., Galé, C. & Pocoví, A. (2005): Magmatism in the intracratonic Central Iberian basin during the Permian: Palaeoenvironmental consequences. – Paleogeography, Paleoclimatology, Paleoecology 229, 83-103.

López-Gómez, J. & Arche, A. (1994): La Formación Brechas de Tabarreña (Pérmico Inferior): Depósitos de flujos con densidad variable en el SE de la Cordillera Ibérica, España. – Boletín de la Real Sociedad Española de Historia Natural (Sec. Geol.) 89: 131-144.


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A specialized feeding habit of oribatid mites from the Early Permian Manebach Formation in the Thuringian Forest Basin, Germany

Feng, Z.1,2,3, Schneider, J.W.4,5, Labandeira, C.C.6,7,8, Kretzschmar, R.3 & Röβler, R.3

1Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China 2State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China

3DAStietz, Museum für Naturkunde, Moritzstraße 20, D–09111 Chemnitz, Germany 4TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B.v. Cottastraße 2, D–09596 Freiberg, Germany 5Kazan Federal University, 18, Kremlevskaya st., Kazan 420008, Russian Federation 6Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA 7Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA 8College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China Oribatid mites (Acari: Oribatida) are very diverse and important detritivorous and fungivorous micro-arthropods in modern forest ecosystems. They play a crucial role during the carbon cycling by the decomposition of plant tissues or litters. Although body fossil records indicate that the evolutionary history of oribatid mites can be traced back to early Devonian (410 Ma), the palaeoecology, especially feeding habit of oribatid mites during the deep geological past remains poorly understood. Remarkably good preservation of tunnel works contained ovoidal coprolites in a permineralized conifer wood (Dadoxylon/Araucarioxylon) specimen is described from the upper Permian Manebach Formation of Crock, in the Thuringian Forest Basin, Germany. The fossil evidence revealed four aspects of oribatid mite feeding habits. 1), preferred consumption of more indurated tissues of growth-ring cycles; 2), targeted tracheids for consumption; 3), fed on tissues that allowed fecal pellet accumulations at the bottoms of tunnels; and 4), did not feed on ambient decomposing fungi such as rots, but rather processed tissues from self-contained gut microorganisms. These specific feeding habits allowed oribatid mites a prominent role in the decomposition of digestively refractory plant tissues in Permian ecosystems.


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Oxygen and strontium isotope analyses on shark teeth from Early Permian (Sakmarian–Kungurian) bone beds of the southern USA

Fischer, J.1, Schneider, J.W.2, Johnson, G.D.3, Voigt, S.4,

Joachimski, M.M.5, Tichomirowa, M.6 & Götze, J.6

1Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP, Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, 66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany 2TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Geologisches Institut, Bereich Paläontologie, Bernhard-von-Cotta Straße 2, 09599 Freiberg, Germany 3Southern Methodist University, Shuler Museum of Paleontology, Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, PO Box 750274, Dallas, TX 75275-0274, USA 4Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany 5Geozentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 5, 91054 Erlangen, Germany 6TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Mineralogie, Brennhausgasse 14, 09599 Freiberg, Germany Permian sedimentary rocks exposed in the southwestern USA record a highly diverse shark fauna from marine and continental environments. Especially mixed marine and “typically freshwater-considered” shark faunas in Early Permian (Sakmarian–Kungurian) continental bone beds complicate palaeoecological evaluation of the available taxa. These bone beds were originally formed on a coastal plain along the northeastern margin of the Midland Basin in western equatorial Pangaea that was dominated by meandering rivers and associated floodplain environments with repeatedly intercalated marine limestones. The oxygen and strontium isotope composition of biogenic apatite in fossil shark teeth has demonstrated its worth to widen the knowledge regarding palaeoenvironmental conditions as well as habitat preferences of the investigated fishes. δ18OP values and 87Sr/86Sr ratios were determined on 36 disarticulated teeth from four bone beds of northern Texas (Conner Ranch, Coprolite Site, Spring Creek B) and southern Oklahoma (Waurika), derived from the xenacanthiform sharks Orthacanthus texensis (Cope, 1888) and Barbclabornia luederensis (Berman, 1970) as well as the hybodontid Lissodus zideki (Johnson, 1981), which numerically dominate the fossil assemblages. Tooth preservation was ascertained by cathodoluminescence microscopy. The δ18OP values derived from the teeth are in the range of 17.6–23.5‰ VSMOW, and are mostly depleted in 18O by 0.5–5‰ relative to proposed coeval marine δ18OP values. This indicates an adaptation to freshwater habitats on the coastal plain by these sharks. Distinctly higher δ18OP values from two bone beds (Waurika, Spring Creek B) are attributed to significant evaporative enrichment in 18O in floodplain ponds owing to warm and dry climate conditions and sufficient water residence time in the ponds. 87Sr/86Sr ratios of around 0.7108 are notably more radiogenic than 87Sr/86Sr of contemporaneous seawater (0.7074–0.7079). Differences in δ18OP between co-site hybodontid and xenacanthid teeth indicate a certain degree of niche partitioning of these taxa. Moreover, the δ18OP pattern from the bone beds may trace the overall Permian aridification trend between Sakmarian and Kungurian by progressive 18O-enrichment in shark tooth bioapatite during times within non-marine environments in combination with a shift of the ponds closer to nearshore on the coastal plain. Altogether, the conspicuous mixture of fossil taxa in the bone beds that are typically considered to be freshwater in origin with species that are regarded as marine might represent different scenarios: (1) a euryhaline behaviour of the latter with a ‘temporary’ coexistence in the pond; (2) accumulation of different remains owing to reworking of underlying marine deposits; or (3) post-mortem transport from freshwater deposits into a ‘brackish pond’.


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First evidence of plant-animal interactions from the Permian of the Southern Alps (Tregiovo, Italy)

Forte G.1, Wappler, T2, Bernardi, M.3,4, Kustatscher, E.1,5

1Naturmuseum Südtirol, Bindergasse 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy 2Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany 3MUSE Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123 Trento, Italy 4School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK 5Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, and Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München, Germany Investigations into plant-insect associations from Late Palaeozoic floras from Euramerican, Cathaysian Realms and Gondwana yielded surprisingly good results. On the other hand, floras from Western Europe were so far not studied in detail. The discovery of a rich Kungrian (Cisuralian, early Permian) plant assemblage near Tregiovo in the Southern Alps (N-Italy), enabled not only a detailed study of the diversity of this flora but also to investigate the plant-animal interactions. The intravolcanic sedimentary succession deposited in a floodplain to lacustrine environment is well known for its tetrapod footprints (see Marchetti et al., submitted). The newly collected plant fossils picture well diversified flora with shoots, leaves and reproductive organs belonging to the lycophytes, sphenophytes, ferns, seed ferns (e.g., Sphenopteris), ginkgophytes (e.g., Esterella), taenopterids, cordaitales and conifers (e.g., Walchia, Feysia, Pseudovoltzia, Quadrocladus) as well a not better defined Morphotype 1. Only 3.5% of the plant remains showed damages (in other coeval floras the damage is 15-31%), 11% of which were damaged in more than one fashion. We have identified: (1) extensive margin-feeding; (2) circular hole-feeding; (3) small, hemispherical galls characterized entirely by featureless, dark, thickened carbonized material and avoidance of primaries and secondary veins; (4) concave or convex styletal puncture characterized by an infilling of dark, carbonized material and a central depression; and (5) lenticular to ovoidal oviposition scars. Importantly, while fern and seed ferns are only the second most frequent plant group, they harbour 44.4% (8/18) of the herbivory; the Morphotype 1 seems to be the preferred target, with a frequency of 26.3% of attack of foliar elements from insect herbivores. By comparison, the frequency of foliar attack is relatively low for the conifers, at 2.3%. Ichnoassociations, collected from the same beds as the plant material, is dominated by arthropod traces including millipedes, insect larvae and arachnids (e.g., Octopodichnus; Marchetti et al., submitted). This study is part of the project “The Permian-Triassic ecological crisis in the Dolomites: extinction and recovery dynamics in Terrestrial Ecosystems” financed by the Promotion of Educational Policies, University and Research Department of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano – South Tyrol. Marchetti et al. (submitted): Palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of a late Cisuralian (early Permian) continental environment: palaeontology and sedimentology from Tregiovo (Trentino Alto-Adige, Italy).


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U-Pb radiometric dating and geochemistry on Late Carboniferous - Early Permian volcanism in Sardinia (Italy): a key for the geodynamic evolution of south-western Variscides

Gaggero, L.1, Gretter, N.2, Lago, M.3, Langone, A.4 & Ronchi, A.2

1Department for the Study of the Territory and Its Resources, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa, Italy 2Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy 3Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, c/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50.009 Zaragoza, Spain 4Institute of Geosciences and Earth Resources IGG – CNR Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy The late Variscan post orogenic evolution affecting the southern European domain (e.g. Cassinis et al. 2012) was characterized by the progressive collapse of the chain and a contextual transpressive/transtensional tectonic. The interplay of strike-slip tectonics, volcanism and lacustrine sedimentation has been established to be associated with the unroofing and collapse of the southern Variscides. Latest Carboniferous to Permian magmatism developed in Sardinia both within intracontinental basins and cutting the orogenic nappes and foreland (Cortesogno et al. 1998; Buzzi et al., 2008;). Large amounts of continental rocks were thus deposited in intramontane strike-slip basins with significant volcanism. In Sardinia, these volcano-sedimentary successions consist of external and internal igneous eruptions as well as the detrital products eroded from the surrounding structural highs (Ronchi et al., 2008; Buzzi et al., 2008). Volcanic units are early calc-alkaline andesites and rhyolites, followed by large volume of rhyolites, and by dacites infilling fault-bounded pull-apart basins. Both andesites and rhyolites show K-normal and high-K calc-alkaline character. However, differences in timing of emplacement, areal distribution and outpoured volumes were evidenced. The petrogenesis is related to partial melting processes at the mantle–crust interface, followed by telescoping of melts within the thickened crust and AFC. In Nurra, a mildly alkaline activity occurs at Santa Giusta at 291 Ma (Buzzi et al., 2008); this basement was a structural high bounded by E-W trending faults since the Late Carboniferous-Lower Permian, that also controlled the development of Mid Permian and Lower Triassic successions. The Lower Paleozoic medium- to high-grade metamorphic basement, the Sardinia-Corsica batholith and the Stephanian - Autunian calc- alkaline effusives are cut by transitional dolerite dikes with a N-S trend and subvertical dip. 40Ar-39Ar ages on amphibole at 253.8±4.9 and 248±8 Ma probably represent the emplacement interval. Finally, a Late Triassic lamprophyric dike intruded the high-grade micaschists. We addressed the LA ICP-MS U–Pb radiometric dating of ten selected samples of volcanic rocks, constrained by defined field relationships and characterized by petrography and geochemistry in NW (Nurra basin) and central-SE Sardinia (Perdasdefogu, Escalaplano, and Seui basins) and across the lower Paleozoic basement. Prior to the age determination, the internal structure of the zircons was investigated in cathodoluminescence (CL) images with a Philips XL30 electron microscope, at the Earth Science Dept., Siena University, Italy. The in-situ U–Pb geochronology and trace element abundances were determined with excimer laser ablation (LA) ICP-MS at CNR — Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse (IGG) — Unità di Pavia. The preliminary cathodoluminescence study has been performed on all mounted crystals in order to select the precise location of the shot points and revealed complex inner structures in the investigated crystals. We have focused the analysis on certain igneous textures preserved in the outer domains, in order to obtain the most likely ages of crystallization. Each crystal has been later analyzed for U, Th and Pb in the epoxy mount by laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA ICP-MS). As a preliminary result, the performed data reveal that volcanism occurred over an extended period of ca. ten million years, from ca. 300 Ma (basal ignimbrites) to ca. 292 Ma (top ignimbrites) (Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian). In Nurra, the end of the calc-alkaline magmatism resulted as old as


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297 ± 1 Ma, whereas the Case Satta alkalic ignimbrite was emplaced at 288 ± 1 Ma, slightly following the conspicuous Santa Giusta effusive episode. The inception of the calc-alkaline volcanism at 299 ± 1 Ma constrains the tectonic collapse of the Sardinia branch of the Southern Varisicides and post-date the unroofing and erosion of nappes in the External Zone of the belt. Accordingly, the lower crust results exposed at 297 ± 1 Ma in Nurra. In the external zone the intermediate andesite volcanic rocks emplaced at 294 ± 2, in good agreement with the latest felsic volcanism, as old as 292 ± 2 Ma. In this regards, the overlap between the calc-alkaline events and the volcanic/sub-volcanic alkalic event, is not exclusive to Sardinia and Corsica but also to the Pyrenees. On the whole, i) the new radiometric dating represent a consistent dataset for different, though subsequent, volcanic events, ii) the timing of post-Variscan volcanism reflects the active tectonics between latest Carboniferous and Permian, iii) the radiometric ages match the stratigraphic record highlighted up to now; iv) the Carboniferous - Permian evolution of the Sardinia Variscan branch provides a robust nail to unravel the plate reorganization between Laurussia and Gondwanaland and the change of the geodynamic setting towards the beginning of the Alpine cycle. Cassinis, G., Perotti, C. & Ronchi, A. (2012): Permian continental basins in the Southern Alps (Italy) and peri- mediterranean correlations. – Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 101: 129-15. Buzzi, L., Gaggero, L. & Oggiano, G. (2008): The Santa Giusta ignimbrite (NW Sardinia): a clue for the magmatic, structural and sedimentary evolution of a Variscan segment between Early Permian and Triassic. – Italian Journal of Geoscience 127(3): 683-695. Cortesogno, L., Cassinis, G., Dallagiovanna, G., Gaggero, L., Oggiano, G., Ronchi, A., Seno, S. & Vanossi M. (1998): The Variscan post-collisional volcanism in Late Carboniferous-Permian sequences of Ligurian Alps, Southern Alps and Sardinia (Italy): a synthesis. – Lithos 45: 305-328. Ronchi, A., Sarria, E. & Broutin, J. (2008): The “Autuniano Sardo”: basic features for a correlation through the Western Mediterranean and Paleoeurope. – Boll. Soc. Geol. It. 127,3: 655-681.


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Orbital forcing in continental Upper Carboniferous red beds of the intermontane Saale Basin, Germany

Gebhardt, U.1 & Hiete, M.2

1State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstraße 13, D-76133 Karlsruhe, Germany 2Center for EnvironmentalSystems research (CESR), University of Kassel, D-34109 Kassel, Germany The Saale Basin is a SW–NE elongated continental sedimentation area that was created during Late Carboniferous time as a subcollisional structure of the Variscan Orogeny. It was palaeogeographically located in the central parts of the Variscides, having moved to the north from the equator to ca. 10° during the Stephanian due to the general drifting of the continents. The resulting climate changes led to an overall reddening of the sediments during the Stephanian and later on during Rotliegend times. At the same time, the river character changed from overall permanent and meandering rivers during the Carboniferous to mostly periodic braided river systems during Rotliegend times. These processes were superimposed by glaciations mainly occurring in the Southern Hemisphere. These kinds of glaciations cause strong eustatic sea-level fluctuations, on the one hand, while, on the other, affecting the position of the climate belts causing intercalations of mainly grey sediments near the equator. Based on these premises, Milankovich-cycles should be reflected not only in coastal or marine, but in fluvial sediments as well. Stratigraphical correlation within fluvial continental red beds is hampered by uniformity of sediments and the lack of fossils. Therefore classical lithostratigraphical and biostratigraphical methods often fail. For a drilled section of Upper Carboniferous non-marine sediments of the intermontane Saale Basin, almost 800 m in thickness, wavelet-based time-series analysis is used to identify the internal organization of the cyclicity, and to distinguish cycles of different magnitude and origin as being autocyclically, tectonically or climatically controlled. Based on this distinction, basin-wide correlations of fluvial red beds are possible using a combination of high-resolution stratigraphy, biostratigraphy and classical lithostratigraphy. We identified for the first time that the genetic nature of some cycles in the fluvio-lacustrine Carboniferous of the Saale Basin is climatically driven and used this to solve longstanding stratigraphical problems: The analyses of well Querfurt 1/64 suggest the presence of wavelengths in the rate of 1:4 representing long (400000 a) and short (100000 a) eccentricity cycles (Fig. 1), and an overall duration of 5–7 Ma if the grey facies at the base of the section is to be correlated with the Grillenberg Subformation sediments. This subformation is of Stephanian A or Barruelian age, respectively, such that the well Querfurt 1/64 exposes a nearly complete section of the Mansfeld Subgroup and the complete Stephanian stage (Gebhardt & Hiete 2014). Gebhardt, U. & Hiete, M. (2014): High resolution stratigraphy in continental Upper Carboniferous sediments in the Variscan intermontane Saale Basin, Central Germany. – In: Gasiewicz, A. & Slowakiewicz, M (eds.): Palaeozoic Climate Cycles - Their Evolutionary and Sedimentological Impact. – Special Publications Geological Society London 376: 177-199.


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Fig. 1: (a) Cut-out of the decompacted normalized lithology profile of the Querfurt 1/64 core from 1050–1688 m (b) Scalogram with log2 (power) of lithology profile using the Morlet-6 wavelet. White numbers mark the wavelengths of ridges at these positions. (c) Global wavelet power spectrum with the wavelengths of local power maxima marked. Note 25.6 and 109.6 in the rate of ca. 1:4.


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The Permian succession of the East European Platform as a global standard for the continental Middle–Upper Permian

Golubev, V.K.1,2, Silantiev, V.V.2, Kotlyar, G.V.3, Minikh, A.V.4,

Molostovskaya, I.I.4 & Balabanov, Y.P.2

1Borissiak Paleontological Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia 2Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia 3A.P.Karpinsky All-Russian Geological Research Institute, Saint-Petersburg, Russia 4Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia The East European Platform is a type region for the Permian system. One of the largest Permian sedimentary basins in the world is located here. In this region, the Permo-Triassic strata are represented by a stratigraphically continuous succession of continental deposits from Kungurian of the Lower Permian to Ladinian of the Middle Triassic, an interval of about 40 Ma. The Kungurian–Severodvinian part of this succession includes marine interbeds. The Middle–Upper Permian beds cover a large part of the East European Platform (1.7 x 106 km2) and range from 100 to 400 m in thickness on the Platform, increasing to 600–1500 m in the north-south-trending foredeep along the western margin of the Ural Mountains. They were formed in different facial zones in conditions of semiarid–subhumid climate. Today these deposits are exposed in many outcrops due to unevenness of the relief (up to 300 m) and to mining activities. The great importance of the Permian succession of the East European Platform for global correlation of Permian continental deposits emerges from the paleogeographic position of the basin. During the Permian period, the East European basin was situated in the "central" part of Pangea. It linked Eurameria, Gondwana and Asia. So many significant migration routes of Pangean biota lay within its territory. Since the 1860s, the Permian system of Eastern Europe has been studied by numerous geologists and stratigraphers. The most active research was conducted in the second half of the 20th century in the course of geological mapping. During this time, a large amount of new data has been obtained through extensive drilling works. The Russian Permo-Triassic continental beds are rich in fossil remains of all significant groups of non-marine organisms (plants, including palynomorphs and charophytes, ostracods, conchostracans, insects, bivalves, gastropods, fishes and tetrapods). From the second half of the 19th century to present day, huge collections of fossils of plants, ostracods, conchostracans, insects, bivalves, fishes and tetrapods have been amassed by many paleontologists and biostratigraphers. As a result, the Permian geological history of the East European sedimentary basin and the evolution of its biota were reconstructed in detail. On the basis of this vast geological and paleontological material a detailed magnetostratigraphic scheme and zonal schemes based on palynology, plants, charophytes, ostracods, conchostracans, bivalves, fishes and tetrapods were established and continue to be further refined (Fig. 1). These schemes can be used as a base for global correlation of the continental Permian. The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project nos. 13-05-00592, 13-05-00642, and 14-05-93964.


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Fig. 1: Stratigraphic scheme of the East European continental Permo-Triassic and its correlation with the International Chronostratigraphic Chart and tetrapod zonal scheme of South Africa.


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Sub-Saharan nonmarine-marine cross-basin correlations based on climate signatures recorded in Permian palynomorph assemblages

Götz, A.E.

Department of Geology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa Palynological data of Permian formations of the Sub-Saharan Karoo basins play a crucial role in the study and for the understanding of Gondwana's climate history and biodiversity in this time of major global changes in terrestrial and marine ecosystems. The palynological record of coal deposits reflects changes in land plant communities and vegetational patterns related to climate change and thus provide significant data for high-resolution palaeoclimate reconstructions in deep time. Marine black shale deposits also contain terrestrial sedimentary organic matter and palynomorphs that allow for nonmarine-marine correlations. Recent palynological investigations of Permian successions of South Africa and Mozambique document major changes in palaeoclimate. The spore/pollen ratios are used as a proxy for humidity changes. Stratal variations in the composition of the pollen group (monosaccate/bisaccate taeniate/bisaccate non-taeniate pollen grains) indicate warming and cooling phases. Variations in the amount and in the type, size and shape of phytoclasts reflect short-term changes in transport and weathering. The detected palaeoclimate signals are used for high-resolution correlation on basin-wide, intercontinental and intra-Gondwanic scales. Established palynostratigraphic schemes for coal seam identification and correlation (Falcon et al., 1984a; Witbank Basin) are refined and applied to correlate coal deposits of the NE Main Karoo Basin, South Africa with the Tete Province, Mozambique and with marine black shale deposits of the N and S Karoo Basin (Fig. 1). This work is based on the research supported by the National Research Foundation of South Africa (Grant No. 85354). Rio Tinto Coal Mozambique is kindly acknowledged for giving permission to study core material from the E Tete Province (Moatize Basin), Mozambique. Falcon, R.M.S., Pinheiro, H. & Sheperd, P. (1984a): The palynobiostratigraphy of the major coal seams in the Witbank Basin with lithostratigraphic, chronostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic implications. – Comunicações dos Serviços Geológicos de Portugal 70, 215-243. Falcon, R.M.S., Lemos de Sousa, M.J., Pinheiro, H. & Marques, M.M. (1984b): Petrology and palynology of Mozambique coals – Mucanha-Vúzi region. – Comunicações dos Serviços Geológicos de Portugal 70, 321- 338. Götz, A.E., Hancox, J. & Lloyd, A. (2013): Mozambique’s coal deposits: unique palaeoclimate archives of the Permian period. – Mozambique Coal Conference, Abstract Book Fossil Fuel Foundation; Johannesburg. Ruckwied, K., Götz, A.E. & Jones, P. (accepted): Palynological records of the Permian Ecca Group (South Africa): Utilizing climatic icehouse-greenhouse signals for cross basin correlations. – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology; Amsterdam.


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Fig. 1: Correlation of Permian nonmarine successions (coal deposits of the NE Karoo Basin, South Africa and Tete Province, Mozambique) with marine successions (black shale deposits of the N and S Karoo Basin, South Africa) using palaeoclimate signatures recorded in palynomorph assemblages. For the Mozambique material the studied boreholes are indicated (borehole C3, W Tete Province; boreholes 945L_0022 and 948L_0005, E Tete Province, Moatize Basin).


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The Campáleo Lontras Shale outcrop: a potential stratotype for the Carboniferous-Permian transition in the Paraná Basin

Iannuzzi, R.1, Weinschütz, L.C.2, Rodrigues, K.A.3, Lemos, V.B.1, Ricetti, J.H.Z.2,4 & Wilner, E.2,4

1Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Depto. de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia (DPE), Instituto de Geociências (IGeo), Porto Alegre, RS, 91.509-900, Brazil 2Centro Paleontológico (CENPÁLEO), Universidade do Contestado (UnC), Av. Pres. Nereu Ramos, 1071, Mafra, SC, 89300-000, Brazil 3Universidade Federal de Pelotas (UFPel), Núcleo de Estudos em Paleontologia e Estratigrafia (NEPALE) - Centro de Desenvolvimento Tecnológico (CDTec), Praça Domingos Rodrigues, 02, 96010-440, Pelotas, RS, Brazil 4Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências (PPGGeo), Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, P. Box 15001, 91501-970, Brazil The transition from Carboniferous to Permian in Gondwanan sequences has been historically marked by the appearance of Vittatina and alien bissacate grains and the first glossopterids. Traditionally, these were the same terrestrial guide fossils used to define the Carboniferous-Permian boundary in deposits of the Paraná Basin, southern Brazil. Even the recent radiometric dating obtained in western Gondwanan deposits appears to not contradict this paradigm. However, the main problem related to correlation of the biostratigraphic framework of Gondwanan basins, including the Paraná Basin, with international stratigraphic stages is that no significant chrono-correlating elements, like foraminifers, amonoids or conodonts, occur in the Carboniferous-Permian interval. In the stratigraphic sequence of the Paraná Basin, the boundary between the Carboniferous (marked by Crucisaccites monoletus palinozone) and the Permian (marked by Vittatina costabiliz palinozone) is located at the base of the marine “Lontras Shale,” within the upper part of the Itararé Group. In the city of Mafra, northern Santa Catarina State, the succession of uppermost Itararé Group is cropping out, making noticeable the layer of fine siltstone correlated with the “Lontras Shale.” This outcrop site is commonly called Campáleo, and characterized by extremely high paleodiversity found in a thin layer of 1.1 meter of black siltic-argillite. The fossil collection, under study by professionals from several Brazilian institutions and also foreign partners, ranges from bone (Santosichthys mafrensis Malabarba 1988, Roslerichthys riomafrensis Hemmel 2005) and cartilaginous fishes, gastropods, brachiopods, crustaceans, poriferans (Microhemidiscia greinerti Mouro, Fernandes, Rogerio and Fonseca 2014), conodonts, microalgae and scolecodonts, among the marine elements, and insects (Anthracoblattina mendesi Pinto & Sedor 2000), sporomorphs and woody logs, among the terrestrial elements. The presence of such an abundant fossil record, containing some specimens with an exceptional degree of preservation, led the researchers to refer to the Campaleo Outcrop as a Carboniferous-Permian Fossil Lagerstätte. Until now, this exposure is considered earliest Permian in age based on palynological analysis. However, for the first time, a significant chrono-correlating marine group, e.g. conodonts, is registered in close association with palynomorphs within the Paraná Basin. The conodonts are currently under study to determine their affinities and biostratigraphic value. Besides, the insect elements could be useful for discussing the relative age of this deposit and, because of this, are going to be the subject of analysis. Taking into account the above-mentioned, the present working group would like to suggest to the International Commission on Stratigraphy (subcommissions on Carboniferous Stratigraphy and Permian Stratigraphy) that the Campaleo Outcrop be considered as a formal stratotype for the Carboniferous-Permian transition interval in the Paraná Basin. Thus, the main goal of this contribution is bring this proposal for analysis to the participants of CPC 2014 and participating members of the ICS.


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Early Permian sedimentary basins of Polish Variscan Externides

Kiersnowski, H.

Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute, Polish Geological Survey Current study shows that several Early Permian sedimentary basins exist on the area of the Polish Variscan Externides (PVE). These sedimentary basins are mostly recognized by single, separate wells. This is why these basins are practically ignored in earlier publications. The PVE represent north-eastern part of the European Variscan Externides. The palaeogeographical range of the Polish Variscan Externides is still disputed. There are three main models of PVE extent, where the total surface area varies from about 39 000 km2 to about 56 000 km2. The PVE have a complex structural pattern resulted from Variscan thrust tectonic and later significant tectonic segmentation coeval with high volcanic activity and deep erosion processes. The smaller, better recognized area of PVE is subdivided into three main tectonic units: northern range, middle range and southern range. This “range” model was used to explain several early Permian sedimentary basins that developed in tectonic depressions between ranges and are located on a very complex Variscan basement. These basins or sub-basins, which are in many cases represented by sedimentary fill of tectonic grabens, are grouped for larger sedimentary units as: the Zielona Góra Basin (comprising five? tectonic units – grabens and horsts), the Middle Odra Basin (comprising minimum seven tectonic grabens and two horsts) and the Poznań Basin (comprising three or more tectonic grabens). Additionally, several separate tectonic grabens with sedimentary fill are recognized in the northern range area of PVE: the Międzychód tectonic graben, the Surmin tectonic graben and the Raduchów tectonic graben. In this study, the Stargard tectonic graben and Obrzycko-Grundytectonic graben belonging to PVE (in case of its larger NE aerial coverage) are also taken into consideration, or these grabens were formed close to Variscan Externides Deformation Front (in case if a smaller extent of PVE is accepted). The stratigraphic scheme for Early Permian sedimentary basins of Polish Variscan Externides is still under construction.

Fig. 1: This stratigraphic scheme is also conformed to the German stratigraphic units from Müritz basin and German Grüneberg Fm from Tuchen and Liebenwalde basins, north of Berlin.


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Proposal for the recognition of a Saberian Substage in the mid-Stephanian (West European chronostratigraphic scheme)

Knight, J.A. & Wagner, R.H.

Centro Paleobotánico, IMGEMA-Real Jardín Botánico de Córdoba, Avenida de Linneo s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain A proposal by Wagner & Álvarez-Vázquez (2010) to recognise a Saberian Regional Substage to follow upon Barruelian is now formalised with reference to a boundary stratotype in the Sabero Coalfield (León), NW Spain. A brief historical perspective provides the framework in which this proposal relates to the original concept of the Stephanian. Jongmans & Pruvost (1950) originally defined the three-part division of the Stephanian (A, B and C) based on the Saint Étienne Basin, Massif Central, France. Since 1972 there has been formal acknowledgement in reports of SCCS that the purely terrestrial successions of the Stephanian of the Massif Central were inadequate as the basis for definition of the lower part of the Stephanian, with the recommendation that the informal Stephanian A, B and C units should be replaced by formally constituted stages. Both the completeness of the lower Stephanian in NW Spain and its marine and terrestrial facies, were recognised, leading to the authorisation by SCCS of the Cantabrian and Barruelian (sub)stages with boundary stratotypes in the Cantabrian Mountains. The concept of the Barruelian was clearly stated to extend to the base of the Stephanian B, as understood with respect to the putative Stephanian A-B contact identified in the Carmaux Coalfield, south-central France. At the same time the upper part of the Barruelian was recognised as present in a succession of marine-influenced coal-bearing strata in the Sabero Coalfield. Barruelian incorporates Stephanian A, but is more comprehensive. The Saint Étienne Basin shows an unconformable base to the conceptual type Stephanian B, which renders it unsuitable for definition of a chronostratigraphic unit. The Stephanian B is typified by the Faisceau de Grüner which is succeeded in conformable succession by the Faisceau de Beaubrun, equivalent to the lower part of Assise de Avaize, which Jongmans & Pruvost (1950) referred to Stephanian C. The proposal presented here is to designate a boundary stratotype for the Saberian Substage in NW Spain, at the base of a well-documented succession of over 2,500 m of strata, following upon Barruelian, broadly corresponding to the zeilleri Megafloral Zone of Wagner (1984). The proposed stratotype is located in a well-exposed stratigraphic section near Saelices in the Sabero Coalfield. The boundary is taken at a clear formational contact, a widespread flooding event, located above a long and well-exposed succession corresponding to the highest Barruelian. The Saberian is represented by a number of coal-bearing units with a good floral record, and including two further flooding events in a general context of alluvial plain deposits marginal to a coastal basin. This submission includes the provisional results of U-Pb radiometric dating (laser ablation ICP-MS) performed at the Earth & Ocean Sciences Department of the University of British Columbia on three pyroclastic tonsteins in the lower part of the Saberian reference section. The three currently available ages are 300.1 +/- 1.0 Ma in the upper part of the Unica Beds, 302.4 +/- 1.2 Ma for the upper part of the Herrera Beds and 303.1 +/- 1.0 Ma for the band in the lower part of the Herrera Beds. Current correlations suggest either a late Kasimovian or an early Gzhelian age, but this is subject to discussion. The Saberian succession in the Sabero Coalfield is correlated with that in the Ciñera-Matallana Coalfield at some 20 km to the west, based on the recognition of two major marine-driven flooding events, the fossil flora and close sequential similarities. These coalfields represent a single gradually expanding coastal basin with significant palaeotopography on its western margin; a total of some 1,500 m of Saberian strata is confirmed in these two coalfields. Continuing onlap and basin expansion is demonstrated in the La Magdalena and Villablino coalfields lying further to the west. A succession of c. 2,800 m may be attributed to the Saberian overall. The c. 4,200 m thick


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succession of coal-bearing strata at Villablino contains the limit between Saberian and the next unit upwards, which is correlated with Stephanian B. Jongmans, W.J. & Pruvost, P. (1950): Les subdivisions du Carbonifère continental. – Bulletin Société Géologique de France, 5ª série, XX, 335-344. Wagner, R.H. (1984): Megafloral Zones of the Carboniferous. – Compte Rendu 9e Congrès International de Stratigraphie et Géologie du Carbonifère, Washington and Champaign-Urbana 1979, 2, 109-134. Wagner, R.H. & Álvarez-Vázquez, C. (2010): The Carboniferous floras of the Iberian Peninsula: A synthesis with geological connotations. – Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology, 162 (3), 238-324.


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Reconstruction of a terrestrial environment from the Lopingian (Late Permian) of the Dolomites (Bletterbach, Northern Italy)

Kustatscher, E.1,2,3, Bauer, K.1,2, Bernardi, M.4,5, Petti, F.M.4,

Franz, M.6, Wappler, T.7 & Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A.8 1Naturmuseum Südtirol, Bindergasse 1, 39100 Bolzano/Bozen, Italy 2Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München, Germany 3Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München, Germany 4Museo delle Scienze di Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123 Trento, Italy 5School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK 6Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Straße 2, 09599 Freiberg, Germany 7Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany 8Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO Box 9517, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands Palaeoecological reconstructions of terrestrial ecosystems from the Permian are rare. If well preserved floras are meagre in Europe and North America, their co-occurrence with body or trace fossils is even more uncommon. The Arenaria di Val Gardena/Gröden Sandstone cropping out in the Bletterbach gorge (western Dolomites, NE Italy), one of the most famous Lopingian outcrops of Europe, yielded numerous specimens of both plant megafossils and vertebrate tracks. This enabled to hypothesize plant-animal interactions and trophic network within a late Permian ecosystem at the western border of the Paleotethys. In the Bletterbach Gorge Permian volcanites are overlain by a thick sedimentary succession of the Arenaria di Val Gardena, characterized by fluvial siliciclastics, evaporites and mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposits reflecting environments of alluvial fans, braided rivers, shallow channels, coastal sabkhas and evaporitic lagoons. The 1882 plant remains so far collected belong to the horsetails, seed ferns (Sphenopteris, Germaropteris), putative cycadophytes (Taeniopteris), ginkgophytes (Baiera, Sphenobaiera), Dicranophyllum-like leaves and conifers (Ortiseia, Pseudovoltzia, Quadrocladus, Pagiophyllum; see Kustatscher et al., 2012, in press; Bauer et al. submitted). The flora is dominated by ginkgophyte remains closely followed by the conifers, while the seed ferns, putative cycadophytes and sphenophytes are rare elements in the association. The ichnofauna is represented by thirteen ichnotaxa belonging to various groups such as pareiasaurs (indicated by the presence of Pachypes), therapsids (indet.), captorhinids (Hyloidichnus), neodiapsids as younginiformes (Rhynchosauroides, Ganasauripus), and archosauriformes (chirotheriids) (see Avanzini et al., 2011; Bernardi et al., submitted). The Bletterbach ecosystem therefore was characterized by large-sized primary consumers (pareiasaurs, herbivorous therapsids) that possibly fed on high-fibrous plants, such as ginkgophytes and conifers, that would have constitute the largest part of the floral association. Small herbivores (captorhinids) would have been effective in shredding and crushing plant material. Carnivorous predators (archosauriformes, some therapsids) seem to be less abundant, even though preservational bias cannot be excluded. Small secondary consumers (undetermined neodiapsids) were probably carnivorous-insectivores and would have fed on the well diversified entomofauna documented by foliage insect feeding traces. Although not abundant, the foliar damage data represent (with the exception of mining), all of the fundamental ways in which insect and probably mite herbivores consume plants in the modern world (external foliage feeding, piercing & sucking, oviposition, galling, seed predation, wood boring, fungal infection). In about 2.4% of the Bletterbach samples evidence of plant-arthropod interactions was observed; the most common are external foliage


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feeding and hole feeding. The highest damage was recorded on taeniopterid and ginkgophyte leaves. In this contribution we present an overview of the Bletterbach Lopingian association providing evidence for a well diversified terrestrial ecosystem with a complex vegetation and trophic network. Avanzini, M., Bernardi, M. & Nicosia, U. (2011): The Permo-Triassic tetrapod faunal diversity in the Italian Southern Alps. – In: Ahmad Dar I. & Ahmad Dar M. (Eds.), Earth and Environmental Sciences, InTech: 591-608. Bernardi, M., Petti, F.M., Klein, H., & Avanzini, M. (submitted): The origin and early radiation of archosaurs: integrating skeletal and footprint record. – PlosOne. Bauer, K., Kustatscher, E., Butzmann, R., Fischer, T.C., Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A., T.C. & Krings, M. (submitted): Ginkgophytes from the upper Permian of the Bletterbach gorge (northern Italy). – Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. Kustatscher, E., Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A., Bauer, K., Butzmann, R., Meller, B., & Fischer, T.C. (2012): A new flora from the Upper Permian of Bletterbach (Dolomites, N-Italy). – Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 182: 1-13. Kustatscher, E., Bauer, K., Butzmann, R., Fischer, T.C., Meller, B., Van Konijnenburg-van Cittert, J.H.A., & Kerp, H. (in press): Sphenophytes, pteridosperms and possible cycads from the Upper Permian of Bletterbach (Dolomites, N-Italy). – Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology.


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Environment, Climate, and Time in the Upper Carboniferous: A Mid-Moscovian Paleotropical Case Study to Link the Marine and Terrestrial Records

Lambert, L.L.1, Raymond, A.2 & Eble, C.3

1Department of Geosciences, University of Texas at San Antonio 2Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University 3Energy and Minerals Section, Kentucky Geological Survey There is a great need to link marine and terrestrial chronostratigraphy to fully comprehend the upheavals that altered our planet during the Late Paleozoic. An icehouse climate coupled with the supercontinent Pangea resulted in low relative sea-levels and a significant terrestrial record. However, the Ouachita-Allegheny Mountains in North America and the Variscan Mountains in Europe limited terrestrial biotic exchange between former Laurasia and Gondwana, and initiated the divergence of West Pangean (North American) and East Pangean (European) paleotropical floras (Cleal et al., 2009). The western and eastern shelves of Pangea belonged to distinct marine provinces as well. Glacial advance and retreat driven by Milankovitch orbital cycles produced fourth- and fifth-order cyclostratigraphy that provides a tool for both local and inter-regional correlation. The alternation of environments that resulted from glacial eustatic sea-level rise and fall provides stratigraphic packages of genetically related marine and terrestrial units that represent relatively short intervals of geologic time (100 – 400 kyr). The marine units are typically characterized by distinct conodont assemblages (e.g., Swade, 1985; Barrick et al., 2013), and palynomorphs are typically used to characterize coal deposits (e.g., Peppers, 1996). Among the best places to begin a marine/terrestrial synthesis are the Western and Eastern Interior basins of North America and the Donets Basin of Ukraine, where both coal and marine shale units are well developed. We propose combining the conodont and palynomorph biostratigraphies within a high-frequency sequence stratigraphic framework to develop a linked marine and terrestrial chronostratigraphy. For each high-frequency sequence the early phase of sea-level rise began slowly, with the lower transgressive systems tract represented by widespread coals that developed as base-level began to rise. Many plants that produced the coals also produced wind-dispersed palynomorphs, which could be distributed across many different facies, both terrestrial and marine. The subsequent phase of sea-level transgression increased the rate of inundation, culminating in the greatest accommodation and the development of a condensed section. Conodonts are most abundant and inter-regionally significant in the condensed section at maximum flooding. Due to the migration of glacial centers, and to the influence of the Ouachita-Allegheny-Variscan Mountains on atmospheric circulation, the western and eastern sides of Pangea probably experienced different climate regimes. For example, the North American craton experienced a pronounced pattern of relatively dry tropical climate in the mid-Moscovian (latest Atokan–earliest Desmoinesian) followed by a relatively wet tropical climate in the late Moscovian (mid-to-late Desmoinesian), then a return to relatively dry tropical climate during the Kasimovian and Gzhelian stages (Phillips et al., 1985; Raymond et al., 2010). Parallel changes in paleotropical climatic occurred in East Pangea, but there the climate changes apparently occurred over longer intervals (Cleal et al., 2009). Mid-Moscovian strata in North America and the Donets Basin provide a case study for unraveling the influence of environment, climate and time. Many coals in this interval contain permineralized peat concretions (i.e., coal balls), enabling detailed reconstruction of the floral community. The taxonomic composition of the floral community was highly dependent on climatic conditions, and provide some of our best data to understand the paleoclimate across Pangea. A subset of coals have produced coal balls with marine cements and even marine fossils, directly linking the marine and terrestrial records. In the Western Interior Basin of North America, the conodont Neognathodus caudatus (a marker for the Atokan-Desmoinesian stage boundary) has been recovered from a coal


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ball in the Cliffland coal of the Kalo Formation in Iowa (Lambert, 1992; Raymond et al., 2010). The Cliffland coal contains a unique mire assemblage dominated by cordaiteans, tree ferns and medullosan seed ferns, a floral assemblage that also occurs in the Donets Basin (Snigirevskaya, 1972). This community, known as the diverse cordaitean community, probably indicates both a relatively dry tropical climate (with a low-rain season) and the presence of salt water in the mire. Based on palynomorphs and conodonts, the Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary falls in the Upper Kashirian of the Donets Basin, near the L5 limestone. Based on the range of Cardiocarpus leclerqiae in permineralized mire assemblages of the Donets Basin (which may be the same species as C. magnicellularis in the Kalo Formation of Iowa), the Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary could be as low as the L1 limestone (above the K8 coal) or as high as the L7 limestone (above the l6 coal). We would consider the Atokan-Desmoinesian boundary to lie within the interval of cordaitean dominance (indicated by the presence of cordaitean leaf mats in peat) in the L1–L4 limestone interval based on the overall similarity of mire assemblages. However, because mire assemblages reflect the influence of local environmental conditions as well as global climate, the paired conodont-palynomorph record probably provides the more reliable biostratigraphic indicator. Nonetheless, the presence of cordaitean-dominated mire assemblages near the Atokan-Desmonesian boundary in the Donets Basin of East Pangea and the Western Interior Basin of West Pangea –followed by lycopsid-dominated mire assemblages in each basin – suggests that the presence of these mire assemblages reflects a global climate signal. Both West and East Pangea have permineralized peat in the mid-to-late Moscovian. It may be possible to determine how global climate change, related to major shifts in the location or extent of glaciations, affected paleotropical environments on the east and west coasts of Pangea by integrating mire assemblages, marine conodonts, and terrestrial palynomorphs.

Barrick, J.E., Lambert, L.L., Heckel, P.H., Rosscoe, S.J. & Boardman, D.R. (2013): Midcontinent Pennsylvanian conodont zonation. – Stratigraphy 10: 55-72. Cleal, C.J., Oplusteil, S., Thomas, B.A., Tenchov, Y., et al. (2009): Late Moscovian terrestrial biotas and palaeoenvironments of Variscan Euramerica. – Netherlands Journal of Geosciences-Geologie En Mijnbouw, 68(4): 181-278. Lambert, L.L. (1992): Atokan and basal Desmoinesian conodonts from central Iowa, reference area for the Desmoinesian Stage. – In: Sutherland, P.K. & Manger, W.L. (eds.): Recent advances in Middle Carboniferous biostratigraphy – A symposium. – Oklahoma Geological Survey Circular 94: 111-123. Peppers, R.A. (1996): Palynological Correlation of Major Pennsylvanian (Middle and Upper Carboniferous) Chronostratigraphic Boundaries. – GSA Memoir 188: 1-111. Phillips, T.L., Peppers, R. A. & DiMichele, W. A. (1985): Stratigraphic and interregional changes in Pennsylvanian coal-swamp vegetation: Environmental inferences. – International Journal of Coal Geology 5: 43-109. Raymond, A., Lambert, L., Costanza, S.H., Slone, E.J. & Cutlip, P.C. (2010): Cordaiteans in paleotropical wetlands: An ecological re-evaluation. – International Journal of Coal Geology, 83: 248-265. Snigirevskaya, N.S. (1972): Studies of Coal Balls of the Donets Basin. – Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology 14: 197-204. Swade, J.W. (1985): Conodont distribution, paleoecology, and preliminary biostratigraphy of the upper Cherokee and Marmaton Groups (upper Desmoinesian, Middle Pennsylvanian) from two cores in south-central Iowa. – Iowa Geological Survey Technical Information Series 14, 71pp.


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Continental Lower Permian basins in Germany: Correlation and development

Lützner, H.1, Kowalczyk, G.2 & Haneke, J.3 1Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Burgweg 11, D-07749 Jena 2Institut für Geowissenschaften, Facheinheit Geologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Altenhöfer Allee 1, D-60438 Frankfurt a. M. 3 Landesamt für Geologie und Bergbau, Emy-Roeder-Str. 5, D-55129 Mainz-Hechtsheim The continental Lower Permian Rotliegend basins of Germany belong to two regions, each with different basin configurations and development. In the southern part, numerous small to medium-sized basins existed that collected the detrital sediments of the Variscan Orogen and of Permocarboniferous volcanics. In the northern part, superposed on the former Variscan foredeep and adjacent parts of the Pre-Variscan basement, a broad basin developed that was at first nearly completely covered with thick volcanic complexes, followed by widespread red beds with intercalated evaporites of a central salt lake. In contrast to this, the Inner-Variscan basins show individual basin-fill sections with closely-packed facies patterns and varying amounts of volcanic rocks. Some basins existed since the lower Upper Carboniferous, others came in existence during Stephanian C or later. Position and development of the basins was strongly controlled by Late-Variscan block tectonics and synsedimentary faults as well as by volcanic processes. We present a revised palaeogeographic map with basin outlines and whole Rotliegend isopachs. The outlines reflect the Rotliegend distribution at the base of the Zechstein Group as far as the basins are surrounded or covered by Zechstein deposits. Otherwise, the recent outline may encircle the erosional remnant of a basin with larger extension in Lower Permian time. The stratigraphic correlation of the Rotliegend basins is confronted with intrinsic problems. Lithostratigraphy is the main tool for correlation within singular basins. Stratigraphic correlations between the basins are mainly based on the biostratigraphic zonation of insects (blattids) and amphibians, added by analysis of oecostratigraphic events in the fauna of fishes and aquatic tetrapods, and supported by radiometric data, sedimentological, magnetostratigraphic, cyclostratigraphic and palaeoclimatic markers. The Illawarra Reversal provides a fundamental magnetostratigraphic marker to connect the North German Basin with the Inner-Variscan basins. In addition to that, continuous cyclostratigraphic sections permit to trace the onlap of the uppermost Rotliegend from the North German Basin up to the Saale Basin. The correlation of the reference sections of the Saar-Nahe, Thüringer Wald and Saale Basins provides a framework in which smaller and less-explored and/or subsurface basins can be affiliated. However, the biostratigraphically reasoned correlation between the Oberhof/Rotterode Formation (Thüringer Wald) and the Disibodenberg – Donnersberg Formations (Saar-Nahe Basin) is still debated in alternative versions. Radiometric data help to contrain the age of volcanic and pyroclastic intercalations. Summing up the correlation effort, six stages of stratigraphic development are suggested: (1) Stephanian C and Early Rotliegend sedimentary cycles or volcanic sequences, respectively (2) Predominance of fluvial-lacustrine sedimentary environments with numerous deep lakes (3) Volcanic or volcanic-sedimentary formations representing the main phase of volcanic acitiviy (4) Postvolcanic Pre-Illawarra red bed formations; (5) Circum-/Post-Illawarra red bed formations with increasing part of aeolian deposit; (6) Uppermost Rotliegend deposits with indications of slightly decreasing aridity during approach of the Zechstein transgression.


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Taxonomy and biostratigraphic significance of Early Permian captorhinomorph footprints

Marchetti, L.1 & Voigt, S.2

1Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy 2Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany The classification of Permian captorhinomorph traces has been a challenge since the first discoveries at the end of the 19th century. Many different ichnogenera and ichnospecies were introduced from USA, France, Germany, Italy, and every attempt of revision was questioned, thus at present day there is still no consensus on the systematic. However, the possibility that some widely-recognized ichnogenera (Erpetopus, Varanopus, Hyloidichnus, Notalacerta) might be used for stratigraphic correlations through Pangea seems more than reliable. Once considered the problem of the extramorphologies, which hampers a correct diagnosis, it is still difficult to classify this kind of footprints, because they all share similar features (i.e. ectaxonic, pentadactyl, semiplantigrade traces, with long and thin digits, short palm, alternating arrangement of pes-manus sets). Moreover, previous studies are based mainly on material from specific palaeoenvironmental settings, and data are insufficient, thus a reliable correlation is lacking. Here we provide preliminary results of a new comprehensive study on Permian captorhinomorph traces: selected material from Argentina, USA, Morocco, Spain, France, Italy and Germany was analyzed following the more recent developments in vertebrate ichnology. The attention was focused on Erpetopus Moodie, 1929 and Varanopus Moodie 1929. Traces previously classified as Microsauropus and Camunipes belong to the ichnogenus Erpetopus. The material reported as Varanopus in France and Italy is a valid ichnospecies, different from V. curvidactylus/ microdactylus, so another ichnospecific name should be utilized. These ichnotaxa (Erpetopus and Varanopus isp. 2) seem to characterize the Kungurian associations, thus they are of biostratigraphic value.


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Climatic changes in Stephanian C (uppermost Pennsylvanian): sedimentary facies, paleosols, environments and biota

of the Ploužnice lacustrine system, Krkonoše Piedmont Basin, Czech Republic.

Martínek, K.1, Šimůnek, Z.2, Drábková, J.2, Zajíc, J.3, Stárková, M.2, Opluštil, S.1, Rosenau, N.4 & Lojka, R.2

1Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic 2Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3/131, 118 21 Praha 1, Czech Republic 3Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, CZ-165 00 Praha 6, Czech Republic 4Dolan Integration Group, 2520 55th Street, Suite 101, Boulder, CO. 80303, United States The Krkonoše Piedmont Basin (KP Basin) is located at the north-east of the Bohemian Massif. The basin was formed as a part of a system of extensional/transtensional basins which opened in the Bohemian Massif during the late phases of the Variscan orogeny. Sedimentary fill is fully continetal-dominated by alluvial and lacustrine strata. The age of the deposits range from Westphalian D (Pennsylvanian) to the Lower Triassic. There are 7 main fossiliferous horizons of mostly lacustrine origin covering the time period from Stephanian B to Asselian/Lower Rotliegend (Lower Permian). Lacustrine deposits of the Ploužnice member (Stephanian C, uppermost Pennsylvanian) reveal asymmetric basin structure: anoxic to suboxic offshore facies of larger thicknesses are concentrated along the northern basin margin where depocenter was located while southern part of the basin is occupied by thin succession of oxic offshore facies alternating with nearshore deposits. We suppose higher subsidence rate along the steep northern basin margin and low gradient southern basin margin in a half-graben setting. Sedimentological study was carried out on outcrops and on the core SM-1 located in south-west of the basin. Lacustrine sedimentary facies distinguished include: Offshore facies, Offshore carbonate facies, Deeper nearshore (delta) facies, Shallow nearshore facies, Nearshore carbonate facies and Mudflat facies. Two major lacustrine units are interbeded with fluvial interval approximately in the middle of the section, which is about 80 m thick. Section is divided to major intervals with predominance of particular facies, but due to frequent lake-level oscillations, these major intervals are often interrupted by diferent facies of minor importance (thickness in order of dm - cm). Two distinct lacustrine systems were probably present: 1) smaller shallow lake with predominant mudstone and siltstone facies, distinct nearshore and offshore zones were not developed, and 2) larger deeper lake with distinct nearshore and offshore zone. Three ancient soils (paleosols) are recognized in Ploužnice member. The paleosols are classified as a 1) Vertic Calcisol, 2) Calcisol, and 3) Calcic Protosol. Calcite accumulation suggests formation under well-drained conditions and in a climate where evapotranspiration was greater than precipitation. The Vertic Calcisol preserves shrink-swell features, such as wedge shaped peds and pedogenic slickensides which form in modern climates with strongly seasonly precipitation. It is very interesting that the estimated mean annual precipitation for all of the Ploužnice paleosols (Sm-1 and Kyje) are nearly the same (500-600 mm/year), this suggests a robust signature preserved in the paleosols. Fauna of the Ploužnice member point to a deposition in considerably smaller and shallower lake. But the lake was still relatively big with highely diversified assemblage. Six trophic levels were identified. In addition to fish (acanthodians, sharks, and actinopterygians) and terrestrial (insects) fauna, tetrapod footprints were also found. Flora found in Ploužnice member point mostly to semi-humid period - lake surrounded by broad belts of wetland biome floras. During the Stephanian C most of these floras were dominated by tree ferns, calamites and sub-dominant pteridosperms. Local peat swamps were colonised by lycopsids including Sigillaria brardii, Asolanus camptotaenia and even some lepidodendrid lycopsids. In


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contrast, the fossil record of Stephanian C dryland floras is rarely preserved in lacustrine sediments. New finding of Autunia conferta (former Callipteris conferta) support the idea to put base of Autunian conferta biozone to the latest Pennsylvanian. Permineralised (silicified) peats of the Ploužnice member contain stigmarian roots and lepidodendrid cones. Tree fern spores are often common in sediments along the southern margin of the Ploužnice lake where broad mudflats existed. The mudflats are associated with silicified stems of ferns and calamites and pteridosperms. Therefore, it is assumed that tree ferns – calamite and subdominant pteridosperm – covered lake shallows and vast mudflats especially along low-gradient lake margins in the half-graben setting. However, the presence of dryland spots during these wet intervals, when part of the basin floor was occupied by a lake, is also highly possible. This is indicated by mixture of allochtonous plant fragments of dryland and wetland assemblages on the same bedding plane or within the same section. A substantial increase in subsidence rate was probably responsible for the formation of the Ploužnice lacustrine system. The occurences of Ploužnice member deposits cover the area minimally ca. 150 km2 within the KP Basin, but correlation to lacustrine strata of the same age and similar sedimentary facies and biota in Central Bohemian basins opens the idea of large lacustrine system of minimally several hundred km2. The main basin-scale facies architecture is interpreted as a result of active synsedimentary tectonics. While lake-level fluctuations, which are recorded by shallowing-up units of sedimentary facies in meter to dm scale, are interpreted as driven by climatic oscillations in the order of tens of thousands years. These climatic oscillations could reflect climatic changes connected with the last glaciation event of Gondwana.


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The Middle Permian Illawarra Reversal used for global correlation

Menning, M. Helmholtz-Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum, Telegrafenberg C, 14473 Potsdam The Illawarra Reversal has an age of ca 265 Ma (Menning 1995). It is the most important global Permian correlation marker, particularly for the Middle Permian. Using it Permian successions can be subdivided into (1) a longer part from ca 300 to 265 Ma of mainly reversed polarity and a shorter part from ca. 265 to 252.5 Ma of mixed polarity (ages rounded to 0.5 Ma). Different rocks can be correlated, e.g. marine and continental sediments as well as volcanics. Limiting palaeomagnetic factors are (1) low palaeomagnetic signals, (2) partial or total remagnetization of beds, and (3) the number of magnetozones in the Carboniferous-Permian Reversed Superchrone/Megazone and the Permo-Triassic Mixed Superchrone/Megazone is unknown, and consequently many global correlations are speculative. Limiting factors for integrated stratigraphy are (4) numerous gaps of variable position and unknown duration, (5) extreme provincialism of all Permian fossil groups: e.g., late Rotliegend fossils are proxies of facies, rather than of time (Schneider et al. 1995), (6) no chemostratigraphic indicators in the Middle Permian, and (7) radio-isotopic age determinations of variable significance. In the literature there are problematic positions of the Illawarra Reversal in the Kungurian and Ufimian stages (cf. Menning 2001a: Tab. 1), which are based mainly on questionable combinations of stratigraphic time indicators by workers who are not familiar with basic stratigraphic data of East Europe and the global Permian. No stratigrapher from the Soviet Union or Russia has located the Illawarra Reversal in the Kungurian and Ufimian stages of East Europe because the reversal is much younger according to all magnetostratigraphic evidence so far known. Mainly according Menning (2001a: Fig. 3) the Illawarra Reversal has the following position: (1) in Central Europe within red-brown clastic sediments of the Parchim-Formation (former “Lower Permian”, Rotliegend Group, Havel Subgroup, Menning et al. 1988, see also Menning & Bachtadse 2012 for the intra-Variscan basins), (2) on the East European Plate within the former “Upper Permian”, interbedded sandstone-shale, rhythmic mudstone, and limestone sediments of the uppermost Urzhum Formation (Svita), Tatarian Stage (Khramov 1963); it corresponds to the boundary between the newly introduced supraregional Biarmian and Tatarian epochs/series (Resolutions 2006, cf. Menning et al. 2006: Fig. 4), (3) in the south-western US in the former “Upper Permian” back-reef facies between the Seven Rivers and Yates formations of the Delaware Basin (Peterson & Nairn 1971, Menning et al. 1988) and in the Guadalupe Mts. in limestones of the latest Wordian Stage, Guadalupian Series (Glenister et al. 1998, Menning et al. 2006), (4) in North China, Shanxi Province, in the former “Upper Permian”, mainly continental siltstones, shales and mudstones of the lowermost Upper Shihezi/Shihhotse Formation (Embleton et al. 1996, see comment of Menning & Jin 1998), (5) in South China in the former “Lower Permian”, marine limestones of the Maokou Formation, Maokouan Series (Heller et al. 1995), (6) in the Sydney Basin of SW Australia in a gap between the Gerringong Volcanics (Brougthon Formation) of the Shoalhaven Group and the Illawarra Coal Measures (Irving & Parry 1963, Menning 2001b: Fig. 1). Embleton, B.J.J., McElhinny, M.W., Ma, X.H., Zhang, Z.K. & Li, X.L. (1996): Permo-Triassic magnetostratigraphy in China: the type section near Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, North China. – Geophys. J. Int. 126: 382-388. Gialanella, P.R., Heller, F., Haag, M., Nurgaliev, D., Borisov A., Burov, B., Jasonov, P., Khasanov, D. & Ibragimov, S. (1997): Late Permian magnetostratigraphy on the eastern part of the Russian Platform. – Geol. Mijnbouw 76: 145-154. Glenister, B.F., Wardlaw, B.R., Lambert, L.L., Spinosa, C., Bowring, S.A., Erwin, D.H., Menning, M. & Wilde, G.L. (1999): Proposal of Guadalupian and component Roadian, Wordian, and Capitanian Stages as international


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standards for the Middle Permian Series. – IUGS Subcomm. Permian Stratigraphy (Boise State Univ., Iowa), Permophiles 34: 3-11. Heller, F., Chen, H.-H., Dobson, J. & Haag, M. (1995): Permian-Triassic magnetostratigraphy – new results from South China. – Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 89: 281-295. Irving, E. & Parry, L.G. (1963): The magnetism of some Permian rocks from New South Wales. – Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 7: 395-411. Khramov, A.N. (1963): Palaeomagnetic investigations of Upper Permian and Lower Triassic sections on the northern and eastern Russian Platform. – Trudy VNIGRI 204: 145-174. (in Russian) Menning, M. (1995): A numerical time scale for the Permian and Triassic periods: an integrated time analysis. – In: Scholle, P.A., Peryt, T.M. & Ulmer-Scholle, D.S. (eds.): The Permian of Northern Pangea, Berlin, 1: 77–97. Menning, M. (2001a): A Permian Time Scale 2000 and correlation of marine and continental sequences using the Illawarra Reversal (265 Ma). – Natura Bresciana, Ann. Mus. Civ. Sc. Nat. Monografia 25: 355-362. Menning, M. (2001b): The Permian Illawarra Reversal in SE-Australia as global correlation marker versus K-Ar ages and palynological correlation. – In: Weiss, R.H. (ed.): Contributions to Geology and Palaeontology of Gondwana – In Honour of Helmut Wopfner, Köln: 325–332. Menning, M. & Bachtadse, V. (2012): Magnetostratigraphie und globale Korrelation des Rotliegend innervariscischer Becken. – In: Deutsche Stratigraphische Kommission (Hrsg.; Koordination und Redaktion: H. Lützner & G. Kowalczyk für die Subkommission Perm-Trias): Stratigraphie von Deutschland X. Rotliegend. Teil I: Innervariscische Becken. – Schr.-R. Dt. Ges. Geowiss 61: 176-203. Menning, M. & Jin, Y.-G. (1998): Comment on ´Permo-Triassic magnetostratigraphy in China: the type section near Taiyuan, Shanxi Province, North China´ by B.J.J. Embleton, M.W. McElhinny, X.H. Ma, Z.K. Zhang and Z.X. Li. – Geophys. J. Int. 133: 213-216. Menning, M., Katzung, G. & Lützner, H. (1988): Magnetostratigraphic investigations in the Rotliegendes (300–252 Ma) of Central Europe. – Z. geol. Wiss. 16, 11/12: 1045-1063. Menning, M., Alekseev, A.S., Chuvashov, B.I., Davydov, V.I., Devuyst, F.-X., Forke, H.C., Grunt, T.A., Hance, L., Heckel, P.H., Izokh, N.G., Jin, Y.-G., Jones, P.J., Kotlyar, G.V., Kozur, H.W., Nemyrovska, T.I., Schneider, J.W., Wang, X.-D., Weddige, K., Weyer, D. & Work, D.M. (2006): Global time scale and regional stratigraphic reference scales of Central and West Europe, East Europe, Tethys, South China, and North America as used in the Devonian–Carboniferous–Permian Correlation Chart 2003 (DCP 2003). – Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 240(1/2): 318-372. Peterson, D.N. & Nairn, A.E.M. (1971): Palaeomagnetism of Permian red beds from the south-western United States. – Geophys. J. Roy. Astron. Soc. 23: 191-205. Resolutions (2006): Resolutions of the Inderdepartmental Stratigraphic Committee of Russia, 36: 14-16. (in Russian) Schneider, J., Gebhardt, U., Gaitzsch, B. & Döring, H. (1995): Fossilführung und Biostratigraphie. – In: Deutsche Stratigraphische Kommission (Hrsg.; Koordination und Redaktion: E. Plein): Stratigraphie von Deutschland I – Norddeutsches Rotliegendbecken. – Cour. Forsch.-Inst. Senckenberg 183: 25-39.


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Methodic approach and ways of correlating remote non-marine Permian formations by ostracods

Molostovskaya, I.I.1 & Golubev, V.K.2

1Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia 2Borissiak Paleontological Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia The General Stratigraphic Scale (GSS) of the Middle and Upper Permian of Russia may be a reference for correlating non-marine formations from remote regions. Characteristics of stages and stage boundaries are based on paleomagnetic zonation and faunal assemblages (terrestrial vertebrates, ichthyofauna and ostracods). The non-marine GSS stages are determined by the evolutionary sequence of ostracod complex zones. Limitotype definitions are also based on ostracods. Ostracods are among the stratigraphically most informative organisms for Permian non-marine bed division and correlation. They are abundant, rapidly evolving and widespread. Permian non-marine ostracods are represented by three suborders: Cytherocopina, Cypridocopina and Darwinulocopina. Representatives of the first two suborders are facies-dependent and endemic in various zoogeographic areas. Darwinulocopina ostracods are ecologically tolerant and occur in Australia, Africa, America, Brazil, Europe, Russia and China. In the east of European Russia, in the stratotype region, ostracods have been studied for several decades. Vast systematic collections have been accumulated. This permitted to regularize ostracod systematics, to study the trends of feature development and to restore the evolutionary histories. Comparative analyses of the collections and of literature on ostracod faunas in the non-marine Permian sections from the east of European Russia, the Taimyr coal basin, the Tunguska River basin and the Kuzbass have shown that each suborder has specific trends of morphologic evolutionary changes and crucial times (Fig 1). Nevertheless, similar tendencies have been revealed in the evolution of all ostracods. The material has proved the general possibility of remote correlations by ostracod assemblages on the basis of the homotaxis of evolving features and, thus, has contributed to creating a methodological base for remote correlationsby ostracods. Its main principles are as follows: - similar trends of evolutionary development in representatives of the same families and subfamilies from various remote zoogeographic provinces; - increasing morphological specialization of ostracods from origination of a clade to the terminal stage of its existence; - availability of critical points at various levels in ostracod phylogeny. Correlations of redbed formations from remote zoogeographic provinces based on these approaches demonstrate ostracods to be highly perspective for large-scale comparisons. The proposed approach of remote correlations from ostracods will require: - high-quality material with accurate section ties; - standardization of Darwinulocopina ostracod classifications used by various specialists at the same modern level. A separate problem consists in the determination of numerous species that used to be mentioned in literature as Darwinula. - organizing a colloquium of specialists. An enormous ostracod collection from the Saratov University accompanied with geologic data will be provided for examination. - additional sampling from the relevant sections and layer-by-layer selection of magnifier-visible ostracods. The experience shows random sampling provides 2–5 efficient samples out of 100 taken. This work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project nos. 13-05-00592


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Fig. 1: Evolution of the Permian ostracods of the suborder Darwinulocopina against geomagnetic pole inversions. GSS – General Stratigraphic Scale (of the Biarmian and Tatarian series of the Permian) PS – Paleomagnetic Scale (Chramov, 1963; Molstovskyi, 1983; Molostovskyi at al., 2007), NP – positive magnetization zone, RP – negative magnetization zone. 1-4 – carapaces of representative genera shown in longitudinal and transverse section, in transmitted light: 1 – Paleodarwinula Molostovskaya, 1990; 2 – Suchonellina Spizharskyi, 1937; 3 – Prasuchonella Molostovskaya, 1990; 4 – Suchonella Spizharskyi, 1937. 5-6 – carapaces shown in reflected light in lateral and ventral view: 5 – Wipplella Holland, 1934; 6– Darwinuloides Mandelstam, 1959. Molostovskaya I.I. (2011): Evolution of the Permian nonmarine ostracods against the background of geomagnetic pole

inversions. – Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference “Environmental Micropaleontology, Microbiology and Meiobenthology”, Russia, Moscow; PIN RAS: 191-194.


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Carbonate nodules from paleosols in the Middle to Upper Permian reference section of Kazan Volga region, Russia: preliminary investigations

Mouraviev, F.A.1, Aref'ev, M.P.2, Silantiev, V.V.1, Khasanova, N.M.1,

Nizamutdinov, N.M.1 & Trifonov, A.A.3

1Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation 2Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences 3Kazan National Research Technical University Urzhumian (Wordian) and Severodvinian (Capitanian) successions of Monastery and Cheremushka ravines, represented by red-color continental lacustrine–alluvial deposits, are reference sections for the Permian of the Volga-Ural province. These sections are well-studied paleontologically with respect to tetrapods, fishes, bivalves, ostracods and terrestrial flora, and comprise the geomagnetic reversal between the Kiaman and Illawarra hyperzones. Paleosols were identified and described in more than twenty levels of these sections on the basis of paleopedological features: in situ roots, slickensides, gleyed zones, carbonate nodules, blocky peds etc. The main paleosol types from the studied sections are eluvial-illuvial gleysols and paleoloesses according to Naugolnykh (2004), or calcic gleysols and gleyed vertisols after Mack et al. (1993); host rocks are red-colored siltstones and mudstones. In order to reveal the mineralogy and lithogenic features of pedogenic carbonates, we have studied carbonate nodules from Bk horizons of paleosols near the geomagnetic Kiaman-Illawarra reversal. Samples were analyzed by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy, 13C and 18O isotopic analysis, X-ray diffraction and X-band EPR. Pedonodules occurring below the geomagnetic Kiaman-Illawarra reversal consist mainly of dolomicrite, whereas those from above this boundary consist of calcimicrite. EPR study of pedogenic nodules shows that, compared with sedimentary carbonates, they are characterized by a broadened spectrum of Mn2+ lines in carbonates, the almost complete absence of free organic radicals, as well as the presence of E' center signals in quartz and Fe3+ oxides belonging to the minerals of host rocks. SEM study allowed to detect a widespread presence of fossilized bacteriomorph filaments on the surface and edges of carbonate and clastic mineral grains. Coarser grains of diagenetic calcite in all types of pedonodules usually do not contain such filaments (Fig.1). The mineral composition of the filaments corresponds to that of the substrate grains, i.e. calcite/dolomite/silica. In carbonate nodules 13С values vary from 0,6 to -5,2 ‰ PDB and 18О values vary from 21 to 35 ‰ SMOW; in sedimentary carbonates 13С and 18О values vary from 2,6 to -3,2 ‰ PDB and from 22 to 35 ‰ SMOW respectively. There is a general regular lightening of 13C isotopic composition in pedogenic carbonates compared with sedimentary ones, which confirms the formation of the former under participation of the lighter carbon of biogenic origin. Thus, in the studied sections near the geomagnetic Kiaman-Illawarra reversal, there is a transition from a predominantly dolomite pedogenesis (where dolomite is the primary mineral) to predominantly calcite pedogenesis. Above the same boundary, alluvial-deltaic cross-bedded sandstones are common, and Severodvinian (Capitanian) species of tetrapods, fishes, non-marine ostracods, molluscs occur in abundance. These data may indicate a climatic change from arid conditions in Urzhumian (Wordian) time to semi-arid conditions in Severodvinian (Capitanian) age. Most likely, such changes could have been induced by a paleogeographic remodeling of river and basin morphology in the Volga-Ural region during earliest Upper Permian. A similar transition from dolomite to calcite pedogenesis has been revealed by Kearsey et al. (2011) at the Permian-Triassic boundary in the sedimentary successions of the Southern Urals.


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The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 13-05-00642 and by the subsidy of the Russian Government to support the Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University among World's Leading Academic Centers.

Fig. 1: SEM micrograph of dolomicrite pedonodule with filamentous structure and large diagenetic calcite grains (in the center). Monastery ravine, Middle Permian, Urzhumian (Wordian) stage. Kearsey, T., Twitchett, R.J. & Newell, A.J. (2012): The origin and significance of pedogenic dolomite from the Upper Permian of the South Urals of Russia. – Geol. Mag. 149(2): 291-307. Mack, G.H., James, W.C. & Monger, H.C. (1993): Classification of paleosols. – Geological Society of America Bulletin 105: 129-136. Naugolnykh S.V. (2004): Permian and Early Triassic paleosols. – In: Semikhatov, M.A. & Chumakov, N.M.: Climate in the Epoches of Major Biospheric Transformations, Moscow, Nauka: 221-229.


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Dating of Permian Pyrenean terrestrial record (NE Iberian Peninsula). Interbasinal tetrapod ichnology correlation

Mujal, E.1, Fortuny, J.2, Oms, O.1, Bolet, A.2, Galobart, À.2 & Anadón, P.3

1Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geologia. 08193 Bellaterra (Spain) 2Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Carrer Escola Industrial 23. 08201 Sabadell (Spain) 3Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera CSIC. Lluís Solé i Sabarís s.n. 08028 Barcelona (Spain) The limited ichnological tetrapod record of the continental red bed succession of the Pyrenean Permian (NE Iberian Peninsula) is here largely expanded after new findings. The aim of the present work is to highlight the faunal diversity by analyzing the tetrapod footprints with 3D techniques (i.e., photogrammetry), as well as inferring paleoenvironmental conditions of the studied localities. The tetrapod ichnoassemblage is composed of Batrachichnus salamandroides, cf. B. salamandroides, Limnopus isp., Amphisauropus isp., cf. Ichniotherium cottae, I. sphaerodactylum, Dromopus isp., Varanopus curvidactylus, Hyloidichnus isp. and Dimetropus leisnerianus. These ichnotaxa suggest the presence of temnospondyl amphibians, basal amniotes such as seymouriamorphs and diadectomorphs, captorhinid eureptiles and synapsid pelycosaurs as potential trackmakers. Several invertebrate traces, dominated by Notostraca ichnites, are identified on the ichnoassemblage, while plant remains are very scarce. Trace fossils are yielded in two ichnoassociations corresponding to different sedimentary deposits, showing that the taxonomical composition of each association is subjected to the paleoenvironmental conditions. The first ichnoassociation is in meandering fluvial system deposits, while the second one is in unconfined runoff surfaces. In comparison with basins bearing similar ichnoassemblages (from Central Pangea and Central Europe), the tentative age assignation is middle-late Early Permian. The proximity to the Pangea equatorial part and the unsuspected fossil richness situate the Pyrenean basin as an important region for the understanding of the Permian terrestrial fauna evolution and the potential establishment of paleobiogeographic patterns.


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The long terrestrial succession from the Late Carboniferous to Triassic of the Pyrenean basin (NE Iberian Peninsula)

Mujal, E.1, Oms, O.1, Fortuny, J.2, Bolet, A.2, Marmi, J.2 & Galobart, À.2

1Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geologia. 08193 Bellaterra, Spain 2Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Carrer Escola Industrial 23. 08201 Sabadell, Spain The Late Carboniferous to Triassic continental record of the Pyrenean basin starts with the well-dated Carboniferous volcaniclastic rocks from the Erillcastell Formation. The latter is covered by the sedimentary succession of the Malpàs Fm. (fluviolacustrine), Peranera Fm. (volcanoclastic and fluvioalluvial) and Buntsandstein facies (fluvial). All these sediments have a thickness of about 1000 m, recording the end of the Variscan cycle, and can be traced more than 150 km. The Malpàs Fm. contains a remarkable record of plant megafossils, which are under study. The Peranera Fm. is a red-bed succession of mainly volcanoclastic deposits (ignimbrites and sporadic cinerites) with intervals of reworked deposits by fluvial systems. The water reworked deposits yield a wide variety of tetrapod ichnotaxa and several invertebrate traces. After a very well exposed angular unconformity, the Triassic Buntsandstein facies also contains small tetrapod footprints. The marine influenced Muschelkalk facies overlie this terrestrial succession. The Permian lithostratigraphic and ichnologic successions resemble those of the neighboring basins (i.e., Peña Sagra in the Spanish Cantabrian Mountains, Lodève in France, and Northern Africa basins). The Permian-Triassic boundary is likely to have been eroded as indicated by an angular unconformity. On the other hand, the Permocarboniferous boundary is likely to be represented somewhere. Despite the limited geological and ichnological knowledge of the area, preliminary results suggest that it has a good potential to record an interesting and long Late Paleozoic to Triassic record from central Pangea.


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Significance of newly discovered Late Carboniferous and Permo-Triassic Strata, North and Northwestern Sudan

Nafi, M.1,3, El Amein, A.1, Salih, K.2, El Dawi, M.2 & Brügge, N.4

1Faculty of Earth Sciences and Mining, Department of Petroleum Geology, University of Dongola, Sudan 2Faculty of Petroleum & minerals , Al-Neelain University, Sudan 3Eritrea Institute of Technology (EIT), College of Engineering and Technology, Department of Mining Engineering 4Germany The strata of Northern Sudan (Wadi Haifa, Jebel Toshka and Argein areas) have been mapped before as Cretaceous sediment and no Paleozoic strata are known from eastern Egypt west of the river Nile and from northern Sudan. Recent work in Northerly and Northwestern Sudan (Wadi Halfa, Argein, Lakia Arabian, Jebel Toshka), indicated the presence of marine and continental sediments ranging in age from Late Carboniferous to Permo-Triassic age. A major cycle of regressive and transgressive lithofacies consists of diamictites, varves with dropstones, sandstones, conglomeritic sandstone, siltstones, shales and thin beds of Oolitic ironstone, suggesting tillites, glaciofluvial-glaciolacustrine to marine depositional environments. The age assignment is based on the presence of plant fossils aff. Sigillaria sp., Sigillaria aff. boblayi, Rhodea aff. lontzenensis, aff. Walchia sp., Paleoweichselia aff. defrancei, Calamites sp., and Pterophyllum nubiense, Pecopteridae aff. Paleoweichselia, aff. Ginkgoites, aff. Coniferales. Marine sediments were indicated by the presence of ichnofossils e.g. Arthrophycus sp., Rhizocorallium sp., Skolithos sp. Towards the end of the Permo-Triassic boundary, the lithology is marked by presence of huge quantities silicified Dadoxylon trees. The Permo-Carboniferous glacial clastic sediments were proved to be prospective for hydrocarbon (oil and gas) in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and Oman. The Middle to Late Jurassic and Cretaceous (Aptian) marginal marine strata, have been approved to be a source rock for hydrocarbon generation in Kom Ombo Basin (South Egypt). Similar strata have been observed in Northerly and Northwestern Sudan; which might have played source rock for hydrocarbon generation in Northern and Northwestern Sudanese sedimentary Basins. The glaciofluvial-glaciolacustrine observed in these areas, are dominated by course-to medium- grained sandstone of good quality reservoir facies. These reservoirs rock might have sealed by Cretaceous-Eocene shales, thus the hydrocarbons probably might have generated, migrated, accumulated and trapped in suitable structures within the glaciofluvial-glaciolacustrine and marine sediments. Moreover, a large deposit of oolitic iron ore of Late Carboniferous age was discovered in Wadi Halfa and Argein areas. The estimated geological reserve is about 1.234 billion tons above 41.29 % Fe.


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Fig. 1: (A) showing Pecopteridae aff. Paleoweichselia (Stephanian - Permian), Wadi Halfa area, North Sudan; (B) showing Pterophyllum nubiense, found in the top of the upper part of Gebel Toshka, (Permian -L. Jurassic), North Sudan; (C) showing Pterophyllum nubiense, found in the top of the upper part of Gebel Toshka, (Permian - L. Jurassic), North Sudan; (D) showing Paleoweichselia aff. defrancei, Late Carboniferous (Westphalien), Wadi Halfa area, North Sudan; (E) showing Rhodea aff. lontzenensis. (Namurian - Westphalian), Argein area, North Sudan; (F) showing diamictites (Tillite), interpreted as glacial deposits (Late Carboniferous-Early Permian), Argein Area, North Sudan; (G) showing Pecopteridae aff. Paleoweichselia (Stephanian - Permian), Lakia Arabian Area, North Sudan; (H) showing Walchia sp., Late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian), Argein area, North Sudan.


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New high-precision U-Pb CA-TIMS zircon ages from the Late Paleozoic continental basins of the Czech Republic

Opluštil, S.1 & Schmitz, M.2

1Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic 2Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA The Variscan Orogeny resulting from Devonian-Carboniferous convergence of the Gondwana and Laurussia supercontinents and intercalated terranes generated number of sedimentary basins of different paleogeographic/geotectonic positions and of tectono-sedimentary histories. While the significant part of succession of major basins located along the Variscan foreland is either marine or paralic allowing for correlation between regional and global stages and marine and terrestrial biozones, the correlation of purely continental basins traditionally relies on terrestrial flora and fauna biozones with limited possibility of correlation among individual basins and to global stages. However, these fault-related continental basins record climatic signal and related biotic response and their study is, therefore, important for full understanding of Late Paleozoic climatic and biotic dynamics. This is also the case of the post-orogenic continental basins in the Czech Republic formed since the end of Early Pennsylvanian times. Two centuries of their investigations resulted in reasonably well-established lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy based on flora (macroflora and palynology) and on terrestrial and/or freshwater vertebrate and invertebrate (e.g. insect) fauna. In addition to the existing biozones, a high-precision U-Pb CA-TIMS zircon geochronology has been applied. Till now, ages from 15 ash beds intercalated in lower Moscovian (Bolsovian) to lower Asselian strata of the central and western Bohemian basin complex (Pilsen, Radnice and Kladno-Rakovník basins) and from 5 ash beds/ignimbrites from the Intra-Sudetic and the Krkonoše-piedmont basins located on the Saxothuringian terrane have been obtained. These new data with ~0.05% age resolution will allow to better constrain calibration of particular lithostratigraphic units and hiatuses and to significantly improve the internal basin stratigraphy and correlation among individual basins. The early Asselian age has been proved for upper part of the Líně Formation in the central and western Bohemian basins. Calibration of lithostratigraphic units further allow for estimation of mechanisms responsible for generation of their cyclic pattern. It is also expected that these new radiometric ages will improve calibration of regional stages and terrestrial/freshwater floristic and faunistic biozones and thus allow for their more precise correlation to global stratigraphic chart. This research was supported by the grant projects GAČR P210-11-1431 and P210-12-2053.


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The conodonts of the genus Lochriea around the Visean/Serpukhovian boundary (Mississippian) at the Naqing section, South China

Qi, Y.1, Nemyrovska, T.2, Wang, X.-D.1, Wang, Q.1 & Hu, K.1

1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China 2Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, O.Gonchar Str. 55-b, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine Abundance of P1 elements of the Lochriea species with wide morphological variability throughout the Upper Visean - Lower Serpukhovian boundary interval in the Naqing section enables to confirm and refine the lineages within the Lochriea genus proposed before (Nemirovskaya, Perret & Meischner, 1994, p. 312; Skompski et al., 1995, p. 180-181; Nemyrovska, 2005, p. 25; Nemyrovska, 2006). Extensive studies of the conodonts across the Visean/Serpukhovin boundary in Europe and Asia have brought additional data for the usage of the global First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the conodont Lochriea ziegleri in the lineage Lochriea nodosa - L. ziegleri for the definition and correlation of the base of the Serpukhovian Stage. L. nodosa is considered as the species with nodes or ridges on both sides of the platform. In this case, L. costata is not treated as a separate species, but just a part of the variation. But some workers mentioned L. costata and L. monocostata in their distribution charts. Maybe we should reconsider the importance (although probably not stratigraphical) of the distinction between the nodded and ridged species of Lochriea with poor ornamentation as it was done before with the species of Lochriea with rich ornamentation (Nemirovskaya, Perret & Meischner, 1994). Two hypothetical lineages – one of the nodded Lochriea species such as L. mononodosa – L. nodosa – L. senckenbergica and L. multinodosa, and another lineage of the ridged Lochriea species such as L. monocostata – L. costata –L. crucifromis are proposed. The derivation of L. ziegleri from either L. nodosa or L. costata is discussed. The present paper is the first attempt to sort out the numerous much variable species of Lochriea across the Visean/Serpukhovian boundary in the Naqing section, South China. Nemyrovskaya, T.I., Perret-Mirouse, M.-F. & Meischner, D. (1994): Lochriea ziegleri and Lochriea senckenbergica

new conodont species from the latest Visean and Serpukhovian in Europe. – Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 168: 311-317.

Nemyrovska, T.I., Perret-Mirouse, M.-F. & Weyant, M. (2006): The early Visean (Carboniferous) conodonts from the Saoura Valley, Algeria. – Acta Geologica Polonica 56(3): 361-370.

Nemyrovska, T.I. (2005): Late Visean/early Serpukhovian conodont succession from the Triollo section, Palencia (Cantabrian Mountains, Spain). – Scripta Geologica 129: 13-89.

Skompski, S., Alekseev, A., Meischner, D., Nemirovskaya, T.I., Perret, M.-F. & Varker, W.J. (1995): Conodont distribution across the Viséan/Namurian boundary. – Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 188: 177-209.


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Nonmarine-marine correlations and the international Carboniferous time scale

Barry C. Richards

Geological Survey of Canada-Calgary, 3303 33 St. N.W. Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2L 2A7 Using conodonts and foraminifers from carbonate-dominant slope to basinal lithofacies, GSSPs for many Carboniferous series and stage boundaries have either been ratified or will be shortly; however, the precise correlation of the system’s series and stage boundaries into most of the vast continental successions has not been achieved. From the latest Devonian into the late Viséan (Middle Mississippian), marine environments prevailed over vast regions on the major continental plates, particularly Laurussia, the South China Block, and southern margins of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. But from the latest Viséan through the Pennsylvanian, continental environments became progressively more extensive. By the Middle to Late Pennsylvanian, the marine settings had been extensively displaced, particularly on Gondwana and in the forelands of the Appalachian and Variscan orogens. During the Carboniferous, components of many major phyla became fully terrestrialized as recorded by the establishment of extensive coal swamps and upland forests, appearance of reptiles, and evolution of diverse assemblages of amphibians and nonmarine invertebrates. The increasing continentality resulted largely from orogenic and epeirogenic uplift associated with the main assembly phase of the supercontinent Pangea but oscillatory low sea levels comparable to those of the Quaternary and resulting from the waxing and waning of extensive alpine and continental ice sheets were a major factor. The Carboniferous comprises the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian subsystems and Tournaisian, Viséan, Serpukhovian, Bashkirian, Moscovian, Kasimovian and Gzhelian stages in ascending order. GSSPs define the base (358.9 Ma; co-incident with Mississippian-Devonian boundary) and top of the Carboniferous (298.9 Ma; co-incident with Pennsylvanian-Permian boundary). Bases of the Tournaisian, Viséan (346.7 Ma) and Bashkirian (323.2 Ma; co-incident with base of Pennsylvanian) are fixed by GSSPs, but the Devonian-Tournaisian boundary (defined by FAD of conodont Siphonodella sulcata in slope carbonates at La Serre, France) is being contested. The FAD of foraminifer Eoparastaffella simplex defines the Tournaisian/Viséan boundary GSSP in the Chinese Pengchong section (carbonate turbidites). The basal Pennsylvanian GSSP, defined by the FAD of conodont Declinognathodus noduliferus s.l., lies in neritic carbonates at Arrow Canyon, Nevada, U.S.A. The FAD of conodont Streptognathodus isolatus defines the Gzhelian/Permian boundary GSSP in Aidaralash section (shallow-shelf deposits), Kazakhstan. Definitions have been proposed for bases of the Serpukhovian (330.9 Ma; FAD of conodont Lochriea ziegleri) and Gzhelian (ca. 303.7 Ma; FAD of conodont Idiognathodus simulator s.s.); carbonate basin and slope successions in China and the Ural Mountains of Russia contain their GSSP candidate sections. Several conodonts and fusulinids have been recently proposed as indices for the basal Moscovian GSSP (315.2 Ma) but only FADs of Diplognathodus ellesmerensis, and Declinognathodus donetzianus have received substantial support from SCCS task-group members. The FADs of the conodonts Idiognathodus turbatus and Idiognathodus sagittalis are considered to have the best potential for fixing the basal Kasimovian GSSP. To adequately understand the paleogeography, paleoclimate, paleoceanography, and interrelation of biologic and geologic processes in the Carboniferous, we require an exact correlation between marine and nonmarine deposits. Consequently, there is an urgent need to allocate a greater component of the Carboniferous Subcommission’s resources and expertise on marine – nonmarine correlations. Considerable success on correlating between continental and marine successions at the substage level has been achieved in some basins through the use of palynomorphs, and radiometric dating. Such methods have also permitted close correlations with some ratified GSSPs and GSSP candidates. Unfortunately, suitable volcanics for radiometric dating are rare to absent in many continental deposits, sections containing ratified GSSPs, and candidate boundary- stratotype


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sections under evaluation. Also, palynomorphs are rare to absent in the carbonate-dominant sections containing the GSSPs. In order to achieve an exact correlation in many nonmarine successions, a multi-proxy approach is required that includes chemostratigraphy, sequence stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, magnetic susceptibility, magnetostratigraphy, and nontraditional methods.

Fig. 1: Stratigraphy of the Carboniferous.


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Facies analysis and evolution of the Permian and Triassic volcano-sedimentary succession in the Eastern Pyrenees (Spain) and its regional correlation in the western Peri-Tethys

Ronchi, A.1, Gretter, N.1, López-Gómez, J.2, Arche, A.2,

De la Horra, R.3, Barrenechea, J.2 & Lago, M.4 1Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy 2Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC,UCM) C/ José Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain 3Departamento de Estratigrafía, Facultad de Geología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain 4Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, c/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50.009 Zaragoza, Spain In the eastern (Catalan) Pyrenees three main intracontinental Palaeozoic sub-basins were filled by a wonderfully preserved megasequence of clastic sediments and volcanic rocks: the Estac, the Gramós and the Castellar de N’Hug-Camprodón troughs. They have been recently reinvestigated in order to obtain more detailed and multidisciplinary data on their stratigraphic stacking patterns, sedimentary facies, paleoenvironments and paleoclimatic evolution through the Late Carboniferous to Middle Triassic time-span. Our stratigraphic architecture groups the units of Gisbert (1981), into three main tectono-sedimentary sequences, as follows. Tectono-sedimentary Unit 1 (TSU1): a) the Gray unit (GU, 400 meter-thick), represents the first deposits mostly made up of mainly volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. This Unit shows slope breccias at the base, grey sandstones and conglomerates characterizing the apical part of alluvial fan body, with laminated lacustrine sediments. These facies are laterally interspaced by volcaniclastic and pyroclastic bodies, together with several andesitic lavas. It rests unconformably over the basement and, on the basis of fossil floras, is Stephanian B-C in age; b) the Transition unit (TU, 280 meter-thick) is mostly characterized by a detrital succession of volcanic and volcaniclastic sequence, grading upwards to grey sandstones and micro-conglomerates interspaced by grey and reddish siltstones. Reddish/greenish coarse grained siltstones with thin levels of carbonate nodules, can also be found at the top of this succession. Unlike other areas, in the Seu de Urgell zone the TU rests conformably on the underlying Grey Unit. Owing to the macrofloristic content, the age of the TU is still the subject of uncertainty; however its attribution to the early-middle Autunian is very plausible (i.e latest Gzhelian-upper Asselian); c) the Lower Red unit (LRU) is dominated by alluvial fan sediments and meandering river flood-plain deposits, including channels, overbank fines and palaeosols; this fining upwards sequence generally characterized the lower part of the unit (500 m) which grades upwards to red debris flow and stream flood deposits (300 m). Subordinate interbedded volcaniclastic bodies also occur with decreasing amount moving upwards. Inferred age is late Autunian to post Autunian (i.e. early Sakmarian to late Cisuralian); d) above the LRU, the onset of the Upper Red Unit (URU, about 400 meter-thick), is defined by an angular unconformity. The URU is mainly composed of red conglomerates, sandstones and siltstones also with carbonate nodules and lacustrine deposits, arranged in two fining upwards megasequences with a number of interbedded volcanic bodies. On the basis of vertebrate remains and regional correlations, the age of such unit could be likely referred to a generic Middle Permian. As it is bounded by two unconformities, the URU can be considered a sequence in itself. Anyway, any Late Permian sequence (TSU2) is apparently missing in the Pyrenees, while witnesses of such deposits maybe occur in the Iberian Ranges and in the Southern Alps. Up to now, however, neither the biostratigraphical data nor the tecto-sedimentary data can decide if the URU belong to the TSU1 or TSU2 of these latter areas. Tectono-sedimentary Unit 3 (TSU3): on top of Permian succession, the fluvial Buntsandstein sedimentation started with an oligomictic quartz rich conglomerate followed by sandstones and shales in a fining upwards sequence. The dark red fine clastics above this first coarse unit, give an


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Anisian age. The Buntsandstein assumes a constant thickness of 200 m in the whole studied area and unconformably overlies the URU Unit. Petrographic-geochemical data add important information both on the volcanic- volcaniclastic bodies which are intercalated to the sedimentary facies and the clayey intervals The mineral assemblage within the lutites and siltstones of these units is composed of microcrystalline irregular to sub-rounded quartz grains (frequently showing a thin hematite coating), with minor feldspar, and relatively large (up to 100 µm) detrital hematite, chlorite and partially kaolinized mica flakes, in a clayey matrix dominated by illite, chlorite and hematite. Calcite is present in many paleosol levels. The accessory minerals include euhedral to subhedral apatite, rutile Ti-rich hematite and ilmenite. New palaeontological findings in the LRU, URU and Buntsandstein, particularly vertebrate remains and tetrapod footprints also gave precious hints for a possible chronostratigraphic attribution. On the basis of such new data-set a regional correlation (following partly Broutin et al., 1994; Bourquin et al. 2001, López-Gómez et al., 2002 and Cassinis et al., 2012 works) has been attempted with areas which were likely close in Late Palaeozoic times, i.e. Sardinia, the Lodévois and W Provence. On the contrary, major differences were encountered in finding similarities with the successions of the Iberian Ranges, the Catalan Coastal Ranges and the Southern Alps. This picture suggests significant elements to unravel the paleogeographic scenario and also the crucial geodynamic evolution during the Permian and PT boundary times. Bourquin, S., Bercovici, A., López-Gómez, J., Díez, J.B., Broutin, J., Ronchi, A., Durand, M., Arche, A., Linol, L. & Amour, F. (2011): The Permian–Triassic transition and the onset of Mesozoic sedimentation at the northwestern peri-Tethyan domain scale: palaeogeographic maps and geodynamic implications. – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 299: 265-280. Broutin, J., Cabanis, B., Chateauneuf, J.J. & Deroin, J.P. (1994): Évolution biostratigraphique magmatique et tectonique du domaine paléotéthysien occidental (SW de l’Europe): implications paléogéographiques au Permien inférieur. – Bull. Soc. géol. France 165 (2): 163-179. Cassinis, G., Perotti, C. & Ronchi, A. (2012): Permian continental basins in the Southern Alps (Italy) and peri- mediterranean correlations. – Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 101:129-15. Gisbert, P. (1981): Estudio geológico–petrológico del Stephaniense–Pérrmico de la sierra del Cadí. Diagénesis y sedimentología. – Tesis Doctoral Dep. Petrología, Universidad de Zaragoza, España, 314 pp. López-Gómez, J., Arche, A. & Pérez-López, A. (2002): Permian and Triassic. – In: Gibbons, W. & Moreno, M.T. (eds.): The Geology of Spain, Geol. Soc., London: 185– 212.


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Carboniferous-Permian Nonmarine-Marine Correlation Working Group – new results and future tasks

Schneider, J.W.1,6, Lucas, S.G.2, Barrick, J.3, Werneburg, R.4, Shcherbakov, D.E.5, Silantev, VV.6, Shen, S.7, Saber, H.8, Belahmira, A.8, Scholze, F.1 & Rößler, R.9

1TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B. v. Cotta-Str. 2, D-09596 Freiberg, Germany 2New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104, USA 3Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Box 41053, Lubbock, Texas, 79409, USA 4Naturhistorisches Museum Schloss Bertholdsburg, Burgstr. 6, D-98553 Schleusingen, Germany 5Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, Moscow 117647, Russia 6Kazan Federal University, ul. Kremlevskya 16, Kazan, 420008, Russia 7Nanjing Institute of Geology & Palaeontology, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China 8Department of Geology, Chouaib Doukkali University, B.P. 20, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco 9Museum für Naturkunde, Moritzstraße 20, D-09111 Chemnitz, Germany The Late Carboniferous and the Permian was a time in Earth’s history of an exceptionally low global sea level because of the Late Palaeozoic glaciations and low sea floor spreading rates. Of the two largest components of the Palaeozoic supercontinent Pangea, Gondwana occupied an area of about 73 million km2, but was only about 15% covered by epi-continental seas, whereas Laurussia occupied an area of about 65 million km2, but was only about 25% covered by epi-continental seas. Consequently, most of the sediments were stored on land, including widespread coal and salt deposits as well as reservoir rocks for natural gas of high economic value. Additionally, the Carboniferous and Permian were the time of enhanced terrestrialization and rapid diversification of the biota on land, and the time when at the end of the Middle and the Late Permian the most severe mass extinctions occurred in both the marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Unfortunately, the understanding of the interactions of abiotic and biotic processes in the seas and on land and the interactions between both “mega-habitats” is still hampered by the largely missing correlation of marine and nonmarine stratigraphic scales. During the last four years the Pennsylvanian-Cisuralian time scale was highly improved by numerous ID-TIMS U-Pb zircon ages from the Donets basin (Davydov et al., 2010) and the type region of the Carboniferous/Permian boundary in the Pre-Uralian foredeep (Schmitz and Davydov, 2012). Based on these isotopic ages, quantitative marine biostratigraphy, and cyclostratigraphy, a robust and consistent correlation chart for East Europe and North America (Davydov et al., 2012) as well as precise Carboniferous and Permian global timescales are available now (Davydov et al., 2012; Henderson et al., 2012; Shen et al., 2013). Moreover, during the last three decades increasing progress has been made to correlate the exclusively terrestrial Late Pennsylvanian and Early Permian deposits of the European basins based on biozones of cockroachoid insects (Blattodea, Spiloblattinidae) and of small branchiosaurid amphibians (Temnospondyli, Dissorophoidea) (Schneider, 1982; Werneburg, 1989a,b; for details see Schneider & Werneburg, 2006, 2012). Since Schneider (1982), occurrences of spiloblattinids in North American basins have been included in the deduction and construction of a species-chronocline-based insect zonation, and single occurrences of conodont-dated insect beds in the North American Midcontinent basin have been used for tentative links to the global marine scale. Despite this, the link to marine standard sections, as shown, for example, in the correlation charts of Roscher & Schneider (2005) and Schneider & Werneburg (2006), was based primarily on scattered and often ambiguous isotopic ages from the latest Stephanian and the Lower Rotliegend (Gzhelian to early Sakmarian) of Germany (cf. Menning et al., 2006; Lützner et al., 2007). Regrettably, for most of the Late Pennsylvanian and Early Permian, isotopic ages are rare in either terrestrial or marine deposits (Breitkreuz et al., 2009; Davydov et al., 2010; Falcon-Lang et al., 2011; Pointon et al., 2012). During the past few years the situation has improved considerably with the detailed investigation of nearshore coastal marine and terrestrial deposits with interbedded conodont- and/or


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fusulinid-bearing marine horizons and brackish water to freshwater insect-bearing deposits in New Mexico (Schneider et al., 2004, 2013; Lucas et al., 2011, 2013) as well as by the discovery of insect horizons in similar mixed marine/nonmarine strata in the Donets basin in 2012. At present, the following levels can be correlated directly to the global marine scale by co-occurrences of marine and nonmarine zone fossils. Isotopic ages are used as support if they are consistent with the biostratigraphic data. The marine-lagoonal deposits of the Tinajas Member, Atrasado Formation, of the Kinney Quarry, New Mexico, contain the spiloblattinid zone species S. allegheniensis form K (Schneider in Lucas et al., 2011). About 3 m below the stratigraphic level of the quarry a 0.3-m-thick fusulinid wackestone occurs, which is dated as Early/Middle Missourian (late Early Kasimovian). The conodont fauna from unit 1, a marine limestone at the quarry floor, is provisionally assigned to the Middle Missourian, Early to Middle Kasimovian, Idiognathodus confragus Zone of the Midcontinent conodont zonation by Barrick in Lucas et al. (2011). Consequently, the Western European Late Stephanian A/Early Stephanian B equates to the Middle Missourian or Middle Kasimovian, respectively, based on Schneider & Werneburg (2006, 2012). The type horizon of the zone species Syscioblatta lawrenceana of the Sysciophlebia rubida-Syscioblatta lawrenceana zone is the Lawrence Shale of the homonymous formation, Lower Douglas Group, Midcontinent basin of Kansas. This formation belongs to the Cass cyclothem at the base of the Virgilian and is assigned to the Streptognatodus zethus zone at the very base of the Virgilian or latest Kasimovian, respectively (Heckel, 2013; Barrick et al., 2013). The Early Virgilian Oread Limestone above the Lawrence Shale belongs to the Idiognathodus simulator zone, which defines the base of the Gzhelian (Barrick et al., 2008). With regard to Western Europe (occurrence in the Krkonoše-Piedmont basin, Czech Republic), the S. rubida-Sbl. lawrenceana zone is situated in the Stephanian B (Schneider & Werneburg, 2006, 2012). The top of the Western European (biostratigraphic) Stephanian is tentatively set now at 300 Ma in the latest Gzhelian based on intrusion ages of volcanites published by Breitkreuz et al. (2009) and defined by the LAD of Sysciophlebia euglyptica (Schneider et al., 2013). The base of the European (lithostratigraphic) Rotliegend is marked by the FAD of the subsequent zone species Sysciophlebia ilfeldensis and the slightly higher base of the Apateon dracyiensis-Melanerpeton sembachense amphibian zone. Consequently, the Sysciophlebia ilfeldensis zone stretches across the Ghzelian/Asselian boundary, which is supported by the occurrence in the Streptognathodus nevaensis conodont zone of the Red Tanks Member, Bursum Formation, of New Mexico, which is Early to Middle Asselian in age (Lucas et al. 2013). Accordingly, an Early or Middle Asselian to earliest Sakmarian range of both the subzones of the following Sysciophlebia balteata zone can be inferred. Given that the mean duration of a spiloblattinid insect zone is about 1.5 to 2 Ma, the upper limit of the S. balteata zone is Early Sakmarian. This is in good agreement with the 289 + 4 Ma (Pb/Pb) transitional Asselian/Sakmarian age for the Upper Buxieres Formation of the Bourbon I'Archambault Basin in France, where the succeeding S. alligans zone together with the Melanerpeton pusillum-M. gracile amphibian zone was demonstrated (Werneburg, 2003; Schneider & Werneburg, 2012). The last reliable isotopic age of 290.6 + 1.8 Ma (SHRIMP U–Pb) for Central Europe and the whole Euramerica too comes from the Chemnitz Petrified Forest pyroclastics, but unfortunately no insect or amphibian zone species has been found so far in the ongoing excavations (Rößler et al., 2013). Unfortunately, this is the last direct link to the marine scale before the Late Permian marine Zechstein transgression into the Central European Southern Permian basin, which is dated by the conodont Mesogondolella britannica as Wuchiapingian (Legler et al., 2005; Legler and Schneider, 2008). That means that for about 30 my, beginning in the Middle Cisuralian and lasting up to the Early Lopingian, no link of Euramerican continental deposits to the marine standard scale exists! Promising areas for Middle to Late Permian continental biostratigraphy and links to the marine scale are the Lodéve basin in Southern France (Schneider et al., 2006), the classical type regions of the Permian on the Russian platform e.g. the Volga-Kama region in Tatarstan (Silantiev, 2014) as


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well as mixed marine/continental sequences in South and North China (Shen et al., 2011). We have increasing biostratigraphic data for correlations with North Africa (Hmich et al., 2006; Voigt et al., 2010) but not for the Gondwana-Euramercia correlation – this is one of the major gaps in our knowledge! Of course, we have data for continental-continental correlations, as, for example, the land-vertebrate faunachrons of Lucas (2005, 2006), the tetrapod biostratigraphy of Russian workers, e.g., Golubev (2000), and some scattered isotopic ages from the Karoo basin (Bangert et al., 1999; Stollhofen et al., 2000). Fortunately Late Permian/Early Triassic conchostracan biostratigraphy supported by isotopic ages from South and North China is in progress by the Sino-German Cooperation group on Late Palaeozoic Palaeobiology, Stratigraphy and Geochemistry. But substantial progress could only be reached by global coordinated cooperation and sampling of all the scattered data – that will be the main task of Nonmarine-Marine Correlation Working Group. We need your personal knowledge on the basin(s) you are working on! All stratigraphic information is required. The synthesis of those data from as many continental basins as possible, especially of those with mixed non-marine/marine deposits, will be the solution of problems of cross correlation of marine and continental chronologies, phenomena, and processes. Bangert, B., Armstrong, R., Stollhofen, H. & Lorenz, V. (1999): The geochronology and significance of ash-fall tuffs in the glaciogenic Carboniferous-Permian Dwyka Group of Namibia and South Africa. – Journal of African Earth Sciences 29: 33-49. Barrick, J.E., Heckel, P.H. & Boardman, D.R. (2008): Revision of the conodont Idiognathodus simulator (Ellison, 1941), the marker species for the base of the Late Pennsylvanian global Gzhelian Stage. – Micropaleontology 54: 125-137. Barrick, J.E., Lambert, L.L., Heckel, P.H., Rosscoe, S.J. & Boardman, D.R. (2013): Midcontinent Pennsylvanian conodont zonation. – Stratigraphy 10(1–2): 55-72. Breitkreuz, C., Ehling, B.-C. & Sergeev, S. (2009): Chronological evolution of an intrusive/extrusive system: the Late Paleozoic Halle Volcanic Complex in the northeastern Saale Basin (Germany). – Zeitschrift der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften 160(2): 173-190. Davydov, V.I., Crowley, J.L., Schmitz, M.D. & Poletaev, V.I. (2010): High-precision U-Pb zircon age calibration of the global Carboniferous time scale and Milankovitch band cyclicity in the Donets Basin, eastern Ukraine. – Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 11: Q0AA04, doi:10.1029/2009GC002736. Davydov, V.I., Korn, D. & Schmitz, M.D., (2012): The Carboniferous Period. – In: Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Schmitz, M.D. & Ogg, G.M. (eds.): The Geologic Time Scale 2012. – Elsevier, Amsterdam: 603-651. Falcon-Lang, H.J., Heckel, P., DiMichele, W.A., Blake, B.M., Easterday, C., Eble, C., Elrick, S., Gastaldo, R.A., Greb, S.F., Martino, R.L., Nelson, W.J., Pfefferkorn, H.W., Phillips, T.L. & Rosscoe, S.J. (2011): No evidence for a major unconformity at the Desmoinesian-Missourian boundary in North America. – Palaios 26: 25-139. Golubev, V.K. (2000): The Faunal Assemblages of Permian Terrestrial Vertebrates from Eastern Europe. – Paleontological Journal 34, Suppl. 2: S211-S224. Heckel, P.H. (2013): Pennsylvanian stratigraphy of Northern Midcontinent Shelf and biostratigraphic correlation of cyclothems. – Stratigraphy 10(1–2): 3-39. Henderson, C.M., Davydov, V.I. & Wardlaw, B.R. (2012): The Permian Period. – In: Gradstein, F.M., Ogg, J.G., Schmitz, M.D. & Ogg, G.M. (eds.): The Geological Timescale 2012, 2. – Amsterdam, Elsevier: 653-680. Hmich, D., Schneider, J.W., Saber, H., Voigt, S. & El Wartiti, M. (2006): New continental Carboniferous and Permian faunas of Morocco: implications for biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography and palaeoclimate. – In: Lucas, S.G., Cassinis, G. & Schneider, J.W. (eds.): Non-Marine Permian Biostratigraphy and Biochronology. – Geological Society, London, Special Publications 265: 297-324. Legler, B., Gebhardt, U. & Schneider, J.W. (2005): Late Permian Non-Marine – Marine Transitional Profiles in the Central Southern Permian Basin, Northern Germany. – International Journal of Earth Sciences 94: 851-862. Legler, B. & Schneider, J.W. (2008): Marine ingressions in context to one million years cyclicity of Permian red-beds (Upper Rotliegend II, Southern Permian Basin, Northern Germany). – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 267: 102-114. Lucas, S. G. (2005): Permian tetrapod faunachrons. – New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 30: 197-201. Lucas, S.G. (2006): Global Permian tetrapod biostratigraphy and biochronology. – In: Lucas, S.G., Cassinis, G. & Schneider, J.W. (eds.): Non-marine Permian Biostratigraphy and Biochronology. – Geological Society, London, Special Publications 265: 65-93.


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Lucas, S.G., Allen, B.D., Krainer, K., Barrick, J.E., Vachard, D., Schneider, J.W., DiMichele, W.A. & Bashforth, A.R. (2011): Precise age and biostratigraphic significance of the Kinney Brick Quarry Lagerstätte, Pennsylvanian of New Mexico, USA. – Stratigraphy 8(1): 7-27. Lucas, S.G., Barrick, J., Krainer, K. & Schneider, J.W. (2013): The Carboniferous-Permian boundary at Carrizo Arroyo, Central New Mexico, USA. – Stratigraphy 10(3): 153-170. Lützner, H., Littmann, S., Mädler, J., Romer, R.L. & Schneider, J.W. (2007): Stratigraphic and radiometric age data for the continental Permocarboniferous reference-section Thüringer-Wald, Germany. – In: Wong, Th.E. (ed.): Proc. XVth Int. Congr. Carboniferous and Permian Stratigraphy, Utrecht 2003. – Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences: 161-174. Menning, M., Aleseev, A.S., Chuvashov, B.I., Favydov, V.I., Devuyst, F.-X., Forke, H.C., Grunt, T.A., Hance, L., Heckel, P.H., Izokh, N.G., Jin, Y.-G., Jones, P.J., Kotlyar, G.V., Kozur, H.W., Nemyrovska, T.I., Schneider, J.W., Wang, X.-D., Weddige, K., Weyer, D. & Work, D.M. (2006): Global time scale and regional stratigraphic reference scales of Central and West Europe, East Europe, Tethys, South China, and North America as used in the Devonian-Carboniferous-Permian Correlation Chart 2003 (DCP 2003). – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 240: 318-372. Pointon, M.A., Chew, D.M., Ovtcharova, M., Sevastopulo, G.D., and Crowley, Q.G. (2012): New high-precision U–Pb dates from western European Carboniferous tuffs; implications for time scale calibration, the periodicity of late Carboniferous cycles and stratigraphical correlation. – Journal of the Geological Society 169: 713-721. Roscher, M. & Schneider, J.W. (2005): An Annotated Correlation Chart for Continental Late Pennsylvanian and Permian Basins and the Marin Scale. – In: Lucas, S.G. & Zeigler, K.E. (eds.): The Nonmarine Permian. – New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 30: 282-291. Rößler, R., Zierold, T., Feng, Z., Kretzschmar, R., Merbitz, M., Annacker, V. & Schneider, J.W. (2012): A snapshot of an Early Permian ecosystem preserved by explosive volcanism: new results from the petrified forest of Chemnitz, Germany. – Palaois 27: 814-834. Schmitz, M.D. & Davydov, V.I. (2012): Quantitative radiometric and biostratigraphic calibration of the Pennsylvanian– Early Permian (Cisuralian) time scale and pan-Euramerican chronostratigraphic correlation. – Geological Society of America Bulletin 124: 549-577. Schneider, J. (1982): Entwurf einer Zonengliederung für das euramerische Permokarbon mittels der Spiloblattinidae (Blattoidea, Insecta). – Freiberger Forschungshefte C 375: 27-47. Schneider, J.W. & Werneburg, R. (2006): Insect biostratigraphy of the European late Carboniferous and early Permian. – In: Lucas, S.G., Cassinis, G. & Schneider J.W. (eds.): Non-marine Permian biostratigraphy and biochronology. – Geological Society Special Publication, London, 265: 325-336. Schneider, J.W. & Werneburg, R. (2012): Biostratigraphie des Rotliegend mit Insekten und Amphibien. – In: Deutsche Stratigraphische Kommission, Lützner, H. & Kowalczyk, G. (eds.): Stratigraphie von Deutschland X. Rotliegend. Teil I: Innervariscische Becken. – Schriftenreihe der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Geowissenschaften 61: 110-142. Schneider, J., Lucas, S.G. & Rowland, J.M. (2004): The Blattida (Insecta) fauna of Carrizo Arroyo, New Mexico – biostratigraphic link between marine and nonmarine Pennsylvanian/Permian boundary profiles. – New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 25: 247-262. Schneider, J.W., Körner, F., Roscher, M. & Kroner, U. (2006): Permian climate development in the northern peri- Tethys area – the Lodève basin, French Massif Central, compared in a European and global context. – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 240: 161-183. Schneider, J.W., Lucas, S.G. & Barrick, J. (2013): The Early Permian age of the Dunkard Group, Appalachian basin, U.S.A., based on spiloblattinid insect biostratigraphy. – International Journal of Coal Geology 119: 88-92. Shen, S.-Z., Crowley, J.L., Wang, Y., Bowring, S.A., Erwin, D.H., Sadler, P.M., Cao, C.-Q., Rothman, D.H., Henderson, C.M., Ramezani, J., Zhang, H., Shen, Y., Wang, X.-D., Wang, W., Mu, L., Li, W.-Z., Tang, Y.-G., Liu, X.-L., Liu, L.-J., Zeng, Y., Jiang, Y.-F. & Jin, Y.-G. (2011): Calibrating the End-Permian Mass Extinction. – Science 334: 1367-1372. Shen, S.-Z., Schneider, J.W., Angiolini, L. & Henderson, C.M. (2013): The international Permian timescale: March 2013 update. – New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science Bulletin 60: 411-416. Silantiev, V.V. (2014): Permian nonmarine bivalve zonation of the East European Platform. – Stratigraphy and Geological Correlation 22(1): 1-27. Stollhofen, H., Stanistreet, I.G., Bangert, B. & Grill, H. (2000): Tuffs, tectonism and glacially related sea-level changes, Carboniferous-Permian, southern Namibia. – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 161: 127- 150. Voigt, S., Hminna, A., Saber, H., Schneider, J.W. & Klein, H. (2010): Tetrapod footprints from the uppermost level of the Permian Ikakern Formation (Argana Basin, Western High Atlas, Morocco). – Journal of African Earth Sciences 57: 470-478. Werneburg, R. (1989a): Labyrinthodontier (Amphibia) aus dem Oberkarbon und Unterperm Mitteleuropas – Systematik, Phylogenie und Biostratigraphie. – Freiberger Forschungshefte C 436: 7-57. Werneburg, R. (1989b). Die Amphibienfauna der Manebacher Schichten (Unterrotliegendes, Unterperm) des Thüringer Waldes. – Veröffentlichungen des Naturhistorischen Museums Schleusingen 4: 55-68.


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Werneburg, R. (2003): The branchiosaurid amphibians from the Lower Permian of Buxières-les-Mines, Bourbon l’Archambault Basin (Allier, France) and its biostratigraphic significance. – Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 174(4): 1-7.


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Nonmarine–marine correlation of the Permian-Triassic boundary: First results from a new multistratigraphic research project

Scholze, F.1, Schneider, J.W.1, Wang, X.2 & Joachimski, M.3

1TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B. v. Cotta-Str. 2, D-09596 Freiberg, Germany 2Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 3GeoZentrum Nordbayern, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg Multistratigraphic methods including biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy and magnetostratigraphy are required in order to correlate nonmarine Permian–Triassic sections of the Germanic Basin with the marine GSSP. Our study focuses on the Zechstein–Buntsandstein transition in the Germanic Basin. There, the Fulda Formation is the uppermost lithostratigraphic unit of the Zechstein Group. The lower Fulda Formation consists of fine-grained sandy siltstones showing palaeopedogenetic overprinting (vertisols). Clay- to sandstones with internal flaser and lenticular bedding are characteristic for the upper Fulda Formation. The differences in the bedding style between lower and upper Fulda Formation are interpreted as a facies change from sabkha to playa lake deposits. The overlying Lower Buntsandstein is a lithostratigraphic subgroup divided into two formations, the Calvörde Formation at the base and the Bernburg Formation at the top. In the center of the Germanic Basin, both formations consist of fine-grained siliciclastics with intercalations of oolitic limestone. Towards the margins of the Germanic Basin, oolitic limestones are laterally replaced by fluvial sandstones and conglomerates. Previous workers placed the Permian–Triassic boundary at the base of the oolitic limestone horizon Alpha 2 in the lower part of Calvörde Formation by using magnetostratigraphy (e.g., Szurlies et al., 2004) in combination with δ13C chemostratigraphy as well as conchostracan biostratigraphy (e.g., Bachmann & Kozur, 2004). However, our first results from reinvestigation of the conchostracan fauna and the δ13C curve of the Zechstein–Buntsandstein transition in central Germany provide new data which question this position of the Permian–Triassic boundary. In particular, the conchostracan biostratigraphic correlation of the Falsisca verchojanica Zone with the Permian–Triassic boundary by previous workers (e.g., Bachmann & Kozur, 2004) is problematical in various aspects: firstly, the genus Falsisca Novojilov, 1970 is a younger synonym of Palaeolimnadiopsis Raymond, 1946. Secondly, the so called index species Falsisca verchojanica (Molin, 1965) should no longer be used since it was defined on poorly preserved and deformed holotype and paratype material (Goretzki, 2003). Moreover, the new conchostracans collected bed-by-bed in the key sections of central Germany neither confirm the occurrence of Falsisca verchojanica nor the earlier assumed range of the Late Permian Falsisca eotriassica Zone and Falsisca postera Zone of previous workers (e.g., Bachmann & Kozur, 2004). Our results suggest that the index species of these zones, Falsisca eotriassica (= Falsisca eotriassica eotriassica Kozur & Seidel, 1983) and Falsisca postera (= Falsisca eotriassica postera Kozur & Seidel, 1983), rather resemble the morphological highly variable taxa Magniestheria mangaliensis (Jones, 1862) and Palaeolimnadiopsis vilujensis Varenzov, 1955, respectively. Unfortunately, the holotypes of Falsisca eotriassica and Falsisca postera figured by Kozur & Seidel (1983) show unfavorable contours, because the photographs were cut directly along the outer margins of the valves. This leads to the problem that the concave recurvature of the upper posterior margin of Falsisca postera is rather suggestive. Another problem with the holotype of Falsisca eotriassica is in the small, smooth, free umbonal area figured in Kozur & Seidel (1983), because according to the original diagnosis given by Kozur & Seidel (1983) the smooth, free umbo was defined as to be large. Consequently, the real taxonomic range of Falsisca eotriassica and Falsisca postera could only be verified after reinvestigation of their holotypes. New isotope data (δ13Ccarb, δ

18Ocarb, δ13Corg) were measured from Zechstein and Lower

Buntsandstein sections in Thuringia (Caaschwitz quarry), Saxony-Anhalt (Nelben clay pit, Thale railway cut), and Hesse (Hergershausen clay pit). The data set covers a lithostratigraphic interval


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from the top of the Plattendolomit (Leine Formation) up to the middle of the Calvörde Formation. The isotope values of dolomite nodules from the sampled Zechstein interval range from -9.7 to -0.2 ‰ (δ13Ccarb) and -9.7 to 2.9 ‰ (δ18Ocarb). In oolitic limestones and carbonate cemented sandstones of the Calvörde Formation, the values range from -5.7 to -1.3 ‰ (δ13Ccarb) and -10.0 to -6.5 ‰ (δ18Ocarb). The δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb values show multiple positive and negative excursions. Additionally, the amplitudes of peaks in the δ18Ocarb curve of the calcareous sandstones show positive correlation with the carbonate content. In contrast to previous workers (e.g., Bachmann & Kozur, 2004), the δ13Ccarb and δ18Ocarb values are interpreted to reflect lithological properties (diagenesis) instead of chemostratigraphic signals. The δ13Corg values range from -28.7 to -21.7 ‰. The δ13Corg values reflect an important shift of from heavier to lighter values at the base of the upper Fulda Formation in the Caaschwitz section. The shift correlates with the above mentioned change from sabkha to playa facies. The results suggest that changes of both sedimentary facies and δ13Corg signatures are controlled by climatic changes. This assumption is very well supported by similar δ13Corg shifts at the base of the upper Fulda Formation recently reported from northern Germany (Hiete et al., 2013). Furthermore, our data indicate another similar change in δ13Corg values between oolite horizons Alpha 2 and Beta 1 (Calvörde Formation) in the Thale section, which also corresponds to a facies change from well bedded playa lake sediments to pedogenetically overprinted sediments (vertisols). Bachmann, G.H. & Kozur, H.W. (2004): The Germanic Triassic: correlations with the international chronostratigraphic scale, numerical ages and Milankovitch cyclicity. – Hallesches Jahrb. Geowiss. B 26: 17-62. Goretzki, J. (2003): Biostratigraphy of Conchostracans: A Key for the Interregional Correlations of the Continental Palaeozoic and Mesozoic – Computer-aided Pattern Analysis and Shape Statistics to Classify Groups Being Poor in Characteristics. – PhD thesis; Geological Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, 243 pp. Hiete, M., Röhling, H.-G., Heunisch, C. & Berner, U. (2013): Facies and climate changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary in the North German Basin: insights from a high-resolution organic carbon isotope record. – Geol. Soc., London, Spec. Pub. 376: 549-574. Kozur, H. & Seidel, G. (1983): Revision der Conchostracen–Faunen des unteren und mittleren Buntsandsteins. – Z. Geol. Wiss. 11(3): 289-417. Szurlies, M., Bachmann, G.H., Menning, M., Nowaczyk, N.R. & Käding, K.-C. (2004): Magnetostratigraphy and high- resolution lithostratigraphy of the Permian–Triassic boundary interval in Central Germany. – Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 212: 263-278.


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The Permian Timescale: Progress, Perspective and Plans

Shen, S.

State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China 210008 The Permian World began with one of the greatest glaciation episodes and ended with the largest mass extinction during the Phanerozoic. Understanding these great transitions demands high-resolution biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic data for all levels to aid correlation. The Permian System is composed of three series (Cisuralian, Guadalupian and Lopingian in ascending order) and nine stages, among which significant progress has been made on the GSSPs and GSSP candidates as well as the international Permian timescale. According to the latest U-Pb ages from the southern Urals and South China, the Permian Period ranged from 298.9 Ma to 251.902 Ma. The Cisuralian, Guadalupian and Lopingian series have durations of 26.6 Myr, 13.1 Myr and 7.3 Myr respectively. The latest age for the Guadalupian-Lopingian boundary is estimayed 259.2 Ma. Three GSSPs (base-Sakmarian, base-Artinskian and base-Kungurian) remain to be ratified, all three proposals for the Cisuralian have been published and extensively discussed recently among the Subcommission on Permian Stratigraphy (SPS). We hope that voting by the SPS will be conducted soon at least for the Sakmarian-base and Artinskian-base proposals. The GSSP for the base of the Permian was defined in 1998 at Aidaralash in Kazakhstan, but so far little progress has been made during the last decade. Other secondary markers for the base of the Permian are necessary; and a correct global correlation for the FAD of the index species Streptognathodus isolatus must be clarified. The three Guadalupian GSSPs were defined more than 10 years ago, but little has been updated since then. Although they are the earliest GSSPs defined in the Permian System, GSSP papers have not yet been published in Episodes. High-resolution chemostratigraphy for the whole Guadalupian Series is also not available. Therefore, we carried out a detailed investigation on conodont biostratigraphy and geochemistry from the Guadalupian Mountains in 2013 because these GSSPs have served as the material reference for international correlation of a critical time interval. The Lopingian timescale has been greatly refined due to intensive studies on the two mass extinctions that essentially bracket the Lopingian Series. A high-resolution biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic framework based on conodonts and carbon isotopic values, calibrated to a set of high-precision (100,000 year level) geochronologic ages from multiple volcanic ash beds has been established.


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Permian non-marine bivalve genus Palaeomutela Amalitzky, 1891 and its evolutionary lineages based on the hinge structure

Silantiev, V.V.

Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia The genus Palaeomutela Amalitzky, 1891 is characterized by a Unio-shaped shell and “irregular denticulate” pseudotaxodont hinge. The author of the genus emphasized the high variability of the hinge structure in Palaeomutela representatives, which is reflected in the reduction of teeth up to their complete disappearance in some species. At the same time, he never indicated criteria for distinguishing Palaeomutela shells with the reduced hinge from the species of other externally similar but edentulous genera. Therefore, representatives of Palaeomutela were frequently confused with Palaeanodonta Amalitzky, 1891 (Upper Permian) and Anthraconaia Trueman et Weir, 1946 (Carboniferous–Lower Permian). The revision of Palaeomutela based on the hinge structure as well as on the microstructural features of the shell made it possible to solve many taxonomic problems and specify the diagnosis of the genus and its species composition. Evolutionary relationship of Palaeomutela species was estimated on the base of the following criteria (in order of priority): (1) similarity of trends in changes of hinge morphology; (2) affinity of microstructure of shell layers; (3) resemblance of external features (initial shells, degree of allometry, and others). Two lineages of species are defined: P. umbonata and P. castor groups named after most known and widespread species within each group. Groups are differed in morphological features of the hinge and tendencies in its alteration. The P. umbonata group includes species characterized by thick shells and well developed hinges with many (20–50) curved plate and node-like teeth. By analogy with recent molluscan species, they are considered to represent possible dwellers of highly mobile waters contained many silty particles. The P. castor group is formed by species with thin shells and reduced hinges, which likely preferred environments with calm hydrodynamic and pure water. The following general patterns are defined for species of the P. umbonata group. From the beginning of the Ufimian Age until the first half of the Severodvinian Age, the number of tooth plates in the hinge increases with simultaneous ordering in their shapes and gradual differentiation of the hinge into the anterior branch, posterior (with proximal and distal parts) branch, and the umbonal area which are differing from each other in shapes, sizes, and positions of tooth plates. The maximal differentiation of the hinge is observable in species that existed in the late Severodvinian time. Their hinges commonly possess pseudocardinal teeth in the umbonal area and pseudolateral teeth in the distal part of the posterior branch. From the second half of the Severodvinian Age until the Vyatkian Age, differentiation of the hinge remains high, although the number of tooth plates in the hinge reduces and the ligament thickness increases. In the P. castor group, stratigraphically higher species demonstrate the decrease in the number of teeth and their sizes. Since the Kazanian Age, teeth in the distal part of the posterior branch of the hinge strive for acquiring the horizontal position similar to that of pseudolateral teeth in species of the first group. The boundary interval between the Urzhumian and Severodvinian Stages is marked by the appearance of a group of species with a reduced, but well differentiated hinge, where both pseudolateral and pseudodistal tooth are readily definable. The phylogenetic lineages of Palaeomutela can be used as the basis of Permian non-marine bivalve zonation of the East European Platform. The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 13-05-00642.


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Fig. 1: Changes in morphology of the hinge in two Palaeomutela groups.


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Carboniferous origins of therapsids? – a case study on phylogeny conflicting stratigraphy

Spindler, F.

TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B. v. Cotta-Str. 2, D-09596 Freiberg, Germany Since sphenacodont pelycosaur-grade synapsids have been investigated using cladistic analyses (Reisz et al. 1992, Laurin 1993), Sphenacodontidae appear as the sister group to the ‘mammal-like’ Therapsida, while haptodont-grade Sphenacodontia form a stem group to them. Any trees focusing on the origin of therapsids (Liu et al. 2009, Amson & Laurin 1993) treat Haptodus and Dimetrodon as outgroups, dating the latter with a mid-Cisuralian age as representative for all Sphenacodontidae. In fact, this group is present in the oldest sphenacodont-bearing assembledges from the Virgilian (Macromerion from Kounova; a dentary from the Ada Fm., Oklahoma, re-identified as cf. Ctenospondylus; and further so far Permian genera, see Harris et al. 2004) and even the Missourian (Sangre de Cristo Fm., Colorado, see Vaughn 1969, Sumida & Berman 1993). Sphenacodontidae are older than the oldest named haptodont-grade sphancodonts Haptodus garnettensis (Currie 1977) and Ianthodon schultzei (Kissel & Reisz 2004). Therefore, a tree combined with a true stratigraphic distribution produces a ghost lineage of about 33 Ma between the basal-most known therapsids and the minimum age of the sphenacodontoid dichotomy, along with ghost lineages towards any advanced ‘haptodont’. One solution is to declare the phylogenetic model a result of a strong convergent evolution between Sphenacodontidae and Therapsida. There is no striking diagnostic feature that could not be explained via functional similarity between those ecologically resembling carnivores. A scenario in which the advanced Permian ‘haptodonts’ such as Pantelosaurus and Cutleria form the stem group to therapsids would ‘normalize’ the ghost lineages. Furthermore, this hypothesis would explain why the successful therapsids did not have taken over the sphencodontid’s eco-dominance much earlier. However, there is no chance to test this, as not even a renewed coding beyond the previous studies (Fröbisch et al. 2011, Brink & Reisz 2014 and predecessors, as well as the independent analysis by Benson 2012) could ever disperse the sphenacodontoid sister taxon relationship or recognize haptodont-grade stem-therapsids. Without rejecting the possibility, there is no evidence to indicate a late origin of therapsids. The fossil record and the phylogenetic results strongly conflict in the therapsid origin. Running an exhaustive new phylogenetic analysis, the results confirm previous trees. The ghost lineages must be accepted from the current state of knowledge, matching the taxonomic stability of Cisuralian tetrapod genera (Dimetrodon lasts for about 20 Ma, see Berman et al. 2001). Among the very fragmentary remains from the Desmonesian of Florence (Reisz 1972), some have been examined by cladistics for the first time, and at least can be suspected of showing a basal therapsid status. If true, the sphenacodontoid dichotomy is again dated back, extending the ghost lineage for further 4 Ma, but may yield the only fossil evidence supporting the Carboniferous origin of therapsids. All phylogenetic results require Pennsylvanian therapsids, while the lack of pre-Roadian evidence in the fossil record might reflect any ecological or biogeographical separation from the nowadays outcropped habitats. Amson, E. & Laurin, M. (2011): On the affinities of Tetraceratops insignis, an Early Permian synapsid. – Acta Palaeontol Pol 56(2): 301-312. Benson, R.B.J. (2012): Interrelationships of basal synapsids: cranial and postcranial morphological partitions suggest different topologies. – J Syst Palaeontol 10(4): 601-624. Berman, D.S., Reisz, R., Martens, T. & Henrici, A.C. (2001): A new species of Dimetrodon (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the Lower Permian of Germany records first occurrence of genus outside of North America. – Can J Earth Sci 38: 803-812. Brink, K.S. and Reisz, R.R. (2014): Hidden dental diversity in the oldest terrestrial apex predator Dimetrodon. – Nature Communications 5: 3269, doi: 10.1038/ncomms4269.


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Currie, P.J. (1977): A new haptodontine sphenacodont (Reptilia: Pelycosauria) from the Upper Pennsylvanian of North America. – J Paleontol 51(5): 927-942. Fröbisch, J., Schoch, R.R., Müller, J., Schindler, T. & Schweiss, D. (2011): A new basal sphenacodontid synapsid from the Late Carboniferous of the Saar−Nahe Basin, Germany. – Acta Palaeontol Pol 56(1): 113-120. Harris, S.K., Lucas, S.G., Berman, D.S. & Henrici, A.C. (2004): Vertebrate fossil assemblage from the Upper Pennsylvanian Red Tanks member of the Bursum Formation, Lucero uplift, Central New Mexico. In: Lucas, S.G. & Zeigler, K.E. (eds.): Carboniferous-Permian transition – New Mex Mus Nat Hist Sci Bull 25: 267-283. Kissel, R.A. & Reisz, R.R. (2004): Synapsid fauna of the Upper Pennsylvanian Rock Lake Shale near Garnett, Kansas and the diversity pattern of early amniotes. – In: Arratia, G., Wilson, M.V.H. & Cloutier, R. (eds.): Recent Advances in the Origin and Early Radiation of Vertebrates. Vlg. Dr. Friedrich Pfeil, München: 409-428. Laurin, M. (1993): Anatomy and Relationships of Haptodus garnettensis, a Pennsylvanian synapsid from Kansas. – J Vertebr Paleontol 13(2): 200-229. Liu, J., Rubidge, B. & Jinling Li (2009): New basal synapsid supports Laurasian origina for therapsids. – Acta Palaeontol Pol 54(3): 393-400. Reisz, R.R. (1972): Pelycosaurian reptiles from the Middle Pennsylvanian of North America. – Bull Mus Comp Zool 144(2): 27-62. Reisz, R.R., Berman, D.S. & Scott, D. (1992): The cranial anatomy and relationships of Secodontosaurus, an unusual mammal-like reptile (Synapsida: Sphenacodontidae) from the early Permian of Texas. – Zool J Linn Soc. 104: 127-184. Sumida, S.S. & Berman, D.S. (1993): The Pelycosaurian (Amniota: Synapsida) assemblage from the late Pennsylvanian Sangre de Cristo Formation of central Colorado. – Ann Carnegie Mus 62(4): 293-310. Vaughn, P.P. (1969): Upper Pennsylvanian vertebrates from the Sange de Cristo Formation of Central Colorado. – L.A. County Mus Contr Sci 164: 1-28.


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Problems and prospects of correlating stratigraphic units of Permian (Lower) Gondwana

Srivastava, A.K. Department of Biosciences, Integral University, Lucknow 226026, India Gondwana comprises continental succession with coal seams, mainly represented by plant remains with fewer animal fossils. Such sequence is known in different continents of Southern Hemisphere. Indian Gondwana is recognized by thick series of shallow water fluviatile and lacustrine sediments with an aggregate thickness of about 6000-7000 m with intercalated plant rarely animal fossils ranging from earliest Permian to Early Cretaceous. Due to absence of animal remains the lower and upper boundary cannot be defined chronostratigraphically, as the plant fossils are largely long ranging. Presence of three types of floras helps to recognize the Gondwana into Lower, Middle and Upper part which are characterized by Glossopteris flora of Permian succession, Middle Gondwana Dicroidium flora representing Lower Triassic and Upper Gondwana Ptilophyllum flora of Jurassic-Cretaceous in age. Permian Gondwana commonly referred as Lower Gondwana is subdivided into different units mainly based on the lithological characteristics, viz: Talchir, Karharbari, Barakar, Barren Measures and Raniganj. It is interesting that the stratgraphic units identified on the basis of their characteristic lithology randomly shows distinct floral assemblages in each unit. Talchir is known by Gangamopteris, whereas Gangamopteris-Noeggerathiosis, Glossopteris, pteridophytes dominant assemblages are known in successive stages. The presence of marine incursion in some parts of India during early part of Permian, i.e. in Talchir-Karharbari, has helped to correlate the younger horizons. Eurydesma fauna recovered from some part in Talchir indicates its comparison with Asselian fanal zones of Australia, Karharbari unit showing its relationship with Gangamopteris beds of Kashmir is dated as upper Sakmarian in age. However, the paucity of well dated remains hampers the correlation of upper units. Barakar, Barren Measures is overlain by Karharbari and ascendindly placed in upper Permian, Barren Measures shows the shrinking of flora and upper Permian Raniganj indicates the acme of Glossopteris flora. Further in the early part of the Triassic, the Glossoteris flora tatters, and new the element Dicroidium appears on the scene. The gradational and conformable phase between the Upper Permian (Raniganj) and Panchet (Early Triassic) and presence of so called transitional flora (Glossopteris+Dicroidium) in transitional beds/units exposed in different basins, i.e. Maitur, Panchet in Damodar Basin, Pali/Tiki/Parsora in Rewa Basin, Kamthi in Wardha-Godavari Basin, Bijori in Satpura Basin suggests varying circumstances and surrounding at Permian-Triassic boundary. There is need to correlate such stratigraphic units with standard markers of the Permian-Triassic.


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Fossiliferous Early Permian horizons of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin and the Boskovice Graben (Bohemian Massif) in view of the occurrence of actinopterygians

Štamberg, S.

Museum of Eastern Bohemia in Hradec Králové, Eliščino nábřeží 465, 500 01 Hradec Králové The Krkonoše Piedmont Basin and Boskovice Graben belong to Permo-Carboniferous freshwater basins of the Bohemian Massif. Early Permian sediments of both basins contain several fossiliferous horizons with plentiful fauna and flora, with actinopterygian fishes being the most abundant vertebrates. More detailed and comprehensive study of actinopterygians may now make it possible to use at least some of them to correlate outcrops of the significant Permian fossiliferous horizons of both basins. The family Amblypteridae Romer, 1945, with species Paramblypterus rohani (Heckel, 1861), Paramblypterus kablikae (Geinitz, 1860), Paramblypterus zeidleri (Fritsch, 1895) and others, and family Aeduellidae Romer, 1945, with species Neslovicella rzehaki Štamberg, 2007, Neslovicella elongata Štamberg, 2010 and other aeduellids are examples used in biostratigraphy. Also important is the occurrence of small carnivorous actinopterygians of the genus Letovichthys Štamberg, 2007. Correlations of several localities of the Rudník Horizon (Vrchlabí Formation) and Kalná Horizon (Prosečné Formation) of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin, and numerous fossiliferous horizons of the Boskovice Graben are based on the occurrence of different species of actinopterygians.


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Conodonts at the Moscovian/Kasimovian boundary from the Usolka section (South Ural, Russia)

Sungatullina, G.

Institute of Geology and Petroleum Technologies, Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia

The selection of a global biomarker for the lower boundary of the Kasimovian stage is one of the pressing issues of Carboniferous stratigraphy. For this purpose, the distribution of conodonts within the boundary interval of the Usolka section, South Ural (Fig. 1) has been examined in detail. Samples from uppermost Moscovian to lower Kasimovian in this section present a continuous succession of conodont faunas. The Moscovian/Kasimovian interval is dominated by forms of Idiognathodus; only a few specimens of Gondolella, Hindeodus, Neognathodus, Streptognathodus and Swadelina have been recovered. A summary of the conodont fauna of the Moscovian/Kasimovian interval is presented in Fig. 2. All groups show the development of a groove. This morphogenesis occurs as a short-term process at the beginning of the Kasimovian age. We think that the species Streptognathodus subexelsus Alekseev et Goreva is a good biomarker for the Moscovian-Kasimovian boundary in the South Ural. This work was funded by the Russian Government to support the Program of Competitive Growth of Kazan Federal University among world-class academic centers and universities.

Fig. 1: Location of the Usolka section (South Ural, Russia).


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The high-precision U-Pb zircon dating method: first results from the Freiberg laboratory

Tichomirowa, M. TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Mineralogie According to Chiaradia at el. (2013): “U-Pb dating of zircon is currently considered to be the most accurate and precise dating method available… because (1) zircon is a highly refractory mineral that survives most of geologic processes that occur after magmatic crystallization (usually between 900o and 700oC); (2) diffusion of the daughter Pb isotopes is very slow in zircon up to higher temperatures (~900oC) of its crystallization…”. Regarding the different zircon dating methods (LA-ICP-MS, SHRIMP/SIMS, ID-TIMS) recent improvements for the ID-TIMS method increased the external reproducibility also among different laboratories to ±0.1% (e.g. Slama et al., 2008; Chiaradia et al., 2013). Therefore, to date events precisely and accurately the method of choice should be the high-precision single zircon CA-ID-TIMS (chemical abrasion-isotope dilution-thermal ionization mass spectrometry). Recently, this method was introduced and established in the Freiberg laboratory. I present zircon age data from the same samples that were dated with different zircon dating methods: by SHRIMP and SIMS, by the evaporation method, by ID-TIMS at the university Geneve (one of the leading high-precision laboratories) and by ID-TIMS at the university Freiberg. Based on these results and literature data precision and accuracy of different zircon dating methods will be discussed. Chiaradia et al. (2013): How accurately can we date the duration of magmatic-hydrothermal events in porphyry systems? – An invited paper. – Economic Geology 108: 565-584. Slama et al. (2008): Plesovice zircon – a new natural reference material for U-Pb and Hf isotopic micro-analysis. – Chemical Geology 249: 1-35.


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Early Permian non-marine bivalves of Southern Primorye: usage of the shell’s external features in taxonomy on generic level

Urazaeva, M.N. & Silantiev, V.V.

Kazan Federal University, Kremlevskya 18, Kazan, 420008 Russia Traditional systematics of non-marine bivalves at the generic level is based on hinge structure and microstructure of the shells. Meanwhile, in many Late Paleozoic localities, the non-marine bivalves are characterized by insufficient preservation which destroyed the internal features of the shell: hinge, ligament and microstructural signs. Therefore, the generic definitions of such shells are conditional in most cases. The practice shows that, in the Carboniferous and Lower Permian deposits, the preservation of internal signs is a very rare and unique phenomenon, correcting systematic submission obtained from the study of external features (Eagar 1975, 1984). Nevertheless, the impossibility of observing internal features should not exclude such non-marine bivalves from paleontological study. The assignment of these shells to the widespread non-marine bivalve genera, e.g. Anthraconaia, Palaeomutela, Palaeanodonta, could not be considered the best decision because adding further confusion to their already complex diagnostic criteria. Increasing the number of external features used for systematic paleontology on the generic level is one of acceptable solutions to this problem in our opinion. Taxonomic units established only on the base of external features due to poor preservation of the shell can only be considered as conditionally valid taxa. Meanwhile, their presence in systematics protects other more sustainable taxa (genera) against a "blurring" of their diagnostic signs and unreasonable expansion of the stratigraphic distribution. The results obtained in the study of non-marine bivalves from the Lower Permian of South Primorye can be considered an example of usage of shell's external features in systematics on the generic level. The poor preservation of the studied material makes the use of internal characters impossible. Therefore, additional external systematic features proposed by O. A. Betekhtina (1972, 1974), were exploited: the type (external outline) of the initial shell, the jointing of the growth lines and the dorsal margin, and the biometric parameters of the outer form of shells. According to O.A. Betekhtina (1972, 1974) the term ‘initial shell’ designates a prodissoconch and adjacent subumbonal part of the shell that is bounded by the first distinct line stopping the growth (Fig., A–E). In the works of O.A. Betekhtina (1972, 1974), the junction of the growth lines with the dorsal margin was called the "features of the conjugation of posterior and dorsal margins" and took into account only the morphology of the dorso-posterior end of the shell. It seems that this feature should not be limited by the single outlines of the dorsal--posterior end, but should also consider the morphology of all observed growth lines conjugated with the dorsal margin posterior of the umbo (Fig., F–G). Standard biometric parameters (H – height, L – length) were measured at the different stages of growth of each shell: H1, L1, H2, L2, etc. (Fig. 1H). Simultaneously, for the each stage of growth, H/L ratios were estimated. The technique of visualizing the data in the form of scatter plots was taken from Trueman & Weir (1946). Change of H/L ratio of the shell regarding their growth in length allowed for making a conclusion about their isometric or allometric growth. Statistical data processing of standard parameters was performed and the means, standard deviations and standard errors of the means were calculated. Comparative analysis was performed using Student's t-test for samples with a normal distribution. Differences have been considered as significant at p <0.05. Non-marine bivalves from the Early Permian of South Primorye (Far East Russia) are characterized by anthracosiid-like external outlines of the shells and, therefore, on the first sight resemble such widespread genera like Anthraconaia Trueman & Weir, 1946, Palaeanodonta Amalitzky, 1891 and Palaeomutela Amalitzky, 1891.


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A detailed study of the external features of the shells exactly related to a particular genus was conducted. The results show that Lower Permian non-marine bivalves of southern Primorye confidently differs from the above genera by a set of external features including the initial shell, the mode of jointing of the growth lines and the dorsal margin, and the details of the sculpture. Non-marine bivalves of southern Primorye demonstrate the most external similarity with 'atypical' anthracosiid-like morphotypes of Anthraconaia that are widespread in the Upper Pennsylvanian and the base of Lower Permian of eastern North America, and in the Stephanian and Autenian of northern Europe. A substantial time gap between 'atypical' Anthraconaia and non-marine bivalves of Southern Primorye makes the assignment to the same genus unreasonable. Non-marine bivalves from the Early Permian of South Primorye can be considered as a new genus which, as well as the majority of another non-marine bivalve genera, is cryptogenic. The external similarity with 'atypical' anthracosiid-like morphotypes of Anthraconaia only provisionally indicates their probable relationship, as well as their relation with common marine ancestors of these two groups. One can assume that, in the Early Permian time, some marine bivalve genera concurrently commenced to invade the non-marine realm in various suitable places of the globe with paralic or deltaic conditions. The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, projects nos. 13-05-00592, 13-05-00642 and 14-05-93964. Betekhtina, O.A. (1972): Basic principles for the systematics of the non-marine bivalves. – Transactions of Institute of Geology and Geophysics Academy of Sciences of USSR. 112: 59-65. Betekhtina, O.A. (1974): Non-marine bivalves and biostratigraphy and correlation of late Palaeozoic coal measures. Nauka, Novosibirsk. Eagar, R.M.C. (1975): Non-marine bivalves from the Valderrueda Coalfield. – Third Report: 1-5. Eagar, R.M.C. (1984): Some nonmarine Bivalve faunas from the Dunkard group and underlying measures. – In: Barlow, J.A (ed.): The Age of the Dunkard. Procedings of the First I. C. White Memorial Symposium: 23-67. Trueman, A.E. & Weir, J. (1946): The British Carboniferous non-marine Lamellibranchia. Part. 1. – Paleontological Society Monograph 99(434): 1-8.


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Fig. 1: External systematic features of non-marine bivalves. (A–E) Types of initial shells: (A) conical; (B) angularly rounded; (C) elliptical; (D) subtriangular; (E) trapezoidal. (F-G) The junction of the growth lines with the upper margin: (F) uniform, regular; (G) irregular: growth lines converge at two points of the upper margin; arrows indicate points of stopping the growth of the hinge margin. (H) Standard biometrical parameters of the shell (L – length, H – height) measured at the different stages of growth.


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Permian tetrapod footprints from the Spanish Pyrenees

Voigt, S.1 & Haubold, H.2 1Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany 2Institut für Geowissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3-4, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany Paleozoic tetrapod footprints from Spain have been known for almost 30 years. Occurrences were reported from latest Carboniferous deposits of the Puertollano Basin in the central part of the country (Soler-Gijón and Moratalla, 2001), the late Early Permian Sagra Formation of the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain (Gand et al., 1997; Demathieu et al., 2008), and red beds of questionably Late Permian age in the Pyrenees of SE Spain (Robles and Llompart, 1987). Recently, Permian vertebrate tracks from the Spanish Pyrenees gained increased attention because of the discovery of additional material (Fortuny et al., 2010, 2011). The ichnofossils discussed by Fortuny et al. (2010, 2011) come from the Peranera Formation of the Ribera d'Urgellent area at Alt Urgell, Lleida Province, Catalonia. The second author of this contribution and his wife discovered tetrapod footprints in the same strata but further to the west, in the Pallars Jussà area near Les Esglésies already in 1998, when they their reproducing field studies of Nagtegaal (1969). The sites originally found in 1998 were recollected by the authors in 2001. A collection of 20 specimens with plant impressions, invertebrate traces and tetrapod footprints resulting from these activities is now stored at the Natural History Museum at Lichtenberg Castle near Kusel, Rhineland-Palatinate (Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP: UGKU 1826, 1921-1939). Description of the material has been postponed mainly due to the ambiguous ichnotaxonomic attribution of supposed captorhinomorph footprints within this collection. Much progress has been made in respect to this special group of Paleozoic tracks during the last years, in particular because of well preserved specimens in the United States, Italy and Morocco. The UGKU collection from the Peranera Formation is dominated by vertebrate tracks of cf. Hyloidichnus Gilmore, 1927. The second most common ichnotaxon is Varanopus Moodie, 1929. Rather rare are tracks of Batrachichnus Woodworth, 1900 and Dromopus Marsh, 1892. Thus, this ichnofauna includes tracks referred to temnospondyls (Batrachichnus), captorhinomorphs (Varanopus, Hyloidichnus), and Araeoscelids or other small to mid-size Paleozoic reptiles with lacertoid autopod structure (Dromopus). Ichnofaunas of similar taxonomic composition are known from several late Early Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) footprint-bearing strata of paleoequatorial regions of Pangea (North America, North Africa and Europe) suggesting a similar age for the Peranera Formation. Demathieu, G., Torcida Fernández-Baldor, F. Demathieu, P. Urién Montero, V. & Pérez-Lorente, F. (2008): Icnitas de grandes vertebrados terrestres en el Pérmico de Peña Sagra (Cantabria, España). – XXIV Jornadas de la Sociedad Española de Paleontología, Asturias: 27-28. Fortuny, J., Sellés, A.G., Valdiserri, D. & Bolet, A. (2010): New tetrapod footprints from the Permian of the Pyrenees (Catalonia, Spain): preliminary results. – Cidaris 30: 121-124. Fortuny, J., Bolet, A., Sellés, A.G., Cartanyà, J. & Galobart, À. (2011): New insights on the Permian and Triassic vertebrates from the Iberian Peninsula with emphasis on the Pyrenean and Catalonian basins. – Journal of Iberian Geology 37: 65-86. Gand, G., Kerp, H., Parsons, C. & Martínez-García, E. (1997): Palaeoenvironnemental and stratigraphic aspects of animal traces and plant remains in Spanish Permian red beds (Peña Sagra, Cantabrian Mountains, Spain). – Geobios 30: 295-318. Nagtegaal, P.J.C. (1969): Sedimentology, paleoclimatology, and diagenesis of Post-Hercynian continental deposits in the south-central Pyrenees, Spain. – Leidse Geologische Mededelingen 42: 143-238. Robles, S. & Llompart, C. (1987): Análisis paleogeográfico y consideraciones paleoicnológicas del Pérmico Superior y del Triásico Inferior en la transversal del rio Segre (Alt Urgell, Pirineo de Lérida). – Cuadernos de Geología Ibérica 11: 115-130. Soler-Gijón, R. & Moratalla, J. (2001): Fish and tetrapod trace fossils from the Upper Carboniferous of Puertollano, Spain. – Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 171: 1-28.


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Pennsylvanian-Permian captorhinomorph footprints: A tool for global biostratigraphic correlation?

Voigt, S.1 & Marchetti, L.2

1Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany

2Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy Captorhinomorphs are a group of faunivorous and herbivorous Paleozoic reptiles ranging from the Early Pennsylvanian to the Late Permian. They started as a low diverse group in equatorial parts of Pangea, radiated by the late Early Permian, achieved a nearly global distribution right afterwards, and finally disappeared at the end of the Paleozoic. Fossil footprints referred to captorhinomorphs are characterized by pentadactyl manus and pes imprints, short palm/sole impressions and long digit impressions with distinct claw marks. They are attributed to seven ichnospecies and five ichnogenera, i.e. Notalacerta Butts, 1891, Hyloidichnus Gilmore, 1927, Varanopus Moodie, 1929, Erpetopus Moodie, 1929, and Robledopus Voigt, Lucas, Buchwitz and Celeskey, 2013. Captorhinomorph tracks represent the most diverse group of Paleozoic tetrapod footprints and suggest a remarkably high evolutionary plasticity within this group of early amniotes. Related tracks are known from many localities with Pennsylvanian-Permian strata in Argentina, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Morocco, Spain and the United States of America. These are ideal requirements in order to use this kind of footprints for global correlation of track-bearing late Paleozoic strata. As captorhinomorph tracks are preserved in rocks covering a wide range of depositional systems including coastal plains as well as floodplains of intramontane basins, they are also potentially useful for the correlation of marine and non-marine strata. In order to use the full potential of this biostratigraphic tool a synthesis of the captorhinomorph body and trace fossil record is the most urgent task.


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The “global” scheme of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units vs West European and North American regional units

Wagner R.H. & Knight, J.A.

Centro Paleobotánico, IMGEMA-Real Jardín Botánico de Córdoba, Avenida de Linneo, s/n, 14004 Córdoba, Spain Serious discrepancies exist with regard to correlations between North American, West European and East European successions of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units. It is argued that these have not been resolved adequately in the “Global Chart” published by Heckel & Clayton (2006) for SCCS. Regional stratigraphic histories are discussed for revised correlations leading to a modified chart as attached to the present paper. Reasons are given for lowering the base of Moscovian in the Donbass, and for questioning the assumption of a major extinction event coinciding with the Desmoinesian-Missourian boundary in North America. The “extinction event” is absent from the record in NW Spain where a gradual transition of floras and faunas exists at this level. It is argued that palaeogeographic reconstructions should be based on a shared geological history, and that long-range correlations should take into account terrestrial floras and faunas as well as marine faunas. The selective use of marine faunas such as conodonts, fusulinid foraminifera and ammonoids leads to a reliance on more or less condensed limestone successions prone to develop stratigraphic gaps. Palaeogeographical areas include from north to south (1) a large continental region with epicratonic basins from the Moscow Basin in the east to the North American Midcontinent in the west, (2) the Paralic Coal Belt of northern Europe extending into Appalachia in eastern North America, (3) the Saxothuringian Zone in Europe south of the Mid-German Crystalline Rise, (4) the Moldanubian Zone including the Massif Central of south-central France, (5) Montagne Noire and Pyrenees extending eastwards into the Alps, (6) Cantabrian Mountains representing a marginal Tethyan area as do Tyrol and the Donbass, a Tethyan-influenced downwarp in southern Europe, (7) South European areas in the Iberian Peninsula, Tuscany and Sardinia. Alternating marine and terrestrial deposits in the Cantabrian Mountains and the Donbass are the key to a fully integrated set of chronostratigraphic units of global validity (within the context of a palaeoequatorial belt). It is argued that basinal successions with alternating marine and terrestrial deposits offer the most comprehensive record of faunas and floras, capable of long-range correlation. These successions are likely to be more complete (continuous) than limestone successions. Stratotypes with a full range of biostratigraphic elements should be selected in preference to those with a more limited range. It is a matter of concern that the IUGS Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy seems to have returned to the equation Biostratigraphy = Chronostratigraphy, with a preferred fossil group (currently conodonts). This is a throwback to the 1930s. Heckel, P.H. & Clayton, G. (2006): The Carboniferous System. Use of the new official names for the subsystems, series, and stages. – Geologica Acta 4(3): 403-407.


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Fig. 1: The “global” scheme of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units vs West European and North American regional units.


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Floral changeover through Late Paleozoic Ice-age in North China Block: a case study in the Weibei Coalfield

Wang, J.

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China In the Earth's history, the Carboniferous and Permian may have been the only time when there was well established vegetation that experienced a transition from icehouse to greenhouse conditions, and that would have been similar to the one currently in progress. The floral response during the Late Paleozoic icehouse-greenhouse transition provides an analogue to the vegetational changes that may occur in response to the current postulated icehouse - greenhouse climatic change. Based on investigations of stratigraphic sections in the Weibei Coalfield, a typical coal basin in the North China Block, the succession of Late Paleozoic plant macrofossil assemblages were redefined. In combination with all so far available information, the biostratigraphy of the terrestrial deposits in the North China Block were correlated to the IUGS Global chronostratigraphy. The more precise chronostratigraphic constraints make it possible to more precisely correlate the vegetational successions to the concurrent waxing and waning of the Late Paleozoic ice sheets. Four floral changeovers (Changeover 1-4) are recognized. Changeover 1 occurred at the end of Westphalian, coinciding with the ending of the first ice-age maximum. A pteridosperm–noeggerathialean dominated vegetation was replaced by the pteridosperm-lycopsid assemblage. Changeover 2 went on from the late Stephanian through Sakmarian to Kungurian, and ended by the second glacial maximum. A remarkable floral radiation occurred, and the majority of the typically Cathaysian floral elements were present. Changeover 3 developed at approximately the terminal stages of the Late Paleozoic Ice-age. Early ginkgoaleans and conifers first appeared in the flora. Changeover 4 is clearly recognizable from the Changhsingian, shortly after the ending of the Late Paleozoic glaciations. Cathaysian flora is replaced by peltasperm-conifer-ginkgoaleans dominated, Euramerican and Angaran elements.


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Late Guadalupian to Lopingian (Permian) carbon and strontium isotopic chemostratigraphy in the Abadeh section, central Iran

Wang, W., Liu, X., Shen, S., Gorgij, M.N.,

Ye, F.-C., Zhang, Y., Furuyama, S., Kano, A. & Chen, X. Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences The Abadeh section, well-exposed in the Hambast Valley in central Iran, has long been one of the most extensively studied sections because of its continuous carbonate-dominated strata from Lower Permian to Lower Triassic. However, biostratigraphy and correlation with the equivalent sequences in other regions remain controversial. Both carbon isotope excursion (δ13Ccarb) and strontium isotope ratio (87Sr/86Sr) based on bulk carbonate samples have been measured to serve as chemostratigraphical proxies to estimate the three different chronostratigraphical boundaries in the Lopingian at the Abadeh section, including the Permian–Triassic Event (PTEB), the Guadalupian–Lopingian (GLB), and the Wuchiapingian–Changhsingian boundaries (WCB). These three boundaries are important for understanding the marine biological evolution around this critical interval. Based on the δ13C significant boundary excursion, the rising trend of 87Sr/86Sr and its value around 0.7073, includes the occurrence of microbialite beds, the Permian–Triassic event boundary (= Bed 25 at the Meishan section) is suggested at - 0.5 m below the base of the main microbialite bed. The GLB is suggested at - 46.5 m based on the position of the minor δ13Ccarb negative depletion, coupled with the 87Sr/86Sr values between 0.7069 and 0.7070, and refers to 87Sr/86Sr beginning point of its rising trend. The boundary is suggested just above the lowest value 0.7068 of 87Sr/86Sr ratio in the Paleozoic and a δ13C depletion. The relationship between section thickness and their high-resolution depositional age (projecting age) is interpolated for the whole Lopingian using locally weighted regression scatter plot smoother (LOWESS) of strontium isotopic ratio. Based on the negative δ13C excursion and the value 0.7072 of 87Sr/86Sr ratio, the WCB is estimated at 1 m above the lithologic boundary between Unit 6 and Unit 7, much lower than the boundary defined by previous conodont biostratigraphy, but similar to other index fossils. This boundary is projected as ca. 254.6 Ma in 87Sr/86Sr-age projecting model and is close to zircon U/Pb dating age from South China.

Fig. 1: Late Guadalupian to Lopingian (Permian) carbon and strontium isotopic chemostratigraphy in the Abadeh section, central Iran.


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Atmosphere carbon dioxide concentration and its isotopic record, a possible stratigraphic correlation bridge between marine and nonmarine carbonate rocks

Wei Wang, Wenqian Wang, Cao, C., Shen, S., Wang, X., Wang, J. & Wang, Y.

Nanjing Institute of Geology and Paleontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China Stratigraphic correlation between marine and non-marine sequences has problems because of a lack of suitable higher resolution fossils, even widely used fossils like as pollen do not provide high enough resolution for Carboniferous and Permian stratigraphic correlation. As they are controlled by depositional facies or local environment, water related depositional indexes such as minerals, chemical composition and their ratios, and even isotopes cannot provide globally correlatable proxies. However, the atmosphere of Earth’s surface could be considered to be homogeneous in chemistry, and some of its chemicals, such as CO2 which has a known development in Earth history, are possible ways for global stratigraphic correlation. The oxygen isotopes of atmospheric chemicals present close links between water and gas, and oxygen isotopes of water systems were controlled by local physical-chemical-ecological systems and were easily fractionated in diagenesis during Earth history, so oxygen compositions in minerals and chemicals are overprinted by local depositional and diagenetic processes and thus are not suitable for global correlation. Carbon isotopes of carbonate minerals and the DIC of water also were controlled by local ecologic systems and environments such as the depth of deposits and temperature, and carbon isotopes of organic materials have these problems from unknown sources, such as C3 and C4, among others. These effects will add local impacts to carbon isotope values and affect global correlation directly. However, primary products in marine and non-marine fractionated carbon isotopes are in a certain way based on the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere or dissolved CO2 in water. The difference between inorganic carbon isotopes and organic carbon isotopes, which are known to mostly reflect primary production, has a special relationship with the concentration of atmospheric CO2, and the concentration of CO2 could be considered uniform on the Earth’s surface. This difference between carbon isotopes of inorganic authigenic carbonate and organic carbonate of primary molecular production supports a possible way for understanding the evolution and history of global CO2 concentration. Carbon isotope differences between organic and inorganic materials here is suggested as a potential way to create a marine and nonmarine carbonate correlatable proxy. Fortunately, CO2 had some interesting large changes in the Carboniferous and Permian. For example, the CO2 concentration during the Late Carboniferous was one of the lowest in the Paleozoic. Gas chromatograph mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry support selected primary molecular production for organic carbon isotope measurement.


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Late Bashkirian and early Moscovian Conodonts from Thenaqing Section, Giuzhou, South China

Wang, X.-D.1, QI, Y.1, Lambert, L.L.2, Nemyrovska, T.3, Hu, K.1 & Wang, Q.1

1Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, P. R. China 2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249 3Institute of Geological Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, O.Gonchar Str. 55-b, 01601 Kiev, Ukraine Late Bashkirian and Early Moscovianconodonts are abundant and diverse at the Naqing section, South China. All known Late Bashkirian to Early Moscovian conodont genera with great variability species are recorded here, including Declinognathodus, Diplognathodus, Gondolella, Idiognathodus, Idiognathoides, Mesogondolella, Neognathodus, Neolochriea, “Streptognathodus” etc. For their majority, a succession of conodont chronomorphoclines occurs throughout the Bashkirian-Moscovian boundary interval. They demonstrate that deposition was remarkably continuous through the boundary interval, a major criterion for selecting a Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP). This paper describes the current state of knowledge for several of these chronomorphoclines, and also provides an updated range chart of conodonts recovered from the Naqing section and their correlation with other regions. The taxon that best matches the current concept for the base of the Moscovian Stage in its type region is the phylogenetic first occurrence of Diplognathodus ellesmerensis. An ancestral form with most of the characteristics of D. ellesmerensis occurs at Naqing. More specimens are needed to completely document the chronomorphocline, but because D. ellesmerensis is found worldwide – including those close to the base of the type Moscovian – its evolutionary first occurrence would provide an almost ideal GSSP definition.


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The bark anatomy of a unique late Permian conifer from northern China

Yang, J.-Y.1, Feng, Z.1,2, Wei, H.-B.1, Chen, Y.-X.1 & Liu, L.-J.2

1Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China 2State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China Bark is an important functional structure in vascular plants, responsible for the transportation of the photosynthetic products through plants. Anatomically, it is generally accepted as defined by wood anatomists, to include all the tissues located outside the secondary xylem, i.e., secondary phloem, primary phloem (if present), primary cortex (if present), and periderm. Because fossil tree trunks are commonly decorticated during preservation and the bark tissues of plants are very rarely preserved in fossil conditions, therefore, the anatomical features and evolutionary history of bark in fossil plants remain poorly understood. Exceptionally well-preserved extraxylary tissues of Ningxiaites specialis Feng is described from the upper Permian (Changhsingian) Sunjiagou Formation, in Shitanjing Coal Field of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, northern China, including vascular cambium and bark tissues (secondary phloem and periderm). The vascular cambium bears one or two layers of parenchymatous fusiform cells. The bark is up to 1–1.8 mm thick. The secondary phloem consisted of rays and sieve cells. The phloem rays are uniseriate. Axial parenchyma longitudinal aliged, irregular occurred. Elliptical or sub-circular sieve areas, are ranging 9–10 μm, present in the radial wall of sieve cells. The periderm situates outside the secondary phloem, composed of fibers and cork cells. The cork cells show suberized cell walls, and generally possess dark contents. The specimen provides the first detailed anatomical information of bark tissues of late Permian conifers from northern China, and offers a better understanding of bark structure diversity in the evolutionary history of conifers.

We thank the attendees of the CPC-2014 Freiberg Meeting for joining us:

Arefiev, Michael P. [email protected]

Bachmann, Gerhard H. [email protected]

Belahmira, Abouchouaib [email protected]

Borruel-Abadía, Violeta [email protected]

Boiarinova, Elena [email protected]

De La Horra, Raúl [email protected]

Durand, Marc [email protected]

Elicki, Olaf [email protected]

Feng, Zhuo [email protected]

Fischer, Jan [email protected]

Forte, Guiseppa [email protected]

Gaggero, Laura [email protected]

Gebhardt, Ute [email protected]

Golubev, Valeriy K. [email protected]

Götz, Annette E. [email protected]

Hartkopf-Fröder, Christoph [email protected]

Iannuzzi, Roberto [email protected]

Joachimski, Michael M. [email protected]

Kerp, Hans [email protected]

Kiersnowski, Hubert [email protected]

Knight, John A. [email protected]

Kustatscher, Evelyn [email protected]

Lambert, Lance L. [email protected]

Legler, Berit [email protected]

Li, Yijun [email protected]

Lojka, Richard [email protected]

Longhim, Márcia Emílía [email protected]

López-Gómez, José T. [email protected]

Lützner, Harald [email protected]

Marchetti, Lorenzo [email protected]

Martinek, Karel [email protected]

Menning, Manfred [email protected]

Molostovskaya, Iya [email protected]

Mouraviev, Fedor A. [email protected]

Mujal, Eudald [email protected]

Nafi, Mutwakil [email protected]

Opluštil, Stanislav [email protected]

Qi, Yuping [email protected]

Raymond, Anne [email protected]

Richards, Barry C. [email protected]

Ronchi, Ausonio [email protected]

Rößler, Ronny [email protected]

Schindler, Thomas [email protected]

Schneider, Jörg W. [email protected]

Scholze, Frank [email protected]

Shen, Shuzhong [email protected]

Silantiev, Vladimir V. [email protected]

Spindler, Frederik [email protected]

Srivastava, Ashwini K. [email protected]

Štamberg, Stanislav [email protected]

Stimson, Matt [email protected]

Sungatullina, Guzel [email protected]

Tichomirowa, Marion [email protected]

Urazaeva, Milyausha N. [email protected]

Voigt, Sebastian [email protected]

Wagner, Robert H. [email protected]

Wang, Jun [email protected]

Wang, Wei [email protected]

Wang, Xiang-Dong [email protected]

Wang, Yue [email protected]

Werneburg, Ralf [email protected]

Yang, Ji-Yuan [email protected]

Zhang, Hua [email protected]

Zheng, Quanfeng [email protected]

Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V....

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