TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITÄT BERGAKADEMIE FREIBERG
Institut für Geologie
Wissenschaftliche Mitteilungen
45
Freiberg
2014
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous
and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation
July 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
der Reihe
Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg
Institut für Geologie
Förderkreis Freiberger Geowissenschaften e.V.
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http://www.geo.tu-freiberg.de/publikationen/wiss_mitteilungen.html
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© Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, 2014
Gesamtherstellung: Medienzentrum der TU Bergakademie Freiberg
Printed 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
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 SinoGerman 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
……. 4
(Kazan Volga, East European Platform)
Bachmann, G.H. & Szurlies, M.: Palaeogeography and facies of the continental: Permian-Triassic
……. 6
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,
……. 9
Morocco
De la Horra, R., Borruel, V., Galán-Abellán, B., Arche, A., López-Gómez, J. & Barrenechea, J.F.:
…… 11
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
…… 13
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
…… 14
Forte G., Wappler, T, Bernardi, M., Kustatscher, E.: First evidence of plant-animal interactions from
the Permian of the Southern Alps (Tregiovo, Italy)
…… 15
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
…… 16
Gebhardt, U. & Hiete, M.: Orbital forcing in continental Upper Carboniferous red beds of the
intermontane Saale Basin, Germany
…… 18
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
…… 20
Götz, A.E.: Sub-Saharan nonmarine-marine cross-basin correlations based on climate signatures
recorded in Permian palynomorph assemblages
…… 22
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
…… 24
Kiersnowski, H.: Early Permian sedimentary basins of Polish Variscan Externides
…… 25
Knight, J.A. & Wagner, R.H.: Proposal for the recognition of a Saberian Substage in the midStephanian (West European chronostratigraphic scheme)
…… 26
Kustatscher, E., Bauer, K., Bernardi, M., Petti, F.M., Franz, M., Wappler, T. & Van Konijnenburgvan Cittert, J.H.A.: Reconstruction of a terrestrial environment from the Lopingian (Late
Permian) of the Dolomites (Bletterbach, Northern Italy)
…… 28
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
…… 30
Lützner, H., Kowalczyk, G. & Haneke, J.: Continental Lower Permian basins in Germany:
Correlation and development
…… 32
Marchetti, L. & Voigt, S.: Taxonomy and biostratigraphic significance of Early Permian
…… 33
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
…… 34
Basin, Czech Republic.
…… 36
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…… 38
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
…… 40
reference section of Kazan Volga region, Russia: preliminary investigations
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Mujal, E., Fortuny, J., Oms, O., Bolet, A., Galobart, À. & Anadón, P.: Dating of Permian Pyrenean
…… 42
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
…… 43
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
…… 44
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
…… 46
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
…… 47
Barry C. Richards: Nonmarine-marine correlations and the international Carboniferous time scale …… 48
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
…… 50
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 NonmarineMarine Correlation Working Group – new results and future tasks
…… 52
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
…… 57
Shen, S.: The Permian Timescale: Progress, Perspective and Plans
…… 59
Silantiev, V.V.: Permian non-marine bivalve genus Palaeomutela Amalitzky, 1891 and its
evolutionary lineages based on the hinge structure
…… 60
Spindler, F.: Carboniferous origins of therapsids? – a case study on phylogeny conflicting
stratigraphy
…… 62
Srivastava, A.K.: Problems and prospects of correlating stratigraphic units of Permian (Lower)
Gondwana
…… 64
Stanislav Štamberg: Fossiliferous Early Permian horizons of the Krkonoše Piedmont Basin and the
Boskovice Graben (Bohemian Massif) in view of the occurrence of actinopterygians
…… 65
Guzel Sungatullina: Conodonts at the Moscovian/Kasimovian boundary from the Usolka section
(South Ural, Russia)
…… 66
Tichomirowa, M.: The high-precision U-Pb zircon dating method: first results from the Freiberg
laboratory
…… 68
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
…… 69
Voigt, S. & Haubold, H.: Permian tetrapod footprints from the Spanish Pyrenees
…… 72
Voigt, S. & Marchetti, L.: Pennsylvanian-Permian captorhinomorph footprints: A tool for global
biostratigraphic correlation?
…… 73
Wagner R.H. & Knight, J.A.: The “global” scheme of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units vs
West European and North American regional units
…… 74
Wang, J.: Floral changeover through Late Paleozoic Ice-age in North China Block: a case study in
the Weibei Coalfield
…… 76
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
…… 77
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
…… 78
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
…… 79
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
…… 80
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Palaeogeography and facies of the continental
Permian-Triassic Boundary interval, Central Germany
Bachmann, G.H.1 & Szurlies, M.2
1
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3,
D-06099 Halle/Saale, Germany
2
Bundesanstalt 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 1020 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, socalled “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), 550 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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.
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Fig. 1: Nelben section near Halle/Sachsen Anhalt with Zechstein-Buntsandstein boundary and continental PTB (after
Szurlies 2001, modified).
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Dept. of Earth Sciences, Chouaïb Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco
Dept. of Palaeontology,Geological Institute, TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Germany
3
Kazan Federal University, 18 Kremlevskaya Str., Kazan 420008, Russian Federation
4
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87104, USA
2
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 400600 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 StéphanoPermiens 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Departamento de Estratigrafía, Fac. Geología, Univ. Complutense de Madrid, C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040
Madrid, Spain
2
Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC,UCM), C/ José Antonio Nováis 2, 28040 Madrid, Spain.
3
Departamento 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
3
DAStietz, Museum für Naturkunde, Moritzstraße 20, D–09111 Chemnitz, Germany
4
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B.v. Cottastraße 2, D–09596 Freiberg, Germany
5
Kazan Federal University, 18, Kremlevskaya st., Kazan 420008, Russian Federation
6
Department of Paleobiology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC 20560, USA
7
Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742, USA
8
College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, 100048, China
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP, Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, 66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Geologisches Institut, Bereich Paläontologie, Bernhard-von-Cotta Straße 2, 09599
Freiberg, Germany
3
Southern Methodist University, Shuler Museum of Paleontology, Institute for the Study of Earth and Man, PO Box
750274, Dallas, TX 75275-0274, USA
4
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Altenhöferallee 1, 60438 Frankfurt, Germany
5
Geozentrum Nordbayern, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 5, 91054 Erlangen,
Germany
6
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Mineralogie, Brennhausgasse 14, 09599 Freiberg, Germany
2
Permian sedimentary rocks exposed in the southwestern USA record a highly diverse shark fauna
from marine and continental environments. Especially mixed marine and “typically freshwaterconsidered” 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Naturmuseum Südtirol, Bindergasse 1, 39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany
3
MUSE Museo delle Scienze, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123 Trento, Italy
4
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
5
Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität,
and Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München,
Germany
2
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 marginfeeding; (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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Department for the Study of the Territory and Its Resources, University of Genoa, Corso Europa 26, 16132 Genoa,
Italy
2
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
3
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, c/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50.009 Zaragoza, Spain
4
Institute 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 CarboniferousLower Permian, that also controlled the development of Mid Permian and Lower Triassic
successions. The Lower Paleozoic medium- to high-grade metamorphic basement, the SardiniaCorsica 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 laserablation 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 perimediterranean 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Orbital forcing in continental Upper Carboniferous red beds
of the intermontane Saale Basin, Germany
Gebhardt, U.1 & Hiete, M.2
1
State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe, Erbprinzenstraße 13, D-76133 Karlsruhe, Germany
Center for EnvironmentalSystems research (CESR), University of Kassel, D-34109 Kassel, Germany
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Borissiak Paleontological Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russia
3
A.P.Karpinsky All-Russian Geological Research Institute, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
4
Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 basinwide, 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, 321338.
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), Depto. de Paleontologia e Estratigrafia (DPE), Instituto de
Geociências (IGeo), Porto Alegre, RS, 91.509-900, Brazil
2
Centro Paleontológico (CENPÁLEO), Universidade do Contestado (UnC), Av. Pres. Nereu Ramos, 1071, Mafra, SC,
89300-000, Brazil
3
Universidade 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
4
Universidade 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 chronocorrelating 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Naturmuseum Südtirol, Bindergasse 1, 39100 Bolzano/Bozen, Italy
Department für Geo- und Umweltwissenschaften, Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität,
Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München, Germany
3
Bayerische Staatssammlung für Paläontologie und Geobiologie, Richard-Wagner-Straße 10, 80333 München,
Germany
4
Museo delle Scienze di Trento, Corso del Lavoro e della Scienza 3, 38123 Trento, Italy
5
School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
6
Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg, Bernhard-von-Cotta-Straße 2,
09599 Freiberg, Germany
7
Steinmann Institut für Geologie, Mineralogie und Paläontologie, Universität Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115 Bonn, Germany
8
Laboratory of Palaeobotany and Palynology, Budapestlaan 4, 3584 CD Utrecht and Naturalis Biodiversity Center, PO
Box 9517, 2300RA Leiden, The Netherlands
2
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 carbonatesiliciclastic 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Department of Geosciences, University of Texas at San Antonio
Department of Geology and Geophysics, Texas A&M University
3
Energy and Minerals Section, Kentucky Geological Survey
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Continental Lower Permian basins in Germany: Correlation and development
Lützner, H.1, Kowalczyk, G.2 & Haneke, J.3
1
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität, Burgweg 11, D-07749 Jena
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Facheinheit Geologie, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, Altenhöfer Allee 1, D60438 Frankfurt a. M.
3
Landesamt für Geologie und Bergbau, Emy-Roeder-Str. 5, D-55129 Mainz-Hechtsheim
2
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 mediumsized 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 LateVariscan 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Taxonomy and biostratigraphic significance of Early Permian captorhinomorph footprints
Marchetti, L.1 & Voigt, S.2
1
Dipartimento di Geoscienze, Università degli Studi di Padova, via Gradenigo 6, 35131 Padova, Italy
Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Charles University, Albertov 6, 128 43 Prague 2, Czech Republic
Czech Geological Survey, Klárov 3/131, 118 21 Praha 1, Czech Republic
3
Institute of Geology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Rozvojová 269, CZ-165 00 Praha 6,
Czech Republic
4
Dolan Integration Group, 2520 55th Street, Suite 101, Boulder, CO. 80303, United States
2
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 (Sm1 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Methodic approach and ways
of correlating remote non-marine Permian formations by ostracods
Molostovskaya, I.I.1 & Golubev, V.K.2
1
Saratov State University, Saratov, Russia
Borissiak Paleontological Institute of RAS, Moscow, Russia
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation
Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
3
Kazan National Research Technical University
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
The work was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, project no. 13-0500642 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geologia. 08193 Bellaterra (Spain)
Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Carrer Escola Industrial 23. 08201 Sabadell (Spain)
3
Institut de Ciències de la Terra Jaume Almera CSIC. Lluís Solé i Sabarís s.n. 08028 Barcelona (Spain)
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Departament de Geologia. 08193 Bellaterra, Spain
Institut Català de Paleontologia Miquel Crusafont. Carrer Escola Industrial 23. 08201 Sabadell, Spain
2
The Late Carboniferous to Triassic continental record of the Pyrenean basin starts with the welldated 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Faculty of Earth Sciences and Mining, Department of Petroleum Geology, University of Dongola, Sudan
Faculty of Petroleum & minerals , Al-Neelain University, Sudan
3
Eritrea Institute of Technology (EIT), College of Engineering and Technology, Department of Mining Engineering
4
Germany
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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.
45
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Albertov 6, 128 43, Prague 2, Czech Republic
Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA
2
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 KladnoRakovník basins) and from 5 ash beds/ignimbrites from the Intra-Sudetic and the Krkonošepiedmont 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing
210008, P. R. China
2
Institute 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.
47
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy
Instituto de Geociencias (CSIC,UCM) C/ José Antonio Novais 12, 28040 Madrid, Spain
3
Departamento de Estratigrafía, Facultad de Geología, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, C/José Antonio Novais 12,
28040 Madrid, Spain
4
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Zaragoza, c/Pedro Cerbuna, 12, 50.009 Zaragoza, Spain
2
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 tectonosedimentary 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 perimediterranean 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B. v. Cotta-Str. 2, D-09596 Freiberg, Germany
New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Sciences, 1801 Mountain Road NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87104,
USA
3
Department of Geosciences, Texas Tech University, Box 41053, Lubbock, Texas, 79409, USA
4
Naturhistorisches Museum Schloss Bertholdsburg, Burgstr. 6, D-98553 Schleusingen, Germany
5
Borissiak Paleontological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Profsoyuznaya 123, Moscow 117647, Russia
6
Kazan Federal University, ul. Kremlevskya 16, Kazan, 420008, Russia
7
Nanjing Institute of Geology & Palaeontology, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, Jiangsu 210008, P.R. China
8
Department of Geology, Chouaib Doukkali University, B.P. 20, 24000 El Jadida, Morocco
9
Museum für Naturkunde, Moritzstraße 20, D-09111 Chemnitz, Germany
2
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 specieschronocline-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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 cooccurrences 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 rubidaSyscioblatta 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 periTethys 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: 127150.
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
1
TU Bergakademie Freiberg, Institut für Geologie, B. v. Cotta-Str. 2, D-09596 Freiberg, Germany
Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing
3
GeoZentrum Nordbayern, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg
2
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 bedby-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, δ18Ocarb, 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 highresolution lithostratigraphy of the Permian–Triassic boundary interval in Central Germany. – Earth Planet. Sci.
Lett. 212: 263-278.
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 highresolution 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 (baseSakmarian, 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. 59
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Fig. 1: Changes in morphology of the hinge in two Palaeomutela groups.
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 JurassicCretaceous 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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Fig. 2: Morphological features in conodont groups occurring across the Moscovian/Kasimovian boundary. CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 (LAICP-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 dilutionthermal 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Permian tetrapod footprints from the Spanish Pyrenees
Voigt, S.1 & Haubold, H.2
1
Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Von-Seckendorff-Platz 3-4, D-06120
Halle (Saale), Germany
2
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Pennsylvanian-Permian captorhinomorph footprints:
A tool for global biostratigraphic correlation?
Voigt, S.1 & Marchetti, L.2
1
2
Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP / Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Burgstraße 19, D-66871 Thallichtenberg, Germany
Dipartimento 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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 longrange 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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
Fig. 1: The “global” scheme of Pennsylvanian chronostratigraphic units vs West European and North American
regional units.
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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
87
Sr/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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CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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.
78
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008,
P. R. China
2
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas at San Antonio, One UTSA Circle, San Antonio, TX 78249
3
Institute 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.
79
CPC-2014 Field Meeting on Carboniferous and Permian Nonmarine – Marine Correlation, Freiberg, 21.–27.7.2014
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
1
Yunnan Key Laboratory for Palaeobiology, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese
Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008, China
2
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.
80
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]