Significance of Caucasian Sections for Working out Carbon-Isotope Standard for Upper Permian and Lower Triassic (Induan) and Their Correlation with the Permian of North-Eastern Russia

Data obtained on conodont distribution in the Permian-Triassic Sovetashen Section of Transcaucasia provide further limitations on the age of the carbon-isotopic anomalies discovered by Baud et al. (1989). The significance of Caucasian sections for working out the carbon-isotope standard for the Upper Permian and Lower Triassic (Induan) is shown. Original data on carbon-isotope composition of bivalve and brachiopod shells from Permian sediments of North-Eastern Russia (Omolon and Okhotsk areas) have been obtained, which may be used for their correlation.

Unique Marine Olenekian-Anisian Boundary Section from South Primorye, Russian Far East

To show paleontological characteristics of the Olenekian-Anislan boundary beds in the Russian Far East, a review of new data on the Upper Olenekian and Lower Anisian biostratigraphy of South Primorye is given on the basis of five sections： Golyi Cape, Petrovka River, Zhitkov Peninsula, Tchernyschew Bay and Atlasov Cape, using new ammonoid, brachiopod and conodont findings. The most representative ammonoid assemblage at the base of the Anisian was discovered in the Ussuriphyllites amurensis Zone （10.6 m thick） of the Atlasov Cape Section： Parasageceras sp. nov., Prionitidae gen. et sp. nov. , Ussuriphyllites amurensis （Kiparisova） （dominant）, Megaphyllites atlasoviensis Zakharov, Leiophyllites praematurus Kiparisova, Leiophyllites sp. , Ussurites sp. , Paradanubites sp. indet., Paracrochordiceras sp. nov., Prohungarites popowi Kiparisova, Arctohungarites primoriensis Zakharov, A. solimani （Toula）, Salterites sp. indet. （gigantic shell）, and Tropigastrites sublachontanus Zakharov. Conodonts Neospathodus cf. homeri （Bender） were found in the lower part of the Ussuriphyllites amurensis Zone of the Atlasov Cape. The Atlasov Cape seems to be one of the very promising sections of the Russian Far East for detailed investigation of the Olenekian-Anisian boundary.

New Findings of Latest Early Olenekian(Early Triassic)Fossils in South Primorye,Russian Far East,and Their Stratigraphical Significance

Information on latest early Olenekian(latest Smithian)ammonoids is available apparently from only seven regions of the world,including South Primorye.Latest Smithian evidences on this topic are recorded from the West SMID(abbreviation from the Russian name of the quarry:"Building Materials and Details"),East SMID and Golyj Cape areas in South Primorye.This provides additional information on systematic composition of latest Smithian ammonoid,as well as conodont and brachiopod assemblages from the recently identified Shimanskyites shimanskyi Zone,located between lower Olenekian Anasibirites nevolini Zone and upper Olenekian Tirolites subcassianus Zone.There are many common ammonoid species in the Shimanskyites shimanskyi Zone and the underlying Anasibirites nevolini Zone,e.g.,Prosphingitoides sp.,Arctoceras septentrionale(Diener),Churkites syskoi Zakharov et Shigeta,Submeekoceras?subhhydaspis(Kiparisova),Prionites markevichi Zakharov et Smyshlyaeva,?Anasibirites?simanenkoi Zakharov et Smyshlyaeva,Xenoceltites?subvariocostatus Zakharov et Smyshlyaeva,and Mianwaliites zimini Zakharov et Smyshlyaeva.The base of the Shimanskyites shimanskyi Zone,marked by a negativeδ13Corg excursion in the Kamenushka-2 Section by our previous study,coincides with the FO(first occurrence)of ammonoids Shimanskyites shimanskyi Zakharov et Smyshlyaeva and Glyptophiceras cf.sinuatum(Waagen)and conodont Hindeodella budurovi Buryi.This zone is characterized additionally by some fossils common for the overlying upper Olenekian Tirolites subcassianus Zone:ammonoids of the genus Kamenushkaites,brachiopods Bittnerihyris margaritovi(Bittner)and Lepismatina sp.and conodont?Neogondolella?(=?Borinella)jubata Sweet.The latest Smithian ammonoids recorded from the Shimanskyites shimanskyi Zone totally consist of 30 taxa belonging to 11 families(Sageceratidae,Ussuiriidae,Aspenitidae,Paranannitidae,Arctoceratidae,Proptychitidae,?Galfetitidae,Prionitidae,?Kashmiritidae,Xenoceltitidae and Palaeophyllitidae).The problems of global correlation of uppermost Smithian strata are also discussed.

Conodont and Ammonoid Biostratigraphies around the Permian-Triassic Boundary from the Jianzishan of South China

Conodonts and ammonoids have played significant roles in the Permian-Triassic time- scale. In order to uncover the nature of the Permian-Triassic mass extinction and subsequent recovery, we studied conodont and ammonoid biostratigraphies around the Permian-Triassic boundary from Jianzishan of Hubei, South China. A total of four conodont zones and two ammonoid beds are recog- nized. In ascending order, the conodont zones are Late Changhsingian Clarkina changxingensis Zone, Clarkina yini Zone and Griesbachian Hindeodus parvus Zone, Hindeodus postparvus Zone; the ammon- oid beds are Late Griesbachian Ophiceras beds and Early Dienerian Ussuridiscus varaha beds. At Jian- zishan, Ophiceras beds are stratigraphically younger than Hindeodus parvus Zone, but it is likely to be the same level with Hindeoduspostparvus Zone. The Lower Dienerian in Bed 8 in this section is charac- terized by ammonoid Ussuridiscus varaha beds, which is associated with many Late Grieshachian cono- donts including Hindeodus postparvus, Hindeodus praeparvus, Hindeodus typicalis, Hindeodus pisai, Hindeodus latidentatus, Hindeodus parvus, Hindeodus anterodentatus and Isarcicella turgida, indicating these conodont species could pass through the Griesbachian-Dienerian boundary and occurred in the Early Dienerian oceans.

Recovery of Brachiopod and Ammonoid Faunas Following the End-Permian Crisis:Additional Evidence from the Lower Triassic of the Russian Far East and Kazakhstan

After the End-Permian mass extinction, ammonoids reached levels of taxonomic diver- sity higher than in the Changhsingian by the Dienerian Substage of the Induan. However, brachiopods exhibit a prolonged delay in recovery, and their taxonomic diversity had not recovered to Late Permian levels even by the Olenekian. The differential patterns of recovery between these two clades may reflect fundamental differences in physiology and behavior. Brachiopods were benthic organisms that were dependent on specific trophic sources, and their general reduction in size during the Early Triassic may have been a response to a relative paucity of food resources. In contrast, ammonoids were sluggish- nektic organisms that utilized a wider range of trophic sources and that suffered no comparable size decrease during the Early Triassic. Brachiopods may have been at a disadvantage also due to vulner- abilities associated with their larval stage, during which they had to locate a suitable substrate for set- tlement. In contrast, ammonoids had no larval stage and juveniles may have been dispersed widely into favorable habitats. These factors may account for differences in the relative success of ammonoids and brachiopods at high-latitude regions following the End-Permian mass extinction： ammonoids success- fully reeolonized the Boreal region during the Early Triassic whereas brachiopods did not.

AGE OF THE LONGYIN FORMATION IN SOUTHWEST GUIZHOU PROVINCE——A DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CORRELATION OF THE LOWER PERMIAN BETWEEN SOUTH CHINA AND THE URAL OF USSR

The Permian Artinskian age of the Longyin Formation is indicated by the appearanceof the ammonoid Popanoceras fauna at its lowermost part. The upper Maping Formationin South China should include all the Sakmarin deposit at least.

Lithofacies palaeogeography and biostratigraphy of the lowermost horizons of the Middle Triassic Hallstatt Limestones (Argolis Peninsula,Greece)

Condensed ammonoid beds of the Hallstatt facies (Anisian-Ladinian) are widespread around the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus,in the locality Theokafta of the Argolis Peninsula (eastern Peloponnesus).The Hallstatt Formation in Argolis appears,generally,in the form of lensoid bodies of variable sizes,inclination and direction and is always found overlying a formation consisting of keratophyric tuffs.In fact,the contact of the keratophyric tuffs with the overlying limestones,specifically evidenced by an in situ brecciated zone,is stratigraphic and constitutes the base of the Hallstatt Limestones.The contact of the Hallstatt Limestones with the overlying radiolarites is stratigraphic as well.Lithofacies and biostratigraphic research has focused on the lowermost horizons of the Hallstatt Limestones of Anisian age (average thickness about 1.30 m),where a dense sampling has been performed,followed by detailed facies analysis.The lowermost horizons of the Hallstatt Limestones of Theokafta represent typical hiatus beds/concretions sensu Wetzel and Allia (2000),characterized by discontinuous sedimentation and erosion.They consist of red ammonoid-bearing hemipelagic limestones with calcium carbonate nodules floating in an enriched Fe-oxides matrix with dispersed lensoid/prismatic calcium carbonate crystals.This part of the section is characterized by condensed sedimentation,due to significant lowering of the rate of sedimentation and includes omission surfaces,firmgrounds and hardgrounds along certain horizons.Nine lithostratigraphic units have been distinguished in the lowermost horizons of the Hallstatt Limestones,including radiolarian packstones,volcaniclastic facies,packstones/floatstones with ammonoids and lag deposits.Tselepidis (2007) defined nine distinct ammonoid biozones from the Anisian to Ladinian,documenting deposition of the Hallstatt facies during a low depositional rate over nearly 5 million years (using the timescale of Gradstein et al.,2004).The biozones:Japonites/Paracrochordiceras,Hollandites,Procladiscites/Leiophyllites,zoldianus,trinidosus,Reitziites/Parakellnerites and the Nevadites (Anisian) and the biozone curionii (Lower Ladinian).Although sedimentation was very condensed,it didn’t reach the level of mixing fauna.Synsedimentary and early burrowing processes differentiated the primary texture characteristics of the deposited sediments.Multiphase diagenesis occurred not very deep below the sediment surface and includes boring and/or encrustation,burial and cementation.The deposition of the studied Hallstatt Limestones is considered to be due to anaerobic oxidation of organic matter,which provided excess alkalinity,inducing carbonate precipitation.Sedi-mentation took place on differentially-subsided deep swells.After drowning,the swells were covered by pelagic carbonate deposits.Further slight rotation of blocks,along listric faults,may have led to additional differential subsidence of the blocks.Shelf bathymetry and thirdorder sea-level changes played a significant role in the formation of the Hallstatt beds.In terms of sequence stratigraphy,the studied hiatus concretions and beds are considered genetically linked to rising or high sea-level,formed at the initiation of transgressions,as well as during the time of maximum rate of transgression,in areas where the sediment input was strongly reduced (’’condensed section’’) .Taking into consideration the present location of the Hallstatt Formation,in the context of the Hellenides,an area suitable for the deposition of the Hallstatt Limestones,should be located between the sub-Pelagonian (western part of the Pelagonian zone) and Pindos geotectonic zones,which during the Triassic corresponded to a platform slope and a deep ocean,respectively.The widespread Middle Triassic Han Bulog Limestones (ammonoid-bearing pelagic limestones) from Triassic successions of the Eastern Alps (Dinarides,Hellenides) may have formed partly in similar slope environments.