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.
Ocean anoxia has been widely implicated in the Permian-Triassic extinction. However, the duration and distribution of the ocean anoxia remains controversial. In this study, the detailed redox changes across the Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) in the shallow platform interior at Great Bank of Guizhou (GBG) has been reconstructed based on the high-resolution microfossil composition and multiple paleo-redox proxies. The shallow platform is characterized by low sulfur (total sulfur (TS) and pyrite sulfur (Spy)) concentrations, low Spy/TOC ratios, and low DOP values before the mass extinction, representing oxic conditions well. Following the mass extinction, the shift of multiple geochemical proxies, including high Spy/TOC ratios and DOP values, indicates dysoxic-anoxic conditions in shallow ocean. Furthermore, we reconstruct the transition of the redox conditions of Nanpanjiang Basin: the intense volcanic eruptions, which release huge COz and SO2 before the mass extinction, provoke the temperature rising and the collapse of terrestrial ecosystem. As a result, the increased weathering influx causes the carbon iso- topic negative excursion and the expansion of the ocean oxygen minimum zone (OMZ). When the OMZ expanded into the photic zone, the episodic H2S release events enhance the pyrite burial at Dajiang section. Thus, intense volcanic eruptions, temperature increase, and oceanic hypoxia together lead to the PTB extinction. Recent studies show high temperature might be the key mechanism of the PTB extinction. In addition, this study confirms that the microbialites were formed in the dysoxic- anoxic shallow water.
SONG HuYueTONG JinNanTIAN LiSONG HaiJunQIU HaiOuZHU YuanYuanThomas ALGEO