Abstract: Dispersal, Phylogeny, and Distribution of Permian Marine Faunas in Biogeography and Biostratigraphy

C. A. Ross, J. R. P. Ross

Four shallow benthic groups, fusulinaceans, corals, ectoprocts, and brachiopods, show broadly similar distributions and dispersal patterns during the Permian Period. Provinciality was present but establishment of truly endemic provinces was interrupted by major dispersals.

Near the middle of the Early Permian, the faunas showed considerable regional differences and some endemic faunas became established by the end of the Early Permian. Tethyan faunas were most diverse and were characterized by rich endemic taxa, such as verbeekinid fusulinaceans, waagenophyllid corals, most genera of richthofenacean, lyttoniacean, and syringothyrid brachiopods, and cystoporate and trepostome ectoprocts. Tethyan faunas were most diverse during the Late Permian, but extinction of many taxa became significant before the end of the Kazanian (Guadalupian); Dzhulfian faunas were reduced to only a few taxa before the end of the period. Complex and diverse Tethyan faunas suggest a number of subprovinces to this faunal realm.

Outside the Tethys, in the later part of the Early Permian, less diverse faunas persisted and included more cosmopolitan genera, many of which were derived from earlier widespread lineages. The best known faunas is in the Ural-Franklinian region which lacks verbeekinid fusulinaceans and is dominated by durhaminid corals, marginiferids, echinoconchids, rhynchoporiids, buxtoniids, and dictyoclostids among the brachiopods and fenestrate cryptostome ectoprocts.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90968©1977 AAPG-SEPM Annual Convention and Exhibition, Washington, DC