A preliminary summary of the lower Visean to uppermost Moscovian (Carboniferous) conodont succession and biostratigraphy of the Dianzishang section in Zhenning, Guizhou, South China is presented. Eleven conodont zones, in ascending order, can be recognized: Gnathodus praebilineatus, Gnathodus bilineatus, Lochriea ziegleri, Declinognathodus noduliferus, Neognathodus symmetricus, 'Streptognathodus' expansus (primitive form), 'Streptognathodus' expansus, Mesogondolella donbassica -Mesogondolella clarki, Idiognathodus podolskensis, Swadelina fauna and Idiognathodus swadei zones. The first occurrences of Lochriea ziegleri at the base of the Serpukhovian Stage, Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus at the base of the Bashkirian Stage and 'Streptognathodus' expansus at the base of the Moscovian Stage are recognized. The definitions of these stage boundaries, as well as that of the base of the Kasimovian Stage are discussed. Correlations with the Naqing section in South China, Russian and North American sections, as well as other important sections in the world, are considered.
Carboniferous conodont biostratigraphy comprises regional zonations that reflect the paleogeographic distribution of taxa and distinct shallow-water and deep-water conodont biofacies. Some species have a global distribution and can effect high quality correlations. These taxa are incorporated into definitions of global Carboniferous chronostratigraphic units. A standard global Carboniferous zonation has not been developed. The lowermost Mississippian is zoned by Siphonodella species, except in shallow-water facies, where other polygnathids are used. Gnathodus species radiated during the Tournaisian and are used to define many Mississippian zones. A late Tournaisian maximum in diversity, characterized by short-lived genera, was followed by lower diversity faunas of Gnathodus species and carminate genera through the Viséan and Serpukhovian. By the late Viséan and Serpukhovian, Lochriea provides better biostratigraphic resolution. Shallow-water zonations based on Cavusgnathus and Mestognathus are difficult to correlate. An extinction event near the base of the Pennsylvanian was followed by the appearance of new gnathodid genera: Rhachistognathus, Declinognathodus, Neognathodus, Idiognathoides, and Idiognathodus. By the middle of the Moscovian, few genera remained: Idiognathodus, Neognathodus and Swadelina. During the middle Kasimovian and Gzhelian, only Idiognathodus and Streptognathodus species were common. Near the end of the Gzhelian, a rediversification of Streptognathodus species extended into the Cisuralian.
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