Conodont Evidence for the Age of the Panxian Fauna, Guizhou, China

Abstract

Detailed conodont analysis on the Yangjuan‐Chupiwa section, Xinmin, Panxian County, Guizhou Province, revealed a conodont sequence including four Anisian conodont zones, viz. Nicoraella germanica Zone, Nc. kockeli Zone, Paragondolella bifurcata Zone and Neogondolella constricta Zone. These zones indicate that the upper Guanling Formation consists of strata from the Bithynian to the Illyrian of the Anisian. Appearance of Neogondolella constricta suggests that the Anisian/Ladinian boundary might be in the overlying Yangliujing Formation. The Panxian Fauna with well‐preserved marine reptile and fish fossils is proved to belong to the lower part of the conodont Nc. kockeli Zone in the studied area. Thus, the age of the Panxian Fauna could be the early Pelsonian of the Anisian.

A new diapsid from the Middle Triassic of southern China

“…It possesses an elongate neck that exhibits a remarkable similarity to that of many Protorosauria, yet in other respects the skull and postcranium are much less derived. The new taxon is part of the so-called Panxian-Luoping Fauna and the deposits correspond to the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation, comprising thin to medium bedded, gray to dark-gray laminated marly limestone and limestone, with several layers of bentonite intercalated in the fossil level at Panxian (Wan, 2002; Motani et al, 2008; Jiang et al, 2009). Their age is Pelsonian (middle Anisian, Middle Triassic) as is indicated by the conodont Nicoraella kockeli Zone (Sun et al, 2006; Zhang et al, 2009). A recent U-Pb study indicates the absolute age of these middle Anisian beds to be close to 244 Ma (Wang et al, 2014).…”

Dinocephalosaurus orientalis Li, 2003: a remarkable marine archosauromorph from the Middle Triassic of southwestern China

“…The holotype specimen of Dinocephalosaurus orientalis (Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Beijing, IVPP V13767) was collected near Xinmin in Panxian County, southwestern Guizhou Province. It came from the Upper Member of the Guanling Formation, which is of Pelsonian (late Anisian, Middle Triassic) age as indicated by the conodont Nicoraella kockeli (Sun et al 2006(Sun et al , 2009Zhang et al 2009). This stratum has yielded a rich assemblage of marine reptiles, in particular numerous ichthyosaurs and sauropterygians, as well as fishes (Jiang et al 2003(Jiang et al , 2005a(Jiang et al , 2005b(Jiang et al , 2006a(Jiang et al , 2006b(Jiang et al , 2007(Jiang et al , 2008Li et al 2006;Shang 2006;Motani et al 2008).…”