Palynological dynamics in the late Permian and the Permian–Triassic transition in southwestern China

Significant floral changes across the Permian-Triassic and Triassic-Jurassic transitions induced by widespread wildfires

“…During the P-T transition interval, rapid extinctions/ disappearances of terrestrial plant communities and catastrophic declines in plant diversity occurred across different geographic and climatic zones (e.g., Fielding et al, 2019;Chu et al, 2020;Feng et al, 2020;Gastaldo et al, 2020;Mays et al, 2020;Shu et al, 2022;Shao et al, 2023). This redefined the history of floral evolution, followed by the Early-Middle Triassic coal gap (the interval between the disappearance of coal-forming plants).…”

“…Near the equator, plant macrofossil records in South China show that terrestrial plants across the P-T transition led to the rapid disappearance of coal-forming plants such as lycopodium, ferns, seed ferns, and cycads in Cathaysia flora, with species reduction of 95% and genera reduction of 50% (Zhang et al, 2016;Chu et al, 2020;Feng et al, 2020). The latest palynological fossil results show the occurrence of two significant changes in the terrestrial plant community and plant diversity in South China across the P-T transition (Hua et al, 2023;Shao et al, 2023). The first was accompanied by a significant change of plant community dominated by Gigantopteris to gymnosperms, and the second was accompanied by a collapse of plant community and a significant decline in plant diversity (inferred from the disappearance of spores and pollen) (Hua et al, 2023;Shao et al, 2023).…”

“…The latest palynological fossil results show the occurrence of two significant changes in the terrestrial plant community and plant diversity in South China across the P-T transition (Hua et al, 2023;Shao et al, 2023). The first was accompanied by a significant change of plant community dominated by Gigantopteris to gymnosperms, and the second was accompanied by a collapse of plant community and a significant decline in plant diversity (inferred from the disappearance of spores and pollen) (Hua et al, 2023;Shao et al, 2023). In addition, the change trends of land plant indices from South China (including Meishan, Shangsi, Liangfengya, Huangzhishan, and Xiaohebian sections) and Italy (Bulla Section) also show a catastrophic loss of land plant communities across the P-T transition (Biswas et al, 2020;Aftabuzzaman et al, 2021;Kaiho et al, 2021).…”

The Coal-Forming Environment at the End of the Late Permian and Its Control on Trace Elements: The Upper Xuanwei Formation in Eastern Yunnan, China

“…During the Late Permian, the study area of Xuanwei County in eastern Yunnan Province was part of the western margin of the South China Plate, with an equatorial paleolatitude (Figure 1a) [19]. Siliciclastic sediments in this area were supplied predominantly from the Khangdian Oldland to the west.…”

“…Siliciclastic sediments in this area were supplied predominantly from the Khangdian Oldland to the west. This is a large area of ancient crystalline rocks reduced to a low relief by lengthy erosion through the Late Paleozoic, which was significantly affected by Emeishan mantle plume activity [19][20][21]. Controlled by transgressions from the east throughout the Late Permian, the depositional environments in eastern Yunnan and western Guizhou vary from marine, transitional, to terrestrial facies from east to west (Figure 1b) [19].…”