Comment on “A global review of the Late Mississippian (Carboniferous) Gigantoproductus (Brachiopoda) faunas and their paleogeographical, paleoecological, and paleoclimatic implications” by L. Qiao and S. Shen [Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 420 (2015) 128–137

Abstract

Abstract Some palaeontological data necessary to make global-scale conclusions on fossils' distribution may be difficult to access because of their publication in non-English and/or local scientific media. The presence of several alternative plate tectonic reconstructions is another serious challenge for making such conclusions. The article by Qiao and Shen (2015) discusses the global spatio-temporal distribution of the Mississippian brachiopod genus Gigantoproductus. According to literature sources missed by the authors, its occurrence in Central Kazakhstan, Southern Kazakhstan, and North Siberia challenges the idea of restriction of this genus to only the Palaeotethys. Moreover, it seems Gigantoproductus migrated quickly (within the Middle Visean) from the Moscow Basin, where it originated, to North Siberia. The use of plate tectonic reconstructions different from that preferred by Qiao and Shen (2015) suggests that the position of Kazakhstan and Siberia in lower latitudes explains well the presence of Gigantoproductus in these regions. Additionally, the importance of the Rhenohercynian Ocean and its remnants for the global dispersal of this genus should be considered.