Guadalupian (Middle Permian) brachiopods from Sungai Toh, a Leptodus Shale locality in the Central Belt of Peninsular Malaysia Part I: Lower Horizons

Abstract

This work presents a systematic study of Permian Brachiopoda from the Sungai Toh Leptodus Shale locality, Pahang State, Peninsular Malaysia. This locality lies within the Central Belt of Peninsular Malaysia, a tectonic unit characterised.by tuffaceous sediments and limestones of Late Palaeozoic age. Two brachiopod-bearing horizons were studied in detail at this locality, the lower one (Horizon 2) bearing a mixed plant and invertebrate assemblage, including the brachiopods Urushtenoidea chaoi (CHING), Leptodus richthofeni KAYSER, Anidanthus cf. sinosus HUANG, Acosarina dorashamensis (SOKOLSKAJA), A. minuta (ABleH) and unidentifiable species of Linoproduetus, Neochonetes, and Strophalosiina. Horizon 3 contains a more abundant and diverse brachiopod fauna, comprising a total. of 57 species representing 47 genera, including Vediproductus punetatiformis (CHAO), Permianella typica HE & ZHU, Tranrennatia gratiosa (WAAGEN), Leptodus richthofeni KAYSER, Leptodus cf. tenuis (WAAGEN) and Semibrachythyrina [= Alphaneospirifer] cf. pyramidiformis LIANG. It is suggested in this study that the age of the Sungai Toh locality is Capitanian (late Guadalupian) to possibly Wuchiapingian (early Lopingian), as it appears to correlate well with the Lengwu fauna from Zhejiang in eastern China. The palaeobiogeographical affinities of the Sungai Toh fauna are interesting, mainly indicating strong Palaeo-equatorial affinities, while there are also some elements more typical of the cooler periGondwana Region.