Late Devonian benthic ostracods from South China and their response to the Frasnian–Famennian event

Abstract

Late Devonian ostracods are described for the first time from the Frasnian–Famennian (F–F) transition of the Zengpiyan section, Guangxi, South China. Forty‐five ostracod species belonging to 25 genera are identified and figured and one is new:Jenningsina guilinensissp. nov. The Frasnian–Famennian boundary (F–FB) in the Zengpiyan section is coincident with the lithological boundary between the Guilin Formation and the Dongcun Formation, and could be marked by the disappearance ofRectobairdia proximischimensis(Lethiers & Casiers, 1998) andJenningsina guilinensissp. nov. The ostracods belong to the Eifelian Mega‐Assemblage, which implies a shallow‐water palaeoenvironment. The ostracod fauna and sedimentary features of the Guilin and Dongcun formations at the Zengpiyan section suggest a transition from subtidal to low‐energy tidal flat on the Guilin Platform during the Frasnian‐Famennian event. The extinction rate of benthic ostracod species is about 61% during the F–F event in the Zengpiyan section. Two stages of faunal changes have been recognized in the event and the second stage is more severe than the first one.