Plant and Environment Co-evolution in Permian-Triassic Transition

Abstract

AbstractLate Permian the Lopingian to Early Triassic the Induan, the palaeofloral successions are continuous and complete in the South and North China blocks. From the Late Cisuralian (Early Permian) to the middle of the Lopingian, North and South China, both located in the equatorial domain, sheltered a homogeneous “Cathaysian Palaeoflora” resulting from a Cisuralian southern extension and diversification from the Northern “cradle” of Cathaysian plants to the South. The progressive changes in the two regional floral successions due to environmental changes result from the northward drifting of the North China block, while the South China block remained in the sub-equatorial domain. These different palaeogeographic histories leaded to the paradox that most of the Cathaysian plant taxa started to disappear as early as in the middle Permian on the North China Block, “cradle” on which the first Cathaysian plants appeared around the Carboniferous – Permian transition, migrating afterwards to the South China! The last “refugium” for these plants, until the latest Permian was the south China Block.