Terrestrial palaeofloral succession across the Permian–Triassic Boundary in the North and South China blocks: a brief review

Abstract

This paper critically reviews the Lopingian (Late Permian) to Early Triassic palaeofloral successions on both 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. We analyse the progressive changes in the two regional floral successions due to environmental changes resulting from the northward drifting of the North China block while the South China block remained in the sub-equatorial domain. In the framework of our recent fieldwork in North China for Lopingian to Early Triassic fossil plant-bearing deposits, the very recent discovery of a new, rich fossiliferous locality allowed us to improve our knowledge of the Lopingian palaeofloral content and its palaeoenvironmental implications. The first steps of the post-Permian–Triassic boundary floral recovery can now be more accurately compared after the northward Lopingian migration of the North China block.