The frasnian-famennian conodont mass extinction and recovery in South China

Abstract

Conodonts are most important for the study of the Frasnian/Famennian Late Devonian mass extinction and recovery. Conodont mass extinction occurred stepwise (poly-episodes) in the latest Frasnian (latelinguiformis Zone) and was of very short timespan and global scale. Five steps of the conodont mass extinction can be recognized, with the same as in other sections in the world. Conodont recovery occurred in the earliest Famennian marked by the first appearance ofPalmatolepis triangularis. The timespan of the conodont recovery interval can be estimated as much less than 0.5 m.y. An independent survival interval cannot be determined. All of the Early- and Middletriangularis Zone should be assigned to the recovery interval, in which conodonts recovered also in a stepwise pattern and on a global scale.Pal. praetriangularis, Pal. triangularis andIcriodus alternatus, I. praealternatus, I. deformatus asymmetricus are crisis progenitor taxa, which are important for conodont recovery in the pelagic and neritic facies respectively. Some species ofPolygnathus andIcriodus are ecological generalists.