AN EARLY PERMIAN BRACHIOPOD FAUNA OF GONDWANAN AFFINITY FROM THE BAOSHAN BLOCK, WESTERN YUNNAN, CHINA

The present paper describes and illustrates an Early Permian brachiopo d fauna collected from two localities from the upper part of the type Dingjiazhai Formation near Youwang, 30 km south of Baoshan in the Baos han block, western Yunnan, China. The brachiopod fauna is dominated by Stenoscisma sp, and Elivina yunnanensis sp, nov. and exhibits strong generic and some specific links with faunas from the Bisnain assemblag e of Timer and the Callytharra Formation of Western Australia and, to a lesser extent, faunas from the Jilong Formation of southern Tibet, t he Tashkazyk Formation of southeastern Pamir. the lower Toinlungkongba Formation of northwestern Tibet, the upper Pondo Group of central Tib et, and the Jimba Jimba Calcarenite of the Camarvon Basin. Western Aus tralia. Based on these correlations, a Late Sakmarian (Sterlitamakian) age is preferred for the Dingjiazhai brachiopod fauna. Two new specie s are proposed: Globiella youwangensis sp. nov. and Elivina yunnanensi s sp. nov.