Evolution of Permian conodont provincialism and its significance in globalcorrelation and paleoclimate implication

The main components of Asselian through Artinskian conodont faunas found ar ound the world are basically the same, and the provincialism is indicated o nly by less common endemic elements such as Gondolelloides and New Genus A Henderson in North Pangea, Sweetognathus bucaramangus around the equator an d Vjalovognathus in eastern Gondwana. Provincialism is marked by difference s at the species level of Mesogondolella, Neostreptognathodus and Sweetogna thus during the Kungurian, and becomes very distinct with differences at th e genus level during the Guadalupian and Lopingian. Three provinces of Perm ian conodonts, referred to as the North Cool Water Province (NCWP), the Equ atorial Warm Water Province (EWWP) and the peri-Gondwana Cool Water Provinc e (GCWP), are recognized. The NCWP is marked by Gondolelloides in the early Cisuralian, dominance of Neostreptognathodus and no or rare Sweetognathus in the late Cisuralian, dominance of Merrillina and Mesogondolella and abse nce of Sweetognathus in the Guadalupian, and dominance of Merrillina and Me sogondolella and absence of Iranognathus in the Lopingian. The EWWP is char acterized by the absence of Gondolelloides and Vjalovogonthus in the Cisura lian, abundance of Sweetognathus and Pseudosweetognathus in the Kungurian ( late Cisuralian), Jinogondolmichael and Sweetognathus in the Guadalupian, a nd Clarkina and Iranognathus in the Lopingian. The GCWP is marked by Vjalov ognathus, Merrillina in the Cisuralian, Vjalovognathus, Merrillina and Meso gondolella in the Guadalupian, and Vjalovognathus and Merrillina in the Lop ingian. Mixed faunas are recognized in regions bordering between the EWWP a nd GCWP including Western Timer during the Artinskian, Pamirs during the Ku ngurian and the Salt Range during the Guadalupian and Lopingian. Three different conodont zonations: art: proposed, one for each of the thre e conodont provinces. Four potential horizons for inter-provincial correlat ion of Permian conodonts are recognized. They are in ascending order: (1) t he first appearance of Sweetognathus whitei, which is closely related to th e last occurrence of Carboniferous-type conodonts such as Streptognathodus and Adetognathus; (2) the first appearance of Neostreptognathodus pequopens is; (3) the base of the Jinogondolella nankingensis Zone; and (4) the base of the Clarkina postbitteri-Iranognthus erwini Zone. The spatial and temporal distribution pattern of Permian conodonts suggests that temperature is the primary controlling factor. Evolution of Permian c onodont provincialism reveals a glaciation during the Asselian and Sakmaria n, a global warming during the Artinskian, a climate cooling in North Pange a during the Kungurian, a continuation of Kungurian climate trends in the G uadalupian, a relatively minor warming during the Wuchiapingian, a returned cooling in the Changhsingian and Lower and Middle Griesbachian, and a glob al warming in the Late Griesbachian, which ended the Permian conodont linea ge. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.