An endemic brachiopod faunule from the Aeronian (early Silurian) of South China: palaeobiogeographical and palaeoecological implications

Abstract

After the Late Ordovician mass extinction, brachiopods recovered and re-radiated during the Aeronian age of the early Silurian. However, a drastic turnover of Ordovician-type to Silurian-type faunas took place. In South China, Aeronian brachiopod faunas are rarely reported and typically of low diversity. Here, we describe an endemic brachiopod faunule from the middle Xiangshuyuan Formation (middle Aeronian) of Yinjiang in northern Guizhou Province, South China. The fossils include five endemic species assigned to five genera. With the exception of Zygospiraella, at least three of these genera are also endemic. The diagnoses of Qianomena and Sinokulumbella are revised based on new specimens. The palaeobiogeographical and palaeoecological implications of the faunule are discussed and interpreted as products of climatic warming and increased habitat heterogeneity during the Aeronian.

Bing Huang [[email protected]] and Jia-yu Rong [[email protected]], State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 39 East Beijing Road, Nanjing 210008, China; Di Chen [[email protected]] China University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.

Keywords:

• Late Ordovician mass extinction
• endemism
• Qianomena
• Sinokulumbella
• gigantism

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Wang Yi, Wei Xin and Zhang Hongyong (NIGP) for assistance with fieldwork. Ren Yugao (NIGP) produced the drawings. Li Rongyu (Brandon University) polished the draft text. Comments from Michal Mergl (University of West Bohemia) and a second anonymous referee, together with those of the Alcheringa Editorial Board greatly improved our manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

Financial support for this study was provided by the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [grant number XDB26000000].