Metabasites within the Paleozoic volcanic-clastic sedimentary sequences in Hainan Island, South China, show large differences not only in the nature of protoliths, but also in zircon U-Pb sensitive high mass-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) ages. The protoliths for the Tunchang area metabasites have intraoceanic arc geochemical affinities. In the east-central island gabbroic to diabasic rocks and pillow lavas are also present, while the Bangxi area metabasites with back-arc geochemical affinities in the northwest island consist of basaltic, gabbroic and/or picritic rocks. Three types of zircon domains/crystals in the Tunchang area metabasites are defined. Type 1 is comagmatic and yields concordant to approximately concordant 206 Pb/238 U ages ranging from 442.1 Ϯ 13.7 Ma to 514.3 Ϯ 30.2 Ma with a weighted U-Pb mean age of 445 Ϯ 10 Ma. Type 2 is inherited and yields a weighted 207 Pb/206 Pb mean age of 2488.1 Ϯ 8.3 Ma. Type 3 is magmatic with a 207 Pb/206 Pb age of ca 1450 Ma. Magmatic zircons in the Bangxi area metabasites yield a weighted U-Pb mean age of 269 Ϯ 4 Ma. We suggest 450 Ma is the minimum age for crystallization of protoliths of the Tunchang area metabasites, because the age range of ca 440-514 Ma probably corresponds to both the time of igneous crystallization and the high-temperature overprint. The presence of abundant inherited zircons strongly favors derivation of these rocks from a NMORB-like mantle proximal to continental crust. A protolith age of ca 270 Ma for the Bangxi area metabasites probably records expansion of an epircontinental back-arc basin and subsequent generation of a small oceanic basin. The presence of ophiolitic rocks with an age of ca 450 Ma, not only in Hainan Island, but also in the Yangtze block, highlights the fact that the South China Caledonian Orogeny was not intracontinental in nature, but characterized by an ocean-related event.

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