Early Carboniferous brachiopod fauna from the Altai Mountains, northern Xinjiang, Central Asia: Systematics, and palaeobiogeographic and palaeogeographical implications

Abstract

A diverse brachiopod fauna, comprising 37 species in 35 genera, is described from the Hongshanzui Formation of the Chinese Altai Mountains area, northern Xinjiang, north-western China. A new species Xinjiangiproductus? junggarensis sp. nov. is erected. Faunal correlation constrains the Altai brachiopod fauna and its bearing formation as Tournaisian (Early Carboniferous) in age. The Altai brachiopod fauna is dominated by the Siberian elements that are also very common in the Kuznetsk Basin, Siberia, implying the same palaeobiogeographic province. In contrast, it shares much fewer species with the coeval assemblages reported from the Junggar terranes, suggesting a different palaeobiogeographic province from the latter. Moreover, the Altai fauna appears with high similarities to the coeval faunas reported from the Baoshan Block of western Yunnan, south-western China, and, to a lesser context, resembles coeval faunas documented from north-eastern Japan, North American mid-continent, and Australia. In contrast, it shares very few elements with those reported from the Qaidam Basin, Tarim Basin, and South China. The rather high faunal affinity between the Altai area and Kuznetsk Basin indicates that these two regions were likely apart closely to one another during the Tournaisian, implying that the Altai area may have accreted to the Siberian Craton prior to the Tournaisian. The low faunal affinity between the western Junggar and Altai areas reveals that they both did not belong to the same palaeobiogeographic province, and the western Junggar terrane did not accrete to the Altaids, at least in the Tournaisian.

The Serpukhovian–Bashkirian Amalgamation of Laurussia and the Siberian Continent and Implications for Assembly of Pangea

“…The occurrence of the Serpukhovian–Bashkirian unconformity is typical of the major event responsible for the dramatic changes in sedimentary environments, provenances and volcanism in the Zharma‐Saur area. In addition, the southern margin of the Siberian continent and the northern margin of the Kazakhstan microcontinent share some representative Tournaisian–Visean marine faunas of the Boreal Realm, such as cold‐water brachiopods ( Mucrospirifer , Rugosochonetes , Syringothyris and Tolmatchoffia , BGMRXUAR, 1993; Guo et al., 2021; Wang et al., 2013, 2014), indicating that both margins were at a similar paleolatitude at that time (Wang et al., 2013, 2014) and showing the possibility of the Siberia‐Kazakhstan collision before long. On the other hand, the Angaran flora, which is represented by Angaropteridium , Noeggerathiopsis and Zamiopteris , occurred already in both of the Siberian continent and the Kazakhstan microcontinent before the Early Permian (Cocks & Torsvik, 2007; Dou & Sun, 1985; Guo, 2001), suggesting that Irtysh‐Zaisan Ocean had no longer been present.…”

Mineralogy and geochemistry of the Middle Permian Pingdiquan Formation black shales on the eastern margin of the Junggar Basin, north‐west China: Implications for palaeoenvironmental and organic matter accumulation analyses

“…The Junggar Basin is located in the northern part of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Figure 1a), and is one of the three major petroliferous basins in northwestern China (i.e., the Tarim, Turpan‐Hami, and Junggar basins) (Carroll, 1998; Chen & Shi, 2003; Zhang et al, 2019). Tectonically, the triangular Junggar Basin, located in the western part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, is bounded by the Altaid tectonic complex from the Kazakhstan, and Siberian plates in the north (Chen, Wang, Cao, Luo, & Guo, 2021; Guo, Chen, & Liao, 2021), and by the Tienshan tectonic complex from the Tarim Plate in the south (Chen, Liao, & Liu, 2015; Xiao, Han, et al, 2008; Xiao, Windley, et al, 2018). The Junggar Basin is a superimposed basin, and has experienced five stages of tectonic evolution since the Late Palaeozoic amalgamation of northwestern China (Wang et al, 2018).…”

Late Palaeozoic‐Mesozoic palaeontology and stratigraphy in China: A tribute to the achievements of Professor Zhuoting Liao

“…Of these, Liao proposed a total of 111 new species and one subspecies of the Brachiopoda by himself (Z. T. Liao, 1979b, 1980b, 1982a, 1983, 1984, 1987; Z. T. Liao et al, 1997; G. P. Wang et al, 1982; J. K. Zhao et al, 1981). Furthermore, he, together with his collaborators, erected 60 new brachiopod species (Z. Q. Chen & Liao, 2007; Z. Guo, Chen, & Liao, 2021; Jin et al, 1974; Jin & Liao, 1974; Kong et al, 1996; Z. T. Liao & Li, 1996; Z. T. Liao & Meng, 1986; Z. T. Liao & Qi, 1989; Z. T. Liao & Sun, 1974; Z. T. Liao & Zhang, 2006; Y. Wang et al, 1966; G. P. Wang et al, 1982; J. K. Zhao et al, 1981). In addition to brachiopods, a total of 25 new species of the Echinodermata have also been established by Liao and his collaborators (Z. T. Liao & Wang, 2002; Waters, Liao, et al, 2003; Webster et al, 2009a).…”

“…In the past 35 years, Liao has undertaken extensive field works in the Altaid, Tianshan, and Kunlun mountains, as well as the Junggar, Santanghu, Tuha, and Tarim basins, and produced many valuable publications (i.e., X. Q. Chen & Liao, 2006a, 2006b; Z. Q. Chen, Liao, & Liu, 2015; X. Q. Chen, Liao, & Xu, 2001; Z. Guo, Chen, & Liao, 2021; Lane, Waters, Maples, Marcus, & Liao, 1996; Z. T. Liao, 1986; Z. T. Liao et al, 1987, 1992, 1993, 1998; Z. T. Liao, Chen, & Liu, 2011; Z. T. Liao & Liao, 1990; W. H. Liao & Liao, 1992; Z. T. Liao & Liu, 2001, 2003; Z. T. Liao, Liu, & Zhang, 1999; Z. T. Liao & Wang, 1990; Z. T. Liao, Wang, & Wang, 1990b; Z. T. Liao, Wang, & Zhou, 1990c; Z. T. Liao, Yang, & Wei, 1990; Z. T. Liao, Zhou, Wang, & Xia, 1992; Z. T. Liao, Liu, & Li, 2005; Rigby et al, 1999; Y. Wang et al, 2011; Waters, Liao, et al, 2003; Waters, Maples, et al, 2003; Webster et al, 2009a, 2009b; W. Zhang & Liao, 1998, 1999). Most of these results have provided crucial stratigraphical solutions for mineral and hydrocarbon explorations in Xinjiang.…”