Resilient gymnosperms: reassessing floral dynamics at the permian–triassic extinction in Meishan

Abstract

The impact of the Permian–Triassic mass extinction on terrestrial plant diversity and ecosystems is still controversially discussed. While for numerous plant fossil records, particularly those from terrestrial sites, adequate dating is unfeasible, for plant microfossil records, deposited in marine environments, independent biostratigraphic dating is usually possible. Since the ratification of the Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the Permian–Triassic boundary in Meishan, a plethora of not only palynological data but also precise geochronological ages, high-resolution geochemical and biostratigraphic datasets are available. Here, we aim to revise the palynological data published by Ouyang & Utting in 1990 in the current geochronological framework. Their three initially described assemblage zones yield a wealth of information with respect to depositional environment and vegetation composition- from an off-shore Permian setting to a more proximal setting in the Triassic. To date, the comparison of the palynological data with the carbon isotope record, current lithostratigraphy, and U/Pb ages indicates that gymnosperm-dominated vegetation thrived during and after the Permian–Triassic extinction event in the continental area near Meishan.