Shallow marine ecosystem feedback to the Permian/Triassic mass extinction

doi:10.1007/s11707-011-0164-3

Front Earth Sci

0, Vol.

Issue () : 14-22 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11707-011-0164-3

RESEARCH ARTICLE

Shallow marine ecosystem feedback to the Permian/Triassic mass extinction

Yongbiao WANG¹(

), Zheng MENG², Wei LIAO², Zeting WENG², Hao YANG²

1. State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; 2. Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology (Ministry of Education), China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China

Download: PDF(1095 KB) HTML
Export: BibTeX | EndNote | Reference Manager | ProCite | RefWorks

Abstract

Late Permian reefs developed widely on shallow marine carbonate platforms in South China but disappeared far below the main mass extinction level of the latest Permian. The collapse of reef ecosystem may be related to the enhanced volcanism at the end of Late Permian. Notably, some colony corals and reef-building sponges were found to occur near the mass extinction boundary, inferring the eclipse of reef ecosystem is ahead of the disappearance of reef-building organisms, and the triggers would be present long before the main mass extinction. As the primary producers, the calcareous algae are rich in platform limestones of Late Permian and played a very important role in maintaining the shallow benthic ecosystems. The calcareous algae were found to disappear synchronously with the great reduction of foraminifers, which were ecologically associated with these algae. The extinction of Late Permian calcareous algae greatly reduced the biodiversity of primary producers in the shallow marine environment and destroyed in part the structure and the base of the shallow marine ecosystems, which in turn cause the extinction of ecologically associated metazoan. Microbialites developed on carbonate platforms immediately after the end-Permian mass extinction, representing a simple and unique microbial ecosystem. Widespread occurrence of microbialites symbolized the deterioration of marine environmental conditions and the dramatic revolution of marine ecosystems. As the new primary producers instead of the extinguished calcareous algae, cyanobacteria in the microbialites were an important base of this peculiar ecosystem and contributed greatly to the survival of the remnant faunas after the mass extinction. Widespread occurrence of microbialites in shallow marine environment is suggested to be related to the elevated level of volcanism-induced greenhouse gases and enhanced evaporation and hypersaline condition in addition to the decrease of metazoan grazing pressure. The change from calcareous algae and reef ecosystem to the cyanobacteria-dominated microbial ecosystem documented in the shallow marine sequences in South china is the ecological feedback to the deterioration of the marine environmental conditions probably induced by volcanism.

Keywords reef ecosystem calcareous algae microbialite microbial ecosystem mass extinction

Corresponding Author(s): WANG Yongbiao,Email:wangyb@cug.edu.cn

Issue Date: 05 March 2011

Cite this article:

Yongbiao WANG,Zheng MENG,Wei LIAO, et al. Shallow marine ecosystem feedback to the Permian/Triassic mass extinction[J]. Front Earth Sci, 0, (): 14-22.

URL:

https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/10.1007/s11707-011-0164-3
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fesci/EN/Y0/V/I/14

Fig.1 Late Permian Changhsingian paleogeography of South China, showing the reef distribution (modified from )

Fig.2 Late Permian Changhsingian reef facies developed in South China sections (; ; ; ; ; )

Fig.3 Microphotographic image of Late Permian calcareous algae in South China. 1-3. 4-5. 6. 7-8. 9. Scale= 250 μm

Fig.4 Microbialites formed in different sections in South China (; ; )

Fig.5 Images of microfossils found in the microbialites in South China (; ; )

1	Baud A, Richoz S, Pruss S (2007). The lower Triassic anachronistic carbonate facies in space and time. Global Planet Change , 55(1-3): 81-89 doi: 10.1016/j.gloplacha.2006.06.008
2	Campbell I H, Czamanske G K, Fedorenko V A, Hill R I, Stepanov V (1992). Synchronism of the siberian traps and the permian-triassic boundary. Science , 258(5089): 1760-1763 doi: 10.1126/science.258.5089.1760 pmid:17831657
3	de Wit M J, Ghosh J G, de Villiers S, Rakotosolofo N, Alexander J, Tripathi A, Looy C (2002). Multiple organic carbon isotope reversals across the Permian-Triassic boundary of terrestrial Gondwana sequences: clues to extinction patterns and delayed ecosystem response. J Geol , 110(2): 227-240 doi: 10.1086/338411
4	Erwin D H (1993). The Great Paleozoic Crisis: Life and Death in the Permian, Columbia University Press.
5	Fan J S, Qi J W, Zhou T M, Zhang X L, Zhang W (1990). The Permian reefs of Longlin Guangxi Province.Beijing: Geology Press, 4-6 (in Chinese)
6	Fan J S, Zhang W, Ma X, Zhang Y B, Liu H B (1982). The upper Permian reefs in Lichuan dictrict, West Hubei. Chinese Journal of Geology , 3: 274-284 (in Chinese)
7	Faure K (1995). Late Permian global coal hiatus linked to ¹³C-depleted CO₂ flux into the atmosphere during the final consolidation of Pangea. Geology , 23(6): 507-510 doi: 10.1130/0091-7613(1995)023<0507:LPGCHL>2.3.CO;2
8	Feng Z Z, Yang Y Q, Jin Z K (1997). Lithofacies paleogeography of Permian of South China.Beijing: Petroleum University Press, 120-133
9	Holser W T, Magaritz M (1987). Events near the Permian-Triassic boundary. Mod Geol , 11: 155-180
10	Kershaw S, Guo L, Swift A, Fan J (2002). Microbialites in the Permian-Triassic boundary interval in central China: structure, age and distribution. Facies , 47(1): 83-89 doi: 10.1007/BF02667707
11	Krull E S, Retallack G J (2000). δ¹³C depth profiles from paleosols across the Permian-Triassic boundary: Evidence for methane release. Boulder Geol.Soc.Am.Bull , 112(9): 1459-1472 doi: 10.1130/0016-7606(2000)112<1459:CDPFPA>2.0.CO;2
12	Lehrmann D J, Wan Y, Wei J, Yu Y, Xiao J (2001). Lower Triassic peritidal cyclic limestone: an example of anachronistic carbonate facies from the Great Bank of Guizhou, Nanpanjiang Basin, Guizhou province, South China. Palaeogeography. Palaeoclimatology. Palaeoecology. , 173(3-4): 103-123 doi: 10.1016/S0031-0182(01)00302-9
13	Lehrmann D J, Payne J, Felix S V, Dillett P M, Wang H, Yu Y, Wei J (2003). Permian-Triassic boundary sections from shallow-marine carbonate platforms of the Nanpanjiang Basin, South China: Implications for oceanic conditions associated with the end-Permian extinction and its aftermath. Palaios , 18(2): 138-152 doi: 10.1669/0883-1351(2003)18<138:PBSFSC>2.0.CO;2
14	Li S S, Liu D C, Gu S H (1985). Characteristics of the Honghua reef in Kai County of Sichuan and its significance in finding the new type hydrocarbon reservoir.Natural Gas Industry , 5(2): 24-28
15	Li X J, Chen L Z, Luo X M (1993). The reefs of Changxing formation in the southern Hunan province. Chinese Journal of Geology , 28(4): 317-326 (in Chinese)
16	Lin Q X (1992). Nature and evolution of late Permian reef in Ziyun,Guizhou province. Earth Science-Journal of China University of Geosciences , 17(3): 301-307 (in Chinese)
17	Payne J L, Lehrmann D J, Wei J, Orchard M J, Schrag D P, Knoll A H (2004). Large perturbations of the carbon cycle during recovery from the end-permian extinction. Science , 305(5683): 506-509 doi: 10.1126/science.1097023 pmid:15273391
18	Ryskin G (2003). Methane-driven oceanic eruptions and mass extinctions. Geology , 31(9): 741-744 doi: 10.1130/G19518.1
19	Tong J N, Shi G R, Lin Q X (1998). Evolution of the Permian and Triassic reef ecosystems in South China. Proc R Soc Vic , 110: 385-399
20	Tong J N, Zuo J X, Chen Z Q (2007). Early Triassic carbon isotope excursions from South China: proxies for devastation and restoration of marine ecosystems following the end-Permian mass extinction. Geol J , 42(3-4): 371-389 doi: 10.1002/gj.1084
21	Wang Q X, Tong J, Song H J, Yang H (2009). Ecological evolution across the Permian/Triassic boundary at the Kangjiaping section in Cili County, Hunan Province, China. Science in China D, Earth Science 52, 797-806
22	Wang Y B, Tong J N, Wang J S, Zhou X G (2005). Calcimicrobialite after end-Permian mass extinction in South China and its palaeoenvironmental significance. Chin Sci Bull , 50(7): 665-671 doi: 10.1360/982004-323
23	Wang Y B, Xu G R, Lin Q X (1998). Diagenesis and diagenetic facies of the Late Permian reef in Cili, Hunan Province. Acta Sedimentologica Sinica , 16(1): 132-136 (in Chinese)
24	Wignall P B (2007). The End-Permian mass extinction-how bad did it get? Geobiology , 5(4): 303-309 doi: 10.1111/j.1472-4669.2007.00130.x
25	Xie S, Pancost R D, Yin H, Wang H, Evershed R P (2005). Two episodes of microbial change coupled with Permo/Triassic faunal mass extinction. Nature , 434(7032): 494-497 doi: 10.1038/nature03396 pmid:15791253
26	Xie S, Pancost R P, Huang J, Wignall P B, Yu J, Tang X, Chen L, Huang X, Lai X (2007). Changes in the global carbon cycle occurred as two episodes during the Permian-Triassic crisis. Geology , 35(12): 1083-1086 doi: 10.1130/G24224A.1
27	Yang H, Zhang S X, Jiang H S, Wang Y B (2006). Age and general characteristics of the calcimicrobialite near the Permian-Triassic boundary in Chongyang, Hubei Province. Journal of China University of Geosciences , 17(2): 121-131 doi: 10.1016/S1002-0705(06)60016-2
28	Yang H, Wang YB, Chen L, Dong M (2007). Calci-microbialite as a potential source rock and its geomicrobiological processes. Frontier of Earth Science in China, 1(4): 438-443 . doi: 10.1007/s11707-007-0054-x
29	Yang Z Y, Wu S B, Yin H F, Xu G R, Zhang K X (1993).Permo-Triassic Events of South China.Beijing: Geological Publishing House (in Chinese)
30	Zuo J X, Tong J N, Qiu H Q, Zhao L S (2006). Carbon isotope composition of the Lower Triassic marine carbonates, Lower Yangtze Region, South China. Science in China (Series D) , 49: 225-241 (in Chinese)

[1]	Shucheng XIE, Yongbiao WANG. Geomicrobiological perspective on the pattern and causes of the 5-million-year Permo/Triassic biotic crisis[J]. Front Earth Sci, 2011, 5(1): 23-36.
[2]	YANG Hao, WANG Yongbiao, CHEN Lin, DONG Man. Calci-microbialite as a potential source rock and its geomicrobiological processes[J]. Front. Earth Sci., 2007, 1(4): 438-443.

Viewed

Full text

Abstract

Cited

Shared

Discussed