PERMIAN RUGOSE CORALS IN THE WORLD

Permian rugose corals underwent the evolutionary episodes of assemblage changeover, biogeographical separation, and extinction, which are closely related to the geological events during this time. Two coral realms were recognized: the Tethyan Realm and the Cordillera-Arctic-Uralian Realm, which are characterized by the families Kepingpphyllidae and Waagenophyllidae during the Cisuralian, Waagenophyllidae in the Guadalupian, and the subfamily Waagenophyllinae in the Lopingian; and the families Durhaminidae and Kleopatrinidae during the Cisuralian and almost disappearance of colonial and dissepimented solitary rugose corals from the Guadalupian to the Lopingian, respectively. The development of these coral realms is controlled by the geographical barrier resulting from the Pangea formation. According to the changes in the compostion and diversity of the Permian rugose corals, a changeover event might occur at the end-Sakmarian and is characterized by the mixed Pennsylvanian and Permian faunas to typical Permian faunas, probably related to a global regression. In addition, three extinction events are present at the end-Kungurian, the end-Guadalupian, and the end-Permian, which are respectively triggered by the northward movement of the Pangea, the Emeishan volcano eruption and subsequently global regression, and the global climate warming induced by the Siberian Trap eruption.