Improved blattoid insect and conchostracan zonation for the late Carboniferous, Pennsylvanian, of Euramerica

Abstract

For the biostratigraphy of mixed continental-marine and purely continental sections in the palaeotropical belt of Euramerica, 9 insect and 8 conchostracan zones are newly defined or improved. These zones encompass the time interval from the Early Pennsylvanian (middle Bashkirian) up into the early Permian (early Asselian) of the Euramercian biotic province. They are linked as much as possible to the marine Standard Global Chronostrigraphic Scale by common occurrences of insects and/or conchostracans with conodonts in mixed marine-continental sections as well as by the thus far available and reliable radioisotopic ages of associated volcanic rocks. This insect and conchostracan zonation is an alternative tool to the well-established macro-plant biostratigraphy of the Pennsylvanian. In contrast to the latter, only single specimens of insects or conchostracans, even if more rare than plant remains, allow biostratigraphic dating with a similar high temporal resolution.