Kungurian

In the geologic timescale, the Kungurian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is the latest or upper of four subdivisions of the Cisuralian epoch or series. The Kungurian lasted between 275.6 ± 0.7 and 270.6 ± 0.7 million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Artinskian and followed by the Roadian.[1]

Stratigraphy

The Kungurian is named after the Russian city of Kungur in the vicinity of Perm. The stage was introduced into scientific literature by Alexander Stuckenberg in 1890.[2]

The base of the Kungurian stage is defined as the place in the stratigraphic record where fossils of conodont species Neostreptognathodus pnevi and Neostreptognathodus exculptus first appear. As of 2009, there was no agreement yet on a global reference profile (a GSSP) for the base of the Kungurian. The top of the Kungurian (the base of the Roadian and the Guadalupian series) is defined as the place in the stratigraphic record where fossils of conodont species Jinogondolella nanginkensis first appear.

The Kungurian contains three conodont biozones:

* zone of Neostreptognathodus sulcoplicatus
* zone of Neostreptognathodus prayi
* zone of Neostreptognathodus pnevi

References

Notes

1. ^ See Gradstein et al. (2004) for a detailed geologic timescale
2. ^ See for a historic overview Chuvashov et al. (2002)

Literature

* Chuvashov, B.I.; Chernykh, V.V.; Leven, E.Y.; Davydov, V.I.; Bowring, S.A.; Ramezani, J.; Glenister, B.F.; Henderson, C.M.; Schiappa, T.A.; Northrup, C.J.; Snyder, W.S.; Spinosa, C. & Wardlaw, B.R.; 2002: Progress report on the base of the Artinskian and base of the Kungurian by the Cisuralian Working Group, Permophiles 41: pp 13-16.
* Gradstein, F.M.; Ogg, J.G. & Smith, A.G.; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press

External links

* GeoWhen Database - Kungurian
* Upper Paleozoic stratigraphic chart at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS