Palaeoecology of the Hiraiso Formation (Miyagi Prefecture, Japan) and implications for the recovery following the end-Permian mass extinction.

ABSTRACT: The Hiraiso Formation of northeast Japan represents an important and under-explored archive of Early Triassic marine ecosystems. Here, we present a palaeoecological analysis of its benthic faunas in order to explore the temporal and spatial variations of diversity, ecological structure and taxonomic composition. In addition, we utilise redox proxies to make inferences about the redox state of the depositional environments. We then use this data to explore the pace of recovery in the Early Triassic, and the habitable zone hypothesis, where wave aerated marine environments are thought to represent an oxygenated refuge. The age of the Hiraiso Formation is equivocal due to the lack of key biostratigraphical index fossils, but new ammonoid finds in this study support an early Spathian age. The

SUBMITTER: Foster WJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9774009 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature