Biostratigraphy of the Non-Marine Triassic: Is a Global Correlation Based on Tetrapod Faunas Possible?

6.5 Conclusions

The Triassic was the only period of tetrapod history during the entire length of which a single landmass existed, and this paleogeographic condition favoured the dispersion and the cosmopolitanism of the floras and tetrapod faunas. In turn, Triassic successions are rarely complete, commonly showing depositional hiatuses that hinder the correlation among the different basins. Besides, endemism of land vertebrate assemblages may also be due to facies, sampling and taphonomic biases. Notwithstanding, a global correlation among non-marine Triassic strata and the establishment of a time scale based on their tetrapod faunas is quite possible, but it is still necessary more evidences to link these data with those of the marine sequences.

To complete this goal, the continuity of the fieldwork on Triassic strata shall probably provide new radiometric and paleomagnetic data, both from marine and continental strata, which today are still very scarce. Besides, fieldwork in non-marine sequences will provide also new findings of tetrapods, which can continuously improve this tetrapod-based biostratigraphic framework if they are properly studied and compared. However, the most essential thing is that fieldwork on continental tetrapod-bearing Triassic beds must be based in a systematic taphonomic analysis and on the application of the concepts of sequence stratigraphy for continental strata.