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The fluctuating environment associated with the episodic biotic crisis during the Permo/Triassic transition: Evidence from microbial biomarkers in Changxing, Zhejiang Province

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Abstract

The environmental conditions and the biotic crisis during the Permo-Triassic (Tr/P) transition received increasing attention in the past decades. Presented herein are the molecular fossil records of cyanobacteria and green sulfur bacteria, the base of the marine ecosystem, to highlight the episodic nature of both the environment and the biotic crisis during this critical period. At least two episodes of cyanobacterial expansion are documented by 2-methylhopanes ranging from C28 to C32 in carbon number, indicative of the instable marine ecosystem and the fluctuant aquatic nutrients. Meanwhile, the index of 2-alkyl-1,3,4-trimethylbenzenes (biomarkers of green sulfur bacteria) and the ratio of pristane to phytane (Pr/Ph) witness the fluctuation of sedimentary environmental redox conditions. The above molecular evidence suggests the occurrence of highly fluctuating environmental conditions during the Tr/P transition, which is consistent with, and probably the cause of, the multi-phased biotic crisis and the prolonged faunal recovery.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Biogeology and Environmental Geology, Ministry of Education, and the State Key Laboratory of GPMR, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Huang XianYu, Jiao Dan, Xie ShuCheng, Huang JunHua, Wang YongBiao, Yin HongFu, Zhang KeXin & Lai XuLong

  2. Faculty of Material Science and Chemical Engineering, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Lu LiQiang

  3. School of Environmental Studies, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan, 430074, China

    Wang HongMei

Authors
  1. Huang XianYu
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  2. Jiao Dan
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  4. Xie ShuCheng
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  5. Huang JunHua
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  10. Lai XuLong
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xie ShuCheng.

Additional information

Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40525008 and 40232025) and NCET Program of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. NCET-04-0729) and Fok Ying Tung Education Foundation

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Huang, X., Jiao, D., Lu, L. et al. The fluctuating environment associated with the episodic biotic crisis during the Permo/Triassic transition: Evidence from microbial biomarkers in Changxing, Zhejiang Province. SCI CHINA SER D 50, 1052–1059 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-0024-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11430-007-0024-x

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