Late Permian (Changhsingian) and Early Triassic (Induan) conodonts and the Permian-Triassic boundary in central Peninsular Malaysia

Abstract

The Permian-Triassic boundary (PTB) is defined in the GSSP section at Meishan, China at the base of Bed 27c and is recognised by the first appearance of the conodont 'Hindeoudus parvus'. The PTB is dated at 252.3 Ma by bracketing tuff CA-IDTIMS ages and is slightly younger than the main "end" Permian (late Changhsingian) mass extinction. Despite decades of searching, the PTB has not been located precisely to date in Malaysia and it is still unclear if a stratigraphic break occurs at the boundary. In central Peninsula Malaysia, there are three mogote hill limestone sections, Gua Panjang, Gua Bama and Gua Sei, that have yielded biostratigraphic data indicating the probably presence of the PTB. The Late Permian foraminifers 'Palaeofusulina' and 'Colaniella', which indicate a probable Changhsingian (but not latest Changhsingian) age have been reported from the lower parts of Gua Panjang and Gua Sei. Changhsingian conodonts including 'Clarkina' spp., 'Hindeodus julfensis' and 'Hindeodus typicalis', occur in the lowest part of the Gua Panjang by the presence of the Early Triassic has not yet been confirmed.