CONODONT BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND MASS EXTINCTION EVENT NEAR THE FRASNIAN -FAMENNIAN BOUNDARY IN SOUTH CHINA
华南弗拉斯阶—法门阶界线层牙形刺生物地层研究——兼论弗拉斯期—法门期生物绝灭事件

This paper deals with the conodont biostratigraphy and the Mass Extinction Event near the Frasnian-Famennian boundary in South China. According to the data available in South China, a more detailed shallow-water conodont zonation of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary beds is proposed herein. It is suggested that the Frasnian-Famennian boundary could be recognized by the first appearance of conodont Icriodus deformatus in shallow-water facies areas. The Frasnian-Famennian Mass Extinction seems to be accumulative, rather than due to any single event or cause. It is apparent that a series of Frasnian eustatic fluctuations of sea level caused repeated turbulent inclement environment conditions, seriously damaged marine ecosystems and greatly reduced the diversity and abundance of a lot of Frasnian taxa, and then the Latemost Frasnian mass extinction took place in the uppermost part of the linguiformis Zone.