The Early Triassic Chaohu Fauna of Anhui Province, South China: composition, stratigraphy and paleoecological significance
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Abstract:
Chaohu Fauna fossils are mainly distributed in the Middle and Upper Member of Nanlinghu Formation of Olenekian (Lower Triassic) in Chaohu and its adjacent regions, Anhui Province. It is characterized by a composition of abundant well-preserved Chaohusaurus along with sauropterygian, ichthyosauroformes and multiple groups of marine invertebrates. The study on Chaohu Fauna first started in the 1970s. Recently, the comprehensive research on the new material of Chaohu Fauna has provided new evidence for the rapid recovery of Triassic marine ecosystem after the end Permian mass extinction. This paper reviews the progress on the Chaohu Fauna regarding the geological setting, research history, fossil assemblage composition, bio- and chronostratigraphy and stable isotopic geochemistry, and provides a brief discussion on the paleoecology. This work is significant in promoting the construction of Chaohu Fauna related National Geopark, science popularization education and tourism development.
