Wuchiapingian
Encyclopedia
In the geologic timescale, the Wuchiapingian or Wujiapingian (from Chinese
: 五家坪, Pinyin: Wǔ Jiā Píng, "5 Family Flatland") is an age or stage of the Permian
. It is also the lower or earlier of two subdivisions of the Lopingian epoch
or series
. The Wuchiapingian spans the time between 260.4 ± 0.7 and 253.8 ± 0.7 million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Capitanian
and followed by the Changhsingian
.
Regional stages with which the Wuchiapingian is coeval or overlaps include the Djulfian or Dzhulfian, Longtanian, Rustlerian, Saladoan, and Castile
.
unit (i.e. a stage, as opposed to a formation, which is a lithostratigraphic
unit).
The base of the Wuchiapingian stage is defined as the place in the stratigraphic record where the conodont
species Clarkina postbitteri postbitteri first appears. A global reference profile for this boundary (a GSSP) is located near Laibin
in the Chinese province of Guangxi
.
The top of the Wuchiapingian (the base of the Changhsingian) is at the first appearance of conodont
species Clarkina wangi.
The Wuchiapingian contains two ammonite
biozone
s: that of the genus
Araxoceras
and that of the genera Roadoceras and Doulingoceras
.
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
: 五家坪, Pinyin: Wǔ Jiā Píng, "5 Family Flatland") is an age or stage of the Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
. It is also the lower or earlier of two subdivisions of the Lopingian epoch
Epoch (geology)
An epoch is a subdivision of the geologic timescale based on rock layering. In order, the higher subdivisions are periods, eras and eons. We are currently living in the Holocene epoch...
or series
Series (stratigraphy)
Series are subdivisions of rock layers made based on the age of the rock and corresponding to the dating system unit called an epoch, both being formally defined international conventions of the geological timescale. A series is therefore a sequence of rock depositions defining a...
. The Wuchiapingian spans the time between 260.4 ± 0.7 and 253.8 ± 0.7 million years ago (Ma). It was preceded by the Capitanian
Capitanian
In the geologic timescale, the Capitanian is an age or stage of the Permian. It is also the uppermost or latest of three subdivisions of the Guadalupian epoch or series. The Capitanian lasted between and...
and followed by the Changhsingian
Changhsingian
In the geologic timescale, the Changhsingian or Changxingian is the latest age or uppermost stage of the Permian. It is also the upper or latest of two subdivisions of the Lopingian epoch or series. The Changhsingian lasted from 253.8 ± 0.7 to 251.0 ± 0.7 million years ago...
.
Regional stages with which the Wuchiapingian is coeval or overlaps include the Djulfian or Dzhulfian, Longtanian, Rustlerian, Saladoan, and Castile
Castile
Castile is derived from a word meaning 'castle' and may refer to:-People:* Brooke Castile , American pairs figure skater* Javier Castilla , professional Colombian squash player* Simeon Castille , NFL cornerback...
.
Stratigraphic definitions
The Wuchiapingian was first used in 1962, when the Lopingian series of southwestern China was divided in the Changhsingian and Wuchiapingian Formations. In 1973 the Wuchiapingian was first used as a chronostratigraphicChronostratigraphy
Chronostratigraphy is the branch of stratigraphy that studies the age of rock strata in relation to time.The ultimate aim of chronostratigraphy is to arrange the sequence of deposition and the time of deposition of all rocks within a geological region, and eventually, the entire geologic record of...
unit (i.e. a stage, as opposed to a formation, which is a lithostratigraphic
Lithostratigraphy
Lithostratigraphy is a sub-discipline of stratigraphy, the geological science associated with the study of strata or rock layers. Major focuses include geochronology, comparative geology, and petrology...
unit).
The base of the Wuchiapingian stage is defined as the place in the stratigraphic record where the conodont
Conodont
Conodonts are extinct chordates resembling eels, classified in the class Conodonta. For many years, they were known only from tooth-like microfossils now called conodont elements, found in isolation. Knowledge about soft tissues remains relatively sparse to this day...
species Clarkina postbitteri postbitteri first appears. A global reference profile for this boundary (a GSSP) is located near Laibin
Laibin
Laibin is a prefecture-level city in the central part of China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.-Geography and climate:Laibin is located in central Guangxi province. The Hongshui River or Red River and Rongjiang, both tributaries of the Xijiang, meet in Laibin. Its area is 13,400 km²...
in the Chinese province of Guangxi
Guangxi
Guangxi, formerly romanized Kwangsi, is a province of southern China along its border with Vietnam. In 1958, it became the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, a region with special privileges created specifically for the Zhuang people.Guangxi's location, in...
.
The top of the Wuchiapingian (the base of the Changhsingian) is at the first appearance of conodont
Conodont
Conodonts are extinct chordates resembling eels, classified in the class Conodonta. For many years, they were known only from tooth-like microfossils now called conodont elements, found in isolation. Knowledge about soft tissues remains relatively sparse to this day...
species Clarkina wangi.
The Wuchiapingian contains two ammonite
Ammonite
Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct subclass within the Molluscan class Cephalopoda which are more closely related to living coleoids Ammonite, as a zoological or paleontological term, refers to any member of the Ammonoidea an extinct...
biozone
Biozone
Biostratigraphic units or Biozones are intervals of geological strata that are defined on the basis of their characteristic fossil taxa....
s: that of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Araxoceras
Araxoceras
Araxoceras is an extinct genus of ammonite cephalopod that lived in the Permian to Early Triassic. They had distinct, angular shells which are found throughout the world....
and that of the genera Roadoceras and Doulingoceras
Doulingoceras
Doulingoceras is a genus of ammonoid within the ceratitid order, found in China,that lived during the Late Permian during the time span from about 260.5 to 254 million years ago...
.
Biodiversity
An extinction pulse occurred during the Wuchiapingian, faunas were recovering when another larger extinction pulse, the Permian-Triassic Extinction Event devastated life..Literature
; 2004: A Geologic Time Scale 2004, Cambridge University Press; 2006: The Global Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the boundary between the Capitanian and Wuchiapingian Stage (Permian)., Episodes 29(4), p. 253-262.- Kanmera, K. and Nakazawa, K., 1973, Permian-Triassic relationships and faunal changes in the eastern Tethys, in Logan, A. and Hills, L.V., eds, The Permian and Triassic Systems and their mutual boundary: Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, Memoir 2, pp.100–129.
External links
- GeoWhen Database - Wuchiapingian
- Upper Paleozoic stratigraphic chart at the website of the subcommission for stratigraphic information of the ICS