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Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 556 (2020) 109891 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/palaeo Palaeovegetation and palaeoclimate changes across the Triassic–Jurassic T transition in the Sichuan Basin, China ⁎ ⁎ Liqin Lia,b, Yongdong Wanga, , Wolfram M. Kürschnerc, Micha Ruhld, Vivi Vajdab, a State Key Laboratory of Palaeobiology and Stratigraphy, Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, and Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 39, Nanjing 210008, China b Department of Palaeobiology, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Frescativägen 40, Stockholm 10405, Sweden c Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, P.O.Box 1047, Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway d Department of Geology & Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, College Green, Dublin 2, Ireland ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: The Triassic–Jurassic transition interval is marked by enhanced biotic turnover rates in both marine and ter- T–J transition restrial realms. However, limited data from Asia hampers the understanding of global ecosystem response to the Terrestrial response end-Triassic mass extinction event. Here, we present significant vegetation and climate changes across the Palynology Triassic–Jurassic transition in the eastern Tethys region (southern China). A detailed palynological study was Eastern Tethys performed from the Qilixia section of the Sichuan Basin, China, spanning the Upper Triassic (Norian–Rhaetian) Xujiahe Formation (Xujiahe Formation) to the Lower Jurassic (Hettangian–Sinemurian) (lower Zhenzhuchong Formation). Five Zhenzhuchong Formation palynological assemblages reveal significant ecosystem fluctuations across the Triassic–Jurassic transition. Our study indicates a lowland fern flora and a warm and humid climate in the Late Triassic (Norian to Rhaetian), interrupted by a cooler interval at the Norian–Rhaetian transition, and followed by a mixed mid-storey forest under cooler and drier condition in the latest Rhaetian. This is followed by a fern-dominated lowland vegetation and a warmer and drier climate during the Triassic–Jurassic transition, and a flora with abundant cheirolepid conifers in the Hettangian–Sinemurian. These long term changes in vegetation and inferred climatic conditions are comparable with records from the western Tethyan realm, and possibly reflect global terrestrial environ- mental changes associated with Central Atlantic Magmatic Province volcanism during the Triassic–Jurassic transition. 1. Introduction across the T–J transition (Lucas and Tanner, 2015; Barbacka et al., 2017), while others present major turnovers (McElwain et al., 2007). The Triassic–Jurassic (T–J) transition interval is characterized by a Macroflora records from East Greenland and southern Sweden showa major mass extinction, one of the five largest Phanerozoic extinctions in dramatic plant species-level decline of > 80%, with the Late Triassic Earth history (Sepkoski Jr., 1996; McGhee Jr. et al., 2013). Major biotic Lepidopteris flora being replaced by the Early Jurassic Thaumatopteris turnover occurred in both marine and terrestrial realms (McElwain flora (Harris, 1937; Lundblad, 1959; McElwain et al., 1999, 2007; et al., 1999, 2007; Pálfy et al., 2000; Hallam, 2002; Hesselbo et al., Kustatscher et al., 2018). On the Southern Hemisphere record, the 2002; Olsen et al., 2002; van de Schootbrugge et al., 2009; Lindström Triassic seed-fern dominated flora was replaced by a more complex et al., 2012). The emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Pro- flora with conifers (Cheirolepids), Bennettitales, and new seed-ferns vince (CAMP) volcanism, with emissions of CO2, CH4, SO2 and Hg, has during the Early Jurassic (Turner et al., 2009). been considered as a main trigger for the severe environmental changes The significant palynofloral changes reported for the T–J transition leading to the end-Triassic biotic crisis (Götz et al., 2009; Deenen et al., across both hemispheres (Larsson, 2009; Turner et al., 2009; Vajda and 2010; Schoene et al., 2010; Ruhl et al., 2010, 2011; Greene et al., 2012; Bercovici, 2014; Lindström, 2016) may be globally correlated, and Percival et al., 2017; Panfili et al., 2019; Lindström et al., 2019). possibly represent a global vegetation response to climatic and en- The response of the terrestrial vegetation to this event is debated vironmental changes at that time. In European successions, Rhaetian with some authors suggesting that no abrupt floral extinction took place palynological assemblages are characterized by the abundance of the ⁎ Corresponding authors. E-mail addresses: [email protected] (L. Li), [email protected] (Y. Wang), [email protected] (W.M. Kürschner), [email protected] (M. Ruhl), [email protected] (V. Vajda). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palaeo.2020.109891 Received 18 March 2020; Received in revised form 28 June 2020; Accepted 29 June 2020 Available online 05 July 2020 0031-0182/ © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. L. Li, et al. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 556 (2020) 109891 Fig. 1. Location of the Qilixia Section at Xuanhan, northeastern Sichuan Basin, and the geological map of the study area. A) Latest Triassic palaeomap indicating the study area (after Li et al., 2017); B) Geographical range of the Sichuan Basin; C) Geological map of the studied section and adjacent area (after Wang et al., 2010). gymnosperm pollen Ricciisporites tuberculatus, followed by a fern spore preceding the end-Triassic mass extinction event in the Sichuan Basin, spike across the T–J transition, and high abundances of Classopollis SW China (Li et al., 2016, 2018). (Cheirolepidiaceae) in the Lower Jurassic successions (Götz et al., 2009; In the northeastern Sichuan Basin, the Upper Triassic Xujiahe and Larsson, 2009; van de Schootbrugge et al., 2009; Bonis et al., 2009, the Lower Jurassic Zhenzhuchong formations are well exposed and 2010; Pieńkowski et al., 2012; Vajda et al., 2013). A fern spike was also continuously developed, yielding diverse fossil plant remains (Ye et al., identified within the Triassic–Jurassic sedimentary succession inthe 1986; Wang et al., 2010). The Upper Triassic Dictyophyllum–Cla- Newark Basin, North America, followed by the dominance of Classo- thropteris macroflora of the Xujiahe Formation is replaced by theLower pollis meyeriana in the Lower Jurassic successions (Olsen et al., 2002; Jurassic Ptilophyllum–Coniopteris flora in the Zhenzhuchong Formation Whiteside et al., 2007). Rhaetian palynofloras from the Southern (Ye et al., 1986), and the Upper Triassic Dictyophyllidites–Kyrtomispor- Hemisphere (New Zealand) are dominated by lycophyte spores and is–Ovalipollis–Ricciisporites palynological assemblage is replaced by the corystosperm pollen, followed by a high abundance of bryophyte spores Lower Jurassic Dictyophyllidites–Classopollis–Cycadopites assemblage (Lu in the uppermost Rhaetian, elevated osmundaceous fern spore abun- and Wang, 1987; Wang et al., 2010). Previous palynological and mac- dance in the Hettangian, and abundant Classopollis occurrence in the rofloral studies dated the Xujiahe Formation as Norian to Rhaetian in Sinemurian (Akikuni et al., 2010; de Jersey and McKellar, 2013). Si- age (Ye et al., 1986; Lu and Wang, 1987; Wang et al., 2010; Li et al., milar stratigraphical abundance patterns were observed in eastern 2016, 2018). The Sulcocythere–Oncocythere–Darwinulla ostracod as- Australian records across the T–J transition, with abundant fern and semblage and the Burmesia–Myophora (Costatoria) Yunnanophor- bryophyte spores in the uppermost Rhaetian, and common cheir- us–Pemophorus–Weiyuanella bivalve assemblages of the Xujiahe For- olepidiacean pollen occurrences in the Hettangian and Sinemurian (de mation also indicate a Norian to Rhaetian age (Wei, 1982; Gou, 1998; Jersey and McKellar, 2013). Thus, across both hemispheres, vegetation Wang et al., 2010). Macrofloral and palynological assemblages (Dic- turnover was accompanied by the dominance of ferns and fern allies tyophyllidites–Classopollis–Cyathidites–Cycadopites), and bivalves (Mar- during the T–J transition, followed by a widespread proliferation of garitifera, Qiyangia, Pseudocardinia) in the Zhenzhuchong Formation Cheirolepidiaceae conifers in the aftermath of the end-Triassic biotic suggest an Early Jurassic age (Ye et al., 1986; Wang et al., 2010). A crisis. Recent studies suggested an increased abundance of aberrant recent magnetostratigraphical study suggests that the Xujiahe Forma- spores and pollen during the end-Triassic mass extinction, indicating tion spans from 207.2 Ma to 201.3 Ma at the Qilixia section, and the genetic disruption of land plants because of CAMP-related extreme Triassic–Jurassic boundary was placed between the Xujiahe and environmental stress (Kürschner et al., 2013; Lindström et al., 2019). Zhenzhuchong formations (Li et al., 2017). This refined framework Much emphasis has been placed on the European and North allows further studies on changes in vegetation patterns and continental American Triassic–Jurassic terrestrial successions. However, evidence ecosystem conditions across the T–J transition in the East Asia region. from the eastern Tethys region (Asia) is still sparse, with only sys- In this study, we present detailed Upper Triassic to Lower Jurassic tematic studies reporting on e.g. palaeobotany, palynology,