COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: Paleobiogeography of Late Devonian and Carboniferous Echinoderms From the Peoples Republic of China

石炭纪是棘皮动物的时代， 有茎的棘皮动物 动物群通常丰富多样，但 许多属是高度特有的。 海百合的特有现象 地理分析有一定难度，但可以起到积极作用 在评估大陆块的邻近程度时， 石炭纪。 在这项研究中，我们将重点放在棘皮动物从 中国最晚的泥盆纪和石炭纪 对古地理重建的限制 古特提斯 从最新的海百合稀疏的集合 中国西北部泥盆纪表明存在动物群 可能介于较老（泥盆纪） 欧洲棘皮动物群落及更年轻的群落（早石炭纪） 北美棘皮动物群落。 喀麦隆海百合减少 在北部地区几乎“灭绝” 美国和欧洲。 然而，一些石炭纪的camerates幸存下来， 在世界其他地方，并最终取得了戏剧性的，虽然 短暂的，在二叠纪的特提斯地区卷土重来 (e.g.,澳大利亚、东帝汶和苏联）。 海百合标本集 中国东南部中石炭世的化石表明 一种动物群的存在可能为特提斯洋奠定了基础 富含相机的组合的再辐射。 我们将测试 石炭纪棘皮动物的某些元素 在泥盆纪晚期， 最早的石炭纪，在石炭纪全球扩张， 然后在最近的一次地震中收缩回特提斯王国 石炭纪。

The Carboniferous is the Age of Echinoderms, especially stemmed echinoderms. Faunas are commonly abundant and diverse, but many genera are high endemic. Crinoid endemism can make biogeographic analysis difficult, but could play a positive role in assessing the proximity of continental blocks during the Carboniferous. In this study, we will focus on echinoderms from the latest Devonian and Carboniferous of China that could provide constraints to paleogeographic reconstructions of the closure of Paleo-Tethys. Sparse collections of crinoids from the latest Devonian of northwestern China indicate the presence of a fauna that may be intermediate in nature between older (Devonian) European echinoderm communities and younger (Early Carboniferous) North American echinoderm communities. Camerate crinoids decreased in diversity and abundance, becoming virtually "extinct" in North America and Europe. However, some Carboniferous camerates survived elsewhere in the world and eventually made a dramatic, although short-lived, comeback during the Permian in the Tethyan realm (e.g., Australia, Timor, and the USSR). Collections of crinoids from the mid-Carboniferous of southeastern China indicate the presence of a fauna that may have set the stage for this Tethyan re-radiation of camerate-rich assemblages. We will test the hypothesis that certain elements of the Carboniferous echinoderm community radiated through Asia during the latest Devonian and earliest Carboniferous, expanded globally in the Carboniferous, then contracted back to the Tethyan realm during the latest Carboniferous.