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，尤其是有茎的棘皮动物。动物群通常丰富多样，但许多属是高地方性的。海百合特有可能使生物地理分析变得困难，但在评估石炭世大陆块体的接近性方面可能发挥积极作用。在本研究中，我们将重点研究中国最新泥盆纪和石炭纪的棘皮动物，这些棘皮动物可以为古特提斯闭合的古地理重建提供约束。中国西北地区泥盆世晚期的少量海百合标本表明，存在一种介于较老的（泥盆世）欧洲棘皮动物群落和较年轻的（早石炭世）北美棘皮动物群落之间的动物群。照相机类海百合的多样性和丰度下降，在北美和欧洲几乎“灭绝”。然而，一些石炭纪的照相机在世界其他地方幸存下来，并最终在二叠纪期间在特提斯王国（如澳大利亚、东帝汶和苏联）戏剧性地回归，尽管时间很短。中国东南部中石炭世的海蛇类标本表明，可能存在一种动物群，为这次特提斯的富含照相机的组合的再辐射奠定了基础。我们将验证石炭世棘皮动物群落的某些元素在泥盆纪晚期和石炭世早期辐射到亚洲，在石炭世向全球扩张，然后在石炭世晚期收缩回特提斯领域的假设。

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.