MIDDLE PERMIAN RADIOLARIAN BIOSTRATIGRAPHY ON THE GUFENG FORMATION IN THE SONGZI-WUFENG AREA, HUBEI PROVINCE, CHINA

Abstract

Middle Permian radiolarian species were found from siliceous rocks of the Gufeng Formation in the Songzi-Wufeng area, Hubei Province, China. Pseudoalbaillella fusiformis, Pseudoalbaillella cf. globosa, Pseudoalbaillella lanceolata, and Pseudoalbaillella sp. A were commonly recovered. Sponge spicules and foraminifers were also found from the rock samples. The radiolarian-bearing strata of the Gufeng Formation can be correlated to the Pseudoalbaillella fusiformis-Pseudoalbaillella longtanensis Zone of Wang and Qi (1995) and the Pseudoalbaillella globosa Zone of Ishiga (1986), respectively. The Gufeng Formation of the study area is contemporaneous with the lower part of the Gufeng Formation of Anhui Province on the basis of the radiolarian biostratigraphy.