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Biotic extinction during the Guadalupian-Lopingian (G-L) transition is actively debated, with its timing, validity, and causality all questioned. Here, we show, based on detailed sedimentary, paleoecologic, and geochemical analyses of the Penglaitan section in South China, that this intra-Permian biotic crisis began with the demise of a metazoan reef system and extinction of corals and alatoconchid bivalves in the late Guadalupian. A second crisis, among nektonic organisms, occurred around the G-L boundary. Mercury concentration/total organic carbon (Hg/TOC) ratios show two anomalies. The first Hg/TOC peak broadly coincides with the reef collapse and a positive shift in Δ199Hg values during a lowstand interval, which was followed by microbial proliferation. A larger Hg/TOC peak is found just above the G-L boundary and speculatively represents a main eruption episode of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP). This volatile volcanism coincided with nektonic extinction, a negative δ13Ccarb excursion, anoxia, and sea-level rise. The temporal coincidence of these phenomena supports a cause-and- effect relationship and indicates that the eruption of the ELIP likely triggered the G-L crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A detailed, 10 m.y. redox history of Changhsingian to Anisian (latest Permian to Middle Triassic) oceans in ramp settings is reconstructed based on framboidal pyrite analysis from South China. The result shows that the well-established phenomenon of intense ocean euxinia-anoxia is faithfully recorded in pyrite framboid data. Three major euxinia-anoxia episodes, namely, the end-Changhsingian to end-Smithian, middle to late Spathian, and early to middle Anisian, have been recognized from the ramp successions. The first reducing episode is subdivided into four subepisodes: Permian- Triassic boundary, Griesbachian-Dienerian boundary, earliest Smithian, and end-Smithian. Redox variations broadly track other oceanographic proxies. Euxinia-anoxia episodes coincide with positive excursions of conodont ΩCe anomalies, negative excursions of δ34Scas (carbonate-associated sulfate), increases in sea-surface temperature, and negative excursions of δ13C in most cases. However, euxinia-anoxia near the Dienerian- Smithian boundary coincided with positive excursions of δ13C and a general cooling period. This exception may be the result of locally developed water-column anoxia. The Permian-Triassic boundary subepisode witnessed two ephemeral euxinia-anoxia events separated by a dysoxic to oxic period. The former, together with a rapid increase in sea-surface temperature (up to 8°C), may have been responsible for the biodiversity crisis, while the latter anoxic event destroyed ecosystem trophic structures. In addition to the Permian-Triassic boundary euxiniaanoxia event, which spread over habitats in all oceans, the Spathian and Anisian euxinia-anoxia episodes also prevailed in global oceans. Variation of the oxygen minimum zone are suggested as the driving mechanism that facilitated the movement of oxygen-poor water columns in various paleogeographic settings over this critical period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Carnian Pluvial Event (CPE) was an interval marked by global climatic and environmental change, along with biotic turnover, which occurred during the early Late Triassic. Although the causes and consequences of this event remain unclear, one possible scenario is enhanced volcanism injecting greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, perturbing the global carbon cycle, and negatively impacting the global environment. However, there is an underlying challenge in showing a true causeand-effect relationship between volcanism and the CPE, as both the sedimentary and volcanic records are difficult to date accurately enough to demonstrate temporal correspondence. However, mercury (Hg) can be used to fingerprint catastrophic volcanism in the sedimentary record. We examined two sections that record the CPE at Laishike and Wayao in Guizhou Province, southwest China, which display high Hg contents along with spikes of Hg/total organic content (TOC), Hg/Al, Hg/total sulfur (TS), and Hg/(Mo/Al) during the CPE that indicate a shift to excess Hg loading. These Hg anomalies are correlative with the global negative excursion in d13Ccarb values at the CPE, which suggests that increased volcanism injected both massive amounts of Hg and isotopically light carbon into the atmosphere, and these were ultimately recorded in marine sediments. This interpretation is supported by slightly negative or near-zero 199Hg values that are consistent with a volcanic Hg source. Our study supports the hypothesis that enhanced volcanism played a major role in the evolution of biota and the environment during the CPE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which analyzed abundant trace fossils from different sections across the Permian-Triassic boundary in China and reported key metrics of ichnodiversity, ichnodisparity, ecospace utilization, and ecosystem engineering. Topics discussed include environmental selectivity in behavioral and ecologic categories of infauna and potential controls, analysis of behavioral diversification, and calculation of ecosystem engineering of infauna.

The end Permian mass extinction (EPME) is the greatest among the "Big Five" extinctions of the Phanerozoic, and is believed to have been triggered primarily by the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province (STLIP). This hypothesis is supported by the temporal correlation of STLIP with the EPME by radiometric ages and Hg enrichments in sedimentary rocks. However, how signatures of volcanic Hg emissions are preserved in sediments, and how this may vary from deep basin to shelf to terrestrial successions, remain unclear. To examine variability in the Hg record in different environments, we systematically measured organic carbon isotopes, Hg concentrations and isotopes, major elements, and total organic carbon (TOC) contents from: 1) a terrestrial section at Chahe, 2) a marine-nonmarine transitional section at Jinzhong both in Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Results show that Hg versus TOC and Hg versus Al exhibit no correlation through the terrestrial section at Chahe, whereas there is positive correlation in the transitional Jinzhong section. These relationships indicate that organic matter and clay minerals would not affect Hg fluctuations on land, but dominates Hg sequestration in transitional settings. Thus, Hg/TOC along with Hg/Al ratios were able to be employed to recognize abnormal Hg deposition in Jinzhong, and Hg concentrations were utilized to examine records of Hg enrichments in Chahe. The studied sections all show synchronous changes between carbon isotopic perturbations and Hg deposition events with first Hg enrichment and associated negative carbon isotopic negative excursion coinciding with terrestrial ecological disturbance and with a second Hg enrichment corresponding to the largest carbon isotopic negative excursion and marine biological crisis. These trends across the Permian-Triassic boundary are also observed in other 13 sections around the world, indicating a common source that injected massive CO 2 and Hg, impacting the global C and Hg cycles. Hg isotope (Δ199Hg values) of the first peak in Hg concentrations have similar characteristics in the terrestrial Chahe and transitional Jinzhong sections along with other sections (e.g., Shangsi and Chaohu in South China, Guryul Ravine section in India and Buchanan Lake section in Canada), all showing positive values, indicative of predominantly atmospheric-derived volcanic Hg. In contrast, Δ199Hg values at the second Hg peak, corresponding to the marine extinction horizon in Chahe and Jinzhong, are negative. This relationship indicates an elevated involvement of terrestrial sourced Hg into the terrestrial or nearshore aquatic realm due to increased weathering after the collapse of terrestrial ecosystem. Our study suggests that the STLIP could have two pulses of volatile eruptions that released massive CO 2 and Hg, resulting in two pulses of Hg enrichments coupled with negative carbon isotopic excursions coinciding with end Permian terrestrial and marine extinction events. • Two pulses of Hg enrichments coinciding with the end Permian terrestrial and marine extinction events • Positive Δ199Hg values at the first Hg enrichment, indicate a predominant atmospheric-derived signature of volcanic Hg • Δ199Hg values at the second Hg peak are negative, indicating an elevated involvement of terrestrial sourced Hg. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]