Abstract:

At the present age, the concept that the Carboniferous bas two-fold division character. e.g., it has been subdivided into the Mississipian System and the Pennsylvanian System in North America and the Dinantian Subsystem and the Silesian Subsystem in West Europe. has been spreaded widely. But in my opinion, this two-fold division character is mainly the difference of sedimentary character, the boundary between them is a tectonic-facies one, but not a boundary of important development stage of organic world, nor does it coincide with a major change event of geomagnetic polarity. Therefore, they are not chronostratigraphic units, but just lithostratigraphic ones. The same "two-fold division" concept has different boundaries in North America and WestEurope. this is a good evidence. Now a new Carboniferous chronostratigra-phic system which differs from the ones proposed by A. Bouroz et al. (1977)and adopted by W. B. Harland et al. (1982) and by H. R. Lane et al. (1985)has been established by the author in this paper based on the development stage of many kinds of organisms seen in the continuous marine sections and also the paleomagnetic data (see Tab. 1 in the Chinese text). Because the bottom of the Asselian stage (Pseudoschwagerina zone) does not coincides neither with the significant development stage of any kind of organism. nor with the geomagnetic polarity change event, moreover, in the vast area of East, Europe. the Asselian strata generally over lap on the olderones of different ages with angular unconformities. So it is not suitable to take it as the Carboniferous-Permian boundary. Now the bottom of Montiparus (or Obsoletes) zone is proposed instead of it, because this boundary corresponds with the important development stage of many kinds of organisms which includes fusulinids, ammonoids, conodonts, brachiopods, plants, etc., it also coincide sroughly with the major change epoch of geomagnetic polarity in 295 Ma.B. Runnegar (1984) pointed out that Glossopteris, Gangamopteris and Eurydesma appeared almost synchronously about 290 Ma ago, an event which is taken to mark the beginning of the Permian in the Gondwanan Realm. Therefore, it seems that this boundary is an ideal all-global united boundary reflecting simul-taneously a great geohistorical development stage in the Laurasia and the Gondwana continental blocks. Three clear development stages of many kind of organisms may be foundin the continuous Carboniferous marine sections, so it is appropriate to divide the Carboniferous System into three series. The Lower Carboniferous Series includes the stratigraphic category from the bottom of Gattendorfia (≈Cystophrentis≈Siphonodella sulcata) zone till first ap-pearance of fusulinids (Dainella-Pseudoendothyra-Eostaffella primitive fusulinid fauna). In China, it includes the Gelaohoan stage and the Liujiatangian stage. The Middle Carboniferous Serics includes the stratigraphic category from the appearance of fusulinids till disappearance of Gigantoproductidae-Striati-feridae-Daviesiellidae fauna or the top of Eumorphoceras zone. In China. itincludes the Xincunian stage, the Liannanian stage, the Shangsian stage andthe Dewuan stage. The Upper Carboniferous Series includes the stratigraphic category from the disappearance of Gigantoproductidae-Striatiferidae-Daviesiellidae fauna orthe bottom of Homoceras zone till the appearance of fusulinids with spiro-thecal keriotheca(i.e.,the bottom of Montiparus or Obsoletes zone).In China, it includes the Huashihban stage and the Dalan stage. The above-mentioned every "stage" represents respectively a specific development stage with distinctive characters in regional geology of China. Their standard fossil assemblages and the correlations of the strata have been given in Tab. 2 in Chinese text.