Permalink : http://hdl.handle.net/2115/36787

Within China six Early Viséan rugose coral communities are recognized, they are : 1) the Siphonophyllia community, 2) the cool water Gangamophyllum community, 3) the Thysanophyllum community, 4) the Bothrophyllum-Zaphrentites community, 5) the island Humboldtia community and 6) the cold water Hapsiphyllum-Rhopalolasma community. In northwest China, the Siphonophyllia community is distributed along the northern margin of the Tarim-Qaidam Oldland. The Gangamophyllum community was widespread north of the region occupied by the Siphonophyllia community, including north Tianshan, central Tianshan and east Junggar. In South China there were three rugose coral communities. The Thysanophyllum community occurs on the margin of the Upper Yangtze Oldland. The Bothrophyllum-Zaphrentites community was confined to the southern and western part of the region occupied by the Thysanophyllum community. These two communities merge into each other without a distinct boundary. The Humboldtia community is found only in the Baoshan area. The Hapsiphyllum-Rhopalolasma community is found in Xainza and Himalaya of Tibet. The distribution of the six Early Viséan rugose coral communities was controlled by the palaeogeographical background. The Gangamophyllum community occurs along the southern margin of the Siberia Oldland, while the Siphonophyllia community is distributed along the northern margin of Tarim-Qaidam Oldland. The Hapsiphyllum-Rhopalolasma community is confined to the northern margin of the Gondwana Oldland. In the wide southern and western margin of Yangtze Oldland the distribution of the Thysanophyllum and the Bothrophyllum-Zaphrentites communities was controlled by the bathymetry. The Humboldtia community probably lived in island seas far from the Yangtze Oldland.