Artinskian-Kungurian (Early Permian) brachiopod faunas from the Tarim Basin, Northwest China. Part 2: Paleobiogeography, and systematics of Orthotetida, Orthida, Spiriferida, Spiriferinida, Rhynchonellida, Athyridida and Terebratulida

The second part of the paper describes 29 brachiopod species in 20 genera of the Orthotetida, Orthida, Spiriferida, Spiriferinida, Rhynchonellida, Athyridida and Terebratulida from the Artinskian to Kungurian sequences of the Tarim Basin, Northwest China. Correlations of the Tarim brachiopod zones, associated with fusulinids, plants, and palynomorphs, with faunas from South China, Thailand, Central Asia, northern Tibet, Karakorum, Urals, and Russian Platform show that the Early Permian biogeographic pattern of the Tarim Basin was strongly influenced by biota of the eastern Paleo-Tethys, especially South China and the Shan-Thai block. The Tarim faunas had little connection with those of Europe (Urals and Russian Platform) during the Artinskian and Kungurian. Such biogeographic features of the Tarim Basin in the late Early Permian may be explained by its paleogeographic position in relation to other tectonic blocks and landmasses in the region and contemporaneous climatic conditions. In view of the biogeographic characteristics, we suggest that the Tarim block had not yet accreted to the Angara plate by the end of Kungurian, contrary to suggestions from recent tectonic studies. Three new genera Baliqliqia, Tarimathyris and Ustritskia are proposed. Seven new species are Derbyia yeerqiangensis n. sp., Acosarina grandis n. sp., Larispirifer balikelikeensis n. sp., Orbicoelia elongatiformis n. sp., Goleomixa bicostata n. sp., Baliqliqia baliqliqensis n. gen., n. sp. and Tarimathyris hotanensis n. gen., n. sp.