- Email: [email protected]
Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand
Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Journal of Asian Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jseaes
Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand Henri Fontaine a,⇑, Thi Than Hoang b, Sathaporn Kavinate c, Varavudh Suteethorn d, Daniel Vachard e a
128 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France 11 rue Bourgeot, 94240 L’Hay les Roses, France c Department of Mineral Resources, 75/10 Rama VI, Rachathavi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand d Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand e Paléontologie, Sciences de la Terre, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Bâtiment SN5, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex, France b
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history: Available online xxxx Keywords: Pha Dang Khwai Changhsingian Colaniella Palaeofusulina Artinskian Chalaroschwagerina Triassic
a b s t r a c t In the Upper Permian of northeastern Thailand (Loei Province), continental plants have been found and to the north in Laos near Luang Prabang, continental vertebrates (Dicynodon species) have been discovered. The Middle Permian is in sharp contrast to this as it is represented only by marine sediments. West of these areas in the province of Nan in Thailand, the Upper Permian is represented by marine sediments which extend to a high level in the Upper Permian and continental beds appear to be entirely absent, at least at Pha Dang Khwai, a locality where limestone extends from the end of the Lower Permian to the Triassic. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
2. Upper Permian
In the northern part of Thailand, limestone is widely exposed at localities in Nan Province as well as in other provinces (Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Phrae Provinces). Beautiful karst landscapes are common. More than 500 caves, of diverse sizes are known in limestone hills in the northern half of Thailand. This paper focuses on where several small caves are known in two prominent hills 10 km north of Nan. At Pha Nang Khoi, a large hill near Rong Kwang and 55 km south of Nan, a cave is well-known and visited by tourists. Archaeological sites have been found in the caves of northern Thailand, with a site in Nan Province. They show evidence of human habitation for at least 10,000 years (Sidisunthorn et al., 2006). West of Wiang Sa, a small town 25 km south of Nan, limestone is exposed near Ban Wang Tup village, about 20 km by road from Wiang Sa (Fig. 1) which is easily accessible by road. The limestone is exposed as mogote hills near Ban Wang Tup, such as Pha Dang Khwai which reaches up to 597 m in elevation above sea level. North of Pha Dang Khwai, limestone hills are up to 550 m and 607 m in elevation above sea level. The limestone is also exposed in small hills and rarely at ground surface. Materials studied in this paper have been deposited in Paleontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
In 2009 during a very short trip in northern Thailand (Fontaine et al., 2012), limestone samples were collected from small outcrops along the road leading to Ban Wang Tup and in the northern part of Phrae Province, west of Pha Dang Khwai 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup (18°360 13.400 N, 100°350 50.300 E; samples T10724–T10726). These limestones yielded Late Changhsingian fossils consisting mainly of Fusulinidae and smaller foraminifers. Colaniella was in great abundance. It was assigned to Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. It was associated with diverse other fossils: a few specimens of Palaeofusulina cf. fusiformis Sheng 1955, Pseudobaisalina? sp., Pachyphloia ex gr. schwageri Sellier de Civrieux and Dessauvagie 1965, Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini Sakagami and Hatta, 1982, Paraglobivalvulinoides sp., Protonodosaria cf. sagitta Miklukho-Maklay 1954, rare fragments of algae (Gymnocodium sp.), Tubiphytes and calcisponges. The identification of Late Changhsingian fossils was very exciting because it suggested that these limestones may extend up to the Triassic. Because of that, additional fieldwork was carried out in March 2011. Triassic limestone is known at several localities in both Nan and Phrae Provinces. At Pha Nang Khoi (hill seen as a ‘‘recumbent lady waiting for a baby’’ by the local people because of its shape), 4 km from Rong Kwang and 55 km from Nan, several specimens of Aulotortus have been found in the limestone of this hill and a Triassic age has been suggested (Fontaine et al., 2001, p. 18, pl. 4, Figs. 5 and 6). In the previously published geological
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 1 44 39 47 89. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Fontaine). 1367-9120/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
2
H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
Fig. 1. Pha Dang Khwai area.
map, a Triassic age was already indicated. Farther to the south along the road from Phrae to Long, Upper Permian with Colaniella and abundant sponges has been described in the past (Senowbari-Darian and Ingavat-Helmcke, 1993). However, marine Upper Permian was still considered to be unknown in the Nan area by some geologists (Hinthong et al., 1999).
2.1. New samples collected west of Pha Dang Khwai, 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup Near the locality from where Colaniella had been reported in the past, new samples were collected on both sides of the road. At the foot of a small limestone cliff near and west of the road (18°360 14.800 N, 100°350 39.400 E; samples T11055–T11059; Fig. 2A,
B, D and G), limestone is packstone, commonly very rich in Colaniella Likharev 1939 and especially the species Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Palaeofusulina Deprat 1912 is much less abundant. Reichelina is rare. Other fossils include a few smaller foraminifers (Pachyphloia, Tetrataxis and Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini Sakagami and Hatta, 1982) and fragments of algae (Permocalculus, Mizzia), Tubiphytes and crinoids. Samples T11060–T11069 (Fig. 2F and H) from large limestone blocks on the eastern side of the road and scattered on the slope of a small hill, are also packstone commonly very rich in Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. They also contain Palaeofusulina fusiformis Sheng, 1963, very rare Reichelina, as well as a few smaller foraminifers (including Paraglobivalvulinoides, Cribrogenerina sumatrana Volz, Climacammina and Tetrataxis) associated with fragments of algae, Tubiphytes and crinoids.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
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Fig. 2. West of Pha Dang Khwai, west of the road. (A) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11055, (B) Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini (Sakagami and Hatta, 1982). Sample T11059, (D) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11056, (G) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11058. West of Pha Dang Khwai, east of the road. (F) and (H) Palaeofusulina fusiformis Sheng, 1963. Sample T11060. Southwestern part of Pha Dang Khwai, (I) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11127. Southern part of Pha Dang Khwai, (E) – Agathammina pusilla Geinitz, 1848. Sample T11119. Near Ban Wang Tup, (C) Pamirina darvasica Leven, 1970. Sample T11049.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
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H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
2.2. Southwestern part of Pha Dang Khwai
3. Lower–Middle Permian
In this part of Pha Dang Khwai at the foot of the hill (18°350 55.900 N, 100°360 11.800 E; samples T11125–T11128; Fig. 2I), limestone is gray and massive, and without chert nodules. It is wackstone (sample T11125) to packstone (samples T11126– T11128). It is commonly rich in Colaniella, associated with fragments of crinoids, other rare foraminifers (Kamurana, Tetrataxis, Paraglobivalvulinoides) and algae (Epimastopora?). Some poorly preserved fragments of Palaeofusulina are possibly present in samples T11127 and T11128.
At the southern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°350 47.300 N, 100°360 23.900 E, samples T11119–T11124; Fig. 2E), a massive gray limestone without chert nodules is well exposed. Samples were collected at the foot of the hill. They are poor in fossils but contain a single well preserved foraminifer (Agathammina ex gr. pusilla Geinitz in Geinitz and Gutbier 1848, emend. Wolanska 1953; sample T11119) associated with another foraminifer (Graecodiscus? sample T11121) and rare fragments of Colaniella. Some fragments of other fossils, including calcisponges (Hikorocodium), are present but not well preserved.
Between the limestone hills, flat land is commonly without limestone exposures. However near Ban Wang Tup on both sides of the road (18°340 45.900 N, 100°360 35.100 E; samples T11046– T11054; Fig. 2C), blocks of gray limestone without chert nodules are commonly wackestone. They are different from the previous limestone exposures. They do not contain Colaniella, but only other foraminifers (mainly Fusulinidae) which are in a small number and not always well preserved. Chalaroschwagerina appears to be relatively common and a single specimen has been identified as Chalaroschwagerina vulgaris (Schellwien, 1908). Other fossils are Pamirina darvasica Leven, 1970, Leeina magna (Toriyama, 1958), Neofusulinella? sp., Quasifusulina? sp., Climacammina sp., Tetrataxis sp., rare calcispheres, fragments of algae, Tubiphytes and of crinoids. These fossils indicate an age corresponding to the upper part of Lower Permian and more precisely to the Late Artinskian. South of Pha Dang Khwai, limestone exposures in the Loei and Phetchabun areas belong to the Permian and contain fossils representative of the upper part of the Lower Permian (Charoentitirat, 2002; Fontaine et al., 2005). Up to now, no exposures of Middle Permian limestone have been found in the Ban Wang Tup area, probably because such exposures are small and difficult to observe because of the vegetation.
2.4. Southeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai
4. Triassic
At the southeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai, samples were collected from the foot of the hill over 100 m from east to west (18°360 02.800 N, 100°360 42.300 E; samples T11082–T11096). The limestone is gray, massive, and without chert nodules. The slope of the hill is almost vertical up to 60 m above its base. The limestone is not rich in fossils and is different from the limestone exposed west of Pha Dang Khwai. It is wackestone to packstone containing fragments of poorly preserved fossils. However, a few Colaniella lepida have been observed and they are associated with a few other foraminifers (Neodiscus milliloides Miklukho-Maklay 1953).
4.1. Small hills between Pha Dang Khwai and Ban Wang Tup
2.3. Southern part of Pha Dang Khwai
2.5. Eastern part of Pha Dang Khwai In the eastern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°360 15.400 N, 100°360 50.100 E; samples T11108–T11113), gray massive limestone without chert nodules contains a few foraminifers consisting of Tetrataxis and a few poorly preserved Colaniella, associated with fragments of Bryozoa.
2.6. Conclusions for the Upper Permian The Upper Permian is widely exposed at the foot of Pha Dang Khwai and is locally rich in fossils. Above this fossiliferous level, a strong extinction is suggested; the limestone appears to be very poor in fossils. Since a long time, Palaeofusulina and Colaniella are known to characterize the latest Permian. In China, their last appearance is only a few meters before the appearance of Hindeodus parvus (Kozur and Pjatakova), a conodont characteristic of the base of the Triassic. For instance, in Laolongdong section of South China, they are separated by only 2 m (Jiang et al., 2008) and a few meters in Nanpanjiang Basin (Song et al., 2009) and West Yunnan (Ueno and Tsutsumi, 2009). In northwestern Caucasus (Pronina-Nestell and Nestell, 2001) and southern Tibet (Wang et al., 2010), the genus Colaniella remains present up to the last beds of the Permian.
A gray thickly bedded limestone builds up small hills from 700 m to 1 km north of Ban Wang Tup (18°350 16.100 N, 100°360 45.500 E; samples T11070–T11080). Beds are gently dipping towards the south-east. A small cliff exists at a single hill. In the field, a few fossil shells of gastropods have been noticed in some beds. This limestone is very rich in ooids and appears to be similar to limestone found in Klaeng area south-east of Bangkok where it is also located near Upper Permian limestone containing Colaniella and Palaeofusulina (Fontaine et al., 1999). The limestone of Klaeng rich in ooids was assigned to the lower part of Triassic. 4.2. Pha Dang Khwai and other hills to the north Pha Dang Khwai limestone hill, located 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup is more than 2 km long and reaches up to 597 m in elevation above sea level. It comprises homogeneous massive limestone without chert nodules. It has not been strongly folded with bedding gently dipping or almost horizontal. In the northeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°360 23.200 N, 100°360 38.500 E; samples T11114–T11118), the limestone is massive and is exposed at ground surface at the foot of the hill from where the samples were collected. It is wackestone to packstone, locally rich in fragments of crinoids and of some other fossils, such as Nodosinelloides. These fossils cannot indicate a precise age. At the eastern end of a long hill located north of Pha Dang Khwai and reaching up to 550 m and 607 m in elevation above sea level, limestone is gray, massive and without chert nodules. Samples have been collected from two points. At the first point (18°360 05.200 N, 100°370 17.300 E; samples T11097–T11101), thin sections show a fine-grained limestone containing no fossils. Sample T11101 is rich in ooids. To the east of the same part of the hill (18°360 02.000 N, 100°370 43.200 E; samples T11102–T11107), the limestone is similar, massive without chert and is locally rich in ooids.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
5. Discussion and conclusions East of Nan Province, Upper Permian sediments are known in Loei Province where they have yielded continental plants (Asama et al., 1968; Fontaine et al., 2005). To the north in Laos near Luang Prabang, continental vertebrates have been discovered and have been the object of important research since 1995 (Battail et al. 1995; Steyer 2009; Battail, 2009). Limestone fragments have been found under red beds north of Vientiane in Laos; they have been considered belonging to Midian when they contained Parafusulina and Neoschwagerina, and to Upper Permian without more precision when they contained Palaeofusulina and Colaniella (Stokes et al., 2012). Their age is apparently not younger than the lower part of Upper Permian. In the past, marine Upper Permian sediments have been mentioned cursorily at a few localities in Nan Province, without giving photographs of the fossils and without an essay to know the precise part of the Upper Permian. South-west of Pha Dang Khwai in Phrae Province, sponges (mainly ‘‘sphinctozoans’’) have been found in association with a few specimens of Colaniella and Palaeofusulina in a creek approximately 650 m north of km 17.5 of the road from Phrae to Long; an Upper Permian age has been underlined (Senowbari-Darian and Ingavat-Helmcke, 1993). The new data presented in this paper establishes that marine Upper Permian sediments are exposed at a few localities in northern Thailand, and at least locally, they extend up to the top of the Upper Permian and possibly extend to marine facies characteristic of the Triassic sequences which are widely exposed in north Thailand (for instance, see Chonglakmani, 1999; Fontaine et al., 2001). To the east in Loei and Luang Prabang areas, Upper Permian sediments are at least largely continental while Triassic sequences are entirely continental. The limestone above the Colaniella beds is more than 200 m thick and do not contain diverse fossils. They cannot provide important information on the range of the Triassic limestone. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr. Ian Metcalfe for his helpful review and interesting comments on this manuscript. Ours thanks go to the Department of Mineral Resources of Thailand for his help. References Asama, K., Iwai, J., Veeraburus, M., Hongnusonthi, A., 1968. Permian plants from Loei, Thailand. Geology and Paleontology of Southeast Asia 4, 82–99. Battail, B., Dejax, J., Richir, P., Taquet, P., Veran, M., 1995. New data on the continental Upper Permian in the area of Luang Prabang, Laos. Journal of Geology B5–6, 11–15. Battail, B., 2009. Late Permian dicynodont fauna from Laos. Geological Society of London Special Publication 315, 33–40.
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Charoentitirat, T., 2002. Permian Fusulinoidean Biostratigraphy and Carbonate Development in the Indochina Block of Thailand with their paleogeographic implication. Unpublished PhD Thesis, University of Tsukuba, 198 p, 32 pl. Chonglakmani, C., 1999. The Triassic system of Thailand: implications for the paleogeography of Southeast Asia. In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Shallow Tethys (ST5), Chiang Mai, pp. 486–495. Fontaine, H., Salyapongse, S., Vachard, D., 1999. Occurrence of an Upper Permian (Dorashamian) limestone northeast of Klaeng, East Thailand. CCOP Newsletter 24, 14–19. Fontaine, H., Salyapongse, S., Vachard, D., 2001. Widespread occurrence of Triassic limestones in the Nan region, northern Thailand, and their constraints on age of the associated volcanic rocks. Journal of the Geological Society of Thailand 2001 (1), 15–42. Fontaine, H., Salyapongse, S., Suteethorn, V., Tian, P., Vachard, D., 2005. Sedimentary rocks of the Loei region, northern Thailand: stratigraphy, paleontology, sedimentology. Department of Mineral Resources, Bangkok, 165 p. Fontaine, H., Hoang, T.T., Kavinate, S., Varavudh, S., Vachard, D., 2012. North Thailand: 1 – Very fossiliferous limestone belonging to the end of the Permian (Upper Changhsingian) in Wiang Sa area; 2 – Another Upper Permian limestone in Phrae area. Journal of Science and Technology, Mahasarakham University 31 (1), 51–62. Hinthong, C., Raksaskulwong, L., Khositanont, S., 1999. A Reconstruction of Geology of the Nan Area and its Vicinities, Northern Thailand. In: Symposium on Mineral, Energy and Water Resources of Thailand, Bangkok, pp. 178–196. Jiang, Hong Xia, Wu, Ya Sheng, Cai, ChunFang, 2008. Filamentous cyanobacteria fossils and their significance in the Permian–Triassic boundary section at Laolongdong, Chongqing. Chinese Science Bulletin 53 (12), 1871–1879. Leven, E.Y., 1970. On the origin of the advanced fusulinids. Paleontologicheskiy Zhurnal 3, 303–309 (in Russian). Pronina-Nestell, G.P., Nestell, M.K., 2001. Late Changhsingian foraminifers of the northwestern Caucasus. Micropaleontology 47 (3), 205–234. Sakagami, S., Hatta, A., 1982. On the Upper Permian Palaeofusulina–Colaniella fauna from Khao Doi Pha Phlung, north Thailand. Geology and Paleontology of Southeast Asia 24, 11–12. Schellwien, E., 1908. Die Fusulinen des russisch-artischen Meeregebietes. Palaeontographica A 55, 145–194. Senowbari-Darian, B., Ingavat-Helmcke, R., 1993. Upper Permian sponges from Phrae Province (northern Thailand). In: Proceedings of the International Symposium on Biostratigraphy of mainland Southeast Asia: Facies and paleontology, Chiang Mai, pp. 439–451. Sheng, J.C., 1963. The marine Permian formations and their fusulinid zones of southwest China. Scientia Sinica 12 (3), 885–890. Sidisunthorn, P., Gardner, S., Smart, D., 2006. Caves of Northern Thailand. River Books Co., Bangkok, 392 pp. Song, Hai Jun, Tong, Jin Nan, Chen, Z.Q., Yang, Hao, Wang, Yong Biao, 2009. EndPermian mass extinction of foraminifers in the Nanpanjiang basin, South China. Journal of Paleontology 83 (5), 718–738. Steyer, J.S., 2009. The geological and palaeontological exploration of Laos; following the footsteps of J.B.H. Counillon and A. Pavie. Geological Society of London Special Publication 315, 25–32. Stokes, R.B., Smith, P.L., Racey, A., Brunton, C.H.C., Dawson, O., Swan, A.R.H., Whitaker, M.F., 2012. Some Upper Palaeozoic fossil localities in the Vientiane Contract area, Lao PDR, and their geological importance. Journal of Science and Technology, Mahasarakham University 31 (1), 63–73. Toriyama, R., 1958. Geology of Akiyoshi; Part III: Fusulinids of Akiyoshi. Memoirs of the Faculty of Science, Kyushu University. Series D, Geology 7, 1–264. Ueno, K., Tsutsumi, S., 2009. Lopingian (Late Permian) foraminiferal faunal succession of a Paleo-Tethyan mid-oceanic carbonate buildup: Shifodong Formation in the Changning-Menglian Belt, West Yunnan, Southwest China. Island Arc 18, 63–93. Wang, Yue, Ueno, K., Zhang, Yi-Chun, Cao, Chang-Qun, 2010. The Changhsingian foraminiferal fauna of a Neotethyan seamount: the Gyanyima Limestone along the Yarlung-Zangbo Suture in southern Tibet, China. Geological Journal 45, 308– 318.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect
Journal of Asian Earth Sciences journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jseaes
Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand Henri Fontaine a,⇑, Thi Than Hoang b, Sathaporn Kavinate c, Varavudh Suteethorn d, Daniel Vachard e a
128 rue du Bac, 75007 Paris, France 11 rue Bourgeot, 94240 L’Hay les Roses, France c Department of Mineral Resources, 75/10 Rama VI, Rachathavi, Bangkok 10400, Thailand d Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai District, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand e Paléontologie, Sciences de la Terre, Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Bâtiment SN5, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq cedex, France b
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history: Available online xxxx Keywords: Pha Dang Khwai Changhsingian Colaniella Palaeofusulina Artinskian Chalaroschwagerina Triassic
a b s t r a c t In the Upper Permian of northeastern Thailand (Loei Province), continental plants have been found and to the north in Laos near Luang Prabang, continental vertebrates (Dicynodon species) have been discovered. The Middle Permian is in sharp contrast to this as it is represented only by marine sediments. West of these areas in the province of Nan in Thailand, the Upper Permian is represented by marine sediments which extend to a high level in the Upper Permian and continental beds appear to be entirely absent, at least at Pha Dang Khwai, a locality where limestone extends from the end of the Lower Permian to the Triassic. Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
2. Upper Permian
In the northern part of Thailand, limestone is widely exposed at localities in Nan Province as well as in other provinces (Mae Hong Son, Chiang Mai, Lampang, Chiang Rai, Phayao and Phrae Provinces). Beautiful karst landscapes are common. More than 500 caves, of diverse sizes are known in limestone hills in the northern half of Thailand. This paper focuses on where several small caves are known in two prominent hills 10 km north of Nan. At Pha Nang Khoi, a large hill near Rong Kwang and 55 km south of Nan, a cave is well-known and visited by tourists. Archaeological sites have been found in the caves of northern Thailand, with a site in Nan Province. They show evidence of human habitation for at least 10,000 years (Sidisunthorn et al., 2006). West of Wiang Sa, a small town 25 km south of Nan, limestone is exposed near Ban Wang Tup village, about 20 km by road from Wiang Sa (Fig. 1) which is easily accessible by road. The limestone is exposed as mogote hills near Ban Wang Tup, such as Pha Dang Khwai which reaches up to 597 m in elevation above sea level. North of Pha Dang Khwai, limestone hills are up to 550 m and 607 m in elevation above sea level. The limestone is also exposed in small hills and rarely at ground surface. Materials studied in this paper have been deposited in Paleontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Mahasarakham 44150, Thailand.
In 2009 during a very short trip in northern Thailand (Fontaine et al., 2012), limestone samples were collected from small outcrops along the road leading to Ban Wang Tup and in the northern part of Phrae Province, west of Pha Dang Khwai 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup (18°360 13.400 N, 100°350 50.300 E; samples T10724–T10726). These limestones yielded Late Changhsingian fossils consisting mainly of Fusulinidae and smaller foraminifers. Colaniella was in great abundance. It was assigned to Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. It was associated with diverse other fossils: a few specimens of Palaeofusulina cf. fusiformis Sheng 1955, Pseudobaisalina? sp., Pachyphloia ex gr. schwageri Sellier de Civrieux and Dessauvagie 1965, Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini Sakagami and Hatta, 1982, Paraglobivalvulinoides sp., Protonodosaria cf. sagitta Miklukho-Maklay 1954, rare fragments of algae (Gymnocodium sp.), Tubiphytes and calcisponges. The identification of Late Changhsingian fossils was very exciting because it suggested that these limestones may extend up to the Triassic. Because of that, additional fieldwork was carried out in March 2011. Triassic limestone is known at several localities in both Nan and Phrae Provinces. At Pha Nang Khoi (hill seen as a ‘‘recumbent lady waiting for a baby’’ by the local people because of its shape), 4 km from Rong Kwang and 55 km from Nan, several specimens of Aulotortus have been found in the limestone of this hill and a Triassic age has been suggested (Fontaine et al., 2001, p. 18, pl. 4, Figs. 5 and 6). In the previously published geological
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: +33 1 44 39 47 89. E-mail address: [email protected] (H. Fontaine). 1367-9120/$ - see front matter Ó 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
2
H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
Fig. 1. Pha Dang Khwai area.
map, a Triassic age was already indicated. Farther to the south along the road from Phrae to Long, Upper Permian with Colaniella and abundant sponges has been described in the past (Senowbari-Darian and Ingavat-Helmcke, 1993). However, marine Upper Permian was still considered to be unknown in the Nan area by some geologists (Hinthong et al., 1999).
2.1. New samples collected west of Pha Dang Khwai, 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup Near the locality from where Colaniella had been reported in the past, new samples were collected on both sides of the road. At the foot of a small limestone cliff near and west of the road (18°360 14.800 N, 100°350 39.400 E; samples T11055–T11059; Fig. 2A,
B, D and G), limestone is packstone, commonly very rich in Colaniella Likharev 1939 and especially the species Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Palaeofusulina Deprat 1912 is much less abundant. Reichelina is rare. Other fossils include a few smaller foraminifers (Pachyphloia, Tetrataxis and Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini Sakagami and Hatta, 1982) and fragments of algae (Permocalculus, Mizzia), Tubiphytes and crinoids. Samples T11060–T11069 (Fig. 2F and H) from large limestone blocks on the eastern side of the road and scattered on the slope of a small hill, are also packstone commonly very rich in Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. They also contain Palaeofusulina fusiformis Sheng, 1963, very rare Reichelina, as well as a few smaller foraminifers (including Paraglobivalvulinoides, Cribrogenerina sumatrana Volz, Climacammina and Tetrataxis) associated with fragments of algae, Tubiphytes and crinoids.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
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Fig. 2. West of Pha Dang Khwai, west of the road. (A) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11055, (B) Paraglobivalvulinoides piyasini (Sakagami and Hatta, 1982). Sample T11059, (D) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11056, (G) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11058. West of Pha Dang Khwai, east of the road. (F) and (H) Palaeofusulina fusiformis Sheng, 1963. Sample T11060. Southwestern part of Pha Dang Khwai, (I) Colaniella lepida Wang 1966. Sample T11127. Southern part of Pha Dang Khwai, (E) – Agathammina pusilla Geinitz, 1848. Sample T11119. Near Ban Wang Tup, (C) Pamirina darvasica Leven, 1970. Sample T11049.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
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H. Fontaine et al. / Journal of Asian Earth Sciences xxx (2013) xxx–xxx
2.2. Southwestern part of Pha Dang Khwai
3. Lower–Middle Permian
In this part of Pha Dang Khwai at the foot of the hill (18°350 55.900 N, 100°360 11.800 E; samples T11125–T11128; Fig. 2I), limestone is gray and massive, and without chert nodules. It is wackstone (sample T11125) to packstone (samples T11126– T11128). It is commonly rich in Colaniella, associated with fragments of crinoids, other rare foraminifers (Kamurana, Tetrataxis, Paraglobivalvulinoides) and algae (Epimastopora?). Some poorly preserved fragments of Palaeofusulina are possibly present in samples T11127 and T11128.
At the southern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°350 47.300 N, 100°360 23.900 E, samples T11119–T11124; Fig. 2E), a massive gray limestone without chert nodules is well exposed. Samples were collected at the foot of the hill. They are poor in fossils but contain a single well preserved foraminifer (Agathammina ex gr. pusilla Geinitz in Geinitz and Gutbier 1848, emend. Wolanska 1953; sample T11119) associated with another foraminifer (Graecodiscus? sample T11121) and rare fragments of Colaniella. Some fragments of other fossils, including calcisponges (Hikorocodium), are present but not well preserved.
Between the limestone hills, flat land is commonly without limestone exposures. However near Ban Wang Tup on both sides of the road (18°340 45.900 N, 100°360 35.100 E; samples T11046– T11054; Fig. 2C), blocks of gray limestone without chert nodules are commonly wackestone. They are different from the previous limestone exposures. They do not contain Colaniella, but only other foraminifers (mainly Fusulinidae) which are in a small number and not always well preserved. Chalaroschwagerina appears to be relatively common and a single specimen has been identified as Chalaroschwagerina vulgaris (Schellwien, 1908). Other fossils are Pamirina darvasica Leven, 1970, Leeina magna (Toriyama, 1958), Neofusulinella? sp., Quasifusulina? sp., Climacammina sp., Tetrataxis sp., rare calcispheres, fragments of algae, Tubiphytes and of crinoids. These fossils indicate an age corresponding to the upper part of Lower Permian and more precisely to the Late Artinskian. South of Pha Dang Khwai, limestone exposures in the Loei and Phetchabun areas belong to the Permian and contain fossils representative of the upper part of the Lower Permian (Charoentitirat, 2002; Fontaine et al., 2005). Up to now, no exposures of Middle Permian limestone have been found in the Ban Wang Tup area, probably because such exposures are small and difficult to observe because of the vegetation.
2.4. Southeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai
4. Triassic
At the southeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai, samples were collected from the foot of the hill over 100 m from east to west (18°360 02.800 N, 100°360 42.300 E; samples T11082–T11096). The limestone is gray, massive, and without chert nodules. The slope of the hill is almost vertical up to 60 m above its base. The limestone is not rich in fossils and is different from the limestone exposed west of Pha Dang Khwai. It is wackestone to packstone containing fragments of poorly preserved fossils. However, a few Colaniella lepida have been observed and they are associated with a few other foraminifers (Neodiscus milliloides Miklukho-Maklay 1953).
4.1. Small hills between Pha Dang Khwai and Ban Wang Tup
2.3. Southern part of Pha Dang Khwai
2.5. Eastern part of Pha Dang Khwai In the eastern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°360 15.400 N, 100°360 50.100 E; samples T11108–T11113), gray massive limestone without chert nodules contains a few foraminifers consisting of Tetrataxis and a few poorly preserved Colaniella, associated with fragments of Bryozoa.
2.6. Conclusions for the Upper Permian The Upper Permian is widely exposed at the foot of Pha Dang Khwai and is locally rich in fossils. Above this fossiliferous level, a strong extinction is suggested; the limestone appears to be very poor in fossils. Since a long time, Palaeofusulina and Colaniella are known to characterize the latest Permian. In China, their last appearance is only a few meters before the appearance of Hindeodus parvus (Kozur and Pjatakova), a conodont characteristic of the base of the Triassic. For instance, in Laolongdong section of South China, they are separated by only 2 m (Jiang et al., 2008) and a few meters in Nanpanjiang Basin (Song et al., 2009) and West Yunnan (Ueno and Tsutsumi, 2009). In northwestern Caucasus (Pronina-Nestell and Nestell, 2001) and southern Tibet (Wang et al., 2010), the genus Colaniella remains present up to the last beds of the Permian.
A gray thickly bedded limestone builds up small hills from 700 m to 1 km north of Ban Wang Tup (18°350 16.100 N, 100°360 45.500 E; samples T11070–T11080). Beds are gently dipping towards the south-east. A small cliff exists at a single hill. In the field, a few fossil shells of gastropods have been noticed in some beds. This limestone is very rich in ooids and appears to be similar to limestone found in Klaeng area south-east of Bangkok where it is also located near Upper Permian limestone containing Colaniella and Palaeofusulina (Fontaine et al., 1999). The limestone of Klaeng rich in ooids was assigned to the lower part of Triassic. 4.2. Pha Dang Khwai and other hills to the north Pha Dang Khwai limestone hill, located 2 km north of Ban Wang Tup is more than 2 km long and reaches up to 597 m in elevation above sea level. It comprises homogeneous massive limestone without chert nodules. It has not been strongly folded with bedding gently dipping or almost horizontal. In the northeastern part of Pha Dang Khwai (18°360 23.200 N, 100°360 38.500 E; samples T11114–T11118), the limestone is massive and is exposed at ground surface at the foot of the hill from where the samples were collected. It is wackestone to packstone, locally rich in fragments of crinoids and of some other fossils, such as Nodosinelloides. These fossils cannot indicate a precise age. At the eastern end of a long hill located north of Pha Dang Khwai and reaching up to 550 m and 607 m in elevation above sea level, limestone is gray, massive and without chert nodules. Samples have been collected from two points. At the first point (18°360 05.200 N, 100°370 17.300 E; samples T11097–T11101), thin sections show a fine-grained limestone containing no fossils. Sample T11101 is rich in ooids. To the east of the same part of the hill (18°360 02.000 N, 100°370 43.200 E; samples T11102–T11107), the limestone is similar, massive without chert and is locally rich in ooids.
Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006
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5. Discussion and conclusions East of Nan Province, Upper Permian sediments are known in Loei Province where they have yielded continental plants (Asama et al., 1968; Fontaine et al., 2005). To the north in Laos near Luang Prabang, continental vertebrates have been discovered and have been the object of important research since 1995 (Battail et al. 1995; Steyer 2009; Battail, 2009). Limestone fragments have been found under red beds north of Vientiane in Laos; they have been considered belonging to Midian when they contained Parafusulina and Neoschwagerina, and to Upper Permian without more precision when they contained Palaeofusulina and Colaniella (Stokes et al., 2012). Their age is apparently not younger than the lower part of Upper Permian. In the past, marine Upper Permian sediments have been mentioned cursorily at a few localities in Nan Province, without giving photographs of the fossils and without an essay to know the precise part of the Upper Permian. South-west of Pha Dang Khwai in Phrae Province, sponges (mainly ‘‘sphinctozoans’’) have been found in association with a few specimens of Colaniella and Palaeofusulina in a creek approximately 650 m north of km 17.5 of the road from Phrae to Long; an Upper Permian age has been underlined (Senowbari-Darian and Ingavat-Helmcke, 1993). The new data presented in this paper establishes that marine Upper Permian sediments are exposed at a few localities in northern Thailand, and at least locally, they extend up to the top of the Upper Permian and possibly extend to marine facies characteristic of the Triassic sequences which are widely exposed in north Thailand (for instance, see Chonglakmani, 1999; Fontaine et al., 2001). To the east in Loei and Luang Prabang areas, Upper Permian sediments are at least largely continental while Triassic sequences are entirely continental. The limestone above the Colaniella beds is more than 200 m thick and do not contain diverse fossils. They cannot provide important information on the range of the Triassic limestone. Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dr. Ian Metcalfe for his helpful review and interesting comments on this manuscript. Ours thanks go to the Department of Mineral Resources of Thailand for his help. References Asama, K., Iwai, J., Veeraburus, M., Hongnusonthi, A., 1968. Permian plants from Loei, Thailand. Geology and Paleontology of Southeast Asia 4, 82–99. Battail, B., Dejax, J., Richir, P., Taquet, P., Veran, M., 1995. New data on the continental Upper Permian in the area of Luang Prabang, Laos. Journal of Geology B5–6, 11–15. Battail, B., 2009. Late Permian dicynodont fauna from Laos. Geological Society of London Special Publication 315, 33–40.
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Please cite this article in press as: Fontaine, H., et al. Upper Permian (Late Changhsingian) marine strata in Nan Province, northern Thailand. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences (2013), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2013.01.006