During the Permian, the single supercontinent Pangaea stretchedfrom pole to pole. Early Permian glacial deposits are foundin southern Gondwana. Along the sutures of Pangaea, mountainranges towered over vast tropical lowlands. Interior areas includeddry deserts where dune sands accumulated. Gypsum and halitebeds document the evaporation of hot, shallow seas that formedthe most extensive salt deposits in the geological record. ThePermian period (251 to 299 Ma) encompasses nine ages (stages)arranged into three epochs (series). Most of the Permian marinetimescale has been defined by global stratotype sections andpoints for the stage boundaries. This volume presents new dataregarding the biostratigraphy and biochronology of the non-marinePermian and provides a basis for temporally ordering Permiangeological and biotic history on land, and correlating thathistory to events in the marine realm.
