Gondwanan floristic and sedimentological trends during the Permian-Triassic transition: New evidence from the Amery Group, northern Prince Charles Mountains, East Antarctica

Abstract

The Permian-Triassic boundary within the Amery Group of the Lambert Graben is placed at the contact between the Bainmedart Coal Measures and overlying Flagstone Bench Formation, based on the first regular occurrence of Lunatisporites pellucidus and the first appearance of Aratrisporites and Lepidopteris species. The Permian-Triassic boundary is marked by the extinction of glossopterid and cordaitalean gymnosperms, and by the disappearance or extreme decline of a range of gymnospermous and pteridophytic palynomorph groups. Earliest Triassic macrofloras and palynofloras of the Flagstone Bench Formation are dominated by peltasperms and lycophytes; corystosperms, conifers, and ferns become incre..