Late Permian (Lopingian) foraminifers from the Doi Chiang Dao Limestone in the Inthanon Zone of Northern Thailand

Late Permian foraminifers were found from six localities belonging to the Doi Chiang Dao Limestone, which is considered as having a Paleo-Tethyan seamount-capping carbonates origin, distributed in the Inthanon Zone of Northern Thailand. Among them, three age-diagnostic assemblages are recognized. They are represented by the occurrences of Codonofusiella kwangsiana, Palaeofusulina cf. minima, and P. prisca, and are referable to the Wuchiapingian, early Changhsingian, and late Changhsingian, respectively. In particular, the discovery of an assemblage characterized by advanced Palaeofusulina (P. prisca) is significant because it clearly indicates that the deposition of the Doi Chiang Dao Limestone had continued until the very end of the Permian. These three Late Permian assemblages can be compared with those recently reported from the Shifodong Formation of Pa-leo-Tethyan mid-oceanic carbonates in the Changning-Menglian Belt of West Yunnan, Southwest China.