Palaeoenvironmental evolution of the Upper Permian Maomaolong Formation in Gannan area of the West Qinling: Based on ichnonetwork analysis

The continuous Permian-Triassic strata in West Qinling represent deep-marine deposits. In this paper,abundant trace fossils(seventeen ichnospecies,twelve ichnogenera)have been identified in the Upper Permian Maomaolong Formation in the Gannan area of the western Qinling orogen. As a new ichnologic method,ichnonetwork analysis focuses on the reconstruction of the community system composed of interconnected ichnotaxa,which provides useful means for studying the behavior and ecology of ichnocoenosis. In this study,an ichnonetwork analysis is conducted with trace fossils data obtained from the first hand filed trip. The results show that ichnocoenosisis structured in the Maomaolong Formaiton,and three ichnoassociations were controlled by palaeoenvironments: Palaeophycus-Lockeia-Arenicolites-Dictyodora-Planolites-Protovirgularia-Chondrites (C1,proximal turbidite zone),Palaeophycus-Lockeia-Arenicolites-Dictyodora-Protovirgularia-Phycodes-Chondrites-Helminthopsis (C2,turbidite transition zone-distal turbidite zone),and Palaeophycus-Nereites-Scolicia-Protovirgularia-Helminthopsis (C3,distal turbidite zone). The evolution from C1 to C3 in the Upper Permian Maomaolong Formation from the Gannan area of the West Qinling reveals the palaeoenvironmental changes from proximal turbidite zone to distal turbidite zone.