Early Triassic (Late Griesbachian) gastropods from South China (Shanggan, Guangxi)

An Early Triassic (Griesbachian) gastropod fauna is reported from South China (Shanggan, Guangxi) and consists of four species: Bellerophon abrekensis, Wannerispira shangganensis Kaim & Nutzel sp. nov., Naticopsis sp., and Palaeonarica guangxinensis Kaim & Nutzel sp. nov. The taxon Wannerispira Kaim & Nutzel nom. nov. replaces Pagodina Wanner non Van Beneden. This is the first report of Bellerophon abrekensis from China. Previously, it was only known from its type locality in Far East Russia. Wannerispira shangganensis sp. is the first certain Triassic report of the Permian subfamily Neilsoniinae and represents a holdover taxon. The neritimorph Palaeonarica is reported for the first time from the Early Triassic and this is the oldest occurrence of this genus. Compared with other Griesbachian gastropods, the present material is relatively well preserved so that the taxonomy rests on rather firm ground. Very few nominal taxa have been reported from the Griesbachian and therefore the present report presents substantial additional information about gastropods from the aftermath of the end-Permian mass extinction event. The gastropod association from Shanggan shares one species with Primorye, Far East Russia (B. abrekensis). Two species, W. shangganensis and P. guangxinensis, closely resemble specimens reported from the Griesbachian of Oman. This could suggest that Griesbachian gastropod faunas of the Tethys were rather homogenous although the data are still scarce.