Ostracods and palaeobotany from the middle Permian of Oman: implications on Pangaea reconstruction

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Abstract
Discovery of a middle Permian ostracod fauna in the marine Khuff Formation (Sultanate of Oman), combined with palaeobotanical data from the immediately underlying continental Gharif Formation, supports new interpretations of the palaeobiogeography of the Tethys during the late Palaeozoic. A mixed ostracod fauna existed on the Arabian platform. This new record of Permian ostracods, combined with recent data obtained in other Tethyan areas, emphasizes the close relationship between the south‐western Tethys realm and South China. The macro‐ and microfloral assemblages of the continental Gharif Formation demonstrate that this palaeoflora represents a true mixed association in which Gondwanan, Cathaysian and Euramerian elements are intermingled. Two main models exist for the reconstruction of Pangaea during the late Palaeozoic. Both ostracods and palaeobotanical evidence favour the reduction of the oceanic area between South China and Arabian plate as in the B Pangaea model favoured by recent palaeomagnetic data.

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