Guadalupian (Middle Permian) paleobiogeography of the Neotethys Ocean

A matrix of presence/absence data of Guadalupian (Middle Permian) brachiopod genera from Sicily, Tunisia, Oman, Turkey, north Iran, central Afghanistan, Karakoram, Salt Range, and south Thailand has been analyzed by multivariate methods (cluster analysis, principal coordinate analysis, minimum spanning trees) and Parsimony Analysis of Endemicity. The application of these different and independent paleobiogeographical methods has led to the individuation of three bioprovinces: the Cathaysian (Sicily and Tunisia), Cimmerian (Oman, Turkey, north Iran, Salt Range, south Thailand) and Transhimalayan (Karakoram and central Afghanistan) provinces. These provinces have been placed on a paleogeographical reconstruction based on paleomagnetic data, which we used to decipher the principal factors that governed brachiopod distribution in the Neotethys Ocean during the Guadalupian. As a conclusion, the pattern of biotic provinces at this time resulted from the complex interplay between latitudinal thermal gradient, oceanic paleocurrents, and the continental drift of the Cimmerian terranes across zonal climate belts. (C) 2012 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.