Origin, evolution and extinction of Cathaysia flora
摘要
Recent research results showed that the Cathaysia flora originated and developed from the global uniform Lepidodendropsis flora of the Early Carboniferous, which had already become an independent flora in the early Late Carboniferous (Namurian B to C). The center of origin of the Cathaysia flora is restricted to the North China Plate. On the basis of the successional characteristics of the Cathaysia flora in different geological ages, it may be divided into seven evolutionary stages. The evolutionary trend of the Cathaysia flora, as a whole, was characterized by the gradual increase of the typical Cathaysian elements in the sequence from the early Late Carboniferous to the early Late Permian, which began to decline during the late Late Permian. The climatic differentiation, tectonic movement,oceanic circulation, palaeogeographical environment, extraterrestrial event and plant evolution caused the mass extinction of the Cathaysia flora on a large scale by the end of the Permian.