ON THE GEOLOGIC AGES OF THE MARINE FAUNAS FROM THE SHANXI FORMATION IN SHANXI

The present paper briefly describes marine faunas of Fusulinids, Corals, Brachiopods, Conodonts, Bivalves, Gastropods and Limulids found in the Shanxi Formation in Shanxi and their stratigraphic and geographic ranges at home and abroad. These faunas are characterized by the presence of the species Pseudoschwagerina（s. 1.） sp., Paraschwagerina mira Rauser, Schwagerina moelleri （Schellwien）, S. colemani Thompson, S. andresensis Thompson, S.guembeli Dunbar et Skinner, etc. Analyses indicate that the inheritance and similarity between the marine faunas of the Taiyuan Formation and the Shanxi Formation are more pronounced than their difference, so both of them must have the colour of roughly the same geologic time. In addition, analyses also show that the Carboniferous elements, especially the late Carboniferous ones, occupy a dominant position in the marine faunas of the Shanxi Formation, while important elements of marine faunas of earliest Permian age ever found in China or those of comtemporaneous age ever found abroad have not yet been found there. It is evident that the marine faunas in the Shanxi Formation are more closely related to the Carboniferous marine faunas. From above, it is justified to say that the marine faunas from the Shanxi Formation in Shanxi have a striking late Carboniferous colour.