The asynchronous disappearance of conodonts: New constraints from Triassic-Jurassic boundary sections in the Tethys and Panthalassa

The End-Triassic Extinction event (ETE) has been recognized in numerous sections worldwide and it is usually marked by three negative carbon isotope excursions (NCIEs), named “precursor” (P-NCIE), “initial” (I-NCIE) and “main” (M-NCIE) negative carbon isotope excursions. These three NCIEs are significant characteristics of this time interval, and they are likely related to the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (CAMP) that is considered the main trigger of the ETE. Stable carbon isotope excursions, commonly related to biotic turnovers and extinctions, play an important role in stratigraphic correlations, particularly around the Triassic-Jurassic boundary (TJB). This time interval records the disappearance of conodonts, elements of a feeding apparatus belonging to marine organisms that populated the Paleozoic-early Mesozoic seas, and which became extinct across the TJB. So far, the interpretation of conodont extinction has remained ambiguous, as the timing of its last occurrence was debated which in turn hindered our understanding of the main cause(s) that could have led to their disappearance. Here we present and compare integrated data of nine TJB sections from different areas, Tethys and Panthalassa, and different depositional environments, i.e. shallow vs deep water or proximal vs distal shelf. Each of these sections record both the last occurrences of latest Triassic conodont taxa and pronounced changes in the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter across the TJB interval. Our analysis of chemo- and integrated biostratigraphic correlation suggests that the final extinction of the taxon Conodonta was asynchronous.