Permian and Triassic rocks in the eastern Tethyan region form continuous marine sequences that record the waning phases of the Paleozoic and the early stages of the Mesozoic eras. This book describes and interprets these rocks, summarizing the distribution of major fossil groups in a way that will allow detailed comparison with strata of comparable age in the western Tethys and other parts of the world. The sixteen contributions by forty authors are the culmination of the five-year long International Geological Correlation Programme Project 203. The detailed information presented here is gathered from many areas in the eastern Tethyan region - from France to Australia - and will be of use in the evaluation of the major changes in the global marine biosphere known to have taken place at the end of the Paleozoic era. The stratigraphic record for this fascinating segment of Earth history is not widespread elsewhere in the world and is most continuous in the region covered by this book.

The interval between the Carboniferous and Jurassic eras is marked by major changes in the structure and character of the Earth and is associated with massive earthquakes, volcanic activity, and large-scale changes of life at the Permian-Triassic and the Triassic-Jurassic boundaries. In this volume, an international assemblage of geologists reveals a wide range of information about these events in the circum-Pacific region, as a conclusion to International Geological Correlation Programme Project 272. They explore the nature of the changes in the Late Paleozoic and Early Mesozoic, and suggest issues for future investigation through the study of paleontology, biostratigraphy, tectonics, magmatic and volcanic development, ore deposition, paleography and climate. As the circum-Pacific region becomes increasingly important for hydrocarbon and mineral exploration, this book will be an invaluable resource for researchers and students in stratigraphy and paleontology.