Revision of the conodonts of key Upper Triassic Tethyan sections: A step forward in definition of the Carnian/Norian boundary and new correlation options

The need to find a biomarker to define the Carnian¬Norian boundary resulted in appreciable revision of the taxonomy of the Upper Triassic P1 conodont elements in recent years. Pizzo Mondello (Sicily, Italy) is a GSSP candidate for the Norian and provides the most continuous and valuable conodont record for the Tethys: in 2004 seven species were recognized for the Upper Carnian-Lower Norian interval at Pizzo Mondello, whereas today 42 have been identified. Among these, seven new species are defined here. Since the Pizzo Mondello record could make it the world reference for Late Triassic conodont biostratigraphy, its correlation potential with other sections is fundamental. For this purpose, the conodont faunas of the Tethyan key sections Silická Brezová (Slovakia), Bölücektasi Tepe and Erenkolu Mezarlik (Turkey) were revised. This revision enabled recording the occurrence of newly established species in much of the Tethys. Species that are potentially useful for definition of the C/N boundary were discriminated in all these sections: Epigondolella quadrata Orchard, E. rigoi Noyan & Kozur, Carnepigondolella gulloae Mazza & Rigo and species of the Metapolygnathus communisti Hayashi group. The same succession of conodont bioevents were identified in all investigated sections, confirming that the Pizzo Mondello conodont record is representative for the entire Tethys. These results open the possibility of new correlation options throughout the Tethyan realm, solving some biostratigraphic discrepancies raised in past years, and laying the groundwork for discriminating a truly reliable biovent for definition of the C/-N boundary.