Earth was very dynamic during the Carboniferous with major components of the Pangea supercontinent being assembled from late Famennian to latest Pennsylvanian times, although maximum consolidation occurred during Late Permian – Early Triassic time. During the Carboniferous Period, our planet also underwent at least three major icehouse periods. The first two, in late Famennian – early Tournaisian and late Visean – Bashkirian times, indicate the onset of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age (LPIA) with ice sheets being confined to the alpine regions of southern Gondwana. The third icehouse regime during Gzhelian – Early Permian time represents the main episode of the LPIA when a continental ice sheet developed on the Australian, Antarctic and southern African components of southern Gondwana. During the Tournaisian equatorial areas in Euramerica were occupied by extensive arid belts, in which massive carbonate deposits formed on vast platforms in that time. From the late Tournaisian into the Visean and Serpukhovian much of the equatorial belt developed into a humid-tropical realm and the former arid belt split and shifted to higher latitudes. Shelf-carbonate deposition continued over extensive areas of the continental shelves and western Palaeo-Tethys but coal swamps were developing in the forelands of the rising Appalachian and Variscan orogens. The late Serpukhovian – early Bashkirian interval saw the closure of the Rheic Ocean and a continent–continent collision between Euramerica (Laurussia) and Gondwana to form Pangea. As a consequence, a marked transition from Visean carbonate deposition to the development of coal swamps and deposition of siliciclastics during the Serpukhovian Stage occurred in many regions.

A multidisciplinary correlation of the Devonian–Carboniferous (D–C) boundary sections from the Moravian Karst (Czech Republic) and the Carnic Alps (Austria), based on conodont and foraminifer biostratigraphy, microfacies analysis, field gamma-ray spectroscopy (GRS), carbon isotopes and element geochemistry, is presented in this paper. The study is focused on the interval from the Middle Palmatolepis gracilis expansa Zone (Late Famennian) to the Siphonodella sandbergi Zone (Early Tournaisian). In Lesní lom (Moravian Karst), a positive δ13C excursion in the Bisphatodus costatus – Protognathodus kockeli Interregnum from a distinct laminated carbonate horizon is correlated with a carbon isotope excursion from the Grüne Schneid section of the Carnic Alps and is interpreted as the equivalent of the Hangenberg black shales and a local expression of the global Hangenberg Event sensu stricto. Higher up at both sections, a significant increase in the terrigenous input, which is inferred from the GRS signal and elevated concentrations of terrigenous elements (Si, Ti, Zr, Rb, Al, etc.), provides another correlation tieline and is interpreted as the equivalent of the Hangenberg sandstone. Both horizons are discussed in terms of relative sea-level fluctuations and palaeoceanographic changes. Recent studies show that conodont biostratigraphy is facing serious problems associated with the taxonomy of the first siphonodellids, their dependence on facies and discontinuous occurrences of protognathodids at the D–C boundary. Therefore, the correlative potential of geochemical and petrophysical signatures is high and offers an alternative for the refining of the problematic biostratigraphic division of the D–C boundary.

The biostratigraphic significance of selected uppermost Famennian (Upper Devonian) and lower Tournaisian (Mississippian) brachiopod genera, belonging to the orders Rhynchonellida (e.g. Araratella), Spiriferida (e.g. Sphenospira, Prospira), Spiriferinida (Syringothyris) and Productida (except Chonetidina), is discussed. Owing to the difficulties of identifying productidine and strophalosiidine genera, in contrast to rhynchonellides and spiriferides, the biostratigraphic potential of the former has generally been overlooked. Brachiopods flourished in neritic environments that were unfavourable for conodonts and ammonoids. In the absence of the latter traditional marker fossils, they are potentially important for locating the Devonian–Carboniferous boundary in shallow water depositional settings in conjunction with rugose corals and foraminifers. On a worldwide scale, further work is required to reach a better assessment of the aftermath of the Hangenberg biological Crisis on brachiopods, notably in revising the faunas from the classical areas of the Famennian and Tournaisian stages in Western Europe.

The Tournaisian and Viséan were formerly considered as series and in Belgium were divided into two (Hastarian and Ivorian) and three stages (Moliniacian, Livian and Warnantian), which are now considered as substages. The Belgian substages are based on conodonts and foraminifers, and incidentally on rugose corals, and are described here. Their boundaries, biostratigraphy and sequence stratigraphy are well detailed and clearly defined. The base of the Hastarian (lower Tournaisian) corresponds to the base of the Tournaisian (base of Carboniferous); the base of the Ivorian (upper Tournaisian) corresponds to the appearance of the conodont Polygnathus communis carina, a little above the last Siphonodella; the base of the Moliniacian (lower Viséan) corresponds to the base of the Viséan stage defined by the first occurrence of the foraminifer Eoparastaffella simplex; the Livian (middle Viséan) corresponds to the foraminiferal MFZ12 Zone and is marked by the appearance of Koskinotextularia and Pojarkovella nibelis; the base of the Warnantian (upper Viséan) is marked by the appearance of Neoarchaediscus, Vissariotaxis, Planospirodiscus, and Palaeotextularia with a bilaminar wall, the index taxa of the MFZ13-Neoarchaediscus Zone. The up-to-date chronostratigraphic subdivision of the Tournaisian and Viséan is not limited to Belgium and the surrounding areas. It can be applied through Eurasia as far as South China. The Belgian units could therefore be the basis for a future international division of the Tournaisian into two parts (Hastarian and Ivorian) and of the Viséan into three parts (Moliniacian, Livian and Warnantian), corresponding to time intervals of c. 5–8 Ma.

The Task Group charged with proposing the GSSP for the base of the Serpukhovian Stage (Mississippian, Lower Carboniferous) is likely to use the global First Appearance Datum (FAD) of the conodont Lochriea ziegleri in the lineage Lochriea nodosa – L. ziegleri for the definition and correlation of the base of the stage. It is important to establish that the FAD of L. ziegleri in different basins is penecontemporaneous. Ammonoids provide high-resolution biostratigraphy in the Late Mississippian but their use in international correlation is limited by provincialism. However, it is possible to assess the levels of diachronism of the First Occurrence Datum (FOD) of L. ziegleri in sections in NW Europe using ammonoid zones. Published conodont distribution in the Rhenish Slate Mountains of Germany show the FOD of L. ziegleri in the Emstites novalis Biozone (upper part of the P2c zone of the UK and Ireland) but L. ziegleri has also been reported as occurring in the Neoglyphioceras spirale Biozone (P1d zone). In the Yoredale Group of northern England, the FOD of L. ziegleri is in either the P1c or P1d zone. In NW Ireland, the oldest records of both L. nodosa and L. ziegleri are from the Lusitanoceras granosum Biozone (P2a). Although there is some discrepancy in the recorded levels of the FOD of L. ziegleri in NW Europe, this may be as a result of collection failure. The base of the Serpukhovian based on the FAD of Lochriea ziegleri will be in the middle of the Brigantian regional Substage.

This study reports the conodont succession across the Visean–Serpukhovian (V/S) boundary interval at the Naqing section, South China. Continuous centimetre-scale sampling of the relatively deep-water section in recent years has provided new data for a more detailed biostratigraphy of conodonts across the Visean–Serpukhovian boundary. Three conodont zones were described in ascending order: the Gnathodus bilineatus, Lochriea nodosa and Lochriea ziegleri zones. The first appearance datum (FAD) of L. ziegleri has been moved down to 60.1 m above the base of the Naqing section. The correlation of the conodont succession across the Visean–Serpukhovian boundary in the Naqing section with other sections in Eurasia is discussed.

The uninterrupted succession of the Mississippian–Pennsylvanian boundary beds in the Muradymovo section in the South Urals contains diverse fossils and has a high correlative potential. The Muradymovo section is located in the Zilair Megasynclinorium (ZM), which belongs to the West Uralian Subregion and displays carbonate-siliciclastic deep-water facies of the Bukharcha Formation, which is partly Serpukhovian (Kosogorian, Protvian and Yuldybaevian) and partly Bashkirian (Syuranian). In the southern ZM, the lower part of the formation contains argillaceous carbonates with beds of shale and siltstone, subordinate clastic limestones and limestone breccia, while the upper part is mostly limestone with cherty interbeds. In the north of the ZM, the formation mainly consists of limestone. The Muradymovo succession contains no identifiable gaps in the Mid-Carboniferous Boundary (MCB) portion and has a succession of foraminiferal, conodont, ammonoid and ostracod zones. The MCB in this section coincides with the base of the Bogdanovkian and is defined by the entry of Declinognathodus noduliferus. This level falls within the upper part of the foraminiferal Monotaxinoides transitorius Zone, is near the base of the ammonoid Homoceras–Hudsonoceras Genozone and can be correlated worldwide.

The selection of the global biomarker of the lower boundary of the Moscovian stages is one of the pressing issues of Carboniferous stratigraphy. Several solutions are suggested for this problem: Diplognathodus ellesmerensis Bender, Streptognathodus expansus (Igo & Koike) and Idiognathoides postsulcatus Nemirovskaya. The conodont species Declinognathodus donetzianus Nemirovskaya is one of the most prospective. It was detected in the rock sections of west Europe, the Donets Basin, the Moscow Syneclise, south Ural and the Appalachian Basin. The Volga region is also one of the places where Declinognathodus donetzianus Nemirovskaya is often met and this article is dedicated to detailed analysis of this species.

A preliminary summary of the lower Visean to uppermost Moscovian (Carboniferous) conodont succession and biostratigraphy of the Dianzishang section in Zhenning, Guizhou, South China is presented. Eleven conodont zones, in ascending order, can be recognized: Gnathodus praebilineatus, Gnathodus bilineatus, Lochriea ziegleri, Declinognathodus noduliferus, Neognathodus symmetricus, ‘Streptognathodus’ expansus (primitive form), ‘Streptognathodus’ expansus, Mesogondolella donbassica – Mesogondolella clarki, Idiognathodus podolskensis, Swadelina fauna and Idiognathodus swadei zones. The first occurrences of Lochriea ziegleri at the base of the Serpukhovian Stage, Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus at the base of the Bashkirian Stage and ‘Streptognathodus’ expansus at the base of the Moscovian Stage are recognized. The definitions of these stage boundaries, as well as that of the base of the Kasimovian Stage are discussed. Correlations with the Naqing section in South China, Russian and North American sections, as well as other important sections in the world, are considered.

Trepostome bryozoan Dianulites borealis Astrova, 1965, the earliest known member of this genus, has been identified from the Early Ordovician of Severnaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia. This species developed hemispherical colonies which indicate that it lived on a relatively soft substrate with moderately low rates of sedimentation and erosion. The new record from Severnaya Zemlya expands the palaeogeographical distribution of Dianulites, known before from the Early Ordovician of Novaya Zemlya, Arctic Russia.

Wiwaxia is an extinct early metazoan with uncertain affinities, which is well represented in strata of Cambrian Series 2–3 age. Well-preserved representatives of Wiwaxia are known from the Burgess Shale Biota and the Kaili Biota. Here, new material of Wiwaxia corrugata (Matthew, 1899) is reported from the upper part of the Tsinghsutung Formation (Cambrian Series 2) near Balang Village, Guizhou Province, China. These specimens have a close evolutionary relationship to Wiwaxia taijiangensis Zhao, Qian & Lee, 1994 from the overlying Kaili Formation. New Wiwaxia material from the Tsinghsutung Formation and observations of specimens with articulated individuals from the Kaili Formation suggest that Wiwaxia taijiangensis should be a junior synonym of W. corrugata. A new study indicates that W. corrugata has a wide geographic distribution, a short geological history and evolutionary uniqueness and provides new data on taphonomy of this genus.

Graptoloid evolutionary dynamics show a marked contrast from the Ordovician to the Silurian. Subdued extinction and origination rates during the Ordovician give way, during the late Katian, to rates that were highly volatile and of higher mean value through the Silurian, reflecting the significantly shorter lifespan of Silurian species. These patterns are revealed in high-resolution rate curves derived from the CONOP (constrained optimization) scaled and calibrated global composite sequence of 2094 graptoloid species. The end-Ordovician mass depletion was driven primarily by an elevated extinction rate which lasted for c. 1.2 Ma with two main spikes during the Hirnantian. The early Silurian recovery, although initiated by a peak in origination rate, was maintained by a complex interplay of origination and extinction rates, with both rates rising and falling sharply. The global δ13C curve echoes the graptoloid evolutionary rates pattern; the prominent and well-known positive isotope excursions during the Late Ordovician and Silurian lie on or close to times of sharp decline in graptoloid species richness, commonly associated with extinction rate spikes. The graptoloid and isotope data point to a relatively steady marine environment in the Ordovician with mainly background extinction rates, changing during the Katian to a more volatile climatic regime that prevailed through the Silurian, with several sharp extinction episodes triggered by environmental crises. The correlation of graptoloid species diversity with isotopic ratios was positive in the Ordovician and negative in the Silurian, suggesting different causal linkages. Throughout the history of the graptoloid clade all major depletions in species richness except for one were caused by elevated extinction rate rather than decreased origination rate.

The Archaean Jiaodong Terrane is located in the southern segment of the Palaeoproterozoic Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt, which separates the Eastern Block of the North China Craton into the Longgang and Langrim blocks. Controversy has long surrounded the issue of whether the Jiaodong Terrane is part of the North China Craton or an exotic terrane. This study presents new zircon U–Pb ages for the major lithologies of the Jiaodong Terrane, and the results indicate that the terrane underwent two main magmatic events at ~2.89 Ga and 2.62–2.56 Ga and two metamorphic events at ~2.5 Ga and 1.9–1.8 Ga. These ages are consistent with those of other metamorphic complexes in the Eastern Block, suggesting that the Jiaodong Terrane was part of the Neoarchaean basement of the Eastern Block, which was reworked at 1.9–1.8 Ga in association with the development of the Palaeoproterozoic Jiao-Liao-Ji Belt.

New thermochronological data show that rapid Middle Miocene exhumation occurred synchronously along the Bitlis suture zone and in the southeastern Black Sea region, arguably as a far-field effect of the Arabia–Eurasia indentation. Collision-related strain focused preferentially along the rheological boundary between the multideformed continental lithosphere of northeastern Anatolia and the strong (quasi)oceanic lithosphere of the eastern Black Sea. Deformation in the southeastern Black Sea region ceased in late Middle Miocene time, when coherent westward motion of Anatolia and the corresponding activation of the North and East Anatolian Fault systems mechanically decoupled portions of the foreland from the Arabia–Eurasia collision zone.