As a predominant category in the Paleozoic evolutionary fauna, grapholites increased rapidly in the Ordovician and evolved rapidly. Late Ordovician graptolites from the Mandalay Region, Myanmar were first collected and reported by Reed in 1915, and then there were few reports after that.

Recently Academician CHEN Xu and Dr. CHEN Qing from Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (NIGPAS) cooperated with Dr. Kyi Pyar AUNG from Taunggyi University in Myanmar and Dr. Lucy A. MUIR from the National Museum of Wales to work on the graptolite fauna and the biostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician Naungkangyi Group and Panghsa-pye Formation in this area. Related research results were published in Palaeoworld magazine.

Based on detailed systematic paleontological description and identification, 13 species in 5 genera (Avitograptus, Korenograptus, Metabolograptus, Neodiplograptus and Normalograptus) were described from the Mandalay Region. Two of these species, Korenograptus selectus X. Chen n. sp. and Neodiplograptus mandalayensis X. Chen n. sp., were new. On the basis of the community analysis and international correlation, a biostratigraphic scheme for the uppermost Ordovician (Hirnantian: Metabolograptus extraordinarius Biozone and Metabolograptus? persculptus Biozone) strata was erected in this area.

This research was supported by the Strategic Priority Research Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences, National Science and Technology Major Project of China, Ministry of Nature and Resources of China and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Reference: Chen Xu*, Chen Qing, Kyi Pyar Aung, Lucy A. Muir. 2020. Latest Ordovician graptolites from the Mandalay Region, Myanmar. Palaeoworld, 29: 47–65. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2019.09.003