Palaeozoic insects from China with discussion on their ages

Abstract

The late Palaeozoic is the key period for understanding the origin and early evolution of insects, but Palaeozoic insects from China are poorly explored. Up to now, a total of 53 Carboniferous species, 27 Permian species and 1 Carboniferous–Permian species (12 orders or 2 superorders) have been described. Recently, with the development of biostratigraphy and isotope chronology, new insights into the stratigraphy of China and its timescale have been greatly improved. In this study, we discuss the ages of published Palaeozoic insects from China and summarize 23 Carboniferous species, 57 Permian species and 2 Carboniferous–Permian species.