Distributed by Elsevier Science on behalf of Science Press. Biostratigraphic data are basic to geological and palaeontological research. This book presents up-to-date material and research achievements in biostratigraphy in recent decades in China, and provides a variety of knowledge to lay a solid foundation for geologists and palaeontologists worldwide. It consists of 13 chapters covering 13 major geological systems. Every chapter addresses tectonic sedimentary domains, current biostratigraphic systems, series boundaries, faunal/floral succession, evolutionary trends and bioevents, correlation of the standard columns in China with other part of the world, facies patterns, palaeobiogeography and palaeogeography. * Up-to-date and authoritative data basic to geologic research about China and all Asia * Concepts, procedures and classification follow modern international standards updated to the present * Written by leading Chinese geologists and palaeontologists

"The most comprehensive summary available on the stratigraphic occurrence, geographic distribution, phylogeny, and taxonomy of Early Permian colonial rugose corals that occupied the Cordilleran - Arctic - Uralian (CAU) Realm, along the northwestern and western marine shelves and accreted terranes of the ancient supercontinent Pangaea. It is based on all previous studies by other coral specialists, a thorough review of all published data, and on information from a very large number of new collections from new areas. This book contains a new classification and phylogenetic scheme, based on critical restudy of the entire coral fauna at all taxonomic levels."--Publisher's website.