Lopingian

The Lopingian is the last stage of the Permian period in the International Chronostratigraphic Chart. It is subdivided into two ages, the Wuchiapingian and the Changhsingian, and spans roughly from about 259 to 251 million years ago. This interval ends with the Permian–Triassic extinction event, the largest mass extinction in Earth history.

The name Lopingian derives from the Loping region in southern China, where rocks that define this stage were studied and described. In stratigraphic terms, the Lopingian follows the Guadalupian (Middle Permian) and precedes the earliest Triassic, making it the final phase of the Permian. Its base and top boundaries are defined using international conodont and other biostratigraphic markers, with the top coinciding with the Permian–Triassic boundary.

Paleogeography during the Lopingian was dominated by the supercontinent Pangaea, with widespread arid to semiarid interiors and fluctuating sea levels. Global climate was generally warm, though regional cooling events occurred. Oceanic conditions included episodes of widespread dysoxia or anoxia, contributing to ecological stress in marine systems. The late Permian also records substantial volcanic activity, particularly related to the Siberian Traps, which is closely associated with the end-Permian mass extinction.

Fossil records from the Lopingian show rich marine faunas, including ammonoids, conodonts, brachiopods, and fusulinids, along with reef-building organisms that later decline toward the end of the stage. Terrestrial communities were dominated by gymnosperms and other Permian flora, with faunal turnover marking the transition into the Triassic.

See also: Permian, Permian–Triassic extinction event, ICS geologic timescale.