Lower Permian Unit exposed in the northwestern part of Zwekabin Range, Hpa-an

Township, Kayin State: its palaeogeographic implication

Kyi Pyar Aung

Associate Professor, Department of Geology, Taunggyi University, Shan State (south)
kyipyar73@gmail.com

Abstract
The Lower Permian unit is well exposed in the Kya Inn Taung located in the northwestern part of
Zwekabin Range. The unit consists of a sequence of siliciclastic sediments and lime mudstone with abundant
brachiopods, bryozoan and conodonts, etc. The present fauna (Stenoscisma quasimutabilis, Spiriferella salteri,
Spinomartinia prolifica, Martinia sp., Phricodothyris asiatica, Vediproductus punctatiformis, Retimarginifera
alata, Urushtenoidea sp., Stereochia kayaoensi, Spiriferellina sp.) indicate late Early Permian age (Kungurian).
This fossiliferous Lower Permian unit is strongly confirmed that it is the transitional part between the Taungnyo
Group and Moulmein Limestone. It may be correlated with Yinyaw beds of southern Shan State and the
fossiliferous unit from Lebyin area. Although the new data are still continually being obtained, the fauna from
Kya Inn Taung have been used to establish the climatic conditions and reconstructing the palaeogeography
during Permian time.
Keywords: Kya Inn Taung, Brachiopods, Conodonts, Kungurian, Yinyaw beds, Lebyin area

Introduction (1997), Moe Moe Lwin (1998), Thura Oo (1997),

Moe Zet (2006), Ye Yint Aung (2016), etc. The
The Sibumasu Terrane, which consists of
Lower Permian unit is very well exposed at Kya Inn
althochthonous tectonic blocks derived from the
Taung (Pt. 1156), in the northwest part of the
vast paleocontinent of Gondwana, is one of the
Zwekabin Range, Hpa-an Township, Kayin State.
component forming modern SE Asia. The terrane
This unit is between the Taungnyo Group and
geographically occupies parts of China, Myanmar,
Moulmein Limestone. The location and general
western Thailand, western Peninsular Malaysia, and
geological map of the study area and its environs are
northwest Sumatra (Metcalfe, 2011a, 2013).
shown in Fig. (1).
Sibumasu separated from Gondwana in the late
Paleozoic, then drifted north and collided with Objectives
another Gondwana-derived block, the Indochina
The objectives of this study are to discover
Terrane, in the early Mesozoic (Metcalfe, 2011a,
the Lower Permian unit and fauna and correlate with
2013). This terrain formed as a result of separation
others from the neighboring areas on Eastern
and accretion and is characterized by widely
Highlands. Fossil faunal and floral assemblages
distributed Paleozoic peri-continental deposits.
have been used to establish the climatic condition
Myanmar, part of Sibumasu, is a key region for
and the environment of deposition and they play an
understanding the tectonics and palaeogeographic
important role for paleogeographic reconstruction
evolution of Southeast Asia, evolution of Tethyan
during Permian time.
ocean basins and migration of continental terranes
from Gondwana to Asia.
New data are still continually being obtained. Material and Methods
The Permian strata have been studied by several
authors (La Touche, 1913; Pascoe, 1959; The four sections across the Permian strata
were examined in the last year are Lebyin (still need
Brunnschweiler, 1970; Gramann et al., 1972; Amos,
to field work), Yinyaw (Kyi Pyar Aung et al., 2018
1975; Garson et al., 1976; Kyaw Htin Khaing, 2001;
JMGS), Taungnyo Range (still need to identify the
Thura Oo et al, 2002; Zaw Win and Kyaw Htin
fossils) and Kya Inn Taung. Therefore, the only
Khaing, 2006; Than Sein, 2007; Zaw Win, 2009;
Metcalfe and Kyi Pyar Aung, 2014; Kyi Pyar Aung section, Kya Inn Taung will be selected for this
et al., 2012, 2014, 2018a, b; Tin Tin Latt et al., research work. All the fossils collected from Kya
Inn Taung are identified by Shuzhong Shen, School
2014; Aung May Than et al., 2014, 2015; Ohnmar
of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Nanjing
Soe Yin et al., 2018, etc). The general correlations
University, China.
with preliminary identification of brachiopods from
Taungnyo Group have been published in Kyaw Min
 Study
Lebyin area
Yinya
w
Kyain Taung
Taungnyo
Range

Fig. 1. A. Sections of Lower Permian unit; B. Geological sketch map and Kyaikto-
Moulmein area showing Wunbye Limestone, Taungnyo Group and north of
Taungnyo Range (From Mitchell, 2018)

Geologic Setting Moulmein Limestone

Taungnyo Group
The name “Taungnyo series” is for a rock
sequence of sandstones, quartzites, shales and slates
exposed along the Taungnyo Range located about
two miles southeast of Mawlamyine (formerly
Moulmein) in Mon State of Myanmar (Leicester,
1930). He inferred the age as of Early Carboniferous
simply because of its position below the “Permo-
Carboniferous” Moulmein limestone.
Brunnschweiler (1970) redesignated the series as the
Taungnyo Group. He suggested a sequence of
sandstone, shale, mudstone and siltstone exposed in
the surroundings of Pa-an town and along the
northwestern flank of the Zwekabin Range as the
upper part of the Taungnyo Group.
On his discovery of some brachiopods
together with gastropods, ostracods and bryozoans
from the upper part of the sequence at the Zwekabin
Range, Brunnschweiler (1970) referred the
brachiopod fauna to Late Carboniferous (early
Pennsylvanian) in age. Unfortunately, he neither
described nor illustrated the fossils although he
could give a list of taxa and geologic age estimate
(Zaw Win, 2009).
The name 'Moulmein Series' was first applied
by Oldham (1856) to the reddish sandstone, marl
and associated massive limestone conspicuously
developed in the neighbourhood of Mawlamyine.
The fossils have been found in the limestones,
resting upon the clastic sequence of Taungnyo
Group. It is forming isolated rock pillers but
distribution is widespread and formerly believed to
be Permo-Carboniferous in age. Brunnschweiler
(1970) separated out the limestone sequence from
the upper part of Oldham's Moulmein system and
named as the 'Moulmein Limestone'. On the basis of
the known fossil evidence (Kyaw Htin Khaing,
2001; Tin Tin Latt et al., 2014), therefore the rock
of Moulmein limestone as being of Middle Permian
age, and tentatively they be regarded as the general
equivalent of the Thitsipin Limestone of Shan State.
Results
Lower Permian unit (equivalent to Yinyaw beds)
This unit is a sequence of shale, mudstone
and siltstone is well exposed at Kya Inn Taung. This
sequence is well-stratified and some mudstone is
also concretionary mudstone (Fig. 2-3). The term
“Lower Permian unit” is now preferred to use
because of its realistic and more complete
descriptions.
 A Kya Inn Taung Zwekabin Taung
Pt. 1156 Pt. 2372

8 9
8
3 4 5 6 7?
?

B
9

10 8
8

6 7
4 5
3 1 km

Fig. 2. A. View of the Kya Inn Taung (Pt. 1156) with Zwekabin Range (Pt. 2372), south of Hpa-an
Township, Kayin State showing the lithologies of Taungnyo Group and Moulmein Limestone; B.
Section across the Kya Inn Taung (pt. 1156) and Zwekabin Taung, south of Hpa-an, Kayin State:
3- Mudstone and siltstone, Taungnyo Group, 4- sandy shale, Taungnyo Group, 5- Pa-an
sandstone, Taungnyo Group, 6- Shale, Taungnyo Group, 7- fossiliferous calcareous sandstone,
Taungnyo Group, 8- bedded biostromal facies of Moulmein Limestone, 9- Reef facies of
Moulmein Limestone, 10- alluvium (Brunnschweiler, 1970)

Fauna and age Stratigraphic correlation

The unit contains fairly abundant fossils
including, branchiopods, bryozoan, conodonts,
corals, etc. Bryozoans are common in the upper part
of the intercalated siltstone bands, but are branching
or encrusting. Corals are present but they are not
abundant and are composed of solitary rugosa and
tabulate. Unfortunately the bryozoa and corals are
not identified due to poor preservation. The Lower
Permian unit comprises the following faunal
assemblages (Fig. 4-5).
Brachiopods:
Stenoscisma quasimutabilis, Spiriferella salteri,
Spinomartinia prolifica, Martinia sp.,
Phricodothyris asiatica, Vediproductus sp.,
Vediproductus punctatiformis, Retimarginifera
alata, Urushtenoidea? sp., Stereochia kayaoensi,
Spiriferellina sp., Derbyia regularis (11 genera)
The Stenoscisma-Stereochia sp. assemblage
is assigned to the Kungurian. On the basis of the
above faunal assemblage and stratigraphic position,
it is inclined to regard this formation as being
probably of late Early Permian (Kungurian).
The Lower Permian unit from Kya Inn
Taung, northwestern part of Zwekabin Range is
correlated with the Yinyaw beds of southern Shan
State (Hobson, 1941; Kyi Pyar Aung et al., 2018),
and Early Permian Unit from east of Lebyin area
(Thura Oo, 1997, Mitchell, 2018). The
Spinomartinia prolifica Zone was established based
on its abundance from the Ko Yao Noi Formation,
which was considered to be close in age to a part of
Chihsian of South China (Waterhouse, 1981).
Discussion
Permian marine sequence and invertebrate
faunas are widely distributed in all mainland terrane
of SE Asia (Shi and Archbold, 1998). The Permian
was a particularly important period in the geological
evolution of SE Asia and it was interpretations of
the Permian rocks of the region, together with
Palaeozoic biogeographic data, that established a
Gondwana origin for mostly of SE Asia (Metcalfe,
2002).
 A B

C D

E F

Fig. 3. Outcrop nature of the Lower Permian unit between Taungnyo Group and Moulmein Limestone: A-
B. Black mudstone; C-D. Buff color fossiliferous shale and siltstone; E-F. Well-bedded black
lime mudstone or mudstone with limestone lenses along the road of Kya Inn Taung.

The SE Asia region comprises a complex
assembly of allochthonous continental lithospheric
blocks set in a matrix of stretched continental crust,
accreted continental crust or oceanic crust (Fontaine,
2002). The brachiopods from Sibumasu terrane are
dominated by Spinomartinia prolifica Waterhouse.
Another distinctive feature of this terrane is the
presence of an endemic genus and species,
Spinomartinia prolifica, which dominate the
assemblage in terrane of abundance of specimens
(Shi and Archbold, 1995, 1998).
The fauna found in the calcareous siltstone
beneath Pt.1156 contain gastropods, brachiopods,
polyzoa and some corals. Bryozoa (Stenopora
Fenestella assemblage) are also widely present in
the Sibumasu. According to the brachiopods
(Spinomartinia prolifica and Stenoscisma-
Stereochia sp.) assemblage and the conodonts are
assigned to the late Early Permian (Kungurian).
This Lower Permian unit is still debated by
many authors that whether it is the upper of
Taungnyo Group or whether it is the basal part of
Moulmein Limestone. Nevertheless, this unit is
correlated with Yinyaw beds of Shan State (Hobson,
1941, Kyi Pyar Aung et al., 2018) and Early
fossiliferous unit from Lebyin area (Thura Oo,
1997, Mitchell, 2018). It is unfortunate that the
fossils occurring in the lower part of Taungnyo
Group (type section Taungnyo Range) are too
poorly preserved for reliable identified (Clegg,
1953; Kyaw Min, 1997; Moe Moe Lwin, 1998; Moe
Zet, 2006: Ye Yint Aung, 2016).
It is thus not known whether the Taungnyo
Group in it’s entirely is Carboniferous or whether
their upper parts reach up to Early Permian. Overall,
this brachiopod fauna can be closely compared with
the Spinomartinia prolifica assemblage of southern
Thailand and western Peninsular Malaysia.
Moreover, the boundary between Taungnyo Group
and Moulmein Limestone represents a paleoclimatic
transitional interval from cool water Early Permian
to warm water Middle to Late Permian.
Paleogeographically, theses units were deposited in
the southern Paleotethys and near the peri-
Gondwana margin during the Early Permian.

A B C D

E F

H I J

K L

M N O

Fig. 4. Fossils from Kya Inn Taung, northwestern part of the Zwekabin Range: A-C, F, H-O. Bryozoa; D.
Derbyia regularis; E, G. Coral?
 A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

M N O P

Q R S T

U V W X

Fig. 5. Brachiopods from Kya Inn Taung: A-C. Stenoscisma quasimutabilis; D-F. Spiriferella salteri; G-
J. Spinomartinia prolifica; K-L. Martinia sp.; M. Phricodothyris asiatica; N-O. Vediproductus
sp.; P. Vediproductus punctatiformis Q-S. Retimarginifera alata; T. Urushtenoidea sp.; U-W.
Stereochia kayaoensi; X. Spiriferellina sp.

Thus, the Moulmein Limestone can be
restricted to an age from late Kungurian to
Guadalupian (Middle Permian). This is in contrast
to the warm-water faunas consisting of abundant
fusulinids, compound and large solitary corals, and
warm-water conodonts in the upper part of the
Moulmein Limestone. This dramatic faunal change
suggests that either the palaeoclimate had greatly
changed from a cold condition to a warm condition
after the late Kungurian in the peri-Gondwanan
region, or the palaeogeographical position of the
Sibumasu Block had drifted northward into the
warm-water regime from the late Kungurian to
Guadalupian (Metcalfe, 2011b) (Fig. 6).
Fig. 6. Palaeogeographic reconstructions of the Tethyan region for Late Early Permian (Kungurian)
showing relative positions of the East and SE Asian terranes and distribution of land and sea. Also
shown is the late Early Permian biogeographical provinces and distribution of biogeographically
important conodonts and the bipolar fusulinid Monodiexodina; and Late Permian tetrapod
vertebrate Dicynodon localities on Indochina and Pangaea in the Late Permian. SC, South China;
T, Tarim; I, Indochina; EM, East Malaya; WS, West Sumatra; NC, North China; SI, Simao; S,
Sibumasu; WB, West Burma; QI, Qiangtang; L, Lhasa; SWB, SW Borneo; WC, Western
Cimmerian Continent. (Metcalfe, 2011b)

Acknowledgements Clegg, E.L.G. (1953). The Mergui, Moulmein

I would like to thank Professor
Shuzhong Shen, School of Earth Sciences and
Engineering, Nanjing University, China, who
gave me helpful hands in literatures, many
suggestions and fossil identification.
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