Paleozoic Period

The Permian in Pakistan

299 – 252 Ma

From 299 to 252 million years ago — ended with the largest known mass extinction; extensive continental red beds and evaporites.

In Pakistan

The Permian is superbly developed in the Salt Range. It opens with the glacial Tobra Formation — tillite recording the Gondwana ice age when this land lay near the South Pole — followed by the Dandot, Warchha and Sardhai formations of the Nilawahan Group, and then the marine Amb, Wargal and Chhidru formations of the Zaluch Group, rich in fusulinids and Productus brachiopods. The Chhidru’s upper beds approach the end-Permian mass extinction, and Permian carbonate platforms also occur in the Karakoram.

This reference records 35 units assigned to the Permian across 3 basins, most commonly metamorphic rocks, limestone, conglomerate.

On the time scale → Correlate provinces → Filter all units →

At a glance

35
units: 3
basins: 8
provinces: 17
georeferenced: 19
with fossils: 32
type localities: 3,000 m
max thickness: 37
sources

Rock types

metamorphic rocks (12)
limestone (10)
conglomerate (5)
sandstone (5)
igneous rocks (1)

Based on the primary lithology recorded for each unit; some units span more than one rock type.

Fossils recorded

Brachiopods (Productus)
Crinoids
Bryozoans
Foraminifera
Fenestella
Productids
Corals
Last Paleozoic brachiopods
Ammonoids
Diminished fauna near top
Acritarchs
Tasmanitids
Eurydesma
Conularia
Discina
Martiniopsis
Chonetes
Neochonetes
Brachiopods
Gastropods
Trigonotreta stokesi
Spirelytha petaliformis
Punctospirifer afghanus
Eurydesma sp.

+28 more across the Permian units.

Units of the Permian

Provinces — Azad Kashmir · Hindukush-Chitral · Karakoram · Khyber–Nowshera Belt · Kohat Basin · Potwar Basin · Salt Range · Swat–Malakand.