Discovery of late Changhsingian (latest Permian) brachiopod Attenuatella species from South China

Attenuatella mengi sp. nov. and ?Attenuatella sp. from the Talung Formation, southern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, South China, are described herein. This discovery represents the first report of Attenuatella from the late Changhsingian (latest Permian) in South China and provides evidence that Attenuatella expanded its range from high-latitude cold-water regions to palaeoequatorial warm water areas in the Late Permian. Attenuatella
species appear to have been pseudoplanktonic, judging from their hair-like spinose ornamentation, which could have contributed to the global palaeogeographical distribution of Attenuatella.