In the history of the geological formation of Central Asia, the end of the Paleozoic era, marked by powerful mountain building of the Varis cycle, was of great importance.
Grandiose changes in the earth’s surface influenced the climate, giving it unevenness and a continent alien to it earlier. Climate changes and the whole geographical situation entailed changes in the organic world, and especially in the composition of vegetation.
For Central Asia, the Jurassic flora has been studied in detail. Floras of the Triassic and Upper Paleozoic are much less studied. The fossil Upper Permian flora of Madygen (South Ferghana) fills an existing gap. The identification of the Upper Permian deposits in South Fergana allows us to clarify not only the situation at the end of the Paleozoic era in this part of Central Asia, but also more accurately substantiate the age of the tectonic phases.
For the Upper Paleozoic A.N. Krishtofovich established the presence of three climatic zones: tropical (Westphalian) and temperate Tunguska zone A.N. Krishtofovich identified two provinces – Kuznetsk and Kataziat. In the initial stage of the isolation of climatic zones (middle and end of Carboniferous), Central Asia belonged to the Westphalian zone, as evidenced by the eumerian composition of the Upper Carboniferous flora of Ferghana and the Naryn-Tau ridge. Later climate changes related to the Permian time, as shown by the Madigen flora, gave a different character to the vegetation of Ferghana.
The flora of Madygen has a number of interesting features, which are a combination of elements of the Kataziat and Westphalian floras, on the one hand and on the other, in the simultaneous presence of representatives of ancient Upper Paleozoic and relatively young, Mesozoic floras. The age of the Madygen Formation is determined by the complex of flora and is corrected by the stratigraphic position. To resolve the issues of flora development at the end of the Paleozoic and the connection of the Upper Paleozoic flora with the Mesozoic, South Fergana has favorable opportunities. Continental Jurassic, Upper Triassic, Upper Permian (Madygen Formation), Lower Permian, and Upper Carboniferous sediments containing plant remains are widespread in a relatively small area gravitating to the Shurab-Madygen region. Thus, the Shurab-Madigensky district provides an opportunity to study the flora associated not only with the sequence of development, but also with the community of territories.
The main representatives of the fossil fauna of the Madigen formation are the following:
Cartilaginous fish (Cartilaginous fishes):
– Palaeoxyris, Palaeoxyris Alterna;
– Fayolia, Fayolia Sharovi
– Representatives of ancient sharks – Lonchidion Lonchidion ferganensis
Amphibians:
– Madygenerpeton Madygenerpeton pustulatus
– Triassurus sixtelae
Reptiles:
– Kyrgyzavr Bukhanchenko. Kyrgyzsaurus bukhanchenkoi
– Longisquama Longisquama insignis
– Sharovipteryx Sharovipteryx mirabilis
– Madysaurus Madysaurus sharovi