Middle Llandovery (Silurian) stromatoporoids from Baingoin, Xizang (Tibet), China

Silurian stromatoporoids from the Qinghai—Tibetan Plateau remain poorly known, with only limited documentation in this critical palaeogeographic region. We provide the first systematic description of Aeronian (Llandovery) stromatoporoids from the lower Dongka Group in Xizang (Tibet), China. Three species are described: Cystostroma dongkaense sp. nov., Clathrodictyon shiqianense Dong and Yang, 1978, and Ecclimadictyon gejingae sp. nov. The assemblage is dominated by clathrodictyids, continuing a global trend of clathrodictyid dominance that began in the Katian (Late Ordovician) and expanded globally during the late Hirnantian. These stromatoporoids indicate that the Lhasa terrane was situated at subtropical to tropical latitudes during the early Silurian. Shared occurrences of Clathrodictyon taxon from Xizang and South China indicate potential faunal connectivity between these regions during the early Silurian. This work expands the geographic and stratigraphic distribution of early Silurian stromatoporoids and also provides new insights into post-extinction recovery dynamics and the resilience of stromatoporoid calcification mechanisms after the Late Ordovician mass extinction.