40Ar/39Ar amphibole ages are consistently at ∼270 Ma along the southern Chinese Altai.
40Ar/39Ar biotite ages are variable from 264 to 226 along the southern Chinese Altai.
40Ar/39Ar ages constrain the cooling process of the southern Chinese Altai.
The cooling process was possibly related to the development of the Erqis Shear Zone.