Five Upper Permian (Lopingian) radiolarian biozones have been set up in South China on the basis of the stratigraphic distributions of the Albaillella elements, including Albaillella cavitata Zone, Albaillella levis Zone, Albaillella excelsa Zone, Albaillella triangularis Zone, and Albaillella yaoi Zone. The Albaillella cavitata Zone is correlative with the stratigraphic interval from Clarkina postbitteri postbitteri Zone (conodonts) to the lower part of the Clarkina guangyuanensis Zone (conodonts). The Follicucullus bipartitus-Follicucullus charveti Zone, below the Albaillella cavitata Zone, is assigned to the upper part of Middle Permian (Guadalupian). The Albaillella triangularis Zone is corresponding with the Clarkina postwangi Zone (conodonts) and the Albaillella yaoi Zone with the Clarkina yini Zone (conodonts). There are two booming stages for the Upper Permian radiolarian fauna in South China: the first stage begins from the uppermost Middle Permian to lower A. cavitata Zone, characterized by abundant and diverse Follicucullus; the second stage coincides with the stratigraphic interval from the Albaillella levis Zone to the Albaillella yaoi Zone, which is characterized by abundant Albaillella and Neoalbaillella.
