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Why do colder Gondwanan waters require different conodont zones from northern waters?

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Permian paleogeography — Permian Period Distribution of landmasses, mountainous regions, shallow seas, and deep ocean basins near the end of the Permian Period. Included in the paleogeographic reconstruction are the locations of the interval's subduction zones.

Different conodont zonations are required for the colder waters surrounding Gondwana because the conodont species and even the genera present in these regions differ from those found in the warmer, paleoequatorial provinces of the Northern Hemisphere.1

Because most Permian marine invertebrate faunas are strongly endemic, they are difficult to correlate across different paleobiotic provinces. While conodonts are generally useful for correlation due to their rapid evolution and widespread distribution, the specific guide species used to define standard stages in the paleoequatorial belt do not appear in all areas. Consequently, researchers must establish and describe distinct, local conodont zones for the colder Gondwanan waters to accurately identify and correlate these regional rock successions.12