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Why is the Permian Period named after the Russian region of Perm?
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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.
The Permian Period is named after the region of Perm in Russia because it was in this area that the geological strata defining the period were first identified and are particularly well developed.123
In 1840 and 1841, the Scottish geologist Roderick I. Murchison was searching for a more complete stratigraphic succession to fill gaps in the geological record observed in northwestern Europe. Upon exploring the western flanks of the Ural Mountains, Murchison discovered a well-preserved sequence of rocks that provided the necessary evidence to define the system. Because these rocks were so clearly represented in the vicinity of Perm, he named the period after the region.143