The relationship between the number, position and orientation of lithosphericplates and marine biogeographic provinciality may be quantified since the spatial distribution oforganisms is primarily controlled by latitude-related temperature gradients and geographicalbarriers-two dynamic biogeographic determinants whose variation is closely related to thespatial disposition of continents and oceans. This paper modifies Schopf s (1976) model forquantitatively estimating shallow marine provinciality in recognition of latitude-related tem-perature gradients as the primary biogeographical factor. A test of the modified model againstmodern marine zoogeography reveals high consistency between them. Using this modified mod-el and the Permian palaeogeographical reconstruction maps of Scotese and McKerrow (1990),fifteen shallow benthic marine provinces are estimated to be Early and Late Permian in agerespectively. A comparison of the estimated Permian marine provinciality with previouslyrecognised empirical provincial patterns reveals a high degree of congruity, which may implythat there existed moderate to high latitudinal thermal gradients during the Permian, a levelprobably similar to that of the present world.