Refinements in Biostratigraphy, Chronostratigraphy, and Paleogeography of the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Mobarak Formation, Alborz Mountains, Iran

Home , Earlandia, Foraminifera, Incertae sedis

GeoArabia, v. 14, no. 3, 2009, p. 43-78 Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Mobarak Formation, Iran Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain

Refinements in biostratigraphy, chronostratigraphy, and paleogeography of the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Mobarak Formation, Alborz Mountains, Iran

Paul L. Brenckle, Maurizio Gaetani, Lucia Angiolini and Maryamnaz Bahrammanesh

ABSTRACT

Detailed sampling of limestones from the Mobarak Formation at the Abrendan and Abnak measured sections in the eastern and central Alborz Mountains, northern Iran, yielded a diverse assemblage of Tournaisian – Lower Visean (Mississippian/ Lower Carboniferous) calcareous microfossils (foraminifers, algae, incertae sedis). The Abrendan locality contains Tournaisian foraminifers in the upper part of the formation that correlate to the Ivorian and upper Courceyan – lower Chadian substages of western Europe and the Kosvinsky Horizon of the Russian Platform. Brachiopods confirm a Tournaisian age for the lower part of the Mobarak, which lacks age-diagnostic calcareous microfossils. Lower Visean foraminifers at Abnak provide good correlation to the western European Moliniacian and Arundian substages and the Russian Bobrikovsky Horizon. Synthesis of foraminiferal data from this and other published reports indicates that the top of the Mobarak Formation becomes increasingly older across the Alborz to the southeast, caused most likely by Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) exposure and erosion in the south followed by a latest Pennsylvanian – Early Permian transgression from the north. The microbiota at both sections and the macrofossils at Abrendan show close affinity to the warm-water Paleo-Tethyan Ocean, seemingly contradicting Early Mississippian paleomagnetic reconstructions placing the Alborz region at 45–50° South latitude. The discrepancy is not resolvable at this time, but the answer may lie in the circulation of Paleo-Tethyan currents to the south along the Gondwanan shelf, rather than to repositioning the Alborz region to the northern side of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean.

INTRODUCTION

The Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) Mobarak Formation of Assereto (1963) is a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic marine unit that crops out in an arcuate pattern along the flanks of the EW- trending Alborz Mountains of northern Iran (see location map in Bozorgnia, 1973, and Figure 1). The present definition of the formation (Stepanov, 1971; Bozorgnia, 1973) includes most Tournaisian and Visean rocks (Figure 2) that Assereto (1963, 1966) initially placed in the Mobarak and partly time-equivalent Geirud formations (Figure 3); the distinction between his two formations is based on lithologic differences that still require a more detailed stratigraphic nomenclature.

Initial attempts at dating and locally correlating the Mobarak focused on macrofossil studies (see historical reviews in Gaetani, 1968; Stepanov, 1971; and Vachard, 1996) based primarily on brachiopod and coral occurrences. Most published microfossil investigations appeared in the latter part of the last century and concentrated on identifications and age interpretations of calcareous foraminifers, as will be explored further herein. Conodonts, another potentially useful microfossil group within the Mobarak (Ahmadzadeh Heravi, 1971; Ueno et al., 1997; Habibi et al., 2008), have yet to be examined in detail throughout the Alborz region.

The objectives of this paper are to (1) provide new information on the distribution of calcareous microfossils (foraminifers, algae, and incertae sedis) from the Abrendan (eastern Alborz) and Abnak (central Alborz) measured sections located in Figure 1, (2) relate their occurrences to those published in previous Alborz foraminiferal studies, (3) comment on their relationship to other biotas within

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52º 54º

Gonbad-e-Qabus

0 N 50 Caspian Sea

km 13 Aliabad 11 Fazelabad 12 14 Gorgan Chalus

Sari 1 Amol 10 P UPPER VISEAN 9 TO Abrendan Figure 4 Damghan Figure 6 36º 2 3 LOWER VISEAN 36º Abnak TOP

34°E 38° 42° 46° 50° 54° 58° 38°N TURKEY Caspian 38° 6 Sea 4 7 Karaj Firuzkuh 8 CYPRUS SYRIA Figure 1 34° LEBANON IRAN 34° 5 Med IRAQ N Sea 0 300 JORDAN 30° KUWAIT km 30° TEHRAN Semnan Gulf URNAISIAN of P TO Suez TO BAHRAIN 26° 26° QATAR EGYPT Gulf of 52º 54º Arabian UAE Oman Shield 22° 22° SAUDI OMAN SUDAN Red ARABIA Sea Figure 1: Mobarak foraminifer localities in the Alborz Mountains: Arabian 18°34° 38° 42° 46° 50° 54° Sea

(1) Dozdehband (Bozorgnia, 1973; Pirlet and Conil, 1977); (2) Geirud ERITREA YEMEN 14° 14° SOCOTRA (Bozorgnia, 1973; = Jajerud section of Lys et al., 1978); (3) Abnak (Stepanov, ETHIOPIA1971; Bozorgnia,Gulf of Aden 1973; Pirlet and Conil, 1977; this paper); (4) Mobarakabad (Bozorgnia, 1973; Meissami et al., 1978); (5) Aruh (Bozorgnia, 1973); (6) Gaduk (Bozorgnia, 1973; Devuyst, 2006; Devyust and Kalvoda, 2007); (7) Shahmirzad (Bozorgnia, 1973; Ueno et al., 1997; Habibi et al., 2008); (8) Peyghambaran (Bozorgnia, 1973); (9) Abrendan (this paper); (10) Kalariz (Bozorgnia, 1973); (11) Kalate (Lys et al., 1978); (12) Viru (Lys et al., 1978); (13) Nodeh-Sud (Lys et al., 1978); (14) Khoshyeilagh (Bozorgnia, 1973). For localities above the uppermost dashed line, the top of the Mobarak Formation terminates in the Upper Visean; for those between the dashed lines the top of the Mobarak ends in the Lower Visean; and for those below the lowermost dashed line the top does not extend above the Tournaisian. See Figures 2 and 3 for stratigraphic terminology used in this paper.

International Belgian British Russian Subsystem Series Stage Substage Substage Horizon Figure 2: Chrono- stratigraphic Brigantian Venevsky terminology Warnantian Mikhailovsky used in this upper V2b-V3c Asbian Aleksinsky paper, showing Middle Visean correlation Livian Holkerian Tulsky between Arundian Bobrikovsky international and lower V1a-V2a Moliniacian Mississippian Chadian Radaevsky regional Paleo- (part) Kosvinsky Tethyan units. upper Tn3a-c Ivorian The position of Kizelovsky the base of the Tournai- Cherepetsky Moliniacian Lower Courceyan sian Upinsky substage follows lower Tn1b-Tn2 Hastarian the emendation Malevsky of Poty et al. Gumerovsky (2006).

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the Paleo-Tethyan Realm, and (4) discuss their implication for regional and global paleogeography. Representative microfossils from the two measured sections are illustrated on Plates 1-12 and supplemental information on macrofossil occurrences (mostly brachiopods) and their significance is also included. This study developed from a project on Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) – Early Triassic stratigraphy in the Alborz (Gaetani et al., 2009) that was part of the Middle East Basin Evolution Programme (MEBE). The sections were sampled because of their relevance in establishing regional stratigraphic relationships at the Mississippian – Pennsylvanian boundary.

BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND CHRONOSTRATIGRAPHY

Foraminifers

Foraminifers are the primary calcareous microfossil group used to correlate and date the Mobarak Formation, but little was done prior to the pioneering paper of Bozorgnia (1973). He described and illustrated the microfauna from numerous outcrop sections (Figure 1) and established a zonal scheme to correlate across the Alborz Mountains. His research showed the value of foraminifers in elucidating the local chronostratigraphy, e.g., identifying diachroneity along the top of the Mobarak, and also showed the feasibility of long-distance correlation by relating the assemblages to the better known Dinantian sequences in Belgium. Despite this promising start, only a few follow-up investigations have been published. Pirlet and Conil (1977) provided additional taxonomic information on the Dozdehband and Abnak sections as did Meissami et al. (1978) for the Mobarakabad area. Lys et al. (1978) published a generalized range chart and selected microfossil illustrations from localities in the central and eastern Alborz (Figure 1). In an excellent summary of progress to date, Vachard (1996) refined Bozorgnia’s foraminiferal zonal scheme by incorporating data from both published reports and dissertations (Jenny, 1977; Stampfli, 1978), and Kalvoda (2002) utilized this information in his analysis of the paleobiogeography of the Alborz region. Ueno et al. (1997) related the foraminiferal succession at the Shahmirzad section to major lithologic units in the Mobarak Formation, and Devuyst (2006) identified taxa within the Tournaisian – Visean boundary beds at the Gaduk section (Figure 1).

Bozorgnia (1973) and Vachard (1996) established a credible zonal and chronostratigraphic framework but did not show the sample-by-sample distribution of individual taxa within the Mobarak Formation. Without that information, a high-resolution chronostratigraphy, now promoted by the Carboniferous Subcommission and by others to standardize series, stage and substage boundaries, cannot be

Stepanov Bozorgnia Wendt et al. Stage/Age Assereto (1963, 1966) (1971) (1973) (2005) "D" member Visean Mobarak Mobarak Mobarak Mubarak "C" member Limestone Formation Formation Limestone "B" Tournaisian member

Geirud Formation Khoshyeilagh "A" Geirud Khoshyeilagh Geirud Formation Famennian member Formation Formation Formation

Figure 3: Name changes to strata assigned originally by Assereto (1963, 1966) to the Mobarak and Geirud formations. The Upper Devonian and the lowermost Tournaisian beds are composed of mixed arenitic and calcareous sediments, whereas during most of the Tournaisian and the Visean carbonate deposition prevailed. Assereto’s member C of the Geirud Formation appears to be a local dolomitized facies. Assereto’s member D was originally referred to the Early Permian, but since Stepanov (1971) is recognized as Visean. Relationships between the lithostratigraphic units are uncertain and need to be clarifed through new, detailed field work.

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developed. The work of Ueno et al. (1997) and Devuyst (2006) provided the first steps to create a precise foraminiferal biostratigraphy that is supplemented by material from the present report, although a comprehensive correlation scheme for the Mobarak Formation and adjacent Paleozoic strata awaits the results of future investigations.

Diagnostic calcareous microfossils at the Abrendan section (Figure 4) are limited to the upper part of the Mobarak Formation (Figure 5, samples IR 1013-1020). The remainder of the formation is dominated by an assemblage of small, bilocular, earlandiin species (Earlandia elegans, E. minima, E. moderata) and cannot be dated precisely by the microfossils. The restricted composition of this microbiota possibly resulted from the relatively high terrigenous content and deposition on an high energy, current–swept substrate, unfavorable for the flourishing and preservation of foraminifers and algae. Reduction in water energy and the amount of siliciclastic clay eventually led to an influx of calcareous microfossils indicative of the latest Tournaisian, beginning in sample IR 1013. The presence of Eotextularia diversa, Darjella monilis, Loeblichia? fragilis, and Eoparastaffella specimens support correlation to the upper Kosvinsky Horizon of the Russian Platform and Urals and to the uppermost Ivorian or foraminiferal zone MFZ 8 in Belgium (Poty et al., 2006). Although elements of the assemblage extend into the Visean, diagnostic markers for that stage, such as Eoparastaffella simplex and Eoendothyranopsis donica, are not present.

Bozorgnia (1973) indicated that the Mobarak Formation in the nearby Kalariz section (Figure 1) ended in the Lower Visean (V1a). His markers for that interval (Bozorgnia, 1973, p. 17 and opposite p. 20) included the first appearance of Dainella and Eoparastaffella along with Endothyra (=Spinoendothyra) recta, Endothyra (=Laxoendothyra) laxa and Endospiroplectammina conili. Subsequent work (e.g., Kulagina et al., 2003; Poty et al., 2006) has shown that all these taxa were widespread in the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean during the Late Tournaisian and are not reliable Visean markers. Research on Eoparastaffella for more than the past decade (e.g. Hance, 1997; Devuyst, 2006; Devuyst and Kalvoda, 2007) has produced a better understanding of the evolutionary history of that genus, which was once considered no older than Visean (Conil et al., 1977). Instead, the genus exhibits a complex development beginning in the Late Tournaisian, and knowledge of the species composition is now essential for placement of the Tournaisian – Visean boundary (Work, 2008). Because of its proximity to Abrendan and uncertainty about its foraminiferal content, the Mobarak Formation at the Kalariz section is herein considered no younger than Tournaisian (Figure 1), pending restudy of the microfossil sequence. For similar reasons the Mobarak in Bozorgnia’s Aruh section (Figure 1, locality 5) possibly ends in the Tournaisian, but because detailed occurrence data are not available, his V1a designation for the top of the formation is tentatively accepted in this report.

Ueno et al. (1997) divided the Mobarak at the Shahmirzad section (Figure 1) into five members. The lower two and most of the third contained non-diagnostic earlandiin and tuberitinin microfossils; the upper part of the third, a Septabrunsiina foraminiferal assemblage; and the upper part of the fourth and fifth, a diverse foraminiferal assemblage not unlike that found in the upper Abrendan section. All the Mobarak beds beneath the upper assemblage at Shahmirzad are considered to be approximately equivalent to the lower non-diagnostic microfossil interval at Abrendan, although Septabrunsiina was not recovered at the latter locality because of either inadequate sampling or an unfavorable environment. Conodonts recovered from that same Shahmirzad interval (Ueno et al., 1997; Habibi et al., 2008) were dated as Early to Late Tournaisian in agreement with the brachiopod determination of a Tournaisian age for most of the lower Mobarak beds at Abrendan. Multilocular foraminifers from the upper two Shahmirzad members (Eoforschia moelleri, Eotextularia diversa, Inflatoendothyra sp., Uviella sp.) resemble some of the latest Tournaisian microfauna found in the upper Mobarak

Figure 4 (facing page): Lithology and stratigraphic position of samples at the Abrendan section. The base of the Mobarak Formation is not clearly defined in this area. Some of the lower Mobarak beds could as well belong to the Khoshyeilagh Formation whose upper member has similar lithologies extending from the Upper Devonian into the Tournaisian (Wendt et al., 2005). WGS84 coordinates of the base of the section 36°21’47.6”N and 54°18’59.9”E (Location 9 in Figure 1). The section may be reached in one hour walking from the road leading to the Kalariz mine.

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ABRENDAN SECTION

Lithology -

(m) Description Age Unit ness

Strat. Sample Thick-

Grey medium litharenite and thin conglomerate IR 1022 IR 1021 Conglomerate with large flat calcareous pebbles

IR 1020 Grey marlstone and mudstone, medium to thin bedded, with diffuse Zoophycos trace fossils ? Pennsylvanian ?? Qezelqahleh Fm. IR 1019 Thick bedded dark grey wackestone/packstone, with dark chert nodules. Steep wall IR 1018 IR 1017 IR 1016 Dark grey wackestone/packstone, medium bedded, with marly and silty intercalations. Big solitary rugose corals

IR 1015 IR 1013

IR 1012 Sandstone Grey and pinkish IR 1011 marlstone and thin Marlstone bedded mudstone. Diffuse Zoophycos trace Ooidal Limestone fossils Marly Limestone

IR 1009 Sandy Limestone Packed, nodular grey IR 1008 packstone, medium Hybrid Sandstone IR 1007 bedded, with thin silty intercalations Bioclastic Limestone IR 1006 IR 998 Nodular Limestone IR 997 Grey marlstone with IR 996 mudstone and fine packstone Limestone IR 995

urnaisian IR 994 intercalations, increasing in IR 993 Cherty Limestone To IR 992 thickness upwards. Brachio- pods abundant IR 990 Covered Mobarak Formation IR 989 IR 988 Main creek Thin bedded grey mudstone alternated with marlstone and shale

Pinkish, very thin arenites in cm-thick layers, with grey mudstone intercalations IR 987 IR 986bis Grey medium bedded packstone with brachiopods and IR 986 michelinid tabulate corals. IR 985 Thin pinkish siltstone intercalations

IR 984 IR 983 (debris) IR 1047 IR 1046 IR 1045 IR 982 Grey recrystallized packstone in thin beds, intercalated IR 1044 with thin bedded laminated siltstone. Occasionally fine IR 1044bis (debris) arenite. IR 981 Brachiopods diffused, with shell lags of small productids. IR 980 (debris) Sparse micheliniid tabulate corals

IR 1042 IR 1041 IR 1040 ? IR 1038 . Marlstone and splintery siltstone with packstone lenses Dev

Khoshyeilagh Fm. Thin bedded grey-brown quartzarenite with parallel lamination

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at Abrendan; however, based on the identifications of Dainella and Eoendothyranopsis in the upper part of the fifth member, Ueno et al. (1997) assigned the top of the Mobarak at Shahmirzad to the Lower Visean. As mentioned above, the appearance of Dainella is not indicative of the Visean and the illustrated Eoendothyranopsis specimens, if truly belonging to that genus, are not characteristic of the E. donica assemblages typical of the Lower Visean. While an earliest Visean age cannot be ruled out for the uppermost Mobarak beds at Shahmirzad, the present interpretation of the evidence suggests that the formation is no younger than Late Tournaisian (Figure 1).

After establishing the Geirud Formation in 1963, Assereto (1966) divided it in ascending order into the A, B, C, and D members, of which the last was described from the Abnak section (Figures 3 and 6). The oldest A member was Late Devonian. The middle B and C were Mississippian and Stepanov (1971) included them in the Mobarak Formation. The upper D member contained brachiopods (Fantini Sestini, 1966) that resembled Early Permian Gondwanan assemblages. Because of this discovery, member D was sampled extensively and those collections provide the material for this paper. In contrast, Stepanov (1971, p. 1518) reported that foraminifers examined by Soviet micropaleontologists from the same member were Visean and that brachiopods he collected were Late Visean. Vachard (1996) mentioned that conodonts supported the latter age interpretation. Bozorgnia (1973) countered that the interval actually contained early Middle Visean foraminifers and he assigned member D to the Mobarak. Specimens recovered from the present samples (Figure 7) replicate many of Bozorgnia’s identifications and confirm his age interpretation. “Member D” in the Abnak section contains an abundant assemblage of “primitive” archaediscids (Viseidiscus, Uralodiscus, Glomodiscus) and auxiliary forms that correlate to the Bobrikovsky Horizon of the Russian Platform, Arundian and upper Moliniacian substages of western Europe, and foraminiferal zone MFZ 11 of Belgium (Poty et al., 2006), chronostratigraphic intervals considered to be Early Visean in this report (Figure 2).

Most Abnak limestones are composed of bioclastic-oolitic packstones and grainstones deposited in a warm, shallow-water environment that provided exceptionally fertile grounds for the development of calcareous foraminifers; green, red and cyanophytic algae; and incertae sedis. The foraminiferal composition is transitional between Late Tournaisian – Early Visean and Late Visean assemblages. Specimens of genera dominant in the older interval, including Bessiella, Biseriella?, Dainella, Eoparastaffella, Florennella, Latiendothyranopsis, Laxoendothyra, Lysella, and Pseudolituotubella, intermix with those of Endostaffella, Lituotubella, Omphalotis, and Plectogyranopsis that become prominent later in the Visean. Early representatives of “advanced” archaediscids, Kasachstanodiscus and Paraarchaediscus, occur jointly with the primitive archaediscids before replacing most of them in the Late Visean. Even within some specimens of the primitive archaediscids Glomodiscus and Uralodiscus a noticeable reduction in the thickness and distribution of the inner microgranular layer is observed, presaging the evolution of younger, double-walled archaediscids in which the inner dark layer became subordinate to the outer, hyaline-radial one. The few specimens tentatively assigned herein to Eostaffella (Figure 7; Plates 7 and 8) exhibit the morphology of that genus but possess a mostly homogeneous, microgranular wall in contrast to the typically layered wall. They may represent the transition from Eoparastaffella to Eostaffella that both Hance (1997) and Devuyst et al. (2003) observed in Early Visean specimens of southern China.

Algae and incertae sedis

The algal flora is diverse and abundant throughout the Abnak section (Figure 7). Greens are represented by the Dasycladaceae (Coelosporella, Issinella and other unidentified genera), Palaeoberesellaceae (Kamaena, Kamaenella, Palaeoberesella), Umbellaceae (Protoumbella and indeterminate specimens) and spore cases (Calcisphaera, radiosphaerids); reds by the Aoujgaliaceae (Aoujgalia, Epistacheoides, Pseudostacheoides, Stacheoides and an indeterminate morphotype); and cyanophytes by Girvanella and an ortonellid. At least at the generic level most of these algae have a cosmopolitan distribution in the Northern Hemisphere during the Mississippian (Mamet, 1992). Protoumbella, which is the longest ranging of the umbellids (Mamet, 1990), is also one of the most widely dispersed of that group in the Early Visean, having been reported at that time from Iran (this paper), the northern Ural Mountains (under the name Grozdilovella Chermnykh, 1972), and the North American Midcontinent (Brenckle et al., 1982). Of the incertae sedis the most abundant are Diplosphaerina/Eotuberitina, Koninckopora and Proninella.

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→ Upper Tournaisian International Stage Tournaisian? (part) Russian Horizon → Kosvinsky Belgian Substage → Upper Ivorian Upper Courceyan - British Substage → Lower Chadian

IR Spl. No. 7 8 9 0 980 982 984 986 1046 1047 1006 1007 1011 1013 1015 1016 101 101 101 102 Calcareous Microfossil 1038 indeterminate foraminifer ? indeterminate Palaeoberesellaceae (algae) ? Earlandia spp. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx x indeterminate Umbellaceae (algae) x x Spumisalebra spumosa (incertae sedis) x x Eovolutina sp. (incertae sedis) x x Kamaena delicata (algae) x ? x xx x x Girvanella spp. (algae) x x Aphralysia matthewsi (algae) x Diplosphaerina/Eotubertina sp. (incertae sedis) x x x x x x x Condrustella modavensis x x x Eogloboendothyra sp. x ? Eotextularia diversa x x x? x Inflatoendothyra parainflata x x x x ? x Eoparastaffella sp. ? x x Kamaena pirleti (algae) ? ? x x Mediocris sp. ?? ? “Priscella” sp. x x x xx x x Pseudolituotubella spp. ? x ? radiosphaerid calcisphere (algae) x x xx x x Septaglomospiranella sp. ? x x Draffania sp. (incertae sedis) x Endospiroplectammina sp. x x x Eoforschia moelleri ? x x Issinella devonica (algae) ? x Mediendothyra sp. ? Tournayella vespaeformis x ? Uviella sp. x x x Baituganella sp. (incertae sedis) x Bituberitina sp. (incertae sedis) ? Calcisphaera spp. (algae) x x x Eoparastaffella florigena ? Eotournayella kisella x x Parathurammina/Parathuramminites sp. (incertae sedis) x x x x Tournayella sp. ? Dainella micula x x Dainella sp. ? x Darjella monilis x ? Endothyra sp. x ? x Kamaenella tenuis (algae) x Loeblichia ? fragilis x x x Loeblichia ? sp. x x Palaeoberesella lahuseni (algae) ? x x Proninella sp. (incertae sedis) x x Pseudoammodiscus priscus x Tetrataxis sp. x x x x Bessiella sp. x x Brunsia sp. x Figure 5: Distribution of calcareous foraminifers, algae, and incertae sedis in the Mobarak Formation at the Abrendan section. Only samples containing calcareous microfossils are listed on the chart. Those examined but lacking microfossils include IR 981, 990, 992, 995 and 1009. See Figure 4 for sample locations.

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ABNAK SECTION

Lithology - Description (m) Age Unit Sample ness Strat. Thick- Whitish quartzarenite IR 1081 250 IR 1080 IR 1079 Grey mudstone, marlstone and thin 240 bedded grainstone/packstone

Dorud Group IR 1078

230 IR 1077 Latest Pennsylvanian 220 IR 1076 Coarsening-up cycles of marlstone and ooidal grainstone/packstone IR 1075 210 IR 1074 IR 1073 200 IR 1072 IR 1071 Medium bedded ooidal 190 IR 1070 IR 1069 packstone/grainstone alternating with IR 1068 mudstone/wackestone IR 1067 180 IR 817 IR 813 IR 812 170 IR 810 IR 809

160 IR 808 150 Light grey ooidal IR 807 packstone/grainstone in medium to 140 thick beds

Assereto, 1963, 1966) “Member D” 130

isean IR 806 120 Early V 110 IR 805 Sandstone 100 Marlstone IR 804 90 Ooidal Limestone Marly Limestone 80 IR 803 Sandy Limestone

Hybrid Sandstone Figure 6: Lithology 70 and stratigraphic Mobarak Formation (Geirud of IR 801 Bioclastic Limestone position of samples 60 IR 800 Nodular Limestone at the Abnak Limestone section. WGS 50 coordinates of the Covered base of the section 40 IR 1084 35°59’10.9”N, 51°36’54.9”E 30 IR 1066 (Location 3 in Figure 1). The upper 20 part of the section isean Alternating medium bedded ooidal coincides with packstone/grainstone and 10 mudstone/wackestone locality 4 of Fantini

“Member C” Sestini (1966, her IR 1065 ? Early V 0 IR 1062 fig. 1).

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These microfossil groups are not as well represented in the Abrendan section even in the upper part of the Mobarak Formation (Figure 5) where foraminifers are common. The Palaeoberesellaceae are the most abundant and diverse algae, and Parathurammina/Parathuramminites specimens are the most common incertae sedis. The relative scarcity of algae is likely related to the turbid sedimentation (see lithologic descriptions in Figure 4) in contrast to the predominantly clear-water deposition for much of the Mobarak Formation at the Abnak section.

Brachiopods

The brachiopod assemblages at Abrendan occur throughout most of the section and are comprised of 36 species in 27 genera of the orders Strophomenida, Productida, Orthotetida, Orthida, Rhynchonellida, Spiriferida and Spiriferinida (Figure 8). A single species of the molluscan order Conocardioida, Hippocardia alborza Hoare and Aghababalu, 2001, has also been found in the lower part of the section. Most of the taxa are cosmopolitan, especially at the generic level, and range from the Tournaisian to the Visean. However, some taxa are restricted to the Tournaisian such as Hemiplethorhynchus crassus Gaetani, 1968, Rossirhynchus adamantinus Gaetani, 1964, Cleiothyridina kusbassica Beznosova in Sarytcheva et al., 1963, Unispirifer (Unispirifer) striatoconvolutus (Benson & Dun in Benson et al., 1920), and the genera Ptychomaletoechia and Atylephorus (e.g., Gaetani, 1968; Sartenaer and Plodowski, 1996; Savage in Williams et al., 2002; Shi et al., 2005; Poletaev, 2006). In contrast to the calcareous microfossils, the latter brachiopods provide definitive proof that most of the lower Mobarak Formation at Abrendan is Tournaisian.

Brachiopods from the lower part of the section (from samples IR 1040 to IR 987) are less diversified than the association found higher in the section and are dominated by pedicle attached species with few free-living spiriferinids and rare seminfaunal productids, indicating high-energy, shallow-water settings and high nutrient supply. Abundant and more diversified assemblages occur in the marlstone of the middle part of the formation (IR 988-IR 998); here pedicle attached species are still dominant, but concavo-convex seminfaunal productids significantly increase in abundance indicating quieter settings than previously. In the limestones from the uppermost part of the section, brachiopods are much scarcer and include few species found in the lower or middle part of the formation.

Brachiopods in member D at the Abnak section comprise an enigmatic, low-diversity assemblage of relatively large and thick-shelled spiriferids (Frechella, until now known only in the Visean – Serpukhovian from North Africa) and productids (Fantini Sestini, 1966; Angiolini, unpublished data) that occur most abundantly with large solitary corals in the shaly and marly intercalations in the upper part of the member. The change from oolite-dominated lithologies in the lower beds (Figure 6) to mixed carbonate and fine-grained siliciclastics possibly suggests passage from well-oxygenated shoals to a more protected environment receiving siliciclastics from a new source, with periodic influx of coated grains from neighboring shoals. Furthermore, the low diversity and thick-shell structure of the brachiopods might indicate cooling water temperatures (Angiolini et al., 2005).

REGIONAL PALEOGEOGRAPHY

From the age and locality information presented in Bozorgnia (1973), Lys et al. (1978) and this paper, the top of the Mobarak Formation becomes older in a southeasterly direction across the Alborz Mountains (Figure 1). On the northern flank, the upper Mobarak is Late Visean, whereas on the south flank the age varies from Early Visean to no younger than Tournaisian. Bozorgnia (1973) attributed this age discrepancy to differential uplift across the southern Alborz that started in the Late Visean and continued into the Early Permian. We propose instead that this situation resulted from the following scenario:

(1) A progressive sea-level drop, linked to glacial episodes between latest Visean – Serpukhovian to early Moscovian (Fielding et al., 2008; Rygel et al., 2008; Haq and Schutter, 2008), exposed positive areas to the south that were also subject to tectonic uplift. Their erosion filled adjacent depressions in the northwest with clastic sediments intermingled with marine carbonates, now represented by the Bagherabad, Dozdehband and Qezelqaleh formations (Gaetani et al., 2009).

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International Stage → Lower Visean? Lower Visean (part) International Stage → Lower Visean? Lower Visean (part) Russian Horizon → Bobrikovsky Russian Horizon → Bobrikovsky Belgian Substage → Upper Moliniacian Belgian Substage → Upper Moliniacian British Substage → Arundian British Substage → Arundian Formation Members → “C” “D” Formation Members → “C” “D” 7 1 4 8 7 1 4 8 6 6 5 9 2 5 6 9 0 1 5 9 2 5 6 9 0 1 4 4 4 4 0 3 0 3 0 2 5 8 2 0 2 5 8 2 1 3 1 3 6 7 9 0 3 7 6 7 9 0 3 7 Calcareous IR Spl. No. 4 Calcareous IR Spl. No. 4 80 80 80 80 81 80 80 80 80 81 80 80 80 80 80 80 80 81 81 81 80 80 80 81 81 81 80 80 106 107 107 107 106 107 107 107 106 106 106 106 107 107 107 107 108 108 106 106 107 107 107 107 108 108 106 108 106 108 Microfossil 107 107 Microfossil 107 107 Diplosphaerina/Eotuberitina sp. (incertae sedis) x x x x x x x xxxxxxxxxxx x x x x x x x x x x x Kamaenella tenuis (algae) x x x x x indeterminate Dasycladaceae (algae) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Stacheoides spp. (algae) x x ? x x x x x x x Palaeoberesella lahuseni (algae) cf. x ? x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Glomodiscus oblongus x x x ? "Priscella " spp. ? x x x x x x x x x x x Koninckopora tenuiramosa (incertae sedis) cf. ? x ? Proninella spp. (incertae sedis) x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Lapparentidiscus bokanensis x ? x x x x x x x x x x ? ? Biseriella? bristolensis x x x x x x x x x x ? x x Mediocris ? liae x x Earlandia spp. x x x x x x x x ? x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Epistacheoides spp. (algae) x x x x x x x x x x x Girvanella spp. (algae) x x x indeterminate Aoujgaliaceae (algae) x Mediocris mediocris x x x x x x x x x x x Uralodiscus abnakensis x Pseudoammodiscus priscus x x Eovolutina sp. (incertae sedis) x Pseudoammodiscus spp. x x ? ? ? x Spumisalebra sp. (incertae sedis) x Bessiella sp. x x x x x x Omphalotis minima ? ? ? Brunsia irregularis x ? ? x Kasachstanodiscus spp. ? x Endostaffella parva x x x x ? Protoumbella elliptica (algae) x Endostaffella spp. x x x x x x x x x x x x x Stacheoides meandriformis (algae) x x x x Endotaxis spp. ? ? x x x x x x x Paraarchaediscus pachythecus ? Eoparastaffella spp. x x x x ? x x ? x x x x x x x x ? Exvotarisella index (algae) x ? x x Figure 7 (continued). Issinella devonica (algae) x x ? ? x x Kamaena delicata (algae) x x x x ? x x x ? x ? x x Koninckopora minuta (incertae sedis) x x ? x x x x x x x x x x x x x ? x x x x Lysella spp. x x x ? ? x (2) A marine incursion transgressed the Alborz from the north beginning in the latest Pennsylvanian radiosphaerid calcisphere (algae) x x x x x x (Gaetani et al., 2009), leading to deposition of the Gzhelian – Sakmarian Dorud Group (Jenny and Uralodiscus rotundus x x x x x x x cf. x Stampfli, 1978; Gaetani et al., 2009) that overlies progressively older rocks to the south and east. ortonellid (algae) x Lituotubella glomospiroides ? x x x ?? x x Pseudolituotubella spp. x x ? x ? ? GLOBAL PALEOGEOGRAPHY AND PALEOBIOGEOGRAPHY Uralodiscus spp. x ? x ? Endothyra spp. x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x ? x The paleoposition of the Alborz region during the Mississippian is controversial. The region has been Eostaffella ? nalivkini x x x Eostaffella ? sp. x x x x x positioned either at or near the margin of Gondwana (Meissami et al., 1977; Vachard, 1980; Sengör, Pseudostacheoides spp. (algae) ? x ? x x 1990; Stampfli, 2000; Golonka, 2002; Webster et al., 2003; Torsvik and Cocks, 2004; Wendt et al., 2005; Endothyra obsoleta aff. x Muttoni et al., 2009) or closer to the Eurasian landmass (Kalvoda, 2002; Devuyst, 2006). Paleomagnetic Florennella sp. x x x data from Alborz indicate an Apparent Polar Wandering (APW) compatible with the West Gondwana Kamaena aff. pirleti (algae) x x x Mediocris spp. ? x x x x x APW (Wensink et al., 1978; Besse et al., 1998; Muttoni et al., 2009). The calculated paleolatitude for the Omphalotis spp. x ? x x x ? x base of the Tournaisian, about 45–50° South, although strikingly high, is in agreement with the Early Plectogyranopsis regularis x ? x x x Carboniferous loop of West Gondwana (McElinnhy et al., 2003; Figure 9). Also, the Permian and Early Forschia spp. ? ? Triassic position of the Iran APW suggests that Iran and namely Alborz were on the southern border Palaeospiroplectammina spp. ?? Dariopsis curvisepta x x of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean (Muttoni et al., 2009). Endothyra prisca x x x x x Kamaena pirleti (algae) x x x x The biota partly seems to contradict this inference. Foraminifers, algae, and brachiopods suggest Laxoendothyra laxa ? x ? x ? ? x Tetrataxis spp. x x x x x x x x warmer waters than should be expected at 45–50° South, although perhaps during the early stages of Dainella spp. x x the Mississippian the temperate to semitropical climate belts were wider. Kalvoda (2002) and Devuyst Calcisphaera spp. (algae) x x (2006) argued that the Alborz foraminiferal faunas have Paleo-Tethyan affinities and were located Endostaffella discoidea x x ? x x x ? ? along the northern side of that seaway. Indeed, the biotas at the Abrendan and Abnak sections contain Pojarkovella wushiensis ? Aoujgalia variabilis (algae) x x x x x x x x x x ? x x x x many of the same calcareous microfossils recorded from other areas of the Paleo-Tethys (compare the indeterminate Umbellaceae (algae) x x x x x x present microfossil occurrences with those listed, for example, in Conil et al., 1991, p. 20-21; Mamet, Latiendothyranopsis sp. x x ? 1992, p. 177; Reitlinger et al., 1996, p. 48-49; Kalvoda, 2002, p. 139-141). The Abnak section also Plectogyranopsis convexa x x contains Mediocris? liae and a Pojarkovella specimen resembling P. wushiensis, both of which species Viseidiscus bozorgniae x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x Viseidiscus monstratus x x x x x x x were considered possibly endemic to the Tarim Basin of western China and vicinity (Brenckle, 2004). Viseidiscus spp. x xxxxxxxxxxxx x ? x Although older than the Tarim occurrences, the presence of these taxa in Iran point to communication Coelosporella spp. (algae) x x x x between the two areas and to a wider distribution of these fossils along the Paleo-Tethyan corridor. Glomodiscus spp. x x x x x x x x x Although mostly cosmopolitan, the Abrendan brachiopods are closer to coeval faunas of North America, western Europe and Russia than to cold-water Australian faunas, having six species in

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common with the Kusnetsk and Moscow basins: (1) Tomiproductus elegantulus (Tolmachoff, 1924), (2) Cleiothyridina kusbassica Beznosova in Sarytcheva et al., 1963, (3) Syringothyris skinderi Sokolskaja in Sarytcheva et al., 1963, (4) Pustula cf. altaica Tolmachoff, 1924, (5) Pustula cf. kondomensis Sarytcheva in Sarytcheva et al., 1963, and (6) Composita megala (Tolmachoff, 1924); and four species in common with the Mississippian of Iowa, Missouri, and Illinois in North America: (1) Composita subquadrata (Hall, 1858), (2) Paraphorhynchus elongatum Weller, 1905, (3) Syringothyris carteri (Hall, 1857), and (4) Marginatia vaughani (Muir-Wood, 1928), the latter two occurring also in Europe. Most genera are widespread, occurring in America, Europe, China and Australia. Two are endemic to Iran and the Transcaucasus, and six occur elsewhere only in North America, Europe and Russia. The biogeographic similarity of brachiopods thus confirms the affinity of foraminifers and other biota (e.g., Webster et al., 2003) to the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean.

Paleocurrent reconstructions, however, may provide an alternative explanation for these faunal similarities between the northern Paleo-Tethys and Iran. Kiessling et al. (1999, figure 6) showed for the Givetian – Frasnian a counterclockwise current flow around the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean along the northern part of the Iranian block, at the latitude of about 25° South. In that reconstruction, a current at the western end of the Paleo-Tethys continued southwesterly between the North European and North American blocks and the African-South American edges of Gondwana. This current could have promoted larval dispersal and thus explain similarities between European and North American faunas and Iranian ones. Northern and central Iranian Devonian stromatoporoids, rugose corals and brachiopods (Gaetani, 1965) were considered by Brice et al. (1999) to be similar to those of Armenia (Transcaucasia), the Central Mountains of Afghanistan and of Chitral (Karakorum). Moreover, according to Mistiaen et al. (2000), the Devonian Iranian biota (corals, stromatoporoids, charophytes, calcitic microproblematica, ostracods) has a cosmopolitan character and also shares affinities with northern regions (western Europe and Russian Platform).

Angiolini et al. (2007) discussed a similar situation for the latest Carboniferous – Early Permian of Iran. Macrobiota having affinities with the northern shores of the Paleo-Tethys and Ural oceans occurred during Glacial Interval III (Isbell et al., 2003). They proposed a model in which a counterclockwise oceanic current brought warmer waters to the southern margin of the western Paleo-Tethys. However, the paleolatitude of Iran during the latest Carboniferous – Early Permian (c. 25° South in fig. 2 of Angiolini et al., 2007) was much further north than in the Mississippian. To apply the same model to the Early Mississippian implies that a Tournaisian – Early Visean equatorial current (Kutzbach et al.,

Plate 1 (facing page): Specimens are reposited in the Palaeontological Museum of the University of Milan, Italy. Museum numbers (MPUM) are assigned to thin sections containing the specimens illustrated herein. See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. (1, 2) Earlandia spp. (1) E. vulgaris (Rauzer-Chernousova & Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova, 1937), x25, Abnak section, spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (2) E. elegans (Rauzer-Chernousova & Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova, 1937), x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1013 (MPUM 10087). (3–5) Pseudoammodiscus priscus (Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948d), x100. (3, 4) Abnak section, spl. IR 1065 (MPUM 10068). (5) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (6) Pseudoammodiscus sp., x100, Abnak section, spl. IR 1065 (MPUM 10068). (7) Brunsia sp., x100, Abrendan section, spl IR 1019 (MPUM 10100). (8, 15) Eotournayella kisella (Malakhova, 1956), x100, Abrendan section. (8) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10097). (15) spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10093). (9, 10?, 17) Brunsia irregularis (von Möller, 1879), x100, Abnak section. (9) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (10) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (17) spl. IR 1070 (MPUM 10072). (11–14) Lapparentidiscus bokanensis Vachard, 1980, x100, Abnak section. (11) spl. IR 817 (MPUM 10067). (12) spl. IR 1073 (MPUM 10075). (13) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (14) spl. IR 1074 (MPUM 10076). (16) Dariopsis curvisepta Malakhova, 1975, x100, Abnak section, spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (18) Forschia? sp., x75, Abnak section, spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (19) Tournayella vespaeformis Malakhova, 1956, x75, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10091). (20, 21) Eoforschia moelleri (Malakhova in Dain, 1953), x75, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095).

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Plate 1

5 4 3 7 6

11 12

10 9

8 14 13

16 17 15

19 20 21

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Stage ? Tournaisian

IR Spl. No. 4 5 6 0 1 Macrofossil 1047 983 984 995 996 997 998 1008 104 104 104 989 990 992 993 994 1042 980 1044bis 985 987 988 104 104 1009 1012 Pustula cf. P. kondomensis x x x x x x x x x Schizophoria (S.) resupinata x x x Composita megala x x x x x x x x x Parallelora sp. ind. x x x x x Rossirhynchus adamantinus x x x x Hemiplethorhynchus crassus x x x x x x x x Composita subquadrata x x x Ectochoristites sp. ind. x x Syringothyris carteri x x x x x x x x Syringothyris skinderi x x x x x Densalvus sp. ind. x x x x x x x Pustula spp. x x x x x Rhipidomella michelini x x x x x x x Pustula cf. P. altaica x x x x x x Ptychomaletoechia sp. ind. x Athyris sp. ind. x x x x x x x x x Pseudosyrinx sp. ind. x Marginatia vaughani x x x x x x x x x x x Geniculifera sp. ind. x x Paraphorhynchus aff. P. elongatum x Unispirifer (U.) sp. B x x x x x x x x Leptagonia analoga x x x Tomiproductus elegantulus x x x x x x x x x Martinia sp. ind. x Hippocardia alborza x Marginatia sp. ind. x x x x x x x Cleiothyridina kusbassica x x x x x x x Gerankalasiella sp. ind. x x x Unispirifer (U.) striatoconvolutus x x x x x x x x Imbrexia sp. ind. x x x x x Buxtonia sp. ind. x Schellwienella sp. ind. x x x x Atylephorus sp. ind. x x x x x x x Unispirifer (U.) sp. A x x x x x x x x Rhipidomella sp. A x x x Rhipidomella sp. B x Fusella sp. ind. x Delepineinae gen. et sp. ind. x x Figure 8: Distribution of brachiopods and molluscs in the Mobarak Formation at the Abrendan section.

Plate 2 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Eoforschia moelleri (Malakhova in Dain, 1953), x75, Abrendan section. (1) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (2) spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (3, 4) Uviella spp., x75, Abrendan section. (3) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10090). (4) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095). (5–8) Eotextularia diversa (Chernysheva, 1948b), x75 except as indicated, Abrendan section. (5) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (6) spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10101). (7) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10091). (8) x70, spl. IR 1013 (MPUM 10087). (9–11) Condrustella modavensis (Conil & Lys, 1967, emend. Brenckle & Hance, 2005), x100, Abrendan section. (9) 1013 (MPUM 10089). (10) spl. IR 1013 (MPUM 10088). (11) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10091). (12, 13) Mediendothyra? sp., x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10091, 10092, respectively). (14–16) Endospiroplectammina spp., x100, Abrendan section. (14) spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10099). (15, 16) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096, 10097, respectively). (17) Palaeospiroplectammina? sp., x75, Abnak section, spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057).

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Plate 2

5 6 7

11 10 9

12 13 14 15 16 17

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Scandinavia Laurussia

Equator

Hellenic- North Moesia China Pontides Subduction Peru- Adria nica

Rift Armorica

30˚ S Paleo-Tethys Ocean

Apulia Sanandaj-Sirjan Alborz

60˚ S Central Iran

Helmand Arabia

Africa

South Greater America India

Madagascar Figure 9: Palaeogeographic sketch suggesting the position of Alborz near Gondwana, before rifting and detaching of the Cimmerian fringe (simplified and modified from Torsvik and Cocks, 2004). The counter-clockwise oceanic current (blue arrow) follows the concept of Kiessling et al. (1999).

Plate 3 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Darjella monilis Malakhova, 1963, x50, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (3–6) Lituotubella glomospiroides Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948a, x75 except as indicated, Abnak section. (3) x60, spl. IR 808 (MPUM 10062). (4) spl. IR 1072 (MPUM 10074). (5) spl. IR 806 (MPUM 10060). (6) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (7, 11) Pseudolituotubella spp. (7) Abnak section, x75, spl. IR 1084 (MPUM 10083). (11) Abrendan section, x100, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095). (8, 9) Septaglomospiranella spp., x100, Abrendan section. (8) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10090). (9) spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (10, 12-14) Inflatoendothyra parainflata (Bogush & Yuferev, 1970), x100, Abrendan section. (10) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (12–14) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10090, 10091, 10091, respectively).

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Plate 3

2 3

6 5

4 7

9 10

11 12 13 14

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1990) flowed southeastward along the Gondwanan margin bringing warm water and Paleo-Tethyan taxa (larvae) to intermediate latitudes in the absence of glaciation during that time span (Isbell et al., 2003, figure 2). On the other hand, Webster et al. (2007) speculated that Early Mississippian currents hindered the dispersal of Paleo-Tethyan echinoderm larvae to Iran.

In the Late Visean, the climate started to cool due to the onset of Glacial Interval II in western Gondwana (Isbell et al., 2003; Scheffler et al., 2006; Fielding et al., 2008). However, the current rotation toward the north of Iran might have compensated for that cooling and the biota continued to have a warmer signature as evidenced by microfaunas identified by Bozorgnia (1973), Lys et al. (1978) and Vachard (1996). A potential obstacle in applying the model of Angiolini et al. (2007) to the older Carboniferous is the fact that latest Pennsylvanian rifting changed the palaeogeography and possibly the current flow at the margin of this sector of Gondwana. Therefore, we do not at present have a full explanation to resolve the problem of these paleobiogeographically anomalous fossil occurrences in northern Iran, but the answer may lie in the southerly distribution of Paleo-Tethyan sea currents rather than in the position of the Alborz on the northern shore of the Paleo-Tethys.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Field work was performed with assistance of the Geological Survey of Iran and financial support of the MEBE Programme. Dr. M. Ghassemi, GSI, organized field work facilities and A. Jalali, GSI, helped to collect macrofauna in the field. Luc Hance, Carmeuse Group, Belgium, and two anonymous reviewers helped to improve an earlier version of this paper. The authors thank Nestor Buhay II for designing the final graphics.

REFERENCES

Ahmadzadeh Heravi, M. 1971. Stratigraphische und paläontologische Untersuchungen im Unterkarbon des zentralen Elburs (Iran). Clausthaler Geologische Abhandlungen, v. 7, p. 1-114. Angiolini L., H. Brunton and M. Gaetani 2005. Early Permian (Asselian) brachiopods from Karakorum and their palaeobiogeographical significance. Palaeontology, v. 48, no. 1, p. 1-18. Angiolini, L., M. Gaetani, G. Muttoni, M.H. Stephenson and A. Zanchi 2007. Tethyan oceanic currents and climatic gradients 300 MY ago. Geology, v. 35, no. 12, p. 1071-1074. Antropov, I.A. 1967. Devonian and Lower Carboniferous (Tournaisian) Algae from the central part of the eastern Russian Platform. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Sibirskoe otdelenie, Trudy Instituta Geologii i Geofiziki, p. 118-125 (in Russian). Assereto, R. 1963. The Paleozoic formations in central Elburz (Iran). (Preliminary note). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 69, no. 4, p. 503-543.

Plate 4 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Magnifications x100. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1–3) Inflatoendothyra parainflata (Bogush & Yuferev, 1970), Abrendan section. (1) spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10102). (2) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095). (3) spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10092). (4, 5) Loeblichia? sp., Abrendan section. (4) spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10101). (5) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095). (6–9) Loeblichia? fragilis (Lipina, 1951), Abrendan section. (6–9) spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095, 10097, 10097, 10096, respectively) (10–13) Dainella micula Postoyalko, 1970, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10101, 10100, 10099, 10099, respectively). (14) Dainella sp., Abnak section, spl. IR 805 (MPUM 10059). (15–18, 20, 23) Bessiella sp. (15) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10099). (16) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10103). Remaining specimens from the Abnak section. (17) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (18) spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (20) spl. IR 1084 (MPUM 10083). (23) spl. IR 801(MPUM 10055). (19, 21, 22) Florennella sp., Abnak section. (19) spl. IR 801(MPUM 10055). (21) spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (22) spl. IR 804 (MPUM 10058).

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Plate 4

4 5

2 3

9 8 10 6 7 11

12 13 14 15 16

17 18 19

21 22 23

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Assereto, R. 1966. Geological map of upper Djadjerud and Lar valleys (central Elburz, Iran), 1:50.000, with explanatory notes. Pubblicazione Istituto di Geologia dell’Università di Milano, no. 232, 86 p. Benson, W.N., W.S. Dun and W.R. Browne 1920. The geology and petrology of the Great Serpentine Belt of New South Wales. Part IX. The geology, palaeontology and petrography of the Currabubula District, with notes on adjacent regions. Linnean Society of New South Wales, Proceedings, v. 45, no. 3, p. 337-423. Besse, J., F. Torcq, Y. Gallet, L.E. Ricou, L. Krystyn and A. Saidi 1998. Late Permian to Late Triassic palaeomagnetic data from Iran: constraints on the migration of the Iranian block through the Tethyan Ocean and initial destruction of Pangaea. Geophysical Journal International, v. 135, no. 1, p. 72-92. Bogush, O.I. and P.L. Brenckle 1982. Salebridae–A new family of uncertain affinity from the Lower Carboniferous of the Soviet Union and United States. In O.V. Yuferev (Ed.), Stratigraphy and Paleontology of the Devonian and Carboniferous. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Sibirskoe Otdelenie, Institut Geologii i Geofiziki, vyp. 483, p. 103-118 (in Russian). Bogush, O.I. and O.V Yuferev 1970. Foraminifera. In A.M. Obut (Ed.), Carboniferous of the Omolon and southwestern part of the Kolyma Massifs. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Sibirskoe Otdelenie, Institut Geologii i Geofiziki, Izdatel’stvo “Nauka”, Moskva, vyp. 60, p. 68-74 (in Russian). Bozorgnia, F. 1973. Paleozoic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of central and east Alborz Mountains, Iran. National Iranian Oil Company, Geological Laboratories Publication, no. 4, 185 p. Brenckle, P.L. 2004. Late Visean (Mississippian) calcareous microfossils from the Tarim Basin of western China. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 34, no. 2, p. 144-164. Brenckle, P.L. and L. Hance 2005. New and revised Tournaisian (Early Mississippian) foraminiferal taxa from Belgium. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 111, no. 2, p. 197-214. Brenckle, P.L., F.C. Marshall, S.F. Waller and M.H. Wilhelm 1982. Calcareous microfossils from the Mississippian Keokuk Limestone and adjacent formations, Upper Mississippi River Valley: Their meaning for North American and intercontinental correlation. Geologica et Palaeontologica, v. 15, p. 47-88. Brice, D., B. Mistiaen and J.C. Rohart 1999. New data on distribution of brachiopods, rugose corals and stromatoporoids in the Upper Devonian of central and eastern Iran. Palaeobiogegraphic implications. Annales de la Société Géologique du Nord, v. 7, p. 21-32. Chermnykh, V.A. 1972. New genera of Early Carboniferous foraminifers from the North and near- Polar Urals. Instituta Geologii Komi Filiala AN SSSR, Ezhegodnik 1971, p. 35-39 (in Russian). Chernysheva, N.E. 1948a. On Archaediscus and related forms from the Lower Carboniferous of the USSR. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 150-158 (in Russian). Chernysheva, N.E. 1948b. Some new species of foraminifers from the Visean stage in the Makarovo region (South Urals). Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 246-250 (in Russian). Conil R., E. Groessens, M. Laloux, E. Poty and F. Tourneur 1991. Carboniferous guide Foraminifera, corals and conodonts in the Franco-Belgian and Campine basins: Their potential for widespread correlation. In P.L. Brenckle and and W.L. Manger (Eds.), Intercontinental Correlation and Division of the Carboniferous System. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, v. 130, p. 15-30 [imprinted 1990].

Plate 5 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1–5) Lysella spp., x75 except as indicated, Abnak section. (1, 5) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (2) spl. IR 1070 (MPUM 10072). (3) IR spl. 802 (MPUM 10056). (4) x100, spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (6) Eoparastaffella florigena? (Pronina, 1963), x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10093). (7–16) Eoparastaffella spp., x100. (7) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1018 (MPUM 10098). (12) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10092). Remaining specimens from the Abnak section. (8) spl. IR 1084 (MPUM 10083). (9) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (10) E. aff. E. ovalis (Vdovenko, 1954), spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054). (11) E. simplex “lata” Vdovenko, 1971, spl. IR 1070 (MPUM 10072). (13, 14) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (15) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (16) spl. 1070 (MPUM 10072).

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Plate 5

2 3 4

9 8

13 14 15 16

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Conil, R., E. Groessens and H. Pirlet 1977. Nouvelle charte stratigraphique du Dinantien type de la Belgique. Annales de la Société géologique du Nord, v. 96, Séance du 4 Novembre 1976, p. 363-371. Conil, R. and M. Lys 1964. Matériaux pour l’étude micropaléontologique du Dinantien de la Belgique et de la France (Avesnois): Partie 1, algues et foraminifères, et partie 2, foraminifères. Mémoires de l’Institut géologique de l’Université de Louvain, v. 23, 296 p. Conil, R. and M. Lys 1967. Aperçu sur les associations de foraminifères endothyroïdes du Dinantien de la Belgique. Annales, Société géologique de Belgique, v. 90, no. 4, p. B395-B412. Dain, L.G. 1953. Tournayellidae. In L.G. Dain and L.P. Grozdilova, Fossil Foraminifers of the USSR, Tournayellidae and Archaediscidae. Trudy Vsesoyuzhogo Neftyanogo Nauchno-Issledovatel’skogo Geologo-Razvedochnogo Instituta (VNIGRI), Novaya Seriya, vyp. 74, p. 5-65 (in Russian). Devuyst, F.-X. 2006. The Tournaisian-Viséan boundary in Eurasia. Definition, biostratigraphy, sedimentology and early evolution of the genus Eoparastaffella (foraminifer). Thèse doctorale, Université catholique de Louvain, 430 p. Devuyst, F.-X., L. Hance, H. Hou, X. Wu, S. Tian, M. Coen and G. Sevastopulo 2003. A proposed global stratotype section and point for the base of the Viséan Stage (Carboniferous): the Pengchong section, Guangxi, South China. Episodes, v. 26, no. 2, p. 105-115. Devuyst, F.-X. and J. Kalvoda 2007. Early evolution of the genus Eoparastaffella (Foraminifera) in Eurasia: the “interiecta group” and related forms, late Tournaisian to early Visean. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, v. 37, no. 1, p. 69-89. Ehrenberg, C.G. 1854. Zur Mikrogeologie: L. Voss, Leipzig, 374 p. Fantini Sestini, N. 1966. The geology of the upper Djadjerud and Lars valleys (North Iran), II. Palaeontology. Brachiopods from Geirud Formation, Member D (Lower Permian). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 72, no. 1, p. 9-50. Fielding, C.R., T.D. Franck, L.P. Birgenheier, A.T. Jones and J. Roberts 2008. Stratigraphic imprint of the Late Palaeozoic Ice Age in eastern Australia: a record of alternating glacial and nonglacial climate regime. Journal of the Geological Society, London, v. 165, p. 129-140. Gaetani M. 1964. Rossirhynchus adamantinus gen. n., sp. n. from the Tournaisian of Central Elburz, Iran (Rhynchonellida). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 70, p. 637-648. Gaetani M. 1965. The geology of the upper Djadjerud and Lar valleys (North Iran), II. Palaeontology. Brachiopods and Molluscs from the Geirud Formation, Member A. (Upper Devonian and Tournaisian). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 71, p. 679-771. Gaetani, M. 1968. The geology of the upper Djadjerud and Lar valleys (North Iran), II. Palaeontology. Lower Carboniferous brachiopods from central Elburz, Iran. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 74, p. 665-744.

Plate 6 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Magnifications x100. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Mediocris? liae Brenckle, 2004, Abnak section. (1) spl. IR 1071 (MPUM 10073). (2) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (3–7) Mediocris mediocris (Vissarionova, 1948), Abnak section. (3) spl. IR 1065 (MPUM 10068). (4, 6) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (5) spl. IR 1074 (MPUM 10076). (7) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (8, 9) Mediocris? spp., Abrendan section. (8) spl. IR 1013 (MPUM 10089). (9) spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (10–15) “Priscella” spp. (10) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (11, 14) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10099). (12) Abnak section, spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (13) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (15) Abnak section, spl. IR 1073 (MPUM 10075). (16, 17) Endothyra prisca Rauzer-Chernousova & Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova et al., 1936, Abnak section. (16) spl. IR 1069 (MPUM 10071). (17) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (18, 19, 22) Endothyra spp. (18, 19) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095, 10096, respectively). (22) Abnak section, spl. IR 1071 (MPUM 10073). (20) Endothyra aff. E. obsoleta Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948c, Abnak section, spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (21) Endothyra obsoleta Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948c, Abnak section, spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063).

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Plate 6

2 3 4 5

8 7

6 9

10 11

12 13

16 18 17

19 20 21 22

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Gaetani, M., L. Angiolini, K. Ueno, A. Nicora, M. Stephenson, D. Sciunnach, R. Rettori, G. Price, and J. Sabouri 2009. Pennsylvanian to Early Triassic stratigraphy in Alborz Mountains (Iran). In M.-F. Brunet, M. Wilmsen and J.W. Granath (Eds.), South Caspian to Central Iran Basins. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, no. 312, p. 79-128. Girty, G.H. 1915. The fauna of the Batesville Sandstone of northern Arkansas. U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin, no. 593, 170 p. Golonka, J. 2002. Plate-tectonic maps of the Phanerozoic. SEPM Special Publication, v. 72, p. 21–75. Grozdilova, L.P. and N.S. Lebedeva 1954. Foraminifers of the Lower Carboniferous and Bashkirian Stage of the Middle Carboniferous of the Kolvo-Vishera region. Trudy Vsesoyuzhogo Neftyanogo Nauchno-Issledovatel’skogo Geologo-Razvedochnogo Instituta (VNIGRI), Mikrofauna SSSR, sbornik 7, novaya seriya, v. 81, p. 4-235 (in Russian). Habibi, T., C. Corradini, and M. Yazdi 2008. Conodont biostratigraphy of the Upper Devonian-Lower Carboniferous Shahmirzad section, central Alborz, Iran. Geobios, v. 41, p. 763-777. Hall, J. 1857. Description of Paleozoic fossils, chiefly from those constituting the third volume of the Paleontology of New York. Tenth Annual Report of the New York State Cabinet of Natural History, Albany, p. 30-186. Hall, J. 1858. Part 2, Paleontology. In J. Hall and J.D. Whitney (Eds.), Report on the Geological Survey of the state of Iowa; embracing the results of investigations made during portions of the years 1855-1857. Geological Survey of Iowa, v. 1, p. 473-724. Hance L. 1997. Eoparastaffella, its evolutionary pattern and biostratigraphical potential. In C.A. Ross, J.R.P. Ross and P.L. Brenckle (Eds.), Late Paleozoic Foraminifera: Their biostratigraphy, evolution, and paleoecology and the Mid-Carboniferous boundary. Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, Special Publication, no. 36, p. 59-62. Haq, B.U. and S.R. Schutter 2008. A Chronology of Paleozoic Sea-Level Changes. Science, v. 322, 03/10/2008, p. 64-68. Hoare, R.D. and B. Aghababalu 2001. Large Devonian and Mississippian Rostrochonchs (mollusca) from Iran. Journal of Paleontology, v. 75, no. 5, p. 1047-1051. Isbell, J.L., M.F. Miller, K.L. Wolfe and P.A. Lenaker 2003. Timing of Late Paleozoic glaciation in Gondwana: Was the glaciation responsible for the development of Northern Hemisphere cyclothems? Geological Society of America, Special Paper, no. 370, p. 5-24. Jenny, J.G. 1977. Géologie et stratigraphie de l’Elbourz oriental entre Aliabad et Shahrud, Iran. Thèse doctorale, Université de Genève, no. 1820, 238 p. Jenny, J. and G. Stampfli 1978. Lithostratigraphie du Permien de l’Elbourz oriental en Iran. Eclogae Geologiae Helvetiae, v. 71, p. 551-580. Kalvoda, J. 2002. Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous foraminiferal fauna: Zonations, evolutionary events, paleobiogeography and tectonic implications. Folia, Geologia, v. 39, 213 p. Kiessling, W., E. Flügel and J. Golonka 1999. Paleoreef maps: Evaluation of a comprehensive database on Phanerozoic reefs. Bulletin of American Association of Petroleum Geologists, v. 83, no. 10, p. 1552-1587.

Plate 7 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Magnifications x100 except as indicated. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1) Eogloboendothyra sp., Abrendan section, spl. IR 1013 (MPUM 10088). (2, 3) Latiendothyranopsis sp., Abnak section. (2) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (3) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (4, 5) Laxoendothyra laxa (Conil & Lys, 1964), Abnak section. (4) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (5) spl. IR 804 (MPUM 10058). (6, 7) Plectogyranopsis regularis (Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948b), Abnak section. (6) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (7) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (8, 9) Plectogyranopsis convexa (Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948b), Abnak section. (8) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (9) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (10, 11) Omphalotis minima? (Rauzer-Chernousova & Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova et al., 1936), x75, Abnak section. (10) spl. IR 1079 (MPUM 10080). (11) spl. IR 1071 (MPUM 10073). (12) Pojarkovella wushiensis? (Li, 1991, emend. Brenckle, 2004), Abnak section, spl. IR 806 (MPUM 10060). (13) Eostaffella? sp., Abnak section, spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054).

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Plate 7

1 2 3

4 5 6 7

10 9 8

11 12 13

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Kulagina, E.I., N.B. Gibshman and V.N. Pazukhin 2003. Foraminiferal zonal standard for the Lower Carboniferous of Russia and its correlation with the conodont zonation. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, v. 109, no. 2, p. 173-185. Kutzbach, J.E., P.J. Guetter and W.M. Washington 1990. Simulated circulation of an idealized ocean for Pangaean time. Paleoceanography, v. 5, p. 299-317. Li H.M. 1991. Early Carboniferous Foraminifera from northern margin of Tarim Basin, Xinjiang. Xinjiang Geology, v. 9, p. 124-137 (in Chinese with English summary). Lipina, O.A. 1951. Foraminifers of the Tournaisian Stage and presumed Devonian beds of Nordvik (Yurung-Tumus Peninsula). Trudy Nauchno-Issledovatel’skiy Institut Geologii Arktiki Glavsermorputi, v. 17, vyp. 1, p. 92-125 (in Russian). Lys, M., G. Stampfli and J. Jenny 1978. Biostratigraphie du Carbonifère et du Permien de l’Elbourz oriental (Iran du NE). Notes du Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Université de Genève, fasc. 2, p. 63-99. Malakhova, N.P. 1956. Upper Tournaisian foraminifers from the western slope of the North and Middle Urals. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Ural’skiy Filial, Trudy Gorno-Geologicheskogo Instituta, Sbornik po Voprosam Stratigrafii no. 3, Moscow, vyp. 24, p. 72-155 (in Russian). Malakhova, N.P. 1957. Some new foraminiferal species from Lower Carboniferous deposits of the Urals. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Ural’skiy Filial, Trudy Gorno-Geologicheskogo Instituta, vyp. 28, p. 3-8 (in Russian). Malakhova, N.P. 1963. A new foraminiferal genus from lower Visean deposits of the Urals. Paleontologicheskiy Zhurnal, no. 4, p. 110-112 (in Russian). Malakhova, N.P. 1975. Lower Visean foraminifers of the eastern slope of the South Urals. In N.P. Malakhova, and B.I. Chuvashov (Eds.), Foraminifers and Stratigraphy of the Early Visean of the Urals. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Ural’skiy Nauchyy Tsentr, Trudy Instituta Geologii i Geochimii, Symposium on Questions of Stratigraphy, no. 21, p. 5-70 (in Russian). Mamet, B.L. 1990. Chapter 19–Carboniferous calcareous Algae. In R. Riding (Ed.), Calcareous Algae and stromatolites. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, p. 370-451. Mamet, B.L. 1992. Paléogéographie des algues calcaires marines carbonifères. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 29, no. 1, p. 174-194. Mamet, B. and A. Roux 1974. Sur quelques Algues tubulaires scalariformes de la Téthys paléozoïque. Revue de Micropaléontologie, v. 17, no. 3, p. 134-156. Mamet, B. and A. Roux 1975. Algues dévoniennes et carbonifères de la Téthys occidentale-Troisième partie. Revue de Micropaléontologie, v. 18, no. 3, p. 134-187. Mamet, B. and B. Rudloff 1972. Algues carbonifères de la partie septentrionale de l’Amérique du Nord. Revue de Micropaléontologie, v. 15, no. 2, p. 75-114. McElinnhy, M.W., C.M. Powell and S.A. Pisarevsky 2003. Paleozoic terranes of eastern Australia and the drift history of Gondwana. Tectonophysics, v. 362, p. 41–65.

Plate 8 (facing page): All specimens from the Abnak section; See Figure 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Magnifications x100. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1) Eostaffella? sp., spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054). (2–4) Eostaffella? nalivkini Malakhova, 1957. (2, 4) spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054). (3) spl. IR 806 (MPUM 10060). (5–7) Endostaffella discoidea (Girty, 1915). (5) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (6) spl. IR 817 (MPUM 10067). (7) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (8–10) Endostaffella parva (von Möller, 1879). (8) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (9) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (10) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (11, 18–20)Viseidiscus monstratus (Grozdilova & Lebedeva, 1954), spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (12–17) Viseidiscus bozorgniae (Conil & Pirlet in Pirlet & Conil, 1977). (12) spl. IR 1079 (MPUM 10080). (13) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (14 ) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (15) spl. IR 1070 (MPUM 10072). (16) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (17) spl. IR 817 (MPUM 10067). (21–24) Uralodiscus rotundus (Chernysheva, 1948a). (21) spl. IR 801 (MPUM 10055). (22, 24) spl. IR 804 (MPUM 10058). (23) spl. IR 1075 (MPUM 10077). (25) Uralodiscus abnakensis (Bozorgnia, 1973), spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (26–30) Glomodiscus spp. (26, 27, 29) spl. IR 1081 (MPUM 10082). (28) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (30) spl. IR 810 (MPUM 10064).

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Plate 8

1 2

3 4

8 9 5 6 7 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19

20 21 22 23 24

26 27 28 29 30

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Meissami, A., G. Termier, H. Termier and D. Vachard 1978. Sur certains caractères micropaléontologiques du Mobarakien de l’Elbourz central (Iran). Compte rendu, Académie des Sciences, Paris, v. 287, p. 117-119. Meissami, A., H. Termier and G. Termier 1977. La phrase transgressive mobarakienne (Tournaisien- Viséen) sur la bordure méridionale de la Téthys. Compte rendu, Académie des Sciences, Paris, v. 285, p. 1163-1165. Mistiaen, B., H. Gholamalian, R. Gourvennec, Y. Plusquellec, F. Bigey, D. Brice, M. Feist, R. Feist, M. Ghobadipour, M. Kebriae-ee, B. Milahu, J.-P. Nicollin, J.C. Rohart, D. Vachard and M. Yazdi 2000. Preliminary data on the Upper Devonian (Frasnian-Famennian) and Permian fauna and flora from the Chariseh area (Esfahan province, central Iran). Annales de la Société Géologique du Nord, v. 8, p. 93-102. Möller, V. von 1879. Die Foraminiferen des russischen Kohlenkalks. L’Académie impériale des Sciences, St.-Pétersbourg : Mémoires, v. 27, no. 5, 131 p. Muir-Wood, H.M. 1928. The British Carboniferous Producti, II. Geological Survey, Great Britain, Palaeontology, Mem. 3, pt. 1, p. 1-217. Muttoni, G., M. Mattei, M. Balini, A. Zanchi, M. Gaetani and F. Berra 2009. The drift history of Iran from the Ordovician to the Triassic 2009. In M.-F. Brunet, M. Wilmsen and J.W. Granath (Eds.), South Caspian to Central Iran Basins. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, no. 312, p. 8-29. Petryk, A.A. 1971. A new Lower Carboniferous Archaediscus (Foraminifera) from southwestern Alberta. Micropaleontology, v. 17, no. 2, p. 249-252. Pirlet, H. and R. Conil 1977. L’évolution des Archaediscidae viséens. Bulletin de la Société belge de Géologie, de Paléontologie et d’Hydrologie, v. 82, fasc. 2, p. 241-300 [imprinted 1973]. Poletaev, V.I. 2006. New Species of Spiriferids (Brachiopoda) from the Devonian and Carboniferous of Eastern Europe. Paleontological Journal, v. 40, 5, p. 507-517. Postoyalko, M.V. 1970. Some representatives of the genus Dainella from upper Tournaisian and lower Visean deposits of the western slope of the Middle Urals, in Materials on the Paleontology of the Urals. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Ural’skiy Filial, Institut Geologii i Geochimii, p. 123-132 (in Russian). Poty, E., F.-X. Devuyst, and L. Hance 2006. Upper Devonian and Mississippian foraminiferal and rugose coral zonations of Belgium and northern France: A tool for Eurasian correlations. Geological Magazine, p. 1-29. Pronina, T.V. 1963. Foraminifers of the Caboniferous Berezovsky suite from the eastern slope of the South Urals. In Papers on Problems of Stratigraphy, no. 7, Stratigraphy and Fauna of the Paleozoic of the Urals, Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Ural’skii Filial, Trudy Instituta Geologii, v. 65, p.119-176 (in Russian).

Plate 9 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1–3) Glomodiscus oblongus (Conil & Lys, 1964), x100, Abnak section. (1) spl. IR 1074 (MPUM 10076). (2) spl. IR 1079 (MPUM 10080). (3) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (4–6) Kasachstanodiscus spp., x100, Abnak section, spl. IR 1075 (MPUM 10077). (7–11) Biseriella? bristolensis (Reichel, 1946), x100, Abnak section. (7) spl. IR 1081 (MPUM 10082). (8) spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (9) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (10) spl. IR 1071 (MPUM 10073). (11) spl. IR 1065 (MPUM 10068). (12, 13) Paraarchaediscus pachythecus? (Petryk, 1971), x100, Abnak section, spl. IR 1075 (MPUM 10077). (14–17) Endotaxis spp., x100, Abnak section. (14) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (15) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (16) spl. IR 1075 (MPUM 10077). (17) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (18–21) Tetrataxis spp., x100. (18) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10100). (19) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10104). (20) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1018 (MPUM 10098). (21) Abnak section, spl. IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (22) Aphralysia matthewsi Mamet & Roux, 1975, x150, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1011 (MPUM 10085). (23) ortonellid alga, x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 1084 (MPUM 10083). (24, 25) Girvanella spp. (24) x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (25) x200, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1011 (MPUM 10086). (26) Baituganella sp., x50, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094).

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Plate 9

6 5

4 2 3

12 13

7 8 9 10 11

14 15 16

18 19 20

22 21

25 26

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Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M. 1937. Chapter 2: Upper Paleozoic foraminifers. In D.M. Rauzer- Chernousova and A.V. Fursenko, Guide to Foraminifers from the Oil-Bearing Regions of the USSR, Part 1. ONTI, NKTP, SSSR, Glavnaya Redaktsiya Gorno-Toplivnoy Literatury, Leningrad and Moscow, 320 p. (in Russian). Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M. 1948a. The genus Haplophragmella and related forms. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 159-165 (in Russian). Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M. 1948b. Lower Carboniferous endothyrins of the group Endothyra crassa and related forms. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 166-175 (in Russian). Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M. 1948c. On some endothyrids of the group Endothyra bradyi Mikhailov. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 176-181 (in Russian). Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M. 1948d. Some new species of foraminifers from Lower Carboniferous deposits of the Moscow Basin. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 227-238 (in Russian). Rauzer-Chernousova, D.M., G. Belyaev and E. Reitlinger 1936. Upper Paleozoic foraminifers of the Pechora region. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Iolyarnoy Komissii, vyp. 28, p. 159-232 (in Russian and German). Reichel, M. 1946. Sur quelques foraminifères nouveaux du Permien méditerranéen. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, v. 38, no. 2, p. 524-560. Reitlinger, E.A. 1954. Devonian foraminifers from some sections in the eastern part of the Russian Platform. VNIGNI, Paleontologicheskyi Sbornik, pub. 1, p. 52-81 (in Russian). Reitlinger, E.A. 1966. On umbellids from the European part of the Soviet Union and Transcaucasia. In V.P. Maslov and V.A. Vakhrameev (Eds.), Fossil charophytes of the Soviet Union. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Geologicheskiy Institut, Trudy, vyp. 143, p. 213-220 (in Russian). Reitlinger, E.A., M.V. Vdovenko, V.S. Gubareva and O.A. Scherbakov 1996. European part of the USSR—Lower Carboniferous. In R.H. Wagner, C.F. Winkler Prins and L.F. Granados (Eds.), The Carboniferous of the World, III. International Union of Geological Sciences Publication No. 33, Instituto Tecnológico GeoMinero de España and National Naturhistorisch Museum, p. 23-54. Rygel, M.C., C.R. Fielding, T.D. Frank and L.P. Birgenheier 2008. The magnitude of Late Paleozoic glacioeustatic fluctuations: A synthesis. Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 78, no. 8, p. 500-511.

Plate 10 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Issinella devonica Reitlinger, 1954. (1) x50, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10097). (2 ) x75, Abnak section, spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (3, 4) Kamaenella tenuis (von Möller, 1879). (3) x75, Abnak section, spl. IR 817 (MPUM 10067). (4) x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10096). (5–8) Palaeoberesella lahuseni (von Möller, 1879). (5) x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (6) x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 1073 (MPUM 10075). (7) x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 1076 (MPUM 10078). (8) x75, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10104). (9–12) Kamaena delicata Antropov, 1967, x100. (9) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10100). (10) Abnak section, spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (11) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10103). (12) Abnak section, spl. IR 1079 (MPUM 10080). (13, 14, 23) Kamaena aff. K. pirleti Mamet & Roux, 1974, x50, Abnak section. (13, 14) spl. IR 805 (MPUM 10059). (23) spl. IR 802 (MPUM 10056). Morphotype differs from typical K. pirleti in the greater thickness (approximately 80–100 µm) of the wall and partitions. (15–17, 19) Kamaena pirleti Mamet & Roux, 1974, x50. (15) Abnak section, spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (16) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1018 (MPUM 10098). (17) Abnak section, spl. IR 804 (MPUM 10058). (19) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10101). (18) Calcisphaera sp. with wall pore (?), x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10104). (20–22) Exvotarisella index (Ehrenberg, 1854, emend. von Möller, 1879), x75, Abnak section. (20) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (21) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (22) spl. IR 817 (MPUM 10067).

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Plate 10

2 3

5 6 4

1 8

10 11 9 12

18 14

19 20 21 22 23

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Sartenaer, P. and G. Plodowski 1996. Restatement of the Tournaisian Spirifer tornacensis de Koninck, 1883 on the base of the original collection. Bulletin Sciences naturelles. Belgique, v. 66, p. 53-71. Sarytcheva T.G., A.N. Sokolskaya, G.A. Beznosova and S.V. Maksimova 1963. Brakhiopody i paleogeografia karbona Kuznetskoi kotloviny. Akademiya Nauk S.S.S.R. Paleontologicheskii Institut Trudy, no. 95, p. 1-547 (in Russian). Scheffler, K., D. Buehmann and L. Schwark 2006. Analysis of late Palaeozoic glacial to postglacial sedimentary successions in South Africa by geochemical proxies – Response to climate evolution and sedimentary environment. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 240, p. 184-203. Sengör, A.M.C. 1990. A new model for the Late Palaeozoic-Mesozoic tectonic evolution of Iran and implications for Oman. Geological Society of London, Special Publication no. 49, p. 797-831. Shi, G., Z.Q. Chen and L.P. Zhan 2005. Early Carboniferous brachiopod faunas from the Baoshan block, west Yunnan, southwest China. Alcheringa, v. 29, p. 31-85. Stampfli, G.M. 1978. Etude géologique générale de l’Elbourz oriental au sud de Gonbad-e Qabus, Iran NE. Thèse doctorale, Université de Genève, no. 1868, 315 p. Stampfli, G.M. 2000. Tethyan oceans. In E. Bozkurt, J.A. Winchester and J.D. Piper (Eds.), Tectonics and Magmatism in Turkey and the Surrounding Area. Geological Society of London, Special Publication no. 173, p. 1-23. Stepanov, D.L. 1971. Carboniferous stratigraphy of Iran. 6th International Congress of Carboniferous Stratigraphy and Geology, Sheffield, 1967, Compte rendu, v. 4, p. 1505-1518. Termier, H. and G. Termier 1950. Paléontologie marocaine: Tome 2, Invertébrés de l’Ere primaire. Fasc. 1 – Foraminifères, spongiaires et coelentérés. Service géologique de Maroc, Division des Mines et de la Géologie, Notes et Mémoires, v. 73, 220 p. Tolmachoff, I.P. 1924. The Lower Carboniferous fauna of the Kusnetsk Coal Field. Mat. Obshch. Prikl. Geol., v. 25, no. 1, p. 1-320 (in Russian). Torsvik, H.T. and L.R.M. Cocks 2004. Earth geography from 400 to 250 Ma: a palaeomagnetic, faunal and facies review. Journal of the Geological Society of London, v. 161, p. 555-572. Ueno, K., D. Watanabe, H. Igo, Y. Kakuwa and R. Matsumoto 1997. Early Carboniferous foraminifers from the Mobarak Formation of Shahmirzad, northeastern Alborz Mountains, northern Iran. In C.A. Ross, J.R.P. Ross and P.L. Brenckle (Eds.), Late Paleozoic Foraminifera: Their biostratigraphy, evolution, and paleoecology and the Mid-Carboniferous boundary. Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research, Special Publication, no. 36, p. 149-152. Vachard, D. 1980. Téthys et Gondwana au Paléozoïque supérieur, les données afghanes: Biostratigraphie, micropaléontologie, paléogéographie. Documents et Travaux de l’institut géologique Albert de Lapparent, no. 2, 463 p. Vachard, D. 1996. Iran. In R.H. Wagner, C.F. Winkler Prins and L.F. Granados (Eds.), The Carboniferous of the World, III – The former USSR, Mongolia, Middle Eastern Platform, Afghanistan, and Iran. International Union of Geological Sciences Publication no. 33, Instituto Tecnológico GeoMinero de España and National Naturhistorisch Museum, p. 491-521.

Plate 11 (facing page): All specimens from the Abnak section; see See Figure 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Magnifications x50 except as indicated. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Coelosporella sp. (1 ) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (2) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (3–11) indeterminate Dasycladaceae. (3) spl. IR 807 (MPUM 1061). (4) spl. IR 812 (MPUM 10065). (5) spl. IR 802 (MPUM 10056). (6) spl. IR 808 (MPUM 10062). (7) spl. IR 803 (MPUM 10057). (8) spl. IR 1080 (MPUM 10081). (9, 10) spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054). (11) spl. IR 1072 (MPUM 10074). (12–15) Aoujgalia variabilis Termier & Termier, 1950. (12) spl. IR 809 (MPUM 10063). (13) spl. IR 1067 (MPUM 10070). (14) spl. IR 1080 (MPUM 10081). (15) spl. IR 1081 (MPUM 10082). (16, 18) Stacheoides meandriformis Mamet & Rudloff, 1972. (16) spl. IR 1080 (MPUM 10081). (18) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (17, 20, 22) Epistacheoides spp. (17) spl. IR 1080 (MPUM 10081). (20) x40, spl. IR 1072 (MPUM 10074). (22) spl. IR 1078 (MPUM 10079). (19, 21) Stacheoides spp. (19) spl. IR 1074 (MPUM 10076). (21) x40, spl. IR 1069 (MPUM 10071).

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Plate 11

2 1

6 5

8 9 10 4 7

11 12 13

14 15

18 17

21 20 22

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Vdovenko, M.V. 1954. Some new foraminiferal species from the lower Visean deposits of the Donets Basin. Kiivs’kiy Derzhavniy Universitet, Geologichniy Zbirnik, no. 5, p. 63-76 (in Ukrainian). Vdovenko, M.V. 1971. New species and forms of the genus Eoparastaffella. Izdatel’stvo L’vovskogo Universiteta, Paleontologicheskiy Sbornik no. 7, vyp. 2, p. 6-12 (in Russian with English summary). Vissarionova, A.I. 1948. Primitive fusulinids from the Lower Carboniferous of the European part of the USSR. Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Instituta Geologicheskikh Nauk, Geologicheskaya Seriya (No. 19), vyp. 62, p. 216-226 (in Russian). Webster, G.D., C.G. Maples, R. Mawson and M. Dastanpour 2003. A cladid dominated Early Mississippian crinoid and conodont fauna from Kerman Province, Iran and revision of the Glossocrinids and Rhenocrinids. The Paleontological Society Memoir, v. 60, p. 1-36, Supplement to Journal of Paleontology, v. 77, no. 3. Webster, G.D., C.G. Maples and M. Yazdi 2007. Late Devonian and Early Mississippian echinoderms from central and northern Iran. Journal of Paleontology, v. 81, p. 1101-1113. Weller, S. 1905. Paraphorhynchus, a new genus of Kinderhookian Brachiopoda. Academy of Sciences of St. Louis, Transactions, v. 15, p. 259-264. Wendt, J., B. Kaufmann, Z. Belka, N. Farsan and A. Karimi Bavandpur 2005. Devonian/Lower Carboniferous stratigraphy, facies patterns and palaeogeography of Iran, Part II. Northern and Central Iran. Acta Geologica Polonica , v. 55, no. 1, p. 31-97. Wensink, H., J.D.A. Zijderveld and J.C. Varekamp 1978. Paleomagnetism and ore mineralogy of some basalts of the Geirud formation of Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous age from southern Alborz, Iran. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 41, p. 441–450. Weyer, D. 1968. Koninckopora Lee 1912 (Dasycladaceae) aus dem Untercarbon der Insel Rügen. Geologie, v. 17, no. 2, p. 176-190. Williams, A., S.J. Carlson, H.C. Brunton et al. 2002. Rhynconelliformea. In R.L. Kaesler (Ed.), Treatise on Invertebrate Palaeontology Part H, Brachiopoda revised, Geological Society of America and University of Kansas, Boulder, Colorado and Lawrence, Kansas, v. 4, p. 921-1688. Wood, A. 1942. The algal nature of the genus Koninckopora Lee and its occurrence in Canada and Western Europe. Geological Society of London, Quarterly Journal, v. 98, no. 3-4, p. 205-222. Work, D.M. 2008. Secretary/Editor’s report 2007-2008. Newsletter on Carboniferous Stratigraphy, p. 4.

Plate 12 (facing page): See Figures 4 and 6 for stratigraphic location of samples. Repository numbers (MPUM) are in parentheses. (1, 2) Pseudostacheoides sp. x50, Abnak section. (1) spl. IR 808 (MPUM 10062). (2 ) spl. IR 1070 (MPUM 10072). (3, 4) indeterminate Aoujgaliaceae, Abnak section, spl IR 813 (MPUM 10066). (3) x50. (4) x150, closeup of Plate 12.3. Arrow points to zone of concentric plates surrounding interior of specimen. (5, 7–10) Proninella spp., x50 except as indicated. (5, 8) Abnak section, spl. IR 808 (MPUM 10062). (7) x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10097). (9) Abnak section, spl. IR 802 (MPUM 10056). (10) Abnak section, spl. IR 800 (MPUM 10054). (6, 12) Koninckopora minuta Weyer, 1968, x50, Abnak section. (6) spl. IR 1075 (MPUM 10077). (12 ) spl. IR 1066 (MPUM 10069). (11) Koninckopora tenuiramosa Wood, 1942, x50, Abnak section, spl. IR 1080 (MPUM 10081). (13, 14) Spumisalebra spumosa Bogush & Brenckle, 1982, x50, Abrendan section. (13 ) spl. IR 982 (MPUM 10084). (14) spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10100). (15) radiosphaerid calcisphere, x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1017 (MPUM 10095). (16) Parathurammina sp., x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (17) Diplosphaerina/Eotuberitina sp., x150, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (18) Protoumbella elliptica (Reitlinger, 1966), x100, Abnak section, spl. IR 1073 (MPUM 10075). (19, 21) Parathuramminites sp., x100, Abrendan section. (19) spl. IR 1020 (MPUM 10104). (21) spl. IR 1019 (MPUM 10099). (20, 22) Eovolutina sp., x100. (20) Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (22) Abnak section, spl. IR 1069 (MPUM 10071). (23) Bituberitina? sp., x150, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1016 (MPUM 10094). (24) Draffania sp., x100, Abrendan section, spl. IR 1015 (MPUM 10090).

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Plate 12

1 2

5 4

6 7 10 11

16 17 15

20 19

22 23 14 18 24

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Paul L. Brenckle is a consultant specializing in the biostratigraphy and taxonomy of Late Paleozoic foraminifers primarily from the Upper Devonian, Mississippian and Lower Pennsylvanian. His previous employment included positions as a petroleum explorationist with Texaco in Denver and as a research scientist and biostratigrapher with Amoco in Tulsa and Houston. He is a past Director of the Cushman Foundation for Foraminiferal Research and a former Voting Member of the IUGS Subcommission on Carboniferous Stratigraphy. Paul now lives in Westport, Massachusetts, USA. [email protected]

Maurizio Gaetani received his MSc for his study of the Alborz Mountains in Alborz early in the 1960s. He was in Iran in 1962 and 1964 as a student of the Milano University. Maurizio did the mapping field work in 1962 with R. Assereto as tutor. As co- chairman of the MEBE programme he returned to Iran, for a project on stratigraphy of the Upper Paleozoic in the Alborz. Previously Professor of Geology at the University of Milano, he is now retired, but continues as Editor of the Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. [email protected]

Lucia Angiolini is a Professor of Palaeontology at the Department of Earth Sciences, University of Milano, Italy. She received a PhD in Earth Sciences from Milano University in 1994 for her studies on the Permian of Karakorum, Pakistan. Lucia has 15 years experience in Permian brachiopods from the Peri-Gondwana region and the Cimmerian blocks from Turkey to the Himalayas through Oman, Iran and Karakorum. Her research interests include, besides pure taxonomy, quantitative biostratigraphy, palaeobiogeography based on multivariate analyses, and Permian correlation between Gondwanan and Tethyan realms. [email protected]

Maryamnaz Bahrammanesh is working for the Geological Survey of Iran, Paleontology department since 1991. She is the Head of the Macropaleontology group specializing on Paleozoic Brachiopods. [email protected]

Manuscript received October 17, 2008 Revised January 12, 2009 Accepted January 16, 2009 Press version proofread by the authors on May 6, 2009

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