Benthic Foraminifera As Biostratigraphical and Paleoecological Indicators: an Example from Oligo-Miocene Deposits in the SW of Zagros Basin, Iran

Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

HOSTED BY Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

China University of Geosciences (Beijing) Geoscience Frontiers

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/gsf

Research paper Benthic foraminifera as biostratigraphical and paleoecological indicators: An example from Oligo-Miocene deposits in the SW of Zagros basin, Iran

Asghar Roozpeykar*, Iraj Maghfouri Moghaddam

Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lorestan, Lorestan, Iran article info abstract

Article history: The Asmari Formation is a predominantly carbonate lithostratigraphic unit that outcrops in the Zagros Received 29 September 2013 Basin. Micropaleontological studies of the Asmari Formation in the Dehdasht area led to the identifi- Received in revised form cation of 51 species of foraminifera taxa. Among the foraminifera, Nummulites cf. vascus, Operculin sp., 26 February 2015 Operculina complanata, Eulepidina dilatata, Eulepidina elephantine, Ditrupa sp., Miogypsina sp., Elphidium Accepted 17 March 2015 sp. 14, and Borelis melo curdica are the most important. The Lepidocyclina-Operculina-Ditrupa assemblage Available online 8 May 2015 zone represents the RupelianeChattian age. The Aquitanian age is also defined by co-occurrence of Miogypsina sp. and Elphidium sp. 14, and finally, the first occurrence of Borelis melo curdica represents the Keywords: Biostratigraphy Burdigalian. Based on faunal assemblages, the following paleoenvironmental settings are determined for Asmari Formation the deposition of the study section: (1) the deep, offshore settings in the aphotic zone dominated by Iran pelagic and small benthic foraminifera; (2) the low energy, turbid and low light parts of the oligophotic Oligo-Miocene zone characterized by large and flat lepidocyclinids (Eulepidina) and Nummulitidae; (3) the low turbidity, Oligotrophy deeper part of the inner ramp dominated by Miogypsinoides, Neorotalia, Lepidocyclina, Operculina and Mesotrophy Archias; (4) the shallow, marginal marine environment exposed to salinity fluctuations (short-term salinity fluctuations or fully marine conditions) dominated by small benthic Foraminifera (Ammonia and Elphidium); (5) highly translucent, shallowest part of the inner ramp dominated by representatives of Borelis, Meandropsina and Peneroplis. The biotic assemblages represent warm tropical waters with oligotrophic to slightly mesotrophic conditions. Ó 2015, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

1. Introduction Lepidocyclina are common in packstones and grainstones of the late Oligocene through Miocene (e.g., Chapronière, 1984; Betzler, 1997; In most carbonate depositional environments, the bulk of Hallock et al., 2006). Coralline red algae increased in diversity sediment consists of skeletal fragments produced by different types during the Oligocene (e.g., Manker and Carter, 1987; Buxton and of organisms with particular ecological requirements (Meteu- Pedley, 1989; Pedley, 1998; Rasser and Piller, 2004), especially the Vicens et al., 2008). Oligocene carbonate platforms are character- shallow, warm-water lithophylloid and mastophoroid taxa, exhib- ized by the re-establishment of shallow water marine benthic iting their greatest species richness (Aguirre et al., 2000) and communities following major change at the Eocene/Oligocene globally becoming dominant carbonate producers (Halfar and boundary (e.g. Berggren and Prothero, 1992; Ivany et al., 2000; Mutti, 2005) during the early and middle Miocene. Larger forami- Prothero, 2003). During the Neogene, large benthic foraminifera nifera have arisen many times in the geological record from (LBF) were still active carbonate producers, though not as prolificas ordinary-sized ancestors (Lee et al., 1979). Their appearance is often during the Eocene. Heterostegina, Amphistegina, Cycloclypeus, and related to periods of global warming, relative drought, raised sea levels, expansion of tropical and subtropical habitats, and reduced oceanic circulation (Hallock and Glenn, 1986). * Corresponding author. Janbazan Avenue, Dehdasht City, Kohgiluyeh va Bouyer The main factor limiting the latitudinal distribution of þ Ahmad Province, 7579111548, Iran. Tel.: 98 9179428793. symbiont-bearing foraminifera is temperature (e.g. Hottinger, E-mail address: [email protected] (A. Roozpeykar). 1983; Langer and Hottinger, 2000) because persistent Peer-review under responsibility of China University of Geosciences (Beijing). http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2015.03.005 1674-9871/Ó 2015, China University of Geosciences (Beijing) and Peking University. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC- ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). 126 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 temperatures below 14 C in the winter months seem to hinder Zagros into several zones: Fars, Lurestan, the Dezful Embayment, their survival. Larger foraminifera are thus restricted to the tropics the Izeh Zone, the Abadan Plain, the thrust zone, the Bandar Abbas with the exception of a few species that can also survive in the Hinterland and the complex structure with metamorphic rocks warm temperate zone (e.g. Betzler et al., 1997; Hohenegger, 2000; (Fig. 1A). The study area is located at the southwestern flank of the Langer and Hottinger, 2000). Further factors influencing the dis- Kuh-e Siah Anticline, next to the Zargham Abad Village, about tribution of larger foraminifera are light intensity, water energy and 80 km northeast of Behbahan and 15 km north of Dehdasht. The substrate conditions (Hottinger, 1983; Bassi et al., 2007). LBF and section was measured in detail at 30520 Nand50380 E(Fig. 1B). corallinacean are the most important biotic assemblages in the The study area is located in the folded thrust zone of the Zagros Asmari Formation. In the present work, we use the foraminiferal Basin (Izeh Zone). assemblages to determine the age of the Asmari Formation from the studied region and to interpret the paleoenvironmental set- 3. Materials and methods tings and paleoecological conditions. Field observations were complemented with the petrographic 2. Geological setting examination of 157 thin sections for the identification of large benthic foraminifera and other skeletal components. The supra- The Zagros mountains are a fold and the thrust belt that ex- specific classification of foraminifera mainly follows Loeblich and tends from southeastern Turkey through northern Syria and Iraq Tappan (1988) criteria. Large benthic foraminifera are photo- to western and southern Iran (Alavi, 2004). This orogenic belt is symbiontic organisms (Leutenegger, 1984; Reiss and Hottinger, situated in the middle part of the Alpine Range. This belt is 1984) that require light, which restricts these taxa to live in the considered to be a passive eastern margin of the Arabian Shield photic zone. Changes in foraminiferal assemblages can indicate (Stocklin, 1968; Farhoudi, 1978; Berberian and King, 1981). The fluctuations in light level, providing information valuable for Zagros Basin was a part of the stable supercontinent of Gondwana interpretation of palaeoenvironments (Hallock and Glenn, 1986; in the Paleozoic, became a passive margin during the Mesozoic, Hottinger, 1997; Hohenegger et al., 1999). and then a convergent orogen in the Cenozoic (Barhroudi and Koyi, 2004). The Zagros mountains consist of three zones: (1) 4. Results the simply folded Zagros; (2) the imbricate thrust zone; (3) the Khuzestan Plain (Motiei, 1993). Based on the sedimentary history The Asmari Formation outcrops with 318 m thickness in the and structural style, Falcon (1961) divided the simply folded study area, and consists of thin to thick bedded and massive

Figure 1. (A) General map of Iran showing eight geologic provinces. The study area is located in Zagros Province (adopted from Heydari et al., 2003). (B) Subdivisions of the simply folded Zagros belt (after Falcon, 1961). A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 127 limestones, nodular limestones, and rarely, marls. Biogenic com- 4.1.1. Assemblage I ponents are dominated by benthic foraminifera and coralline red This assemblage begins at the basal part of the Asmari Forma- algae. The existing benthic foraminifera correspond to aggluti- tion and extends upward with a thickness of 141 m. The most nated small foraminifera, porcellaneous and perforated larger important fauna are: Operculina complanata, Operculina spp., Het- benthic foraminifera (LBF) and smaller benthic foraminifera (SBF). erostegina spp., Nummulites vascus, Eulepidina spp., Eulepidina Coralline red algae are dominated by Lithothamnion sp., Lith- elephantine, Nephrolepidina tournoueri, Spiroclypeus spp., Spi- ophyllum sp., Mesophyllum sp., Sporolithon sp., Lithoporella mello- roclypeus blankenhorni and Ditrupa. Additional species include besioides, Titanoderma sp. and Lithoporella sp. Subordinate Austrotrillina howchini, Austrotrillina asmariensis, Rotalia viennoti, components are ostrea, pectinid bivalves, corals (Porites sp., Miogypsinoides complanatus and Archaias sp. Favosites sp., Tarbellastraea sp., Thegioastraea sp. and Hydnophora These foraminifera correspond to the LepidocyclinaeOperculina sp.), gastropoda, bryozoan, ostracoda and echinoids. Ooid and eDitrupa assemblage zone of Laursen et al. (2009). This zone ranges peloid are the most common abiotic components. The Asmari in age from Rupelian to Chattian. Formation overlies the Pabdeh Formation and is overlain by Gachsaran Formation. 4.1.2. Assemblage II This assemblage was recorded from 141 to 214 m. Most of the fauna in this assemblage are Miogypsina sp., Elphidium sp. 14, 4.1. Biostratigraphy Peneroplis evolutus, Valvulinid sp., Spirulina sp., Schlumbergerina sp., Meandropsina iranica, Dendritina rangi, Austrotrillina sp., Austro- Planktonic foraminifera are rare in the Asmari Formation, trillina asmaricus, Peneroplis sp., Peneroplis evolotus, Triloculina making correlation with the planktonic zonation difficult. There- trigonula, Discorbis sp., and Peneroplis thomasi. fore, biostratigraphic zonation is mainly based on the larger benthic These microfauna correspond to the Miogypsina-Elphidium sp., foraminifera which are very abundant and have high diversity in Peneroplis farsensis assemblage zone of Laursen et al. (2009), and the study section. The identified foraminifera fall into the following they indicate an Aquitanian age. categories: LBF, smaller benthic foraminifera and pelagic forami- There are very fossil poor limestones from 214 to 234 m, in nifera. The biostratigraphy of Asmari Formation was described by between the assemblage zone II and assemblage zone III. This has “ ” James and Wynd (1965), Wynd (1965), and reviewed by Adams and been named the indeterminate zone by Laursen et al. (2009), and Bourgeois (1967). Adams and Bourgeois (1967) divided the Asmari it is mainly associated with the Aquitanian age. Formation into three biozones (Fig. 2). Ehrenberg et al. (2007) and Laursen et al. (2009) applied strontium isotope dating to the Asmari 4.1.3. Assemblage III Formation (Fig. 2). In order to date the age of Asmari Formation, the This assemblage was recorded from 234 to 318 m. The most present research used the results of Sr analysis. important foraminifera are: Borelis melo curdica, Borelis sp., It is worth noting that in older publications, such as those of P. evolotus, D. rangi, M. iranica, Discorbis sp. and Rotalia sp. The fauna Wynd (1965) and Adams and Bourgeois (1967), microfossils association represents the B. melo curdica-B. melo melo assemblage ascribed to the “Aquitanian” may in fact refer to the late Oligocene, zone of Laursen et al. (2009) which indicates a Burdigalian age. that we today call Chattian. Aside from these problems with the determination of chronostratigraphy of the foraminifera-based 4.2. Comparison with other regions of Zagros Basin zones, facies are specific to particular zones, and thus they complicate the basin-wide stratigraphic correlations. One way to The biostratigraphy of the Asmari Formation in various regions solve this dating problem is to calibrate the ranges of index fossils of the Zagros Basin has been proposed by many researchers. In this with an independent dating method such as the Sr-isotope stra- paper, we compared the Asmari Formation in the study area with tigraphy, which is not sensitive to depositional environments some sections in other regions of the Zagros Basin (Fig. 3). Vaziri- (Laursen et al., 2009). Moghaddam et al. (2010) studied the depositional environment, From base to top, three foraminiferal assemblages were deter- biostratigraphy and the sequence stratigraphy of several sections in mined in the study area. the NW of the Zagros Basin. In the Kabir Kuh section (southern

Figure 2. Comparison of biozonation of Adams and Bourgeois (1967), Laursen et al. (2009) and studied section. 128 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Figure 3. Correlation of Asmari Formation at studied area with some sections in other regions of Zagros Basin.

Lurestan Basin), the Asmari Formation was deposited in the late to Oligoceneeearly Miocene age from the SE to the middle parts of Oligocene (Chattian)eearly Miocene (AquitanianeBurdigalian) age. the Zagros Basin. In other words, the age of the Asmari Formation In the Mamulan and Sepid Dasht areas (central Lurestan Basin), the becomes younger from the SE to the middle parts of the basin. From Asmari Formation was only in the Burdigalian age. Sadeghi et al. the central parts to the NW of the basin, the age of the Asmari (2009) reported that the Asmari Formation, southeastern of the Formation changes from late Oligoceneeearly Miocene to early Zagros folded belt (Fars Province), was deposited in the Oligocene Miocene (Burdigalian) age. These changes of the Asmari Forma- (RupelianeChattian) age. This age was also reported by Soltanian tion’s age are related to paleoenvironmental conditions. et al. (2011) for the Asmari Formation at the Naura Anticline in During the Paleogene period, the Zagros Basin was completely Fars area. In these areas, the middle and upper parts of the Asmari covered by a transgressive sea (Fig. 4). In that time, three sub basins Formation were replaced by Gachsaran and Razak formations. In existed in the Zagros Basin: (1) Lurestan Province (northwestern the Gachsaran area (Mish Anticline), according to Van Buchem et al. parts), (2) Khuzestan Province (central parts) and (3) Fars Province (2010), the age of Asmari Formation is Oligoceneeearly Miocene (southern parts). During the Paleoceneeearly Eocene, the Sachun (AquitanianeBurdigalian). Research results show that the age of Formation was deposited in the coastal parts (western Fars Prov- the Asmari Formation changes from Oligocene (RupelianeChattian) ince), the Jahrum Formation in the shallow parts (eastern Fars A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 129

Figure 4. Cenozoic stratigraphic correlation chart of the Zagros Basin (after Jams and Wynd, 1965).

Province), and the pelagic Pabdeh Formation in the deep parts of but it is very high in other samples. Ammonia spp. and Ammonia the basin. During the middle Eocene, the shallow platform parts beccarii are the only biota elements in samples with low diversity. emerged from water due to the Pyrenean orogenic phase and the The samples with high diversity fauna are characterized by global sea level drop. The deposition of the Pabdeh Formation Ammonia spp., A. beccarii, Elphidium sp., Discorbis sp. and miliolids. continued only in the central parts. These conditions continued up Bryozoan, echinoids, mollusks and corallinacean are also present. to the late EoceneeOligocene in the northeastern and southern Texture ranges from wackestone to packstone. Finally, assemblage parts of the basin. As the sea level continued to fall during the early 5 is characterized by larger imperforated foraminifera including Oligocene, in the central parts of the basin the Asmari Formation (Fig. 7G and H) D. rangi, P. evolutus, Peneroplis sp., M. iranica, was replaced by the Pabdeh Formation (Figs. 4 and 5). At the end of Meandropsina sp., P. thomasi, B. melo curdica, Borelis sp., T. trigonola, the late Oligocene, the transgressive sea caused the remaining Pyrgo sp., T. tricarinata. Textularia sp., Discorbis sp., Spirulina sp. and exposed regions to become submerged. This, in turn, caused the Elphidium sp. are present but not common. deposition of the Asmari Formation in these regions although the In Assemblage 1, abundant pelagic foraminifera represent a northern parts of the basin were still exposed. These conditions more pelagic, deep offshore environment (Mateu-Vicens et al., continued for the northern parts up to the end of Aquitanian age. At 2008). The absence of light-dependent biota such as corallinacea the beginning of the Burdigalian, the transgressive sea caused the and LBF indicates that these fauna developed under aphotic con- Asmari Formation to be deposited in every region of the Zagros ditions in an outer ramp setting (Pomar et al., 2004). The high mountains (Motiei, 1993)(Figs. 4 and 5). muddy matrix indicates low turbulence water (Nebelsick et al., 2000). Assemblage 2 is characterized by the dominance of large 4.3. Paleoecological interpretation discoidal tests of Lepidocyclinids (Eulepidina) and Nummulitids. Fine siliciclastic particles are also present in the texture. The large Foraminifera are the most abundant marine protozoa in the sized lepidocyclinids and discoidal flat tests (Eulepidina) are typical epipelagic and the upper mesopelagic realms. Because of the for a low energy environment with a low light on the outer ramp complexity and diversity of habitats, especially in the shallow (Hallock, 1985; Hallock and Glenn, 1986). The predominance of benthic realm, foraminifera show high biodiversity resulting from large foraminifera may indicate a highly oligotrophic palae- their different ecological requirements (Barbeiri et al., 2006). oenvironment dominated by K-strategists (Bassi, 2005). Based on the type of distribution and paleoecological condi- The sediments of Assemblage 3 suggest that different degrees of tions, the faunas were grouped into five assemblages (Table 1, water turbulence were involved in the creation of the packstone- Figs. 6 and 7). Assemblage 1 is dominated by planktonic forami- grainstone texture. Abundance of larger benthic foraminifera sug- nifera along with shallow water benthic foraminifera as Elphidium, gests shallow, well-illuminated, warm, oligotrophic waters with Rotalia and Textularia. Their rock texture is wackestone-packstone suitable substrate (Hottinger, 1983; Murray, 1991; O’Connell et al., (Fig. 6A and B). Assemblage 2 is represented by Lepidocyclinids 2012) and normal marine salinity. The mixture of large rotalids with large and discoidal tests (Eulepidina) and Nummulitids (Het- and the sea grass associated bioclasts (porcellaneous forms and erostegina sp., Nummulites cf. vascus, Spiroclypeus sp., O. complanata, small rotalids) indicates meso-euphotic conditions (Pomar et al., S. blankenhorni, Operculina sp.). The LBF skeletons are mostly more 2014). The grainstones represent a higher degree of turbulence than 3 cm in diameter. The texture is wackestone to packstone with mobile substrate and fauna indicating well-lit conditions (Fig. 6CeF). Assemblage 3 is characterized by co-occurrence of (Nebelsick et al., 2000), which is also shown by robust and thick larger hyaline and imperforated forms (Fig. 7AeD). Hyaline fora- tests of foraminifera (Fournier et al., 2004). In shallow waters, minifera were dominated by Miogypsinoides formosensis, M. com- where light limitation is not problematic, LBF can produce thick planatus, Lepidocyclina sp., Amphistegina sp., Operculina sp., tests, which protect the test from mechanical damage due to the Asterigerina sp., Miogypsina sp., Elphidium sp. 14., Sphaerogypsina increased hydrodynamic energy in shallow waters (Hohenegger, sp., Discorbis sp., and Neorotalia viennoti together with Neorotalia 2000). sp. Porcellaneous foraminifera were dominated by A. howchini, In Assemblage 4, the predominance of Ammonia and ostrea in- Austrotrillina sp., Archaias sp., Planorbolina sp., Triloculina trigonola, dicates a eutrophic environment with normal marine conditions Pyrgo sp., Triloculina tricarinata, P. evolutus, Peneroplis sp., M. iranica, that were only exposed to short-term salinity fluctuations (Reuter Meandropsina sp. and P. thomasi. and Brachert, 2007). The presence of bryozoans together with Assemblage 4 is dominated by small benthic foraminifera microfossil assemblages with their relatively high diversity in some (Fig. 7E and F). The diversity of fauna is very low in some samples, samples might suggest that the environmental conditions changed 130 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Figure 5. Correlation of depositional environments for Asmari Fm. in the studied area (Khuzestan Province) with other areas of Zagros Basin. (A) Lorestan Province (adopted from Vaziri-Moghaddam et al., 2010), (B) Khuzestan Province (adopted from Van Buchem et al., 2010, with some modiﬁcation) and (C) Fars Province. from unstable with salinity ﬂuctuations to more stable conditions Pedley, 1989; Romero et al., 2002; Barattolo et al., 2007). The and the normal salinity (Filipescu et al., 2014). The abundance of dominance of imperforate foraminiferal tests may indicate a Ammonia and the occurrence of Textularia and heterotrophic or- slightly hypersaline depositional environment (Brandano et al., ganisms in the microfacies may indicate increased nutrient input 2009). Based on the occurrence and morphology of foraminifera, (Sen Gupta, 1999; Mateu-Vicens et al., 2008). The dominance of our paleoecological interpretation shows a gradient change from porcellaneous larger foraminifera in Assemblage 5 indicates high- deep offshore, low energy conditions in aphotic zones dominated energy conditions in the well-lit, highly translucent, shallow part by planktonic foraminifera to a deep, turbid, low-light setting in the of the photic zone (Bassi and Nebelsick, 2010). The low turbidity is oligophotic zone dominated by Eulepidina (elephantine, dilatata, sp.) ascribed to the high diversity of the porcelaneous foraminiferal and Nummulitids (Heterostegina sp., Operculina sp., O. complanata, fauna, which develops in meso-to-oligotrophic settings at a shallow Spiroclypeus sp., S. blankenhorni). Following this, the conditions depth (Hallock, 1984, 1988; Reiss and Hottinger, 1984; Buxton and change again to deeper parts of the inner ramp dominated by M. A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 131

Table 1 Distinctive characteristics of fauna association and interpreted ecological conditions.

Facies Dominant components Subordinate components Paleoecological interpretation Assemblage A Pelagic foraminifera (50e60%) Serpulid, sponge spicule Calm, deep, offshore setting with aphotic condition in outer ramp small benthic foraminifera echinoid, bryozoa, mollusks to basin (15e20%) (15e25%) Assemblage B Eulepidina-Nepherolepidina Coralline red algae, bryozoans Low energy, turbid, low light with oligophotic condition in Operculina, Heterostegina echinoid, mollusks, coral middle-outer ramp Amphistegina, Spiroclypeus pelagic foraminifers (75e90%) (25e10%) Assemblage C1 Coralline red algae, mollusks, Amphistegina, Dendritina, High energy, well lit, euphotic zone in inner ramp Miogypsinoides, Neorotalia echinoid, miliolid (75e85%) (15e25%) Assemblage C2 Miogypsinoides, Operculina, Amphistegina, Dendritina Low energy, well lit, normal salinity, euphotic-mesophotic zone in Neorotalia, Archaias, miliolid Austrotrilina, Peneroplis inner ramp coralline red algae, Nepherolepidina mollusks, bryozoans, coral (55e70%) echinoid, mollusks, Miogypsina (45e30%) Assemblage D Ammonia beccarii, Ammonia spp, Bryozoans, echinoid, Elphidium Low energy, well lit, short-term salinity ﬂuctuations or fully marine Mollusks coralline red algae, miliolids conditions in inner ramp (20e100%) (0e80%) Assemblage E Borelis, Dendritina, Peneroplis Mollusks, Elphidium, Discorbis Well lit, highly translucent shallowest part of the euphotic zone with Meandropsina, miliolids Spirulina hypersaline condition (75e85%) (25e15%)

complanatus, N. viennoti, Lepidocyclina sp., operculina sp. and assemblage in the Aquitanian was influenced by this isolation from Archaias sp., then to Assemblage 4 with a shallow, marginal marine the open ocean, which caused an increase in the salinity of the environment exposed to salinity fluctuations (brackish or close intrashelf basin. The resultant specific environmental conditions marine value) dominated by small benthic foraminifera (Ammonia led to a restricted, stressed environment: ooids, peloid and spp. and Elphidium sp.), and finally to the near shore, well-lit, highly imperforate foraminifers became an important biotic and abiotic translucent, high energy conditions in an inner ramp setting association in the depositional system (Van Buchem et al., 2010). dominated by B. melo curdica, M. iranica and P. evolotus (Fig. 8). Zooxanthellate corals and LBF assemblages, such as Lep- idocyclina, Miogypsinoides, Operculina, Heterostegina, Borelis, Arch- 4.4. Paleolatitude, paleoclimate and nutrient level aias of the Asmari Formation argue against high nutrients, as these assemblages thrive in oligotrophic (Langer and Hottinger, 2000)or The existence of aragonite components such as corals (Porites possibly slightly mesotrophic (Halfar et al., 2004) waters. sp.) in the ChattianeAquitanian, ooids in the Aquitanian, and finally the persistent occurrence of Lithoporella melobesioides and Lith- 5. Conclusions oporella sp. in the red algal assemblages (Braga and Aguirre, 2001) of the Asmari Formation suggest that carbonate sedimentation took The large benthic foraminiferal assemblages are rich in the place in the warm waters of the tropical zone. According to the Asmari Formation. The most important faunas are Nummulites Oligo-Miocene paleogeographic maps developed by Heydari cf.vascus, E. elephantine, Archaias sp., M. complanatus, S. blanken- (2008), the Zagros mountains were located at about 29 N, con- horni, Miogypsina sp., Elphidium sp. 14 and B. melo curdica. Based on firming that the Asmari deposition took place in warm waters. the distribution of foraminifera assemblages, the Asmari Formation The Oligocene saw global climates show an initial cooling as a in the studied section is Oligocene (RupelianeChattian)eearly consequence of the formation of the first ice-sheets in Antarctica Miocene (AquitanianeBurdigalian) in age. The biotic assemblages that persisted until the latest part of the Oligocene, followed by a of the Asmari Formation suggest that carbonate sedimentation took warming trend that reduced the extent of Antarctic ice (Zachos place in tropical warm waters under oligotrophic or slightly et al., 2001). This global climatic cooling and Antarctic glaciation mesotrophic conditions. The paleoenvironmental setting is inter- influenced sedimentation worldwide during the middle Eocene to preted as a shallow ramp environment ranging from deep, offshore early Miocene that is documented in marine and terrestrial faunal settings in the aphotic zone dominated by pelagic and smaller and floral changes, seismic interpretations and oxygen and carbon benthic foraminifera, to low-energy, turbid and low light condi- isotope analyses (e.g. Miller et al., 1991, 2005; Prothero, 1994; Abreu tions characterized by large and flat lepidocyclinids (Eulepidina) and Haddad, 1998; Clarke and Jenkyns, 1999; Zachos et al., 2001). and Nummulitids, to the deeper parts of the inner ramp dominated The study section did not reveal the Oligocene cooling events. by Miogypsinoides, Neorotalia, Lepidocyclina, Operculina and Archias, Warmer global climates prevailed during the Miocene than to the shallow, marginal marine environment exposed to salinity those either of the preceding Oligocene or of today. During this fluctuations (brackish or hemirestricted marine) dominated by time, the modern pattern of ocean circulation was established and small benthic foraminifera (Ammonia and Elphidium), and finally to the mixing of warmer tropical water and cold polar water was well-lit, highly translucent shallow parts of the inner ramp domi- greatly reduced. This led to well-defined climatic belts that stretch nated by Borelis, Meandropsina and Peneroplis. from Poles to Equator (Pomar and Hallock, 2008). During the Aquitanian, there is evidence for a cooling event 6. Systematic paleontology (Miller et al., 2005). This cooling event caused the eustatic sea-level drops during the Aquitanian, which twice caused the isolation from 6.1. Systematic of foraminifera the Neo-Tethys and led to the precipitation of subaqueous anhy- drites from the oversaturated seawater through evaporation in its Larger foraminifera are the most important components of the centre (the ‘Basal Anhydrite’ and ‘Middle Anhydrite’). The faunal Oligoceneeearly Miocene succession. They allow the biostrati 132 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Figure 6. Biota associations in Asmari Formation. (A and B) Assemblage 1, pelagic foraminifera and shallower benthic foraminifera in wackestone, packstone. (CeF) Assemblage 2, Operculina, Spiroclypeus, Lepidocyclina, Amphistegina, Heterostegina in wackestone, packstone matrix. graphic subdivision of the studied section. A total number of 51 10 cm in diameter, and is characterized by giant embryon, species of foraminifers taxa have been identiﬁed. These forami- extraordinarily large equatorial chamberlets and the general nifera correspond to agglutinated small foraminifera, porcellaneous absence of regular pillars which penetrate to the surface. and perforate larger benthic foraminifera (LBF) and smaller benthic Superfamily Asterigerinacea (d’Orbigny, 1839) foraminifera (SBF) (Figs. 9e11). Family Lepidocyclinidae (Scheffen, 1932) Subfamily Lepidocyclininae (Scheffen, 1932) Superfamily Asterigerinacea (d’Orbigny, 1839) Genus Lepidocyclina (Gumbel, 1870) Family Lepidocyclinidae (Scheffen, 1932) Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) tournoueri (Lemoine and Subfamily Lepidocyclininae (Scheffen, 1932) Douvillé, 1904, Fig. 11C) Genus Lepidocyclina (Gumbel, 1870) Remarks: Adams and Bourgeois (1967) as well as Laursen et al. Eulepidina dilatata (Michelloti, 1861, Fig. 11J and H) (2009) recorded this from the late Rupelian and Chattian in Remarks: Adams and Bourgeois (1967) as well as Laursen et al. the Asmari limestones. (2009) reported two species of Eulepidina from the Asmari Description: This species possesses a strongly biconvex test. The Formation within the Rupelian and Chattian. embryonic chambers consist of a protoconch and a deuter- Description: This species of Eulepidina is characterized by the oconch with relatively equal size and without any embrace. The smaller size (<3 cm) and regular pillars between the chambers lateral chambers have relatively large sizes, and the pillars be- that become evenly distributed over the surface of the test. The tween them are absolutely distinct and obvious. other species is named dilatata (Michelotti), which is distinct Superfamily Nummulitacea (De Blainville, 1827) from elephantine by its too-large size and a size of more than Family Nummulitidae (De Blainville, 1827) A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 133

Figure 7. Biota association in Asmari Formation. (A) Assemblage 3, Neorotalia, Miogypsinoides, in grainstone matrix. (BeD) Assemblage 4, Neorotalia, Miogypsinoides, Operculina and Lepidocyclina, in wackestone-packstone matrix. (E and F) Assemblage 4, small benthic foraminifera in wackestone-packstone matrix. (G and H) Assemblage 5, Borelis, Meandropsina, Dendritina, Peneroplis and miliolids in grainstone, packstone.

Genus Operculina (d’Orbigny, 1826) also described by Bassi et al. (2007) in the upper Oligocene of Operculina complanata (Defrance, 1822, Fig. 11D) the Venetian area, Northeast Italy. Remarks: Adams and Bourgeois (1967) as well as Laursen et al. Description: The test is lenticular, wall calcareous hyaline, and (2009) reported Operculina complanata from the Rupe- planispirally coiled with four whorls. The thickness of wall and lianeChattian age. It was also found by Bassi et al. (2007) in the chambers are relatively equal. upper Oligocene of the Venetian area, Northeast Italy. Superfamily Nummulitacea (De Blainville, 1827) Description: Test bilaterally symmetrical, evolute, planispiral, Family Nummulitidae (De Blainville, 1827) ﬂattened; with little or no thickening at the poles. Its margins Subfamily Cycloclypeinae are always rounded and the septa are gently recurved. Genus Spiroclypeus (Douvillé, 1905) Superfamily Nummulitacea (De Blainville, 1827) Spiroclypeus blankenhorni (Henson, 1937, Fig. 11F and G) Family Nummulitidae (De Blainville, 1827) Remarks: Adams and Bourgeois (1967) recorded Spiroclypeus Genus Nummulites (Lamarck, 1804) blankenhorni from the Aquitanian of Asmari Formation. But Nummulites vascus (Joly and Leymerie, 1848, Fig. 10J) Ehrenberg et al. (2007) and Laursen et al. (2009) reported it Remarks: This species was reported from southwest of Iran by from Chattian of the Asmari Formation. It was also described by Adams and Bourgeois (1967) and Laursen et al. (2009).Itwas Özcan et al. (2009) in the lower Miocene of central Turkey. 134 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Figure 8. Lithology, biostratigraphy and vertical distribution of biota associations (microfacies) for the Asmari Formation at the studied area.

Description: This form is characteristically elongate-compressed, Adams and Bourgeois (1967) and Laursen et al. (2009) recorded non-reticulate, with relatively ﬁne later chamberlets. this species from the RupelianeAquitanian. It was also described Genus Austrotrillina (Parr, 1942) by Bassi et al. (2007) in the upper Oligocene of the Venetian Genus Austrotrillina asmariensis (Adams, 1968, Fig. 9C) area, Northeast Italy. Remark: Adams (1968) obtained the type specimens of Description: This species is characterized by its narrow, closely A. asmariensis from the post-nummulititic Asmari limestone. packed alveoles, which were present in a single series and did A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 135

Figure 9. Photomicrographs of some microfossils that recognized in studied area at Dehdasht area. (A) Austrotrilina sp., sample No. 80; (B) Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger, 1974), sample No. 80; (C) Austrotrilina asmariensis (Adams, 1868), sample No. 80; (D) Dendritina rangi (d’Orbigny, 1904) sample No. 59; (E) Textularia sp., sample No. 6; (F) Pyrgo sp., sample No. 80; (G) Miogypsinoides formosensis (Yabe and Hanzawa, 1928), sample No. 36; (H) Miogypsina sp., sample No. 70; (I) Planorbolina sp., sample No. 21; (J) Sphaerogypsina sp., sample No. 27; (K) Lithoporella melobesioides (Foslie, 1909), sample No. 124; (L) Titanoderma sp., sample No. 42; (M) Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger, 1974), sample No. 80; (N) Neorotalia viennoti (Greig, 1935), sample No. 64; (O) Valvulinid sp., sample No. 80.

not bifurcate peripherally. Open chamber lumen, quinquelocu- Remark: A. howchini was ﬁrst described from the Tertiary of line nepionic stage consists of spherical proloculus followed by Australia. Adams and Bourgeois (1967) and Laursen et al. (2009) three chambers, and by later chambers arranged in triloculine reported this species from the RupelianeAquitanian age of manner. Nepionic stage walls are very thick and non-alveolate. Asmari Formation. Superfamily Miliolacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) Description: This species has chambers which are triangular in Family Austrotrillinidae (Loeblich and Tappan, 1986) transverse section and also has alveoles which bifurcate, Genus Austrotrillina (Parr, 1942) trifurcate, the interior alveoles being divided peripherally into Austrotrillina howchini (Schlumberger, 1893, Fig. 9B and M) smaller alveolus. 136 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Figure 10. Photomicrograph of some microfossils that recognized in study area at Dehdasht area. (A) Neorotalia viennoti (Greig, 1935), sample No. 64; (B) Ditrupa sp., sample No. 9; (C) Bigenerina sp., sample No. 67; (D) Lithotamnion sp., sample No. 42; (E) Borelis melo (Fichtel and Moll, 1798), curdica (Reichel, 1937) sample No. 122; (F) Asterigerina sp., sample No. 43; (G) Amphistegina sp., sample No. 22; (H) Miogypsinoides deharti (Van Der Vlerk, 1924), sample No. 55; (I) Spirulina sp., sample No. 99; (J) Nummulites cf. vascus (Joly and Leymerie, 1848), sample No. 10; (K) Peneroplis sp., sample No. 99; (L) Peneroplis thomasi (Henson, 1950), sample No. 75.

Superfamily Alveolinacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) Genus Dendrita (d’Orbigny, 1826) Family Alveolinidae (Ehrenberg, 1839) Dendritina rangi (d’Orbigny emend. Fornasini, 1904, Fig. 9D) Genus Borelis (Montfort, 1808) Remark: This species recorded by Adams and Bourgeois (1967) Borelis mello (Fichtel and Moll, 1798) curdica (Reichel, 1937, from AquitanianeBurdigalian in Asmari Formation. Fig. 10E) Description: The test is lenticular, planispirally coiled and Remark: This species was recorded by Adams and Bourgeois developed in umbilicus area. In equatorial section, the test is (1967) and Laursen et al. (2009) from the Burdigalian of ovate to spherical, the number of whorls is 2.5e3 and the Asmari Formation. maximum chambers per whorl are 11e14. The septum is curved Description: The test is small, porcelaneous and has spherical to and is convex to the aperture. In the cross section, the test is subspherical shape with ﬂattened Polar regions. The septulas of elongated with a rounded- to actuated- periphery and the two surrounding chambers are seen alternatively small and aperture is dendritic. The wall is calcareous and porcellaneous. large; therefore, the resulting chamberlets are alternatively Superfamily Soritacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) small and large. Family Peneroplidae (Schultze, 1854) Superfamily Soritacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) Genus Peneroplis (Montfort, 1808) Family Peneroplidae (Schultze, 1854) Peneroplis thomasi (Henson, 1950, Fig. 10L) A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 137

Figure 11. Photomicrograph of some microfossils that recognized in study area at Dehdasht area. (A) Marginopora sp., sample No. 64; (B) Meandropsina iranica (Henson, 1950), sample No. 132; (C) Lepidocyclina (Nephrolepidina) tournori (Lemioln and Douville, 1904), sample No. 22; (D) Operculina cf. complanata (Defrance, 1822), sample No. 22; (E) Quinqueloculina sp., sample No. 70; (F) Spiroclypeus blankenhorni (Henson, 1937), sample No. 22; (G) Spiroclypeus blankenhorni (Henson, 1937), sample No. 22; (H) Eulepidina dilatata (Michelloti, 1861), sample No. 10; (I) Eulepidina sp., sample No. 10; (J) Eulepidina dilatata (Michelloti, 1861), sample No. 10.

Remark: This species was recorded by Adams and Bourgeois Remark: Adams and Bourgeois (1967) and Laursen et al. (2009) (1967) from Rupelian to Aquitanian of Asmari Formation. recorded this species from the Rupelian to Aquitanian. Description: The test is planispirally coiled in the early stage, Description: The test is unequally biconvex, and the ventral side which becomes opening in the next stage, and the height of is more convex. In the cross section, the test is trochospirally chambers increases. In the cross section, the central part of test coiled and thickened, and the height of dorsal side is low and the is picked and run shape. margin is rounded. In the ventral side, the V-shaped plug is Superfamily Rotaliacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) marked. In the equatorial section, the number of whorl stages is Family Rotalidae (Ehrenberg, 1839) low in a way that the maximum number of whorls becomes 3. Subfamily Rotalinae (Ehrenberg, 1839) The chambers are triangular, and the septum is multiple. The Genus Rotalia (Lamarck, 1804) wall is calcareous and hyaline. Rotalia viennotti (Greig, 1935, Figs. 9N and 10A) Superfamily Ataxophragmiacea (Schwager, 1877) 138 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Family Valvulinidae (Berthelin, 1880) Subfamily Lithophylloideae (Setchell, 1943) Subfamily Valvulininae (Berthelin, 1880) Titanoderma sp., Fig. 9L Genus Valvulina (d’Orbigny, 1826) Remark: This species recorded from ChattianeAquitanian in Valvulina sp. 1 (Adams and Bourgeois, 1967, Fig. 9O) Asmari Formation. Remark: This species was recorded by Adams and Bourgeois Description: This genus is characterized by its thallus with the (1967) from RupelianeAquitanian of Asmari Formation. palisade cells of the primigenous filament and tetra- Description: The test is agglutinated. In the cross section, the test bisporangial conceptacle with cylindrical pore canal. is conical, and in the equatorial section, it is close to spherical. This genus is characterized by its high spire, large size and regularly rounded growth pattern. The separated walls of Acknowledgement chambers are thick and elongated from the margin to the central part of test. We are thankful to Prof. Marco Brandano and Prof. David Bassi Superfamily Textulariacea (Ehrenberg, 1838) from Roma and Ferrara Universities for their valuable suggestions fi Family Textularidae (Ehrenberg, 1838) and Kazem Sherafati for his help during eld work. Also, thanks to Subfamily Textulariinae (Ehrenberg, 1838) Prof. Xiaoqiao Wan and Miss Lily Wang and to the reviewers for Genus Bigenerina (d’Orbigny, 1826) their constructive comments on this manuscript. Bigenerina sp., Fig. 10C Remarks: This species was reported from southwest of Iran by References Adams and Bourgeois (1967) from Rupelian to Burdigalian. Description: The test is agglutinated. In the cross section, the Abreu, V.S., Haddad, G.A., 1998. Glacioeustatic variations: the mechanism linking chambers are initially biserial, and then, they become uniserial. stable isotope events and sequence stratigraphy from the early Oligocene to e The general shape of chambers is flat, and in margin, it is turgid. middle Miocene. SEPM Special Publication 60, 245 260. Adams, C.G., 1968. A revision of the foraminiferal genus Austrotrillina Pan. Bulletin The number of chambers in biserial stage is 5e6 paired, and in of the British Museum (Natural History) Geology 16, 71e97. the uniserial stage, it is 5e3. Adams, T.D., Bourgeois, F., 1967. Asmari Biostratigraphy: Iranian Oil Operating Superfamily Textulariacea (Ehrenberg, 1838) Companies. Geological and Exploration Division, Report No. 1074, unpublished. Aguirre, J., Riding, R., Braga, J.C., 2000. Diversity of coralline red algae: origination Family Textularidae (Ehrenberg, 1838) and extinction patterns from the Early Cretaceous to the Pleistocene. Paleobi- Subfamily Textulariinae (Ehrenberg, 1838) ology 26, 651e667. Genus Textularia (Defrance, 1824) Alavi, M., 2004. Regional stratigraphy of the Zagros fold-thrust belt of Iran and its proforeland evolution. American Journal of Science 304, 1e20. Textularia sp., Fig. 9E Barattolo, F., Bassi, D., Romero, R., 2007. Upper Eocene larger foraminiferal-coralline Remarks: This species was reported from southwest of Iran by algal facies from the Klokova Mountain (south continental Greece). Facies 53, Adams and Bourgeois (1967) from Rupelian to Burdigalian. 361e375. Barbeiri, R., Hohenger, J., Puglies, N., 2006. Foraminifera and environmental Description: The test is agglutinated, biserial and the sutures are micropaleontology. Marine Micropaleontology 26, 1e3. distinct. The number of chambers is 8 pairs, and the size of Barhroudi, A., Koyi, H.A., 2004. Tectono-sedimentary framework of the Gachsaran chambers gently increased. The aperture is like a slit, and it is Formation in the Zagros foreland basin. Marine Petroleum Geology 21, 1295e1310. placed in the aperture surface. Bassi, D., 2005. Larger foraminiferal and coralline algal facies in an Upper Eocene Superfamily Soritacea (Ehrenberg, 1839) storm-influenced, shallow water carbonate platform (Colli Berici, north-eastern Family Peneroplidae (Schultze, 1854) Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 226, 17e35. fi Genus Meandropsina (Munier-Chalmas, 1882) Bassi, D., Nebelsick, J.H., 2010. Components, facies and ramps: rede ning Upper Oligocene shallow water carbonates using coralline red algae and larger fora- Meandropsina iranica (Henson, 1950, Fig. 11B) minifera (Venetian area, northeast Italy). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Remark: This species was recorded by Laursen et al. (2009) from Palaeoecology 295, 258e280. Chattian to Burdigalian of Asmari Formation. Bassi, D., Hottinger, L., Nebelsick, J.H., 2007. Larger foraminifera from the upper Oligocene of the Venetian area, north-east Italy. Paleontology 50, 845e868. Description: The test is porcellaneous. Chambers are numerous Berberian, M., King, G.C.P., 1981. Towards a palaeogeography and tectonic evolution and tabular whose width and height gently increase towards the of Iran. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 18, 210e265. e outside, 2 mm radial, and 26 chambers exist. Berggren, W.A., Prothero, D.R., 1992. Eocene Oligocene climatic and biotic evolution: an overview. In: Prothero, D.R., Berggren, W.A. (Eds.), EoceneeOligocene Climatic and Biotic Evolution. Princeton University Press, Princeton, pp. 1e28. Berthelin, G., 1880. Mémoire sur les Foraminiféres Fossiles de ÍEtage Albien de 6.2. Systematic of coralline algae Moncley (Doubs). Memoires de la société Geologique de france, ser. 3 1 (5), 1e84. Betzler, C., 1997. Ecological control on geometries of carbonate platforms: Miocene/ Family Corallinaceae (Lamouroux, 1812) Pliocene shallow-water microfaunas and carbonate biofacies from the Subfamily Melobesioideae (Bizzozero, 1885) Queensland Plateau (NE Australia). Facies 37, 147e166. Betzler, C., Brachert, T.C., Nebelsick, J., 1997. The warm temperate carbonate prov- Lithoporella melobesioides, Fig. 9K ince, a review of the facies, zonations and delimitations. Courier Forschungs- Remark: This species is present from Chattian to Burdigalian of Institut Senckenberg 201, 83e99. Asmari Formation. Bizzozero, G., 1885. Flora Veneta Crittogramica. Parte II. Seminario, Padova, 255 pp. Blainville, H.-M.D., 1827. Mémoire sur les Bélemnites, considérées zoologiquement Description: This genus is characterized by its unistratose thallus et géologiquement. Nabu Press, Levrault, Paris, 136 pp. with large palisade cells and multiple overgrowth of cell Braga, J.C., Aguirre, J., 2001. Coralline algal assemblages in Upper Neogene reef and filaments. temperate carbonates in Southern Spain. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, e Family Corallinaceae (Lamouroux, 1812) Palaeoecology 175, 27 41. Brandano, M., Frezza, V., Tomassetti, L., Cuffaro, M., 2009. Heterozoan carbonates in Subfamily Melobesioideae (Bizzozero, 1885) oligotrophic tropical waters: the Attard member of the lower coralline lime- Lithotamnion sp., Fig. 10D stone formation (Upper Oligocene, Malta). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, e Remark: This species was recorded from Rupelian to Burdigalian Palaeoecology 274, 54 63. Buxton, M.W.N., Pedley, H.M., 1989. A Standardized Model for Tethyan Tertiary of the Asmari Formation. Carbonates Ramps. Journal of the Geological Society, London 146, pp. 746e748. Description: Core filaments are non-coaxial. Cell fusions are Chapronière, G.C.H., 1984. Oligocene and Miocene larger foraminiferida from present. The branched thallus with central core of filaments Australia and New Zealand. Bulletin-Australia Bureau of Mineral Resources, Geology and Geophysics 188, 1e60. predominantly is bent towards the surface of the protuberance. Clarke, L.J., Jenkyns, H.C., 1999. New oxygen isotope evidence for long-term Creta- Family Corallinaceae (Lamouroux, 1812) ceous climatic change in the Southern Hemisphere. Geology 27, 699e702. A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140 139

Defrance, M.J.L., 1822. Lenticulites. In: Cuvier, M.F. (Ed.), dictionnaire des Sciences Ivany, L.C., Patterson, W.P., Lohmann, K.C., 2000. Cooler winters as a possible naturelles, 25 (1aa-1eo). Levrault F.G., Strasbourg et Le Normant, Paris, pp. 425e453. cause of mass extinctions at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Nature 407, Defrance, M.J.L., 1824. Dictionnaire des Sciences Naturelles 32. Moll-Morf. Stras- 887e890. burge, F. G. Levrault. d’Orbigny, A., 1826. Tableau methodique de la classe des. James, G.A., Wynd, J.G., 1965. Stratigraphic nomenclature of Iranian oil consortium Céphalopods: Annales des Sciences Naturelles, Paris 7 (1), 245e314. agreement area. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin 49 (2), d’Orbigny, A., 1839. Foraminiferes, in Roman de la Sagra. Histoire Physique Politique 94e156. et Naturelle de l’ile Cuba. Arthus Bertrand, Paris. Joly, N., Leymerie, A., 1848. Meémoire sur les Nummulites considérés zoologique- Douvillé, H., 1905. Les foraminifers dans le tertiare de Borneo. Bulletin Géologique ment et géologiquement. Mémoires de l’Academie des Sciences de Toulouse 4, Society de France 5, 435e464. 1e170. Ehrenberg, C.G., 1838. Über dem blossen Auge unsicchtbare Kalkthierchen und Lamarck, J.B., 1804. Suite des memoires surles fossils des environs de Paris. Analles Kieselthierchen als Hauptbestandtheile de Kreidegebirge. Bericht über die zu Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle 5, 237e245. Bekanntmachung geeigneten Verhandlungen der Königlichen preussischen Lamouroux, J.V.F., 1812. Classification des Ploipyiers coralligenes. Nouveau Bulletin Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1838, 192e200. Des sciences, Par La Société Philomatique 3, 181e188. Ehrenberg, C.G., 1839. Uber die Bildung der Kreidefelsen und des Kreidemergels Langer, M., Hottinger, L., 2000. Biogeography of selected “larger” foraminifera. durch unsichtbare Organismen. PhysikalischeAbhandlungender Koniglichen Micropaleontology 46, 57e86. Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1838, 59e147. Laursen, G.V., Monibi, S., Allan, T.L., Pickard, N.A.H., Hosseiney, A., Vincent, B., Ehrenberg, S.N., Pickard, N.A.H., Laursen, G.V., Monibi, S., Mossadegh, Z.K., Hamon, Y., Van Buchem, F.S.P.V., Moallemi, A., Druillion, G., 2009. The Asmari Svana, T.A., Aqrawi, A.A.M., McArthur, J.M., Thirlwall, M.F., 2007. Strontium Formation Revisited: Changed Stratigraphic Allocation and New Biozonation, isotope stratigraphy of the Asmari Formation (Oligoceneelower Miocene), SW Shiraz. First International Petroleum Conference & Exhibition, European Asso- Iran. Journal of Petroleum Geology 30, 107e128. ciation of Geoscientists and Engineers. Falcon, N.L., 1961. Major earth-Xexturing in the Zagros Mountain of southwest Iran. Lee, J.J., McEnery, M.E., Kahn, E.G., Schuster, F., 1979. Symbiosis and the evolution of Journal of the Geological Society, London 117, 367e376. larger foraminifera. Micropaleontology 25, 118e140. Farhoudi, G., 1978. A comparison of Zagros geology to Island Arcs. Geology 86, Lemoine, P., Douvillé, R., 1904. Sur le genre Lepidocyclina Gümbel. Memoires de la 323e334. Société géologique de France (n.s.) 12, 1e41. Fichtel, L., Moll, J.P.C., 1798. Testacea microscopica, aliaque minuta ex generibus Leutenegger, S., 1984. Symbiosis in benthic foraminifera: specificity and host ad- Argonauta et Nautilus, ad naturam picta et descripta (Microscopische und aptations. Journal Foraminiferal Research 14, 16e35. andere klein Schalthiere aus den geschlechtern Argonaute und Schiffer). Loeblich Jr., A.R., Tappan, H., 1986. Suprageneric classification of the foraminiferida Camesina, Vienna. (Protozoa). Micropaleontology 30 (1), 1e70. Filipescu, s., Miclea, A., Gross, M., Harzhauser, M., Zagorsek, K., Jipa, C., 2014. Early Loeblich, A.R., Tappan, H., 1988. Foraminiferal Genera and Their Classification. Van Sarmatian paleoenvironments in the easternmost Pannonian Basin (Borod Nostrand Reinhold International Company Limited, New York, 2115 pp. Depression, Romania) revealed by the micropaleontological data. Geologica Manker, J.P., Carter, B.D., 1987. Paleoecology and paleogeography of an extensive Carpathica 65, 67e81. rhodolith facies from the lower Oligocene of south Georgia and north Florida. Fornasini, C., 1904. Illustrazione di specie orbignyane di Foraminiferi institute nel Palaios 592, 181e188. 1826. Memoire della Reale Accademia della Scienze dell Instituto di Bologna 6 Mateu-Vicens, G., Hallock, P., Brandano, M., 2008. A depositional model and (1), 1e17. paleoecological reconstruction of the lower Tortonian distally steepened ramp Foslie, M.H., 1909. Algologiske natiser VI. Det Kongelige norske videnskabus selskals of Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). Palaios 23, 465e481. skrifter 1909, pp. 1e63. Miller, K.J., Kominz, M.A., Browning, J.V., Wright, J.D., Mountain, G.S., Katz, M.E., Fournier, F., Montaggioni, L., Borgomano, J., 2004. Paleoenvironments and high- Sugarman, P.J., Cramer, B.S., Christie-Blick, N., Pekar, S.F., 2005. The Phanerozoic frequency cyclicity from Cenozoic South-East Asian shallow-water carbon- record of global sea-level change. Science 310, 1293e1298. ates: a case study from the Oligo-Miocene buildups of Malampaya, Offshore Miller, K.G., Wright, J.D., Fairbanks, R.G., 1991. Unlocking the Icehouse: Oligoce- Palawan, Philippines. Marine Petroleum Geology 21, 1e21. neeMiocene oxygen isotopes, Eustacy, and margin erosion. Journal of Greig, D.A., 1935. Rotalia viennotti, an important foraminiferal species from Asia Geophysical Research 96 (B4), 6829e6848. Minor and Western Asia. Journal of Paleontology 9, 523e526. Montfort, D, de, 1808. Conchyliologie Systmatique et Classification Methodique des Gumbel, C.W., 1870. Beitrage zur Foraminiferenfauna der nordalpinen Eocangebilde. Coquilles. F. Schoell, Paris, no.1. Abhandlungen der K. Bayerischen Akademie der Wissenschaften. CI, II (1868) Motiei, H., 1993. Stratigraphy of Zagros. Geological Survey of Iran, 583 pp. 10 (2), 581e730. Munier-Chalmas, E., 1882. La Structure Triloculines et des Quinqueloculines. Bulletin Halfar, J., Mutti, M., 2005. Global dominance of coralline red-algal facies: a response de la Société Géologique de France (1881e1882), Series 3 (10), 424e425. to Miocene oceanographic events. Geology 33, 481e484. Murray, J.W., 1991. Ecology and Paleontology of Benthic Foraminifera. Longman Halfar, J., Godinez-Orta, L., Mutti, M., Valdez-Holguin, J., Borges, J., 2004. Nutrient Group, UK. and temperature controls on modern carbonate production: an example from Nebelsick, J.H., Bassi, D., Drobne, K., 2000. Microfacies analysis and palae- the Gulf of California, Mexico. Geology 32, 213e216. oenvironmental interpretation of Lower Oligocene, shallow-water carbonates Hallock, P., 1984. Distribution of larger foraminiferal assemblages on two Pacific (Gornji Grad Beds, Slovenia). Facies 43, 157e176. coral reefs. Journal of Foraminiferal Research 14, 250e261. O’Connell, L.G., James, N.P., Bone, Y., 2012. The Miocene Nullarbor Limestone, Hallock, P., 1985. Why are larger foraminifera large? Paleobiology 11, 195e208. Southern Australia; deposition on a vast subtropical epeiric platform. Sedi- Hallock, P., 1988. The role of nutrient availability in bioerosion: consequences to mentary Geology (253e254), 1-16. carbonate buildups. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 63, Özcan, E., Less, Gy., Baldi-Beke, M., Kollanyi, K., Acar, F., 2009. Oligo-Miocene fora- 275e291. miniferal record (Miogypsinidae, Lepidocyclinidae and Nummulitidae) from the Hallock, P., Glenn, E.C., 1986. Larger foraminifera: a tool for paleoenvironmental Western Taurides (SW, Turkey): biometry and implications for the regional analysis of Cenozoic carbonate depositional facies. Palaios 1, 55e64. geology. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 34, 740e760. Hallock, P., Sheps, K., Chaproniere, G.C.H., Howell, M., 2006. A larger benthic fora- Parr, W.J., 1942. Foraminifera and a tubicolous worm from the Permian of the north- minifers of the Marion Plateau, NE Australia (ODP Leg 194): comparison of west Division of Western Australia. Journal of the Royal Society of Western faunas from bryozoan (Site 1193, 1194) and red-algal (Site 1196e98) dominated Australia (1940e1941) 2, 97e115. carbonate platforms. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program ScientificRe- Pedley, M., 1998. A review of sediment distributions and processes in Oligo- sults 194, 1e31. Miocene ramps of southern Italy and Malta (Mediterranean divide). In: Henson, F.R.S., 1937. Larger foraminifera from Aintab, Turkish Syria. Eclogae Geo- Wright, V.P., Burchette, T.P. (Eds.), Carbonate Ramps, Geological Society, London, logicae Helvetiae 30, 45e57. Special Publications 149, pp. 163e179. Henson, F.R.S., 1950. Middle Eastern Tertiary Peneroplidae (Foraminifera) with re- Pomar, L., Hallock, P., 2008. Carbonate factories: a conundrum in sedimentary ge- marks on the phylogeny and taxonomy of the family. Ph.D. thesis, Leiden ology. Earth-Science Reviews 87, 134e169. (Wakefield), England, 70 pp (unpublished). Pomar, L., Brandano, M., Westphal, H., 2004. Environmental factors influencing Heydari, E., 2008. Tectonics versus eustatic control on supersequences of the Zagros skeletal grain sediment associations: a critical review of Miocene examples Mountains of Iran. Tectonophysics 451, 56e70. from the western Mediterranean. Sedimentology 51, 627e651. Heydari, E., Hassanzadeh, J., Wade, W.J., Ghazi, A.M., 2003. PermianeTriassic Pomar, L., Mateu-Vicens, G., Morsilli, M., Brandano, M., 2014. Carbonate ramp boundary interval in the Abadeh section of Iran with implications for mass evolution during the Late Oligocene (Chattian), Salento Peninsula, southern extinction. Part 1. Sedimentology. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Paleo- Italy. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 404, 109e132. ecology 193, 405e423. Prothero, D.R., 1994. The EoceneeOligocene TransitioneParadise Lost. In: Critical Hohenegger, J., 2000. Coenoclines of larger foraminifera. Micropaleontology 46 Moments in Paleobiology and Earth History Series. Columbia University Press, (Suppl. 1), 127e151. New York. Hohenegger, J., Yordanova, E., Nakano, Y., Tatzreiter, F., 1999. Habitats of larger Prothero, D.R., 2003. Pacific coast EoceneeOligocene marine chronostratigraphy: a foraminifera on the upper reef slope of Sesoko Island, Okinawa, Japan. Marine review and an update. In: Prothero, D.R., Ivany, L.C., Nesbitt, E.A. (Eds.), From Micropaleontology 36, 109e168. Greenhouse to Icehouse: The Marine EoceneeOligocene Transition. Columbia Hottinger, L., 1983. Processes determining the distribution of larger foraminifera in University Press, New York, pp. 1e13. space and time. Utrecht Micropaleontological Bulletins 30, 239e253. Rasser, M., Piller, W., 2004. Crustose algal frameworks from the Eocene Alpine Hottinger, L., 1997. Shallow benthic foraminiferal assemblages as signals for depth foreland. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 206, 21e39. of their deposition and their limitations. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de Reichel, M., 1937. Étude sur les Alveolines. Schweizerische Paläontologische France 168, 491e505. Abhandlungen 59 (3), 95e147. 140 A. Roozpeykar, I.M. Moghaddam / Geoscience Frontiers 7 (2016) 125e140

Reiss, Z., Hottinger, L., 1984. The Gulf of Aqaba: Ecological Micropaleontology. Soltanian, Z., Seyrafian, A., Vazziri-Moghaddam, H., 2011. Biostratigraphy and paleo- Springer, Berlin, Carbonates Evaporites (2010) 25, pp. 145e160. ecological implications in microfacies of the Asmari Formation (Oligocene), Reuter, M., Brachert, T.C., 2007. Freshwater discharge and sediment discharge- Naura anticline (Interior Fars of the Zagros Basin), Iran. Carbonates and Evap- control on growth, ecological structure and geometry of Late Miocene orites 26, 1e13. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13146-011-0053-6. shallow water coral ecosystems (early Tortonian, Crete/Greece). Palae- Stocklin, J., 1968. Structural history and tectonics of Iran: a review. American As- ogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 25, 308e328. sociation Petroleum Geological Bulletin 52, 1229e1258. Romero, J., Caus, E., Rossel, J., 2002. A model for the palaeoenvironmental distri- Van Buchem, F.S.P., Allan, T.L., Laursen, G.V., Lotfpour, M., Moallemi, A., Monibi, S., bution of larger foraminifera based on late Middle Eocene deposits on the Motiei, H., Pickard, N.A.H., Tahmasbi, A.R., Vedrenne, V., Vincent, B., 2010. margin of the south Pyrenean basin (NE Spain). Palaeogeography, Palae- Regional stratigraphic architecture and reservoir types of the Oligo-Miocene oclimatology, Palaeoecology 179, 43e56. deposits in the Dezful mbayment (Asmari and Pabdeh Formations) SW Iran. Sadeghi, R., Vaziri-Moghaddam, H., Taheri, A., 2009. Biostratigraphy and Palae- Geological Society, London, Special Publications 329, 219e263. oecology of the Oligo-Miocene succession in Fars and Khuzestan areas (Zagros Vaziri-Moghaddam, H., Seyrafian, A., Taheri, A., 2010. OligoceneeMiocene ramp Basin, SW Iran). Historical Biology 21, 17e31. system (Asmari Formation) in the NW of the Zagros basin, Iran: microfacies, Scheffen, W., 1932. Zur morphologie und morphogenese der Lepidocyclinen. Pal- paleoenvironment and depositional sequence. Revista Mexicana de Ciencias äntologische Zeitchrift 14, 233e256. Geológicas 27, 56e71. Schultze, M.S., 1854. Uber den Organismus der Polythalamien (Foraminiferen), Vlerk, I.M.van der, 1924. Miogypsina dehaartii, nov. species de larat (Moluques): nebst Bermerkungen uber die Rhizopoden im Allgemeinen. Wilhelm Engel- Eclogae Geologia Helvetiae 18, pp. 429e432. mann, Leipzig. Wynd, J., 1965. Biofacies of the Iranian Consortium Agreement Area. Iranian Oil Schwager, C., 1877. Quadro del proposto sistema di classificazione dei foraminiferi Offshore Company Report 1082, Unpublished. con guscio. Bolletino Reale Comitato Geologico d’Italia 8, 18e27. Yabe, H., Hanzawa, S., 1928. Tertiary foraminiferous rocks of Taiwan (Formosa). Sen Gupta, B.K., 1999. Foraminifera in marginal marine environments. In: Sen Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Japan 4, 533e536. Gupta, B.K. (Ed.), Modern Foraminifera. Kluwer, Dordrecht, pp. 141e159. Zachos, J., Pagani, M., Sloan, L., Thomas, E., Billups, K., 2001. Trends, rhythms and Setchell, W.A., 1943. Mastophora and the Mastophoreae: genus and subfamily of aberrations in global climate 65 Ma to present. Science 292, 686e693. Corallinaceae. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, USA 29, 127e135.