Turkish Journal of Earth Sciences Turkish J Earth Sci (2017) 26: 377-394 http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/earth/ © TÜBİTAK Research Article doi:10.3906/yer-1612-29

Higher-resolution biostratigraphy for the Kinta Limestone and an implication for continuous sedimentation in the Paleo-Tethys, Western Belt of Peninsular

1,2, 2 3 4 2 5 Haylay TSEGAB *, Chow Weng SUM , Gatovsky A. YURIY , Aaron W. HUNTER , Jasmi AB TALIB , Solomon KASSA 1 South-East Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACaRL), Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia 2 Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Geosciences and Petroleum Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Bandar Seri Iskandar, Perak Darul Ridzuan, Malaysia 3 Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russian Federation 4 Department of Applied Geology, Western Australian School of Mines, Curtin University, Perth, Australia 5 Department of Applied Geology, School of Applied Natural Sciences, Adama Sciences and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia

Received: 29.12.2016 Accepted/Published Online: 21.09.2017 Final Version: 13.11.2017

Abstract: The paleogeography of the juxtaposed Southeast Asian terranes, derived from the northeastern margins of Gondwana during the Carboniferous to Triassic, resulted in complex basin evolution with massive carbonate deposition on the margins of the Paleo- Tethys. Due to the inherited structural and tectonothermal complexities, discovery of diagnostic microfossils from these carbonates has been problematic. This is particularly the case for the Kinta Limestone, a massive Paleozoic carbonate succession that covers most of the in the central part of the Western Belt of Peninsular Malaysia. Owing to the complex structural and igneous events, as well as extensive diagenetic alterations, establishing precise age constraints for these carbonates has been challenging. Furthermore, the sedimentation history of these deposits has been masked. Three boreholes, totaling 360 m thickness of core, were drilled at either end of the Kinta Valley on a north-south transect through sections with minimal thermal alteration. The sections are composed chiefly of carbonaceous carbonate mudstone with shale and siltstones beds, in which the carbonates were sampled for microfossils. Five hundred conodont elements were extracted. Nine diagnostic conodont genera and 28 age diagnostic conodont species were identified. The identification of Pseudopolygnathus triangulus triangulus and Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus indicated that the successions ranged from Upper Devonian to upper Carboniferous. Further analysis and establishment of stage-level datum that range from the Famennian to Bashkirian (Late Carboniferous) enabled detection of continuous sedimentation and improved age constraints in undated sections of the Kinta Limestone. This higher-resolution conodont biostratigraphy suggests a prevalence of continuous carbonate deposition during the Early Devonian to Late Carboniferous in the Paleo-Tethys. Thus, the identification of diagnostic conodont species for the first time from subsurface data in the area has helped improve the biostratigraphic resolution and establishes depositional continuity of the Kinta Limestone. These data could provide clues to the Paleo-Tethys paleogeographic reconstruction and paleodepositional conditions, and could establish higher temporal resolution correlation than previously attempted.

Key words: Carbonate, conodont, higher-resolution, correlation, paleogeography

1. Introduction The Paleozoic stratigraphic record of Peninsular The Devonian to Carboniferous of Southeast Asia Malaysia, where many carbonate occurrences have was dominated by carbonate deposition from shallow been reported (Figure 1), is not an exception. These continental to deeper waters of the Paleo-Tethys deposits encompass marine sedimentary successions (Metcalfe, 2002; Jian et al., 2009a, 2009b). Paleogeographic ranging from the late Cambrian to early Permian (Foo, reconstructions of this region (Metcalfe et al., 1990; 1983; Lee, 2009). Complex tectonostratigraphic events Metcalfe, 2011, 2013; Searle et al., 2012) have shown, of the Paleo-Tethys basins have been well documented using paleontological, paleobiogeographical, and by Metcalfe and Irving (1990), Alavi (1991), Hutchison tectonostratigraphic datasets, that the Paleo-Tethys had (1994, 1996, 2007), Metcalfe et al. (2011), and Metcalfe huge accommodation space, which probably resulted in (2013). Thus, these complicated paleodepositional settings the deposition of massive carbonates in the Paleozoic. may have influenced the distribution and abundance of * Correspondence: [email protected] 377 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci

Figure 1. Map showing the study area in Peninsular Malaysia, Southeast Asia region. The study area is marked by the red box in western Malaysia. microfossils, which are among the key datasets required to have still been preserved (Suntharalingam, 1968; Fontaine understand the Paleo-Tethys depositional environments, and Ibrahim, 1995; Haylay et al., 2013). Ingham et al. sedimentation histories, and biostratigraphy. (1960), Lee (2009), and (Richardson, 1946) documented To date, high-resolution conodont biostratigraphy that the limestone close to the intrusive batholith lacked of Peninsular Malaysia has focused mainly on the fossils and is invariably marmorized, implying that northwestern part of the Western Stratigraphic Belt as paleontological data from outcrops nearer to the granitic this part of the peninsula contains an almost complete intrusion might be affected by structural and thermal stratigraphic succession of Paleozoic strata (Lee et al., 2004; events. This has negatively impacted our understanding Cocks et al., 2005; Meor et al., 2005; Lee, 2009; Bashardin of the biostratigraphy and deposition history in the et al., 2014), is relatively fossiliferous, and is less affected Kinta Valley successions and resulted in widely variable by metamorphism (Lee, 2009). Conversely, the current age constraints as detailed below. The outcrop-based biostratigraphy of the Kinta Limestone, which is the main dating showed that the limestones to the north are carbonate lithological unit found within the Kinta Valley, mixed Devonian to Carboniferous (Metcalfe, 2002); the in the central part of the Western Belt, is based solely on limestones further to the southern tip of the valley are some poorly preserved uncommon microfossils recovered middle Devonian to middle Permian (Suntharalingam, from outcrop samples within highly metamorphosed 1968). Among the pioneer workers on biostratigraphic sections (Suntharalingam, 1968; Lane, 1979; Lane et al., studies in the Kinta Valley, Gobbett (1968), who found 1979; Fontaine et al., 1995; Fontaine, 2002; Metcalfe, 2002) fusulinacean foraminifera, and Suntharalingam (1968), (Figure 2). who identified mollusks and tabulate corals from tin- Despite the Kinta Limestone and associated mine outcrops, determined the age of the successions as siliciclastic lithologies having been affected by multiple middle Devonian to middle Permian. Contributions from alterations such as diagenesis, structural deformation, and Fontaine and Ibrahim (1995) also confirmed a Permian metamorphism, important and informative microfossils age section from western Kampar in the southern part

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Figure 2. Map of the study area showing the Kinta Valley in the Peninsular Malaysia. Note that drilling locations are in the north () and in the south (Malim Nawar). of the Kinta Valley using Maklaya (fusuline). Lane et were patchy and all age constraints were made based only al. (1979) and Metcalfe (2002) introduced conodont on data derived from specific outcrops. Some of them even dating from a metamorphosed limestone outcrop in the showed diverse age ranges for groups of microfossils in a Kanthan area, which has been dated as mixed Devonian single section (Metcalfe, 2002), which may indicate how to Carboniferous in age. These studies have advanced the complex it was to establish constrained paleontological stratigraphic understanding of the Kinta Limestone, as dating of the sedimentary successions let alone understand they introduced the usage of microfossils from different the depositional history of the succession. The impact of geographical localities and they attempted to establish the tectonothermal effects in the late Permian and Early to local and regional correlations as well. However, a middle Cretaceous (Harbury et al., 1990) has also affected thorough review of the previous micropaleontological the reliability of the aragonitic, calcitic, and siliceous works on the Kinta Limestone showed that these efforts microfossils for dating and understanding the depositional

379 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci history in the basin. Thus, the existing paleontological as pinching out black shale and silt beds, particularly in dating has been thwarted by poor preservation and the Upper Devonian to lower Carboniferous intervals crystallization of the microfossils, which in turn hindered (Haylay et al., 2015). The Kinta Limestone is bounded on identification of taxa to the species level. top by an erosional unconformity and the lower boundary Despite the many attempts to date the Kinta Limestone is unknown, except for speculative older Precambrian on the basis of outcrop studies, microfossil distributions in basement complexes. At present the valley is tilting the Kinta Limestone have been much debated due to the towards the south and the topography is drained to the associated stratigraphic complexity, and the stratigraphic south along the . resolution remains ambiguous. As a result, a new approach is required to examine the Kinta Limestone from fully 2. Materials and methods cored subsurface data to determine the stratigraphic In this study, we have carried out an extensive survey of variation and depositional history in the basin. This paper all the accessible outcrops along a north-south transect uses conodonts, which are second only to pollen and of the Kinta Valley. These included all major outcrops spores as the most resistant microfossils to metamorphism from Sungai Siput through to Malim Nawar (Figure 2). (Haq et al., 1998), to address the challenges of depositional The detailed fieldwork and survey allowed us to establish history, dating, and biofacies variations in the Kinta that only two limestone hills, near Sungai Siput, would Limestone. These phosphatic microfossils are the most enable us to infer the depositional environments of the commonly used biostratigraphic tool for dating late Kinta Limestone. These hills are outliers surrounded by Cambrian to Late Triassic marine rocks (Sweet, 1988; siliciclastics; they are both accessible, relatively unaltered by Sweet et al., 2001), which fits the tentative age of the Kinta thermal impact, and have exceptionally preserved pockets Limestone. This work presents our preliminary results of limestones retaining primary sedimentary features and interpretations of the conodont biostratigraphy of (Haylay et al., 2014). Two boreholes, SGS-01 and SGS-02, the Kinta Limestone and its implications for continuous were drilled, retrieving a total of 126.98 m of cores. These deposition of carbonates in the Paleo-Tethys during the boreholes were drilled at ~1 km lateral distance from each late Paleozoic. This includes resampling classic and new other. A third borehole, MNR-03, was then drilled further outcrops as well as using new borehole data from the to the south of the Kinta Valley in Malim Nawar (Figure deepest part of the Kinta Limestone succession recognized 2) and retrieved the deepest core, at 232.82 m. This is an to date. This study focuses on samples from these vertical area where most of the fossiliferous limestone sites were boreholes to improve the biostratigraphy and examine the reported in the literature. The three boreholes resulted in depositional history of the Kinta Limestone. a total of ~360 m of core recovery, which enabled detailed 1.1. Stratigraphic setting lithofacies (Figures 3–5) and micropaleontological studies The Kinta Valley is in the central part of the Western of the Kinta Limestone. Stratigraphic Belt, where the Kinta Limestone is the major The lithofacies from the northern part of the Kinta lithological unit covering most of the valley (Figure 2). The Valley is mainly dominated by dark to black carbonate Kinta Limestone has previously been dated as extending mudstone with black shale beds and siltstone intervals, from the Silurian to Permian (Suntharalingam, 1968; Foo, particularly at the base of boreholes SGS-01 and SGS- 1983; Schwartz et al., 1989; Hutchison, 1994; Fontaine and 02 (Figures 3 and 4). The southern section of the Kinta Ibrahim, 1995; Metcalfe, 2002; Haylay et al., 2011, 2012). Limestone contains calcitic limestone with minor schistose The flat valley floor of the Kinta Valley is characterized intervals (Figure 5). The lithofacies from the southern by some prominent remnant karstic limestone hills section are relatively coarser than those of the northern protruding from thick Quaternary sediments (Batchelor, section. To investigate the sedimentation history of the 1988), which overly the Kinta Limestone (Batchelor, 1988; Kinta Limestone, establishing high-resolution conodont Kamaludin et al., 1993; Fontaine and Ibrahim, 1995). The biostratigraphy was required. A total of 58 samples from thickness of this overburden varies from north to south cores and outcrops were selected for conodont study. and it reaches 30 m on average at the drilling location in Forty core samples (Figures 3–5) and 18 outcrop samples the Malim Nowar (Figure 2). The subsurface of the Kinta were processed. Sampling intervals for the cored sections Valley is believed to be underlain by the Kinta Limestone of the boreholes are shown in Figures 3–5, along with and by Late Triassic to Early Jurassic granitic intrusions the lithostratigraphic logs of the cores. The sampling (Ingham and Bradford, 1960). The elevated areas in the intervals were set based on the outcrop and core lithofacies east and west of the Kinta Valley represent these granitic description prior to analyses. batholiths (Figure 2). The stratigraphy of the Kinta Valley Core and chip samples were dissolved for the extraction is represented by the Kinta Limestone, the dominant of conodonts following standard procedures (Jeppsson lithology, with minor intercalation of siliciclastics such and Anehus, 1995, 1999; Jeppsson et al., 1999). Depending

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Figure 3. Lithostratigraphic section and sampling intervals of borehole SGS-01. The sampling interval was set based on lithofacies description of the cores.

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Figure 5. Lithostratigraphic section and sampling intervals of Figure 4. Lithostratigraphic section and sampling intervals borehole MNR-03. Note the Quaternary sand unconformably for borehole SGS-02. Note that the sampling was set based on overlaying the Paleozoic carbonate, and sampling was set based lithofacies characterization. on the lithofacies characterization.

382 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci on the dominant lithological characteristics (calcareous or 3.2. Conodont biostratigraphy argillaceous), acid leaching for carbonates and treatment The conodonts recovered from the northern and southern with soda were followed. Subsequently, based on the localities of the Kinta Limestone range from the Early nature of the residues, the conodonts were either manually Devonian to Late Carboniferous. Conodont taxa and separated by examining them under a reflected light their abundances are summarized in Tables 1–3. These binocular microscope or separated using heavy liquid conodont data allowed us to subdivide the Kinta Limestone (bromoform) separation. This was followed by manually into stage levels of dating resolution. The conodont picking the conodonts from enriched or nonenriched species Polygnathus communis communis (Branson et insoluble residues under the microscope using a needle al., 1933), Pseudopolygnathus dentilineatus (Branson et and a thin brush, which was accompanied by mounting al., 1933), Palmatolepis cf. gracilis sigmoidalis (Ziegler, and cataloging for studying. 1962), Spathognathodus crassidentatus (Branson et al., Study and identification of the picked conodont 1933), Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus pinnatus (Voges, materials required imaging through a scanning electron 1959), Siphonodella obsoleta (Hass, 1959), Siphonodella microscope (SEM). For this purpose, representative crenulata (Cooper, 1939), Polygnathus inornatus inornatus specimens were selected from the collection (Figures 6 (Branson et al., 1933), Polygnathus bischoffi (Rhodes et and 7). The samples were mounted in a row of different al., 1969), Pseudopolygnathus triangulus pinnatus (Voges, positions in which all the important structures of the 1959), Pseudopolygnathus aff. fusiformis (Branson et conodonts could be seen. These were then sprayed with al., 1933), Pseudopolygnathus multistriatus (Mehl et al., a thin layer of gold and placed in the SEM for imaging. 1947), Clydagnathus cavusformis (Rhodes et al., 1969), Sample selection, preparation, and description were done Bispathodus stabilis (Branson et al., 1933), Siphonodella cf. at Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Perak, Malaysia. quadruplicata (Branson et al., 1933), Gnathodus punctatus Dissolution, extraction, and identification of the conodonts (Cooper, 1939), Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus triangulus were carried out at Lomonosov Moscow State University, (Voges, 1959), Polygnathus inornatus inornatus (Branson Moscow, Russia. et al., 1933), Gnathodus cf. semiglaber (Bischoff, 1957), and Pinacognathus fornicatus (Ji et al., 1984) are common in the 3. Results samples from SGS-01 and SGS-02, indicating Famennian 3.1. Conodont abundance to Tournaisian age carbonate deposits. The conodont The majority of processed samples produced a good species Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus (Ellison, quantity and quality of conodonts suitable for identification 1941), Declinognathodus noduliferus inaequalis (Higgins, to species level. The conodonts showed variable abundance 1975), Declinognathodus noduliferus japonicus (Igo et al., in the two studied localities of the Kinta Limestone. Out of 1964), and Declinognathodus cf. noduliferus noduliferus the 40 core samples, 20 of them were taken from borehole (Ellison et al., 1941) are mainly extracted from the samples MNR-03 in the southern part of the Kinta Valley; six of of borehole MNR-03, suggesting Bashkirian age deposits. these 20 samples were found barren. The remaining 20 These data, using the age-diagnostic conodont species were taken from boreholes SGS-01 and SGS-02 in the such as the Pseudopolygnathus triangulus triangulus and Sungai Siput section at the northern part of the valley. Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus, indicate a The proportion of the conodonts recovered from the continuous succession of the Kinta Limestone from the northern part of the Kinta Limestone covers 80% of the north to the south of the Kinta Valley. Representative total. The conodonts from the southern part of the Kinta SEM images of the age-diagnostic conodonts are shown Valley cover 20% of the total recovery. The samples taken in Figures 6 and 7, while the conodont biostratigraphy from the northern part of the Kinta Limestone contain 24 along with the standard chronostratigraphy and short- conodont species and samples from the southern part of term Phanerozoic sea-level curve for the specific time the Kinta Valley contain four conodont species, which have interval mentioned above are indicated in Figures 8 and been identified from more than 60 conodont elements. 9, respectively. The dark to black carbonaceous carbonate mudstone from the Sungai Siput section of the Kinta Limestone is 4. Discussion richer in conodonts than the light gray calcitic limestone 4.1. Stratigraphy and age constraint for the Kinta from the southern section. Even though a thicker section Limestone was recovered in the southern part of the Kinta Valley, Using borehole data from pockets of relatively unaltered MNR-03, it was found to be relatively poor in conodont carbonate lithologies at either end of the Kinta Valley speciation and abundance, only containing four species. (Sungai Siput in the north and Malim Nawar in the south), In addition to this, the marmorized carbonate lithofacies within the heavily metamorphosed Kinta Limestone, to the east and west of the Kinta Valley were found barren. has enabled us to establish precise high-resolution

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Figure 6. The scale bar represents 100 µm. Marker conodont species’ SEM images. The name of the species of the marker conodonts is as follows: 1 = Siphonodella cf. quadruplicata (Branson & Mehl, 1934), sample B-1-5, upper view; 2 = Siphonodella obsoleta (Hass, 1959), sample B-1-7, upper view; 3 = Siphonodella crenulata (Cooper, 1939), sample B-2-7, upper view; 4 = Palmatolepis cf. gracilis sigmoidalis (Ziegler, 1962), sample B-1-1, upper view; 5 = Siphonodella crenulata (Cooper, 1939), sample B-1-3, upper view; 6 = Polygnathus communis communis (Branson & Mehl, 1934), sample B-2-2; 6a = upper view, 6b = lower view; 7 = Polygnathus bischoffi (Rhodes, Austin & Druce, 1969), sample B-1-6, upper view; 8 = Polygnathus inornatus inornatus (Branson & Mehl, 1934), sample B-1-3; 8a = lower view, 8b = upper view; 9 = Gnathodus semiglaber (Bischoff, 1957), sample B-1-6, upper view; 10 = Gnathodus punctatus (Cooper, 1939), sample B-1-6, upper view; 11 = Pseudopolygnathus triangulus (Voges, 1959), sample B-1-3, upper view; 12, 13 = Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus (Ellison & Graves, 1941), sample B-3-3, upper view.

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Table 1. Conodont elements from SGS-01.

Sections Sungai Siput (SGS-01)

Conodont taxa

Samples B-1-1 B-1-2 B-1-3 B-1-4 B-1-5 B-1-6 B-1-7 B-1-8 B-1-9 B-1-10 B-1-11 B-1-12 Polygnathus communis communis (Branson & Mehl, 1934) 10 16 2 4 4 l Pseudopolygnathus dentilineatus (E.R. Branson, 1934) l Palmatolepis cf. gracilis sigmoidalis (Ziegler, 1962) l Spathognathodus crassidentatus (Branson & Mehl, 1934) l Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus pinnatus (Voges, 1959) 2 l Siphonodella obsoleta (Hass, 1959) 5 l 3 6 8 Siphonodella crenulata (Cooper, 1939) 4 Polygnathus inornatus inornatus (Branson & Mehl, 1934) 8 Polygnathus bischoffi (Rhodes et al., 1969) 3 2 Pseudopolygnathus triangulus pinnatus (Voges, 1959) (8) 8 Pseudopolygnathus aff. fusiformis (Branson et al., 1933) 1 Pseudopolygnathus multistriatus (Mehl & Thomas, 1947) l Clydagnathus cavusformis (Rhodes et al., 1969) 5 Bispathodus stabilis (Branson et al., 1933) l Siphonodella cf. quadruplicata (Branson et al., 1933) 2 Gnathodus punctatus (Cooper, 1939) (4) 4 Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus triangulus (Voges, 1959) l Polygnathus inornatus inornatus (Branson et al., 1933) l Gnathodus cf. semiglaber (Bischoff, 1957) 1 l Pinacognathus fornicatus (Ji et al., 1984) l biostratigraphy and constrained the age range for the Despite this loss of primary sedimentary features, the Kinta Limestone. The preserved sedimentological features southern well has proven that, in addition to the towering in the relatively unaltered carbonate lithofacies enabled limestone karstic hills, which are mainly aligned in the us to establish suitable study locations. The carbonate western foothill of the Main Range granite in the Kinta lithofacies from the northern part of the Kinta Valley Valley (Figure 2), the Kinta Limestone continuously are found to be interbedded with shale beds maintaining underlies the Quaternary deposits. It is well known that sharp bedding contacts, lamination, and syndepositional carbonate production is partly controlled by water depth structures such as frequent slumps and contorted beds. In and optimum bathymetry, where the rise of sea level is not addition to preserved sedimentary structures at the drilling going to threaten the survival of the carbonate producing locations, similar slump-like features crop out in the caves organisms (Kendall et al., 1981). Examination of the east of , such as and Kek Lok Tong (Kadir et geochemical and mineralogical analyses of the lithofacies, al., 2011; Pierson et al., 2011). These features have been which creates sharp contact planes within carbonate found extending from the surface to the subsurface part successions, showed that there was little mixing of the of the Kinta Limestone and we have been able to intercept carbonate and siliciclastics during their deposition (Haylay a continuous limestone succession with intercalation of et al., 2012, 2014), indicating a change in depositional shale and siltstone intervals along the vertical wells from environments within the Kinta Limestone. These differing the Sungai Siput area. Conversely, in the southern section lithologies along the strike from the north to the south of at Malim Nawar, the carbonate lithofacies is mainly the Kinta Valley have prompted questions of whether these calcitic limestone with short intervals of schistose material are due to lateral small-scale facies changes or actually and has lost almost all of its sedimentary heterogeneity. represent temporal changes in the carbonate succession.

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Table 2. Conodont elements from SGS-02.

Section SGS-02

Sample code B-2-1 B-2-2 B-2-3 B-2-4 B-2-5 B-2-6 B-2-7 B-2-8 B-2-9 B-2-10 Conodont taxa Polygnathus communis communis (Branson & Mehl, 1934) 5 2 7 l Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus pinnatus (Voges, 1959) (2) 2 Siphonodella obsoleta (Hass, 1959) 2 6 Siphonodella crenulata (Cooper, 1939) 4 8 Polygnathus inornatus inornatus (Branson & Mehl, 1934) l 3 Polygnathus bischoffi (Rhodes et al., 1969) 2 Pseudopolygnathus cf. triangulus triangulus (Voges, 1959) 2 Polygnathus cf. inornatus inornatus (Branson et al., 1933) 2 Siphonodella cf. crenulata (Cooper, 1939) l Polygnathus cf. inornatus (Branson et al., 1933) l Bispathodus cf. aculeatus aculeatus (Branson et al., 1933) l Polygnathus lacinatus asymmetricus (Rhodes et al., 1969) 2 l 2 Polygnathus inornatus rostratus (Rhodes et al., 1969) 2 l Bispathodus aculeatus plumulus (Rhodes et al., 1969) 2 Palmatolepis gracilis gracilis (Branson et al., 1933) l

Table 3. Conodont elements from MNR-03.

Sections Malim Nawar (MNR-03)

Conodont taxa

Samples B-3-1 B-3-2 B-3-3 B-3-4 B-3-5 B-3-6 B-3-7 B-3-8 B-3-9 B-3-10 B-3-11 B-3-12 B-3-13 B-3-14 B-3-15 B-3-16 B-3-17 B-3-18 B-3-19 B-3-20

Declinognathodus noduliferus noduliferus 49 l 5 4 (Ellison, 1941) Declinognathodus noduliferus inaequalis 9 l (Higgins, 1975) Declinognathodus noduliferus japonicus 1 (Igo & Koike, 1964) Declinognathodus cf. noduliferus noduliferus 27 l (Ellison & Graves, 1941)

This question was hampered in previous studies by lack of this study, we have collected new data from cored vertical outcrop, as well as the highly altered nature of the sequences wells penetrating to a depth of 232.82 m of carbonate and the challenging physiography of the karstic hills. In succession, allowing determination of the age of the

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Figure 7. The scale bar represents 100 µm. Marker conodont species’ SEM images. The name of the species of the marker conodonts is as follows: 1, 2 = Clydagnathus cavusformis (Rhodes, Austin & Druce, 1969), sample B-1-3, 1a = upper view, 1b = lateral view, sample B-1-3= lateral view; 3, 4 = Bispathodus stabilis (Branson & Mehl, 1934), sample B-1-3, 3a = upper view, 3b = lateral view, sample B-2-7 = lateral view; 5 = Spathognathodus sp., sample B-2-5 = lateral view; 6 = Bispathodus aculeatus plumulus (Rhodes, Austin & Druce, 1969), sample B-2-7 = lateral view; 7 = Declinognathodus noduliferus inaequalis (Higgins, 1975), sample B-3-3 = upper view; 8 = Pinacognathus fornicatus (Ji, Xiong & Wu, 1985), sample B-1-8 = upper view; 9 = Pseudopolygnathus triangulus triangulus (Voges, 1959), sample B-1-3 = upper view; 10 = Polygnathus lacinatus asymmetricus (Rhodes, Austin & Druce, 1969), sample B-2-5, 10a = upper view, 10b = lower view; 11 = Pseudopolygnathus dentilineatus (E.R. Branson, 1934), sample B-1-1, 11a = upper view, 11b = lower view, 12 = Declinognathodus noduliferus japonicus (Igo & Koike, 1964), sample B-3-15 = upper view.

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Figure 8. Conodont biostratigraphy in the Kinta Limestone. Marker genera have been identified and these conodonts are plotted with their first appearance and indicate a potential zonation in the Upper Devonian–lower Carboniferous.

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Figure 9. Lithostratigraphy, sea level, and conodont biostratigraphy of the three studied sections from the Kinta Limestone. Note that the sections have the same vertical scale; the sea-level curve (modified after Haq and Schutter, 2008) is rising to the left and falling to the right. The barren zone is indicated for the deepest borehole, MNR-03.

389 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci sections using well-preserved conodont species extracted study come from the shorter and older successions in the from the core samples. The paleontological dating of these north. Despite the smaller section drilled, this still covers sections has enabled us to extrapolate surface data, which a total chronostratigraphic age of Famennian (Upper are patchy and scattered, to the continuous subsurface and Devonian) to Serpukhovian (Upper Mississippian), thus estimate the thickness and depositional history of the thus indicating that this section is condensed due to Kinta Limestone. This has provided us with an opportunity a variable or lower rate of sedimentation during the to correlate three sections using paleontological dating at a Late Devonian to late Carboniferous. The compacted resolution never previously applied to this succession. sediments from the late Devonian to early Carboniferous We have recovered, for the first time, sizable quantities sections are characterized by the carbonaceous dark gray of phosphatic conodont microfossil elements, which to black limestone interbedded with black shale beds. being identified to species level provide a much higher The succession is devoid of benthic faunas and combined temporal resolution for the subsurface part of the Kinta with the characteristic slump structures, dominance Limestone than previously established. These microfossil of fine-grained lithofacies, and bedded cherts (Haylay data have been associated to the lithological variations, et al., 2014) is indicative of a deep basinal deposit with which have been deduced from the relict textures and low depositional rates. By contrast, the section at Malim preserved sedimentary structures, to reveal temporal, Nawar is much thicker and covers a shorter time interval, and to a much lesser extent spatial, variations within the indicating more rapid deposition of thicker, shallower lithofacies. We have found considerable variation in the water carbonates during the middle to Late Carboniferous, conodont abundance, species diversity, and apparent with the occurrence of shallow benthic macrofossils and lithofacies association between the two northern sections forams. This indicates that the Kinta Limestone had a (which show little spatial variation) and the southern variable depositional history, with the deeper, darker section, which are comparable to the differing lithofacies more organic-rich pelagic carbonates (black limestones) discussed above. The studied sections of the Kinta and black shale beds with a lower deposition rate of the Limestone have shown variation in many attributes, late Devonian to early Carboniferous giving way to the including texture, organic content, and extent of thermal alterations (Haylay et al., 2014; Haylay Tsegab et al., 2015). thicker, more calcitic limestones of the Bashkirian to mid- Sediment thickness for the two cored sections measured late Carboniferous. These variations are clearly temporal, in the shortened, more condensed, northern part of but may also have some relevance to the paleodepositional the valley at Sungai Siput is 126.98 m and represents conditions of the studied successions. Thus, we can infer Lower Devonian to lower Carboniferous (Mississippian) bathymetric variation in the paleo-basin during the lithologies, whereas the sediment thickness recovered deposition of these successions, with the conodont-rich from the southern part of the valley at Malim Nawar older sections deposited in a relatively deeper setting is more than 232.82 m, mainly representing upper than the younger, conodont-poor, shallower depositional Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) age sediments. These ages successions in the southern part of the valley. show that the sections, which are about 80 km apart, can Our data are useful for constraining a depositional now be correlated using the cooccurrence of established model of the Kinta Limestone and the paleobiogeographical conodont datum of Polygnathus inornatus rostratus and evolution of the region. As the Sibumasu terrain began Declinognathodus nodiliferus nodiliferus. The composite to converge with the Indochina terrane, the deep basinal stratigraphic section (Figure 8) demonstrates definitively deposits of the Late Devonian to early Carboniferous, that the Kinta Limestone has a chronostratigraphic range with a lower rate of deposition and characteristic slump from at least the Lower Devonian to upper Carboniferous, structures, gave way to the thicker, shallower carbonates while the total age range based on previous studies of the of the Late Carboniferous to Permian. Globally, the formation were much wider, possibly ranging from the Devonian to Carboniferous time is marked by widespread Silurian to Permian (Suntharalingam, 1968). Crucially, carbonate platforms (Schlager, 2003; Markello et al., this study now establishes high-resolution dating for 2008). In the Paleo-Tethys, massive carbonate deposits, of the previously undated Sungai Siput section, indicating which the Kinta Limestone is a part, have been reported that the Kinta Limestone is older in the north, growing (Şengör, 1984; Hutchison, 2007). The Early Devonian to younger towards the south, with much younger upper early Carboniferous (Mississippian) was characterized by Carboniferous to Permian sequences lying south of continuous sea-level rise (Haq et al., 2008), which reached Kampar (Suntharalingam, 1968; Fontaine and Ibrahim, a maximum in the Bashkirian (late Carboniferous). This 1995). maximum sea-level rise corresponds to the time at which 4.2. Sedimentation history in the Paleo-Tethys the studied part of the Kinta Limestone was deposited, In terms of relative thickness and depositional history, with the dark gray to black carbonaceous Late Devonian over 80% of the conodont elements recovered in this to early Carboniferous lithofacies giving way to thick

390 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci calcitic limestones in the Bashkirian. At Sungai Siput, studies, however, reached their conclusions without the preserved beddings and laminations suggest deposition detailed subsurface biostratigraphic framework used in in a relatively deep, low-energy environment, suggesting this study, which enabled more precise age determination the development of anoxic conditions in the deeper part and sedimentation data to be established. In contrast to this of the paleo-basin and thus possibly more favorable study, the previous studies were only able to constrain the conditions for the preservation of conodonts. Similar bottom and top of the succession using macrofossil data, studies in relation to the abundance and diversity of while we have been able to reveal details of the depositional conodonts and other marine microfossils showed that history of the Kinta Limestone. In order to constrain the conodonts recovered from lithofacies in association with entire succession, we would need to penetrate deeper black shale beds indicate the paleo-basin water depth and into the older sequences at Sungai Siput, as our existing possibly paleo-hydrographic conditions (Fåhraeus et al., boreholes did not reach the underlying oldest sedimentary 1975; Klapper et al., 1978; Lindström, 1984; Aldridge, succession. Similarly, we would also prospect for younger 1986). The compendium of marine microfossils (Sepkoski, drill sections south of Kampar in the Late Carboniferous 2002) noted that the conodonts showed a decreasing to Permian sequences. This research may encourage the trend in diversity and abundance from the Devonian to revisiting of similar successions in the Paleo-Tethys for the Carboniferous, which is consistent with our data from useful clues for potential petroleum exploration target in the Kinta Limestone. These data also fit with the end- the Southeast Asia region. Devonian mass extinction event, with high Devonian In conclusion, improved high-resolution dating of the diversity leading up to it and then low diversity in the Kinta Limestone using conodont biostratigraphy from three Carboniferous. newly cored well sections in relatively unaltered sediments Studies in the Paleo-Tethys indicated that it was has, for the first time, conclusively constrained the age of characterized by continuous deposition of sedimentation part of the Paleozoic carbonate successions in the central until the Neo-Tethys (Gaetani et al., 1991). The closure part of the Western Belt of Peninsular Malaysia. This has of the Paleo-Tethys was in the Middle Triassic (Sone et enabled measurement of a continuous succession of Upper al., 2008), implying that there was accommodation space Devonian to upper Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) strata. for a continuous deposition of sedimentary successions Results indicate continuous but variable rates of deposition in the paleo-basin. Moreover, the global sea level for the during the Late Devonian to Late Carboniferous in the Phanerozoic (Haq and Schutter, 2008) was on the rise Paleo-Tethys basin of Peninsular Malaysia. The research from the Devonian to lower Carboniferous. Carbonate- also indicated sedimentological and temporal variations producing organisms were at their peak during those related to changing local paleodepositional conditions, periods (Markello et al., 2008) and hence a huge volume and the extent of oxygenation within the paleo-basins was of carbonate sediment is expected in these conditions, reflected in the marked variation of sedimentation in the favoring the possibility of deposition of the voluminous late Paleozoic Paleo-Tethys basin. Kinta Limestone. Studies have indicated that the paleolatitude of the Paleo-Tethys during this time was Acknowledgments tropical (Stauffer, 1974), which is another important factor The authors are grateful to Universiti Teknologi for carbonate sedimentation, with many modern carbonate PETRONAS (Y-UTP Grant - 12) and the Southeast analogs being limited to low-latitude geographic locations Asia Carbonate Research Laboratory (SEACaRL) for of the Earth. financial and logistical support. We are also thankful to High-resolution conodont biostratigraphy of the Kinta the laboratories in Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and Limestone confirms the significant chronostratigraphic laboratory technicians Samsudin B Osman, Mohd Najib range of the formation, with no apparent breaks B Temizi, Amirul Qhalis B Abu Rashid, Zulhusni Bin in sedimentation. Crucially, we demonstrate that Abd Ghani, and Shahrul Rizzal BM Yusof. We would like sedimentation was not consistent and these rates are to extend our appreciation to Prof Michael Poppelreiter comparable with other temporal observations within the and Associate Prof Dr Jose Antonio Gemaz for reviewing Paleo-Tethys basin. Our conclusions are, however, limited and providing constructive comments on the previous to the Late Devonian to late Carboniferous and there may drafts of the manuscript. We are also grateful to the be breaks in sedimentation in older or younger sequences management of Sime Darby Berhand, for permission to not encountered in this study. Other studies have shown drill in their planation at Sungai Siput, and to the Minerals comparable continuous successions of Middle Devonian & Geoscience Department Malaysia (JMG) for access to lower Permian in the Kinta Valley (Suntharalingam, granted to drill in their research site in Malim Nawar. 1968; Foo, 1983; Hutchison, 1994; Fontaine and Ibrahim, Nurlela Ahmed is thanked for her administrative support 1995), without an apparent sedimentation break. These and facilitations at SEACaRL. Finally, the first author is

391 TSEGAB et al. / Turkish J Earth Sci thankful for the postgraduate grants won from IAS and also presented at ICPSEA3, which was organized with a travel grant to support presentation of this research at collaboration of Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS and the the XVIII International Congress on the Carboniferous IGCP 596 “Climate change and biodiversity patterns in the and Permian, Kazan, Russia. Part of this paper was Mid-Palaeozoic (Early Devonian to Late Carboniferous)”.

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