A new Dasycladale is described as Dissocladella? chahtorshiana Rashidi & Schlagintweit n. sp. from Selandian carbonates of Mount Chah Torsh, Central Iran (type locality). Other occurrence is from the Sistan Suture Zone of Eastern Iran (Selandian?, Thanetian?). The medium-sized taxon displays cylindrical to slightly claviform thalli with a relatively large main axis bearing alternating primaries of variable shape. The latter show either slowly widening towards the distal end or are club-shaped displaying very short secondaries. The morphological variability of the primaries, both typical and atypical for Dissocladella, account for some doubts on the generic assignment of the new species. Dissocladella? chahtorshiana occurs in bioclastic packstones with Cymopolia mayaense Johnson & Kaska, Acroporella cf. anceps Segonzac, Halimeda sp., and benthic foraminifera (e.g., soritiids) at its type locality.
Mackinneyella fenestrate genus has been reported first time from Lower Permian, Southern Urals (Russia) and then was found Lower Carboniferous to upper permian deposits from Australia, USA, Mongolia, China, Japan, Thailand and Tasmania. This genus is described for the first time from the Devonian deposits of the Kale Sardar section in Tabas area, Central Iran.
The uppermost Carboniferous (Gzhelian)–Lower Permian (Asselian to Sakmarian) Anarak Group of the Zaladou section in central Iran is more than 180‐m thick and includes thick units of shale, calcareous sandstone, fusulinid limestone, sandy limestone, and dolomite. The Zaladou and Tigh‐e‐Madanu formations of this group were dated as Gzhelian to Sakmarian. A review of the smaller foraminifers of the Zaladou section is presented. Five foraminiferal subzones grouped in three biozones are proposed in this work: The first assemblage zone (I) is Gzhelian; the second zone (II) corresponds to the Gzhelian–Asselian boundary interval, and the third biozone (III) is Asselian in age. Biozone I is subdivided informally into two subzones: the Hemigordius spirilliniformis ‐ Bradyina cf. samarica subzone IA (probably early Gzhelian in age) and the Raphconilia modificata and Globivalvulina spp. subzone IB (middle to late Gzhelian); biozone II is the Nodosinelloides spp. zone; biozone III is subdivided informally into two subzones: IIIA with Pseudoacutella partoazari ‐ Bradyina lucida and IIIB with Planoendothyra persica n. sp.‐ Rectogordius sp. The studied assemblages are correlated with those from the Carnic Alps (Austria–Italy), East European Platform of Russia, the Urals (Russia), Darvas (Uzbekistan), the northern and central Pamirs (Tajikistan), northern Iran (Alborz), northern Afghanistan, and other classical regions of the Tethyan realm. The genera Raphconilia and Planoendothyra are revised, and Planoendothyra persica n. sp. is described.
Abstract Carboniferous and Permian strata crop out in Central Iran. The Asad-Abad section has yielded Gzhelian and Asselian fusulinid levels. Here we describe the smaller foraminifers of this section for the first time and introduce four biozones based on these taxa. Biozone I with Monotaxinoides? melanogaster n. sp. is interpreted to be early?-middle? Gzhelian in age (with possible reworkings affecting up to Moscovian/Kasimovian? levels) based upon the principle of superposition and of previous datings of the underlying series, but in the absence of direct datings by fusulinids of this lowermost part of the section. Further, Monotaxinoides? are generally known in the Bashkirian-Moscovian. Biozone II includes Raphconilia spp., Protonodosaria spp., and Rectogordius? minimus n. sp. and is interpreted as middle?-late Gzhelian in age. Biozone III includes Turrispiroides spp., Calcivertella anguinea, Calcitornella heathi, and Vervilleina crescenticamerata n. sp., and we base its early Asselian age on associated fusulinids. Finally, Biozone IV includes Cribrogenerina? sp. and Nodosinelloides longissima; its middle to late Asselian age, based on fusulinids, is confirmed by associated smaller foraminifers. The foraminiferal assemblages display marked differences in composition and stratigraphic distribution compared with those of Alborz and Tabas Block. Principally, they have unexpected similarities with several North American assemblages, especially the three new species: Monotaxinoides? melanogaster n. sp., Rectogordius? minimus n. sp., and Vervilleina crescenticamerata n. sp.
A foraminiferal assemblage is reported from the Zaladou Formation in the Tabas Block (Shishtu Section), Central Iran. This assemblage comprises 16 species belonging to 14 genera, and encompasses the fusulinids Pseudoacutella partoazari, Grovesella tabasensis, Gr. aff. australis, Gr. sphaerica, Gr. sphaerica var. quadrata, Gr. cf. staffelloides, Schubertina sp., Schubertella sp., and the smaller foraminifers Eotuberitina sp., Lasiodiscus tenuis, Raphconilia cf. minor, R. multihelicis, R. modificata, Tetrataxis cf. parviconica, Globivalvulina ex gr. bulloides, Gl. graeca, Calcivertella heathi, Tansillites sp., Palaeonubecularia? sp., Hemigordiellina sp., Nodosinelloides longa, and N. longissima. The age of this assemblage is considered to be Gzhelian. The assemblage is dominated by the fusulinid Pseudoacutella partoazari with a low total diversity of smaller foraminifers. This assemblage is compared to similar assemblages in other parts of Iran and well as the USA. An evolutionary lineage of Pseudoacutella partoazari is also proposed. It is confirmed that Pseudonovella differs from Pseudoacutella by the periphery rounded-carinate (carinate in Pseudoacutella), pseudochomata less developed, and the type of coiling (Pseudoacutella is truly planispiral involute). Pseudonovella is suggested here as the ancestor of Pseudoacutella. This assemblage bears one unusual attribute, the overwhelming dominance of the fusulinid Pseudoacutella and the relatively low total diversity, compared with similar foraminifera from Alborz, Sanandaj-Sirjan, Sabzevar and central Iran, which present warm and humid conditions during the Late Carboniferous.
The carbonate succession of the Tirgan Formation was studied in the Gelian section located 25 km south of Shirvan town (central Kopet Dagh). In this section, the Tirgan Formation contains a rich assemblage of calcareous algae and foraminifera. Based mainly on the orbitolinid association a latest Barremian-ealy Aptian age was assigned to the Tirgan Formation in the Gelian section. Based on the available stratigraphic analyses and age assignments of the overlying Sarcheshmeh Formation by different authors, one should presume that both the Tirgan and the Sarchesh-meh formations are heterochronous across the Kopet Dagh basin.