ABSTRACT

Six genera and 27 species of Permian fusulinids, of which four genera and 15 species are described as new, have been recovered for the first time from the Khan Formation in east-central Iran. When compared with the fossil content of central Pamir, south Afghanistan, east Hindu Kush, Karakorum and south Tibet (north of Rutog), the fauna of the Khan Formation shows a Peri-Gondwanan affinity. The evolutionary pattern both of the Peri-Gondwanan Perigondwania and of Neodutkevitchia of late Sakmarian-early Artinskian age is quite similar to, and shows homeomorphic evolutionary similarity to the late Gzelian and Asselian Shagonella and Dutkevitchia fauna from the tropical Tethyan realm. The Eoparafusulina and Perigondwania-Neodutkevitchia faunas are widely distributed in a narrow, southern antitropical belt that surrounded Peri-Gondwana. The time of deposition of the Khan Formation corresponds to a major unconformity between the Sardar and Jamal Formations in the Shirgesht and Ozbakuh areas, and is important in interpretations of the paleogeography, paleotectonics and paleoclimate in east-central Iran and the entire Peri-Gondwanan region.

Vladimir I. Davydov. Permian Research Institute, Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725
Sakineh Arefifard. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Idaho Moscow, ID 83844-3022
Currently: Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lorestan, Khorram abad, Iran. Additional email: sarefifard@gmail.com

KEY WORDS: Iran, East-Central; Cisuralian; fusulinaceans, biostratigraphy, correlation, Peri-Gondwana, new species

PE Article Number: 10.2.10A
Copyright: Paleontological Society August 2007
Submission: 30 January 2007. Acceptance: 24 June 2007