Document Type : Final File

Authors

1 Institute of Petroleum Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

2 Department of Geology, Faculty of Sciences, North Tehran branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran

Abstract

The Palaeozoic rock units mainly, Ghelli, Niur, Padeha, Khoshyeilagh and Mobark formations are well-exposed in the north of Robat-e Gharabil village. 116 out of 157 surface samples were analyzed to determine aged relationships of Ghelli Formation. The samples of Ghelli Formation are dominated by acritarchs (42 species belonging to 23 genera) and chitinozoans (26 species distributing among 15 genera). Two new acritarch species are introduced, consisting of Goniosphaeridium iranense n.sp., and Goniosphaeridium persianense n. sp. Based on the restricted stratigraphic range of chitinozoan species, Late Ordovician (Ashgill) age is assigned to the Ghelli Formation. On the other hand, the presence of diagnostic chitinozoan taxa in the Ghelli Formation consisting of Armoricochitina nigerica, Ancyrochitina merga, and Spinachitina oulebsiri chitinozoan biozones, suggest a clear palaeobiogeographic affinity between NE Alborz Mountain and North Gondwana Domain. The presence of some chitinozoan and acritarch taxa from the Baltic and Laurentia in Gondwanan chitinozoan biozones of the Robat-e Gharabil area suggests the existence of counter-clockwise marine currents that resulted in bringing planktonic organisms (acritarchs and chitinozoans) from lower latitudes (Baltica) to higher latitudes (Northern Gondwanan Domain) settings.

Keywords

Main Subjects

  1. Abuhmida F., Palynological analysis of the Ordovician to Lower Silurian sediments from the Murzuq Basin, southwest Libya. Ph. D thesis, University of Sheffield Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, 641p (2013).
  2. Achab A., Sur quelques chitinozoaires de la Formation de Vauréal et de la Formation de Macasty (Ordovicien supérieur); lie d'Anticosti, Québec, Canada. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 25: 295-314 (1978).
  3. Afshar-Harb A., The stratigraphy, tectonic and petroleum geology of Kopet Dagh region. Unpublished Ph. D. thesis, Imperial College of Sciences and Technology, University of London, 316p (1979).
  4. Al-Ameri T., and Wicander R., An assessment of the gas generation potential of the Ordovician Khabour Formation, Western Iraq. Comunicações Geológicas, T. 95: 157–166 (2008).
  5. Bourahrouh A., Paris F., Elaouad-Debbaj Z., Biostratigraphy, biodiversity and palaeoenvironments of the chitinozoans and associated palynomorphs from the Upper Ordovician of the Anti-Atlas, Morocco, Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 130:17-40 (2004).
  6. Butcher A., Early Llandovery Chitinozoans from Jordan. Palaeontol. 52: 593-629 (2009).
  7. Cramer F. H., Distribution of selected Silurian acritarchs. Rev. españ. Micropaléont, plates I–XXIII. 1: 1–203 (1971).
  8. Elaouad-Debbaj Z., Chitinozoaires de la formation du Ktaoua inférieur de l’Anti-Atlas (Morac). Hercynica 2: 35-55 (1986).
  9. Eisenack A., Neue Mikrofossilien des baltischen Silurs 1. Paläontol. Z. 13: 74–118 (1931).
  10. Eisenack A., Chitinozoen, Hystrichosphäeren und andere Mikrofossilien aus dem Beyrichia Kalk. Senckenbergiana lethaea, 36: 157-188 (1955).
  11. Eisenack A., Neotypen baltischer Silur-Chitinozoen und neue Arten. N. Jb. Geol. Paläontol Abh. 108: 1-20 (1959).
  12. Foster C., and Wicander R., An Early Ordovician organic-walled microphytoplankton assemblage from the Nambeet Formation, Canning Basin, Australia: biostratigraphic and paleogeographic significance. Palynology, 1-31 (2015).
  13. Fensome R. A., Williams G. L., Barss M. S., Freeman J. M., Hill J. M.,  Acritarchs and fossil prasinophyte: an index to genera, species, infraspecific taxa. AASP. Contrib. Ser. 25: 1-771 (1990).
  14. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Palynostratigraphy and Paleobiogeography of lower Palaeozoic strata in the Ghelli area, northeastern Iran (Kopet-Dagh Region).J.Sci.I.R.Iran, 11(4):305-318 (2000).
  15. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Palynostratigraphy and Palaeogeography of the Upper Ordovician Gorgan Schists (Southeastern Caspian Sea), Eastern Alborz Mountain Ranges, Northern Iran. Comunicações Geológicas, t. 95: 123-155 (2008).
  16. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Cryptospore and trilete spore assemblages from the Late Ordovician (Katian–Hirnantian) Ghelli Formation, Alborz Mountain Range, Northeastern Iran: Palaeophytogeographic and palaeoclimatic implications. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 231: 48–71 (2016).
  17. Ghavidel-Syooki M., and Winchester-Seeto, T., Biostratigraphy and Palaeogeography of Late Ordovician chitinozoans from the north-eastern Alborz Range, Iran. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 118: 77-99 (2002).
  18. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Hassanzadeh, J., and Vecoli, M., Palynology and isotope geochronology of the Upper Ordovician–Silurian successions (Ghelli and Soltan Maidan Formations) in the Khoshyeilagh area, eastern Alborz Range, northern Iran; stratigraphic and palaeogeographic implications. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 164: 251–271 (2011a).
  19. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Álvaro, J.J., Popov, L., Ghobadi Pour, M., Ehsani, M.H., and Suyarkova, A., Stratigraphic evidence for the Hirnantian (latest Ordovician) glaciation in the Zagros Mountains, Iran. Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimatol. Palaeoecol. 307: 1–16 (2011b).
  20. Ghavidel-Syooki M., Biostratigraphy of Acritarchs and Chitinozoans in Ordovician Strata from the Fazel Abad Area, Southeastern Caspian Sea, Alborz Mountains, Northern Iran: Stratigraphic Implications. J. Sci. I. R. Iran. 28(1): 37 - 57 (2017).
  21. Górka H., Acritarches et Prasinophyceae de l’ordovicien Moyen (Viruen) de sondage de Smedsby Gard no. 1 (Gotland, Sue`de). Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 52: 257-297 (1987).
  22. Greuter W.F.R., Barrie H.M., Burdet W.G., Chaloner V., DeMoulin D.L., Hawksworth P.M., Jφrgensen J., McNeil D.H., Nicolson P.C.S., Trehane P., International code of botanical nomenclature (Tokyo Code). Regnum Vegetable, 131. Koeltz Scientific Books, Königstein. 389 pp (1994).
  23. Hill P.J., and Molyneux, S.G., Palynostratigraphy, palynofacies and provincialism of Late Ordovician–Early Silurian acritarchs from northeast Libya. In: El-Arnauti, A., Owens, B., Thusu, B. (Eds.), Subsurface Palynostratigraphy of Northeast Libya. Garyounis University Publications, Benghazi, Libya, pp. 27–43 (1988).
  24. Jachowicz M., Ordovician acritarchs from central and northwestern Saudi Arabia. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol89: 19-25 (1995).
  25. Jacobson S.R., and Achab A., Acritarchs biostratigraphy of the Dicellograptus complanatus graptolite Zone from the Vaureal Formation (Ashgillian) Anticosti Isleland, Quebec, Canada. Palynology 9: 165–198 (1985).
  26. Jansonius J., Morphology and classification of some Chitinozoa. Bull. Canad. Pet. Geologists, 12: 901-918 (1964).
  27. Jenkins W.A.M., Chitinozoa from the Ordovician Sylvan Shale of the Arbuckle Mountains, Oklahoma. Palaeontology 13: 261–288 (1970).
  28. Keegan J.B., Rasul S.M., Shaheen Y., Palynostratigraphy of the Lower Palaeozoic, Cambrian to Silurian, sediments of Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 45: 167–180 (1990).
  29. Le Hérissé A., Molyneux S.G., Miller M.A., Late Ordovician to early Silurian acritarchs from the Qusaiba-1 shallow core hole, central Saudi Arabia. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 212: 22-59 (2014).
  30. Le Hérissé A., Paris F., Steemans P., Late Ordovician–earliest Silurian palynomorphs from northern Chad and correlation with contemporaneous deposits of southeastern Libya. Bull. Geosci. 88: 483–504 (2013).
  31. Le Heron D. P., Khoukhi Y., Paris F., Ghienne J.F., Le Hérissé A., Black shale, grey shale, fossils and glaciers: Anatomy of the Upper Ordovician-Silurian succession in the Tazzeka Massif of eastern Morocco. Gondwana Research 14: 483-496 (2008).
  32. Li J., Wicander R., Yan K., Zhu H., An Upper Ordovician acritarch and prasinophyte assemblage from Dawangou, Xinjiang, northwestern China: biostratigraphics and paleogeographics implication. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 139: 97-128 (2016).
  33. Loeblich A. R., Jr., and Tappan H., Some Middle and Late Ordovician microphytoplankton from Central North America. J. Paleontol. 52: 1233-1287 (1978).
  34. Martin F., and Yin L. M., Ordovicien supérieur et Silurien inférieur à Deerlijk (Belgium). Palynofacies et microfacies. Mem. Inst. r. Sci. nat. Belgique, Brussels, 174: 1-71 (1988).
  35. Miller M. A., Paniculaferum missouriensis gen. et sp. nov., a new Upper Ordovician acritarch from Missouri, U.S.A. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 70: 17-223 (1991).
  36. Oulebsir L., and Paris F., Chitinozoaires ordoviciens du Sahara algérien: biostratigraphie et affinités paléogéographiques. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 86: 49-68 (1995).
  37. Paris F., The Ordovician Biozones of the North Gondwana Domain. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 66: 181-209 (1990).
  38. Paris F., Les chitinozoaires dans le Paléozoïque du sud-ouest de l‟Europe (cadre géologique-étude systématique-biostratigraphie). Mém. Soc. géol. mineral. Bretagne, 26: 1-496 (1981).
  39. Paris F., Grahn Y., Nestor Y., Lakova I., A revised chitinozoan classification. J. Paleontol. 73(4): 549-570 (1999).
  40. Paris F., Verniers J., Al-Hajri S., Ordovician chitinozoan from Central Saudi Arabia. In: Al-Hajri, S., Owens, B. (Eds.), Stratigraphic Palynology of the Palaeozoic of Saudi Arabia. Special GeoArabia Publication, Gulf PetroLink, Bahrain, 1: 42–56 (2000b).
  41. Paris F., Le Hérissé A., Monod O., Kozlu H., Ghienne J.F., Dean W.T., Vecoli M., Günay Y., Ordovician chitinozoans and acritarchs from southern and southeastern Turkey. Rev. Micropaleontol. 50: 81–107 (2007).
  42. Paris F., Verniers J., Miller M.A., Al-Hajri S., Melvin J., Wellman C.H., Late Ordovician–earliest Silurian chitinozoans from the Qusaiba-1 core hole (North Central Saudi Arabia) and their relation to the Hirnantian glaciation. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol 212: 60-84 (2015).
  43. Raevskaya E., and Servais T., Ninadiacrodium: A new Late Cambrian acritarch genus and index fossil. Palynology, 33 (1): 219–239 (2009).
  44. Rasul S.M., Acritarch zonation of Tremadoc Series of Shinetone Shales, Wrekin, Shropshire. Palynology, 3: 53-72 (1979).
  45. Soufiane A., and  Achab A., Upper Ordovician and Lower Silurian chitinozoans from central Nevada and Arctic Canada . Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 113: 165-187 (2000).
  46. Staplin F. L., Jansonius J. Pocock S. A. J., Evaluation of some acritarcheous hystrichosphere genera. N. Jb. Geol. Paläontol. Abh. 123: 167-201 (1965).
  47. Webby B. D., Paris F., Droser M. L., Percival I. G., The Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event. Columbia University Press. New York, 1-37 (2004).
  48. Wicander R., Playford G.,  Robertson E.B.,  Stratigraphic and paleogeographic significance of an Upper Ordovician acritarch flora from the Maquoketa Shale, northeastern Missouri, USA. Paleontol. Soc. Mem. 73 (6): 1-38 pp (1999).
  49. Vandenbroucke T.R.A., Upper Ordovician chitinozoans from the type area in the U.K.  Monograph of the Palaeontological Society of London, 161 (628): 1–113 (2008).
  50. Van Nieuwenhove N., Vanderbroucke T. R. A., Verniers, J., The Chitinozoan biostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician Greenscoe section, southern Lake District, UK. Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 139: 151-169 (2006).
  51. Vanmeirhaeghe J., Chitinozoan biostratigraphy of the Upper Ordovician of Faulx-les-Tombes (central Condroz Inlier, Belgium). Rev. Palaeobot. Palynol. 139: 171-188 (2006).
  52. Vavrdova M., Further acritarchs and terrestrial plant remains from the Late Ordovician at Hlasna Treban (Czechoslovakia). Čas. Mineral. Geol. 33: 1-10 (1988). Praha.
  53. Vecoli M., and Le Herisse A., Biostratigraphy, taxonomic diversity, and patterns of morphological evolution of Ordovician acritarchs (organic-walled microphytoplankton) from the northern Gondwana margin in relation to 497 palaeoclimatic and palaeogeographic changes, Earth-Science Reviews 67: 267-311 (2004).