Middle-late permian (Murgabian-djulfian) foraminifers of the northern maku area (Western Azerbaijan, Iran)

Abstract

The Maku section is located in western Azerbaijan (NW Iran), near Adaghan and Ali Abad villages, in the vicinity of Maku town, along the main road from Tabriz to Bazargan. The Permian Ruteh Formation of the Maku area is subdivided here into four biozones: (1) Neoschwagerina simplex Zone (samples P1-P21; early Murgabian); (2) an unzoned interval which corresponds probably to the rest of the Murgabian (samples P22-P29); (3) Sumatrina annae, Dunbarula aff. pusilla and Chusenella spp. Zone (samples P30-P41, P46?; Midian); (4) Paraglobivalvulina mira, Paradagmarita? sp., Rectostipulina quadrata, Ichthyofrondina spp., Pseudotristix sp. and Colaniella aff. minuta Zone (samples P47 to top unconformity; Djulfian = Wuchiapingian). The studied foraminiferal assemblages show relatively rare tuberitinids, palaeotextulariids, earlandiids, endothyrids and neoendothyrins. Conversely, the globivalvulinids are diversified, with the globivalvulinins Globivalvulina, Labioglobivalvulina, Septoglobivalvulina, Retroseptellina, Charliella? and Paraglobivavulina; rare dagmaritins represented by the same two species along all the series; and primitive paradagmaritins characteristic of the Djulfian. Fusulinida are dominated by staffelloids (Sphaerulina, Nankinella), whereas schubertelloids (Schubertella, Grovesella, Grovesella? and Dunbarula), schwagerinoids (Chusenella) and neoschwagerinoids (Neoschwagerina and Sumatrina) remain rare and scattered. Miliolates and Nodosariates are relatively diversified. Excellent specimens of Pseudovermiporella definitively evidenced the assignment of this taxon to the Miliolata. Other representatives of this class are Hemigordius, Okimuraites, Hemigordiellina, Glomomidiella, Agathammina, Neodiscus and Crassiglomella. The Middle Permian Nodosariata are represented by Syzrania, Rectostipulina, Nodosinelloides, Protonodosaria, Langella, Pseudolangella?, Lingulina, Pseudotristix, Geinitzina, Pachyphloia and rare Robuloides; whereas Frondina and Ichythyofrondina are numerous in the Djulfian. The new taxa are Grovesella? ciryi n. sp. and Hemigordiellina? pulchrissima n. sp.