Discovery of Late Devonian (Frasnian) conodonts from the “Sanai limestone”, Guar Jentik, Perlis, Malaysia

Abstract

Late Devonian (Frasnian) conodonts (Ancyrodella, Ancyrognathus, Palmatolepis, Polygnathus, Icriodus, Ozarkodina and Belodella) of linguiformis Zone, which includes the Upper Kellwasser Event recorded in Europe, North America, China and elsewhere, are for the first time recorded from Perlis, Malaysia. The conodonts are fairly rich in the uppermost part of the “Sanai limestone” which was previously reported as of the upper part of Upper Devonian (Famennian) age. Stratigraphically it is located near the top of the Jentik Formation, unconformably overlain by the Lower Carboniferous Kubang Pasu Formation. The limestone is pelagic in nature and consists of planar bedded, grey micritic limestone, with thin shale partings and styliolites. In addition to the conodonts, the limestone contains abundant fossils of tentaculitids, straight-coned nautiloids, trilobites and bivalves. The “Sanai limestone” has a limited distribution in Malaysia and the assemblage of Malaysian Frasnian conodonts are closely compared with some conodont fauna (linguiformis Zone) of northwestern Thailand.