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The “Orbitolina Limestone” of central Iran: new data about microfacies, orbitolinid biostratigraphy, and palaeogeography

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Abstract

A section of the Lower Cretaceous Taft Formation of Central Iran, belonging to the Yazd Block yields new data about the microfacies, orbitolinid biostratigraphy, and palaeogeographic setting of this poorly known lithostratigraphic unit. The studied section is characterized throughout by the common occurrence of corals, stromatoporoids and small benthic foraminifera (lenticulinids, Neotrocholina) that indicate deposition in an open marine external carbonate platform environment. The orbitolinid assemblage is characterized by Montseciella? arabica (Henson) in the basal part of the section followed by Rectodictyoconus giganteus Schroeder (up to the top), in association with Paleodictyoconus actinostoma Arnaud-Vanneau & Schroeder, Dictyoconus? pachymarginalis Schroeder, and Palorbitolina ultima Cherchi & Schroeder. The observed ranges of some taxa reveal slight modifications of widely used and, therefore, “standard” orbitolinid biozonations. Like any other group of larger benthic foraminifera, orbitolinids display a facies sensitivity (e.g., inner vs. outer platform) that may lead to different local or regional biozonations evidencing the need for plausibility check of the data when transferred to other regions. Moreover, the orbitolinid assemblages observed from different sections of the Taft Formation give evidence for its diachronous base (late Barremian or early Aptian) becoming younger towards presumably exposed land areas.

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Acknowledgements

The helpful comments provided by the two reviewers Franz Fürsich (Erlangen) and Mike Simmons (Abingdon) that helped to improve the manuscript are kindly acknowledged.

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  1. Lerchenauerstr. 167, 80935, Munich, Germany

    Felix Schlagintweit

  2. Department of Geology, Yazd University, Yazd, 89195-741, Iran

    Koorosh Rashidi

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  1. Felix Schlagintweit
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Schlagintweit, F., Rashidi, K. The “Orbitolina Limestone” of central Iran: new data about microfacies, orbitolinid biostratigraphy, and palaeogeography. Facies 68, 10 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10347-022-00647-2

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