Middle Givetian to late Famennian (Middle to Late Devonian) conodonts from the northern margin of Gondwana (Kerman region, Central Iran)

Abstract

ABSTRACT The Givetian to Famennian (Middle-Upper Devonian) Bahram Formation deposits (Bondar and Shahzadeh Mohammad sections) in the Kerman region, Central Iran were sampled for conodonts. The conodonts were described, their distribution investigated, and the studied sections were correlated. In the previous conodont-based papers, the age of the Bahram Formation in the Kerman region was from the upper Givetian hermanni Zone to the middle Famennian Uppermost marginifera Zone (Middle to Late Devonian). However, the new results of this study show that the Bondar section spans from the middle Givetian ansatus Zone to the upper Famennian (middle part of the Middle expansa Zone = Bispathodus aculeatus aculeatus Zone) and the Shahzadeh Mohammad section spans from the middle Givetian ansatus Zone to the lower Famennian (Uppermost crepida = Palmatolepis glabra pectinata) Zone. In both of the studied sections, the Givetian/Frasnian boundary has been identified by the first occurrence of Ancyrodella rotundiloba pristina, but there is no obvious (sedimentological or biostratigraphic) evidence to define the Frasnian/Famennian boundary.