Ammonites of the Aitamir Formation in the Zawin Section (E Kopeh Dagh) and the First Record of Marine Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Iran

Mosavinia, A; Seyed-Emami, K; Aryai, A.A

doi:10.22071/gsj.2014.43761

Ammonites of the Aitamir Formation in the Zawin Section (E Kopeh Dagh) and the First Record of Marine Dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Iran

Document Type : Original Research Paper

Authors

A Mosavinia ¹

K Seyed-Emami ²

A.A Aryai ³

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Geology, Payam Noor University, Mashhad Branch, Mashhad, Iran

² Professor, Department of Mining Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

³ Associate Professor, Department of Geology, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad Branch, Mashhad, Iran.

10.22071/gsj.2014.43761

Abstract

The Aitamir Formation follows conformably but with a sharp boundary the dark shales of Sanganeh Formation (Aptian-early Albian) and is followed discontinuously by the whitish marls and chalky limestones of the Abderaz Formation (Turonian-Coniacian). 7 species, 13 genera and 2 subgenera of ammonites are reported in this paper. The following genera and species, found in the Iranian Kopeh Dagh region, are reported for the first time: Anahoplites cf. praecox Spath, 1925, Anahoplites mantelli Spath, 1925, Epihoplites aff. trifidus (Spath, 1923) and Hysteroceras orbignyi (Spath, 1922). The described specimen of Dinosauria comes from the upper part of the Aitamir Formation in Zawin Section. The fragment of the Dino was found on the topmost sandstone layer of the section, together with a number of mortonoceratid ammonites, indicating a late Albian (Mortoniceras inflatum Zone) age. So far, it is the first record of marine Dinosauria from the Certaceous of Iran.

Keywords

Northeast Iran

Kopeh Dagh

Aitamir Formation

Ammonoidea

Albian

Plesiosaurus