Document Type : Original Research Paper

Author

PhD. Student, Faculty of Science, Department of Geology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

In order to study the Gurpi formation for biostratigraphical purposes the 310 meters thick section was sampled at Mish-khas Sectiona, Ilam province. The sequence is mainly made up of monotonous marl, limy marl and Limestone and contains two formal members of Lopha (with brachiopod, Echinoid and Bivalve) and Emam-Hasan. Lower boundary Gurpi formation is contineous with Ilam Formation.At boundary both formation, Gray marl Gurpi formation located on limestone and limy marl at Ilam formation and upper boundary is continus with Pabdeh Formation. Sixty seven species belonging to 26 genera were identified and fourteen biozones were differentiated. These are: 1.Globotruncanita elevata partial range zone, 2. Globotruncana ventricosa interval zone, 3.Radotruncana calcarata total range zone, 4. Globigerinelloides subcarinatus partial range zone, 5.Globotruncana aegyptiaca partial range zone,  6. Gansserina gansseri partial range zone7.Contusotruncana contusa partial range zone, 8. Pseudotextularia intermedia partial range zone, 9. Racemiguembelina fructicosa partial range zone, 10.Pseudoguembelina hariaensis partial range zone, 11. Pseudoguembelina palpebra  partial range zone, 12. Praemurica uncinata interval zone, 13. Morozovella angulata- Globanomalina pseudomeandri interval zone, 14. Globanomalina pseudomenardi total range zone. According to the planktonic foraminifera the formation encompases Lower Campanian to late Paleocene (Thanetian). lack of Marginotruncanid and  Dicarinella asymetrica  showing lower campanian for bas of section.There is distinct hiatus in Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary based on paleontology and sedimentology evidence. Analysis of Planktonic and Benthic foraminifers' assemblage at this section with Cretaceous biostratigraphical provinces is indicating a close similarity with those of Tethyan provinces.

Keywords

References
Berggren, W. A. & Miller, K. G., 1988- Paleocene tropical planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and magnetobiochronology; Micropaleontology 34: 362-380.
Berggren, W. A. & Norris, R. D., 1997- Biostratigraphy, phylogeny and systematic of Paleocene trochospiral planktic foraminifera: Micropaleontology 43, Supplement 1, 116 p.
Berggren, W. A. & Pearson, P. N., 2005- A revised tropical to subtropical Paleogene planktonic foraminiferal zonation; The Journal of Foraminiferal Research 35: 279-298.
Berggren, W. A., 1969- Rates of evolution in some Cenozoic planktonic foraminifera. Micropaleontology 15: 351-365.
Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Swisher, C. C. & Aubrey, M.-P., 1995- A revised Cenozoic geochronology and chronostratigraphy, in Berggren, W. A., Kent, D. V., Swisher, C. C., III, Aubry, M.-P. and Hardenbol, J., (Editors), Geochronology, Time Scales and Global Stratigraphic Correlation: SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology) Special Publication 54: 129-212.
Bolli, H. M., 1957- Planktonic foraminifera from the Eocene Navet Formation and San Fernando Formations in Trinidad, B.W.I., in Loeblich, A.R.Jr., and collaborators (Editors), Studies in Foraminifera: Bulletin of the United States National Museum 215: 155-172.
Caron M., 1985- Cretaceous planktic foraminifera. In: Bolli H.M., Saunders J.B., and Perch Nielsen, K. (Eds). Plankton stratigraphy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 17-86.
Chacon, B., Martin-Chivelet, J. & Grafe, K. U., 2004- Latest Santonian to latest Maastrichtian planktic foraminifera and biostratigraphy of the hemipelagic successions of the Prebetic Zone (Murcia and Alicante provinces, south-east Spain). Cretaceous Research 25: 585-601.
Darvishzad B., Ghaseminejad E., Ghourchaei S., & Keller G., 2007. Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and faunal turnover across the Cretaceous- Tertiary boundary in southwestern Iran; Journal of Sciences, Islamic Republic of Iran, 18 (2): 139-149.
Fleury, J. J., 1980- Les zones de Gavrovo-Tripolitza et du Pinde Olonos (Grece continentale et Peloponnese du Nord). Evolution d, plate-forme et dun bassin dans leur cadre Evolution dune plate-forme et dun bassin dans cardre alpin. Societe Geologique du Nord, 4: 1-648
Hardenbol, J., Thierry, J., Farley, M. B., Jacquin, Th., de Graciansky, P.C. & Vail, P.R., 1998- Mesozoic and Cenozoic sequence     chronostratigraphic framework of European basins; in: De Graciansky, P.- C., Hardenbol, J., Jacquin, Th., Vail, P. R., and Farley, M. B., (Editors). Mesozoic and Cenozoic Sequence Stratigraphy of European Basins, SEPM Special Publication 60.
Huber, B. T., 1990- Maestrichtian planktonic foraminifer biostratigraphy of the Maud Rise (Weddell Sea, Antarctica): ODP Leg 113 Holes 689B and 690C. In Barker, P.F., Kennett, J.P., et al., Proccding ODP Science Results, 113: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program), 489-513.
Keller, G., Li, L. & MacLeod, N., 1995- The Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary stratotype section at El Kef, Tunisia: how catastrophicwas the mass extinction? Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 119: 221-254.
Koutsoukos, E. A. M. & de Klasz, I., 2000- Late Cretaceous foraminiferal biogeography (Families Bolivinidae, Buliminellidae, Gavelinellidae, Siphogenerinoididae, Turrilinidae) in northeastern Brazilian shelf and central West African basins.,Cretaceous Research  21, 381–405  
Koutsoukos, E. A. M., Leary, P. N. & Hart, M. B., 1990- Latest Cenomanian-earliest Turonian lowoxygen tolerant benthonic foraminifera: A case study from the Sergipe Basin (N.E. Brazil) and the western AngleParis Basin (Southern England): Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, v. 77, p. 145-177.
Li, L. &  Keller, G. 1998b- Abrupt deep-sea warming at the end of the Cretaceous. Geology, 26: 995-998.
Li, L. & Keller, G., 1998a- Maastrichtian climate, productivity and faunal turnovers in planktic foraminifera in South Atlantic DSDP Sites 525A and 21. Marine Micropaleontology, 33: 55-86.
Lirer, F., 2000- A new technique for retrieving calcareous microfossils from lithified lime deposits; Micropaleontology 46:365–369.
Loeblich, A. & Tappan, H., 1988- Foraminiferal genera and their classification; Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 970pp. 847 plates.
Nederbragt, A. J., 1990- Maastrichtian Heterohelicidae (planktonic foraminifera) from the North West Atlantic. Micropaleontology, 8: 183–206.
Nederbragt, A. J., 1991- Late Cretaceous biostratigraphy and development of Heterohelicidae planktic foraminifera. Micropaleontology, 37:329–372.
Nederbragt, A. J., 1998- Quantitative Biogeography of Late Maastrichtian Planktic Foraminifera, micropaleontology, 44 : 385-412
Nishi, H., Takashimaa., R., Hatsugaib, T., Saitoc, T., Moriyad, K., Ennyue, A. & Sakai, T., 2003- Planktonic foraminiferal zonation in the retaceous Yezo Group, Central Hokkaido, Japan, Journal of Asian Earth Sciences 21 (2003) 867–886.
Olsson, R. K., Hemleben, C., Berggren, W. A., & Huber, B. T., 1999- Atlas of Paleocene Planktonic Foraminifera; Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 85, 255 p.
Petrizzo, M. R., 2003- Late Cretaceous planktonic foraminiferal bioevents in the Tethys and in the Southern ocean record: an overview; Journal of Foraminiferal Research 23, 330-337.
Postuma, J. A., 1971- Manual of Planktonic Foraminifera; Elsevier, Amsterdam, London 397 pp.
Premoli Silva, I., & Sliter, W. V., 1995- Cretaceous planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and evolutionary trends from the Bottaccione Section, Gubbio, Italy. Palaeontographica Italiana 82: 2-90
Premoli Silva, I., & Verga, D., 2004- Practical Manual of Cretaceous Planktonic Foraminifera, course 3, in Verga, D., and Rettori, R. (Editors), International School on Planktonic Foraminifera: Universities of Perugia and Milano, Tipografiadi di Pontefelcino, Perugia, Italy, 283 p.
Premoli-Silva, I. & Sliter W. V., 1981- Cretaceous planktonic foraminifers from the Nauru Basin, Leg 61, Site 462 Western equatorial Pacific. Initial Rep. Deep Sea Drill Proj. 61: 423-437 .
Robaszynski, F. and Caron, M., 1995- Foraminifères planctoniques du Crétacé: commentaire de la zonation Europe-Méditerranée. Bull. Soc. Geol. Fr, 166: 681-692.
Robaszynski, F., Caron, M., Gonzales Donoso, J. M. & Wonders, A. A. H., 1984- Atlas of Late Cretaceous Globotruncanids; Revue de Micropaléontologie 26, 145-305.
Stott, L. D., Kennett, J. P., ShackletonH, N. D. & Corliss, R. M., 1990- The evolution of Antarctic surface waters during the Paleogene: inferences from the stable isotopic composition of planktonic foraminifera, ODPLeg 113. In: Barker, P. F., Kennett, J.P., et al. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results, Vol. 113:849-864. College Station, Texas: Ocean Drilling Program.
Vaziri Moghaddam, H., 2002- Biostratigraphic study of the Ilam and Gurpi Formations based on planktonic foraminifera in SE of Shiraz, Iran, published in Journal of Science, Islamic Republic ofIran,13:339-356.
Wan, X., Lamolda, M. A., Si, J. & Li, G., 2005, Foraminiferal stratigraphy of Late Cretaceous red beds in southern Tibet. Cretaceous Research  v. 26, p. 43-48.