Permian Foraminiferal Biozonation in the Alborz Mountains at Valiabad Section (Iran)

Abstract

Encompassing the Dorud, Ruteh and Nesen Formations, the Permian rocks of the Valibad section, northern Alborz, have been studied in terms of foraminifer contents. The middle carbonate member of the Dorud formation have yielded diverse fusulinds mainly represented by Pseudoschwagerina cf. oezgueliRobustoschwagerina aff. kahleri and Perigondwania aff. pamirensis, indicating a Sakmrarian age, early Permian.
The Ruteh Formation, also, can be assigned to a middle Permian based on the presence of Grozdilovia aff. ambigua, Codonofusiella sp. -Chusenella sinensi and Dunbarula mathieui. Two biozones of a late Permian age, Wuchiapingian-Changsingian, Nanlingella cf. meridionalis-Reichelina media and Reichelina pulchra have been identified in the Nesen Formation.

Full text

Latest Tournaisian–late Viséan foraminiferal biozonation (MFZ8–MFZ14) of the
Valiabad area, northwestern Alborz (Iran): geological implications
KEYVAN ZANDKARIMI
1
*, BAHRAM NAJAFIAN
1
, DANIEL VACHARD
2
,
MARYAMNAZ BAHRAMMANESH
3
and SEYED HAMID VAZIRI
4
1
Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
2
Université Lille 1, UMR 8217 Géosystèmes, Villeneuve d’Ascq cédex, France
3
Geological Survey of Iran, Tehran, Iran
4
Department of Geology, Faculty of Basic Sciences, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
The Mobarak Formation in the Valiabad area (northwestern Alborz, Iran) is composed of bioclastic, oolitic and sandy limestone interbedded
with black shale, and is disconformably underlain and overlain by the Cambrian Lalun and Permian Dorud formations, respectively. In this
study, 104 foraminiferal species belonging to 12 families and 33 genera were determined. Among them, six genera and nine species are
reported for the first time in Iran. Analysis of the foraminiferal assemblages has identified eight local biozones, which can be correlated with
the MFZ8 to MFZ14 zones of the Viséan stratotypes in Belgium. The Valiabad equivalents of these biozones are essentially characterized by
(1) Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda-‘florigena’–Lysella cf. gadukensis; (2) Eoparastaffella simplex–Lapparentidiscus bokanensis; (3)
Ammarchaediscus; (4) Uralodiscus–Glomodiscus; (5) Glomodiscus–Archaediscus; (6) Pojarkovella–Mstinia fallax; (7) Mstinia bulloides–
Pseudoendothyra; and (8) Howchinia gibba–Howchinia bradyana–Tubispirodiscus attenuatus. Consequently, the Valiabad section appears
to be one of the most complete Viséan sections in Iran. Some taxonomic precisions are provided about the principal taxa. Biogeographically,
(1) the MFZ8–MFZ11 biozones are extended to all the shelves of the Palaeotethys (from Ireland to South China) and Urals oceans; neverthe-
less, due to the complete evolution of archaediscoids, they seem more related to the Perigondwanan assemblages from Sinai and Taurus
(including the Antalya Nappes); (2) the MFZ12 assemblage appears relatively endemic; and (3) the impoverished assemblages of the biozones
MFZ13-14 have marked affinities with the Kazakhstan Block. It is currently impossible to indicate precisely if these variations are related with
a drift of the Alborz region to the north, or to a change of oceanic currents. Moreover, the double affinity highlights the narrowness of the
Palaeotethys in Iran during the Viséan. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Received 19 April 2014; accepted 29 August 2014
KEY WORDS Mobarak Formation; Valiabad; Alborz; Iran; foraminifers; biostratigraphy; Early Carboniferous
1. INTRODUCTION
The Lower Carboniferous deposits of the Alborz Ranges
were first mentioned by Tietze (1877). The historic back-
ground of the investigations about this Subsystem in Iran
was summarized in Gaetani (1968) and Vachard (1996).
The Mobarak Formation was defined and subdivided into
four informal members A, B, C and D, by Assereto (1963).
The brachiopods of the formation were first studied by
Gaetani (1964, 1965 and 1968). The foraminifers of the
Mobarak Formation were successively analysed by
Bozorgnia (1973), Lys et al. (1978), Kalantari (1986),
Vachard (1996), Ueno et al. (1997), Devuyst (2006),
Brenckle et al. (2009), and Falahatgar et al. (2012).
The Valiabad section (coordinates: N 36°15′32″;E51°18′44″)
is located south of Chalus city (Fig. 1). Despite its very rich
macrofossil content, the Mobarak Formation in this section
was not investigated for comprehensive palaeontological
studies up until now.
Our biostratigraphical subdivisions in the Mobarak Fm of
Valiabad are based on correlations with the well-known
Russian formations, the Belgian stratotypes and the British
and Irish parastratotypes, because the foraminiferal biostra-
tigraphy of the Tournaisian and Viséan was actively studied
in the former USSR (e.g. Rauser-Chernousova, 1948a;
Aizenverg et al., 1968, 1983; Grozdilova and Lebedeva,
1954; Ganelina, 1951, 1956, 1966; Durkina, 1959;
Rozovskaya, 1963; Makhlina et al., 1993; Vdovenko,
2001; Kulagina et al., 2003; Kulagina, 2013), and then in
Belgium (Conil and Lys, 1964; Mamet, 1974; Conil et al.,
1991; Poty et al., 2006), and finally in England, Scotland,
*Correspondence to: K. Zandkarimi, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran,
Iran. E-mail: K_zandkarimi@sbu.ac.ir
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GEOLOGICAL JOURNAL
Geol. J. (2014)
Published online in Wiley Online Library
(wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI: 10.1002/gj.2616

and Ireland (Conil et al., 1980; Strank, 1981; Fewtrell et al.,
1989; Cózar and Somerville, 2004, 2012; Somerville and
Cózar, 2005; Cózar et al., 2008, 2010).
The Lower Carboniferous outcrops in southern Belgium
(Namur-Dinant Basin) and northern France (Avesnois,
Boulonnais) are used as worldwide references for Tournaisian
and Viséan stages of the Mississippian Subsystem, based on
intensively studied foraminifers, conodonts, and corals
(Conil and Lys, 1964; Groessens, 1975; Poty et al., 2006).
The biozonation of Poty et al. (2006) permits to subdivide
and correlate the latest Devonian to earliest Serpukhovian
time interval. It was successfully used in Belgium, Ireland,
Moravia, England, South China, etc. (Devuyst, 2006;
Devuyst and Kalvoda, 2007; Hance et al., 2011; Kalvoda
et al., 2011).
The aims of this paper are: (1) to provide some new data
about the principal foraminiferal markers of the Mobarak
Formation in the Valiabad section, (2) to establish its complete
biozonation, (3) to discuss the correlation of this local
biozonation with the Belgium biozonation of Poty et al.
(2006), and (4) to establish the different palaeobiogeographical
affinities of the foraminiferal assemblages, in order to recon-
struct the history of the Alborz region as a Perigondwanan
and/or Cimmerian terrane.
2. PREVIOUS BIOSTRATIGRAPHICAL WORK
Early biostratigraphical and chronostratigraphical studies of
the Mobarak Formation were mainly based on macrofossils
(e.g. Gaetani, 1964, 1965, 1968). As the conodont micro-
faunas are rarely found (Ahmadzadeh Heravi, 1971; Ueno
et al., 1997; Habibi et al., 2008), the biostratigraphical
studies of the Mobarak Formation are essentially based on
foraminifers. Bozorgnia (1973) published the first compre-
hensive paper about the foraminiferal microfaunas from
the western, central and eastern Alborz. He studied the
Figure 1. (A) Location of the Valiabad section and (B) geological sketch map (modified from Vahdati, 1999).
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

Valiabad and Dozdehband sections in western Alborz; the
Geirud, Gaduk, Abnak, Mobarakabad and Aruh sections
in central Alborz, as well as the Peyghambaran, Kalariz
and Khoshyeilagh sections in eastern Alborz (Fig. 2).
Bozorgnia (1973) proposed the name Mobarak Formation
for designating the Lower Carboniferous beds in the re-
gion. He provided an excellent biozonation by compari-
son to the Belgian stratotypes or their equivalents in the
former USSR. Bozorgnia (1973) noted also that the top
of the Mobarak Formation becomes older towards the
southeast across the Alborz Mountains, and attributed this
age discrepancy to differential uplift across the southern
Alborz that started in the late Viséan and continued into
the Early Permian.
Lys et al. (1978) provided additional documentation for
the foraminifers and the biozonation of the eastern Alborz.
Vachard (1996) made a compilation of Bozorgnia’s data
and incorporated new field results in revising the
biozonation of the Mobarak Formation.
Recently, some classical sections provided new data. For
example, the Tournaisian–Viséan boundary was revised in
the Gaduk section (Devuyst, 2006). Brenckle et al.(2009),
biostratigraphically, chronostratigraphically and palaeoge-
ographically, added to the database of the Mobarak Formation
in the Abnak and Abrendan sections. They assigned the
Mobarak Formation to the Tournaisian–early Viséan interval.
Finally, Bahrammanesh et al. (2011) carried out detailed work
on brachiopods from the Abrendan and Simeh Koh sections in
central Alborz, and confirmed the base ofthe Mobarak Forma-
tion as Tournaisian in age.
Among the rare studies about the Valiabad section, we can
remark that Bozorgnia (1973) reported Archaediscus exiguus
(now Nodosarchaediscus), A.conili (now Nodasperodiscus)
A.krestovnikovi,A.demaneti (now Nodosarchaediscus), and
A.stellatus (now Rugosoarchaediscus). Also Rezvannia
et al. (2010) suggested a late Viséan to Serpukhovian age
for the Member C of the Mobarak Formation of Valiabad,
based on solitary rugose corals.
3. GEOLOGICAL SETTING
Iran has a complex geological structure and is tectonically
divided into several terranes. Among these, the Alborz Belt
is a 1500 km-long mountain system extending from Azerbai-
jan to Afghanistan, flanking in its central part to the southern
coast of the Caspian Sea (Zanchi et al., 2009a).
It was suggested that the Alborz Mountain Chain developed
relatively recently during a Late Triassic collisional orogeny
(Zanchi et al., 2009a). During the Late Palaeozoic times, it
formed the North Iran Block, whose boundary with Central
Iran was located in the south of the southern foothills of the
Alborz Belt (Zanchi et al., 2009b). From the Eo-Cimmerian
Orogeny to the Late Tertiary–Quaternary intracontinental
transpression, several subordinate tectonic events affected
the Alborz (Allen et al., 2003). The main tectonic evolu-
tion of the Alborz Mountain is thought to be a result of
the northward subduction of the Palaeo-Tethys and sub-
sequent collision between the Iranian Cimmerian
microcontinent and the Turan plate, the southern part of
Laurasia (Alavi, 1991).
Zanchi et al. (2009a) divided the Alborz in two main
portions that show a different structural setting: western
Alborz, forming the Talesh Mountains, and central-eastern
Alborz, east of Rasht. The studied area is located in the north-
ern part of central-eastern Alborz (Figs. 1 and 2). It should be
mentioned that the so-called Eastern, Central, Northern and
Western Alborz subdivisions were frequently used by many
Figure 2. Sketch map of the Alborz Mountains, with the important cities, the location of some key-sections (black triangles), and the studied section of Valiabad
(rectangle). The arrow shows the progressively younger top beds of the Mobarak Formation from SE to NW (modified from Brenckle et al., 2009). The key sec-
tions are as follows: 1: Dozdehband; 2: Geirud; 3: Abnak; 4: Mobarakabad; 5: Aruh; 6: Gaduk; 7: Shahmirzad; 8: Peyghambaran; 9: Simeh Koh; 10: Abrendan;
11: Kalariz; 12: Viru; 13: Khoshyeilagh; 14: Kalate; 15: Nodeh-Sud. This figure is available in colour online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gj
EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERAL BIOZONATION ALBORZ,IRAN
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

authors (e.g. Stöcklin, 1971; 1974; Alavi, 1991; 1996; Zanchi
et al., 2006); however this division is apparently based more
on palaeogeographic positions rather than on structural differ-
ences (Aghanabati, personal communication, October 2013).
The Northern Alborz is affected by sequences of nearly
E–W-trending thrust faults and folds (Fig. 1), which are
dominant in the inner parts of the belt and decrease towards
the Caspian side as the external part. The evolution of this
part is presumably most complex because of the inversion
of pre-existing extensional faults (Vahdati, 1999) owing
to the reactivation of grabens formed in the foreland of
the Late Triassic Eo-Cimmerian orogen, resulting from
the accretion of the Iranian Block to Eurasia (Zanchi
et al., 2006).
4. LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY OF VALIABAD
The Mobarak Formation was first described near the village
of Mobarakabad in the central Alborz, east of Tehran. The
lithology of the type section, approximately 450 m-thick is
mainly composed of black fossiliferous limestone, with sub-
ordinate black marl intercalated in the lower part (Assereto,
1963). Overlying an emersion surface at the top of the
Cambrian Lalun Formation, the Mobarak Formation, in
the Valiabad section, consists of bioclastic and oolitic
limestone alternating with black marl and sandstone
which underlies disconformably the Lower Permian
Dorud Formation. In Valiabad, the Mobarak Formation,
more than 500 m-thick (Fig. 3), is subdivided into four
informal members as follows:
Member 1 (150 m)
The lowermost part of this member includes a few layers of
grey, thick-bedded wackestone without foraminifers
followed by light grey, thick to very thick, bedded
bioclastic grainstone with some oolitic grainstone beds in
the basal part. The member includes the foraminiferal
zones MFZ8, MFZ9, and lower part of MFZ10, as defined
by Poty et al. (2006).
Member 2 (123 m)
Light brown, thin-bedded sandy grainstone to packstone with
crinoids, bryozoans and palaechinid radioles. This member
comprises the upper part of MFZ10, the MFZ11A subzone
and the lower part of MFZ11B subzone. Abundant large soli-
tary rugose corals and rare spiriferid brachiopods are present
in this member.
Member 3 (146 m)
Light grey, medium- to thick-bedded bioclastic and oolitic
grainstone interbedded with sandstone and black shale. The
bioclasts are constituted by foraminifers and bryozoans. This
member encompasses the upper part of MFZ11B, MFZ12
and the lower part of MFZ13.
Member 4 (90 m)
Yellowish thin- to medium-bedded, bioclastic grainstone to
packstone interbedded with black shale. The macrofossils are
abundant and composed of bryozoans (Fenestella,Prasopora
and Dekayella), brachiopods (Rhipidomella,Tolmatchoffia,
Spinocarinifera,Lamellasothyris,Brachythyris,Leptaena,
Carterid ina,Choristites,Marginatia,Schizophoria,
Schellwienella), and corals (Kailingophyllum,
Marzanophyllum,Hapsiphyllum,Zaphrentoides and
Syringopora). The member includes the upper part of
MFZ13 and MFZ14.
5. MATERIALS AND METHODS
The best stratigraphical section was selected east of the
Valiabad Village, and 127 rock samples were collected.
More than 350 thin sections were prepared by the first
author as a part of his postgraduate thesis. This material
is registered under the numbers MZ1 to MZ127, and is
housed in the Palaeontological Museum of the Depart-
ment of Earth Sciences, University of Shahid Beheshti,
Tehran (Iran). The thin sections were studied under po-
larized light with an Olympus BX51 polarizing micro-
scope and the images have been taken in ×10
objective. The classification of carbonate rocks follows
that of Dunham (1962), and the classification of the
Lower Carboniferous foraminifers follows that of Hance
et al. (2011) with slight modifications (see Chapter 7
and Fig. 4).
6. DEFINITIONS OF THE MFZ8–14 BIOZONES
IN VALIABAD
There are only a few sections of the Mobarak Forma-
tion, where the foraminifers were discovered in the
lower units of the Tournaisian (MFZ5–MFZ7), except
for some earlandiid and septabrunsiinid species (e.g.
Bozorgnia, 1973; Vachard, 1996; Ueno et al., 1997;
Brenckle et al., 2009). In Valiabad, the Tournaisian
starts with the uppermost part of this stage (MFZ8)
always richer in foraminifers; consequently, characte-
ristic foraminiferal assemblages exist in the entire
Tournaisian–Viséan section of Valiabad. These assem-
blages permitted a detailed biozonation and comparison
(Figs. 3 and 5) with the reference biozones MFZ8 to
MFZ14 of Poty et al. (2006).
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

Figure 3. Stratigraphic log of the Valiabad section showing the distribution of foraminiferal taxa. This figure is available in colour online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gj
EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERAL BIOZONATION ALBORZ,IRAN
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

6.1. MFZ8: Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda-‘florigena’–
Lysella cf. gadukensis assemblage Zone
This zone (34 m-thick) is characterized by the first occur-
rence (FO) of Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda-‘florigena’
sensu Devuyst, 2006 and Lysella cf. gadukensis Bozorgnia,
1973 (samples MZ1-MZ12). These taxa are known in
MFZ8 from Ireland to South China (Hance et al., 2011).
Devuyst (2006) emphasized the importance of Lysella
gadukensis in the Gaduk section of northern Alborz, in
South China and Ireland, as a marker of the biozone
MFZ8 and base of MFZ9; Kalvoda et al. (2010;
Figs. 13.5, 7–9) reported latest Tournaisian Lysella cf.
gadukensis in the Mokrá quarry (Czech Republic);
Kalvoda et al. (2011, Figs. 12.O, 13.H) illustrated other
L.gadukensis at the Tournaisian–Viséan boundary inter-
val in Ireland; and Kalvoda et al. (2012, Figs. 15.I,
M-O, 16.A-B, 19AA, 22I, 25O, 26A-J, 27 K, N), in Great
Britain.ThecompleteassemblageoftheMFZ8biozonein
Valiabad includes: Dainella cf. grandis Grozdilova et al.,
1978; Lysella cf. gadukensis;L.sp.2;Eoparastaffella ex gr.
rotunda-‘florigena’sensu Devuyst, 2006; and E.macdermoti
Devuyst and Kalvoda, 2007.
6.2. MFZ9: Eoparastaffella simplex–Lapparentidiscus
bokanensis lowest occurrence Zone
The base of the zone MFZ9 (74 m thick) is everywhere
characterized by the FO of Eoparastaffella simplex
Vdovenko, 1971 and the top of the zone is located just below
the level of first occurrence of the most primitive archaediscids
(Poty et al., 2006). These criteria are recorded in Valiabad
from samples MZ13 to MZ30. Among the MFZ9 taxa in
Valiabad can be mentioned: Eoparastaffella simplex lata
Vdovenko, 1971; E.interiecta Vdovenko, 1971; E.sp.;
Endothyra ex gr. similis Rauser-Chernousova and Reitlinger
in Rauser-Chernousova et al., 1936; E.sp.;Omphalotis? sp.,
Forschia subangulata (Möller, 1879); Earlandia vulgaris
(Rauser-Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauser-Chernousova
and Fursenko, 1937); Lapparentidiscus bokanensis Vachard,
1980; and Gen. indet. 1.
6.3. Ammarchaediscus lowest occurrence Zone (MFZ10)
The base of this zone (68m thick) is characterized by the first
occurrence of the primitive archaediscid Ammarchaedisus
sp. 1, and the top of this biozone is located just before the first
occurrence of Uralodiscus ex gr. rotundus (Chernysheva,
1948a) (samples MZ31 to MZ50). Hence, MFZ10 of Valiabad
corresponds with MFZ10 of Belgium (Poty et al., 2006), be-
cause this latter zone contains the first primitive archaediscids
prior to the appearance of Uralodiscus rotundus. Other taxa
are Ammarchaediscus cf. eospirillinoides (Brazhnikova in
Brazhnikova et al., 1967); Lapparentidiscus bokanensis;
L.sp.;Mediocris cf. cupellaeformis (Ganelina, 1951);
cf. Mediocris?liae Brenckle, 2004; Mediendothyra sp.;
Plectogyranopsis ex gr. convexa (Rauser-Chernousova,
1948b); and Latiendothyranopsis sp.
Figure 4. Generic definitions of the names of archaediscoids used in this
work according to Brenckle et al., 1987; Vachard, 1988; Hance et al.,
2011; slightly modified.
Figure 5. Correlation of Belgian Substages and biozonations, established in
this study.
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

6.4. Uralodiscus–Glomodiscus lowest occurrence Zone
(MFZ11A)
The base of this subzone (samples MZ50–MZ57) with thick-
ness of 32 m is characterized by the first occurrence of
Uralodiscus ex gr. rotundus. The local subzone MFZ11A,
like the lower part of the MFZ11 zone of Belgium (Poty
et al., 2006), does not display any true Paraarchaediscus
(see Fig. 4). MFZ11 was subdivided into two subzones
MFZ11A and MFZ11B, in South China (Hance et al.,
2011). There, the MFZ11B subzone displays an assemblage
zone of Pojarkovella sp. (a genus whose FO in only known
at the base of the MFZ12 in Belgium) with typical MFZ11
representatives. As Uralodiscus rotundus is not yet identi-
fied in South China (Hance et al., 2011), the FOs of
Paraarchaediscus and Conilidiscus were introduced as an-
other characteristic of the base of the MFZ11B (Okuyucu
et al., 2013). Furthermore, in Valiabad as in Belgium
(Hance, 1988), Ammarchaediscus,Glomodiscus (sensu
Fig. 4), and Planoarchaediscus are abundant in MFZ11A,
whereas Eostaffella appears at its top.
6.5. Glomodiscus–Archaediscus Zone (MFZ11B)
The zone (samples MZ58–MZ84) with a thickness of 125 m
is characterized by the first occurrence of large, advanced
Glomodiscus sp. and that of Archaediscus sp. These
bioevents occur in the upper MFZ11 of Belgium (Poty
et al., 2006). Eotextularia diversa and Mediendothyra
wjasmensis (Ganelina, 1956) are present up to the top of
the MFZ11B subzone in Valiabad.
6.6. Pojarkovella–Mstinia fallax assemblage Zone (MFZ12)
This zone (samples MZ85–MZ97) with a thickness of 48 m
is characterized by the first occurrence of Pojarkovella
nibelis (Durkina, 1959) at its base. By the richness in
Pojarkovella, encountered for the first time in Iran, this
Valiabad zone is coeval with MFZ12 of Belgium (Poty
et al., 2006) and the Livian Substage of Western Europe.
MFZ12 exists also within the Hunangjin Fm of South China
(Hance et al., 2011).
Abundant Pojarkovella species (e.g. P.nibelis;P.
wushiensis (Li, 1991) emend. Brenckle, 2004 and P.?
ketmenica Simonova and Zub, 1975 (enclosure in fig. 3)
have been identified in this interval. They are generally
reported for the first time in Iran. Auxilliary zonal forms
such as Koskinotextularia cf. cribriformis Eickhoff, 1968
appear a few metres above the base of the local MFZ12. This
zone records also the first occurrence of the genera
Omphalotis,Endothyranopsis,Consobrinella,Permodiscus
and Pirletidiscus, as well as the last occurrence of
Planoarchaediscus and Uralodiscus.Mstinia Dain, 1953
emend. Pille, 2008 (=Haplophragmella =Nevillella =
Nevillea of the authors) appears precociously, because the
first specimens observed in western Europe and Kazakhstan
have their FO in the V3bβ= MFZ13 (Vachard, 1977), and
have generally their acme in the biozone MFZ14 (=Cf6γ)
(Aizenverg et al., 1968; Conil et al., 1981; Conil and
Figure 6. Foraminifers of the Valiabad section (Lower Carboniferous
Mobarak Formation). Scale bars = 500 μm for Figs. 1–16, 250 μm for
17–29 and 1000 μm for Figs. 30–38. Spl = Sample number. 1. Dainella cf.
grandis Grozdilova and Lebedeva in Grozdilova et al., 1978, Spl. MZ11;
2. Lysella cf. gadukensis Bozorgnia, 1973, Spl. MZ11; 3, 4. Lysella sp. 2,
Spl. MZ11; 5–7: 10–11. Eoparastaffella ex gr. rotunda-‘florigena’sensu
Devuyst, 2006, 5–7. Spl. MZ11; Spl. MZ12. 8. Eoparastaffella macdermoti
Devuyst and Kalvoda, 2007, Spl. MZ12; 9. Dainella sp., Spl. MZ12; 12.
Eoparastaffella simplex lata Vdovenko, 1971, Spl.MZ13. 13, 14, 15.
Eoparastaffella simplex simplex Vdovenko,1971, Spl. MZ13; 16.
Eoparastaffella interiecta Vdovenko, 1971, Spl. MZ13; 17. Endothyra ex
gr. similis (Rauser-Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauser-Chernousova
et al., 1936), Spl. MZ21; 18. Latiendothyranopsis sp., Spl. MZ29; 19.
Gen. indet. 1, Spl. MZ15; 20. Omphalotis? sp., Spl. MZ15; 21, 22, 23.
Pseudoammodiscoid indet. 21: Spl. MZ15, 22, 23: Spl. MZ23; 24, 25.
Lapparentidiscus bokanensis Vachard, 1980, Spl. MZ30, MZ44; 26. cf.
Mediocris?liae Brenckle, 2004, Spl. MZ30; 27, 33. Ammarchaediscus sp.
1, Spl. MZ31, MZ47; 28, 29. Ammarchaediscus cf. eospirillinoides
(Brazhnikova in Brazhnikova et al., 1967), Spl. MZ44, MZ47; 30. Forschia
subangulata (Möller, 1879), Spl. MZ16; 31, 32. Earlandia vulgaris
(Rauser-Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauser-Chernousova and Fursenko,
1937); Spl. MZ27, MZ37; 34–35. Ammarchaediscus sp. 2. Spl. MZ49,
MZ50; 36–38. Glomodiscus sp. 1, Spl. MZ56, MZ 57.
EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERAL BIOZONATION ALBORZ,IRAN
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

Paproth, 1983; Somerville et al., 1992; Cózar, 2001;
Brenckle and Milkina, 2003). The Nevillea mentioned in
the lower part of the biozone MFZ10 in Ireland (Kalvoda
et al., 2011) is not illustrated, and rather may correspond
to Pseudolituotubella (e.g. in Malakhova, 1975),
Rectopravina Vachard, Haig and Mory (2014), or even
to atypical Haplophragmina. Similarly, the non-illustrated
Mstinia sp. of Kulagina et al. (2003, text-Fig. 6 p. 179)
are probably Pseudolituotubella during their FAD. In
contrast, the lower/middle Viséan Haplophragmella
tetraloculi of Pronina (1963, p. 134, pl. 2, Fig. 11, pl.
3, Fig. 1) belongs to Lituotubella ex gr. glomospiroides
Rauser-Chernousova. Moreover, some typical Mstinia
tetraloculi (under the genus name of Nevillella) were il-
lustrated in the Holkerian (an equivalent of the biozone
MFZ12) of England by Fewtrell et al. (1989, pl. 3.5.3–
4), who indicated an Arundian-Asbian (i.e. MFZ11–
MFZ14) complete range for the genus in England. Simi-
larly, Mstinia cordobensis (Cózar, 2001) has a late
HolkeriantoAsbian(MFZ12–MFZ13) range in southern
Spain (Cózar, 2001).
6.7. Mstinia bulloides–Pseudoendothyra assemblage Zone
(MFZ13)
The base of this zone (92 m thick) in Valiabad is marked by
the first occurrence of Mstinia bulloides (Mikhailov, 1939)
emend. Dain, 1953 (samples MZ98–MZ113). In this
interval, the genera Pseudoendothyra,Archaediscus,
Consobrinella,Nodosarchaediscus and Tetrataxis entered
for the first time in the Valiabad section; however, the main
guides of MFZ13 in Belgium: Neoarchaediscus,
Vissariotaxis, and bilamellar Palaeotextularioidea are absent
in Valiabad.
6.8. Howchinia gibba–H. bradyana–Tubispirodiscus
attenuatus lowest occurrence Zone (MFZ14)
The base of the zone (samples MZ114–MZ127) with a
thickness of 36 m coincides with the first occurrence of
Howchinia gibba (Howchin, 1888), and correlates with
MFZ14 of Belgium. Other characteristic taxa in Valiabad
are Archaediscus acuminatus (Marfenkova, 1983), A.
moelleri Rauser-Chernousova, 1948c, A.krestovnikovi
Rauser-Chernousova, 1948d; Nodosarchaediscus demaneti
(Conil and Lys, 1964), and Endostaffella parva (Möller,
1879). Two index taxa of late Viséan foraminifers includ-
ing Howchinia bradyana and Tubispirodiscus attenuatus
are reported here for the firsttimeinIran.Thelatter
species, as revised below, is another typical species of
the biozone.
7. REMARKS ON THE FORAMINIFERAL
CLASSIFICATION ADOPTED HERE
7.1. Archaediscids
The archaediscids are one of the most useful foraminiferal
groups for subdividing the Viséan Stage due to evident evo-
lutionary lineages and the acquisition of new characters in a
short period of time (e.g. Pirlet and Conil, 1974; Zaninetti
and Altiner, 1979; Brenckle et al., 1987; Vachard, 1988,
Laloux, 1988; Brenckle and Grelecki, 1993; Hance et al.,
2011). A relatively complete pattern of Viséan archaediscids
is obvious in the studied section, and of great importance for
the detailed biozonation of the Mobarak Formation.
Hance et al. (2011) recognized two main lineages of
archaediscoids. Their common ancestor is the pseudoam-
modiscoid, planispirally, involute, dark-walled, microgranular
genus Lapparentidiscus, the FAD of which is probably lo-
cated in the upper MFZ9 zone, as its FO in Valiabad (Arefifard
and Vachard, unpublished data). We suggest here that
Lapparentidiscus generated two lineages of primitive
archaediscoids, but relatively different from those
reconstructed by Hance et al. (2011): (1) a planispirally coiled
lineage with successively Ammarchaediscus–Viseidiscus–
Uralodiscus; whereas Ammarchaediscus gives rise to
oscillating coiling with Planoarchaediscus which has no
particular descendence; (2) Uralodiscus gives rise to various
stages of Glomodiscus (@ Glomodiscus,@Melarchaediscus,
@Propermodiscus?)whichinturngenerateprobablyalltheother
archaediscoids of the concavus, concavo-angulatus, angulatus,
tenuis and pseudo-miliolid stages (Fig. 4); independently
Uralodiscus gives rise to Conilidiscus, also without descendence.
In Ammarchaediscus and primitive Planoarchaediscus,
the evolved, pseudo-fibrous, clear, external layer is re-
ducedtoanumbilicalplug.InViseidiscus and evolved
Planoarchaediscus, the clear layer remains very poorly devel-
oped but covers entirely the internal dark, microgranular layer.
In Uralodiscus and Glomodiscus (@ Melarchaediscus), the
pseudofibrous layer becomes the most developed and the inner
layer is reduced to buttresses (Fig. 4); after that the inner dark
layer is very reduced and finally disappears. Each stage can
give rise to diverse stellate genera; i.e. with basal nodosities
occluding more or less completely the chamber (Fig. 4). These
forms, diversified in the central Alborz (Bozorgnia, 1973), are
rare in our material, and principally represented by some
Nodosarchaediscus.
In the lineage of Archaediscus, successively appeared
three genera, very similar or at least very transitional:
Tubispirodiscus,Betpakodiscus and Browneidiscus (see
Cózar et al., 2008 and Fig. 4).
For many authors, Ammarchaediscus can be interpreted as
being synonymous with Viseidiscus sensu Brenckle et al.
(1987). However, Hance et al. (2011) demonstrated that
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

Viseidiscus,asdefined by its type species Archaediscus
primaevus Pronina, 1963 differs from Ammarchaediscus
(sensu stricto) and corresponds in fact to Leptodiscus Conil
and Pirlet in Pirlet and Conil, 1974. As this name is
preoccupied, Viseidiscus is a proprietary name, but
Ammarchaediscus and Viseidiscus are distinct (Hance
et al., 2011).
Primitive and evolved Planoarchaediscus were named
Brunsiarchaediscus and Nudarchaediscus, respectively, by
Pirlet and Conil (1974, 1977), but these names are difficult
to use because the selected type species do not correspond
exactly to the definitions of the taxa.
Then, in the evolution of the archaediscoids, appears the
family Archaediscidae with four evolutive stages of
Archaediscus: involutus; concavus; concavo-angulatus; and
angulatus), Pirletidiscus Vachard, 1988, Permodiscus
Dutkevich in Chernysheva, 1948a, and Tubispirodiscus
Browne and Pohl, 1973 emend. Cózar et al., 2008
(=Betpakodiscus Marfenkova, 1983 of the authors) and
finally, the Eosigmoilinidae whose coiling is planispiral
evolute or pseudo-miliolid (Fig. 4).
Another family (Asteroarchaediscidae) or multiple
derivations of each stage of development (hypothesis
suggested by Vachard, 1988) can generate diverse stellate
genera (Fig. 4).
We have highlighted the important presence of
Tubispirodiscus attenuatus in MFZ14. This taxon was orig-
inally described under the generic name of Propermodiscus
Miklukho-Maklay, 1953. This latter genus encompasses in
fact various species of Paraarchaediscus Orlova, 1955;
Glomodiscus,andArchaediscus (@ involutus) and differs
strongly from Tubispirodiscus by the test being entirely in-
volute and the strong development of the inner black layer.
Propermodiscus acuminatus forma tipika (misspelling
for: typica) Marfenkova, 1983, described by the same author
in the same publication, is for us completely different and
corresponds to an Archaediscus at the concavus stage,
probably Archaediscus stilus Grozdilova and Lebedeva in
Grozdilova, 1953. According to Brenckle and Grelecki
(1993), Tubispirodiscus attenatus might be a synonym of
Archaediscus krestovnikovi compressa Vdovenko in
Brazhnikova et al., 1967. Nevertheless, the latter species
is smaller (D= 0.256 mm; width = 0.057 mm; h=0.029–
0.031 mm) and has more whorls (7.5). Therefore, it corre-
sponds for us to a distinct species. In addition, contrary to the
recommendation of Brenckle and Grelecki (1993), if the two
species are synonymous, the name compressa would have
priority over attenuatus.
7.2. Lasiodiscids
Krainer and Vachard (2002) proposed some characters for
the Viséan species of Howchinia. The most useful character
is the number of whorls; they also considered 7–8 whorls for
H.gibba,9–12 for H.bradyana, and 13–14 for H.longa.We
followed these criteria in this work.
7.3. Tetrataxis spp.
Tetrataxis elegans,T.exornatus,andT.pallae,threespe-
cies defined in Belgium by Conil and Lys (1964), corre-
spond to some specimens of our study. Occurring
simultaneously in Belgium and Iran, they are only con-
sidered as a unique group, of high and broad Tetrataxis,
withseventoeightwhorlsandwithanapicalangleof
less than 90°.
7.4. Pojarkovella spp. and pojarkovellids
Abundant Pojarkovella species (e.g. P.nibelis,P.
wushiensis) have been discovered in our study. Such diver-
sity is mentioned for the first time in Iran. Another, probably
new, genus of pojarkovellids is associated with the true
Pojarkovella; this genus appears almost planispiral and con-
sequently resembles the misinterpreted Viséan ‘Millerella’
of Conil and Lys (1964) and ‘Eostaffella parastruvei’of
Conil and Lys (1964) and Bozorgnia (1973).
7.5. Eoparastaffella spp.
We have followed for this group the classification of
Devuyst and Kalvoda (2007) who have already
described and illustrated in Iran: E.interiecta (pl. 1,
Fig. 2), E.cf.interiecta (pl. 3, Fig. 19), and E.
macdermoti (pl. 3, Fig. 3).
8. DISCUSSION
We compare the biostratigraphical results of the present
paper with the foraminiferal zones of Poty et al. (2006) as
well as with equivalent Western Europe Substages. The
introduced foraminiferal zones correlate with the MFZ8 to
MFZ14 biozones, and consequently with upper Ivorian,
Moliniacian, Livian, and Warnantian Substages of the
stratotypic areas (Fig. 5).
8.1. Tournaisian
In some Alborz sections, Bozorgnia (1973) and Vachard
(1996) indicated that the Tournaisian is complete with three
biozones: Earlandia minor Zone (MFZ1 of Poty et al.,
2006); Septabrunsiina krainica Zone (MFZ2–MFZ5); and
Eotextularia diversa Zone (MFZ6–MFZ8). In Valiabad,
the transgressive Tournaisian beds resting on the Cambrian
Lalun Formation are latest Tournaisian (MFZ8 biozone) in
EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERAL BIOZONATION ALBORZ,IRAN
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

age, because their foraminiferal assemblages are similar to
those analysed by Devuyst (2006) in the Gaduk section of
central Alborz; especially, due to the presence of rela-
tively primitive species of Eoparastaffella and the
absence of Eoparastaffella simplex, the FAD of which
is characteristic of the base of the Viséan (Fig. 6.1–
6.11). Furthermore, the Tournaisian biozone in Valiabad
corresponds most probably to the upper part of MFZ8 be-
cause neither Darjella monilis nor Elevenella parvula
were observed, and because these two foraminifers are
limited to the lower part of MFZ8 of Gaduk (Devuyst,
2006, Fig. 5.10).
The ‘Kosvinsky’of Brenckle et al. (2009) in the
Abrendan section is clearly also MFZ8 in age; the
MFZ9 is probably present in the last beds of this section
(not illustrated in the log of Brenckle et al., 2009, text-
Fig. 8 p. 56), because of the presence of an
Eoparastaffella of the simplex group illustrated by these
authors (pl. 5, Fig. 11). Similarly the Dainella chomatica
Zone of Vachard (1996) contains also probably the two
biozones MFZ8 and MFZ9.
It is important to note that the Eoendothyranopsis sp.
sensu Ueno et al. (1997, pl. 1, Figs. 11–12) is in fact an
Eoparastaffella sp. of the MFZ8 or MFZ9 biozones.
8.2. Moliniacian (early Viséan)
Our biozone MFZ9 is characterized by the first appearance of
Eoparastaffella simplex at its base and the appearance of a
primitive archaediscid Ammarchaediscus at the base of the
following zone MFZ10. Between its lower and upper limits,
MFZ9 does not contain characteristic forms (Fig. 6.12–6.24,
6. 26), except for Lapparentidiscus, near its top.
In the MFZ9 of Valiabad, the succession of Endothyra
ex gr. similis,Omphalotis?sp.,andMediendothyra might
correspond to a primitive lineage among the omphalotinin
endothyrids. Forschia appears precociously, only 10 m above
the base of the biozone; moreover some Forschiella were
mentioned near the base of the Viséan in the Czech Republic
(Kalvoda et al., 2010, Fig. 13.3) or even in MFZ8 in Ireland
(Kalvoda et al., 2011, Fig. 11G). The taxa Plectogyranopsis
ex gr. convexa and cf. Mediocris?liae may also be used as
local subordinate markers. The top of the MFZ9 in Valiabad
is characterized by the FO (and possibly, the FAD) of
Lapparentidiscus bokanensis. The FO of Eostaffella (notably,
E.nalivkini) in the MFZ9 of Belgium was not observed in
Valiabad, where its FO is at the top of MFZ11A.
The zone MFZ10 is characterized by primitive
archaediscids; especially Ammarchaediscus sp. 1 and A. cf.
eospirillinoides; the latter being probably transitional to
Planoarchaediscus (Fig. 6.25, 6.27–6.35). The affiliation
with Lapparentidiscus suggested by Vachard (1988) is
confirmed here due to the discovery of Lapparentidiscus in
the top of MFZ9.
Conil et al. (1991) characterized the biozone Cf4βby the
appearance of Glomodiscus, rapidly followed by the entry of
‘Rectodiscus’(=Uralodiscus). The biozone Cf4γwas indi-
cated as that of the appearance of Archaediscus. Poty et al.
(2006) considered Uralodiscus rotundus as characteristic
of MFZ11. Okuyucu et al. (2013) have considered the
FAD of Paraarchaediscus as the marker of the base of the
zone MFZ11B. Consequently, the MFZ10 corresponds
exactly to our subdivision in Valiabad, but the Cf4β
corresponded only to the upper part of this zone and to the
lower part of the MFZ11A. Finally, the MFZ11B corre-
sponds to the lower part of the Cf4γ.
The biozone MFZ11 is the acme zone of Uralodiscus
(Figs. 6.36–6.38, 7.1–7.42). MFZ11A is characterized by the
assemblage of Uralodiscus,Glomodiscus,Ammarchaediscus
sp. 1, A.sp.2,andPlanoarchaediscus cf. rigens, whereas the
true Archaediscus appear in MFZ11B, with an obvious
transition between Glomodiscus sp. 3 and Archaediscus
(stage involutus) ex gr. convexus. MFZ11B is relatively
thick in our section; it contains many archaediscids in
open nomenclature of the genera Archaediscus (stage
involutus and stage concavus), Planoarchaediscus,and
Glomodiscus.ContrarytoBelgium,thelast
Eoparastaffella are limited to the base of MFZ11A and
the first true Eostaffella appear in this subzone. Similarly,
in both areas, Eotextularia diversa disappears at the base
of MFZ12. The assemblages of the biozone MFZ11 are
apparently widespread in Alborz, after re-interpretation
of the literature (Bozorgnia, 1973; Jenny, 1977; Stampfli,
1978; Lys et al., 1978; Meissami et al., 1978; Vachard,
1996; Brenckle et al., 2009). In the Abnak section, the
Member ‘C’of Brenckle et al. (2009) maybe begins
before the MFZ11A Zone; the Member ‘D’is almost
entirely MFZ11A in age due to the appearance of
Uralodiscus (samples 1066–806).
8.3. Livian (middle Viséan)
The MFZ12 zone (Figs. 8.1–8.3, 9.1–9.8) evidently
appears in the sample 87 with the first Pojarkovella (this
taxon is indicated as doubtful by Brenckle et al., 2009;
probably because the section is transverse but this illus-
trated specimen belongs unquestionably to Pojarkovella).
Therefore, we find here the character indicated by Hance
et al. (2011) as characteristic of the MFZ11B biozone;
i.e. the appearance of rare Pojarkovella, prior to the abun-
dance and diversity of this genus at the base of MFZ12.
Apparently, this biozone MFZ12 is not present in the
section of Brenckle et al. (2009) due to the absence of true
Pojarkovella nibelis.
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

Similarly, in the Tarim Basin (NW China), in the
Wushi section studied by Brenckle (2004), the lower
limit of the biozone MFZ12 can be placed at the horizon of
sample 7 showing the appearance of Pojarkovella nibelis
and P.wushiensis. Moreover, a P. sp. is mentioned in the
sample 3; that is, for us, an evidence of the presence of the
MFZ11B subzone in Tarim. In this study of Brenckle
(2004), we can also remark that the probable equivalent of
the biozone MFZ12 is located between his samples 7 and 19.
In the Tarim Basin the horizon of sample 20, appears the
marker of the biozone MFZ13; i.e. the genus Vissariotaxis
Mamet, 1970 which unfortunately has not been found in our
study.
In Valiabad, the base of MFZ12, characterized by a mas-
sive appearance of Pojarkovella spp., is the exact equivalent
of the typical biozone MFZ12 in Belgium. As in South
China, the genus Uralodiscus is still present in this zone.
True Archaediscus (stage concavo-angulatus) karreri Brady,
1873 are present, as well as Koskinotextularia cribriformis.
Concomitantly, appears Mstinia fallax which was most
traditionally considered a late Viséan taxon (see above).
Figure 7. Foraminifers of the Valiabad section (Lower Carboniferous
Mobarak Formation). Scale bar = 250 μm. Spl = Sample number. 1.
Lapparentidiscus? sp., Spl. MZ49; 2. Gen. indet. 2, Spl. MZ50; 3–6.
Uralodiscus ex gr. rotundus (Chernysheva, 1948a), Spl. 50; 7. Uralodiscus
cf. sumsariensis (Skvortsov, 1965), Spl. MZ51; 8, 9. Glomodiscus cf.
praeconvexus (Bozorgnia, 1973), Spl. MZ51; 10. Mediocris mediocris
(Vissarionova, 1948), Spl. MZ54; 11. Mediendothyra wjasmensis
(Ganelina, 1956), Spl. MZ 79.12, 13. Ammarchaediscus sp. 3, Spl. MZ54;
14–16. Glomodiscus oblongus (Conil and Lys, 1964), 14: Spl. MZ 54, 15:
Spl. MZ 57, 16: Spl. MZ 58; 17. Eostaffella sp., Spl. MZ 55; 18.
Ammarchaediscus sp. 4, Spl. MZ 55; 19. Ammarchaediscus sp. 5, Spl.
MZ 56; 20. Planoarchaediscus sp. 1, Spl. MZ 56; 21. Glomodiscus sp. 2,
Spl. MZ 56; 22, 23. Uralodiscus sp., Spl. MZ 57; 24. Glomodiscus sp. 3,
Spl. MZ 59; 25. Archaediscus (involutus stage) sp., Spl. MZ 60; 26.
Brunsia? sp., Spl. MZ 59, 27. Archaediscus (involutus stage) ex gr.
convexus Grozdilova and Lededeva, 1954, Spl. MZ 59; 28. Glomodiscus
sp. 4, Spl. MZ 61; 29. Glomodiscus sp. 4, Spl. MZ 62; 30. Archaediscus
sp., Spl. MZ 62; 31. Ammarchaediscus sp. 6, Spl. MZ12Spl. MZ 71; 32.
Ammarchaediscus sp. 7, Spl. MZ 72; 33. Planoarchaediscus sp. 3, Spl. MZ
65; 34. Archaediscus (involutus stage) cf. pulvinus (Conil and Lys, 1964),
Spl. MZ 75; 35. Archaediscus (concavus stage) ex gr. chernousovensis
Mamet et al., 1966, Spl. MZ 62; 36. Archaediscus (involutus stage) sp.,
Spl. 61; 37. Endothyra ex. gr. bowmani (Phillips, 1846), Spl. MZ 79; 38.
Archaediscus (concavus stage) ex gr. stilus (Grozdilova and Lebedeva in
Grozdilova, 1953), Spl. MZ 80; 39, 40. Eotextularia diversa (Chernysheva,
1948b), 39: Spl. MZ 79, 40: Spl. MZ 84.
Figure 8. Foraminifers of the Valiabad section (Lower Carboniferous
Mobarak Formation). Scale bar = 500 μm for Figs. 1–33 and 1000 μmfor
Figs. 37–39. Spl = S ample number. 1–4. Pojarkovella wushiensis (Li, 1991)
emend. Brenckle, 2004, 1, 2: Spl. MZ 85, 3, 4: Spl. MZ 86. 5–20.
Pojarkovella ex gr. nibelis (Durkina, 1959), 5: Spl. MZ 87, 6: Spl. MZ 85,
7–20: Spl. MZ 87; 21–30. N. gen.,, Spl. MZ 87; 31. Pojarkovella sp., Spl.
MZ 86; 32, 33. Koskinotextularia ex gr. bradyi (von Möller, 1879). Spl.
MZ 89; 34. Koskinotextularia cf. cribriformis Eickhoff, 1968, Spl. MZ 92;
35. Mediendothyra?sp.,Spl.MZ86;36–39. Mstinia fallax (Rauser-
Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauser-Chernousova et al., 1936) Spl. MZ 89.
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Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

No local markers indicate clearly the top of this zone.
Possible candidates might be the disappearance of
Uralodiscus rotundus, the appearance of Permodiscus
vetustus Dutkevich in Chernysheva, 1948a, or that of
Pirletidiscus sp. We have finally selected the appearance of
Mstinia bulloides as the indicator of the base of MFZ12,
because in Western Europe and Russia, this taxon is gener-
ally well represented in the late Viséan.
Our MFZ12 biozone shows, therefore, a great diversity of
the genus Pojarkovella with P.nibelis,P.wushiensis and P.?
ketmenica and a possible new related genus near its base.
Almost all these taxa are mentioned for the first time in Iran
as P?ketmenica. A new genus of pojarkovellids is similar to
Pojarkovella by its wall structure, but devoid of axis
deviations and almost planispiral, and consequently difficult
to distinguish from Eoendothyranopsis Reitlinger and
Rostovceva in Reitlinger, 1966, Pseudoendothyra
Mikhailov, 1939 or Eostaffella Rauser-Chernousova,
1948d. The smaller species like P.? ketmenica appear
morphologically similar to P.nibelis as well as Euxinita
Conil and Dil in Conil et al., 1980. If we cannot find a
difference between the wall structures, we will admit that
Pojarkovella and Euxinita are synonyms as proposed by
Reitlinger (1981) but see discussion in Cózar (2002) and
Okuyucu and Vachard (2006).
8.4. Warnantian (late Viséan)
The endemism of MFZ13 microfaunas does not permit an
accurate comparison with the MFZ13 biozone of Poty
et al. (2006). Hence, the local MFZ13 is included
between the appearance of Mstinia bulloides and that of
Howchinia gibba. The other local biomarkers are
Nodosarchaediscus and large Tetrataxis spp. It is to
notice that Brenckle et al. (1987) suggested that
Nodosarchaediscus did not exist, whereas Brenckle
et al. (2009) denominated Kasachstanodiscus the abun-
dant and unquestionable Nodosarchaediscus of the
Alborz Mountains. We consider Kasachstanodiscus and
Nodosarchaediscus as very different (Fig. 4). The upper
part of this biozone is characterized, as in Belgium, by
the appearance of Pseudoendothyra.
The last zone, MFZ14, is easy to characterize due to
the appearance of Howchinia gibba and H.bradyana,
as well as that of Endostaffella parva (fig. 9.29–9.40).
This zone corresponds therefore to the MFZ14 (V3bγ)
of Belgium. This division is relatively well-known in
all of Alborz (Bozorgnia, 1973; Jenny, 1977, p. 7, figs. 3
and 4; Lys et al., 1978, pl. 1, figs. 13–25; Vachard,
1996).
Another interesting species of MFZ14 is Tubispirodiscus
attenuatus (see above and below). Compared with the
MFZ14 of Belgium, the MFZ14 of Valiabad is poorly
diversified and its total assemblage of five taxa is indi-
cated above.
Figure 9. Foraminifers of the Valiabad section (Lower Carboniferous
Mobarak Formation). Scale bar =250 μm for Figs. 1–34 and 500 μm for
Figs. 35–40. Spl = Sample number. 1, 2. Pojarkovella?ketmenica Simonova
and Zub, 1975, Spl. MZ 85; 3. Omphalotis sp., Spl. MZ 86; 4. Endothyra
paraprisca Rozovskaya, 1963, Spl. MZ 86; 5, 6. Uralodiscus abnakensis
(Bozorgnia, 1973), Spl. MZ 86; 7. Planoarchaediscus aff. rigens (Conil
and Lys, 1964), Spl. MZ 86; 8. Archaediscus mixtus (Conil and Lys,
1964), Spl. MZ 86; 9. Archediscus karreri (Brady, 1873), Spl. MZ 90; 10.
Archaediscus cf. convexus Grozdilova and Lebedeva, 1954, Spl. MZ 93;
11. Uralodiscus rotundus (Chernysheva, 1948a), Spl. MZ 93; 12.
Archaediscus koktjubensis Rauser-Chernousova, 1948d. Spl, MZ 93; 13.
Planoarchaediscus cf. contiguus (Omara and Conil, 1965), Spl. MZ 93;
14, 15. Pirletidiscus, sp., 14: Spl. MZ 97, 15: MZ 98; 16, 17.
Kasachstanodiscus sp., Spl. MZ 99; 18, 19. Nodosarchaediscus
tchalussensis (Bozorgnia, 1973), Spl. MZ 99; 20. Permodiscus vetustus
Dutkevich in Chernysheva, 1948a, Spl, MZ 96; 21, 22. Nodosarchaediscus
demaneti (Conil and Lys, 1964), 21: Spl. MZ 107, 22: MZ 116; 23.
Archaediscus moelleri (Rauser-Chernousova, 1948c), Spl. MZ 110; 24.
Archaediscus acuminatus (Marfenkova, 1983), Spl. MZ 116; 25. Tetrataxis
pallae (Conil and Lys, 1964), Spl. MZ 109; 26. Tetrataxis palaeotrochus
(Brady, 1876), Spl. MZ 107; 27, 28. Archaediscus krestovnikovi (Rauser-
Chernousova, 1948d), Spl. MZ 112; 29, 30. Howchinia gibba (Möller,
1879), 29: Spl. MZ 114, 30: Spl. MZ 116; 31. Howchinia bradyana
(Howchin, 1888), Spl. MZ 121; 32. Endostaffella parva (Möller, 1879),
Spl. MZ 119. 33, 34. Tubispirodiscus attenuatus (Marfenkova, 1978), 33:
Spl. MZ 121, 34: Spl. MZ 119; 35, 36. Consobrinella sp., Spl. MZ 96,
37, 38. Consobrinella consobrina (Lipina, 1948), 37: Spl. MZ 104, 38:
Spl. MZ 107; 39. Mstinia bulloides (Mikhailov, 1939), Spl. MZ 98; 40.
Tetrataxis acuta Durkina, 1959, Spl. MZ 108.
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

9. GEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS
9.1. Diachronism of the top of the Mobarak Formation
It seems that the top of the Mobarak Formation becomes
increasingly younger from the southeast to the northwest
(Brenckle et al., 2009). For example, the Mobarak Fm at
the Abrendan and Abnak sections on the south side of our
Valiabad section terminated within the late Tournaisian
and early Viséan respectively. The Dozdehband section,
situated to the northwest of the Valiabad section, exhibits a
Mobarak Fm that terminates in the latest Viséan (MFZ15
or V3c in Belgium) (Bozorgnia, 1973; Vachard, 1996).
Foraminiferal data indicate almost the same age for the top
of the Valiabad section, and strongly confirm the regional
studies that concluded that the top of the Mobarak Forma-
tion becomes younger in a northwestern direction across
the Alborz Mountains (e.g. Bozorgnia, 1973; Brenckle
et al., 2009). As indicated by Bozorgnia (1973), this age dis-
crepancy might be attributed to differential uplifts across the
Alborz region that started in the late Viséan and continued
into the Early Permian. Concerning the late Viséan, a more
precise age can be suggested here; indeed, the biozone
MFZ13 (former V3bα–V3bβ) due to its relative paucity in
foraminifers can appear as a period of tectonic instability,
preventing the migrations and/or the development of stable
biotopes. Furthermore, the exact dating of MFZ13 might
be re-discussed; alternatively, this subzone can be still
MFZ12 or even upper MFZ13 in age. Consequently, tec-
tonic movements and non-depositional episodes might occur
during the interval of time equivalent of the lower MFZ13 in
northern Alborz, and/or during the MFZ12 in central Alborz
due to (1) the end of the Mobarak deposits, (2) the apparent
absence of Pojarkovella, in this area. Other geodynamical
implications can be found according to the foraminiferal as-
semblages and the palaeobiogeography, especially, as a pos-
sible explanation for a narrowing of the northern branch of
the Palaeotethys, starting as soon as the late Viséan, prior
to the Eo-Cimmerian saturation.
9.2. Data of the Valiabad foraminifers
The principal biogeographic foraminiferal indexes for the lat-
est Devonian–late Viséan period (Hance et al., 2011) seem to
be: Quasiendothyra kobeitusana (Rauser-Chernousova,
1948d), Eoparastaffella spp., Uralodiscus spp., Pojarkovella
spp., and Tubispirodiscus spp. The ostracod Cryptophyllus is
also important.
The important biostratigraphical marker of the northern
border of the Palaeotethys, Quasiendothyra kobeitusana
(Rauser-Chernousova, 1948d), and characteristic of the lat-
est Devonian DFZ7 biozone is not mentioned in Alborz
(the specimen illustrated by Kalantari, 1986, pl. 17, Fig. 1
is misinterpreted and corresponds most probably to
Praedainella Hance et al., 2011); nevertheless, (1) the lithol-
ogy of the outcrops of this age is totally unfavourable with
red sandstone, red shale, quartzite, and dolomitic sandstone
(e.g. Weddige, 1984; Ueno et al., 1997); (2) one specimen
of this species has been found in Central Iran (Bagheri and
Stampfli, 2008, pl . 1, Fig. A).
The genus Eoparastaffella has migrated, during the
biozones MFZ11B and MFZ12, along the northern shelf of
Palaeotethys, the Ural shelves, and rare areas of the southern
shelf of the Palaeotethys (southern France: Vachard, 1977;
southern Turkey: Altiner, 1981; Alborz: Bozorgnia, 1973,
Vachard, 1996; Brenckle et al., 2009; this study). It re-
mains totally absent in North Africa (from Morocco to
Sinai), and from North America, because, as indicated by
Devuyst (2006), the so-called forms of this subcontinent
belong in fact to Eoendothyranopsis.Pojarkovella,al-
though known in Palaeotethys shelves (from Ireland to
South China) and the Urals shelves (from south to north),
has its maximal diversification in Tajikistan (Simonova
and Zub, 1975), South China (Hance et al., 2011), and Iran
(this study).
The radiation of the primitive archaediscids seems to
appear in the Sinai (Egypt)–Antalaya (southern Turkey)
region, but the first maximal diversification of
archaediscids occurs probably in the area of Kazakhstan
(Marfenkova, 1978, 1983, 1991)–Afghanistan (Vachard,
1980; Vachard and Montenat, 1996)–Alborz (this study).
Uralodiscus has probably the same distribution as
Eoparastaffella, for example in all the Taurus range
(Demir Altiner, personal communication) although it is
very rare in South China, and reaches the southern border
of the Palaeotethys, in central Morocco (Vieslet, 1983;
Vachard and Fadli, 1991) and eastern Egypt (Sinai: Omara
and Conil, 1965; Brenckle and Marchant, 1987). The pres-
ence of the late Viséan taxon Tubispirodiscus attenuatus
in Valiabad, confirms the strong relationship with Kazakh-
stan, although this species then migrated, during the early
Serpukhovian, to Belgium, England, Scotland, Ireland,
Spain and Morocco (Cózar et al., 2008; Pedro Cózar,
personal communication, July 2012).
Cryptophyllus disappears in the northern border of the
Tethys, concomitantly with the Hangenberg event; i.e. at
the latest Devonian (Vachard et al., 2014) or earliest
Carboniferous (Devuyst et al., 2005); but it found a refuge
in the Perigondwanan territories up to the upper MFZ12
(=V3a). This latter age was precisely determined in
Valiabad by Bozorgnia (1973); that seems to indicate that
the Alborz region still lay within Perigondwana in this
period.
Consequently, many communications of microfaunas
seem to occur in between Alborz, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Southern Turkey (Taurus), and South China. The
EARLY CARBONIFEROUS FORAMINIFERAL BIOZONATION ALBORZ,IRAN
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

explanation can be either a system of marine currents in the
centre of the Palaeotethys or close contacts between these
territories due to a narrower Palaeotethys, or a drift of
Alborz from the Perigondwanan margin of Palaeotethys
to Kazakhstan (i.e. Laurentian) margin of the Palaeotethys
(Fig. 10). Affinities between foraminifers of South China
and Alborz have been underlined by Gaillot and Vachard
(2007) and Brenckle et al. (2009). Due to these move-
ments of the northern Palaeotethys, the northern Alborz
could have remained subsident and constituted some
depocentres during the late Viséan–Serpukhovian,
whereas the southern Alborz could have been emergent
and experienced non-deposition and/or erosion. The east-
ern Alborz remained a marine carbonate platform through
to the Middle Pennsylvanian (Jenny, 1977; Jenny et al.,
1978; Stampfli, 1978; Lys et al., 1978; Vachard, 1996;
Gaetani et al., 2009).
10. CONCLUSIONS
Lower Carboniferous foraminiferal assemblages from the
Valiabad section, situated in the northern Alborz (Iran) are
examined in this contribution. 104 species have been found,
which have allowed the identification of seven foraminiferal
zones, based mainly on the Poty et al. (2006) zonal scheme,
showing zones MFZ8 (late Tournaisian): Eoparastaffella
ex gr. rotunda–‘florigena’cf. gadukensis assemblage zone;
MFZ9–MFZ11 (early Viséan): Eoparastaffella simplex–
Lapparentidiscus bokanensis lowest occurrence zone,
Ammarchaediscus lowest occurrence zone, Uralodiscus–
Glomodiscus lowest occurrence zone and Glomodiscus–
Archaediscus assemblage zone; MFZ12–MFZ14 (late
Viséan): Pojarkovella–Mstinia fallax assemblage zone,
Mstinia bulloides–Pseudoendothyra assemblage zone; and
Howchinia gibba,Howchinia bradyana,Tubispirodiscus
attenuatus lowest occurrence zone.
In this study, nine species of Viséan foraminifers includ-
ing: Archaediscus koktjubensis,Tubispirodiscus attenuatus,
Consobrinella consobrina,Koskinotextularia cribriformis,
Permodiscus vetustus,Pirletidiscus sp., Pojarkovella
nibelis,P?ketmenica and Mstinia fallax are reported for
the first time in Iran; and the majority of the archaediscids
and pojarkovellids, which remain in open nomenclature,
correspond probably also to new taxa.
Many communications of microfaunas seem to have
existed between Alborz, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Taurus,
and South China. That can be explained either by favourable
prevailing currents in the centre of the Palaeotethys or strong
connections between these territories due to a narrower
Palaeotethys. The assemblages discovered during this study
seem to indicate that the Alborz region has, from the MFZ8
to MFZ11 (i.e. during the Moliniacian) had strong relation-
ships with Sinai, Taurus, and Antalya Nappes; i.e. the south-
ern margin of the Palaeotethys; and, inversely, from MFZ12
to MFZ14 (i.e. Livian and Warnantian), the relations are
more with the northern margin and especially with Kazakh-
stan (Fig. 10). This suggests that (1) the Palaeotethys was a
narrow ocean during the Viséan in this area; (2) a tectonic
event occurred between the MFZ11 and MFZ12 zones;
(3) it generates an inversion of the palaeogeographic rela-
tions, either by a new system of oceanic currents, or by a
translation to the north of the Alborz region, and possibly
a modification of this status of Perigondwanan marginal
area into a Cimmerian terrane, although no phases of rifting
and/or oceanic drift is directly known. This narrowness of
the pre-Permian Tethys is also evidenced by some
olistostromes of Central Iran which contains
Perigondwanan elements as well as North-Tethyan ele-
ments (Bagheri and Stampfli, 2008; Berra et al., 2014)
thanks to the determination of foraminifers by D. Vachard
and brachiopods by L. Angiolini.
Figure 10. Reconstructed palaeogeographic schemes. (A) During the early
Viséan times, the Alborz is still included in the Perigondwanan margin; con-
sequently, it is part of the radiation centres of the primitive archaediscids.
(B) During the late Viséan times, after a drift during the middle Viséan,
Alborz has moved away from the Perigondwanan margin, and then, was
integrated to the Cimmerian terranes; consequently, its assemblages of
archaediscids are more similar with those of the Laurasian margin of the Tethys,
especially those of Kazakhstan. Abbreviations: BB = Band-e Bayan (Afghanistan);
MC = Central Mountains (Afghanistan); PSE = southern Pamirs. This figure is
available in colour online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/gj
K.ZANDKARIMI ET AL.
Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Geol. J. (2014)
DOI: 10.1002/gj

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We acknowledge the cooperation of Mr Hassanpour,
Mr Divdar, Mr Kamali and Mr Eslami, and University stu-
dents for the help in the field work. We thank Dr Pedro Cózar
and Professor Edouard Poty for providing bibliographic
references. We are grateful to Professor Ian Somerville for
correcting a first draft of this paper. A first draft of our paper
was reviewed by Dr Luc Hance and Dr Pedro Cózar. This
version was revised by Dr Elena Kulagina, Prof. Dr. Demir
Altiner, and Prof. Ian Somerville.
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