Permophiles Issue #37 2000

boundary. Logan, A., Hills, L. V. (ed.) Canad. Soc. Petrol. The paleo-reconstructions
Geol. Mem., vol.2, p. 572-595. There is still some confusion about what Tethys existed at
Jin, Yu-gan, Menning, M. , 1996. A possible North-South correla- what time (e.g. Sengör 1985). A consensus exists, however, re-
tion of the Permian. Permophiles, vol. 29, p. 40-41. garding the presence of a mainly Paleozoic ocean north of the
Kotlyar, G. V., Nestell, G. P., Zhakarov, Y. D., Nestell, M. K., 1999. Cimmerian continent(s) - the Paleotethys, a younger Late Paleo-
Changhsingian of the northwestern Caucasus, southern zoic-Mesozoic ocean located south of this continent - the
Primoyre and southeastern Pamirs. Permophiles, vol. 35, p. Neotethys, and finally a Middle Jurassic ocean - the Alpine Tethys
18-22. (Favre & Stampfli 1992; Stampfli & Marchant 1997), an extension
Kozur, H., 1998. The Permian conodont biochronology: Progress of the Central Atlantic, which broke through the Pangea super-
and Problems. Proc. Roy. Soc. Victoria, vol. 110, p. 197-220. continent. These three oceanic realms form the Tethyan domain
Mei, Shi-long, Jin Yu-gan, Wardlaw, B. R., 1994. Succession of s.l. extending from Morocco to the Far-East (Sengör and Hsü 1984).
Wuchiapingian conodonts from northeastern Sichuan and The first geodynamically correct definition of the main Tethyan
its worldwide correlation. Acta Micropalaeont. Sinica, vol. 11 oceans, based on extensive fieldwork in the Middle East, was given
(2), p. 121-139. by Stöcklin (1974) who recognized a Late Paleozoic? to Triassic
Roberts, J., Claoue-Long, J. C., Foster, C. B., 1996. SHRIMP zircon oceanic realm cutting through the epi-Baikalian (Panafrican-
dating of the Permian System of eastern Australia. Aust. J. Gondwanan) platform and separating the Iranian plate from Arabia,
Earth Sci., vol. 43, p. 401-421. that he called Neotethys and another older oceanic realm separat-
Ruzencev, V. E., Sarytcheva, T. G., 1965. The development and suc- ing the Iranian epi-Baikalian (Panafrican) domain from the Variscan
cession of marine organisms at the Paleozoic-Mesozoic bound- Turan domain to the north that he called Paleotethys (Stöcklin
ary. Tr. Paleont. Inst. , vol. 108 (in Russian). 1969,1974, 1977, 1981).
Shi, G. R., Waterhouse, J. B., 1996. Lower Permian brachiopods and Following this proposal, we started an investigation of the
Molluscs from the upper Jungle Creek Formation, northern eastern Alborz range (Stampfli 1978) and effectively defined it as a
Yukon Territory. Can. Geol. Surv. Bull., vol. 424. potential southern margin of Stöcklin’s Paleotethys Ocean. The
Wardlaw, B. R. 1997. Tempo of conodont evolution, refined con- opening of this Paleozoic ocean was placed in Silurian time. At the
odont biostratigraphy, and sequence stratigraphy of the Per- same time the ophiolites of Mashhad were recognised as most
mian with special emphasis on the Perigondwana strata of likely pertaining to the Paleotethys suture (see the review of Ruttner
the Salt Range, Pakistan. Abstracts, The Permian of eastern 1993, concerning these ophiolites).
Tethys: Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography and Resources, The drifting of the Irano-Afghan block from Gondwana to
p. 9. Rusden Campus, Deakin University, Melbourne. Laurasia was then clearly recognised and constrained by the evo-
Wardlaw, B. R., Mei, S., 1999. Refined conodont biostratigraphy of lution of the microflora of the Iranian block from a Gondwanan
the Permian and lowest Triassic of the Salt and Khizor Ranges, affinity in Carboniferous time (Coquel et al. 1977; Chateauneuf
Pakistan. In Yin, H. J., Tong, J. (ed.) Proc. Internat. Conf. on and Stampfli 1979) to an Eurasian affinity in Late Triassic time
Pangaea and the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic transition. Wuhan, (Corsin and Stampfli 1977). The Eocimmerian orogeny was also
China Univ. of Geoscience Press, p. 154-156. defined in Iran at that time as a result of the closing Paleotethys
Waterhouse, J. B., 1981. Age of the Rat Buri Limestone of southern and Middle Triassic collision of the Iranian block with the Eur-
Thailand. Dep. Mineral. Res. Bangkok, Geol. Surv. Mem., asian Turan block (Stampfli 1978).
vol.4, p.1-42. This concept was later on extended further west (Turkey) and
Waterhouse, J. B., Piyasin, S., 1970. Mid-Permian brachiopods from East (Tibet, Far-east) by Sengör who defined the Cimmerian block
Khao Phrik, Thailand. Palaeontographica A, vol. 135, p. 83- as a ribbon-like micro-continent separating Neotethys from
197. Paleotethys (Sengör 1979; Sengör 1984; Sengör & Hsü 1984), he
Zhou, Zuren, Glenister, B. F., Furnish, W. M., Spinosa, C., 1996. also defined at the same time the Cimmerian deformation as non-
Multi-episodal extinction and ecological differentiation of Hercynian or post Hercynian.
Permian ammonoids. Permophiles, vol. 29, p. 52-62. New reconstruction models were derived recently in order to
reassess new plate tectonic concepts developed in the Tethyan
realm, based mainly on the review of the subsidence patterns of
the involved plate margins (Stampfli, 1996, 2000; Stampfli et al.
1991, 1998 and In press; Stampfli & Pillevuit 1993; Stampfli &
Permian Palaeogeography of the Tethyan Realm Marchant 1997; Stampfli & Mosar 1999). They are presented on
figure 1.
Catherine Jenny
21 ch. de la Léchaire CH 1233 Lully, France The distribution of Permian foraminifers
Marine Permian biostratigraphic scales are based on several
Gérard Stampfli different organisms: ammonoids, foraminifers, and conodonts...
Institute of Geology, University of Lausanne, BFSH-2, CH-1015 This work considers only benthic foraminifers and calcareous
Lausanne, Switzerland algae. Normally, the more important benthic foraminifers are
http://www-sst.unil.ch/research/plate_tecto/members.htm fusulinids. Nevertheless individuals of this group of organisms
are in some areas missing or rare. Sometimes the index taxa have
not been found in the deposits, then we must use other foramini-
fers like nodosarids, genus of Biseriammindae, Hemigordiopsidae
24
 Permophiles Issue #37 2000
families or calcareous algae too. For these reasons it is difficult to Another question is how to consider the migration of the taxa
make global correlations in the Permian of the Tethys realm. all around the Tethys oceans during Permian times in addition to
Benthic foraminifers and calcareous algae associations have the problems of their evolutionary story? From the map it seems
been used in this study. An inventory of more than 3500 thin that paleolatitudes play an important role in the distribution of
sections that represent twelve regions around the Permian Tethyan some taxa, but is it the dominating factor?
realm has been completed; a single micropaleontologist did the We hope that these numerous unanswered questions will serve
compilation. This guarantees homogeneity in the taxonomic deter- as a starting point for new investigation that will help completing
minations, although choice of taxa could be contested. The data- the distribution maps.
base was completed using information from the literature.
The inventory showed great differences between the studied The taxa inventory will be published separately as soon as
areas. Possible explanations of these could be due to paleogeo- possible.
graphic conditions. For these reasons we used new, well-con-
strained geodynamic reconstructions as a support of this work. References
Our choice of only two main periods in the Permian is justified Altiner D. 1981 Recherches stratigraphiques et
by the geodynamic evolution of the Tethyan realm at that time. micropaléontologiques dans le Taurus oriental au NW de
Effectively the Early Permian does not show much differentiation Pinarbasi Turquie Thèse Univ Genève n 2005
in terms of paleogeography whereas the late Early Permian Aw P C. Ischii F I Okimura Y 1977 On Paleofusulina -Colaniella
(Murgabian, fig. 2 and 3) sees the opening of Neotethys and the fauna from the Upper Permian of Kelatan Malaysia Trans
drifting of the Cimmerian continents. Together with the Late Per- Proc Paleont Soc Japan N S n 104 pp.407- 417 pl.43 Jan 20
mian maps (Midian-Dorashamian, fig 4 to 7) these two Baghbani D 1992 The Permian sequence n the Abadeh region
paleoreconstructions should provide a good basis to test paleo- Central Iran Permian Congress part 2
geographic differences in the faunal associations and potential Chateauneuf, J. J. & Stampfli, G. 1979. Preliminary report on
endemism. Permian palynology of Iran. International Palynological
The main biostratigraphic criteria to separate these two maps Conference, Lucknow, 2, 186-198.
are the appearance of Paraglobivalvulina mira Reitlinger in the Coquel, R., Loboziak, S., Stampfli, G. & Stampfli-Vuille, B. 1977.
Late Permian. This taxon participates in a phylogenetic trend and it Palynologie du Dévonien supérieur et du Carbonifère
has a large paleogeographic distribution. inférieur dans l’Elburz oriental (Iran Nord-Est). Revue de
Each map presents the distribution of nine taxa, chosen be- Micropaléontologie, 20/2, 59-71.
cause of their respective biostratigraphic importance observed in Corsin, P. & Stampfli, G. M. 1977. La formation de Shemshak
the inventory and literature. It is the deliberate choice of the au- dans l’Elbourz oriental (Iran). Flore - stratigraphie -
thor of the inventory. paléogéographie. Géobios, 10/4, 509-571.
This study brings a new way of investigating the significance Favre, P. & Stampfli, G. 1992. From rifting to passive margin: the
of these taxa in terms of biostratigraphy, but it does not solve the Red Sea, the central Atlantic and the Alpine Tethys as
problems of biostratigraphic correlations examples. Tectonophysics, 215, 69-97.
Jenny- Deshusses C., Martini R. & Zaninetti, L. 2000 Découverte
Conclusions du foraminifère Colaniella Likharev dans le Permien supérieur
Figures 2 through 7 show that: de la vallée du Sosio Sicile sous presse
- The Late Permian Paleofusuline genus Paleofusulina seems Jenny-Deshusses C. 1983 le Permien de l’Elbourz central et orien-
to be confined to the Paleotethys realm, especially to its northern tal Iran Stratigraphie et micropaleontologie foraminifères et
margin. algues Thèse Univ Genève n 2103
- The genus Colaniella never occurs in the equatorial part of Kobayashi F 1996 Morphologic change of Abadahella
the Cimmerian blocks during the end of the Permian. Foraminiferida through Middle to Late Permian Prof. H Igo
For these two reasons, we propose some open questions. Can Comm vol. pp.85- 97
Paleofusulina keep its prevalent importance as an index foramini- Kotlyar G V & al 1989 evolution of the latest Permian biota Midian
fer for the Late Permian biostratigraphic correlations? Has regional stage in the USSR Leningrad department of publish-
Colaniella a better geographical range during the Late Permian? ing house
What about regions where neither of these two taxa occurs? Leven E Ja & Okay A I 1996 Foraminifera from the exotic Permo
Because of these questions we decided to consider the Per- Carboniferous limestone blocks in the Karakaya complex north-
mian faunal associations in their local composition and stratigraphic western Turkey Riv Ital Paleont Strat vol 102 pp139- 174
sequences to build up local biostratigraphy. Leven E Ja 1967 Stratigraphy and Fusulinids of the Pamirs Permian
In all the studied areas it is possible to describe these sequences deposits (in Russian) Publi Acad Sc USSR transactions vol
and to use them for local precise biostratigraphy. 167
Regarding the faunal associations, we can keep one or more Lin J & al 1990 Late Paleozoic Foraminiferas in South China Soc
taxa that characterize each area. As an example the genus publ House Beijing
Paradagmarita is typical of the Taurus Belt deposits (Turkey) Lys M 1986 Biostratigraphie du Carbonifère et du Permien en
because of the great number of individuals. The Staffella- Mésogée Espagne Afrique du nord Régions égéennes proche
Hemigordius association is typical of the Marmari Formation Orient études micropaléontologiques foraminifères
(Murgabian) of Hydra Island deposits (Greece). There are many paléogéographie
such examples.
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 Permophiles Issue #37 2000
Nguyen D T 1979 Etude micropaléontologique foraminifères der Stöcklin, J. 1977. - Structural correlation of the Alpine ranges be-
matériaux du Permien du Cambodge Thèse Univ Paris- Sud tween Iran and Central Asia. Stöcklin, J. 1981. - A brief report
Orsay on geodynamics in Iran. In: Gupta, H.K. and Delany, F.M.
Ruttner, A. W. 1993. Southern borderland of Triassic Laurasia in (eds.), Zagros, Hindu-Kush, Himalaya, Geodynamic evolu-
NE Iran. Geologische Rundschau, 82, 110-120. tion. American Geophysical Union & Geological Society of
Sengör, A. M. C. & Hsü, K. J. 1984. The Cimmerides of Eastern America, 3, 70-74.
Asia: history of the eastern end of Paleo-Tethys. Mémoires de Vachard D 1980 Téthys et Gondwana au Paléozoique supérieur les
la Société Géologique de France, 47/139-167. données afghanes biostratigraphie micropaléontologie
Sengör, A. M. C. 1979. Mid-Mesozoic closure of Permo-Triassic paléogéographie Mém & Trav IGAL Paris n 2
Tethys and its implications. Nature, 279/590-593.
Sengör, A. M. C. 1984. The Cimmeride orogenic system and the
tectonics of Eurasia. Geological Society of America Special
Paper, 195/82.
Sengör, A. M. C. 1985. The story of Tethys: how many wives did
Okeanos have). Episodes, 8/1, 3-12.
Stampfli, G.M. & Marchant, R. H. 1997. Geodynamic evolution of
the Tethyan margins of the Western Alps. In: Pfiffner, O. A.,
Lehner, P., Heitzman, P. Z., Mueller, S. & Steck, A. (eds.) Deep
structure of the Swiss Alps - Results from NRP 20. , Birkhaüser
AG., Basel, 223-239.
Stampfli, G.M. & Mosar, J. 1999. The making and becoming of
Apulia. Mem. Sci. Geol. (Univ. Padova), special volume 3rd Figure 1
workshop Alpine geology/, 141-154 AL Alborz; AP Apulia; BD Beydaglari; CA Central Afghanistan;
Stampfli, G.M. & Pillevuit, A. 1993. An alternative Permo-Triassic GR Greece; IC Indochina; KI Kirshehir; Kz Kazakhstan; KT
reconstruction of the kinematics of the Tethyan realm. In: Karakum-Turan; LT Lut-Tabas; NC North China; NT north Tibet;
dercourt, J., Ricou, L.-E. & vrielinck, B. (eds.) Atlas Tethys PL Pelagonia; SC south China; SK Sakarya; SM Sibu-Masu; SS
Palaeoenvironmental Maps. Explanatory Notes. , Gauthier- Sanadaj-Sirjan; ST south Tibet; TA Taurus; TR Tarim.
Villars, Paris, 55-62.
Stampfli, G.M. , Marcoux, J. & Baud, A. 1991. Tethyan margins in
space and time. In: Channell, J. E. T., Winterer, E. L. and Jansa,
L. F. (eds.) Paleogeography and paleoceanography of Tethys.
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Elsevier,
87, 373-410.
Stampfli, G.M., Mosar, J., Favre, P., Pillevuit, A. & Vannay, J. -C. In
press. Permo-Mesozoic evolution of the western Tethyan
realm: the Neotethys/East- Mediterranean connection. In:
Cavazza, W., Robertson, A. H. F. R. & Ziegler, P. A. (eds.)
Peritethyan rift/wrench basins and passive margins, IGCP
369. Bulletin du Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris.
Stampfli, G.M. , Mosar, J., Marchant, R., Marquer, D., Baudin, T. &
Borel, G. 1998. Subduction and obduction processes in the
western Alps. In: Vauchez, A. & Meissner, R. (eds.) Conti-
nents and their mantle roots., Tectonophysics, 296, 159-204.
Stampfli, G.M. 1978. Etude géologique generale de l’Elbourz ori-
ental au sud de Gonbad-e-Qabus (Iran NE). Ph.D. Thesis,
1868, Université Genève, 329 p.
Stampfli, G.M. 1996. The Intra-Alpine terrain: a Paleotethyan rem-
nant in the Alpine Variscides. Eclogae geologicae Helvetiae,
89/1, 13-42.
Stampfli, G.M. 2000. Tethyan oceans. In: Tectonics and magmatism
in Turkey and surrounding area (Ed. By Bozkurt, E., Win-
chester, J.A. & Piper, J.D.A.). Geological Society of London
Special Publication 173, 163-185.
Stöcklin, J. 1974. Possible ancient continental margin in Iran. In:
Burk, C. A. & Drake C.L. (eds.) The geology of continental
margins, Springer Verlag, 873-887.
Stöcklin, J. 1968. - Structural history and tectonics of Iran: a re-
view. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulle-
tin, 52, 1229-1258.
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Hydra
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Dinarides
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Jeffara

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