Lucia ANGIOLINI, Alda NICORA, Hugo BUCHER, Daniel VACHARD, Alain PILLEVUIT, Jean-Pierre PLATEL, Jack ROGER, Aymon BAUD, Jean BROUTIN, Haroub AL HASHMI & Jean MARCOUX""

Abstract - The Guadalupian succession of the Huqf area (Sultanate of Oman) represents a mega-sequence comprising the fluvial terrigenous Gharif Formation and the overlying marine Khuff Formation. The Khuff Fm. is subdivided into four members and is composed of marls and bioclastic limestones. The Khuff Fm. yields a rich fauna of brachiopods, conodonts, foraminifers, bivalves, gastropods, ostracods and cephalopods. The brachiopod fauna of the Khuff Fm. includes strophomenids, productids, orthids and terebratulids. The associated conodont fauna includes Hindeodus excavatus Behnken, Merrilina sp., M. praedivergens Kozur & Mostler, and Sweetina n. sp. (systematic descriptions of conodonts are given in the Paleontological Appendix). Foraminifers are represented by species of Miliolina and Rotaliina. The Khuff Fm. is given a Wordian age, based on brachiopods and conodonts.

The depositional environment of the Khuff Fm. of southeastern Oman corresponds to the outer shelf of a large carbonate platform covering most of the Arabian Platform. The Khuff Fm. is interpreted as a major transgressive-regressive cycle related to differential subsidence.

Ernst Ja LEVEN

Abstract. The Permian sequence of the Transcaucasia, which comprises the Davaly, Asni, Gnishik, Arpa, Khachik, and Akhura Formations, is described. A precise dating of the formations based on the analysis of fusulinid assemblages is also provided. The Davaly Formation corresponds to the Bolorian Stage of the Lower Permian (Cisuralian); the Asni Formation corresponds to the Kubergandian Stage, and to the lower half of the Murgabian Stage of the Middle Permian (Guadalupian); the Gnishik Formation corresponds approximately to the upper half of the Murgabian Stage; and the Arpa and Khachik Formations represent the entire Midian Stage of the Middle Permian. Only the uppermost Chanakhchy Beds of the Khachik Formation are referred to the upper series of the Permian (Lopingian), based on the latest proposal of the International Subcommission on Permian Stratigraphy concerning series boundaries. The Akhura Formation encompasses the Dzhulfian and Dorashamian Stages of the Upper Permian.

Refined correlations between the Permian sequence of the Transcaucasia and the most complete Permian sequences of the Tethyan region (Central Iran, southestern Pamirs, South China, Japan ) are presented. The transgressive overlapping of the Permian deposits is recorded in these areas, similar to the Transcaucasia. Although the transgression began during the Bolorian, it reached the widest extent in the Kubergandian and therefore, in most sections the transgressive series begins with deposits of Kubergandian age. The Middle and Upper Permian deposits of the Transcaucasia, Iran, and southern Turkey belonged to a single carbonate platform. Similar extensive carbonate platforms are recorded in the southern parts of Afghanistan and China. A change in the sedimentary regime was recorded in all these platforms at the boundary between the Guadalupian and Lopingian epochs. The Guadalupian time was marked by the intensive accumulation of biolitithic and detrital limestones produced by benthic organisms, mainly algae and foraminifers, whereas in the Lopingian time, carbonate and clayey micritic deposition dominated, and the role of nectonic-planctonic and nectonic organisms, such as cephalopods and conodonts, increased. The sedimentation change was abrupt and caused probably by the short-term post-Midian regression. The change resulted in a significant biotic crisis when larger fusulinids, goniatitids and agoniatitids, tabulate corals, most rugose corals and other organisms became entirely extinct. These events marked the onset of the Late Permian "Great Extinction", which ended at the Permian/Triassic boundary. Nine paleontological plates show the main fusulinid assemblages. Nine new species are described: Codonofusiella (?) vediensis, Chalaroschwagerina davalensis, Pseudofusulina arpaensis, P. araxensis, P. pjatakovae, Rugosochusenella davalensis, Misellina (Misellina) caucasica, Cancellina armenica, and Sumatrina vediensis.

Michael J. ORCHARD & Leopold KRYSTYN

Abstract. Conodonts from the lowermost Triassic Otoceras woodwardi beds and adjacent strata of Spiti are described and compared with Permian-Triassic (P-T) boundary bed faunas from elsewhere. A new pelagic zonation based on Neogondolella is introduced: the interval characterized by N. carinata-N. taylorae is subdivided into three parts based on successive first appearances of N. meishanensis, N. krystyni Orchard n. sp. and N. discreta Orchard and Krystyn n. sp., the nominal species of three successive zones. The development of these Griesbachian species involves a progressive morphological change in the configuration of the axial part (blade-carina-cusp) of the pectiniform elements. The pelagic conodont zonation is intercalibrated with the parallel zonation based on species of Hindeodus and Isarcicella, and with ammonoid faunas from Spiti, other Himalayan localities, and the Arctic. The meishanensis Zone embraces the parvus Zone and part of the overlying staeschei Zone. Strata containing O. woodwardi in Spiti carry the indices to the staeschei and krystyni zones. The Neogondolella conodont fauna associated with Otoceras differs from that of the latest Permian Changshing Limestone of China, but resembles that from the P-T boundary transition beds at Meishan, where a meishanensis Zone of restricted scope occurs beneath the parvus datum. The faunal change which introduces the characteristic Neogondolella species of the N. carinata-N. taylorae fauna occurs at the base of the P-T boundary transition beds at Meishan, the proposed boundary stratotype. Slightly above this level, the disappearance of most Neogondolella species and the introduction of new Hindeodus species coincides with a change in conodont biofacies rather than an extinction event. In the Spiti sections, the N. carinata-N. taylorae fauna, associated at first with H. parvus (as in Selong, Tibet), persists through the entire Griesbachian. Indices of the three Neogondolella zones are also recognized in the Salt Range and the Canadian Arctic. Four new conodont species are described: Neogondolella discreta, N. kazi, N. krystyni, and N. nassichuki.

Piero GIANOLLA, Eugenio RAGAZZI & Guido ROGHI

Abstract. Amber in Triassic deposits in the Dolomites is demonstrated for the first time. The amber-bearing deposits belong to the middle part of the Dürrenstein Formation, referred to uppermost Julian (Lower Carnian, about 225 My). Chemico-physical features of amber, which occurs as small yellow to reddish droplets, have been determined. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy shows typical bands of fossil resins; the "fingerprint" region of the spectrum presents a unique pattern that cannot be referred to any other known fossil resin. Palynological investigation of amber-bearing layers shows a large prevalence of bisaccates and circumpolles. Particularly, the taeniate bisaccates are frequent (41%) and suggest a correlation with the amber-producing species. Amber production and preservation is possibly related to a humid climatic event.

Roberto RETTORI, Carmela LORIGA & Claudio NERI

Abstract. Foraminiferal content from the type section of the Calcare del Predil, Early Carnian in age, is here firstly reported. Dolomites, dololimestones and blackish limestones alternate black shales, marls and marly limestones; in addition turbiditic deposits and debris flow consisting of calcirudites and thin to coarse calcarenites occur in the stratigraphical unit. The bottom of the Rio del Lago Formation was also investigated from a micropaleontological point of view. Nineteen taxa were classified; they are mainly represented by Aulotortinae Zaninetti, Lamelliconinae Zaninetti et al., Triadodiscinae Zaninetti, Turriglomininae Zaninetti and Ophthalmidiidae Wiesner. Furthermore, some Ammodiscidae Reuss, "Trochamminidae" Schwager, Piallinidae Rettori & Zaninetti, Duostominidae Brotzen and rare Lagenina Delage & Hérouard have been recorded. Undetermined encrusting foraminifers also occur. The specimens referable to the superfamily Involutinacea Btschli are dominant and represent the 4O% of the finely grained laminas inside the black limestones. The turriglominas occurring in the muddy lithotypes pertain to the morphogroup which is considered as typical of basinal environment. The occurrence almost constant in the micritic limestones of the ophthalmidiid Gsolbergella spiroloculiformis (Oravecz-Scheffer) (few specimens) leed to suggest this species as inhabitant basinal environment also. Two Julic species of the Austriacum zone are firstly reported from the Aon zone (Cordevolian Auct.) and the suprageneric position of the genus Prorakusia di Bari & Laghi is also discussed.

NEW DEEP-SEA BRYOZOAN SPECIES FROM THE PLEISTOCENE OF SOUTHERN ITALY

Antonietta ROSSO

Abstract. Two new species: Tervia barrieri (Cyclostomatida) and Heliodoma angusta (Cheilostomatida) together with the subspecies Crisia tenella Calvet longinodata (Cyclostomatida) are described from Pleistocene deep-sea sediments cropping out in Southern Italy. They are Mediterranean palaeoendemics, closely related to Recent deep-water Atlantic species.