Early Famennian bryozoan fauna from the Baqer-abad section, northeast Isfahan, central Iran

A bryozoan fauna from the Upper Devonian (lower Famennian) of the Bahram Formation of the Baqer-abad section in central Iran contains four species: three trepostomes and one rhabdomesine cryptostome. Two trepostome species and one genus are new: Anomalotoechus parvus sp. nov. and Zefrehopora asynithis gen. nov. et sp. nov. The trepostome Coeloclemis zefrehensis Ernst et al., 2017 and the rhabdomesine cryptostome Euthyrhombopora tenuis Ernst et al., 2017 were recorded previously from the Upper Devonian (Frasnian) of the Bahram Formation at the Zefreh section. The fauna is dominated by the erect ramose Euthyrhombopora tenuis, accompanied by relatively frequent Zefrehopora asynithis, which developed both the erect and encrusting colonies. The bryozoans indicate low to moderate water energy environment in a middle to outer ramp position. Low diversity and high abundance of one species indicate an environmental stress apparently caused by strong sediment deposition. No significant differences in the composition of the bryozoan assemblages of the Frasnian and lower Famennian of the Bahram Formation were observed mirroring global patterns.

Large Devonian and Mississippian rostroconchs (Mollusca) from Iran

Large rostroconchs have been described from Europe by Sowerby (1815), M'Coy (1844), Baily (1871), Halfar (1882), de Koninck (1885), Hind (1900), and Amler (1996). This report concerns the first known occurrences of rostroconchs from Iran (Fig. 1). The specimens are from the Devonian Bahram Formation (Famennian) (Dastanpour, 1996; Dastanpour and Bassett, 1998; Brice, 1999; Brice et al., 1999) and the Mississippian Mobarak Formation (Tournaisian-Vis6an) (Gaetani, 1968; Bozorgnia, 1973). The Devonian specimens were collected from limestone and argillaceous limestone associated with a diverse brachiopod fauna (Fig. 2). The Mississippian specimens were found in limestone with brachiopods, corals, and crinoids (Fig. 3).