Discovery of a Vertebrate Fauna at the Devonian‐carboniferous Boundary in Se Turkey (Hakkari Province)

Abstract

The rich vertebrate assemblage recovered from the base of the Köprülü shales at the top of the Devonian Red Sandstones in the Border Folds of SE Turkey has proved to be exceptional in its composition and stratigraphic emplacement. For the first time, several fish species that were previously restricted either to the Late Devonian or to the Early Carboniferous were found together. In association, rich Ostracode assemblages indicate a Strunian (Latest Devonian) age for this fauna and a transition from supratidal to infralittoral environments. Due to the wide distribution of the Devonian‐Carboniferous formations in SE Turkey, Iraq and Iran, this fauna should become a good marker for this major stratigraphical boundary in the Middle East.

New record of a Middle Devonian brachiopod fauna from the Northern Arabian Plate, Zap Anticline, Çukurca-Hakkari, Southeastern Turkey

“…Previously published data concerning this area deal with vertebrate faunas sampled in the top of the Yýðýnlý Formation and the lower part of the Köprülü Formation (Janvier et al 1984). The top of the Yýðýnlý Formation was dated as Uppermost Devonian (Famennian), an age that was confirmed by the study of microflora (Higgs et al 2002).…”

“…Such an examination would have led • C -generalized stratigraphic sections of the Devonian to Carboniferous rocks in southeastern Turkey (after Janvier et al 1984, Hoșgör et al 2011, Yýlmaz & Duran 1997. Figure 2.…”

“…Figure 2. Stratigraphic column of the studied units with detailed succession in the Köprülü section (after Janvier et al 1984, Ghienne et al 2010 to the destruction of the specimens at hand. Further sampling in the area should allow more precise assignments and bring new light on Devonian faunas of Southeastern Turkey.…”

“…Echinoderms of similar age have been recently reported from the Șort Dere section (Webster & Hoșgör, submitted), located southeastern of the Köprülü section. So far, Devonian sequences were characterized by miospore taxa indicating a Famennian age and fish remains suggesting a Strunian age for the upper part of the Yýðýnlý Formation (Higgs et al 2002, Janvier et al 1984 and the only mention of the presence of Middle and Upper Devonian brachiopods in SE Turkey concerned the Kayayolu Fm., in the Hazro area, about 200 km northwest of the zone studied here (Tolun 1949, Lebküchner 1976). …”

Devonian in Turkey — a review

“…Here, in the transition zone to the Köprülü Formation, spores and pollens of Retisospora lepidophyta-Vallatisporites Zone are identified, indicating a late Famennian-early Tournaisian age (Bozdogan et al 1987(Bozdogan et al , 2005. Janvier et al (1984) have reported fishes which suggest a Strunian age. Considering the unfossiliferous lower parts, an Late Devonian age can be assigned to the Yôgônlô Formation Bozdogan et al 2005).…”