Journal of Petroleum Geology, Vol.7, No.2, pp.147-168, 1984

©Copyright 2000 Scientific Press, Ltd.

DISCOVERY OF A VERTEBRATE FAUNA AT THE
DEVONIAN-CARBONIFEROUS BOUNDARYIN SE TURKEY
(HAKKARI PROVINCE)

Ph. Janvier1, F. Lethiers2, O. Monod3 and O. Balkas4

1 Laboratoire de Paléontologie des Vertébrés, Université Paris Vi, Tour26, 4 place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, (France).

2 U.E.R. Sciences de la Terre, Université de Lille 1, 59655 Villeneuve d'Asq, (France).

3 Laboratoire de Géologie Historique, Bat 504, Université Paris-Sud, 91405 Orsay, (France).

4 Turkiye Petrolleri Anonym Ortakligi (TPAO), Arama Grubu, 22 Mudafaa Caddesi, Bakanliklar, Ankara (Turkey).

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.