Biostratigraphy of Devonian successions in Illanghareh, Illanlu and Pir-Eshag sections, North West Iran, based on Conodonts

Study of conodont fauna the Illanghareh Formation in Illanghareh, Illanlu and Pir-Eshag sections provide new data on the stratigraphy of this formation in the North West Iran. Illanghareh section is a terrigenous-carbonate rock sequence, consists mainly of quartzarenite sandstone, shale, and carbonate rocks. This sequence generally represents shallow-water Polygnathid-Icriodid biofacies and yielded five biozones: varcus, Older than rhenana, rhenana – linguiformis, Middle triangularis – Late trachytera, postera – expansa. Tectonic activities and erosion caused the Middle Devonian strata in the base of Illanghareh section to be omitted and the varcus Biozone is not recorded. Upper Devonian (Upper Famennian) rock units change into Carboniferous strata with a sedimentary gap though it is not recognizable in the field and no evidence of erosional surface is recognized. It is however, shown between Late Famennian and Late Turnaisian via conodonts recorded. The biozone bilineatus- bolandensis was also recorded in lower part of Carboniferous strata studied here.