Lithostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of Wuchiapingian succession in the Qareh-Goz section (south of Julfa, northwest of Iran) based on brachiopods

The Julfa region in East Azerbaijan Province exhibits one of the best continuous marine sedimentary successions across the Permian to Triassic boundary. The present study is focused on the brachiopod contents of the Julfa beds in Qareh-Goz section (41.5 m thickness) in the south of Julfa. This study is led to the determination of 11 genera and 21 species of the orders Athyridida, Orthotetida, Orthida, Productida, Spiriferida, and Terebratulida, all representing the Cathaysian bioprovince for this area in the Western Paleotethys. Accordingly, four Wuchiapingian biozones, including Araxilevis intermedius Zone, Araxilevis intermedius-Permophricodothyris ovata Interval zone, Permophricodothyris ovata Zone, and Transcaucasathyris araxensis Zone, have been detected. These biozones correlate well through the other stratigraphic sections of the Julfa area in the Ali Bashi and Zal Mountains, Dorasham section in the Transcaucasia, Hembast Formation in the Abadeh area, and Nesen Formation in the central Alborz, approving the potential of these brachiopods in biocorrelation at a regional scale in the Late Permian.