Biostratigraphy of the deposits of the Katkoyeh Formation in the Gezoiye section, northwest of Kerman (southeast of Zarand) based on conodont fauna.

The Ordovician marine sedimentary sequences of Iran are located in different structural blocks along the northern margin of Gondwana. In the north of the Kerman Basin, Ordovician sedimentary sequences named Katkoyeh Formation have been introduced, which consist of 70 to 300 meters of siliceous siliceous rocks, one or two thin carbonate horizons in the upper part, and pyroclastic deposits. Traditionally, the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary in the Kerman Basin has been determined between the Hatken Dolomite Member of the Kuhbanan Formation (Late Furongian) and the Lower Shale Member of the Katkuye Formation. However, determining the location of the previous Tremadocine boundary is uncertain because no fossils have been documented from this interval. For the purpose of biostratigraphy of the Katkuye formation in Kerman basin, Gezoye section with an approximate thickness of about 170 meters was selected. In this section, the Katkoyeh Formation is located on the Hatken Dolomite Member and under the Shabjareh Formation sandstones of Silurian age. In the Gezoiye section, due to the action of basalt dikes and intense tectonics in the region, the limestone layers containing fossils have been severely altered, and during three sampling stages, 320 conodonts were recovered from the carbonate horizon of the upper part of this formation, and 3 Genus and 7 species were identified and based on this, three conodont ranges were recorded: 1) Icriodella superba Range Zone (Katian - ? Hirnantian; Late Ordovician), 2) Amorphognathus ordovicicus Range Zone (Katian - Late Ordovician), 3) Amorphognathus superbus Range Zone (Katian - ? Hirnantian; Late Ordovician). Late Ordovician age in the Katkuye formation in the Gezoye section with at least three species of the conodont genus Icriodella (I. superba, I. deflecta, (I. cf. discrete and two species of A. superbus) Amorphognathus, A. ordovicicus) determined and led to the identification of the Katian-?Hirnantian rocks.