Trace Fossils of Cretaceous Flysch Sediments from Abshar-e Asyab Kharabeh, Jolfa Area

Cretaceous flysch deposits of the Abshar-e Asyab Kharabeh (30 meters) in west of Siah-rud village in the Jolfa area, NW Iran, consist of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mud- or marlstone layers, which mainly belong to A, B, D and E divisions of Bouma sequence. A divers trace fossils preserved on the lower bedding planes of sandstones and siltstones as positive hyporelief, includes: Bergaueria hemispherica, Bergaueria isp., Cochlichnus isp., Granularia isp., Halopoa imbricate, Helminthoida crassa, Helminthopsis abeli, Imponoglyphus torquendus, Neonereites multiserialis, Paleodictyon latum, Paleodictyon cf. majus, Paleodictyon nodosum, Palaeophycus alternatus, Palaeophycus sulcatus, Phycodes templus, Phycodes isp., Planolites annularis, Planolites beverleyensis, Protovirgularia longespicata, Squamodictyon isp., Strobilorhaphe isp., Thalassinoides isp., Taphrhelminthopsis recta, Taphrhelminthopsis convolute, Treptichnus pollardi. These trace fossils are mainly grazing-feeding or feeding traces of Nereites Ichnofacies and classifiable in six rang/frequency, based ichno-assemblages. Obtained trace fossils were produced during post-event calm periods. So, muddy sediments deposited after turbulence currents and traces have been made on these layers, activates of trace makers were developing when accessible feeding materials or dissolved oxygen increased in environment. Base on founded Nereites trace fossils, these sediments deposited in the deep marine abyssal zone environment.