A bajocian (Middle jurassic) marine gastropod assemblage from the badamu formation, Central Iran

Abstract

Nine species of gastropods are reported from the Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) part of the Badamu Formation of Central Iran. This is the first report of a gastropod assemblage of this age from the shelves of the Kimmerian Continent. Seven species belong to the Vetigastropoda and two to the Caenogastropoda. Two new species, the pleurotomariid Bathrotomaria iranica sp. nov. and the eucyclid Eucycloidea badamuensis sp. nov., are described. The remaining species are left in open nomenclature owing to poor preservation. The composition of the gastropod association is strongly reminiscent of other Tethyan gastropod faunas, in particular those from the southern shores of the Tethys (India and Arabia) and from southern Europe. This indicates a relatively uniform distribution of gastropod faunas along the Middle Jurassic shores of the western Tethys.