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Gnishik Formation

Coordinates: 39°00′N 45°00′E / 39.0°N 45.0°E / 39.0; 45.0
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Gnishik Formation
Stratigraphic range: Wordian (late Murgabian)
~268–265 Ma
TypeFormation
UnderliesArpa Formation (Armenia)
Khachik Formations (Iran)
OverliesAsni Formation (Armenia)
Dorud Formation (Iran)
Thickness300 m (980 ft) (Armenia)
670 m (2,200 ft) (Iran)
Lithology
PrimaryLimestone
OtherShale
Location
Coordinates39°00′N 45°00′E / 39.0°N 45.0°E / 39.0; 45.0
Approximate paleocoordinates9°06′S 41°24′E / 9.1°S 41.4°E / -9.1; 41.4
RegionTranscaucasia
CountryArmenia
Azerbaijan
Iran
ExtentAlborz Mountains
Type section
Named forGnishik River
Named byArakelyan
Year defined1964
Gnishik Formation is located in Caucasus Mountains
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation
Gnishik Formation (Caucasus Mountains)

The Gnishik Formation is a geologic formation in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Iran. It preserves fossils dated to the Wordian age of the Permian period.[1]

The thin-bedded limestones of the formation reach a thickness of 670 metres (2,200 ft) in the Julfa section of northwestern Iran and 300 metres (980 ft) in the Arpa River valley of Armenia. The sediments were deposited in an open marine setting at the northern edge of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean.

The coral Wentzellophyllum gnishikense was named after the formation.

Description

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The Gnishik Formation was first formally described by Arakelyan in 1964, based on a section in the Gnishik River valley, after which the formation was named. The formation is mostly represented by thin-bedded, occasionally shaly, dark grey and black bituminous foraminiferal-algal biodetrital limestones. The occasional admixture of clayey and terrigenous material colors the limestones light grey and yellowish. The thin-bedded layers alternate with coarser-bedded compact varieties.[2]

The open marine limestones of the formation reach a thickness of 670 metres (2,200 ft) in the Julfa section of northwestern Iran. In Iran, the formation overlies the Dorud Formation and is overlain by the Khachik Formation,[3] while in Armenia the formation rests on top of the Asni Formation and is overlain by the Arpa Formation.[4] The Gnishik Formation represents an increase in subsidence rate in the Permian.[3] The sediments were deposited at the northern edge of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean.

The formation is dated to the late Murgabian,[5] which belongs to the Wordian stage of the Middle Permian.[1] The Gnishik Formation is correlated with the Ruteh and Nesen Formations,[6] and the Kuffengian stage of Chinese chronostratigraphy.[7]

Fossil content

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Among many others, the following fossils have been reported from the formation:[1]

Invertebrates

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Trilobites
Cephalopods
Gastropods
Corals
Crinoids
Rhynchonellata
Strophomenata
Stenolaemata
Fusulinina
Foraminifera

Flora

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Dasycladophyceae
Rhodophyceae

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c Gnishik Formation in the Paleobiology Database
  2. ^ Leven, 1998, p.302
  3. ^ a b Saidi et al., 1997, p.198
  4. ^ Leven, 1998, p.301
  5. ^ Leven, 1998, p.308
  6. ^ Leven, 1998, p.314
  7. ^ Leven, 1998, p.320
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw Ruzhentsev & Sarycheva
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Stepanov et al., 1969
  10. ^ a b c d Kropatcheva, 1999
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Kotlyar et al., 1989
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Morozova, 1970
  13. ^ a b c d Ezaki, 1991
  14. ^ Stukalina, 1999
  15. ^ a b c d e f Nakamura & Golshani, 1981
  16. ^ a b c Shishova, 1964
  17. ^ Gennari & Rettori, 2019

Bibliography

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Geology
  • Leven, Ernst J.A (1998), "Permian fusulinid assemblages and stratigraphy of the Transcaucasia", Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, 104 (3): 299–328, retrieved 2020-08-01
  • Saidi, Abdollah; Brunet, Marie-Françoise; Ricou, Luc-Emmanuel (1997), "Continental accretion of the Iran Block to Eurasia as seen from Late Paleozoic to Early Cretaceous subsidence curves", Geodinamica Acta, 10 (5): 189–208, doi:10.1080/09853111.199 (inactive 1 November 2024){{citation}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of November 2024 (link)
Paleontology
  • Gennari, Valerio; Rettori, Roberto (2019), "Globigaetania angulata gen. n. sp. n. (Globivalvulininae, Foraminifera) from the Wordian (Middle Permian) of NW Iran", Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, 125 (1): 1–11, doi:10.13130/2039-4942/11054
  • Kropatcheva, G. S (1999), "Novie vidi pozdnepermski rugoz zakavkaziya - New materials of Late Permian rugosans from the Caucasus", Voprosy Paleontologii, 11: 24–32
  • Stukalina, G. A (1999), "The Late Permian crinoids from Primorye, Transcaucasia, and North Caucasus", Paleontological Journal, 33: 139–146
  • Ezaki, Y (1991), "Permian corals from Abadeh and Julfa, Iran, West Tethys", Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Series IV, 23: 53–146
  • Kotlyar, G. V.; Zakharov, Y.u. D.; Kropatcheva, G. S.; Pronina, G. P.; Chedija, I. O.; Burago, V. I. (1989), Evolution of the latest Permian biota: Midian regional stage in the USSR, ., pp. 1–184
  • Nakamura, K.; Golshani, F. (1981), "Notes on the Permian brachiopod genus Cryptospirifer", Journal of the Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Series 4, Geology and Mineralogy, 20: 67–77
  • Morozova, I. P (1970), "Mshanki Pozdnei Permi", Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta, 122: 1–346
  • Stepanov, D. L.; Golshani, F.; Stöcklin, J. (1969), "Upper Permian and Permian-Triassic boundary in north Iran", Geological Survey of Iran Report, 12: 1–72
  • Ruzhentsev, V. E.; Sarycheva, T. G. (1965), "The Development and Change of Marine Organisms at the Palaeozoic-Mesozoic Boundary", Akademiya Nauk SSSR, Trudy Paleontologicheskogo Instituta, 108: 1–431
  • Shishova, N. A (1964), "Novyye Pozdnepermskiye Rabdomezonidy Sovetskogo Soyuza", Paleontologicheskii Zhurnal, 1964: 52–57