Published

2024-09-19

Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran

Diversidad y significado de los corales Zooxanthellate en la formación Qom, al sureste de Irán

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925

Keywords:

Oligo-Miocene, Corals, Paleoecology, Larger benthic foraminifera, Tethyan Seaway (en)
Oligo-Mioceno, corales, paleoecología, grandes foraminíferos bentónicos, mar de Tetis (es)

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Authors

  • Ebrahim Mohammadi Department of Ecology, Institute of Science, High Technology and Environmental Science, Graduate University of Advanced Technology, Kerman, Iran https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8376-4318
  • Mehdi Ghaedi Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

Zooxanthellate corals are Iran's most abundant macrofossils in the Oligocene-early Miocene Qom Formation deposits in the NE margin of the Tethyan Seaway. Yet, basic knowledge about the diversity of these organisms and their paleoecology is still scarce. This paper uses late Rupelian–Chattian coral data from three exposed sections in the northwestern Jazmurian Lake, SE Iran, as the southeasternmost outcrops of the Qom Formation, are analyzed in terms of diversity and paleoecology. The coralline red algae and larger benthic foraminiferal assemblages associated with the corals have also been used to infer the paleoenvironmental and paleoecological conditions. The following coral genera were recognized: Leptoria, Caulastraea, Hydnophora, Astreopora, Plesiastrea, Thegioastraea, Porites, Goniopora, Platycoenia, Acropora, Tarbellastraea, Favites, Heliastraea, Stylocoenia, Ceratotrochus. The high abundance of z-corals, larger benthic foraminifera (LBF), and coralline red algae demonstrate that the deposition took place in tropical-subtropical warm waters mainly within the euphotic to the mesophotic zones. The presence of various coral fabrics including pillarstone, domestone, and rudstone allowed to infer high to moderate hydrodynamic energy in the studied sections. As well, given the interactions among corals, filter-feeders, green and red algae, bioeroders, and the surrounding environment, it seems that oligotrophic to slightly mesotrophic conditions also had prevailed in the studied area. 

Los corales Zooxanthellate son los macrofósiles más abundantes en los depósitos del Oligoceno Temprano de la formación Qom en el margen noreste del Oceáno Tetis. Sin embargo, el conocimiento básico sobre la diversidad de estos organismos y de su paleoecología es escaso. Este trabajo utiliza información del período Rupelian–Chattian tardío en tres secciones expuestas al noroeste del lago Jazmurian, sureste de Irán, que son los afloramientos rocosos más al sudeste de la formación Qom, y que se analizó en términos de diversidad y paleoecología. Algas rojas coralinas y grandes conjuntos de foraminíferos bentónicos asociados con los corales también se usaron para inferir el paleoambiente y las condiciones paleoecológicas. Se reconocieron los siguientes géneros coralinos: Leptoria, Caulastraea, Hydnophora, Astreopora, Plesiastrea, Thegioastraea, Porites, Goniopora, Platycoenia, Acropora, Tarbellastraea, Favites, Heliastraea, Stylocoenia, Ceratotrochus. La alta abundancia de corales Zooxanthellate, los grandes conjuntos de foraminíferos bentónicos y las algas coralinas rojas demuestran que la deposición tuvo lugar en aguas calidadas del orden tropical-subtropical y principalmente dentro de las zonas eufóticas a mesofóticas. La presencia de varias fábricas coralinas que incluyen pilares, domos y piedras permiten inferir la energía hidrodinámica de alta a moderada en las secciones estudiadas. Además, al parecer por las interacciones entre corales, los alimentadores por filtración, las algas rojas y verdes, los bioerosionadores, y el ambiente alrededor,  en el área de estudio prevalecieron condiciones oligotrópicas a ligeramente mesotrópicas.

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Mohammadi, E. and Ghaedi, M. (2024). Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran . Earth Sciences Research Journal, 28(2), 127–137. https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925

ACM

[1]
Mohammadi, E. and Ghaedi, M. 2024. Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran . Earth Sciences Research Journal. 28, 2 (Sep. 2024), 127–137. DOI:https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925.

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Mohammadi, E.; Ghaedi, M. Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran . Earth sci. res. j. 2024, 28, 127-137.

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MOHAMMADI, E.; GHAEDI, M. Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran . Earth Sciences Research Journal, [S. l.], v. 28, n. 2, p. 127–137, 2024. DOI: 10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925. Disponível em: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/108925. Acesso em: 22 apr. 2025.

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Mohammadi, Ebrahim, and Mehdi Ghaedi. 2024. “Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran ”. Earth Sciences Research Journal 28 (2):127-37. https://doi.org/10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925.

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Mohammadi, E. and Ghaedi, M. (2024) “Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran ”, Earth Sciences Research Journal, 28(2), pp. 127–137. doi: 10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925.

IEEE

[1]
E. Mohammadi and M. Ghaedi, “Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran ”, Earth sci. res. j., vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 127–137, Sep. 2024.

MLA

Mohammadi, E., and M. Ghaedi. “Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran ”. Earth Sciences Research Journal, vol. 28, no. 2, Sept. 2024, pp. 127-3, doi:10.15446/esrj.v28n2.108925.

Turabian

Mohammadi, Ebrahim, and Mehdi Ghaedi. “Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran ”. Earth Sciences Research Journal 28, no. 2 (September 19, 2024): 127–137. Accessed April 22, 2025. https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/108925.

Vancouver

1.
Mohammadi E, Ghaedi M. Diversity and paleoecological significance of zooxanthellate corals of Oligocene Qom Formation, SE Iran . Earth sci. res. j. [Internet]. 2024 Sep. 19 [cited 2025 Apr. 22];28(2):127-3. Available from: https://revistas.unal.edu.co/index.php/esrj/article/view/108925

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2. Luca Mariani, Giovanni Coletti, Mubashir Ali, Mahmood Iqbal, Muhammad Shumail, Hafiz Ahmed Raza Hassan, Francesca R. Bosellini. (2025). Quantitative Biofacies Analysis of Upper Oligocene Reef-Coral Neritic Carbonates (Southern Pakistan). Geosciences, 15(4), p.129. https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences15040129.

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