FIGURE 1. Structural and sedimentological units of Iran (Nabavi, 1976).
FIGURE 2. Location of studied area.
FIGURE 3. Geological map of studied area.
FIGURE 4. 4.1: The studied series with the thicknesses and sample locations. 4.2: Upper contact with the Cenozoic Qum Formation. 4.3: Lower conctat with the Devonian-Carboniferous Ilanqareh Formation.
FIGURE 5. Proposed correlation between the international and Tethyan scales of the Permian system (according to Leven, 1967, 1975, 1981, 1992, 1997; Henderson et al., 2012; Davydov et al., 2013; and D. Vachard (unpublished data)). Abbreviations: e = early l/m = late/middle.
FIGURE 6. Foraminiferal distribution of the Ruteh Formation in Maku section (NW Iran).
FIGURE 7. Classes and families of foraminifers described in this study (classification after Vachard et al., 2010 and Hance et al., 2011).
FIGURE 8. 1-4. Eotuberitina reitlingerae Miklukho-Maklay, 1958. 1. P18-5. Murgabian. 2. P17-34. Murgabian. 3. P10-33. Murgabian. 4. P23-17. Murgabian. 5-6, 11. Deckerella sp. 5. P41-17. Latest Midian. 6. Longitudinal section. P41-11. Latest Midian. 11. Initial stage similar to Palaeotextularia, with Hemigordiellina regularis (Lipina, 1949). P41-56. Latest Midian. 7-8. Cribrogenerina sp. 1. 7. Subaxial section with Okimuraites plana (Okimura and Ishii, 1981) (B; bottom left and top right). P21-50. Murgabian. 8. Oblique section with Neodiscus milliloides Miklukho-Maklay, 1953 (bottom, left). P20-30. Murgabian. 9, 12. Cribrogenerina sp. 2. 9. Subaxial section. P52-1. Djulfian. 12. Subaxial section. P50-33. Djulfian. 10, 13. Climacammina sp. 1. 10. Subtransverse section. P52-13. Djulfian. 13. Longitudinal section. P50-35. Djulfian. 14-15. Climacammina sp. 2. 14. Subaxial section. P34-36. Midian. 15. Oblique section. P34-17. Midian. 16. Labioglobivalvulina cf. baudi Gaillot and Vachard, 2007. Subaxial section. P3-40. Murgabian. 17, 19. Globivalvulina bulloides (Brady, 1876). 17. Axial section. P1-3. Murgabian. 19. Axial section (top left) with G. graeca (bottom). P2-2. Murgabian. 18, 20. Globivalvulina ex gr. bulloides (Brady, 1876). 18. Axial section. P1-20. Murgabian. 20. Transverse section. P1-27. Murgabian. 21-22. Globivalvulina cyprica Reichel, 1946. 21. Axial section. P17-31. Murgabian. 22. Transverse section. P17-16. Murgabian. 19, 23-26. Globivalvulina graeca Reichel, 1946. 19. Axial section (bottom) with G. bulloides (top left). P2-2. Murgabian. 23. Axial section. P17-11. Murgabian. 24. Transverse section. P22. Murgabian. 25. Transverse section. P17-29. Murgabian. 26. Transverse section. P6-38. Murgabian.
FIGURE 9. 1-2. Earlandia ex gr. elegans (Rauzer-Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova and Fursenko, 1937). 1. Longitudinal section (top left) with Geinitzina sp. (top left) and Hemigordiellina regularis (Lipina, 1949) (bottom and top, left). P17-11. Murgabian. 2. Longitudinal section. P17-13. Murgabian. 1, 4. Earlandia ex gr. minor (Rauzer-Chernousova, 1948). 1. Oblique section (bottom left). P17-11. Murgabian. 4. Longitudinal section. P31-30. Murgabian. 3. Endothyra ? sp. Axial section. P8-5. Murgabian. 5. Endothyra cf. miassica Malakhova, 1965. Transverse section (top, left) with Globivalvulina graeca Reichel, 1946 (top right) and Nankinella ex gr. minor Sheng, 1955 (bottom left). P10-64. Murgabian. 6. Neoendothyra sp.. Axial section. P25-1. Murgabian. 7, 11-14. Globivalvulina graeca Reichel, 1946. 7. Subaxial section. P1-18. Murgabian. 11. Subaxial section. P1-29. Murgabian. 12. Subtransverse section. P1-14. Murgabian. 13. Subaxial section with 3 specimens of Hemigordiellina regularis (Lipina, 1949). P6-6. Murgabian. 14. Axial section. P16-41. Murgabian. 8. Septoglobivalvulina distensa (Wang in Zhao et al., 1981). Two sections. P5-2. Murgabian. 9. Globivalvulina ex gr. bulloides (Brady, 1876). Axial section. P1-15. Murgabian. 10. Paraglobivalvulina cf. mira Reitlinger, 1965. Axial section. P25-24. Murgabian. 15-17. Globivalvulina vonderschmitti Reichel, 1946. 15. Transverse section with Globivalvulina bulloides. P34-35. Midian. 16. Transverse section with a Nankinella ? sp. (top right). P11-8. Murgabian. 17. Subaxial section with Globivalvulina ex gr. bulloides (top left); transitional taxon to Paradagmarita (top, centre) and Labioglobivalvulina cf. baudi (top right). P22-9. Murgabian.
FIGURE 10. 1?, 2, 3?, 4, 5?, 6, 15, 18?. Globivalvulina cyprica Reichel, 1946. 1. Subtransverse section. P23. Murgabian. 2. Axial section. P22-34. Murgabian 3. Transverse section. P3-20. Murgabian. 4. Transverse section. P3-3. Murgabian. 5. Subtransverse section. P2-17. Murgabian. 6. Transverse section. P25-14. Murgabian. 15. Subtransverse section with Hemigordiellina sp. (top, right). P3. Murgabian. 18? Transverse section. P14-35. Murgabian. 7, 12. Globivalvulina ex gr. bulloides (Brady, 1876). 7. Axial section. P32-31. Midian. 12. Axial section. P1-7. Murgabian. 8-10. Globivalvulina graeca Reichel, 1946. 8. Transverse section. P16-23. Murgabian. 9. Transverse section. P16-34. Murgabian. 10. Axial section. P7-6. Murgabian. 11, 24. Paraglobivalvulina mira Reitlinger, 1965. 11. Axial section. Detail of a well preserved juvenarium surrounded by the fragments of the broken last chamber. P50-18. Djulfian. 24. Broken axial? section. P50-29. Djulfian. 13-14, 22. Globivalvulina vonderschmitti Reichel, 1946. 13. Axial section. P10-53. Murgabian. 14. Axial section. P20-31. Murgabian. 21. Transverse section. P34-19. Midian. 14. Septoglobivalvulina distensa (Wang in Zhao et al., 1981). Transverse section. P22. Murgabian. 16. Rectoseptellina aff. nitida (Lin, Li and Sun, 1990). Axial section. P54-18. Djulfian. 17. Paradagmarita ? sp. Oblique subaxial section. P50-10. Djulfian. 19-21. Globivalvulina ? sp. (Transitional from Globivalvulina to Paradagmarita). 19. Oblique section showing a last triangular chamber. P22. Murgabian. 20. Subaxial section. P22. Murgabian. 21. Subaxial section. P22. Murgabian. 23. Charliella ? sp. 1. Subtransverse section. P16-40. Murgabian.
FIGURE 11. 1-2, 5. Sphaerulina sp. 1. 1. Subtransverse section. P2. Murgabian. 2. Axial section. P11-21. Murgabian 5. Axial section. P11-30. Murgabian. 3-4. Globivalvulina graeca Reichel, 1946. 3. Subaxial section (right) with Globivalvulina bulloides (left). P1-6. Murgabian. 4. Transverse section (bottom right) and subaxial section (top left). P22. Murgabian. 6-7, 10-11. Sphaerulina cf. zisongzhengensis Sheng, 1963. 6. Subaxial section. P11-21. Murgabian 7. Subtransverse section. P11-4. Murgabian. 10. Subtransverse section. P11-19. Murgabian 11. Subtransverse section. P1-25. Murgabian. 8. Nankinella sp. 2. Subaxial section with different stages of neosparitization. P6-61. Murgabian. 9. Sphaerulina sp. 3. Transverse section entirely microsparitized. P27-51. Murgabian.
FIGURE 12. 1-6. Dagmarita aff. elegans Sosnina in Sosnina and Nikitina, 1977. 1. Axial section. P14-37. Murgabian. 2. Oblique section. P18-6. Murgabian. 3. Oblique section. P25-7. Murgabian. 4. Oblique section. P10-61. Murgabian. 5. Axial section. P2. Murgabian. 6. Subaxial section. P6-60. Murgabian. 7-8. Dagmarita ? sharezaensis Mohtat-Aghai and Vachard, 2003. 7. Subaxial section. P40-56. Midian. 8. Axial section. P40-28. Late Midian. 9. Dagmarita altilis Wang in Zhao et al., 1981. Axial section. P41-78. Latest Midian. 10-11, 12?. Sphaerulina sp. 1. 10. Transverse section. P18-20. Murgabian. 11. Subtransverse section. P14-54. Murgabian. 12. Subaxial section with developed chomata. P14-3. Murgabian. 13-15. Sphaerulina cf. zisongzhengensis Sheng, 1963. 13. Subtransverse section. P32-1. Midian. 14. Detail of a transverse section showing the typical recrystallization of the wall. P32-20. Midian 15. Subaxial section. P11-8. Murgabian. 16-17, 18? Sphaerulina sp. 3. 16. Subtransverse section. P1-26. Murgabian. 17. Subaxial section. P6-47. Midian. 18? Oblique section. P16-52. Murgabian.
FIGURE 13. 1-4. Nankinella ex gr. minor Sheng, 1955.1. Subtransverse section. P10-6. Murgabian. 2. Oblique tranverse. P19-13. Murgabian. 3. Subaxial section. P17-34. Murgabian. 4. Subaxial section. P17-29. Murgabian. 5?-6, 8. Nankinella sp. 2. 5. Transverse oblique recrystallized section. P23-17. Murgabian. 6. Completely microsparitized section. P34-1. Midian. 8. Partially recrystallized axial section. P17-6. Murgabian. 7. Nankinella sp. 3. Axial section. P6-1. Murgabian. 9-12. Grovesella ? ciryi Ebrahim Nejad and Vachard n. sp. 9. Paratype. Subaxial section. P17-30. Murgabian. 10. Holotype. Axial section. P10-8. Murgabian. 11. Paratype. Subaxial section. P22-11. Murgabian. 12. Paratype. Subaxial section with very enveloping last whorl. P34-16. Midian. 13-16. Grovesella sp. 13. Small axial section. P1-21. Murgabian. 14. Axial section. P14-24. Murgabian. 15. Subaxial section. P14-8. Murgabian. 16. Transverse section. P6-24. Murgabian. 7-22. Schubertella sp. 17. Transverse section. P22-19. Murgabian. 18. Axial section. P14-14. Murgabian. 19. Axial section. P2. Murgabian. 20. Axial section. P14-41. Murgabian. 21. Axial section. P2-21. Murgabian. 22. Axial section. P3-29. Murgabian. 23. Dunbarula aff. pusilla Skinner, 1969. Subaxial section. P30-12. Earliest Midian. 24. Chusenella sp. Subaxial section showing the septal folding. P41-54. Latest Midian.
FIGURE 14. 1-2, 6, 8. Chusenella spp. 1. Subaxial section. P34-22. Midian. 2. Detail of the keriotheca. P41-25. Latest Midian. 6. Oblique section with the axial filling. P40-1. Latest Midian. 8. Oblique section with septal folding and axial filling. P40-60. Latest Midian. 3, 5, 7, 9. Neoschwagerina simplex Ozawa, 1927 emend. Sheng, 1963. 3. Subaxial section showing the parachomata and the transverse septula of first order. P21-51. Murgabian. 5. Fragment of transverse section showing the wall microstructure and the absence or rarity of axial septula. P3. Murgabian. 7. Oblique section. P3-13. Murgabian. 9. Oblique transverse section. P3-35. Murgabian. 4, 6. Sumatrina annae Volz, 1904. 4. Subaxial section. P30-56. Earliest Midian. 6. Axial section of a young specimen. P30-54. Earliest Midian.
FIGURE 15. 1-2, 5, 7? Pseudovermiporella sodalica Elliott, 1958. 1. Typical specimen. P22. Murgabian. 2. Typical thick wall. P8-42. Murgabian. 7? Thick-walled specimen with the proloculus (centre, right). P27-7. Murgabian. 3-4, 6, 8-10, 13-14. Pseudovermiporella nipponica (Endo in Endo and Kanuma, 1954). 3. Longitudinal to tangential section. P22. Murgabian. 4. Juvenarium with the proloculus. P27-42. Murgabian. 8. Group of tubules. P27-37. Murgabian. 9. Two transverse sections. P16-42. Murgabian. 10. Longitudinal section. P22. Murgabian. 13. A juvenarium (centre) and various adult sections. P6. Early Murghabian. 14. Longitudinal section (centre) with Labioglobivalvulina cf. baudi (bottom right). P17-28. Murgabian. 11-12. Pseudovermiporella longipora (Praturlon, 1963). 11. Detail of the wall. P17-30. Murgabian. 12. Longitudinal section with Eotuberitina reitlingerae (Figure 8.2). P17-14. Murgabian.
FIGURE 16. 1-2, 3?, 4?, 5?, 6?, 19? Okimuraites plana (Okimura and Ishii, 1981). 1 Two typical specimens (left and right) with Hemigordiellina ? sp. (centre). P39-50. Midian. 2. Two axial sections (top) with Hemigordiellina regularis (bottom). P31-12. Murgabian. 3? Subaxial section (right) with Syzrania n. sp.? (left). P32-7. Midian. 4? Subaxial section. P32-22. Midian. 5? Subaxial section. P30-4. Midian. 6? Axial section. P18-13. Murgabian. 19? Transverse section. P27-18. Murgabian. 7-13. Hemigordiellina regularis (Lipina, 1949). Seven random sections. 7. P6-23. Murgabian. 8. P6-11. Murgabian. 9. P8-44. Murgabian. 10. P10-3. Murgabian. 11. P21-35. Murgabian. 12. P22-7. Murgabian. 13. P41-26. Midian. 14-17. Hemigordiellina ? sp. 2. 14. Oblique section. P34-7. Midian. 15. Axial section. P32-33. Midian. 16. Oblique section. P32-33. Midian. 17. Subaxial section. P10-31. Murgabian. 18. Agathammina parvula (Lin, 1978). Three longitudinal sections. 18. P21-36. Murgabian. 20-21. Agathammina cf. rosella Pronina, 1988b. 20. P8-47. Murgabian. 21. P27-3. Murgabian. 22-25. Agathammina cf. subfusiformis Okimura and Ishii, 1981. Four subaxial sections. 22. P41-74. Latest Midian. 23. P41-8. Latest Midian. 24. P38-7. Midian. 25. P39-36. Midian. 26-27. Agathammina pusilla (Geinitz in Geinitz and Gutbier, 1848) emend. Wolanska, 1959. Two axial sections. 26. P41-47. Midian. 27. P34-33. Midian.
FIGURE 17. 1. Hemigordiellina ? sp. 3. Axial section. P31-17. Midian. 2-3, 21. Hemigordiellina ? pulchrissima Ebrahim Nejad and Vachard n. sp. Three axial sections. Midian. 2. Paratype. P39-23. 3. Paratype. P39-57. 21. Holotype. P39-45. 4, 6?, 7-11, 20? Glomomidiella nestellorum Vachard, Rettori, Angiolini and Checconi, 2008. 4. Axial section transitional to Neodiscus. P30-19. Midian. 6. Transverse section showing the pseudosepta. P30-20. Earliest Midian. 7-11. Various sections (7. P30-11; 8. P30-3; 9. P30-13; 10. P30-3; 11. P30-5). 20. P30-10. Midian. 16-17. Glomomidiella cf. gigantea (Lin, 1984). 16. P37-25. Murgabian. 17. P31-14. Midian. 5. Agathammina cf. subfusiformis Okimura and Ishii, 1981. Longitudinal section. P39-53. Midian. 12-13, 19. Neodiscus milliloides Miklukho-Maklay, 1953. Four axial sections. 12. P38-24. Midian. 13. P37-13. Midian. 19. P21-9. Murgabian. 14-15, 18. Glomomidiella ? cf. specialisaeformis (Lin, Li and Sun, 1990). 14. P39-38. Midian. 15. P47-24. Djulfian.18. P47. Djulfian. 22. P47-12. Djulfian. 22-24. Glomomidiella cf. problema (Lin, 1978). 22. Two specimens. P47-24. 23. P40-13. Late Midian. 24. P44-20. Djulfian.
FIGURE 18. 1. Hemigordiellina ? pulchrissima Ebrahim Nejad and Vachard n. sp. Paratype (top) with Okimuraites plana (Okimura and Ishii, 1981) (bottom). P39-71. Midian. 2-4. Glomomidiella cf. problema (Lin, 1978). 2. P9-50. Murgabian. 3. with Hemigordiellina ? sp. (bottom) P9-38. Murgabian. 4. P34 32. Midian. 5. Glomomidiella ? sp. 5. P44-26. Djulfian. 6. Neodiscus milliloides Miklukho-Maklay, 1953. P9-18. Murgabian. 7, 15-16. Crassiglomella cf. guangxiensis (Lin, 1978) emend. Gaillot and Vachard, 2007. 7. P10-1. Murgabian. 15. P16- 44. Murgabian. 16. P41-45. Latest Midian. 8-10, 12. Glomomidiella cf. problema (Lin, 1978). 8. P7-22. Murgabian. 9. P16 39. Murgabian. 10. P10-15. Murgabian. 12. P10-24. Murgabian. 11, 13-14, 17-18. Glomomidiella cf. gigantea (Lin, 1984). 11. P37-22. Midian. 13. P31-3. Midian. 14. P30-10. Earliest Midian. 17. P44-24. Djulfian. 18. P37-23. Midian.
FIGURE 19. 1-3. Syzrania n. sp.? 1. P32-14. Midian. 3. With Globivalvulina and Hemigordiellina. P32-31. Midian. 4-5. Rectostipulina quadrata Jenny-Deshusses, 1985. 4. P50-35. Djulfian. 5. P47-6. Djulfian. 6. Protonodosaria cf. sagitta (Miklukho-Maklay, 1954). P9-11. Murgabian. 7-10, 29. Nodosinelloides spp. 7. P25-15. Murgabian. 8. P34-40. Midian. 9. P1-23. Murgabian. 10. P51-19. Djulfian. 29. P41-25. Latest Midian. 11. Langella perforata (Lange, 1925). Axial section. P56-9. Djulfian. 12, 19-22, 27, 31. Geinitzina sp. 12. P39-9. Midian. 19. P1-23. Murgabian. 20. P6-9. Murgabian. 21. P20-8. Murgabian. 22. P27-50. Murgabian. 27. P50-31. Djulfian. 31. P54-22. Djulfian. 13, 26. Pachyphloia ex gr. ovata Lange, 1925. 13. Frontal axial section. P54-5. Djulfian. 26. Sagittal axial section. P10-21. Murgabian. 14, 28. Pseudotristix sp. 14. Axial section. P41-24. Latest Midian. 28. subtransverse section with Hemigordiellina regularis. P47-43. Early Djulfian. 15. Pseudolangella ? sp. Oblique section. P8-51. Murgabian. 16. Lingulina cf. imaginaria Pronina, 1999. P3. Early Murgabian. 17. Pachyphloia cf. iranica Bozorgnia, 1973. P41-46. Latest Midian. 18. Pseudolangella sp. P9-46. Murgabian. 23-24, 30, 32-33. Frondicularia sp. 23. P8-18. Murgabian. 24. P9-23. Murgabian. 30. P50-32. Djulfian. 32. P41-34. Latest Midian. 33. P39-52. Midian. 25. Colaniella aff. minuta Okimura, 1988. P41-37. Djulfian. 34. Robuloides lens Reichel, 1946. Axial section. P50-15. Djulfian. 35, 39-41, 43. Frondina permica Sellier de Civrieux and Dessauvagie, 1965. 35. P54-25. Djulfian. 39. P37-19. Midian. 40. P49-5. Djulfian. 41. P49-8. Djulfian. 43. P50-23. Djulfian. 36-38. Ichthyofrondina palmata (Wang, 1974). 36. P34-25. Midian. 37. P34-34. Midian. 38. P34-41. Midian. 42. P49-14. Djulfian.
FIGURE 20. Attempt of palaeogeographical correlations between the terranes separated by the Tethys ocean during the Permian (after Vachard, 1980; 1996; Vachard and Montenat, 1981, 1996; and D. Vachard (unpublished data)).
FIGURE 21. Proposed palaeomap of the Tethyan regions from western Europe to central Asia (according to Théry et al., 2007 modified; and D. Vachard (unpublished data)).
