UPPER CISURALIAN-LOWER GUADALUPIAN BRACHIOPODS FROM THE QARARI UNIT, BATAIN PLAIN, NORTHEAST OMAN: SYSTEMATICS, PALAEOECOLOGY AND CORRELATION

Permian brachiopods from Oman are well-known as valuable tools for correlation and palaeobiogeographical palaeoclimatic reconstructions. Here, we describe a new brachiopod fauna the Qarari Unit of allochthonous Batain Group in northeast Oman. Brachiopods were collected four localities: Wadi Khawr al Jaramah (WKJ), Jebel (JQ1), X (JX3) Shiya (SH11). The age fossiliferous localities is wellconstrained to late Kungurian-early Roadian by conodonts fusulines, agreement with suggested ranges.The consists 339 specimens belonging 68 species 8 orders, among which five here identified new. Based on taphonomic attributes analysis life-styles, assemblages interpreted life thriving varied substrates, limited post-mortem exposure sea floor rapid burial at depths around storm wave base.Based generally high biodiversity indices (Shannon-Wiener Margalef indices), can be considered hotspot, only comparable, term biodiversity, coeval faunas West Texas South China. However, affinities these scanty, well northern Gondwana margin Cimmerian Cathaysian blocks, except some similarities upper Kungurian Myanmar. This may explained fact that succession was deposited Madagascan arm Neo-Tethys, thus rather isolated main Gondwanan margin.