stratigraphy, paleontology and paleoecology characteristics of stars valley deposits in qeshm island

stars valley is one of the tourism areas in the qeshm island and is located at the southwest of qeshm city, south eastern corner of the island. sediments forming this unique landscape are not completely lithified and is composed of marl and marly limestone which is formed by erosional and weathering processes. deposits of stars valley contain diverse assemblages of echinoids, bivalves, gastropods, foraminifers and ostracods. in present research, 4 species of gastropods including conus qeshmensis sp. nov., pseudoneptunea costellata, acteocina lajonkaireana hexaplex (phyllonotus) poniformis, 6 species of echinoids including cubanaster sp., echinolampas cf. jacuquemonti, spatangus castelli, clypeaster sp., eupatagus sp., temnopleurus latidunensis,14 species of benthic foraminifera including cancris inflatus, elphidium josephinum, elphidium crispum, amphistegina lubifera, amphistegina lessoni, ammonia yubariensis, gyroidna orbicularis, nonionella miocenica, cibicides refulgens, cibicidoides mediocoris cribrorotalia sp., notorotalia miocenica, cibicidoides karreriformis and lobatula lobatula, 5 species of ostracoda including acanthocythereis munechikai, pseudoaurila japonica, trachyleberis scabrocuneata, costa edwardsii and pterygocythereis coronata, and one species of bivalves, known as gouldia cf. minima have been identified. paleontological studies on fossil content of these deposits indicates that these strata deposited during middle miocene to pliocene time; therefore they could be considered as the upper part of mishan and basal part of aghajari formations. paleoecological data from foraminifera and ostracoda communities suggested agitate and high saline environment during deposition of these sediments in the studied area.