Middle Jurassic plant macro and microfossils from Shahreza, South West Isfahan, Central Iran: Palaeoclimate influences

Jurassic deposits are discovered in the Shahreza area, southwest of Isfahan city, central Iran. They yield plant macrofossils belonging to 22 species assigned to 17 genera of various orders such as Equisetales, Filicales, Bennettitales, Cycadales, Ginkgoales and Coniferales. According to the occurrence of Annulariopsis simpsonii, Coniopteris hymenophylloides, Cladophlebis aktashensis, Nilssonia macrophylla, and Elatides thomasii, late Early-Middle Jurassic age is suggested for this assemblage. The relative abundance of Filicales, Coniferales, and Cycadales are 50%, 27.19%, and 8.77%, respectively. Although Iran was located in a humid and warm temperate biome during the Middle Jurassic, the flora of Shahreza area indicates that it occurred at various environments: upland, wetter/drier lowland, river and coastal with temperate and humid climate. Moreover, 16 miospore species belonging to 13 genera, and seven dinocyst species assigned to three genera were identified from the studied area. Therefore, it is concluded that Shahreza reflects a coastal plain along a shallow water environment where plant macrofossil remains and miospores were sedimented.