PALYNOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PACAIEOGEOGRAPHY OF EARLY PEFIMM STRATA IN THE ZAGROS BASIN, SOUTHEAST SOUTHWEST IRAN

A totall of 500 Early Permian samples from the Chal-i-Sheh Formation in the Zagros Basin were examined palynollogically in order to determine the stratigraphical age of the formation and to assess the palaeogeopaphicd relatianships of this basin to the Southern and Northern Hemispheres during the Early Permian. Fifty-eight taxa were recorded including 46 pollen, 10 spore and 2 acritarch species, which permitted the establishment of the age of the formation. Quantitatively, pollen contributed 98 percent, spores 1.5 percent, and acritarchs 0.5 percent of the total assemblages. The high relative percentage of gymospermous pollen taxa suggests a relatively cold condition which was in favor of gymnospernous plants at the beginning of the Early Permian, Comparison of the taxa recorded from the Early Permian strata of the Zagros Basin with those reported from other parts of the world indicates that the Zagros Basin was part of the Gondwanan Supercontinent located on the southern shore of Tethys sea during the Permian period