Early-Miocene Gastropods from Khavich Area, South of Sirjan, (Kerman, Iran): Biostratigraphy, Paleogeography and Paleoecology

A total of 12 species of marine gastropods, among which two taxa are new, is reported for the first time from the Miocene deposits of Khavich section, south of Sirjan, Kerman. Gastropods assemblage in Khavich area indicates deposition in shallow, warm ramp-type carbonate platform. The Miocene and even Oligocene gastropod assemblages, relatively similar to Khavich section, reported from the other parts of the Tethys, show a possible passage, having been open during this interval, although a considerable provincialisms is also evident. Therefore the gastropods can be used for the correlation of Oligo-Miocene age formations in many places in the region and the world.