First Record of Aptian- Cenomanian Brachiopods from the Vezk Section (South of Yasuj, Iran)

Brachiopod faunas from the Aptian- Cenomanian Vezk section in southwestern Iran comprise ten species in six genera, namely Sellithyris cenomanensis, Sellithyris tornacensis, Sellithyris phaseolina, Phaseolina phaseolina, Tropeothyris sp., Concinnithyris subundata, Kingena arenosa, Cyclothyris difformis, Cyclothyris sp. and Cyclothyris compressa. All species are recorded for the first time from the lower Cretaceous of Vezk section (South of Yasuj). These deposits are composed of an alternation of green marls and thin layers of yellow shaly or sandy limestone, which overlain by thick bedded black limestone. The thickness of these deposits are 74 meters, which covers the Jurassic sediments, while its upper boundary ends with erosion surface that covered by Neogene deposits. These deposits consist of different fossil groups such as brachiopods, echinoids, corals, gastropods and orbitolinids that confirm the Aptian- Cenomanian ages for these sediments. The fauna assemblages suggest at shallow and suitable environment prevailed during the deposition of the strata.