Echinoderms of the Central Iran

Qom formation was formed in Oligo-Miocene by the final sea transgression in Central Iran. Thebest outcrop is located around the Qom City, some 130 Km south of Tehran .In general, the great heights of the zone are the results of intense tectonic activities, being formed byfrequent faults and fold.Echinoderms are one of the most important and numerou s fossil groups existed in Qom Formationand confirm the relation of this environment with free waters.In the present investigation more than 100 prepared samples were studied. Among them 17 spiceswere identified, scanned and classified .These fossils are more abundant in the upper part of A member which illustrates the abundance anddiversity in CI and C3 submembers (of C member). In order to classify these samples the latestexisted method of bibliographic models and classic ones were used, however systematic schemes,MOORE [I , 2 & 3] were used more frequently. Besides these studies the other concomitantmicrofossils in the Formation were investigated simultaneously to estimate the accurate age of them.It is concluded that Oligo-Miocene Echinoderms study of Qom formation are essential andimportant because at the same time the Central Iran Sea had a communicative role between IndoPacificOcean and Mediterranean Sea