Lower cretaceous corals from the Koppeh Dagh, NE-Iran

A new section through parts of the Middle Aptian to Early Albian Sanganeh Formation at the southwestern margin of the Koppeh Dagh, NE-Iran, displays a succession of silty to fine-sandy marls between which limestone boulders and debris layers are intercalated at several levels. These boulders are olistoliths, derived from the edge of a nearby carbonate platform, long since eroded. Most of the olistoliths are reef limestones built of corals and calcareous sponges. At two levels, the reef fauna weathered out from the boulders and could be collected. Fourtyseven taxa of Scleractinia have been described and figured, which considerably extend our knowledge of the biodiversity of Cretaceous corals from the area. The corals show an interesting mixture of taxa known since the Middle Jurassic and those known only from the Cretaceous.