In the central Iranian Esfahan-Sirjan and Qom basins sedimentation of the Oligo-/Miocene Qom Formation took place on extensive mixed carbonate-siliciclastic ramps. During this time, both basins were positioned at the Eurasian margin of the Tethyan Seaway, which connected the western and eastern regions of the Tethys Ocean at least until the late Burdigalian. During the so-called Terminal Tethyan Event the Tethyan Seaway was then closed due to the collision of the African/Arabian and Iranian/Eurasian plates. Facies analysis of the sedimentary record of both basins indicates paleoenvironments ranging from terrestrial to open marine settings, including mangrove, restricted inner shelf lagoon, seagrass meadow, reefal, and deeper offshore environments. Recognition of eight depositional sequences and elaboration of an integrated biostratigraphic framework (calcareous nannoplankton, planktic and larger benthic foraminifers, gastropods, and pectinids) allow us to construct a basin-spanning stratigraphy. The assignment of the recognized sea-level lowstands to the Ru 3 to Bur 3 lowstands of the global sea-level curve enables a comparison with time-equivalent sections from the Zagros Basin, which was part of the African/Arabian Plate on the opposing southern margin of the Tethyan Seaway. The so calibrated sections display restrictions of the Tethyan Seaway and interruption of the south Iranian gateways between the Qom Basin and the Proto-Indopacific in relation to ongoing plate collision during the early Burdigalian.

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Advances in Vertebrate Palaeontology *) 29 7 Abb. [ Frankfurt am Main, 31.05.20001 Frigidafons babaheydariensis n. sp., ein Sturmvogel aus dem Oligoziin des Irans (Aves: Procellariidae) Mit 7 Abbildungen DIETER STEFAN PETERS & AL1 HAMEDANI Kurzfassung Im Zagros-Gebirge nahe der Stadt Baba-Heydar, Iran, wurde ein Vogelrest geborgen, der hier beschrieben und als FrigidaJons babaheydariensis n. sp. der Familie Procellariidae (Sturmv6gel) zugeordnet wird. Die Fundstelle geh6rt dem Oberen Rupelium an. lhr Profil wird kurz dargestellt. Der fossile Vogel zfihlt zu den iiltesten sicheren Belegen f'ª die Ordnung Procellariiformes und ist der erste Nachweis dieser Gruppe aus dem Iran. Der Neufund bestfitigt eine frª Vermutung, daB die Gattung Frigidafons parallel zu den Langbein-Sturmschwalben (Oceanitinae) Spezialisierungen fª das Flugpaddeln ausgebildet hat. Abstract[Frigidafons babaheydariensis n. sp., a Petrel from the Oligocene of Iran (Aves: Procellariidae).] --FrigidaJbns babaheydariensis n. sp. a fossil bird from the Zagros-Mountains, Iran, is described and classified with the family Procellariidae. The profile of the location is briefly described. Its age is Upper Rupelian. The fossil remains are among the earliest reliable records of the order Procellariiformes and they are the first record of this group from kan. The new fossil corroborates an earlier speculation that Frigidafons specialized morphologically parallel to the Southern Storm-Petrels (Oceanitinae) which are experts in ,,pattering" and ,,walking" on the water.K e y w o r d s :

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Upper Permian (Murghabian) sponges from the Surmaq Formation exposed in the Hambast Mountains, south of Abadeh, central Iran are described. The sponge fauna of the Surmaq Formation is composed of at least 26 taxa, including 12 species of sphinctozoans, 12 species of inozoans, one operculospongid, and one lithistid species. The following taxa were determined to genus or species level: Sphinctozoa: Family Sebargasiidae: Amblysiphonella hambastensis n. sp., Discosiphonella iranica n. sp., Family Colospongiidae: Colospongia cortexifera Senowbari-Daryan and Rigby, Exaulipora permica (Senowbari-