Systematic notes on Burdigalian Echinoids from the Qom Formation in the Bagher Abad area, Central Iran

Echinoids fauna are common and distributed in the Lower Miocene deposits of the Bagher Abad area, northeast Isfahan, Central Iran. There are six Echinoid taxa belonging to the Echinoidea Class that can be described as: Clypeaster intermedius, Prinocidaris sp. and spines related to: Eucidaris zaemays, Stylocidaris Polyacantha, Spatangoid sp. and Prinocidaris sp. Bivalves, Foraminifers, Bryozoans, Brachiopods, scatter fragment of Crabs and Corals can obviously be seen in this section. The presence of Echinoids and Bivalves fauna indicated that, the shallow and warm water environment was dominated by them in Central Iran at the Lower Miocene (Burdigalian). From a palaeobiogeographic point of view, the fauna from the Qom Formation were similar to the West and Central parts of the Paratethys and confirmed that, the Bagher Abad area was located in the marginal seaways, which connected the West, Central Paratethys and Indo-pacific Ocean at that time (Lower Miocene).