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Fusulinaceans consisting of 56 species belonging to 30 genera are distinguished from the Surmaq Formation distributed in the Abadeh region, central Iran. Among them, 23 species, including three species newly proposed: Parafusulina tarazi, Skinnerella abadehensis, and Sphaerulina iranensis, are systematically described and discussed. Many microphotographs of fusulinaceans are illustrated so as to understand their wide intraspecific variation and to compare them with other faunas from the Tethyan regions. The Surmaq Formation is biostratigraphically divided into six zones from lower to upper: Darvasites ordinatus, Pseudofusulina quasifusuliniformis, Eopolydiexodina persica, Afghanella schencki, Neoschwagerina occidentalis, and Chusenella abichi. The first zone is probably Yakhtashian, the second is possibly Kubergandian, the third to fifth are Murgabian, and the last is Midian in age, based on the stratigraphic distribution and faunal correlation of neoschwagerinids and schwagerinids in Middle Permian formations of the Tethyan regions. Schwagerinids are dominant in these six zones, whereas almost all neoschwagerinids and verbeekinids are restricted to the fourth and fifth zones. Middle Permian fusulinacean faunas in South West Asian and Mediterranean Sea regions are well represented by those of the Surmaq Formation, and paleobiogeographically assignable to Province A (Western Tethyan Province). Fusulinacean faunas of Province A are largely different from those in Province B (Eastern Tethyan Province) by the very rare occurrence of typical Colania and Lepidolina, and from Province C (Panthalassan Province) by the presence of Afghanella and Sumatrina., Rivista italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia, Vol 109, No 2

The Upper Permian fossils are discovered from the southern coast of Kaki Vigla Bay in the Island of Salamis, Greece. They comprise twelve species of foraminifers (Palaeofusulina cf. fusiformis, Reichelina cf. cribroseptata, Colaniella parva, C. inflata, Wanganella sp., Nodosaria longissima, etc), six species of brachiopods (Haydenella? sp., Wellerella sp., Hustedia sp., Reticulariina cf. netschaewi, etc.), and three species of corals (Pleramplexus leptoconicus, "Neozaphrentis" permicus, and Asserculina? sp.). The foraminiferal assemblage indicates the latest Permian Changhsingian age which is generally considered to be equivalent to the late Dzhulfian (Dorashamian), while the general characters of brachiopods and corals show the early Dzhulfian age (Araksian). The discrepancy of the age suggests some overlapping between the Changhsingian and the early Dzhulfian. Brief systematic descriptions are also given.

The recent investigation on the conformable Permian-Triassic transition beds in South China revealed the existence of the mixed-fauna beds immediately above the Changhsing Formation or its equivalent, which contain the Permian-type brachiopods and the Triassic-type ammonoids and bivalves. Three successive mixed-fauna beds, numbered 1 to 3, can be distinguished at many places. The first two are referred as the Otoceras Zone and the last one as the Ophiceras Zone based on the new discovery of Otoceras sp. from the mixed-fauna bed no. 1 and a common occurrence of Ophiceras and Claraia in bed no. 3. The correlation of the Chinese sections with Permian-Triassic sequences in other parts of the Tethys province, such as Iran, Pakistan, and India, shows some time gap between the Upper Permian and Lower Triassic in those regions with the exception of Kashmir region. The Chinese sequences contain abundant ammonoids, brachiopods and conodonts that are useful for international correlation. Thus, the Chinese section, especially of the Changxing area, is considered to be a candidate of the stratotype of the Upper Permian and the Permian-Triassic boundary.

A new genus, Abadehella comprising three new species (tarazi, coniformis, and biconvexa) is proposed and described. So far as the morphologic features are concerned, the genus is considered to be a specialized genus in the family Tetrataxidae. This characteristic genus is found from the basal part of the Abadeh Formation in central Iran, the lowest member of the Zewan Formation in Kashmir, the Palaeofusulina limestone in Malaysia, Lepidolina multiseptata limestones in Cambodia and northeast Japan, the Takauchi and Reichelina-Colaniella limestones of the Maizuru belt, and the Lepidolina kumaensis zone of Shikoku in Japan. The stratigraphic occurrence is limited to the Late Permian and the genus is considered to be useful for international correlation.

The continuous sequence of the Permian and the Lower Triassic Systems was fully examined paleontologically and sedimentologically in Abadeh region, Cenral Iran. Based on the correlation of the Permian in the Tethys province by means of fusulinid, ammonoid and conodont zonations together with brachiopod, coral and bryozoan fossils, it is concluded that the Upper Permian is reasonably classified into three stages, the Abadehian, the Dzhulfian, and the Dorashamian. Biostratigraphical and sedimentological study indicates a paraconformable relation between the Permian and Triassic, and the equivalent of the lower half of the Otoceras woodwardi zone is missing as judged from the conodont zones. The Dorashamian is older than the Griesbachian or Gangetian, and not the equivalent of the latter. The faunal change is related to not only local environmental change but universal causes. A remarkable attrition of species began in the Dzhulfian and reached a climax at the end of the Permian. Almost all the species had disappeared by the end of the Permian corresponding to the progressive shallowing and retreat of the sea. Rapid transgression and incoming of new organisms at the beginning of the Triassic is evident in the lithofacies and biofacies of the Lower Triassic.

The Permian limestone in west Cambodia is well known for its yield of a rich fauna of marine invertebrates. The stratigraphical and paleontological studies of the Permian limestone have been published by D_EPRAT (1912, 1913), M_ANSUY (1913, 1914), G_UBLER (1935a, b), D_ELPEY (1941-1942), S_KINNER and W_ILDE (1954), S_AURIN (1959), V_IEN (1959), C_HI-T_HUAN (1961), F_ONTAINE (1961, 1965, 1967), S_ERRA (1966), I_SHII and N_OGAMI (1964), I_SHII (1966), and by I_SHII, K_ATO and N_AKAMURA (1969)....

Fusulininan foraminifera are one of the most important index fossils from the late early Carboniferous to the Permian in having worldwide distribution and short stratigraphic range. But, in accordance with an increase of size and complexity of shells the areal distribution was successively more localized, and at the end of the Middle Permian the larger fusulines represented by the Verbeekinidae and the Schwagerininae of the Fusulinidae were almost extinguished....

In the winter 1966, the Committee for Southeast Asia Studies of the Osaka City University sent its 5th Scientific Expedition team to Southeast Asia. Three geologists, I_SHII, K_ATO and N_OGAMI jointly carried out field study in Sarawak, Pahang, Perak, Kedah and Perlis states of Malaysia....

Only one axial section was obtained, which is highly replaced by secondary mineralization. The following brief accounts are given on the base of this specimen....

A remarkable angular unconformity above the Permian formation is observable at the road cutting, just to the east of the Jengka Pass between the 107 and 108 mile points from Kuala Lumpur, along the Temerloh-Maran road about 17 miles ENE from Temerloh, Pahang, Malaya (see Fig. 1 on p.90 of this volume). The presence of this unconformity was already suggested by J.R.P_ATON in 1953 in his field note (Geological Survey, Malaysia, unpublished)....

This paper is based on the collection and data gathered during the scientific expedition from Osaka City University and University of Kyoto to Cambodia on Oct., 1962 ~ Feb., 1963. The geological observation and fossil-collection were made by the leader of the expedition, K. I_SHII and a member, Y. N_OGAMI....

Between Temerloh and Maran in Pahang, Malaya there are two Middle Permian limestone localities. The one is located near the Jengka Pass (loc. M40) and the other is at the Kompong Awah Quarry (loc. M36)....

A team of Japanese and Indian Geologists carried out detailed studies of the Permo-Triassic sections in the Srinagar region, Kashmir, during 1969. This report embodies certain conclusions arrived at in the light of these studies. The section at Guryul Ravine is described in detail, being the best in the Srinagar region. Lithological and faunistic comparisons with other areas examined are also referred to. The different faunistic zones of the Lower Trias of this area are compared with other important extra-Indian occurrences. The Zewan Series (Permian) at Guryul Ravine is succeeded by Lower Triassic beds. The arenaceous sediments pass into calcareous through argillaceous sediments. There is neither an intraformational nor interformational unconformity indicative of a hiatus in deposition. Many characteristic Permian elements survived in the lower part of the Lower Trias, constituting a zone of mixed fauna of Permo-Trias. This suggests a rapid faunal change from Permian to Lower Trias but not discontinuous. The lithology however supports a gradual change from Palaeozoic to Mesozoic. The advent of Lower Trias is marked by the appearance of characteristic species like Claraia stachei (BITTNER), SPATH in the dark shales. The paper also records a number of important Lower Triassic ammonoids (Otoceras, Glyptophiceras, etc.), which were so far not known from the Srinagar region. Considering the evolutionary position of some of the species of Otoceras, the boundary between the Permian and Trias is tentatively placed just below the advent of Claraia stachei.

The Permian complex, collectively called the Shirasaki group, is widely distributed on the southern side of the Cretaceous synclinorial basin of the Yuasa Futagawa district, Wakayama prefecture (cf. I_CHIKAWA, 1968). With respect to the geological situation and the geological age, it is compared with the Wakasugi group (S_UYARI, 1958) of Tokushima prefecture and the Takagawa group (N_AKAGAWA, S_UYARI, I_CHIKAWA, I_SHII & Y_AMASHITA, 1959) of Ehime prefecture, Shikoku, which occupy the northern part of the southern subbelt of the Chichibu belt, Outer Zone of Southwest Japan (cf. S_UYARI, 1961; I_CHIKAWA, 1964)....

During the summer of 1969 I_SHII and B_ANDO visited Afghanistan with the purpose to make geological observations in several localities with attention to the relationship between the lithology and fossil contents of the strata adjacent to and also probably crossing the Permian-Triassic boundary. The field survey was done in co-operation with German geologists through the courtesy of Prof.U.J_ux, chief of the German Geological Mission of Kabul University....

The geology of Malaya has been recently actively investigated by staff of the Geological Survey of Malaya and the University of Malaya and furthermore new palaeontological informations have been added by many workers. We made a geological trip in Kedah, Perak, Pahang and Kelantan Provinces from January to February, 1965....