A NEW AMMONOID FAUNA FROM THE CARNIAN ( UPPER TRIASSIC) KASIMLAR FORMATION OF THE TAURUS MOUNTAINS ( ANATOLIA, TURKEY)

We describe a new ammonoid fauna from the Taurus Mountains of southern Turkey. The Carnian ammonoid fauna from Aaiyaylabel is presented for the first time. Ammonoids were obtained from limestone to marl beds of an approximately 35-m-thick section, which presents the rare opportunity to investigate ammonoid faunas across the Lower-Upper Carnian boundary. Intense sampling near the village of Aaiyaylabel led to the recognition of a new Lower Carnian (Julian 2) to Upper Carnian (Tuvalian 1) ammonoid fauna from the Kasimlar Formation. The genus Kasimlarceltites gen. nov. is reported for the first time from the Taurus Mountains, which represents the main faunal element and occurs as huge mass occurrence (n >> 1million). Kasimlarceltites krystyni gen. et sp. nov., Klipsteinia disciformis sp. nov. and Anasirenites crassicrenulatus sp. nov. occur within the Lower Carnian Carbonate member (Units A-B) of the Kasimlar Formation from the Taurus Platform Units. Ammonoids described from the marls of the Tuvalian Marlstone member were deposited during a major, Tethyan-wide climate crisis - the so-called Carnian crisis - characterized by a demise of carbonate platforms. Based on the biostratigraphic relevance of certain ammonoid taxa described herein, the age of the analysed parts of the Kasimlar Formation is Julian 2 to Tuvalian 1. The discovery of the new ammonoid assemblages from Aaiyaylabel substantiates the significance of Upper Triassic faunas within the Taurus Mountains and facilitates the correlation with faunal assemblages from other regions in the Tethyan Realm. The ammonoid fauna and facies indicate a general deepening from open-platform margins, over deeper shelf settings down to an open marine-influenced basinal environment. The tentative habitat for Kasimlarceltites gen. nov. is a shallow platform environment to upper mid-ramp.