Palynological analysis of Upper Ordovician to Lower Silurian sediments from the Diyarbakir Basin, southeastern Turkey

This paper reports on a palynological analysis of 41 core and 21 cutting samples from a well drilled through an Upper Ordovician–Lower Silurian sequence, belonging to the Bedinan and Dadas formations, of the Diyarbakır Basin of southeastern Turkey. The samples yield abundant and well-preserved marine palynomorphs (acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts) although non-marine palynomorphs (spores/cryptospores) are extremely rare or absent. The Upper Ordovician sediments of the Bedinan Formation have low organic content but contain abundant palynomorphs whereas the Lower Silurian sediments of the Dadas Formation have high organic content, dominated by amorphous organic matter, with relatively rare palynomorphs. Three chitinozoan assemblages are identified and attributed a late Katian (merga Biozone), Hirnantian (moussegoudaensis Biozone) and Llandovery (?alargada Biozone) age. Two acritarch assemblages are identified and attributed a Katian–Hirnantian and Llandovery (Aeronian–Telychian) age. The chitinozoan and acritarch age determinations are compatible and suggest that the Bedinan Formation is of Katian–Hirnantian age and is separated by an unconformity from the Dadas Formation that is of Llandovery (Aeronian–Telychian) age. These findings confirm the presence of an unconformity at the Ordovician–Silurian transition in the southeastern Turkey. Palynofacies analysis suggests that the Bedinan Formation accumulated on an offshore shelf that was initially well oxygenated but became increasingly anoxic, whereas the Dadas Formation accumulated in an offshore basin that was anoxic. Palynomorph assemblages recorded in the Bedinan and Dadas formations indicate northern Gondwana affinity.