180 doi:10.4072/rbp.2022.3.02 Revista Brasileira de Paleontologia, 25(3):180–188, Julho/Setembro 2022 A Journal of the Brazilian Society of Paleontology STRATIGRAPHY OF THE THANETIAN ROTALIIDS LIMESTONE, NORTHERN LORESTAN, IRAN – LORESTAN, SW IRAN HAMID REZA JAFARI ZADEH  Department of Earth Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran. jafarizadeh@yahoo.com IRAJ MAGHFOURI MOGHADDAM  Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, Lorestan University, Lorestan, Iran. maghfouri.i@lu.ac.ir (corresponding author) MOHSEN ALEALI  Department of Earth Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran. aleali.mohsen@gmail.com ZAHRA MALEKI  Department of Earth Sciences, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University (IAU), Tehran, Iran. z.maleki@srbiau.ac.ir ABSTRACT – In this research, biostratigraphy of the Taleh Zang Formation, located in northern Lorestan, SW Iran, is discussed. The benthic foraminiferal contents of the upper Paleocene successions were examined in a carbonate platform setting in the context of European standard zonation (Shallow Benthic Zones). The co-occurrence of Glomalveolina levis (Hottinger) and Miscellanea miscella (d’Archiac & Haime) characterizes Zone SBZ 4, indicating a Thanetian age. Based on biofacies analysis and faunal associations, with emphasis on benthic foraminifera and coralline red algae, tidal fat and marginal marine environment exposed to salinity fuctuations (short-term salinity fuctuations or fully marine conditions), dominated by small benthic Foraminifera (Kathina) with slightly mesotrophic conditions, are determined for the deposition of the Poshte Jangal section. The highly translucent, shallowest part of the inner shelf dominated by representatives of Miscellanea and Opertorbitolites. The biotic assemblages representing warm tropical waters with oligotrophic conditions were observed in Palganeh and Pasan sections. Keywords: Taleh Zang Formation, Paleocene, Foraminifera, Biostratigraphy, Thanetian. RESUMO – Nesta investigação, discute-se a biostratigrafa da Formação Taleh Zang, localizada no norte de Lorestan, sudoeste do Irã. Os foraminíferos bentônicos das sucessões do Paleoceno superior foram examinados numa plataforma de carbonato no contexto da zonação padrão europeia (Shallow Benthic Zones). A coocorrência de Glomalveolina levis (Hottinger) e Miscellanea miscella (d’Archiac & Haime) caracteriza a Zona SBZ 4, indicando uma idade Thanetiana. Com base na análise de biofácies e associações faunísticas, com ênfase em foraminíferos bentônicos e algas vermelhas coralinas, ambiente marinho plano e marginal exposto a futuações de salinidade (futuações de salinidade a curto prazo ou condições totalmente marinhas), dominadas por pequenos foraminíferos bentônicos (Kathina) com condições ligeiramente mesotrófcas, são determinadas para a deposição da seção Poshte Jangal. A parte mais superfcial e altamente translúcida da plataforma interna é dominada por representantes de Miscellanea e Opertorbitolites. As associações bióticas representando as águas tropicais quentes com condições oligotrófcas foram observadas nas seções de Palganeh e Pasan. Palavras-chave: Formação Taleh Zang, Paleoceno, Foraminifera, biostratigrafa, Thanetiano. INTRODUCTION Thanetian was an age of intense global warming of sea surface temperature in less than 10 Ma (Zachos et al., 2001, 2008). A steady increase in temperature contributed to the expansion of oligotrophic conditions in the global ocean, which would have facilitated the diversifcation of larger benthic foraminifera (BouDagher-Fadel, 2008). Hottinger (2014) proposed an oligotrophy condition usually requiring long periods of climatic stability in the environment and a permanent separation of gyral current patterns from nutrient sources produced on land by erosion, he called it “Global Community Maturation”. Larger foraminifera are extreme K-strategists characterized by long individual lives and low reproductive potential (BouDagher-Fadel, 2008), thriving in a stable, typically oligotrophic environment (Hottinger, 1983). Representatives of the genera Miscellanea and Ranikothalia were common larger benthic foraminifera in the late