Large Benthic Foraminiferal Assemblages from the Naopurdan Limestone (Eocene); Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction, Kurdistan Region, North-Eastern Iraq

The Naopurdan Limestone unit was investigated for the first time in the Dawzhan section, Sulaimaniyah, Kurdistan Region, NE Iraq, with a focus on large benthic foraminifera. Well-preserved species of benthic foraminifera were identified as belonging to the genera Alveolina, Nummulites, Lokhartia, Operculina, Assilina, Rotalia, Disclocyclina, Glomalvelina, and Orbitolites. Among these, Alveolina stood out as the most diverse genus, encompassing fifteen species such as Alveolina archiaci, A. solilda, A.subovata, A. palermitana, A. oblonga, A.cf. munieri, A. leupoldi, A. laxa, A. ilierdensis, A. aff. haymanensis, A. globoas, A. globula, A. elliptica, A. decipiens, A. cosigena, and A. sp. A comparison of these recognized microfossils with previously reported assemblages from Iraq and other Tethyan sub-basins indicates that the deposition took place during the Eocene and corresponds to Shallow Benthic Foraminiferal Zones (SBZ 5-18). The abundance and diversity of the larger benthic foraminifera suggest that the Naopurdan Limestone Unit was formed under transgressive conditions.