REVIEW OF STRATIGRAPHY OF EASTERN PARATETHYS 37 
Sarmatian to Maeotian Reservoirs 
in Indol Kuban Foredeep 
Sarmatian Evaporites in 
Nakchichevan Depression - 
Fig.10 Palaeogeographic reconstruction, Konkian to Maeotian (late Middle to early Late Miocene). Key as for Fig. 7. The location of the Konkian 
stratotype is indicated. 
hinterland. The predominance of Taxodiaceae (cypresses and 
swamp-cypresses) indicates a warm-temperate (possibly even 
subtropical) climatic regime. 
Sarmatian (Fig. 10) 
The Sarmatian of Eastern Paratethys is probably equivalent to 
the stratotypical Sarmatian of Central Paratethys (late Middle 
to early Late Miocene (calcareous nannoplankton zones 
NN7-NN9) (Meszaros, 1992), planktonic foraminiferal zones 
N13?-N15), but may also be equivalent to the lower part of the 
Pannonian (Slavonian) of that area (Late Miocene) (see, for 
instance, Papp et al., 1974, 1985). Chepalyga (1985) calibrates 
the Sarmatian of Eastern  Paratethys against 
magnetostratigraphic polarity epochs 10-7, while Zubakov & 
Borzenkova (1990) calibrate it against epochs 14-9, and Pevzner 
& Vangengeim (1993) calibrate it against polarity epochs 10-7. 
The regressive events which characterise the Sarmatian suggest 
that (within the limits of biostratigraphic control) its base can be 
correlated with the 10.5Ma (glacio-eustatic) sea-level low-stand 
of Haq etal. (1988). 
_ The Sarmatian of Eastern Paratethys is characterised by 
areally restricted regressive marginal marine sediments 
including coarse clastics, and, in the Nakchichevan Depression, 
evaporites (though transgressive black shales (with source 
potential) also occur locally). The ‘Sarmatian’ of Northern Iran 
and part of the Upper Red Formation of Central Iran, also 
characterised by clastics and evaporites, appear correlative 
(Stocklin & Setudehnia, 1971, 1972). The Sarmatian of Eastern 
Paratethys has been divided into three sub-stages, which are, 
from oldest to youngest, Volkhynian, Bessarabian and 
Chersonian. The ‘mid’ Sarmatian (Bessarabian) represents the 
culmination of a major regressive phase that began in late 
Konkian or ‘early’ Sarmatian (Volkhynian) times (see, for 
instance, Chepalyga, 1985), and resulted in the first isolation of 
the South Caspian Basin. 
Details of the Sarmatian stratigraphy of Eastern Paratethys 
have been discussed by Gasanova (1965), Maisuradze (1971), 
Mamedova (1971, 1987), Azizbekov (1972), Lupov et al. (1972), 
Dzhabarova (1973), Ali-Zade & Aleskerov (1974), Azizbekova 
(1974), Paramonova ef al. (1979) and Pevzner & Vangengeim 
(1993). 
Micropalaeontology. Only non-age-diagnostic (and largely 
endemic), quasi-marine, smaller benthonic foraminifera and 
ostracods were recorded from the Sarmatian by Podobina et al. 
(1956), Mamedova (1971, 1987), Voroshilova (1971) and 
Azizbekoy (1972) from Azerbaijan, by Azizbekova (1974) from 
the Nakchichevan Depression, and by Paramonova et al. (1979) 
from various sites in the Ponto-Caspian region. These include 
rare cosmopolitan species such as Streblus [Ammonia] beccarii 
and Elphidium macellum (foraminifera), which probably range 
no older than Middle Miocene (RWJ’s_ unpublished 
observations), Elphidium reginum (foraminifer) (lower part 
only), which is also found in the Sarmatian of Central Paratethys 
(Steininger et al, 1976) and (?reworked) in the Pliocene of the 
Black Sea (Gheorghian, in Ross et al., 1978), Nonion div. spp., 
Porosononion div. spp. and Quinqueloculina  consobrina 
(foraminifera) and Cyprideis littoralis, Cythere multistriata, 
Leptocythere stabilis, Loxoconcha eichwaldi and Xestoleberis 
lutrae (ostracods). Podobina et al. (1956), Mamedova (1971) and 
Voroshilova (1971) have indicated that the three subdivisions of 
