38 
the Sarmatian in Azerbaijan can be recognised on the basis of 
foraminifera and ostracods. 
The alga Ovulites sarmaticus and the fish otoliths Gadidarum 
minusculus and Gobius sarmaticus are regarded as index-species 
for the Sarmatian in Azerbaiyan (Ateava, personal 
communication, 1994). The Sarmatian part of the “Diatom 
Suite’ in Azerbaijan also contains 23 species of diatoms, chiefly 
Coscinodiscus, Licmophora and Navicula (Gasanova, 1965). 
Palynology. Only non-age-diagnostic palynomorphs were 
recorded from the Sarmatian of the Middle Kura Depression 
(Azizbekov, 1972; Dzhabarova, 1973). Pollen spectra from the 
middle (Bessarabian) sub-stage are characterised locally by (as 
in the “Cryptomactra-Horizon) relatively high incidences of 
Pinaceae (pine) pollen and locally (higher in the section) by 
relatively high incidences of broad-leaved tree pollen (Alnus 
(alder), Betula (birch), Carya (hickory), Carpinus (hornbeam), 
Corylus (hazel), Juglans (walnut)) and angiosperm (flowering 
plant) pollen (Azizbekov, op. cit.). Pollen spectra from the upper 
(Chersonian) sub-stage are also characterised locally by 
relatively high incidences of broad-leaved tree pollen (Fagus 
(beech), Quercus (oak), Taxodium (swamp-cypress), Tilia (lime) 
and Ulmus (elm)), though locally Polypodiaceae predominate 
(Azizbekoy, op. cit.). 
Maeotian (Fig. 10) 
The Maeotian of Eastern Paratethys is equivalent to the 
Pannonian (Late Miocene) of Central Paratethys (though 
possibly only the upper part thereof (Serbian) (see, for instance, 
Papp et al. (1974, 1985) and Pevzner & Vangengeim (1985b)). 
Rogl (1985a) calibrates it against calcareous nannoplankton 
Zone NNI1O. Chepalyga (1985) calibrates it against 
magnetostratigraphic polarity epochs 6-5, while Zubakov & 
Borzenkova (1990) calibrate it against polarity epochs 10-7. 
Krakhmalnaya et al. (1993) have recently described a succession 
at Novaya Emetovka on the Black Sea coast with a good 
Maeotian mammal fauna which they calibrate against polarity 
epochs 6 and 5. The Maeotian is represented by a 
transgressive-regressive cycle. It is locally characterised by black 
shales (with hydrocarbon source potential). The Maeotian sea 
was probably characterised by reduced salinity. Similar 
environmental conditions evidently obtained in the Pannonian 
of Central Paratethys, where benthonic foraminiferal 
assemblages are of quasi-marine (brackish water) aspect 
(Ammobaculites, Ammomarginulina, Miliammina, 
Trochammina) (Papp et al., 1985). 
Details of Maeotian stratigraphy have been discussed by 
Shishova (1955), Gasanova (1965), Bogdanowicz (1967, 1969, 
1974), Mamedova (1971), Voroshilova (1971), Azizbekov 
(1972), Lupov et al. (1972), Popkhadze (1977), Paramonova et 
al. (1979), Ananova et al. (1985), Ali-Zade et al. (1986), Rasulov 
(1986), Maisuradze (1988), Naidina (1988) and Ateava 
(personal communication, 1994). 
Micropalaeontology and Nannopalaeontology. Only 
non-age-diagnostic, | quasi-marine, smaller _ benthonic 
foraminifera were recorded by Bogdanowicz (1967, 1969) from 
the Maeotian of the Kuban and Western Precaucasus and by 
Paramonova et al. (1979) from the Maeotian of various sites in 
the Ponto-Caspian. These include Elphidium macellum, which 
has a cosmopolitan distribution and probably ranges no older 
than Middle Miocene (RWJ’s unpublished observations) and 
Nonion diy. spp. 
Some _ stratigraphically 
and/or palaeoenvironmentally 
R.W. JONES AND M.D. SIMMONS 
significant ostracods were recorded by Azizbekov (1972) from 
Azerbaijan and by Popkhadze ef al. (1980) from Abkhazia. 
These include Leptocythere biplicata, L. meotica, Loxoconcha 
meotica, L. tamarindus and L. viridis (quasi-marine). 
Leptocythere meotica and Loxoconcha meotica, together with 
the foraminifera Quinqueloculina sulacensis (lower part) and Q. 
ludwigi (upper part) and the fish otoliths Clupea gidjakensis and 
Percidarum sigmalinoides are regarded as index-species for the 
Maeotian in Azerbaijan (Podobina et al., 1956; Mamedova, 
1971). 
Rich diatom floras including Coscinodiscus gigas, C. 
oclisirides, Grammatophora  azens, Cocconeis heteroidea, 
Melosira archotecturallis and M. sulcata were recorded by 
Shishova (1955) from the Maeotian part of the “‘Diatom Suite’ of — 
the Apsheron Peninsula in Azerbaijan. Actinocyclus ehrenbergii, 
Cymatosira sovtchenkoi and Rhaphoneis maeotica were recorded 
by Gasanova (1965). The stenohaline (normal marine) forms 
Asterolampha marylanica, Coscinodiscus asteromphalus and C. 
lewisanus sensu lato, the euryhaline (quasi-marine) forms 
Actinocyclus ehrenbergii and Rhapolodia musculus, and the 
freshwater forms Amphora ovalis and Diatoma vulgare were 
recorded by Rasulov (1986). Coscinodiscus lewisianus sensu 
stricto is a Middle Miocene species. 
A range of diatoms, calcareous nannofossils and ostracods 
were recorded by Ananova et al. (1985) from the Maeotian of | 
the Black Sea. These include Actinocyclus ehrenbergi, Rhaponeis 
maeotica and Thalassiosira maeotica (diatoms), | 
Braarudosphaera spp. (calcareous nannofossil) and Cyprideis | 
torosa and Leptocythere spp. (ostracods). 
Palynology. Only non-age-diagnostic palynomorphs have been | 
recorded from the Maeotian, and only the acritarch | 
Micrhystridium sp. was recorded by Ananova et al. (1985) from | 
the Maeotian of the Black Sea. Pollen spectra from the Late | 
Maeotian of the Task-Sunzhenskii Region are characterised by | 
relatively high incidences of Asteraceae and Polygonaceae | 
(herbs), Ephedra (shrubs) and Gramineae (grasses) (Naidina, | 
1988). This indicates an open, sparsely forested hinterland and 
an arid climatic regime similar to that of the present-day steppe 
or semi-desert. The locally relatively high incidences of 
Gleicheniaceae (ferns) and Lycopodiaceae (club-mosses) 
indicate local development of conditions similar to those of the 
present-day tundra, forest-tundra or mountain belt. The | 
presence of Chenopodiaceae probably indicates local 
development of salt-marshes. 
Pontian 
The Pontian takes its name from the ancient name for the Black 
Sea. It is essentially regressive (though it also includes an 
overstepping transgressive unit at the base), and is characterised 
regionally by marginal marine coarse clastics and shallow 
marine carbonates and locally (Babajan Formation, Bosporian 
Sub-Stage) by evaporites. Chepalyga (1985) calibrates the 
Pontian against magnetostratigraphic polarity epoch 4 
(Gilbert), while Zubakov & Borzenkova (1990) calibrate it 
against polarity epochs 6-5. We correlate the Pontian evaporites 
against those of the stratotypical Messinian, which can be 
calibrated against magnetostratigraphic polarity epoch 5 
(Zubakov & Borzenkova, 1990). 
Details of the Pontian stratigraphy of Eastern Paratethys have 
been discussed by, among others, Sveier (1949), Mandelstam et } 
al. (1962), Sheydayeva-Kuliyeva (1966), Agalarova (1967), | 
Vekilov et al. (1969), Ramishvili (1969), Rozyeva (1971), 
