CORRELATION AND BIOGEOGRAPHY OF ENDEMIC JURASSIC ETHIOPIAN PROVINCE BRACHIOPOD FAUNAS: EUROPE, THE MIDDLE EAST, INDIA AND MYANMAR (BURMA)

The Ethiopian marine faunal realm extends from India, south to east Africa and Madagascar, southern Israel, the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas, parts of North Africa and probably into South America and New Caledonia. The Middle and Upper Jurassic brachiopod faunas described from Saudi Arabia, Israel, Egypt and Tunisia during the past seventy years, while containing many genera and species common to all four regions, also contain distinctive endemic elements. Although detailed stratigraphic correlation of Middle Eastern and Indian Jurassic series is incomplete, some progress toward that goal has been made based on field studies and oil company exploration data. The stratigraphic range of Indian brachiopods from the Cutch region comprises the Putchum, Charee, Katrol and Oomia groups. Of these, the Putchum and Charee groups are broadly correlated with the Bathonian and Kimmeridgian of Europe. Arkell (1956), however, suggests that the Putchum beds represent the Lower Callovian whereas the Charee beds range from Upper Callovian to Oxfordian. The Namyau beds, Shan States, Myanmar (Burma), can be correlated with the Great Oolite (Bathonian) of the United Kingdom. Taxonomic studies of endemic brachiopod faunas of Egypt (Sinai) and Israel reveal a closer relationship than first thought between them and the species common to Europe, India and Myanmar. Certain genera found in the Middle East, such as Amydroptychus, Conarosia, Baerorhynchia, Colpotoria and Echyrosia, have yet to be recognized in these regions.