The serpulid polychaete Rotularia spirulaea (Lamarck, 1818) from the Eocene of Isfahan (Iran) and its palaeoecological implication

Abstract

Tubes of the characteristic serpulid species Rotularía spirulaea (Lamarck, 1818) are widespread in the Eocene of the Neo-Tethyan Realm. Here they are described from the state of Iran for the first time. Their ultrastructure and the mode of life, paleogeography and palaeoecology of this species are discussed. Rotularia spirulaea occurs in Eocene limestones of the Zefreh area. It is the most abundant member of a fossil association including Nummulites, bivalves, echinoids and crabs. These faunal elements, together with lithology and stratigraphy, provide information about palaeoecological and sedimentological condition of this area. © 2018 E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung, Stuttgart, Germany.