Corals Of The Upper Viséan Microbial-Sponge-Bryozoancoral Bioherm Of Kongul Yayla (Taurides, S Turkey), Palaeobiogeographic Relations

The Mississippian (lower Carboniferous) bioconstructions are well diversified and widely distributed (Aretz & Herbig, 2003), particularly in the upper Viséan strata. Such a reef was described from the Kongul Yayla outcrop located between Hadim and Taşkent (Central Taurides, South Turkey). The reef is included in the Zindancık Member of the Kongul Formation that belongs to the Bolkar Dağı tectonostratigraphic unit (Altıner & Ozgül 2001). Previous studies in this area (Ozgül 1997, Turan 2000) already recognized the reefal character of the Kongul Yayla outcrop, but never described it. Ozgül (1997) and Altıner & Ozgül (2001) attributed from Viséan to Serpukhovian age for the whole Kongul Formation. But, Ekmekçi & Kozur (1999) indicated a Moscovian age for the entire formation based on only four conodonts from one single locality. At first sight, the dating of the Kongul Formation is not precise. The coral association found in Kongul Yayla indicates an late Viséan age for the reef (see results below).