Revision of the late Carnian -: early Norian conodonts from the Stefanion section (Argolis, Greece) and their palaeobiogeographic implications

Late Tuvalian and early Norian conodonts from the Stefanion section (Argolis, Greece, northern Pindos shelf) were investigated and compared with Carman conodonts from the Epidauros section (Argolis, inner Maliak fragment), and with late Tuvalian and early Norian conodonts from the Neotethys in the south and the Meliata-Hallstatt Ocean in the north. Three new species, Epigondolella rigoi KOZUR n. sp., E. stefanionensis NOYAN n. sp. and Metapolygnathus multinodosus NOYAN n. sp., are established. The long early Norian E. abneptis Zone is replaced in its lower part by the E. quadrata Zone of ORCHARD and in its upper part by the new E. rigoi Zone. The middle Carnian (Julian) Hallstatt Limestones of the Epidauros section have a Pindos-Huglu Ocean conodont fauna unlike Julian Hallstatt Limestones of the Meliata-Hallstatt and Mire oceans. This suggests that the Meliata-Hallstatt Ocean was not the continuation of the Maliak Ocean. In the late Tuvalian, Metapolygnathus multinodosus NOYAN n. sp. is common in the Stefanion section, as it is in the same stratigraphic interval of the Neotethys. In contrast, this species is absent in the northern Tethys region. This confirms the very close connection of the Pindos-Huglu Ocean with the Neotethys s. s. in post-Cordevolian time. Prior to the Julian, a faunistic barrier appears to have separated the Neotethys s. s. from the Pindos-Huglu Ocean.