The Department of Earth and petroleum sciences at the Faculty of science – Mosul University, on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, discussed the master’s thesis tagged ” life stratigraphy of calcareous nanoliths to form the hole in the Western Miran fold, north-eastern Iraq ” by master’s student Rakan Abdul Saleh al-khatuni, in the presence of the head of the department, Dr. Omar khalouk Mohammed Sajid, and a number of professors of the department and graduate students.

The dissertation dealt with the classification of calcareous nanofossils (Calcareous Nannofossils) of the aperture formation (lower knight) in the Western Miran fold section northwest of Sulaymaniyah, determining its stratigraphic life zone and comparing it with the global one to accurately determine the age of the formation, as well as extrapolating the paleoclimatic conditions of the Miocene period through the diagnosed species.

The methodology of the work included the collection of (23) rock models during the field visit to the southwestern flank of the fold at varying distances depending on the Rock changes.

The main results and conclusions of the study :

Broad qualitative diagnosis: (34) species belonging to (12) genera and within (9) families of calcareous nanofossils have been diagnosed.

Identification of three life zones: three life zones have been identified for the fossils arranged from the oldest at the bottom as follows:

Helicosphaera ampliaperta Interval Biozone, part (CN3)
Sphenolithus heteromorphus Interval Biozone (CN4)
Coccolithus miopelagicus Interval Range Biozone, part (CN5a)
Determining the formation age: determine the formation age of the hole in the studied section by (late Early Miocene; Burdigalian – late Middle Miocene; Serravallian).

The study recommended the need to conduct extensive research of calcareous nanofossils in other sections of north-eastern Iraq (the edge of the sedimentary basin of the formation) and sections of southern Iraq, due to the expectation of a difference in stratigraphic ages between the two regions.

The discussion Committee was chaired by Dr. Omar Ahmed moloud Al-Badrani, and the membership of: assistant professor Dr. Abdullah Sultan Shihab, teacher Dr. Rana Abdul Ilah Mahmoud, and under the supervision and membership of assistant professor Dr. Mahfouz Abdullah Ali.

We wish our dear students continued excellence and success in their scientific career.

Government information and Communication Division

Tuesday, August 11, 2026