Middle Permian cephalopods from central Peninsular Malaysia: implications for faunal migration through the southern Tethys

A Wordian (Middle Permian) cephalopod fauna consisting of four ammonoid spe cies, Tauroceras aff. scrobiculatum (Gemmellaro), C, Agathiceras sp., Bamya niceras orientale n. sp. and Pronoritidae gen. and sp. indet., and two naut iloid species, Tainoceras sp. and Orthocerida fam. indet., were recovered f rom the B era South area, southern Pahang, Peninsular Malaysia. The outcrop represents the southernmost extent of the Bera Formation. Bamyaniceras and Tainoceras are recorded in Malaysia for the first time. The presence of T. aff. scrobiculatum suggests a regional correlation with an ammonoid-bearin g bed of Sungai Cheroh, western Pahang, and permits global correlations wit h strata of northeastern Iraq, northern Oman and Sicily (Italy). A possible eastwards faunal migration through the southern Tethys is suggested. (C) 2 001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.