OICC Press Iranian Journal of Earth Sciences 2228-785X 13 1 2021 01 01 Belemnite biostratigraphy of the upper Jurassic to lower Cretaceous strata in the Surghar range, NW Pakistan: Systematic and Paleobiogeographic implications 1 13 10.30495/ijes.2021.678952 EN Sajjad Ahmad Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Zia Rehman Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Suleman Khan Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Bilal Wadood State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, China|Department of Geology, University of Swabi, Anbar-Swabi 23561, Pakistan Mati Haq Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Shuhab Khan Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston, Houston 77004, USA Yasir Khan Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Hasnain Khan Department of Geology, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Shehla Gul Department of Geography, University of Peshawar, Peshawar 25120, Pakistan Journal Article 2021 01 01 Four belemnite genera and twelve age-diagnostic species were identified from the from Upper Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous sequence of the Chichali Formation, northwest Pakistan. Four local biozones were established based on the identified belemnites. These biozones are arranged from base to top as follows; Hibolithes pilleti/Hibolithes jaculoides/Hibolithes hastatus Zone of Kimmeridgian age, Hibolithes marwicki marwicki/Hibolithes arkelli Zone of Tithonian age, Belemnopsis malucana Zone defines Tithonian–Berriasian boundary, and Neohibolites ewaldi/Hibolithes longior/Belemnopsis jonkeri Zone of Velanginian age. The biostratigraphic and paleogeographic occurrences of belemnites in the Tethyan and Boreal Realms were used to identify the migration pathways and distinctive paleobiogeographic provinces of belemnites. The paleoceanic settings closely linked the Upper Jurassic strata (~Biozones 1–2, representing the Kimmeridgian–Tithonian range) in the Tethyan and the Boreal Realms. The Lower Cretaceous (~Biozone 3, representing the Berriasian) strata also reveal a persistent oceanic connection between the Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean Provinces. However, the Boreal and Tethyan Realms were also connected in the Lower Cretaceous (~Biozone 4, representing the Velanginian strata) by shallow-water routes.