Taxonomy, Biostratigraphy and Palaeobiogeography of the Late Tournaisian rugose corals of north-western Turkey

This article provides the first taxonomic description of Ivorian (Late Tournaisian, Early Carboniferous) rugose coral associations from north-western Turkey (Zonguldak and Bartın). Eleven species belonging to ten genera are described, one species is new. Three biostratigraphic assemblages are recognized. The oldest assemblage includes Cyathaxonia cornu, Cyathoclisia uralensis, ‘Lophophyllum’ konincki and Uralinia multiplex. This corresponds to the RC3 Biozone (early Ivorian). The middle assemblage in characterised by Amplexus coralloides, Sychnoelasma hawbankense and Zaphriphyllum daleki sp. nov. and is correlated with the early late Ivorian RC4α Biozone. The youngest assemblage (RC4β1 Biozone, latest Ivorian) is composed of Corphalia fourmarieri, Corphalia sp. and Amydgalophyllum? sp. These three assemblages have a low specific and generic diversity compared to time-equivalent assemblages but contain genera with a wide distribution in the Palaeotethys Ocean, such as Cyathoclisia, Uralinia and—in a lesser extend—Zaphriphyllum, as well as typically European taxa such as Corphalia and Sychnoelasma. These latter two, identified for the first time outside of Europe, allow associating north-western Turkey with the European Coral Province