Lovcenipora iranica nov. sp., an unusually large chaetetid sponge from the Upper Triassic (Howz-e Khan member, Nayband Formation) of northeast Iran

Sponges are the most important reef builders in the bio-constructions imbedded within the Norian-Rhaetian Nayband Formation at various localities exposed in central Iran. Besides sphinctozoans and inozoans, hypercalcified sponges, i. e. chaetetids and spongiomorphids, are relatively abundant in some biohermal and biostromal reef structures. In these reefs, chaetetids are usually small (<10 cm). However, an unusually large species was found in the reefs near the village Hassan-Abad in the Ferdows area, northeast Iran. This species is described as Lovcenipora iranica nov. sp. Associated organisms are usually fragments of small-sized dendroid spongiomorphids.Schwämme sind die wichtigsten Riffbildner in den Biokonstruktionen, die verschiedentlich in die Nayband Formation im Zentraliran eingebettet sind. Neben Sphinctozoen und Inozoen sind in einigen biohermen und biostromen Riffstrukturen hyperkalzifizierte Schwämme (Chaetetiden und Spongiomorphiden) relativ häufig. Die Chaetitiden dieser Riffe sind üblicherweise klein (<10 cm). Allerdings wurde ein ungewöhnlich großes Exemplar in einem Riff nahe des Dorfes Hassan-Abad in der Gegend von Ferdows, NO Iran, gefunden. Dieser Schwamm wird hier als neue Art, Lovcenipora iranica nov. sp., beschrieben. Mit dem Fossil assoziiert sind Fragmente von kleinwüchsigen dendroiden Spongiomorphiden

LERCARITUBUS PROBLEMATICUS FLÜGEL, SENOWBARI-DARYAN & DI STEFANO AND VANGIA TELLERI (FLÜGEL): TWO PROBLEMATIC ORGANISMS FROM THE PERMIAN JAMAL FORMATION OF SHOTORI MOUNTAINS, NORTHEAST IRAN

Lercaritubus problematicus Flügel, Senowbari-Daryan &amp; Di Stefano and Vangia telleri (Flügel) and enigmatic calcareous fossils, known from the Sicily, Guadalupe Mountains, USA and Oman is described from the Permian Jamal Formation of Shotori Mountains, northeast Iran. The new genus name Vangia is introduced for Uvanella? telleri Flügel. The systematic position of Vangia telleri (Flügel) nov. comb. as possibly cyanobaterium and its relationships with Bacinella irregularis Radoicic, an abundant enigmatic fossil in Jurassic-Cretaceous shallow water deposits, is discussed.

THALAMID SPONGES FROM THE UPPER TRIASSIC (NORIAN-RHAETIAN) NAYBAND FORMATION NEAR WALI-ABAD, SE ABADEH, CENTRAL IRAN(CONTRIBUTION TO TRIASSIC PALEONTOLOGY OF IRAN 4)

An association of thalamid sponges including Amblysiphonella, Nevadathalamia, Stylothalamia, and Neoguadalupia, with the hexactinellid Casearia is described from the Upper Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) Nayband Formation of Hambast-Mts. near the small town of Wali-Abad (Abadeh region, central Iran). These Norian-Rhaetian (Neoguadalupia, Amblysiphonella, Nevadathalamia) and Liassic (Stylothalamia columnaris Le Maitre) thalamid sponge assemblages are exceptional associations, not previously reported from Iran nor from other localities in the world. The microfacies and organism associations in the sponge-bearing carbonates is discussed. Differences of macro- and microfaunal composition, as well as flora, support the recognition of Kristan-Tollmann et al. to classify the Nayband Formation in the Abadeh region as of a distinct unit, termed the "Wali-Abad-Faziesregion". Following thalamid sponge species are described as new: Nevadathalamia waliabadensis n. sp. and Stylothalamia hambastensis n. sp.&nbsp

FLATSCHKOFELIA ANISICA GEN. ET SP. N. (FORAMINIFERIDA) FROM THE MIDDLE TRIASSIC (ANISIAN) OF NORTHERN DOLOMITES, ITALY

&nbsp

Izmirella cretacea nov. gen., nov. sp., a complex alga from the Lower Cretaceous, NE of Bornova-Izmir/Turkey

Izmirella cretacea nov. gen., nov. sp., a complex alga, forming microbioherms is described from Barremian – Aptian platform carbonates of the “Bornova block”, an allodapic unit derived from the northern margin of the Menderes Massif, included in Maastrichian – Danian flysh deposits, called the “Bornova melange”. The verticillate thallus of this alga consists of strongly imbricated bowl- to funnel-shaped whorls having tightly stacked laterals with two layers. The first is composed of radially and fan-like running segments, appearing as large cells in section parallel to the growth direction. The second is composed of multibranched tubes, running perpendicular to the segments of the first layer. Besides its organizational traits, this has original calcite mineralogy and an aggregative behaviour leading to the formation of laminated build-ups closely resembling stromatolitic bioconstructions or even stromatoporoids

SOME INOZOID SPONGES FROM UPPER TRIASSIC (NORIAN-RHAETIAN) NAYBAND FORMATION OF CENTRAL IRAN

Some small-scaled Norian-Rhaetian reefs and reef mounds are imbedded within the shales, siltstones and siliciclastic-carbonate deposits of the Nayband Formation in central Iran. These deposits belong to the central Iranian plate as part of the Cimmerian Continent. Most of the biogenic rocks have a biostromal geometry, biohermal constructions are rare. Inozoid, sphinctozoid, and chaetetid sponges are, beside of corals and other reef builders, the most important reef organisms within these bioconstructions. In some reefs a variety of hexactinellid sponges also occur. The following inozoid sponges are described in this paper: Radiofibra norica n. sp., Permocorynella maxima n. sp., ?Sestrostomella robusta, Marawandia iranica, n. gen., n. sp. and Enaulofungia? triassica n. sp. The first four taxa are among the most abundant sponges within the Nayband Formation where it is exposed in several localities in central Iran. Enaulofungia? triassica, however, is not an abundant sponge there. These inozoid sponges have never been reported from the Triassic deposits of this region. Radiofibra, until now known only from the Upper Permian of Djebel Tebaga (Tunisia), is reported here for the first time from Triassic rocks. The stratigraphic as well as the paleogeographic distribution of all the genera are discussed.&nbsp; &nbsp

CARNIAN REEF BIOTA FROM A MEGABRECCIA OF THE HAWASINA COMPLEX (AL AQIL, OMAN)

Carnian reef biota and brachiopods of the Misfah Formation (Hawasina complex) from a locality near the town of Al Aqil in Oman are described. A new brachiopod species, Oxycolpella arabica n. sp. is described. The composition of the Carnian reef biota in Oman is similar to those known from the Alpine-Mediterranean region. However, differences exist in the microfauna of reef dwellers, e.g. foraminifers. New stratigraphic data based on reef organisms and conodonts are presented.&nbsp

The IMAM case. Additional investigation of a micropaleontological fraud

International audienceStarting in 1996 and for almost a decade, M.M. IMAM contributed to twelve papers published in international geological journals. These papers dealt with the micropaleontology and biostratigraphy of Cretaceous to Miocene series from Egypt and Libya. They were abundantly illustrated in order to support the author's findings and interpretations. However most photographic illustrations (189 at least) were fabricated with material lifted from the publications of other authors, commonly from localities or stratigraphic intervals other than those indicated by M.M. IMAM