New data on Pseudolituonella Marie 1954, emended herein, benthic foraminifera from the Cenomanian of the Sarvak Formation of SWIran (Zagros Zone) - Phylogenetic considerations

Abstract

The benthic foraminifera Pseudolituonella reicheli Marie is widely reported from Cenomanian shallow-water carbonates of the Caribbean (Mexico) area and the Neotethyan realm. Its wall-structure is classified as imperforate, homogeneous microgranular. Specimens from the Cenomanian Sarvak Formation of southwestern Iran (Zagros Zone) yield the presence of a pseudo-keriothecal wall-structure an observation that has already been obtained from the Eocene P. robineti Gallardo Garcia and Serra-Kiel in Serra-Kiel et al. With the “reappearance” of an equivalent morphological trait and the double test size after twomainmass-extinctions (C/T andK/Pg), P. robineti might be an example of Cope`s rule. Further comments on the suprageneric classification, other species of Pseudolituonella and phylogeny are provided.