LENTICUBELLA: A NEW TETHYAN LAGENID BENTHIC FORAMINIFERAL GENUS

Lenticubella n. gen. is introduced here to include the Paleocene benthic Lagenid Foraminiferids from some Tethyan localities (Poland and Egypt) that characterized by symmetrical planispirally enrolled hyaline calcareous test in the early stage, followed by later uniserial stage, moderately involute chambers, smooth surface, radiate aperture, with periphery keeled in some individuals. Some representatives of the new genus have been previously assigned to the genus Darbyella, or Lenticulina, or Robulus. The new genus has a compiled characters between its lenticular test (as the genus Lenticulina Lamarck (with its symmetrical planispirally enrolled test, and smooth surface), and also another genus Darbyella Howe and Wallace (which has planispiral-uniserial test with inclined positon on the uniserial part on the early planispiral direction). Two Paleocene species of the new genus are described from Poland in the Northern Tethys (L. irregularis and L. polonica), and another two species from Egypt in the Southern Tethys (L. kurkurensis and L. misrensis). The Polonian species have flush or slightly depressed sutures, while the Egyptian species have raised sutures, mainly in the planispiral stage, but slightly depressed sutures in the uniserial stage.