CALCAREOUS ALGAE OF THE MIDDLE EAST 



IV. 



V. 



VI. 



VII. 



VIII. 



IX. 



Genus pseudovermiporella Elliott 

 P. sodalica Elliott . 

 P. elliotti Erk & Bilgiitay 

 Genus salpingoporella Pia 

 5. annulata Carozzi 

 5. apenninica Sartoni & Crescenti 

 5. arabica sp. nov. . 

 S. dinarica Radoicic" 

 Genus terquemella Munier-Chalmas 

 T. bellovacina Munier-Chalmas 

 7". globularis Elliott. 

 "T". sp. 

 Genus teutloporella Pia 

 Genus thaumatoporella Pia 

 Genus thyrsoporella Giimbel 



T. silvestrii Pfender . 

 Genus trinocladus Raineri 

 T. tripolitanus Raineri 

 T. perplexus Elliott 

 T . radoicicae sp. nov. 

 Genus triploporella Steinmann 

 Stratigraphic Succession of Dasyclad Algae 

 Geographical Distribution of Tethyan Algae 

 Ecology ....... 



Evolution of the Dasycladaceae 

 References ...... 



Appendix — Geographical Co-ordinates of Localities 

 in Text ......... 



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SYNOPSIS 



The fossil flora of calcareous chlorophyte algae, family Dasycladaceae, from the Permian to 

 Palaeocene succession of the Middle East, is described and figured. This material has been 

 selected principally from extensive rock collections made by geologists of the Iraq Petroleum 

 Group in Iraq, Qatar, Oman and Hadhramaut. Advantage has also been taken of much fossil 

 comparative material from the remainder of the Middle East, the European and African circum- 

 Mediterranean countries and elsewhere, and of herbarium specimens of Recent dasyclads from 

 the warm seas of the Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Oceans. Dasyclad morphology, methods of 

 study of fossil dasyclads, and the limitations of such material, are outlined, and the principles 

 of classification employed are examined. The results are applied to the Middle East flora ; 

 about 80 species, referred to 39 genera and 12 tribes of the family, are described and figured 

 or discussed. Included are a small minority of fossils whose dasyclad nature is uncertain or 

 which have been incorrectly described as dasyclads, and a few Dasycladaceae incerta sedis. 

 Stratigraphically the general agreement of the Middle East dasyclad floras with those of Europe 

 and elsewhere is confirmed, though differing local ranges for certain Upper Jurassic-Lower 

 Cretaceous species are detailed. Geographically the homogeneity of the Tethyan dasyclad 

 floras from west to east is confirmed at most stratigraphic levels ; the Middle East forms a 

 central sector of this latitudinal belt. In the Palaeocene, evidence of the mixing of eastern 

 and western elements in the Middle East area is noted. Ecologically the evidence of all the 

 Middle East fossil dasyclads is in accord with what is known of their living descendants. 



Finally, from an evolutionary point of view, the most important points of detail are the 



