22 CALCAREOUS ALGAE OF THE MIDDLE EAST 



numerous, more or less at right angles to main axis and giving a characteristic dot and 

 dash appearance in slightly oblique transverse cuts. About 20 of these radial pores 

 seen in 1 mm. of wall in a large example, and a small example of 1 mm. diameter 

 showed a total of about 60 (both in transverse section). 



Horizon. Both Middle East occurrences of this species are in derived material, 

 at Jebel Busyah and Jebel Hagab, Oman, Arabia. The former occurrence is in 

 cobbles of derived limestone in a presumed Triassic conglomerate : associated with 

 Anthracoporella are the algae Tubiphytes and Pseudoepimastopora, and the limestone 

 of a similar cobble was dated by Dr. M. Chatton as Middle Permian on the evidence 

 of Parafusulina shiptoni and other foraminifera, the fusulinid being compared with 

 that from post-Artinskian Permian somewhat younger than the zone of P. kattaensis 

 of the Salt Range (M. Permian of India). The Jebel Hagab occurrence is in derived 

 material associated with the Mesozoic Musandam Limestone. Tubiphytes occurs 

 with A. spectabilis, somewhat recrystallized, and this appears to be derived Permian 

 material too. 



Material. See under Horizon. 



Remarks. Pia's Austrian type material was from the Upper Carboniferous- 

 Lower Permian level ; Maslov (1956) records it from the Upper Carboniferous of the 

 Urals, U.S.S.R. Bebout & Coogan (1964) record a large and proportionally very 

 thin-walled form of the species from the subsurface early Permian (Wolfcampian) of 

 Texas. Other records are discussed below under A. mercurii sp. nov. 



Anthracoporella mercurii sp. nov. 



(PI. 1, fig. 8) 



Description. Similar in form, growth and branches to A . spectabilis, but much 



smaller, diameter 0-5-0-9 mm. ; (relatively thicker-walled, d/D 40-60% ; pores 



radial (branches of 0-026 mm. diameter) ; a transverse section of one individual 



showed about 40 such branches). 



Horizon. Permian of the Middle East and Tunisia (see below). 



Holotype. The specimen figured in PI. 1, fig. 8 from the Permian, Bih Dolomite, 

 of Wady Bih, Jebel Qamar, Oman. V. 52035. This limestone is dated in fusulinid 

 evidence by Dr. Chatton as belonging to the " Neoschwagerina-Verbeekina zone of 

 low Guadalupian age (Wordian) ". 



Other Material. Random sections from the lower Permian of Ora and Harur, 

 Mosul Liwa, N. Iraq (Zinnar Limestone (Artinskian) of Hudson, 1958) ; from the 

 Permian of Jebel Qamar, Jebel Hagab, and Tawi Silaim, all Oman ; in derived 

 Permian material in the Upper Cretaceous Hawasina formation of Juweiza Well, 

 Trucial Oman ; and in derived Permian material associated with the Mesozoic 

 Musandam Limestone at Jebel Hagab, Oman. 



Remarks. A. mercurii, while much smaller than A. spectabilis is distinctly larger 

 than the tiny (Upper Carboniferous) A. kasachiensis (Maslov 1956), and differs 

 noticeably in proportions of the component structures. It differs in its occasionally 



