Somalina praestefaninii n. sp., a New Species of Large Foraminifera from the Dammam Formation (Lutetian) of Gebel Hafit, United Arab Emirates

Abstract

The nodular limestones exposed at the basal part of the Gebel Hafit(United Arab Emirates) represent a truncation surface, between theRus and the Middle Eocene Dammam Formation (Mibazara Member).Somalina praestefaninii n.sp. is a new large foraminiferal speciesseparated from the Mibazara member. It is believed that Somalinapraestefaninii n.sp. is the ancestral form of Somalina stefaniniiSilvestri as it is smaller and has a more simple protoconch. Here,it is believed that the taxon Somalina (Lutetian) could possibly bederived from Opertorbitolites NUTTALL , 1925 (the taxon characteristicfor the Ypresian).