Milanovicella? canadillana sp. nov., an Upper Cretaceous supposedly calcitic Dasycladale (green algae) from the middle Santonian–lower Campanian of northeastern Spain

Abstract

A new dasycladalean green alga is described as Milanovicella? canadillana from the Upper Cretaceous (middle Santonian–lower Campanian) of northeastern Spain. It occurs in foram-algal wackestones of the La Cañadilla Formation ascribed to a shallow marine (hyposaline?) to coastal environment. The associated microfauna is dominated by miliolids. The generic uncertainty of the taxon displaying multiple, often double verticils (= excluding Clypeina) refers to its unknown starting point with respect to the main axis and the overall thallus morphology. The calcified skeleton of M.? canadillana appears to consist of yellowish fibrous calcite as noted within some genera (e.g., Salpingoporella, Clypeina) and a handful of species discontinuously reported from the Mesozoic and Paleogene dasycladale record. The new taxon expands the diversity of calcareous algae during the Santonian – Campanian interval, that has previously been regarded as comparatively low.