Tambareauella azilensis (Tambareau) n. gen. (Topotype), from Late Ypresian of Le Mas-d'Azil, southwestern France

Abstract

Tambareauella new genus with its type species Operculina (Nummulitoides) azilensis Tambareau (1966) is described and photographed from an outcrop of the Late Ypresian of Le Mas-d'Azil, southwestern France. Tambareauella is characterized by a small to medium test, involute coiling in the early ontogenetic stage (1st whorl) to complanate evolute in the last two whorls, lax spire outwards, flattened discoidal test with inflated polar region and rounded periphery, concentrated granules at the center of the test in the form of a boss, straight septa becoming curved at the top and of anastomosing nature, raised spiral suture, rhomboid chambers two or three times higher than long especially in the last two whorls and rather thick marginal cord. Tambareauella new genus belongs to the family Nummulitidae, and this new genus compares well with its allied taxa. The new taxon is found associated with forms of the Nummulites/Alveolina levis zone of Late Ypresian age (SBZ 9- SBZ 10 of Serra-Kiel et al., 1998). Another species Tambareauella russeiesensis n. sp. is recorded from the Late Ypresian Esna Shale, Wadi Naoz stratigraphic section, Gebel Umm Russeies, El Galala El Bahariya, Eastern Desert, Egypt.