Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) 161  Ab StrA ct A rich algal assemblage at the Kozica locality, in the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo, contains, among other forms, Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO. In addition, the descriptions of Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & RO- MANO and C. lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO are updated, and the originally described Clypeina teakolarae RADOIČIĆ et al. has been tentatively transferred to the genus Falsolikanella GRANIER as Falsolikanella? tea­ kolarae n. comb. Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. is described, characterized by probable metaspondyle growth of clearly phloiophorous branches, differentiated individually into a narrow stalk and very long, markedly widened, outer part. Based on the algal assemblage as a whole, together with benthic and planktonic foraminifers, the strati- graphic position of the algal-bearing level has been defined as Ypresian (lowermost Eocene). Keywords: Calcareous algae (Dasycladales), taxonomy, stratigraphy, Eocene, Dinarides, Croatia taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. biokovo (Southern croatia)  Branko Sokač1, Ivo Velić2, Tonći Grgasović1, Vlasta Ćosović3 and Igor Vlahović4 1 Croatian Geological Survey, Sachsova 2, P.O. Box 268, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (tgrgasovic@hgi-cgs.hr) 2 Pančićeva 5, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (ivo.velic@zg.t-com.hr) 3 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Science, Horvatovac 102a, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (vcosovic@geol.pmf.hr) 4 University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, Pierottijeva 6, HR-10000 Zagreb, Croatia; (igor.vlahovic@rgn.hr) doi: 104154/gc.2012.11 Geologia croatica 65/2 161–205 2 Figs. 19 Pls. Zagreb 2012 Geologia CroaticaGeologia Croatica 1. INtrODUctION Rare discoveries of dasyclad algae in the lower part of Pal- aeogene deposits along the coastal region of the Karst Dina- rides in Croatia, are limited to several localities, according to the data published so far, either as a result of random sam- pling or samples being handed over to the authors by col- leagues. Initial finds from southern Dalmatia are mentioned in RADOIČIĆ’s (1974) description of Actinoporella kukoci from the Tri Luke locality on the island of Korčula, suppos- edly of Palaeocene age. Later, RADOIČIĆ (1995) reconsid- ered the stratigraphic position of beds with A. kukoci and rare fragments of Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO on Korčula and the neighbouring Pelješac peninsula. She concluded, on the basis of the accompanying foraminiferal assemblage and its occurrence at the other localities (Apen- nines, Istria), that it was Middle-to-Late Eocene in age, and not older than the Middle Lutetian. Later still, RADOIČIĆ (2004) reports on the rich algal assemblage (more than 20 species) in a sample from the Pločice locality, (the area of Konavle, SE of Dubrovnik), coming from a calcareous-do- lomitic zone, ascribed previously to the Maastrichtian– Danian stratigraphic range. The author stresses the signifi- cance of that find and, though lacking the analysis of the stratigraphic column, concludes, on the basis of the algal as- semblage, on its Danian age, this being as yet the oldest doc- umented Palaeogene strata in this area. In the course of field investigations carried out during biostratigraphic analysis of foraminiferal assemblages in the Jurassic and Cretaceous carbonate platform deposits of the Croatian Dinarides (VELIĆ, 2007), a section cutting through Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 162 2. StrAtIGrAPHIc POSItION OF tHE ALGAL- bEArING DEPOSItS IN tHE KOZIcA StrAtIGrAPHIc cOLUMN The ancient Adriatic Carbonate Platform (AdCP) disinte- grated into several blocks during the Late Cretaceous (see e.g. VLAHOVIĆ et al., 2005; KORBAR, 2009 and refer- ences therein) which emerged at different times due to syn- sedimentary tectonics as the Adria microplate began to col- lide with Europe. Besides the faulted blocks, a thick sequence of predominantly shallow-marine Mesozoic carbonate de- posits was gently folded into broad structures, representing the precursors for the formation of deeper-marine basins dur- ing the Palaeogene. Uplifted Mesozoic carbonates were covered by the sea during the Eocene (some Palaeocene carbonates were depos- ited only at the NW and SE tips of the platform), resulting in a sequence of Foraminiferal limestones accumulated in carbonate ramp environments (ĆOSOVIĆ et al., 2004, 2008). The succession of these deposits indicates gradual deepening, resulting in different foraminiferal assemblages depending on changing water depth and energy. Continued the Upper Cretaceous–Palaeogene transition in the northern Biokovo area, near the village of Kozica (Fig. 1), has been identified and sampled. In the first beds of the transgressive Palaeogene, fragments and rare sections of dasyclad algae were observed, providing the impetus for more detailed in- vestigations and the collection of more material, in order to perform better taxonomic determination and to establish more firmly the stratigraphic position of the algal remains. The first results revealed a rich algal assemblage quite sim- ilar to that described by BARATTOLO (1978) and BARAT- TOLO & ROMANO (2002), with the addition of some other forms described below. A large number of thin-sections yielded more data, which enabled better definition of some morphological char- acteristics of the previously established species, as well as the erection of new ones, which raised problems in the rela- tionship between the genera Praturlonella and Falsoli ka­ nella. A comparatively rich foraminiferal association, partly contained in the algal-bearing samples and partly acquired from successive overlying beds, enabled a more reliable def- inition of the stratigraphic position of the Kozica algal as- semblage. Figure 1: Geographic location of the Kozica locality. Grey area on the map in upper right corner represents deposits of the AdCP. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 163 tectonic deformation caused basin deepening, and while car- bonate facies gradually retreated towards shallower areas, in deeper parts they were gradually replaced by the so-called Transitional Beds – “Globigerina” marls with crabs and glau- conite, and so-called flysch deposits – an alternation of car- bonate sandstones and variable amounts of siliciclastic ma- terial (transported into the basin from surrounding shallower areas) and autochthonous marly deposits. Dasyclad algae described here have been discovered in the lowermost part of the Eocene foraminiferal limestones de posited on karstified Upper Cretaceous limestones (Fig. 2). 2.1. cretaceous deposits The deposits in the area of Kozica represent the upper part of a more or less continuous succession of strata, which in this part of Biokovo comprise a stratigraphic range from the Middle Jurassic to the Eocene. Upper Cretaceous deposits underlying the Foraminiferal limestones with dasyclad algae represent typical shallow- marine deposits of the AdCP. These are skeletal–peloid wackestones to packstones, rarely mudstones, grainstones or floatstones/rudstones containing rich assemblages of ben- thic foraminifera and rudists. Approximately 60 m below the K/T boundary, the last occurrence of the very common ben- thic foraminifera Keramosphaerina tergestina STACHE has been discovered; stratigraphic range of this species is Late Santonian–Early Campanian. In the topmost 60 m Pseudor­ hapydionina mediterranea (DE CASTRO) and Murgella lata (LUPERTO-SINNI) which continued from older deposits are accompanied by other important index forms, Nummo­ fallotia cretacea (SCHLUMBERGER) (Pl. XIX, Fig. 6), and Calveziconus lecalvezae CAUS & CORNELLA (Pl. XIX, figs. 7–10). On the basis of such an assemblage, the upper- most part of the Cretaceous deposits is definitely Campanian in age. Cretaceous rocks were heavily karstified during the long emergent phase before transgression in the Eocene, resulting in a morphologically very dissected relief infilled by lime- stones containing the studied algae. 2.2. Eocene Foraminiferal limestones This succession of Eocene Foraminiferal limestones gener- ally corresponds to the typical succession in the Karst Di na- ri des (ĆOSOVIĆ et al., 2004 and references therein), con- taining units named by the most common benthic fo rami nifera: miliolid limestones, alveolinid limestones, nummulitid lime- Figure 2: Stratigraphic column of the Kozica locality. Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 164 stones and discocyclinid limestones. In the lowermost part they comprise basal transgressive deposits, both in the study area and beyond. The basal transgressive unit, (discorbid and ostracod bearing limestones) is the most important part of the Eocene succession for this study, because the described dasyclad al- gae occur there. These limestones infill the lowermost parts of the palaeorelief within the karstified Cretaceous lime- stones, so their thickness may vary from zero to a couple of tens of metres. In the studied profile they are about 15 m thick. Since these strata were deposited during an oscillating transgression, i.e. repeated small-scale transgressions and regressions of the sea, emersion breccia levels with small black pebbles are occasionally observed. In addition, infre- quent deposits occur, showing open-marine influences (in- cluding rare planktonic foraminifera Acarinina sp. and Igo­ rina broedermanni (CUSHMAN & BERMÚDEZ) indicating a Lower Eocene age – Vlasta Premec-Fućek, pers. comm.). The most common lithology is the alternation of brown mic- ritic limestones and brown wackestones and packstones with variable amounts of benthic foraminifera (frequent small fo- raminifera including Epistomaria sp., Discorbis sp., small miliolids, unidentified rotaliids, Chrysalidina sp., Spirolina sp., and rare alveolinids), the studied dasyclad algae (that occur mostly in this part of the succession), bivalves and gastropods. Most beds are rich in organic matter as a conse- quence of deposition in a low-energy, restricted environment, and in places charophytes are seen. The basal limestones are conformably overlain by lime- stones commonly composed of a vertical succession of sev- eral units, which are relatively easily recognized according to their fossil content. The oldest unit, the miliolid lime- stones, overlie the basal Eocene limestones (or directly Cre- taceous limestones if the basal unit is missing), and origi- nated in very restricted shallow-marine environments. Larger miliolids (Spirolina sp., Periloculina dalmatina DROBNE; Pl. XIX, figs. 3–4) outnumber agglutinated conical taxa (Chrysalidina sp., Cribrobulimina sp.), alveolinids (Alveo­ lina decastroi SCOTTO DI CARLO, A. cremae CHEC- CHIA–RISPOLI, A. pinguis HOTTINGER, Glomalveolina (Alveolina) minutula REICHEL, etc.; Pl. XIX, figs. 1–2, 4–5), and smaller benthic foraminifera including Medocia blayensis PARVATI and unidentified rotaliids. The sediments were deposited in inner platform settings during the late Ypresian (Cuisian; DROBNE, 1977, 1985; DROBNE et al., 2011), corresponding to the Shallow Benthic Zone (after SERRA-KIEL et al., 1998) SBZ 11. They are followed by alveolinid limestones deposited in shallow-marine environments with higher energy, more or less above the fair-weather wave base, and nummulitid lime- stones deposited in deeper parts of the carbonate ramp, where storm influence caused continuous reworking and transport, indicating differentiation in an inner ramp setting up to the early Lutetian (SBZ 13). Such a stratigraphic age is also con- firmed by an assemblage of planktonic foraminifera within the nummulitid limestone: Acarinina primitiva (FINLAY), Planorotalites pseudoscitula (GLAESSNER), Globigeri­ natheka kugleri (BOLLI, LOEBLICH & TAPPAN), Catap­ sydrax unicavus BOLLI, LOEBLICH & TAPPAN, Sub­ botina eocaena (GÜMBEL), and S. yeguaensis (WEINZIERL & APPLIN) (Vlasta Premec-Fućek, pers. comm.). The deepest facies belt of the Foraminiferal limestones is characterized by deposition of discocyclinid limestones, overlain by the Transitional beds (“Globigerina” marls with crabs and glauconite) and flysch, i.e. basinal deposits with common turbidite layers. Due to the significant synsedimen- tary tectonics and local relief, facies belts migrated through time at different rates, and therefore in different areas litho- and biofacially similar units may be of different age. 3. ALGAL ASSEMbLAGE OF tHE KOZIcA LOcALItY In the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo, along the Creta- ceous–Palaeogene boundary, south of the main Vrgorac–Za- gvozd road, basal transgressive Palaeogene sediments are sporadically preserved in shallow depressions in the Creta- ceous palaeorelief. They contain, in addition to scarce plank- tic and benthic foraminifera, frequent, sometimes rich, re- mains of dasyclad algae. Among numerous fragments and sections of visibly articulated dasyclad thalli of various di- mensions, different degrees and types of calcification, and various state of preservation, two groups of mutually more or less similar forms can be generally distinguished, each characterized by some common characters. The first group includes the remains of small specimens of segmented, weakly calcified thalli, whorls visibly sepa- rated, with individually positioned acrophorous to phlo io- phorous branches, visually reminiscent of Clypeina-type morphology. Within that group, two forms can be recognized and taxonomically identified as belonging to previously de- scribed species, namely Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO and Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO. The second group includes visually similar forms which have in common a more or less regular widening and nar- rowing of the central cavity reflecting the articulated skeleton with the visibly spaced whorls bearing groups of branches, regardless of whether this is the result of their common point of origin or only an appearance due to different inclinations of individual branches of the same whorl. Typically phloio- phorous, branches are differentiated into a stalk and a swol- len outer part. The interspaces between the steeply upward oriented branches of the same whorls are heavily calcified, giving rise to conical bodies, resulting in the entire skeleton having the appearance of a vertical row of inversely posi- tioned cones. Within the extremely abundant material of this group, three, possibly four, forms can be distinguished, based on differences in shape of the same type of branches, more pro- nounced values of some biometric parameters, the direction of growth of variably inclined branches, the type of calcitic structure of the skeletal remains, and of questionable eus- pondylity or metaspondylity. One form has been attributed, (though with some doubts on the generic affiliation), to the previously described species Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO, whereas the three remaining forms are as- Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 165 cribed to the metaspondyle genus Falsolikanella GRANIER. Based on their mutual morphological differences, as well as on whether calcification occurred within or outside the cell membrane, and the type of calcitic structure (granular or fi- brous) in the preserved parts of the skeleton, one species within that group can be determined as the recently described Clypeina teakolarae RADOIČIĆ, JURKOVŠEK & JO VA- NOVIĆ, with the revised generic attribution. However, an- other can be described as a new species, Falsolikanella? ma­ cropora n. sp., whereas the third can be determined at generic level only, as Falsolikanella? sp., due to the insufficient number of illustrative sections. The authors are aware of the possibility, that the defin- ing, delimitation, and/or ascribing of particular sections to the above mentioned taxa may, in some cases, appear doubt- ful and, from the viewpoint of acceptability, may be ques- tioned or even repudiated. In addition to the unavoidable author’s subjectivities, other reasons may include the sup- posed similarity of some sections previously ascribed to the same taxon, and issues of ontogeny. It is also possible, that the original description may have contained some errors which were then unrecognised only becoming apparent when some taxa were separated and described later. Therefore, it seems useful to redefine some morphological characteristics, emphasizing, in particular, their significance for the clearer separation and identification of taxa described. Besides, the obvious similarity between species ascribed to different gen- era revisits the questions on the Praturlonella/Falsolikanella relationship. The following analysis of various genera and species from the algal assemblage of the northern Biokovo foothills (the Kozica locality) is based upon numerous sections con- tained in about 150 thin-sections, made either from a single sample or from several samples derived from the same or closely situated levels (Fig. 2), collected during several vis- its to the locality. Clypeina bucuri bArAttOLO & rOMANO 2002 (Pls. I–III) Synonymy: 2002 Clypeina bucuri n. sp.– BARATTOLO & RO- MANO, p. 41–69, Pl. 1, figs. 1–22, Pl. V, figs. 1–8. Remarks: Rare remains of the species, originally de- scribed by BARATTOLO & ROMANO (2002), are restricted to the area of its type locality in scattered outcrops of the Lower–Middle Eocene (VECCHIO et al., 2007) Trentinara Formation in the central and southern Apennines of Italy. The age of the Clypeina-bearing interval within the Trentinara Formation is defined as Ypresian (Lower Eocene) by BARAT- TOLO & ROMANO (2002) and VECCHIO et al. (2007). New Karst Dinaridic examples, with numerous and well pre- served sections at the Kozica locality, enable re-examination and increase understanding of its morphological characteris- tics in order to more precisely define its stratigraphic position. During re-examination of this species and its differences from contemporaneous taxa, the analysis of morphotypes as elaborated by BARATTOLO & ROMANO (2002), which eventually produced descriptions of two new Clypeina spe- cies, i.e., C. bucuri and C. lucana, is not included here. The- refore the species will be analyzed separately, partly repeat- ing and partly, when necessary, supplementing the primary description, with their distinguishing characteristics and the limits of tolerable variations. Description: In agreement with the original description (BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002) of the heterogeneous algal assemblage, sections of fragmented, articulated, gen- erally small and weakly calcified algal thalli were ascribed to this species. A relatively regular cylindrical skeleton ap- pears articulated (segmented), as a result of abrupt circular constrictions, situated at regular intervals along the thallus of individual specimens (Pl. I, figs. 1, 8). Thus the entire ske- leton appears as a row of vertically stacked cylinders, in some cases slightly claviform, mutually separated by con- strictions and sometimes visibly connected by short necks (Pl. I, fig. 8). The length of individual segments appears to be constant in the same specimens (probably, because of the small number of preserved sections), but differs in different individuals. In Tables 1–3 of BARATTOLO & ROMANO (2002), the lengths of individual segments in specimens from different samples vary as follows: Table 1: 0.35–0.55; Table 2: 0.28–1.00; Table 3: 0.20–0.80, giving, summarily, approx- imate ratios of 1:2 to 1:4. Measurements of the present spec- imens range from 0.58–1.80, in an approximate 1:3 ratio. The central cavity is enclosed, all along the thallus len gth, by a very thin calcareous envelope with smooth inner and outer surfaces. The thickness of the calcareous envelope var- ies from 0.025–0.12 mm, most frequently 0.04–0.08 mm, being always constant in the same specimen. Exceptionally, in a small number of longitudinal sections, tapering may be noticed (Pl. I, fig. 2). This is relatively more frequent in the lower part of a segment, in the zone of constrictions and con- nections between the upper and lower cylindrical segments (Pl. I, figs. 3, 7–10), connected to the strengthened (thick- ened) upper part of the lower article (Pl. I, fig. 8). This is probably the reason why the skeleton frequently breaks apart into separate cylindrical segments. The regular appearance of cylindrical tubes is sometimes disturbed by slight swell- ings of the central cavity in some segments, manifested on the outside by a slight bulge of the outer surface, perhaps only on one side of the calcareous envelope (Pl. I, fig. 2). Examples of well preserved specimens enable some sup- plements to the original description (BARATTOLO & RO- MANO, 2002) to be made. This refers primarily to the posi- tion of the whorls, shape and calcification of the branches. The existence of only primary branches is corroborated by this material. They are situated in one-rowed whorls, mostly (but not exclusively) in the upper part of the lower segment where it becomes narrower and connects to its upper neigh- bour. In this zone, up to three closely spaced whorls are de- veloped (Pl. I, figs. 1, 7). Characteristically, in longer seg- ments, a separate whorl can also be developed in their central part, between the upper and lower constrictions (Pl. I, figs. 2, 4–5). Some transverse sections, where the central cavity is regularly circular in shape, show unevenly distributed Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 166 Plate I 1–10 Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO, x54. 1 Longitudinal–oblique section of three connected segments, slide SB–17E1/1. 2 Longitudinal section of a segment with branches visible in different parts, slide SB–17E1/2. 3 Longitudinal section of a segment with branches in the upper constriction, slide RAK–40A/7. 4 Longitudinal–oblique section of two segments with distinctly different positions of the branches, section RAK–40A/34. 5 Longitudinal section of a segment with branches visible in the level of upper constriction and in its middle part, slide RAK–40A/36. 6 Oblique section of a segment with branches visible in two levels, slide RAK–40B/3. 7 Longitudinal–oblique section of two connected segments; visible position of the branches in two or three close whorls, slide RAK–40A/5. 8 Longitudinal section of two connected segments with branches in the levels of upper constrictions, slide RAK–40A/10. 9–10 Longitudinal sections of isolated segments, fig. 9, slide RAK–40B; fig. 10, slide RAK–40A/3. branches in the same level, indicating their asymmetric ar- rangement in the whorl (Pl. II, fig. 8 part; Pl. III, figs. 11–12). These features had not been reported in the first description of this species (BARATTOLO & ROMANO 2002, Fig. 8). Also, such irregular distribution of the whorls in some seg- ments makes the correlation of the biometric parameter h insignificant. Thin, weakly calcified walls surrounding the cylindrical articles continue outwards along the soft tissue of the branches, thus forming a thin calcareous envelope along the entire branch length. In some specimens, stronger calcification may be observed only at the base of the bran- ches, surrounding the outgoing small channel where the ar- ticle’s envelope extends along the branch (Pl. I, figs. 1, 4 part, 7; Pl. II, figs 1–2 part, 6, 10). As the branch envelope tapers toward the end of the branch, immediately above the stren gthened part, this is the critical place where the branches break off and therefore complete, or mostly preserved bran- ches are extremely rare (Pl. I, fig.4; Pl. II, fig. 10; Pl. III, figs. 1–2, 4). The breaking of branches, generally leaving only the proximal part visible, together with the tapering of the branch envelope toward the distal end, led to the illusion of apparently non-calcified distal parts of the branches (BA- RATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002). However, several sections with longer branches preserved (Pl. I, figs. 4–5; Pl. II, figs. 3, 10; Pl. III, figs. 1, 7) enable a better understanding of their shape and inclination with regard to the horizontal plane. After leaving the connection to the central cavity through small outlet channels, the branches visibly and abruptly swell at the base (Pl. III, figs. 11–12) and retain the same diameter up to the distal end (Pl. II, figs. 3–10). Thus the branches can be classified as belonging to the acrophorous type, as already stated by BARATTOLO & ROMANO (2002). The scarcity of the whorls, their different inclination, and various planar cross sections mean that it is impossible to ascertain whether even the longest branches (as illustrated) represent their true maximum length. The branch inclination of 55–70º with regard to the cen- tral axis, as mentioned in the original description (BARAT- TOLO & ROMANO, 2002), agrees with our observations concerning the part of the branches on the highest whorl in the zone where the cylindrical segment narrows. Our sec- tions, however, show greater variation of the angle between the growth direction of branches and the horizontal plane of section, depending on the distance between the consecutive whorls and their position on the segment. The branches in the whorls situated in the lower and central parts of individual segments can be horizontal, sub-horizontal, and even sli ghtly downturned (Pl. I, figs. 4–6; Pl. II, fig. 10; Pl. III, figs. 2, 11). As the present material shows some previously unknown features, it is necessary to present an emended diagnosis of Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO: Thallus composed of connected weakly calcified cylin- drical segments, as a result of circular constrictions and ex- pansion of the central cavity at regular intervals along every individual specimen. Branches of the acrophorous type, in- dividually calcified along their entire length and situated in up to three closely spaced whorls in the level of upper con- striction of each segment. Asymmetric arrangement of branches in the whorl is also possible. In longer segments, separate whorls can also be developed between the upper and lower constrictions. Inclination of the branches depends on the position of the whorl. Branches of the upper whorls are usually more inclined relative to the lower ones that can be sub-horizontal or even slightly down turned. Clypeina lucana bArAttOLO & rOMANO 2002 (Pls. IV–V) Synonymy: 1979. Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO.– CHIOCCHINI et al., Pl. 2, figs. 2, 9?, 11–12. 1994. Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO.– CHIOCCHINI et al., Pl. XXXVII, figs. 9–11. ?pars 1995. Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO.– RADOIČIĆ, Pl. III, figs. 1–9. 2002. Clypeina lucana n. sp. – BARATTOLO & RO- MANO, p. 41–69, Pl. II, figs. 9–12, Pls. III–VI, Pl. VII, fig. 1 part; Pl. IV, figs. 1–2. Remarks: Diagnosis is almost identical to that of Cly­ peina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO. Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO was mainly established on the statistical analysis of biometric parameters, uniting morpho- types M2 and M3, although in reconstructions of both spe- cies (BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002, Figs. 8, 19), mor- phological differences including the shape of articles and straight or bent laterals are clearly visible. However, com- parison of the given statistical parameters for the sections of C. bucuri contained in several samples (BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002, tables 1–3), does not reveal mutually sig- nificant differences; also, the differences are neither visible Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 167 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 168 Plate II 1–3, 4b, 5–7; 8b , 9–10 Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO; 4a, 8a Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO 1 Transverse, slightly oblique sections, slide RAK–40A/8, x54 2 a) Transverse section, b) longitudinal section of a segment, slide SB–17E1/3, x54 3 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/8, x54 4 a) Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO – fragment of an oblique section; b) Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO – transverse section, slide SB–17–1, x22 5 Different sections, slide SB–17B1/1, x54 6 Oblique section of a segment, slide SB–17E1/1, x54 7 Transverse, slightly oblique sections, slide RAK–40A/5, x54 8 a) Praturlonella salernitana – fragment of an oblique section; b) Clypeina bucuri – transverse sections, slide SB–17B/1, x22 9 Oblique section, slide SB–17B/1, x54 10 Transverse section, slide RAK–40B/2, x54. in comparison with the values of the same parameters in C. lucana (BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002, table 4). Fur- thermore, either the values of individual parameters in one species are within the range of values of the same parameters for another species (see the tables mentioned above), or the numerical value of one parameter does not agree with the given interpretation and the visual impression gained by the photomicrographs (e.g., parameters with approximately the same or even greater values in C. bucuri than in C. lucana; although C. lucana is more heavily calcified, which is also supported by the visual impression in sections of the same magnification; see Pl. II, figs. 9–12 and Pls. III–IV in BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002). Evidently, the hetero- geneous material the authors had at their disposal, supported by the similarity between various sections, did not allow clear expression of the descriptive differences or establish- ment of distinguishing features for the two species, C. bucuri and C. lucana. The same difficulty has been a problem here creating the frequent dilemma as to which species a particu- lar section should be ascribed, which led to the further, and probably more important question of whether determination of two species was justified in the first place. As the sections illustrated in Plates IV–V also belong to an association of heterogeneous fragments, but are derived from the same sample, or adjacent samples from the same bed of the basal transgressive Eocene deposits, the mutual replacement or mix-up of these species is irrelevant for the identification of stratigraphic position. Nevertheless, their taxonomic valida- tion based solely on the statistical analysis of selected bio- metric parameters remains questionable. Therefore we di- rected our attention to the sections of morphologically Clypeina-like forms which at least partly diverge from those presented with the description of C. lucana. Within the var- iability range, expressed by the fluctuation of dimensions of individual specimens, the shape of the thallus, shape of the branches and their inclination, only a few sections have been ascribed to C. lucana which at least partly enabled the com- pletion and re-definition of the original description of C. lu­ cana to be clearer. Description: The variably calcified skeleton, composed of gray, sparry calcite (Pl. IV, figs. 3–4, 6–9; Pl. V, figs. 1–2, 4, 8), shows a generally cylindrical shape to the original thal- lus, with signs of apparent articulation. This articulation is the result of periodic swelling and constrictions of the cen- tral cavity, which is constant (spaced at regular intervals) in individual specimens. The calcareous envelope is compara- tively thin, of constant thickness in individual specimens, but varies in thickness from specimen to specimen. It envel- ops the central cavity rather uniformly, closely following the swellings and constrictions and becoming thicker at the level of whorls, where it extends outward, along the branches (Pl. IV, figs. 1, 4; Pl. V, fig. 1). Thus the thallus consists of a suc- cession of consecutive segments, which may be longer or shorter, more barrel-shaped (Pl. IV, fig. 1), or more cylindri- cal (Pl. V, fig. 1), mutually joined by constrictions. In some specimens, the calcareous envelope appears to slightly thin out towards the lower end of the upper segment, without breaking the connection with the lower segment. A single-row of whorls are situated, as a rule, in the top part of the segment, immediately below the constrictions, bear only primary branches, which widen slightly, more or less visibly, going from the proximal to the distal end. De- pending on how strongly the branches widen from the base to the outer end, their shape varies from nearly acrophorous (Pl. IV, fig. 1) to more pronouncedly phloiophorous (Pl. V, figs. 1–10). Due to a larger number of branches in a whorl and their swelling, the envelopes of the neighbouring branches are in mutual contact, thus forming a deeper or shallower bowl, depending on how steeply the branches are inclined (Pl. IV, figs. 1–4; Pl. V, fig. 1). The outer rim of such a bowl is slightly undulating, as a result of individually closed tops of branches (Pl. V, fig. 10). Inclination, i.e. the angle between the growth direction of branches and the horizontal plane, is the same for branches of the same whorl and is also more or less consistent for the branches of other whorls on one spec- imen; in separate individuals it can be slightly different. Very rarely, a slightly variable inclination can be noticed in neigh- bouring branches within the same whorl (Pl. IV, fig. 1, the fifth segment from the bottom), which make such sections visually similar to Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO. Differential characteristics of Clypeina bucuri bArAttOLO & rOMANO and Clypeina lucana bArAttOLO & rOMANO Analysis of the primary descriptions of these species (BARAT- TOLO & ROMANO, 2002), questioned whether their dif- ferentiation was firstly possible and secondly purposeful. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 169 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 170 This was based on the diagnoses of these two species in the original description, as well as the minor differences in their biometric parameters, together with the partial correspond- ence or overlapping within the variation ranges of some pa- rameters. However, in spite of the similarity of their gener- ally small dimensions, segmented (articulated) and weakly calcified thallus, and whorls with acrophorous to phloiopho- rous branches, some new characteristics, mentioned above, enable their specific determination and individual evaluation to be based on the following differential characteristics: Dimensions in mm: Clypeina bucuri Clypeina gr. lucana Length of individual segments L art 0.50–1.50 (11) 0.35–0.77 (8) Outer diameter at the level of whorls D 0.58–0.59 (18) 0.76–1.70 (16) Inner diameter at the level of whorls d 0.20–0.50 (21) 0.15–0.68 (16) Relation inner/outer diameter at the level of whorls d/D 23–57% (16) 15–41% (15) Outer diameter of thallus between the whorls D’ 0.24–0.58 (12) 0.35–0.73 (6) Inner diameter of thallus between the whorls d’ 0.15–0.39 (12) 0.24–0.48 (6) Relation inner/outer diameter between the whorls d’/D’ 47–76% (12) 45–83% (6) Distance between whorls h – 0.40–0.68 (6) Length of branches l 0.19–0.48 (18) 0.28–0.82 (10) Diameter of branches p 0.04–0.5 (18) 0.10–0.24 (12) Thickness of calcare- ous envelope of thallus s 0.025–0.12 (27) 0.05–0.10 (8) Number of branches in whorl w 7–12 14–16 Inclination of branches a 0–50° 30–60° n = number of measurements (in parentheses) Plate III 1–14 Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO, x54. 1 Oblique section, slide SB–17–2. 2 Transverse section, slide RAK–40A/9. 3 Oblique section, slide SB–17B/1. 4 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/7. 5 Oblique section of a segment, slide RAK–40A/8. 6 Transverse, slightly oblique section, slide SB–17–2/1. 7 Transverse section, slide RAK–40A/7. 8 Longitudinal section of a segment, slide RAK–40A/2. 9 Oblique section, slide RAK–40B/2. 10 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/10. 11–14 Transverse sections, fig. 11, slide RAK–40A/35; fig. 12, slide RAK–40A/8; fig. 13, slide RAK–40A/5; fig. 14, slide RAK–40B/2. Thus in C. bucuri we see a greater length of segments and more variability in the comparison of different individ- uals. Segments sometimes show a slightly claviform shape, which has not been observed in C. lucana. In addition, C. bucuri is characterized by uniformly shaped branches of a more acrophorous type, whereas in C. lucana the shape of branches varies from nearly acrophorous to a more com- monly expressed phloiophorous type, which depends on the intensity of their gradual swelling from the proximal to the distal end. The essential difference between the two species relates to the number of whorls and their mutual relationship within the same segment. C. bucuri has, in the upper con- stricted part of the lower whorl, two to three closely spaced whorls with fewer (than C. lucana) fully individualized bran- ches, clearly separated from one another. The branches in each of the closely spaced whorls have different inclinations, the branches of the highest whorl being more steeply inclined than the branches in the lower whorls. In contrast, C. lucana has, in the top part of the constrictions, only one whorl with more branches (than in C. bucuri) of uniform inclination. Because of their larger number and gradual widening going from the proximal to the distal end, the branches in C. lucana are in mutual contact and thus form a more or less shallow or deep bowl, depending on the inclination of branches (this feature also occurs frequently in other Clypeina species). Calcareous enveloping (closing) of the distal ends of indi- vidual branches gives an undulating rim of the bowl. In con- trast to C. lucana, (with one whorl of branches in the upper constricted part of the lower segment), C. bucuri has, as pre- viously mentioned in that position, two to three whorls which sometimes are developed, in longer segments, also in parts of the segments between the lower and upper constrictions. In conclusion, C. bucuri is more weakly calcified and com- prises forms with more uniform characters, whereas C. lu­ cana, based both on illustrations in the original descriptions (BARATTOLO & ROMANO, 2002, pls. III–VII) and pre- sent sections ascribed to that species (Pls. IV–V), includes more heterogeneous material, with pronounced variability in comparison to different sections which unite, under the same denominator, some common but variable characteris- tics. Therefore it seems preferable not to use species-specific determination of that species, but to include such variable sections within the frames of the Clypeina lucana group. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 171 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 172 Plate IV 1, 2b, 3–4, 5b, 6–10 Clypeina gr. lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO; 2a, 5a Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO; 2c Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO. 1 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17E1/1, x22. 2 a) Praturlonella salernitana – fragment; b) Clypeina gr. lucana – oblique section; c) Clypeina bucuri – oblique section, slide SB–17B/1, x22. 3 Transverse, slightly oblique section, slide RAK–40A/33, x34. 4 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17–1, x34. 5 a) Praturlonella salernitana – longitudinal section; b) Clypeina gr. lucana – transverse–oblique section, slide SB–17B/1, x22. 6 Transverse section, slide KOZ–8, x54. 7 Longitudinal section – reflected light, sample SB–17E2, x 18. 8 Longitudinal section, slide B–17C3/3, x22. 9 Transverse section, slide SB–17C/3, x34. 10 Transverse, slightly oblique section, slide SB–17E1/2, x34. relationship between the genera Praturlonella bArAttOLO 1978 and Falsolikanella GrANIEr 1986 Before proceeding to the description of mutually similar spe- cies included in the second group within the algal assem- blage at the Kozica locality ascribed to the genera Pratur­ lonella and Falsolikanella, it seems necessary to re-evaluate some dilemmas regarding the authors’ criteria and their in- terpretations in the original descriptions, in order to clarify the relationship between these genera, and assess the possi- bly doubtful taxonomic validity of Falsolikanella. The genus Praturlonella was established by BARAT- TOLO (1978), based on the morphological characteristics and author’s interpretation of the species Praturlonella saler­ nitana. The species’ euspondility was interpreted as having single-rowed, well-spaced whorls, bearing undivided, indi- vidually situated, phloiophorous branches, variously inclined within the same whorl. The description of genus and species is illustrated by numerous sections (BARATTOLO, 1978, pls. I–XIX) of heterogeneous material regarding the dimen- sions of the thallus, different shape of branches, existing or non-existing differences in the inclination of neighbouring branches in the same whorl, being interpreted as different growth stages of the thallus. All this results in a broad range of visual diversity and some sections originally ascribed to P. salernitana may appear doubtful, possibly belonging to the subsequently described Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO (2002), i.e., the sections in BARATTOLO (1978, pl. III, figs. 1–3, 5; pl. V, fig. 4; pl. IX, fig. 8). Discus- sion of the relationship between the genus Praturlonella and the later established Falsolikanella GRANIER, 1986, sug- gests that when ascribing individual species to either of the two, the main question refers to the primary starting point of branches, i.e., whether they are euspondyle or metaspondyle. GRANIER (1986, 1987) established the metaspondyle ge- nus Falsolikanella, diagnostically defined by vestibules in the proximal part of the branches, having the function of a primary branch which bears the tuft of fertile secondaries. GRANIER & BERTHOU (1994) established the genus Milanovicella and Table 1 illustrated differences between similar genera Draconisella, Falsolikanella, Likanella, Mi­ lanovicella, Praturlonella and Selliporella. Euspondyl gen- era are differentiated on the basis of one-row (Praturlonella), two-row (Milanovicella) or three-row (Draconisella) whorls of phloiophorous branches, or three-row whorls of tricho- phorous (fusiformes) branches (Likanella). Metaspondyl ge- nera with one-row whorls are differentiated on the basis of growth of the tuft of the trichophorous branches from the short branch (= vestibule) of the first order (Selliporella) or the tuft of the phloiophorous (piriform) branches from the vestibule (Falsolikanella). Repeated analysis of the distinguishing characteristics of these genera and their mutual relationships (e.g. SOKAČ, 1996), resulted in the transference of particular species from one genus to the other. SCHLAGINTWEIT (1990) trans- ferred Likanella hammudai RADOIČIĆ to Falsolikanella, in order for it to be later transferred by ENSSLIN & SCH- LA GINTWEIT (1999) to the Milanovicella. KUSS & CON- RAD (1991) assigned the same species to the genus Pratur­ lonella, but KUSS (1994) denied this combination and ac cepted the primary determination of Likanella hammudai as the only correct one. Thus, on establishment of Praturlonella, the previously described Likanella danilovae RADOIČIĆ (1969) was inclu- ded into that genus, only to be later (GRANIER et al., 1999) transferred once more to Falsolikanella. Similarly, Haly­ corine nerae, originally described by DRAGASTAN et al. (1978), was transferred by BUCUR (1993) first into Pra tur­ lonella, and later into Falsolikanella (BUCUR et al., 2000). All these examples clearly show that the generic deter- mination at some time was influenced by the various appro- aches of different authors, based mostly on personal apprai- sal. Reasons for this may include the difficulty of obtaining adequate sections, cutting through the starting point of the base of a branch, as a result of the shape of the thallus, the large distance between the whorls situated at the constricted parts of the thallus, the smaller number of branches and their large mutual distance within the same whorl (in metaspond- yle types), very short and slightly developed primary bran- ches, or vestibule (in metaspondyle types), and possible de- struction of the inner wall, which considerably obstructs the insight into the point of origin of the branches. Some sec- tions illustrated by BARATTOLO (1978, pl. VII, fig. 4, up- per right; pl. X, fig. 2 left side, fig. 5, lower whorl, fig. 6 left side; pl. XI, figs. 1, 6; pl. XII, fig. 2, right side, upper and middle whorl; pl. XIII, fig. 4, upper whorl, left side) indicate a supposed questionable metaspondylity. The same feature is suggested by the frequent occurrences of shallow sags on the inner wall of the central cavity at the level of the origin Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 173 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 174 Plate V 1–10 Clypeina gr. lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO. 1 Longitudinal section, slide RAK–40A/34, x42. 2–3 Transverse, slightly oblique section, fig. 2, slide SB–17B, x52; fig. 3, slide KOZ–6, x22. 4 Oblique section, slide KOZ–5, x54. 5 Transverse section, slide RAK–40A/23, x52. 6 Transverse, slightly oblique section, slide SB–17C2, x52. 7. Transverse section, slide KOZ–19, x22. 8 Transverse–oblique section, slide ROK–40a/1, x52. 9 Tangential–oblique section, slide SB–17E2/18, x22. 10 Transverse–oblique section, slide SB–17C3/3, x34. 11 Neomeris sp. – oblique section, slide KOZ–15, x22. of the branches. However, despite comments above and some doubts regarding the possible metaspondylity of that genus, for the time being we have no clear and unquestionable in- dications as the basis for a supplemented or new (emended) interpretation of the present diagnosis of Praturlonella, which remains valid regardless of possible priority changes. However, possible metaspondylity of the genus Praturlo­ nella would question the continued existence of Falsoli­ kanella. These questions should be answered by further in- vestigation and analysis of new sections of the type material of P. salernitana. They are only some of the dilemmas which arose during the elaboration of this second group of the Ko- zica algal assemblage and which may contribute to the un- derstanding that close and similar forms, visually almost identical in some morphological characters, may be attrib- uted to different genera, and even to different tribes. The im- pression is that an earlier error which cannot be corrected with valid arguments but which leads into an illogical and probably unjustified taxonomic classification is being com- pounded. Praturlonella salernitana bArAttOLO 1978 (Pls. VI–VIII) Taking in account the aforementioned dilemmas, and in agreement with the original description, we have ascribed the sections illustrated in Plates VI–VIII to Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO. This species is characterized by a cylindrical thallus with successively alternating, in regular intervals, short constric- tions and longer widened parts of the central cavity resulting in the articulated appearance of the thallus, described by BARATTOLO (1978) as a necklace of pearls. The calcified thallus is composed of light gray, mosaic calcite. The intensity of calcification is remarkable, but var- iable from specimen to specimen, depending on the length of a segment (distance between the whorls) and the inclina- tion of branches in a whorl. In shorter segments (articles) with less steeply inclined branches, the width increases and the height of the conical part, formed by calcitic fillings in the interspaces between the branches of the same whorl de- creases, resulting in a more massive calcitic skeleton (Pl. VII, figs. 3, 8). In longer segments and more steeply inclined branches, the width of conical parts is smaller but their mu- tual distance is larger and the thickness of the calcareous wall gradually decreases downwards, giving the general im- pression of weaker calcification (Pl. VI, fig. 1; Pl. VII, figs. 2, 4). According to the original description (BARATTOLO, 1978), the species is euspondyle. The branches are arranged in one-row, quite widely spaced whorls, situated in the top part of the lower segment, at the transition from the widened to the constricted part, immediately below the maximum constriction. Clearly individual, phloiophorous branches within a whorl are variously inclined toward the surface of the thallus, giving an impression (in longitudinal and oblique sections) of being grouped into bundles, resulting, in trans- verse sections, in 2–3 circular rows of pores. The number of branches in a whorl and their more or less steep inclination varies, depending on the growth stage of the thallus (BARAT- TOLO, 1978). A smaller number of branches and their lesser inclination in younger growth stages increases in the adult stages. Each phloiophorous branch differentiates into a rela- tively long stalk and a shorter, widened distal part, which is, in BARATTOLO’s (1978, figs. 9–13) reconstruction, repre- sented as a shallow bowl. In our sections (Pl. VII, fig. 1; Pl. VIII, fig. 1), the distal widening is more like a shorter or longer cylindrical swelling with rounded edges. The point of origin of the branches and their mutual re- lationship in the proximal part are not completely clear. In our opinion, euspondyle interpretation remains questionable. This doubt might be supported by the fact that the genus Praturlonella has only two species, in contrast to the numer- ous, morphologically very similar species ascribed to the metaspondyle genus Falsolikanella, the number of which is steadily increasing. Falsolikanella? teakolarae (rADOIČIĆ, JUrKOVŠEK & JOVANOVIĆ, 2011) n. comb. (Pls. IX–XI; Pl. XVIII, Figs. 1–4) Synonymy: 2011. Clypeina teakolarae sp. nov. – RA DOI ČIĆ, JUR- KOV ŠEK & JOVANOVIĆ, p. 13–30, text-figs. 4–6, Pls. I–VI. Sections of this species also occur in the Kozica algal assemblage. Their analysis, based on sections figured in plates IX–XI, revealed some newly registered morphologi- cal features of the thallus, type of branches and their shape Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 175 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 176 and arrangement, which makes a generic revision necessary, i.e., its tentative attribution to Falsolikanella GRANIER, as well as an addition to the original description. Dimensions in mm Maximum observed length of thallus L 5.4 Length of individual segments Lart 0.9 (2) Outer diameter at the lowest part of whorls D 1.35–2.52 (9) Inner diameter at the level of whorls d 0.44–1.20 (9) Relation inner/outer diameter d/D 0.263–0.476 (9) Outer thallus diameter between the whorls D’ 0.62–1.10 (7) Inner thallus diameter between the whorls d’ 0.52–1.00 (4) Relation inner/outer diameter between the whorls d’/D’ 0.804–0.966 (4) Distance between whorls h 0.76–1.44 (3) Length of branches l 0.48–0.96 (3) Length of branch’s stalk-axial cavity lpr 0.72–0.83 (5) Length of the branch’s distal part ldi ?0.26 (1) Average diameter of branch in calcified part p 0.24–0.34 (5) Thickness of branch’s hyaline envelope ss 0.05–0.10 (9) Diameter of branch’s distal part pdi up to 0.37 (4) Thickness of thallus wall between the whorls s 0.04–0.06 (3) Number of branches per whorl (as- sumed) w ?5–8 Number branches in a bundle (assumed) w’ ?4–6 Total number of branches in a whorl w’’ ?ca. 50 Inclination of branches a 20°–70° n = number of measurements (in parentheses) Description: Thallus has a generally cylindrical shape, characterized by the relatively regular alternation of short intervals of slight narrowing and longer intervals of widen- ing (swelling) of the central cavity, resulting in an indis- tinctly segmented shape (Pl. IX, fig. 1; Pl. X, figs. 2–3). Each segment bears, in its upper part, whorls of assumed me- taspondyle branches (Pl. IX, figs 1–2; Pl. XI, figs. 7–9). The tufts of branches belong to distinctly separated whorls, the mutual distance of which depends on the length of individual segments, as seen in tangential or more or less oblique sec- tions. They appear as wreaths of double, triple, or irregularly distributed envelopes of individual branches in the neigh- bouring tufts of the same whorl. At the same time, this rules out the possible existence of doubled independent whorls (twin-whorls; RADOIČIĆ et al., 2011), which has never been reported in Clypeina, and is not compatible with the generic diagnosis (BASSOULLET et al., 1978). The appearance of the whorls is the result of a charac- teristic calcification pattern, restricted to the branches, which CONRAD & VAROL (1990) described as the “intracellular calcification developed in vivo”. The vitreous branch’s en- velopes are characterized by a yellowish colour and dis- tinctly developed radial calcitic structure (Pl. IX, figs. 4–7; Pl. X, figs. 4–5, 7; Pl. XVIII, figs. 1, 4), which often may be destroyed by subsequent recrystallization. Neighbouring whorls of metaspondyle branches are connected into a co- herent thallus by a very thin inter-whorl membrane, which is very weakly calcified so that it is most frequently erased or only preserved as fragments, thus being barely visible as an interrupted outline (Pl. IX, figs. 1–2; Pl. X, figs. 2–3). In some sections, the membrane becomes more strongly pig- mented with iron oxides during fossilization and thus be- comes more easily visible due to its brownish-reddish colour (Pl. XVIII, figs. 2–3) which is often dispersed as blotches into the surrounding sediment. Individual branches within a tuft are distinctly phloio- phorous. Their common point of origin is vaguely marked by insufficient calcification or only weak mineralization, so it is only assumed to be shaped as a slight bulge of the cen- tral cavity (vestibule). This is indicated by the longitudinal sections of individual whorls (Pl. IX, fig. 2; Pl. XI, figs. 7–8, marked by arrow) or proximal tangential (cortical) sections (Pl. XI, fig. 10) with distinctly grouped pores, outlined by a thin margin. The possibility of a non-calcified or only weakly mineralized point of origin of the branches is also indicated by very thin envelope in their proximal part (Pl. XI, fig. 4, marked by arrow). The vitreous, fibrous calcitic envelope of each individual branch thickens toward its central part, reaching a maximum thickness (Pl. XI, figs. 5–6, marked by arrow) and gradually tapering distally, so that the top parts of the branches, open to the exterior, are not, or are only rarely and fragmentarily, preserved. The increasing thickness of the calcification within the branch’s membrane pushes back the soft tissue, shaping it into a massive spindle-shaped stem, and, further outward, lacking the calcification, into a broad, open calyx (Pl. XI, fig. 6), looking, as a whole, like a chalice. The oval-shaped space inside the branch probably functioned as gametangium, i.e. the species is cladosporous. The fact that the outer parts of the branches remain uncalci- fied during life is indicated by the post-mortem input of parti- cles of the surrounding sediment into the remaining branch’s cavity, with visible grain-size differentiation, i.e., with par- ticles of decreasing diameter going from proximal to the dis- tal end, the latter being most frequently infilled by muddy sediment (Pl. XI, fig. 4). The number of branches within a tuft cannot be defined with certainty, but is estimated to be 4–6. The variability of their number is suggested by tangential sections of indi- vidual whorls, in which the ring-like sections of vitreous branch’s envelopes of neighbouring branches appear in al- ternating positions in two (Pl. IX, fig. 7; Pl. X, figs. 4, 7) or three (Pl. IX, figs. 6, 8; Pl. XI, fig. 4) rows, sometimes seemingly in irregular arrangement. Depending on the number of branches within a tuft and their individual ro- bustness, the neighbouring branches may be well spaced, i.e., mutually separated (Pl. X, fig. 5), or, more often, more or less tightly pressed one to another and slightly irregu- larly compressed (Pl. IX, figs. 7–8). Because of this, their generally ovoid forms appear in transverse sections of Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 177 branches as more or less regular ring-shaped (Pl. X, figs. 4–5 part) or, more rarely, as indistinctly angular (Pl. IX, figs. 5, 7 part), envelopes. The direction of growth of branches is generally upwards, their inclination varying from sub-horizontal up to more or less steeply inclined, de- pending on the degree of divergence between the branches of the same tuft. Similarities and differences: In spite of the general similarity between all Falsolikanella species, concerning their thallus morphology, resulting from the distribution of widely spaced whorls with metaspondyle branches, charac- teristic calcification pattern depending on the direction of growth and number of branches in the form of a row of beads (F. danilovae; Falsolikanella? sp. – Pl. XVIII, figs. 8–9), lower or higher, more or less regular rings (F. campanensis, F. nerae), and inversely assembled conical bodies (F.? tea­ kolarae, F.? macropora n. sp.), all species have some spe- cies-specific characters which make their distinction possi- ble. These concern their dimensions, shape of branches (though all generally being of the phloiophorous type), in- tensity and pattern of calcification (intracellular or extracel- lular), and structure of calcite (grainy or radial). Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. (Pls. XII–XVII; Pl. XVIII, Figs. 5–7) Origin of name: The species is characterized by character- istically large pores, visible in variously oriented sections cutting through the outer parts of the branches. Type locality: northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo, near the village of Kozica, 100 m south of the main Zagvozd– Vrgo rac road. Geographical coordinates: l = 43°15’31.3’ N; j = 17°13’21.2’ E (Fig. 1). Type stratum: grey-brownish bioclastic wackestone/ packstone containing dasyclad and mollusc bioclasts. Matrix is micritic with rare peloids, containing scattered debris of planktonic foraminifera, and in the lower part of the bed, rare black-pebbles. These deposits were accumulated in the shal- low-marine environment characterized by oscillating trans- gression over the Cretaceous palaeorelief, therefore compris- ing a remarkable mixture of elements indicating short-lasting emergence and open-sea influences. According to both large benthic foraminifera and planktonic foraminifera, the stud- ied deposits are Ypresian in age (Lower Eocene). Holotype: Oblique section, contained in thin-section from sample RAK–40A, labelled RAK–40A/11, figured in pl. XIII, fig. 5. Isotypes are represented by numerous, variously oriented sections, figured in pls. XII–XVII. Original material is deposited in the Branko Sokač collection of holotypes and isotypes with the Croatian Geological Survey, Zagreb. Diagnosis: Thallus with well calcified whorls, charac- terized by more or less distinctly pronounced, successive regular widenings (swellings) and narrowings (constrictions) of the central cavity, giving the appearance of a row of con- nected, cylindrical or barrel-shaped, segments. The species is metaspondyle, of the cladosporous type. Whorls of as- sumed metaspondyle branches are situated in the top, con- stricted parts of individual segments. The common point of origin of a branch tuft is marked by a shallow depression on the inner wall (vestibule) or an extremely short branch. Each tuft contains several phloiophorous branches, clearly differ- entiated into a stem and an outer, clearly swollen (inflated) outer part. Dimensions in mm: Maximum observed length of thallus L 8.7 Length of individual segments Lart 0.86–1.67(11) Outer diameter at the lowest part of whorls D 1.70–4.80(32) Inner diameter at the level of whorls d 0.36–1.30(30) Relation between and outer diameter at the whorl level d/D 0.230–0.384(27) Outer thallus diameter between the whorls D’ 0.58–2.18(11) Inner thallus diameter between the whorls d’ 0.38–1.45(16) Relation inner/outer diameter between the whorls d’/D’ 0.655–0.912(10) Distance between whorls h 0.86–1.95(14) Length of branches l 0.96–1.95(21) Length of branch’s stalk-proximal part lpr 0.24–0.67(25) Length of the branch’s distal (swollen) part ldi 0.60–1.45(23) Diameter of branch’s stalk-proximal part ppr 0.06–0.12(28) Diameter of the branch’s swollen (distal) part pdi 0.20–0.48(30) Thickness of thallus wall between the whorls s 0.07–0.11(14) Number of branches per whorl (assumed) w ?6–8 Number branches in a bundle (assumed) w’ ?5–7 Total number of branches per whorl (assumed) ?about 50 Inclination of branches a 0º–70º n = number of measurements (in parentheses) Description: The new species is represented by the gen- erally cylindrical shape of the skeleton, featuring a more or less pronounced regular alternation of successive constric- tions and swellings of the central cavity, resulting in an ap- parent segmentation of mutually connected segments. Indi- vidual segments between the whorls may have a cylindrical shape (Pl. XIV, fig. 5; Pl. XV, fig. 2) or be more barrel-shaped (Pl. XV, fig. 1). Variable calcification of the thallus reflects its outer morphology. The more massive calcification at the level of the whorls in a segment is the result of a more mas- sive calcification in the proximal part of the branches, where there is more space between the stalks of the neighbouring branches in a whorl (Pl. XIV, figs. 2, 5; Pl. XV, figs. 1–2). Outer parts of the whorls are characterized by distal swell- Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 178 ings of branches and are therefore weakly calcified, the cal- cification consisting of thin envelopes of branches being pressed close to each other (Pl. XIII, figs. 1, 3, 6; Pl. XV, fig. 6; Pl. XVI, figs. 3, 7; Pl. XVII, figs. 1–2, 4–5, 10). The parts of the thallus between the whorls are equally weakly calci- fied, with only a thin calcareous envelope (Pl. XIV, figs. 5, 9; Pl. XV, figs. 1–2), which causes the fragility of the skel- eton and therefore the rare occurrence of longer skeletal frag- ments. The main feature distinguishing this species from the morphologically similar Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RA- DOIČIĆ et al.) is that the calcareous skeleton is composed of light gray, fine- to medium-grained, sparitic mosaic cal- citic infilling of the spaces between the branches (Pl. XIII, fig. 1; Pl. XIV, figs. 1–2). The inner surface of the central cavity is clearly and regularly delineated, in contrast to the eroded outer surface, with alternating calcified ring-like co- nes with bundles of branches, steeply inclined upwards and therefore most frequently covering the thin envelopes in the internodal parts of the thallus. Another important characteristic of the new species is its metaspondylity, this being the key feature, along with some morphological characteristics, for its assignation, how- ever questionable, to the genus Falsolikanella (for the rela- tionship between the genera Praturlonella and Falsolikanella see above). The whorls are situated in the constricted, top part of the segments. The metaspondyle point of origin of the group (tuft) of branches is rare and difficult to observe in sections, due to their position in the constricted part of the thallus, their small number per whorl, and the distance be- tween the consecutive whorls. It is manifested by shallow recesses in the inner side of the calcareous envelope (Pl. XIII, figs. 1, 8; Pl. XV, fig. 1; Pl. XVI, figs. 1, 10; Pl. XVII, figs. 9, 11 – marked by arrows), short, indistinctly defined stalk (Pl. XIV, figs. 5, 8–9 – marked by arrows), or it is indirectly indicated by connection and concentration of pores in tan- gential sections (Pl. XIV, fig. 1; Pl. XVII, fig. 12 – marked by arrow). A tuft of individual phloiophorous branches, clearly differentiated into a thin, proximal stalk and an elon- gated and swollen terminal part, grows out of such a com- mon point of origin. In their initial part, the stalks of the branches can be directed into different directions, sometimes even downturned, but going outwards they become more steeply directed upwards, with a general tendency of grow- ing upwards. After the first 1/3 of its length, the branch abruptly widens into a distinctly swollen outer part with re- duced calcification, consisting only of thin envelopes of branches. Due to their distal swellings, the branches become pressed closely to one another which results in their variable shape in longitudinal sections (Pl. XII fig. 9; Pl. XIII, figs. 1–3, 5; Pl. XIV, figs. 3, 6; Pl. XVI, fig. 7). This visual vari- ability can be partly due to the different position of the plane of section, but it is confirmed by variously and irregularly shaped pores, (ranging from oval to polygonal), in distal tan- gential (cortical) sections (Pl. XV, fig. 6; Pl. XVI, fig. 3). Weak calcification in the distal region and the abrasion of the outer surface makes determination of the full length of the branches and the insight into their terminations question- able. The absence of transverse sections with clearly visible points of origin of the bundles of branches, leaves open the question of their exact number in a whorl; this, as well as the number of branches per bundle, can only be approximated on the basis of how much space they occupy. The variable angle of inclination results in the variable direction of growth of individual branches within the same bundle. Thus, the lowest branches in a tuft may be variously bent downwards or upwards in the proximal part (stalk), be- coming horizontal (Pl. XIV, figs. 4, 10) or more or less steeply inclined in the distal part. The species is cladosporous, with rarely visible recrys- tallized cysts, regularly arranged in the swollen part of a branch (Pl. XVI, fig. 7 – marked by arrow). Similarities and differences: Falsolikanella? macro­ pora n. sp. is visually close to, and by some morphological characters similar to the contemporaneous Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO (1978). Descriptively, their basic difference, Praturlonella salernitana being euspondyle and Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. being metaspondyle, is possibly the result of different authors’ interpretations – and seems problematic for their clear and certain generic and species-specific determination, which explains the present dilemma in designation of the generic assignment of the new species, indicated by a question-mark). Therefore, in distin- guishing the two species and establishing the new species (F.? macropora), we must confine ourselves to different val- ues of biometric parameters and some specific morphologi- cal characteristics. Apart from a general similarity regarding the apparent segmentation in the outer shape of the skeleton and the position of whorls on the thallus, the values of indi- vidual biometric parameters are twice or even three times larger in F.? macropora n. sp. than in P. salernitana. Despite the fact that the length of branches in P. salernitana has not been stated, visual comparison clearly shows their consider- ably larger length in F.? macropora, this being so in spite of the seemingly longer stalk in P. salernitana, regarding, pro- portionally, the total dimensions of the thallus. Other visible Plate VI 1–6 Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO, x22. 1 Longitudinal–tangential section, slide KOZ–19. 2 Longitudinal section, slide KOZ–13. 3 Oblique section, slide KOZ–21. 4 Longitudinal, slightly oblique section, slide KOZ–14. 5 Longitudinal–tangential section, slide KOZ–27. 6 Tangential–oblique section, slide KOZ–21. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 179 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 180 Plate VII 1–8 Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO. 1 Oblique section, slide KOZ–16, x22. 2 Longitudinal section, slide KOZ–7, x22. 3 Longitudinal–tangential section, slide SB–17E1/2, x22. 4 Longitudinal–oblique section, slide KOZ–13, x22. 5 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17B1, x34. 6 Tangential section of a whorl, slide KOZ–6, x22. 7 Oblique–longitudinal section, slide KOZ–23, x22. 8 Tangential–longitudinal section, slide KOZ–18, x22. differences include the shape of the distal swellings, which are considerably larger (being both longer and wider) in F.? macropora. The lack of sections cutting through the periph- eral part of the branches (cortical sections) in the original description of Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO (1978, pls. I–XIX), regardless of the author’s interpretation (BARATTOLO, 1978, text-figs. 9–13), does not allow reli- able insight into the similarities and differences in the outer peripheral (cortical) parts of the thallus of the two species. Therefore it appears justified to emphasize that in F.? ma­ cropora the distal swellings of the branches are 2 to 3 times longer than the stalk, have an elongated cylindrical to irreg- ularly elliptical shape, a tapering or else swollen outer ter- mination, more or less deformed, and result in oval, trian gu- lar, or irregularly polygonal very large pores, having dif ferent diameters in the same level of transverse sections. The frag- mentary tangential sections illustrated in BARATTOLO (1978, Pl. XVI, figs. 3, 6) are somewhat confusing, as the questions of how the distal ends of the branches in P. saler­ nitana are shaped, or whether those sections possibly belong to the new species coming from the same stratigraphic level remain. Falsolikanella? macropora is similar to the contempo- raneous F.? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) in the shape of thallus and in some biometric parameters, but differs clearly from it by pronounced extracellular calcification, which forms the skeleton, consisting of a fine- to medium-grained grey sparitic matrix with mosaic texture. Falsolikanella? ma­ cropora is distinguished from F. danilovae (RADOIČIĆ) and F. nerae (DRAGASTAN et al.) by its larger size, (including all measured dimensions), the morphology of the skeleton, and growth direction and shape of the branches. Almost the same differences apply to Falsolikanella campanensis (AZEMA & JAFREZZO), which is characterized by a smaller number of branches in a tuft, their intracellular cal- cification and their being open at the distal end. AcKNOWLEDGEMENt The authors would like to thank reviewers, academician Ivan GUŠIĆ (Zagreb) and Dr. Felix SCHLAGINTWEIT (Mu- nich), for their very helpful and constructive comments which significantly improved the manuscript. We appreciate very much the species identification of planktonic forami- nifera by Dr. Vlasta PREMEC FUĆEK (INA Zagreb). We are thankful to Dr. Josipa VELIĆ (University of Zagreb) for assistance in fieldwork. This study was supported by the Ministry of Science, Education and Sports of the Republic of Croatia through Projects # 181-1811096-1093, 181- 1951126-1134, 195-1953068-0242, 195-1953068-2704 and 119-1191152-1167. rEFErENcES BARATTOLO, F. (1978): Su di una nuova dasicladacea (alghe verdi) nel Paleocene dell’ Appennino meridionale.– Boll. Soc. Nat. Napoli, 87, 83–157. BARATTOLO, F. & ROMANO, R. (2002): Clypeina bucuri n. sp. and Clypeina lucana n. sp. (green algae, Dasycladales) from the upper- most Paleocene(?)–Lower Eocene of Trentinara Formation (Sou- thern Italy).– In: BUCUR, I.I. & FILIPESCU, S. (eds.): Research advances in calcareous algae and microbial carbonates. Proceedings of the 4th IFAA Regional Meeting, Cluj-Napoca, August 29–Sep- tember 5, 2001, 41–69. BASSOULLET, J.P., BERNIER, P., CONRAD, M.A., DELOFFRE, R. & JAFFREZO, M. (1978): Les Algues Dasycladacées du Jurassique et du Crétacé.– Géobios, Mém. Spéc., 2, 1–330, Villeurbanne. BUCUR, I.I. (1993): Some new or poorly known calcareous algae (Dasycladales, Gymnocodiaceae) in the Lower Cretaceous deposits from the Resita–Moldova Noua zone (Southern Carpathians, Ro- mania).– Rev. Espan. Micropal., 25/1, Madrid, 93–126. BUCUR, I.I., KOCH, R., KIRMACI, Z.M. & TASLI, K. (2000): Les al- gues Dasycladales du Crétacé inférieur (Calcaire de Berdiga) de Kircaova (région de Kale–Gümüshane, NE Turquie).– Rev. Paléo- biol., 19/2, Genève, 435–463. 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(2004): Paleoenvironmental model for Eocene foraminiferal limestones of the Adriatic carbon- ate platform (Istrian Peninsula).– Facies, 50/1, 61–75. ĆOSOVIĆ, V., MARJANAC, T., DROBNE, K. & MORO, A. (2008): Outer Dinarides: eastern Adriatic coast.– In: McCANN, T. (ed.): Geology of Central Europe. Geological Society London, 79–86. DRAGASTAN, O., BUCUR, I.I. & DEMETER, I. (1978): Date noi pri- vind biostratigrafia depozitelor barremian-albiene din partea cen- tral-estica a zonei Resita-Moldova Noua (Banat), obtinute prin fo- Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 181 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 182 Plate VIII 1–11 Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO, x22. 1 Oblique–tangential section, slide SB–17–2/1 2, 3, 6 Oblique sections, fig. 2, slide SB–17–1/2; fig. 3, slide KOZ–4; fig. 6, slide SB–17E1/3. 4, 7 Tangential sections, fig. 4, slide KOZ–1; fig. 7, slide KOZ–29. 5, 8–11 Transverse, slightly oblique sections, fig. 5, slide KOZ–27; fig. 8, slide KOZ–2; fig. 9, slide KOZ–24; fig. 10, slide SB–17B2/9; fig. 11, slide KOZ–5. rajul de referinta de la Sopotul Nou.- Dari de Seama ale Sedint., LXIV/5, Bucuresti, 17–36. DROBNE, K. (1977): Alvéolines paléogènes de la Slovénie et de l’istrie.– Schweiz. Paläont. Abhandl., 99, 1–132. DROBNE, K. (1985): Periloculina dalmatina a new Trematophorid Mi- liolid Foraminifera from the Cuisian of Yugoslavia.– Razprave 4. razr. SAZU, 26, 159–176. DROBNE, K., ĆOSOVIĆ, V., MORO, A. & BUCKOVIĆ, D. 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(1999): Falsolikanella danilovae RADOIČIĆ ex BARATTOLO 1978, n. comb., a diplo- poracean alga from the Urgonian facies.– Acta Palaeont. Romaniae, 2, Cluj Napoca, 177–181. KORBAR, T. (2009): Orogenic evolution of the External Dinarides in the NE Adriatic region: a model constrained by tectonostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous to Paleogene carbonates.– Earth Sci. Rev., 96/4, 296–312. KUSS, J. (1994): Cretaceous (Albian-Turonian) calcareous algae from Egypt and Jordan – systematics, stratigraphy and paleogeography.– Abh. Geol. B.-A., 50, 295–317. KUSS, J. & CONRAD, M.A. (1991) Calcareous algae from Cretaceous carbonates of Egypt, Sinai, and Southern Jordan.– J. Paleont., 65/5, 869–882. RADOIČIĆ, R. (1969): Likanella ? danilovae n. sp. and some other Lower Cretaceous Dasycladaceae from the outer Dinarides.– Bull. Inst. geol. geoph. Res. (Geology), A, 26 (1968), Beograd, 237–275. RADOIČIĆ, R. (1974): A new Palaeocene Actinoporella (Dasycla- daceae), a preliminary report.– Bull. Sci. Cons. 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Manuscript received January 31, 2012 Revised manuscript accepted February 16, 2012 Available online June 29, 2012 Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 183 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 184 Plate IX 1–8 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb. 1 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17E2/1, x17. 2 Longitudinal, partly tangential section, slide SB–17E2/1, x22. 3 Tangential–oblique section, slide SB–17E2, x22. 4 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/3, x22. 5 Tangential–oblique section, slide SB–17E2, x34. 6 Tangential section of two whorls, slide SB–17E2/3, x22. 7–8 Tangential sections, fig. 7, slide SB–17E2/2, x34; fig. 8, slide SB–17E2, x34. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 185 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 186 Plate X 1–9 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb. 1 Tangential–oblique section, slide SB–17E2/3, x34. 2 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17E2/2, x17. 3 Longitudinal–oblique section, slide SB–17E2/1, x17. 4 Tangential section, slide SB–17E2/1, x34. 5 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/2, x34. 6 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/2, x22. 7 Tangential–oblique section of two whorls, slide SB–17E2, x34. 8 Transverse, slightly oblique sections in the whorl level, slide B–17E2/1, x22. 9 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/3, x22. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 187 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 188 Plate XI 1–12 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb. 1 Fragments of differently oriented sections, as well as section of Alveolina sp., slide SB–17E2/4, x14. 2 Oblique section in the whorl level, slide SB–17E2/3, x34. 3 Fragments of differently oriented sections, slide SB–17E2/4, x22. 4–5 Tangential sections of branches from the one whorl, slide SB–17E2/2, x34. 6 Longitudinal sections of separate whorls, slide SB–17E2/2, x34. 7–8 Longitudinal sections of separate whorls, fig. 7, slide SB–17E2/3; fig. 8, slide SB–17E2, x22. 9 Tangential section of a whorl, slide SB–17E2/1, x22. 10 Tangential section of the proximal part of a whorl, slide SB–17E2, x22. 11–12 Tangential–oblique sections of branches from the same whorls, fig. 11, slide SB–17E2/1; fig. 12, slide SB–17E2/4, x34. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 189 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 190 Plate XII 1–2, 3a, 4–5, 6a, 7–8, 9a Falsolikanella? macropora n.sp. 3b Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO. 6b, 9b Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO. 6b Cly- peina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO. 1 Fragments of different sections, slide RAK–40A/19, x14. 2 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/23, x14. 3 a) Falsolikanella? macropora n.sp.; b) Praturlonella salernitana BARATTOLO – transverse sections, slide RAK–40A/8, x17. 4 Oblique sections at the whorl level, slide RAK–40A/25, x14. 5 Transverse sections at the whorl level, slide RAK–40A/25, x14. 6 a) Falsolikanella? macropora n.sp.; b) Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO and Clypeina bucuri BARATTOLO & ROMANO – transverse sections, slide RAK–40A/14, x14. 7 Fragment of an oblique section at the whorl level, slide RAK–40A/11, x 14. 8 Oblique section at the whorl level, slide RAK–40A/4, x 22. 9 a) Falsolikanella? macropora n.sp. – fragment of an oblique section; b) Clypeina lucana BARATTOLO & ROMANO – transverse, slightly oblique section, slide RAK–40A/27, x17. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 191 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 192 Plate XIII 1–8 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. 1 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/11, x14. 2 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/14, x14. 3 Transverse–oblique section, slide RAK–40A/19, x14. 4 Transverse–oblique sections, slide RAK–40A/29, x14. 5 Oblique section, Holotype, slide RAK–40A/11, x14. 6 Parts of transverse–oblique sections, slide RAK–40A/21, x14. 7 Oblique section of a part of the whorl, slide KOZ–27, x 34. 8 Oblique section, slide RAK–40A/19, x 17. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 193 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 194 Plate XIV 1–11 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. 1–2 Tangential sections, fig. 1, slide KOZ–6; fig. 2, slide KOZ–10, x34. 3, 6–7, 10–11 Oblique sections of separate whorls, fig. 3, slide KOZ–1; fig. 6, slide RAK–40A/2; fig. 7, slide SB–17C2/6; fig. 10, slide RAK–40A/4; fig. 11, slide RAK–40A/2, x22. 4 Oblique section, slide SB–17C2/4, x22. 5 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17C2/4, x22. 8 Longitudinal section, in the upper part fragment of a tangential section, slide KOZ–6, x34. 9 Longitudinal section, slide SB–17C2/4, x 22. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 195 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 196 Plate XV 1–6 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. 1 Longitudinal–tangential section, slide KOZ–28, x22. 2 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/6, x17. 3 Deep tangential section, slide KOZ–23, x22. 4 Oblique–tangential section, slide KOZ–12, x22. 5–6 Tangential sections, fig. 5, slide KOZ–11, x22; fig. 6, slide SB–17C2, x17. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 197 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 198 Plate XVI 1–10 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. 1 Longitudinal, partly deep tangential section, slide KOZ–15, x22. 2 Parts of transverse sections at the level of a whorl, slide SB–17C2, x17. 3 Tangential section of the distal part of the thallus, slide SB–17C2/6, x22. 4 Transverse section, slide SB–17C2/6, x22. 5 Transverse section, slide SB–17C2/3, x17. 6 Oblique section, slide SB–17B2/6, x17. 7 Oblique section of part of a whorl, slide SB–17C2/2, x17. 8 Transverse section at the whorl level, slide SB–17B2/4, x22. 9 Part of the oblique section at the whorl level, slide SB–17C2/6, x22. 10 Longitudinal section at the whorl level, slide SB–17C2/6, x22. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 199 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 200 Plate XVII 1–12 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp. 1 Oblique section, slide SB–17E2/13, x17. 2, 5, 7, 11 Parts of transverse–oblique sections at the whorl level, fig. 2, slide SB–17E2/13; fig. 5, slide SB–17C3/4; fig. 7, slide SB–17C3/4; fig. 11, slide SB–17C3/4, x22. 3, 6 Oblique sections, fig. 3, slide SB–17E2/5; fig. 6, slide SB–17C3/3, x22. 4, 10 Transverse sections at the whorl level, fig. 4, slide SB–17E2/8; fig. 10, slide SB–17E2/11, x17. 8–9 Transverse, slightly oblique sections, fig. 8, slide SB–17C3/4, x34; fig. 9, slide SB–17C3/3, x22. 12 Tangential section in the proximal part of the whorl, slide B–17E2/17, x22. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 201 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 202 Plate XVIII 1 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb., oblique section. Yellow colour and the fibrous structure of hyaline calcareous envelope of branches are clearly visible, slide SB–17E2/2, x34. 2–3 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb., oblique–longitudinal section with visible reddish-brownish pigmented outline of the calcareous thallus, slide SB–17E2/1, x22. 4 Falsolikanella? teakolarae (RADOIČIĆ et al.) n. comb., tangential section of two rows of branches with characteristic fibrous structure of the hyaline calcareous envelope, slide SB–17E2, x34. 5–6 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp., fig. 5 – oblique section of the Holotype with light grey to yellowish colour of granular sparite calcareous skeleton; fig. 6 – detail of granular calcareous structure, slide RAK–40A/11, fig. 5 x14, fig. 6 x34. 7 Falsolikanella? macropora n. sp., Fragment of tangential section with the clearly visible granular structure of the calcareous skeleton, slide SB–17E2/8, x34. 8–9 Falsolikanella? sp., oblique–longitudinal sections, fig. 8, slide SB–17E2/16; fig. 9, slide SB–17E2/15, x22. 10–12 Acicularia sp., different sections, fig. 10, slide SB–17E2/3; fig. 11, slide SB–17E2, fig. 12, slide SB–17E2/5, x54. Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 203 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 204 PLAtE XIX 1 Alveolina cremae CHECCHIA-RISPOLI, axial section (scale = 0.5 mm). 2 Alveolina pinguis HOTTINGER, axial section (scale = 0.5 mm). 3 Spirolina sp., unidentified miliolids and Alveolina sp. with diagenetically altered test walls (scale = 0.5 mm). 4 Periloculina dalmatina DROBNE and Alveolina sp. (scale = 0.5 mm). 5 Alveolina sp., equatorial section with triplet embryonic apparatus showing dissolution of the younger whorls (scale = 0.2 mm). 6 Nummofallotia cretacea (SCHLUMBERGER), axial section (scale = 0.2 mm). 7–10 Calveziconus lecalvezae CAUS & CORNELLA; 7 and 8 subaxial sections, 9 basal section, 10 oblique section (all scales 0.2 mm). Sokač et al.: Taxonomy and stratigraphy of an algal assemblage in Palaeogene deposits of the northern foothills of Mt. Biokovo (Southern Croatia) Geologia Croatica 205 Geologia croatica 65/2Geologia Croatica 206