Aptian ostracodes from Gebel Raghawi (Maghara area) in northern Sinai, Egypt: Taxonomic, biostratigraphic and paleobiogeographic contributions

Abstract

Detailed study of ostracode faunas extracted from the Lower Cretaceous Risan Aneiza Formation in three stratigraphic sections measured at Gebel Raghawi in the Maghara area (northern Sinai, Egypt) yielded 42 ostracode taxa belonging to 29 genera. From these, six taxa: Cytherelloidea ghabounensis raghawiensis, Antipaijenoburchella bassiounii, Pleurocythere? sinaiensis, Rehacythereis btaterensis paratorifera, Spinoleberis aegyptiensis and Veeniacythereis ghabounensis nodosa are new. The recorded assemblages are dominated by taxa which are characteristic for the Aptian age. Few taxa, however, are also known from older or younger intervals, indicating stratigraphic ranges most probably longer than what was indicated in previous studies. The recorded ostracode faunas are dominated by normal open marine taxa characteristic for the shallow littoral depths. Apart from the new records, the species recorded have a wide geographic distribution parallel to the southern Tethys margin, from Morocco in the west to the Arabian Gulf region in the east.