Crescentiella morronensis (Crescenti) (incertae sedis) dominated microencruster association in Lower Cretaceous (lower Aptian) limestones from the Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania)

Analysis of eight outcrops from Rarău Massif (Eastern Carpathians, Romania) revealed a rich assemblage of encrusting organisms mostly of problematic biological affiliation within platform-margin facies - Crescentiella morronensis, Radiomura cautica, Koskinobullina socialis, Pseudorothpletzella schmidi, Lithocodium aggregatum and bacinellid structures, encrusting calcified sponges (Calcistella jachenhausenensis, Neuropora lusitanica) and foraminifera (Coscinophragma cribrosa). Orbitolinids, calcareous green algae and rudists assign an early Aptian age (Bedoulian) for the studied limestones. In terms of species variety, abundance and structural microfabrics the studied microencruster association show similarity with the Upper Jurassic communities from reef and peri-reefal sedimentary settings. Comparisons with such assemblages are emphasized here. The presence of the sporolithacean and peyssonneliacean red algae (Sporolithon rude and Polystrata alba) contributes also to the construction of superimposed crusts. Even if the known stratigraphic range of the microencrusters is not strictly limited to the late Jurassic, reports of comparable associations in Urgonian-type facies is poorly documented. Therefore, it exemplifies the resistance and flourishing events of many encrusters throughout the Mesozoic.