First occurrence and palaeobiogeographic significance of Holosporella sugdeni (Elliott, 1957) Granier, 2018 (dasycladalean alga) from the Lower Cretaceous of Central Iran

The dasycladalean alga Holosporella sugdeni (Elliott, 1957) is reported from the Lower Cretaceous Sangestan Formation of Central Iran. This poorly known taxon, originally attributed to Cylindroporella Johnson, has so far only been recorded from the Lower Cretaceous of Oman (type-locality), Abu Dhabi, and Lebanon. With the new record from Central Iran, palaeogeographically belonging to the northern Tethyan margin, the previously implied endemism with a restriction to the southern Tethyan margin in a narrow segment on the Arabian Plate must be corrected. H. sugdeni was observed in wacke-/packstones of the upper Sangestan Formation in the Yazd area associated with the larger benthic foraminifer Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa). A Hauterivian? to early Barremian age is assumed in accordance with regional geology and known stratigraphic data of the species.