Tithonian Chitinoidellids of the South-Tethyan Margin of the Maghreb: New data from northern Tunisia

Recent investigations based on bed-by-bed sampling of the Béni Kleb Formation (Fm) of Northern Tunisia (Kimmeridgian-Middle Berriasian) provide new data on Tithonian chitinoidellid associations. Fourteen species from seven genera (Daciella Pop, Borziella Pop, Longicollaria Pop, Dobeniella Pop, Cubanella Pop, Popiella Reháková and Chitinoidella Doben) are first documented in Tunisia. Their stratigraphic range fits the standards proposed for other Tethyan regions. In addition, three new species are described: Chitinoidella carthagensis sp. nov., Ch. hegarati sp. nov. and Ch. popi sp. nov. They are compared to the recently revised taxa from the southern Carpathian ranges where the chitinoidellid populations were observed at various levels and revealed to be well diversified. The established biozonation is discussed and a phyletic pattern is proposed.