SARACENELLA MOCHRASENSIS SP-NOV (FORAMINIFERIDA), A REGIONAL BIOSTRATIGRAPHIC MARKER SPECIES FOR THE UPPER TOARCIAN (JURASSIC) OF EUROPE

A new foraminiferal species, Saracenella mochrasensis, reported previo usly under the name of Saracenella sp. A, is formally described and fi gured and its stratigraphic distribution precisely established. The di stinct morphology and short stratigraphic range of this species within the Toarcian (Lower Jurassic) of the Mochras Borehole and of the Iber ian Range, Northwest and Southwest Europe respectively, make it an exc ellent biostratigraphic marker species for the uppermost Toarcian, Moo rei-Aalensis Subzones (Levesquei Zone) in Northwest Europe and Mactra Subzone (Aalensis Zone) in Southwest Europe.