New algae and problematica of algal affinity from the Permian of the Aseelah Unit of the Batain Plain (East Oman)

Permian microfloras occur in limestone boulders of the Aseelah Unit at the lower part of the Batain Group (NE Oman). The boulders are composed of bioc lastic limestones deposited during the Permian on a shallow marine warm she lf environment. They yield several rich associations of Dasycladales, tubip hytids and Archaeolithophyllaceae indicating a Yakhtashian to Dzhulfian age (dated by fusulinids). The algal-bearing Aseelah Unit overlies conformably the Permian Qarari Unit deposited on the distal slope of the Arabian carbo nate platform. The conglomerate and sandstone sheddings of the Aseelah Unit indicate the end of a major transgressive-regressive cycle at the Permian/ Triassic boundary. The oldest age of the depositional event is given by the Dzhulfian age of the youngest reworked boulders. The age of the sandstones and sandy matrix is not well established; it is post-Dzhulfian, probably T riassic on the basis of some palynological indications. Several new taxa ar e described: Aphralysiaceae nov. fam., Sparaphralysia orientalis nov. sp., Mellporellopsis corpulenta nov. gen. nov. sp., Aseelahella granieri nov. ge n. nov. sp., Claracrustinae nov. subfam., Claracrusta ungdarelloidea nov. s p. and Sphairionia galinae nov. sp. (C) 2001 Editions scientifiques et medi cales Elsevier SAS.