FIRST RECORD OF UPPER CRETACEOUS (CAMPANIAN?) LARGER BENTHIC FORAMINIFERA FROM THE YIGEZIYA FORMATION OF THE SOUTHWESTERN TARIM BASIN, CHINA

Larger benthic foraminifera are described for the first time from the Upper Cretaceous Yigeziya Formation of the southwestern Tarim Basin, China. They occur in middle-outer ramp carbonates with debris of rudists, coralline algae, echinoids, pithonellids, and rare dasycladalean green algae. The material allows an open taxonomic approach for a few taxa. The assemblage includes Charentia cf. cuvillieri Neumann, Cuneolina cf. parva Henson, Nezzazatinella cf. picardi (Henson), orbitolinid gen. et sp. indet., cyclamminid indet., Tetrataxiella? floriforma Schlagintweit & Sanders, Suturina? sp. and the new species Dictyopselloides? tarimensis n. sp. Lacking any resilient stratigraphic data in our material, a Campanian age is tentatively assumed. The benthic association is typical for Neotethys assemblages but also shows conspicuous overlap with the Campanian Tielongtan Formation of western Tibet.