Nezzazata simplex Omara, 1956

Nezzazata simplex Omara, 1956 View in CoL

Fig. 10 View Fig

T 1956 Nezzazata simplex n. sp., Omara, p. 889; pl. 102, figs. 7-13; early Cenomanian, Egypt [demonstration of a precise early Cenomanian age is lacking].

1956 Begia calcarata Smout n. sp.; p. 341; pl. 1, figs. 23- 25; Turonian [= probably Cenomanian], southern Iraq.

1956 Begia perforata Smout n. sp.; p. 341; pl. 1, figs. 19- 22; Turonian [= probably Cenomanian], southern Iraq.

1956 Begia convexa Smout n. sp.; p. 341; pl. 1, figs. 26- 28; Turonian [= probably Cenomanian], southern Iraq.

1957 Nezzazata simplex Omara - Reiss , pl. 1, figs 1-7, 9, 12-13 [non figs. 8, 10-11, 14 = Trochospira avnimelechi ]. Cenomanian, Israel.

1962 Nezzazata simplex - Sartoni & Crescenti, p. 291- 292, pl. LI, figs. 4-5; Albian – Cenomanian (-?Senonian), southern Italy.

Non 1964 Nezzazata simples [sic] - Bozorgnia & Banafti, pl. LXXXVI, figs. 2-3, Albian, Iranian Zagros [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

Non 1965 Nezzazata simplex germanica n. subsp. Omara & Strauch, p. 88; abb. 1; Early Cretaceous, Germany. [=probably not a nezzazatid]

equivalent taxon modern a, possible Where. subsequently genus that to assigned commonly or,) 1956 (Omara by introduction its. herein since reviewed

Nezzazata as or to literature assigned on taxa based of List either, Table. 2 shown is

1969 Nezzazata simplex - Sampò, pl. XLV, figs. 10?, 11, 12, 14?, 15, 16?; Cenomanian – Turonian, Iranian Zagros [Turonian age is questionable].

? 1970 Nezzazata simplex - Hamaoui & Saint-Marc, pl. 40, fig. 13; late Cenomanian, Lebanon.

Non 1972 Nezzazata cf. simplex - El-Naggar & Al-Rifaiy, figs. 10/1, 10/2, 10/12, 10/13; middle – late Cenomanian, Kuwait [wall structure suggests a small trochospiral rotaliid; see also El-Naggar & Al-Rifaiy, 1973 for a similar issue with “ Nezzazata sp. ”].

1973 Nezzazata sp. or Trochospira sp. - Berthou, pl. 12, fig. 1; Late Cenomanian, Portugal.

1974 Nezzazata simplex - Saint-Marc, pl. 4, figs. 9-10; late Cenomanian [total range given as late Aptian – late Cenomanian], Lebanon.

1974 Nezzazata simplex polymorpha n. ssp. - Plotnicova, p. 23-26; figs. 1-5; late Albian, Ukraine [includes a variety of morphotypes – the defining feature of the taxon – including forms similar to N. simplex (fig. 1) and N. gyra (fig. 2).

1974 Nezzazata simplex - Radoičić, pl. 7, fig. 1; Cenomanian, Serbia.

?1976 Nezzazata simplex simplex - Luperto-Sinni, p. 322; Pl. 44, figs. 9-12; Santonian?, southern Italy.

1977 Nezzazata simplex - Velić, pl. XXIV, figs. 8-9; Aptian, Croatia.

Non 1977 Nezzazata simplex germanica - Velić, pl. XIX, figs. 4-6; “Neocomian”, Croatia [= N. isabellae ].

Non 1977 Nezzazata simplex - Velić, pl. XXI, figs. 9-11; Barremian, Croatia [= N. isabellae ].

? 1978 Nezzazata simplex simplex - Luperto Sinni & Richetti, pl. 45, fig. 10; Maastrichtian, southern Italy [very likely a form of Nezzazata ].

1979 Nezzazata simplex simplex - Velić & Sokač, pl. 3, fig. 4; late Albian – early Cenomanian, Croatia.

? 1984 Nezzazata simplex - Wasfi & Hataba, p. 600; pl. 2, fig. 4; late Cenomanian-early Turonian, Gulf of Suez [evidence for early Turonian age is unclear] .

? 1984 Nezzazata cenomana n. sp. - Wasfi & Hataba, p. 598-600, pl. 1, fig. 1a-d. Cenomanian, Egypt [difficult to assess from illustrations provided].

1985 Nezzazata simplex - Hamaoui in Schroeder & Neumann, p. 33; pl. 11, figs. 1-11; latest Albian – Senonian, global review.

Non 1985 Nezzazata simplex - Bilotte, p. 373, pl. 5, fig. 12; Cenomanian, French Pyrenees [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

? 1987 Nezzazata simplex - Simmons & Hart, pl. 10.1, fig. 8; Cenomanian, Oman Mountains [view equivocal].

? 1988 Nezzazata sp. - Sartorio & Venturini, p. 110; upper figure; middle Cenomanian, Italy.

? 1988 Nezzazata simplex - Sartorio & Venturini, p. 110; middle figure; middle Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [range shown as latest Albian-Santonian].

? 1989 Nezzazata simplex - Chérif et al., pl. 1, fig. 22; late Cenomanian, Egypt [external view only].

Non 1990 Nezzazata simplex - Smith et al., fig. 6f; early Cenomanian, Oman Mountains [= N. ex. gr. gyra ; age after Bromhead et al., 2022]

? 1990 Nezzazata simplex - Weidich & Al-Harithi, pl. 3, figs. 13-15; Cenomanian, Jordan.

1992 Nezzazata simplex - Foglia, pl. 1, fig. 11; late Cenomanian, southern Italy.

? 1992 Nezzazata simplex - Kalantari, text-fig. 155(2-3); Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

1994 Nezzazata simplex - Chiocchini et al., pl. 14, figs. 11-14; early Cenomanian, Italy.

1994 Nezzazata simplex - Velić & Vlahović, pl. 3, fig. 9; late Cenomanian, Croatia.

? 1994 Nezzazata simplex - El Beialy & Al-Hitmi, pl. 4, fig. 8; middle Cenomanian, Qatar [external view only].

? 1997 Nezzazata simplex - Rosales-Domínguez et al., fig. 4B; Cenomanian, Mexico [approaching N. ex. gr. gyra in morphology].

1998 Nezzazata gyra calcarata - Whittaker et al., p. 55; pl. 20, figs. 1-2; early Turonian [=probably Cenomanian], Iran, Iraq & Kuwait.

2000 Nezzazata simplex - Aguilera-Franco, p. 163 including figure; middle – late Cenomanian, Mexico.

2004 Nezzazata simplex - Ettachfini & Andreu, fig. 8B-C; late Cenomanian, Morocco.

2004 Nezzazatid - Menegatti, pl. 9 fig. 5; late Cenomanian, offshore Dubai.

2006 Nezzazata simplex - Taslı et al., fig. 6E (non F = N. isabellae ); middle – late Cenomanian, Turkish Taurides.

2007 Nezzazata simplex - Shanin, pl. 2, figs. 20-21; middle Cenomanian, Egypt.

? 2007 Nezzazata convexa - Shanin, pl. 2, figs. 20-21; middle Cenomanian, Egypt.

? 2008 Nezzazata cf. simplex - Ahmadi et al., pl. 3, fig. 2; middle – late Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2009 Nezzazata simplex - Sari et al., pl. 2, figs. 7-9; middle – late Cenomanian, Turkish Taurides [range shown to Coniacian].

? 2009 Nezzazata simplex - Ismail et al., p. 402, pl. 4, fig.1; Cenomanian, Egypt [effectively indeterminate].

? 2010 Nezzazata simplex - Spalluto & Caffau, fig. 13C; early Cenomanian, southern Italy.

2012 Nezzazata simplex - Chiocchini et al., pl. 79, figs. 1- 11; early Cenomanian [latest Albian-late Cenomanian total range], central Italy.

2012 Nezzazata gyra - Ghanem et al., fig. 6d(5); early Cenomanian, Syria.

2012 Nezzazata simplex - Simone et al., fig. 4k; middle Cenomanian, southern Italy.

? 2012 Nezzazata simplex - Ghanem et al., fig. 6c(7), 6d(4, 8), 6e(14); late Albian – late Cenomanian, Syria.

? 2012 Nezzazata simplex - Omaña et al., pl. 5, fig. 1; middle – late Cenomanian, Mexico.

? 2012 Nezzazata cf. N. convexa - Omaña et al., pl. 5, figs. 2-3; middle – late Cenomanian, Mexico.

Non 2012 Nezzazata simplex - Rahimpour-Bonab et al., fig. 8D; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

? 2013 Nezzazata simplex - Rahimpour-Bonab et al., fig. 8A; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

? 2013 Nezzazata simplex - Ghanem & Kuss, fig. 12(15); fig. 11(23-24); late Aptian-Cenomanian, Syria.

? 2013 Nezzazata simplex - Shanin & Elbaz, pl. 1, fig. 27; Cenomanian, Egypt.

2014 Nezzazata concava - Afghah et al., fig. 10c; early Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2014 Nezzazata conica - Afghah et al., fig. 10d; early Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

? 2014b Nezzazata simplex - Omidvar et al., fig. 3(1); Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros. [possibly = N. ex. gr. gyra ] Non 2014 Nezzazata simplex - Afghah & Fadaei. Fig. 8d View Fig ; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [= N. ex. gr. gyra ; note plates 8 & 9 are transposed].

Non 2014a Nezzazata simplex - Omidvar et al., pl. 1, fig. A; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros. [probably= N. ex gr. gyra ].

2015 Nezzazata ex. gr. simplex - Rosales & Schlagintweit, fig. 7n-q; early Cenomanian, Spain.

2015 Nezzazata simplex - Solak et al., fig. 9B-C; Cenomanian, Turkish Taurides.

2016 Nezzazata simplex - Assadi et al., fig. 6a3, 6b7; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

Non 2016 Nezzazata simplex germanica - Hosseini et al., fig. 11d (non e = Nezzazatinella sp. ?); Hauterivian, Iranian Zagros [probably Nezzazata isabellae ].

Non 2016 Nezzazata simplex - Rikhtegarzadeh et al., pl. 2, fig. 9; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

Non 2017 Nezzazata simplex - Rikhtegarzadeh et al., pl. 1, fig. 12; late Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

2018 Nezzazata simplex - Luger, p. 56, Pl. 3, figs. 1-2, 4- 5; late Albian-early Cenomanian, Somalia.

2019 Nezzazata simplex - Kiarostami et al., pl. 1d; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2019 Nezzazata simplex - Omaña et al., p. 705-707, figs. 9f-g; middle – late Cenomanian, Mexico.

2019 Nezzazata simplex - Özkan & Altiner, fig. 7(22-25); Cenomanian, Turkish Arabian Plate.

2019 Nezzazata simplex - Taslı & Solak, fig. 10(4); late Albian, Turkish Taurides.

2019 Nezzazata simplex - Solak et al., figs 8B-C; middle – late Cenomanian, Turkish Taurides.

? 2019 Nezzazata simplex - Solak et al., fig. 10H; late Campanian, Turkish Taurides.

2020 Nezzazata simplex - Solak et al., figs. 6L; 11A-B; 13P; Cenomanian Turkish Taurides.

2020 Nezzazata simplex - Simmons et al., fig. 10(8-10); middle – late Cenomanian, Turkish Arabian Plate.

2020 Nezzazata simplex - Schlagintweit & Yazdi-Moghadam, fig. 3B; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

? 2020 Nezzazata simplex - Solak et al., fig. 14T; Turonian, Turkish Taurides

Non 2020 Nezzazata simplex - Sinanoğlu et al., pl. 1, figs. 3-4; Maastrichtian, southeast Turkey. [= Nezzazatinella ex gr. picardi or juveniles of other taxa]

2021 Nezzazata simplex - Mohajer et al., pl. 2, fig. k; late Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2021 Nezzazata simplex - Schlagintweit & Yazdi-Moghadam, fig. 2B; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2021 Nezzazata simplex - Solak, fig. 3P-R; late Cenomanian, Turkish Taurides.

? 2021 Nezzazata simplex - Saeedi-Razavi et al., pl. 1, fig. 12; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

? 2021 Nezzazata cf. simplex - Consorti & Schlagintweit, fig. 2L; late Cenomanian, Kosova.

Non 2021 Nezzazata simplex - Sinanoğlu, Pl. 1, figs. 3-4; Maastrichtian, southeast Turkey. [= Nezzazatinella ex gr. picardi or juveniles of other taxa].

2022 Nezzazata simplex - Al-Dulaimy et al., pl.1, fig. F (?); pl. 2, fig. D; pl. 3, fig. F; middle – late Cenomanian, southern Iraq.

2022b Nezzazata simplex - Schlagintweit & Yazdi-Moghadam, fig. 2I. Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

? 2022 Nezzazata simplex - Youssef et al., pl. 18 bottom right; late Cenomanian, Kuwait.

? 2022 Nezzazata simplex - Mohajer et al., fig. 4g; late Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

Non 2022 Nezzazatianella simplex simplex [sic] - Ezzulddin & Ibrahim, pl. 1(F); early Cenomanian, southern Iraq. [= impossible to determine]

Non 2022a Nezzazata gr. simplex - Schlagintweit & Yazdi-Moghadam, fig. 2A & B; fig. 3A & B; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros [probably = N. ex gr. gyra ].

2023 Nezzazata simplex - Al-Salihi & Ibrahim, pl. 3, fig. D; middle Cenomanian, southern Iraq.

2023 Nezzazata simplex - Esfandyari et al., fig. 21(d-e); late Albian-Cenomanian Iranian Zagros.

2023b Nezzazata simplex - Schlagintweit & Yazdi-Moghadam, fig. 3b. Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros

Non 2023 Nezzazata simplex - Solak & Taslı, fig. 9G, H, I; Fig. 11T View Fig ; Fig. 13R, S, T View Fig ; early Aptian - Albian, Turkey. [= Nezzazata isabellae ]

Non 2023 Nezzazata simplex - Dawood & Al-Dulaimi, pl. 1E, middle – late Cenomanian, southern Iraq [= N. ex. gr. gyra ].

2024 Nezzazata simplex - Moghaddam et al., fig. 2c; Cenomanian, Iranian Zagros.

2024b Nezzazata cf. simplex - Schlagintweit et al., fig. 4L, age uncertain as reworked, Slovenia.

? 2024 Nezzazata simplex - Asady & Al-Dulaimi, fig. 6a; late Albian – early Cenomanian, central Iraq [effectively indeterminate].

? 2024 Nezzazata simplex - Navidtalab et al., fig. 6(1); Aptian, Iranian Zagros.

Taxonomy/Identity: As noted above, a pragmatic morphological differentiation is used here, i.e., trochospiral, equally or somewhat asymmetrically biconvex with an acute periphery (= N. simplex ); smaller trochospiral, equally or somewhat asymmetrically biconvex with a rounded - subrounded periphery (= N. isabellae ) and trochospiral, more-or-less plano-conical with an acute to subacute periphery (= N. ex. gr. gyra ). N. simplex is also somewhat intermediate in size between the smaller N. isabellae and the (generally) larger N. ex gr. gyra . Other differences are enumerated in Table 3 (above).

The type material of N. simplex has been re-illustrated by the American Natural History Museum (https://www.gbif.org/species/8784720) demonstrating the microgranular (agglutinating) nature of the wall.

Reference Images: Schroeder & Neumann (1985), Pl. 11, Figs. 1-11 View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig View Fig , p. 33.

Confident Stratigraphic Range: Aptian to Cenomanian, commonly recorded from the middle and late Cenomanian. Sparse records in older strata. Some small Aptian forms may belong to separate taxa.

Uncertain Stratigraphic Range: Turonian – Maastrichtian.

N. simplex View in CoL was first described from the early Cenomanian of Egypt ( Omara, 1956) (precise age unconfirmed). Subsequently it has been reported with a supposed long age range, although most often from the Cenomanian (especially the middle and late Cenomanian – Hamaoui in Schroeder & Neumann, 1985). Examples of stratigraphic range assessment include Late Albian – “Senonian” (Hamaoui in Schroeder & Neumann, 1985); latest Aptian - near top Campanian ( Velić, 2007); Cenomanian – Maastrichtian ( Šribar & Pleničar, 1990); late Aptian – top Cenomanian in Lebanon but ranging younger elsewhere ( Saint-Marc, 1974, 1978, 1981); latest Albian - top Cenomanian ( Crosaz-Galletti, 1979; Berthou, 1984; Chiocchini et al., 2012); and middle Cenomanian – Coniacian ( Sari et al., 2009).

Many records of post-Cenomanian occurrence are unillustrated and cannot be verified (e.g. Božović et al., 2024). Nonetheless, there are records of illustrated specimens that appear similar to N. simplex View in CoL . These include those of Luperto-Sinni & Ricchetti (1978) (Maastrichtian); Solak (2019) (Campanian); Luperto-Sinni (1976) (Santonian). Solak et al. (2020) demonstrated that whilst present in Cenomanian strata in Turkey, a small form occurs in the Turonian. This has a maximum diameter of 0.25 mm, whereas typical N. simplex View in CoL has diameters of between 0.45 – 1.0 mm. Wasfi & Hataba (1984) presented less compelling evidence for the presence of Nezzazata spp. crossing the Cenomanian – Turonian boundary in Egypt. Luperto Sinni (1976) illustrated the species from post-Turonian strata in southern Italy. However, the illustrations are of axial sections only and the existence of the “narrow internal plate” is in doubt and therefore needs confirmation. Sartorio & Venturini (1988) showed the species as occurring in the latest Albian to Coniacian/?Santonian, but much more commonly in the Cenomanian (although no actual post-Cenomanian specimens are illustrated). Records from the Maastrichtian of Turkey ( Sinanoğlu et al., 2020; Sinanoğlu, 2021) are probably not this species (one is of Nezzazatinella View in CoL ex gr. picardi and the others probably juveniles of other taxa), but more research is needed. The variety of reported ranges suggests either a strong facies control on distribution and/or taxonomy used sensu lato.

Small forms of N. simplex are reported from the Aptian (e.g. Solak & Taslı, 2023) but are better assigned to N. isabellae . Specimens from the Aptian Dariyan Formation of the Iranian Zagros studied by one of us (FS) appear to be isomorphs of Cenomanian Nezzazata species, although consistently smaller, and are assigned to new taxa ( Schlagintweit et al., 2024c).

The co-occurrence of Nezzazata species and alveolinids in Iranian sections defined the Nezzazata - alveolinid assemblage "zone" (number 25) of Wynd (1965) - it is not a true biozone but an assemblage biofacies as Wynd himself implied. Despite this, this "zone" has been identified by the majority of workers on Iranian Zagros biostratigraphy from then until the present day (e.g. Omidvar et al., 2014b; Saeedi Razavi et al., 2021) and the chronostratigraphic calibration to which Wynd (1965) attributed to it (Cenomanian -?Turonian) has been often applied as if it were a true biozone. As can be understood from this review, neither Nezzazata nor alveolinids have any great biostratigraphic value as senso lato terms. Even when species of Nezzazata are identified to create, for example a middle Cenomanian “ Nezzazata conica – Nezzazata simplex assemblage zone” ( Afghah & Fadaei, 2014, see also Al-Dulaimy et al., 2022; Al-Salihi & Ibrahim, 2023; Dawood & Al-Dulaimi, 2023) this will relate to facies rather than chronostratigraphic significance, except at a very local scale. Despite efforts such as those of Orabi & Hamad (2018) and Mohajer et al. (2022), it is clear that Nezzazata species are not practical biostratigraphic markers for the subdivision of the mid-Cretaceous in the Middle East.

Geographic Range: One of the most commonly recorded taxon of all the mid-Cretaceous LBF, this species is known with abundant records from the Mediterranean (including North Africa) and the Arabian Plate (especially the Iranian Zagros). There are also records from Mexico. As yet, there are no confirmed records east of the Arabian Plate (e.g. Tibet).

Nezzazata View in CoL ex gr. gyra ( Smout, 1956) sensu Hamaoui View in CoL in