Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa Formation (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia

Abstract

The Hanifa Formation in Saudi Arabia consists of mostly carbonate units of Late Jurassic age and is well exposed along the Tuwaiq Mountain escarpment. Micropaleontological analyses of samples from three outcrops have revealed the presence of benthic foraminifera and ostracods. The study of fossil faunas from the Hawtah Member, has led to the identification of six foraminiferal species: Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi, Oolina globosa, Nautiloculina oolithica, Kurnubia palastiniensis, Pseudomarssonella cf. maxima, Lenticulina sp. and two ostracod species: Hutsonia asiatica and Cytherella cf. umbilica. The survey of species covered in this research suggests that they indicate a predominantly euryhaline to polyhaline marine setting, possibly with a slightly brackish influence and deposited in a supratidal environment, suggesting a progressively shallowing environment on the inner shelf with intermittent shoal complexes.

Full text

Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods
from the Hanifa Formation (Hawtah Member),
Central Saudi Arabia
Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl
Al-Bukiriyah Education Directorate, Science Teaching supervision unit,
Al-Bukiriyah, Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia
email: ssb467@buk.gov.sa
ABSTRACT: The Hanifa Formation in Saudi Arabia consists of mostly carbonate units of Late Jurassic age and is well exposed along
the Tuwaiq Mountain escarpment. Micropaleontological analyses of samples from three outcrops have revealed the presence of benthic
foraminifera and ostracods. The study of fossil faunas from the Hawtah Member, has led to the identification of six foraminiferal species:
Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi,Oolina globosa,Nautiloculina oolithica,Kurnubia palastiniensis,Pseudomarssonella cf. max-
ima,Lenticulina sp. and two ostracod species: Hutsonia asiatica and Cytherella cf. umbilica.The survey of species covered in this re-
search suggests that they indicate a predominantly euryhaline to polyhaline marine setting, possibly with a slightly brackish influence
and deposited in a supratidal environment, suggesting a progressively shallowing environment on the inner shelf with intermittent shoal
complexes.
Keywords: Saudi Arabia, Oxfordian, Hanifa Formation, micropaleontology
INTRODUCTION
The sedimentology and stratigraphy of the Hanifa Formation
have been described by several authors including Powers et al.
(1966), Powers (1968), Vaslet et al. (1983), Okla (1983),
Moshrif (1982) and Moshrif and Al-Asa’ad (1984), El-Sabbagh
et al. (2017) Fallatah and Kerans (2018) and Al-Mojel et al.
(2020). Paleontological and biostratigraphical studies on the
formation include the works of El-Asa’ad (1991), Abaalkail
(2006), Hughes et al. (2008), Zakhera et al (2017), and Hughes
(2004a,b, 2018). The main purpose of this study is to identify
some foraminifera and ostracod species from the lower part of
the Hanifa Formation (Hawtah Member) at Khashm
Al-Qaddiyah, Jabal Abakkayn and Al-Ghat areas, central Saudi
Arabia (text-fig. 1) and report their paleoecological aspects.
Geological setting
The Hanifa Formation was named after Wadi Hanifa where the
type section was measured at Jabal Abakkayn near Sadoos in
the northeast of Dhruma quadrangle. In terms of stratigraphic
studies, Valset et al. (1983) described two informal members
(the Hawtah and Ulayyah members) in the Wadi ar Rayn Quad-
rangle. In 1983, Okla studied Hanifa rock units at Jabal
Al-Abakkayn and at Wadi Nisah. He subdivided the formation
into lower and upper units based on lithofacies and microfacies.
Moshrif (1982) and Moshrif and Al-Asa’ad (1984), presented
detailed investigations of Hanifa rock units, and concluded that
this formation is generally composed of various carbonate
lithofacies intercalated with shale beds at several intervals. In
the context of macropaleontology, El-Asa’ad (1991) shed light
on the coral paleontology. His work has shown that the middle
to late Oxfordian corals occur at three different levels, the lower
level of occurrence is a coral parareef located at the top of the
Tuwaiq Limestone (El-Asa’ad 1991). The second and the third
levels of coral occurrences are located, respectively, in the
lower and upper parts of the Hanifa Formation. The Hanifa
coral patches can be traced along the northern side of Wadi
Hanifa from Kashm Al-Gaddiyah north to Wadi Juwayy in cen-
tral Saudi Arabia. Biostratigraphic works of significance in-
clude Enay et al. (1987) for ammonites, Tintant (1987) for
nautiloids, Almeras (1987) for brachiopods, and Depeche et. al.
(1987) for ostracods. Hughes (2004a) used the correlation of the
Pseudocyclammina lituus cycles to assist in correlating
subsurface depositional layers, interpret paleoenvironments and
sequence stratigraphy in the Khurais Field. In the same context,
Hughes (2018) used thin sections study to develop a compre-
hensive foraminiferal biozonation of the entire Jurassic forma-
tions in Saudi Arabia, including the Oxfordian strata of the
Hanifa Formation.
Powers et al. (1966) and Powers (1968) assigned the Hanifa
Formation a Kimmeridgian age while Enay et al. (1986) as-
signed an Oxfordian age based on the Plicatilis ammonite Zone.
Brachiopods recovered from the formation are consistent with
an Early to Middle Oxfordian age (Almeras 1987). De Matos
and Hulstrand (1994) assigned an early Kimmeridgian age to
the Hanifa Formation based on fossil content and strontium iso-
tope dating.
MATERIALS and METHODS
Three localities along the Tuwaiq escarpment in central Saudi
Arabia, namely: Khashm Al-Gaddiyah, Jabal al Abakkayn and
Al-Ghat were studied in order to measure sections and collect
fossil-bearing rock specimens. The studied sections cover a re-
gion that is approximately 450 km, from Al-Mizahmiah in the
south to Al-Ghat, north of Riyadh. The present study is based on
Micropaleontology, vol. 67, no. 6, plate 1, text-figures 1–6, table 1, pp. 573–586, 2021 http://doi.org/10.47894/mpal.67.6.04 573

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Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia
TEXT-FIGURE 1
Geological map showing the study area and localities examined mentioned in the text (modified after Google Earth and Zakhera et al. 2017).

76 samples collected from three outcrops: Al-Gaddiyah west of
Riyadh (N: 24° 31' 50" E: 46° 25' 08"), Jabal Al Abakkayn (N:
24° 56' 84"; E: 46° 13' 00") and Al-Ghat (N: 26° 03' 59"; E: 44°
59' 03") (text-fig. 2). The microfossils were extracted by
disaggregating samples with hydrogen peroxide or boiling in
water, wet sieved, and cleaned by ultrasonic water bath.
Microfossils were imaged by Scanning Electron Microscope.
The taxonomy in this study follows mostly Loeblich and
Tappan (1987), Hughes (2004a,b, 2018), Kaminski (2014),
Talib et al. (2016), the Paleobiology Database
http://paleodb.org), World Register of Marine Species
http://www.marinespecies.org) and Colin et al. (2008) for the
ostracod taxonomy. All figured specimens were deposited in
the Geology Museum, College of Science, Department of Geol-
ogy, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
RESULTS
Stratigraphy and facies
The Hanifa Formation forms a succession of small questas
above the Tuwaiq Mountain escarpment in the east of the Wadi
Rayn Quadrangle. At the type locality, the Hanifa Formation
consists of cream to tan, relatively soft, chalky limestones with
limited amounts of interbedded marl and tan clay-shale beds.
Several prominent brown oolite units occur in the middle and
upper portions, with a particularly prominent one at the top
(Bramkamp and Steineke 1952). The calcarenitic, oolitic, and
bioclastic limestones of the Oxfordian to lower Kimmeridgian
Hanifa Formation are immediately and conformably succeeded
by the aphanitic limestones of the upper Kimmeridgian Jubaila
Formation. This formation is generally composed of various
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TABLE 1
Summary of depositional textures and lithological characters for investigated sections (F.: foraminifera, Os.: Ostracoda, Ga.: Gastropoda, Ec.:
Echinoderms)

carbonate lithofacies intercalated with shale units at several lev-
els. The measured thickness of the Hanifa Formation is about
103 m near Safarrat village (El-Asa’ad 1987).
Investigations of the Hawtah member at Al-Gaddiyah revealed
a thickness of 65.39 m. The lowermost part of the succession is
soft, shaly, and rich with brachiopods and oysters. The overly-
ing layers are interbedded beds of hard limestones and calcare-
ous shales with three assemblages of coral reef bioherms. The
depositional texture ratios are grainstone (45.4%), packstone
(4.5%), wackestone (31.8%), and mudstone (18.1%). The
Hawtah member is 51.1 m thick at Jabal Al Abakkayn. The
lowermost part at this locality is comprised of predominantly
yellow to light grey, soft to friable, chippy, weathered,
gypsiferous, brachiopod-rich calcareous shales and pale yellow,
soft argillaceous limestones interbedded with hard, light beige
colored, coral bearing limestone. The upper part consists of pre-
dominant interbedded ledge-forming light golden limestones
with some pale-yellow, indurated limestones with common
presence of Pholadomya and gastropods. The composition is
25% grainstone, 6.25% packstone, 43.7% wackestone and 25%
mudstone. At Al Ghat locality, the Hawtah member is 37.48 m
thick and has 20% of grainstone, 15.2% packstone, 41.5%
wackestone and 33.3% mudstone with rare occurrences of
brachiopods, common gastropods, and foraminifera (text-fig.
2). The depositional texture and calculated ratios for the three
sections along with lithological characters are summarized in
Table 1; the microfaciesare presented in text-figures 3 and 4.
DISCUSSION
Powers et al. (1966) suggested that shallow Tethys sea depos-
ited carbonates during the Callovian to Early Kimmeridgian
time in central Arabia extending east towards Iran and to the
south across Yemen and Aden. During the Late Jurassic, partic-
ularly in the Oxfordian, ammonoids were not abundant (Nazer
1973). The Hanifa Formation was deposited on an expanded
shallow marine carbonate platform with localized intra-shelf
basins (Hughes 2004b; Al-Mojel et al. 2020). The Hawtah and
Ulayyah Members described from surface outcrops probably
represent transgressive and highstand systems tracts, respec-
tively (Hughes 2004b).
The nautiloid Paracenoceras aff. hexagonum also confirms a
middle Oxfordian age (Tintant 1987). The nannofossil species
Vekshinella stradneri makes its appearance within the Hawtah
Member and is consistent with an Early to Middle Oxfordian
age (Hughes 2004b). Subsurface investigations by Saudi
Aramco within the Khurais Field have revealed the presence of
Pseudocyclammina lituus and Alveosepta jaccardi, which sug-
gests a late Oxfordian age (Hughes 2003). Based on regional
evidence and correlations, a maximum flooding surface has
been proposed within the lower part of the Hanifa Formation
(MFS J50, mid Oxfordian) (Sharland et al. 2001; Hughes
2003).
In this study, six foraminifera and two ostracod species were re-
covered and identified from the Hawtah Member of the Hanifa
Formation namely: Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi,
Nautiloculina oolithica,Kurnubia palastiniensis Pseudo-
marssonella cf. maxima,Lenticulina sp., Oolina globosa,
Hutsonia asiatica and Cytherella cf. umbilica at three locations.
The identified species have been previously recorded from the
Jurassic rocks of Morocco, Switzerland, Syria, Yemen, Leba-
non Germany, France, Netherlands, and Alaska. Redmond
(1964a,b) published additional details about Jurassic
foraminifera in Saudi Arabia, later, in 1965, Redmond stated
that P. maxima was rare to common throughout the lower to
middle Dhruma Formation (Bathonian and possibly to early
Callovian), which also documented from the Bajocian (Hughes
2018; Malik et al. 2020). The well-known species of Lenticu-
lina (e.g., L. protracta,L. muensteri and L. muendensis)have
been widely reported from Bathonian, Callovian and Oxfordian
rocks of Europe, Iran, and India (Norling 1970; Gordon 1967;
Talib et al. 2016). Diverse Lenticulina species suggest a high
level of dissolved oxygen and deeper, open sea environments
where the salinity was normal (Talib et al. 2016). Alveosepta
powersi was first described from the Kimmeridgian of the upper
Jubaila Formation of Saudi Arabia. Hottinger’s (1967) speci-
mens came from the Kimmeridgian of eastern Morocco in asso-
ciation with Kurnubia and Clypeina jurassica. Later, Clark and
BouDagher-Fadel (2001) identified this species in the Bikfaya
Formation in Lebanon. Simmons and Al Thour (1994) recorded
this species from the mid lower Kimmeridgian of Yemen. Ac-
cordingly, Clark and BouDagher-Fadel (2001) concluded that it
could be considered the age range inclusive of its appearance
within the Bikfaya Formation from the upper Oxfordian to the
mid Kimmeridgian. Nautiloculina oolithica was reported from
the Oxfordian of Switzerland (Mohler 1938). In Saudi Arabia
Nautiloculina is observed to range from the Bajocian–Bathonian
Dhruma Formation (Hughes 2018; Kaminski et al. 2020; Malik
et al. 2020), to the upper Kimmeridgian Arab-D member
(Hughes 2018). The genus is known to range up to the Early
Cretaceous (early Aptian) (Loeblich and Tappan 1987).
The associated foraminiferal assemblages reported here exhibit
a mixture of open deep marine conditions with a lagoonal facies
assemblage below wave base that is typified by the presence of
Pseudocyclammina, Kurnubia palastiniensis, Lenticulina, and
Nautiloculina oolithica.N. oolitica indicates a shallow lagoonal
environment within mixed facies. The presence of the benthic
foraminifer N. oolithica associated with the trace fossils
Thalassinoides and Chondrites (Text-fig. 6) indicates deposi-
tion in a supratidal environment, suggesting a progressively
shallowing environment on the inner shelf above the wave base
(El-Asa’ad 1987) and the prevalence of warm climatic condi-
tions. Likewise, the presence of Pseudomarssonella cf. maxima,
N. oolithica and Lenticulina sp. indicate a shift in the
depositional environment from low-energy lagoonal to intermit-
tent shoal complexes (Ismanto et al. 2019). Accordingly, the
presence of these biofacies can be interpreted as either having a
wide paleoecological tolerance range, or their appearance may
be assigned to allochthonous, tidal or storm derived, causes
(Hughes 2004b).
The argillaceous limestones were probably deposited in deeper
waters where fine sediments were laid down below the wave
base and where both wave and current action were nearly ab-
sent. This is supported by the associated fauna of ichnofossils,
bivalves, gastropods, echinoid debris, and sponge spicules.
Echinoderm spines are abundant at several levels in the Hawtah
member, they are recognized from cidaroids (Paracidaris sp.),
generally, cidaroids live at almost all depths, and they also pre-
fer a hard bottom, such as reefs even in deeper offshore water
because they have shorter spines. Paracidaris sp. individuals
feed upon many benthic animals including mollusks, annelids,
foraminifera, crustacea and sponges.
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Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia

A few ostracod specimens have been found in the formation
(Depeche et al. 1987). In the present study, only three poorly
preserved specimens belonging to the genera Hutsonia asiatica
and Cytherella cf. umbilica were found in the Hawtah Member.
Hutsonia asiatica has been reported from the Bathonian–
Oxfordian of Kutch, India (Neale and Singh 1985). Also,
Cytherella umbilica was described from the upper Oxfordian of
Tanzania (Sames 2008). It can be seen that both species
(Hutsonia asiatica and Cytherella cf. umbilica) agree with an
Oxfordian age. According to the ostracod species reported, the
Hawtah Member is characterized by a well-oxygenated
highly-bioturbated environment (Al-Mojel 2020). The ge-
nus Cytherella as well as the benthic foraminifera indicate a
predominantly marine euryhaline to polyhaline setting possibly
with a slightly brackish water influence with a rapid sedimenta-
tion rate (Sames 2008; Filho et al. 2015) (text-fig. 5).
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY
The benthic foraminifera are arranged here according to the sys-
tematics of Kaminski (2014) and Loeblich and Tappan (1987).
Order FORAMINIFERIDA Eichwald 1830
Suborder TEXTULARINA Delage and Herouard 1896
Superfamily LITUOLACEA de Blainville 1827
Family HAURANIIDAE Septfontaine 1988
Subfamily AMIJELLINAE Septfontaine 1988
Alveosepta Hottinger 1967
Subgenus Redmondellina Banner and Whittaker 1991
Type species: Cyclammina jaccardi Schrodt 1894
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TEXT-FIGURE 2
Stratigraphy and simplified lithology of the Oxfordian Hawtah Member in the three measured sections.

Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi (Redmond 1964)
Plate 1, figures 1, 2
Pseudocyclammina powersi REDMOND 1964a, p. 406, pl. 1, figs. 5-8,
pl. 2, figs. 5-8. – REDMOND 1965, p. 406, pl. 2, figs. 1-9.
Alveosepta powersi (Redmond). – HOTTINGER 1967, p. 81-83, figs.
41-42; pl. 1, fig. 15; pl. 16, fig. 20; pl.17, figs. 1-16; pl. 18, figs. 1-12.
Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi (Redmond). – BANNER and
WHITTAKER 1991, p. 43, pl. 1, figs. 1-8.
Material: about 53 tests.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah, Jabal Al Abakkayn and Al-Gaht.
Hanifa Formation, Hawtah Member, Oxfordian.
Dimensions: Diameter = 1.60 mm.
Description: Test coiled, wholly involute, very rarely uncoiled
in the last few chambers, semicircular in side view, an involute,
with broadly rounded margins, cyclamminoid, sutures curved.
Remarks: The specimens are poorly preserved, so the internal
structures cannot be seen clearly. For further details and a com-
prehensive discussion about Pseudocyclammina species of Up-
per Jurassic of Saudi Arabia see: Redmond (1964, p. 406, pl. 2,
figs. 1–9).
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-100.
Suborder NEZZAZATINA Kaminski 2004
Superfamily NEZZAZATOIDEA Hamaoui and Saint-Marc
1970
Family NAUTILOCULINIDAE Loeblich and Tappan 1985
Nautiloculina Mohler 1938
Type species: Nautiloculina oolithica Mohler 1938
Nautiloculina oolithica Mohler 1938
Text-figure 4, G-H
Nautiloculina oolithica MOHLER 1938, p. 19, pl. 4, fig. 1-3: p. 19, fig.
6, pl. 4. figs. 1-3, 6. – LOEBLICH and TAPPAN 1987, p. 71, pl. 54. –
HUGHES 2018, pl. 1, fig, 2-3. – GHALANDARI et al. 2019, text-fig.
6F, G. – KAMINSKI et al. 2020, pl. 2, figs. d–i.
Material: Three specimens in thin sections from Al-Gaddiyah.
Description: Test small, planispiral and involute, with numer-
ous chambers in each whorl, lenticular, globular proloculus fol-
lowed by numerous chambers that increase gradually in size,
almost square chambers in the final whorl lenticular, consists of
approximately 6 whorls of a coil, with approximately 13 low, al-
most square chambers in the final whorl, completely involute,
bilaterally symmetrical.
Dimensions: Diameter between 0.7 and 1 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah.
Remarks: Only one thin section contained Nautiloculina
oolithica, separate specimens were not found.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-105.
Order LOFTUSIIDA Kaminski and Mikhalevich 2004
Suborder ORBITOLININA Kaminski 2004
Superfamily PFENDERINOIDEA Smout and Sugden 1962
Family PFENDERINIDAE Smout and Sugden 1962
Subfamily KURNUBIINAE Redmond 1964
Kurnubia Henson 1948
Type species: Kurnubia palastiniensis Henson 1948
Kurnubia palastiniensis Henson 1948
Plate 1, figures 5-9
Kurnubia palastiniensis HENSON 1948, p. 608, pl. 16, figs. 8, 11, pl. 18,
figs. 10, 11. – SMOUT and SUGDEN 1962, p. 589–590, pl. 73, fig. 16.
–REDMOND 1964; p. 252-254, plate 1, figs. 1-8. – HOTTINGER
1967, p. 90–93, pl. 19, figs. 30–34, 38–48, text-figs. 45, 46. –
KUZNETSOVA 1996, p. 161, pl. 11, figs. 9a, 9b, pl. 12, figs. 4, pl. 19,
figs. 4, 5, 7–9. – HUGHES 2018, pl. 2, figs. 7-8. – GHALANDARI et
al. 2019, text-fig. 7E.
Material: 38 specimens.
Description: Test elongate, fusiform becoming rectangular, test
wall smooth and polished. The proximal end is rounded while
578
Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia
TEXT-FIGURE 3
Examples of microfacies. Scale bar = 200 µm
A Packstone, Al-Ghat.
B Mudstone, Jabal Al Abakkayn.
C Algal wackstone with cf. Salpingoporella sp., Jabal
Al Abakkayn.
D Grainstone with echinoid spines, Jabal Al Abakkayn.
E Spicular grainstone, Jabal Al Abakkayn.
F Wackstone, Jabal Al Abakkayn.
G Grainstone with brachiopod spine, Jabal Al
Abakkayn.
H Foraminiferal wackstone, Jabal Al Abakkayn.
I Grainstone, Al-Gaddiyah.
J Wackstone, Al-Gaddiyah.
K Grainstone with gastropod, Al-Gaddiyah.
L Spicular wack-mudstone, Al-Gaddiyah.
M Wackstone, Al-Gaddiyah.
N Onchoidal grainstone, Al-Gaddiyah.
O Onchoidal grainstone, Al-Gaddiyah.

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the distal end tip. The thickness is approximately constant from
early chambers.
Dimensions: Length = 1.50 mm, width = 0.6 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah, Jabal Al Abakkayn and Al-Gaht.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-102.
Suborder TEXTULARIINA Delage and Hérouard 1896
Superfamily TEXTULARIACEA Ehrenberg 1838
Family EGGERELLIDAE Cushman 1937
Subfamily PARAVALVULININAE Banner, Simmons and
Whittaker 1991
Pseudomarssonella Redmond 1965
Type species: Pseudomarssonella maxima Redmond, 1965
Pseudomarssonella cf. maxima Redmond 1965
Plate 1, figures 11-14, text-figure 4, I
Pseudomarssonella maxima REDMOND 1965, p. 133, pl. 1, figs. 6-7.
Material: About 41 tests.
Description: Test broadly conical, initial part of test a short,
narrow cone increasing slowly in size. Test surfaces generally
flat in early part, slightly inflated in final whorl, surfaces
smooth.
Dimensions: Length = 0.49 mm, width = 0.31 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah, Jabal Al Abakkayn and Al-Gaht.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-101.
Suborder LAGENINA Delage and Hérouard 1896
Superfamily ROBULOIDACEA Reiss 1963
Family VAGINULINIDAE Reuss 1860
Subfamily LENTICULININAE Chapman, Parr and Collins
1934
Lenticulina Lamarck 1804
Type species: Lenticulites rotulatus Lamarck 1804, p. 188, pl. 62,
fig. 11
Lenticulina sp.
Plate 1, figsures 3-4
Material: Two specimens.
Description: Test planispiral, discoidal. Sutures radial, curved.
Chambers increase gradually in size. The distal chamber is
large, elongate to ovate and with flat part at the end.
Dimensions: Length 0.6, width = 1.3 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah and Al-Gaht. Hanifa Formation,
Hawtah Member, Oxfordian.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-103.
Family ELLIPSOLAGENIDAE Silvesteri 1923
Subfamily OOLININAE Loeblich and Tappan 1961
Oolina d’Orbigny 1839
Type species: Oolina laevigata d’Orbigny 1839
Oolina globosa (Montagu 1803)
Plate 1, figure 10
Vermeculum globosum MONTAGU 1803, p. 3, pl. 1, fig. 8.
Oolina globosa (Montagu). – JONES 1994, pp. 61-62, pl. 56, figs. 1-3,
15-16. – GALAL and KAMAL 2004, p. 66, fig. 5/15.
Material: Only one specimen.
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Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia
TEXT-FIGURE 4
Examples of microbiofacies. Scale bar = 200 µm.
AKurnubia sp., Al-Ghat.
B Reefal coral, Al-Ghat.
C Branched stromatoporoid, Al-Ghat.
D Stromatoporoid, Al-Ghat.
E Bivalve cf. Biostra buchi, Al-Gaddiyah.
F Gastropod, Al-Gaddiyah.
GNautiloculina oolithica, Al-Gaddiyah.
HN. oolithica, Transverse section, Al-Gaddiyah.
IPseudomarssonella cf. maxima, Al-Gaddiyah.
JLenticulina sp., Al-Gaddiyah.
K Costate gastropod, Al-Gaddiyah.
LKurnubia palastiniensis. Hawtah Member. Al-Gad-
diyah.
M Tetraxon sponge spicules, Al-Gaddiyah.
N Echinoid spine, Al-Gaddiyah.
OCytherella cf. umbilica ostracod, Al-Gaddiyah.

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Description: Test single, globular to ovate chamber, symmetri-
cal. Chamber slightly longer than wide, wall calcareous, Sur-
face smoothly ornamented with some striae near the aperture.
Aperture is terminal, rounded and has radiating grooves.
Dimensions: Length = 1.95 mm, width = 1.55 mm, max. diame-
ter = 0.98 mm
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah. Hanifa Formation, Hawtah Mem-
ber, Oxfordian.
Remarks: Only one specimen of Oolina globosa is found in
present work.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide No.: KSU.G. FO-104.
Subclass OSTRACODA Llatreille 1806
Order PLATYCOPIDA Sars 1866
Suborder PLATYCOPASars 1866
Superfamily CYTHERELLOIDEA Sars 1866
Family CYTHERELLIDAE Sars 1866
Cytherella Jones 1849
Type species: Cytherina ovata Roemer 1840
Cytherella cf. umbilica Bate 1975
Plate 1, figures 15a-b
Cytherella umbilica BATE 1975, p. 173, pl. 1, figs. 12-14.
Material: Two specimens.
Description: Valve elongate, subovate, with maximum thick-
ness in the posterior part, gradually reduces towards margin.
Anterior end high, symmetrically rounded. Posterior end nearly
of the same height as anterior, with the upper part more sharply
rounded than the lower end. Dorsal margin convex, ventral
margin slightly convex. Surface of the valve smooth. Ventral
posterior margin more sharply rounded than the dorso-ventral
margin.
Dimensions: Length = 0.68 mm, width = 0.33 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah and Jabal Al Abakkayn.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide KSU.G. OS-1203-1204.
Order PODOCOPIDA Muller 1894
Suborder PODOCOPINA Sars 1866
Superfamily CYTHERACEA Baird 1850
Family CYTHERIDAE Baird 1850
Subfamily PROTOCYTHERINAE Baird 1850
Hutsonia Swain 1946
Hutsonia asiatica Neale and Singh 1985
Plate 1, figure 16
Hutsonia asiatica NEALE and SINGH 1985, p. 357, pl. 3, fig. 3-4.
Material: Two specimens.
Description: Carapace elongate in lateral view, slightly tapering
towards the posterior. Highest point of carapace at anterior car-
dinal angle. Surface ornamentation consists of reticulation and
subordinate ribs. Ventro-lateral ridge weak in the posterior part.
Anterior marginal rim elevate. Internal details not seen.
Dimensions: Length = 0.59 mm, width = 0.30 mm.
Occurrence: Al-Gaddiyah and Jabal Al Abakkayn.
Depository: Geology Museum, Department of Geology, King
Saud University; slide KSU.G. OS-1201.
582
Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia
TEXT-FIGURE 5
Bioturbated mixed facies model of an Oxfordian lagoonal inter-shelf environment supported with selected foraminiferal and ostracod species (modified
after Hughes 2004b).

CONCLUSIONS
All the above taxa provide clear evidence of generally quiet and
shallow water, but some possibly indicate higher energy shal-
low water conditions. Generally, deeper open marine conditions
below the wave base are typified by the presence of Lenticulina
sp., Kurnubia sp., and Nautiloculina oolithica. Open marine ag-
glutinated foraminifera that include Pseudocyclammina sp.,
Kurnubia sp. and Nautiloculina oolithica typify moderately
deep marine conditions. The shoal complex includes both lami-
nated and branched stromatoporoids, of which the laminated
form is interpreted as being typical of the distal, higher energy
shoal, probably above wave base. A deep lagoonal environment
is interpreted for the Kurnubia cf. palastiniensis and
Nautiloculina oolithica dominated assemblage. In the studied
sections, no shallow marine miliolid-dominated sediments have
yet been encountered. With regard to age, the identified species
suggest that the Hawtah Member can be assigned an Oxfordian
age.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The author is grateful to Prof. Dr. Abdulmalik El-Khayal, King
Saud University for supervising this work, helpful suggestions,
guiding in field trips, corrections, detailed suggestions and
comments to the manuscript. The author gratefully acknowl-
edges the financial support from KSU, King Abdulaziz City for
Science and Technology (KACST) and the Ministry of Educa-
tion. Thanks are also due to Prof. Dr. Okla, Mr. Hussain Salem
(KSU), Wyn Hughes (Applied Microfacies Ltd.), John
Whittaker, Noel Morris,Clive Jones and Ellis Owen (Natural
History Museum, London) for their numerous stimulating dis-
cussions and helpful suggestions. Dr. Lamidi Babalola
(KFUPM), Septriantri Chan (KFUPM) and Muhammad Malik
(KFUPM) kindly reviewed the paper. I also thank Prof. Michael
Kaminski (KFUPM) for assistance with the literature and for
editing the manuscript.
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Saleh Suliman Aba Alkhayl: Oxfordian Benthic Foraminifera and Ostracods from the Hanifa (Hawtah Member), Central Saudi Arabia
PLATE 1
Scale bar = 200 µm
1-2 Alveosepta (Redmondellina) powersi, lateral views, 1.
Locality: Al-Gaddiyah. 2. locality: Jabal Al Abak-
kayn.
3-4 Lenticulina sp., lateral views, 1. Locality: Al-Gad-
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10 Oolina globosa, lateral view, Locality: Al-Gaddiyah.
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15 Cytherella cf. umbilica, lateral views, Locality:
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16 Hutsonia asiatica, lateral view, Locality: Jabal Al
Abakkayn.

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