An Early Albian shallow marine coral fauna from Southern France – insight into evolution and palaeobiogeography of Cretaceous corals

A species-rich hermatypic coral fauna from the late Early Albian (Mammillatum Zone) from Padern (Les Corbières, Aude, France) is taxonomically revised. The fauna encompasses 45 species in 24 genera. Genera of the suborders Faviina and Microsolenina dominate, followed by genera of the suborders Stylinina and Fungiina. The suborders Caryophylliina, Fungiina, Heterocoeniina, Meandrinina and Rhipidogyrina are represented by only a few genera. One species of the genus Parnassomeandra is described as new. The hitherto poorly known genera Trochoseropsis and Cyathophoropsis are supported with new material and described and depicted in greater detail. The overall faunal composition is comparable to Aptian to Early Albian coral faunas of the same region and facies; however, the fauna shows some exotic elements that persisted into the Late Cretaceous. Most species are known from Barremian to Albian faunas of the western Atlantic, the Aptian of the Central Tethys and the Albian Boreal South England Basin.