Late Ordovician Ostracodes from Sardinia and Perigondwanan Ostracode Palaeobiogeography

A Late Ordovician ostracode fauna from Sardinia comprises more than 45 species of beyrichiocopes and podocopes. There is a total of 13 named new species of the genera Grammolomatella, Pseudulrichia, Antiaechmina, Postceratia, Arpaschmidtella, Bairdiocypridella, Prorectella, Dornbuschia, Velapezoides, Bairdia as well as of the new genus Sardicornina. The podocopes constitute about two thirds of all species, the binodicopes take three fourth of the beyrichiocopes. The fauna shows close relationships to faunas from both Thuringia and Central Iran (Yazd Block). The closest relations exist to Iran and the fauna of the so-called Bairdiocypridella clasts of the Thuringian Lederschiefer. Therefore, Thuringia, Sardinia and Central Iran can be regarded as a palaeobiogeographic ostracode province, here called the Thuringian province. Within Gondwana/Perigondwana two further ostracode provinces, the Armorican and Australian provinces can be distinguished.