Juraella bifurcata B ERNIER, 1984 (calcareous alga,
Gymnocodiaceae?) is described from the Lower Cretaceous
(Barremian) Tirgan Formation of the Kopet Dagh
sedimentary basin, northeast Iran. Juraella bifurcata
represents a rather poorly known alga reported so far only
from the Upper Jurassic of SE France (type-locality) and
Austria, and the Lower Cretaceous of Romania and southItaly. The new findings reveal possible preserved cysts
inside the enlarged swollen filaments indicating their role
as reproductive organs. The genus Juraella can be well
placed in the siphonous bryopsidalean green algae; family
uncertain. The belonging to the Gymnocodiaceae is shortly
discussed and considered doubtful.
