Sphenolithus grandis

Haq & Berggren, 1978 May 05, 2021

Set number: 613

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10µm

Sphenolithus grandis, Middle Miocene, DSDP Leg 25, Site 242, Mozambique Channel (Davie Ridge), Indian Ocean

Set number: 1246

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10µm

Sphenolithus grandis, Late Miocene, DSDP Leg 23, Site 225, Red Sea

Set number: 885

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10µm

Sphenolithus grandis, Late Miocene, Gulf of Mexico

Final Epithet

Sphenolithus grandis Haq & Berggren, 1978

Basionym

Sphenolithus grandis Haq & Berggren, 1978

Description

Large (>7.0µm) dome shape sphenolith having a bouquet of flower shape clustered apical cycle which is only bearly distinguished from lateral cycles at 45° with the help of gypsum plate.

The lateral and proximal cycles are about the same height. The proximal cycle is a frustum shape with conical proximal cavity.

Remarks

Sphenolithus grandis is distinguished from Sphenolithus pacificus Martini (1965) and Sphenolithus abies Deflandre, 1953 ex Deflandre in Deflandre & Fert, 1954 by being larger than 7.0µm. It is further differentiated from Sphenolithus abies by being dome shape.
Sphenolithus grandis differs from Sphenolithus puniceus Bergen & de Kaenel in Bergen et al., 2017 by being delicate and less birefringent.

References

Bergen, J. A., de Kaenel, E., Blair, S. A., Boesiger, T. M., Browning, E., 2017. Oligocene-Pliocene taxonomy and stratigraphy of the genus Sphenolithus in the circum North Atlantic Basin: Gulf of Mexico and ODP Leg 154. Journal of Nannoplankton Research 37(2-3), 77-112.

Bramlette, M. N., Wilcoxon, J. A., 1967. Middle Tertiary calcareous nannoplankton of the Cipero section, Trinidad, W.I. Tulane Studies in Geology and Paleontology 5, 93-131.

Brönnimann, P., Stradner, H., 1960. Die Foraminiferen- und Discoasteriden-zonen von Kuba und ihre interkontinentale Korrelation. Erdoel-Zeitschrift 76(10), 364-369.

Deflandre, G., 1953. Hétérogénéité intrinsèque et pluralité des éleménts dans les coccolithes actuels et fossiles. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Séances de l'Académie des Sciences, Paris 237, 1785-1787.

Deflandre, G., Fert, C., 1954. Observations sur les coccolithophoridés actuels et fossiles en microscopie ordinaire et électronique. Annales de Paléontologie 40, 115-176.

Haq, B. U., Berggren, W. A., 1978. Late Neogene calcareous plankton biochronology of the Rio Grande Rise (South Atlantic Ocean). Journal of Paleontology 52, 1167-1194.

Martini, E., 1965. Mid-Tertiary calcareous nannoplankton from Pacific deep-sea cores. Colston Papers 17, 393-411.

Taxonomy

Sphenolithus

Biostratigraphy

Stratigraphic Range

Serravalian - Messinian

Age (Ma)

13.82? - 5.33?

Holotype

Sphenolithus grandis Haq & Berggren, 1978

Late Miocene

Rio Grande Rise, South Atlantic Ocean