PTEROCORYTHOIDEA Haeckel, 1882

Suzuki, Noritoshi, Caulet, Jean-Pierre & Dumitrica, Paulian, 2021, A new integrated morpho- and molecular systematic classification of Cenozoic radiolarians (Class Polycystinea) - suprageneric taxonomy and logical nomenclatorial acts, Geodiversitas 43 (15), pp. 405-573 : 519

Superfamily PTEROCORYTHOIDEA Haeckel, 1882

sensu Suzuki emend. herein

Pterocorida Haeckel, 1882: 435 [below a tribe].

Pterocoryacea – Kozur & Mostler 1984: 122.

Pterocorythoidea – Suzuki in Matsuzaki et al. 2015: 49-50.

DIAGNOSIS. — Pterocorythoidea consist of three segmented Nassellaria with a stout, vertical apical horn, a spherical or elongated cephalis, a truncated conical thorax, and a very variable size last segment. Generally, no feet extend from the abdomen. If feet are present and extend from the abdomen, they remain disconnected from any rods of the cephalis spicular system. An aperture is observable except in the case of a few exceptions. The A-rod side of the MB is positioned very close to the shell wall or may be merged, becoming a part of the shell wall. The V-rod side of the MB is generally located at the center of the cephalic basal aperture. The V-rod is oriented upward at an angle of 30-45 degrees from the horizontal plane. The stability of the cephalis spicular system varies throughout families.

REMARKS

The Pterocorythoidea include the Lophocyrtiidae , Pterocorythidae , Theocotylidae and Theoperidae .As the Pterocorythidae is the only family with living genera ( Anthocyrtidium , Pterocorys , and Theocorythium ), the taxonomic position of the remaining three families is only based on morphological data. Matsuzaki et al. (2015) also included the Lithochytrididae (originally Lychnocaniidae ) but did not conclude Lophocyrtiidae , Theocotylidae and Theoperidae as these families were not encountered in their study. Herein, the diagnosis is altered in order to align with these Cenozoic families. As three families of the Pterocorythoidea are extinct, the evolution between them can only be reconstructed by examining the fossil evidence. From an anatomical perspective, the Spongiopodium -form of Paralampterium has characters that resemble a combination of those found in Lophocyrtiidae and Theoperidae . Calocyclas has a mix of characters found in the Pterocorythidae and the Theocotylidae .