Palaeotrifidus Renz, 1990

Noble, Paula, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Danelian, Taniel, Dumitrica, Paulian, Maletz, Jörg, Suzuki, Noritoshi, Cuvelier, Jessie, Caridroit, Martial & O’Dogherty, Luis, 2017, Taxonomy of Paleozoic radiolarian genera, Geodiversitas 39 (3), pp. 419-502 : 455

Palaeotrifidus Renz, 1990

Palaeotrifidus Renz, 1990: 374 (n. syn.)

TYPE SPECIES. — Palaeotrifidus ballator Renz, 1990 ( Renz 1990: 374, pl. 3, fig. 4, 6, 8-10).

AGE AND LOCATION OF TYPE MATERIAL. — Katian, Upper Ordovician, Nevada.

TAXON CODE. — 153.

STATUS. — Junior synonym of Palaeophippium Goodbody, 1986 (herein).

DIAGNOSIS. — “Two strong equal apical spines radiate at less than right angles to each other from a very short central bar or point. Three similarly strong but longer basal spines radiate at equal angles below the bar, sometimes bifurcating distally. Secondary spines present on occasion show different forms of multiple branching, sometimes meeting and forming an encircling girdle.” ( Renz 1990: 374).

REMARKS

This genus fits with the description of Palaeophippium Goodbody, 1986, as it overlaps in both the position and number of rays, as well as the branching of the basal rays. Noble & Webby (2009: 555) indicated that the type species of this genus showed large variation, including instability of the position of the rays between apical, basal, and intermediate positions, and synonymized the type species, Palaeotrifidus ballator , with Palaeoephippium octaramosum (each of which had previously been assigned different genera based on the position of the rays).