Thurstonia? robusta Cifer, 2020

Cifer, Tim, Goričan, Špela, Gawlick, Hans-Jürgen & Auer, Matthias, 2020, Pliensbachian, Early Jurassic radiolarians from Mount Rettenstein in the Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 65 (1), pp. 167-207 : 180

Thurstonia? robusta Cifer sp. nov.

Fig. 6U, W .

1987 Beturiella (?) spp.; Hattori 1987: pl. 23: 2 (only).

ZooBank LCID: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4C67029D-237C-4508-B720-BF5E90092585

Etymology: From the Latin robustus, strong, though. In reference to its strong and big spines.

Type material: Holotype, PMS 2399 , sample Rö417: stub Rö417_093 Fig. 6U ). Paratypes: PMS 2399 , sample Rö417: stub Rö417_090 ; PMS 2399 , sample Rö417: stub Rö417_098, all from type locality and age .

Type locality: Mount Rettenstein , Northern Calcareous Alps, Austria .

Type horizon: Sample Rö 417, grey marly limestone, Lower Pliensbachian .

Material.— Sample Rö37: stub Rö37_2 (one specimen); sample Rö38: stub Rö38_1 (one specimen); sample Rö416: stub Rö416_6 (four specimens); sample Rö417: stub Rö417 two specimens), all from type locality and age.

Diagnosis.— Thurstonia with branched spines.

Description.—Test with large spherical cortical shell with six spines. Pore frames small- to medium-sized and irregularly shaped. Pore frame vertices have prominent, rounded nodes. All spines are approximately equal in length, usually longer than diameter of cortical shell. Spines are three-bladed with rounded longitudinal ridges; secondary grooves present in some specimens ( Fig. 6V ). Spines are branched distally.

Dimensions. —See Table 2.

Remarks.— Thurstonia? robusta sp. nov. differs from Thurstonia timberensis Whalen and Carter and all other species of Thurstonia by having branched and larger spines. The generic assignment of Thurstonia? robusta sp. nov. is under question, because the genus Thurstonia is a homonym.

Stratigraphic and geographic range. —Northern Calcareous Alps ( Austria), Japan. Lower Pliensbachian (this study).

Figures

Fig. 6. Radiolarians from Mount Rettenstein, Austria, Pliensbachian, Early Jurassic. A. Empirea sp. 1, sample Rö416. B. Acaeniotylopsis ghostensis (Carter in Carter et al., 1988); sample Rö416. C, D. Liassobetraccium bavaricum (Kozur and Mostler, 1990); sample Rö37. E, F. Liassobetraccium verticispinosum (Kozur and Mostler, 1990); sample Rö37. G–J. Tozerium filzmoosense Cifer sp. nov. G. Holotype, sample Rö416: 170717. H. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170503. I. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170739. J. Paratype, sample Rö37: 171105. K–O. Loupanus pliensbachicus Cifer sp. nov. K. Holotype, sample Rö416: 170562. L. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170559. M. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170757. N. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170704. O. Paratype, sample Rö416: 170560. P, Q. Loupanus sp. 1; sample Rö417. R, S. Thurstonia? timberensis Whalen and Carter in Carter et al., 1998; sample Rö416. T. Thurstonia? minutaglobus Whalen and Carter in Carter et al., 1998; sample Rö416. U–W. Thurstonia? robusta Cifer sp. nov. U. Holotype, sample Rö417: Rö417_093.V. Paratype, sample Rö417: Rö417_090. W. Paratype, sample Rö417: Rö417_098.