Surirella lorenyangensis Brindle, Mohan & Stone, 2018

Brindle, Matthew, Mohan, Joseph, Beck, Catherine & Stone, Jeffery R., 2018, Three novel species of Bacillariophyta (Diatoms) in the genera Surirella and Thalassiosira from Pleistocene Paleolake Lorenyang (~ 2 - 1.6 Ma) Turkana Basin, Kenya, Phytotaxa 371 (3), pp. 230-240 : 233-235

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/phytotaxa.371.3.6

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038887AF-7012-C718-FF0D-FE68FECCFE8E

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Surirella lorenyangensis Brindle, Mohan & Stone
status

sp. nov.

Surirella lorenyangensis Brindle, Mohan & Stone spec. nov. ( Figs 3 View FIGURE 3 & 4 View FIGURE 4 )

Valves are heteropolar, ovate, being symmetrical about the apical axis. Foot pole is subrostrate and slightly protracted, whereas the head pole is cuneate to rounded. Valve length ranges between 92–175 μm, widths are 31–43 μm. Distal ends of the median line and alar wings are arched toward the cingulum (base of the apical plane)( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 , A). Valve face convex, raised along the median line and covered in granules ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 , E & G). Small poroids are sparse. Raphe positioned in a slightly raised keel along the external margin of the alar wing ( Fig. 4 View FIGURE 4 , F).

Type: — West Turkana Kaitio , northwestern Kenya, (4.109722° N, 35.871781° E) Pleistocene lake sediment core of the Natoo Member of the Nachukui Formation sediment core ( HSPDP-WTK13-1 A) material, sediment depth ~ 60 meters below surface, collected by Feibel, C., Cohen, A., & Beck, C., July 2013, holotype, designated here GoogleMaps ; deposited in ANSP! GC17191 (Circled specimen on slide WTK 173, illustrated herein as Fig. 3 View FIGURE 3 , C) .

Etymology: — Surirella lorenyangensis is named as pertaining to Paleolake Lorenyang, the lake that existed in the Turkana Basin from 2.0 - 1.5 Ma ( Brown & Feibel 1991; Lepre et al. 2007).

Remarks:— Surirella lorenyangensis resembles S. turkanensis Reichardt (1994: 129) by having similar size range and happens to reside in the modern Lake Turkana whereas Paleolake Lorenyang was present in the same basin. S. lorenyangensis differs from S. turkanensis by being heteropolar, exhibiting a distinct headpole and footpole. Terminal raphe ends and alar wings of S. lorenyangensis are also much more down-turned than in S. turkanensis .

Class: Mediophyceae

Order Thalassiosirales

Family Thalassiosiraceae

Thalassiosira

ANSP

Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

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