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Comparodinium
From Williams et al., 2017:
[Comparodinium, Morbey, 1975, p. 43; Emendation: Wille and Gocht, 1979, p. 226, 228
Type species: Comparodinium koessenium, Morbey, 1975 (pl.15, figs.14a–b; text-fig.19a, no.a)]
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Original description: [Morbey, 1975]: (Translation: LPP)
Diagnosis:
Cyst chorate, marginate, spheroidal, cylindrical, ovoidal, spherical in shape. Wall thin, smooth or microsculptate. Tabulation indeterminate, vaguely defined by intratabular and plate-bounding processes, and sutures when evident. Processes hollow, simple or compound heteromorphic, tractal in development, equal or unequal in number per tract per individual.
Cingulum reflected by unornamented equatorial region. Sulcus or sulcal area may or may not be apparent.
Archaeopyle apical.
Operculum partially or completely detached in specimens where archaeopyle evident.
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Modified description:
Stover and Evitt, 1978, p. 32-33:
Synopsis:
Cysts skolochorate, body subspherical to ellipsoidal with numerous processes arranged in intratabular groups or possibly aligned parasuturally; processes absent in relatively wide paracingular area; archeopyle apical, atypical, type uncertain.
Description:
Shape: Body subspherical to ellipsoidal.
Wall relationships: Autophragm only.
Wall features: Parasutural features possibly determinable by alignment of some processes; autophragm smooth, granulate to microreticulate. Processes arranged in intratabular groups, hollow, with slightly expanded bases and generally flared tips.
Paratabulation: Indicated by paracingulum, possibly by archeopyle as well.
Archeopyle: Apical, atypical, type uncertain; principal archeopyle suture zigzag or more or less circular; operculum free or adherent; constituent paraplates not indicated, or possibly composed of two paraplates.
Paracingulum: Indicated by relatively wide equatorial band free of processes.
Parasulcus: Generally not indicated.
Size: Small.
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Emended description:
Wille and Gocht, 1979:
Diagnosis:
Body ellipsoidal, ovoidal or rounded cylindrical. Wall single layered. Ornamentation variable: thin processes (solid or hollow), thorns, conical warts, ridges, polar processes sometimes larger. Sutural or intratabular ornamentation indicates the tabulation scheme: 1pr, 5`, 5-6a, X``, Xc, X```, 5p, 1````; ?5s (constructed on C.punctatum).
Archaeopyle apical, formed in general by loss of 3` and 4` (formula 2A); archaeopyle suture non-congruent with reflected tabulation: left operculum displaced towards pole, right operculum towards girdle.
Affinities:
Comparodinium differs from Bourkidinium in having more numerous processes that extend over a much larger portion of the autocyst, leaving only the paracingular area without processes. In Bourkidinium, the processes are confined to the extreme polar areas.
[Comparodinium, Morbey, 1975, p. 43; Emendation: Wille and Gocht, 1979, p. 226, 228
Type species: Comparodinium koessenium, Morbey, 1975 (pl.15, figs.14a–b; text-fig.19a, no.a)]
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Original description: [Morbey, 1975]: (Translation: LPP)
Diagnosis:
Cyst chorate, marginate, spheroidal, cylindrical, ovoidal, spherical in shape. Wall thin, smooth or microsculptate. Tabulation indeterminate, vaguely defined by intratabular and plate-bounding processes, and sutures when evident. Processes hollow, simple or compound heteromorphic, tractal in development, equal or unequal in number per tract per individual.
Cingulum reflected by unornamented equatorial region. Sulcus or sulcal area may or may not be apparent.
Archaeopyle apical.
Operculum partially or completely detached in specimens where archaeopyle evident.
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Modified description:
Stover and Evitt, 1978, p. 32-33:
Synopsis:
Cysts skolochorate, body subspherical to ellipsoidal with numerous processes arranged in intratabular groups or possibly aligned parasuturally; processes absent in relatively wide paracingular area; archeopyle apical, atypical, type uncertain.
Description:
Shape: Body subspherical to ellipsoidal.
Wall relationships: Autophragm only.
Wall features: Parasutural features possibly determinable by alignment of some processes; autophragm smooth, granulate to microreticulate. Processes arranged in intratabular groups, hollow, with slightly expanded bases and generally flared tips.
Paratabulation: Indicated by paracingulum, possibly by archeopyle as well.
Archeopyle: Apical, atypical, type uncertain; principal archeopyle suture zigzag or more or less circular; operculum free or adherent; constituent paraplates not indicated, or possibly composed of two paraplates.
Paracingulum: Indicated by relatively wide equatorial band free of processes.
Parasulcus: Generally not indicated.
Size: Small.
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Emended description:
Wille and Gocht, 1979:
Diagnosis:
Body ellipsoidal, ovoidal or rounded cylindrical. Wall single layered. Ornamentation variable: thin processes (solid or hollow), thorns, conical warts, ridges, polar processes sometimes larger. Sutural or intratabular ornamentation indicates the tabulation scheme: 1pr, 5`, 5-6a, X``, Xc, X```, 5p, 1````; ?5s (constructed on C.punctatum).
Archaeopyle apical, formed in general by loss of 3` and 4` (formula 2A); archaeopyle suture non-congruent with reflected tabulation: left operculum displaced towards pole, right operculum towards girdle.
Affinities:
Comparodinium differs from Bourkidinium in having more numerous processes that extend over a much larger portion of the autocyst, leaving only the paracingular area without processes. In Bourkidinium, the processes are confined to the extreme polar areas.