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Culversphaera

From Fensome et al., 2019:

Culversphaera, Prince et al., 2008, p.88.
Type: Clarke and Verdier, 1967, pl.10, fig.2, as Nematosphaeropsis velata.

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Original description: [Prince et al., 2008]:

Diagnosis:
Culversphaera has an apical archaeopyle, type tA and an outer membrane supported by long processes, the tips having widely varying morphology. The bases of the processes are connected to form zones. These zones approximate to plate boundaries but the precise affinities between the zones and paratabulation is not known. No paracingular zones can be seen.

Description:
Inner body round to oval, thick bodied with a very fine reticulate ornament. The inner body is divided into zones, pentagonal to polygonal in shape, by ridges and membranes such that the outer and inner bodies are widely separated. The zones are equatorially aligned but the boundaries between the zones do not conform to any known style of paratabulation. A paracingular series of zones is absent. From the ridges arise long processes which support the thin outer membrane. The tips of the processes may be trifurcate as in Spiniferites or irregularly furcate. The processes are located where two or more ridges meet (gonal position if the zones are assumed to be paratabulation).

Affinities:
Glaphyrocysta has an ornament that becomes thinner or is completely absent in the mid-dorsal and midventral areas. Adnatosphaeridium has intratabular processes; Nematosphaeropsis and Spiniferites both have precingular archaeopyles; Eatonicysta and Areosphaeridium both have intratabular processes and lack proximal connections between the processes.
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