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Taurodinium granulatum
From Fensome et al., 2019:
Fensome et al., 2016b, p.72, pl.14, figs.13–15,17–18. Holotype: Fensome et al., 2016b, pl.14, fig.13.
Age: last occurrence, Bartonian.
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Original description Fensome et al., 2016b:
1992 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al., fig. 6L, M.
1995 Nyktericysta sp. Gregory & Hart, plate 7, figs 6, 7.
2011 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al. 1992 – Nøhr-Hansen et al., figs 3, 4.
2012 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al. 1992 – Nøhr-Hansen, plate X, figs 12–19.
Holotype. Plate 14, fig. 13, from a cuttings sample at 2340 m in Ikermiut-1, offshore West Greenland, MGHU no.
31333, sample Ikermiut 2289, slide s-261-3, England Finder T19-1. Size: overall length 105 μm, length of body 54 μm, body width 35 μm, length of apical horns up to 30 μm, length of lateral horns 13 μm, length of antapical horns 22 μm, wall less than 1 μm thick. The age determined for the sample from which the holotype was recovered is late Thanetian.
Etymology. The epithet is from the Greek granulatum meaning granulate, in reference to the surface ornamentation.
Description. A species of Taurodinium with two apical horns of approximately equal length, two short lateral horns and two antapical horns of unequal length with the left being the longer. The antapical horns narrow at about
one-third along their length. Autophragm smooth to finely granulate, thin, hyaline and often wrinkled. The apical
horns appear to be oriented in a plane perpendicular to that of the other horns, giving the cyst a twisted look.
Size. Overall length 75–105 μm, length of body 40–70 μm, body width 28–60 μm, length of apical horns 15–25 μm, length of lateral horns 7–17 μm, length of antapical horns 10–32 μm; seven specimens measured.
Age. LO: Bartonian; peak early Ypresian.
Remarks. Taurodinium granulatum was originally recorded as ‘Gen. et sp. indet.’ by Piasecki et al. (1992) from a miospore-dominated palynological assemblage devoid of other dinocysts. The assemblage was from a silty shale clast in subaqueous volcanic breccias from the lower Rinks Dal Member, Maligât Formation, West Greenland; the basalts were radiometrically dated as 61.2 ± 0.4 Ma, and thus of Selandian age (Larsen et al. 2015). Gregory & Hart (1995) recorded a specimen of Nyktericysta sp. that may be assignable to Taurodinium granulatum from sediments dated as Thanetian. Nøhr-Hansen et al. (2011) recorded Gen. et sp. indet. of Piasecki et al. (1992) from Thanetian – lower? Ypresian non-marine or marginal marine deposits of north-eastern Greenland. Recently, this species has been found to be common in the Thanetian‒Ypresian non-marine or marginal marine Kulhøje Member in the Kangerlussuaq
Basin, south-eastern Greenland (Nøhr-Hansen 2012). In the present study, Taurodinium granulatum was encountered in wells on the West Greenland continental margin in samples together with the Late Paleocene marker Axiodinium augustum, as well as in samples of Ypresian age from the Saglek Basin. However, the species has been mostly recorded from spore-dominated or marginal marine, algae-dominated assemblages. We thus follow Nøhr-Hansen (2012) in regarding it as a freshwater to brackish-water indicator.
Fensome et al., 2016b, p.72, pl.14, figs.13–15,17–18. Holotype: Fensome et al., 2016b, pl.14, fig.13.
Age: last occurrence, Bartonian.
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Original description Fensome et al., 2016b:
1992 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al., fig. 6L, M.
1995 Nyktericysta sp. Gregory & Hart, plate 7, figs 6, 7.
2011 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al. 1992 – Nøhr-Hansen et al., figs 3, 4.
2012 Gen. et sp. indet. Piasecki et al. 1992 – Nøhr-Hansen, plate X, figs 12–19.
Holotype. Plate 14, fig. 13, from a cuttings sample at 2340 m in Ikermiut-1, offshore West Greenland, MGHU no.
31333, sample Ikermiut 2289, slide s-261-3, England Finder T19-1. Size: overall length 105 μm, length of body 54 μm, body width 35 μm, length of apical horns up to 30 μm, length of lateral horns 13 μm, length of antapical horns 22 μm, wall less than 1 μm thick. The age determined for the sample from which the holotype was recovered is late Thanetian.
Etymology. The epithet is from the Greek granulatum meaning granulate, in reference to the surface ornamentation.
Description. A species of Taurodinium with two apical horns of approximately equal length, two short lateral horns and two antapical horns of unequal length with the left being the longer. The antapical horns narrow at about
one-third along their length. Autophragm smooth to finely granulate, thin, hyaline and often wrinkled. The apical
horns appear to be oriented in a plane perpendicular to that of the other horns, giving the cyst a twisted look.
Size. Overall length 75–105 μm, length of body 40–70 μm, body width 28–60 μm, length of apical horns 15–25 μm, length of lateral horns 7–17 μm, length of antapical horns 10–32 μm; seven specimens measured.
Age. LO: Bartonian; peak early Ypresian.
Remarks. Taurodinium granulatum was originally recorded as ‘Gen. et sp. indet.’ by Piasecki et al. (1992) from a miospore-dominated palynological assemblage devoid of other dinocysts. The assemblage was from a silty shale clast in subaqueous volcanic breccias from the lower Rinks Dal Member, Maligât Formation, West Greenland; the basalts were radiometrically dated as 61.2 ± 0.4 Ma, and thus of Selandian age (Larsen et al. 2015). Gregory & Hart (1995) recorded a specimen of Nyktericysta sp. that may be assignable to Taurodinium granulatum from sediments dated as Thanetian. Nøhr-Hansen et al. (2011) recorded Gen. et sp. indet. of Piasecki et al. (1992) from Thanetian – lower? Ypresian non-marine or marginal marine deposits of north-eastern Greenland. Recently, this species has been found to be common in the Thanetian‒Ypresian non-marine or marginal marine Kulhøje Member in the Kangerlussuaq
Basin, south-eastern Greenland (Nøhr-Hansen 2012). In the present study, Taurodinium granulatum was encountered in wells on the West Greenland continental margin in samples together with the Late Paleocene marker Axiodinium augustum, as well as in samples of Ypresian age from the Saglek Basin. However, the species has been mostly recorded from spore-dominated or marginal marine, algae-dominated assemblages. We thus follow Nøhr-Hansen (2012) in regarding it as a freshwater to brackish-water indicator.