Back
Diphyes digitum
From Fensome et al., 2019:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original description Awad and Oboh-Ikenobe, 2016:
Original description Awad and Oboh-Ikenobe, 2016:
Diphyes digitum sp. nov. Plate I; 6e10; Plate II; 1,2
Holotype: ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-1931-S1, EF H33, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 6.
Paratypes: Paratype 1. ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-1931-S1, EF E30, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 7.
Paratype 2. ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-
1931-S1, EF R30/4, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 8.
Type locality: Lower Paleocene of ODP Hole 959D, Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin, West Africa. Lithological unit III (Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996).
Etymology: From the Latin “digitus”, meaning finger, with reference to finger-like process endings.
Diagnosis: A species of Diphyes having slender processes with finger-like endings. The antapical process is long and slender, sometimes tapering to a point.
Description: Chorate cysts, subspherical to ovoidal. Processes exceed 50, with one large process in the antapical to four processes in the other plates. The processes may be simple or bifurcate and commonly having 3 to 5 further branches distally. In appearance the processes are reminiscent of a hand. Some processes are connected halfway along their length. The antapical process is longer, commonly tapering but sometimes expanded and branched. The archaeopyle is typically precingular P3” (Plate I; 6, 7, 9, 10) or apical (4A) with an attached operculum (Plate I; 8). However, one specimen (Plate II; 1, 2) had a combination precingular-apical type (4A) P300 with a detached operculum. Several other studies have suggested that Diphyes spp. display a variation in archaeopyle type (Goodman and Witmer, 1985; Fauconnier and Masure, 2004; Fensome et al., 2009), generally apical with formula (4A) but may be P300 or (4A) P300 .
Dimensions: Holotype: width x length: 40 45 mm, length of processes 15 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm. Paratype 1: width x length: 30 40 mm, length of processes 13 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm. Paratype 2: width x length: 40 45 mm, length of processes 12 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm.
Average dimensions: length: 40e45 mm, width: 30e40 mm, length of antapical process: 20e25 mm and length of processes: 10e15 mm. 18 specimens measured.
Stratigraphic range: Diphyes digitum sp. nov. was observed in ODP Hole 959D from 860.7 mbsf to 867.6 mbsf (Early Paleocene). The new species has common occurrence, a short stratigraphic range, and its last occurrence in the Danian; its first occurrence is not recorded in this study. Jan du Ch^ene (1988), Willumsen et al. (2004), and Antolinez and Oboh-Ikuenobe (2007) recorded somewhat similar specimens with bifid rather than finger like processes in Upper Cretaceous-Danian sections in West African.
Comparison: Diphyes digitum sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus in having processes that distally split into three to five branches. Diphyes colligerum (Deflandre and Cookson, 1955) has finely serrate or entire processes but lacks furcation. Processes in Diphyes sp. 1 (Jan du Ch^ene, 1988; Willumsen et al., 2004) and Diphyes bifidum (Antolinez and Oboh-Ikuenobe, 2007) are bifurcate. Diphyes recurvatum (May, 1980) has fibrous processes with distally trifurcate and recurved prongs, whereas Diphyes digitum sp. nov. has a combination of different types of processes that are simple or bifurcate commonly with 3e5 further branches distally. In addition, the large antapical process in Diphyes recurvatum has lateral tubules and spines at the distal end, which is not present in Diphyes digitum sp. nov.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Original description Awad and Oboh-Ikenobe, 2016:
Original description Awad and Oboh-Ikenobe, 2016:
Diphyes digitum sp. nov. Plate I; 6e10; Plate II; 1,2
Holotype: ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-1931-S1, EF H33, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 6.
Paratypes: Paratype 1. ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-1931-S1, EF E30, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 7.
Paratype 2. ODP Hole 959D, 860.7 mbsf, sample CIG16, slide MST-
1931-S1, EF R30/4, Early Paleocene. Plate I; 8.
Type locality: Lower Paleocene of ODP Hole 959D, Côte d’Ivoire-Ghana Transform Margin, West Africa. Lithological unit III (Shipboard Scientific Party, 1996).
Etymology: From the Latin “digitus”, meaning finger, with reference to finger-like process endings.
Diagnosis: A species of Diphyes having slender processes with finger-like endings. The antapical process is long and slender, sometimes tapering to a point.
Description: Chorate cysts, subspherical to ovoidal. Processes exceed 50, with one large process in the antapical to four processes in the other plates. The processes may be simple or bifurcate and commonly having 3 to 5 further branches distally. In appearance the processes are reminiscent of a hand. Some processes are connected halfway along their length. The antapical process is longer, commonly tapering but sometimes expanded and branched. The archaeopyle is typically precingular P3” (Plate I; 6, 7, 9, 10) or apical (4A) with an attached operculum (Plate I; 8). However, one specimen (Plate II; 1, 2) had a combination precingular-apical type (4A) P300 with a detached operculum. Several other studies have suggested that Diphyes spp. display a variation in archaeopyle type (Goodman and Witmer, 1985; Fauconnier and Masure, 2004; Fensome et al., 2009), generally apical with formula (4A) but may be P300 or (4A) P300 .
Dimensions: Holotype: width x length: 40 45 mm, length of processes 15 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm. Paratype 1: width x length: 30 40 mm, length of processes 13 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm. Paratype 2: width x length: 40 45 mm, length of processes 12 mm, length of antapical process 20 mm.
Average dimensions: length: 40e45 mm, width: 30e40 mm, length of antapical process: 20e25 mm and length of processes: 10e15 mm. 18 specimens measured.
Stratigraphic range: Diphyes digitum sp. nov. was observed in ODP Hole 959D from 860.7 mbsf to 867.6 mbsf (Early Paleocene). The new species has common occurrence, a short stratigraphic range, and its last occurrence in the Danian; its first occurrence is not recorded in this study. Jan du Ch^ene (1988), Willumsen et al. (2004), and Antolinez and Oboh-Ikuenobe (2007) recorded somewhat similar specimens with bifid rather than finger like processes in Upper Cretaceous-Danian sections in West African.
Comparison: Diphyes digitum sp. nov. differs from other species of the genus in having processes that distally split into three to five branches. Diphyes colligerum (Deflandre and Cookson, 1955) has finely serrate or entire processes but lacks furcation. Processes in Diphyes sp. 1 (Jan du Ch^ene, 1988; Willumsen et al., 2004) and Diphyes bifidum (Antolinez and Oboh-Ikuenobe, 2007) are bifurcate. Diphyes recurvatum (May, 1980) has fibrous processes with distally trifurcate and recurved prongs, whereas Diphyes digitum sp. nov. has a combination of different types of processes that are simple or bifurcate commonly with 3e5 further branches distally. In addition, the large antapical process in Diphyes recurvatum has lateral tubules and spines at the distal end, which is not present in Diphyes digitum sp. nov.