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Valensiella ovulum

Valensiella ovulum (Deflandre 1947) Eisenack 1963; Emendation: Courtinat, 1989, p.183, as Valensiella ovulum.

Originally Membranilarnax, subsequently Favilarnax, thirdly (and now) Valensiella.

Holotype: Deflandre, 1947, text-fig.22
Locus typicus: Villers-sur-Mer, France
Stratum typicum: Bajocian
Translation Deflandre, 1947: LPP
Translation Courtinat, 1989: LPP

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G.L. Williams short notes on species, Mesozoic-Cenozoic dinocyst course, Urbino, Italy, May 17-22, 1999 - LPP VIEWER CD-ROM 99.5.

Valensiella ovulum (Deflandre, 1947d) Eisenack, 1963a, emend. Courtenat, 1989. Ovoidal cyst with a fine-meshed, irregular but complete reticulum. There is no trace of tabulation except for the archeopyle. Size: length 55-65 µm (including crests), width 44-55 µm (including ornament), length 48-55 (excluding ornament), width 37-45 ( excluding ornament).
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Original description: Deflandre 1947, p. 9: Membranilarnax ovulum
Body ovoidal or ellipsoidal, covered by a system of heavy crests, dividing the body into more or less irregular, polygonal plates. Where these crests meet, a sort of branched processes are formed, that may sometimes stand alone. A thin membrane, supported by the crest/process system and often largely destructed, envelopes the entire body. The drawings show remnants of this membrane. The body is often open at one of the extremities and the outline of the holotype is completed by comparison with a complete specimen. Approximate dimensions: without ornamentation: length 48-55 µm, breadth 37-45 µm; with ornamentation: length 55-65 µm, breadth 44-55 µm.

Supplemental description: Ioannoides et al., 1977, p. 464
Shell ovoidal to spherical; surface smooth to granulate, entirely covered by more or less irregular polygons formed by fusion of crests. Simple or branched supporting processes usually present at crest nodes. Thin membrane, supported by projection of muri beyond body margin, surrounding inner body. Faint indication of cingulum may sometimes occur but no tabulation observed. Archaeopyle, when developed, apical.
Dimensions. Range: overall length 35-54 Ám breadth 30-48 Ám; crests 1 Ám or less to 4.5 Ám in height (20 specimens measured).

Emended diagnosis: Courtinat, 1989, p.183
Proximate cyst composed of an autophragm only, ornamented with a reticulum and delicate, irregular but always complete meshes. Absence of all traces of paratabulation, with the exception of the archaeopyle and the form of the operculum, which suggests the presence of 4 apical and no intercalary paraplates. The apical archaeopyle does not present accessory sutures; the operculum is free and multiplated.
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