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Batiacasphaera sphaerica

Batiacasphaera sphaerica, Stover, 1977

Holotype: Stover, 1977, pl.1, fig.4
Locus typicus: Corehole 5/5B, Blake Plateau, Western N Atlantic
Stratum typicum: Early Miocene

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Original description: [Stover, 1977, p. 73]:

Description:
Cysts are spherical to subspherical and their shape is rarely modified by folding. Autophragm is thin, 0.5 to about 1 µm, and its outer surface is granulate, punctoreticulate or combination thereof.
Archeopyle is apical, type A, and its principal suture is slightly angular; and accessory archeopyle sutures are normally absent. Operculum is free, large relative to cyst diameter, and its constituent apical paraplates are not differentiated on opercular surface.
Paratabulation expressed by archeopyle only, and indications of paracingulum and parasulcus are absent.

Dimensions:
Overall size 32 to 40 µm.

Affinities:
Batiacasphaera sphaerica differs from B. micropapillata by being more coarsely ornamented, by having a generally thicker autophragm and by maintaining its spherical to subspherical shape.

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

Batiacasphaera sphaerica Stover, 1977, has a granulate, punctoreticulate or combination thereof surface. The species differs from B. micropapillata in being more coarsely ornamented, having a generally thicker autophragm, and in being spherical to subspherical. Edwards (1992) thought that the predispositon of B. micropapillata to crumple and fold was a useful distinguishing feature between the two species. Head (1992) said that B.sphaerica was always larger and always microreticulate or punctate.
Size: overall 32-40 µm.
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