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Carpathodinium predae

Carpathodinium predae, (Beju, 1971); Emendations: Drugg, 1978; Below 1990

Originally Meiourogonyaulax?, subsequently Lithodinia?, thirdly (and now) Carpathodinium.
At the time of the transfer, Drugg, 1978, emended the diagnosis of this species.

Holotype: Beju, 1971, pl.4, fig.4a-b; text-fig.5
Locus typicus: Poiana Mare near Craiova, Romania
Stratum typicum: Callovian-Oxfordian

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Original description as Meiourogonyaulax? predae: [Beju 1971, p. 288-289]:

Diagnosis:
Shell elongated ovoidal, epitract and hypotract almost isoradiametrical. When present, the apical horn is small and of triphid appearance. Shell wall thin, levigate.
Tabulation: 4', 1a, 6'', 6c, 6''', 1p, 1'''': plate boundaries outlined by low and narrow crests.
Cingulum relatively broad, slightly laevorotatory; sulcus of moderate width with a short epitractal section, broadening posteriorly.
Archaeopyle formed by total or partial loss of apex.

Description:
Shell wall about 1 µm thick. When present, the apical horn is triangular in cross-section being made up by the elongated plates 1', 3', 4', but in most of the specimens seen the apex is lacking to form an archaeopyle with irregular margins. Six precingular plates are present, plates 6'' and 1' being reduced to accommodate an almost rhomboidal anterior intercalary plate. Cingulum 3-7 µm wide, divided into six plates. Six postcingular plates are present, plate 1''' being elongated and reduced to accommodate a small posterior intercalary plate. The antapex formed by a large plate in form of a subspherical calotte which extends mostly on the ventral side.

Dimensions:
Overall length: 56-74 µm; overall width: 33-46 µm.

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Emended descriptions:


Drugg, 1978, p. 64:

Description:
Cyst ovoidal and elongate, epicyst and hypocyst usually about equal but with the epicyst sometimes being slightly shorter than the hypocyst. A small apical projection is present. The wall is laevigate and about 1 µm thick. A few scattered verrucae are sometimes present.
The paratabulation is seemingly 3', 3a, 6'', 6c, 6''', 1p, 1'''' (see Text-fig. 2A-F).
The parasutures are about 1.5 µm in height and are occasionally slightly beaded. The laevorotory paracingulum is about 5 µm wide.
Paraplates 1' and 3' are elongated and 2' is small and apparently triangular. The intercalary paraplates 1a and 3a are small and rectangular. Paraplate 2a is apparently five-sided and quite large.
The archeopyle is seemingly formed by the loss of paraplates 2' and 2a.

Dimensions:
The cyst length ranges from 45-74 µm and the width ranges from 29-46 µm. Measurements were made on 15 specimens.

Affinities: (p. 65):
This genus and species differs from all previously described fossil dinoflagellate cysts in paratabulation and mode of archaeopyle formation. The basic paratbulation is gonyaulacoid but the three intercalaries on the epicyst represent an anomalous feature.

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Below, 1990, p. 45-46: (Translation: LPP):

Description:
Vesicle/plate arrangement on dinoflagellate amphiesma cop, pop, cap, 3', 4a, 6'', 7c, 6''', 1'''',as, FM, ls, rs, ps; 1' exsert; adelopore on suture 1'/6'; growth of thecal plates gonyaulacoidal.
Zygote cyst habit proximate, acavate, finicavate, elongate ellipsoidal to poluhedrical, epicyst conical, pyramidal and with and apical hornlet, equally large as or slightly smaller than the mensaform hypocyst; wall consisting of thin pedium and alceolarly structured luxuria, which distally fused with the tegillum or is irregularly perforated near the poles; divided into areae by low, finate, distally smooth, along the archaeopyle sutures distally irregularly serrate, locally coarsely fenestrate, finate septa/ridges; areation scheme cop, pop, cap, 3', 4a, 6'', 7c, 6''', 2'''', as, FM, ls, rs, ps; cop tiny, round, forming apical peg and surrounded by horseshoe-shaped pop, tiny rhombic to tear- or lancet-shaped cap ventrally between 2', 3' and cop;
- 3 apicals: small steno caroidal 1' (V) exsert, porichnion on finis 1'/6', IX 2' (VVL), X 3' (VVR);
- 4 anterior intercalaries: caroidal 1a (L), inversely camerate 2a (D), camerate 3a (DDR), caroidal 4a (R);
- 6 precingulars: anterior bigeniculate IV-nE 1'' (VVL), anteriorly geniculate V-nE 2'' (LVL), anteriorly geniculate V-nE 3'' (DL), anteriorly bigeniculate VI-nE 4'', finis 3''/4'' dorsal, anteriorly geniculate V-nE 5'' (RVR), anteriorrly geniculate V-nE 6'' (VVR);
- cingulum spiral, laevorotatory, lati 1c to 6c, steno 7c;
- 6 postcingulars: posteriorly linear VI-nE 1''' (VVL), posteriorly linear Iv-nE 2''' (VL), posteriorly geniculate V-nE 3''' (DL), posteriorly linear IV-nE 4''' (D), posteriorly linear IV-nE 5''' (R), posteriorly linear VI-nE 6''' (VVR);
- 2 antapicals: V 1'''' inclined towards Vl, VI 2'''' towards V;
- sulcus areate, small, steno VI as, steno VI FM, small IV ls and V rs, large omegaform VI ps;
- archaeopyle anterior intercalary, 2a+3a; operculum solvate, opercular plates secate, general opercular formula 2a(s)+3a(s).

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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.

Carpathodinium predae (Beju, 1971) Drugg, 1978, emend. Drugg, 1978, emend. Below, 1990. This species has an epicyst and hypocyst of approximately equal size. There is a small apical projection. The wall is laevigate. Parasutures about 1.5 Fm height and may be beaded. The archeopyle results from the loss of 2a, but see above. The tabulation is pareodinioid.
Size: overall length 56-74 µm, width 33-36 µm.
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