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Spiniferites incertus

Spiniferites incertus (Klumpp, 1953, p.389–390, pl.17, figs.1–2) Sarjeant, 1981, p.109–110. Emendations: Morgenroth, 1966a, p.15, as Hystrichosphaera incerta; Sarjeant, 1981, p.109–110, as Spiniferites incertus.

Originally Areoligera, subsequently Hystrichosphaera, thirdly (and now) Spiniferites.
Tax. jr. synonym of Hystrichosphaera (now Spiniferites) pseudofurcata Klumpp, 1953, according to Gocht, 1969. Sarjeant, 1981, retained Hystrichosphaera (as Spiniferites) incerta as a separate species.
Morgenroth, 1966, emended the diagnosis of this species, as Hystrichosphaera incerta.

Holotype: Klumpp, 1953, pl.17, figs.1-2
Age: Late Eocene
Translation Klummp, 1953: Sarjeant, 1981, p. 109

Original Diagnosis: Klummp, 1953, p. 389: Areoligera incerta
A species of the genus Areoligera with the following distinguishing characteristics: all plates irregularly quadrate without a distinct zone with elongate plates. The edge of the flat to concave fields is set with perpendicular spines, not with a velum.

Emended diagnosis: Sarjeant, 1981, p. 109-110
Cyst broadly ovoidal to rounded-subpolygonal, chorate, spiniferate. Processes gonal in situation, relatively short (approximately one-third of the short diameter in length). Their form is highly irregular; they may consist of single, irregularly branched and fenestrate processes, single ramifying processes, or tight groups of processes, proximally close-set or sharing a common base, bifurcating at or near mid-point or linked by short cross-connections, distally capitate, symmetrically or asymmetrically bifid or (rarely) foliate. Low sutural crests, sometimes continuos and solid, sometimes branching and anastomosing, outline the following paratabulation: ?4", 0a, 6"", ?5c, 6""", 0-?1p, 1"""". Cingulum unusually broad. Archaeopyle precingular (type P), formed by loss of paraplate 3""; operculum normally free.
Dimensions: Holotype Iength 70 µm, breadth 60 µm, length of processes c.18-24 µm.
Description: The processes are extremely irregular in form and are indeed reminiscent of the component elements of the process clusters of Systematophora and allied genera. However, they arise only at paraplate junctions; sutural processes are absent. The surface of the phragma is finely and irregularly punctate.
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