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Heterosphaeridium heteracanthum ssp. sparsiprocessum
Heterosphaeridium? heteracanthum ssp. sparsiprocessum (Varma and Dangwal, 1964) Eisenack and Kjellström, 1971
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, subsequently Heterosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, thirdly Heterosphaeridium? heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, fourthly (and now) Heterosphaeridium heteracanthum? subsp. sparsiprocessum. Questionable assignment: Fauconnier and Begouën in Fauconnier and Masure (2004, p.270) as a problematic taxon, suggesting that the name be restricted to the holotype.
Holotype: Varma and Dangwal, 1964, pl.1, fig.7
Locus typicus: Western India, Cambay Basin, C.D.W. no. 2,1523-26 m
Stratum typicum: Eocene-Oligocene
Original diagnosis: Varma and Dangwal, 1964, p.64: Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum
Body spherical to hemispherical, brown and densely granulate. Body wall thin but clearly observed. Processes occurring singlv and sparsely studded all over the body. Each process is stiff, usually unbranched, hollow, with tip ending abruptly. Tip part not observed in most cases, probably due to secondary breakage. Sometimes two or more processes appear to coalesce at the base but dissociate near the tip, giving a falsely furcate appearance.
Measurements: Diameter of body ca. 39-65 µm; length of processes ca. 15-20 µm.
Affinities:
Varma and Dangwal, 1964, p.64: Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum
The fossil is closely similar to H. heteracanthum Deflandre and Cookson, but the detailed differences, along with the sparsity of the processes, show it to be a distinct subspecies.
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, subsequently Heterosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, thirdly Heterosphaeridium? heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum, fourthly (and now) Heterosphaeridium heteracanthum? subsp. sparsiprocessum. Questionable assignment: Fauconnier and Begouën in Fauconnier and Masure (2004, p.270) as a problematic taxon, suggesting that the name be restricted to the holotype.
Holotype: Varma and Dangwal, 1964, pl.1, fig.7
Locus typicus: Western India, Cambay Basin, C.D.W. no. 2,1523-26 m
Stratum typicum: Eocene-Oligocene
Original diagnosis: Varma and Dangwal, 1964, p.64: Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum
Body spherical to hemispherical, brown and densely granulate. Body wall thin but clearly observed. Processes occurring singlv and sparsely studded all over the body. Each process is stiff, usually unbranched, hollow, with tip ending abruptly. Tip part not observed in most cases, probably due to secondary breakage. Sometimes two or more processes appear to coalesce at the base but dissociate near the tip, giving a falsely furcate appearance.
Measurements: Diameter of body ca. 39-65 µm; length of processes ca. 15-20 µm.
Affinities:
Varma and Dangwal, 1964, p.64: Hystrichosphaeridium heteracanthum subsp. sparsiprocessum
The fossil is closely similar to H. heteracanthum Deflandre and Cookson, but the detailed differences, along with the sparsity of the processes, show it to be a distinct subspecies.