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Barbatacysta creberbarbata

Barbatacysta creberbarbata, (Erkmen and Sarjeant, 1980), Courtinat, 1989

Originally Sentusidinium, subsequently (and now) Barbatacysta.
Taxonomic junior synonym: Sentusidinium parvum, according to Courtinat in Fauconnier and Masure (2004, p.83-84).

Holotype: Erkmen and Sarjeant, 1980, text-fig.2
Locus typicus: S Jameson Land, E Greenland
Stratum typicum: Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian

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Original description as Sentusidinium cerberbartum: [Erkmen and Sarjeant, 1980, p. 53]:

Diagnosis:
Cyst elongate-ovoidal, without clear indication of paratabulation.
Processes non-tabulate, numerous (c. 240-300 on complete cyst), short (about one-eighth of the shortest cyst diameter in length). slender and slightly tapering, straight to curving or sigmoidal. Process tips acuminate to capitate or with very brief bifurcations.
Surface of periphragm minutely granular or punctate but without coarse or conspicuous ornament.
Archaeopyle apical; operculum free or attached.

Dimensions:
holotype: length (including operculum) 46 µm; breadth 31 µm; length of processes up to 5 µm.
Range of dimensions: length (excluding operculum) 35-42 µm (mean 38 µm), breadth 28-36 µm (mean 31 µm); length of processes 4-5,5 µm (mean c. 5 µm).

Affinities:
This species differs from Sentusidinium pilosum in its smaller size, smaller number of processes, and lesser degree of variability in the form of the process tips. It differs from S. sparsibarbatum in having a greater number of processes, in their somewhat greater relative length, and in the less complex pattern of accessory archaeopyle sutures and from S. erythrocomum in having more numerous, shorter and less conspicuously tubular processes and a less heavily ornamented periphragm.
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