Back
Escharisphaeridia gaillardii

Escharisphaeridia gaillardii Courtinat, 1989

Holotype: Courtinat, 1989, pl.23,fig.2
Locus typicus: MontÚpile, Jura, France
Stratum typicum: Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian
Translation Courtinat, 1989: LPP

Original diagnosis: Courtinat, 1989, p.178-179
Spherical to ovoidal cyst formed only by an autophragm which does not present any element of paratabulation except for the apical archaeopyle. Six preapical paraplates are amply visible due to the well developed accessory archaeopyle sutures. The operculum is free multiplated and the accessory opercular sutures suggest the absence of intercalary paraplates. The ornamentation of the autophragm consists of a granulate cover on which with elements of larger size appear. These elements vary between two extremes: more or less rounded elements which look like an accumulation of grains, and irregular and less chagrinate elements.
Dimensions: cyst diameter 35-50 µm, autophragm 1-2 µm thick.

Affinities:
Courtinat, 1989, p.179: Because of the two types of ornamentation, it is possible that E. gaillardii covers two species. The distinction has not been made becuase, althuogh E. gaillardii is well identifiable in transmitted light, the differentiation of the two types of ornamentation is delicate. This species differs from: E. mantellii which presents spines associated with a mixed ornamentation, E. granulata, with more or less gemmate granules as ornamental elements, E. pococki and E. rudis, rather closely related species, which have a very variable (verrucae, rugulae, tuberculae or coalescent rugulae) alveloate to imperfectly reticulate or sometimes exfoliate ornamentation.
Feedback/Report bug