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Goniosphaeridium polygonale
Goniosphaeridium polygonale (Eisenack, 1931 ex Eisenack, 1938) Eisenack, 1969
Acritarch genus
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium polygonale, subsequently Baltisphaeridium polygonale (an acritarch species), thirdly (and now) Goniosphaeridium polygonale; see also Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale (combination not validly published),
Veryhachium polygonale (an acritarch genus; combination not validly published) and Polygonium polygonale (an acritarch species; combination not validly published).
Tax. sr. synonym of Impletosphaeridium? primordiale W. Wetzel, 1967, according to Eisenack et al., 1973.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Veryhachium (al. Goniosphaeridium)
splendens Paris and Deunff, 1970, according to Turner, 1984 who believed Goniosphaeridium splendens to be the senior name.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Hystrichosphaeridium (al. Baltisphaeridium) sexradiatum Timofeev, 1959, according to Eisenack, 1965. According to Fensome et al., 1990: "The name Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale was not validly published in Eisenack, 1931 since the specific name Ovum
hispidum is not validly published. Eisenack, 1959 noted that the holotype of Hystrichosphaeridium (now Goniosphaeridium) polygonale is lost and thus designated as neotype the specimen illustrated in Eisenack, 1959. Turner, 1984 cogently argued that the latter specimen is morphologically distinct from, and not conspecific with, the holotype. However, instead of designating a more appropriate neotype, Turner, 1984 listed the more senior name Goniosphaeridium polygonale and its holotype in synonymy under the more junior name Goniosphaeridium splendens Paris and Deunff, 1970, which he cited as "Goniosphaeridium splendens
(Eisenack 1931) comb. nov." I.C.B.N. Article 8.1 states that a neotype may be superceded if it is in serious conflict with the protologue (and thus the holotype, which must take precedence over a neotype) and another element is available which is not in such conflict. Since Turner, 1984 has demonstrated that the neotype
designated by Eisenack, 1959 is not conspecific with the holotype, we designate as neotype for Goniosphaeridium polygonale the specimen figured by Paris and Deunff, 1970. Since this specimen is the holotype of Veryhachium (al. Goniosphaeridium) splendens, the latter species is confirmed as a jr. synonym of Goniosphaeridium polygonale. O. Wetzel, 1933 listed Hystrichosphaeridium (now Goniosphaeridium) polygonale as a questionable jr. synonym of Hystrichosphaera cf. hirsuta forma varians (now Coronifera striolata? ssp. varians) O. Wetzel, 1933.
This synonymy has not been followed subsequently since Coronifera striolata? ssp. varians is a Mesozoic dinoflagellate, whereas Goniosphaeridium polygonale is a Paleozoic acritarch.
Holotype: Eisenack, 1931, pl.4, fig.19 (as Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale);
lost according to Eisenack, 1959
Neotype: Paris and Deunff, 1970, pl.1, fig.4; designated by Fensome et al, 1990
Age: Silurian (based on material from an erratic)
Acritarch genus
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium polygonale, subsequently Baltisphaeridium polygonale (an acritarch species), thirdly (and now) Goniosphaeridium polygonale; see also Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale (combination not validly published),
Veryhachium polygonale (an acritarch genus; combination not validly published) and Polygonium polygonale (an acritarch species; combination not validly published).
Tax. sr. synonym of Impletosphaeridium? primordiale W. Wetzel, 1967, according to Eisenack et al., 1973.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Veryhachium (al. Goniosphaeridium)
splendens Paris and Deunff, 1970, according to Turner, 1984 who believed Goniosphaeridium splendens to be the senior name.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Hystrichosphaeridium (al. Baltisphaeridium) sexradiatum Timofeev, 1959, according to Eisenack, 1965. According to Fensome et al., 1990: "The name Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale was not validly published in Eisenack, 1931 since the specific name Ovum
hispidum is not validly published. Eisenack, 1959 noted that the holotype of Hystrichosphaeridium (now Goniosphaeridium) polygonale is lost and thus designated as neotype the specimen illustrated in Eisenack, 1959. Turner, 1984 cogently argued that the latter specimen is morphologically distinct from, and not conspecific with, the holotype. However, instead of designating a more appropriate neotype, Turner, 1984 listed the more senior name Goniosphaeridium polygonale and its holotype in synonymy under the more junior name Goniosphaeridium splendens Paris and Deunff, 1970, which he cited as "Goniosphaeridium splendens
(Eisenack 1931) comb. nov." I.C.B.N. Article 8.1 states that a neotype may be superceded if it is in serious conflict with the protologue (and thus the holotype, which must take precedence over a neotype) and another element is available which is not in such conflict. Since Turner, 1984 has demonstrated that the neotype
designated by Eisenack, 1959 is not conspecific with the holotype, we designate as neotype for Goniosphaeridium polygonale the specimen figured by Paris and Deunff, 1970. Since this specimen is the holotype of Veryhachium (al. Goniosphaeridium) splendens, the latter species is confirmed as a jr. synonym of Goniosphaeridium polygonale. O. Wetzel, 1933 listed Hystrichosphaeridium (now Goniosphaeridium) polygonale as a questionable jr. synonym of Hystrichosphaera cf. hirsuta forma varians (now Coronifera striolata? ssp. varians) O. Wetzel, 1933.
This synonymy has not been followed subsequently since Coronifera striolata? ssp. varians is a Mesozoic dinoflagellate, whereas Goniosphaeridium polygonale is a Paleozoic acritarch.
Holotype: Eisenack, 1931, pl.4, fig.19 (as Ovum hispidum ssp. polygonale);
lost according to Eisenack, 1959
Neotype: Paris and Deunff, 1970, pl.1, fig.4; designated by Fensome et al, 1990
Age: Silurian (based on material from an erratic)