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Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum
Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum (Eisenack, 1931 ex Eisenack, 1938) Eisenack, 1969
This combination was not validly published in Staplin et al., 1965 since these authors did not fully reference the basionym.
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium trifurcatum, subsequently Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum (an acritarch species), thirdly (and now) Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum; see also Ovum hispidum ssp. trifurcatum (combination not validly published). Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Peteinosphaeridium bergstroemii Staplin et al., 1965, according to Eisenack, 1969.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch subspecies Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum (al. Peteinosphaeridium breviradiatum) Eisenack, 1959, since it is now considered to be a tax. jr. synonym of the autonym Hystrichosphaeridium (now Peteinosphaeridium) trifurcatum ssp. trifurcatum. Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum is thus the correct name for the type species of Peteinosphaeridium, but the nomenclatural type of the genus remains the holotype of Peteinosphaeridium bergstroemii. O. Wetzel, 1933 considered this taxon to be a tax. jr. synonym of Xanthidium (now Spiniferites) ramosum Ehrenberg, 1838; however, the latter species is a dinoflagellate from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Turner, 1984 considered Baltisphaeridium (now Peteinosphaeridium) trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum Eisenack, 1959 ex Eisenack, 1965 (and thus Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum) to be the sr. synonym of the acritarch species Peteinosphaeridium (now Rhopaliophora) palmatum Combaz and Peniguel, 1972; however Playford and Martin, 1984 listed Rhopaliophora palmata separately from Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum and its subspecies. According to Fensome et al., 1990: "Eisenack, 1969 noted that the holotype is lost and proposed a neotype (Eisenack, 1959). However, he considered the neotype to belong to a different infraspecific taxon (Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum forma typicum) than the one to which he assigned the holotype (Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum forma breviradiatum). We therefore reject the neotype under the provisions of I.C.B.N. Article 8 as being in serious conflict with the protologue. (See also the discussions under Peteinosphaeridium
trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum and Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum ssp. typicum.)
Holotype: Eisenack, 1931, pl.4, fig.21 (as Ovum hispidum ssp. trifurcatum) and Eisenack, 1938, pl.2, fig.2; lost, according to Eisenack, 1959
Neotype: Eisenack, 1959, pl.17, fig.3; designated by Eisenack, 1959
Age: Ordovician (based on material from an erratic)
This combination was not validly published in Staplin et al., 1965 since these authors did not fully reference the basionym.
Originally Hystrichosphaeridium trifurcatum, subsequently Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum (an acritarch species), thirdly (and now) Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum; see also Ovum hispidum ssp. trifurcatum (combination not validly published). Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch species Peteinosphaeridium bergstroemii Staplin et al., 1965, according to Eisenack, 1969.
Tax. sr. synonym of the acritarch subspecies Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum (al. Peteinosphaeridium breviradiatum) Eisenack, 1959, since it is now considered to be a tax. jr. synonym of the autonym Hystrichosphaeridium (now Peteinosphaeridium) trifurcatum ssp. trifurcatum. Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum is thus the correct name for the type species of Peteinosphaeridium, but the nomenclatural type of the genus remains the holotype of Peteinosphaeridium bergstroemii. O. Wetzel, 1933 considered this taxon to be a tax. jr. synonym of Xanthidium (now Spiniferites) ramosum Ehrenberg, 1838; however, the latter species is a dinoflagellate from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Turner, 1984 considered Baltisphaeridium (now Peteinosphaeridium) trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum Eisenack, 1959 ex Eisenack, 1965 (and thus Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum) to be the sr. synonym of the acritarch species Peteinosphaeridium (now Rhopaliophora) palmatum Combaz and Peniguel, 1972; however Playford and Martin, 1984 listed Rhopaliophora palmata separately from Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum and its subspecies. According to Fensome et al., 1990: "Eisenack, 1969 noted that the holotype is lost and proposed a neotype (Eisenack, 1959). However, he considered the neotype to belong to a different infraspecific taxon (Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum forma typicum) than the one to which he assigned the holotype (Baltisphaeridium trifurcatum forma breviradiatum). We therefore reject the neotype under the provisions of I.C.B.N. Article 8 as being in serious conflict with the protologue. (See also the discussions under Peteinosphaeridium
trifurcatum ssp. breviradiatum and Peteinosphaeridium trifurcatum ssp. typicum.)
Holotype: Eisenack, 1931, pl.4, fig.21 (as Ovum hispidum ssp. trifurcatum) and Eisenack, 1938, pl.2, fig.2; lost, according to Eisenack, 1959
Neotype: Eisenack, 1959, pl.17, fig.3; designated by Eisenack, 1959
Age: Ordovician (based on material from an erratic)