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Muderongia siciliana
Muderongia siciliana Torricelli, 1997, p.341, pl.1, figs.1–6.
Holotype: Torricelli, 1997, pl.1, fig.1.
Age: early Hauterivian.
Muderongia siciliana Torricelli sp. nov. (Plate I)
Holotype: Slide VR 4-1), England Finder Coordinate H 38 (Plate I, 1).
Paratype: Slide VR 6-1), England Finder Coordinate R 46/4 (Plate I, 4).
Repository: Palynological collection at the Department of Earth Sciences, Perugia University, Italy.
Type locality: Vallone Rosmarino Section, Sicily, Italy.
Type stratum: Monte Soro Flysch.
Etymology: After the region of Italy, Sicily, in which the type locality is situated.
Diagnosis: A relatively small species of Muderongia with two indented, unequally developed lateral horns, the right one being long and perforated and the left one being short, closed and rounded; and unequal, joined antapical horns, the right one being reduced to a bulge, and the left one being long, distally closed and rounded or open and perforated.
Description: Cyst proximate, compressed dorsoventrally, wall two-layered, cornucavate to delphicavate. Pericyst ceratioid, asymmetrical with five horns: one prominent apical (axial, type AP I of Monteil, 1991), two prominent unequal lateral (axial, type L I of Monteil, 1991), two unequal antapical (one prominent and one slightly differentiated, joined, type ATP II of Monteil, 1991). Right antapical horn reduced to a rounded bulge. Left antapical horn always prominent, tapering, with distal extremity closed and rounded, or open and perforated. Right lateral horn longer than the left one, indented, closed and rounded in the upper part and open and perforated in the lower part. Left lateral horn indented, closed and rounded, sometimes extremely reduced. Apical horn prominent, open and perforated. Endocyst oval to rhombic, sometimes with knob-like protusions extending in the left antapical and right lateral horns. Periphragrn thin, psilate, perforated within the distal half of left antapical, right lateral and apical horns. Archeopyle apical, type (tA), with angular margin. Parasulcal notch marked. Operculum free. Pericingulum marked by indentation of lateral horns and by parallel transverse structures. Paratabulation indicated only by archeopyle and by pericingulum.
Dimensions: Holotype (with operculum): length= 64 µm; width=66 µm. Range: length (without operculum) = 48-57 µm; width =48-66 µm; 10 specimens measured.
Comparisons: Muderongia microperforata Davey, 1982 differs from M. siciliana in possessing a completely microperforated periphragrn and subequal lateral horns with distal extremities closed and rounded. Muderongia perforata Alberti, 1961 is considerably larger than M. siciliana (about twice as much) and possesses subequal lateral horns and a prominent right antapical horn smaller than the left one. Muderongia simplex Alberti, 1961 is larger than M. siciliana and the distal extremities of its horns are not perforated. Muderongia pariata Duxbury, 1983 exhibits only one axial antapical horn and two subequal lateral horns, which may be considerably reduced. Stratigraphic occurrence: Early Hauterivian, Early Cretaceous of Sicily.
Holotype: Torricelli, 1997, pl.1, fig.1.
Age: early Hauterivian.
Muderongia siciliana Torricelli sp. nov. (Plate I)
Holotype: Slide VR 4-1), England Finder Coordinate H 38 (Plate I, 1).
Paratype: Slide VR 6-1), England Finder Coordinate R 46/4 (Plate I, 4).
Repository: Palynological collection at the Department of Earth Sciences, Perugia University, Italy.
Type locality: Vallone Rosmarino Section, Sicily, Italy.
Type stratum: Monte Soro Flysch.
Etymology: After the region of Italy, Sicily, in which the type locality is situated.
Diagnosis: A relatively small species of Muderongia with two indented, unequally developed lateral horns, the right one being long and perforated and the left one being short, closed and rounded; and unequal, joined antapical horns, the right one being reduced to a bulge, and the left one being long, distally closed and rounded or open and perforated.
Description: Cyst proximate, compressed dorsoventrally, wall two-layered, cornucavate to delphicavate. Pericyst ceratioid, asymmetrical with five horns: one prominent apical (axial, type AP I of Monteil, 1991), two prominent unequal lateral (axial, type L I of Monteil, 1991), two unequal antapical (one prominent and one slightly differentiated, joined, type ATP II of Monteil, 1991). Right antapical horn reduced to a rounded bulge. Left antapical horn always prominent, tapering, with distal extremity closed and rounded, or open and perforated. Right lateral horn longer than the left one, indented, closed and rounded in the upper part and open and perforated in the lower part. Left lateral horn indented, closed and rounded, sometimes extremely reduced. Apical horn prominent, open and perforated. Endocyst oval to rhombic, sometimes with knob-like protusions extending in the left antapical and right lateral horns. Periphragrn thin, psilate, perforated within the distal half of left antapical, right lateral and apical horns. Archeopyle apical, type (tA), with angular margin. Parasulcal notch marked. Operculum free. Pericingulum marked by indentation of lateral horns and by parallel transverse structures. Paratabulation indicated only by archeopyle and by pericingulum.
Dimensions: Holotype (with operculum): length= 64 µm; width=66 µm. Range: length (without operculum) = 48-57 µm; width =48-66 µm; 10 specimens measured.
Comparisons: Muderongia microperforata Davey, 1982 differs from M. siciliana in possessing a completely microperforated periphragrn and subequal lateral horns with distal extremities closed and rounded. Muderongia perforata Alberti, 1961 is considerably larger than M. siciliana (about twice as much) and possesses subequal lateral horns and a prominent right antapical horn smaller than the left one. Muderongia simplex Alberti, 1961 is larger than M. siciliana and the distal extremities of its horns are not perforated. Muderongia pariata Duxbury, 1983 exhibits only one axial antapical horn and two subequal lateral horns, which may be considerably reduced. Stratigraphic occurrence: Early Hauterivian, Early Cretaceous of Sicily.