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Thalassiphora dominiquei

Thalassiphora dominiquei Iakovleva and Heilmann-Clausen, 2010, p.211, pl.11, figs.1–4.

Holotype: Iakovleva and Heilmann-Clausen, 2010, pl.11, figs.1–2.
Age: late Ypresian.

Original description (Iakovleva and Heilmann-Clausen, 2010):
Thalassiphora dominiquei sp. nov. Plate 11, figures 1–4
Name derivation. In honour of the French palynologist Dominique Jolly (University of Montpellier).

Synonymy.
1989 Thalassiphora cf. reticulata in Heilmann-Clausen and Costa, plate 19, figs. 8–9.

Diagnosis. Cavate cyst with subspherical central body and the pericyst completely enclosing the endocyst. The periphragm is characterized by the presence of many circular areas with sunken, thinner membranes. These circular areas are of nearly uniform size, are distributed over the whole periphragm, and almost look like holes. The periphragm is irregularly folded, the endophragm is smooth. The outline of the periphragm is ovoidal and jagged due to the folding. An antapical keel is absent. The wrinkled walls of the phragma make uncertain the identification of the archeopyle. No paratabulation features are observed.
Holotype. Plate 11, figs. 1–2; Slide 471.3-1, England Finder coordinates O33/4; MGUH 29084.
Paratype. Plate 11, fig. 4; Slide 473.4-1, England Finder coordinates W37/2; MGUH 29085.

Dimensions. Holotype: maximum diameter of pericyst 168 µm; maximum diameter of endocyst 72 µm; size of most holes in periphragm 9–11 µm. Paratype: maximum diameter of pericyst 183 µm; size of most holes in periphragm ca. 9 µm. Dimensions of measured specimens: maximum diameter of pericyst 114–183 µm (mean value 152 µm); maximum diameter of endocyst 69–87 µm (mean value 77 µm). Size of most holes in periphragm 6–11 µm. Five specimens measured.
Remarks. Measured cysts from borehole No. 011-BP are larger than cysts from the Aktulagay section, Kazakhstan, Iakovleva et al. (unpublished): maximum cyst diameter in specimens from Aktulagay is 129 mm.

Comparison. Thalassiphora dominiquei sp. nov. super- ficially resembles Thalassiphora reticulata but differs by the absence of holes and a keel in the periphragm. Furthermore, the circular areas in Thalassiphora dominiquei are wider spaced than the holes in Thalassiphora reticulata. Thalassiphora dominiquei differs from Thalassiphora pelagica by the presence of many circular areas with thinner membranes, uniformly distributed over the whole periphragm.

Stratigraphic range. Upper Ypresian Areosphaeridium diktyoplokum Zone (north Germany, as Thalassiphora cf. reticulata) (Heilmann-Clausen and Costa 1989), Upper Ypresian (west Siberia, Kazakhstan, north Caucasus).
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