Late Neogene Lophophaenidae (Nassellaria, Radiolaria) from the eastern equatorial Pacific
Author
Trubovitz, Sarah
Author
Renaudie, Johan
Author
Lazarus, David
Author
Noble, Paula
text
Zootaxa
2022
2022-07-04
5160
1
1
158
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5160.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5160.1.1
11755334
10544058
A9179C79-EE43-44E4-8723-919505500049
Lophophaena
sp. E
group
Plate 37,
Figs. 1A
–
3C
.
Remarks.
These
three specimens
almost certainly belong to different species, but as we only observed
three specimens
with this very distinct morphology we are placing them together in one group until more specimens are found.All three have an unusually short and widely-flared thorax with teeth, and a proportionally large cephalis. This overall morphology is similar to a specimen figured by
Popofsky (1913)
as
Lampromitra circumtexta
,
Popofsky, 1913
, pl. 32, fig. 1, text-fig. 53. However, none of our specimens appear to be conspecific with Popofsky’s. One specimen observed from sample 6H3,
31–32cm
(Pliocene) differs from Popofsky’s illustrated specimen in that pores on the thorax decrease significantly in size before the segment terminates in several prominent teeth. Our specimen also may have more pronounced shoulder humps, though it is difficult to tell whether this character was present on Popofsky’s specimen due to the nature of the illustration. The overall morphology, shape of the cephalis, and size dimensions are very similar to Popofsky’s specimen, however. A much smaller specimen was found in our Pleistocene EEP sample (3H
2, 103–106cm
). It shares several characteristics with our Pliocene specimen, including a large, thorny cephalis with a short, wide thorax that terminates in multiple long teeth, which is a highly unusual morphology for lophophaenids. A third specimen with similar characteristics to our other two was observed in sample 10H2,
91–93cm
, although we do not consider any of them to be conspecific. Until additional material is studied, we include them here as a loose species group.
Material examined.
3 specimens
form samples 321-1337A-10H-2,
91–94cm
(Early Pliocene), 321-1337A-6H-3,
29–32cm
(Late Pliocene), and 321-1337A-3H-
2, 103–106cm
(Middle Pleistocene).
Range.
Pliocene– Pleistocene,
EEP
(
Table 1
). Range and morphological concept is not well constrained.