Sphenolithus abies group
Description: Sphenoliths without prominent apical spines.
Species included:
| Typical specimens |
Outline description | Range |
| S. abies - cuspate outline, with apical elements elongated into compound spine |
caNN7 - NN15 | |
| |
S. conicus - with small apical spine |
Oligocene - NN3 |
| |
S.disbelemnos -similar to S. belemnos but with very small apical spine |
NN2-3 |
| S. dissimilis - similar to S. moriformis but with apical cycle of elements extended to form circlet of spines | Oligocene - NN3 |
|
| S. moriformis - beehive shaped |
Eocene - NN10 |
Species in this group are poorly defined and of very limited biostratigraphic value. A number of additional species have been described from the Early Miocene, as reviewed by Maiorano & Monechi (1998):
Neogene: S. abies group