Syracosphaera pulchra

Cenozoic Taxa

Syracosphaera pulchra HOL pirus type

Edited by Lyndsey on Thu, 10/03/2011 - 14:00

Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann 1902 HOL pirus type

Description: Coccolith structure - dome-shaped, formed of layer of crystallites in hexagonal array with the crystallographic c-axis perpendicular to the surface. In LM the rim is bright and central part dark.

Coccospheres weakly dimorphic, piriform.

Coccolith form - tube about 10 crystallites high, tiered wall fabric; basal flange;
distal cover recessed into tube, domal with ring of 8-10 pores around
contact with tube; internal ridges surround pores in at least some
specimens. Circum-flagellar coccoliths more elevated and with pyramidal central boss.

Remarks:

Original description:

Size: Liths 2-3 µm long.

Life-cycle association: The association of these holococcoliths with Syracosphaera pulchra has been demonstrated by observation of numerous combination coccospheres, Cros et al. (2000), Geisen et al. (2002). Saugestad & Heimdal (2002). oblonga-type holococcoliths also occur in assocaition with S. pulchra and this is interpreted as a result of pseudo-cryptic specieation (Geisen et al. 2002).

Synonyms:

Calyptrosphaera pirus Kamptner 1937
Daktylethra pirus (Kamptner 1937) Norris 1985

Geological Time Data

Notes on occurrence information:

Can be common in well-preserved Quaternary sediments (Crudeli et al. 2006).

Login or register to post comments
1096 reads
Printer-friendly version
Neogene: Syracosphaera; Syracosphaera pulchra; Syracosphaera pulchra HOL pirus type; Holococcoliths

Syracosphaera pulchra HOL oblonga type

Edited by Lyndsey on Thu, 10/03/2011 - 13:58

Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann 1902 HOL oblonga type

Description: Coccolith structure - dome-shaped, formed of layer of crystallites in hexagonal array with the crystalographic c-axis perpendicular to the surface. In LM the rim is bright and cenral part dark.

Coccospheres weakly dimorphic, piriform.

Coccolith form - the coccoliths have simple dome-shaped, with wall showing heaxoganla mesh fabric. Circum-flagellar coccoliths more elevated and with pyramidal central boss.

Remarks:

Original description:

Size: Liths 2-3 µm long.

Life-cycle association: The association of these holococcoliths with Syracosphaera pulchra has been demonstrated by observation of numerous combination coccospheres, Cros et al. (2000), Geisen et al. (2002). Pirus-type holococcoliths also occur in assocaition with S. pulchra and this has been interpreted as result of pseudo-cryptic speciation (Geisen et al. 2002).

Fossil record: Can be common in well-preserved Quaternary sediments (Crudeli et al. 2006).

Synonym: Calyptrosphaera oblonga Lohmann 1902

1253 reads
Printer-friendly version
Neogene: Syracosphaera; Syracosphaera pulchra; Syracosphaera pulchra HOL oblonga type; Holococcoliths

Syracosphaera pulchra

Edited by Lyndsey on Tue, 01/03/2011 - 14:53

Syracosphaera pulchra Lohmann 1902

Extant coccolithophore: A common species, with weak preference for oligotrophic areas (Ziveri et al. 2004); coccosphere large, trimorphic with body coccoliths (BCs), spine-bearing circum-flagellar coccoliths (CFCs), and exothecal coccoliths (XCs).
Coccospheres 15-25 µm

Coccolith types:

	Body coccoliths (BCs) - large (4.5-8 µm); mid-wall flange prominent; inner wall-cycle well developed; central area with three concentric cycles of thin radial laths, occasionally incipient spine in centre
	Circum flagellar coccoliths (CFCs) - similar to BCs but with robust bifurcate-tipped spine
	Exothecal coccoliths (XCs) - dome-shaped, rim sub-horizontal, flange-like. Radial cycle formsvertical part of wall, numerous elements with wide slits. Central part formed of several cycles of laths; with a central conical depression.

Life-cycle: There is a well-estabished alternate holococcolith-bearing phase. Holococcoliths previously refered to as = Calyptrosphaera oblonga and Calyptrosphaera pirus, see Cros et al. (2000), Geisen et al. (2002), Saugestad & Heimdal (2002). Since the oblonga-type and pirus-type holococcoliths are well differentiated we suspect that S. pulchra consists of two species which are only differentiable in the holococcolithophore life-cycle stage (Geisen et al. 2002, 2004).

Remarks:

Original description:

Fossil record: BCs commonly recorded from Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments, reasonably reliable default identification for large (>5µm) Syracosphaera coccoliths.

Login or register to post comments
1014 reads
Printer-friendly version
Neogene: Syracosphaera; Syracosphaera pulchra; Holococcoliths

Image

Yahoo! Images

Flickr Images

Google Scholar

Content below this block will be hidden

Description