Nannotax3 - Mesozoic - Stephanolithion

Stephanolithion

Ancestry: Mesozoic -> Stephanolithiales -> Stephanolithiaceae -> Stephanolithion
Sister taxa: Corollithion, Cylindralithus, Darwinilithus, Paralithella, Rectocorona, Rhombolithion, Rotelapillus, Stephanolithion, Stoverius, Stradnerlithus, Thurmannolithion, Truncatoscaphus,

Short diagnosis: Elliptical and often polygonal; rims low but broad, bicyclic; central-area spanned by one to eight bars; prominent spines protrude from the rim

Daughter taxa (blue => in age window 0-300Ma)		Granddaughter taxa
	Stephanolithion atmetos Narrowly elliptical, near-parallel sided Stephanolithion with tranverse bar spanning the narrow central area.
	Stephanolithion bigotii Broadly elliptical or hexagonal Stephanolithion with long rim spines and central area spanned by diagonal cross bars.	S. bigotii subsp. bigotii S. bigotii subsp. maximum
	Stephanolithion brevispinus Elliptical Stephanolithion with very short rim spines and central area spanned by diagonal cross bars.
	Stephanolithion laffittei Sub-circular Stephanolithion with central cross and short rim spines
	Stephanolithion hexum Elliptical Stephanolithion with multiple rim spines and central area spanned by six cross bars.
	Stephanolithion speciosum Elliptical Stephanolithion with multiple short rim spines and central area spanned by eight cross bars.
	Stephanolithion sp. Specimens not identified to species level

Taxonomy:

Citation: Stephanolithion Deflandre, 1939

Rank: Genus

Type species: Stephanolithion bigotii Deflandre, 1939

Farinacci & Howe catalog pages: Stephanolithion *

Short diagnosis: Elliptical and often polygonal; rims low but broad, bicyclic; central-area spanned by one to eight bars; prominent spines protrude from the rim

Morphology remarks: Elliptical and often polygonal murolith (protolith) coccoliths with spines that protrude from the rim. The rims are low but relatively broad, have weakly-developed proximal/inner-cycles, and a central-area spanned by one to eight bars. LM image is usually bicyclic but they are best viewed in PC.

Geological Range:
Last occurrence (top): within Tithonian Stage (145.01-152.06Ma, top in Tithonian stage). Data source: Total of range of species in this database
First occurrence (base): within Bajocian Stage (168.28-170.30Ma, base in Bajocian stage). Data source: Total of range of species in this database

Plot of occurrence data:

Range-bar - range as quoted above, pink interval top occurs in, green interval base occurs in.
Triangles indicate an event for which a precise placement has been suggested
Neptune data: This is a higher taxon page so Neptune data is not plotted. See also: customisable plot Parent: Stephanolithiaceae

References:

Bown, P.R. & Cooper, M.K.E., (1998). Jurassic. In: Bown, P.R. (Editor), Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy. British Micropalaeontological Society Publication Series. Chapman & Hall, pp. 34-85.

Deflandre, G., (1939). Les stéphanolithes, représentants d'un type nouveau de coccolithes Jurassique supérieur. Comptes Rendus (Hebdomadaires des Séances) de l'Académie des Sciences Paris, 208: 1331-1333.