Original descriptions of taxa. For coccolithophores, and many calcispheres, these are pages from the Farinacci & Howe Catalog of Calcareous Nannofossils. In other cases (e.g. non-calcifying haptophytes) the data is directly compiled on this site. The "Catalogue of Calcareous Nannofossils" was originally compiled by Prof A. Farinacci 1969-1989, since 2000 it has been updated and extended by Richard Howe - see The Farinacci and Howe Catalog - an Introduction.
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Citation: Cervisiella Hildebrand-Habel et al. 1999Taxonomic rank: genusType species: Thoracosphaera saxea Stradner, 1961Farinacci catalog page (& compiler): n/a Current citation: Cervisiella Hildebrand-Habel, H. Willems & Versteegh 1999
Original Description Spherical calcareous dinoflagellate cysts with circular archaeopyles, not showing paratabulation. The outer calcareous wall consists of irregularly shaped and arranged crystallites. Under the light microscope in crossed nicols and with gypsum plate, thin sections exhibit clear interference colours and have a positive optic sign, thus indicating tangentially oriented c-axes. Etymology: Latin, cervisia, beer. Extra details from original publication Remarks: Stradner (1961) described Thoracosphaera saxea, based on light microscope examinations, from Danian sediments of Austria. Keupp (1987) discovered corresponding Albian specimens in SEM-samples and concluded that specimens identical with the Cenozoic forms have to be assigned to the genus ‘Obliquipithonella’. The combination ‘Obliquipithonella saxea’ was never validly published, however. Our study revealed that thin sections of Thoracosphaera saxea exhibit a positive optic sign under the light microscope in crossed nicols and with gypsum plate. As the interference colours can be explained by a tangential orientation of the c-axis of each crystal, a new genus has to be established, combining all features recognizable under both SEM and light microscope examination.
References:
Hildebrand-Habel, T., Willems, H. & Versteegh, G. J. M. (1999). Variations in calcareous dinoflagellate associations from the Maastrichtian to Middle Eocene of the western South Atlantic Ocean (São Paulo Plateau, DSDP Leg 39, Site 356). Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. 106: 57-87. gs
Cervisiella: Catalog entry compiled by Jeremy Young. Viewed: 14-7-2025
