Nannotax3 - ntax_cenozoic - Papposphaera lepida

Citation: Papposphaera lepida Tangen, 1972

Distinguishing features:
Parent taxon (Papposphaera): Coccolith distal rim serrated - elements pentagonal;
Coccosphere varimorphic, or dimorphic. All coccoliths have spines but CFCs typically have longer spines and larger calices.
This taxon: Central areas with axial cross;
Process 2-4 µm high, supporting flat cone of four large elements, these form an almost continuous outer layer to the coccosphere.

Although described as monomorphic coccopspheres often show significant variation in spine height and calyx diameter so they are perhaps better described as varimorphic. Some images suggest the coccoliths with taller nspines and larger calices may occur equatorially.
The outline of the calyx can vary from early circular to nearly square, and less commonly cross-shaped.

Cell spherical, 4.5-7 µm, diameter of coccosphere 11-16 µm. Coccoliths, 1-1.5 µm long;

Two combination coccospheres with poorly preserved "Turrisphaera" type holococcoliths observed (JRY unpubl.).

Geological Range:
Last occurrence (top): Extant. Data source: present in the plankton (Young et al. 2003)
First occurrence (base): within No known fossil record modern (0.00-0.00Ma, base in "Holocene" stage). Data source: [JRY rough estimate]

References:

Cros, L. & Fortuño, J. -M. (2002). Atlas of northwestern Mediterranean coccolithophores. Scientia Marina. 66: 1-186. gs

Norris, R. E. (1983). The family position of Papposphaera Tangen and Pappomonas Manton & Oates (Prymnesiophyceae) with records from the Indian Ocean. Phycologia. 22(2): 161-169. gs

Okada, H. & McIntyre, A. (1977). Modern coccolithophores of the Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans. Micropaleontology. 23(1): 1-55. gs

Samtleben, C. et al. (1995). Plankton in the Norwegian-Greenland Sea: from living communities to sediment assemblages - an actualistic approach. Geologische Rundschau. 84: 108-136. gs

Tangen, K. (1972). Papposphaera lepida, gen. nov. n. sp., a new marine coccolithophorid from Norwegian coastal waters. Norwegian Journal of Botany. 19: 171-178. gs

Thomsen, H. A. & Buck, K. R. (1998). Nanoflagellates of East Pacific coastal Waters: Morphology, taxonomy, and biogeography of weakly calcified coccolithophorids (Prymnesiophyceae). Cryptogamie Algologie. 19: 29-48. gs

Thomsen, H. A. (2016). Baltic Sea coccolithophores – an overview of insights into their taxonomy and ecology from the last 40 years. Journal of Nannoplankton Research. 36(2): 97-119. gs O

Young, J. R., Geisen, M., Cros, L., Kleijne, A., Probert, I. & Ostergaard, J. B. (2003). A guide to extant coccolithophore taxonomy. Journal of Nannoplankton Research. S1: 1-132. gs

Papposphaera lepida

References:

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