Nannotax3 - ntax_mesozoic

Nannotax3 - ntax_mesozoic - Eiffellithus Nannotax3 - ntax_mesozoic - Eiffellithus

Eiffellithus

Classification: ntax_mesozoic -> Eiffellithales -> Eiffellithaceae -> Eiffellithus
Sister taxa: Eiffellithus, Helicolithus, Tegumentum

Distinguishing features:
Parent taxon (Eiffellithaceae): Eiffelithales in which V-units form a narrow outer rim; R-units form broad inner rim or plate. Almost all with a disjunct central spine-bearing cross.
This taxon: Loxolith coccoliths with a prominent inner rim cycle that is birefringent and conspicuous in cross-polarised light; this cycle is broader than the outer rim cycle. The central area is spanned by variably-orientated cross-bars.

Daughter taxa (time control age-window is: 0-800Ma)
				Late Cretaceous species with (sub)axial cross
				Eiffellithus eximius Large Eiffellithus with axial or sub-axial cross bars, longer cross-bar often with bifurcate tips
				Eiffellithus lindiensis Small (3-5 µm) Eiffellithus, cross-bars axially aligned, terminations simple
				Late Cretaceous species with diagonal cross
				Eiffellithus gorkae Cross-bars diagonal, small, cross isolated in centre of coccolith, terminations simple
				Eiffellithus keio Like E. turriseiffellii but with bifurcate tips to the cross-bars.
				Eiffellithus parallelus Diagonal cross with bifurcate ray tips and axial suture
				Eiffellithus pospichalii Large (holotype 11µm) Eiffellithus with thick diagonal cross-bars
				Eiffellithus turriseiffelii Eiffellithus with nearly symmetrical diagonal cross bars, with pointed tips
				Albian-Cenomanian species with diagonal cross
				Eiffellithus collis Like E. parvus but larger and with longer cross-arms. Medium sized, with blunt terminations to the cross-arms.
				Eiffellithus equibiramus Medium, normally elliptical, eiffellithid; arms form symmetrical diagonal cross; each arm composed of two, subequal, rectangular, disjunct crystal-units with blunt distal tips divided by a prominent central suture.
				Eiffellithus parvus Medium eiffellithid with stem base of four trapezohedral arms forming a symmetrical diagonal cross whose outline is roughly rectangular.
				Albian-Cenomanian species with (sub)axial cross
				Eiffellithus monechiae Medium sized Eiffellithus with cross bars aligned within 20° of the major axes (within 10° according to Watkins & Bergen 2003).
				Eiffellithus praestigium Medium eiffellithid with sub-axial cross (rotated 10-20°). Struts with central suture and clavate to blunt tips.
				Eiffellithus vonsalisiae Medium to large eiffellithid with asymmetrical cross (20-35° from axis). Arms divided by central suture and with blunt to pointed tips.
				Eiffellithus hancockii Minute loxolith with very narrow central area filled with short axial cross bars.
				Eiffellithus paragogus Bicyclic loxolith with broad, bright inner cycle, diamond-shaped central-area and cross bars that are relatively narrow, parallel-sided and lack any striations or median extinction line.
				pre-Aptian species
				Eiffellithus primus Small to medium sized Eiffellithus coccolith with an axial cross.
				Eiffellithus striatus Medium to large species of Eiffellithus (>6.4µm length) with a wide central-area spanned by diagonal cross-bars.
				Eiffellithus windii Small to medium sized species of Eiffellithus (<6.4µm) with a narrow central-area almost filled by diagonal cross-bars.
				Eiffellithus sp. Specimens not identified to species level

Taxonomy:

Citation: Eiffellithus Reinhardt, 1965

taxonomic rank: Genus

Type species: Zygolithus turriseiffelii Deflandre in Deflandre & Fert, 1954

Synonyms: Clinorhabdus Stover 1966

Farinacci & Howe catalog pages: Eiffellithus + + * , Clinorhabdus * , Eiffellithus casulus * , Eiffellithus digitatus * , Eiffellithus keio * , Eiffellithus nudus * , Eiffellithus perch-nielseniae * , Eiffellithus phantasma *

Morphology:

Eiffellithus is used for earliest Cretaceous (E. primus, E. striatus, E. windii) and mid-late Cretaceous taxa that have very similar morphologies but which may not be closely related. The Early Cretaceous species were described by Applegate & Bergen (1988). The principal late Creteceous eiffellithids, E. eximius, E. monechiae and E. turriseiffelii are considered members of a meaningful taxonomic clade, which probably originated from Staurolithites (see, e.g. Watkins & Bergen, 2003). However, the relationship between these eiffellithids and a number of similar mid-Cretaceous coccoliths, e.g. Helicolithus spp., Eiffellithus paragogus (Staurolithites glabra of some authors) and Eiffellithus hancockii, is uncertain.

The mid-Cretaceous adaptive radiation of the eiffellithids is reviewed and documented in Watkins & Bergen (2003), including description of four species (E. praestigium, E. vonsalisiae, E. equibiramus, and E. parvus).

Additional species have been described by Shamrock & Watkins (2009) based on detailed morphometric analysis., espcially of size, cross-bar alignment and cross-bar terminations. These have not been included on the site yet but are listed here - and descriptions are given in the Farinacci catalog.

Eiffellithus casulus Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [like E. turriseiffelii but <8µm long]
Eiffellithus digitatus Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [oblique cross, intermediate between E. turriseiffelii and E. augustus]
Eiffellithus keio Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [intermediate between E. turriseiffelii and E. digitatus, trifurcate tips to cross-bars]
Eiffellithus nudus Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [like E. eximius but <7µm long]
Eiffellithus perch-nielsenae Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [oblique cross, intermediate between E. turriseiffelii and E. eximius]
Eiffellithus phantasma Shamrock, in Shamrock & Watkins (2009) [oblique cross, intermediate between E. turriseiffelii and E. parallelus]

Search data:

LITHS: murolith, elliptical, CA: cross-axial, ca_disjunct, plate, process, diagonal cross, closed, CROSS-POLARS: rim-bicyclic, V-prominent, R-prominent,

Lith size: 5->14µm;
Data source notes: size range of included species

The morphological data given here can be used on the advanced search page. See also these notes

Geological Range:
Last occurrence (top): at top of Maastrichtian Stage (100% up, 66Ma, in Danian stage). Data source: Total of ranges of the species in this database
First occurrence (base): within Middle Berriasian Substage (139.90-141.40Ma, base in Berriasian stage). Data source: Total of ranges 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: Eiffellithaceae

References:

Applegate, J. L. & Bergen, J. A. (1988). Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy of sediments recovered from the Galicia Margin, ODP Leg 103. Proceedings of the Ocean Drilling Program, Scientific Results. 103: 293-348. gs O

Bown, P. R., Rutledge, D. C., Crux, J. A. & Gallagher, L. T. (1998). Lower Cretaceous. In, Bown, P. R. (ed.) Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy. British Micropalaeontological Society Publication Series . 86-131. gs O

Burnett, J. A. (1998). Upper Cretaceous. In, Bown, P. R. (ed.) Calcareous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy. British Micropalaeontological Society Publication Series . 132-199. gs O

Deflandre, G. & Fert, C. (1954). Observations sur les coccolithophoridés actuels et fossiles en microscopie ordinaire et électronique. Annales de Paléontologie. 40: 115-176. gs

Reinhardt, P. (1965). Neue Familien für fossile Kalkflagellaten (Coccolithophoriden, Coccolithineen). Monatsberichte der Deutschen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin. 7: 30-40. gs

Shamrock, J. L. & Watkins, D. K. (2009). Evolution of the Cretaceous calcareous nannofossil genus Eiffellithus and its biostratigraphic significance. Cretaceous Research. 30(5): 1083-1102. gs

Watkins, D. K. & Bergen, J. A. (2003). Late Albian adaptive radiation in the calcareous nannofossil genus Eiffelithus. Micropaleontology. 49(3): 231-252. gs