Hornibrook (1961) originally placed semivera in Globigerina on account of the umbilical tendency of the aperture. Jenkins (1967:1070) had stated that “G. siakensis is very close in morphology to G. nana semivera and may prove to be synonymous with it.”, but we recognize a clear distinction between siakensis and semivera. Chaisson and Leckie (1993) and Leckie and others (1993) had lumped P. semivera into a broader concept of P. mayeri s.l.; the ‘semivera’ form is restricted to the upper Oligocene of ODP Hole 803D and basal Miocene of Hole 806B. Jenkins (1977) suggested that acrostoma is a junior synonym of semivera, but we consider the two taxa to be unique and not directly related. [Leckie et al. 2018]
Catalog entries: Globigerina semivera
Type images:Distinguishing features:
Parent taxon (Paragloborotalia): Very low trochospiral test with low-arched umbilical-extraumbilical aperture with a thick lip; 4-5 chambers in the ultimate whorl, and a coarsely cancellate, sacculifer-type wall.
This taxon: Like P. pseudocontinuosa but somewhat larger and with more chambers (4½-5) in the final whorl.
Hornibrook (1961) described semivera as having a relatively flat spiral side, three whorls with 4-4½ chambers in the final whorl, radial sutures and a wide umbilical to extraumbilical aperture bordered by a lip. However, Jenkins (1971) and Spezzaferri (1994) used a taxonomic concept based on 4½-5 chambers in the final whorl, with radial to slightly curved sutures on both the spiral and umbilical side. Specimens with 4-4½ chambers in the final whorl closely resemble pseudocontinuosa. Jenkins (1971) stated that most of the paratypes in the original type sample have 4 chambers in the final whorl, which he classified as G. (T.) nana pseudocontinuosa Jenkins. Jenkins (1971) also noted a complete range of variation between the two (sub)species in the type sample, an observation also made by examining semivera topotypes at the Natural History Museum in London (this study). Paragloborotalia semivera is differentiated from P. pseudocontinuosa by its somewhat larger size and in possessing more chambers within the final whorl. Both taxa are gradational throughout their ranges. Paragloborotalia semivera differs from opima in having a high loop-shaped aperture and moderate spire.
Paragloborotalia semivera is distinguished from acrostoma by its more compact, embracing chambers, higher spiral-side convexity, and by its lower arched aperture. It is differentiated from both siakensis and mayeri by having a higher, more convex spiral side, subcircular, less ovate equatorial outline, and a more compact test with more embracing chambers and a narrow, closed umbilicus. It is further differentiated from siakensis by having more embracing chambers and a less lobulate test and a higher arched aperture, and from mayeri in having less recurved sutures on the spiral side and fewer (typically 5 compared with 5½-6) chambers in the final whorl. In some cases P. semivera had been included within the taxonomic concept of mayeri and/or siakensis (Leckie and others, 1993; Chaisson and Leckie, 1993; Pearson and Wade, 2009) and pseudocontinuosa (Jenkins and Srinivasan, 1986). [Leckie et al. 2018]
Character matrix
| test outline: | Subcircular | chamber arrangement: | Trochospiral | edge view: | Equally biconvex | aperture: | Umbilical-extraumbilical |
| sp chamber shape: | Globular | coiling axis: | Low | periphery: | N/A | aperture border: | Thin lip |
| umb chbr shape: | Globular | umbilicus: | Narrow | periph margin shape: | Broadly rounded | accessory apertures: | None |
| spiral sutures: | Weakly depressed | umb depth: | Shallow | wall texture: | Cancellate | shell porosity: | Macroperforate: >2.5µm |
| umbilical or test sutures: | Moderately depressed | final-whorl chambers: | 4.5-5 | N.B. These characters are used for advanced search. N/A - not applicable | |||
Most likely ancestor:
Paragloborotalia pseudocontinuosa - at confidence level 4 (out of 5). Data source: Leckie et al. 2018.
Geological Range:
Notes: Lower Oligocene Zone O4 to lower Miocene Zone M5. In New Zealand, Hornibrook (1961) records a range from the upper Oligocene (lower Miocene?) Waitakian Stage to the lower middle Miocene Lillburnian Stage. Jenkins (1971) recorded the range from the upper Oligocene upper Whaingaroan Stage, Globigerina (G.) euapertura Zone, to the upper lower Miocene Clifdenian Stage, Praeorbulina glomerosa Zone (Zone N8/M5; Wade and others, 2011). In the southeast Atlantic Ocean, Jenkins (1978) reported a range of uppermost Oligocene G. euapertura Zone through the middle part of the lower Miocene G. triloba triloba Zone at DSDP Sites 360 and 362. In her detailed study of many DSDP sites from around the world ocean, Spezzaferri (1994) reported a lowest occurrence within lower Oligocene Subzone P21a (= O3/O4). [Leckie et al. 2018]
Last occurrence (top): within M5 zone (15.10-16.38Ma, top in Langhian stage). Data source: Leckie et al. 2018
First occurrence (base): within O4 zone (28.09-29.18Ma, base in Rupelian stage). Data source: Leckie et al. 2018
Plot of occurrence data:
Primary source for this page: Leckie et al. 2018 - Olig Atlas chap.5 p.163
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Paragloborotalia semivera compiled by the pforams@mikrotax project team viewed: 18-6-2026
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