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Tetrentactinia barysphaera Foreman, 1963: skeletal structure and age of a biostratigraphically important Famennian (Upper Devonian) radiolarian from the Ohio Shale, USA

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Abstract

Tetrentactinia barysphaera Foreman, 1963 is a very characteristic Famennian (Upper Devonian) radiolarian species from the Huron Member of the Ohio Shale of North America. Its skeletal structure shows a massive, double-layered shell with main spines constructed from radial beams and concentric bars over a primary ray as the core. The species is common in limestone concretions at the type locality Milan, Ohio, associated with a diverse radiolarian fauna of predominantly spherical spumellarian forms, but has also been recorded from the Russian platform. It may be highly useful as an index species for the mid-Famennian time interval as it is one of the few spumellarians that is easily recognized and differentiated in the fauna.

Kurzfassung

Tetrentactinia barysphaera Foreman, 1963 ist eine charakteristische Radiolarie des Famenniums (Oberdevon) und wurde erstmalig aus dem Huron Member des Ohio Schiefers Nordamerikas beschrieben. Ihre Skelettstruktur wird von einer massiven, doppelschichtigen Kugelsphäre mit Hauptdornen in der Form von radialen und tangentialen Elementen über einem runden Primärdorn dominiert. Die Art ist in den Kalklinsen des Huron Members in ihrer Typenlokalität Milan, Ohio, häufig, wurde jedoch auch von der Russischen Platform gemeldet. Besonders durch ihre leichte Erkennbarkeit muss sie als eine biostratigraphisch extreme wichtige Form für das Mittlere Famennium eingestuft werden.

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Acknowledgments

Marina Afanasieva (Moscow, Russia) graciously provided copies of important Russian literature. Peter Bush (UB Instrumentation Center, SUNY Buffalo, New York, NY) made the SEM work possible and enjoyable.

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  1. Department of Geosciences, Colorado State University, 322 Natural Resources Building, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1482, USA

    Jörg Maletz

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Maletz, J. Tetrentactinia barysphaera Foreman, 1963: skeletal structure and age of a biostratigraphically important Famennian (Upper Devonian) radiolarian from the Ohio Shale, USA. Paläontol Z 85, 383–392 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-011-0103-3

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