Pseudofurnishius Van den Boogaard, 1966

Plasencia, Pablo, Hirsch, Francis, Sha, Jingeng & Márquez-Aliaga, Ana, 2015, Taxonomy and evolution of the Triassic conodont Pseudofurnishius, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 60 (2), pp. 385-394 : 387

Genus Pseudofurnishius Van den Boogaard, 1966

Type species: Pseudofurnishius murcianus Van den Boogaard, 1966 ; Fuente Aledo, (Sierra de Carrascoy, Murcia, Spain), Post-Carboniferous. Species included: The following species of the genus are considered valid: Pseudofurnishius murcianus Van den Boogaard, 1966 , P. shagami ( Benjamini and Chepstow-Lusty, 1986) , P. priscus Sadeddin, 1990 , and P. siyalaensis Sadeddin and Kozur, 1992 . The morphology of P. sosioensis Gullo and Kozur, 1989 , suggests that of a juvenile early Ladinian Sephardiellinae taxon. The species P. huddlei Van den Boogaard and Simon, 1973 and P. regularis Budurov and Pantić, 1973 are regarded as synonyms of P. murcianus ( Bandel and Waksmundzki 1985 and Ramovš 1978, respectively).

Emended diagnosis.—A gondolellid with the P 1 element tending to be slightly asymmetric, straight or slightly curved, with at least an inner lateral platform covered with a cluster of prominent irregular denticles, located anterior to mid-length with a relatively short anterior blade with erect denticles. The posterior blade is longer and the denticles posteriorly reclined. Some specimens may have a prominent denticle on the outer lateral margin and others have a nodose platform developed around the margins of the anterior blade. The basal cavity is “cavital (neospathodid)”, gradually narrowing towards both ends of the element. An amygdaloid basal pit is located in the central third of the unit. Platform-less species related to the type species are also included in the genus.

Remarks.—The emended diagnosis is proposed because the concept of the genus has changed substantially since the taxon was established by Van den Boogaard (1966). First Ramovš (1977) pointed out the presence of an outer platform and added a more detailed description of the aboral side. Later Gullo and Kozur (1991), considering the smooth species of Pseudofurnishius , re-formulated the diagnosis, introducing evolutionary observations and morphological aspects that we consider invalid.

Stratigraphic and geographic range.—Late Pelsonian (late Anisian) to early Cordevolian (early Carnian); “Sephardic Province” during late Anisian to early Ladinian; spread to Southern Alps, Dinarids, Taurids, and Cimerian terranes (Malayan Peninsula, SW China) during late Ladinian–early Carnian. The occurrence of the late Anisian Pseudofurnishius species in the area of the “Sephardic Province” suggests that the origin of the genus took place in that realm.