Becus Wu, 1986

Dumitrica, Paulian, Dieni, Iginio & Massari, Francesco, 2022, Valanginian Radiolarians Of Ne Sardinia (Italy) In The Frame Of The Weissert Event, Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 18 (2), pp. 97-159 : 112

Genus Becus Wu, 1986

Type species. Becus gemmatus Wu, 1986 .

Remarks. The genus was amply discussed by Dumitrică (1997, p. 214). According to him, Becus differs from Alievium Pessagno 1972 , by having two types of superficial structures: a central one with a certain number of nodes in a rather constant dispositions (a central group and a peripheral circle of nodes), as external expression of the central internal structure, and a spongy peripheral one without nodes or with small ones consisting of a spongy meshwork that can be easily dissolved during fossilization, in which case only the central part is preserved. Moreover, the nodes are not connected to one another by a single bar forming a meshwork of coarse triangular meshes as in Alievium , but by several interconnecting bars forming a relatively dense and irregular meshwork. By its morphology, Becus looks like a primitive Pseudoaulophacus Pessagno, 1963 , from which it differs by having in the central part a tholus of nodes instead of a massive triangular network. In the S’Ozzastru section most specimens of this genus are partly dissolved so that description and determination are usually difficult.