Zittelina hispanica Masse, Arias & Vilas, 1993

Bucur, Ioan I., Polavder, Svetlana & Radoičić, Rajka, 2014, Lower Cretaceous Calcareous Algae And Foraminifera From Trbušnica (Vardar Zone, Serbia), Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 10 (1 - 2), pp. 1-2 : 102

Zittelina hispanica Masse, Arias & Vilas, 1993

( Fig. 5 a-c, f)

Three specimens of a large dasycladalean alga were identified in transverse-slightly oblique ( Fig. 5 a, b ) and oblique ( Fig. 5 f ) sections. The thallus is calcified only around the central stem and at the distal end of the laterals. The area between the two calcified zones is filled with calcified and partly cement-bound cyst-containers, around the original area of the primary laterals ( Fig. 5 f ) .

Two Zittelina species are known in Lower Cretaceous deposits: Z. hispanica and Z. massei ( Bucur et al., 2010) . Based on their overall appearance, mainly on the width of the axial cavity and the d/D ratio, we consider that the Trbušnica specimens correspond to species Zittelina hispanica .

Dimensions (mm): D = 5.10-5.90; d = 2.90-3.50; l = 1.10-1.30; cyst-container diameter: 0.10-0.12/0.18; cyst diameter: 0.06-0.08.

Remarks. The dimensions of our specimens are slightly larger than those indicated by Masse et al. (1993) for the type-specimens. However, a specimen that one of the authors (I.I.B.) has collected from the type-locality and that was illustrated in Bucur (2002) shows an external diameter of 6.8 mm – thus, the Trbušnica specimens fall in the dimensional range of Z. hispanica .

Figures

Fig. 5 Dasycladalean algae from the limestone pebbles of Trbušnica. a-c, f Zittelina hispanica Masse, Arias & Vilas. Transverse-slightly oblique (a, b) and oblique (c) sections; f, enlargement of the lower part of the specimen in b. a, c, thin section RR4524; b, thin section RR4523. d Montiella elitzae (Bakalova) in longitudinal-subaxial section; thin section RR4521. e Andreiella rajkae Bucur in oblique section; thin section RR4516. g, h Neomeris sp. in transverse sections; thin section RR4518. Scale bar = 0.25 mm.