Novalesia producta ( Magniez, 1972 ), 2025

Schlagintweit, Felix & Rashidi, Koorosh, 2025, Novalesia Producta (Magniez, 1972), A Little-Known Benthic Foraminifer From The Aptian Taft Formation Of Central Iran, Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 21 (1), pp. 81-88 : 84-86

Novalesia producta ( Magniez, 1972)

Figs. 2E , 3

*1972 Spiroplectamminoides productus sp. nov. – Magniez, pl. 1, figs. 1-13, pl. 4, figs. 1-12, fig. 3.

1974 Novalesia producta (Magniez) gen. et comb. nov. – Magniez, p. 155.

1980 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Arnaud-Vanneau, p. 538, pl. 44, figs. 3-5, pl. 69, figs. 11-15, text-figs. 197- 198.

1995 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Arnaud-Vanneau & Sliter, p. 551, pl. 1, fig. 8.

1995 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Kirmaci et al., pl. 5, figs. 7-10.

1995 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Koch et al., pl. 1, fig. 10.

2011 Pseudotextulariella cf. scarselai (De Castro) – Roozbahani, pl. 2, fig. 10.

Non 2015 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Madhavaraju et al., 1-4 (= bi- or triserial agglutinated taxon with simple chambers), 5 (possible).

?2016 Novalesia producta (Magniez) – Yavari et al., fig. 4F.

Non 2016 Novalesia cf. producta (Magniez) – Hemmati et al., pl. 3, fig. 15 (= bi- or triserial agglutinated taxon with simple chambers).

2022 Praechrysalidina infracretacea – Hassani, fig. 9.5.

Description: Test elongate, conical, and slightly compressed (~cylindroconical) ( Figs. 3 C-D). Cross sections are oval to nearly circular. The subspherical proloculus is followed by an early planispirally coiled stage, about half a whorl, that comprises three to six chambers (e.g., Figs. 3A, G ). The winding plane of this spire is arranged perpendicular to the plane of biseriality. The chambers are interconnected by basal (interiomarginal) slit-like foramina. The early planispiral stage is followed by a biserial stage that consists of up to 25 chambers also displaying interio-marginal foramina ( Fig. 3B ). The biserial chambers gradually increase in width while the height remains more or less constant. The relationship between the relevant parameters, number of chambers in the biserial stage and the total test height exhibits a linear curve regression ( Fig. 4 ). The chambers are subdivided by four to five vertical partitions (or beams) protruding into the lumen without reaching the center (= plane of biseriality). Horizontal partitions (one or two?) may be present in the last ontogenetic adult part of the test. Cross-sections through the adult test part display vertical partitions (usually four per chamber) ( Figs. 3 M-O, Q-S). The wall is homogeneous (noncanaliculate), microgranular to finely agglutinated.

Dimensions: See table 1.

Remarks: On the one hand, the available biometric data of the Iranian specimens lie within the known range of the original material as recorded by Magniez (1972) but extends this at both the lower and upper end (e.g., test length: Fig. 4 ). Axial sections, especially of juvenile specimens appear to be simple and undivided, and can therefore be confused with a variety of biserial agglutinated taxa that exhibit an initial planispiral stage such as, for example, representatives of the Spiroplectammininae Cushman, 1927 (e.g., Loeblich & Tappan, 1987).

Stratigraphy: In the Taft Formation of SW Iran, N. producta occurs in inner platform wackestones-packstones associated with other (larger) benthic foraminifera ( Fig. 2 ). Among the orbitolinids, the species may be associated with praeorbitolinids, mesorbitolinids, Iraqia simplex Henson, Palaeodictyconus actinostoma Arnaud-Vanneau & Schroeder and Dictyoconus? pachymarginalis Schroeder indicating an overall Aptian age. The type-material of Spain is latest Aptian-earliest Albian in age ( Magniez, 1972). Arnaud-Vanneau (1980) recorded N. producta from an interval spanning the early Barremian to the early Aptian of southern France and Kirmaci et al. (1996) from the late Aptian of Turkey. A late Aptian age was indicated also by Koch et al. (1998) for occurrences in Slovenia.

Figures

Fig. 2. Benthic foraminifera from the Aptian Taft Formation of the Herisht (A-C, G, I) and Anarak (D-F, H, J-R) sections. A-C. Orbitolinidae gen. et sp. indet. D, J, M. Everticyclammina sp.; Note the presence of Sabaudia minuta (Hofker) in J (white arrow); E. Nezzazata sp. (left) and Novalesia producta (Magniez) (right). F. Siphovalvulina sp., oblique and transverse sections. G. Nezzazata sp.; H-I, K-L. Sabaudia minuta (Hofker). N, P. Charentia cuvillieri Neumann. O. Glomospira cf. urgoniana Arnaud-Vanneau. Q-R. Mayncina bulgarica Laug et al. Thin-sections: T94 (A- B), T72 (C), AQ20 (D, J, M), AQ14 (E), AQ23 (F), T73 (G), AQ18 (H, K-L), T73 (I), AQ23 (N), AQ36 (P), AQ17 (Q), AQn18 (R); Scale bars = 0.30 mm.

Fig. 3. Novalesia producta (Magniez) from the Aptian Taft Formation of the Anarak (A-G, I, K, T) and the Herisht (H, J, L-S) sections. Longitudinal section perpendicular to the plane of biseriality in adult (A-F), medium-sized (L, U) and juvenile specimens (G, I left, J, P). Oblique sections (H left below, I right). Longitudinal sections in the plane of biseriality (K). Transverse sections (M-O, Q-S). Thin-sections: AQ20 (A-C, G), AQ2 (D), AQ24 (E), AQ15 (F), AQ18 (I, K), T72 (H, O, R, T), T52 (J), T21 (L), T40 (M), T72 (O), T20 (P), T23 (S). Abbreviations: ap = aperture, be = beam, fo = foramen, pr = proloculus, ra = rafter.

Fig. 4. Novalesia producta (Magniez): test height (or length) against number of biserial chambers. Black dots = data from the Aptian Taft Formation of Central Iran, white dots = data measured from axial sections in Magniez (1972, pl. 4), late Aptian-early Albian of Spain. The grey field delimits the respective data ranges of the two parameters as indicated in the original description.