Abstract
Abstract. A new species of dinoflagellate cyst, Desmocysta hadra sp. nov., is described from the early Campanian (Late Cretaceous) in the Norwegian Sea. This new taxon differs from the other three known species by its particularly robust but highly folded wall and the short, fine filaments arising from the antapex. The short stratigraphic range of early Campanian for this new species was calibrated with other regional well-dated dinoflagellate cysts, making it a good biostratigraphic marker. A review of the taxonomic description of the genus has also been undertaken using the available published data. The available data shows a consistent presence of Desmocysta in the fossil record from the Early Cretaceous to the late Paleocene, although some Late Jurassic occurrences have been reported in the North Sea Basin. The current records also indicate that this genus is restricted to higher latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Based on Paleocene and Late Cretaceous occurrences of the genus, and its association with dinoflagellate cysts, prasinophytes and acritarchs, a proximal, highly stressed marine environment for Desmocysta is suggested.
Highlights
The genus Desmocysta was defined by Duxbury (1983, p. 43) in his palynological study of Aptian to lower Albian sediments from the Lower Greensand Group on the Isle of Wight
The diagnosis of the first published species, Desmocysta plekta, is similar to that of the genus, it is mentioned that the long fine filaments (10 or more individual filaments) extend from a small area at the antapex and exhibit a length twice as long as the length of the main body or capsule (Duxbury, 1983, text figs. 20–21)
We describe a new species of Desmocysta and discuss the stratigraphic relevance of this genus, its geographic distribution and previously unpublished records from the Shell northwest Europe offshore microfossil database
Summary
The genus Desmocysta was defined by Duxbury (1983, p. 43) in his palynological study of Aptian to lower Albian sediments from the Lower Greensand Group on the Isle of Wight (southern England). The genus name is derived from the Greek desmos, a cable, and kystis, a cell or sac, in reference to the characteristic antapical filaments linked to relatively featureless cysts. This genus comprises spheroidal to ovoidal cysts exhibiting virtually absent tabulation except where indicated by a two-plate precingular archaeopyle, the precise plate equivalence cannot be determined. The diagnosis of the first published species, Desmocysta plekta, is similar to that of the genus, it is mentioned that the long fine filaments (10 or more individual filaments) extend from a small area at the antapex and exhibit a length twice as long as the length of the main body or capsule
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