Early Paleocene-Late Eocene Diatoms from the Blake Nose Western North Atlantic Ocean

About this book

The Blake Nose area (western North Atlantic; approximately 350 km east of Florida, USA) represents the longest currently available single-locality record of diatom evolution, spanning approximately 30 million years of the early Cenozoic Era.

This study provides a detailed taxonomic account of the diatom assemblages found in the lower Paleocene through upper Eocene deep-sea sediments recovered by Ocean Drilling Program Leg 171B from the Blake Nose. The main study sites are Holes 1050A, 1050C and 1051A. For comparative purposes, materials from other deep-sea holes and onshore sites are included as well.

A total of 137 taxa representing 60 genera are examined using scanning electron and/or light microscopy. Two new combinations are performed (Psammodiscus praenitidus (Fenner) J. Witkowski, n. comb. and Sheshu­kovia castellifera (Grunow) J. Witkowski, n. comb.), and ten species are proposed as new (Brightwellia plana J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Detonia wadeae J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Distephanosira gleichiae J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Euodiella beatae J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Hemiaulus curvatuloides J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Hemiaulus imperator J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Hemiaulus jordani J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Hemiaulus oreshkinae J. Witkowski, n. sp.; Medlinia? subtriangularis J. Witkowski & P.A. Sims, n. sp.; and Triceratium harwoodii J. Witkowski, n. sp.).

The emphasis of this study is on the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the diatom taxa encountered in the Blake Nose cores, and on documenting their morphological variability. The overall aim of this work is to provide a reference for future biostratigraphic and paleoceanographic studies involving early Paleogene marine diatoms.

Contents

Abstract 1
Introduction 1
Materials and methods 4
Taxonomic Part 12

List of Taxa 12
I. Abas Ross & Sims (1980) 15
II. Actinoptychus Ehrenberg (1843) 21
III. Amphora Ehrenberg ex Kützing (1844) 33
IV. Anaulus Ehrenberg (1844a) 37
V. Anuloplicata (Gleser) Gleser in Gleser et al. (1992) 41
VI. Arachnoidiscus Deane ex Shadboldt (1852) 44
VII. Auliscus Ehrenberg (1843) 49
VIII. Biddulphia Gray (1821) 51
IX. Briggera Ross & Sims (1985) 55
X. Brightwellia Ralfs in Pritchard (1861) 60
XI. Clavicula Pantocsek (1886) 67
XII. Cortinocornus Gleser (1984) 71
XIII. Coscinodiscus Ehrenberg (1839a) 75
XIV. Craspedodiscus Ehrenberg (1844b) 79
XV. Craspedoporus Greville (1863b) 85
XVI. Cylindrospira Mitlehner (1995) 87
XVII. Cymatosiraceae Hasle, von Stosch & Syvertsen (1983) 88
XVIII. Detonia Frenguelli (1949) 91
XIX. Dextradonator Ross in Ross & Sims (1980) 96
XX. Distephanosira Gleser in Gleser et al. (1992) 103
XXI. Drepanotheca Schrader ex Round et al. (1990) 109
XXII. Entogonia Greville (1863c) 112
XXIII. Entogoniopsis Sims, Strelnikova, Witkowski & Williams in Witkowski et al. (2015) 112
XXIV. Eunotogramma Weisse (1854) 123
XXV. Euodiella Sims (2000) 129
XXVI. Eurossia Sims in Mahood et al. (1993) 133
XXVII. Fenneria Witkowski (2018) 135
XXVIII. Grammatophora Ehrenberg (1840) 149
XXIX. Grunowiella Van Heurck (1896) 150
XXX. Hemiaulus Heiberg (1863) 152
XXXI. Jousea Gleser (1967) 199
XXXII. Ktenodiscus Pantocsek (1889) 201
XXXIII. Liradiscus Greville (1865a) 207
XXXIV. Mastogloia Thwaites in Smith (1856) 213
XXXV. Medlinia Sims (1998) 219
XXXVI. Peponia Greville (1863b) 235
XXXVII. Plagiogramma Greville (1859) 239
XXXVIII. Porpeia Bailey ex Ralfs in Pritchard (1861) 243
XXXIX. Proboscia Sundström (1986) 247
XL. Psammodiscus Round & Mann (1986) 254
XLI. Pseudopodosira Jousé in Proschkina-Lavrenko (1949) 258
XLII. Pyrgupyxis Hendey (1969) 269
XLIII. Quadrocistella Suto (2006) 276
XLIV. Rhaphoneis Ehrenberg (1844a) 281
XLV. Rhizosolenia Brightwell (1858) 285
XLVI. Rutilaria Greville (1863c) 287
XLVII. Sextiputeus Ross & Sims (2000) 292
XLVIII. Sheshukovia Gleser (1975) 293
XLIX. Solium Heiberg (1863) 297
L. Stictodiscus Greville (1861a) 299
LI. Strangulonema Greville (1865c) 303
LII. Thaumatonema Greville (1863b) 307
LIII. Toxarium Bailey (1854) 309
LIV. Triceratium Ehrenberg (1839b) 311
LV. Trinacria Heiberg (1863) 329
LVI. Trochosira Kitton (1870) 347
LVII. Trossulus Ross & Sims (2002) 351
LVIII. Vallodiscus Suto (2005) 353
LIX. Xanthioisthmus Suto (2006) 355
LX. Xanthiopyxis Ehrenberg (1844b) 357

Discussion 360
Acknowledgements 362
References 363

Customer Reviews