Spiniferites multisphaerus, a new dinoflagellate cyst from the Late Quaternary of the Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California, Mexico

Abstract

A new organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst species, Spiniferites multisphaerus sp. nov., is described from Late Quaternary sediments of Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California (Mexico). This species is characterized by a pronounced apical protuberance and bubble-like elements that comprise the central body wall, sutural septae and processes. The central body wall is ∼1.0–2.1 μm thick and appears pseudoreticulate in transmitted light microscopy. Processes are generally stubby and have blunt or furcated tips. Tabulation is expressed by low to moderate sutural septae, and is typical of the genus. Spiniferites multisphaerus sp. nov. has been found in low abundances throughout the Late Quaternary in Guaymas Basin with maximum abundances of 6% or 1670 cysts g^–1, and is rare in the Holocene, including modern sediments.

Keywords:

• dinoflagellate cysts
• Spiniferites
• Gonyaulax
• Gulf of California
• Late Quaternary
• eastern Pacific
• taxonomy

Acknowledgements

A.P. is grateful to the Canadian Society of Palynology (CAP) for a student research award and Manuel Bringué for assistance in translating species descriptions from French. We thank Ellen Roosen (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) for providing surface sediments from the Gulf of California, Dr. Raja Ganeshram (University of Edinburgh, Scotland) for providing sediment samples from core MD02-2515, and Dr. Elaine Humphrey and Adam Schuetze (Advanced Microscope Facility, University of Victoria) for their assistance with the scanning electron microscope. We are most grateful to Dr. Martin Head for his detailed and thoughtful review, as well as to Dr. James Riding and an anonymous reviewer for their comments which also helped improve this manuscript. The Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) is acknowledged for partial funding of this project.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).