sensu MacDonald (2004)

Noble, Paula, Aitchison, Jonathan C., Danelian, Taniel, Dumitrica, Paulian, Maletz, Jörg, Suzuki, Noritoshi, Cuvelier, Jessie, Caridroit, Martial & O’Dogherty, Luis, 2017, Taxonomy of Paleozoic radiolarian genera, Geodiversitas 39 (3), pp. 419-502 : 454

sensu MacDonald (2004)

Palaeoephippium Goodbody, 1986: 138 . — MacDonald 2004: 270.

Palaeotrifidus Renz, 1990: 374 (n. syn.)

TYPE SPECIES. — Palaeoephippium bifurcum Goodbody, 1986 ( Goodbody 1986: 139, pl. 4, fig. 1-4).

AGE AND LOCATION OF TYPE MATERIAL. — Middle Wenlock to lower Ludlow (Silurian), Cape Phillips Formation, Canadian Arctic.

TAXON CODE. — 149.

STATUS. — Valid.

DIAGNOSIS. — “Six-rayed radiolarian skeleton. One apical ray, two basal rays arising from each end of bar center. Spinulation or branching may occur on rays; spinules from adjacent rays not fusing to form cohesive shell structures” ( Goodbody 1986: 138).

REMARKS

MacDonald (2004) proposes an emendation to this genus after observing that the position of the rays may vary between basal, apical, and intermediate positions. His Emended diagnosis, “At least six rays; basal rays branch once or repeatedly; apical rays branched or unbranched” ( MacDonald 2004: 270) maintains the number of rays, but notes the varied position of one of the rays. The number of apical rays is not specified but is either 2 or 3, depending on the variable ray position, so that the total number of rays adds up to 6. MacDonald (2004) does not specify branching of basal rays, but this is an important distinction between this genus and Palaeoscenidium Deflandre 1953 , which has straight basal rays.