Alfaites, Valent & Fatka & Marek, 2019

Valent, Martin, Fatka, Oldřich & Marek, Ladislav, 2019, Alfaites romeo gen. et sp. nov., a new Hyolitha from the Cambrian of Skryje-Týřovice Basin (Czech Republic), European Journal of Taxonomy 491, pp. 1-10 : 4-5

Alfaites gen. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6CCEF3A7-D24B-4777-9E08-BFB8DCF68F87

Type species

Alfaites romeo sp. nov.

Etymology

The name ‘ Alfaites ’ refers to the first letter of Greek alphabet – alpha. The cross-section of the conch ( Fig. 2H ) resembles the large letter alpha and the small letter alpha (turned 90° clockwise) can also be discerned in Fig. 2C .

Diagnosis

Conch with almost flat slopes of dorsal side; dorsal side broadly rounded; ventral side very slightly vaulted to almost flat; lateral edges sharply rounded. Subtriangular cross-section. Amblygonal aperture. Sculpture of conch consists of transverse rarely anastomosing ribs. No apical septa were found.

Monoclaviculate operculum with clavicles of bow-shaped transverse cross-section. Open margins of clavicles overlap above inner surface operculum (interclavicular concavity). Distal ends of clavicles cut off. Bases of cardinal processes diverge at 90° angle. Uncommon and relatively robust cardinal teeth developed along the dorsal margin. Rooflets distinct. Sculpture of operculum consisting of growth-lines and fine radial ribs.

Occurrence

Buchava Formation, middle Cambrian, Drumian, Skryje-Týřovice Basin, Barrandian area, Czech Republic.

Remarks

Morphology of both conch and operculum does not allow the classification of Alfaites gen. nov. to any known family of the order Hyolithida . This genus resembles Carinolithes Sysoev, 1958 as emended by Berg-Madsen & Malinky (1999) in the morphology of the cardinal processes, but the operculum of Alfaites gen. nov. is monoclaviculate, thus differing from the platyclaviculate operculum of Carinolithes . Similarly, the shape of the transverse cross-section of the conch (subtriangular in Alfaites and rounded -triangular with distinct keel on dorsum in Carinolithes ) and the sculpture (distinct transverse ribs in Alfaites and usually fine growth-lines in Carinolithes ) are different. The genus Alfaites , including its type species A. romeo sp. nov., was first recognized as a separate taxon in an unpublished report by the late Ladislav Marek (1983: 36–38).

Figures

Fig. 2. Alfaites romeo gen. et sp. nov. A-B. Holotype (NM L46640). A. Outer mould of internal side of operculum. B. Detail of outer mould of internal side of operculum with marked cardinal teeth. C–I. Paratypes. C. Outer mould of internal side of operculum (NM L46642). D. Outer mould of external side of operculum (NM L46646). E. Outer mould of external side of operculum (NM L46641). F. Outer mould of apertural part of conch – lateral view (NM L46645). G. Inner mould of apertural part of conch – dorsal view (NM L46645). H. Subtrigonal cross-section of conch (NM L46643). I. Outer mould of dorsal side of conch with distinct asymmetrical ribs (NM L46644). Scale = 1 mm.