Melonis affinis ( Reuss, 1851 )

Setoyama, Eiichi & Kaminski, Michael A., 2015, Neogene benthic foraminifera from the southern Bering Sea (IODP Expedition 323), Palaeontologia Electronica (International ed. in English) 76 (4), pp. 1-30 : 17

Melonis affinis ( Reuss, 1851)

Figures 6.4a, b, 6.5

1858 Nonionina barleeana Williamson : p. 32, pl. 3, figs. 68, 69.

1884 Nonionina umbilicatula (Montagu) ; Brady, p. 726, pl. 109, figs. 8, 9.

1994 Melonis affinis (Reuss) ; Jones, p. 107, pl. 109, figs. 8, 9.

1994 Melonis barleeanus (Williamson) ; Loeblich and Tappan, p. 157, pl. 347, figs. 1–5.

2001 Melonis affinis (Reuss) ; Szarek, p. 143, pl. 23, figs. 12–14.

2012 Melonis affinis (Reuss) ; Milker and Schmiedl, p. 115, fig. 26.9-10.

2012 Melonis barleeanum (Willamson) ; Milker and Schmiedl, p. 115, fig. 26.11-12.

2013 Melonis barleeanum (Williamson) ; Holbourn, Henderson, and MacLeod, p. 354.

Remarks. Most of the specimens found in this study are similar to Melonis affinis illustrated by Milker and Schmiedl (2012), who distinguished this species from M. barleeanum by its less prominent apertural lip. Based on molecular analysis, Schweizer (2006) synonymised Melonis barleeanus under Melonis affinis . The genus Melonis is suggested to belong to the family Cibicididae based on its closer relationship to cibicidids than to the genus Pullenia revealed by the molecular phylogenetic study by Schweizer et al. (2009). The genus Melonis is, however, retained in the subfamily Pulleniinae under the family Nonionidae because of its plasnispiral coiling mode, which does not agree with the morphological definition of the family Cibicididae .

Figures

FIGURE 6. All scale bars are 100 µm. 1. Nonionellina labradorica, 3H-CC; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 2. Nonionellina cf. Nonionellina labradorica, 15H-5, 146–148 cm; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 3. Astrononion stellatum, 10H-CC; a. lateral fight view; b. lateral left view; c. edge view. 4. Melonis affinis, 1H-CC; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 5. Melonis affinis, 9H-5, 146–148 cm. 6. Melonis pompilioides, 1H-CC; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 7. Pullenia bulloides, 11H-3, 146–148 cm; a. lateral left view; b. apertural view. 8. Pullenia bulloides, 12H-3, 146–148 cm; a. lateral left view; b. apertural view. 9. Pullenia cf. Pullenia catalinaensis, 36H-CC; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 10. Pullenia cf. Pullenia catalinaensis, 9H-5, 146–148 cm; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 11. Pullenia elegans, 13H-3, 146–148 cm; a. lateral right view; b. edge view. 12. Pullenia elegans, 13H-3, 146–148 cm; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 13. Pullenia salisburyi, 26H-5, 147–149 cm; a. lateral left view; b. edge view. 14. Chilostomella ovoidea, 2H-CC, a. ventral view; b. dorsal view. 15. Chilostomella cf. Chilostomella fimbriata, 10H-3, 146–148 cm; a. lateral right view; b. edge view.