ASGP (2009), vol. 79: 141-146

PLECTOERATIDUS SUBARCTICUS, N.GEN., N.SP., A NEW AGGLUTINATED FORAMINIFER FROM THE UPPER CRETACEOUS OF THE WESTERN BARENTS SEA

Michael A. KAMINSKI (1), Eiichi SETOYAMA (2) & Jarosław TYSZKA (2)

1) Department of Earth Sciences, University College London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, U.K., e-mail: m.kaminski at ucl.ac.uk
2) Institute of Geological Sciences, Polish Academy of Sciences, Cracow Research Centre, ul. Senacka 1, 31-002 Kraków, Poland, e-mails: ndsetoya at cyf-kr.edu.pl, ndtyszka at cyf-kr.edu.pl

Kaminski, M. A., Setoyama, E. & Tyszka, J., 2009. Plectoeratidus subarcticus, n.gen., n.sp., a new agglutinated foraminifer from the Upper Cretaceous of the western Barents Sea. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 79: 141-146.

Abstract: We describe the new foraminiferal genus and species Plectoeratidus subarcticus n.gen. n.sp., from the Upper Cretaceous deep-water deposits of the Kviting and Kveite formations in the western Barents Sea. The genus is characterised by its planispiral-biserial-uniserial chamber arrangement, terminal aperture and lateral compre- ssion. The biometric analysis of test ontogenesis has been applied to document its dimorphism attributed to megalospheric and microspheric generations. This taxon may represent an evolutionary transition between the Cretaceous genera Spiroplectammina or Bolivinopsis and the Cenozoic genus Eratidus. The taxon appears to be endemic to the flysch-type agglutinated foraminiferal assemblages in the Norwegian Sea area.