TEXTURA Y ARQUITECTURA DE LOS ORBITOLINOIDEOS (SUPERFAMILIA ORBITOLINOIDEA): REVISIÓN Y CARACTERIZACIÓN

Abstract

This thesis includes the main results of the analyses on the texture, architecture and systematics performed on orbitolinoideans (Superfamily Orbitolinoidea), a group of complex, imperforate larger foraminifera that characterised the shallow-platform carbonate deposits in successive Global Community Maturation Cycles (GCMC) from the Lower Cretaceous to Paleogene times. Using a unified nomenclature, all the genera previously included in the Superfamilies Orbitolinoidea Martin, 1890, and Coskinolinoidea Moullade, 1965, sensu Kaminski et al. (2014), have been redefined, resulting on the establishment of 33 valid genera, four are considered synonyms of existing genera, and other four have been removed from Superfamily Orbitolinoidea._x000D_ New data on systematics is presented: 1) superfamily Coskinolinoidea is considered as a synonym of Orbitolinoidea, as they share the same characters for their definition; 2) families Orbitolinidae Martin, 1890, and Coskinolinidae Moullade, 1965, are accepted, and the new family Fallotellidae (Type-genus: Fallotella Mangin, 1954) is created comprising the forms with exoskeleton with alcoves (only beams); 3) the use of the presence of a simple or complex megalosphaeric embryo as a tool to divide the Family Orbitolinidae into two subfamilies (Orbitolininae and Coskinolininae) is no longer valid, as different degrees of complexity in the embryonic apparatus have been observed in both Families Orbitolinidae and Fallotellidae._x000D_ Furthermore, two case studies on the Cretaceous orbitolinoideans from Meridional and Central Apennines (Italy) have been performed and the results are presented. In one of the studies, Cribllopsis aff. arnaudae Chiochini, 1989, and Neoiraqia insolita (Decrouez y Moullade, 1974) are identified within deposits from Lower?- Middle Albian. In the same area, a new genus of porcellaneous foraminifera is described: Fissumella motolae, providing information about the origins of soritoidean foraminifera. A second study allowed the definition of a new orbitolinoid genus: Lepinoconus (Type-spices: Lepinoconus chiocchinii Cruz-Abad et al., 2017).

Date of Award	29 Jun 2018
Original language	Spanish
Supervisor	Esmeralda Caus Gracia (Director) & Carme Boix Martínez (Director)