Family AMPHIPYNDACIDAE Riedel, 1967

Amphipyndacidae Riedel, 1967a: 148; 1967b: 296; 1971: 657. — Petrushevskaya 1971b: 985 [as a subfamily]. — Petrushevskaya & Kozlova 1972: 545. — Nakaseko et al. 1975: 174. — Nakaseko & Sugano 1976: 131. — Riedel & Sanfilippo 1977: 877. — Dumitrica 1979: 32; 1995: 30. — Anderson 1983: 44. — Sanfilippo & Riedel 1985: 596. — Takemura 1986: 55. — O’Dogherty 1994: 138. — Hollis 1997: 66. — De Wever et al. 2001: 266, 268. — Suzuki H. et al. 2002: 180; 2004: 383. — Suzuki & Gawlick 2003: 191. — Afanasieva et al. 2005: S303. — Afanasieva & Amon 2006: 152-153. Amphipyndacinae – Dumitrica 1995: 31.

TYPE GENUS. — Amphipyndax Foreman, 1966: 355 [type species by subsequent designation: Amphipyndax enesseffi Foreman, 1966: 356].

INCLUDED GENUS (CENOZOIC ONLY). — Amphipternis Foreman, 1973a: 430 (= Amphiparvex synonymized byO’Dogherty et al. 2009a: 327; Protostichocapsa synonymized by De Wever et al. 2001: 268).

DIAGNOSIS. — A multisegmented Nassellaria whose post-cephalis segments are separated by distinct dividers. The apical part is robust and consists of a spherical cephalis, a narrowly necked tunnel with a thick separator in the lower part of the cephalic cavity. The robust proximal top part is fully or partially covered by a thick poreless wall. No rods from the initial spicular system extend outwards from the shell.

STRATIGRAPHIC OCCURRENCE. — Early Berriasian-early Middle Miocene.

REMARKS

The initial spicular system of the Amphipyndacidae has been repeatedly discussed and documented (Foreman 1966: text-fig. 1-9; Empson-Morin 1982: text-fig. 2; Takemura 1986: 36-37; De Wever et al. 2001: fig. 176). According to Empson-Morin (1982), the cephalis and thorax correspond to the cephalic cavity of aforementioned papers.