Spirocyclina atlasica Saint-Marc & Rahhali, 1982

Simmons, Michael, Bidgood, Michael, Consorti, Lorenzo & Schlagintweit, Felix, 2025, A Review Of The Identity And Biostratigraphy Of Cenomanian “ Larger ” Benthic Foraminifera: Part 2 - The Order Loftusiida (Excluding The Suborder Orbitolinina), Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae 21 (1), pp. 103-192 : 120-121

Spirocyclina atlasica Saint-Marc & Rahhali, 1982

Figure 7

T 1982 Spirocyclina atlasica – Saint-Marc & Rahhali, p. 134, pls. 1-2; late Cenomanian, Moroccan Atlas.

1984 Spirocyclina atlasica – Dufaure et al., pl. 1, figs. 8- 12; late Cenomanian, Libya.

1993 Spirocyclina atlasica – Ettachfini, pl. 2, figs. 3-7; late Cenomanian, Morocco.

1998 Spirocyclina atlasica – Charrière et al., fig. 4(5); fig. 7(1-5); late Cenomanian, Morocco.

2006 Spirocyclina atlasica – Ettachfini, pl. 13, figs, 1-9; late Cenomanian, Morocco.

? 2017 Coxites zubairensis – Boukhary et al., p. 4; fig.1; late Cenomanian-early Turonian, Eastern Desert, Egypt.

2023 Spirocyclina atlasica – Simmons & Bidgood, p. 90, fig. 39; late Cenomanian, Western North Africa.

Reference Images: Saint-Marc & Rahhali (1982) pls. 1-2.

Taxonomy/Identity: The dramatically flattened (more so than in Reissella ramonensis ) peneropliform coiling style of this species is characteristic (see Simmons & Bidgood, 2023, and the species key chart therein for more information). The generic characteristic is a double row of pores in the apertural face (which can increase to three rows in the final stage).

Confident Stratigraphic Range: late Cenomanian.

Uncertain Stratigraphic Range: not applicable.

The genus is long-ranging (Kimmeridgian-Santonian; Maync, 1959) but not previously recorded from the Cenomanian until this species was described from the late Cenomanian of the Moroccan Atlas ( Saint-Marc & Rahhali, 1982). Almost all records are from Morocco although a plausibly illustrated record also occurs in Libya ( Dufaure et al., 1984). The record of Spirocyclina sp. from the late Cenomanian of SE France ( Rineau et al., 2021) is probably better referred to as Pseudorhapydionina dubia (De Castro) .

Geographic Distribution: Limited distribution in North Africa ( Morocco and Libya; see Simmons & Bidgood, 2023).

Figures

Fig. 7. Representative illustrations of Spirocyclina atlasica: a. Equatorial section, Saint-Marc & Rahhali (1982, pl. 2, fig. 1, Morocco); b. External View, Etachfini (2006, pl. 13, fig. 9, Morocco); c. Subaxial section, Saint Marc & Rahhali (1982, pl. 2, fig. 8, Morocco); d. Axial section, Charrière et al. (1998, fig. 7(1), Morocco) (Reproduced after Simmons & Bidgood, 2023).