THE POLYPHYLETIC ORIGIN AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE MESOZOIC SATURNALIDS (RADIOLARIA)

Abstract

Summary The Mesozoic saturnalids are a polyphyletic group and belong partly to the Spumellaria EHRENBERG, 1875, partly to the Entactinaria KOZUR & MOSTLER, 1982. The spumellarian saturnalids derived from the Oertlispongidae KOZUR & MOSTLER, 1980. All hitherto known genera of Mesozoic saturnalids (with exception of the Saturnalidae DEFLANDRE, 1953, which begin in the Upper Cretaceous, but are mostly post-Mesozoic) are revised and a suprageneric classification is proposed.