A silicoflagellate from the middle Albian of Austral Basin, Argentina.

Abstract

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic investigations of Cretaceous sediments within the southern high latitude Austral Basin, Argentina, have revealed the presence of a fragment of a silicoflagellate possibly belonging to the species Variramus aculeifera (Deflandre) McCartney, Wise, Harwood and Gersonde. Although only a fragment was identified in the samples examined from this locality, its presence is important, as it is only the second documented occurrence of an Early Cretaceous silicoflagellate. The specimen was found in a subsurface sample from the informal Palermo Aike Formation at Austral Basin. This stratigraphic level is interpreted as middle Albian on the basis of calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphy. The specimen consists of a fragmented strut with broken spines at the base, which allows the observation of the hollow skeletal structure. The strut is curved and slightly expanded at the widest part, which are characteristics diagnostic of the genus Variramus.