GEOLOGIJA 34, 57-75 (1991), Ljubljana
UDK 56"61/62":551.781(497.15)=20
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae from the
Palaeocene of eastern Majevica (NE Bosnia, Dinarides)
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. i druge Acetabulariaceae iz paleocena istočne
Majevice (SI Bosna, Dinaridi)
Rajka Radoičić
c/o Geozavod, P. O. Box 275, 11001 Beograd
Abstract
A rich assemblage of calcareous algae (Dasycladaceae, Acetabulariaceae) from
Kamenjak limestone belt of the Majevica mountain gives the Palaeocene age of the
sediments maintained so far for the Middle Eocene. Following the introduction of
a new acicularian species - Acicularia tavnae, representatives of the family
Acetabulariaceae are presented form the Kamenjak algal assemblage. The forami-
niferal fauna also confirms the Palaeocene age of the Kamenjak limestones.
Kratak izvod
Bogata skupina krečnjačkih algi (Dasycladaceae, Acetabulariaceae) iz kreč-
njačkog pojasa Kamenjaka, istočna Majevica, daje paleocensku starost sedimen-
tima koji su do sada smatrani za srednji eocen. Povodom uvodjenja nove acikula-
rijske vrste - Acicularia tavnae, ovom prilikom se iz algalne skupine Kamenjaka
prikazuju samo predstavnici familije Acetabulariaceae. Foraminiferska fauna
takodje potvrdjuje paleocensku starost ovih sedimenata.
Introduction
Information on the Palaeocene in northern Bosnia was registered within a short
time by Blanchet and Neumann (1967) and S t o j č i ć (1968), and somewhat later
by Jela ska et al. (1976). Palaeocene sediments of northern Majevica mountain, NE
Bosnia, were documented by Hottinger and Drobne (1980) and Drobne (1984).
In references (Čičić, 1968, 1877) and the Geological map of Yugoslavia (1970),
Palaeogene sediments of eastern Majevica were included in the Eocene, although
Čičić (1977) allowed that the lowermost part of »the First Eocene horizon«
(= sandstone and marls of the Lower-Middle Eocene age; earlier: Middle Eocene)
might be Palaeocene. The Middle Eocene age of Kamenjak limestone belt on eastern
Majevica has not been questioned. But it was in this limestones that rich foraminife-
ral-algal assemblage of Palaeocene age (probably Thanetian) was found.
58	Rajka Radoičić
This note on the introduction of a new Acicularia, A. tavnae sp. nov., also gives
information on other Acetabulariaceae from limestones of Kamenjak: Clypeina
elliotti Beckmann & Beckmann, Clypeina aff. haglani Radoičić, Clypeina spp. and
Orioporella malaviae Pia. Sampled limestones (from sequence of alternating limesto-
nes and sandstones about 20 metres thick) contained an abundance of dasycladaceae,
Cymopolia in particular, and species of genera Broeckella, Digitella, Dissocladella,
Jodotella, Neomeris, Sarosiella, Trinocladus, Uteria and other. The rich assemblage
of dasycladaceae and geological data on the Kamenjak area will be considered in
a separate paper.
Limestones of Kamenjak also bore a diverse foraminiferal fauna (PL 6, Figs. 1-7).
Associated with neumerous miliolids and rotalids were the species Mississippina
binkhorsti (Reuss) (sensu Samuel et al. 1972, Pl. 36, Figs. 1-4) and Anatoliella
ozalpiensis Sirel, species recently described from the Middle Palaeocene of Turkey
(Sirel, 1988), and found also in Palaeocene limestone of the Western Iraqi Desert
subsurf ace (R a d o i Č i Ć, 1990).
Systematic descriptions
Family Acetabulariaceae (Endlicher) Häuck, 1885
Tribus Acetabularieae Decaisne, 1842
Genus Acicularia d'Archiac, 1843
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov.
Pl. 1, Figs. 1-7
Holotype: Specimen figured in PI. 1, Fig. 1, transverse section through four
ampullae, thin section RR-3449 (sample 021420), author's collection.
Isotypes : Sections shown in PI. 1, Figs. 2-7, thin section RR-3449, RR-3440, RR-
3452 and RR-3453.
Derivation of name: After river Tavna.
Age and type locality: Middle Palaeocene of Kamenjak area between villages
Uzunovići and Presjeka, eastern Majevica mountain.
Diagnosis : Large reproduction disc. Elongated fertile ampullae laterally uni-
ted with a thin lamella. Fertile ampullae circular in cross section. Consequently,
lateral sides of the intermediate lamella are concave. Ampulla distally tapering,
subconical. Interior of ampulla is filled with large sphaerical cysts, arranged in
irregular rows, leaving very little room in the axial part of the ampulla. In transverse
section through middle-distal part of ampulla, four cysts are showing, indicating an
arrangement of cysts in four rows. The number of rows is increased to five, or even
six, in the distal end of each ampulla. The relationship of cysts in rows is irregular.
Dimensions :
Diameter of the fertile ampulla (through middle-distal part) 0.360 - 0.440mm
Diametr of the cysts 0.160mm
Thickness of the intermediate lamella in the middle part 0.020mm, at the disc
surface 0.090 mm
Description: Available thin sections contained only fragments of a reproduc-
tion disc consisting of 3-4 ampullae at the most (Fig. 1). Transverse sections through
these fragments were typically moniliform (PI. 1, Figs. 1 and 2). The interior, between
and around sphaerical cavities corresponding to cysts, was completely calcified.
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	59
Fig. 1. Acicularia tavnae sp. nov.
Moniliform aspect of the cross section through
fused ampullae showing (black) intermediate
lamella; after section figured in PI. 1, Fig. 2
Contours of the ampulla lateral side, as well as intermediate lamella contours (PI. 1,
Figs. 1, 4, 6 and 7), and sometimes cyst contours (PI. 1. Figs. 2 and 6) were lost due to
recrystallization. Contour of lamella was only rarely discernible, like that in the
section shown in PL 1. Fig. 2. Cysts obviously were sphaerical in shape: regular
sphaerical cavities were commonly preserved with, in places, calcified thin cyst
membrana (PL 1, Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 5). Various by sized cavities are showing in thin
sections because some of them are cut on the diameter. Most of transverse ampulla
sections showed four cysts each.
Relationship: Species of the genus Acicularia were distinguished primarily by
the general shape of fertile ampullae and the shape of their distal ends (Génot,
1987, p. 127). Random sections in the thin sections were rarely informative of the
shape of the ampulla distal end. Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. was compared with
acicularies of similarly circular or oval ampulla cross section:
Acicularia pavantina d'Archiac (Génot, 1987, Pl. 19, Figs. 1-13) in contrast to
Acicularia tavnae, has dominantly oval or, in t he proximal part, subcircular sections
of ampullae, which are also elongated but thinner. Moreover, in the transverse
section, it has more much smaller cysts arranged in the marginal part of the ampulla.
Reproduction disc of Acicularia tavnae reached or even exceeded the size of Acicula-
ria pavantina disc.
Palaeocene AcicwZaria valeti Segonzac (Segonzac, 1971, pi. П. Figs. 13, 14 and
17) had similar but smaller ampullae, only with numerous cysts alternately arranged
in regular rows all over the ampulla periphery.
Highly similar with Acicularia tavnae cross section was the section of a proximal
ampulla part of Acicularia acuminata Morellet with four much smaller cysts which
filled up this part of the ampulla interior (Génot, 1987, Pl. 20, Fig. 13). Distally, the
cysts were arranged only on the periphery increasing in number to twelve (Génot,
1987, PL 20, Figs. 11 and 12). Moreover, ampullae of Acicularia tavnae were much
larger.
Ampulla of the Sarmatian species Acicularia persica Morellet had a circular
shape in transverse section, only this ampullae were larger, cysts relatively smaller,
more numerous and marginally located (Segonzac, 1967, PL 31, Fig. 5).
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov., which had a small number of cysts in the cross ampulla
section, different much from aciculariae also in a small number of cysts in transverse
ampulla section, such as Acicularia archiaci Morellet (4-7), Acicularia herberti
Morellet (3-6), Acicularia modesta Génot (4-6) and Acicularia munieri Morellet (4-7)
(Génot, 1987, Pis. 23, 17, 21 and 18).
Genus Orioporella Munier-Chalmas, 1877
Orioporella malaviae Pia
PL 2, Figs. 1-4, PL 3, Fig. 1
60	Rajka Radoičić
Qi
Fig. 2. A) Contour of the bowl-shaped Orioporela reproduction disc indicating the
orientation of sections figured in PL 3,Fig. 1 (= a-ai), PL 3, Fig. 1 (= b-bi) and in PL
2,Fig.3(=c-Ci)
B) Vertical section of the Clypeina elliotti verticil: schematic appearance of the
transverse cut through lower verticil part corresponding to section figured in PL 4,
Fig. 12
A most interesting, among a dozen of Orioporella sections, was a tangential
section of the reproduction disc shown in PL 2, Fig. 1. This and a tangential section
through the disc proximal surface (Fig. 2; PL 3, Fig. 1) suggest a flat-bottom bowl-
shaped reproduction disc composed of about sixty fertile ampullae (cf. upper disc in
Pia's reconstruction of Orioporella malaviae; Pia, 1936, Fig. 43). It was a disc of
about 10 mm or more in diameter; others were different sections of 5-10 ampullae
which, in transverse sections through most of the ampulla length, had a variable
rectangular shape (or oval in the distal part).
In his description of Orioporella malaviae, Pia showed an subaxial vertical
section through two successive disc (1936, Fig. 33; PL 2, Fig. 4) and inferred "This
may indicate, that a single plant bore more than one disc." Pia's reconstruction
(1936, Fig. 43) of this species seems plausible: a plant did not bear only one disc, and
the upper one/s could be bowl-shaped, while the lower one/s were much shallower or
nearly flat. As to the number of fertile ampullae in a disc of Orioporella malaviae,
this species seems to have no more than 64 ampullae. This reduced the differences
between O. malaviae and O. villattae Segonzac: it is quite likely that this latter is
a junior synonym of the Orioporella malaviae (perforations in septae of O. malaviae,
mentioned by Pia, are a secondary feature connected with dissolution).
The same section of the bowl-shaped disc from Danian of the Western Aquitaine
(France), as this shown in PL 2, Fig. 1, was attributed by Delof f re (1980, PL 3, Fig.
7) to foraminifer Miniacina multiformis Scheibner.
Tribus Clypeineae (Elliott, 1978) Bassoullet et al., 1979
Genus Clypeina (Michelin, 1845) Bassoullet et al., 1979
Clypeina elliotti Beckmann & Beckmann
PL 4, Figs. 1-14
Sections of Clypeina with distally enlarged lilyform verticils were not uncommon
in thin sections of the examined limestones. The verticils consisted of elongated,
distally gently widening branches, which were laterally fused forming the lilyform
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	61
verticil. Its distal ends of free branches were wide open. Various sections some of
which are given in PI. 4, Figs. 1-14, show how variable could be the size of verticil:
the smallest to the largest size ratio was up to 1:2.4 or more. The number of branches
to a verticil was rather constant, commonly 12-15. Verticil calcification was solid, in
the lower calix in particular. The vertibils were found mostly isolated, or occasi-
onally two successive verticils.
Beckmann & Beckmann (1966) described, from the Palaeocene of Cuba, the
new species Clypeina elliotti with bowl-like verticils of 9-11 branches. These were
sections of calcified verticils (up to 8 in a row), much recrystallized to offer sufficient
data on the morphology in general, or basal part of branches in particular.
Clypeina elliotti was recognized in Thanetian limestones of the Pyrenees by
Segonzac (1971, PI. 2, Fig. 8; PI. 3, Fig. 11), who mentioned more branches (12-20)
per a verticil than readily seen in the illustrated sections.
Of similar morphology and size, but much better preserved than the Cuban
Clypeina elliotti, was an alga from Palaeocene of Iraq introduced by Elliott (even
having noted similarity with C. elliotti) as a new genus and species Hamulusella
sedalanensis (Elliott, 1978, PI. 3, Figs. 1-4). The species, and consequently the
genus was suggested correctly, by Deloffre and Génot (1982, pp. 97-98), an
association with Clypeinae. The hook-like basal part of a branch and its conection
with the main axis were clearly visible in this Iraqi alga. Although this datum was
not available for Clypeina elliotti, it is not unlikely for Clypeina elliotti to have had
similar branches (which is typical of many Clypeinae). Neither the assumption that
Hamulusella sedalanensis might be its younger synonym should be rejected. For this
reason I think it opportune to ascribe these fossils to the Clypeina elliotti.
Clypeina elliotti from the Palaeocene of Majevica was better preserved than
Cuban fossils. Sections clearly showing shapes of the basal parts of branches were
missing also, though the hook-like form branches was discerned in some sections
(PI. 4, Figs, 3, 5 and 12).
Among Clypeinae with lilyform verticils, Clypeina croatica (Gušić) resembled
the most Clypeina elliotti (the resemblance of some oblique vertical and tangential
sections: Gušić, 1967, Pl. 4, Figs. 3, 9 and 10). Vertical sections of recrystallized
Clypeina elliotti verticils also resembled those of the Upper Triassic Clypeina besici
Pantić which was different in other feature (Pantić, 1965, Pl. 1, Figs. 2 and 4).
Clypeina elliotti was not frequently mentioned, but seems to had been a species of
large geographic distribution: It was presented from Palaeocene of China also (Mu
Xinan, 1982, PI. 12, Fig. 5: C. cf. elliotti, and Fig. 7: Clypeina sp.).
Clypeina aff. C. haglani Radoičić
Pl. 5, Figs. 1-5
Several different sections of a clypeina show its disc-like verticils with 18
branches very gently inclinated. Branches are tubular, circular in cross sections and
laterally fused to half the length (where the widest). Calcified parts of branches do
not seem to exceed 2/3 of the lengths.
In general form and size of verticil (PI. 5, Figs. 1 and 2), this Clypeina shows the
similarity with Clypeina haglani, a recently described species from the Palaeocene of
Iraq (Radoičić, 1990), but also some differences. Clypeina haglani verticil is
smaller in diameter and bears more thinner branches. The Clypeina from Majevica
has closer-set verticils.
62	Rajka Radoičić
Clypeina spp.
Pl. 3, Figs. 2-4
Clypeinae are relatively rare fossils in dasyclad-rich limestone of Kamenjak.
Besides the two mentioned species, only three more sections in the available thin
sections belong to this genus, viz.:
-	A vertical section of large clypeina {Clypeina sp. 1 - PI. 3, Fig. 2). By asymetri-
cal branches (in the vertical section) this probably new species is reminding of the
much smaller Palaeocene Clypeina liburnica Radoičić (though some Cretaceous
Clypeinae have a similar shape of branches);
-	The section shown in PI. 3, Fig. 3 {Clypeina sp. 2) also belong to an unidentified
species that occurs in some Palaeocene limestones of the Outer Dinarides: on Kras
and in the Adriatic littoral of Dubrovnik (Buser & Radoičić, 1987, Pl. 6, Fig.
1 - "Clypeina nov. sp."; Drobne et al., 1989, Pl. 2, Figs. 3 and 4), and
-	A cross-section of a small verticil with six oval branches {Clypeina sp. 3, PI. 3,
Fig. 4) which either belongs to a minute clypeina or is the uppermost verticil of
a somewhat large species.
Bibliography
Beckmann, J. P. & Beckmann, R. 1966, Calcareous Algae from the Cretaceous and
Tertiary of Cuba. Mém. Suisses Paléont., 85, Basel.
Blanchet, R, & Neumann, M. 1967, Sur l'âge paleocene des terrain transgressifs en
bordure méridionale du Basin Pannonique (Yugoslavie) C. R. somm., Soc. Géol. France, fase. 6,
Paris.
Buser, S. & Radoičić, R. 1987, Dazikladacejske alge u srednjopaleocenskim krečnja-
cima na Krasu u Sloveniji. Geologija 28/29 (1985/86), Ljubljana.
Čičić, S. 1968, Geološki sastav i tektonika terena izmedju rijeka Drine, Tavne i Šapne
- istočna Majevica. Geol. glasnik, 12, Sarajevo.
Čičić, S. 1977, Paleogen, u: Geologija Bosne i Hercegovine, knj. III. Kenozojske periode,
Sarajevo.
Deloffre, R. 1980, Dasycladales (Algues vertes) du Danien récifal d'Aquitaine occiden-
tale (France SW). Bull. Centre Rech. Expl.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine, 4, 2, Pau.
Deloffre, R. & Génot, P. 1982, Le Algues Dasycladales du Cénozoique. Bull. Centr
Rech. Expll.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine, Mém. 4, Pau.
Drobne, K. 1984, Periloculina slovenica, B Form from the Palaeocene of Majevica
mountain (Yugoslavia) and the new Family Fabulariidae. Razp. SAZU, Classis IV, XXV/1,
Ljubljana.
Drobne, K., Ogorelec, B., Pleničar, M., Barattolo, F., Turnšek, D.
& Zucchi-Stolfa, M. L. 1989, The Dolenja vas Section, a transition from Cretaceous to
Paleocene in the NW Dinarides, Yugoslavia. Mem. Soc. Geol. It., 40 (1987), Roma.
Elliott, G. F. 1978, A new dasycladacean alga from the Palaeocene of Kurdistan. Paleontology,
23/3, London.
Geološka karta SFR Jugoslavije, 1:500 000, 1970 - Savezni geološki zavod, Beo-
grad.
Génot, P., Les Chlorophycees calcaires du Paleogene d'Europe nord-occidentale (Bassin
de Paris, Bretagne, Cotantin, Basin du Möns), These, Univ. de Nantes, Fac. Se. et Tech., Nantes.
Gušič, I. 1967, New Dasycladaceae from the Maestrichtian of Bespelj near Jajce (Western
Bosnia), Geol. vjesnik, 20, Zagreb.
Hottinger, L. & Drobne, K. 1980, Early Tertiary conical imperforate Foraminifera.
Razp., SAZU, Classis IV, XXII/3, Ljubljana.
Jelaska, V., Bulić, J., Velimirović, Z., Bauer, V. & Benić, J. 1976, Prilog
potpunijem poznavanju stratigrafije Vučjaka i Trebovca (Sjeverna Bosna). Geol. vjenik, 29,
Zagreb.
Mu Xinan 1982, Some calcareous algae from Xizang. Paleont. of Xizang, Book V, Beijing.
Pantić, S. 1965, Clypeina besici sp. nov. iz trijaskih sedimenata spoljašnjih Dinarida.
Geol. glasnik, IV, Titograd.
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	63
Pia, J. 1936, Description of the Algae, in: Rama Rao, L. & Pia, J. 1936 - Fossil Algae from
the uppermost Cretaceous beds (the Niniyur group) of the Trichinopoly district, S. India.
Paleont. Indica, 21, 4, Calcuta.
Radoičić, R. 1990, Paleogene Dasycladacean Algae from the subsurface of the Western
Iraqi Desert. Bull. Acad. Serb. Sc. Arts, Sc. nat. math, Beograd.
Samuel, O., Borza, K. & Köhler, E. 1972, Microfauna and Lithostratigraphy of
then Paleogene and adjacent Cretaceous of the Middle Vah Valley (West Carpathian). Geol. ust.
D. Štura, Bratislava.
Segonzac, G. 1967, Contribution a la connaissance du genre Orioporella Munier-Chal-
mas. Bull. Soc. Géol. France, 7 ser. 9. Paris.
Segonzac, G.1971, Algues calcaires du Spamacien de Levelanet (Ariege) -Dasycladales,
caulerpale et cryptonémiale. Bull, du В. R. G. M., 2 ser.. Sect. IV/1, Toulouse.
Segonzac, G. 1976, Dasycladacées nouvelles ou peu connues du Thanétien des Pyrénées.
Bull. Soc. Hist. Nat. de Toulouse, t. 112, fasc.1-2, Toulouse.
Sirel, E. 1988, Anatoliella, a new foraminiferal genus and a new species of Dictyokathina
from the Paleocene of the Van area (East Turkey). Rev. PaléobioL, vol. 7/2, Geneve.
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12, Sarajevo.
64	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 1
1-7 Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. (x 47.5)
Fig. 1 Holotype, cross section through four fertile ampullae, thin section RR-3449;
Figs. 2-7 Isotypes; Cross and cross-oblique sections - Figs. 2, 4, and 6; oblique-longitudinal
sections of ampulla - Figs. 3 and 5; and Fig. 7 tangential-oblique section of the fragment
with three ampullae; thin sections RR-3440, RR-3452, RR-3453, RR-3460 and RR-3462a
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	65
66	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 2
1-4 Orioporella malaviae Pia
Fig. 1 (X 25) tangential section corresponding to cut a - ai in the Fig. 2A, thin section
RR-3453
Fig. 2 (X 25) oblique tangential section, thin section RR-3450
Fig. 3 (X 30) tangential section corresponding to cut c - Ci in the Fig. 2A
Fig. 4 (X 45) cross section of the proximal disc part and Terquemella sp., thin section
RR-3473
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	67
68	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 3
1	Orioporella malaviae Pia (x 25), tangential section through the disc proximal surface corre-
sponding to cut b - bi in the Fig. 2A, thin section RR-3462
2	Clypeina sp. 1, (x 25), vertical section, thin section RR-3450
3	Clypeina sp. 2, (x 25), oblique-longitudinal section, thin section RR-3453a
4	Clypeina sp. 3, (x 60), transverse section, thin section RR-3453a
5	?Clypeinina {lActinoporella) (x 47,5), tangential-oblique section of the verticil, thin section
RR-3462a
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	69
70	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 4
1-13 Clypeina elliotti Beckmann & Beckmann (x 47.5: Figs. 1-2, 7-10 and í 2; x 50: Figs. 3, 5, 6,
12 and 13); different sections; arrow in the Fig. 3 and Fig. 5 indicate hook-like basal part
of branch; Fig. 11: transverse section through basal hook-like part of branches corre-
sponds to cut a - ai in the Fig. 2B
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	71
72	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 5
1-5 Clypeina aff. CI. haglani Radoičić
(X 47.5: Figs. 1-2 and 4, x 45: Figs. 3 and 5), different sections, thin section RR-3460, RR-
3452a, RR-3441a, RR-3438 and RR-3473a
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	73
74	Rajka Radoičić
Plate 6
1-7 Foraminifera in the Palaeocene Kamenjak limestones (x 47.5)
Fig. 1 Anatoliella ozalpiensis Sirel, thin section RR-3474a;
Fig. 2 Miscellanea sp., thin section RR-3448;
Fig. 3 Rotalia perovalis (Terquem), thin section RR-3431;
Figs. 4-7 Mississippina binkhorsti (Reuss), thin sections RR-3453, RR-3431, RR-3448 and
RR-3471a
Acicularia tavnae sp. nov. and other Acetabulariaceae...	75