stolons
(those connecting equatorial chamberlets of adja-cent annuli),
annular stolons
(those connecting equa-torial chamberlets of the same annulus),
oblique stolons
(those connecting equatorial and lateral chamberlets) and
interlateral stolons
(those interconnecting lateral cham-berlets). The stolons are arranged in stolon systems. Theradial stolon system mns radially from the centre of thetest towards the penphery within the equatorial plane,and ends in the
equatorial apertures
in the periphery ofthe test. The annular stolons form annular circuits withineach annulus crossing the septula. The interlateral stolonsystem forms a three-dimensional network in the laterallayers, connected to the annuli by the oblique stolons,and opening to the exterior by the
lateral apertures
in thelateral surfaces of the test. The equatorial, oblique andlateral apertures become stolons when a new chamber isformed, thus extending the stolon systems.
Crystalline cones:
Anew term, crystalline cone is pro-posed, instead of "pillar" (which is also used in aggluti-nated and porcellaneous forarninifers), for the imperfo-rate conical structures formed by the superposition ofthickened imperforate sectors of the involute outer la-mellae. The crystalline cones originate as hemisphericalgranules on the lateral walls of embryonic chambers andequatorial and lateral chamberlets. The preferential for-mation on the equatorial chamberlets produces the con-centric arrangement of granules on the lateral surfacesfound in several orthophragminid species.
Embryonic chambers:
In al1 four genera the embryo isbilocular, with a subspherical protoconch and a kidney-shaped deuteroconch, of a size and shape characteristic foreach species. The two embryonic chambers are connectedby the
protoconchal stolon.
The deuteroconch is connec-ted to each equatorial chamberlet of the first annulus by a
deuteroconchal equatorial stolon,
and to the first lateralchamberlets by the
deuteroconchal lateral stolons.Microspheric forms:
Two models of ontogeny werecharactenzed (Fig.
l),
differentiated into three stages: spi-ral, transitional, and neanic. In Discocyclinidae, the cham-bers of the spiral stage are simple and do not form a thic-kened wall, while those of the transitional stage arefalciform and subdivided into chamberlets by septula ofinner lamella, becoming progressively larger until theyform a complete annulus. In the Orbitoclypeidae, the spi-ral chambers form a thickened spiral wall and have stellarstructure, with the ventral side subdivided into a mainchamberlet and a stellar chamberlet (Fig.
2),
whereas thetransitional stage follows the orbitoidal growth model.
Morphogenesis and biocalcification
A
model for the morphogenesis of the test isproposed. Each new chamber is formed from previousapertures. ~onse~uently,he shape of each new chamberand the number of chamberlets within it are determinedby the number and arrangement of apertures in theprevious test. In megalospheric forms, the first annulusafter the embryo is formed from the deuteroconchalequatorial apertures, and the subsequent new annuli fromthe equatonal apertures in the previous one. The lateralchamberlets are formed either from the deuteroconchallateral apertures in the embryo, from the oblique
Figure
2.-
Equatorial section
of
the microsphenc nepiont of Asterocyclina and Orbitoclypeus showing the ventral (A) and dorsal(B)halves. Each cham-ber is subdivided in its ventral half into a main chamberlet and a stellar chamberlet. This stellar structure indicates a relationship with theAsterigerinacea.
Leave a Comment