An illustrated and revised catalogue of Mesozoicradiolarian genera - objectives, conceptsand guide for users

摘要

This revision paper represents the final report by the InterRad Mesozoic WorkingGroup on the taxonomy and stratigraphy of Mesozoic radiolarians at genericlevel. The review reports 915 genera and encompasses the type species' illus-tration of all described nominal genera of Mesozoic radiolarians (superorderPolycystina) from 1867, when the first Mesozoic radiolarian was described,to 2008. This work is organized as an image catalogue of genera, where eachtype species is re-illustrated with a graphic scale bar indicating its magnifica-tion. Associated with each image is the most basic information that allows thereader quick location of the original publication where both genus and typespecies were described and/or illustrated.The review undergone here confirmsthe taxonomic validity of all genera according to the ICZN rules. Order andfamily assignment, synonymies and stratigraphic ranges are also fully analyzed.The review is divided in two parts: the Triassic and the Jurassic-Cretaceous.This division is justified by the low number of taxa crossing the Triassic-Jurassicboundary and by the significant change in morphologic patterns and faunalcomposition that occurred in the latest Triassic. A further reason justifying suchdivision is the very low number of nomina dubia recorded in the Triassic, asopposed to the higher number in the Jurassic-Cretaceous interval. The mainpurpose of this catalogue is to enable radiolarian paleontologists to arrive to asatisfactory taxonomic system and establish the standards for future descrip-tion of new radiolarian genera. The revision also includes a brief stratigraphicsynthesis (generic range charts) which are only accessible in the electronic ver-sion of the journal.