Antonietta Cherchi

Rolf Schroeder

CiteSeerX

Treb. Mus. Geol. Barcelona, 13: 5-13 (2005)
Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa,
1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) from the Early
Cretaceous of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian
Pyrenees, NE Spain)
Antonietta CHERCHI* and Rolf SCHROEDER**
RESUMEN
CHERCHI, A. y SCHROEDER, R. Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe &
Hanzawa, 1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) en el Cretácico inferior del macizo de
Pedraforca (Pirineo catalán, España).
Se describe Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926) proveniente del
Hauteriviense superior - Barremiense inferior del macizo de Pedraforca (Pirineo
catalán, España). Un análisis bibliográfico ha mostrado que esta especie aparece en
el Titónico (superior?) y se extiende hasta el Hauteriviense superior - Barremiense
inferior.
Palabras clave: Foraminíferos, Lituolacea, Pirineo catalán (España),
Hauteriviense, Barremiense, Estratigrafía. 
* Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Cagliari, Via Trentino, 51. I-09100 Cagliari
(Sardegna, Italia).
** Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg, Senckenberg-Anlage 25. D-60325 Frankfurt am Main (Deutschland).
ABSTRACT
The lituolacean foraminifer Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa,
1926) from the upper Hauterivian - lower Barremian of the Pedraforca massif
(Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain) is described and figured. A bibliographic analysis
reveals that this species appears in the (upper?) Tithonian and ranges to the upper
Hauterivian-lower Barremian.
Key words: Foraminifers, Lituolacea, Catalonian Pyrenees (Spain),
Hauterivian, Barremian, Stratigraphy. 
INTRODUCTION
The lituolacean genus Torinosuella Maync, 1959 (type and only species: 
Choffatella peneropliformis Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926) is a geographically wide-spread
but rather rarely recorded taxon. Torinosuella was reported by several authors from
Japan, Iran, Romania, Serbia, Italy, Spain and Portugal as occurring in a relatively
large stratigraphic interval ranging from the Kimmeridgian to the Hauterivian.
The discovery of Torinosuella peneropliformis in the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian
Pyrenees) (Ullastre & Masriera 2004, p. 22) has given rise not only to publication of this
new material but also to a discussion of the stratigraphic distribution of this species.
GEOLOGICAL SETTING
Ullastre & Masriera (2004) have recently presented in this journal a stratigraphic
analysis and a detailed geological cartography of the Pedraforca massif providing new
insights into the sedimentary and tectonic evolution of this impressive mountain.
During field-work a number of Lower Cretaceous samples were collected and studied
by one of us (R.S.). One of these samples contains numerous specimens of Torino-
suella peneropliformis, which are the subject of the present study.
According to Ullastre & Masriera (2004, p. 22), this sample was collected at he
northern foot of the Pollegó superior (northern part of the Pedraforca massif). Ascending
to La Piràmide, these authors mention 30-40 m thick-bedded limestones overlying
with mechanical contact the Dogger-Malm dolomites. The sample containing 
Torinosuella was taken 3 m above the base of this limestone series. Next follows a red
ferruginous breccia (0.2 to 0.8 m), impregnated with hematite, wich is overlain by
limestones (2 m) with Choffatella decipiens Schlumberger and Orbitolinopsis 
praesimplex Schroeder, the latter indicating a lower Aptian age.
The sample containing Torinosuella peneropliformis is a biomicrite with fre-
quent gastropod and pelecypod fragments. Smaller benthic foraminifers are repre-
sented by indeterminable miliolids and biserial forms, Vercorsella sp., Glomospira
sp., and Sabaudia minuta (Hofker, 1965). Of special stratigraphic interest, however,
is the rare occurrence of the orbitolinid foraminifer Urgonina alpillensis (Foury,
6
7
1963) (Pl. 1, figs. 14-15) indicating an upper Hauterivian - lower Barremian age. The
relatively frequent dasyclad fragments (determined by M. Conrad, Genève) are
represented by the following species: Salpingoporella muehlbergii (Lorenz, 1902),
Salpingoporella cf. hispanica Conrad, 1975, Biokoviella? sp. cf. B. robusta (Sokac),
Korkyrella texana (Johnson, 1965) and Vederosella alimani Dragastan, 2000. 
According to M. Conrad, this microflore indicates likewise an upper Hauterivan -
lower Barremian age.
DESCRIPTION OF TORINOSUELLA PENEROPLIFORMIS
Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926)
Pl. 1, figs. 1-13
1926 Choffatella peneropliformis nov.; Yabe & Hanzawa: pl. 2, figs. 1-2
1959 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa); Maync: pl. 1, figs.
6a-b, 7-10, 14, 16 [non figs. 1-4, 11-13 (= Pseudospirocyclina maynci
Hottinger, 1967)]
1964 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa); Loeblich & Tappan:
text-figs. 145. 8-9 [non figs. 145. 7a-b (=Pseudospirocyclina maynci
Hottinger, 1967)]
1967 Torinosuella cf. peneropliformis (Yabe et Hanzawa); Hottinger: text-fig. 33
1967 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe et Hanzawa); Neumann: pl. 26,
figs. 1-3, 6-9 [non text-fig. 100; pl. 26, figs. 4-5 (=Pseudospirocyclina
maynci Hottinger, 1967)]
1972 Torinosuella sp. aff. peneropliformis (Y. & H., 1926); Calzada Badia:
pl. 1, figs. without numbers
1975 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa); Dragastan: pl. 36,
fig. 26; pl. 55, fig. 4; pl. 57, fig. 1
1982 Torinosuella aff. peneropliformis Yabe & Hanzawa; Canérot & Cugny:
text-figs. 5b-c
1984 Torinosuella sp. aff. peneropliformis Yabe & Hansawa [sic!]; Canérot:
pl. 2, fig. 5
non 1988 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe and Hanzawa); Loeblich & Tap-
pan: pl. 101, figs. 3-7 (= Pseudospirocyclina maynci Hottinger, 1967)
1998 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926); Jerotijević-
Polavder: pl. 1, figs. 1-6
2003 Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe and Hanzawa); Bucur et al.: pl. 41,
figs. 4-7
The original description of Torinosuella peneropliformis, given by Yabe & 
Hanzawa (1926, p. 11) and based on only two sections (Pl. 1, figs. 1-2 in this paper),
runs as follows «Shell arenaceous, oval, complanate, planospiral, composed of
numerous broad low chambers in peneropline growth; septa strongly arcuate, 
traversed by numerous pores arranged in a linear series (?). Shell-wall alveolar.
Diam. 1.4 mm.» We chose the equatorial section figured by Yabe & Hanzawa 
(pl. 2, fig. 1) as the lectotype of this species.
The specimens from the Pedraforca massif show essentially the same characteristics
as the Japanese type-material. A small bilocular embryo (Pl. 1, fig. 7; diameter: 
0.05 mm) is situated at the beginning of a well-developed complanate planispiral (Pl. 1,
figs. 5-7). This latter stage is followed by a series of arcuate chambers forming the like-
wise complanate, flabelliform part of the test (Pl. 1, figs. 8-10). The peripheral part of the
chambers is subdivided into a layer of minute chamberlets (Pl. 1, fig. 3) by small septu-
la (Pl. 1, fig. 13). Neighbouring chambers are generally connected by a single row of
apertures, but their irregular distribution in the septa of the adult stage cannot be excluded.
In contrast to the Japanese lectotype, the Pedraforca specimens are in part coarsely
agglutinated; the foreign particles have a diameter up to 0.07 mm (Pl. 1, figs. 4, 8-9,
12-13). Specimens from other Torinosuella populations also show sporadic coarse
and irregularly distributed grains which are utilized in test construction (Dragastan
1975, pl. 55, fig. 4; Jerotijević-Polavder 1998, pl. 1, figs. 1-2, 5).
STRATIGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF TORINOSUELLA PENEROPLIFORMIS
According to Yabe & Hanzawa (1926, p. 11), the original material of «Choffatella»
peneropliformis comes from the «Torinosu Limestone» of Iwasa-Kompirayama, in
the vicinity of Sakawa (province of Tosa, Shikoku, Japan); the age of this limestone
is given as «either lowest Cretaceous or uppermost Jurassic.» Kano & Jiju (1995)
have subdivided the Torinosu Group in western Shikoku into the Tsukadani Forma-
tion, composed mainly of coarse-grained siliciclastic rocks, and the Yatsuji Forma-
tion, consisting of mudstone, limestone and small amount of marlstone. Radiolarians
indicate a Kimmeridgian-early Tithonian age for the Tsukadani Formation and the
basal part of the Yatsuji Formation, whereas the overlying rest of the latter Formation
yields radiolarians of late Tithonian-Valanginian (Aita & Okada 1986; Kano & Jiju
1995; Shiraishi & Kano 2004). It follows that Torinosuella peneropliformis described
by Yabe & Hanzawa from limestones of the Torinosu Group occurs within the 
Tithonian-Valanginian time interval.
Maync (1959) described Torinosuella peneropliformis from the «Kimmeridgian»
of Cape Espichel, Portugal (associated with Anchispirocyclina lusitanica), the Hau-
terivian (dated by ostracods) of the Topcider river near Beograd (Serbia), and from
the Jurassic - Cretaceous boundary of the Engelhorn-Titlis chain (Switzerland).
However, Hottinger (1967) pointed out that the Portuguese sections figured by
Maync (1959, pl. 1, figs. 11-13) belong in reality to Pseudospirocyclina maynci 
Hottinger (now assigned to Anchispirocyclina), although they seem to be associated
in the same horizon with true T. peneropliformis (Ramalho 1969, 1971). Nevertheless,
the sections belonging to P. maynci are refigured in the treatise of Loeblich &
Tappan (1988) under the wrong name Torinosuella peneropliformis. The dating of
the Cape Espichel horizon by Maync (1959) as Kimmeridgian was incorrect; it is
located in the uppermost part of the «Portlandian B» sensu Ramalho (1971) of upper
Tithonian age.
Jerotijević-Polavder (1998) described T. peneropliformis from the Berriasian -
lower Valanginian of the Kurilovo anticline (Serbia) dated by dasyclads, mainly 
Salpingoporella steinhauseri.
8
9
Dragastan (1975) figured T. peneropliformis from the Berriasian - lower Valanginian
of the Ghilcos, Mountains (eastern Carpathians, NE Romania), where it occurs within
the «Macroporella embergeri Zone» and the «Feurtillia frequens Zone».
Bucur et al. (2003) assumed a «late Valanginian? - Hauterivian - Barremian?» age
for T. peneropliformis from a locality near Yazd (central Iran).
Azéma et al. (1977) reported Torinosuella sp. (not figured) from the lower
Valanginian of San Antioco (SW Sardinia), dated by calpionellids (Calpionellites
darderi, C. oblonga, Tintinnopsella gr. carpathica, T. gr. longa).
Calzada Badia (1972) described «Torinosuella sp. aff. peneropliformis» from the
Early Cretaceous of the Garraf massif near Barcelona (NE Spain), where it occurs
with «Choffatella sp. cf. decipiens» in marly horizons, which are intercalated in a 100 m
thick limestone series. These limestones contain the orbitolinid Valdanchella miliani
(det. J. Canérot) indicating a lower Valanginian age; they are overlain with tectonical
contact by a 200 m thick series of limestones and marls with Torinosuella and 
Choffatella decipiens, which are attributed to the Hauterivian.
Canérot (1982, 1984) reported «Torinosuella sp. aff. peneropliformis» from 
several horizons of the «Calcaires et Marnes du Mas de Querol» Formation (Castellón
province, eastern Iberian Chains), which he attributed to the Hauterivian. From the
basal part of this Formation the same author figured (1984, pl. 2, figs. 16-17) under
the name «Paleodictyoconus n. sp.» two random sections of a large orbitolinid
foraminifer, which belong in our opinion to the genus Valserina, thus indicating
uppermost Hauterivian or lower Barremian.
Summing up, it may be said that Torinosuella peneropliformis appears in the
(upper?) Tithonian and ranges in some regions of Spain (Catalonian Pyrenees, Iberian
Chains) to the upper Hauterivian - lower Barremian. However, the presence of this
species already in the Kimmeridgian, recorded by numerous authors, cannot be confirmed.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We are most grateful to our colleagues Alicia Masriera and Juan Ullastre
(Barcelona), which made the interesting sample with Torinosuella from the
Pedraforca massif available to us. We are likewise indebted to Marc Conrad
(Genève), who determined the dasyclads of the sample. Our gratitude also to
Jaime Costea (Museu de Geologia, Barcelona) who made the numerous thin
sections for this study.
Financial support was provided by grants from MURST (COFIN).
REFERENCES
Aita Y. & Okada, H. 1986. Radiolarians and calcareous nannofossils from the upper-
most Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous strata of Japan and Tethyan regions.
Micropaleont., 32: 97-128.
10
Azéma, J., Chabrier, G., Fourcade, E. & Jaffrezo, M. 1977. Nouvelles données micro-
paléontologiques, stratigraphiques et paléobiogéographiques sur le Portlandien
et le Néocomien de Sardaigne. Rev. Micropaléont., 20(3): 125-139.
Bucur, I. I., Senowbari-Daryan, B. & Majidifard, M. R. 2003. Neocomian microfos-
sil association from the Taft area near Yazd (central Iran). Facies, 48: 217-222.
Calzada Badia, S. 1972. Torinosuella sp. y Coprulus sp. en el Valanginiense y
Hauteriviense de Garraf. Rev. española Micropaleont., núm. extraord.
(XXX Anivers. E. N. Adaro): 51-58.
Canérot, J. 1984. Fluctuations marines et évolution biologique: exemple du
Néocomien des Ibérides orientales (Espagne). In: Oertli, H. J. (Ed.) Benthos ’83;
2nd Int. Symp. Benthic Foraminifera (Pau, April 1983): 131-139.
Canérot, J. & Cugny, P. 1982. La plate-forme hauterivienne des Ibérides sud-orientales
(Espagne) et ses environnements bio-sédimentaires. Cret. Res., 3(1-2): 91-101.
Dragastan, O. 1975. Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous microfacies from the Bicaz
valley basin (east Carpathians). Inst. Géol. [Bucarest]. Mém., 21: 1-87.
Hottinger, L. 1967. Foraminifères imperforés du Mésozoique marocain. Notes Mém.
Serv. géol. Maroc, 209: 1-168.
Jerotijević-Polavder, S. 1988. Torinosuella peneropliformis (foraminifer) u Donjoj
kredi Srbije [Torinosuella peneropliformis (foraminifer) in Lower Cretaceous of
Serbia]. Radovi Geoinstituta [Bull. Geoinst.], 35: 229-232.
Kano, A. & Jiju, K. 1996. The Upper Jurassic - Lower Cretaceous carbonate-terrige-
nous succession and development of a carbonate mound in western Shikoku,
Japan. Sediment. Geol., 99: 165-178.
Loeblich, A. R. jr. & Tappan, H. 1964. Sarcodina chiefly «Thecamoebians» and
Foraminiferida. In: Moore, R. C. (Ed.): Treatise on Invertebrate Paleontology,
part C, Protista 2, vol. 1, 510 pp.
Loeblich, A. R. jr. & Tappan, H. 1988. Foraminiferal genera and their classification.
2 vols.; 1: 970 pp.; 2: 212 pp., 847 pls., Van Nostrand Reinhold Company,
New York.
Maync, W. 1969. Torinosuella n. gen., eine mesozoische Gattung der lituoliden
Foraminiferen. Ecl. geol. Helv., 52 (1): 5-14.
Neumann, M. 1967. Manuel de micropaléontologie des Foraminifères (systemátique
- stratigraphie). 297 pp., Gauthier-Villars, Paris.
11
Ramalho, M. M. 1969. Quelques observations sur les Lituolidae (Foraminifera) du
Malm portugais. Bol. Soc. geol. Portugal, 17: 37-50.
Ramalho, M. M. 1971. Contribution à l’étude micropaléontologique et stratigraphique
du Jurassique supérieur et du Crétacé inférieur des environs de Lisbonne
(Portugal). Serv. geol. Portugal, Mem., 19: 1-212.
Shiraishi, F. & Kano, A. 2004. Composition and spatial distribution of microencrusters
and microbial crusts in upper Jurassic - lowermost Cretaceous reef limestone
(Torinosu Limestone, southwest Japan). Facies, 50 (2): 217-227.
Ullastre, J. & Masriera, A. 2004. Pedraforca: estratigrafía y estructura (Pirineo catalán,
España). Treb. Mus. Geol. Barcelona, 12: 11-52.
Yabe, H. & Hanzawa, S. 1926. Choffatella Schlumberger and Pseudocyclammina, a
new genus of arenaceous foraminifera. Sci. Rep. Tôhoku Imp. Univ., Ser. 2,
Geol., 9(1): 9-11.
12
Plate 1
1-13. Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926).
1. Somewhat oblique equatorial section, reproduced from Yabe & Hanzawa (1926: pl. 2, fig. 1).
Lectotype, x32.
2. Transverse section, reproduced from Yabe & Hanzawa (1926: pl. 2, fig. 2). x32.
3. Oblique equatorial section (205-24), x50.
4. Oblique transverse section (205-15), x50.
5. Somewhat oblique equatorial section showing the spiral initial part of the test (205-19), x50.
6. Strongly inclined oblique equatorial section showing the spiral initial part of the test (205-20), x50.
7. Equatorial section through the spiral initial part of the test (205-18), x50.
8. Strongly inclined oblique equatorial section (205-26), x50.
9. Strongly inclined oblique equatorial section (205-18), x50.
10. Strongly inclined oblique equatorial section (205-23), x50.
11. Transverse section (205-17), x50.
12. Oblique transverse section (205-30), x50.
13. Transverse section (205-30), x50.
14-15. Urgonina alpillensis (Foury, 1963).
14. Tangential section (205-16), x50.
15. Strongly inclined oblique transverse section (205-28), x50.
Localities 
1-2: Torinosu Limestone (Tithonian - Valanginian) from Iwasa-Kompirayama in the vicinity of Sakawa,
province of Tosa (southwestern Japan).
3-15: La Piràmide, northern side of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain). Late
Hauterivian - early Barremian.
Lámina 1
1-13. Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926)
1. Sección ecuatorial un  poco oblicua, reproducida de Yabe & Hanzawa (1926: pl. 2, fig. 1). Lectotipo, x32.
2. Sección transversal, reproducida de Yabe & Hanzawa (1926: pl. 2, fig. 2). x32.
3. Sección ecuatorial oblicua (205-24), x50.
4. Sección transversal oblicua (205-15), x50.
5. Sección ecuatorial un poco oblicua mostrando la espiral de la parte inicial de la concha (205-19), x50.
6. Sección ecuatorial oblicua fuertemente inclinada mostrando la espiral de la parte inicial de la concha
(205-20), x50.
7. Sección ecuatorial a través de la espiral de la parte inicial de la concha (205-18), x50.
8. Sección ecuatorial oblicua fuertemente inclinada (205-26), x50.
9. Sección ecuatorial oblicua fuertemente inclinada (205-18), x50.
10. Sección ecuatorial oblicua fuertemente inclinada (205-23), x50.
11. Sección transversal (205-17), x50.
12. Sección transversal oblicua (205-30), x50.
13. Sección transversal (205-30), x50.
14-15. Urgonina alpillensis (Foury, 1963).
14. Sección tangencial (205-16), x50.
15. Sección transversal oblicua fuertemente inclinada (205-28), x50.
Localidades 
1-2: Torinosu Limestone (Titónico - Valanginiense) de Iwasa-Kompirayama en las cercanías de Sakawa,
provincia de Tosa (SW Japón).
3-15: La Piràmide, cara N del macizo de Pedraforca (Pirineo catalán, NE España). Hauteriviense 
superior - Barremiense inferior.
13


Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe &amp; Hanzawa, 1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) from the Early Cretaceous of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain)

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download;jsessionid=8CC69AC2C83EC1A48DA7BD3347058A97?doi=10.1.1.1045.6990&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) from the Early Cretaceous of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

CiteSeerX

Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe &amp; Hanzawa, 1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) from the Early Cretaceous of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain)

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

CiteSeerX

Torinosuella peneropliformis (Yabe & Hanzawa, 1926) (Lituolacea, Foraminiferida) from the Early Cretaceous of the Pedraforca massif (Catalonian Pyrenees, NE Spain)