A new genus and two new species of dinoflagellate cysts from the Upper Cretaceous of the Maastrichtian type area and Turnhout (northern Belgium)

Campanian and Maastrichtian chalks from Beutenaken and Hallembaye quarries in the Maastrichtian type area and from the Turnhout borehole in northern Belgium contain two new dinoflagellate cysts, Batiacasphaera solida, Slimani sp. nov. and Neosphaerodictyon filosum, Slimani gen. et sp. nov. Batiacasphaera solida is coarsely granulate to tuberculate. The type of the new genus Neosphaerodictyon is a chorate gonyaulacoid, bearing 1 filamentous process per plate and with an apical archeopyle (tA) and characteristic reticulate periphragm. Both have distinctive morphologies and restricted occurrences in the Campanian (B. solida) and in the Campanian and Early Maastrichtian (M filosum) stages.. and are therefore considered to be potential stratigraphical markers. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.