Early Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera from the Tethys: the large, many-chambered representatives of the genus Globigerinelloides

This paper deals with the taxonomic revision of the Early Cretaceous large, many-chambered planispiral planktonic foraminifera, historically assigned to the genus Globigerinelloides or alternatively assigned in the 1990s to the genera Globigerinelloides Cushman and ten Dam, Biglobigerinella Lalicker, Blowiella Krechmar and Gorbachik and Alanlordella BouDagher-Fadel. In a previous paper we demonstrated that the morphological and microstructural features used in the literature for distinguishing Blowiella from Globigerinelloides have value only at species level, and the former genus was thus invalidated (being the junior synonym). Moreover, the Late Aptian specimens assigned to Biglobigerinella by some authors, based on the presence of twin last chamber(s), are also included in Globigerinelloides because individuals sharing the same features (number of chambers, growth rate, size of umbilicus, and a finely perforate wall) may or may not possess twin last chamber(s). Meanwhile, Moullade et al. questioned the taxonomic value of Alanlordella, erected by BouDagher-Fadel to accommodate planispiral taxa possessing a macroperforate wall. All the species analysed here possess a finely perforate wall and consequently cannot be assigned to this taxon.The large species of Globigerinelloides retained here, with six or more chambers in the outer whorl, are G. algerianus Cushman and ten Dam, G. aptiensis Longoria, G. barri (Bolli, Loeblich and Tappan) and G. ferreolensis (Moullade).In the sections studied, Globigerinelloides aptiensis was first found close to the Barremian/Aptian boundary, even though this species was recorded in Spain (Rio Argos) in the mid Upper Barremian; very rare, small, seven-chambered individuals here assigned to Globigerinelloides ferreolensis are recorded in the Lower Aptian (just below and within the Selli Level, OAE1a), while a few specimens belonging to Globigerinelloides barri occur in the Globigerinelloides ferreolensis Zone (Upper Aptian). Globigerinelloides aptiensis and G. ferreolensis range up to the Ticinella bejaouaensis Zone while Globigerinelloides barri disappears at the top of the Globigerinelloides algerianus Zone; finally, Globigerinelloides algerianus obviously spans the eponymous total range zone.From an evolutionary point of view, two lineages within the many-chambered Globigerinelloides have been recognized. In the first, already known in the literature, Globigerinelloides aptiensis gave rise to G. ferreolensis, which evolved into G. algerianus; the latter in turn gave rise to Pseudoplanomalina cheniourensis as the final evolutionary member. In the second lineage Globigerinelloides barri originated from G. blowi.