Charentia cuvillieri Neumann, 1965

Charentia cuvillieri Neumann, 1965 View in CoL

Figure 9 View Fig

? 1956 Cribrostomoides paralens n. sp. – Omara, p. 887, pl. 103, figs. 1-3; text figs. 3-3, 4d, 4e; Cenomanian, Egypt – fide Loeblich & Tappan (1985; assigned to Charentia ) [examination of the types has so far been unable to demonstrate that this species is the (senior) synonym of C. cuvillieri ].

T 1965 Charentia cuvillieri n. gen., n. sp. – Neumann, p. 93-95, pl. 2, figs. 6-12; middle Cenomanian, France.

1965 Haplophragmoides greigi (Henson) – Hofker, p. 185, pl. 2, figs. 1—7, pl. 3 figs. 1—3; late Aptian-early Albian, Spain.

1965 Haplophragmoides persica n. sp. – Gollesstaneh, p. 149, pl. 13, figs. 1-5; pl. 14, figs. 1-7; Barremian-Aptian, Iranian Zagros ( fide Schlagintweit, 2014 ).

1966 Hemicyclammina praesigali n. sp. – Banner, p. 216; Aptian-Albian, Spain ( fide Loeblich & Tappan, 1985 ).

1967 Charentia cuvillieri – Hottinger, pl. 9, figs. 1-4; Cenomanian, Spain.

1968 Tonasia evoluta n. gen., n. sp. – Gorbachik, p. 8-9, pl. 2, figs. 1-5; Berriasian, Crimea.

? 1973 Charentia cuvillieri – Kerdany et al., p. 93, pl. 1, figs. 9-12; Cenomanian, Gulf of Suez [non-diagnostic external views only].

? 1973 Charentia cuvillieri – Berthou, pl. 1, figs 2, 2a; early Cenomanian, Portugal.

1974 Charentia cuvillieri – Saint-Marc, p. 214, pl. I, figs. 9-11; middle Albian, Lebanon (total range reported as middle – late Albian).

1974 Charentia kosovica View in CoL n. sp. – Radoičić, p. 143, pl. XII, figs. 1-5; late Cenomanian, Kosovo ( fide Rey et al., 1977 ).

1976 Navarella View in CoL ? sp. – Luperto Sinni, pl. 46, fig. 4; Late Cretaceous, southern Italy.

1977 Charentia cuvillieri – Rey et al., pl. 3, figs. 11-14; late Albian, Portugal.

? 1978 Mayncina hasaensis n. sp. Basha, p. 77, pl. 2, figs. 7-11; late Cenomanian, Jordan.

1979 Charentia cuvillieri - Rey et al., pl. XV, figs. 11-15; late Albian, Portugal.

1980 Charentia cuvillieri – Arnaud-Vanneau, p. 353, pl. 50, figs. 5-7, 10-11; pl. 76, figs. 7-11; text fig. 124; Barremian-early Aptian, French Jura.

? 1983 Charentia cuvillieri – Hassanien & Sigal, pl. 1, figs. 11-12; Cenomanian, Egypt [indeterminate illustration].

1984 Charentia cuvillieri – Arnaud-Vanneau & Darsac, pl. 2, figs. 19, 24; Barremian – early Aptian; French Jura. 1984 Charentia cuvillieri – Canerot, pl. 2, fig. 2; early Cretaceous, Spain.

1984 Charentia cuvillieri – Dufaure et al., pl. 1, figs. 1-7; Cenomanian, southern Libya.

1985a Charentia cuvillieri – Loeblich & Tappan, p. 96, pl. 3, figs. 1-13; middle Cenomanian, France.

1985 Charentia cuvillieri – Arnaud-Vanneau in Schroeder & Neumann, p. 17-18, pl. 3, figs. 1, (“ holotype ”), 2-11; middle Cenomanian, France .

1985 Nummoloculina ? sp. – Weidich, pl. 3, fig. 8; early – middle Cenomanian, Austria.

1986 Lituolidae aff. Navarella sp. – Bouyx & Villain, fig. 7k; Late Cretaceous, Afghanistan.

1987 Charentia cuvillieri – Arnaud-Vanneau et al., fig. A 25 (19, 24); Barremian – early Aptian, French Jura.

1987 Charentia cuvillieri – Loeblich & Tappan, p. 89, pl. 78, figs. 1-10; middle Cenomanian, France.

1987 Charentia evoluta (Gorbachik) – Loeblich & Tappan, p. 89, pl. 79, figs. 1-3; Valanginian, Crimea .

1988 Charentia cuvillieri – Bucur, pl. I, figs. 18-19; Berriasian – Hauterivian, Romania.

1988 Charentia cuvillieri – Bucur & Cociuba – pl. I, fig. 29; Early Cretaceous Romania.

? 1989 Charentia cuvillieri – Cherif et al., pl. 1, figs. 11- 12; middle Cenomanian – middle Turonian, Egypt [indeterminate external views only].

Non 1990 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Weidich & Al-Harithi, p. 602, pl. 4, figs. 25-27; middle Albian, Jordan. [indeterminate but probably not Charentia ].

1991 Charentia sp. - Altıner, pl. 4, figs. 5-7; late Kimmeridgian, northern Türkiye.

1991 Charentia cuvillieri – Altıner, pl. 7, fig. 18; Berriasian?, northern Türkiye.

1991 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit, p. 34, Pl. 9, fig. 6-9, Aptian, Austria.

1991 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit & Weidich, pl. 2, fig. 2; late Albian – middle Cenomanian, Austria.

1992 Lituola ? sp. – Schlagintweit, p. 331, pl. 1, figs. 6-8; middle Coniacian, Austria.

1994 Charentia cuvillieri – Bodrogi et al., pl. 13, fig. 9 & 11; Early Cretaceous, Austria & Hungary.

1994 Charentia cuvillieri – Chiocchini et al., pl. 31, figs. 26-29; Berriasian – Valanginian, central Italy.

1995 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Abdallah et al., fig. 19(8); Cenomanian, Tunisia.

1995 Nummofallotia apula Luperto-Sinni – Abdallah et al., fig. 19(7); Cenomanian, Tunisia.

1996 Charentia evoluta – Bucur et al. pl. 1, figs. 9-10, Tithonian, Sicily.

? 1996 Charentia aff. cuvillieri – Kirmaci et al., pl. 4, fig. 12; Barremian – early Aptian, north-west Türkiye.

1998 Charentia cuvillieri – Cherchi et al., pl. IV; figs. 3 & 5; early Aptian, Yemen.

Non 1998 Charentia cuvillieri – El-Sheikh & Hewaidy, pl. 1, fig. 8; late Cenomanian, Egypt [= Hemicyclammina whitei (Henson) ].

1999 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit & Ebli, p. 398, pl. 5, figs. 1-3; late Tithonian – early Valanginian.

Non 2000 Charentia cuvillieri – Aguilera-Franco, p. 164; late Cenomanian, southern Mexico [septa appear too thick and chambers too numerous].

2004 Charentia cuvillieri – Ivanova & Kołodziej, fig. 1 (A); Berriasian – Valanginian, Polish Carpathians.

2004 Charentia cuvillieri – Ettachfini & Andreu, fig. 7H; late Cenomanian, Morocco.

2004 Charentia cuvillieri – Neagu & Cîrnaru, p. 281, pl. 2, figs. 15-18; pl.4, figs. 13-14; early Aptian, Romania.

2005 Charentia cuvillieri – Krobicki & Olszewska, p. 220, fig. 3D; reworked, Polish Carpathians.

2005 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit & Wagreich, p. 117, pl. 1, fig. 6; early Cenomanian, Austria.

2005 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Lukeneder & Schlagintweit, fig. 4(1); Hauterivian, Austria.

2006 Charentia cuvillieri – Albrich et al., pl. 3, fig. 5; early Valanginian, Spain.

2006 Charentia evoluta – Kobayashi & Vuks, fig. 4(27- 32); Tithonian-Berriasian, Japan.

2006 Charentia cuvillieri – Ettachfini, pl. 16, figs. 7-9; late Cenomanian, Morocco.

? 2006 Melathrokerion spirialis Gorbachik – Kobayashi & Vuks , fig. 4(35-45); Tithonian-Berriasian, Japan.

2007 Charentia cuvillieri – Schroeder et al., pl. 1, figs. 4- 5; late Aptian, Switzerland.

2007 Charentia evoluta – Krajewski & Olszewska, p. 299, figs. 5g-h; late Kimmeridgian-Valanginian, Crimea .

? 2007 Melathrokerion spirialis – Krajewski & Olszewska, p. 299, figs. 5i; late Tithonian -Valanginian, Crimea .

2008 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Hosseini & Conrad, pl. 5, fig. F; Berriasian, Iranian Zagros.

2008 Charentia cuvillieri – Sudar et al., fig. 4 (3) pars; fig. 9 (1); late Barremian – early Aptian, Serbia.

2009 Charentia cf. cuvillieri Neumann – Villalonga , p. 100, pl. 4, figs. 7, 9; Campanian, Spain.

? 2009 Charentia cuvillieri – Ismail et al., p. 401, pl. 1, figs. 4-5; Cenomanian, Eastern Desert, Egypt [indeterminate external views only].

2010 Charentia cuvillieri – Carevic et al., fig. 5 (9-11); late Barremian – early Aptian, Serbia.

2010 Charentia cuvillieri – Ivanova & Kołodziej, p. 9, pl. 3, fig. 5-10; reworked, Polish Carpathians.

2010 Charentia sp. – Jamalian et al., fig. 11n-o; Neocomian, Iranian Zagros.

2010 Charentia cuvillieri – Schroeder et al., fig. 11(8); early Aptian, Iranian Zagros.

Non 2012 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Abyat et al., pl. 1, fig. E; Neocomian, Iranian Zagros [uncertain, but lacks the chroma and thin septa of Charentia ].

2012 Charentia cuvillieri – Chiocchini et al., pl. 174; late Berriasian -early Valanginian, central Italy.

? 2012 Charentia cuvillieri – Lazar et al., pl. II, fig. 1; pl. III, fig. 5; Aptian, Romania.

? 2012 Charentia cuvillieri – Rami et al., p. 67, fig. 6 (7); Barremian – Aptian, central Iran.

? 2012 Charentia cuvillieri – Ghanem et al., fig. 6d (26); early Cenomanian, Syria.

2013 Charentia cuvillieri – Carevic et al., figs. 14 C-D; fig. 16 B; Barremian – early Aptian, Serbia.

2013 Charentia cuvillieri – Hfaiedh et al., fig. 12J; late Aptian, Tunisia.

? 2013 Charentia cuvillieri – Shahin & Elbaz, p. 266, pl. 1, fig. 30; Cenomanian, Egypt [indeterminate external view only].

? 2013 Charentia cuvillieri – Ghanem & Kuss, fig. 8(12, 16, 17); early Aptian, Syria.

2014 Charentia cuvillieri – Kobayashi & Wernli, p. 72, pl. III, figs. 11-21; Berriasian – Valanginian, Japan.

2014 Daxia cenomana Cuvillier & Szakall – Danelian et al. , fig. 9(2); Cenomanian, Armenia.

2014 Charentia sp. – Bucur et al., pl. 5A; Berriasian – Valanginian, Romania.

? 2014 Charentia cuvillieri – Khodashenas et al., fig. 3P; Barremian, north-east Iran.

2015 Charentia cuvillieri – Maksoud, p. 134-138, pl. 39, figs. A-S; late Barremian – early Aptian, Lebanon.

2015 Charentia evoluta – Pleş et al., fig. 3m- n; Kimmeridgian?-Tithonian; Romania.

2015 Vidalina radoicicae Cherchi & Schroeder – Brčic , pl. 5.6c; late Cenomanian, Croatia.

? 2015 Charentia cuvillieri – Babazadeh & Dehej, fig. 6jk, fig. 7o-p; Early Cretaceous, central Iran.

? 2015 Charentia cf. evoluta – Rahiminejad & Hassani, fig. 6P (non M); Cenomanian, central Iran.

2016 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit et al., fig. 6EF; late Aptian, Spain.

? 2016 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Rahiminejad & Hassani, fig. 3b; Aptian, central Iran.

Non 2016 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Afghah et al., pl. 2, fig. 3; Barremian, Iranian Zagros [indeterminate planispiral form, but chambers too numerous and septa too thick for Charentia ].

? 2017 Charentia sp. – Gutierrez-Alejandro et al., fig. 8A, D; Barremian, Mexico.

2018 Charentia cuvillieri – Luger, p. 57, pl. 1, fig. 10, pl. 10, figs. 3, 6, 8; Albian (also reported from early Cenomanian), Somalia.

? 2018 Charentia cuvillieri – Andrade, pl. M8, fig. 5; Cenomanian, Portugal.

? 2018 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Rostami et al., pl. 2i; Valanginian, Persian Gulf.

2019 Charentia cuvillieri – Bucur et al., fig. 15a; late Barremian – early Aptian, central Iran.

2019 Charentia cuvillieri – Özkan & Altıner, fig. 5 (16- 18); early Aptian, Turkish Arabian Plate.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Kaya, pl. D, figs. D-F; Cenomanian, Tajik Basin, Central Asia.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Simmons et al., figs. 9.5-9.6; middle Cenomanian, Turkish Arabian Plate.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Bucur et al., fig. 8A; Berriasian, Serbia.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Al-Mamory & Al-Dulaimi, pl. B, fig. 5; Albian, northern Iraq.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Gheiasvand et al., fig. 9F; late Barremian – Aptian, central Iran.

2020 Navarella sp. – Sha et al., fig. 9c; Campanian, Western Tibet.

2020 Charentia cuvillieri – Randazzo et al., fig. 12L; reworked, Sicily.

? 2021 Charentia cuvillieri – Al-Hassani & Al-Dulaimi, pl. A, fig. 3; Berriasian, southern Iraq.

2022 Charentia cuvillieri – Andronache et al., fig. 4I-L; Berriasian – Valanginian, Romania.

2022 Charentia cuvillieri – Hassani, fig. 8(1); early Aptian, central Iran.

Non 2022 Charentia cuvillieri – Khazaal & Shakir, pl. 2B; Berriasian – Valanginian, southern Iraq [indeterminate planispiral form – too many small chambers for C. cuvillieri ].

2023 Charentia cuvillieri – Simmons & Bidgood, p. 70, fig. 21; Late Jurassic – late Cenomanian, global review.

2024b Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit et al., fig. 4K; reworked, Slovenia.

2024 Charentia cuvillieri – Skupien et al., fig. 6D; Tithonian – Berriasian, Czech Republic.

2024 Charentia cuvillieri – Sun & Schlagintweit, fig. 5; late Barremian – early Aptian, Iran.

2024 Charentia cf. cuvillieri – Sun & Schlagintweit; fig. 4; Campanian, Tarim Basin & Croatia.

2025 Charentia cuvillieri – Schlagintweit et al., fig. 5(6, 10-12, 15); Cenomanian, Tarim Basin, China.

Reference Images: Arnaud-Vanneau in Schroeder & Neumann (1985) pl. 3. See also Loeblich & Tappan (1985) pl. 3 and Maksoud (2015) pl. 41.

Taxonomy/Identity: This is one of the most widely reported (and illustrated) LBF from the Late Jurassic – Cretaceous of Neotethys. The characteristics and history of this broadly lenticular, planispiral to uncoiling, pseudokeriothecal-walled and widely recorded species are summarised by Arnaud-Vanneau in Schroeder & Neumann (1985), Simmons & Bidgood (2023) and Sun & Schlagintweit (2024). Chomata-like wall thickenings below the apertural foramen of earlier chambers characterize Charentia , along with thin septa. The species (and genus) has similarities with several other taxa and one of its peculiarities is the variation of the shape of the aperture throughout ontogeny from a triangular arch to a three-pronged opening to a larger vertical part to eventually a narrow slit along the apertural face (see Hassanien & Sigal, 1983; Luger, 2018).

Everticyclammina greigi (Henson) is superficially similar but readily distinguishable by its alveolar wall. The genus Comaliamma Loeblich & Tappan is also similar but has simple, rather than canaliculate walls and septa. The similar Maastrichtian genus Navarella Ciry & Rat is mainly streptospirally coiled (before uncoiling) and with a broadly-rounded periphery.

Arnaud-Vanneau in Schroeder & Neumann (1985) recognised two morphotypes of C. cuvillieri – a large form (1.2 – 1.4mm diameter) and a small form (0.78 – 0.83mm diameter). The two forms also appear to have different stratigraphic ranges: small forms from around the Jurassic/Cretaceous boundary (where they are often referred to as Charentia evoluta (Gorbachik) and possibly Melathrokerion spirialis Gorbachik ), and the large forms from the Cenomanian – Campanian. However, Schlagintweit & Wagreich (2005; p. 117) state that these smaller morphotypes “ can hardly be distinguished from C. cuvillieri ”. An even smaller form – Charentia nana (Arnaud-Vanneau, 1980) with a diameter between 0.365 – 0.480 mm has been described, although a pseudokeriothecal wall structure for this form remains to be demonstrated. Herein the species is treated sensu lato that includes small forms in the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, and larger forms known from the Late Cretaceous.

Cribrostomoides paralens Omara View in CoL from the Cenomanian of Egypt ( Omara, 1956) is a possible (senior) synonym, as suggested by Loeblich & Tappan (1985a). The authors have observed CT-scan images of the type specimens of C. paralens View in CoL (generated by the Natural History Museum, London) but did not observe convincing evidence of either a pseudokeriothecal wall or the characteristic aperture forms.

Other ostensibly Cenomanian taxa referred to Charentia View in CoL include C. kosovica Radoičić View in CoL (a likely synonym of C. cuvillieri View in CoL ) and C. granulosa Kerdany & Eissa View in CoL , C. hasaensis Basha View in CoL and C. rummanensis Basha View in CoL , but their relationship to C. cuvillieri View in CoL (either morphotype) or even to the genus is debatable and requires re-examination of all type material. Synonymy with Hemicyclammina whitei (Henson) View in CoL cannot be excluded. Some older species assigned to Charentia View in CoL – Charentia arabica Tobolina et al. View in CoL in Kuznetsova et al., 1996 and Charentia atlasica Fares 1975 View in CoL remain poorly known precluding meaningful comment.

Confident Stratigraphic Range: late Kimmeridgian – Campanian. Common throughout the Early Cretaceous – Cenomanian.

Uncertain Stratigraphic Range: not applicable.

Using a sensu lato concept of this species means that it is reported with a very long stratigraphic range. The oldest records are from the late Kimmeridgian of Crimea ( Krajewski & Olszewska, 2007) and northern Türkiye (Altıner, 1991), and the youngest from the Campanian of the Tarim Basin and Spain ( Sun & Schlagintweit, 2024). There are plentiful records from the Berriasian – Cenomanian.

The use of C. cuvillieri as a biozonal marker (e.g. for the Berriasian – Al-Hassani and Al-Dulaimi, 2021) is inappropriate, except at the most local level. The species, especially when treated sensu lato, is long ranging.

Geographic Distribution: Throughout its entire stratigraphic range this species is widespread across the northern and southern margins of Neotethys with records as far east as Japan, the Tarim Basin, the Tajik Basin and Tibet. Only records from the Caribbean ( Mexico) are uncertain. Within the Cenomanian most records are from the circum-Mediterranean and the Arabian Plate, although a new record ( Schlagintweit et al., 2025) demonstrates occurrence in the Tarim Basin, China.