PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Helicosphaera compacta

Taxonomy

Helicosphaera compacta was named by Bramlette and Wilcoxon (1967).

Sister species lacking formal opinion data

H. ampliaperta, H. ampliaperta, H. ampliapertura, H. inversa, H. mediterranea, H. prolixa, H. scissura, H. seminutum, H. wallichii, H. waltrans, H. acuta, H. ampliaperta, H. clarissima, H. elongata, H. ethologa, H. inversa, H. kamptneri, H. lophota, H. mediterranea, H. neogranulata, H. omanica, H. pavimentum, H. perch-nielseniae, H. princei, H. scissura, H. vedderi, H. wallichii

Entered

by M. Uhen on 2026-03-03; modified by M. Uhen on 2026-03-03

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1967	Helicosphaera compacta Bramlette and Wilcoxon
1975	Helicosphaera compacta Jafar and Martini p. 390

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Chromista	Cavalier-Smith 1981
—	Hacrobia
phylum	Haptophyta	Hibberd ex Cavalier-Smith 1986

Rank	Name	Author
genus	Helicosphaera	Kamptner 1954
species	compacta	Bramlette and Wilcoxon 1967

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

†Helicosphaera compacta Bramlette and Wilcoxon 1967

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Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

No measurements are available

Composition:

low Mg calcitep

Environment:

oceanic, oligotrophic, marine, brackishp

Locomotion:

passively mobilep

Life habit:

planktonicp

Depth habitat:

surfacep

Diet:

"photoautotroph"p

Created:

2006-10-31 06:24:05

Modified:

2006-10-31 08:24:05

Source: p = phylum

Reference: Kiessling 2003

Age range: base of the Bartonian to the top of the Early/Lower Pleistocene or 41.03000 to 0.77400 Ma

Collections (135 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Eocene	56.0 - 33.9	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (254120)
Eocene	56.0 - 33.9	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (260560 260561 260562 260563 260565)
Lutetian - Bartonian	48.07 - 37.71	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (262393 262394)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	USA (North Carolina)	Helicosphaera compacta (7297)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (246862)
Bartonian	41.03 - 37.71	Ukraine	Helicosphaera compacta (234813)
Bartonian - Priabonian	41.03 - 33.9	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (262392)
Priabonian	37.71 - 33.9	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (242971 242972 242973 242977 242978 242979 243829 243830)
Priabonian	37.71 - 33.9	Tonga	Helicosphaera compacta (43006)
Priabonian	37.71 - 33.9	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (262381 262382 262383 262384 262385 262386 262387 262388 262389 262390 262391 268068 268069 268070 268071 268072 268077 268085)
Priabonian - Rupelian	37.71 - 27.3	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (261718 268067)
Priabonian - Rupelian	37.71 - 27.3	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (242953 242954 242955 242956 242958 242960 242961 242963 243312 243313 243316 244287 245895 246856 246857)
NP21	34.4 - 32.9	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (259043)
NP21 - NP22	34.4 - 32.0	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (259041 259042)
Rupelian	33.9 - 27.3	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (262370 262371 262372 262373 262374 262375 262376 262377 262378 262379 262380 266443 268059 268060 268061 268062 268063 268064 268065 268066)
Rupelian	33.9 - 27.3	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (242550 242551 242553 242948 242949 242950 242951 243226 243227 243817 244277 244278 244283 244286 245891 245892 245893 245894 254114)
Oligocene	33.9 - 23.04	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (248754)
Rupelian - Chattian	33.9 - 23.04	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (243801)
NP22	32.9 - 32.0	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (247198 247199 247200 247201 247202 247203 257681 257682 257683 257684 257685 257686)
NP23	32.0 - 27.2	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (246999 247000)
NP23 - NP24	32.0 - 26.8	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (246997)
Chattian	27.3 - 23.04	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (243277 243279 243280 243281 243282 243283)
NP24	27.2 - 26.8	North Pacific	Helicosphaera compacta (259038 259039 259040)
Miocene	23.04 - 5.333	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (252486 252494 252502 252512 252526 252527 252528)
Late/Upper Pliocene	3.6 - 2.58	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (248621)
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.774	Indian Ocean	Helicosphaera compacta (259296 259304)
Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.0117	North Atlantic	Helicosphaera compacta (266442)