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Spheroolithus
Taxonomy
Spheroolithus was named by Zhao (1979). It is considered to be a form taxon.
It was assigned to Spheroolithidae by Zhao (1979), Mikhailov (1994), Mikhailov et al. (1994), Mikhailov (1997), Zelenitsky and Hills (1997), Mikhailov (2000), Mohabey (2001), Cousin (2002), Fang et al. (2003), Liang et al. (2009), Jackson and Varricchio (2010), Liu et al. (2013), Zhao et al. (2013), Sellés et al. (2014), Moreno-Azanza et al. (2014), Moreno-Azanza et al. (2016), Zhang et al. (2017), Zhang (2022), Tanaka et al. (2023), Wang and Wang (2024), Hedge et al. (2025).
It was assigned to Spheroolithidae by Zhao (1979), Mikhailov (1994), Mikhailov et al. (1994), Mikhailov (1997), Zelenitsky and Hills (1997), Mikhailov (2000), Mohabey (2001), Cousin (2002), Fang et al. (2003), Liang et al. (2009), Jackson and Varricchio (2010), Liu et al. (2013), Zhao et al. (2013), Sellés et al. (2014), Moreno-Azanza et al. (2014), Moreno-Azanza et al. (2016), Zhang et al. (2017), Zhang (2022), Tanaka et al. (2023), Wang and Wang (2024), Hedge et al. (2025).
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1979 | Spheroolithus Zhao p. 332 |
| 1994 | Spheroolithus Mikhailov p. 151 |
| 1994 | Spheroolithus Mikhailov et al. p. 93 |
| 1997 | Spheroolithus Mikhailov p. 48 |
| 1997 | Spheroolithus Zelenitsky and Hills p. 167 |
| 2000 | Spheroolithus Mikhailov p. 562 |
| 2001 | Spheroolithus Mohabey p. 496 |
| 2002 | Spheroolithus Cousin p. 45 |
| 2003 | Spheroolithus Fang et al. p. 517 |
| 2009 | Sphereoolithus Liang et al. p. 1590 |
| 2010 | Spheroolithus Jackson and Varricchio p. 1144 |
| 2013 | Spheroolithus Liu et al. p. 280 |
| 2013 | Spheroolithus Zhao et al. p. 4665 |
| 2014 | Spheroolithus Moreno-Azanza et al. p. 79 |
| 2014 | Spheroolithus Sellés et al. p. 725 |
| 2016 | Spheroolithus Moreno-Azanza et al. p. 309 |
| 2017 | Spheroolithus Zhang et al. p. 191 |
| 2022 | Spheroolithus Zhang p. 62 |
| 2023 | Spheroolithus Tanaka et al. p. 203 |
| 2024 | Spheroolithus Wang and Wang p. 40 |
| 2025 | Spheroolithus Hedge et al. p. 12 |
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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.
G. †Spheroolithus Zhao 1979
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†Spheroolithus albertensis Zelenitsky and Hills 1997
†Spheroolithus chiangchiungtingensis Young 1954
†Spheroolithus choteauensis Jackson and Varricchio 2010
†Spheroolithus europaeus Sellés et al. 2014
†Spheroolithus jincunensis Fang et al. 2003
†Spheroolithus maiasauroides Mikhailov 1994
†Spheroolithus quantouensis Zhang 2022
†Spheroolithus spheroides Young 1954
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| K. E. Mikhailov 1994 | Eggs are subspherical in shape (EL = 1.0-1.2) with typical spheroolithid shell structure (prolatospherulitic morphotype, prolatocanaliculate type of pore system; fig. If, g). | |
| K. E. Mikhailov 1997 | Subspherical or slightly ellipsoidal medium-sized (70-120 mm) eggs, with typical spheroolithid eggshell structure. Sculptured or smooth (with 'impression' of sagenotuberculate ornamentation) eggshell surface. | |
| F. D. Jackson and D. J. Varricchio 2010 | Egg shape sub-spherical (elongation ratio = 1.0–1.2), spherulitic eggshell structure and protocanaliculate pore system (Mikhailov, 1994:151, fig. 1f, g). | |
| A. G. Sellés et al. 2014 | Egg shape subspherical to ovate (elongation index, EL = 1.0–1.2), spherulitic eggshell structure with sagenotuberculate ornamentation and protocanaliculate pore system. | |
| S.-K. Zhang 2022 | Spherical to subspherical eggs with 74–99 mm in length, eggshell 2.2–5.5 mm in thickness, cone-shaped eggshell unit assemblages separated by large cavities in the inner portion of eggshell, fusing extensively in the outer portion of eggshell, irregular cavities between eggshell units in the outer portion of eggshell, slender or branched eggshell units separated from each other near the outer surface of eggshell. |