Urbanellina, New Name for the Mississippian Foraminiferal Genus Urbanella Malakhova, 1963, Emended Brenckle, 1997

Abstract

In a recent online paper Vachard & Le Coze (2021) pointed out that the Mississippian foraminifer Urbanella Malakhova, 1963, is a homonym of a protozoan described by Schepotieff (1912). Vachard & Le Coze (2021) proposed that Malakhova's genus name be replaced by Banffella Mamet, 1970, that they consider to be a junior synonym as suggested by Reitlinger (1981). Loeblich & Tappan (1987) rejected that synonymy, a conclusion supported by a later morphological study of Urbanella (Brenckle, 1997). Urbanella and Banffella, based on comparison of their type species (Quasiendothyra urbanaMalakhova, 1954, and Endothyra? banffensisMcKay & Green, 1963), share almost no morphological features and are not synonymous as discussed in the following paragraphs. A new name Urbanellina is proposed herein to replace the homonym Urbanella Malakhova, 1963.