NAME Animikiea
AGE    AGE span:  mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Mycelia Sterilia.
FIGURE(S)
FIGURE REFERENCE
SPECIES, AUTHORITY Animikiea Barghoorn, in Barghoorn & Tyler 1965, p. 576.
LOCATION
ORIG DESCRIPTION* ORIGINAL DIAGNOSIS: Multicellular unbranched filaments straight or curved, with closely spaced septa. Individual cells much wider than long. Enclosing sheath of filament, distinct, thick-walled, and granular. Width of filament, 7 to 10 µm. Length may be greater than 100 µm.

Monotypic.

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS (Mandal & Maithy in Mandal, Maithy, Barman & Verma 1984, p. 8): Unbranched, aseptate, tubular empty sheath of filamentous algae.
COMMENTS* (Mandal & Maithy): Barghoorn (1965) proposed Animikiea for the multicellular unbranched filaments (without trichome), straight or curved, with closely spaced septa. Individual cell much wider than long. Enclosing sheath of filament distinct, thick-walled and granular. The genus was later restudied by Awramik & Barghoorn (1977) and according to them the septate appearance may be due to the wrinking of external sheath and actually is only surficial feature. Schopf (1968) while instituting the genus Siphonophycus from the Bitter Spring Formation of Australia opined that it closely resembles Animikiea Barghoorn. The only difference was the presence of closely spaced septa, which Schopf (1968) considered to be closely-spaced, punctate surficial ridges, and not penetrating in the tubular lumen. According to Schopf (1968, p. 671) "the septa" of Animikiea septata, therefore, seem quite analogus to the finely punctate surface ornamentation of Siphonophycus kestron (pl. 80, fig. 2). The morphology of these two microfossil genera seems quite similar but the apical portion of A. septata is unknown. The apical part can not be taken as a character for generic separation, as the presence of apex is only a chance of preservation. In our study we have found specimens with and without apices. Surface features of these specimens range from psilate to granular and septate to septa-like structure which could be due to preservation. We, therefore, feel that the characters of Animikiea and Siphonophycus are overlapping and not distinct enough for the institution of two distinct genera. Hence, we here consider Siphonophycus Schopf (1968) a junior synonym of Animikiea Barghoorn (1965).
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Barghoorn ES, Tyler SA. 1965. Microorganisms from the Gunflint Chert; Science, v. 147. no. 3658, p. 563-577.

Mandal J, Maithy G, Verma KK. 1984. Microbiota from the Kushalgarh Formation, Delhi Supergroup, India; The Palaeobotanist, v. 32 (1983), p. 1-19.
K&J REMARKS
TYPE TYPE: Animikiea septata Barghoorn 1965, p. 576, fig. 3, part 2.
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Animikiea;
SERIAL NUMBER 33
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.