NAME Fractisporonites pittsburgensis
AGE Early Jurassic to early Middle Jurassic.   AGE span: 199.6...167.7 mya
K&J CLASSIFICATION (2000) Fungi Imperfecti, Phragmosporae.
FIGURE(S)
Image of
Pl.10fig.7.jpg
FIGURE REFERENCE Traverse A, Ash SR. 1994. Well-preserved fungal spores from jurassic rocks of Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border; Journal of Paleontology, v. 68, p. 664-668.
SPECIES, AUTHORITY F. pittsburgensis Traverse & Ash 1994, p. 667, fig. 3.2.
LOCATION Wallowa terrane in Hells Canyon, Idaho, U.S.A.
ORIG DESCRIPTION* Chains of 4-8 barrel-shaped cells, 8-10 µm wide, 5-10 µm long (in direction of long axis of chain); terminal cell domed; capping cells usually lacking but sometimes seen on one end of chain (fig. 3.7); septa between cells entire; chains usually terminated on both ends either by clean breaks near a septum or by a sleeve consisting of part of terminal cell; outline reminiscent of tapeworm.
COMMENTS* Fungal spore chain illustrated by Thusu & Vigran (1985, pl. 45, fig. 9) and identified as "Scolecospore" from Middle to Late Jurassic rocks of Libya seems very similar in general outline to what a complete specimen of our new taxon would look like (no such specimen yet been found).
PUBLICATION REFERENCE Traverse A, Ash SR. 1994. Well-preserved fungal spores from jurassic rocks of Hells Canyon on the Idaho-Oregon border; Journal of Paleontology, v. 68, p. 664-668.
K&J REMARKS The "Scolecospore" of Thusu & Vigran (1985; pl. 45, fig. 9) does not resemble Fractisporonites pittsburgensis, but looks like a species of Pluricellaesporites. "Scolecospore" is a term used to identify the morphological nature of the spore (scolecosporous = with worm-like spores).

The three specimens illustrated by Traverse & Ash may well represent three different species. Except for the size, the specimen of their fig. 3.1 appears similar to Fractisporonites doliiformis Kalgutkar 1993.
TYPE
ALL NAMES (Including synonyms) Fractisporonites pittsburgensis
SERIAL NUMBER 595
PUBLIC COMMENTS
 *For source, see Publication Reference.