New peridinioid dinoflagellate cyst and acritarch taxa from the Miocene of Colombia, northwestern South America

Abstract New marine palynomorph taxa recovered from a late Chattian–late Burdigalian (~ 24–17 Ma) shallow-marine sequence drilled in northern Colombia are herein formally described. These new taxa include two peridinioid dinoflagellate cyst species, Cristadinium lucyedwardiae sp. nov., and Trinovantedinium uitpensis sp. nov., and the acritarch Quadrina? triangulata sp. nov. During the Aquitanian, C. lucyedwardiae sp. nov. occurrs consistently, whereas T. uitpensis sp. nov. occurs sporadically. Q.? triangulata sp. nov.—a potential key biostratigraphic marker in the tropical Americas—occurs during the middle and late Burdigalian. Cristadinium lucyedwardiae sp. nov. is characterized by having solid, distally tapered to truncated, parasutural processes forming linear low crests. Quadrina? triangulata sp. nov. is characterized by having triangular processes. Trinovantedinium uitpensis sp. nov. is characterized by having baculate penitabular processes and denticulate paracingulum.