Fundamental reassessment of the taxonomy of five Normapolles pollen genera

Diagnoses of the Normapolles pollen genera Hungaropollis, Krutzschipollis, Longanulipollis, Oculopollis and Trudopollis and 55 of their species are emended and many specimens illustrated in order to provide a basis for more successful and consistent identification than has been possible hitherto. These taxa were recovered from palynological preparations of selected samples from Upper Cretaceous deposits in Europe and the eastern USA. As indicated on an accompanying range chart the majority are encountered in Santonian and/or Campanian deposits. Eleven of the species described have been transferred from other genera and are therefore in new combinations, namely: Hungaropollis granulatus (Kedves et Herngreen), Longanulipollis coronatiformis (Góczán et Siegl-Farkas), L. orbicularis (Góczán), L. ornatus (Kedves et Diniz), L. parvoculus (Góczán), L. skarbyae (Kedves et Diniz), Oculopollis artifex (Weyland et Krieger), O. rector (Pflug), O. triceps (Skarby), Trudopollis cuneolis (Góczán et Siegl-Farkas), and T. spinulosus (Skarby). Six are new: Hungaropollis pinguis, Krutzschipollis cucullus, K. immanis, Longanulipollis amabilis, L. lobus and Oculopollis viriosus. Thirteen genera are regarded as synonyms of Hungaropollis (Aveiropollenites and Romeinipollenites), Longanulipollis (Coronatipollis, Intercalaripollis, Portaepollenites and Verruoculopollis), Oculopollis (Druggipollenites, Pseudoculopollis and Semioculopollis) and Trudopollis (Cuneipollis, Felderipollenites, Hofkeripollenites and Kriegeripollenites) respectively. As a result of some of these nomenclatural changes, 14 other species are in new generic combinations but are not otherwise considered. Seven morphotypes are identified in open nomenclature and two placed in comparison. This taxonomic synthesis, which updates work published since the 1950s, is aimed primarily at rendering biostratigraphic analyses easier, but it is also a necessary first step towards the resolution of Normapolles taxonomy and the relationships between these pollen grains and biological species.