Late Cretaceous high trochospiral rotaliid foraminifera from Italy

High trochospiral architecture is relatively uncommon in rotaliid foraminifera as it is observed in a few species throughout the stratigraphic record of their 100 My history. Such a feature is recorded within the lockhartiniid group, for example in the Paleogene genus Sakesaria, whereas it is not reported from the Cretaceous. We describe two new Late Cretaceous species, Extentaspira pichezziae gen. nov., sp. nov. and Extentaspira pampaloniae sp. nov., displaying high trochospiral test, from the shallow-water facies of the Apennine and Adriatic carbonates platforms of Central and Northeastern Italy. Besides the absence of dimorphism, high trochospiral test architecture suggests an adaptation to an infaunal lifestyle. These occurrences may provide further evidence on the paleo-biogeographic gradient with the nearby Late Cretaceous Pyrenean gulf.