The dinoflagellate cyst Mendicodinium Morgenroth, 1970, emend. from the lower Toarcian (Jurassic) of central Italy

Four new species of the dinoflagellate cyst genus Mendicodinium Morgenroth, 1970- Mendicodinium umbriense Bucefalo Palliani, Riding et Torricelli, sp. nov., Mendicodinium spinosum Bucefalo Palliani, Riding et Torricelli, sp. nov., Mendicodinium microscabratum Bucefalo Palliani, Riding et Torricelli, sp. nov. and Mendicodinium brunneum Bucefalo Palliani, Riding et Torricelli, sp. nov.-are described from the lower Toarcian of central Italy. By virtue of the varied morphological features observed in these new species, the generic diagnosis of Mendicodinium is emended to include proximochorate cysts in order to fully document the variety of ornamentation types and the significant variation in size of this genus.