The Early Cretaceous non-marine ostracod genera
Hourcqia Krömmelbein and
Pattersoncypris Bate are reinstated. A previously published referral of
Hourcqia to
Cypridea Bosquet is rejected due to the absence of an anteroventral rostrum in the holotype of the type species
Hourcqia africana Krömmelbein. The genus
Hourcqia is characterized by an “inverse” valve ratio (right valve larger than left) and the lack of an anteroventral rostrum, and the diagnosis of the genus is broadened to accommodate ornamented forms, resulting in the acceptance of five species:
Hourcqia africana,
H. confluens (Krömmelbein and Weber),
H. kouilouensis (Grosdidier),
H. bateke (Grosdidier) and
H. sylvesterbradleyi (Bate). The previously published synonymy of
Pattersoncypris with the genus
Harbinia Tsao is also rejected. The diagnosis of
Pattersoncypris is refined, meaning that three species are recognized:
Pattersoncypris micropapillosa Bate,
P. salitrensis (Krömmelbein and Weber), and
P. sinuata (Krömmelbein and Weber). The new genus
Kroemmelbeincypris is erected for two species initially assigned to
Hourcqia, and subsequently to
Pattersoncypris and
Harbinia by different authors:
Kroemmelbeincypris symmetrica (Krömmelbein and Weber) and
K. angulata (Krömmelbein and Weber). The genus
Hourcqia is diagnostic of latest Barremian non-marine settings, whilst
Pattersoncypris and
Kroemmelbeincypris characterize Aptian saline lacustrine environments. The geographic ranges of all three genera are restricted to northeastern and eastern Brazil and northern and western Africa, though a species of
Pattersoncypris (
P. dakotaensis Tibert and Colin) is also present in the United States.