Type species:Zamolxis corona Dumitrica (OD)
Description:Skeleton with apical, dorsal and primary lateral spines sensibly equal and bearing a verticil of four spinules of which three are united or tend to be united with the spinules of the other spines to form the arches AD, AL, LD and LL. Secondary lateral spines missing, at least in the two described species, but a very short axial spine can be present.
Remarks:Zamolxis n. gen. has a structure somehow similar to that of Protoscenium Jørgensen in that the skeleton of both genera is constituted only of a spicule with connecting arches. The difference consists in the number of arches between the apical and primary laterals, and number of spinules in each verticii. The latter element is one of the most distinctive of the genus. As in many other Triassic Nassellaria, in Zamolxis each main spine has a verticil of four spinules. One of them is free, whereas the other three are connected or tend to be connected by arches with the spinules of the other spines. This system of arches, characterised by AL, AD, LD and LL, is quite different from the system of arches of almost all Triassic Nassellaria, where Al, AV, Ll, LV and lD are developed, and can be compared with the system known particularly in the Sethophormididae (sensu Petrushevskaya, 1971b), as for example Protoscenium Jørgensen and Enneaphormis Haeckel. It is interesting to note that the two genera have also unbladed spines.
Stratigraphic range:Pelsonian, Middle Triassic, Mesozoic.
Etymology:The genus is named after the Dacian god Zamolxis.
Subsequent descriptions:?

Description and dimensions:Thorny crown-shaped skeleton. Apical, dorsal and primary lateral spines increasing gradually in thickness from the center to the first verticil of four spinules. Beyond it the spines are conical and bear usually a second verticil with one to four or more short thorns. Vertical spine thin and commonly short. Axial spine very short, wart-shaped. Arches thicker than the main spines and armed with numerous thorns of variable length, situated on the external and lateral sides.       Length of spines 46-76µm, distance from centre to first verticil 25-40µm (smaller values being common to the dorsal and primary lateral spines), distance from centre to second verticil 40-62µm, diameter of spines in the proximal part 3-7µm, length of median bar 5µm. Remarks:One of the five specimens on which the description of the species is based is probably anomalous (Pl. 1, fig. 4). Its very stout skeleton would prove that it is an old specimen; but what differentiates it from the normal specimens is an additional arch born between the free spinule of the apical spine and one of the primary lateral spines. Repository:Holotype: 103731, Collection of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Bucharest, Romania. Type locality:Sample CR-24, roadcut facing the waste-dump of the fire-clay mine, 100m before the upper end of the road along the Fabricii Valley, Cristian, Brasov district, Romania. Original stratigraphic range:Pelsonian, Middle Triassic, Mesozoic. Etymology:[No information given] Subsequent descriptions:?

Literature cited:- Dumitrica, P. (1982a). Middle Triassic spicular Radiolaria. Revista espanola de micropaleontologia 14(1-3): 401-428.
- Petrushevskaya, M. G. (1971b). Radiolyarii Nassellaria v planktone mirovogo okeana (Radiolarians of the Ocean). Akademiya nauk SSSR, Zoologicheskii Institut, Issledovaniya Fauny Morei 9(17): 294.