Crinoidea Flexibilia (Echinodermata) from the Fort Payne Formation (Lower Mississippian; Kentucky and Tennessee)

Abstract

Seventeen flexible crinoids, including three new species, are reported from the Fort Payne Formation with new material from Cumberland, Clinton, and Russell Counties in south-central Kentucky and from Clay County, Tennessee. This study extends the geographic range of all taxa studied, as only seven species were previously known from the Fort Payne Formation. Fort Payne flexible crinoids includeTaxocrinus colletti, Onychocrinus ramulosus, O. grandisn. sp.,Nipterocrinus monroensis, Mespilocrinus romingeri, M. kentuckyensisn. sp.,Gaulocrinus veryi, G. robustus, G. trauscholdi, G. bordeni, G. symmetrosn. sp.,Metichthyocrinus tiaraeformis, M. clarkensis, Forbesiocrinus pyriformis, F. saffordi, F. wortheni, andWachsmuthicrinus spinosulus. Mespilocrinuscolumnals are also described, and the diagnosis ofN. monroensisis emended. The Fort Payne Formation occurrence ofO. exsculptuscould not be verified.Forbesiocrinus multibrachiatusandParichthyocrinus crawfordsvillensisare considered to be junior synonyms ofForbesiocrinus wortheni. Fort Payne flexible crinoids in the Lake Cumberland area occur at nine localities in four facies types. No more than three species occur at any Fort Payne locality.