Fossil echinoid (Echinoidea, Echinodermata) diversity of the Early Cretaceous (Hauterivian) in the Paris Basin (France)

Thomas Saucède,Bruno David,Sophie Benetti

doi:10.3897/zookeys.325.5085

Abstract

This dataset inventories occurrence records of fossil echinoid specimens collected in the Calcaires à Spatangues Formation (CSF) that crops out in the southeast of the Paris Basin (France), and is dated from the Acanthodiscus radiatus chronozone (ca. 132 Ma, early Hauterivian, Early Cretaceous). Fossil richness and abundance of the CSF has attracted the attention of palaeontologists since the middle of the nineteenth century. This dataset compiles occurrence data (referenced by locality names and geographic coordinates with decimal numbers) of fossil echinoids both collated from the literature published over a century and a half, and completed by data from collection specimens. The dataset also gives information on taxonomy (from species to order and higher taxonomic levels), which has been checked for reliability and consistency. It compiles a total of 628 georeferenced occurrence data of 26 echinoid species represented by 22 genera, 14 families, and 9 orders.

Highlights

The Calcaires à Spatangues Formation (CSF) consists of shallow marine sediments deposited in the southeast of the Paris Basin (France) during the very Early Cretaceous (early Hauterivian, Acanthodiscus radiatus chronozone) about 132 million years ago, at the maximum of a second order sea level rise (Bulot et al 2000; Courtinat et al 2006; Bodin et al 2009)
The Calcaires à Spatangues Formation (CSF) consists of shallow marine sediments deposited in the southeast of the Paris Basin (France) during the very Early Cretaceous about 132 million years ago, at the maximum of a second order sea level rise (Bulot et al 2000; Courtinat et al 2006; Bodin et al 2009)
Fifty-four echinoid species were described in the CSF in all, half of them (26 species) based on type specimens collected in the CSF

Summary

Introduction

The Calcaires à Spatangues Formation (CSF) consists of shallow marine sediments deposited in the southeast of the Paris Basin (France) during the very Early Cretaceous (early Hauterivian, Acanthodiscus radiatus chronozone) about 132 million years ago, at the maximum of a second order sea level rise (Bulot et al 2000; Courtinat et al 2006; Bodin et al 2009). Of the 54 echinoid species ever described, Saucède et al (2012) recognized only 26 species that belong to 16 different families, among which regular (13 species) and irregular (13 species) echinoids are represented in equal proportion.

Results

Conclusion