Fossil Echinoids Research Articles

Albian–Cenomanian echinoids from areas north of Bandar Abbas and south of Fars in the Zagros Mountains, Iran

Fossil echinoids have rarely been described from Iran. This study focuses on the echinoid fauna found in the Cretaceous strata (Kazhdumi Formation) of the Geno and Gerash sections in the Bandar Abbas and Fars areas of the Zagros Mountains, southern Iran. The age of the Kazhdumi Formation in both sections is determined to be Albian-Cenomanian based on the associated ammonites and microfauna, its stratigraphic position, and previous studies on this formation. Twenty-one echinoid species (twelve regular and nine irregular) belonging to seventeen genera were described in this study. Fourteen of these species are reported for the first time from Iran. In addition, a new diadematoid echinoid species, Arabicodidema jafariani sp. nov. is introduced. New age ranges are proposed for Pliotoxaster comanchei and Lambertiaster douvillei. The paleogeographic position of the Zagros Basin in the Tethyan realm is confirmed based on the distribution of the index species.

EQUINOIDES DA FORMAÇÃO JANDAÍRA, CRETÁCEO SUPERIOR DA BACIA POTIGUAR, NORDESTE DO BRASIL: ESTADO DA ARTE

Echinoids from Jandaíra Formation, Upper Cretaceous, Potiguar Basin, Northeastern Brazil. The present paper analyzes the studies about fossil echinoids from the Jandaíra Formation, Upper Cretaceous, Potiguar Basin, Northeastern Brazil, with the purpose of showing the current knowledge about the species of the geological unit. The bibliography was obtained by searching websites such as Scholar Google, Memória da Biblioteca Nacional, Biodiversity Heritage Library, and Periódicos Capes. Furthermore, we contacted several researchers in the area of study, looking for access to any missing bibliography. We surveyed 32 studies, including monographs, dissertations, abstracts, papers in scientific journals, and book chapters. A timeline was produced for each species. We concluded that are fourteen valid species for the formation: Petalobrissus lehugeurae Alves; Petalobrissus setifensis Cotteau; Petalobrissus cubensis Weisbord; Mecaster texanus Roemer; Mecaster fourneli Agassiz & Desor; Hemiaster cearensis Brito; Hemiaster catandubensis Maury; Mecaster sp.; Rosadosoma riograndensis (Maury); Phymosoma major Coquand; Goniopygus durandi Perón & Gauthier; Coenholectypus upanemensis Beurlenou, Coenholectypus serialis sp.?; Phymosoma sp.; and Pygorhynchus sp.?. A considerable diversity. However, apart from taxonomy, few studies address other subjects such as paleoecology, taphonomy, biogeography, and stratigraphy. The observations raised, help to understand the taxonomic history of the echinoid species. Accordingly, they might indicate the direction of future studies about echinoids of the Jandaíra Formation. Keywords: Echinodermata, Echinoidea, Taxonomy, Upper Cretaceous.

Changing surface ocean circulation caused the local demise of echinoid Scaphechinus mirabilis in Taiwan during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition

Abundant fossil specimens of Scaphechinus mirabilis, now occurring mostly in temperate waters, have been found in the Toukoshan Formation (Pleistocene) in Miaoli County, Taiwan. Environmental changes leading to its extirpation (local extinction) have thus far been elusive. Here, we reconstruct past environmental and oceanic conditions off northwest Taiwan by analyzing clumped isotopes, as well as stable oxygen isotopes, of well-preserved fossil echinoid tests collected from the Toukoshan Formation. Radiocarbon dates suggest that these samples are from Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3). Paleotemperature estimates based on clumped isotopes indicate that fossil echinoids were living in oceanic conditions that range from 9 to 14 °C on average, comparable with the estimate derived for a modern sample from Mutsu Bay, Japan. Notably, this temperature range is ~ 10 °C colder than today’s conditions off northwest Taiwan. The substantially lower temperatures during ~ 30 ka (MIS 3) compared to the modern conditions might be due to the rerouting of surface currents off northwest Taiwan when the sea level was ~ 60 m lower than today, in addition to the cooling caused by a lower atmospheric CO2 level during the Last Glacial Period. Colder waters brought here by the China Coastal Current (CCC) and the existence of shallow subtidal zones termed “Miaoli Bay” (mainly located in the present-day Miaoli county) during MIS 3 plausibly sustained generations of S. mirabilis, yielding tens of thousands of fossil specimens in the well-preserved fossil beds. The likely extirpation driver is the drastic change from a temperate climate to much warmer conditions in the shallow sea during the Pleistocene–Holocene transition.

CHARACTERIZATION OF TRACES OF PREDATION AND PARASITISM ON FOSSIL ECHINOIDS

ABSTRACTInteractions with predators and parasites can result in traces found on Recent and fossil echinoids. However, identifying specific trace makers, particularly on fossil echinoids, remains contentious. To document the range of trace morphologies present on echinoids and improve our ability to identify and quantify biotic interactions affecting echinoids, we characterized traces found on fossil echinoids using museum collections and field sampling spanning the Jurassic to Recent worldwide. Using light microscopy, 8,564 individual echinoid specimens were examined including 130 species, and 516 traces of potential biotic interactions identified. Morphological characteristics were recorded for each trace, including the shape of the trace outline, maximum diameter and cross-section profile. Based on shared morphological characteristics, it was possible to classify all traces into eight categories: circular, subcircular, elongated, irregular, rectangular, figure-eight, notched, and linear. Cross-section characteristics provided additional insights into the identity of potential trace makers. To further evaluate the proposed biotic origins of these traces, trace diversity was examined through time and compared with anticipated ecological trends associated with the diversification of echinoids, and their predators and parasites. Trace diversity increased over time, starting in the late Eocene, coincident with the proliferation of echinoid-drilling gastropods, an indication that biotic interactions intensified through evolutionary time, as predicted by several macroevolutionary hypotheses previously tested using mollusks. The morphological descriptions provided here enhance our understanding of biotic traces on fossil echinoids, and the potential to identify temporal trends in the intensity and diversity of biotic interactions that have affected echinoids throughout their evolutionary history.

Joint application of structured-light optical scanning, neutron tomography and position-sensitive prompt gamma activation analysis for the non-destructive structural and compositional characterization of fossil echinoids

The morphological and compositional analysis of fossils provides essential knowledge about the classification and development of the species and about the environmental aspects during and after the life of the exemplar. We developed and applied a beyond-state-of-the-art combination of three-dimensional surface and volumetric digital imaging techniques, as well as position-resolved element composition analysis on Parascutella gibbercula species excavated in Hungary to scrutinize their shapes and internal structures. This study opens the perspective to a better understanding of the sedimentation conditions of the Paratethyan realm in Miocene.

Echinoid Fauna from the Coloso Basin, Lower Cretaceous, Northern Chile

The Lower Cretaceous echinoids from the carbonate rocks of the El Way Formation, deposited in the Coloso Basin, northern Chile, are described. Six species were identified: four of them not previously reported for the El Way Formation, Temnocidaris (Stereocidaris) malum (Gras), Tetragramma tenerum Smith and Rader, Leptosalenia prestensis (Desor) and Leptosalenia texana (Credner); an endemic species, Pliotoxaster andinum sp. nov.; and another species already mentioned in previous studies, Phymosoma mollense (Paulcke). In addition, other three different species are described and left in open nomenclature (Tetragramma sp., Phymosoma sp. and Saleniidae indet.) and the species Hemiaster wayensis (Larrain) is reassigned to the genus Pliotoxaster Fortau. The fossil echinoids collected in the Coloso Basin show different temporal distributions, all between the late Barremian and early Aptian.

Neogene echinoids from the Cayman Islands, West Indies: regional implications

The first fossil echinoids are recorded from the Cayman Islands. A regular echinoid, Arbacia? sp., the spatangoids Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus Wright and Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark), and the clypeasteroid Clypeaster sp. are from the Middle Miocene Cayman Formation. Test fragments of the mellitid clypeasteroid, Leodia sexiesperforata (Leske), are from the Late Pleistocene Ironshore Formation. Miocene echinoids are preserved as (mainly internal) moulds; hence, all species are left in open nomenclature because of uncertainties regarding test architecture. All Miocene taxa are recorded from single specimens apart from the 27 assigned to Brissus. Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark) is compared to a species from the Oligocene of the south-east USA. Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus is close in gross morphology to a taxon from the Miocene of Malta. Leodia sexiesperforata is identified from fragments with confidence, being the only extant Antillean sand dollar with elongate ambulacral petals that is limited to carbonate substrates. The Miocene echinoids of Grand Cayman, although of limited diversity, are mainly comprised of genera common in comparable mid-Cenozoic carbonate environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Neogene echinoids from the Cayman Islands, West Indies: regional implications

The first fossil echinoids are recorded from the Cayman Islands. A regular echinoid, Arbacia? sp., the spatangoids Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus Wright and Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark), and the clypeasteroid Clypeaster sp. are from the Middle Miocene Cayman Formation. Test fragments of the mellitid clypeasteroid, Leodia sexiesperforata (Leske), are from the Late Pleistocene Ironshore Formation. Miocene echinoids are preserved as (mainly internal) moulds; hence, all species are left in open nomenclature because of uncertainties regarding test architecture. All Miocene taxa are recorded from single specimens apart from the 27 assigned to Brissus. Schizaster sp. cf. S. americanus (Clark) is compared to a species from the Oligocene of the south‐east USA. Brissus sp. cf. B. oblongus is close in gross morphology to a taxon from the Miocene of Malta. Leodia sexiesperforata is identified from fragments with confidence, being the only extant Antillean sand dollar with elongate ambulacral petals that is limited to carbonate substrates. The Miocene echinoids of Grand Cayman, although of limited diversity, are mainly comprised of genera common in comparable mid‐Cenozoic carbonate environments. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Impact of atmospheric pCO2, seawater temperature, and calcification rate on the δ18O and δ13C composition of echinoid calcite (Echinometra viridis)

The tropical echinoid Echinometra viridis was reared in controlled laboratory experiments at temperatures of approximately 20°C and 30°C to mimic winter and summer temperatures and at carbon dioxide (CO2) partial pressures of approximately 487ppm-v and 805ppm-v to simulate current and predicted-end-of-century levels. Spine material produced during the experimental period and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) of the corresponding culture solutions were then analyzed for stable oxygen (δ18Oe, δ18ODIC) and carbon (δ13Ce, δ13CDIC) isotopic composition. Fractionation of oxygen stable isotopes between the echinoid spines and DIC of their corresponding culture solutions (Δ18O=δ18Oe−δ18ODIC) was significantly inversely correlated with seawater temperature but not significantly correlated with atmospheric pCO2. Fractionation of carbon stable isotopes between the echinoid spines and DIC of their corresponding culture solutions (Δ13C=δ13Ce−δ13CDIC) was significantly positively correlated with pCO2 and significantly inversely correlated with temperature, with pCO2 functioning as the primary factor and temperature moderating the pCO2–Δ13C relationship. Echinoid calcification rate was significantly inversely correlated with both Δ18O and Δ13C across treatments, with effects of pCO2 and temperature controlled for through ANOVA. Therefore, calcification rate and potentially the rate of co-occurring dissolution appear to be important drivers of the kinetic isotope effects observed in the echinoid spines. Study results suggest that echinoid Δ18O monitors seawater temperature, but not atmospheric pCO2, and that echinoid Δ13C monitors atmospheric pCO2, with temperature moderating this relationship. These findings, coupled with echinoids' long and generally high-quality fossil record, support prior assertions that fossil echinoid Δ18O is a viable archive of paleo-seawater temperature throughout Phanerozoic time, and that Δ13C merits further investigation as a potential proxy of paleo-atmospheric pCO2. However, the apparent impact of calcification rate on echinoid Δ18O and Δ13C suggests that paleoceanographic reconstructions derived from these proxies in fossil echinoids could be improved by incorporating the effects of growth rate.

Echinoid remains preserved in a Derbyshire screwstone (Mississippian, Visean, Brigantian), UK

Summary Fossil echinoids are moderately common in the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) limestones of the White Peak of Derbyshire and Staffordshire, but are invariably disarticulated; in consequence, they have received little attention. Herein, we record echinoid radioles (spines) from the chert of a Derbyshire screwstone for the first time. These specimens come from the Monsal Dale Limestone Formation (Brigantian, Visean) of Bradford Dale, near Youlgrave, Derbyshire. Radioles are slender, smooth, rounded in section, straight to slightly curved, but incomplete. We refer these specimens to Lepidocidaris sp., a genus previously recorded from the Preston area of Lancashire and Iowa, USA. The radioles are accumulated in a near-linear bedding plane assemblage, indicating a unidirectional current flow at the time of deposition.

Bored and Burrowed: An Unusual Echinoid Steinkern from the Type Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous, Belgium)

A test of the irregular echinoid Hemipneustes striatoradiatus (Leske) was dissolved in dilute hydrochloric acid to expose the flint steinkern. This revealed slender, string-like borings that were mainly limited to ambulacra (Talpina isp. cf. T. canna (Price)); less common pouch-like borings limited to part of one ambulacrum only (Rogerella isp. cf. R. pattei (Saint Seine)); and slender, sinuous to contorted burrows, Planolites montanus Richter. Ingress to the test (borers) and sediment infill (burrowers) was presumably through the ambulacral pore pairs of the dead test. Borings and burrows were probably not coeval. Such infestations of fossil echinoids may be locally common, but their identification is controlled by the difficulty of seeing features of both the test and the infill.

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

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.

Fossil Echinoids from the Upper Pliocene Hopegate Formation of North Central Jamaica

The Upper Pliocene Hopegate Formation has been the least attractive limestone unit for paleontological investigation in the Cenozoic of Jamaica due to its extreme lithification and dolomitization, despite the scientific appeal of it being a rare example of a Pliocene raised reef in the Caribbean. Preservation of invertebrate macrofossils is commonly moldic. Hitherto, few named macrofossils from the unit have been published. New and extensive exposures of the Hopegate Formation have become available since 2002 as the main north coast road has been re-engineered in central north Jamaica. Echinoids were previously unknown from this formation, but at least seven taxa are now recognized, namely, Eucidaris tribuloides (Lamarck), Echinometra viridis A. Agassiz, regular echinoids spp. indet., Echinoneus sp. cf. E. cyclostomus Leske, Schizaster sp. cf. S. doederleini (Chesher), Meoma? sp. and Brissus sp. cf. B. unicolor (Leske). The identifiable genera are typical of modern shallow water environments of the Caribbean. With the exception of Meoma? and Brissus, these nominal genera have also been identified from the coeval Bowden Formation, a deeper water deposit with a mixed allochthonous/autochthonous echinoderm fauna. In contrast to the Bowden Formation, which has yielded numerous fragmentary, but well preserved, echinoderm specimens, the Hopegate Formation has yielded only rare, poorly preserved echinoid tests and rarer fragments.

The oldest record of predation on echinoids: evidence from the Middle Jurassic of Poland

Competition and predation are regarded as important ecologicaland evolutionary factors. The importance of competition (Barnes& Kuklinski 2003, 2004) and especially predation (see Kowalew-ski & Kelley 2002; Kelley et al. 2003 for comprehensive reviews)is clearly reflected in the ability of predators to regulate popula-tion densities and abundance of individuals. It controls faunaldistribution and structure, and functions as a causative mecha-nism of evolution due to adaptive (induced) responses in prey(e.g. spines, thicker shells, ornamentation, motile life style, infau-nalization). Bambach (2003) summarized that predators affectvirtually every major ecological and evolutionary aspect (Kelleyet al. 2003). This led Vermeij (1977, 1987) to recognize the esca-lation of predation as a driving force of the so-called ‘MesozoicMarine Revolution’ (MMR).Other authors have concluded that predation is also importantin the Cambrian Revolution (Walker & Brett 2002), the Mid-Pal-aeozoic Revolution (the Palaeozoic precursor to MMR; Signor B Aronson 1991; McKinney 1995;Tomasovych 2008). Due to some doubts (Aberhan et al. 2006;Madin et al. 2006), alternate hypotheses that do not invokepredation as an evolutionary age nt have also been proposed (Cohen2005). Gould (2002) amongst ot hers found macro-evolutionaryprocesses as caused by biotic or abiotic factors separately oreven exclusively.Until recently, studies of predator–prey interactions havefocused mostly on groups such as molluscs, crinoids or brachio-pods, whereas the role of echinoids as prey has received littleinterest despite their potential importance (see Kowalewski N see also McNamara 1994). As aresult, the role of biotic interactions in the evolutionary historyof echinoids remains poorly known. Today, echinoids are preyfor many organisms, including fish, sea otters, crabs, asteroids,gastropods, birds and humans. The earliest record of predationon echinoids comes from the Upper Kimmeridgian (UpperJurassic), regurgitates found in lithographic limestones at Nusp-lingen, Germany (Baumeister et al. 2000). Other reports fromyounger strata are mostly based on drilling and bite/regenerationtraces on tests of irregular echinoids (Zinsmeister 1980; Thies1985; Nebelsick & Kowalewski 1999; Zlotnik & Ceranka 2005).Rare direct evidence for predation on fossil echinoids come alsofrom the echinoid remains preserved as gut content in the stom-achs of Jurassic vertebrates (reviewed in Kriwet 2001). Othersources of data for predation on echinoids such as bite marks orregeneration of spines remain unexplored. The only other evi-dence for the presence of echinoids in regurgitates originatesfrom the Middle Miocene of Austria. Kroh (2005, plate 82, fig. 3)identified spines of spatangoid echinoids as regurgitated materialamongst other fossil remains. These studies suggest more or lesscontinuous predation record on echinoids for the last 100 Ma;that is, since the Late Cretaceous to the present (cf. Kowalewski& Nebelsick 2003). However, according to pre-existing reports,echinoids were a target of predators for more than 150 Ma.In this study we report cidaroid echinoid remains in Bajocian–Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) vertebrate (most probably fish)regurgitates from southern Poland. Our finds predate any previ-ous record by more than 20 myr. The aim of this paper is toelaborate this new find, to date only mentioned by Zaton et al.(2007), and to discuss its broader significance for the ecologyand evolution of echinoids. This provides a source of data for thereconstruction of food webs in the fossil record and is importantas evidence for the role of predation in echinoderm evolution,being currently increasingly reported (Baumiller & Gahn 2004;Baumiller et al. 2010; Sallan et al. 2011; Gorzelak et al. 2012).

Description of two new fossil echinoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) from the Early Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) of the Paris Basin (France)

Description of two new fossil echinoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) from the Early Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) of the Paris Basin (France)

Description of two new fossil echinoids (Echinodermata: Echinoidea) from the Early Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous) of the Paris Basin (France)

Two new echinoid genera and species, Salvaster roberti gen. et sp. nov. and Pygolampas edita gen. et sp. nov. are de-scribed. They were collected in the Calcaires à Spatangues Formation (CSF) that consists of limestone and clay sedimentsdeposited in the southeast of the Paris Basin (France) during the Early Hauterivian (Early Cretaceous). The CSF is datedfrom the Acanthodiscus radiatus chronozone, a time-interval of overall high sea level in Western Europe, but it yields arich shallow-water fossil fauna mostly represented by benthic invertebrates. Of the 54 echinoid species ever described inthe CSF, 26 species are recognized here. They are distributed into 16 different families, among which regular (13 species)and irregular (13 species) echinoids are represented in equal proportion. This work confirms the high level of echinoid diversity in the CSF for that time-period.

Palaeodiversity of Caribbean echinoids including new material from the Venezuelan Neogene

The extensive Venezuelan coastline is very important for understanding the evolution of the Caribbean marine fauna. We report new fossil material collected from three Neogene fossil sites in the Falcon Basin and present the first diversity analysis of the known fossil echinoids from Venezuela and other Caribbean regions. Five species are reported for the first time from Venezuela. Each of the three fossil sites shows a different taxonomic composition, which may be a consequence of differing palaeoecological conditions during the Neogene. Furthermore, the environmental changes caused by the closure of the Central American Isthmus may also have played a role. The analysis of the Venezuelan echinoid fossil record, including the new herein described material, reveals three major diversity decreases and a maximal diversity peak in the Middle Miocene instead of the Eocene as it is the case in other Caribbean echinoid faunas. The first diversity decrease at the end of the Early Cretaceous, recognised by a gap in the fossil record, unfolds new research potential. The second one, around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, is interpreted as an extinction event, as has been recognized for other echinoid and invertebrate faunas throughout the Caribbean. In contrast to other Caribbean invertebrate faunas, the cause of the third diversity decrease of echinoids throughout the Caribbean appears to be the beginning, instead of the end, of the closure of the Central American Isthmus. Although Venezuela plays a special ecological role in the Caribbean due to its seasonal upwellings, this study provides (1) a basis to better understand the fossil Venezuelan echinoid fauna, (2) a contrast to other Caribbean regions, and (3) insights into the Caribbean echinoid evolutionary patterns.

H. L. ‘Hal’ Dixon (1941–2005) and the Fossil Echinoids of Jamaica

Mr. H. L. ‘Hal’ Dixon (1941–2005) was an expert on Jamaican fossil echinoids who contributed to many publications on the Cretaceous and, mainly, Cenozoic geology and paleontology of the island. His research on the Upper Oligocene echinoderms of Jamaica was a particularly comprehensive study of fossils from an intractable limestone. His contribution to the research programs of other experts led to advancement in our knowledge of the Jamaican fossil record on a broad front, including such groups as decapod crustaceans (crabs), trace fossils, rudist bivalves and sirenians (sea cows).

Shepherds' crowns, fairy loaves and thunderstones: the mythology of fossil echinoids in England

Abstract The presence of fossil echinoids in archaeological sites in southern England that range from the Palaeolithic through the Neolithic, Bronze and Iron Ages, Romano-British to Anglo-Saxon indicates that humans have long had a propensity for collecting these fossils. The palaeo-ethnological significance of fossil echinoids can be determined from a number of criteria. The fossils may occur with the dead, either in burials or cremations, or be associated with past activities of the living. These include presence on a flint worked as a tool; artificial alteration of the fossil; association with human habitation; or occurrence outside the area of natural geological occurrence. Their archaeological association provides an indication that these fossils have been collected by people for hundreds of thousands of years and, at times, attained a high degree of spiritual significance. Moreover, recent folklore associated with them, particularly their folk names, such as shepherd's crowns, fairy loaves and thunderstones, provides a further insight into the myths that were associated with them. These indicate the use of fossil echinoids in both ‘Celtic’ and Norse mythologies where they played a role in resurrection myths. The occurrence of fossil echinoids in a medieval church is indicative of retention of ‘pagan’ belief systems in a Christian context.

Diversity of fossil echinoids (Echinodermata) in the Indian subcontinent during the Late Cretaceous-Palaeogene

Diversity of fossil echinoids (Echinodermata) in the Indian subcontinent during the Late Cretaceous-Palaeogene