Crinoid Species Research Articles

New data on the occurrence of echinoderms in the Muschelkalk (Middle Triassic) of Upper Silesia

In the Sadowa Góra quarry in Jaworzno, southern Poland, the Muschelkalk deposits are exposed (Lower and Upper Gogolin Beds). The occurrence of echinoderms seems to be particularly interesting. The isolated ossicles of asteroids were found already in the 1st Wellenkalk of the Lower Gogolin Beds (Aegean), which is one of the oldest post-Paleozoic occurrence in the world. Until recently, it was believed that the first echinoids appeared in the Germanic Basin during the Bithynian (above the Conglomeratic Horizon of the Upper Gogolin Beds). Currently, they have been found, similarly to the remains of asteroids, already in the 1st Wellenkalk. Attention was also drawn to the fact that the stratigraphically important crinoid species Holocrinus dubius may have appeared in Upper Silesia earlier than previously thought.

Structural Features and Phylogenetic Implications of Crinoid Echinoderms Based on Thirteen Novel Mitochondrial Genomes

Crinoids, as integral echinoderms, play a crucial ecological role in benthic communities, serving as significant indicators reflecting the health of marine ecosystems. However, the phylogenetic relationships within crinoids are unclear. More molecular data can help to facilitate biodiversity assessment and elucidate evolutionary relationships by the phylogenetic tree. In this study, 13 complete mitochondrial genomes of the Crinoidea class were sequenced, annotated, and compared with other same class species available on NCBI. The results reveal five different gene order patterns among these mitochondrial genomes, indicating that crinoids have undergone gene rearrangements during evolution. The complete mitochondrial genome length of crinoids ranges from 15,772 bp to 16,850 bp. High A + T content, ranging from 64.5% to 74.2%, was observed. Additionally, our analysis of protein-coding genes highlights a preference for A + T nucleotides, along with specific start and stop codon usage, offering insights into codon bias and its implications for protein synthesis and function. The phylogenetic topology shows that the stalkless crinoid and stalked crinoid are distinct, and the phylogenetic trees generated based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference are almost identical at the family and order topology levels. The phylogenetic relationships of each family were fully clarified in four orders. A total of eleven positive selection sites were detected within six genes: cytb, nad2, nad3, nad4, nad4L and nad5. This study reveals the phylogenetic relationships of crinoid species, the mitochondrial gene differences, and the selective pressure on the evolution of stalked crinoids. This study significantly enhanced the crinoid mitochondrial genome database and contributed to a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships among crinoid echinoderms.

Genome-wide identification and spatiotemporal expression analysis of cadherin superfamily members in echinoderms

BackgroundCadherins are calcium-dependent transmembrane cell–cell adhesion proteins that are essential for metazoan development. They consist of three subfamilies: classical cadherins, which bind catenin, protocadherins, which contain 6–7 calcium-binding repeat domains, and atypical cadherins. Their functions include forming adherens junctions, establishing planar cell polarity (PCP), and regulating cell shape, proliferation, and migration. Because they are basal deuterostomes, echinoderms provide important insights into bilaterian evolution, but their only well-characterized cadherin is G-cadherin, a classical cadherin that is expressed by many embryonic epithelia. We aimed to better characterize echinoderm cadherins by conducting phylogenetic analyses and examining the spatiotemporal expression patterns of cadherin-encoding genes during Strongylocentrotus purpuratus development.ResultsOur phylogenetic analyses conducted on two echinoid, three asteroid, and one crinoid species identified ten echinoderm cadherins, including one deuterostome-specific ortholog, cadherin-23, and an echinoderm-specific atypical cadherin that possibly arose in an echinoid-asteroid ancestor. Catenin-binding domains in dachsous-2 orthologs were found to be a deuterostome-specific innovation that was selectively lost in mouse, while those in Fat4 orthologs appeared to be Ambulacraria-specific and were selectively lost in non-crinoid echinoderms. The identified suite of echinoderm cadherins lacks vertebrate-specific innovations but contains two proteins that are present in protostomes and absent from mouse. The spatiotemporal expression patterns of four embryonically expressed cadherins (fat atypical cadherins 1 and 4, dachsous-2, and protocadherin-9) were dynamic and mirrored the expression pattern of Frizzled 5/8, a non-canonical Wnt PCP pathway receptor protein essential for archenteron morphogenesis.ConclusionsThe echinoderm cadherin toolkit is more similar to that of an ancient bilaterian predating protostomes and deuterostomes than it is to the suite of cadherins found in extant vertebrates. However, it also appears that deuterostomes underwent several cadherin-related innovations. Based on their similar spatiotemporal expression patterns and orthologous relationships to PCP-related and tumor-suppressing proteins, we hypothesize that sea urchin cadherins may play a role in regulating the shape and growth of embryonic epithelia and organs. Future experiments will examine cadherin expression in non-echinoid echinoderms and explore the functions of cadherins during echinoderm development.

SKELETONS OF SEIROCRINUS SUBANGULARISCRINOIDS (CRINOIDEA, ECHINODERMATA)(MILLER, 1821) FROM THE COLLECTION OFTHE NATURE EDUCATION CENTRE OF THEJAGIELLONIAN UNIVERSITY

The Nature Education Centre of the JagiellonianUniversity in Krakow has in its collection a spectacular fossil ofa Jurassic crinoid, in literature known as Seirocrinus subangularis(Miller). Only several museums in Central Europe can boast sucha perfectly preserved and complete specimen of Seirocrinus. Asseen against Polish museum collections the slab in questionis an outstanding object. That very form was a cosmopolitanand pseudoplanktonic crinoid species spread throughoutAsia, Europe, and Northern America, yet it has never beendocumented in Poland. The particular specimen reached Polandin the mid-19th century from Germany to enrich the collectionof the Mineralogical Cabinet. The paper presents the turbulenthistory of the slab with some dozen specimens of echinodermson it, the story which will shortly have a happy end, since itwill be permanently placed as a geological exhibit at the NatureEducation Centre of the Jagiellonian University.

Unlocking the secrets of the Early Jurassic of North Africa: first record of pseudoplanktonic crinoid Seirocrinus (Crinoidea, Pentacrinidae) from Morocco and Algeria

ABSTRACT The Pliensbachian (Lower Jurassic) age-based Lower Marly Limestone Formation of the Moulay Idriss Zerhoun area (Morocco) and the Ain Ouarka Formation of the Ksour Mountains (Algeria) have yielded rare crinoids. Although crinoids have previously been described from the Jurassic of Algeria, their Pliensbachian occurrence is being reported here for the first time. On the other hand, one isocrinid taxa [Terocrinus subsulcatus (Münster in Goldfuss)] was also recorded from the Pliensbachian strata of Morocco. Additionally, now, from both Morocco and Algeria, Seirocrinus subangularis (Miller), belonging to the family Pentacrinitidae, is documented. This is a cosmopolitan and pseudoplaktonic crinoid species that is well-known from Asia, Europe, and North America. The taxonomic evaluation of the genus Seirocrinus is provided. The present records from Algeria and Morocco are the first finds of Seirocrinus from the African continent. Ticinocrinus moroccoensis sp. nov. represented by a cup of a rare cyrtocrinid (Cyrtocrinida) is associated with S. subangularis from Morocco. Globally, this is the second record of the genus; the first Ticinocrinus being described from the Pliensbachian of Switzerland. Thus, the present records from Morocco and Algeria are also the oldest cyrtocrinids from the southern margin of the Tethys.

Examining the ontogeny of the Pennsylvanian cladid crinoid Erisocrinus typus Meek and Worthen, 1865

AbstractCrinoids were major constituents of late Carboniferous (Pennsylvanian) marine ecosystems, but their rapid disarticulation rates after death result in few well-preserved specimens, limiting the study of their growth. This is amplified for cladids, who had among the highest disarticulation rates of all Paleozoic crinoids due to the relatively loose suturing of the calyx plates. However, Erisocrinus typus Meek and Worthen, 1865 has been found in unusually large numbers, most preserved as cups but some as nearly complete crowns, in the Barnsdall Formation in Oklahoma. The Barnsdall Formation, a Koncentrat Lagerstätte, is composed predominantly of fine- to medium-grained sandstone, overlain by mudstone and shale; severe compaction of the fossils in the mudstone and shale layer in this formation allowed for exceptional preservation of the plates. Herein, we summarize a growth study based on 10 crowns of E. typus, showcasing a well-defined growth series of this species from the Barnsdall Formation, including fossils from juvenile stages of development, which are rarely preserved. We used high-resolution photographs imported into ImageJ and recorded measurements of the cup and arms for all nondistorted or disarticulated plates. Results show that the plates of the cup grew anisometrically with both positive and negative allometry. The primibrachial plates of E. typus grew with positive allometry. The brachial plates started as uniserial (i.e., cuneiform) as juveniles but shifted to be biserial. Erisocrinus typus broadly shares similar growth trajectories with other cladids. These growth patterns provide insight into feeding strategies and can aid in understanding crinoid evolutionary paleoecological trends.

Rhabdocrinus scotocarbonarius (Wright), a crinoid from the Carboniferous 'Grioite' limestone of Palencia, Northwest Spain

A specimen of the Carboniferous crinoid species Rhabdocrinus scotocarbonarius (Wright) is recorded from an outcrop near Barruelo de Santullan, Palencia Province, N Spain. This represents only the sixth crinoid species to be recorded from the pre-Westphalian Carboniferous rocks of Spain. The specimen is described and comparisons made with other material allocated to Rhabdocrinus including Rhabdocrinus vatagini Arendt.

Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and determination of the Santonian-Campanian boundary in the Zagros sedimentary basin, SW Iran

The carbonate-dominated Upper Cretaceous Ilam Formation is representative of an important reservoir in the Zagros Basin. In this study, planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Ilam Formation was investigated in the Kuh-e-Surgah section in western Iran. In the studied section, the 170 m thick Ilam Formation is mainly composed of imestones with shale intercalations. The formation conformably overlies and underlies the Surgah and Gurpi formations, respectively. Twelve genera and 24 species of planktonic foraminifera were identified. The following planktonic foraminiferal biozones were identified: the Dicarinella asymetrica Total Range Zone (latest Coniacian- late Santonian), the Globotruncanita elevata Partial Range Zone (Santonian to early Campanian), the Globotruncana ventricosa Interval Zone (middle to late Campanian.), the Radotruncana calcarata Total Range Zone (late Campanian.), the Globotruncanella havanensis Partial Range Zone (late Campanian) and the Globotruncana aegyptiaca Interval Zone (late to latest Campanian). In general, the biozones show that the Ilam Formation in the studied section is latest Coniacian-late Campanian in age. The Santonian-Campanian boundary in the Kuh-e-Surgah section correlates with the Globotruncanita elevata Partial Range Zone. The recognized biozones in the Ilam Formation are comparable with those recorded in other parts of the Tethyan Realm. The crinoid species Marsupites testudinarius is absent in the studied section. Generally, the last occurrence of this cosmopolitan species indicates the base of the Campanian stage. The Santonian/Campanian boundary was placed in the lower part of the Globotruncanita elevata Partial Range Zone at the base of the Ilam Formation in the studied section.

Mooreocrinus liaoi sp. nov. (Crinoidea, Echinodermata) from the Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) Outangdi Formation in Zhejiang, South China Block

A new crinoid species of the Order Cladida, Mooreocrinus liaoi Mao and Li sp. nov., is described from the Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) Outangdi Formation in Jiangshan, Zhejiang Province, representing the first record of Mooreocrinus Wright and Strimple, 1945 in China. The presence of Mooreocrinus in the South China Block extends the palaeogeographical record of this genus and indicates it to be a cosmopolitan taxon. Three other ancient tectonically separated areas that are now combined into the modern China mass (Sibumasu, Junggar, North China) do not contain any record of Mooreocrinus. Overall, there is low biodiversity of the Late Palaeozoic crinoid faunas in the South China Block. Our new materials provide further evidence for diversity assessment of crinoid faunas in peri‐Gondwana blocks.

Early Miocene stalked crinoids (Echinodermata) from the southern Rhodanian basin (southeastern France). Paleoenvironments and taxonomy.

Using recent samplings and specimens from ancient collections, 14 sites and five species of stalked crinoids have been listed in the Miocene of the southern Rhodanian basin (southeastern France). Three species and two genera are new for science: Papacrinus avignonensis n. gen., n sp. (Balanocrininae), Paraconocrinus rhodanicus n. sp. (Rhizocrinidae) and Gastecrinus vinealis n. gen., n. sp. (Incertae sedis). The identification among the Mediterranean Miocene fauna of the genus Metacrinus, now confined to the Indo-Pacific province, was confirmed by the discovery of brachial ossicles attributed to Metacrinus berthei. The richest and most diversified site was exposed during temporal excavations at the Place du Palais des Papes in Avignon. Four out of the five stalked crinoid species were found in this fossil assemblage in which M. berthei predominates. ?Endoxocrinus gastaldii is associated with M. berthei in several sites. Using dissociated ossicles, differences in quantitative and qualitative characters between these two species are deeply analyzed with their taphonomical, taxonomical and paleoecological consequences. Paleoreliefs and valleys, which had been incised during the Burdigalian, channeled currents. They favored stalked crinoid settlement on various substrates during the late BurdigalianLower Langhian transgression. Comparison with the extant fauna allows us to estimate the depth range of the biotopes with stalked crinoids from 100 to 250 m. These estimates are in agreement with those deduced from other paleontological studies.

Catalogue of living crinoids (Echinodermata: Crinoidea) from Brazil.

Knowledge of living crinoids from Brazil is chiefly restricted to the contributions of Dr Luis Roberto Tommasi between the decades of 1950 and 1970. Herein we present an updated catalogue of the crinoids occurring along the Brazilian coast, including data on synonyms, type localities, type material, geographical distribution, bathymetric ranges, and occurrences of species along the coast. The data is based on an extensive revision of the literature and on a survey of several databases. A total of 20 species were catalogued, of which two are endemic (Phrixometra longipinna var. brasiliensis and Thaumatometra minutissima). According to information from the literature, P. longipinna var. brasiliensis represents an undescribed taxon. Although Brazil supports the greatest number of crinoid species in the Southwestern Atlantic, its crinoid fauna remains understudied and likely underestimated. Research on crinoids remains a subject of great potential, not only for taxonomy but also for other areas of knowledge.

Annotated and illustrated list of echinoderms collected during the Colombian scientific expeditions to the Antarctica (2016-2019)

I n order to contribute to the base line of knowledge that is being built of the Gerlache Strait and the adjacent areas, the echinoderms collected during the Scientific Expeditions from Colombia to Antarctica carried out between 2016 and 2019 as part of the project “Biodiversity and oceanographic conditions of the Gerlache Strait, Biogerlache-Antártica” are presented. Eleven stations between 54 and 523 m deep were sampled, using sediment dredgers that captured incidentally some individuals from the mega and macro-epifauna, which were separated, reviewed and identified. Twentynine (29) individuals were obtained in five of the sampled stations, belonging to 13 morphotypes. Ophiuroidea was the richest class (five morphotypes), followed by Holothuroidea (four), Asteroidea (two) and Crinoidea (two). Morphological and distribution comments are presented, as well as general and detailed images of each morphotype. Among the contributions to the inventory of echinoderms in the area, it is highlighted the sea cucumber genus Taeniogyrus Semper, 1867 that is registered for the first time for the Antarctic peninsula and the crinoid species Anthometrina adriani (Bell, 1908) that extends its geographical distribution, confined to the high-Antarctic shelf, up to the Gerlache Strait ( 64° 39 ‘S).

Ontogenetic development of the crinoidPoliometra prolixain the Arctic deep sea

AbstractPoliometra prolixais a common species of comatulid crinoid in the Arctic deep sea. In this study, we characterize the ontogenetic development through the cystidean and pentacrinoid stages, using specimens from the LTER (Long‐Term Ecological Research) observatory HAUSGARTEN in the Fram Strait, Arctic Ocean. While embryos and early larval stages (e.g., the doliolaria) were not observed, both post‐settlement stages and adults ofP. prolixawere observed on the same moored experimental platform at 2,500 m water depth, suggesting that larvae ofP. prolixado not disperse far from their mothers. This indicates that doliolariae may have an abbreviated pelagic duration period or may be brooded in this species. The cystidean has a short, translucent stalk with a star‐shaped attachment disc and a diamond‐shaped translucent head. Metamorphosis from the cystidean to the pentacrinoid is characterized by the formation of brachial ossicles from oral ossicles and by fusion of the basal and radial ossicles to form the calyx. The pentacrinoid stalk is opaque and first develops synarthrial joints at the distal end. Late pentacrinoids have a xenomorphic stalk, bifurcated arms with pinnules, and cirri. We discuss the reproductive and ecological niche ofP. prolixaand also consider the question of whether cystidean and pentacrinoid stages undergo metamorphosis.

New records of crinoids from Trearne Quarry SSSI (Mississippian, Lower Carboniferous), north Ayrshire

The Mississippian succession of Ayrshire, SW Scotland, is rich in fossil crinoids, albeit mainly preserved as fragments. Trearne Quarry is exceptional in yielding moderately common crinoid cups and thecae from certain horizons. To the two nominal taxa that have been documented hitherto, we add a further seven, all cladids with one exception. These species all come from the Blackhall Limestone of the Lower Limestone Formation (Visean, Mississippian). Nominal crinoid species identified from Trearne Quarry include Cladida: Rhabdocrinus scotocarbonarius (Wright), Ureocrinus bockschii (Geinitz), Ureocrinus globulus (de Koninck), Tyrieocrinus laxus Wright, Fifeocrinus tielensis (Wright), Hydreionocrinus formosus Wright, Parazeacrinites konincki (Bather) and Phanocrinus ardrossensis (Wright); and Diplobathrida, Camerata: Cribanocrinus baccatus (Wright). Species have distributions limited to one or a few mudrock beds. Identifiable crinoids are uncommon in massive, coral-rich reefal facies.

Paleocommunity composition, relative abundance, and new camerate crinoids from the Brechin Lagerstätte (Upper Ordovician)

AbstractThe Brechin Lagerstätte of southern Ontario contains an exceptionally diverse and well-preserved Late Ordovician (Katian) crinoid fauna. We describe four genera and eight species of camerate crinoids from the Brechin Lagerstätte, including six new species. Consequently, the total diversity of the fauna now stands at 27 genera and 39 nominal species, thereby making it the most taxonomically diverse Ordovician crinoid fauna known. Taxa described include the diplobathrid Pararchaeocrinus kiddi new species and the monobathrids Glyptocrinus ramulosus Billings, 1856, Periglyptocrinus priscus (Billings, 1857a), Periglyptocrinus astricus new species, Periglyptocrinus kevinbretti new species, Periglyptocrinus mcdonaldi new species, Periglyptocrinus silvosus new species, and Abludoglyptocrinus steinheimerae new species. We summarize the taxonomic composition, diversity, and abundance distribution of all known crinoids from the Brechin Lagerstätte to better characterize the paleoecological structure and complexity of the community. We establish that the fauna is dominated by the subclass Pentacrinoidea, both in terms of abundance and species richness. In addition, we analyze species-level abundance data using Relative Abundance Distribution (RAD) models to evaluate the ecological complexity of the paleocommunity. We found that community structure of the Brechin Lagerstätte is best explained by an ecologically ‘complex’ RAD model, which suggests that species partitioned niches along multiple resource axes and/or the presence of multiple ecological ways of life. These results indicate that the Brechin Lagerstätte is significant not only for being the most taxonomically diverse Katian crinoid assemblage, but also for being an early ecologically complex fauna that developed in the wake of the Great Ordovician Biodiversification Event.UUID: http://zoobank.org/f86582ed-5db6-469E-befe-34b801f9a113

On Oanducystis (col.) Stukalina (Crinoidea) from the Craighead Limestone Formation, Girvan district, Ayrshire

Only two nominal species of crinoid, the diplobathrid camerates Diabolocrinus craigheadensis Ramsbottom and Diabolocrinus globularis (Nicholson and Etheridge), have been described from the Ordovician (Chatfieldian; Sandbian) Craighead Limestone Formation, Craighead Quarry, near Girvan, Ayrshire. In contrast, columnal morphotaxa are represented by over 20 taxa including those in open nomenclature. Two thecae from Craighead Quarry and referred to Diabolocrinus sp. or spp. preserve features of the stem facet that are similar to specimens referred to Oanducystis (col.) spp. from the same locality. These columnal morphotaxa are synonymized with Diabolocrinus and left in open nomenclature. However, Diabolocrinus is limited to Laurentia, whereas the remaining morphospecies of Oanducystis (col.) Stukalina are limited to Kazakhstan and Estonia.

First Record of Two Crinoid-Associated Brachyuran Crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pilumnidae) from the Arabian Sea, Western Indian Ocean

Two species of crinoids associated crabs of the family Pilumnidae, Permanotus purpureus (Gordon 1934) and Tiaramedon spinosum (Miers 1879) previously recorded from the southwest Pacific in Indonesia, is reported for the first time from the Indian Ocean, which is a significant expansion of their distribution range. We also provide the first documentation of the symbiotic association of T. spinosum with Comatella nigra (Carpenter 1881).

First occurrence of Tiaracrinus (Crinoidea, Zophocrinidae) in the Devonian of Iberia: Biostratigraphical, palaeoecological, and palaeogeographical implications

Representatives of the crinoid genus Tiaracrinus are known from the Lochkovian to Eifelian (Early–Middle Devonian) of several countries, in Europe and North Africa. In this work, we describe the first occurrence of this taxon in the Devonian period of Iberian Massif (Iberia). Here, we report three specimens (two from the São Pedro da Cova region within Valongo anticline in northwestern Portugal and one from the Cantabrian Mountains in northern Spain), which are described to the type species Tiaracrinus quadrifrons. These new fossil findings provide new knowledge about the stratigraphic and geographic distribution of the genus Tiaracrinus and species T. quadrifrons. The co‐occurrence of T. quadrifrons in the Devonian outcrops of Valongo anticline also more precisely constrains the Devonian formations in age (Emsian–Eifelian) in that Portuguese region. In the palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental context, this species coexisted with other crinoid species and representatives of several other groups of marine benthic invertebrates in a shallow water coral reef environment, with oxygenated substrates and regular salinity levels (mixoeuhaline environment). In addition, the presence of fine sediments with ripples suggests a low velocity current enough to reorient concentrations of tentaculite shells.

<strong>Crinoids lived around the Cretaceous seeps: the second example from cold-seep deposit in the Yezo Group in Hokkaido, Japan</strong>

Cold seep deposits are characterized by authigenic carbonates with very low δ13C signatures and specific fossils of chemosynthetic community members. These members are mainly composed of mollusks, whereas only a few occurrences of fossil echinoderms from cold seep deposits have been reported. The information of paleoecology of fossil echinoderms in or near cold seep environments is also sporadic. Allochthonous columnal fossils of an Isocrinina crinoid species were found in a boulder of Cretaceous cold seep carbonate from the Yezo Group in northern Hokkaido. The stable carbon isotope of the fossil crinoid specimens showed very low values, approximately −30‰ (VPDB) or much lower value. The low δ13C signatures of the seep crinoids and their mode of occurrences suggest that the fossil crinoids lived near the seep environment, and they assimilated low δ13C organic particles shifted from there.

See lilies of the genus Bathycrinus (Echinodermata, Crinoidea: Bathycrinidae) from the North-West Pacific hadal trenches.

In the North-West Pacific hadal trenches, four species belonging to the stalked crinoid genus Bathycrinus were found, three of them are new for science: Bathycrinus kirilli n. sp., B. longipinnus n. sp. and B. rozhnovi n. sp. B. kirilli n. sp. from the Izu-Bonin Trench (9715-9735 m) is the deepest-dwelling crinoid species. Similar characters shared by B. kirilli n. sp. to B. volubilis Mironov, 2000 from the Kuril-Kamchatka Trench (8175-9584 m) related to trench topography with isolated small basins, as previously suggested by Belyaev (1989). Hypotheses explaining why deepest hadal Bathycrinus species display higher abundance than species inhabiting shallower environments are discussed.