Balanocidaris? strombecki (Desor, 1858)
Plate: BaSt-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen rose
Locale: Canyon Lake County: Comal Stage: Albian
Length: 22.1 mm Width: 10.3 mm
Specimen in photo: NPL 82996 Hypotype
Collector: William R. Thompson, Jr.
University of Texas Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab. Spine only.
Plate: BaSt-20
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen rose
Length: 32.2 mm (largest) Width: 18.3 mm Stage: Albian
Collector: Jamie Lynn Shelton
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Type Locality: Langelsheim, Lower Saxony, Germany (Desor, 1858)
Stratigraphy: Intermediate layer between the Tourtia (Cenomanian) and the Flammenmergel (Albian/Cenomanian) (Desor, 1858)
Systematic Paleontology
CLASS: ECHINOIDEA Leske, 1778
SUBCLASS: CIDAROIDEA Smith, 1984
ORDER: CIDAROIDA Claus, 1880
FAMILY: CIDARIDAE Gray, 1825
GENUS: BALANOCIDARIS Lambert, 1910
SPECIES: Balanocidaris? strombecki (Desor, 1858)
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris glandifera Goldfuss, 1829 (Type species of Balanocidaris)
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Trinity
Formations: Glen Rose Formation
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian
Counties: Comal County
DESCRIPTION
SPINE: Shape: Large, fusiform, gland-shaped (glandiform) or club-shaped (Desor, 1858; Thompson, 2016).
Dimensions: Length is approximately 2.25 times the width. .
Neck: Short (Desor, 1858); Short, slimmest part of neck and base end are about equal in circumference .
Collar: Slightly larger than the base .
Base: Perforated; non-crenulate .
Ornamentation: Surface wrinkled irregularly (Desor, 1858). Numerous furrowed ridges circle the spine starting about 1/3rd from the base and extending to the tip . Parallel folds at the summit (Desor, 1858).
Granulation: Bumps cover the spine starting 1/4th from the base to just past the ambitus of the spine; additional bumps on the end near the tip .
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION
Specimen condition: Isolated spines only. BaSt-10: 22.1 mm L x 10.3 mm W. BaSt-20: 32.2 mm L x 18.3 mm W .
ETYMOLOGY: Named in honor of August von Strombeck (1809–1900), a German geologist and mineralogist (Desor, 1858).
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: This species is known in Texas primarily from isolated spines found in the Glen Rose Formation (Rose, 2016). The assignment to Balanocidaris is tentative ("?"), as Balanocidaris is often used as a form-genus for clavate/glandiform cidaroid spines when the test is unknown.
Comparisons: Desor (1858) compared the surface wrinkling to Cidaris meandrina but noted it was less pronounced in strombecki. Thompson (2016) notes the distinct furrowed ridges and bumps on the Texas specimens.
PREVIOUS NAMES: Cidaris strombecki
Plate: BaSt-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen rose
Locale: Canyon Lake County: Comal Stage: Albian
Length: 22.1 mm Width: 10.3 mm
Specimen in photo: NPL 82996 Hypotype
Collector: William R. Thompson, Jr.
University of Texas Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab. Spine only.
Plate: BaSt-20
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen rose
Length: 32.2 mm (largest) Width: 18.3 mm Stage: Albian
Collector: Jamie Lynn Shelton
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Type Locality: Langelsheim, Lower Saxony, Germany (Desor, 1858)
Stratigraphy: Intermediate layer between the Tourtia (Cenomanian) and the Flammenmergel (Albian/Cenomanian) (Desor, 1858)
Systematic Paleontology
CLASS: ECHINOIDEA Leske, 1778
SUBCLASS: CIDAROIDEA Smith, 1984
ORDER: CIDAROIDA Claus, 1880
FAMILY: CIDARIDAE Gray, 1825
GENUS: BALANOCIDARIS Lambert, 1910
SPECIES: Balanocidaris? strombecki (Desor, 1858)
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris glandifera Goldfuss, 1829 (Type species of Balanocidaris)
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Trinity
Formations: Glen Rose Formation
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian
Counties: Comal County
DESCRIPTION
SPINE: Shape: Large, fusiform, gland-shaped (glandiform) or club-shaped (Desor, 1858; Thompson, 2016).
Dimensions: Length is approximately 2.25 times the width. .
Neck: Short (Desor, 1858); Short, slimmest part of neck and base end are about equal in circumference .
Collar: Slightly larger than the base .
Base: Perforated; non-crenulate .
Ornamentation: Surface wrinkled irregularly (Desor, 1858). Numerous furrowed ridges circle the spine starting about 1/3rd from the base and extending to the tip . Parallel folds at the summit (Desor, 1858).
Granulation: Bumps cover the spine starting 1/4th from the base to just past the ambitus of the spine; additional bumps on the end near the tip .
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION
Specimen condition: Isolated spines only. BaSt-10: 22.1 mm L x 10.3 mm W. BaSt-20: 32.2 mm L x 18.3 mm W .
ETYMOLOGY: Named in honor of August von Strombeck (1809–1900), a German geologist and mineralogist (Desor, 1858).
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: This species is known in Texas primarily from isolated spines found in the Glen Rose Formation (Rose, 2016). The assignment to Balanocidaris is tentative ("?"), as Balanocidaris is often used as a form-genus for clavate/glandiform cidaroid spines when the test is unknown.
Comparisons: Desor (1858) compared the surface wrinkling to Cidaris meandrina but noted it was less pronounced in strombecki. Thompson (2016) notes the distinct furrowed ridges and bumps on the Texas specimens.
PREVIOUS NAMES: Cidaris strombecki
