Leptosalenia nolanvillensis Thompson, 2020
Plate: LeNo-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Comanche Peak or Walnut
Locale: Nolanville County: Bell Stage: Albian
Length: 8.1 mm Height: 5.8 mm
Collector: Marc de Vries
Holotype NPL 94340
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94340.
Locality: Quarry in Nolanville, Bell County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Comanche Peak or Walnut Formation, Fredericksburg Group.
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY – TAXONOMY
Class: Echinoidea Leske, 1778
Subclass: Euechinoidea Bronn, 1860
Infraclass: Carinacea Kroh & Smith, 2010
Superorder: Calycina Gregory, 1900
Order: Salenioida Delage & Hérouard, 1903
Family: Saleniidae L. Agassiz, 1838
Genus: LEPTOSALENIA Smith & Wright, 1990
Species: Leptosalenia nolanvillensis Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Salenia prestensis Desor, 1856
DIAGNOSIS
A Leptosalenia characterized by a nearly flat apical system and a barrel-shaped profile. It is morphologically distinct from other Fredericksburg Group Saleniids such as L. mexicana and Salenia elliotti.
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Fredericksburg
Formations: Comanche Peak or Walnut Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian.
Counties: Bell.
Abundance: Rare; only one specimen known.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 8.1 mm L × 4.0 mm H.
Top shape: Circular outline.
Top domed: Apical disc is flat with a slightly raised periproct.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned at midpoint.
Side shape: Barrel-shaped with steep, slightly sloping sides.
Profile: Height is reported as 71% of length.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Flexing, lanceolate. Widest at the peristome.
Amb arrangement: Ambulacra are listed as 3 times the size of interambulacral.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate per Family).
Primary Crenulate: Interambulacral tubercles crenulate; Ambulacral tubercles non-crenulate.
Ambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 21 primary tubercles staggered between sets of pore pairs.
Interambulacral Tubercles: Large; plating staggered with 3 or 4 plates per row.
Areolas: Large, touching the adradial suture.
Bosses: Mamelons protruding.
Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles except on the adradial side.
GRANULES: Not specified.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Round; diameter 56% of test width.
Shape: Flat; gently raised on the corona.
Plating: Each genital plate has a gonopore. Oculars protrude outwards toward the ambulacra in the middle and at both outer edges ("bat-shaped"). Large madreporite present.
Ornamentation: Genital plates smooth; sutural pits present at each plate boundary and at midpoints between, totaling 9 for each plate.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Sub-hexagonal; wider than tall.
Features: Surrounded by a weak lip.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Large; diameter 46% of bottom surface.
Lip: Buccal notches invaginated.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: One specimen studied: Holotype NPL 94340. Collected by Marc de Vries.
ETYMOLOGY
Named after Nolanville, Bell County, Texas, the type locality.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: The apical cap in Leptosalenia texana is distinctly cone-shaped, whereas it is flat in L. nolanvillensis.
Comparisons:
Plate: LeNo-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Comanche Peak or Walnut
Locale: Nolanville County: Bell Stage: Albian
Length: 8.1 mm Height: 5.8 mm
Collector: Marc de Vries
Holotype NPL 94340
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94340.
Locality: Quarry in Nolanville, Bell County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Comanche Peak or Walnut Formation, Fredericksburg Group.
SYSTEMATIC PALEONTOLOGY – TAXONOMY
Class: Echinoidea Leske, 1778
Subclass: Euechinoidea Bronn, 1860
Infraclass: Carinacea Kroh & Smith, 2010
Superorder: Calycina Gregory, 1900
Order: Salenioida Delage & Hérouard, 1903
Family: Saleniidae L. Agassiz, 1838
Genus: LEPTOSALENIA Smith & Wright, 1990
Species: Leptosalenia nolanvillensis Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Salenia prestensis Desor, 1856
DIAGNOSIS
A Leptosalenia characterized by a nearly flat apical system and a barrel-shaped profile. It is morphologically distinct from other Fredericksburg Group Saleniids such as L. mexicana and Salenia elliotti.
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Fredericksburg
Formations: Comanche Peak or Walnut Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian.
Counties: Bell.
Abundance: Rare; only one specimen known.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 8.1 mm L × 4.0 mm H.
Top shape: Circular outline.
Top domed: Apical disc is flat with a slightly raised periproct.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned at midpoint.
Side shape: Barrel-shaped with steep, slightly sloping sides.
Profile: Height is reported as 71% of length.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Flexing, lanceolate. Widest at the peristome.
Amb arrangement: Ambulacra are listed as 3 times the size of interambulacral.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate per Family).
Primary Crenulate: Interambulacral tubercles crenulate; Ambulacral tubercles non-crenulate.
Ambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 21 primary tubercles staggered between sets of pore pairs.
Interambulacral Tubercles: Large; plating staggered with 3 or 4 plates per row.
Areolas: Large, touching the adradial suture.
Bosses: Mamelons protruding.
Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles except on the adradial side.
GRANULES: Not specified.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Round; diameter 56% of test width.
Shape: Flat; gently raised on the corona.
Plating: Each genital plate has a gonopore. Oculars protrude outwards toward the ambulacra in the middle and at both outer edges ("bat-shaped"). Large madreporite present.
Ornamentation: Genital plates smooth; sutural pits present at each plate boundary and at midpoints between, totaling 9 for each plate.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Sub-hexagonal; wider than tall.
Features: Surrounded by a weak lip.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Large; diameter 46% of bottom surface.
Lip: Buccal notches invaginated.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: One specimen studied: Holotype NPL 94340. Collected by Marc de Vries.
ETYMOLOGY
Named after Nolanville, Bell County, Texas, the type locality.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: The apical cap in Leptosalenia texana is distinctly cone-shaped, whereas it is flat in L. nolanvillensis.
Comparisons:
- L. smithi: While L. smithi also possesses a flat cap, L. nolanvillensis varies in multiple morphological areas.
- Salenia comalensis: Also noted to have a flat cap, but distinct from L. nolanvillensis.
- Salenia patricia: L. nolanvillensis does not match this form found in the Fredericksburg Group.
