Salenia patricia Thompson, 2020
Plate: SaPa-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Comanche Peak or Walnut
Locale: Harker Heights County: Bell Stage: Albian
Length: 20.4 mm Height: 15.0 mm
Collector: Marc de Vries
Holotype: NPL 94360
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94360.
Locality: Creek bed in Harker Heights, 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: SALENIA Gray, 1835
Species: Salenia patricia Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A large, inflated Salenia distinguished by a raised apical system, straight ambulacra below the ambitus, and two continuous bands of granules along the interradial sutures. A single granule occurs between each pair of scrobicular tubercles at the adradial sutures of the interambulacral plates. The apical system is proportionally large (57 % of test diameter) with a suranal plate encircled by deep pits and triangular, bird‑shaped oculars.
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: 20.4 mm L × 15.0 mm H.
Top shape: Round.
Top domed: Apical system sits raised on the corona.
Apex is located at the inside lip of the periproct.
SIDE:
Ambitus: Positioned 33% of height from the adoral surface.
Side shape: Inflated.
Ambitus smoothly rounded in profile.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Concave to the peristome.
AMB: Amb shape: Lanceolate; widest nearing the peristome. Straight at the ambitus and below; slightly flexing above. Amb arrangement: Two rows of 24 tubercles. Amb width: Interambulacra are just under 4 times the size of the ambulacra. Approximately 24 ambulacral plates per column to the ambitus. Each ambulacral plate bears a single primary tubercle and two vertically stacked pore pairs (bigeminate). Bigeminate condition persists nearly to the peristome. Interambulacral plates number approximately 10–12 per column to the ambitus.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial; becoming crowded at the peristome. Elements: Bigeminate.
TUBERCLES: Primary: Imperforate, crenulate. Ambulacral Tubercles: 24 per row. Fine granulation between tubercles. Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of five tubercles; largest are at the ambitus. Scrobicular Tubercles: 1 upper and 1 lower on adradial side; 1 smaller above; 4 or 5 on the interradial side. None between the plates vertically.
GRANULES: Distribution: Two bands of granules run along the interradial suture between the scrobicular tubercles, starting at the peristome and running to the apical cap. One small granule is present between each pair of scrobicular tubercles at the adradial sutures. Granule bands continuous and sharply defined in all interradii.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM:
Size: Large; diameter 57% of test diameter.
Shape: Round to subpentagonal.
Genital plates each with a central gonopore and 2–3 shallow pits along the distal margin.
Oculars are triangular and slightly "bird-shaped", each with 3-4 marginal pits.
Suranal plate is large and surrounded by 8-10 deep pits.
Each genital plate has a central gonopore.
Madreporite small, rounded, positioned on Genital 2.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Sub-oval. Periproct slightly offset posteriorly; rim smooth.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Very large; diameter 58% of test diameter. Lip: Ten small, invaginated buccal notches. A notch is present on either side of the ambulacra. Lips present on the interambulacral side of notches only. Peristome outline circular to slightly pentagonal.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: One specimen studied: Holotype NPL 94360. Surface preservation excellent; apical pits and granule bands clearly visible.
ETYMOLOGY
Named for Patricia Ann Stone of New Braunfels, Texas.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: The overall shape resembles Salenia supera, but S. patricia differs significantly in the apical system structure. The specific arrangement of extra granules along the adradial sutures is noted as unique among Texas Salenia. The apical pit pattern, suranal pit ring, and ocular plate morphology further distinguish this species from all other Fredericksburg Salenia.
Plate: SaPa-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Comanche Peak or Walnut
Locale: Harker Heights County: Bell Stage: Albian
Length: 20.4 mm Height: 15.0 mm
Collector: Marc de Vries
Holotype: NPL 94360
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94360.
Locality: Creek bed in Harker Heights, 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: SALENIA Gray, 1835
Species: Salenia patricia Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A large, inflated Salenia distinguished by a raised apical system, straight ambulacra below the ambitus, and two continuous bands of granules along the interradial sutures. A single granule occurs between each pair of scrobicular tubercles at the adradial sutures of the interambulacral plates. The apical system is proportionally large (57 % of test diameter) with a suranal plate encircled by deep pits and triangular, bird‑shaped oculars.
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: 20.4 mm L × 15.0 mm H.
Top shape: Round.
Top domed: Apical system sits raised on the corona.
Apex is located at the inside lip of the periproct.
SIDE:
Ambitus: Positioned 33% of height from the adoral surface.
Side shape: Inflated.
Ambitus smoothly rounded in profile.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Concave to the peristome.
AMB: Amb shape: Lanceolate; widest nearing the peristome. Straight at the ambitus and below; slightly flexing above. Amb arrangement: Two rows of 24 tubercles. Amb width: Interambulacra are just under 4 times the size of the ambulacra. Approximately 24 ambulacral plates per column to the ambitus. Each ambulacral plate bears a single primary tubercle and two vertically stacked pore pairs (bigeminate). Bigeminate condition persists nearly to the peristome. Interambulacral plates number approximately 10–12 per column to the ambitus.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial; becoming crowded at the peristome. Elements: Bigeminate.
TUBERCLES: Primary: Imperforate, crenulate. Ambulacral Tubercles: 24 per row. Fine granulation between tubercles. Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of five tubercles; largest are at the ambitus. Scrobicular Tubercles: 1 upper and 1 lower on adradial side; 1 smaller above; 4 or 5 on the interradial side. None between the plates vertically.
GRANULES: Distribution: Two bands of granules run along the interradial suture between the scrobicular tubercles, starting at the peristome and running to the apical cap. One small granule is present between each pair of scrobicular tubercles at the adradial sutures. Granule bands continuous and sharply defined in all interradii.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM:
Size: Large; diameter 57% of test diameter.
Shape: Round to subpentagonal.
Genital plates each with a central gonopore and 2–3 shallow pits along the distal margin.
Oculars are triangular and slightly "bird-shaped", each with 3-4 marginal pits.
Suranal plate is large and surrounded by 8-10 deep pits.
Each genital plate has a central gonopore.
Madreporite small, rounded, positioned on Genital 2.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Sub-oval. Periproct slightly offset posteriorly; rim smooth.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Very large; diameter 58% of test diameter. Lip: Ten small, invaginated buccal notches. A notch is present on either side of the ambulacra. Lips present on the interambulacral side of notches only. Peristome outline circular to slightly pentagonal.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: One specimen studied: Holotype NPL 94360. Surface preservation excellent; apical pits and granule bands clearly visible.
ETYMOLOGY
Named for Patricia Ann Stone of New Braunfels, Texas.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: The overall shape resembles Salenia supera, but S. patricia differs significantly in the apical system structure. The specific arrangement of extra granules along the adradial sutures is noted as unique among Texas Salenia. The apical pit pattern, suranal pit ring, and ocular plate morphology further distinguish this species from all other Fredericksburg Salenia.
