Salenia pseudowhitneyi Ikins, 1940
Plate: SaPs-10
Series: Upper Cretaceous Group: Taylor Formation: Anacacho
Locale: Hondo County: Medina Stage: Campanian
Length: 17.9 mm Height: 10.4 mm
Specimen in photos: BEG 40567 Hypotype
Collector: (Not specified)
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: UT/BEG Collection (Likely BEG 40567 or within that series) (Ikins, 1940).
Locality: Lower chalky marl at King’s Water Hole on Hondo River, 2 miles north of Hondo, Medina County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Anacacho Formation.
SYNONYMY
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 pseudowhitneyi Ikins, 1940
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A medium-sized Salenia with a circular ambitus and inflated sides. Distinguished from S. whitneyi by its subpentagonal, scalloped apical system and the lack of depression in the genital plates relative to the oculars (apical base is a straight line in lateral view).
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Taylor
Formations: Anacacho Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Upper Cretaceous, Campanian.
Counties: Medina.
Abundance: Uncommon.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 17.9 mm L × 10.4 mm H. Top shape: Circular in ambital outline. Top domed: Abactinal surface depressed convex; prominent apical cap.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned at midpoint. Side shape: Sides inflated and regularly curved. Profile: Apical cap sits on the corona, the base line straight.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Adactinal surface slightly concave to flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Narrow and slightly flexuous (Ikins, 1940); one ambulacra is straight. Widest at peristome. Amb arrangement: Surface ornamented with two rows of ~19 alternating tubercles.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial and round; slightly crowded but regular near the peristome. Offset at peristome.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate). Primary Crenulate: Yes. Ambulacral Tubercles: Alternating, imperforate, crenulate, and mammillated. Pairs of granules located between tubercles (Ikins, 1940). Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of seven broad, alternating plates. Bosses are large, scrobiculate, and crenulate.
GRANULES: Distribution: In interambulacra: two rows of large granules with two rows of smaller granules between them in the middle of the area; large granules also present in upper/lower adradial corners. Further granulation below apical system and at sutures.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Large; diameter 50% of test. Shape: Subpentagonal and scalloped; genital plate outer edges are gently rounded, not pointed. Oculars are small and subtrigonal with an inward curve on the outside. Plating: Each genital plate has a gonopore. Ocular basal margins are extended. Ornamentation: Suture pits present at each plate boundary and at midpoints between.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Large, triangular. Slightly deltoid but rounded at angles (Ikins, 1940). Features: Has a large triangular lip.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Described as small (44% of bottom). Shape: Circular, decagonal. Lip: Strongly developed branchial incisions.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Hypotype BEG 40567.
ETYMOLOGY
Named pseudowhitneyi to indicate its strong resemblance to Salenia whitneyi, while being a distinct species.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Comparisons:
Plate: SaPs-10
Series: Upper Cretaceous Group: Taylor Formation: Anacacho
Locale: Hondo County: Medina Stage: Campanian
Length: 17.9 mm Height: 10.4 mm
Specimen in photos: BEG 40567 Hypotype
Collector: (Not specified)
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: UT/BEG Collection (Likely BEG 40567 or within that series) (Ikins, 1940).
Locality: Lower chalky marl at King’s Water Hole on Hondo River, 2 miles north of Hondo, Medina County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Anacacho Formation.
SYNONYMY
- Salenia pseudowhitneyi Ikins, 1940
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 pseudowhitneyi Ikins, 1940
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A medium-sized Salenia with a circular ambitus and inflated sides. Distinguished from S. whitneyi by its subpentagonal, scalloped apical system and the lack of depression in the genital plates relative to the oculars (apical base is a straight line in lateral view).
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Taylor
Formations: Anacacho Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Upper Cretaceous, Campanian.
Counties: Medina.
Abundance: Uncommon.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 17.9 mm L × 10.4 mm H. Top shape: Circular in ambital outline. Top domed: Abactinal surface depressed convex; prominent apical cap.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned at midpoint. Side shape: Sides inflated and regularly curved. Profile: Apical cap sits on the corona, the base line straight.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Adactinal surface slightly concave to flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Narrow and slightly flexuous (Ikins, 1940); one ambulacra is straight. Widest at peristome. Amb arrangement: Surface ornamented with two rows of ~19 alternating tubercles.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial and round; slightly crowded but regular near the peristome. Offset at peristome.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate). Primary Crenulate: Yes. Ambulacral Tubercles: Alternating, imperforate, crenulate, and mammillated. Pairs of granules located between tubercles (Ikins, 1940). Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of seven broad, alternating plates. Bosses are large, scrobiculate, and crenulate.
GRANULES: Distribution: In interambulacra: two rows of large granules with two rows of smaller granules between them in the middle of the area; large granules also present in upper/lower adradial corners. Further granulation below apical system and at sutures.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Large; diameter 50% of test. Shape: Subpentagonal and scalloped; genital plate outer edges are gently rounded, not pointed. Oculars are small and subtrigonal with an inward curve on the outside. Plating: Each genital plate has a gonopore. Ocular basal margins are extended. Ornamentation: Suture pits present at each plate boundary and at midpoints between.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Large, triangular. Slightly deltoid but rounded at angles (Ikins, 1940). Features: Has a large triangular lip.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Described as small (44% of bottom). Shape: Circular, decagonal. Lip: Strongly developed branchial incisions.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Hypotype BEG 40567.
ETYMOLOGY
Named pseudowhitneyi to indicate its strong resemblance to Salenia whitneyi, while being a distinct species.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Comparisons:
- Salenia whitneyi: S. pseudowhitneyi is very similar but distinguished by the apical system shape (scalloped subpentagonal vs. pentagonal) and profile. In S. pseudowhitneyi, the genitals are not depressed relative to the oculars, creating a straight base line in lateral view (vs. zigzag in whitneyi).
