Salenia supera Thompson, 2016
Plate: SaSu-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen Rose
Locale: Medina Lake County: Bandera Stage: Albian
Length: 20.3 mm Height: 14.4 mm
Specimen in photo: NPL73949 Holotype
Collector: Ed Elliott
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 73949 .
Locality: Medina Lake, Bandera County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Glen Rose Formation, Trinity 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 supera Thompson, 2016
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A medium-sized, high-profile Salenia from the Lower Cretaceous. Distinguished by straight ambulacra (not sinuous), a high tubercle count in the interambulacra (two rows of 7), and slit-like sutural pits on the apical system.
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Trinity
Formations: Glen Rose Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian.
Counties: Bandera.
Abundance: Rare; only one specimen known.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 20.3 mm L × 14.4 mm H. Top shape: Round with pronounced tubercles. Top domed: High domed; apical system sits on the corona as a large central raised cap.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned 40% of height from the adoral surface. Side shape: Highly inflated.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Wide flat base.
AMB: Amb shape: Straight (not sinuous); pointed at apical system, widest at peristome. Amb arrangement: Two rows of 23 tubercles. Amb width: Interambulacra are more than three times the width of ambulacra at the ambitus.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Described as uniserial. Elements: Bigeminate. Shape: Round.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate). Primary Crenulate: Yes. Mamelons: Large, bulbous, pronounced. Ambulacral Tubercles: One primary tubercle on each plate located at the margin adjacent to pore pairs. Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 7 primary tubercles (one per plate). Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles; naked at adradial suture.
GRANULES: Distribution: Thick granulation in ambulacra, reducing at peristome. In interambulacra, granules are concentrated at the interradial suture and near the apical system; very sparse at the adradial suture.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Large; diameter 67% of test width. Shape: Subpentagonal. Plating: Oculars are large, "bird-shaped," and rectangular at outer edges. Gonopores small. Ornamentation: Suture pits are large and slit-like.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Suboval. Location: Apex at inside lip of periproct; aligned with ambulacrum. Size: Smaller than suranal plate.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Diameter 47% of test diameter. Sunken: Slightly depressed. Lip: Notches small, evenly spaced, with thickened lips.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Holotype NPL 73949.
ETYMOLOGY
From the Latin supera ("above"), referring to the high, domed profile.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: Salenia supera differs from other Texas Salenia species by its specific suture pitting, higher tubercle count (7 per row in interambs), denser granulation, and large dome shape. The ambulacra are notably straight, unlike the sinuous ambulacra of related forms. The periproct is less triangular than in Salenia elliotti or Salenia hondoensis.
Plate: SaSu-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Trinity Formation: Glen Rose
Locale: Medina Lake County: Bandera Stage: Albian
Length: 20.3 mm Height: 14.4 mm
Specimen in photo: NPL73949 Holotype
Collector: Ed Elliott
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 73949 .
Locality: Medina Lake, Bandera County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Glen Rose Formation, Trinity 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 supera Thompson, 2016
TYPE SPECIES: Cidaris scutigera Gray, 1835
DIAGNOSIS
A medium-sized, high-profile Salenia from the Lower Cretaceous. Distinguished by straight ambulacra (not sinuous), a high tubercle count in the interambulacra (two rows of 7), and slit-like sutural pits on the apical system.
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Trinity
Formations: Glen Rose Formation.
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian.
Counties: Bandera.
Abundance: Rare; only one specimen known.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 20.3 mm L × 14.4 mm H. Top shape: Round with pronounced tubercles. Top domed: High domed; apical system sits on the corona as a large central raised cap.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned 40% of height from the adoral surface. Side shape: Highly inflated.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Wide flat base.
AMB: Amb shape: Straight (not sinuous); pointed at apical system, widest at peristome. Amb arrangement: Two rows of 23 tubercles. Amb width: Interambulacra are more than three times the width of ambulacra at the ambitus.
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Described as uniserial. Elements: Bigeminate. Shape: Round.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate). Primary Crenulate: Yes. Mamelons: Large, bulbous, pronounced. Ambulacral Tubercles: One primary tubercle on each plate located at the margin adjacent to pore pairs. Interambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 7 primary tubercles (one per plate). Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles; naked at adradial suture.
GRANULES: Distribution: Thick granulation in ambulacra, reducing at peristome. In interambulacra, granules are concentrated at the interradial suture and near the apical system; very sparse at the adradial suture.
FASCIOLE: Absent.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Large; diameter 67% of test width. Shape: Subpentagonal. Plating: Oculars are large, "bird-shaped," and rectangular at outer edges. Gonopores small. Ornamentation: Suture pits are large and slit-like.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Suboval. Location: Apex at inside lip of periproct; aligned with ambulacrum. Size: Smaller than suranal plate.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Diameter 47% of test diameter. Sunken: Slightly depressed. Lip: Notches small, evenly spaced, with thickened lips.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Holotype NPL 73949.
ETYMOLOGY
From the Latin supera ("above"), referring to the high, domed profile.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: Salenia supera differs from other Texas Salenia species by its specific suture pitting, higher tubercle count (7 per row in interambs), denser granulation, and large dome shape. The ambulacra are notably straight, unlike the sinuous ambulacra of related forms. The periproct is less triangular than in Salenia elliotti or Salenia hondoensis.
