Leptosalenia maryae Thompson, 2020
Plate: LeMar-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Edwards
Locale: Fluvanna County: Scurry Stage: Albian
Length: 17.3 mm Height: 11.4 mm
Collection: Dr. Steven Crane
Holotype NPL 94338
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94338
Paratypes: NPL 94339
Locality: Fluvanna, Scurry County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Edwards 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 maryae Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Salenia prestensis Desor, 1856
DIAGNOSIS
A Leptosalenia distinguished by a tetragonal-shaped periproct and long, pronounced sutural pits in the apical system (totaling 9 per genital plate).
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Fredericksburg
Formations: Edwards Formation
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian
Counties: Scurry
Abundance: Common at type locality (about 40 specimens found).
Associated Fauna: Found with Goniopygus texanus, Goniopygus zitteli, Goniopygus saleniaformis, and undescribed species of Stomechinus jordani, Cosmocyphus krameri, Leptosalenia reidi, and Globator cranei.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 17.3 mm L × 11.4 mm H.
Top shape: Subpentagonal.
Top domed: High dome-shaped; apical disc cap-shaped with a raised periproct.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned below midpoint, 33% from oral surface.
Side shape: Steep rounded sides; sides slightly sloping.
Profile: Height is 69% of length.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Straight until above the midpoint, then flexing; lanceolate. Widest at the peristome.
Amb arrangement: Ambulacra are 12% the size of the interambulacra.
Plating: Bigeminate .
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate per Family).
Primary Crenulate: Interambulacral tubercles strongly crenulate; Ambulacral tubercles non-crenulate.
Ambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 25–27 primary tubercles staggered between sets of pore pairs.
Interambulacral Tubercles: Large; plating staggered with 5 plates per row.
Areolas: Large, touching the adradial suture.
Bosses: Large with protruding mamelons.
Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles except on the adradial side and between confluent primaries.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Round; diameter 69% of test width.
Shape: Gently raised above the corona.
Plating: Genital plates large with central gonopores. Oculars protrude outwards toward the ambulacra in the middle and slightly at both outer edges ("bat-shaped").
Ornamentation: Long, pronounced sutural pits at each plate boundary and at midpoints between, totaling 9 for each plate.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Almost tetragonal (four-sided); wider than tall.
Features: Surrounded by a small raised lip; raised on the apical disc.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Large; diameter 52% of bottom surface.
Lip: Buccal notches small and invaginated.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Over 40 specimens studied. Holotype NPL 94338 and Paratypes NPL 94339 collected by Dr. Steven Crane. Size range 4.0 mm to 22.6 mm width.
ETYMOLOGY
Named after Mary L. Crane (dates unknown) of Dallas, wife of Frank Crane and mother of Dr. Stephen Crane.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: Comparison with other species highlights the uniqueness of the apical system pits and periproct shape.
Comparisons:
Plate: LeMar-10
Series: Lower Cretaceous Group: Fredericksburg Formation: Edwards
Locale: Fluvanna County: Scurry Stage: Albian
Length: 17.3 mm Height: 11.4 mm
Collection: Dr. Steven Crane
Holotype NPL 94338
Repository: Non-vertebrate Paleo. Lab., Univ. of Texas
HOLOTYPE INFO:
Holotype: NPL 94338
Paratypes: NPL 94339
Locality: Fluvanna, Scurry County, Texas.
Stratigraphy: Edwards 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 maryae Thompson, 2020
TYPE SPECIES: Salenia prestensis Desor, 1856
DIAGNOSIS
A Leptosalenia distinguished by a tetragonal-shaped periproct and long, pronounced sutural pits in the apical system (totaling 9 per genital plate).
STRATIGRAPHICAL OCCURRENCE & DISTRIBUTION
Group: Fredericksburg
Formations: Edwards Formation
Stratigraphic Units: Lower Cretaceous, Albian
Counties: Scurry
Abundance: Common at type locality (about 40 specimens found).
Associated Fauna: Found with Goniopygus texanus, Goniopygus zitteli, Goniopygus saleniaformis, and undescribed species of Stomechinus jordani, Cosmocyphus krameri, Leptosalenia reidi, and Globator cranei.
DESCRIPTION
TOP: Length, width, height: 17.3 mm L × 11.4 mm H.
Top shape: Subpentagonal.
Top domed: High dome-shaped; apical disc cap-shaped with a raised periproct.
SIDE: Ambitus: Positioned below midpoint, 33% from oral surface.
Side shape: Steep rounded sides; sides slightly sloping.
Profile: Height is 69% of length.
BOTTOM: Bottom shape: Flat.
AMB: Amb shape: Straight until above the midpoint, then flexing; lanceolate. Widest at the peristome.
Amb arrangement: Ambulacra are 12% the size of the interambulacra.
Plating: Bigeminate .
PORE PAIRS: Arrangement: Uniserial.
TUBERCLES: Primary Perforated: No (Imperforate per Family).
Primary Crenulate: Interambulacral tubercles strongly crenulate; Ambulacral tubercles non-crenulate.
Ambulacral Tubercles: Two rows of 25–27 primary tubercles staggered between sets of pore pairs.
Interambulacral Tubercles: Large; plating staggered with 5 plates per row.
Areolas: Large, touching the adradial suture.
Bosses: Large with protruding mamelons.
Scrobicular Tubercles: Surround primary tubercles except on the adradial side and between confluent primaries.
APICAL SYSTEM: Size: Round; diameter 69% of test width.
Shape: Gently raised above the corona.
Plating: Genital plates large with central gonopores. Oculars protrude outwards toward the ambulacra in the middle and slightly at both outer edges ("bat-shaped").
Ornamentation: Long, pronounced sutural pits at each plate boundary and at midpoints between, totaling 9 for each plate.
PERIPROCT (ANUS): Shape: Almost tetragonal (four-sided); wider than tall.
Features: Surrounded by a small raised lip; raised on the apical disc.
PERISTOME (MOUTH): Size: Large; diameter 52% of bottom surface.
Lip: Buccal notches small and invaginated.
SPINES: Unknown.
SPECIMENS STUDIED & CONDITION: Over 40 specimens studied. Holotype NPL 94338 and Paratypes NPL 94339 collected by Dr. Steven Crane. Size range 4.0 mm to 22.6 mm width.
ETYMOLOGY
Named after Mary L. Crane (dates unknown) of Dallas, wife of Frank Crane and mother of Dr. Stephen Crane.
REMARKS & COMPARISONS
Remarks: Comparison with other species highlights the uniqueness of the apical system pits and periproct shape.
Comparisons:
- L. hancockensis, L. hintei, L. inflata, L. texana: The sutural pits in L. maryae are longer and more pronounced.
- L. maniba: L. maryae has fewer sutural pits than L. maniba.
- L. smithi, L. nolanvillensis: The apical system of L. maryae is raised, whereas it is flat in these species.
- L. volana: The apical system architecture is closest to L. volana and L. reidi, but L. maryae differs in having a tetragonal periproct.
